The best barber shops in Toronto will have your loyalty for life with their delivery of fresh-looking cuts. Whether you’re looking for a quick line up or an all-day affair of hanging out, these masters of hair know their way around their razors, scissors, and blades.

Here are the best barber shops in Toronto.

It's the most wonderful time of the year and events in Toronto today mark the start of the Christmas Market. Elsewhere, Chris Hadfield is back with this year's Generator and Harry Potter gets the orchestra treatment.

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest food news in Toronto and gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

Open now

• The Opium Bar, serving Asian-inspired cocktails and snacks, is in soft opening mode at 1321 Dundas Street West (at Rusholme Road).
• Varsity, a spot for quick Korean and Japanese food, has taken over the former Tacos Baos space at 914A Bloor Street West in Bloorcourt.
• Councillor is now open at 1188 Queen Street West (at Northcote Avenue).
• Coffee, Oysters, Champagne (or COC for short) is now open at 214 King Street West in the Entertainment District.
• Casa Fuego, an Argentinian steakhouse from the team behind Copacabana, is now open at 230 Adelaide Street West (at Duncan Street).
• Pizza Forno, an automated oven that cooks up pizzas 24/7 in three minutes, can be found at 535 Adelaide Street East in Corktown.
• Shy Coffee Co. is now open at 766 King Street West (at Tecumseth Street).
• Plaxton Coffee is also now open at 2889 St. Clair Avenue East (by Plaxton Drive).
• New joint 99 Sushi Japanese and Thai does AYCE at 170 Eglinton Avenue East by Yonge and Eg.
• Bubble tea shop Incha is now open at 761 Bay Street between College and Gerrard.
• Taiwanese BBT chain Yi Fang Fruit Tea has opened three locations in Toronto: one at 615 Bloor Street West in Koreatown, another at 316 Spadina Avenue in Chinatown, and the third at 672 Yonge Street (by Isabella Street).

Recently reviewed

• Wallflower
• Harry's Steak House
• Nobuya Ramen
• Von Bugle Brewing
• Cactus Club Sherway Gardens
• Kingsway Fish and Chips

Opening soon

• Hawk & Chick, a Korean-influenced takeaway bento restaurant serving banchan, jjigae and kimbap, is opening soon at 1426 Dundas Street West in Little Portugal.
• Japanese souffle pancake spot Fuwa Fuwa is opening a second location coming soon to Yonge and Eglinton.
• Argentinian restaurant Neruda should be opening next month at 1681 Lakeshore Boulevard East in the Beaches.
• Rag Doll Eatery officially opens tomorrow (Friday, November 16) at 2110 Yonge Street (at Hillsdale Avenue) in what was formerly Noorden.

Closed

• Sarah's Shawarma and Falafel in the Annex recently underwent a change in ownership and is now all papered up.

Other news

• Pusateri's has collaborated with Montreal chef Chuck Hughes of Garde Manger and Le Bremner for the holiday gift-giving season, offering an exclusive chocolate truffle collection collaboration with Toronto's own CXBO.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to editors@blogto.com.

This is one of the rare lofts in the Annex, which is mostly home to old Victorian homes. The unit is in the historic Creed’s Storage Vaults, which used to store furs up until the 80s, at which point it was converted into these lofts.

This place boasts 1,400-square-feet of bright, airy living space and it has a large outdoor terrace.

One sore spot is that the kitchen is tucked away in a corner under the stairs. So while there is enough counter space, it looks a tiny bit cramped because of the low ceiling.

Upstairs is the master bedroom. It’s roomy and has a seating area with wood burning fireplace, which is nice as we head into the winter.  

The master suite also walks out onto the rooftop patio, which overlooks the mature trees in the neighbourhood. It also has a BBQ hookup so it’s perfect for summer grilling.

