The best pancakes in Toronto are superior weekday pick-me-ups, welcome weekend hangover cures, and often, too big for one person to tackle alone. Whether classic buttermilk or jazzed-up and compote-clad, there's something oddly comforting about a big stack of an ol' faithful morning food. The pancakes that have made it on this list come in a whole variety of forms — some elegantly adorned with smoked duck and chevre, others glistening proudly (though likely, that can be blamed on the maple syrup) with nothing but an oatmeal base and a traditional recipe in its corner. Either way, pass the syrup.

Here is the list of the best pancakes in Toronto.

See also:

The best brunch in Toronto
The best new brunch restaurants in Toronto, 2011
The best donuts in Toronto
The best cupcakes in Toronto
The best macarons in Toronto

This bar isn't a new entry to the High Park area; rather, it has the familiar, lived-in feel and look of a dive bar, and a steady stream of regulars ranging from sports fans to those who frequent it for its weekly Street Fighter fight nights and obscure board games.

Read my profile of The Bar With No Name in the bars section.

The Only Cafe is a serious beer bar that manages not to take itself too seriously. Long a Danforth refuge for thirsty locals, in recent years the laid-back Only has become something of an unofficial haven for beer fans. Owing in large part to a beer menu curated by head bartender, Fabian Skidmore, the charmingly grungy Only has quietly established itself as one of the city's go-to destinations for beer. The bar has seen its tap selection grow from 16 beers to 24, has played host to a few mini beer festivals, and now ranks among the top beer bars in the city.

So it's good news for local beer fans that The Only will be marking the end of fall with a mini beer festival showcasing local breweries in order to promote craft beer awareness and continued success for the little guy.

Running on Friday, November 9 and the following Saturday, each day will feature a different selection of local brewers on hand at tasting booths to provide samples of their wares. Friday's list of breweries includes Beau's All-Natural Brewing, Wellington Brewery, Silversmith Brewing, Cheshire Valley Brewing, Kensington Brewing Company, Nickel Brook Brewing, Creemore Springs, St. Ambroise, and Spearhead Brewery.

On Saturday, The Only will welcome King Brewery, Unibroue, Grand River Brewing, Steam Whistle, Hogtown Brewers, Snowman Brewing, Stonehammer, Mill St. Brewery, Cameron's Brewery, and Flying Monkeys Brewery.

Some of the beer-enthusiast highlights for the festival include an unfiltered dark lager from King Brewery, the return of Cameron's phenomenal Rye-PA, a full-scale launch of Great Lakes' Karma Citra, and some offerings from Creemore's new looks-like-craft-beer spin-off label "Mad and Noisy."

On both Friday and Saturday the brewers will start pouring at 5pm and go until they run out of beer — which has typically happened around 9pm for previous beer festivals at The Only. Admission is free, but visitors can buy drink tickets good for a 5oz sample for just $1 each.

The festival will also feature food barbecued by beer writer Chris Schryer of the Toronto Beer Blog, as well as DJs spinning funk and soul vinyl. With the sampling booths setting up on The Only's back patio and temperatures expected to dip below zero, you're going to want to dress warm--or plan on stepping up your sampling.

Photo by Roffelsen in blogTO Flickr pool

FILM | 10th Annual Regent Park Film Festival
The 2012 Regent Park Film Festival begins today, and proudly launches into what is the city's only free community-based festival of its kind. This ongoing event will feature screenings, panel discussions, workshops and installations that will be aimed at a diverse range of age groups and interests within this urban community. Over fifty films by local and international filmmakers will be shown, and contributors range from emerging directors and animators, to established figures in the business. The festival runs until November 10th.
Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East)

MUSIC | 416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festival
For the next four nights, The Tranzac Club hosts a musical event that describes itself as "a celebration of music-making on a tightrope" - the 416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festival. This annual festival showcases TO improvisers in a collaborative context, with each performer playing several sets over the course of the four nights, in varying styles and different groups. Performances are essentially free-form, but a game plan can be established where an image, an idea, or a phrase can become the catalyst or theme for impromptu musical exploration. Tonight, three different ensembles gather at the Tranzac to launch this event: Fern Lindzon 3, ¡DO!, and Vespaziani/Bull.
Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Avenue) 10PM $7

CULTURE | Then & Now: Tales of Toronto's Nightlife
As part of the Make Some Noise... Take Some Noise series that is happening at the Bloor/Gladstone branch of the Toronto Public Library this month, well-known DJ and Grid columnist Denise Benson will talk about TO's nightlife through the ages. It is not clear how many decades back Benson will begin her presentation, but if her Then & Now series in The Grid (on which this presentation is likely based) is any indication, the fun will begin in the early '80s, when after-hours clubs like Voodoo and Twilight Zone ruled the late-night TO landscape.
Toronto Public Library (1101 Bloor Street West) 7PM FREE

ART | Convergence
Convergence is an exhibition of works by Pat Stanley that explores the visual relationship between objects and entities in our world, and those in the Universe from a million years ago. This is a recurring theme in Stanley's work, and the artist uses photographs from the Hubble telescope, as well as more 'Earthly' images to convey these environmental and temporal relationships. Pat Stanley is a visual artist residing in Coburg, Ontario who has received numerous awards for his work, and has studied at Montreal's Ecole des Beaux Arts.
Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts (984 Queen Street West)

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR

BASSMENTALITY PRESENTS: FOREIGN BEGGARS & BIG GIGANTIC
Wavelength + PBR present: The Luyas "Animator" Record Release w/ Fiver + The Riderless

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

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by syncros in the blogTO Flickr pool

So that clears that up. Rob Ford didn't call for a TTC shelter bus as previously reported: it was the cops. At a press conference yesterday Superintendent Ron Taverner said the vehicle request came from Toronto police who were concerned about a fight brewing between the two football teams. Ford did, however, call TTC CEO Andy Byford's cell to hurry things along.

