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Where to do Power Plate training in Toronto

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Power Plate TorontoThis fitness studio near Yonge and Bloor offers a unique training experience through use of vibration technology known as Power Plate. Here's you'll perform your exercises on a vibrating base, which activates additional muscle usage and increases work out efficiency. It all sounds a bit gimmicky, but if my work out is any indication, this is a novel way to train.

Read my review of Power Institute in the fitness section.


Street Style: 15 takes on the winter scarf

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Street style torontoIn the midst of a long and cold winter, practicality tends to trump fashion. But thats not to say that you can't add a bit of flare to the practical. Here we take a look at how people of all styles have embraced scarves, the most crucial of winter accessories. Be it via a burst of colour or a unique knot, there's plenty of ways to individualize this cold weather staple.

Check out all the looks in our style section.

Are falafels the new tacos on Queen West?

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falafels queen westA new wave of Middle Eastern eateries is opening across Toronto. Last week news broke that Anthony Rose is set to open Fat Pasha in the former Indian Rice Factory space, which was followed by the debut of District Oven, a sprawling new space on College St. The latest restaurant to join in on the fun is this newly opened pita pocket specialist at Queen and Spadina.

Read my profile of Rose City Kitchen in the restaurants section.

Cold Tea hosts city's top bartenders for cocktail battle

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Cold Tea Cocktail CompetitionOn Monday night, Kensington Market saw a repeat of the collaborative fundraiser between Thomas Lavers and Cold Tea: the "Happy Fun Times Cannery Restaurant Drink Competition," in aid of the Breast Cancer Society. Eight of Toronto's most popular restaurants and bars participated, with a bartender and a chef from each going head to head to find a winner. All contestants were charged with using cardamom somewhere in their drinks.

Representatives showed up from Bar Isabel, Momofuku Noodle Bar, 416 Snack Bar, Ursa, Valdez, Rose and Sons, and Home of The Brave, all of whom contributed gift certificates towards an accompanying charity auction. The night raised over $4000, with bar proceeds and tips all donated to the cause.

Check out all the action and delicious concoctions in this photo gallery.

Is the new TTC system map easier to read?

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toronto ttc mapThe Toronto Transit Commission is seeking public input on its new system map, the wayfinding image that's supposed to be an easy-to-read, comprehensive overview of all subway, streetcar, and bus lines.

The TTC announced it would be overhauling the cluttered system map in October last year as part of a general commitment to better design. The plan to number the subway lines and create a new set of standards for internal signage was revealed at the same time.

Recently, as part of promises made in the TTC customer charter, the mess of handwritten signs and other detritus has been gradually stripped from many subway ticket booths, too.

ttc transit mapWithout the old map for comparison, not much is different. The green and yellow of the Yonge-University-Spadina and Bloor-Danforth lines (sorry, Line 1 and Line 2) stand out better against the pastel background and bus and streetcar routes are still bright red, though easier to distinguish.

The design overhaul is more a case of addition by subtraction. Gone are streets not served by public transit, landmarks like the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Fort York, and Riverdale Farm, and other landmarks deemed unnecessary visual clutter. What's left is a simplified overview of public transit, including express and community bus routes.

A thick red line indicates a line, bus or streetcar, with service every 10 minutes or less. Thinner red lines are reserved for surface routes with all-day service. Dashes are used for infrequent or limited services. For TTC purists, the much-loved subway font makes a return on subway stop labels.

toronto ttc map legedThe TTC is seeking customer feedback via an online web survey. The deadline to add your thoughts is in March. The full version of the system map, available as six individual panels or one massive city-wide view, is available here. For comparison, the last edition of the old design is still online at the TTC website. The final version of the new map will be printed in next season's Ride Guide.

What do you think of the new look? Will the TTC's focus on better design result in better customer service?

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

Images: TTC

The best and worst No Frills in Toronto

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best no frills torontoThe best and worst No Frills in Toronto may seem like a trivial concern, but access to affordable, nutritious food should be everyone's concern. As a discount grocery, No Frills tries to provide fresh produce, meat and fish, and dry and canned goods at affordable prices in a clean and friendly atmosphere. Even better is when they have dollar stores, pharmacies and household items all under one roof. Compared to more upscale grocery chains such as Loblaws, No Frills specifically targets the budget-conscious and at best can prove that a grocery shop can be interesting and fun without breaking the bank.

