The best macarons in Toronto bring a little taste of Paris to Canada. Airy, almond meringue cookies sandwich rich ganache, jam or buttercream bursting with flavour to create this delicacy that looks almost as good as it tastes.

Here are the best macarons in Toronto.

It's been roughly six months since the famous Canadian vintner Norman Hardie admitted to allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment in the workplace — enough time, apparently, for the LCBO to be cool with stocking his products again.

The provincially-owned alcohol distributor will soon resume selling Norman Hardie wines, according to an email obtained by the Globe and Mail.

Further to that, employees are being told to keep their mouths shut if they don't like it.

"A reminder that while sharing product knowledge is an important part of your job, adding individual opinions or speculating on matters outside of the LCBO is not appropriate," reads a portion of the internal email addressed to those who "do not feel comfortable selling or recommending his wines."

This is profoundly disappointing. There’s just no sense that he’s done anything to deserve the forgiveness and confidence of the restaurant community. Wow ⁦@LCBO⁩ pretty terrible. https://t.co/HPbYHCHDPz

— Jen Agg (@TheBlackHoof) December 5, 2018

Hardie, who founded his award-winning Prince Edward County winery in 2003, was accused over the summer of perpetrating "a wide-ranging pattern of alleged sexual advances and sexual harassment" both on and off the job.

Some 20 different people had come forward to the Globe, which broke the story of Hardie's behaviour back in in June, with allegations of unwanted sexual contact, requests for sex, and deliberately exposing employees to pornography at work, among other lewd acts.

Hardie issued a public apology on June 20, but it wasn't enough to stop hundreds of restaurants from taking his wines off the menu.

Meanwhile, all three of the women named in the Globe’s original report alleging sexual misconduct by Norman Hardie say they haven’t heard from the winemaker or the winery since the story was published to apologize or to make amends https://t.co/Wt6BlcTLsl

— Ann Hui (@annhui) December 5, 2018

As news swirled that companies such as the Drake Hotel, the JOEY restaurant chain and Chase Hospitality Group were dropping Norman Hardie wines, the LCBO surprised many by saying it would continue to stock the brand.

Soon afterwards, as consumer backlash mounted, the crown corporation announced that it "would not be placing new orders at this time" with the winery.

This has clearly changed, according to the Globe and Mail, as new shipments are scheduled to begin arriving in stores next week.

Ontario government officials have yet to respond to a request for comment on the matter, but Hardie himself said in a statement that he is "pleased with the LCBO's decision to resume sales of our wines."

Local pot-stirrer Sugo is at it again.

The popular Italian joint at Bloor and Lansdowne has once again found itself at the centre of a public feud—this time with an ex-customer—going down on social media for all to see. 

The origins of the beef actually trace all the way back to a bad Google review from nine months ago, but resurfaced recently on the Instagram page of none other than Chef Anthony Walsh—weird. 

View this post on Instagram

A very solid and superdeluxe lunch with the chief from @gauchopieco at @sugotoronto good to be home!!!!!

A post shared by Anthony Walsh (@chefanthonywalsh) on Dec 1, 2018 at 3:58pm PST

The executive chef of Oliver & Bonacini posted a picture of his meal at Sugo, along with his praises for the restaurant, three days ago. 

Not long after, user @zathorious (an entrepreneur from the U.K. named Oliver Joseph), commented, "You can't actually think it's good?" 

After coming to the defence of the restaurant's food, Walsh eventually tagged Sugo's Instagram account in the conversation.

What ensued was a biting exchange of words between Joseph and Sugo's co-owner Connor Joerin, who ultimately ended up banning Joseph from the restaurant forever by saying, "Do us a favour and don't come back!" 

"You came in got a take out gnocchi, left a shit google review and when I contacted you about it, you didn't even have the class or stones to reply," wrote Joerin.

"Go back to whatever city you came from. We don't want guys like you in our town."

Part of the exchange between Sugo and an ex-customer @zathorious on Instagram. 

Another user, @esjonks, chimed in: "Being celebrated as a rude douchebag is not exactly a good thing. Telling a foreign national to go home because they didn't like your shitty gnocchi definitely isn't." 

To that, Joerin replied: "Come in and have lunch we can discuss this more over gnocchi." 

From pestering other local Italian businesses via geotags to being at the centre of an heated accessibility debate, Sugo's Insta has earned its share of notoriety since joining the Toronto restaurant and social media fold last year.

This recent conversation, which the ex-customer in question describes as harassment and highly prejudicial, is just the latest in a string of Internet squabbles. 