Specs

• Address: #212 - 295 Davenport Road
• Price: $1,275,000
• Bedrooms: 1
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 1
• Walk Score: 96    
• Transit Score: 96
• Maintenance Fees: $1,017.56 monthly
• Listing agent: Jen Laschinger
• Listing ID: C4290950

Good For

Bath time. The bathtub seems almost like a Jacuzzi that’s how big it is, so it’s perfect for lengthy soaks at the end of a hard day.

Move On If

You need more than one bedroom.

Want to open a pot shop? In just over a month, you'll be able to apply for the privilege—unless you have back taxes, an "association with organized crime" or already own a store that sells cannabis.

These are but a few of the regulations released by Ontario's PC government Wednesday night pertaining to private recreational cannabis stores, which will open for business across the province on April 1, 2019.

"The purpose of these regulations is to keep kids safe," said Attorney General Caroline Mulroney in a news release. "And to ensure all people operating in this tightly-regulated retail system behave with integrity, honesty, and in the public interest."

So, what are they?

Well, for starters, nobody under 19 can enter a private cannabis store. Ever. Not even with their parents.

Stores must also be placed at least 150 metres away from schools and be considered "stand-alone" locations (read: they can't be in strip malls). 

Licensed retailers will be able to sell weed between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. every day, under these regulations, with a maximum of 75 stores per operator allowed in Ontario.

Anyone working at one of these stores will be required to complete a government-approved training program in the responsible sale of cannabis.

Applications for licenses to sell will begin on December 17, though the release notes that any "illegal cannabis retailers who were operating after legalization on Oct. 17 will not be eligible to receive cannabis sales licences."

As it stands now, Ontarians may only purchase marijuana from the province's not-so-smooth online store. That, or illegally.

The iconic ring where boxing legends like Muhammad Ali and George Chuvalo once trained is transforming into a stage for live performances this weekend.

A new live music series called It's OK* is taking over the iconic Sully's Boxing Club this Saturday with the first episode of their event, which is already sold out. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by It’s OK* (@itsok.world) on Oct 30, 2018 at 11:30am PDT

According to co-founders Alicia Bee and Said Yassin, the series aims to spotlight local musicians in an intimate setting, "with a vibe falling somewhere between Boiler Room and Tiny Desk." 

Performers include well-known local producers like Alexonweed, Joseph L'étranger, rapper Sydanie, and JustJohn performing his collaboration with producer Dom Dias.

They'll also be flying out Valee from Chicago—the newest signee to Kanye's label G.O.O.D. Music—to perform for the crowd of up to 200 attendees.

Drivers beware: A heavy snowfall is on the way, bringing more of the white stuff into Southern Ontario than we've seen in the month of November for years.

This could have "major impacts" on Thursday evening's commute, according to Environment Canada, which just issued a winter weather travel advisory for the City of Toronto.

"Snow associated with a deepening low pressure system moving up along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States will reach Southern Ontario later this afternoon," reads a statement from the federal weather agency. "The snow is forecast to continue through tonight into early Friday morning."

Environment Canada weather advisory: Winter weather travel advisory in effect this afternoon. A snowfall of 5 to 10cm is expected across the region. Poor winter driving conditions are expected. Untreated roads may become snow covered and slippery. Details: https://t.co/Zxv8pgcACIpic.twitter.com/amkGXlnp2D

— City of Vaughan (@City_of_Vaughan) November 15, 2018

Between 5 and 10 cm of accumulation is expected across the region (though some forecasts are calling for up to 15 cm) between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Environment Canada predicts that this will be "the first significant snowfall for many parts of the Golden Horseshoe" and the largest winter weather event so far this season in Toronto.

Motorists are being advised to plan out extra time to reach their destinations, as poor driving conditions are expected. Look out for untreated roads, which may be snow-covered and slippery.

Tomorrow morning won't be much better, in terms of driving conditions, though flurries should become mixed with rain by Friday afternoon as temperatures rise back up above zero degrees. #Blessed.

Weekend events in Toronto take a momentary break from the impending cold to transport you back to summer with the Terre Bleu Lavender Farm pop-up and a new beer pong festival. Everywhere else you'll find holiday fun to mark the beginning of the Christmas season.