But one can surmise a co-relation between quality of grocery and quality of life in Toronto's neighbourhoods. A decline in store standards and selection can reflect a decline in the potential well being of its customers. Limp, old fruit and vegetables, off-meat, and lack of variety are bad for minds and bodies. Stressful line-ups, grumpy staff, disorganized, empty or crammed aisles add extra tension to figuring out what's for dinner.

Here's are the best and worst No Frills in Toronto.

BEST

Lansdowne and Dundas
Peter's No Frills wins hands down for best in Toronto - it's big, organized, well stocked with products, and the produce is fresh and varied. The fish and meat counters are top notch, besides the usual cuts at rock-bottom prices, they carry offal and there are a number of tanks with live fish and multiple types of clams, mussels, and other shellfish.

Black Creek and Eglinton
Another sprawling No Frills location, this grocery store wins big points for its in-house butcher counter and fishmonger. While you won't find super-marbled rib eyes here, less popular cuts are well-priced and in plentiful supply. The produce section is typically good as well, though it pays to come early in the day as it's also very busy here. The in-store pharmacy is also a nice touch.

Yonge and Steeles
Connected to the Centrepoint Mall is Carlo's No Frills - a great place to stock up on reasonably priced groceries. The fresh seafood is commendable, as is the large section of kosher and international foods, spices in particular. The double exits with cashiers keep lines to a minimum, and with parking nearby, the whole trip is a breeze.

Front Street
Clean, efficient, and well stocked, Luciano's No Frills on Front has won over the neighbourhood. The produce is fresh, the aisles wide and organized, and items are consistently less expensive than nearby competitors. Staff are friendly and helpful and the cashier line-ups bearable. With all this, they might consider changing the name to "Lucky Luciano's Plenty of Frills."

Royal York, South of the Gardiner
Hit Mario and Selena's No Frills on Royal York if you want to keep the family feed and happy for less. It has the best produce of any No Frills in the Mimico area and the regular in-store specials are great for the budget-conscious. The pharmacy inside helps with the one-stop shopping too.

Pacific (The Junction)
A flowing layout makes Tim and Sue's No Frills in the Junction easy to get around, and while the selection isn't as wide as some other groceries, they have a good number of the choice PC products and the health food section isn't too shabby either.

Bathurst and Wilson
Pat's No Frills at Bathurst and Wilson doesn't look like much and the parking is confusing, but it stands out for its impressive array of gluten-free items (it has a whole freezer section dedicated to them), as well as just about every kosher product you can imagine, including cereal and candy.

Best/Worst

Dufferin Mall
Joe's No Frills in the Dufferin Mall is certainly divisive - you either love it or you hate it. Pros: fresh and varied produce, butchery and seafood stations, a decent ethnic foods section, a lot of unique items and it's cheap. Cons" the layout is chaos, they don't take Visa, line-ups can be long, the shelves are often empty by weeks' end, and shopping carts have seen better days. Is it the worst of the best, or the best of the worst?

WORST

Runnymede
Small, poor layout and cluttered are just some of the complaints of Nicholson's No Frills in the Bloor West Village, but the list goes on. Long line-ups at peak dinner hours, limited selection, and occasionally dodgy produce don't make up for the perks, which include free parking, cheap prices, and kind staff.

Parliament and Carlton
Oh dear, with no deli or dollar store, high shelving, and a decidedly slim selection, Cosimo's No Frills in Cabbagetown just can't compare to the bounty of the grocery mega-complexes we've come to expect. Covering the basics just doesn't keep you up with the Joneses anymore.

Coxwell
Despite the limited variety and rundown vibe, Rocca's No Frills in the Upper Beach is still crowded with customers desperate to get the basics for a steal. The service isn't bad, but they just don't seem to carry any of the increasingly popular items like gluten-free bread, and sell out of others such as kale quickly.

Parkdale, King and Jameson
The King and Jameson Vi's No Frills is pretty run-of-the-mill in terms of discount groceries, but decidedly shitty when it comes to produce variety and quality. It also lacks dedicated meat and seafood counters, so don't expect excellent proteins either. You can get the basics here, but that's about it.

Alberta Ave
Freddie's No Frills on Alberta Ave is often crowded at the cash, there is no butchery or fish counter and shelf-stocking takes place at busy times, making the aisles cramped and inconvenient. They have a wild selection, a lot of things you wouldn't expect; yet sometimes the basic stuff is nowhere to be found. That strange mix of offerings could help you get out of a food rut or keep you hungry -- who knows?