But Joerin, who handles the Instagram account, says that the IG back-and-forths are part and parcel of being an independent restaurant, and that all small businesses should "stand up for themselves." 

"My strategy is a little bit different...when someone has something bad to say to me, I call them out on it," he says. "...When you’re writing a review like that you're not just hurting my feelings personally, you’re hurting a lot of other people too." 

"I don't think people are used to small businesses speaking out and speaking back." 

Also part of Sugo's strategy: reaching out to past customers who've left negative reviews on Google and offering them a refund, and a meal on the house. 

They've done it about ten times, he says. The results have varied from some customers amending their reviews to more positive ones, to others leaving the negative comments as is, but returning to the restaurant for a second try.  

So when Joseph came in to the restaurant nine months ago, ordered a gnocchi to-go, and left a bad review of the restaurant on Google, Joerin says he did the same thing, and DM'd Joseph his personal number and e-mail.

He never heard back, until a few days ago, when he saw the negative comments on Walsh's post.

And despite Joseph hinting at one point that he might give Sugo a second shot at Walsh's recommendation, Joerin says he's not welcome anymore. Plus he's sticking behind his "go home" comment.

"I got line ups out the door," he says. "If you're coming to my neighbourhood where I grew up, and you’re going to act that way, get the fuck out of my neighbourhood." 

Can a dreamy homegrown pop star on the rise save an iconic, yet struggling Canadian retailer? Roots had better hope so.

The one-time "outdoor lifestyle" giant is trading near an all-time low on the Toronto Stock Exchange right now after revealing that its sales numbers had fallen well below expectations over the past three months.

Roots Canada blames "unseasonably warm fall weather" and "the absence of a large marketing campaign" for its soft third quarter, but shares have nonetheless plummeted by more than 20 per cent since the news was made public earlier this week.

Singer Shawn Mendes, on the other hand, just headlined the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and is gearing up for his first ever stadium tour.

Rogers Centre Stadium, Toronto, ON Sept 6th, 2019. Presales start this week! Ticket & presale info at https://t.co/5IoiteKMu5pic.twitter.com/tWHFJtCp4M

— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) December 3, 2018

The 20-year-old, multi-platinum recording artist continues to explode in popularity across the world thanks to his recent Rolling Stone cover story, musical talents and aforementioned dreaminess.

He could very well be collaborating with some of the biggest names in global fashion (I mean, if YSL gets with G-Eazy that hard, why not?)

Instead, the GTA-born superstar has partnered with Roots to launch a new, limited-edition capsule collection to celebrate his first stadium show in Toronto.

Roots x Shawn Mendes Exclusive Collection and Toronto Only Presale to commemorate his first headline stadium show @RogersCentre#RootsxShawnMendes@shawnmendespic.twitter.com/exWSpxaRGN

— Roots (@ROOTS) December 3, 2018

That stadium show in Toronto won't take place until September of next year, but the Roots x Shawn Mendes line officially launched on Tuesday with an in-store event at the Eaton Centre (the products will be available online starting today).

"I'm so excited to launch this collaboration with Roots," said Mendes in a Roots press release on Monday. "With my first ever stadium show coming up in my home town Toronto, it felt like the perfect way to celebrate, by teaming up with one of the most iconic Canadian brands."

Roots, for its part, says this project "is the first step in an ongoing creative collaboration between Roots and Shawn."

📲 | Roots x Shawn Mendes limited edition merch prices:
• Hoodie $88
• Sweatpants $82
• T-Shirt $36
• Beanie $32
• Custom Award Jacket $598 pic.twitter.com/ZU2cxoefVK

— Shawn Mendes Updates (@MendesCrewInfo) December 3, 2018

While Mendes has a young, hysterical fan base, much like Justin Bieber at one point, these clothes aren't priced for tweens with babysitting money. Shirts and toques are relatively inexpensive, but $82 might be a lot to spend on sweatpants for some, let alone almost $600 on a Shawn Mendes-branded leather jacket.

Either way, bringing a heartthrob into the picture has turned a lot of eyeballs toward Roots, and that's never a bad thing. 

The publicly held company recently lowered its 2019 financial targets based on poorer-than-expected sales, from a minimum of $61 million to a minimum of $46 million, but who knows—the fangirls could help get them back on track.

If so, we could start calling Shawn Mendes a pop star and fashion patriot.

After his wildly successful gallery exhibition set Toronto ablaze with love for his films, director Guillermo Del Toro is bringing a new venture to the city. 

