The 1970s were the decade the Canadian music industry began to come into its own. The first Juno Awards ceremony was held in 1971, Canadian content requirements for broadcasters were established later that year, and homegrown acts like Rush, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Anne Murray and Gordon Lightfoot gained international followings. That said, success in Canada was rarely seen as a selling point in other countries, so Canadian artists and their record companies were often reluctant to promote draw undue attention to their nationality. Once again, those who did were usually smaller local acts, expats and/or members of recent immigrant communities.

The Carlton Showband - "Special"
A few of the original members of this group (most of whom lived in Brampton) got lost in downtown Toronto one night, found themselves in front of Maple Leaf Gardens and decided to change the name of the band to The Carlton Danceband. After altering it again to Showband they landed a gig as the house band on a CTV variety show named The Pig And Whistle. The program went off the air in 1977 but they continued to tour and record in various incarnations until 1999 and regrouped for a reunion tour earlier this year.

This 1971 album, one of the few featuring a location outside the downtown core, shows the group in front of 9 Channel Nine Court in Scarborough, currently home to the main offices for CTV and TSN. More than forty years have passed, but it doesn't look much different.

The Carlton Showband - Sing Irishman Sing
This album was released in 1972, but the photo was probably taken the previous summer when Ontario Place opened; if you look closely you can see a huge line of people waiting to get into the Cinesphere.

The Toronto Symphony - 1922-1972
City Hall has rarely looked classier than it does on this LP commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Toronto Symphony.

Dave & Ansil Collins - In Toronto
Dave Barker and Ansil (sometimes billed as Ansel or Ansell) Collins were a Jamaican duo who worked with Lee Perry and had international hits with "Double Barrel" and "Monkey Spanner." It's unclear whether this 1974 LP was actually recorded in Toronto, but the cover features a gorgeous (and unusual) south-facing shot of the downtown core and the Islands.

The York Lions Steel Band - We Come Out To Play
This children's musical group has been going strong since 1972 and has performed throughout Canada, the U.S. (including a trip to Hawaii) and England. Their 1974 LP shows the band gathered around the Princess Margaret Fountain on the CNE grounds and features a spirited take on the Soul Train theme song.

The Keefe Sisters - Our Heritage And Other Things
These teenaged Cape Breton loom over City Hall (and whatever that spire to the north of the east tower is) on the cover of this 1975 album.

Various Artists - Toronto: what other city calls its main street Yonge?
The Star commissioned this mid-'70s promotional LP to tell the story of Toronto's history and extol its present-day virtues. It alternates between musical storytelling, instrumentals and spoken-word bits in which a straight-man narrator bickers with "The Rural Resident," an out-of-towner who can't stand Toronto.

The cover features a couple frolicking in what appears to be High Park and an insert with a photo of City Hall taken from the pedestrian bridge over Queen Street. "Episode 7-Oh!" is by jazz trumpeter Guido Basso and was written by Rudy Toth, a Czech-born composer and arranger who moved to Windsor shortly after his birth and often worked on CBC television and radio shows throughout the '70s.

The Stan Hiltz Orchestra - Kosher Style
The newly-completed CN Tower makes its first appearance here on this 1977 LP by The Stan Hiltz Orchestra, which started off as a rock act in the mid-'60s and went on to a 38-year run as a popular wedding band. Kosher Style, the group's only album, was given away at weddings and bar mitzvahs as a promotional item, and shows off Toronto's skyline from the vantage point of the islands.

Various Artists - 680 CFTR presents Sounds Familiar
This 1971 album was released to promote CHFI-AM's name change to 680 CFTR. It sports a nice photo of Ontario Place in all of its opening-summer glory, but you'd be hard-pressed to come up with a more stereotypically self-effacing Canadian title than "Sounds Familiar."

John Arpin - I Write The Songs
Pianist John Arpin recorded over 60 albums during a long career which lasted until his death in 2007. He was best known as a ragtime performer, but also released many albums of Broadway tunes, classical music and pop covers. On the cover of this 1977 LP he sits relaxing on a bench in Trinity Bellwoods Park as a friendly model (who's shown rubbing his shoulders on the back cover) jogs over.

Aerial - In The Middle Of The Night
The cover of this 1978 album by soft-rockers Aerial may have served as the inspiration for 1984's C.H.U.D.

Various Artists - CHFI 98.1 Presents The Candlelight & Wine Album
CHFI released a number of compilation albums to promote their popular "Candlelight & Wine" easy-listening program throughout the '70s and '80s. The cover of this 1979 entry in the series is a bit geographically confused. Is that a mountain in the background?

Bobby Brown & The Scottish Accent - The Island Fling
Scottish-born Bobby Brown emigrated to Winnipeg at the age of 16, formed his band The Scottish Accent in 1974, and continued to tour and record until his death in 2011. 1979's The Island Fling features another view of downtown from across the harbour.