Byford asks that Ford kindly not call him in future regarding personal matters. Could this become the source of a rift between Byford and Ford?

Rob Ford has a better attendance record than David Miller and many other city councillors, according to The Star. Scarborough East councillor Ron Moeser has missed the most votes as a result of ongoing health issues, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday has the best record. According to the paper, Ford has missed 494 of the 3,334 votes this term, making him absent 14.8 per cent of the time. Are you surprised by these stats?

Note: The Star has since updated their article to reflect the fact Miller's attendance records were only available between 2009 and 2010, not his entire term.

In embarrassing gaffes, City of Toronto staff have apologized after accidentally recycling last year's Veteran's Week proclamation online. And they probably would have gotten away with it too if only they hadn't tweeted a link on the mayor's official account.

With all the condo buildings under construction in Toronto it's easy to lose track of the various projects that have fallen by the wayside. The Grid takes a look at the abandoned Kormann House project at Queen and Sherbourne, a housing project that seemingly defied the odds by not getting built.

On a similar note, here's a map by journalist Lisa Mayor of all the condos that are getting built [via Reddit.]

If you're an amateur cartographer or just someone with a love for maps, here's a diagram of present day Toronto divided up into its former municipalities with the dates each were officially incorporated. Posted to Reddit by TOmaps, the map seems to be a little misleading: the boundaries are in their 1960s positions.

GUESS THE INTERSECTION:

Hey - think you know where this is? Why don't you tell us in the comments' section, smartypants?

IN BRIEF:

• Ontario secondary teachers will delay job action [CBC]
• Suspect arrested after double stabbing at Bathurst and Glencairn [CBC]
• Corrupt drug squad officers shouldn't go to prison: defense [National Post]

Photo: "Lotto" by asianz from the 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

Now that we're a week into Movember, men all over the world are avoiding the razor and opting for a face full of hair to raise funds and awareness for men's health. Ladies may not enjoy their scruffy man-friends but they, too, can join in on the fun--not by growing their own moustaches and/or beards, but having them painted on their fingertips at Pinky's Nails (688 Richmond St. W.)! For every $25 Movember manicure, Pinky's will donate $5, and for ever $50 Movember manicure, they'll donate $15.

EVENTS/PARTIES

Until the 11th of November, the Mutts & Co. pop-up shop's Fall edition will be open from 11 am to 7 pm daily. As usual, get your local brand fix from Muttonhead, Cuchara, Raised by Wolves, and more at Levack Block (88 Ossington Ave) during the eclectic collective's pop-up. Plus, attend their wrap party tomorrow (November 8) from 7 pm until 11 pm for cheap drinks and a photo booth by Andrew Cottingham!

Vitaly Design - a men's jewellery company characterized by strong lines and new-age designs - is launching their much anticipated Clocks & Colours collection at an invite-only party tomorrow (November 8). As a well-versed brand, it's only natural for them to throw an after-party to said launch party, complete with DJs and photographers at Levack Block (88 Ossington Ave). Peruse the new collection of single and two-finger rings (also available online here) over drinks and fun times from 11 pm until 2 am.

Next Wednesday (November 14) is the return of the fabulous annual Frocktail Party - a night of style featuring a designer dress auction with all the proceeds going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Don't miss your chance to score donated dresses by Greta Constantine, or custom suits from Garrison Bespoke. Get your tickets online for $65, or at the door for $75.

SALES

PHT Limited - one of the companies that designs womenswear for Anthropologie, Saks, and Lord & Taylor - is hosting its first-ever two-day sample sale on the fourth floor of 176 John Street. Up to 75% off merchandise means some items are marked as low as $10! They'll be open today (November 7) from noon until 7 pm, and tomorrow (November 8) from 3 pm until 7 pm.

It's that time of year again - a time where British fashion enthusiasts rejoice over Standard Apparel's three-day-long sample sale. From tomorrow (November 8) until Saturday (November 10), visit their new location at 87 Wingold Avenue to get fall/winter clothing and accessories by Fred Perry, Oliver Spencer, Filson, and more at up to 70% off.

Photo by Andrew Szeto courtesy of Raised by Wolves

As was reported last week, the historic Masonic Temple building at Yonge and Davenport, presently the home of MTV Canada, is being vacated by its owners, Bell Media, and its future hasn't been decided. Formerly occupied by CTV, the Masonic Temple, despite its name, has a rich history as a concert venue. Many of the biggest names in rock have played here since the 1960s.

The story of the sale so far is strikingly similar to that of Postal Station "K" up the street at Yonge and Eglinton. There, Canada Post is preparing to sell its famous art-deco property that stands on the former site of Montgomery's Tavern, possibly to developers. Naturally, there's outrage among locals and music fans who would rather see the building left untouched.