A film series titled Sui generis: An Alternative History of Mexican Cinema is set to take over the TIFF Bell Lightbox starting February 28 of next year and run through to April 6. 

The series will feature Del Toro's selection of archival Mexican cinema, spanning several decades and topics. About 25 films will be shown, across many different genres. Del Toro wants to choose "alternative" choices from Mexican cinematic history.

He notes that the films featured will "play with themes and genre-bending stories," which describes his own work as well, so it comes as no surprise. 

Here's the list of films that will be shown at Sui generis: An Alternative History of Mexican Cinema:

• Angel of Fire
• Black Sheep
• Cronos
• Danzón
• El Compadre Mendoza
• El Grito, México 1968
• El Suavecito
• Knockout
• Like a Bride
• Los Caifanes
• Los Olvidados
• Love in the Time of Hysteria
• My Son, the Hero
• Poison for the Fairies
• The Bricklayers
• The Curse of the Doll People
• The Exterminating Angel
• The Passion of Berenice
• The Realm of Fortune
• The Shark Hunters
• The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales
• Tívoli
• Woman of the Port

Toronto's old meatpacking district is primarily known for one thing: the processing and packing of meat—obviously. 

But the industrial Stockyards area by St. Clair and Weston Road, and the processing plants that have long resided there, don't just send their cuts of meat to faraway grocery stores: they also sell their own goods on site. 

Stop 33 Meat Shoppe is trailer operated by St. Helen's slaughterhouse selling cheap meat.

Brave the occasionally rancid scent of slaughter just north of St. Clair and you'll find a hidden treasure on the property of St. Helen's Meat Packers Ltd. selling some of the freshest meat in the city. 

Sitting between two of St. Helen's plants is a small roadside trailer on Gunns Road: Stop 33 Meat Shoppe.

The meat sold here is brought in fresh daily and comes at incredibly low prices.

Inside this unassuming spot, you'll find an assortment of beef, chicken, and turkey cuts at ridiculously low prices, delivered fresh daily from the heart of the neighbouring plants. 

Here, a package of ground chicken goes for $3. For three steaks, it's just $12. Chicken leg quarters will only set you back $3.28 per kilogram. And if you're looking for halal, just ask the cashier: there's a number of options there too. 

The store is a popular spot for workers of the meat processing plants next door. 

At nearly half the price of competing meat shops, Stop 33 is open to the public every day, year-round. And it's a popular spot for employees of St. Helen's to drop by before or after work to bring home: unsurprising, since it's owned by St. Helen's itself. 

Mrs. Ms Grill is another popular pitstop for those in the area looking for fresh meat. 

And if you want to get the full meatpacking experience before heading home with your penny-pinching haul, head next door to Mrs. Ms Grill. 

The food truck is a lunchtime favourite for meatpacking plant workers who didn't happen to bring their own lunch that day. They serve up hot bites like Philly cheesesteaks and corned beef sandwiches for just $4.99 each, using the same fresh meat from next door. 

A unique Toronto bungalow built in 1944 will be on the chopping block next month at City Hall, and those who live in the neighbourhood are hoping it that it can be saved.

The property at 7 Dale Avenue is one of three homes marked for demolition in Toronto's South Rosedale Heritage Conservation District.

Plans for a four-storey, 26-unit luxury condo development set to take its place were recently deemed satisfactory by city staff (after many revisions) but some locals insist that these condos should never be built. At least not in their backyards.

The reason for this, they argue, relates to the bungalow's historical significance: It was designed by famous Canadian modernist architect Gordon Adamson.

Still, when developer Platinum Vista submitted a proposal for an 85,000-square-foot condo project on the site back in 2016, it was eventually determined that the buildings could indeed be demolished.

City supports Rosedale home demo » https://t.co/dKjo9d7TaP

— Your Davisville (@yourdavisville) December 5, 2018

The reason for this is a bylaw that stipulates every structure in a heritage conservation district must be classified as A, B, C or nothing depending on its historical significance.

The houses at 5, 7 and 9 Dale Ave. were all given a rating of "C", which means they can be demolished as long as they are replaced with buildings of greater architectural value that also suit the character of the neighbourhood.

A group called My Rosedale Neighbourhood has been fighting to get the home's status upgraded to a "B" in order to thwart the developer's plans, but this has yet to happen.

Renderings of the new project coming to Dale Avenue.

City Council is set to decide on whether or not to support negotiations toward a settlement with Vista Platinum this month, according to Post City, and if they do vote in favour of the renegotiated terms, not much will be left between the contentious Rosedale bungalow and a bulldozer.

