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A brief history of the first traffic lights in Toronto

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toronto traffic lightsRoad vehicles in Toronto first went under the command of traffic lights 88 years ago this week. Where as in 1925 just one intersection had an electric set of signals, now there are around 2,300 sets of red, yellow, and green lights - some on a sensor, some on a timer - regulating how cars, buses, streetcars, cyclists, and pedestrians move around the city.

In 1963, Toronto became the first municipality in the world to computerize its traffic operations. In the 1920s, however, the city was already playing catch-up with other cities in the province when it came to getting traffic cops and their signs out of the middle of the street.

toronto traffic lightsBefore electric signals became commonplace, traffic at each major downtown intersection was supervised by a dedicated uniformed police equipped with a large rotating sign. Standing smack in the middle of the intersection, sometimes perilously between the streetcar tracks, the officer would spin the sign to indicate which direction should proceed.

Hundreds of American and a handful of Canadian cities - Windsor, London, Hamilton - had electric traffic signals while Toronto continued to stick with its traffic cops. It's hard now to imagine a time when regulating traffic with a set of colour-coded lights was an unusual concept in need of a detailed explanation, but it was once so in 1925.

toronto traffic lightsIn the mid-20s even second-hand cars still cost around $400 - $5,300 in today's money - and represented a significant investment beyond the reach of many. Despite the cost, Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, and Jewett cars were becoming a powerful presence on Toronto's already crowded streets, and the city was keen to keep the roads organized and safe even though there were just 22 auto accidents recorded 1925.

As a result, Bloor, St. Clair, Dundas, Spadina, University and other major arterial streets were widened in the two decades following the turn of the century for additional vehicle capacity at the expense of hundreds of trees, lush grass verges, and wide sidewalks.

toronto bloor wideningThe Crouse-Hinds Company system chosen to conduct a test of signal technology in Toronto had been installed on the first traffic lights just over the lake in Syracuse the year before, in 1924.

In one area of the city, Tipperary Hill, the lights were intentionally hung upside down, with the red at the bottom, in response to vandalism by Irish residents upset that the "British" colour was on top and the "Irish" on the bottom, or so the story goes. The lights there are still upside down.

toronto first traffic lightsIn Toronto, the lights were first arranged in a horizontal row so that red, yellow, and green were all at the same level. At Yonge and Bloor, the intersection chosen as a testing ground for the experiment (the city wasn't sure it would actually stick with the idea,) streetcars in both directions and pedestrians were required to abide by the new rules as well.

Here's how the Toronto Star explained, a little verbosely, the system of colours to wide-eyed drivers:

"... when the red light is showing on the north and south poles all north and southbound traffic ceases, when the yellow appears a warning is given to all who are approaching the intersection that the signal is about to change from "Stop" to "Go" and this interval gives a chance to those who are on the intersection to get across the street before the other traffic begins. Four lights are burning all the time, two reds and two greens or four yellow."

The first test turned out to be something of a spectacle. "A large crowd was gathered at the corner expectantly waiting for something to happen but apart from the excitement of watching the lights change in colour and laugh at the expense of some luckless motorist who was made to back across the street because he had failed to obey the signal, the watchers were disappointed," the paper noted.

In general, drivers found the concept easy to grasp despite the sudden and confusing introduction. That said, a team of four cops granted quite a few mulligans on the first day, politely explaining the rules to anyone bewildered enough to cause a blockage.

"The public took to the signals with very little trouble," Deputy Chief Constable Robert Beatty reported later in August 1925. "For the first few days it was necessary to have two men there, but now there is only one now." Parkdale residents near the intersections of Lake Shore and Jameson and Lake Shore and Dunn would be next to get automatic lights, he said.

toronto traffic jamThe new technology, quaintly known as "semaphores" at first, didn't mean the city could dispense with traffic cops just yet. The lights cycled automatically but an attendant was always on hand to manually override the system and revert to hand signals should a problem occur. If a fire truck approached the officer was instructed to turn all the lights red and wave the vehicle through.

Within a month of the Yonge and Bloor lights going live a bell had been added to the set-up in an attempt to impress on dawdling motorists the urgency of the yellow signal. As you would expect, the overall speed of automobiles was much slower in 1925 - a newspaper report that year described traveling 32 km/h on city streets as "foolish."

The system, despite freeing up traffic police and being easy to understand, wasn't without its detractors. "I have watched motors waiting a full minute where there was no traffic whatever on the cross street. That seems rather absurd," W. G. Robertson, chairman of the Ontario Motor League, a predecessor to the Canadian Automobile Association, remarked after a visit to Atlantic City where signals were widespread.

The group would eventually get behind the idea of traffic lights in Toronto, despite Robertson's concerns about efficiency and cost. At the same time, automobile discussions also touched on whether or not to make twin headlamps and horns mandatory.

toronto traffic lightsOff the back of the successful test at Yonge and Dundas, traffic lights were added at Queen and Yonge, Yonge and Dundas, and 15 other downtown traffic interchanges, this time in a more familiar, vertical configuration on the hydro pole on the opposite corner to the driver. From there, electric traffic lights rapidly proliferated, freeing up large numbers of police officers.

Toronto became the first city in the world to develop and implement a computerized traffic management system in 1963 with the advent of the Gardiner Expressway, Don Valley Parkway, and Allen Road and other surface transportation upgrades.

Fast forward to today and Toronto has over 2,300 sets of traffic signals all centrally-managed out of a high-tech control centre in East York. Every aspect of every intersection is simulated on a computer, optimized based on vehicle behaviour, and regularly tweaked to provide an environment that keep cars moving as best possible.

Still, when the power goes out, Toronto continues to call on its traffic cops.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: Toronto Star, City of Toronto Archives


Corktown Common sets the standard for Toronto parks

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Corktown CommonCorktown Common is Toronto's newest park and since its soft opening earlier this summer our expectations about what a park can be have been raised a whole lot. Parks, like public transit and garbage collection, are one of those things that define a city's basic duties, and most of the time a few trees, some lawn, a playground and a bench or two seem about as much as we can expect. Not here.

Corktown Common ParkCarved out of what was once the William Davies hog abbatoir, the new park is built on top of the Flood Protection Landform sculpted to protect the new Canary District development on one side from the Don River on the other - an expensive and time-consuming project that was undertaken with no small amount of foresight.

Corktown Common TorontoThe resulting park is full of dips and rises and contains spectacular views of the downtown skyline to the west, past the cranes and construction of what will (temporarily) be the athlete's village for the Pan-Am Games.