Both the Masonic Temple and Postal Station "K" are partially protected by their designation as heritage sites by the City of Toronto. That doesn't mean either structure is completely safe in its present configuration. If sold, developers could, conceivably, build something that merely incorporates the protected aspects of each structure.

"No firm plans are in place for the Temple," maintains Scott Henderson, Bell Media's VP of Communications. "We've been very proud owners of the building for many years and when we bought the building in 1998 we were very excited to make it into an animated destination and we're very proud of keeping that legacy going."

Henderson says the current MTV studios at the temple were increasingly "orphaned" from other Bell Media operations at Queen Street. A lack of HD recording facilities and other production constraints on the Yonge Street property make it easier and cheaper to build new studios rather than renovating the Masonic Temple.

"Our real estate department is evaluating the property and determining the best use for it. That may change as we move forward but currently we've made the decision to move MTV out and are determining what we do next."

The Masonic Temple was built in 1917 at a cost of $200,000 to house various masonic lodges and chapters. A former Methodist Church on the site was demolished to make way for the new building which, according to the Toronto World, was "rushed to completion." From its first days, the new building doubled as a performance space.

The first meetings were held on New Year's Day 1918 but in just over 12 years the building had been turned into a dedicated music hall. Known as the Rockpile in the 1960s, the Masonic Temple was the venue for Led Zeppelin's first Toronto show on their inaugural North American tour. Since then, it has hosted Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, The Pixies, The Pogues, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Tin Machine, and multiple Polaris Music Prize galas.

Under Bell Media, the building has hosted TSN's "Off the Record with Michael Landsberg," etalk, So You Think You Can Dance Canada and acted as the offices of Canadian Idol.

If it were to be sold to developers or a company outside the media industry it would mark the first time in the Masonic Temple's 95-year history that it didn't have at least some connection to music or performance of some kind.

What are your thoughts on this? Should Bell Media consider turning the Masonic Temple back into a performance space or would you rather see another use?

Photos: "IMG_6886" by TOrebelXTguy under Creative Commons license, "Masonic Temple, Yonge and Church, Toronto" by pwete from the blogTO Flickr pool.

Chef Chris McDonald is the mastermind behind the small, yet bold plates at midtown tapas restaurant Cava. His well-executed showcase of new Spanish flavours has garnered high praise from locals, as well as the culinary legend herself, Diana Kennedy. I sat down with McDonald to discuss the route his culinary career has taken, what he's learned along the way, and what his next project might look like.

Did you always want to be a chef?

I went to university because I was expected to go to university. I ended up studying economics and math, and I didn't quite know what I was doing there, or what I was heading towards. All the while I was working in the front of the house at restaurants to earn money on the side. Then I made a conscious decision that I wanted to be in the restaurant business, and in order to stay, there seemed to be one position--in the kitchen--that would be appropriate for a career.

How did you develop a passion for food?

My attention span suits cooking. I would be a terrible cabinet maker, because I can't spend three weeks working on one project. Cooking is not immediate gratification, and it requires a lot of background to get things right, but most issues are resolved within 24 hours. I've always liked the dinner table, and food and wine, and I like the combination of agriculture and science, especially in winemaking. Restaurants are to some degree like theatre; every evening is showtime, so you're trying to get ready for all of that and create an experience for your diners, and I'm passionate about that.

What was your most memorable restaurant job?

It was working at Stars in San Francisco in 1987 under Jeremiah Tower. I've been keeping a journal throughout my whole career and usually I fill up one journal every couple of years with kitchen and restaurant notes, and in that year I filled up two. It was a daily changing menu in a 200-seat restaurant.

What was the biggest lesson you learned working at Stars?

Before, I had always thought that you could do quality and volume at the same time, but it was never proved to me. When I got there, I saw that what I believed was possible. I didn't know how to do it, but after spending nine months there, I kind of had an idea.

What else have you learned working in the culinary field?

You have to start from a position of strength, not of chaos. Things are always going to screw up and they'll never go according to plan. So I've learned preparedness; if you start unprepared (like heading into a busy Saturday night and you're not ready to go at five o'clock), you're just courting disaster. If you're ready to go, there's going to be all kinds of things that go sideways anyways, but at least you've got your bases covered.

Why are you so obsessed with pork?

I think given the current climate, I wouldn't consider myself obsessed. If you go down to Dundas and Queen, or College and Bellwoods, there's restaurants that serve way more pork than I do. That being said, we're a Spanish restaurant, and we lapse into Mexican food from time to time because it's one of my passions. And I would say the classical Spanish canon contains a lot of pork. We were one of the early adopters of having charcuterie plates. But I would say in general, pork in America is not that great. The pork in Mexico is quite fabulous; it has way more flavour, because the animals aren't brought to market as early, and they're being fed a more varied diet.

What other ingredients are difficult to find in Toronto?

We like to work with a lot of shellfish, and that's quite hard to get here given the distance to any coast. Quality fish is becoming harder to get because if you want to make ethical choices, it's limited to four or five things, and farm-raised product never has the same flavour as wild.

What do you appreciate most about Spanish cuisine?