Jimmy Fallon gets in on the Rob Ford fun

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Jimmy Fallon Rob FordWhat do you do when you take over the Tonight Show and want to make sure that your monologues don't fall flat in the first week? Why talk about Rob Ford, of course. Jimmy Fallon, just a few days into his new role as Jay Leno's replacement, kicked off his show last night with a few Rob Ford funnies. The news story to which he refers is a bit dubious (or at least dated), but in fairness, Fallon does note what a goldmine our mayor has been for late night comedy and is clearly just going for something that he knows will be good for a few laughs.

After a bit of physical comedy, the host proceeds to preview some spoofs of Ford's new election posters. The routine pales in comparison to the heights that Jon Stewart reached, but if you like Fallon, you'll like the PG way he lays into the mayor. It is getting a bit old, but it's still fascinating watch what a kick Americans get from this story.

Sculptural sprouts


City council votes to let you drink at 7am on Sunday

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toronto bars 7am Olympic HockeyIf old residents of the Junction could only see us now. In an unusual move, Toronto city council has voted in favour of allowing bars to serve alcohol at 7am so that hockey fans can watch the Canadian men's hockey team battle for gold with a bit of a buzz. Exciting news for "Toronto the Good," but it should be noted that we need to get through the Americans first. Perhaps some will want a stiff drink if the men fall to the U.S. tomorrow, but I suspect that few will plan to wake up and start all over again for a Canada-free finals.

The vote, which passed 37-4, actually allows restaurants and bars (nightclubs are excluded) to serve early on both Saturday and Sunday, though one imagines that it will only make sense for establishments to open at dawn for the gold medal game, which starts at 7am. As if there wasn't enough riding on the men's team getting through tomorrow's semi-final, now the hopes of rabid beer drinkers across the city will also rest upon Sidney Crosby & Co.'s shoulders. Should Team Canada make the finals and take home gold, you can bet one prominent Torontonian will do a victory dance to end victory dances.

Photo by Duncan Rawlinson on Flickr

E-bikes will now be allowed to use Toronto bike lanes

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toronto e-bikeToronto city council says e-bikes are welcome in the bike lane. Going against the advice of the public works committee, councillors voted 23-17 to grant power-assisted bicycles use of the city's painted bike lanes late yesterday evening.

Previously, e-bikes and pedelecs - bicycles fitted with small motors - were required to share the road with motorists, though the laws were decidedly fuzzy. The official Toronto definition of a bicycle, the only vehicles allowed to use bike lanes, was limited to muscle-powered devices.

Under the new rules created via a motion by Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, e-bikes will still be banned from off-road trails, footpaths, and physically separated bike lanes, like the ones recently added to Sherbourne Street.

Mayor Rob Ford, Doug Ford, Mike Del Grande, Karen Stintz, and several other conservative-leaning councillors with Pam McConnell, Paula Fletcher, and regular cyclist Glenn De Baeremaeker voted in favour of the changes.

Cycling group Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists was swift to condemn the decision. "Any injuries to cyclists caused by e-bikes in bike lanes will be City Council's responsibility," the group tweeted.

A 2013 study by Toronto's Transportation Services devision found almost half of e-bike riders thought the vehicles should be allowed in the bike lane. Just 12% of cyclists agreed, citing the size, speed, and weight of e-bikes as a safety concern. The motorized scooters are significantly heavier compared to conventional bicycles and are capable of higher speeds.

"The likelihood of being injured when struck by a 120 kg vehicle [the maximum e-bike weight] travelling at 32 kmh [the maximum speed] is probably far greater than if struck by a lighter bicycle travelling at a slower speed," a city report on the matter said, though no collision data was available.

To fit the official definition of an e-bike, the vehicle must be fitted with functional pedals. No license or insurance is required; riders must be over 16 and wear a bicycle or motorcycle helmet, the law says.

The cities of Ottawa and Mississauga both allow e-bikes to use bike lanes.

Advocacy group Cycle Toronto has a permanent statement regarding e-bikes on its website. "We do not believe electric scooters should be permitted to use infrastructure intended for active transportation, as their speed, size and weight make them hazardous to others within those confines," it says.

What do you think of the decision? Do e-bikes pose a safety risk to cyclists? Should bicycles learn to share the lane with e-bikes?

