Toronto events on September 10th, 2013

FILM | Pacino One Night Only
Al Pacino brings his One Night Only stage show to Massey Hall this evening, and the timing is perfect given that TIFF is still in full swing. To call this a "stage show' is perhaps elevating it slightly, as tonight's event is essentially Pacino delivering a career retrospective in interview format, but who can deny the intrigue that goes along with this career, and the charisma Pacino delivers in any situation? The performance of this show at the Palladium in London sold out in 24 hours. There will also be a question and answer period, and for $1,500 you can meet and get your photo taken with the Hollywood icon. Hoo-ah!
Massey Hall (178 Victoria Street) 7:30PM $79-$249

BOOKS & LIT | A House in the Sky
Author Amanda Lindhout visits Indigo on Bloor Street this evening for a conversation with Canada AM's Marci Ien. Lindhout is already well-known, even though this is her first book. She is a journalist and humanitarian who has been abducted while on various reporting trips both in Iraq, and more significantly, in Somalia, where she was held in captivity for over 450 days. Since those incidents, Lindhout has founded The Global Enrichment Foundation, a non-profit organization for which she also acts as executive director. A House In The Sky is an account of her lengthy and frightening abduction in Somalia and the ways in which it led her to a embrace and understand a more spiritual life of forgiveness and gratitude.
Indigo Manulife (55 Bloor Street West) 7PM

THEATRE | YouTopia: A Vertical City Performance
Tonight, the preview performance of Bruce Barton's YouTopia goes down at the Glen Morris Studio Theatre, with the official opening happening tomorrow night. This play, starring Kiran Friesen, Matthew Tapscott, and Dora Award-winner Adam Paolozza, is a futuristic tale with a retro twist. Protagonist Kiran lives in a high rise building with only AL, a "state-of-the-art 1968 computer" as her company and guide. As the building decays to the point of near collapse, Kiran attempts to carry on with daily life, knowing no alternative. An experimental twist will find the audience wearing headphones throughout the viewing of this production, a manifestation of the play's preoccupation with the bond that exists between humans and technology.
Glen Morris Studio Theatre (4 Glen Morris Street) 8PM $15

FOOD | GE Café Chefs Series: The Stratford Food Community
The September installment in the GE Café Chefs Series happens tonight at the Evergreen Brick Works. This popular series includes cooking workshops with close up demonstrations by accomplished chefs, wine tastings, and also discussions on modern ecological, political, and environmental concerns in the world of food. This evening, Stratford chef, Yva Santini will guide the workshop. Santini is executive chef at Pazzo Ristorante in Stratford, Ontario. The menu has a strong Italian influence, and this culture is part of Santini's heritage and roots. Tonight's featured winery is Beamsville, Ontario's Hidden Bench Winery, and cooking will take place in Evergreen's outdoor oven.
Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Avenue) 6PM $75

Also Of Note

• Lightning Dust @ The Drake
• Nucleus

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

Photo of Al Pacino (duh)

The Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail defended their reporting of Rob and Doug Ford's alleged drug use yesterday at a special hearing before the Ontario Press Council. "The story is true. Every word of it," said Michael Cooke, editor in chief of the Star about the original front-page crack video story. "Mayor Ford still owes Toronto a full answer," he added. Rob and Doug Ford were invited to attend but didn't respond.

Today will be a late-summer scorcher, according to Environment Canada and the City of Toronto. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid 30s and the humidex could make it feel like the 40s. In fact, it could feel like the hottest day of the year so far. Temperatures are expected to return to normal on Thursday.

Captain John's looks like it's finally sunk. The city has started the process of seizing the floating restaurant, which is permanently moored at the foot Yonge Street, over an ocean of unpaid bills, taxes, and fees that total more than a $1 million. The government management committee will need the approval of council before owner John Letnik is forced out of the boat he calls home. Is it time Captain John's walked the plank?

A Mercer Street heritage property appears to be safe from demolition (for now) after the city's planning division turned back a proposal to build a boutique condo tower. The Alexander Johnston House was built in 1858 and is a rare surviving example of an urban townhouse. It's one of a few known buildings designed by John Tully, the architect behind Walnut Hall, a Georgian terrace on Shuter Street that was demolished in 2007.

Former deputy mayor Doug Holyday has received his first promotion since becoming a PC MPP. Tim Hudak is expected to announce Holyday will become the party's new accountability critic later today. The internal shake-up was prompted by the firing of finance critic Peter Shurman, who was ousted over a housing allowance claim.

Finally, let's all feel better thanks to this cute ginger kitten that was rescued from a garbage can by Toronto police. The little cat, pictured snuggling a teddy bear, was found near St. Clair and Arlington overnight and given a clean bill of health by a vet. A police officer intends to adopt the cat, says CP24.

IN BRIEF:

• David Peterson taking over as 2015 Pan Am Games chair [CBC]
• Mac's plans expansion -- but only if alcohol sales permitted [CBC]
• Climate will have biggest effects on Great Lakes' levels, say experts [CTV News]

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

Image: Frank Lemire/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Home Video previews all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and on-demand titles hitting the street this week, plus lost gems, crazed Cancon, outrageous cult titles and the best places to rent or buy movies in Toronto.

NEW RELEASES

Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount)

Kirk and Spock battle a rogue sleeper agent attempting to expose a Federation conspiracy to trigger all-out war with the Klingons, before uncovering his true identity and preventing his blood lust for revenge.

The boring parts of Star Trek are jettisoned in favour of cool action spectacle, narrative momentum is break neck and the enterprise's whole modus operandi is retooled from Kennedy optimism and exploration to Bush doctrine era warmongering. Does it matter? The hard-core Trekkies think so, but director JJ Abrams cheekily used this as a sly audition for the Star Wars franchise, which is kind of like using Betty to get Veronica.

This year's kid A Benedict Cumberbatch takes maximum ownership of the screen anytime he pops up, stealing the movie wholesale from Chris Pine's deep blue eyes and Abram's almost psychotic use of len's flare. Let's hope he returns in later installments with the rebooted Klingons, who after being made toothless comedy objects on the TV show revert to their bad ass reputation.

Extras include a look at the Klingon Home World, a lot of self-congratulation about bringing back a villain as popular as Khan, and some cool special effects behind the scenes boffinry. Also available in a 3-D edition, and multiple variations with added features depending where you buy your copy.