Corktown Common TorontoWhat's on view this summer is just less than half of the complete park, but it's the best part - a wetland pond and sheltered lawns crowned by probably the most spectacular playground in the city of Toronto. It's been tantalizingly out of reach behind tall fencing since last year, as the landscaping has been allowed to grow in, but it's open now until September 2nd, after which it will close again until the park is complete next year.

Corktown CommonRight now you enter the park from the foot of River Street, past several nearly-finished condos. River Square, a formal parkette reminiscent of urban squares you'll find in Europe, is still unfinished, so you enter the park by wandering around the wetland ponds, full of blooming water lilies and ringed with bulrushes.

Corktown Common PlaygroundThe path takes you through a grassy bowl that will double as an amphitheatre, on the way to the playground built into the highest point in the park. There are swings, of course, and a couple of slides, and an adventure playground with a touch-operated fountain providing the water essential to mud pies and sand castles.

Corktown Commons PlaygroundThere's plenty of clean sand and a new carpet of bark mulch, but much of the park is built from a rubbery, high-tech ground cover that gives the whole place a Seuss-like feel.

Corktown Commons ParkOn the far side is the water play area, made of more rubbery padding, with a collection of nozzles and fountains that jet and spray water in endless shapes, on staggered timers triggered by a trio of silver domes embedded in the ground. On a hot summer day, it's the best part of the park, full of wet, giddy kids while their moms and dads sit among the big river boulders at the edge of the splash pad.

Corktown Commons Park TorontoIn the centre is a pavilion providing welcome shade under long awnings made of beautiful, copper-coloured wood. There are unisex washrooms with changing tables, water fountains and concrete picnic tables, and a staffed park office next to an outdoor lounge next to a public fireplace. Folding walls to block the wind pull out on rails built into the floor. Everything is clean and new, and a cleaner makes his way around the park keeping it tidy.

Corktown CommonsThe design team at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates have thought through every possible use the park could host, and have produced a public space that imagines an enthusiastic local community using Corktown Common with a pride of ownership that I would, in an optimistic frame of mind, love to see. The problem is that this optimism has been so often disappointed.

Corktown Commons TorontoAt first I'm literally stunned that the City has managed to build something so successful, with little apparent compromise or tedious cost-cutting. But then I re-read the signs on the edge of the park and am reminded that Corktown Common wasn't built by the City of Toronto, but by Waterfront Toronto, an entity with three levels of government funding and a semi-autonomous mandate that makes them virtually immune from the city's business as usual.

Corktown CommonI want to end on a sunny note, but I feel obliged to insist that you should go and enjoy Corktown Common now, even in its incomplete state, and before Waterfront Toronto hands management of the park over the city when it's finished next year. Because the second word in the park's name is "Common," and if you're aware of the concept of the "Tragedy of the Commons," you know that public ownership doesn't usually succeed on its appeal to our sense of community as much as it fails through the neglect and destructiveness of the less civic-minded.

And even if the unqualified success of Corktown Common inspires an explosion of local pride, it will still be handed over to the tender mercies of municipal bureaucracy and the race-to-the-bottom of city budget priorities. The people behind Corktown Common deserve praise; this is what every public park space should aspire to copy. I can only hope we're worthy.

Corktown Common Waterfront TorontoMore info about Corktown Common is available on the Waterfront Toronto web site.

The top 10 things to do in Toronto on the August long weekend (30 years ago edition)

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august long weekend torontoAugust, 1983: it might have been thirty years ago, but in the grand scheme of things that's hardly a raindrop in Lake Ontario. Here's some rad options Toronto denizens had as the sweltering August long weekender kicked off.

GO TO CANADA'S WONDERLAND

Only wto summers old, and already $10.95 a day?!! That's silly rich people money. Still, word is good on the Mighty Canadian Mine Buster, Zumba Flume, Scooby Doo Ghoster Coaster, Happyland of Hanna-Barbera, Smurf Village and of course Yogi Bear's upside-down cottage.

CHILL OUT WITH PORTABLE PERSONAL STEREO

The Sanyo Sportster Personal Stereo Portable actually allows you to take your music with you wherever you go, including that breezy spot underneath the tree next to the pool. Ain't technology grand!

SEE A MOVIE

So far summer 1983 is all about RETURN OF THE JEDI, but having already seen that three times how about SLEEPAWAY CAMP? Even if it sucks, it's still a mighty fine air-conditioned refuge from the unforgiving heat.

TRY CHICKEN McNUGGETS

McDongles has this crazy new menu item called "Chicken McNuggets" being advertised all over the place...time to find out what all the fuss about?

PLAY WINTARIO DOUBLE BONUS DRAW

Double your chances for the big Wintario draw on August 11. Winning would be awesome, but getting to meet sweet Faye Dance would be even better!

RIDE THE LRC

VIA's new LRC is a treat for train enthusiasts - Light, Rapid, Comfortable.

WATCH DENNIS WEAVER IN COCAINE ON TV

CityTV Channel 79 has a Great Movie on Friday night - Dennis "McCloud" Weaver as a man whose life is torn asunder by evil white dust.

PLAY VANGUARD AT HOME ON ATARI

How many quarters have you dumped into VANGUARD in the last 2 years? Well, now you can stay home and play it on Atari in your air-conditioned house! Now if only Luther was around to help on the last level...

ENJOY A CAFFEINE FREE TAB

Ice cold TAB is a summer favourite, but did you know it's now available caffeine free?

VISIT ONTARIO PLACE

Best family spot in the whole city, and "it's all yours!" - hopefully forever...

Retrontario plumbs the seedy depths of Toronto flea markets, flooded basements, thrift shops and garage sales, mining old VHS and Betamax tapes that less than often contain incredible moments of history that were accidentally recorded but somehow survived the ravages of time. You can find more amazing discoveries at retrontario.com.

Glare

Spoken word events in Toronto, August 2013

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Dwayne MorganIn a month that begins and ends with a long weekend, there are a lot of choices for those who love a good poetry show. The weather has been a bit cool but the poets are still heating up microphones in venues across the region. A couple of legends make appearances early and the month ends with a bang. Take a look at what's on tap in our monthly spoken word events roundup below.

HOT TICKETS

DMXX: THE DWAYNE MORGAN 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY / AUGUST 7 / 8:30PM / LULA LOUNGE / $20 ADV - $25 DOOR

Morgan is a spoken word legend who has performed internationally and provided some of the most exciting and well-attended stages for spoken word artists in the city. It is only fitting that he should host a show celebrating his two decades of artistic excellence. Anniversaries are always a one-time event and this one should be an affair for the ages.

"WE TELLIN' STORIES YO": PERFORMANCE & INTERVIEW WITH D'BI YOUNG / AUGUST 8 / 7PM / PAINTBOX BISTRO / FREE

The day after Dwayne Morgan celebrates, the city is treated to another local legend spending time with the people who have supported her over the years. Internationally acclaimed dub poet, playwright and Dora Award-winning actor d'bi young anitafrika will perform an intimate set and share words of experience in this free show. Go to this link for event registration info.