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

Image: Vic Gedris/blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto Food Events: Croissunday, Craft Beer Salon, Russians Are Coming, Meatless Mondays, Spring Thaw

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Toronto Food EventsToronto 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

  • CBC Broadcasting Centre (250 Front St. West) hosts a Men's Gold Medal Hockey Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, February 23rd from 7am to 6pm. Eat free pancakes and watch the Sochi games.
  • Nadege is doing Croissunday at both bakery outlets on Sunday, February 23rd featuring 8+ unique spins on the classic French pastry. One day only specials highlight flavours like matcha green tea, black squid ink and cassis and violette.
  • The Russians Are Coming to WVRST (609 King Street West) on Tuesday, February 25th. Early birds can buy $20 tickets that include a pint of Great Lakes Brewery 25th anniversary stout and a commemorative glass. Taps open to early birds at 6pm, and everyone else at 7pm.
  • Craft Beer Salon hosted by Well Preserved and Kensington Brew Company is happening at Hi-Lo Bar (753 Queen Street East) Wednesday, February 26th at 8pm. David Ort (author of The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook), Steve Riley (betterbeer.com) and Brock Sheppard (KBC) will be on hand to answer questions and chat about brewing, beer cooking and beer and food pairing.
  • Indie Alehouse (2876 Dundas Street West) collaborates with Afrim Pristine of Cheese Boutique for a dinner on Thursday, February 27th. Tickets are $70
  • Piola (1165 Queen Street West) hosts it's monthly all you can eat Lucky Gnocchi Day on Friday, February 28th
  • Red Sauce (50C Clinton Street) is hosting a party this Sunday, February 23rd to say thanks for all the early support in their opening weeks. Kicking off at 9pm, the Italian eatery will be providing snacks while Flying Monkey Brewery will be there with free beer and swag.

UPCOMING

  • Toronto Common presents Meatless Mondays for the month of March at Harvest Kitchen (124 Harbord Street). The weekly special will feature five course tasting menu with a drink for $24 all in. Tickets can be purchased here.
  • Gilead Wine Bar (4 Gilead Place) hosts another Order of Good Cheer Dinner on Monday, March 3rd. The 4-course late winter menu is $75, paired with PEC wines for $25 more.
  • The Canadian Chef's Congress celebrates the arrival of a new growing season with Spring Thaw on Monday, March 31st at Palais Royale (1601 Lake Shore Boulevard West). Tickets are $175 for the evening event that will highlight Ontario produced prepared by top chefs and restaurants.

OTHER NEWS

  • TIFF's Food on Film series debuts Wednesday, March 12th with a screening of Chungking Express and discussion with Lucky Peach editor, Peter Meehan. Catch all six films with a subscription for $180.

Photo from our review of Nadege (Rosedale)

New cafe and bar takes over for Bar Salumi in Parkdale

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Ze Ze Food and DrinkThis new cafe and bar joins a new troupe of places trying out all day service. Check this place out for coffee and tea during the day and for unique pizzas and Korean-inspired fare at night. The cocktail program is ambitious in its use of botany and reasonably priced. Parkdale, it would seem, has a new local.

Read my review of Ze Ze Food and Drink in the restaurants section.

Rob Ford's gold medal victory dance makes Kimmel

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Rob Ford Kimmel Gold Medal CelebrationWhen the Canadian women's hockey team came back to win gold in overtime yesterday, it was about as exciting as sports get. And no one was more enthused than Rob Ford. Say what you will about the mayor, I actually find his jumping victory dance rather endearing. Sure he looks awkward, but it's also the happiest I think I've seen him in ages. The problem is, of course, that given his past history of hijinks on the council floor, everyone's going to take note of his exuberant outburst. And that includes Jimmy Kimmel, who's developed quite the fascination with our mayor over the last few months.

If you've seen the video of Ford's celebration, you'll understand why it made the host's opening monologue (just a day after Fallon started off with Ford as well). On its own, it'd be a quirky outburst of positive emotion. Placed in the context of various scandals, it can't help but add to a narrative in which restraint has posed a challenge for the mayor.

$100K TTC satisfaction guide slams streetcars

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TTC satisfaction surveyThe results of a $100K TTC phone survey of riders is in, and streetcars aren't winning any popularity contests. Rider satisfaction for streetcar users sits at 65%, which represents at 13% drop from last year. Buses, on the other hand, hover at 75% rating, while subways come in at 72%. Torontonians also take almost 10% less "pride" in the TTC if they're regular users of its streetcars compared to riders lining up for buses (subway rider's pride is up 3%), which is curious given their iconic status and the fact that service levels haven't actually changed since the last survey. Perhaps riders got fed up with the old models when the fancy new ones were revealed?

The survey also rates satisfaction in TTC staff's availability for help in the subway at around 50%, cleanliness around 76%, and length of wait times at 78% (cleanliness ratings dip to 71% on bus and streetcar). The TTC's chief customer officere Chris Upfold didn't seem too worried about the streetcar's bad rep when he talked to The Star, though - he's looking forward to our smiling faces when the new air conditioned cars roll out - on August 31st. At the end of summer. On Spadina. Keep reaching for that rainbow, I guess.