Skating season is upon us, so it's time to bust out the skates and jackets, and get some hot cocoa ready. 

While the city offers many public rinks to skate, one of the most magnificent venues for the classic winter activity is the Bentway. 

The space under the Gardiner has been transformed significantly, turning into a venue for dining, art shows, park space, and more. But, most impressively, the 1.75 km-stretch of the city was transformed into a magical skating trail for the first time last year. 

Now, the Bentway will transform into a figure 8 shaped skating trail again, bringing the holiday and wintertime fun back to the awesome new space. 

This year, the skating trail will open December 21, just in time for Christmas. There will be skating lessons, food and drink, and a "winter village" replete with blankets, warming areas, and fire pits. 

According to officials, the Bentway skating trail saw 50,000 visitors over seven weeks, in extremely cold temperatures. They're hoping the magical spot will be a hit again this year. 

After months of sitting abandoned, a strip of storefronts just steps from St. Lawrence Market is finally seeing some life. 

It looks like some new businesses have finally moved into the little square of units at 106 Front St. East, bringing some much needed activity to an under-used corner of this busy area.

The unit that once housed an Angelo's Coal Fired Pizza will soon become a Cora.

Signs for a Cora have gone up in the corner lot of this heritage building at Front and George Streets, replacing the unit where an Angelo's Coal Fired Pizza used to be.  

In the same building at 106 Front St. East is the addition of a new F45 Training location.

Adjacent to it, a new location of the interactive gym F45 Training has also popped up, offering a work out spot for those wanting to work off the fried chicken from next door Popeye's, which opened only four months ago.

A Booster Juice will join the corner where a fairly new Popeyes sits.

And next door to Popeyes, there are signs for a brand new Booster Juice that is expected to open up soon, officially filling out this once desolate section of the first ten blocks of York.

If there's one thing we know for certain about Ontario Premier Doug Ford's 76-member Progressive Conservative caucus, as a group, it's that they love to clap—mostly for Ford, but also for themselves, and sometimes to drown out pesky journalists.

The PC MPPs are such a clappy bunch, in fact, that it's become a "thing" to count how many times they'll stand up to applaud during any given session at Queen's Park.

Doug Ford vomit burps nacho lunch onto shirt.
PC caucus, slow clap to standing ovation.

— BA Johnston (@BAJohnston) November 14, 2018

On Monday, the group managed to get in a total of 22 standing ovations in just 45 minutes.

On Tuesday, it was 21, including the ovation Finance Minister Vic Fedeli got from his PC colleagues after calling NDP deputy leader Sara Singh an "idiot."

28 standing ovations between the @OntarioPCParty and @OntarioNDP during today's 2-hour question period.

The fact I had to speed up this compilation by 225% goes to show you how much time (and money) is being wasted by our government. #ONPolipic.twitter.com/65s4Pi6Xa1

— Tyler 🇨🇦 (@tylerwhat16) November 14, 2018

The behaviour, supportive as it may seem among members of the party, isn't appreciated by all.

Speaker of the House Ted Arnott said at the beginning of Question Period on Wednesday that he'd had received complaints about the "number and duration" of standing ovations in the Legislature since Ford came into power.

The party's uproarious eruptions are simply interruptions, the way he sees it, as it becomes difficult to hear or see MPPs while they're speaking.

Another PC standing ovation in the Legislature.

Speaker is, once again, forced to stop the clock. #onpoli

— Colin D'Mello CTVNews (@ColinDMello) November 14, 2018

"We are all accountable for our behaviour in this House," said Arnott, who does not have the power to ban standing ovations, on Wednesday.

"I would therefore respectfully ask members to keep their ovations to a minimum to enhance the decorum."

PC MPPs gave their leader a standing ovation anyway, roughly two minutes later anyway.

"Should I reread my statement?" said Arnott at the time, reminding caucus that Question Period is publicly televised.

