This Week in Film rounds up noteworthy new releases in theatres, rep cinema and avant-garde screenings, festivals, and other special cinema-related events happening in Toronto.

NEW RELEASES

Nebraska (Varsity)

The saddest American film in years, Alexander Payne rebounds from The Descendants with this masterpiece of middle class defeatism and strife. A reticent old man (Bruce Dern, who won the Best Actor Award in Cannes for his brilliant portrayal here) receives a letter in the mail claiming that he is the winner of a million dollar prize, and that he must claim it from the company's headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska. His wife (June Squibb) and son (Will Forte) try to tell him it's clearly a scam, but he's stubborn and convinced that he has lump sum of money waiting for him 750 miles away. What follows is one of the most accurate representations of the essential sadness of growing old as a middle-to-lower class citizen ever put to film...okay, ever put to digital, though the cinemascope, inky black & white photography here sure is pretty.

Vic + Flo Saw a Bear (TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Denis Côté has one of the more eclectic film-to-film trajectories in contemporary Canadian cinema - actually, I'm certain no one else even comes close. Just last year, he made one of the 2012's best documentaries with Bestiaire, his still, contemplative portrait of the Parc Safari in Quebec. Now comes this entirely distinct, and wonderfully distinctive, drama about an ex-con and her lesbian lover, who become targets of suspicion and revenge after settling in a quaint, rural Quebec town. Whether or not they actually see that bear is best left discovered with your own two eyes.

Also opening in theatres this week:

• Delivery Man (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
• Empire of Dirt (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
• Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Varsity, Rainbow Market Sq., Scotiabank)
• Looking is the Original Sin (Carlton)
• Singh Saab the Great (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)

REP CINEMA

Joel & Ethan Coen: Tall Tales (November 28 - December 20; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Leading up to the release of their latest tour through folk music, existential melancholia, and classic Hollywood reflexivity (Inside Llewyn Davis), TIFF Bell Lightbox presents this thorough (though not quite complete) look back at some of the Brothers Coen's greatest work, both early and recent. Beginning with what is still one of their best, Fargo (Thursday, November 28 at 6:30PM), the series ricochets around their nearly three-decades-worth of output, covering all the bases of their singular brands of dramas, musicals, thrillers, and comedies (sadly, their funniest film, Burn After Reading, is not included), though to some extent these films are all totally unclassifiable despite their genre signposts. Most are on 35mm, all should be (rather, deserve to be) sold out, so claim tickets early is my advice.

More rep cinema this week:

• Jezebel (Friday, November 22 at 6:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• CINSSU Free Friday Films: Wake in Fright (Friday, November 22 at 7PM; Innis Town Hall)
• Marked Woman (Saturday, November 23 at 4:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• The Fly (Saturday, November 23 at 7PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Possession (Saturday, November 23 at 10PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• The Little Foxes (Sunday, November 24 at 1PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Videodrome [with Piers Handling] (Sunday, November 24 at 4PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Naked Lunch (Sunday, November 24 at 7PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Mr. Skeffington (Tuesday, November 26 at 6:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Dead Ringers (Tuesday, November 26 at 9:45PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Cosmopolis (Thursday, November 28 at 9PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Cinematic Translations: The Work of John Akomfrah (November 27-29)

John Akomfrah, a revolutionary filmmaker and artist, is a co-founder of the Black Audio Film Collective in 1982, as participated as an original member of the "New Black British Cinema" movement in the late 1980s. "Adopting a translation-based approach to the cinematic, he has produced documentaries, feature films, television, and art installations, garnering international critical acclaim. His work in all media is renowned for its sensuality of the image, intellectual veracity, and an over-riding concern with the social." Don't miss this three-day showcase of talks about, and screenings of, his work; screenings include The Last Angel of History and Seven Songs For Malcolm X. Check the website (linked above) for full details and schedule.

FILM FESTIVALS

Planet in Focus (November 21-24; AGO Jackman Hall & TIFF Bell Lightbox)

"The 14th annual Planet in Focus Film Festival kicks off Thursday November 21st in Toronto, and what looks to be a fantastic lineup of program should be a welcome hoist up from the dismal abyss of hopelessness Fordmania has inflicted upon the city of late. The non-profit fest aims to raise awareness about issues from politics to environmental issues through film. Screenings, award ceremonies, and various events will take place all weekend at the TIFF Lightbox and the AGO Jackman Hall." Click here for our full preview of this year's festival, including five recommended, must-see titles.