You can read the full customer satisfaction report here. Was it worth the 100K? Does this line up with your own TTC experiences?

Photo by Tom Ryaboi

5 things to expect at the 2014 Toronto Artist Project

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Artist Project Toronto 2014The Artist Project kicked off in Toronto last night at the Better Living Centre. Instead of a typical gallery curated art fair, here you'll find the artists themselves working their own booths. The show is a good excuse to stretch your legs indoors (slush free) as you browse the works of over 250 artists showing everything from tiny, dainty toy animals perched on bullet shells (Jesse Bromm) to artists who manage to employ both Comic Sans and Curlz onto self-printed price tags (not naming names).

Here's what to expect at this year's Artist Project.

Artist Project 2014Affordable art
While the art fair crowd generally includes hoity toity types who'd rather talk about their summer home purchases than affordable housing for artists and there are tons of price tags in the four digit range in this year's show, work at the Artist Project can also easily be found for under $500 or even under $200. Not only do you get to chat up a hard working artist as you buy directly from him or her, it doesn't have to break the bank.

Artist Project 2014People who dress like they're going to an art event
The people-watching at art fairs is always divine. It's all going down, from immaculately coiffed West Queen West must-seriously-get-their-hair-done-twice-per-week-how-is-that-possible chic to the classic frumpy "don't give a fuck" / "comfortable" / "slept in a motel last night" tourist look. Quirky accessories abound, naturally, as do quirky pant-tucking strategies. Take a free walking tour or a $25 wine and cheese tour to ogle the crowds (and art) in a pack.

Artist Project 2014Sparkles
A pleasant surprise - sparkles abounded at the opening last night, and not just on the party-goers. From bejeweled and glitter coated flowers and Tim Hortons themed art (because... the owner of Tim Hortons might show up? Actually both saddened and intrigued by this) to Noelle Hamlyn's massive loom installation that spins glittery white tears (Rob Ford style tears), your sparkle quota will be filled. I also spotted at least two pieces of bacon themed art, in case that's your thing.

Artist Project 2014More Toronto themed art than you'd find almost anywhere else
We're not just talking postcard-y stuff either (though you'll find plenty of that). No matter how you like your Toronto (sleek and majestic, hi-res sexy, gritty and raw, painted all lop-sidey), you're bound to find a photo or artwork that pleases you. Spot works by Brian Harvey, Catherine Jeffrey, Dieter Hessel, Harry Enchin, Peter Lewis, and Paul Elia, to name a few. Among the international artists you'll also find tons of artists from Toronto and the surrounding area, plus from towns all around Ontario.

Artist Project 2014Hi-def stall after hi-def stall
Whether we're talking bold, swirly abstracts (can you just call yourself an abstract expressionist and get away with it? Answer: kind of), perfectly matted nudes (wouldn't be a fair without some naked chicks) or way-saturated sunflowers (ditto), there isn't much here for fans of lo-fi aesthetics or even illustration. Unlike Art Toronto, there's no Marcel Dzama, Le Gallery artists or zine culture vibes. Nothing gets weird, either, though I'm sure some will disagree. It makes sense - while quadruple digit stall rental fees cut out underground artists, established ones stick to the traditional fairs. Still, one can dream.

The Artist Project is at the Better Living Centre (Exhibition Place) until Sunday, February 23rd: Friday: 12PM - 8PM, Saturday: 11AM - 8PM, and Sunday: 11AM - 6PM.


TTC video goes behind the scenes at ghost stations

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toronto lower bayThe Toronto Transit Commission is opening the door to a secret world of abandoned subway stations and secret passageways in its latest YouTube video.

In it, TTC CEO Andy Byford and spokesman Brad Ross descend into Lower Bay (or Bay Lower as they insist it's called) to talk about the disused station's appearances in Hollywood movies, music videos, and its use as a test area.

Lower Bay saw use when some Bloor-Danforth line trains would run via Union to Eglinton.

The pair then visit Lower Queen, the roughed-in underground streetcar stop at Queen and Yonge. This area, long off-limits to the media and public, was built with the Yonge line when the TTC planned to run the Queen streetcar in a tunnel through downtown.

Previously only Lower Bay has been open to the public during the Toronto Doors Open event.

Check it out.