See also:

Toronto in Album Art: The 1960s

Writing and album photos by Beau Levitt

This new bar at Bloor and Ossington leads a bit of a double life. Opening at 5, they serve a small (but growing) menu of paninis in their white-washed space, but later in the evening from Wednesday to Saturday, local DJs set up in the back room and start spinning some solid house music.

Read my review of Bassline Bar in the bars section.

Cafes that don't have WiFi? Yes, indeed. These coffee shops remain boastfully unconnected, offering customers things like "atmosphere," "coziness," and "conversation." While these types of cafes are now in the minority in Toronto, the lack of laptops and day-dwellers hogging tables certainly offer some boons. And if you get desperate, there's always data on your phone, right? If you want a coffee without the laptop clutter, count on this list of cafes.

Snakes and Lattes
Fairly obvious to some, I'd say. But I also trust that there's some poor sap out there who'd head to Snakes and Lattes, open his laptop, and try to play Words With Friends. Terrible. With an unbelievable assortment of physical games, Snakes and Lattes is all about pleasant interaction with the people around you. Until someone crosses the line during a round of Cards Against Humanity. Whatever, more coffee for you.

Bulldog Coffee
Just try to hunker down and waste away an afternoon on your laptop at Bulldog. Go ahead. Just try. This cafe, of course, does not offer WiFi, which is a mighty good thing with such limited seating. Though the crowd at Bulldog is usually student-like in composition, Americano-sippers generally refrain from technology and opt for in-person conversation. Novel, I know.

Balzacs Coffee (Distillery)
Stick to Ryerson or the Reference Library if you want WiFi. Balzacs in the Distillery is total classic coffee shop, complete with yummy mummies, people reading actual books (or Kindles with good battery lives) and miscellaneous coffee enthusiasts. A totally different ambiance compared to any of its other locations.

Broadview Espresso
Broadview Espresso is the epitome of "neighbourhood" cafe. Regulars have been stopping into this spot for a latte for years, never interrupted by someone who wants to "uh, switch tables to get closer to the power outlet" (full disclosure: I'm usually that jerk looking for a seat to plug in my laptop). The space is cosy and comfy with furniture that looks plucked from someone's living room, and it always comes WiFi-free (not to be confused with "free WiFi").

Sam James Coffee Bar
Sam James Coffee Bar is and always has been all about the coffee. It's not surprising, then, that its space does not offer free WiFi. Instead, customers can test Sam James baristas on their coffee knowledge, check out the photos on the wall, or simply chat with a friend over some of the best espressos in Toronto. And tweet about it from your phone, if you must.

Manic Coffee
A venerable name on Toronto's coffee scene and one that is decidedly without free WiFi. The decision has sparked quite the conversation, even on blogTO's own comment thread, but I suspect Manic isn't at all worse for the wear. Lots of room means fellow customers won't necessarily overhear your (in-person) conversations, and physical books are certainly prevalent throughout the Manic space.

Sublime Cafe
Ask some of the regulars here, and they'll tell you it's the lack of WiFi that makes this place sublime. You won't find table hogs typing away the afternoon here, nor will there be any obnoxious Youtube-watchers who happened to have forgotten their headphones. In any case, with such an incredible collection of vinyl to peruse, why would you want to fix your gaze on your laptop? Sublime does all types of coffees, with a couple smoothies on the menu, too.

See also: The best cafes for free WiFi in Toronto

Photo by notpeppermint in the blogTO Flickr pool

Charles Khabouth, Toronto's very own maven of real estate and nightlife, is at it again with his new club, Uniun. Slated to open November 10, Uniun will take over the space that previously housed classic clubbing go-to The Devil's Martini. The large space has given Khabouth lots of room to play with (16,000 square feet of it), and as always, the man is upping his own personal ante.

You can expect an LED-light installation that will probably not be suitable for borderline epileptics and a "state-of-the-art sound system." As for the aesthetics, Uniun will be building on the '20s factory bones of the space by adding 14-ft bronze metal arches, old-timey chandeliers and wood accents, and a scatter of throwback curiosities ranging from apothecary bottles to crystal spheres.

In a press release, designer Kenny Baird described the intended marriage between ultra-modern technology and the (irresistible to any club designer) industrial appeal of the space itself. Khabouth himself stresses that the club is set to be "the first of its kind" in Toronto to offer "multi-dimensional audio and visual imagery." Don't get too carried away, though; the space is, fundamentally, a dance club, replete with bottle service, and a VIP section with its own bar (lest you be forced to mingle with the plebs).