PRE-SCREENING PASS GIVEAWAY

Popular Toronto video magazine The Seventh Art are giving away passes to a screening of Her, the new film by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation.). The screening will take place on Thursday, December 5, approximately two weeks before the film hits Toronto cinemas. Head on over HERE to enter for a chance to be one of the first cinephiles in Toronto to catch this hotly anticipated new movie.

Lead photo from Vic + Flo Saw a Bear

277 Davenport Condos is the place to be if you fancy yourself amongst the 1% - or at least aim to appear like you are. Geared mostly towards empty nesters, this project wants to give those with a bit of extra pocket change an opportunity to downsize without moving into a crowded skyscraper. With units starting around 1,800 square feet, this probably won't feel like you're downsizing too much.

277 Davenport finds itself situated where Yorkville and the Annex cross paths. Unlike most new projects going up in the immediate area whose future residents may range into the hundreds or even thousands, this building has an extremely modest 10 units. With an average of 2 units per floor you're going to find a rarely seen level of privacy for a condo building, but with prices starting around the 1.6 million mark these units don't come cheap. Each suite which comes with 1 parking space also features some of biggest balcony sizes I've seen to date (some over 1000 sq ft). Each unit is also decked out with floor to ceiling glass windows, plank hardwood floors, and 10 ft ceilings.

Amenities are scarce beyond the "executive" concierge. It's not clear whether the "executive" in executive concierge means he or she is an exec or if they are serving executives - with the above average $0.62 sq ft maintenance fees, maybe both. The massive 3,767 sq ft top floor penthouse suite does actually have a few extra perks - a direct elevator, roof top pool and an outdoor kitchen - or if this large penthouse doesn't cut it for space, there's also a two level 3,563 sq ft three bedroom townhouse along the south side of the building. The suite features double height 19 ft ceilings in the living room and a ground floor terrace with yet another (private) pool.

SPECS

Address: 277 Davenport Rd.
Storeys: 6
Number of Units: 10
Ceiling Height: 10 ft
Unit sizes in Square Feet: 1,823 - 3,767 (not including terrace)
Starting Price: $1,600,000
Second Parking Space: $50,000
Maintenance: $0.62 sq ft
Amenities: executive concierge
Architect: Hariri Pontarini
Developer: Burnac Corporation
Interior Designer: Boychuk + Fuller
Landscape Architect: Ronald Holbrook and Associates
Completion Date: 2015

THE GOOD

The benefits of only needing to share your space with just a few other residents can't be overstated. Imagine not waiting an eternity for the elevator to arrive only to find you barely fit on with all the other people scrambling out to work for the morning commute, or perhaps even getting the opportunity to get to know a few of your neighbours (especially the one with the pool).This condo building is probably one the closest projects we've similar to a detached house. Except this way you don't have to yell at the pesky neighbourhood kids to get off your goddamn lawn.

The flashy trademarks we're used to in most multimillion dollar properties aren't here. But instead the emphasis on simplicity shows a bit of a sophistication we don't see enough in a condo market stuck in short term fads. The large uncluttered spaces leave a lot to play with here, and the developer has indicated that customization is encouraged. This simple design will hopefully give this place an edge over some of its shinier counterparts if you decide to sell down the road and enviably find that Toronto's condo stock has gone out of style.

THE BAD

This has a pretty selective market, and not just with the prices. The suites, although large, don't have a lot of bedrooms. If you're hoping to house a family in one of these spacious suites, you may be investing in putting up some new walls in the near future. Or making that terrace all-seasons. Or moving into the nearest Penthouse.

The lack of amenities for anyone but the penthouse or townhouse suites might also be an issue for some. Although this should encourage residents to go out and patronize local businesses, it might be a huge drawback for some who expect a few more goodies for the multimillion dollar price tag.

OUR TAKE

The simplicity of the design is a real highlight here along with a really decent neighbourhood. But keep in mind you could actually buy an entire house with a backyard in this area for pretty much the same price (or cheaper). So if you want a little less to maintain, projects like these are a rare find.

MORE PHOTOS
Read other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board.

Recording studios in Toronto are as numerous and well endowed as a musician could hope for. Digs can range from basement set ups to rehearsal studios to huge industry endeavors (or island paradises - more on that later) and no mater what genre you're working in, someone in Toronto is waiting to record, mix, master, and/or produce your music. While it would be impossible to touch on every reputable studio across the GTA, here's a rundown on the ten best studios going.