From Up on Poppy Hill (Cinedigm)

Studio Ghibli's own Walt Disney Hayao Miyazaki scripted this slice of cheery nostalgia and let his son Goro direct. True to the spirit of earlier Miyazaki classics such as Howls Moving Castle and Spirited Away, this is soulful animation that restlessly tugs heartstrings. In Yokohama, 1963 Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the Olympics. While young lovers struggle to understand what happened and what lies ahead.

Sharknado (The Asylum)

A social media success, week long joke that was so "funny" that just reading the title was akin to actually watching it (which apparently nobody did). For those late to the party, here's the DVD. Chances are it will serve as a lazy gift from people who fancy themselves funny, or raiders of the $4 Walmart bin. For everyone else, just look at the title again and save yourself the pain.

TV

Homeland - Season 2 (20th Century Fox)

Emmy award winning essential serial TV successfully picks up where series 1 ended finding CIA Agent Carrie Mathison (Clair Danes) and Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) adjusting to their new lives, but not for long as the gargantuan threat of terrorism brings them back into the fold. Extras include "The Border", a prequel to Season 3; A super8 film diary by Damian Lewis, a look at the location filming in Israel, and "The Choice" - The making of the season finale.

Star Trek - Origins (Paramount)

Fans wishing to wash the rancid taste of Jar Jar Abrams' bastardization of the Trek cannon will delight in this collection of 5 classic Star Trek episodes re-mastered on Bluray. Best of all is "The Cage", Trek's infamous pilot episode without a James Kirk in sight, instead featuring Captain Pike and scary large brained aliens. The set also includes the legit second pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before", Khan's origin story "Space Seed" (featuring the Mexican Shatner Ricardo Montalban), the first Klingon episode "Errand of Mercy", and fan favourite "The Trouble with Tribbles". Classic stuff, and that's your lot.

Vampire Diaries - Season 4 (Warner Bros.)

Tepid fangirls might tell you otherwise, but season 4 really sullied what started out as a great series. Senior year gave BUFFY enough ammunition for probably its best season, but with, VD its all long faces and over wrought drama - time to put the stake in and down the holy water.

CULT CLASSICS

Snake Eyes (Paramount)

There once was a time when Nicholas Cage was a measured, restrained actor, and his boggle eyed turns were rarified. This underrated Brian DePalma thriller is one of those, ("A shady police detective finds himself in the middle of a murder conspiracy at an important boxing match in an Atlantic City casino ") from the mystical late-1990s when a cult movie could get big studio financing. Opening with a tracking shot to rival that of Touch of Evil, Snake Eyes is a root beer float for the eyes.

Marathon Man (Paramount)

Dustin Hoffman solidifies his Seventies cred in this terrifying spy thriller best remembered for its toothy torture scene. Fantastic scenes of New York City in the 70s when it was grimy, scary and full of intrigue look even better in this new re-mastered edition.

The Fly (20th Century Fox)

Early science gone awry horror film (later remade by our boy David Cronenberg) still packs a mighty wallop primarily thanks to star Vincent Price whose dulcet tones bring an extra element of creepiness to the proceedings. Not as gruesome as the Jeff Goldblum remake, but the final shot will stay with you. Perfect pre-Halloween fun. Extras include a commentary with actor David Hedison and film historia David Del Valle, a biography on Price, a vintage Fox Movietone news reel, and a closer look at the legacy of the Fly.

STILL FRESH

• The Great Gatsby
• Pain & Gain
• Epic
• The Walking Dead - Season 3
• Boardwalk Empire - Season 3
• Sapphire & Steel: The Complete Series
• Ultra Q: The Complete Series
• Dark Angel/I Come in Peace
• Q: The Winged Serpent
• Schizoid/X-Ray
• The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh

NFB CLASSICS - THE DEVIL AT YOUR HEELS

The National Film Board of Canada, purveyors of the finest in Canadiana visuals, have thankfully embraced the digital realm and made great use of unlimited bandwidth afforded by YouTube. With over 300 titles on their channel (most of them gold standard classics), it's tough to select what to watch but one stands out like legendary man it documents.

The Devil at Your Heels chronicles "The Mad Canadian" Ken Carter, a daredevil who managed to freak out even Evel Knievel with his fearless and reckless abandon in the pursuit of stunting, and his Ahab like obsession to jump the St. Lawrence in a shitbox rocket-powered Lincoln Continental.

As with most docs, the less you know going in, the better.

Still from Star Trek Into Darkness

President Obama wouldn't like the colour posted by Toronto's food safety program in the Obama Cafe. It was the only spot that got a red card this week.

South Street Burger (2215 Steeles W) got itself a conditional pass, but still clocked in with 12 infractions - the most for this week. Also notable is conditional pass for the strangely combined Ho Lee Chow and Rusty Nail Pub. The mix just doesn't inspire confidence. Read about their infractions below, along with the rest of this week's DineSafe offenders.

Obama Cafe (1226 Danforth Avenue)
Inspected on: September 5
Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3 Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to prevent an insect infestation, operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Golden Griddle (180 Eglinton Avenue E)
Inspected on: September 3
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Ho Lee Chow/The Rusty Nail Pub (2202 Danforth Avenue)
Inspected on: September 4
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

La Fromagerie (868 College Street)
Inspected on: September 3
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

La Prep (4711 Yonge Street)
Inspected on: September 5
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Pho Huong (598 College Street)
Inspected on: September 5
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Sam Jung Restaurant (1865 Leslie Street)
Inspected on: September 4
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

South Street Burger (2215 Steeles Avenue W)
Inspected on: September 3
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 12 (Minor: 4, Significant: 7, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands when required.

Yummy Dogs (1591 Wilson Avenue)
Inspected on: September 5
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (minor: 2, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

12 metres beneath the silty soil of Downsview Park, the TTC's 8.6 km, six-stop Spadina line extension is starting to take shape. Two giant circular tunnels, twisted out of the earth less than a year ago, now look less like a trunk sewer and more like a vital piece or transit infrastructure.

With two-thirds of all the tunnel work complete and the stations starting to take shape, the media was (officially) allowed inside the partially-complete subway for the first time since the groundbreaking ceremony in 2010. In three years, brand new Toronto Rocket trains will be thundering their way out of Toronto for the first time in TTC history.