On the upside for local residents, the by Hariri Pontarini Architects-designed complex it'll be replaced with ("The Dale") looks gorgeous.

Toronto just got the architectural equivalent of a surprise album drop from the firm behind what is without a doubt the coolest looking, most anticipated development proposed for our city this decade.

I'm talking about Denmark's Bjarke Ingels Group (or BIG, as they're know colloquially) and new renderings for a forthcoming series of mixed-used buildings along King Street West.

Comissioned by Westbank and Allied Properties REIT, the blocky, pixelated-looking ziggurat of sorts has been praised around the world for its unique design, which is meant to resemble a mountain range.

We've seen multiple renditions of the project since it was first announced in 2016, each of them cooler than the last—but these latest mockups from BIG are perhaps the most exciting to hit our computer screens yet.

The 'King Toronto' project, as it's being called right now, will completely transform the area of King Street West between Spadina and Portland when all is said and done.

We don't know when that will be, exactly, but we do know that BIG still plans to integrate existing heritage buildings into the complex and maintain "maximum exposure to light and air" by setting each room-sized "pixel" at a 45 degree angle.

These latest renderings give us a better look at what Westbank and Allied have planned in terms of public space across what will be nearly an entirely city block.

It's impressive, to say the least, both inside and around the complex at street level.

For starters, a new public plaza and "urban forest" will both be contained within the perimeter of the buildings. BIG says that this central courtyard, shaped by the site itself, will connect "a neighbourhood network of pedestrian pathways."

"The courtyard is defined by two distinct atmospheres: a plaza on the east and a landscaped hemlock forest on the west, creating a public gathering space," reads a description for the cutting-edge development on BIG's website.

"The roof surface is manipulated to form peaks and valleys that allow sunlight into the courtyard, organizing the housing into five volumes," it continues. "An undulating design allows light to reach neighbouring King Street all year round."

Every person who lives in one of the roughly 500 planned residential units will have direct access to outdoor space, either in the form of a private terrace or balconies stacked along the building's perimeter.

Said private terraces will be "landscaped to provide tenants with open green space typically reserved for suburban environments."

Shared areas of the development could potentially even be used for urban farming, according to the most recent site plans.
Areas for residential and boutique office space will be found throughout the stunning structure, but only in correspondence with the heights of existing heritage buildings.

Everything above what's currently standing from 489 to 539 King Street West will be residential. The mountain range's "hills" in other words, will be where people live, while the "valleys" are for working, shopping and entertainment.

"With King Street West, we wanted to find an alternative to the tower and podium you see a lot of in Toronto and revisit some of [Moshe] Safdie's revolutionary ideas," said celebrity architect and BIG founding partner Bjarke Ingels on the firm's website.

"But rather than a utopian experiment on an island, have it nested into the heart of the city," he continued. "It would be strange if one of the most diverse cities in the world had the most homogenous architecture."

Strange indeed. Good thing Toronto is finally moving on from its "all glass rectangles all the time" phase.

Soul and lots of it are part of events in Toronto today as AGO First Thursdays returns with a night of Afrochic art and music. A Christmas "Carol" is back with a screening of the film and other fun activities while a vintage bazaar, book launch and more are on today.

Inside this fairly unassuming building, which coincidentally used to be a button factory, is a gorgeous hard loft. It has all the hallmarks of a Toronto hard loft with exposed brick, hardwood floors, exposed beams and soaring ceilings.The main floor is a bit on the small side with only 600 sq. ft. of space, but it is open concept so it doesn’t seem too cramped.

My favourite room is the living room because it has an old wood burning furnace and just looks so cozy!

The space opens up upstairs and the skylights and windows make it much brighter than the main floor.

The master bedroom is spacious and walks out onto the balcony.

It also has a semi-en suite bathroom. The bathroom has a large tub, his-and-her sinks, and the laundry facilities.

There is a second bedroom, family room and an office space as well on the second floor.

The terrace has enough room for some seating and most certainly a BBQ. The only downside is you’ll have to carry the food up and down the stairs if you want to barbecue.  

Specs

• Address: #4 - 200 Clinton Street
• Price: $1,249,000
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 1
• Walk Score: 72    
• Transit Score: 95
• Maintenance Fees: $893 monthly
• Listing agent: Kim Kehoe
• Listing ID: C4310994

Good For

Quiet surroundings. Unlike many of Toronto’s condos that are on major streets and right in the middle of the downtown core, this one is nestled in among the residential Little Italy neighbourhood.