With a capacity that tops out at a whopping 1,500, LED lighting coating the walls and ceilings, and a downstairs lounge and bar area, Uniun is poised to become yet another Toronto clubbing institution. RIP, Devil's Martini.

When you look at a work of art, how much does knowing the identity of the artist affect how you perceive it? With her new show at Mark Christopher Gallery, entitled WE ARE NATURE, local artist and illustrator EGR (pronounced "eager") confronts this question head-on, as she explores the frequent objectification of women in the arts by reflecting back to us those very images of idealised female beauty.

As EGR explicitly situates her work within a feminist framework, she's part of a growing global movement of female street artists who are fighting to be recognised in a very male-dominated arena. Rede Nami, for one, is a feminist network of artists in Rio de Janeiro that promotes women's rights through street art, and whose president Panmela Castro EGR cites as a particular inspiration.

In terms of subject matter, however, EGR's work owes a lot to the French female street artist Fafi, whose overtly sexual cartoon women, called the "Fafinettes," have decorated everything from the gritty streets of Toulouse, France to Adidas and Le SportSac products. When Fafi first started spraying, feminists quickly painted over her work in black, so disturbed were they by the images presented.

EGR (also known as Erica Gosich Rose) may be focused on female empowerment, but like Fafi's Fafinettes, these are definitely not your typical feminist pieces. As EGR explains, her work is about "crossbreeding fairy-tale like figures with male fantasies," and each painting--using a mix of oil, aerosol, and found materials--depicts a cartoonishly sexualized female character that resembles a more scantily-clad Bratz doll. The main source of inspiration cited is Mel Ramos, whose brash and kitschy 1960's nudes turned the demure pinups of the '40s and '50s on their heads.

EGR's women, whom she calls "flylets," have no connection to the real world in the WE ARE NATURE exhibit, and their inflated proportions are paired with fairy wings and pointed ears. But while they may be fantastical creatures, the women also subscribe to very real-world expectations of beauty, clearly opting first for bikini waxes before they frolic in the woods. In many of her earlier pieces, EGR has placed these dream women in real-world locations: a seedy bar, a city streetscape.

This contrast naturally drew attention to the disparity between expectation and reality, a contrast that is missing from the fantasy world of WE ARE NATURE. EGR is a truly talented artist, but the line between re-appropriation and regression is a thin one, and I'm not sure on which side of it the show ends up.

In her artist's statement for the exhibition, EGR stresses that she wants the viewer to consider how her works change depending on what one knows of the gender of the artist. And had I been unfamiliar with EGR and the history of her work, I probably would have dismissed the work as simple male wish fulfillment, and generally consistent with traditional representations of women in street art. But there are definitely clues for the perceptive viewer that the Fafinettes don't simply exist to titillate the viewer, despite the couple of male spectators at the show who gleefully pointed out which works in particular "turned [them] on."

The undoubted centrepiece of the show is a largely over-sized female face that watches over the proceedings. As one of the few "Flylets" to maintain eye contact with the viewer, her commanding look seems to crafted to draw visitors out of the fantasy, lest they become too comfortable in the role of spectator to such eroticised images.

With WE ARE NATURE, EGR seeks to "challenge archaic perceptions of women, by portraying physically powerful women in nature." But is it actual power, or just irony that's being portrayed? The fact that I'm still grappling with the answer to this question proves that EGR's work is worth a look. And one thing's for sure, whether or not you approve of her subject matter, the woman's got some definite graffiti chops.

WE ARE NATURE runs at Mark Christopher Gallery until November 17. Open Wednesday- Sunday, 10-5pm.

Photos by Scott Snider

As per usual, we're following up the top 10 looks from Toronto Fashion Week with my picks for the ten worst ones, because you've got to take the good with the bad and the happy with the very, very sad. Of course, "worst" is subjective, so feel free to disagree and maybe check out the other more promising looks in our Style section. Here are the 10 worst looks from Toronto Fashion Week.

Maybe each of these Melissa Nepton pieces aren't so terrible on their own, but when paired together I just kept thinking "bag lady, bag lady, bag lady."

When trend forecasters told Bustle tourist-wear would be all the rage next season, he took it a tad too literally and ended up with some sort of safari bird-watching costume mess.

I tried to forget those god-awful nylon leggings from Urban Behaviour with jeans printed on them, but Joe Fresh did a really good job of bringing them back. In gaudy gold, no less.

Perhaps it's the frumpy skirt length, modestly suffocating neckline, slicked veil-like hair, or the general discomfort in the model's face, but this dress from Mercedes Benz Start-Up contender Lauren Bagliore reminded me of a nun. In a bad way.

Not even Pat Cleveland could save this chaotic, optical illusion-esque look from Joe Fresh. In fact, I think her sassy walk in combination with the print made me a tad more nauseous.