Hey @PrabSarkaria! Why do you support striking down Bill 148? You shouldn't be providing a standing ovation while kicking your constituents in the shins. On top of having our university campus taken away by Doug Ford, this isn't a win for Brampton. pic.twitter.com/NdpBrc9niS

— shafdelrey (@shafdelrey) October 24, 2018

Ontario Minister of Economic Development and House leader Todd Smith brushed off Arnott's plea following Question Period.

"We're an enthusiastic team," he said to reporters on Wednesday. "The decorum you're seeing from the government side is one of excitement about the agenda we're rolling out."

The holidays are upon us, and that means digging out that dusty bin of old wrapping paper tubes from the depths of your closet. 

But, it doesn't have to be so mundane, thanks to a new startup in Toronto. 

Paper Plate and Pixel is a printing service that offers several products, but their main feature at the moment is custom wrapping paper. 

Those interested can use basically any design they want on their own paper, from patterns, to photos, to logos and more. 

Paper Plate and Pixel also offers zine printing and other services. Image courtesy of Paper Plate and Pixel. 

Here's how it works: You pay online, then receive an email with instructions on how to upload your design. From here, the product is then shipped to you, or you can pick it up at a set location. 

Should you decide to pick it up at PP&P's location in the Junction Triangle, you can use their wide supply of tools like trimmers and hole punchers to your heart's content. 

Rather than offering full tubes of wrapping paper, PP&P offers 13-inch by 19-inch sheets, which offers more square inches at a lower price (and it's easier to store). 

The startup offers a holiday design for those who cannot come up with one. Image courtesy of Paper Plate and Pixel. 

Right now you can purchase ten single-sided sheets for $12 (about 2,470 sq in). Upgrade to double-sided for an extra $2.

PP&P also offers zine printing and art prints, but this holiday season, wrapping paper is the hot item. 

The three-person teams plans to showcase at the Christmas Market, the Tranzac Holiday Gift Fair, and Holiday Mrkt for those who want to check them out. They'll have their own holiday gift package designs for the less creative among us.  

Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government just released its long-term plan for reducing Ontario's $14.5 billion budget deficit and, for some reason, it includes selling liquor until 11 p.m.

A media release accompanying Minister of Finance Vic Fedeli's 2018 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review states that the province is "aggressively pursuing every opportunity to find new efficiencies and savings."

Is extending the LCBO's opening hours to 11pm a good idea?

— blogTO (@blogTO) November 15, 2018

The measures, which include everything from the cancellation of many rebate programs to capping minimum wage, are laid out in five different sections on a new, easy-to-explore website called 'Ontario's Plan for the People.'

Alongside such categories to explore as "Taking Action to Put Ontario’s Fiscal House in Order" and "Tax Relief for Low-Income and Minimum Wage Workers" is a section called "Saving Money, While Improving Choice and Convenience for Beer and Wine Consumers."

Hey Ontario! Stay tuned for details tomorrow… Our Government for the People will make an announcement about expanded retail hours for alcohol sales. #onpolipic.twitter.com/HzWmS877xe

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) November 15, 2018

That's right, booze has its own dedicated chapter in the provincial government's fiscal roadmap, and it confirms what Ford himself has been alluding to for months: looser liquor laws.

More specifically, the hours and days in which alcohol can be sold at retail stores are expanding.

Like Ontario's forthcoming recreational cannabis stores (more details about which were also released today), the LCBO, Beer Store and other authorized retailers will be permitted to sell alcohol from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., seven days a week, under the new plan.

The government says it's still working on "developing a plan to expand the sale of beer and wine to corner stores, grocery stores and big-box stores."

Oh yeah, and 'buck-a-beer'. That's technically still a thing too.

One of Canada's most successful modern fashion brands is finally, at long last, throwing a bone to those of us who drool over their window displays but refuse to spend $200 on a plain brown cardigan.

Aritzia, the Vancouver-born upscale retailer turned cool girl cult favourite, just launched its first-ever North American outlet store in the GTA.