Metal Works
The best recording studio in Toronto is also the best in Canada - between 1998 - 2013, Metalworks have won no less than fifteen "Studio of the Year" awards at Canadian Music Week. Most of Drake's Nothing Was the Same was recorded here, and Nelly Furtado, Feist, Cancer Bats, and Katy Perry have done their time at Metal Works too. It's actually located in Mississauga, but if you've got the money to hand over for their expertise then this is where you want to be. 3611 Mavis Rd, Mississauga

Candle Recording
When we ventured inside Candle Recording Studio last year we found more of a living room than a sterile, industry-type space. While the understated west end recording studio has only been open a short time, their client list has swelled to include a ton of local indie acts like Maylee Todd, Austra, Fucked Up, Owen Pallett, and Dusted. Warning: if you come to record, you might end up wanting to move in. 221 Sterling Road.

Phase One Studios
One of the oldest recording studios in Canada - if not the oldest- Phase 1 in north Scarborough has been in business since 1974, when Paul Gross and Doug Hill "enlisted renowned studio architect George Augspurger to design a large recording room that would attract major artists" - ie Bob Dylan and Keith Richards. While the space has cleaned up considerably since those days, that hasn't stopped Drake, Rihanna, Metric, and The Weeknd from stopping by. 3015 Kennedy Rd. Unit #10     

The Gas Station
The Gas Station is an oasis compared to most recording studios. It's located at peaceful Gibraltar Point's art hub on Toronto Island - tired musicians are welcome to crash overnight. Owner Dale Morningstar has worked with Gord Downie, Godspeed You Black Emperor, and Julie Doiron (to name a few). You can learn more his unique studio in this Exclaim interview. Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts‬, Lakeshore Avenue‬

Laquer Channel Mastering
While not quite recording, this North York recording hub does mastering, oh most torturous of tasks, right. Chief engineer George Graves was master engineer with RCA records in the 60's so you know this is the real deal, but their star studded roster - from Maestro, Caribou, Hayden, Cadence Weapon, Stars, and AZARI & III to um, Marcy Playground, Ani DiFranco, Alice Cooper, Shania Twain, and Peter Gabriel - seems to say something on its own. 297 Lesmill Road

Cherry Beach
Boasting one of the larger recording floors downtown, swanky Cherry Beach will record, mix, master, and produce for you, plus host rehearsals and private functions. Located in the Portlands, a neighbourhood that hosts a few different recording studios, Cherry Beach stands out for its unique space, knock-out gear list, and the fact they recorded for Justin Bieber, Psy, and Margaret Atwood this year. Pst, don't tell the Beliebers. 33 Villiers St.

Number 9 Audio Group
Number 9 is located in Cabbagetown in a renovated Victorian building with a massive jazz mural on its face - maybe you've seen it while cruising down Gerrard. You may not know that since 1981 artists including K-OS, Rush, The Rolling Stones, and Celine Dion have recorded within its walls. They also offer DVD & CD duplication, graphic and web development, video editing, DVD and CD authoring, recording courses, and pro audio rentals. 222 Gerrard St East

Canterbury Music Company
Just south of Queen on Dufferin, Canterbury is a 3,500 sq. ft. space with two studios, and studio A now boasts a vintage 1974 Neve console. Pretty slick. Sarah Slean, Barenaked Ladies, the Tragically Hip, and Billy Talent have all stopped by here to pay down racks, and engineer Jeremy Darby has worked with David Bowie, Ella Fitzgerald, Prince (Prince!) and the late Lou Reed. 322 Dufferin Street

Lincoln Country Social Club
While it's got a bit of a silly name, this high ceilinged Liberty Village studio is actually located in the home of its owner - but that doesn't make it of ill repute. On the contrary, this ain't no ramshackle side project - along with the necessary list of impressive gear, Lincoln County has worked with big indie names like Luke Doucet, Timbre Timbre, OhBijou, and Bob Wisemen. 37 Mowat Ave

Polyphasic Studios
This up and coming west end studio just southeast of Keele and St Clair W, operated by Brandon Hocura, has worked with the likes of Austra and Caribou, as well as lesser known, rising local acts like Black Walls and Ell V Gore. Polyphasic mix the old and the new - the latest digital technologies plus vintage analog equipment. You can also learn Ableton Live and rent electronic gear here. Keep your eye on the artists coming through here, and on the studio itself. 1960 Davenport Rd Unit Rear B