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO SPOKEN WORD CIRCUIT PRESENTS LOCAL SLAM TEAM SWAP / AUGUST 15, 21 & 28

The SOSWC is a consortium of spoken word groups that stage monthly spoken word events in London, Guelph, Hamilton, Burlington, Toronto and York Region. Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, they will bring a high-profile artist each month to perform at the venues on the circuit. This month, the Circuit sends their teams out to partner communities in their annual team swap. This year, the YorkSlam Team performs at the Burlington Slam Project's Anything Goes Slam (August 15), the Burlington Slam Team visits Toronto at the Bill Brown's 1-2-3 Slam Song Lyric Slam FUNdraiser (August 21), and the recently crowned provincial champion Guelph Slam Team goes to the YorkSlam Summer Season Show #3 in Richmond Hill (August 28).

TORONTO POETRY SLAM FT. MIKE MCGEE / AUGUST 31 / 8PM / DRAKE HOTEL UNDERGROUND / $5

The Labour Day long weekend starts off with a bang when two-time American individual slam champion and Tons of Fun University (T.O.F.U.) member Mighty Mike McGee performs his hilarious, poignant and incisive poetry at the city's largest recurring slam event. This slam is also part of the TPS season that will select the 2014 Toronto Poetry Slam Team. Watch for the Toronto International Poetry Slam the following night for a mega back-to-back of holiday slam awesomeness.

OTHER SHOWS AND EVENTS

For more listings, head on over to the events calendar or check out the Cytopoetics Events spoken word blog for local info updated weekly during the month.

Have a spoken word event coming up that you'd like us to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO events calendar.

Get to know a Toronto startup: Kiinzel

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KiinzelPeople are always looking for a way to make a quick buck on the Internet. Depending on your level of desperation, you can offer yourself up for rental to someone who wants a companion to go to the movies with, or even rent your dog for some small pocket change. Due to the success of sites like eBay and craigslist, online marketplaces have spread to nearly every type of industry.

Kiinzel, which recently launched in Toronto, is trying to become our own local version of a community marketplace. With a focus on identity, Kiinzel is trying to bring credibility into the historically anonymous local online marketplace. To most people, turning your gently used items into cold hard cash is a slightly less creepy and potentially more profitable approach to make some extra money on the side.

I was invited to spend some time with Marlina Kinnersly, Kiinzel's founder, to better understand how Kiinzel is trying to reboot Toronto's online marketplace.

Where did the idea behind Kiinzel originally came from?

Kiinzel was an evolution of my personal experiences and research. I've been selling and buying new and gently used products for over a decade. I've used popular marketplaces and they haven't changed at all. they still suck! From no shows to poor online user experiences, there are way too many hassles to deal with. Even when I tried the Facebook buy, sell and swap groups, I still had a terrible experience. I assumed there would be less friction but you still have to list multiple times to get exposure. It's surprising, but the amount of disrespectful language and lack of accountability is just as bad on Facebook as it would be on craigslist.

Looking for something better, I came up with the concept of a marketplace that was more swapping centric that would incorporate social media. However, without a tech background or experience in building a startup, I let it slide for a number of years. In late 2011, during the end of my marketing contract at Toronto Eaton Centre, I started conceptualizing Kiinzel, drawing inspiration from eBay and social networks like Pinterest and Facebook. The company's mission is to build thriving unified communities that benefit the environment and society. Our hope is to encourage that timeless feeling of people helping people while inspiring positive impact within communities.

How did you come up the name?

We get this question a lot and I love it! Kiin comes from the root word of 'kin', meaning a person having kinship with others. Zel represents the playful, fun and social side of the platform. We consider our user community family and we want them to have fun!

How does Kiinzel actually work?

Using Kiinzel is easy and free! Simply, browse local listings and users can discover what their friends and neighbours are selling. When a user finds something they want, need or love they can make an offer to either buy or swap the item. The seller can create listings in under a minute all within one page. Buyers and sellers can vet each other through ratings and reviews as well as their social identities in the near future. Once a seller receives an offer or offers they can choose who they deal with. Kiinzel makes selling a lot less random!

Users also get to have some fun with 'Wishes' - they can wishlist listings on the site for items they want or create original wishes like a spa day for mommy or weekend getaway to Niagara. By allowing users to create wishes, essentially their want list, sellers can pre-search buyers. We are really excited to see how our users will use wishes in the future and what exciting stories will come from it.

Making our marketplace social was important for our users, so they can 'like', 'wishlist' and share their own or their favourite listings on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Shopping has always been a social experience and we want to make sure we deliver that experience with a little dose of fun!

Why would people use Kiinzel compared to the other more typical classified and auction sites?

Kiinzel provides a friendly and enjoyable community with an enriching and simple user experience. Whether you are the buyer or seller, it's faster to search and list on Kiinzel than eBay, Craigslist or Kijiji. With a personal virtual store front for everyone, there is a focus on transparency and identity validation that builds trust in the community. Safety is a top concern for our users, especially moms. With personalized shops it's easier for a user's friends and neighbors to see what they have to sell as well as their wishes, reviews and ratings.

What are some of the interesting listings you have on Kiinzel right now?

Some of our most interesting listings are our one of a kinds and vintage or collectible pieces. As an example, Weronika Szanczuk up-cycles local genuine leather from sofas and turns it into handmade earrings and bracelets. Marina, who brands herself as Marina Rocks Toronto, is currently selling a Justin Bieber inspired purse and wallet made out of high quality duct tape - it's truly impressive!

As for the vintage pieces, you won't believe it but we have a working circa 1979 Atari 800 computer! A couple other cool items currently available on Kiinzel is an original Street Fighter Slot Machine and a signed Derek Jeter Replica Ash Bat.

What's next for Kiinzel?

There's lots in the pipeline. Right now we're focused on raising the awareness of Kiinzel, showing people just how different we are relative to the popular resale or classified sites and Facebook. In terms of the product, it's all about optimization, figuring out how to make Kiinzel even more desirable to our community. Once we found that optimal fit for our users we will launch across Canada and start working on our mobile app!

Jimmy Eat World make at least one grown man cry

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Jimmy Eat WorldIf there is one lesson I took from Friday night's sold out Jimmy Eat World concert at the Phoenix is that Jimmy Eat World fans really love Jimmy Eat World.