You can find it at Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, where a brand new, 140,000-square-foot luxury expansion opened to the public on Thursday morning.  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Toronto Premium Outlets (@toronto_po) on Nov 15, 2018 at 6:49am PST

With neighbouring stores like Gucci, Prada and Montblanc, it won't likely be super cheap—but it is still an outlet, which usually means reduced prices on goods straight from the manufacturer.

Being that the manufacturer is Aritzia, those goods are pretty much guaranteed to be of superb quality, though it's hard to say what the outlet store will stock and in which types of quantities.

Fingers crossed for deep discounts on mass-coveted items from Aritzia-owned brands, like Babaton's Billy Skirt or the Kendall Jenner-endorsed TNA super puff jacket.

You know, a coat that looks like an actual duvet makes a lot more sense when it isn't $400.

After more than four months of picket lines, protests and failed negotiations, the lockout of more than 400 skilled technical workers at Toronto's Exhibition Place has ended.

The International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 58 voted on Thursday to ratify a new contract with the city-owned venue, according to the group's president, after a marathon 21-hour mediated bargaining session.

Members of IATSE Local 58, which represents workers with technical and staging expertise at Exhibition Place, had been locked out by the city-owned venue's board of governors since July 20.

On behalf of all the members of @iatse58 I want to say thank you to those who supported us during this battle. The #solidarity made a huge difference in both the resolve and the outcome of this #58lockedout. https://t.co/cuM7gVwwXw

— Justin Antheunis (@Local58Prez) November 15, 2018

With the launch of 2018's Canadian National Exhibition in August, their demonstrations intensified and gained much support from city residents.

Picket lines outside the CNE (and the refusal of many people to cross them) are said to have cost The Ex as much as $1.5 million this year, not to mention what was lost with the cancellations of several other high profile events at Exhibition Place in recent months.

More recently, workers and their allies were encouraging Torontonians to boycott the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Rally ⁦@ExPlaceTO⁩ ⁦@RoyalWinterFair⁩ still #lockedout⁦@iatse58⁩ pic.twitter.com/NVbdN6ydAR

— Simon Evans (@Serevans666) November 11, 2018

The acceptance of a new contract means the picket lines are gone, though IATSE Local 58 doesn't seem entirely thrilled with how everything turned out.

"Local 58 president Justin Antheunis acknowledges that the union is angry about the concessions they were forced to accept and they 'took it on the chin' in order to get back to work, calling the lock out and many terms of the agreement a blatant attack on workers," reads a release from the group.

"I don’t think either party is happy with how things worked out,” said Antheunis in the release. "But we continue our commitment to serving Exhibition Place with the same level of professionalism and technical skill we have for more than 100 years."

Snuggly and warm is the operative word for events in Toronto today as the city experiences its first snowfall of the season. If you do feel like venturing out, the appropriately named Long Winter is on, CineIran kicks off and there's a big party at the ROM.

Sometimes it blows me away how insane the Toronto real estate market is. This home last sold in 2012 for just under $1 million. Now, in 2018, it sold for almost $3 million in under a week. That’s crazy, but not unreasonable.

The seven-bedroom home is located in the desirable High Park neighbourhood. It’s been fully renovated but managed to keep those special historic touches like stained glass windows and original hardwood floors, and it comes with a salt water pool.

The main floor is lovely with lots of natural light, but it’s not the most spacious house. With a width of only 31 feet, the principal rooms like the living room and dining room can come across as a bit cramped.

The kitchen is sleek and minimalist. It has high-end appliances and plenty of counter space.

On the second floor are three bedrooms, a family room and a playroom. One of the bedrooms has an original fireplace in it, the red tile is just one of the bits of character that makes me love this home.

I really like the playroom/office combo the owners have created. The window that stretches the length of the room lets sunlight flood into the space. It looks like such a nice area to do your homework.

The third floor is solely for the master bedroom. The space comes with a four-piece en suite, walk-in closet and a sitting area. I like the hardwood floor that’s been painted white—it gives the space a Scandinavian vibe.