BONUS

6 Nassau
This list wouldn't be complete without this much loved Kensington Market studio. Clientele include Austra, Fucked Up, and Duran Duran. While 6 Nassau currently only has a Facebook group (their website is down as of this posting), some photos and a gear list can be found here and this video will give you a good feel for the studio. 6 Nassau St

Photo of Candle Recording by Denise McMullin

The best cigar stores in Toronto are in somewhat shorter supply these days on account of the fact that the last great cigar craze peaked somewhere between grunge and the end of the first dotcom boom. At the time, Toronto still had corner stores with humidors and old-fashioned tobacconists, but they were joined by an explosion of upscale cigar bars with walk-in humidors and big selections for men (and a few women) who wanted to live large, in a black-and-white movie kind of way. Some of the stores on this list date from this time, but they're all survivors, selling big wands of premium tobacco in a hostile world.

Successive financial crises might have had something to do with the waning of the cigar craze, but it was really done in by anti-smoking by-laws that made it impossible to enjoy a cigar anywhere but on your own porch, or in a room designed solely for the purpose, away from the public gaze (or respiration). More than not, Toronto's cigar stores can be found either near the city's business towers or in neighbourhoods with solid real estate values, which says all you need to know about who smokes cigars these days. Serious smokers will know where to find them; the curious will need a guide.

Here are the best cigar stores in Toronto.

The World's Biggest Bookstore is set to close this February as the site on which it sits at 20 Edward St. has been sold to Lifetime Developments. Like the Honest Ed's sale, the deal to sell the iconic bookstore was brokered by the son of original owner Jack Cole (founder of Cole Books). "I was with my dad the day he bought it in 1979. My dad would have wanted what was best for his family," David Cole told The Toronto Star. Although there are no immediate plans for the site, Lifetime's portfolio (which includes the Four Seasons Hotel and a slew of condo projects around Toronto), it's not difficult to imagine the what the future holds for the site.

The store is currently being leased by Indigo Books, but February marks the end of its contract, and store representatives claim that the rent for the space is not feasible. Although not the biggest bookstore in the world or even really the best bookstore in Toronto, the boxy retailer had a quirky charm to it that will surely be missed - well that and the fact that it's yet another Toronto bookstore that will have shuttered in the last few years.

Photo by Steve Harris on Flickr

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

OPEN NOW

• Barrio Coreano, the newest addition to the Playa Cabana family of taquerias opens this weekend at 642 Bloor Street West. As the name suggests it's a Mexican meets Korean concept.
• Sandoozles Smokehouse & Pub is now open and serving up smoked meat, briskets and pulled pork sandwiches at 709 Mount Pleasant south of Eglinton .
• Toma Burger Addiction is open now at 712 Queen Street West at Manning.
• Bricco Kitchen & Wine Bar in The Junction at 3047 Dundas Street West is finally open at least for lunch. (via Eater)

OPENING SOON

• Harvest Kitchen at 124 Harbord Street is opening any day now. The casual diner hopes to appeal to vegetarian and meat eaters alike and has revealed its aspirations to wine to grow, can and preserve produce onsite. Plus there'll be wine on tap.
• Custodio's Meats & Eats, a new butcher shop at 121 Roncesvalles opens on Saturday, November 30th.
• The Rock 'n' Horse Saloon, a southern style source for country cookin' opens December 5th in place of The Tap House Toronto at 250 Adelaide Street West. The menu will feature corn dogs, chili and BBQ... oh and there will be a mechanical bull. Yee-haw.

CLOSED

• Danforth's slick 417 Restaurant & Lounge is deadpool less than a year and a half after opening.
• The new Boots & Bourbon Saloon opening at 725 Queen East doesn't bode well for the Riverside Public House. A farewell announcement has yet to be made, but already we're thinking that line-dancing floor has got to go somewhere.

OTHER NEWS

• Vendor Queens, is now open at 1093 Queen Street West at Dovercourt. The weekly food, maker and collector market will run for the next six consecutive weekends.

Photo from Toma Burger Addiction's Facebook Page

With its turquoise booths, checkerboard floor and tableside jukeboxes, this Downsview diner serves up tasty comfort food with a side of nostalgia. From breakfast to banquet burgers, the home-cooked fare might not get many presentation points, but it's just what you want from a diner.

Read my review of Times Square Diner in the restaurants section.