I think just like Italian cooking, it's really connected to the land and nature. Spanish food is a little more rustic, and it has a visceral quality that I like. It's amazingly simple most of the time.

What's next for you and the restaurant?

We're doing some catering, and we're winding up for Christmas. I'm always on the lookout for another project. I would like to do a Mexican restaurant, and Diana visiting has rekindled my interest in Mexican food. There's no tortillas or tacos, and the meal is really off the beaten track. The problem with Mexican food has always been this expectation of nachos and enchiladas, which I don't have a lot of interest in doing. I always felt like, if I were to open a Mexican restaurant, it would be misunderstood.

If you could spend a day doing whatever you wanted, what would it look like?

I'm a frustrated winemaker. Whenever I get the chance, I go work in wineries because I think it's the most interesting combination of nature and science. But if I had to spend a day, it would certainly be a leisurely breakfast, and then a bicycle ride or a ski depending on the season, then a big lunch and a nap. And finally, an evening with friends.

RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS

Most underrated ingredient? Salt

Best culinary tool? Hands

A chef that inspires you?Daniel Boulud

What's one dish you can't live without? Toast

Favourite Toronto restaurant?The Foxley

What would people be surprised to find in your fridge? Lactose-free milk

What's one food trend that needs to end? Burgers

For more chef profiles, visit our Toronto Chefs Pinterest board.

Photos by Morris Lum

Brace yourselves, Toronto. We're about to enter a new corporate purgatory where overexposed brands can literally follow you down the street. Toronto's food truck scene — up until now, that is — has mostly been an arena of mobile independents. There's Caplansky's truck, of course, as well as mobile-only ventures such as Gorilla Cheese, Blue Donkey, and Food Cabbie, to name a few. But Gorilla et al. better prepare to share the road, since the big boys of dining will soon be moving into town.

And who are these supposed "big boys?" Well, there's Tim Hortons, Beaver Tails, Boston Pizza, and Jack Astor's for starters, the latter of which has already let its truck loose on Toronto's streets. There are a couple more big chains poised to enter Toronto's food truck market, but Terry Sauve of Kitchen on Wheels Canada is keeping tight-lipped about some of his bigger clients.

"Let's just say, you'll know who they are," Terry says as we chat about the upswing he's seen in national corporate clients. Terry says the split is about 50/50 in terms of whether the brands commission him to build a truck or vice versa, but they are almost all unified in wanting a teched-out, fully modernized truck. And some companies are putting in orders for six or more trucks, distributing their fleet all across Canada.

And these trucks may be as much about branding as they are about selling the odd streetside Iced Capp. Whereas a startup company might go the mobile route to avoid the additional costs and risks that come with a brick and mortar restaurant, Tim Hortons doesn't really have those same growing pain concerns. What it does have, however, is the opportunity to employ a moving billboard with a purpose, with the added bonus of a bunch of extra double-double sales wherever it chooses to land.

Clearly, our fascination with food from a vehicle hasn't yet slowed down, with Terry remarking that he's had to move three times in the past year just to find a facility to keep up with demand. And the trucks he says he's working on are as "pretty awesome" as ever, many outfitted with flat screen TVs, flashy signage, and GPS technology to send an alert to your smartphone when the truck is nearby. So while we've all gotten used to a big corporate chain on every corner, Toronto better prepare for our most familiar brands trolling between sidewalks as well.

The best salad in Toronto can win over even the most carnivorous of eaters; for one meal, at least. These salads aren't your bland iceberg lettuce type-deals, but complex bowls of greens, veggies, grains, and more (and sometimes even chicken), usually topped with house-made dressings and the satisfaction of knowing you're putting something good in your body. Again — for one meal, at least. Most of the salads on this list are customizable to your tastes, and usually come big enough to fill you up until dinnertime (or else, for dinner).

Here is the list of the best salad in Toronto.

See also:

The best vegetarian restaurants in Toronto
The best juice bars in Toronto

The 1980s saw record companies, aided by CanCon laws and MuchMusic's successful debut in 1984, truly supporting and promoting homegrown acts to an unprecedented degree. Bands like The Tragically Hip and 54-40 not only didn't shy away from but enthusiastically trumpeted their Canadian-ness in a way that would have been unthinkable to most earlier artists (musicians from Quebec being a notable exception). Nonetheless, Toronto locales were still a relatively uncommon sight on LP covers. Here are some exceptions to the rule.

Rush - Moving Pictures
The cover of Rush's multi-platinum 1981 album features both the front entrance of the Ontario Legislative Building and visual puns a'plenty.

Various Artists - Music For Subways
In 1979 the TTC began holding auditions and issuing official licences for buskers, and two years later this album of songs by the original eight performers was released. Rick and Gina Rae were also a local nightclub act, and their medley of "Five Foot Two" and "Please Don't Talk About Me" ends with the sound of a train pulling out of Finch station.

Martha and The Muffins - This Is The Ice Age
The Bank of Montreal tower, looking unusually enigmatic, peeks over the roof of guitarist Mark Gane's Bloor St. apartment on the cover of this 1981 album by Martha and The Muffins (whose 1979 LP Metro Music featured a map of Toronto).