The venue was packed halfway through the opening band, Royal Bands, with an unassuming and diversely aged crowd. A majority of the gathered didn't seem to owe any sort of musical allegiance, but there was also a fair share of punkers, indie rockers, twee bears and skateboarding types showing the diversity of white people who like emotional riff rock with a heart of gold. Mostly people milled about, trying to find a vantage point and being generally polite.

Jimmy Eat WorldI found myself jockeying for a space that people wouldn't nudge by me every 30 seconds. Then, during the intermission another few hundred came in and it wasn't about jockeying for a "good spot" then it was about finding enough room to take off my jacket. I've never been to a sold out show at The Phoenix, and hope to never again. A feeling of banal dread rose in my belly.

Jimmy Eat WorldThen Jimmy Eat World took the stage and I began to feel all sorts of things. One of the essential qualities of the mob is that individuals are impossible to discern. But as soon as Jim said hello every single anonymous faces in the crowd suddenly got a personality and once more, a personality that shone with a shared sacristy called being a Jimmy Eat World fan. It was actually beautiful.

Jimmy Eat WorldWe're talking best friends looking deeply into each others eyes following by deep mother bear hugging, coworkers getting first time glimpses into the wholeness of their peers, gangly loner dudes turning to attractive ladies with shit eating grins and having that grin returned. And all of this without the dilated pupils one would expect with this sort of mass emotional outpouring.

Jimmy Eat WorldIn all my years on the music beat I've never seen anything like it. People really really like Jimmy Eat World.

Jimmy Eat WorldI would love to be able to explain this phenomenon. My only guess is that Jimmy Eat World was the band that help define these people's emotional palettes during their teen years, and a Jimmy Eat World concert acts as a nostalgic renewal of base adult feelings. This theory, at least as an all encompassing idea, was quickly dismissed as I saw a 30+ man singing along to the newer single with tears in his eyes.

Jimmy Eat WorldSo I'm going to stop thinking about it and just take it for what it was: People really love Jimmy Eat World. So maybe you should too?

Photos by Irina No.

Where to take Krav Maga training in Toronto

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Elite Martial Arts TorontoThis Krav maga training school on the Esplanade offers classes that teach students the skills necessary for self-protection in real life situations while providing a serious workout in the process.

Read my profile of Elite Martial Arts in the fitness section.


The Best Playgrounds in Toronto

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Toronto PlaygroundsThe best playgrounds in Toronto might, to the untrained eye, look just like the worst playgrounds in Toronto. Acreage might vary, but each one will likely feature the same tough, simple swing set and a well-worn but safety-tested jungle gym in differing configurations. Add a sandbox and perhaps a splash pad and you've got the basic model of almost any Toronto playground.

What makes a playground great are near-intangibles - a handful of mature trees for shade; a few decent benches in that shady spot; a sandbox full of new, clean sand. And of course - location, location, location.

The top two playgrounds on this list are no-brainers; they're big, beautifully-located, well-appointed and full of kids every day the sun is shining. Others may surprise - some are little gems hidden out of sight, or unique accidents of place and people coming together to give a playground life.

Here's the list of the best playgrounds in Toronto.

Jamie Bell Adventure Playground
Some human stain tried to burn this High Park institution down late one spring night last year, but a group of locals and parents joined up with Mr. Fix-It Mike Holmes to re-build, and it reopened four months later. You don't have to know this little story of tragedy and triumph to enjoy this bustling kidtropolis of a playground, but it helps, as does the ice cream truck that's parked a minute's walk away most days.

Kew Gardens
The Treehouse Towers in Kew Gardens are essentially Jamie Bell East - a deluxe complex of a play structure located in one of the most venerable parks in the city. Just a short walk from the eastern beach, under a canopy of mature trees, this might be the most inspiring playground in the city - at least for parents, who might be tempted to turn a half hour's worth of kiddie ya-ya blowout into a whole afternoon's wander.

Neshama Playground
Reopened last year, this Oriole Park playground is a prototype of sorts for the kind of accessible play structure that parents with disabled children would love to see down the end of their street. You can learn Braille or sign language off of the panels on the climbing gym or play with the music panel. With sand, dirt and wood chips replaced by all-weather rubber padding, you also won't have kids tracking a planter's worth of organic material back home every day.

Cherry Beach Sports Fields
It's out in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the Port Lands, next to a vast plain of artificial turf, which gives the Cherry Beach fields playground - also known as the Pirate Ship - an atmosphere unmatched by any other playground. It usually hosts the younger siblings of kids playing out on the soccer fields, or teams of wired players burning of that little bit of extra steam climbing the hull of this landlocked ship while their parents gossip by the entrance to the parking lot.

David Crombie ParkDavid Crombie Park
The tiny, perfect mayor got a sprawling playground named after him, just off the Esplanade in the shadow of St. Lawrence Market. There's the standard jungle gym in primary colours on its pad of sand, a massive wood structure with two red slides, a truly epic wading pool/splash pad, a hockey/basketball court and a big asphalt plain painted with the sorts of games that I'd like to hope kids still instinctively know how to play.

Withrow Park
Withrow boasts one of the busiest dog parks in the city, but when you've graduated from fur babies to real ones, it has a playground as well, fenced in to keep the dogs and kids apart. There are bits of playground all over the park, but the real playground is on the north side, between the tennis courts and the baseball outfield where they hold the farmer's market. Withrow is the hub of Riverdale, which means the playground is very well used, but in for an overhaul beginning this fall.

Dufferin Grove PlaygroundDufferin Grove
This big, busy, happy hippie wonderland might be the most beloved park in the city. It's certainly a value added feature that real estate agents are happy to point out when showing houses nearby. Beyond the usual swings and slides, there's the groovy adobe house with its sinuous walls and the vast adventure playground with its ring of mildly anxious parents watching their kids dig canals and pour water down the channels in a frenzy of grubby inspiration.

Roundhouse Park
It might be hard to believe that people are raising families in the forest of condos sprouting along the old rail lands downtown, but they are, and this is one of the few places they can set them out for some sun and air. The standard climbing structure has been given a railway theme, which might also make it attractive for the trainspotting parents and grandparents towing their restless bloodline along with them when they visit the Roundhouse rail museum next door.

Ed McCleverty Park
This playground next to Ted Reeve Arena in the Upper Beaches was the city's first stab at an accessibility playground, opened in 1998 and outstripped in the meantime by Neshama Playground. There are a variety of unique play structures and a nearby shaded area for parents and nannies. If all else fails, escape the sun and catch whatever game is on inside the arena.

Vermont Square Playground
This Seaton Village park features a playground recently renovated with a nautical theme, next to a splash pad in a park full of mature shade trees. There are separate areas for toddlers and bigger kids, and a tap by the sand box, which you can either use to fill your water bottle or set up a mud pie factory.