On seeing the recent Rob Ford skit on Saturday Night Live, you couldn't be blamed for wishing that Chris Farley was still around to the play the role of the Toronto mayor. Even well before recent controversies enveloped the mayor, his outbursts have always seemed Farley-like. So it was bound to happen that in the wake of scandal upon scandal, someone would put together a spoof trailer for Rob Ford the Movie, staring who else but Chris Farley (thanks to Tristan Gough). And while it might not be quite as funny as Jon Stewart's last treatment of the mayor, it's impressive just how easily various clips from Farley's movies are assembled to tell the Rob Ford story. If only there was actually a full-length movie on the way...

Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool

Rob Ford inadvertently disrupted a police sting on his friend and occasional driver Sandro Lisi, the Toronto Star reports. A "domestic assault" call to police from Ford's home caused Lisi to contact the mayor and his staff, diverting him away from a planned bust. Ford checked into a hotel on Jarvis St. following the incident and received a package from a man in a nearby laneway, the paper alleges.

Rob Ford says he won't support a property tax rise of more than 1.75 per cent in next year's budget. Budget chief Frank Di Giorgio says the city will struggle to implement a property tax increase lower than 2.5 per cent because of council's decision to back a Scarborough subway, Ford's plan to cut the land transfer tax by 10 per cent, and less money arriving from the province. "This is not the way I ran the government and I won't be supporting it," Ford told a business reception at Casa Loma.

The Sun reports Ford hasn't been doing much networking since being stripped of many of his powers. He hasn't met once with newly empowered Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Rob Ford's future is for Toronto to decide. The PM avoided calling on the mayor to resign but levied general criticism on Ford for buying and consuming illegal drugs. "[The government] never support the use or purchase of drugs by people in politics or in public positions," he said.

Pearson airport is getting some new high-end eats. Celebrity chefs Lynn Crawford, Susur Lee and Roger Mooking are planning to open restaurants - "ethnic cuisine, comfort food and halal options" - by summer next year.

Finally, A Toronto man said he had proof that more than one shooter was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but the Toronto Telegram newspaper lost the vital photographic evidence in the 1960s. Norman Similas lived in Toronto and was sent to Dallas by the Canadian Beverage Review. His son says a photo that shows two figures in the window of the book depository was sent to the newspaper and, conveniently, lost.

IN BRIEF:

• Toronto ombudsman looks to cut red tape [CBC]
• Wynne says Liberals will try to ban coal-fired electricity [CBC]
• Bill Blair, community leaders spend night on streets for charity [CTV News]
• Maple Leafs' defence stumbles in loss to Predators [CBC]

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

Image: BruceK/blogTO Flickr pool.

The photos of the week collect each of the editor-selected photos of the day into one post for a contest to be decided by our readers. Sponsored by Posterjack, the photographer whose image receives the most votes will be awarded with a voucher code for a 24"x36" poster print of their work.

All the rules and fine-print can be found in the original announcement post on the blogTO Flickr page.

Lead photo by Michael Mitchener.

2.
Photo by Ben Roffelsen

3.
Photo by Kyra Savolainen

4.
Photo by Tim Folkins

5.
Photo by Vik Pahwa

6.
Photo by Piglet788

7.
Photo by John Tavares Jr.

This new coffee shop near U of T features solid on-the-go sandwiches and salads and a classic array of espresso drinks and teas at affordable prices. Hooray! No more falling asleep in class.

Read my review of Tea Dot Coffee in the cafes section.

Toronto's craft scene is set to gain a new ally as Christina Hug's The Makers Nation, a collective "focused on creating experiences that bring creative communities together" launches its first day-long workshop Meet and Make on December 1st. The stacked affair will begin with breakfast and launch into crafting crash courses - say that five times really fast - lunch, and finally cocktails. You can select four different DIY courses to navigate throughout the day.

The Meet and Make, hosted in an upstairs loft space in Roncesvalles, will be for attendees who "want to dive in, get their hands dirty, and learn new skills" (book binding, bike maintenance, silk screening, photography, soldering, English paper piercing, and crochet). While the idea of DIY becoming a huge industry will always feel a little backwards, this one is homegrown - teachers from Peach Berserk, Miss Print, Bike Pirates and Nightjar Books will be instructing. And while the course cost strikes me as high, Meet and Make might just become Toronto's classiest new way to pick up new skills. Do be sure, however, to dress for ink and bike grease stains.

The first Maker's Nation is Sunday, December 1st at Freshbooks' Offices at 35 Golden Ave, upstairs. $225. Registration is available here.