Gordon Deppe - Listen To The City
Listen To The City, a solo album by the lead singer of Spoons, was the soundtrack to a 1984 dystopian drama by acclaimed Toronto documentarian Ron Mann. The cover features fellow Spoons band member Sandy Horne getting some thinking done in front of the downtown core.

Various Artists - Candlelight & Wine
The sun sets over Ashbridge's Bay Park on this 1982 entry in CHFI's "Candlelight & Wine" series of compilation albums.

Leroy Sibbles - Evidence
Jamaican-Canadian reggae artist Leroy Sibbles was the lead singer and bassist for The Heptones before he moved to Toronto. 1982's Evidence shows him posing in front of the CN Tower. Part of it, anyway.

A.B. Crentsil's Ahenfo Band with A.M.P.S. - Toronto By Night
A.B. Crentsil is one of Ghana's biggest highlife singers, but 1985's Toronto By Night was recorded here and sports a beautiful shot of the nighttime skyline as viewed from the Islands.

Craig Stevens - Just Another Night
Craig Stevens was one in a line of performers at The Organ Grinder, an Esplanade restaurant for kids which closed down in 1996. The cover photo for Just Another Night, which includes this spirited medley of tunes from Star Wars, appears to have been taken a bit north and east of Metropolitan United at Church and Queen.

Various Artists - Superstars Salute New Massey Hall
There were two versions of this 1981 benefit LP (the other one had songs by stars like Rush and BTO), the proceeds from which were donated to the New Massey Hall (the original name for Roy Thomson Hall) Building Fund.

Various Artists - Q107 Homegrown
Q107 released at least fifteen Homegrown albums throughout the '80s and '90s to promote local acts, and many of the covers featured illustrations of the city (the last one here, featuring the then-brand new SkyDome, is a bit of a cheat because it was released in 1990). "Acid Rain" and "Coming To Get You" are from Volume 2, while "She's So Right" is on Volume 4, which shows a band being abducted from the waterfront by a rockin' UFO.

PREVIOUSLY IN THE SERIES

• Toronto In Album Art - The 1960s
• Toronto In Album Art - The 1970s

Writing by Beau Levitt

While there was some serious nail-biting over the course of the evening, the Democrats Abroad US Election party in Toronto ended with a room full of jubilant faces as most major networks declared President Obama winner of a second term at around 11:30 p.m. It would be a long wait until the victory speech was delivered, but it hardly mattered for the group gathered at the Sheraton Centre's Dominion Ballroom, who erupted when the big announcement was made. The mood, I'm told, was decidedly less upbeat at the Harbour Sports Grille, where Republicans Abroad gathered for an election party not meant to end until Romney was declared winner. Ouch.

PHOTOS

Photos by Connie Tsang

This new cafe in Yorkville is the first Canadian outpost of an Italian chain with many locations around the world, and it is, indeed, part lounge. With luxe white leather couches, a 5 p.m. aperitivo and extensive cocktail list, coffee is just one thing on the menu here.

Read my profile of C House Lounge Cafe in the cafes section.

For all the historical photos of Toronto that we've posted to the site over the last few year's, little recognition has been given to the profound contribution of the City Engineer's Office to our city's archive. Although not the earliest official city photography, the work the Engineer's Office did to track various infrastructure projects — starting in the early 1890s — offers us a thoroughgoing portrait of what Toronto looked like at the turn of the 20th century.

Cameras were anything but common at the time so there's isn't an abundance of other images that survive from this period. Although ostensibly pragmatic in nature, the office made sure to hire expert photographers to track the development of the city over a period between 1891-1911. As such, there's a keen compositional eye on display throughout the more than 600 sepia-toned images that make up this particular collection. Elevated vantage points, in particular, help to establish the relative size and density of the city at this time.

In the second half of this two decade span, the photographic output of the City Engineer's Office reached new heights on account of the presence of Charles H. Rust. As is noted in Toronto's Visual Legacy: Official City Photographs from 1856 to the Present, the presence of photo processing facilities at a then new City Hall helped pave the way for greater documentation efforts:

"In 1898 Charles H. Rust became the City Engineer. He was a photography enthusiast, and the first annual report that his department produced during his tenture included an unprecedented number of photographs. A year later, the City Engineer's Office moved to new City Hall on Queen Street West. The new location included space to set up photographic facilities and, from 1899, city employee Arthur F. Rust, the younger brother of the City Engineer, produced the photographs for the department.

Included below is only a snippet of this valuable archive. To see more images, check out the Toronto Archives' list of digitized holdings.

PHOTOS

High Level Pumping Station, 1906

Wellington Street, 1900s

Spadina looking north 1890s

Yonge Street Wharf, 1904

Yonge Street Harbour, 1904

Aftermath of Toronto Fire, 1904

City Hall before the clock, 1899

Don Esplanade (north of Queen St.), 1904

Albany Ave, 1902

Digging the Garrison Creek Sewer, 1890

York Street Bridge and Old Union Station, 1890s

Looking east across the Esplanade, 1894

Looking west across the Esplanade, 1894

Photos from the Toronto Archives

From November 7-10, the Daniels Spectrum arts and cultural centre in Regent Park will be hosting the tenth anniversary edition of the Regent Park Film Festival. This is Toronto's only free community film festival, bringing local and international cinematic fare directly to the Regent Park community. As well, the films spotlight up-and-coming Canadian talent alongside established and international filmmakers. Need a third reason to stop in? The opening night "Star Panel" features four acclaimed filmmakers, including both Clement Virgo and Atom Egoyan, who will speak on the theme of "Where We Come From."

