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Cheese and charcuterie the focus at new Roncy spot

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workshop roncesvalles torontoStill a wine bar and still under the same ownership, the Fat Cat Wine Bar has been renamed and revamped as a purveyor of simple but fine provisions that invites diners right into the kitchen. The plan is to keep at least 25 cheeses in stock at all times, available in flights, a la carte or imbued into every possible dish.

Read my profile of The Workshop by Latitude in the restaurants section.


The Best Pies in Toronto

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pies torontoThe best pies in Toronto can be found in bakeries and pastry shops around the city, each with their own version a slice above the rest. Some stick to the traditional, serving a perfected copy of what Grandma used to make, buttery, flaky and filled with ripe fruit. Others raise the bar by adding crowd-pleasing details like chocolate drizzle tops and thicker shortbread crusts.

The origins of pie-making go back to 9500 B.C., when our ancestors made rustic free-form pies out of oats and wheat, filled them with honey and baked them over hot coals. The popularity of pies grew and spread throughout Europe via the Roman roads, until nearly everything seemed to be baked in some kind of pastry vessel.

My personal favourite, and one I'm hoping comes back in style, is the animated pie: A form of banquet entertainment, rabbits, birds, turtles, and even human beings were set into pies, to be released when the pie was cut. (That's why the old nursery rhyme goes "four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.") In the 14th century the Duke of Burgundy had a huge pie made that, when sliced open, released music from the 28 musicians stuffed inside. Now, doesn't that sound like a little slice of heaven?

Here are the best pies in Toronto.

See also:

The best meat pies in Toronto
10 bakeries to buy pumpkin pie in Toronto

Weekend events in Toronto: April 4-6, 2014

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Weekend events TorontoWeekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this April 4-6, 2014.

Pillow Fight Toronto 2014
A pillow fight goes down on Saturday at Nathan Phillips Square, which admittedly will seem tame compared to everything else that goes down in and around City Hall. Will there be pillows that serve as effigies of Rob Ford? Will Rob Ford be there in his PJs? My parents never let me have pillow fights, so here are some tips I found handy: organizers stress bringing feather-free pillows only, remind you to take your glasses off, and, yes, encourage pajamas. Saturday, April 5, 3 p.m., Nathan Phillips Square (Bay & Queen).

ART

AGOFrancis Bacon / Henry Moore
The AGO will host a massive Francis Bacon and Henry Moore exhibition starting this weekend, featuring over 60 works by the two British artists, both major players in the postwar art scene exploring bleak existentialism and the distortion of reality and human form. It's way dark, especially for a spring show (take some Gravol before bed the night after this one). Check out our preview here. April 5-July 6, the Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. West).

Max Lupo - Objects of Note
This month at VERSO Gallery, Max Lupo is obsessed with the power of objects like vintage telephones (check it out), typewriters, and strange inventions that are hard to put a name on right away. Do objects have healing powers? Can they react to their users? Do they contain ironic elements and are they laughing at us, or with us? April 5-April 27, VERSO Gallery (1160 Queen St. West). The first live performance is Saturday, April 5 from 4-6 p.m.

Scott Conarroe - China
This week at Stephen Bulger Gallery you can take in some phenomenal-looking new work by Scott Conarroe, shot while he was in China (all the photogs are heading to China these days). If that isn't enough (and this lens has me addicted), check out some of his Rails series photos online. Gorgeous work. April 5-May 3, Stephen Bulger Gallery (1026 Queen St. West).

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

FOOD

Cupcakes & Cocktails
Bite Bar launches Cupcakes & Cocktails this Saturday. Pairing bite-sized sweets with dessert-inspired cocktails, wines and beers, the new weekly feature will be offered regularly every Thursday to Saturday. Saturday, April 5, 7 p.m., Bite Bar (57 Elm St.).