This Soia & Kyo outfit must have been part of a competition where they had to throw on as many different fabrics together without knocking over the model. They won.

A Bustle ensemble inspired by Van Pelt, the hunter from Jumanji. On acid.

I totally understand the conceptual/creative aspect that Lucian Matis was gunning for, but this dress looked as though a sexy nurse costume met the Spice Girls and then imploded.

I could handle the pop-art prints at Evan Biddell, but when it was all over a floor-grazing dress with a hood and a super low cowl neck, my eyes felt more than a little bit violated.

Joe Fresh brought out some sort of textured ski jacket paired with...um...underwear. What type of weather is this getup appropriate for, exactly?

Let us know which is your (least) favourite! And if none of these speak to you, don't forget to check out the rest of the looks in our Style section.

BOOKS & LIT | THIS IS NOT A READING SERIES
TINARS presents a special Halloween literary event that is sure to make your evening. Montreal author Nancy Kilpatrick, a three-time Bram Stoker finalist and winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for mystery writing, will be interviewed vampire-style by actor Julian Richings at this launch for the spooky short fiction collection, Vampyric Variations. With a kissing booth where you are sure to get bitten, and cellist Kitty Thompson's ambient looping soundscapes in place, this is sure to be an evening of sophisticated and macabre literary ghoulishness that shouldn't be missed.
Nocturne (550 Queen Street West) 7PM $5

COMEDY | The Dark Comedy Festival Toronto 2012 (Jim Norton, Maria Bamford)
The Dark Comedy Festival officially begins tonight. This festival was launched last year by local comedian Rob Mailloux, and again it will last over 10 days, and feature a huge roster of top-notch performers at a variety of venues. The festival's mandate is to expose and explore "the edgier side of comedy," and talents like Jim Norton, Maria Bamford, and others will do just that! The festival's first show takes place tonight at the Comedy Bar, and continues until November 10th.
The Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West) 8PM $10

CLUBS | TRUE HALLOWEEN with DJ LAZARUS
DJ Lazarus hosts a "to die for" night of spooky clubbing at Velvet Underground tonight, dubbed True Halloween. DJ Lazarus is well known as one of TO's prominent "dark" DJs, and has been spinning goth, dark rave, alternative, EBM, and related genres at various clubs for years. Tonight's bash promises to be a good one, with prizes for the top costumes, some free "retro candy," an amazing bar staff, and of course, an awesome soundtrack for your evening.
Velvet Underground (510 Queen Street West) 9PM $5 (before 11pm)

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR

Box Autumn Salon
Short & Sweet: Spooky Halloween Edition

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by ronnie.yip in the blogTO Flickr pool

Photo by kilowa in the blogTO Flickr pool

NO TOUCHING! Strip clubs in TO just got a little less Tijuana. Ok, guys — time to work on your OKCupid profile and try a little harder. You'll feel better for it. Really.

In other rippers news, Zanzibar got some G20 compensation. The classiest joint on lower Yonge was awarded $5,886 in compensation for summit-based losses, which represents about half of what ownership was looking for. Insert some half-clever, probably inappropriate joke here.

Oh, Rob. There's gravy and there's 1982-Pétrus-spiked gravy. This would be the latter. And you don't even know what that means.

The quotation of the day — don't say "quote;" that's a verb, guys — comes courtesy of one of my old favourites, Giorgio Mammoliti. On why he voted against reappointing Integrity Commissioner Fiona Crean to a second term: "It's becoming political, and for that reason I don't think she should be reappointed." Well done, my flagpole-loving friend. Let this be a lesson on how to say nothing and still move your lips. Rationality did, however, prevail.

Ok, so this is one is worth discussion. Toronto Maple Leaf Tyler Bozak — he of the pretty face and the corner-free hockey play — is in some hot water for his Halloween costume this year. There's a long and troubled history here, but one wonders if this particular dress-up participates in that history at all. Is MJ just MJ or something more troubled?

About 700 Toronto homes are still without power post-Sandy. Of the roughly 60,000 Ontario residences who lost power on account of the storm, only 1 per cent are yet to be able to use their electric can openers.

Speaking of the G20, filmmaker Adam Letalik has released the final cut of his film about the events on that notorious June weekend. Check it out below.

Photo by Bicycle Tom in the blogTO Flickr pool

Rural Route 2 in Caledonia in the 1950s isn't necessarily the setting you'd expect for a beauty pageant. The harsh realities of farm life don't exactly instill grace, poise, and charm. But it's the community at the heart of Melody A. Johnson's Miss Caledonia that makes the play so endearing.

The playwright and performer proves that giant dreams can sprout out the most humble of circumstances. With minimal set and complementing musical accompaniment by Alison Porter, Johnson draws the audience into the world of the precocious young Peggy Ann, capturing the charming spirit of youthful determinism.