The opening night line-up also showcases a series of 11 short films by young filmmakers (26 and under), based on the experiences of Regent Park and other communities worldwide, called "Community Stories: Youth Media Arts." Look out for a short mockumentary called Life After High School, which spotlights issues in the school system through the filter of comedically clueless guidance counsellors.

The festival features full-length and short fiction, documentary and animation from all over the world, and as such reflects a wide variety of perspectives, but it also includes panel discussions, school programs, installations, and performances. As befits a festival that focuses as much on the surrounding community as it does on the films it shows, free childcare will be provided for all 50 screenings.

Also, on Saturday, November 10, the festival rounds out the week with the (also free) Saturday Morning Breakfast and a Movie. Breakfast comes courtesy of the Christian Resource Centre, with a screening of Tetsuo Hirakawa's animated feature, Light of the River. Does it get much better than Saturday morning breakfast and cartoons? There's definitely a lot to see over the four days of the festival, but here are my top 5 picks.

The Interrupters (2011, USA)
Steve James (Hoop Dreams) brings us this film about three people with a shared violent past (Ameena, Cobe and Eddie), who work on the streets of Chicago as violence interrupters, stepping in to stop fights before they escalate. As dangerous as this sounds, this fearlessness is a reflection of their belief, based on their own life experiences, that violence is an infectious disease that can be cured. The Regent Park Film Festival is presenting this film to underline and discuss violence prevention strategies in Toronto. In attendance for the panel following will be Cobe Williams (an interrupter, via Skype), co-producer Patrick Lile and an array of Toronto community workers including Scott Mckean, the City of Toronto's Supervisor of Community Development.
Screening: Friday November 9, 6:30 pm

Rezoning Harlem (2008, USA)
Set in 2008, longtime residents of a Harlem community go up against a city rezoning plan that threatens to replace their neighbourhood's history and culture with luxury housing and big-box retail. This film follows their efforts to fight against the process, and offers eye-opening insight to how ordinary citizens are shut out of the decision-making process that affects them directly. It also highlights the essential concerns surrounding the politics of affordable housing. If you find the antics of City Hall a popcorn-worthy tragi-comedy, then this documentary is essential viewing for you.
Screening: Thursday, November 8, 6:30 pm

Cry Rock (2010, Canada)
When language dies, what happens to culture? This is the question behind filmmaker Banchi Hanuse's directorial debut, Cry Rock. With only 15 native speakers of the Nuxalk language left, Hanuse embarks on a personal journey to uncover the true meaning of cultural values and traditions through memories and storytelling. The film also tries to understand whether technology can help preserve a language and its culture from extinction. This film screens as part of the "Looking Back, Moving Forward" program of short films.
Screening: Thursday, November 8, 8:30 pm

Doin' It in the Park (2012, USA)
"In New York City, pick-up basketball is not just a sport. It is a way of life."
That succinct description could be a tagline for a blockbuster summer hit about superhero basketball players who save the city with their high-flying hoop skills...but that would be a totally different film. However, Doin' It in the Park is an equally fascinating look at the definition, history, culture, and social impact of New York's outdoor summer basketball scene, as told from perspectives ranging from playground legends, to NBA athletes, to the common ball player.
Screening: Saturday, November 10, 5:00 pm

Besouro (2009, Brazil)
Co-presented by the Brazil Film Fest 2012, Besouro is a fascinating glimpse into the roots of capoeira, an acrobatic martial art that grew out of oppressive conditions faced by Brazilian migrant workers in the early 1900s. The fictional film tells the story of the young Besouro de Mangangá, who is on a spirited journey to fulfil the mission of his former master. Shielded by the mystical presence of his ancestors, Besouro is faced with mounting adversity that he has to overcome to succeed. The film is the first feature for director João Daniel Tikhomiroff, but this doesn't make him a rookie in any way. Tikhomiroff is also an advertising director with 41 Cannes Lions to his name--that makes him the second most awarded commercial director in the world! The Regent Park Film Festival's closing night film, Besouro, is accompanied by a performance courtesy of Axé Capoeira Toronto, the local branch of one of the world's largest capoeira organizations.
Screening: Saturday, November 10, 7.30 pm

All screenings take place at the Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas St. East).

Writing by Gesilayefa Azorbo. Film still from Besouro

Photo by Acid_Punk in the blogTO Flickr pool

ART | Only In Dreams
The word "dream" invites many interpretations, 25 of which will be on display tonight at Studio 407. A large group of artists band together for Only In Dreams, a multimedia exploration of the term through illustration, photography, audio, video, sculpture and installation. Personal works representing the subconscious and conscious mind will fill the gallery loft space at the opening reception, where all alcohol sales and donations will go directly to Arts For Children and Youth. The gallery will be open for public viewing at this evening's fête and from 12-5PM, Friday through Sunday.
Studio 407 (263 Adelaide Street, Studio 407) 7PM Donations accepted