Move On If

You prefer everything to be on one level. While stairs can help separate sleeping and living spaces, sometimes they can be more of a inconvenience than anything.

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

• Casa La Palma, an extension of La Palma (it's located above it) but with a different feel and design, is now open at 849 Dundas Street West (at Euclid).
• Cantina Mercatto, part of the Mercatto family of restaurants, has opened a new location at 20 Wellington Street East (at Scott Street).
• Contemporary American restaurant MARBL and champagne lounge Mademoiselle, both from Vancouver's West Oak, are now open in what was formerly Fring's at 455 King Street West.
• Louix Louis, a restaurant and cocktail bar on the 31st floor of the new St. Regis hotel, officially opens today at 325 Bay Street (at Adelaide).
• Wvrst opened its second location in the city at Union Station yesterday.
• Grasshopper Salon, The Beaches location of plant-based Grasshopper, is now open at 2252 Queen Street East (at Willow).
• Fleets Food has opened at 369 Church Street (by Granby Street).​
• Fuwa Fuwa now has its second shop, this time featuring chocolate Japanese soufflé pancakes at 2471 Yonge Street (at Castlefield Avenue).
• DeCourses Cafe is open at 3232 Lake Shore Boulevard West in Etobicoke.
• Grand Bizarre, a supper club open every Saturday night, made its debut last weekend at 15 Saskatchewan Road in Exhibition Place.

Recently reviewed

• Call A Chicken
• Viaggio
• La Palette
• Billy's Diner
• Donna's
• Opium Bar
• Garrison Creek
• Rally
• Coffee Dak Lak
• Come See Me
• Hawk & Chick

Opening soon

• Mexican spot Pancho Y Emiliano is opening up a second location in what was formerly Pearl King at 291 King Street West in the Entertainment District.
• Indian joint Matha Roti will be replacing Flip, Toss & Thai at 141 Harbord Street.

Closed

• Square Fish (461 Queen West, at Spadina) is closed.
• Ali Baba's in the Annex is no more.

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

For all that can be accomplished using modern medicine, healthcare professionals still face enormous challenges in treating patients to the point where can say they feel "well."

Drugs can only do so much, especially when a person is experiencing social isolation, loneliness, low income, barriers to employment or other issues that can further impact their quality of living.

This is the crux of the idea behind "social prescribing"—a growing social wellness movement that is seeing doctors issue their patients an Rx for everything from exercise classes and nature walks to adult choirs and pottery lessons.

What I like about "prescribing" social activities is the implication that there would be some cost coverage by the NHS. Paying for programs, such as additional cost of lunch, is a huge access barrier for older adults in Ontario on fixed means. https://t.co/R5gBQxSGwe

— Melissa Northwood (@northwoodRN) October 15, 2018

Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is currently funding a pilot program to test this approach through the Alliance for Healthier Communities, which represents 107 different "community-governed primary health care organizations" across the province.

The pilot, which started in September of 2018 and will run until December of 2019, aims to connect patients with local, non-clinical services that might supplement (or even come to replace) their medical and pharmaceutical treatments.

"In the U.K., social prescribing shows promising results in achieving positive outcomes for clients, healthcare providers, and communities overall," writes the Alliance on its website. "Clients have improved mental health, are less isolated or lonely, and are more physically active."

Currently, the project is being run out of 11 different community health centres across Ontario, two of them in Toronto. Anyone who lives in and around the city may soon be able to benefit from this initiative, however, thanks to the Royal Ontario Museum.

A social prescription to combat #loneliness: Doctors can now prescribe tai chi or a museum visit https://t.co/DZ3Xrd3P4g via @torontostar@ROMtoronto#PTSD#sdoh

— André Picard (@picardonhealth) December 6, 2018

The ROM's Community Access Network has partnered with the Alliance to pilot its own Social Prescription Program beginning in January of 2019.

This non-medicinal, therapeutic service will "enable thousands of people from across the province to visit the Museum at no cost," according to an announcement from the ROM on Thursday.

A total of 5,000 passes (each valid for 4 people) will be issued throughout the year to those "with a referral from associated ROMCAN healthcare, community or social service professionals."

As of next month, 20 different ROMCAN associate providers will be running the program, including the Rexdale Community Healthcare Centre, which helped the Museum shape its pilot.

It is the ROM's hope that this new Social Prescription Program can eventually be rolled out to all of its community partners, which number in the hundreds and include such organizations as the Alzheimer's Society of Toronto, CAMH, Autism Ontario and Sick Kids.