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

The Best Hot Chocolate in Toronto

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Hot Chocolate TorontoThe best hot chocolate in Toronto is really a matter of taste. Do you prefer the ancient style of chocolate beverage, created by the Mayans over 2000 years ago, also known as drinking chocolate, or are you accustomed to the thinner, sweeter North American hot cocoa, that has its own nostalgic ice rink charm? The big difference is whether the cocoa butter has been removed (as in powdered cocoa) or remains (as in made with bar chocolate or ganache). The richness is produced by either the mouth feel of the cocoa butter, or by additions of sugar or milk.

In Toronto we are spoiled for choice, the options running the gamut, from thick, syrupy and spiced, bittersweet to achingly sugary, to aerated and frothed with water, or laden with milk and whipped cream. Whatever your preference, you'll find one to suit your fancy.

Here is our list of the best hot chocolate in Toronto.

See also:

The best chocolate in Toronto
The best cappuccino in Toronto
10 awesome affogatos in Toronto

Top photo by Pam Lau in the blogTO Flickr pool

Weekend events in Toronto: February 21-23, 2014

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Weekend Events in TorontoWeekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this Feb 21-23, 2014.

The League of Lady Wrestlers presents The Hogtown Throwdown
The League of Lady Wrestlers, a "collaborative effort aimed at subverting gender stereotypes and queering the concept of competitive sports while entertaining the masses," have just a couple days left in their Indiegogo campaign - help 'em out! You can preview the throwdown line up here, then head to the The Polish Combatant's Hall on Saturday to see it all play out along with a performance by the always enchanting New Fries. It's PWYC at the door, but arrive early. Saturday, February 22, 7:30pm, The Polish Combatant's Hall (206 Beverley St).

GAMING

Fancy Videogame PartyFancy Videogame Party
Tonight at the AGO, as part of the ongoing Vector fest (check out the links below for more), you can hit up the indie games at the "very best multi-player, party, and physical videogames from around the world for one night only... part arcade, part club night, part art gallery." Plus, fancy is in the title. Weston Family Learning Centre, AGO (317 Dundas St W), Friday, February 21, 8pm.

See also

ART

Artist ProjectThe Artist Project
The Artist Project (TAP) challenges the typical art fair format until February 23 at the Better Living Centre. Here, you'll find the artists themselves in the booths - over 250 curated contemporary artists from Canada and around the world. This means you get to meet and hopefully buy work directly from the people behind it. Not all of the art is great (let's be honest, there's a lot of crap out there), but the concept is great. There are also various special events and programming taking place. Check out our preview of the exhibition here. Feb 20 - 23, Better Living Centre.

Simulators IISimulators II
This upcoming group show at Angell is going to be a good one, and may just make you a fan of digital art if you haven't been won over thus far. The nine artists in the exhibit include Rafael Ochoa (who we named a top artist to watch in 2014)'s digital paintings. Ochoa is a young Toronto artist who, using multiple digital-imaging software programs for each piece, messes around with classical imagery, bridging antique still lives and epic paintings in gilded frames with The Sims universe. Expect many more explorations along these lines in the show, which opens Friday night at 6pm. February 21 - March 22, Angell Gallery (12 Ossington Avenue).

For more art listings, check out our Top 10 Must-See Art Shows This Winter post.

FOOD

CBCMen's Gold Medal Hockey Pancake Breakfast at CBC
Hit up the CBC for Olympic hockey and a free pancake breakfast - which will only last as long as quantities last, so that 7am start time is serious business. CBC Broadcasting Centre (250 Front St. West), Sunday Feb 23, 7am.

For more food events, check out our Toronto Food Events post.

MUSIC

Somewhere There Creative Music Festival
Somewhere There is taking over the Tranzac from February 21 - 23. 60 performers and composers from Toronto will perform including The Kyle Brenders Quartet, Alaniaris, Thom Gill, Eucalyptus, Cluttertones, Fleshtone Aura & Mandelbrot, and Mark Segger Sextet - plus there will be a film screening (Start Making Noise Now), a speakers' series, and workshops. Best of all, there's a late night Doom Tickler performance. Swoon. All in all, should get pretty weird! Check out the event for more details. February 21, 22, and 23, Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Ave).

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Indie rock icon Stephen Malkmus, the frontman of 90s legends Pavement, brings his band The Jicks to crowd surf their way around Lee's Palace. They're fresh off the release of their sixth record, Wig Out at Jagbags, through Matador. Disappears will open up the night. Saturday, February 22, Lee's Palace (529 Bloor St W), 9pm, $26.50.