The basement could be its own contained apartment with a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. It would be handy for having a live-in nanny or it could be rented out for some extra income.

The backyard is narrow yet has plenty of shade, a lovely patio area and a whole salt water pool.

The Essentials

• Address: 195 Westminster Avenue
• Type: House
• Bedrooms: 5 + 2
• Bathrooms: 4
• Size: 31 x 100 feet
• Realtor: Trust Realty Group
• Hit the market at: $2,850,000
• Sold for: $2,815,000

Why it sold for what it did?

It’s a great family home steps away from High Park. It also has a basement apartment suite, a pool and was recently renovated. It’s a total catch!  

Was it worth it?

While it seems ludicrous that the price of this house has tripled in six years, if you look at how the housing market has behaved in the last few years combined with the work that was put into upgrading the home, it’s easily worth the $2.8 million.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's first-ever fiscal roadmap, revealed on Thursday, could have sweeping implications across all aspects of life for almost everyone in the province.

Those who earn the most money, for example, no longer have to worry about paying extra income taxes (something proposed by the previous Liberal government that would have generated about $275 million for Ontario).

Renters, on the other hand, could eventually end up paying way, way more to live in the city.

The class war fare launched by Doug Ford's mean-spirited government continues. Their regressive policies including removal of rent control is going to make Toronto and Ontario less affordable and livable. That's unacceptable. We must fight this. #ONpoli#TOpolihttps://t.co/xnaJs0hGox

— Kristyn Wong-Tam (@kristynwongtam) November 15, 2018

Effective immediately, rent control rules will no longer apply to new (as in previously unoccupied) housing units. Rent control will, however, be preserved for existing tenants. So, um, don't move.

The government says that this measure will help address the current housing shortage–or in Toronto's case, the affordable housing crisis–by encouraging developers to build more rental units.

Toronto has an affordable housing crisis. Today, following Provincial announcements which included rolling back rent controls, a small group of developers joyous laughter could be heard echoing throughout the halls of Queen's Park. (This isn't a metaphor. This actually happened.)

— Jennifer Keesmaat (@jen_keesmaat) November 16, 2018

"Rent control policies that weaken investment incentives and construction activity have played a role in limiting supply growth in purpose-built rental housing," reads part of Ontario's 'Plan for the People.'

"Part of this initiative will be the reintroduction of the rent control exemption that will apply to new rental units first occupied after today," it continues.

"This will help create market-based incentives for supply growth that will encourage an increase in housing supply to meet the needs of the people of Ontario."

No more rent control "for the people", that tag line sure is versatile @fordnation. Toronto's rental rates were already some of the most expensive on the continent. You're rich, so you don't care, and all MPPs will vote themselves a hefty raise. Thanks. #rentcontrol#onpoli

— The Schwartz (@TheSchwartz5454) November 16, 2018

Experts say otherwise, arguing that scrapping any form of rent control will effectively serve to drive people out of their homes.

Doug Ford’s decision to remove rent control from new buildings will make Toronto even less affordable. It removes tenants’ rights & drives young people out of our city. This affects people’s ability to make ends meet. Ford’s doing this for some landlords, not “for the people”.

— Josh Matlow (@JoshMatlow) November 15, 2018

"There is no empirical evidence that rent control affects rental housing development one way or another," said Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations executive Geordie Dent to The Toronto Star on Thursday.

"When rent control was gutted by [Mike] Harris in 1997, we were promised thousands and thousands of new units. They did not materialize," he said, pointing instead to all of the "economic evictions" he saw under the Harris government.

Doug Ford's plan for the people is a joke. Creating buzz around extending LCBO hours to hide and distract from things such as:

1) Removing rent control for any new lease or unit after today

2) Rolling back the income tax hike on the wealthy

3) FREEZING MINIMUM WAGE TILL 2025

— Dayo (@AddyDayo) November 16, 2018

Ending rent control on newly-built units, as outlined in the Progressive Conservatives' 2018 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, will affect no city more than the province's biggest city, say some Toronto residents.