Inspired by the account of her mother's beauty pageant heyday, Johnson's play follows Peggy Ann Douglas' bid to rise above the daily chores on the family farm. She finds inspiration in the form of Mary Frances Reynolds (aka Debbie Reynolds) who was discovered after winning the Miss Burbank beauty contest. Peggy Ann determines that the first step to an eventual dance with Bing Crosby is winning her local competition.

Johnson sketches the rural landscape with an expert hand, weaving together the hardships of a soggy summer on the farm with portraits of the essential figures in Peggy Ann's life. As you'd expect, the parents feature most prominently, each with a distinctive voice. Peggy Ann's mother is the nurturing core, while the father is the practical, no-nonsense barrier to Peggy's aspirations.

All of the characters are performed by Johnson, but they're from the perspective of Peggy Ann who tells the full tale. It's a nice departure from the solo show convention of the performer stepping in and out of roles.

For better or for worst we get the story from one voice. If it drags in the first half hour it can be slightly forgiven, since the home life is so wonderfully described.

Johnson's joy for the material is apparent in her performance. Peggy Ann is curious, intelligent, and resourceful. She skillfully inhabits the roles of the townsfolk, the drunk socialite and vengeful schoolteacher among the highlights.

Directors Rick Roberts and Aaron Willis have brought out the best in Johnson's text. The narrative drives towards a poignant conclusion and the minimalist design set, a bench is the only set piece, leaves the story unencumbered. Porter's musical accompaniment adds an essential rhythm.

This is charming Canadian theatre at its best—a relatable tale that peeks into the fabric of family ties.

—

Miss Caledonia, written and performed by Melody A. Johnson runs at the Tarragon Theatre Extra Space until November 22.

Photo by Nir Bareket

DJs are already larger than life behind their turntables (and they can whip a crowd into a veritable frenzy) but casting DJs as superheroes on the pages of a graphic novel is a fresh approach.

Toronto's Sara Simms, co-creator (along with her sister Melle Oh) of the new graphic novel The Future Prophecy, is the lead super-heroine within its pages, and fittingly holds the future of music in her hands. She's re-imagined the city as a grim and gritty post-war landscape in which "Bogtown Records" is appropriately nefarious, using negative sound waves to enslave the people.

What's definitely a cockle-warming sight in the grey-toned first pages is the sight of Toronto landmarks like Thymeless--the bar's owner is a main character (Declyn Dubs). You'll also find King Selah (of House of David Gang), me&john, and Melleefresh represented in the book.

The first issue, Arcanum, is now available to read online through Graphicly (and it's free for the next 30 days) or you can pick it up through iBooks. It opens, in proper film noir fashion, with the heroine missing, and the city cast into darkness, while Dubs wanders the streets in search of a saviour.

There's much talk of the "metronome of time," and the "score of infinity"--this first instalment is more of a vague introduction, in which we barely glimpse Simms herself, but subsequent entries promise to explore the novel's themes of love, loss, and the mystical power of music--with the characters' powers influenced by the Toronto artist they're based on.

Is it a rather transparent marketing ploy? Possibly. But gauging by the first issue, it's also a sleek little product, thanks to illustrator Arthur Dela Cruz, and it's a clever vehicle for exposing local talent.

Unsurprisingly, there's an audio element as well, with plans to release singles composed by the novel's characters. If this piques your interest, don't miss the launch party at the Mod Club on December 1st.

This Week in Fashion rounds up the week's style news, store openings and closings, pop-up shops, sales and upcoming fashion and design events in Toronto. Find it here every Wednesday morning.

NEWS

Toronto Fashion Week ended on Friday with a bang, closing with Express's first runway show in the city to prepare the audience for the Eaton Centre flagship opening in a few weeks. But Express wasn't the only one with accomplishment twinkling in their eyes and a bright future to look forward to; Duy Nguyen, the flourishing designer behind DUY, won the second Mercedes Benz Start-Up competition on Tuesday night and will thus have a full-fledged runway show in March. You can find his capsule collection as well as the other finalists' in our Style Section.

A new mid to high-end luxury menswear boutique opened up in Yorkville at 154 Cumberland Street today (October 31) - Contraband. Unlike many menswear shops, they cater to the more fashion-savvy individual as well as the conservative customer, with brands scarcely available in the city including After Midnight, Brooklyn Circus, and exclusive label NTHNG. After the grand opening in February, they'll also be bringing in Balenciaga and Pierre Balmain, so be sure to check it out to get your designer fix on.

Holt Renfrew announced on Monday that it'll be opening its very own discount chain under the handle hr2, in order to appeal to younger customers and to maybe possibly counter Nordstrom's recent plans to make a name in Canada. The new stores will open in Montreal and somewhere in Ontario in March 2013, with exact locations to be announced.