MUSIC | Sum 41
It's been 11 years since Ajax boys Sum 41 came on to the scene and if that doesn't make you feel old, then the fact that they are playing a 10th anniversary show at the Phoenix tonight should. The pop punk band headlines a show, playing songs from the past 11 years and 5 albums, including 2011's Screaming Bloody Murder. Alt rock band IAmDynamite will open. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, Union Events, Rotate This, and Soundscapes.
Phoenix Concert Theatre (410 Sherbourne Street) 7PM $24.50 ADVANCE

FASHION | Clocks & Colours Launch
Toronto jewelry line Vitaly Design celebrates the release of their latest collection, a high-grade ceramic selection of minimalist rings, with an epic party at LeVack Block tonight. The first 100 people will get in with a $5 cover ($10 for every person after that) to join the designers in commemorating the occasion. 4 DJs will be playing tech and house music throughout the venue at this after-party, which is open to the public.
LeVack Block (88 Ossington Avenue) 11PM $5

FOOD | Childhood Favourites Supper Club
Childhood favourites to please an adult palate are on the menu at the Foodies on Foot Studio for tonight's supper club gathering. A large sit-down meal provided by award-winning Chef Robyn Goorevitch will be served as FOF provides childhood nostalgia through the the little details. Items on the menu include PB&J Sandwiches with Foie Gras Mousse and Almond Butter, Lobster and Orzo Macaroni and Cheese, and Pigs In A Blanket with Duck Orange Sausages. Dinner tickets are available through the Foodies on Foot website.
Foodies on Foot Studio (75 Portland Street) 7PM $75

THEATRE | Two One-Act Plays by Norm Foster
The king of comedy theatre, Norm Foster, brings two one-act plays to the Annex this evening with The Death of Me and My Narrator. In Death, a man convinces the devil to send him back to Earth to tie up loose ends, causing things to run amuck while My Narrator tells the story of the voices in strangers' heads coming to life and hitting it off. Tickets are offered at a discounted rate for Thursday shows and will be available at the door.
Tranzac Stage (292 Brunswick Avenue) 8PM $12

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR:

• 3rd World Canada Tour
• Makes Sense on the Body Exhibition
• Abstractions
• Peggy's Song

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

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto police are expected to announce an arrest in the Danzing Street shooting case later this morning. According to reports, police arrested someone Wednesday, possibly in connection with the deaths of Joshua Yasay, 23, and Shyanne Charles, 14. One person has been charged in connection with the mass shooting, for reckless discharge of a firearm.

The bakers at Mr. Christie's in Etobicoke are preparing to fight for their factory. The plant is expected to close next year at a cost of 550 jobs and its owners plan to rezone the site for a condo development. The city seems to favor protecting its employment lands - is it right to keep condos out of these work areas?

The Toronto Catholic District School Board and Don Bosco high school might reimburse the TTC the cost of the shelter bus at the centre of this week's controversy, mainly because people keep calling up to complain. In other ill-gotten public vehicle news, The Star reports that the last time a shelter bus was used for transportation was during the Sunrise Propane explosion.

618 ships docked at the Port of Toronto between 2008 and 2011. The Grid finds out what's on board.

GO Transit riders will know the wallet-sized PRESTO card is colossal and hopelessly unwieldy, which is probably why developer Daniel De Sousa has reverse engineered a smaller, keyring version [via Reddit]

Some west end residents are finding out about about a uranium processing plant in their neighbourhood. Though the General Electric-Hitachi facility has been on the site since 1965, neighbours are concerned about the 2,000 tonnes of radioactive uranium dioxide the plant spits out each year.

Forty years ago yesterday, Toronto finally came to its senses and overturned a decision that would have seen its streetcars traded for a wink and the promise of a kiss, or something like that. Steve Munro has the story at Torontoist.

Businesses might get until the summer to prepare for bag prohibition. According to The Star, industry groups have convinced city officials to include a grace period between January 1st and June 30th when no fines, only warnings, can be issued. You know what that means? Yep, another hilarious video from pro-bag pressure group "Reverse the Bag Ban." This time, society collapses when bin liners run out.

IN OTHER NEWS:

• Grandmother dies from injuries in Scarborough house fire [The Star]
• Beloved Toronto police horse dies suddenly on the job [The Star]
• Man shows up at hospital with gunshot wounds to head, back [CBC]
• Blue Jays' managerial search on a 'good pace' [CBC]
• Toronto cyclist suffers serious head injuries after collision with taxi [National Post]

Photo: "Speed Bumps Ahead" by Dominic Bugatto from the blogTO Flickr pool.

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

Lincoln (Varsity)

What better way to celebrate the satisfying completion of the 2012 American election marathon than by watching a biopic about one of the best presidents in history? While Lincoln's release coincides nicely with the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (the film is also, perhaps not coincidentally, 150 minutes long), Steven Spielberg's ambitions for the project date back to well over a decade ago. With a dream cast headlined by Daniel Day Lewis - in his first role since 2007's There Will Be Blood (we can all just go ahead and ignore Nine) - this is pretty clearly one of the movies of 2012.