MUJI is slowly becoming that corporation in sci-fi films that owns and controls everything in society. 

After recently expanding its flagship Toronto store to become the largest outside of Asia, MUJI now takes up two huge floors of the Bay Street Atrium, complete with everything you could ever expect under one roof. 

The new expansion of the Toronto store includes a cafe, a fabric printing service, engraving, clothing, furniture, bedding, and much, much more. 

Here's your #tokyo#muji update 1/ you can now buy groceries from their everyday #farmersmarketpic.twitter.com/eg8nonpzw7

— Stephen David Smith (@sds_net) August 17, 2017

But, it doesn't seem like the company is done with Toronto just yet. 

Masaaki Kanai, Chairman of MUJI's parent company, said to Retail Insider that the huge Japanese retailer wants to bring hotels, grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and residential projects into the city, and the rest of Canada. 

However, the company says Toronto's flagship store is too small for all of these things, and more. Therefore, MUJI plans to open a ton of new locations, the details of which are probably still being ironed out. 

MUJI hotel in Beijing opened today, please take me there to live forever pic.twitter.com/w24Qw763g7

— 𝔽𝕒𝕪𝕖 (@sketchadooodle) June 30, 2018

Currently, MUJI grocery stores exist in parts of Asia, and have been very popular. The chain also opened a hotel in Shenzhen, China, which can house almost 80 guests.

Expanding on that, the brand also has been looking into residential development, with minimalist-style prefabricated homes. 

The Japanese lifestyle company is looking to make these ideas, and more, work in Canada. The question we'll all be asking is: where? 

Weekend events in Toronto have something new in store for holiday shopping by way of the New Old Fashion Night Market and King Winter Market. The Internet is here to perform and you can catch a screening of the Christmas classic Die Hard at the Cinesphere.

The rotating postal worker strikes that recently took place across the country might put a damper on your Christmas, says Canada Post. 

According to the Crown corporation, the five weeks that workers engaged in rotating strikes caused deliveries to backlog significantly. 

As a result, the postal service has cancelled its holiday guarantee—which is exactly what it sounds like.

The company says the backlog will need serious time to fix, including an overwhelming amount of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shipments. 

However, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the timing could have been manufactured by Canada Post in order to get workers back on the job. The union alleges that Canada Post knew it would be strategic to wait until the holiday season before asking the government to step in. 

Smaller protests are still being held by various groups of postal worker staff across the country, as mediation and arbitration slowly come to fruition for the union and corporation.

Two Toronto-born talents will be taking the stage at 2019's Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles... if they win what they've been nominated for, that is.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the full list of nominees for the 76th annual Golden Globes this morning, exactly one month ahead of the televised awards show on January 6.

Scarborough-born TV actor and fast-rising film star Stephan James was nominated in the category of Best Actor, TV Series, Drama, for his role in Amazon's psychological thriller Homecoming, which also stars Julia Roberts and Bobby Cannavale.

The 24-year-old performer had previously won a Canadian Screen Award for his starring role in the 2016 Jesse Owens biopic Race, and got tongues wagging at TIFF earlier this year with his turn in Barry Jenkins' critically-acclaimed If Beale Street Could Talk.

He was also on Degrassi at one point, which is cooler than any number of award nominations—even 35 of them for Grammys.

Comedic superstar Jim Carrey, who is from Toronto, also landed a best actor nomination for his comedic Amazon series Kidding.

Fellow Ontarian Sandra Oh is both nominated for and hosting this year's Golden Globes ceremony in January, which is neat, and Elizabeth Moss has been nominated in the category of best actress for her work in The Handmaid's Tale, much of which was filmed here in Toronto.

Here's the full list of nominations for 2019's Golden Globe Awards, if you are keen:

Best Motion Picture, Drama

A Star Is Born
If Beale Street Could Talk
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody

Best Actor, Motion Picture, Drama

Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
John David Washington, BlackKklansman

Best Actress, Motion Picture, Drama

Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Glenn Close, The Wife
Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Rosamund Pike, A Private War

Best Actress, TV Series, Drama

Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Julia Roberts, Homecoming
Keri Russell, The Americans

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Crazy Rich Asians
The Favourite
Green Book
Mary Poppins Returns
Vice

Best Actor, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy 

Christian Bale, Vice
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
Robert Redford, The Old Man & the Gun
John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie

Best Actress, Motion Picture, Comedy 

Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Charlize Theron, Tully
Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians

Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture

Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

Amy Adams, Vice
Claire Foy, First Man
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Best Director, Motion Picture

Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay, Vice

Best Original Song 

"All the Stars," Black Panther
"Girl in the Movies," Dumplin'
"Requiem for a Private War," A Private War
"Revelation," Boy Erased
"Shallow," A Star Is Born

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture 

Roma
The Favourite
If Beale Street Could Talk
Vice
Green Book

Best Foreign Language Film  

Capernaum
Girl
Never Look Away
Roma
Shoplifters

Best Animated Feature

Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

Best Score, Motion Picture 

A Quiet Place
Isle of Dogs
Black Panther
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns

Best TV Series, Drama

 The Americans
Bodyguard
Homecoming
Killing Eve
Pose

Best Actress, TV Series, Drama 

Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Julia Roberts, Homecoming
Keri Russell, The Americans

Best Actor, TV Series, Drama 

Jason Bateman, Ozark
Stephan James, Homecoming
Richard Madden, Bodyguard
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Best TV Series, Comedy

Barry
The Good Place
Kidding
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Best Actress, TV Series, Comedy

Kristen Bell, The Good Place
Candice Bergen, Murphy Brown
Alison Brie, GLOW
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Debra Messing, Will & Grace

Best Actor, TV Series, Comedy 

Sacha Baron Cohen, Who Is America
Jim Carrey, Kidding
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Bill Hader, Barry

Best Limited Series or TV Movie 

The Alienist
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Escape at Dannemora
Sharp Objects
A Very English Scandal

Best Actress, Limited Series or TV Movie 

Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
Connie Britton, Dirty John
Laura Dern, The Tale
Regina King, Seven Seconds

Best Actor, Limited Series or TV Movie 

Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso
Daniel Brühl, The Alienist
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose
Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal

Best Supporting Actor, TV series, Limited Series, or TV Movie  

Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Edgar Ramírez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal
Henry Winkler, Barry

Best Supporting Actress, TV series, Limited Series, or TV Movie  

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects
Penélope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale

If you've been feeling like this fall has been super cold so far, you'd be correct. 

According to The Weather Network, this has been the fifth coldest autumn ever recorded and the coldest Toronto has seen in almost 40 years. 

Data recorded for the period of October 1 to November 30 of this year shows that the average temperature was 11C, with an average daily high of 8.7C, which falls a staggering 2.3C below the yearly norm.

Being that the past two years were above average, this year hits especially hard. 

This is the coldest stretch of autumn recorded since 1980, when the average daily high for the same period was 8.4C.

It isn't the first record set by the cold weather this year, and it probably won't be the last as we prepare for a winter that meteorologists predict will be pretty brutal. So bundle up. 

One of Toronto's most iconic shopping centre parking lots could soon go the way of... well, pretty much anything that's mostly old meat and pigeons in a city this size, eventually.

Primaris Management Inc.—the company that owns the Dufferin Mall—is "currently exploring opportunities to redevelop" the city's weirdest (and therefore best ever) mall-with-WiFi.

Toronto City Councillor Ana Bailao announced the news to her constituents in a recent newsletter, writing that Primaris wants to both "enhance the existing mall" and replace portions of its parking lot with purpose-built rental housing.

The main area of interest is the mall's northeast surface parking lot, where there currently stands a Beer Store, a Penningtons and a Taco Bell/KFC hybrid.

This preliminary site map shows the areas in which developers would like to build housing, park space and potentially mall expansions. Image via Urban Toronto forums.

An official development application has yet to be submitted, so details are thus far pretty sparse, but Bailao did mention in her letter that Primaris intends to "create a better pedestrian experience" along the mall's perimeter with new retail and streetscaping features.

Given the state of the Dufferin Mall, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing—not in terms of community beautification and addressing Toronto's housing shortage, anyway.

That said, people are quite passionate about the Duff and its infinite gritty charms: Its whimsical garbage trees. Its colourful characters. Its event-filled public washrooms. That No Frills...

With condos and apartments taking over the parking lot, where would that white stretch limo go? What would happen to our famous annual mountain of filthy, unmelting snow? Mount Duff?

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A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Mar 28, 2017 at 3:22pm PDT

Primaris is currently working with the architecture firm Quadrangle and planning consultancy Urban Strategies to prepare a development application, according to BuzzBuzzHome.

The application is expected to hit the city's website sometime next year, but developers must first conduct some community consultations.