Maker's Cartel is calling all independent vendors in Toronto to potentially show at their first ever craft market. So far, NUMER6 (a small-time accessories brand), Ashley Barron (a cutesy illustrator), and a few others have been added to the roster. To apply, please email makerscartel@gmail.com.

EVENTS/PARTIES

Jeanne Lottie's spring/summer 2013 collection - a set of bright and bold handbags - is set to launch to the general public in February, but if you're a keener you can see it in its entirety at The Vanity Events' preview party tomorrow (November 1st). Held at The Pink House (32 Scollard St) from 6 pm until 8 pm, the first 25 attendees will receive a special gift and everyone who attends gets 50% off on existing merchandise. Don't forget to RSVP to eliza@ilaika.ca.

Tomorrow (November 1st) at Milk Glass Co. Gallery (1247 Dundas St W), art and fashion will become one for MODISH, a show featuring abstract paintings by Char Da Silva and Asia Vickovic. Each of these paintings will correspond to wearable accessories such as brooches or headbands. The exhibition will run all the way to December 4, but the opening reception is from 7 pm until 11 pm.

Elle Hardware (695 Queen St W) will turn two years old this Saturday (November 3), so it's only natural for them to host a birthday and customer appreciation party, complete with sweets and champagne. During the day (from 11 am until 7 pm), customers can enjoy 10% off on all of their marvellous jewels, and at night (from 7 pm until 11 pm), everything will be 15% off.

SALES

Starting tomorrow (November 1st) and running through to the weekend (November 4), Premium Retail Group is hosting a mega warehouse sale at International Center Hall 4 (6900 Airport Rd). Men's, women's, and children's sizes from brands like Guess, Marciano, Jack & Jones and more will be marked at up to 90% off. Find the hours of operation on their website.

Also running this weekend (November 1 - 4) is the Canam-Appraiz Shoe Trend Sale at 30 Millwick Drive. Women's footwear including leather boots and dress shoes by Liz Claiborne, Hush Puppies, and more will be sold at insane markdown prices of up to 75% off. Plus, a small selection of men's footwear will be available as well--trendy ladies, drag your men along with you. Find out more on StyleDemocracy.

Photo courtesy of Nordstrom

It's not exactly the most "happening" area. But the community around Dupont and Perth is brimming with friendly neighbours, which is a big reason why Sandra and Carlos Flores decided to open their new cafe here. Part owners of CocoaLatte on St. Clair, the couple has decided to stick with coffee for the new cafe and leave eggs and breakfast for over on St. Clair.

Read my profile of Cafe Con Leche in the cafes section.

The best restaurant burgers in Toronto are serious sit-down entrees. While burgers as a category still tend to carry a bit of a diner/pub food/quick eats connotation, the burgers on this list represent real, respectable meals. And though you certainly can't pay for these burgers with the extra change you find in your pants' pocket, the extra cost is easily excused by the homemade buns, decadent toppings, and freshly ground beef that goes into these burgers.

So go ahead and unfold that napkin on your lap (while you're at it, see if you can stealthily loosen the notch on your belt, too), and this time, let the burger come to you. Here is the list of the best restaurant burgers in Toronto.

See also:

The best burgers in Toronto
The best old school burgers in Toronto
The best veggie burgers in Toronto
The best cheeseburgers in Toronto

Beloved Ossington cocktail bar and restaurant Watusi will be closing its doors forever tonight--fittingly, on Halloween. To celebrate, they'll be throwing a Watusi RIP Halloween party, complete with DJ Vania, who also played when the bar first opened, an emphasis on dancing the time warp (in keeping with its '60s theme), and some free appetizers to sweeten the deal. After all, wouldn't everyone like to be a fly on the wall at their own wake?

Doors will open at 8 p.m., with the party properly kicking off around 10 p.m., and the many fans the bar has collected over its 3.5 year run should turn up. Costumes are, of course, encouraged, and nowhere else will your dotted shift dress and blunt-cut black bob be better received.

It's a clever idea to host a closing party on Halloween--and to in fact shutter the bar's doors once the last reveler has gone home--but on Halloween's theme of resurrection (zombies, et al.), the space is set to re-open soon as Rock Lobster Co.'s (recently of 214 Augusta) permanent location. Watusi's current owners are also poised to become partners in the new venture, so while the Mad Men-esque retro feel of Watusi will be no more, it'll live on in spirit.

Failed delivery notices might be a first world problem, but they're still a pain in the ass for the folks eagerly awaiting their latest Apple product or other online purchase. Following a model that's more common in European cities, Waterloo startup BufferBox has brought parcel pick-up stations to GO transit hubs and select convenience stores in the GTA and GHA (Greater Hamilton Area, in case you were wondering).