Big Knife Little Knife, Bleeding Rainbow, Hunters, Jigsaw Youth
The event page reads: no bros / no jerks / no cops. So double check that you make the cut before you decide to include yourself in this party. The bands are from all over the place, Montreal, Philly, NYC, Toronto, and there's nothing quite like making bands feel at home than a tightly packed little show with lots of beer. Also by excluding bros, jerks and cops. Bikini Kill songs will be played, and that's all the incentive you need. Saturday, February 22, Unit 2, 163 Sterling Rd, 8pm, $8.



See also

For more music listings, check out our This Week in Music and February Concerts posts.

FILM

Festival of New Spanish Cinema
The Festival of New Spanish Cinema (FoNSC) is now six years old, but this is the traveling show's first stop in Toronto. The self-described leading showcase in North America for "the best in contemporary Spanish film" brings Toronto five premieres, including "the latest, most exciting films and allowing you to discover and share your love of Spanish cinema." More of a month-long series than a festival, FoNSC will screen a film every Wednesday evening at The Royal until the end of March. February 26 - March 26; The Royal)

Feminist Porn Awards Fundraiser
Bring $5-$15 to Cold Tea on Saturday to help CUE POC out. There will be raffle prizes, vulva pins, porn screenings, and DJ Chantelle Eff and DJ Sissy Fuss will keep things hoppin. Cold Tea (60 Kensington Ave), Saturday, February 22, 9pm.

See also

For more film events, check out our This week in film post.

THEATRE

The Rhubarb Festival
On now, The Rhubarb Festival turns 35 this year, a milestone anniversary for the progressive and interdisciplinary theatre event. It happens in the shadow of government funding cuts, in the amount of $20,000-$25000, which arrived without any sort of explanation as to why the festival no longer qualifies for the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage programme. Buddies has soldiered on, curating a sprawling collection of performances under the direction of Laura Nanni that activate a variety of different spaces throughout the city. Read our preview of the year's highlights here. Now until Sunday, February 23, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander St), free - $20.

For more events on stage, check out our The top theatre productions in Toronto February 2014 post.

PARTY

Yes Yes Y'all Anniversary
YYY is turning 5! OMG. Congratulations y'all. If you don't know, it gets so hot at these things that after one song you'll wonder why you spent so long on your hair in the first place. The crew spins RnB, dancehall, and hip-hop all night, and during special events they bring in incredible performers like Shi Wisdom, Bon Jay and Zebra Katz, but tonight features the lovely Princess Nokia AKA Wavy Spice performing living, plus DJs TNT and JJ Rock. CODA (794 Bathurst St), Friday February 21, 10pm.

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SPORTS

IcycleIcycle 2014
It wouldn't be a February events post without some way for you to get frost bite doing whacky things in the cold. This time around: bikes on ice at Dufferin Grove Park. Why is the guy in the photo naked? Nevermind. Saturday February 22, 7pm. Dufferin Grove Park (Dufferin Street at Sylvan).

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FASHION

February Clothing Swap Party
From noon until 4 pm on Sunday, Swap Don't Shop is hosting a poppin' clothing swap party. The event's not only an overhaul for your closet - it's also a sustainable and socially conscious way to give and take back from the community. Entrance is just $5, so lug up to 30 pieces of gently used clothing to Arts Market and walk away with a brand new set of gear for spring. Sunday, February 23, noon-4pm, Arts Market (846 College St).

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For more fashion listings, check out our This Week in Fashion post.

COLLECTORS

Postcard ShowToronto Postcard Show
Calling all Toronto history buffs and nostalgics! If our history posts have you salivating for something you can hold in your hands, make the trek to the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre on Sunday for Canada's largest vintage postcard show. There will be 40 tables dealing postcards from Toronto and all over the world. Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (6 Garamond Court, Don Mills), Sunday, February 23, 10am-5pm, $7.

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

Lead photo from League of Lady Wrestlers's Facebook

Winter skyline

That time the Raptors and Leafs moved to the ACC

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toronto raptorsIt was 15 years ago this week the Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens took the ice at the Air Canada Centre for the first time. The game was the first NHL outing for the Buds away their spiritual home, Maple Leaf Gardens, where they had won 11 of their 13 Stanley Cups.

How the Leafs wound up in a former mail sorting facility behind Union Station is a tale of basketball, buyouts, and, most importantly, big money. The tale starts in 1993 with the awarding of a lucrative NBA expansion franchise to Toronto businessman John Bitove.

toronto raptors"Hoop, hoop, horray!" read The Toronto Star headline. "It's unanimous! NBA gives approval to T.O. franchise." The 27-member board of the National Basketball Association had approved a return of pro-basketball to Canada almost 50 years after the short-lived Toronto Huskies folded in 1947. The cost to start the new team: $125 million (US.)