Jean Sibelius Square
This century-old Annex park didn't begin its life named after a Finnish composer, and it was only recently renovated to meet the rather exacting needs of the new locals raising their families nearby. The natural ice rink was maintained, but the wow new feature is the new climbing structure in the playground - an impressive and imposing cat's cradle/spider's web that might give nervous nannies pause while calling to any child to get their limbs tangled in its strands.

Hideaway Park TorontoHideaway Park
Well-named, you have to know this Leslieville park is there if you want to try and find it, tucked into the alleys behind the backyards near Pape and Dundas East. They've managed to tuck a lot into this dogleg of a space, including an off-leash area, a splash pad and a decent-sized play structure shaded by the houses and old trees that surround it. Not to be overlooked are the wide assortment of used (and sometimes broken) toys left here by neighbourhood residents as well as the annual Easter egg hunt.

Pricefield Park
This Rosedale playground feels suitably exclusive, at the end of a discreet path just off Scrivener Square, a short walk from the high-priced grocers known informally as The Thieves. The Pricefield Playground feels new and well-kept, if a bit lonely, though its proximity to the showpiece LCBO in the old Summerhill train station means that, on one rainy morning last week, there were empty cans of Laker piled up under the jungle gym.

Little Norway Park
Just over the fence from the city-side ferry terminal to the Island Airport, the playground at Little Norway Park catches the lake breezes in sight of the growing condo forest, but it also showcases the finest piece of playground sculpture in the city. A huge reclining lion gazes sleepily over a massive paw draped over a play tunnel, it looks like the sand sculpture to end all sand sculptures, rendered in soft-hued concrete. I'm not sure what would draw you down here if you didn't live nearby, but if your Porter flight is ever cancelled, you might want to check it out.

Charles G. Williams Playground
Space is tight and the sloping ground next to the play area has been scoured free of grass by the surplus ride-on toys that families abandon in this playground between Parkdale and Roncesvalles Village. The equipment is well used, the sandbox always spilling over into the rest of the park, but it's a busy place where a place to sit often comes at a premium - the model of a playground that works not because it offers anything special, but because it's where every family goes.

Corktown Common PlaygroundCorktown Common Playground
The city's newest and greatest playground is a masterpiece of materials, design and location, perched on top of the flood barrier holding the Don back from the new Canary District, and featuring an adventure playground, a storey-high slide, a sheltered pavilion for adults to rest and the nicest water park ever, full of timed and triggered jets and fountains built on plush rubbery ground cover, with a commanding view of the downtown beyond.

David Crombie Park photo by Jason Cook in the blogTO Flickr pool.

From on high

Simcoe Day holiday Monday events in Toronto 2013

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Simcoe Day TorontoSimcoe Day (Civic Holiday) Monday events in Toronto on August 5th, 2013

CULTURE | Simcoe Day at Fort York
On Simcoe Day, nothing could be more appropriate that taking in some Canadian history, and perhaps learning a bit more about Upper Canada's first lieutenant-governor, John Graves Simcoe. The guy did found the town of York in 1793, after all, right? Today, Fort York will be the place to be for this kind of historic time travel and tidbits, with tours, exhibits, fife and drum music of the period, and even some musket and canon firing demos. There will also be period cooking demonstrations in the Fort York kitchen, and recreations of military tactical manoeuvres with the Fort York guard. The Honourable David C. Onley will officially celebrate Simcoe Day and its namesake from 1 to 2pm. Today's event runs until 5pm.
Fort York National Historic Site (250 Fort York Boulevard) 10AM

MUSIC | Electric Island
Lovers of electronic music (or awesome outdoor music fests in general), will be flocking to Centre Island today for the return of Electric Island. This fully licensed concert and picnic event will deliver a great lineup of local and international musical talent performing for over eight hours today. Today's lineup includes: Green Velvet, Hot Since 82, Soul Clap, Dirty Dale, Poupon, and Koki. The Centre Island Ferry travels every 30 minutes to the Island, and boards near the Westin Harbour Castle hotel.
Centre Island (9 Queens Quay West - ferry boarding) 1PM to 10PM $22.50

ART | Public Art Tour at Evergreen Brick Works
No.9: Con­temporary Art & the Environment hosts a special "Art Tour" this afternoon at Evergreen Brick Works. No.9 is an organization devoted to exploring the relationship between art and environmental issues, and is headed by Andrew Davies, the "design strategy" consultant for Evergreen Brick Works and an individual with an impressive background in the Arts, including having worked for the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Today's tour will give you a well rounded perspective on both the Brick Works venue itself, which has strong ties to the TO cultural community, and the artwork it hosts, which is made of both permanent and temporary installations.
Evergreen Brick Works, Young Welcome Centre, Building 12 (550 Bayview Avenue) 1.20PM

MUSIC | Jambana Festival
Jambana has been an end-of-Caribana-weekend celebration for the last 5 years, and this year promises to be another good one. Music, food and good vibes are the name of the game here, with extras thrown in, like info sessions at the fest's Health Village, a domino tournament, and more. The music is the main attraction, of course, and today's lineup is indeed attractive, with Yellowman, Melanie Durrant, Ammoye, St James Town Steel Band, Nkrumah, Steele, and others providing awesome Roots and Reggae sounds. Jambana is scheduled to go until 9:30PM this evening.
Markham Fair Grounds 12PM $10 (VIP $30)

Also Of Note

Drake + James Blake Ovo Fest
The Real McCoy

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

This Week in Music: Neutral Milk Hotel, Backstreet Boys hit Molson Amphitheatre, local music at the Shoe

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Backstreet Boys TorontoThis Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

IN THE NEWS

Neutral Milk Hotel announces Toronto shows

When beloved indie-pop quartet Neutral Milk Hotel broke up in 1999 due to frontman Jeff Magnum's nervous breakdown, fans were understandably disappointed. The band is, after all, one of the most beloved groups of their generation. Back in May, when Magnum announced on his website that the band was getting back together for a reunion tour, there was much rejoicing - and, perhaps, a little skepticism. Well, you can now toss that skepticism aside, as an extensive list of tour dates have officially been announced. These dates include not one, but two Toronto dates - January 18 and 19 at the Kool Haus. Tickets went on sale last Friday (August 2), and my advice would be to get them as soon as possible. If they're not sold out already, they will be very, very soon. Head on over to Magnum's official site for a complete list of dates and further information.