At present the roll-out of the boxes has been modest, with pick-up stations located at Union Station, and the East Teamway, Clarkson, Burlington, Oakville and Port Credit GO stations. According to a press release from the company, 21 stations are planned by the end of the year with another 80 or so in the works for 2013. There are also a few boxes in 7/11 convenience stores.

How does it work? Instead of shipping a parcel to your home or office, customers send an item to a pick-up station. When it arrives, BufferBox sends an email notification with a PIN that is used to access the item at the station, which is accessible 24hrs a day. There are size limitations, of course. The max parcel size is 25"x22"x17" — which the company claims is about that of a 26" television.

For now the service is free (yay!), but as the network of boxes increases, BufferBox will charge for use of its services, as it does currently for those packages that incur international duty. BufferBox covers the costs, and in turn charges a nine per cent processing fee. For more info about the parcel-pick stations, check out BufferBox's FAQ section.

What do you think? Would you use this service?

Terrible news for miniature train enthusiasts: Canada's largest (and best-loved) model railway is soon to be dismantled. The Model Railway Club of Toronto has announced that as of April 30, 2013, the club (in operation since 1938), will be leaving its Liberty Village home in the basement of an old armaments factory. And in particularly disheartening news, the move is prompted by yet another condo proposal which will see several character buildings demolished.

However, this is not the first such move for the Toronto club — it was previously ousted in 1946, following the war, from their original home in Union Station. In 2013, the club will yet again dismantle its O scale Central Ontario Railway, and has stated that plans are already underway to find a new home.

It's yet another David vs. Goliath moment in which dedicated hobbyists get bullied by larger forces (i.e. Lifetime Development Group), but at least the 2013 deadline gives you ample time to enjoy the railway in its current digs. The club is putting on a series of shows — dubbed "Romance of the Rails-the Last Run in Liberty Village" — beginning over the holiday season and continuing on into February 2013 (the club's 75th anniversary).

The last show will be on Family Day (February 18), and following that, the taxing task of dismantling the almost 500 sq. m. railway will begin. All proceeds from the various shows will go towards rebuilding it in its new home.

Photo by Bobcatnorth

New in Toronto Music rounds up recently released audio & video from local talent.

DIAMOND RINGS / FREE DIMENSIONALS / OCTOBER 23RD
Why not engage* yourself to the new Diamond Rings album Free Dimensionals with the video for "Runaway Love." Expectations are running high for the new album from this sparkling young man with unbreakable talent and one of the most precious jewels of Canadian electro pop. Fans won't be disappointed. The new album is great. The band is golden, and he's pretty cut himself. Perhaps Onion Rings would be a more appropriate name because onion rings are the best rings of all. *All diamond puns are italicized.

GENTLEMAN REG / LEISURE OF LIFE EP 3 / NOVEMBER 6TH
Proving the accuracy of his title, Gentlemen Reg will be releasing the third and last installment of his Leisure of Life digital EP series. The track below, "I'm a Little Bit Older than You," offers just a snippet of how good the album — a collection of the EPs — is going to sound. Wowzas!

THE LEMON BUCKET ORKESTRA / LUME LUME LP / OCTOBER 31ST
Beside being a bucket of lemons, I dare see a sour face when the absolutely exciting Lemon Bucket Orkestra are playing. Self described as "Toronto's only "Balkan-gypsy-klezmer-party-punk-super-band!" the Orkesta continues a tradition most of us have only seen in movies about European Ghettos and have assumed was too delightful to be real. Yet, it is THAT delightful and THAT real. Something Lemon Bucket Orkestra have proven in their guerilla appearances, live sets and their debut full length record Lume Lume. If you still think this recording is just Hollywood magic, then catch them at their CD release on Halloween night at Lee's palace.

LUKE LALONDE / RHYTHYMNALS LP/ OCTOBER 30TH
Luke Lalonde pulls a smooth switcheroo in this fantastic single from his upcoming album Rhythymnals. The first bit has a delightful acoustic flutteryness, which is met soon by some drum machines and then WHAMMO, you have a beautiful number with a cool beat and some poppy soft electronic sound. Truly a pleasant way to spend 3 minutes and 44 seconds. You can enjoy a stream of Rhythymnals right now or pick up the record, which was released on October 30th.

MODERN SUPERSTITIONS / SELF-TITLED LP / OCTOBER 23RD
As Stevie Wonder once sang "Modern Superstitions/the band that has a ball/18 months of good luck/new record in the fall." Haha, just kidding. But Modern Superstitions with their new surefire hit "Bad Habit" certainly evokes the great one, not via any sort of resemblance to the man or the style of music, but rather in energy and cool sunglasses! "Bad Habit" is the first single from Modern Supersitions self-titled record which was released on October 23rd on Last Gang Records. Listening to it is certainly not a bad habit!