Primaris is planning a series of open houses to get feedback on the ideas and learn more about what the neighbourhood wants. The first event is scheduled to take place on Monday, January 21, from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the nearby Bloor Collegiate Institute.

Because the site is already zoned as both commercial and residential, there won't be many barriers in place when it comes to getting permission from the city.

Getting the blessing of Dufferin Mallenthusiasts, on the other hand, could be tough.

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A post shared by The Mall With It All. (@thedirtyduff) on Nov 19, 2018 at 4:57pm PST

Bars in Parkdale are where to go for good old fashioned fun. The mix of classic dives and cutting-edge haunts attracts barflies, industry folks, artists of all stripes and visitors looking for a taste of the real Toronto. 

Here are my picks for the top bars in Parkdale.

Grand Trunk

This adorable bar on Queen near Roncesvalles zeroes in on local food, drink and arts with frequent specials like $10 doubles and $5 shots. 

Pretty Ugly

Mezcal, imported rugs and cocktails with ingredients foraged from forest floors can all be found under one roof at this darkened lair on Queen near Dufferin.

Pharmacy

The ultimate after hours bar, this no-frills spot at the corner of King and Cowan keeps the quality beer flowing late into the night. 

Food & Liquor

As the name implies, not only drink but great renditions of bar food favourites are available at this restaurant-bar combo close to Roncesvalles on Queen until last call. 

Dumbo Snack Bar

Not only will bartenders at this place never roll their eyes at a request to charge your phone, they actively encourage it. Kitschy teapots full of booze and a GIF photobooth can also be found at this spot right at Queen and Roncesvalles.

The Mezz

This dive at Dowling and Queen has been around for pretty much forever, a good place to disappear into. In addition to hearty sandwiches and burgers, they also do buck-a-shuck oysters.

Cadillac Lounge

One of the area’s longest-running homes for live music, this place near Queen and Dufferin has all the neon, beer and atmosphere you could ever want. 

Motel Bar

Music fans and sports lovers can come together at this spot close to Queen and Dufferin that both shows games and has live music throughout the majority of the week. Vintage vibes also make this feel kind of like a bar at an actual motel. 

Shameful Tiki

This neighbourhood’s source for all things tiki at Queen and Brock does iconic puu puu platters and cocktails extravagantly garnished with flowers and fruit. 

The Rhino

A massive beer selection, a global but relaxed menu of bar food, enough pool tables that one is usually free and a spacious patio make this the neighbourhood’s best fallback bar, especially if your group keeps getting turned away for being too large. It sits smack dab between Dufferin and Brock on Queen.

There's no better way to revel in the holiday spirit then standing in a passageway of shining lights and glittering sequins. There's a handful of festive tunnels springing up around the city, so hop inside and take your sweet, sweet time coming out the other side. 

Here are some epic tunnels to visit this holiday season.

Winter Light Exhibition

Brave the cold to explore the grounds of this year's Winter Light Exhibition at Ontario Place. Everything about this place is photogenic, especially the glowing, alien-like pavilion called homunculus.nimbus by artist Mark-David Hosale. 

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A post shared by Ken M 🇨🇦 TORONTO (@britannia6009) on Dec 4, 2018 at 7:04am PST

Tunnel of Glam

Feast your eyes on this beautiful 80-foot tunnel covered from top to bottom with 14 million reversible sequins. Located just north of St. Clair station, this sensory treat will have you relishing the feel of this soft fabric changing colours right beneath your hands. 

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A post shared by Purvee Rathod (@p_for_purvee) on Dec 5, 2018 at 6:29pm PST

Casa Loma

Embrace the Christmas spirit at Toronto's historic castle, where you'll find a dazzling tunnel leading you to Santa's workshop. Before popping in to the see the one and only Saint Nick, take a minute to appreciate all the hanging lights and wreaths on display. 

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A post shared by 𝒮𝑜𝒽𝑒𝓃𝒶 (@sonu.f) on Dec 5, 2018 at 4:36pm PST

Toronto Christmas Market

This tunnel at the Distillery District is almost blindingly beautiful. Cluny Bistro's patio has transformed into a fondue lounge, complete with an 100-foot tunnel that's been glammed out with one trillion lights.

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A post shared by Michael V (@msvenz) on Dec 1, 2018 at 1:56pm PST

Yorkville

Definitely one of the prettiest (and poshest) places to be during the holidays, Yorkville never skimps out on the lights. Head to the Village of Yorkville Park for festive Christmas trees, giant hanging ornaments, and a small but lovely tunnel of lights.