The northbound section of tunnel from Downsview Park to Finch West, known as the St. Regis Curve after a nearby street, runs in a sweeping arc underneath parkland, busy traffic on Sheppard Avenue, and a scattering of light industrial buildings on its way to Keele and Finch.

Because this part of the tunnel was located near the launch shaft for two of the tunnel boring machines (TBM), it was first to be structurally complete and fitted with two 1,800-foot ribbons of pristine, unpolished subway rail.

TheTBM - nicknamed Holey - chomped its way through here in one-metre bites, carving out the soil with its giant corkscrew head and immediately lining the new space with grout and pre-cast segments of concrete. 2,066 of them - 54,000 across the entire line - keep the roof from collapsing. "It's a very cyclical operation," says tunnel engineer John Brown.

Tunnelling isn't the dust-choked, deafening experience it used to be. "The only interface [the workers] get with the soil is with the muck coming back, and that's treated with soil conditioner to get it in to a toothpaste-type material," Brown says. "Dust wise, nothing major. Noise wise, you don't need earplugs. It's just a drone - there's no crash, bang, wallop."

All being well, there won't be much noise on the surface when trains start running, either. The tunnel is fitted with shock-absorbing pads that reduce vibration on the surface. Under the York University campus, the density of the material has been customized to ensure lecture halls and study areas say silent.

The electrified third rail that will power the trains, radio equipment, signals, and wiring will be added in the next year or so.

At Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, the end of the line, construction is complete on parts of the station box and the short section of storage track that will terminate the Spadina subway and provide links to York Region's bus rapid transit and surrounding buildings.

Simply digging the pit for the station was a major challenge. Special engineers and equipment had to be flown in from Germany because the high water table made removing the earth extremely difficult, like trying to dig a hole in the sand too close to the ocean.

A little over three metres down, excavators hit water, and lots of it. "An underground lake," according to Dragomir Jevremovic, the construction site manager. As a result, the station box had to be lined with a special waterproof membrane and anchored in place to stop it floating upward.

The entire excavation is like a bathtub in reverse, the walls and floor displacing the water and saturated soil outside. "They're building a submarine," says Jevremovic.

The $2.63 billion line, funded by the federal government, the province, the City of Toronto, and York Region, is due to open in Fall 2016.

MORE IMAGES:

A reporter inspects a track tie.

The emergency exit between Downsview Park and Finch West.

Unused support bars on Vaughan construction site.

Looking through the structural supports in to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station.

A worker on the mezzanine level of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station.

Workers build casing around en elevator shaft.

Workers in the section of storage track north of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station.

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

Images: Chris Bateman

This is a house after my own heart. It's an ivy-adorned red brick Victorian filled with character details from the 1890's, including preserved wood floors and restored radiators. You'll find plenty of high-end features in the spots where they really count — check out that spacious kitchen. And then there's the large and impeccably landscaped backyard, complete with a pool and pool house. A pool in Parkdale is a rare jewel.

Yes, Parkdale, a fact that, depending on your perspective, is either a selling point or the final blow. This house is in the south end of the neighbourhood, where its history as one of Toronto's well-to-do settings is still obvious, even as it's less desirable as it once was. It's close to the lake and closer still to the Lakeside Long-Term Care Centre located directly across the street: guaranteed quiet. Is this a plus?

10-foot ceilings provide an excellent backdrop for period details including stained glass windows, crowned door frames and high wooden baseboards. A sweeping staircase, complete with a light feature on the first finial, links all three levels of the house together. There are more than enough bedrooms to suit any family's needs — 6 — and there's an office in addition to the living spaces on the main floor.

SPECS

• Address: 145 Dunn Ave.
• Price: $1,150,000.00
• Lot Size: 26.33 ft. x 165 ft.
• Bedrooms: 6
• Bathrooms: 3
• Storeys: 3
• Parking Spaces: 2
• Taxes: $6,540.36 (2012)

NOTABLE FEATURES

• In-ground pool and pool house
• Carved fireplace
• His and Hers closets
• Porcelain sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms

GOOD FOR

A west end enthusiast looking for a house full of space, quality and history — 145 Dunn Ave. has all three by the boatful. The house is a beautifully restored example of Parkdale's stately and luxurious past (see more here) — and, really, you're not that far away from the 501 streetcar, drinks on West Queen West and tacos at Grand Electric, should that be your thing. You get a lot of bang for your buck in Parkdale. You get a lot of tacos.

MOVE ON IF

You just can't get past the location — your loss. Also, look elsewhere if what you really want is a modern, turn-key property. Due to the age of this building — and the looks of some of those older light fixtures — a house inspection is a must and some renovations might be required pre-move-in to keep everything up to snuff.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES

Writing by Leslie Bank

It's almost that time of year: 2013's Polaris Prize announcement will drop next Monday. For the eighth time, some media peeps in Canada made lists, and those lists got shoved in a blender with other lists, and wham, a new list poured out: a list touted as the 10 best Canadian albums from the past year demonstrating the "highest artistic integrity." It's a lot to swallow, but we're not ones to turn a blind eye to a list, especially one tied to $30,000.

Who's in the running this year? Toronto's Metz and Metric made it, plus Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Zaki Ibrahim, Purity Ring, Colin Stetson, Tegan And Sara, A Tribe Called Red, Whitehorse, and Young Galaxy. If you don't like the idea of lists being given so much power, you'll probably cringe at the fact that the Polaris Prize founder dropped a reference to betting pools centered around who will take the esteemed prize at the short list press conference. Oh hey, have you placed your bets yet?

Forget who will take it. This list exists. Canadian media have spoken. So of the 10 albums nominated, who deserves to win? We weigh in on five.

Metric - Synthetica

When I attended the launch party for Synthetica at the Opera House last June, it was quickly apparent that Emily Haines and Co. were in their prime. The band's confident performance, the tightness of the set and sound, the overjoyed audience, and well, one solid catalogue of new songs. The hometown love was palpable.