Skyfall (Varsity, Scotiabank)

While pretty much all of the big-name directors who've recently turned to big-budget action franchises consequently made their career-worst films, Sam Mendes has made his best film with Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond picture. Early reports indicated a likeness to Christopher Nolan's Batman films (these were intended as compliments), yet Mendes demonstrates a control over spectacle, and an understanding of the idea of narrative rhythm beyond Nolan's capabilities. As many Torontonians will no doubt bear witness in the coming weeks, Bond fell out of favour in the '80s, '90s, and '00s because he became increasingly anachronistic as a hero in a way the films themselves didn't adequately address. Two films ago, Casino Royale hinted at an attempt to correct that trend; Skyfall fully succeeds at it.

Also in theatres this week:

• Chasing Ice (TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Dangerous Liasions (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
• Hamlet (Projection Booth East & Metro)
• Pusher (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
• We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• The World Before Her (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)

REP CINEMA

Magnificent Obsession: The Films of Werner Schroeter (November 8 - December 9; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Presented in association with Goethe Institut Toronto, this Werner Schroeter retrospective can only be called a minor miracle given the current cinematic climate. There's no doubt that it's happening right now in memoriam, with the filmmaker's early death in 2010 (he was 65) crudely catching his niche following off guard. With his films having influenced such masters as Fassbinder, Herzog and Wenders, it's a body of work that should be considered essential to fully understanding the New German Cinema movement. An extremely stylized filmmaker, Schroeter's work is operatic, euphoric, and excessive to its very core; his penchant for the grotesque, and his often vague concern with plot have kept him from ever becoming a household name, even among the more seasoned cinephiles. 'Magnificent Obsession' is a perfect - and important - opportunity to change that.

'Magnificent Obsession' screenings this week:

• The Rose King (Thursday, November 8 at 6:30PM)
• Malina (Friday, November 9 at 6:30PM)
• Eika Katappa (Saturday, November 10 at 6PM)
• Mondo Lux (Sunday, November 11 at 6PM)
• Palermo or Wolfsburg (Monday, November 12 at 6:30PM)

Indian Expressionism (November 14-21; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Probably one of the most fascinating cultural cross-stylings in all of classic cinema, the meeting of German Expressionism and the Cinema of India is like a 'perfect storm' of movie styles: the ostentation of one confronts the humanism of another, and vice versa. This amalgamation can also be incredibly helpful to grasping a wider narrative of cinema because each of these cinemas represent the jumping off points for so many other national movements and styles. This is true not least because the German/India dialogue continued over so many decades: "From the imaginary India of German silent fantasy films, to the pronounced German influence on the Indian film industry in the twenties and thirties to full-fledged Indo-German co-productions, 'Indian Expressionism' offers an intriguing look at this unique fusion of two great cinematic traditions."

'Indian Expressionism' screenings this week:

• Light of Asia (Wednesday, November 14 at 6:15PM)
• The Blue Angel (Wednesday, November 14 at 8:45PM)
• Pinjra [Cage] (Thursday, November 15 at 6:30PM)

More rep cinema this week:

• CINSSU Free Friday Films: Children of Paradise [Digital] (Friday, November 9 at 7PM; Innis Town Hall)
• My Heart is Not Broken Yet (Saturday, November 10 at 6:30PM; Innis Town Hall)
• Two Doors (Saturday, November 10 at 8:45PM; Innis Town Hall)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (Saturday, November 10 at 10PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Chrissy (Thursday, November 15 at 8PM; Innis Town Hall)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

All Balls Don't Bounce Film Series: The Iran Job (Wednesday, November 14 at 6:30PM; Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)

This is the fifth event in a new film series for sports documentaries called All Balls Don't Bounce, which seems to have found a home in the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. The Iran Job follows one year in the life of American pro basketball player Kevin Sheppard, who signed on to play for the upstart Iranian Super League team A.S. Shiraz. Director Till Schauder and producer Sara Nodjumi will be in attendance for a post-screen Q&A. Tickets are $13.00 and can be purchased at the box office the night of the screening, or they are now available here.

FILM FESTIVALS

Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival (November 9-17)
Celebrating its twentieth year, Rendezvous With Madness is a festival dedicated to distance between audiences and the reality of mental illness and addiction. To see a mainstream film about these topics is to typically sit back and observe the illness as an 'other.' RWM attempts to destroy that remove from the depicted situations via panel discussions and by extending our encounters with these issues over nine days. "The films are the art, the discussion gives them perspective."

While all of the films and events are well worth everyone's time, the hands-down must in this year's edition is the Industry Symposium titled 'The Changing World of Documenting Madness' (Sunday, November 10 beginning at 10AM; $25), which includes a screening of one of the greatest documentaries ever made: Frederick Wiseman's Titicut Follies. To see the full program click here; regular film screenings are $10 and tickets can now be purchased here.

European Union Film Festival (November 14-27)
Easily one of the most anticipated film festivals in Toronto year after year (even if they no longer call themselves the Eh!U film festival), the European Union Film Festival collects one film from each country in the EU (or two if you're Denmark) to create a kind of Eurocup of Cinema. This year is as promising as ever, including Manoel de Oliveira's masterpiece The Strange Case of Angelica to represent Portugal (which he made back when he was only 101 years old) and a rep screening of Carl Theodor Dreyer's Danish silent horror classic Vampyr. All of these films will screen at The Royal and cost $0 CAD; for a complete schedule click here.

360 Screenings October 24th Recap: 28 Days Later

Lead still from Skyfall