Doug Ford knows he's screwing downtown Toronto with his moves to reduce rent control. That's his plan. Downtown Toronto is his greatest enemy.

— Rick The Halls (@Rick_City) November 16, 2018

In other news announced by the Ford government yesterday, the LCBO will now be open until 11 p.m.

U.S. first lady Melania Trump, wife of billionaire hotel developer Donald Trump, is found to have racked up an astonishing hotel bill during her one-day trip to Toronto last September.

The kicker? She didn't even spend the night.

Federal spending records on the U.S. government's website show that the first lady spent approximately $174,000 across six different Toronto hotels on September 23.

Remember when first lady Melania Trump met Prince Harry and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year in Toronto? Government records show she racked up roughly $174,000 in hotel bills during that 12-hour trip.https://t.co/OPZ2sjuxSC

— Andrea González-Ramírez (@andreagonram) November 16, 2018

This figure does not include hotel costs for her staff, which were said to have cost another roughly $18,000 in total. Transportation costs were pegged at an additional $21,000.

As pointed out by Quartz, the first lady's own lodging charges ranged from just under $12,000 to almost $49,000 per hotel, each of which appear in the government's spending database as some variation of "TOR-HOTEL ROOMS-FLOTUS."

Hotel names aren't listed in the documents. Instead, they appear as "miscellaneous foreign awardees."

Still, based on the first lady's itinerary that day, it's almost certain that she patroned both the Sheraton Centre Hotel on Queen Street West and the Ritz-Carlton on Wellington.

Melania, I really want to like you but a $2000 child tax credit while you spend $174,000 in Toronto and $95,000 in Cairo at hotels you DON'T EVEN STAY IN??? You really don't get it, do you?

— Carla Jasinski (@JasinskiCarla) November 16, 2018

What's interesting about the purchase orders is how long a period of time some of them cover.

At least two hotels were rented for an entire month, according to the U.S government data: One from Sep and another from Sept. 12 until October 25.

She may not have been here long, but Trump most certainly had a place to sleep in Toronto (if she had wanted it) for most of last autumn.

Ontario Provincial Police have charged two Toronto city councillors (one current, one former) following an investigation into campaign finances. 

Former Ward 5 Etobicoke councillor Justin Di Ciano and current Ward 6 Etobicoke-Lakeshore councillor Mark Grimes have both been under OPP investigation since it was alleged they had committed campaign offences related to spending and polling. 

Time to step aside @Mark_Grimes& let a proper politician take over. Preferably one free of corruption (if that's possible) & WON'T put developer $$$ before the safety of citizens.

— If I may interject!?! (@Ktibbo20) November 16, 2018

The two councillors are charged with not disclosing a ton of money in campaign expenses for the 2014 election―about $26,000. 

This just in! @JohnTory@TorontosMayor endorsed Mark Grimes 12 hours before the polls opened in October, while fully aware that he was under investigation by the OPP and the ethic commission also concluded that he had broke rules! So my question, why did you endorse this man?

— Heather Robertson (@fireinfootsteps) November 16, 2018

These charges are related to similar investigations from the same time, when they allegedly paid Dunpar Homes, a developer, for potentially-illegal polling research. Both have denied the allegations entirely. 

So Justin Di Ciano lawyer says: “The real offence here is the extraordinary waste of scarce government resources spent chasing down minor alleged oversights regarding a long-forgotten municipal election campaign,”
The real offence is your client breaking the law. Oversight my ass

— Gerry Brown (@GerryBrown20) November 16, 2018

Other debates have surrounded the relationship between the two councillors and the home developer, such as a controversial push to allow development by Dunpar in an area senior staff recommended against, and more.  

Karma to @JustinDiCianopic.twitter.com/lexxdHilvv

— Doug Ford Is A Lying Liar who Lies (@august_mk) November 16, 2018

If charged, both could see monetary fines and potential disallowance from running in some future elections.