Synthetica is Metric's fifth album in the can. And it shows. This is their most polished, best produced and structured album to date. As far as indie pop rock is concerned, however, this is a band at their peak. And whatever antagonism people have towards the band or its oft-neurotic frontwoman, Metric has paid their dues. Contrary to what the album's title may suggest, this album felt the most authentic for the band. It reached the number two spot on the Canadian charts and debuted at the 12 pole position on Billboard. And Jimmy Shaw picked up Producer of the Year at this year's JUNO Awards. Nothing to scoff at. Oh yeah, and Lou Reed sings on "Wanderlust."

And, if anyone is counting, the last two Polaris Prize winners have been quote-unquote big deals in the indie rock scene (Arcade Fire and Feist, respectively), Polaris might make it three in a row. Or not, because that's the glorious unpredictability of Polaris.

-Ryan Bolton

METZ - METZ

There's something oddly elusive about the music METZ create. The Toronto-based Ottawa transplants shed most of their baggage up front—the three-piece accomplish the rare feat of a maximal sonic assault with the relatively minimal setup of guitar, bass, and drums. But while the band may work within standard rock tropes, the end result of what Alex Edkins, Chris Slorach, and Hayden Menzies do is anything but conventional.

The songs on METZ—a debut album five years in the making, following a steady trickle of 7" singles—sound as if they come from a place that no single songwriter could conjure. A track like "Knife in the Water" isn't anchored around any one performance; the subtraction of any one element dramatically alters the song's musical DNA, be it the heavily reverbed drums, the buzzsaw guitar, or the thundering bass (reoccurring motifs throughout the whole record). Edkins' strained vocal gurgles beneath the chaos, but never loses the contrarian tunefulness that somehow ties the whole affair together.

The closest sonic touchstones may be the concise post-hardcore blast of Hot Snakes, or perhaps the deranged noise rock of the Jesus Lizard, but METZ really do sound like no one else other than METZ. The songs on this record speak for themselves in comprising ten compelling reasons as to why they deserve the Polaris this year. All hail.

-Adam Kamin

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. III: To See More Light

Colin Stetson's New History Warfare Vol. III is my pick for a number of reasons—but mostly because I think it's the best record on the short list. And the long list. One of the most innovative records I've heard this year, To See More Light is a doomed exploration of the limits of self, of music. At the same time expanding on and eclipsing his (also fantastic) previous work, this is by far the most mature and nuanced record on the short list. A masterpiece by one of the few true virtuosos of our time, it would be a mistake for the Polaris jury to ignore.

-Adam Brady

Whitehorse - The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss

I've always believed that for a band to be successful, the chemistry between its members has to be second to none. Whitehorse, the Hamilton-based folk-rock duo made up of Luke Doucet and Melissa McLelland, share a musical chemistry that, I'd argue, is second to none amongst the other 2013 Polaris Prize nominees.

Of course, the fact that Doucet and McLelland have been married since 2006 is a major reason for this—their love for each other, and their music, is very evident throughout the brilliant The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss. And while the album is admittedly not my absolute favourite from the rest of the short list nominees (that distinction goes to Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!), Whitehorse is the one nominee that I feel will truly benefit the most from the prestigious award. They're a band deserving of your attention, and taking the Polaris Prize will give them the attention that they so rightfully deserve. Mark my words: on September 23, Whitehorse is taking the crown. I'd bet the farm on it.

-Bryan Smith

A Tribe Called Red - Nation II Nation

The who-deserves-the-prize conversation is so much more interesting than speculating who will win, and while A Tribe Called Red's worthiness is an easy argument, it's also the most important.

Nation II Nation (the title alone demands contemplation) combines traditional aboriginal music with contemporary electronic sound and production—this sort of cultural fusion is hardly a new idea in niche pockets of Canadian music, but the strength of ATCR's vision, and the power of the artists behind Nation II Nation, have made considerable steps bridging both national and international audiences with Canada's aboriginal community. As in every other social and political strata, this country's music scene has a long way to go, and at the dawn of the Idle No More movement this album yields a social power maybe fated to overwhelm its (often brilliant) musicianship and playful artfulness. But that's not a bad thing.

Interesting, new, and thoughtful, Nation II Nation is a step forward for electronic music deserving of recognition, not just from a cultural standpoint but because this album is both enjoyable and challenging. Fingers crossed we see see these guys on stage—holding a huge cheque.

-Aubrey Jax

Ok, tell us pals, who really deserves to win?

12 metres beneath the silty soil of Downsview Park, the TTC's 8.6 km, six-stop Spadina line extension is starting to take shape. Two giant circular tunnels, twisted out of the earth less than a year ago, now look less like a trunk sewer and more like a vital piece or transit infrastructure.

With two-thirds of all the tunnel work complete and the stations starting to take shape, the media was (officially) allowed inside the partially-complete subway for the first time since the groundbreaking ceremony in 2010. In three years, brand new Toronto Rocket trains will be thundering their way out of Toronto for the first time in TTC history.

The northbound section of tunnel from Downsview Park to Finch West, known as the St. Regis Curve after a nearby street, runs in a sweeping arc underneath parkland, busy traffic on Sheppard Avenue, and a scattering of light industrial buildings on its way to Keele and Finch.

Because this part of the tunnel was located near the launch shaft for two of the tunnel boring machines (TBM), it was first to be structurally complete and fitted with two 1,800-foot ribbons of pristine, unpolished subway rail.

The TBM - nicknamed Holey - chomped its way through here in one-metre bites, carving out the soil with its giant corkscrew head and immediately lining the new space with grout and pre-cast segments of concrete. 2,066 of them - 54,000 across the entire line - keep the roof from collapsing. "It's a very cyclical operation," says tunnel engineer John Brown.

Tunnelling isn't the dust-choked, deafening experience it used to be. "The only interface [the workers] get with the soil is with the muck coming back, and that's treated with soil conditioner to get it in to a toothpaste-type material," Brown says. "Dust wise, nothing major. Noise wise, you don't need earplugs. It's just a drone - there's no crash, bang, wallop."

All being well, there won't be much noise on the surface when trains start running, either. The tunnel is fitted with shock-absorbing pads that reduce vibration on the surface. Under the York University campus, the density of the material has been customized to ensure lecture halls and study areas say silent.

The electrified third rail that will power the trains, radio equipment, signals, and wiring will be added in the next year or so.

At Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, the end of the line, construction is complete on parts of the station box and the short section of storage track that will terminate the Spadina subway and provide links to York Region's bus rapid transit and surrounding buildings.

Simply digging the pit for the station was a major challenge. Special engineers and equipment had to be flown in from Germany because the high water table made removing the earth extremely difficult, like trying to dig a hole in the sand too close to the ocean.

A little over three metres down, excavators hit water, and lots of it. "An underground lake," according to Dragomir Jevremovic, the construction site manager. As a result, the station box had to be lined with a special waterproof membrane and anchored in place to stop it floating upward.

The entire excavation is like a bathtub in reverse, the walls and floor displacing the water and saturated soil outside. "They're building a submarine," says Jevremovic.

The $2.63 billion line, funded by the federal government, the province, the City of Toronto, and York Region, is due to open in Fall 2016.

MORE IMAGES:

A reporter inspects a track tie.

The emergency exit between Downsview Park and Finch West.

Unused support bars on Vaughan construction site.

Looking through the structural supports in to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station.

A worker on the mezzanine level of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station.

Workers build casing around en elevator shaft.

Workers in the section of storage track north of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station.

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

Images: Chris Bateman

It's almost that time of year: 2013's Polaris Prize announcement will drop next Monday. For the eighth time, some media peeps in Canada made lists, and those lists got shoved in a blender with other lists, and wham, a new list poured out: a list touted as the 10 best Canadian albums from the past year demonstrating the "highest artistic integrity." It's a lot to swallow, but we're not ones to turn a blind eye to a list, especially one tied to $30,000.

Who's in the running this year? Toronto's Metz and Metric made it, plus Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Zaki Ibrahim, Purity Ring, Colin Stetson, Tegan And Sara, A Tribe Called Red, Whitehorse, and Young Galaxy. If you don't like the idea of lists being given so much power, you'll probably cringe at the fact that the Polaris Prize founder dropped a reference to betting pools centered around who will take the esteemed prize at the short list press conference. Oh hey, have you placed your bets yet?

Forget who will take it. This list exists. Canadian media have spoken. So of the 10 albums nominated, who deserves to win? We weigh in on five.

Metric - Synthetica

When I attended the launch party for Synthetica at the Opera House last June, it was quickly apparent that Emily Haines and Co. were in their prime. The band's confident performance, the tightness of the set and sound, the overjoyed audience, and well, one solid catalogue of new songs. The hometown love was palpable.

Synthetica is Metric's fifth album in the can. And it shows. This is their most polished, best produced and structured album to date. As far as indie pop rock is concerned, however, this is a band at their peak. And whatever antagonism people have towards the band or its oft-neurotic frontwoman, Metric has paid their dues. Contrary to what the album's title may suggest, this album felt the most authentic for the band. It reached the number two spot on the Canadian charts and debuted at the 12 pole position on Billboard. And Jimmy Shaw picked up Producer of the Year at this year's JUNO Awards. Nothing to scoff at. Oh yeah, and Lou Reed sings on "Wanderlust."

And, if anyone is counting, the last two Polaris Prize winners have been quote-unquote big deals in the indie rock scene (Arcade Fire and Feist, respectively), Polaris might make it three in a row. Or not, because that's the glorious unpredictability of Polaris.

-Ryan Bolton

METZ - METZ

There's something oddly elusive about the music METZ create. The Toronto-based Ottawa transplants shed most of their baggage up front—the three-piece accomplish the rare feat of a maximal sonic assault with the relatively minimal setup of guitar, bass, and drums. But while the band may work within standard rock tropes, the end result of what Alex Edkins, Chris Slorach, and Hayden Menzies do is anything but conventional.

The songs on METZ—a debut album five years in the making, following a steady trickle of 7" singles—sound as if they come from a place that no single songwriter could conjure. A track like "Knife in the Water" isn't anchored around any one performance; the subtraction of any one element dramatically alters the song's musical DNA, be it the heavily reverbed drums, the buzzsaw guitar, or the thundering bass (reoccurring motifs throughout the whole record). Edkins' strained vocal gurgles beneath the chaos, but never loses the contrarian tunefulness that somehow ties the whole affair together.

The closest sonic touchstones may be the concise post-hardcore blast of Hot Snakes, or perhaps the deranged noise rock of the Jesus Lizard, but METZ really do sound like no one else other than METZ. The songs on this record speak for themselves in comprising ten compelling reasons as to why they deserve the Polaris this year. All hail.

-Adam Kamin

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. III: To See More Light

Colin Stetson's New History Warfare Vol. III is my pick for a number of reasons—but mostly because I think it's the best record on the short list. And the long list. One of the most innovative records I've heard this year, To See More Light is a doomed exploration of the limits of self, of music. At the same time expanding on and eclipsing his (also fantastic) previous work, this is by far the most mature and nuanced record on the short list. A masterpiece by one of the few true virtuosos of our time, it would be a mistake for the Polaris jury to ignore.

-Adam Brady

Whitehorse - The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss

I've always believed that for a band to be successful, the chemistry between its members has to be second to none. Whitehorse, the Hamilton-based folk-rock duo made up of Luke Doucet and Melissa McLelland, share a musical chemistry that, I'd argue, is second to none amongst the other 2013 Polaris Prize nominees.

Of course, the fact that Doucet and McLelland have been married since 2006 is a major reason for this—their love for each other, and their music, is very evident throughout the brilliant The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss. And while the album is admittedly not my absolute favourite from the rest of the short list nominees (that distinction goes to Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!), Whitehorse is the one nominee that I feel will truly benefit the most from the prestigious award. They're a band deserving of your attention, and taking the Polaris Prize will give them the attention that they so rightfully deserve. Mark my words: on September 23, Whitehorse is taking the crown. I'd bet the farm on it.

-Bryan Smith

A Tribe Called Red - Nation II Nation

The who-deserves-the-prize conversation is so much more interesting than speculating who will win, and while A Tribe Called Red's worthiness is an easy argument, it's also the most important.

Nation II Nation (the title alone demands contemplation) combines traditional aboriginal music with contemporary electronic sound and production—this sort of cultural fusion is hardly a new idea in niche pockets of Canadian music, but the strength of ATCR's vision, and the power of the artists behind Nation II Nation, have made considerable steps bridging both national and international audiences with Canada's aboriginal community. As in every other social and political strata, this country's music scene has a long way to go, and at the dawn of the Idle No More movement this album yields a social power maybe fated to overwhelm its (often brilliant) musicianship and playful artfulness. But that's not a bad thing.