Photo by rjrahardjo on Flickr

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events, festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

• The Ice, Wine & Dine is on tonight, Friday, November 22 on Elm Street from 4pm to 10pm featuring festive cocktails, eats and live entertainment.
• Campagnolo hosts a Truffle Tasting dinner on Tuesday, November 26th dubbed Trufflepalooza 2013. Reservations required.
• Sommelier Peter Boyd and Skin+Bones (980 Queen Street East) present The Secrets of Blind Tasting, a 16-seat wine tasting event happening on Tuesday, November 26th at 8pm.
• There may still be a few seats for Stephen Beaumont's Beer Dinner in a Yurt happening at The Ceili Cottage (1301 Queen Street East) on Wednesday, November 27th. Tickets are $50.

UPCOMING

• Canadian Artisan Tasting Fair is taking place at Artscape Wychwood Barns on Sunday, December 1st from 11am to 4pm. Admission is $35 for the after sampling and shopping fair featuring 40 vendors and purveyors of cheese, bread, charcutes, and brews.
• Starting on December 1st, Osteria dei Ganzi (504 Jarvis Street) will host a Diva Brunch, a new DJ'd brunch party held on first Sunday each month.
• Tickets are on sale already for Toronto Taste 2014 happening on Sunday, June 8th at Corus Quay (25 Dockside Drive). The fundraiser event in support of Second Harvest costs $250 to attend, the first 50 to purchase tickets will get a free gift from Food Network's Bob Blumer.

OTHER NEWS

• The Pie Drive is now sold out but is still sweetly accepting donations towards Covenant House.
• Ki Modern Japanese + Bar, Union, Osteria dei Ganzi and The Shore Club will take part in the StreetSmart Toronto campaign that invites diners to make a direct donation benefiting The Stop Community Food Centre.
• Susur Lee's Bent (777 Dundas Street) is offering a BENT-O Dinner until November 30th featuring a set feast each evening for $35-$42.

The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art is still seeking a new home a little over a year before it, along with two neighbouring galleries and an animation school, is due to be booted from its Queen West location.

"It's very unfortunate," says Councillor Mike Layton. "I've met with them several times, there's been a couple of possibilities but nothing concrete, but unfortunately the city has no say over the tenant at the current site on Queen Street."

The former owner of MOCCA's current West Queen West location, which also includes Clint Roenisch Gallery, Edward Day Gallery, and Max the Mutt Animation School, sold to a developer in 2012, leaving the museum in limbo.

David Liss, artistic director and curator of MOCCA, says it was always been part of the gallery's long-term plan to move to a larger building when the Queen West lease expired, but it's been difficult finding a suitable location or a space to build one.

"There are a couple of scenarios that we've been working on but it's a difficult property market in downtown Toronto," Liss says. The ideal building would be double the size and somewhere between Dufferin, Bloor, and the Don Valley, but the museum has struggled to find one that checks all the boxes. MOCCA is also in talks with developers about building a new home.

Developer UrbanCorp submitted the first draft of its condo proposal in February.

MOCCA, a non-profit, arms-length City of Toronto agency was formed in 1999 out of the former Art Gallery of North York. Its mandate is to exhibit, collect, and promote innovative art by Canadian and international artists. Its lease, like those of the surrounding galleries, expires on Dec. 31, 2014.

As it currently stands, the nine-storey condo would be built flush against the Queen West sidewalk, removing the existing multi-building layout. A total of 151 units, most of them one-bedroom, would be placed about 851 square metres of retail at ground level.

The 26.9 height is almost 11 metres over the current limit for that particular stretch of Queen West. City planners told the developer to scale down their plans but are still waiting for a revised proposal.

"The existing application is well outside what I believe would be an appropriate scale of building," says Layton. "What's on the books for that area is a mid-rise building, but having said that the mid-rise guidelines of the city set certain perimeters for how big a building should be and this building is well outside of them."

"It's a classic case of gentrification," says Clint Roenisch of the eponymous gallery. "It's ironic these projects tend to go to cultural areas, which then have to be displaced." The president of the eponymous gallery said UrbanCorp have been good landlords but his new location will be away from Queen West.

"It's a shame to see MOCCA go," Layton says.

"They're an incredible asset to the city and they're part of the very fabric of the community and that's why we're trying to find every of opportunity for them to remain within the community, in as far as we can."

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

Photo by Drum118 on Flickr

Eglinton Avenue, once called the 3rd Concession through its Toronto stretch, felt like the end of civilization in Toronto at around the turn of the 20th century. But, like the rest of the city, development in the years to follow was swift and by the 1930s, the character of the street as a retail strip around Yonge and westward was already well in place. Walking around the Eglinton and Avenue Road area today, it's easy to discern the street's lineage even as newer buildings have gradually come onto the scene.