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

MUSIC

Vierance EP Release
The goth party of the week is the launch of Deth Records with this EP release by Toronto duo Vierance. If you can listen to Trust without complaining that it's retro or whatever, this is where you need to be on Friday. In Hamilton. Where the real people are. Can't make it? The Toronto release is April 26 at Double Double Land. Friday, April 4, 10 p.m., Baltimore House (43 King William St., Hamilton).

Feast in the East
Hey east-enders, Feast in the East is moving! The new venue is The Jam Factory at the corner of Davies Ave., north of Queen East, just east of the DVP. To celebrate, founder Tad Michalak has put together one of the greatest posters in the history of Toronto music. Your ticket price includes a free curry dinner; Ketamines, Babysitter, Gay, and Omhouse are making the noise. Saturday, April 5, 9 p.m, The Jam Factory (2 Matilda St.), $8.

Swap, Don't Shop fundraiser for Girls Rock Camp Toronto
On Sunday afternoon, you can help support Girls Rock Camp and see Twist, Patti Cake, Planet Creature, Ice Cream, and Beliefs perform live. There's also a stuff swap! Find cool new thangs, and get rid of your ex's thangs (it's time). The swap starts at 1 p.m., but you can stop by anytime after 12:30 p.m. to drop off your hoarded treasure, from clothes to records, books, and assorted strange items (no monkey's paws, please). It's $8 to swap or $5 if you just want to see the bands (all money goes to the camp). Sunday, April 6, 12:30 p.m, The Garrison (1197 Dundas St. West).

See also

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

FILM

The Toronto Silent Film Festival
As we've already mentioned, the Toronto Silent Film Festival is almost upon us, with a lineup that looks better than ever. Every year I look forward to the event at Casa Loma, which is always accompanied by a live score performed on a Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. This year, the film to be honoured with that treatment is Max Linder's Seven Years Bad Luck (Monday, April 7 at 8 p.m.). April 3-8, Innis Town Hall Theatre (2 Sussex Ave).

aluCine Latin Film and Media Arts Festival
aluCine's Hispanic Heritage Month runs from April 3-12, and this year the spotlight is on Mexico. There will be 60 films including shorts, plus parties, children's programming, and more. April 3-12, multiple venues (Jackman Hall, AGO, 317 Dundas St. West, and Wychwood Theatre, Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St.), all access passes $75/individual tickets vary.

Omar, see this, too. It's better. Varsity Theatre, (55 Bloor St. West).

Also opening in theatres this week

  • Afflicted (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Varsity, Scotiabank, Rainbow Market Sq.)
  • Cas & Dylan (Varsity)
  • The Great Flood (The Bloor)
  • Main Tera Hero (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
  • Three Colours & a Canvas (Carlton)
  • The Unknown Known (The Bloor)

ADULT

The 9th Annual Good For Her Feminist Porn Awards
The Feminist Porn Awards are back. The Capitol Event Theatre will host the entertainment and ceremony. Bring a change of panties, or just trade with someone else at the show. Is that bad advice? I can mentally hear my mother never giving that advice. Friday, April 7, 8 p.m., Capitol Event Theatre (2492 Yonge St.), $25.

See also

PARTY

DJ Spinna
Brooklyn's DJ Spinna has a long history rocking Toronto crowds with his wildly eclectic sets, which can span everything from underground hip-hop to vintage funk to deep house. Expect his approach to be even more freewheeling and unpredictable for this party, as the theme for the night is "Anything Goes." Saturday, April 5, Revival (783 College St), 10 pm, $15.

See also

For more dance listings, check out our Top Dance Parties in Toronto in April post.

THEATRE

Trudeau and the FLQ
Even if history isn't your bag, you can't go wrong with a VideoCab production, the best in theatrical Canadian history mashups. And given that his son Justin is attempting to position himself as the golden boy of Canadian politics, the pop portrait of Pierre Trudeau seems particularly fitting at this present moment. Detailing a very dynamic period in Michael Hollingsworth's History of the Village of Small Huts, 1963-1970, this particular segment documents Quebec separatist violence, the rise of our most colourful and controversial leader, and the backdrop of the energetic Sixties. Young Centre, until May 10, various showtimes, $25-$55.