Interesting, new, and thoughtful, Nation II Nation is a step forward for electronic music deserving of recognition, not just from a cultural standpoint but because this album is both enjoyable and challenging. Fingers crossed we see see these guys on stage—holding a huge cheque.

-Aubrey Jax

Ok, tell us pals, who really deserves to win?

All the pencils and notebooks have been bought. The backpacks filled with books. It's back to school in Toronto, and the area around St. George and Harbord is once again a hub of activity as U of T students dart between classes and to and from the library. But what are they all wearing?

Check out all the looks in our style section.

The founder of Penthouse Magazine is in the spotlight this year at the Toronto International Film Festival. Bob Guccione, who had only Hugh Hefner as his rival among the world's most famous pornographers, is the subject of a new documentary called Filthy Gorgeous and to celebrate the film Cube Nightclub threw a Penthouse-themed party last night with equal parts smut and celebrity.

Check out the photos from the night in this slideshow.

This new Little Italy bar should inject some non-905 life into the hood, with its mix of expertly crafted cocktails, up and coming DJs on the ones and twos, and park-themed decor. It's a fun place with a relaxed vibe, even if the bartenders take the drinks very seriously.

Read my review of Weldon Park in the bars section.

Every city has features that remain obscure. Be it lost subway stations, hidden passageways or bits of history that still shape our current streetscape, there are "secrets" lurking all across our urban milieu. Many of these hidden places have been documented by explorers of abandonments and other sites that don't welcome public access, but there are also quirky aspects of our city that sit out in the open, hiding in plain view. Here's a list of 10 features of the Toronto landscape that are as fascinating as they are little known. Please add your local lore to the comments section below.

Transformer Houses
That quaint-looking house with the high fence in the back and no mailbox, yeah that's not really a house (see lead image). Scattered across Toronto, there's a host of hidden transformers, many of which are located in nondescript residential houses.

Lower Queen Station
Most people know about Lower Bay Station, but there's also something of hidden subway station under Queen. Before the Bloor-Danforth subway was built, the plan had been to build a Queen Street subway line, and prior to that project being shelved, the shell of a station was carved out near City Hall.

Dundas was stitched together from different streets
In the early 20th century, the city lacked a main east-west thoroughfare between College and Queen Street, which was causing major problems for traffic flow. The solution? To rename and connect a whole series of smaller streets into one main roadway, which is the Dundas Street we know today.

Bicycle Actuated Signals
Ever noticed three white dots embedded in the pavement at an intersection and wondered what they're for? They detect the presence of a bicycle and tell the light to change at intersections where the signals are set to remain on green until a vehicle arrives at the cross street.

There's a bridge buried under Trinity Bellwoods Park
Head south on Crawford Street from Dundas, and you notice that the road narrows considerably for a section of about 25 metres or so. Underneath this stretch lies the old Crawford Street Bridge, which spanned Garrison Creek until the 1960s when it was filled in with earth from the Bloor-Danforth subway line. A second buried bridge exists on Harbord Street west of Grace, the north railing of which is still visible to this day.

The Imperial Oil building could have been City Hall
Now in the process of being converted into condos, the former Imperial Oil building near Avenue and St. Clair might instead have been located at 100 Queen St. W. if a group of architecture firms got its way in 1955. Instead, the city ultimately decided to have a design competition, which was won by Viljo Revell. Um, phew!

Toronto has private streets
Toronto is home to some 250 private streets and laneways, which residents maintain on their own dime. Some are gated like the half-hidden community of Wychwood Park, while others lack much by way of obvious markers.

The Bloor Viaduct starts at Sherbourne
Opened in fall of 1918, the bridge system that makes up the Bloor Viaduct actually consists of three parts: the iconic section that spans the Don Valley, the smaller western section that runs above Rosedale Valley, and the section between Sherbourne and Parliament, which is built on fill.

Toronto has a house that's been sawed in half
You could walk by it 20 times and not notice, but once you do, it looks like an optical illusion. Half of this house at 54 1/2 St. Patrick Street was sold to a developer, while the other half has remained to this day.

The subway was once designated a nuclear fallout shelter
Back at the height of the Cold War, TTC subway tunnels were seriously considered for use as a possible fallout shelter in the event of an attack on Toronto or neighbouring cities like Detroit or Buffalo. Now that's a recipe for a post-apocalyptic horror movie if I've ever seen one.

BONUS

There are washrooms beneath our streets
Although no longer in use, Toronto had a series of underground public toilets at the turn of the century. The most popular of these was located at Spadina and Queen streets, and can be spotted in many photos from the period. These might come in handy again, you know. They sure seem to be slow on rolling out the new ones.

Photo by Anna Reixach in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto events on September 11th, 2013

CULTURE | Technology and Creative Community Spaces : hacklab.to
Toronto's "hacker collective," Hacklab.to, is a prolific community of inventors, designers, programmers, artists, and, of course, "hardware hackers." Representatives of this group will be in attendance at the Toronto Reference Library's atrium space this evening, and will fill you in on all that is cutting edge in the online world and the world of computer related hardware. A 3D printer will be demonstrated, and discussions will include the "global makerspace movement," and various projects currently being undertaken by the community. There will be a Q & A following the presentations. This is a great chance to broaden your technological perspective in a big way.
Toronto Reference Library Atrium (789 Yonge Street) 6:30PM

ART | Ramón Serrano: It's Hot, It's Cold
A new exhibition of visual artist Ramón Serrano's work, It's Hot, It's Cold opens this evening at the Corkin Gallery, complete with an opening reception. This Cuban artist has created a collection of landscapes, constructed with various media, and vivd colours. Words are inserted into the images, which serve to either confound or complicate the meaning of these scenic works. The isolation (both political and geographic) of Serrano's homeland of Cuba seems to be a possible subtext in these images, but their dreamlike quality lends uncertainty to any concrete interpretation. It's Hot, It's Cold runs until October 12th.
Corkin Gallery (7 Tank House Lane) 5:30-8:30PM