THIS WEEK'S HOT TICKETS

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 7 / THE OLD SALTS / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 370 QUEEN W / $5 / 19+

Local blues/folk outfit Addington County Review, Evan Malach, and Red White Heat for a local music night at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern. Comprised of James da Mota, Darren Eedens, Matthew Karas, and Devin Staple, The Old Salts are unquestionably one of the more talented local groups that I've come across in recent memory. I predict that some major success will be coming their way in the coming months and years. Don't take my word for it, though - head on down to the Horseshoe on Wednesday and take in a night of awesome music for a very reasonable price.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 7 / BACKSTREET BOYS / MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE / 909 LAKESHORE W / $35.50 - $120.75 / ALL AGES

I'm fully expecting to get a lot of hate for including this show as a Hot Ticket, but hear me out. Whether you're a fan of the Backstreet Boys or not (and, let's face it, most of you reading this probably aren't), there's no denying that this was one of the biggest pop acts of the 90s. It's really quite remarkable that they're still touring in 2013, and even though boy bands aren't nearly as popular as they once were, there's still an audience who will absolutely eat this show up. While I highly recommend spending your Wednesday night at the Horseshoe, this is an alternative. Whether it's a good or bad alternative depends entirely on your taste. Jesse McCartney and the incomparable DJ Pauly D (heh) will offer support.

RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CONCERTS

WHAT WE GOT UP TO LAST WEEK

Photo of Backstreet Boys courtesy of Ryan Muir on Flickr.

The SickKids Farmers' Market

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SickKids Farmers Market The SickKids Farmers' Market comes to life every Tuesday morning until the end of October on the driveway of SickKids Hospital at 555 University Avenue. From 8am to 2pm, about 20 vendors sell an array of produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, and other delights in the cool shade of the lush, tree-lined hospital entrance.

For hospital staff, patients, hurried University Avenue pedestrians, and nearby office workers (including yours truly), the SickKids Farmers' Market is great for picking up a tasty snack or some fresh dinner ingredients. During my recent lunchtime visit, I couldn't help but notice the predominance of professionals in scrubs or business casual attire, grabbing some berries to enjoy later in the afternoon or taking a break to indulge in a freshly baked treat. Fortunately for me and my fellow market-goers, the market continues through the winter, every other Tuesday, from inside the hospital.

Here are some of my favourite vendors from at the SickKids Farmers' Market.

The Food Smythe
While I indulged in a couple samples, Dave Smythe explained that he strives to showcase Ontario's artisan cheeses that may not get the exposure they deserve in Toronto. Based in Prince Edward County, Smythe has been selling cheeses at various farmers' markets for five summers now. Some fine cheeses for sale during my visit included Primeridge Pure, Fifth Town, Glengarry, and Gunn's Hill.

Loffredo Fruit FarmsLoffredo Fruit Farms
Numerous University Avenue pedestrians couldn't resist stopping to grab some of Matteo and Angela Russo's delectable fruits, like juicy peaches and golden plums ($5 and $4/quart, respectively). The Russos have been farming for over 30 years, and grow cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, apples, and pears on their St. Catharines farm. The Russos also sell homemade buttermilk fruit muffins for a dollar, as well as pies and loaves, and by noon, only a few baked treats were left.

Round Plains PlantationRound Plains Plantation
I love sweet potatoes, but farmers Bob and Juli Proraki love sweet potatoes, and exclusively grow this crop on their Waterford, Ontario farm. Round Plains sells several intriguing varieties of sweet potato, like Bonita, Beauregard & Covington, Satsumaimo, and the deep purple Murasaki ($5/small basket, $8/large basket). The organically grown spuds are also featured in the many dips and baked treats for sale, including latkes, muffins, brownies, waffles, and cinnamon buns (with several vegan and gluten-free options available). I was one of several hungry office workers lining up for a moist sweet potato cookie as an afternoon treat--far more appealing than a trip to the vending machine ($1 each).

Leitchs HoneyLeitch's Honey
For Randy Leitch, it's simple: "honey's the perfect food, just the way it is." He has been keeping bees for 39 years and produces almost any type of honey and honey product you can imagine. In addition to your standard unpasteurized liquid honey ($10/kg), Randy also sells comb honey, buckwheat honey, bee pollen, honey butter, honey mustard sauce, and beeswax candles. My mouth watered a bit when imagining the taste of his cinnamon creamed honey melting on hot toast, but I was also curious to try the maple and fruit-flavoured varieties ($6.50/500g).

Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms
"Step right up, get your mushrooms, folks!" calls out Shannon Declerc, enticing shoppers to check out her fine fungal fare. Declerc and her husband Sean grow about 15 varieties of specialty mushrooms using organic methods on their Shelburne, Ontario farm. I spent several moments examining the fascinating species on hand, including spine-covered lion's manes, iridescent blue oysters, and small orange cinnamon caps ($4/basket, $7.50/2 baskets, and $11/3 baskets). The Declercs also sell dried mushrooms and more familiar varieties like portobello, crimini, and white button, grown by farmers in the Dundas/Hamilton area.

Monforte DairyMonforte Dairy
The infocard available at Monforte's stand asks, "what trumps the sheer sensual deliciousness of a well-crafted cheese?" While sampling the Bliss triple cream Brie, it's hard to think of many credible contenders ($8-$12 for a small wheel). Oh sweet Brie-sus, this cheese is pure heaven (pardon the terrible pun). Made with cow's cream and sheep's milk, it's rich and buttery in taste, and incredibly creamy in texture. Monforte's range of artisanal cheeses are made mostly from sheep's milk, as well as cow's, goat's and water buffalo's milk. The cheeses are also antibiotic-free and made seasonally based on the animals' natural milking cycles.

Footstep Organics
I couldn't pass by Footstep Organics' stand without pausing to admire the dark wicker baskets filled with a vibrant rainbow of veggies. With the support of FarmStart, Paul Stewart and Shira Katzberg grow more than 50 types of vegetables on their two acre plot in Brampton, including deep purple and golden beets, multicoloured cherry tomatoes, and carrots in orange, purple and yellow shades (all generally priced at $3/bunch or $4/basket).

Vauxhall GardensVauxhall Gardens
In between serving customers, Adele Hinshelwood told me she has been growing botanicals for over 25 years, and has always been interested in the intrinsic power of plants. She grows and extracts botanicals on her Grimsby farm to produce soaps, creams, hair products and infused oils that are perfect for pampering. I was particularly tempted by the Calendula Revitalizing Foot Butter ($10/118mL) to help keep my feet in sandal-ready shape this summer, and the Rose and Rose Geranium Facial Serum ($20/50mL) to show my urban-dwelling, sun-soaked, and sleep-deprived visage a little TLC.

Waffle Bar TorontoWaffle Bar
Hungry lunchtime shoppers were easily drawn in by the sweet aromas emanating from Jan Vandenbroeck's waffle stand. Waffle Bar sells Liege-style waffles in packs of six ($15), or served fresh with fruit and cream to satisfy your sweet tooth ($5). As good as those options looked (and smelled), Jan's bacon and egg waffle is the showstopper ($8). Made with bacon bits and green onion inside the dough, the waffle is then topped with a fried egg, cheese, and a drizzle of sweet maple syrup. The McGriddle ain't got nothing on this.