As owner of the as-yet unnamed Toronto team, one of Bitove's first challenges was to build an arena. The team had secured permission to play on the floor of the massive 29,000 capacity Skydome in during the 1995 season but after that the team planned to move to an arena at the southwest corner of Bay and Dundas, which was to be called Centre Court.

It was a good thing too: Fans in the 500 level, those closest to the roof of the cavernous Skydome, complained they could barely see the action on the wooden court some 70 metres below.

The $100 million Centre Court would seat 20,000 and have room for 150 corporate boxes, the team said.

maple leaf gardensMeanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs were bursting at the seams on Carlton Street. Maple Leaf Gardens had provided the backdrop for the team's biggest successes but the relatively small number of seats, lack of corporate boxes, and the associated loss of potential revenue were becoming a source of internal friction.

The two expansion teams that joined the National Hockey League in 2000, the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, could both comfortably accommodate 2,000 more fans than the much-loved Leafs in newly built stadiums. The Gardens had been hastily thrown together in just over six months in 1931 and thousands of extra seats had been squeezed in over the decades, increasing capacity by a fifth but leaving little remaining space.

As Mark Osbaldeston wrote in his book Unbuilt Toronto 2: More of the City That Might Have Been, a stadium that could accommodate the soon-to-be Raptors and the Leafs made financial sense but the Bay and Dundas site was too small to accommodate both sports.

As a result, the Raptors bought the empty former Toronto central mail terminal, an old art deco building at Bay and Lake Shore. On the building's exquisite exterior, a series of 13 carvings by Louis Temporale Sr. depicted the history of communications in Canada.

air canada centreWith the purchase of the historic building - one of the first in the city to incorporate international style features - and a small patch of former railway lands, the Air Canada Centre was conceived. Canada's national carrier purchased the naming rights to the stadium for $30 million in 1995 and the Raptors planned to break ground on the project in November 1996, but a change of ownership would put paid to that.

Founder and president John Bitove was forced to sell his stake in the team to fellow shareholder Allan Slaight in a surprise "shotgun" agreement, giving Slaight 79% ownership. The newly empowered Slaight was in talks with construction tycoon and Leafs shareholder Larry Tanenbaum about the possibility of a stadium sharing agreement.

Slaight didn't see any major obstacles "as long as everybody [kept] an open mind."

The Leafs, meanwhile, were still trying hard to lure the Raptors away from the ACC, which the team believed would be too small for NHL hockey. The Buds were eyeing the possibility of new stadiums at the Exhibition grounds, near the Skydome, Varsity Stadium, and at Downsview.

Then the team did something few people saw coming.

toronto leafs unionOn April 17, 1997 the Leafs revealed plans to build an entirely new hockey arena a stone's throw from the Air Canada Centre, directly above the tracks of Union Station. The stadium would share the grand entrance of Toronto's railway terminal on Front Street and include a tower similar in design to one planned for the ACC.

Most importantly, the proposal did not foresee the Raptors as neighbours. Under the Leafs' plans, the postal station would be turned into a bus terminal and the basketball franchise moved under the same roof as the hockey team - too bad if the Raptors were already $80 million in the hole for the ACC and were obliged to be ready for the start of the 1999 NBA season.

As Osbaldeston wrote, the trouble was the Leafs didn't actually own the property the team planned to build on (and over.) Union Station was on land owned by the city and leased to the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway.

The two rail companies were locked in a dispute with the city over millions in unpaid rent. The Leafs offered to cover CPR and CNR's costs and pay an additional $50 million on top for the land rights. There were additional sweeteners, too.

The Leafs balked at a counter offer from the city that would have cost the team significantly more. In a last ditch effort to reverse its fortunes, full-page ads were printed in Toronto newspapers appealing for public support.

It wasn't to be, however, and the team turned its focus once again to a stadium at the Exhibition grounds that appeared to have the support of city.

toronto maple leafs unionIn early 1998, the Leafs deked in a new direction entirely and bought the Raptors and their unfinished Bay Street arena wholesale. The team initially clung to the idea of a grand entrance through Union Station on Front Street but eventually dropped that idea too.

The Air Canada Centre opened in 1999 with both the Raptors and Leafs best friends.

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

Images: Jim U/blogTO Flickr pool, Toronto Public Library, Toronto Star, Public Domain

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