MUSIC | Alt-J, Lord Huron @ Echo Beach
English rock foursome, Alt J, hit TO tonight for a show at Echo Beach. This band, which formed at Leeds University, is made up of Joe Newman on vocals and guitar, Gwil Sainsbury on bass and guitar, keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton, and drummer Thom Green. Their music has been used on the BBC numerous times, as well as in high profile advertisements for brands like Nokia. Their debut album, An Awesome Wave won the 2012 British Mercury Prize. They will be joined tonight by L.A.-based "indie folk" outfit, Lord Huron.
Echo Beach (999 Lake Shore Blvd West) 7PM $34.50-50

LECTURE | Deloitte Women of Influence Luncheon featuring Arianna Huffington
Join Huffington Post editor-in-chief and co-founder, Arianna Huffington, at Deloitte's Women of Influence luncheon today at the Metro Convention Centre. The Huffington Post exists as an "online news aggregator" that offers original content, and has been going strong since 2005, which is definitely a long time to maintain and sustain traction and prominence in the online world. Huffington herself has been named "Time Magazine's 100 most influential people" twice, and will share some experience and wisdom with this event's attendees today.
Metro Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front Street West) 12PM $149

Also Of Note

Birkenrock

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

Photo via hacklab.to

Rob Ford pleaded with a judge to let a convicted drug dealer who burst into his Etobicoke home go free, the Toronto Sun reports. Scott MacIntyre, the ex-boyfriend of the mayor's sister, Kathy, was appearing at a sentencing hearing in June last year when Ford made the plea. MacIntyre was convicted of uttering death threats, possession, and attempting to break a court order after entering the mayor's home in January 2012.

Meanwhile, Rob Ford is still using a taxpayer-funded staffer to assist his football program. J. C. Hasko, who joined the mayor's staff following the departure of previous football aide Chris Fickel, is the team rep for the Rexdale Raiders, a team Ford founded. Hasko has been helping the Raiders find $1,950, including a $500 fine forfeited games, reports the Star.

Cllr. Kristyn Wong-Tam has convinced three developers in her ward to donate $1 million to the city's struggling Bixi bike share program, which could pay for 20 more stations. Wong-Tam says if other wards followed suit the program could be expanded to Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough and other parts of the city. Canderel, DiamondCorp and Lanterra agreed to donate in lieu of building some parking spaces at new developments.

Yesterday's late summer blast of hot weather is due to end late tonight with rain and the chance of severe thunderstorms. A cold front is expected to clear the humid air mass currently lingering over the province. Temperatures are predicted to hit 33 degrees today.

"Captain" John Letnik isn't ready to let the city board his floating debt ship, the MS Jadran, just yet. Despite owing more than a $1 million dollars in taxes, charges, and fines, the owner of Captain John's floating restaurant says he's unwilling to walk the plank (to the shore.) "I am not leaving the boat. I am not leaving the ship," he told the Globe and Mail. The city started the process of seizing the property, which also serves as Letnik's home.

The husband of former deputy premier of Ontario and mayoral candidate George Smitherman is missing, and Toronto police say they're concerned for his safety. Christopher Peloso was last seen near the family home near Davenport Road and Bathurst Street area at 4 PM Monday afternoon. Smitherman confirmed Peloso was missing in a statement yesterday, saying he hopes the father of his children "will be home safely soon."

A 53-year-old man was treated in hospital after he was hit on the head by falling glass at University and Adelaide yesterday afternoon. The pane of glass fell from the 23rd floor of the residential building above the Shangri-La Hotel. A similar incident, which didn't result in any injuries, prompted the closure of Adelaide and Simcoe in January.

Finally, an American TIFF blogger says it was a mistake to report cellphone use at a movie screening by dialling 911. Alex Billington, a movie critic for FirstShowing.net, walked out of a screening of The Sacrament at the Ryerson Theatre after people in the audience began using their phones. "I overreacted. . . Mea culpa. Full respect for responders, no intention to waste time," he told the Star.

IN BRIEF:

• Toronto cop facing child pornography charges [CP24]
• Leafs fan charged with indecent exposure was wearing his name [Toronto Star]
• Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Canadian Tire sign partnership deal [CBC]
• Maple Leafs sign Nazem Kadri to 2-year deal [CBC]
• Josh Hamilton leads Angels past Blue Jays with 4 RBIs [CTV News]

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

Image: That Boy/blogTO Flickr pool.

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 Life's third annual Stylebook is officially on the shelves, featuring yet another highly anticipated list of Toronto's most influential style icons for 2013. The list features a diverse assortment of designers, creative directors, stylists, and more, including I Miss You's Julie Yoo, The Art of Reuse's Sean Brown, and me (not to brag or anything).

EVENTS/PARTIES

Fred Perry's throwing their new collection launch party once again, showcasing a no-doubt preppy-cool fall/winter 2013. This time around, there'll be two nights to celebrate and view the clothing: tomorrow (September 12) from 7:30 pm until 9:30 pm at Fred Perry (964 Queen St W), and Friday (September 13) from 10 pm until 2 am at The Yukon (1592 Queen St W) - neither of which need an RSVP! Show up for a cold one and a chance to win a $500 gift card.

This Sunday (September 15), stop by Clint Roenisch (944 Queen St W) for The Art of Reuse's one-day pop-up shop. From 7 pm onwards, peruse their exceptional handpicked vintage clothing for both men and women, as well as their quirky housewares. If you can't make it, don't fret! Their beautiful picks are always available through their online shop.

From now until September 17, Love of Mine (781 Queen St W) will be home to the Sewnmates Pop Up Shop, featuring an impressive collection of contemporary and vintage designer gear. Stop by to pick out a flirty Shakuhachi dress or be dazzled by some classic Prada and Burberry.

SALES

All sale merchandise from every TNT store has been moved to the outlet (388 Eglinton Ave W), meaning you finally have a fighting chance at finding that one printed jacket you wanted last season in the right size. Everything's going for about 75% off, so be sure to head over earlier than later to avoid missin' out. The hours are as follows: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 6 pm, closed Sunday, Monday by appointment only.

Photo from Fred Perry's Facebook page

When Dr. Charles Hastings became Toronto's medical officer of health in 1910, the city was rife with disease. Hundreds needlessly died each year of typhoid fever, scarlet fever, and diphtheria, and the infant mortality rate was alarmingly high - Hastings' own daughter died as infant after drinking milk from a typhoid-infected farm.