L CON (LISA CONWAY) / THE BALLAD PROJECT / OCTOBER 16TH
Not since Jackson Pollock has there been such a beautiful collection of numbers as
L'Con's ballad project. Of course I'm referring to fractals in the Pollock painting and track numbers for the L-Con album. What a silly analogy! What's not silly are the ballads, which are all lush and billowy and bellowly. Perfect to put on during a chilly, fall afternoon as you prepare a delicious root vegetable-based soup or perhaps darn some socks or maybe you just want to relax without all the twee shit I just mentioned.

MEDALLIONS / SELF-TITLED DIGITAL ALBUM / OCTOBER 11th
Medallions (medals) should be awarded to Medallions (band) for their work on this record, which is just terrific. I know a lot of people are up-tight about the lack of analog instruments in today's music. For those crabs Medallions offer a wonderfully "low-fi" alternative, which is a technical way of saying they sound dirty, but in a Christina Aguilera (X-Tina) way as opposed to old band-aid floating in a pond way.

Writing by Eric Boshart

Lead photo by Jackman Chiu

Sorry CityPlace residents, but that nice yellow pedestrian bridge that opened last Friday has been temporarily closed after a City of Toronto inspection. Although officials are staying tight-lipped about the details, Helen Noehammer, the City's Director of Development Engineering, revealed in an email that "a number of deficiencies were identified" during the inspection process. Concord Adex has thus restricted access to the bridge until it can address the inspector's concerns.

Speculation over at Urban Toronto cites concerns related to the mesh-covering on the bridge and the possibility that the expansion joints pose a tripping hazard, but the City declined to reveal specific problems until staff have a chance to meet with Concord Adex. That meeting is supposed to take place sometime later this week.

Predictably, what that means is it's impossible to give a concrete timeline on when the bridge will reopen. In a statement released earlier today, Concord Adex confirmed this much in saying that "while it is difficult to determine a precise date for the re-opening of the bridge, we are confident that a resolution will be implemented in the near future." It would appear the issues are of the minor variety, though — so perhaps this is case. We'll provide an update when we know more.

PARTY | AGO 1st Thursdays
The second installment of 1st Thursdays, the AGO's party curation series, takes place inside the gallery walls tonight and photography's the word of the event. Interactive photo installations will line the gallery spaces, and former model Stacey McKenzie will announce the winner of the $50,000 Grange Prize for Contemporary Photography. Musical guest DIANA will collaborate with photographer Laurie Kang for a special performance and Austra's Katie Stelmanis will provide a DJ set. Tickets are available through the AGO's website or at the door.
Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West) 6:30PM $10 advance, $12 door

FILM | 12th International Diaspora Film Festival
Observing the world through the lens of immigrants, migrant workers, and diverse cultures, the 12th International Diaspora Film Festival returns to Toronto for six days of screenings and discussions. The festival opens with Safinex Bousbia's El Gusto, a documentary about a mixed Jewish and Muslim choir torn apart by 50 years of war, and special events in the coming week include a discussion with director Atom Egoyan and actor Arsinée Khanjian following a screening of Egoyan's 1993 drama Calendar. Nearly 20 films will be screened at this year's festival, which closes November 6th.
Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Avenue) 7PM $10

HISTORY | What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank
Author Nathan Englander sits down for a chat with Sara R. Horowitz, director of the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies, to discuss the Jewish identity under the shadow of the Holocaust as laid out in his short story collection, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank." Marking the opening of Holocaust Education Week, the author talk is the first of a series of Holocaust memorial and educational events at the ROM. The event is free and open to the public.
Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen's Park) 7:30PM Free

FASHION | MODISH
MODISH is fashion, delineated. Char Da Silva and Asia Vickovic present abstract paintings that represent the fashion world and correspond with handmade, wearable accessories that will be on display in this contemporary fashion art show that opens at Milk Glass Co. Gallery tonight. DJ TBA will provide beats for the opening party, and the bar will, of course, be serving booze. The exhibit runs until December 4th.
Milk Glass Co. Gallery (1247 Dundas Street West) 7PM Free

ART | Jekyll & Hyde
Artist and gallery owner Joshua James puts his multiple personalities on display at the opening reception of his latest exhibit Jekyll & Hyde at The Mascot tonight. Working out of the small Parkdale café, James personalizes topics like mental illness and suicide by depicting the personalities that have caused tension and violence in his life through artwork. The reception begins at 7PM and goes until 11PM.
The Mascot (1267 Queen Street West) 7PM Free

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR:

• The Darcys Present: A Live Interpretation of AJA
• Life In Stills
• Die Antwoord, Azari and III
• Cirque Éloize's iD

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by Bicycle Tom in the blogTO Flickr pool