St. Johns BakerySt. John's Bakery
This Toronto bakery, located near Broadview and Queen, makes traditional French-style breads that are sold in its retail location as well as at various farmers' markets, cafes, and grocery stores in the city. The St. John's volunteer working at the market described how their breads are mostly sourdoughs and made with organic flour. The baked goods for sale include baguettes ($3.50), multigrain, rye, and white loaves ($5.75), and specialty flavours like olive bread ($6.75). For a sweet treat, St. John's also sells cookies, banana bread, and scones. Be sure to come early, though--by mid-day, only a handful of loaves remained.

Discover more of Toronto's farmers' markets via out Toronto Farmers' Markets Pinterest board.

The SickKids Farmers MarketPhotos by Jesse Milns

This food may be reheated but it sure tastes good

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King PalaceIt may be slightly less well known that that place in Little India but this Pakistani restaurant near Yonge where Church turns into Davenport has been winning over cabbies' (and a lot more of our) hearts well before it moved here from King and Sherbourne. The food may be reheated here but there's no doubting the massive, tasty meal of treats for both meat-eaters and vegetarians.

Read my review of King Palace in the restaurants section.

The top 10 mock meat dishes in Toronto

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Mock Meat TorontoIt would be an understatement to say that mock meat is not the most appetizing of foods around which to build a tasty dish. Both meat eaters and vegetarians alike are usually not enamored with the idea of eating fake bacon or something made out of soy that is shaped like a lamb chop. Nevertheless, there's a whole industry built around creating and marketing such cuisine and mock meat is ever-present on the menus of most of Toronto's vegetarian eateries. Alas, I have come to accept it, and in some cases, appreciate and devour it.

Here are 10 of my favourite mock meat dishes that can be found around Toronto.

The Crusted Chicken at Grasslands
This new vegan paradise (formerly Fressen) distinguishes itself from other restaurants of its kind, steering away from quinoa bowls and kale salad and toward more innovative dairy and meat free mains. Composed of a wheat gluten called seitan, The Crusted Chicken ($18) is dusted in turmeric scented rice batter and served with braised vegetables, thyme roasted potatoes and garlic asparagus. Who says a vegan meal can't be exceptionally hearty?

The Pad Thai at Loving Hut
With a name that accurately reflects its hippie vibes, Loving Hut's Pad Thai is all about plant love (that's right, no prawns or chicken here). For $11.45, you get a heaping plate of flat rice noodles, mock prawns and chicken (soy protein that tastes and looks scarily like the meat it so successfully replicates), an assortment of veggies and fresh herbs. This organic, meatless dish could seriously feed about two and a half people.

The Unchicken & Waffles at Hogtown Vegan
For all those vegan/vegetarian chicken & waffle lovers still mourning the loss of not being able to enjoy this legendary pairing, Hogtown Vegan has answered your prayers. In the restaurant's self-declared signature dish ($13), unchicken (soy protein) cutlets are breaded and lightly fried and served atop a freshly made corn waffle. Spiced syrup, collard greens and sweet potato mash accompany this Southern favorite that has so lovingly been adopted into something less calorific. Also noteworthy is Hogtown Vegan's Phish 'N Chips dish.

The B.L.T. at Live Organic Food Bar
An excellent lunch option, the B.L.T salad ($15) from Live Organic Food Bar is made with coconut bacon, greens, marinated tomatoes, spicy mayo, and served with fennel slaw and veggie chips. Ingredients are generally local and organic (and always look pretty). Though steeper prices may dissuade some diners from sampling Live's offerings, the delicious protein-packed bowls and plant-based dishes leave you feeling sated and promising yourself that you'll lead a healthier lifestyle from hereon out. Don't feel bad if that doesn't usually pan out.

The Eggplant Meatball Sandwich at The Slow Room
Here we have mock meat in the form of a recognizable and respectable vegetable - the eggplant! The Slow Room, a College and Dovercourt cafe specializing in locally sourced food and drink, presents us with The Eggplant Meatball Sandwich ($4 for half, $6.75 for full). Ground eggplant is seasoned and shaped into balls before being mixed with eggs and breadcrumbs. The meatless meatballs are then braised in a sauce of basil and tomato before being sandwiched between a fresh ciabatta bun. This tasty 'wich is packed full of Italian flavour without being too heavy.

The Eco Taco at Feel Good Guru
Partake in the Toronto taco craze with this healthful Eco Taco ($12) from Feel Good Guru. Spiced nutmeat, shredded carrots and beets, julienned sweet peppers, guacamole and pico de gallo are lovingly stuffed into a red cabbage leaf and topped with cashew jalapeno sauce. All the elements of a classic taco are present, so don't be afraid to knock back a mojito or two in the true spirit of Tex-Mex dining. See also: The vegan tacos at Hot Beans

Teriyaki Tempeh Sandwich at Urban Herbivore
With three Toronto locations, it's clear that Urban Herbivore's meatless meals are catching on. Their Teriyaki Tempeh sandwich comes with organic tempeh slices marinated in house-made teriyaki sauce, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, red leaf lettuce and lemon tahini dressing between your choice of either olive ciabatta or focaccia bread. Tempeh, a fermented soy product similar to tofu, is packed full of protein and fiber. This sandwich is a sure way to stay full throughout the afternoon.

Protein Marinara at Green Earth
Green Earth (serving Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Vietnamese inspired dishes) sneakily refers to their mock meat as chik'un, which actually tastes like chicken despite being completely meatless. The Protein Marinara consists of grilled chik'un (tender soy protein) drenched in fresh marinara sauce and is served with a side of seasonal vegetables. This is a nice homey dish that could easily pass as a dinner entree.

Satay Veggie Beef Noodles at Cafe 668
Now before you discard this dish for including the term beef, know that crispy fried rice noodles are also a main feature. Slices of veggie beef (actually made from wheat gluten), baby corn, nappa cabbage, carrots and celery are stir fried in satay sauce and served atop a generous mound of the aforementioned noodles ($11.99). Disclaimer: this dish is deliciously spicy.

Vegan Rib-Wich at Disgraceland
Disgraceland serves up mean vegan food that is anything but dainty. Case in point, their Vegan Rib-Wich ($11). That's right, Disgraceland has conquered the meatiest of meats and turned them meatless. Served on a Kaiser with creamy slaw and avocado, these ribs are as saucy and smoky as the real deal. The Vegan Rib-Wich is innovative bar food at its finest.