In the wake of his personal tragedy, the white-haired, moustachioed physician turned his attention to improving Toronto's public health at 52 when others in his situation would be preparing for retirement. Focusing on food safety standards, nutrition, and public housing, Hastings fought hard and won a 1,000% increase in the city's health budget, swelling the team from 70 to around 500 workers during his tenure.

A year after Hastings took office, Toronto's poorest neighbourhood was The Ward, a dense cluster of timber-framed homes on the land now occupied by City Hall, the Superior Court of Justice, and The Hospital for Sick Children.

It was here poor new immigrants from Europe, particularly Austrian, Polish and Russian Jews, sought shelter in overcrowded, ramshackle rooms. Almost a quarter of the inhabitable buildings housed 10 or more people, often in unimaginable squalor: outdoor toilets overflowed with excrement, animals and humans slept side-by-side in damp, windowless basements, and families huddled in filthy backyard shanties.

Just 30 years earlier, St. John's Ward was like much of Toronto: populated by working class Protestants from England, Ireland, or Scotland. Many worked in skilled professions, like shoemaking or tailoring at the neighbouring T. Eaton Co. factory, or owned businesses.

Around the turn of the century the character of The Ward changed significantly. Overcrowding increased as homes were knocked down for civic buildings like Old City Hall and new arrivals were forced in to ever shrinking spaces by discrimination and xenophobia. Hastings studied the area and poor housing conditions in other parts of the city, producing a seminal report on slum conditions.

The photographs that accompanied his inspection of more than 5,000 dwellings shine a powerful light on poverty in Toronto in the early part of last century. The six men in the picture above, recent Polish immigrants, shared two tiny connected upstairs rooms at 50 Terauley Street, now Bay Street. Hastings' staff estimated the room was suitable for three at most.

A bed typically cost 75 cents to $1.25 per week out of a salary of around $1.75 to $3.50 per day.

In his report, Hastings called the slums "a menace to public health" and "an offence against public decency." He railed against unscrupulous landlords who refused to make sanitary improvements and preyed on vulnerable new immigrants but didn't pull punches when it came to the behaviour of nuisance tenants.

"They live cheap, work out all day, crowd into the houses at night, bring the mud of the streets into their homes, drink beer, play cards, and sleep, in the clothing worn during the day, in closed rooms," he wrote of a house of European immigrants. "No cleaning ever attempted until brought to court."

In the years that followed more than 1,600 of the worst homes were razed by the city and public health programs were introduced piecemeal until 1929, when Hastings retired aged 70.

MORE IMAGES:

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives

Toronto may be in the midst of a food truck revolution, but as is always the case, it's important to remember the wine. And somebody has. Dan Rabinovitch has created what just might be the world's first mobile wine bar, aptly named the Caravin. Fashioned out of an old Boler trailer, the travelling wine bar is fully equipped with a kitchen, stemware, and staffed by wine experts eager to chat about the various bottles being served on a given day.

The mobile wine bar has made appearances at events around Ontario this summer — most recently at Fort York in mid August — and plans to tour around chefs in the near future so as to highlight novel pairings of food and wine. In addition to public events, the Caravin folks also service private parties, working with hosts to stock the bar with wines that will complement the food on offer or in a standalone capacity. Because it's tied to the rules set by the AGCO, special permits are required for the trailer to serve wine at a given event, but these are relatively easy to come by.

One suspects that the demand for a mobile wine bar will drop in lockstep with the temperature, but the concept is pretty much brand new, so this summer has been something of a trial run. Look for the Caravin to be on the road more frequently in 2014.

For more info, check out their website.

The top venues for hip hop in Toronto might come as a surprise for the uninitiated. Ever since Drake put Canada on the map, ask around and you'll probably hear people referring to Toronto as hip hop's newest hot bed. With countless venues across the city, the options are endless, so where should you go to take in some live rap action when given the chance? Here are my five picks for the top spots.

Wrongbar
Located at the edge of Parkdale, the list of hip hop artists who have graced the stage at Wrongbar is extensive and includes Joey Badass, Iggy Azalea, Flatbush Zombies, Masta Ace, and even Drake in 2012. This dimly lit venue champions a bumping sound system in a long room with booths along one side and a bar on the other. The big dance floor gets jam packed with a mixed clientele, and the close proximity of the stage keeps energy high during live performances.

Drake Underground
Tucked into the basement of the infamous Drake Hotel sits one of Toronto's best low capacity venues. Dubbed "The Underground" this spot maxes out at 200 people, guaranteeing an intimate, yet classy, live show experience. With an excellent restaurant just upstairs, this self proclaimed hotbed for culture draws an eclectic crowd with lives shows, DJ dance parties, film screenings and comedy performances. Hip hop shows don't happen there often, but when they do, you should go.

Rivoli
Chances are that you've walked past this landmark venue in Toronto's downtown core. Due to its central location it attracts all walks of life and hosts musicians of all genres. Rivoli made the news last summer when NXNE was forced to cancel a hip hop event scheduled there due to concerns over security and alleged gang affiliations with some of the performers. All that aside, even though hip hop might not be their bread and butter, the likes of Action Bronson and locals Notes To Self, Eternia, and Choclair have all touched Rivoli's stage.

Sound Academy
Although it's a bit displaced, a quick cab ride to Polson Pier will get you to Sound Academy (formerly known as The Docks). Unlike the Rivoli, nobody stumbles upon this venue - they go there with a purpose. And while the venue itself might have its downfalls, you can't argue with the talent that comes through here. This massive space fits thousands of people and has hosted many of hip hop's greats over the years, including Public Enemy, Redman, Method Man, GZA and Talib Kweli.

3030 Dundas West
Located in the Junction, this venue popped onto the rap scene's radar relatively recently. It's far west, but the vibe inside is unique, with tasteful decor including vintage pinball tables. The kitchen serves up flavourful food that is moderately priced and the bar's taps are home to an extensive selection of Ontario Craft Beers. They've thrown some off-centre hip hop events, plus beat battles and local showcases - the godfather of Canadian hip hop, Maestro Fresh Wes actually hosted the one year anniversary of a monthly rap night there.

Writing by Markit