The street is named after the Earl of Eglinton and Eglinton Castle, which underscores the Scottish roots of those living around Yonge Street and the 3rd Concession in the late 19th century. A muddy road into the 1920s, Eglinton's big growth spurt would take place between 1930 and 1960, during which period the street was widened to its current size and bridges were built across the Don Valley.

Photographs of the street between Bayview and Laird in the 1950s, a stretch which is a mix of residential and retail storefronts, show how little that portion of Leaside has changed, even as Laird itself is in the midst of almost complete redevelopment. Further east around what's called the Golden Mile, the 1950s saw farmland replaced by strip malls and mid-size apartment complexes.

Fast forward to the 1990s and Eglinton could have once again seen a boom to rival its mid-century rise. An Eglinton subway was under construction in 1994 until Mike Harris replaced Bob Rae as Ontario Premier and killed the project. After a nearly 20 year wait, construction is once again underway for rapid transit in the form of the Crosstown LRT. With it, you can bet that the street will once again undergo significant change. If early plans are any indication, it all looks very promising.

Eglinton & Yonge (looking west), 1922

Eglinton & Black Creek, 1929
Eglinton looking across Weston, 1929

Eglinton looking east from Kodak Plant, 1929

Eglinton & Oriole Parkway, 1930

Aerial of Eglinton and Keele area (Mount Dennis), 1930

Eglinton & Yonge, 1930

Eglinton & Avenue, 1935

Eglinton between Oriole Parkway and Avenue Road, 1936

Eglinton & Bathurst, 1953

Eglinton & Victoria Park, 1949

Eglinton and Don Mills, early 1950s

Power Supermarket Eglinton West,1955

Eglinton & Hanna, 1955

Eglinton & Sutherland, 1956

Eglinton & Laird, 1956

Eglinton & Laird, alternate view

Eglinton looking east from Oswego, 1960s

Eglinton & Yonge at night, 1962

Eglinton Station bus bays, 1967

Aerial of Yonge & Eglinton, 1969

Eglinton & Victoria Park, 1969

Allen Road looking towards Eglinton, 1978

Leslie Bus at Eglinton & Yonge, early 1980s

Eglinton Avenue East looking towards Don Mills, 1980s

Eglinton & Avenue, 1990s

Photos from the Toronto Archives

Toronto's latest food truck turned restaurant is now open and attracting fervid barbecue lovers looking to sink their teeth into traditional, low and slow cooked southern-style grub. Is it worth the wait? Hell yes! That's what good barbecue is all about isn't it? Patience...

Read my profile of Hogtown Smoke in the restaurants section.

Jon Bon Jovi is living on the prayer of purchasing the Buffalo Bills and moving them to Toronto. A whole bunch of speculation related to the rock star's ambition to purchase the Bills surfaced yesterday and this morning, all of which links him to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment big-wigs Larry Tanenbaum and Tim Leiweke. While MLSE is forbidden from buying the Bills according to NFL rules, they could build a stadium to house the team, something Leiweke confirmed to The Toronto Star. "MLSE can play a role," he told the paper. "We're not the lead here. Our job is to augment whatever group may come together."

Rogers Communications is also part of the conversation (they already host the Bills for a local game each season), but they too can't own an NFL team outright, as league rules stipulate that each team must have an individual rather than a corporation as its lead owner. Speculation is that Bon Jovi's relationships with Leiweke and Tanenbaum might give him the inside track on the team, but it seems no one expects that the Bills will be sold during 95 year old owner Ralph Wilson's lifetime. So despite the excitement that might accompany this news for local (NFL) football fans, the future of the team is still very much up in the air.

What do you think? Can Toronto support NFL football should a new stadium be built?

Photo by Mike Seekdes in the blogTO Flickr pool.

The Blood in the Snow Horror Film Festival launched last year, and Toronto's scary movie fans will be glad to hear that as the frost clings to the pavement like so many scattered, mashed up pulled teeth and powdered human bones, the pre-holiday gore fest will back and better than every this weekend at Carlton Cinemas. For those whose loved ones share a passion for the darker side of life there will also be a Blood in the Snow Vendor Village in the front lobby for ticket buyers, plus parties and midnight screenings.