What did I miss? Add your favourite mock meat dishes to the comments below.


The recored keeper

Radar: Neil Gaiman, JAZZ FM World Music Festival, No Captivity!, Elvis Monday (On A Tuesday)

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Rez Abbasi GuitarToronto events on August 6th, 2013

BOOKS & LIT | Neil Gaiman at The Danforth Music Hall
Tonight, Indigo Books & Music presents an evening with author Neil Gaiman at the Danforth Music Hall. Gaiman, a well known author of novels, films, and comics, has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Newbery and Carnegie Medals, and is the first author to receive both medals for a single work. He has just published a new book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. This novel follows a man's journey back to his hometown for a funeral, and the events and memories that unfold as a result of his return. Critical reception to the book has been great, and a film version is in the works, to be produced by Tom Hanks. Gaiman will share selected passages from The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which will be followed by a short Q & A, and a book signing.
The Danforth Music Hall 6:30 PM $22.75

MUSIC | JAZZ.FM91 World Music Festival
Jazz.FM91's first World Music Festival begins today. This station has been an important local supporter of local and international jazz - the real 'alternative music' - for several decades. This five-day festival has been cleverly curated to send you to a different global location each day. This evening's "stop" is Cuba, which will feature a performance by noted Juno Award-winner Hilario Duran, and noted Klezmer aficionado and trumpeter, David Buchbinder. Other stops include Venezuela, South Africa, France, and what should be an awesome closer, India with guitarist Rez Abbasi on Saturday. This will truly be a great week for "global jazz" in TO!
Hugh's Room (2261 Dundas Street West) 8:30PM $39.50 (3-show passes $99.50)

FUNDRAISER | No Captivity! Empty the Tanks. A Benefit for Marineland Animal Defense and ARK II
Rock 'n' Roll for a worthy cause is the name of the game again tonight! Rancho Relaxo hosts "No Captivity!", a benefit for two animal rights organizations: M.A.D. (Marineland Animal Defense), and The Animal Rights Kollective II (ARK II). M.A.D. is an organization devoted to ending both Marineland's current animal "captivity", and all breeding that is occurring there, as well as holding both that organization accountable for various acts of abuse "both human and non human". ARK II has been around since 1984, and is a Toronto-based "animal advocacy" group. Tonight musical lineup: Test Their Logik, The Reply, Serena Dimitra, Jenn Fiorentino, Muriqui. There will also be a guest appearance by Parkdale High Park MPP Cheri Dinovo. All funds raised go to M.A.D. and ARK II.
Rancho Relaxo (300 College Street) 9PM $10

Also Of Note

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

Photo of Rez Abbasi

Poster on Harbord Street

Morning Brew: Rob Ford waits to talk garbage, replacing Doug Holyday, a Sammy Yatim graphic, reclaiming the waterfront, fighting ferry line-ups, and saving a Banksy

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toronto four seasonsRob Ford says he'll start talking garbage, or, more specifically garbage contracts, next year when he enters full election campaign mode. Ford says he plans to outsource trash collection east of Yonge Street in his second term, likely as a campaign plank against Olivia Chow. The mayor blames the delay on tough union contracts, but according to the Star no such obstacle exists. Is Ford stalling on a 2010 election promise to boost his hopes in 2014?

Toronto City Council will have to decide how best to replace former Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday when it returns from summer break. The former Ford ally beat out councillor Peter Milczyn to become Toronto's only PC MPP in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore byelection last week. Rob Ford has already appointed cllr. Norm Kelly as his deputy but the vacant seat at city hall must be filled by appointment or byelection. Which do you think would work best?

With so many eye-witness reports, videos, and perspectives, exactly what happened on a westbound Toronto streetcar the night Sammy Yatim was shot by police is pretty murky. In the hope of making the story clearer, the Star has put together a graphic that combines the various public accounts of what happened.

Should everyone have full access to Toronto's waterfront? Full public access to the shore is an elusive target tangled up in land deals with various property owners, clubhouses, and industries. As a result, users of the existing 46-kilometre waterfront trail must weave behind properties and along busy arterial roads in order to stay off private land. As you might expect, some land owners with a slice of the lake for themselves want it keep it.

The misery of the jam-packed ticket line at the Toronto ferry terminal could become a thing of the past (or at least a rarity) next year. The city has awarded a $521,157.81 contract to a company that specializes in fare payment for an automated ticket system that will include vending machines and online sales. At peak times, the ticket line at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal can take an hour to navigate.

A rare Banksy original, one of only two surviving from the artist's 2010 visit to Toronto, is being saved by a condo developer. The stencil of a police officer holding a balloon animal, illegally painted on the wall of a former OPP headquarters at 90 Harbour Street, will be worked in to the new Harbour Plaza development, according to developer Menkes.

Today is the first day of a two-week closure of King and Spadina for streetcar track replacement work. The TTC is replacing all of the rails in the complex intersection as part of ongoing maintenance. No vehicles will be allowed through the building site until later this month. Be prepared to find another way.

Finally, one Parkdale man is taking a personal stand against sugar. Jason Holborn, a self-confessed sugar monster, used to consume three to six cups of the sweet stuff every day before deciding to make a change. Now, Holborn has been unsweetened for 220 days and kept his Elm Grove Ave. neighbours abreast of his process with a large, distinctive window sign. The target is 365 days, then maybe 500.

FROM THE LONG WEEKEND:

IN BRIEF:

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Sean Robichaud/blogTO Flickr pool.

This week on DineSafe: Banjara, The Sister, Ethiopian House, Wild Wing, Hot Dog Cart #1385, Marcello's

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DineSafe TorontoIt's conditional passes galore this week. Even street meat stands are getting yellows cards including a cart near Yonge and Finch. And beware of the butter chicken! Several Indian food restaurants got dinged including Banjara Indian Cuisine which clocked in with nine infractions. This is after getting a conditional pass earlier this year. Won't they ever learn?

Here's the rest of this week's DineSafe disappointments.

Banjara Indian Cuisine (796 Bloor Street W)
Inspected on: August 1
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 4, Significant: 3, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands when required, operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated

Ethiopian House (4 Irwin Avenue)
Inspected on: August 1
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Hot Dog Cart #1385 (5697 Yonge Street)
Inspected on: July 31
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Indian Biriyani House (181 Dundas Street W)
Inspected on: July 31
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Marcello's (77 King Street W)
Inspected on: July 30
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder

Mr. Right Pizza & Wings (821a Bloor Street W)
Inspected on: August 1
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions: N/A

The Sister (1554 Queen Street W)
Inspected on: August 1
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 3, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Wild Wing (2561 St. Clair Avenue W)
Inspected on: August 1
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Significant: 4)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

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