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

COMEDY

Of Mice and Morro and Jasp
Comedy duo Morro & Jasp are taking on John Steinbeck's classic tale (hehe, tail) of tragedy ( :( ) for one night only, and it's totally free, because the actresses know times are hard now, too. Send in the clowns. Friday, April 4, 7pm, The Great Hall (1087 Queen W), free.

See also

BOOKS

Old Book and Paper ShowOld Book and Paper Show
If you're a fan of our history posts, you'll want to take a trip through the past at Wychwood Barns on Sunday. There will be seventy tables of old and antique paper, postcards, posters, and other ephemera. You can also get your (not sticky, I hope) hands on some pretty fine rare and antiquarian books. Artscape Wychwood Barns (601 Christie Street), 10am - 4pm, $8.

IDEAS

Spur Festival Toronto
Spur is a festival of politics, art and ideas that's spreading across Toronto this weekend before heading on to Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver. Check out the line up of events, including parties, a brunch, film screenings, a cabaret, walkabouts, readings, and panel discussions, here on their site. April 3 - 6, various venues.

FASHION

Etsy pop-up shop
Etsy, an online platform dedicated to vintage and handmade goods from independent retailers, has come to real life in the form of an Indigo pop-up shop. The Eaton Centre location will play host to a selection of about 10 sellers offering everything from eclectic jewellery to Canada-centric candles. Though the duration of the pop-up shop is unclear, I've no doubt there'll be plenty more where it came from; Etsy's had several stints in stores like West Elm, Nordstrom, and Hudson's Bay. Indigo, Toronto Eaton Centre (220 Yonge St.).

Lavish&Squalor Garage Sale
If the weather has you in the mood to shop, make your way to Queen West this weekend for Lavish&Squalor's, quote, "crazy Renovation Liquidation Garage Sale." The shop is clearing out prop rooms, random furniture, lighting, hangers, clothing, shoes, sunglasses, and more. Friday 11-8, Saturday 11-7, Sunday 11-6, Lavish&Squalor (253 Queen St. West).

See also

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

GAMES

4th Annual Level Up Showcase
One for the gamers: Design Exchange will host dozens of team projects from fifteen Toronto institutions. Try games and meet developers, all at no cost. Friday, April 4, 5-10 p.m., Design Exchange (234 Bay St.).

HISTORY

Spur Festival: Massey Hall
Take a guided tour through Toronto's iconic Massey Hall. The building has seen a lot of change in its 120 years. Guide Marianne McKenna, winner of the Governor General's Medal for her work on Koerner Hall, will speak about Massey's redesign and revitalization during the behind-the-scenes walkabout. Sunday, April 6, 10 a.m., Massey Hall (178 Victoria St.).

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

Film writing by Blake Williams, fashion writing by Bianca Venerayan. Lead photo by Ali Kamran on Flickr.

Web developer wanted for short-term contract

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We're hiring! As we gear up for the real start of the spring season it's time for us to make some things a bit prettier around here. And that's maybe where you come in. We have an immediate need for a skilled web developer with SASS experience and a solid knowledge of HMTL and CSS.

Other must have skills and experience includes:

  • Experience with Django, specifically the templating language.
  • Good Javascript knowledge and the ability to build clean and isolated JS classes.
  • Experience with working in Vagrant environments.

This is a short-term contact (freelance) position. Ideal start date would be the week of April 14th and the initial contract term would last two weeks with the potential to be extended based on need and availability.

If interested in the role, please send links to some of your recent work as well as your GitHub profile link.

All applications should be sent to jobs [at] blogto [dotcom].

Thanks in advance for your interest. We aim to reply to all candidates who submit a complete application as detailed above.