Partnered with TIFF and Toronto After Dark, Blood in the Snow aims to "highlight the best in contemporary horror film making in Canada." The line up for 2013 features over twenty Canadian made horror films (eight of which are part of the BITS Short Film Showcase) and the vendor list includes the likes of Gift Crypt and Maggot Films - this fest is not for the weak of stomach. Check out some trailers below to prepare for the seasonal bloodbath.

‪Evangeline‬ / dir. Karen Lam / Friday , November 29 / 7:30pm

Clean Break / dir. Tricia Lee / Saturday, November 30 / 9:30pm

‪Blood Riders: The Devil Rides with Us‬ / dir. Lari Teräs / Saturday, November 30 / Midnight

Blood in the Snow runs from Friday, November 29th until Sunday, December 1st at Carlton Cinemas (20 Carlton Street). Check for the full line up and show times on their website.

Still from Blood Riders: The Devil Rides With Us

Toronto fashion fans know there's tons of jewelry design talent in this city. Pop into any local boutique, and a bauble from some local maker will almost certainly catch your eye. Slowly but surely, too, the rest of the world is taking notice, with Toronto designers popping up in the pages of fashion mags and the bodies of well-dressed humans around the world.

There are tons of great designers not on this list, but I've rounded up a few of my favourites below.

See also:

The best jewellery stores in Toronto
8 stores to buy vintage jewelry in Toronto

DEAN DAVIDSON
Already a known name in Canada, Davidson's star is rising around the world, with his architectural, art deco-inspired wares favoured by fashion editors and boutiques from here to Tokyo. His gold and silver pieces, featuring hits of colour from semiprecious stones, have made it into U.S. and Italian Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and earned him a capsule line with eBay Canada.

JENNY BIRD
Bird, who divides her time between Toronto and New York, taught herself to design accessories, and began with handbags before expanding into a line of luxuriously bohemian jewelry. Now, her pieces are sold worldwide - and have been found adorning the wrists of fashion world luminaries like Anna Dello Russo.

SPEECH JEWELRY
Speech designer Michael Mercanti makes rough, raw, slightly-spooky sterling silver pieces for men and women -- either way, they'll go great with your drapey Rick Owens jacket and Margiela boots. Bones, razor blades and nails are recurring motifs, but there's also a little whimsy at work; Speech's catalog features pendants shaped like bread tags, match sticks and pop can tabs.

BIKO
Corinne Anestopolous was born and raised in Toronto, and started her jewelry line fresh out of Ryerson; now, her wares are carried across Canada and the U.S., as well as China and Japan. Her "modern-nostalgic" pieces, featuring chains, spikes and studs, balance edge with elegance.

FOXY ORIGINALS
Foxy's a real Canadian success story. Two friends met in university and launched a jewelry studio; 10 years later, their bright, fun enamelled pieces are selling in Target stores across Canada. Though Foxy's become a large operation, they keep things local; all of their items are manufactured in Toronto.

SHAY LOWE
Lowe's stock in trade: Glittering statement showstoppers, including necklaces and bracelets created from artful tangles of gems and chains. (Those attention-grabbers even landed around the necks of models Arlenis Sosa, Irina Lazareanu and Tiiu Kuik on the cover of FLARE.) Lowe's offerings go from those complicated collars down to simple Swarovski drop earrings - there's something for everyone.

BLACKBIRD
The designers behind Blackbird (Vanessa Marino and Regan Hayes) mix metals, chains, stones and silk rope for their pieces. What makes them stand out is the use of mirrored Plexiglas plates, which appear on necklaces and bracelets in bold chevron shapes, or joined together like armour.

ARMED
A favourite of indie fashion magazines like WORN and Chloe, Armed's opulent neckpieces, featuring stones, spikes, tassels and horns, are anything but dainty and delicate. Designer Desiree Girlato sets her pieces apart from the local pack with standout materials, including chains and gems sourced from as far away as Arizona.

PSALMS 91:1
Designer Sally Han keeps her (presumably very well-accessorized) hands full, juggling the elegant pendants and dangling earrings of her main Psalms 91:1 line with the bold collar necklaces of sister brand Shop For Jayu and her Full Armour men's line. Psalms 91:1 began as a charity fundraiser, and Han carries that socially-conscious aim forward through charity donations.

CANDICE KING-STEWART
King-Stewart works in both Swarovski-crystal fashion jewelry, featuring layered chains and glittering gems, and blinged-out fine jewelry. The OCAD grad also does custom work, with one of her coolest commissions being a set of interlocking alumni rings for her alma mater.

Who'd I miss? Add your favourite local jewelery designers to the comments below.