Old Eastern Avenue Bridge

Petra Glynt & U.S. Girls empower AGO First Thursdays

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AGO First ThursdayThe AGO's First Thursday for April was a special one. First, it included a preview of the new Francis Bacon / Henry Moore exhibit, which officially opens on Saturday (check out some terrifying photos here). Second, the AGO paired two of Toronto's most compelling musicians, Petra Glynt and U.S. Girls, to tear apart the AGO's atrium.

AGO First ThursdayThis was my first time making it to a First Thursday AGO event, and what struck me as soon as I walked in was that I was underdressed - wait, no, I was just not fancy enough, period. Turns out AGO First Thursdays are a place to display your most chic clubwear while browsing art, and by browsing art, I do mean standing in line for drinks all night. It was hard to spot the normal, good people amid the fancy people, but I'm sure if you're reading this you were a good person. Hey.

AGO First ThursdayThe AGO had a bunch of programming going on, including model-making and (awesome) Toronto-based new media artist Phillipe Blanchard's mask workshop, which was structured around a complicated, colour-focused GIF creation concept but ended up sending a ton of people back out into the fray wearing paper masks (kind of cool) and paper hats (oh no). Toronto, what is up with you and paper hats? It was like Nuit Blanche-lite.

AGO First ThursdaySome special Henry Moore stuff had been pulled from the vault, upping the total amount of Moore art I saw this week to definitely enough (AGO: your crush is neat but things are getting awkward for the rest of us). As I wandered through the so-so regular exhibitions waiting for the music to start and watching people take selfies via every available reflective surface, I couldn't help but wish Drake was there to liven things up. So, it did feel like a pretty normal party.

AGO First ThursdayPetra Glynt and U.S. Girls were fresh from playing Wavelength 14 on the same bill, and it's a pairing that makes sense - the two independent (not indie) performers and activists are bending electronic and analog production at their will, and both have powerful voices that push to the forefront of their sound, yet the two are different enough that they can follow one another up in a way that's both complementary and captivating.

AGO First ThursdayAlex MacKenzie (that's Petra Glynt, keep up) played over a table strewn with a holographic cloth she'd crafted which pooled out around the stage like a wedding-veil-turned-portal, wearing a shirt that read "In this sad and tragic age we live in, to come to the defense of mother earth is to be branded a criminal," a Leonard Peltier quote from his prison diaries. Petra Glynt is backing down for nobody. I was excited just to hear the first strains of her music from a distant room in the gallery, and abandoned whatever sad art I was looking at.

AGO First ThursdayMacKenzie was more restrained at first than at other performances I've seen of hers, but as she got deeper into her songs and eventually broke out a new-ish, as-yet-unnamed track, she started cracking jokes and really dancing. If she just stood still, I'd still be spellbound by her delightfully messy yet structurally secure production and fierce voice - and to the fact that MacKenzie's live show, and flow, has matured so much over such a short time (I want to see PG collab with Drake so bad).

Some dramatic deep tones reminded me of San Francisco duo Water Borders - Alex, if you're not into Water Borders, I really think you should check them out (and vice versa, if the Water Borders guys are reading this). MacKenzie just received an Ontario Arts Council Popular Music Grant for her upcoming album, and with no hyperbole intended, after it drops, the landscape of Canadian pop will never be the same. I hope that's soon because I'm nervous about wearing out her 2013 tape on Healing Power.

AGO First ThursdayU.S. Girls performed with live drums at Wavelength, but she was solo at the AGO and I was pretty happy about that. I like watching Meg Remy's brilliant concept bridge the gaps between lo-fi experimental, retro soul, militant feminism, contemporary art, and noir, and while collaborations can be a wonderful thing, the project doesn't need a boost from anything or anyone (though I'd be into Drake dropping in for a verse with her too, if she'd let him). It had been way too long since I saw a Girls set and it was like drinking the best medicine in the world.

AGO First ThursdayRemy's live persona has gotten so Lynchian that I'm having trouble believing Lynch did a duet with Zola Jesus and not U.S. Girls. She began the set with a slow creeper of a track, and from there on in, there was hell to pay for anyone who wasn't along for the ride. At one point I think Remy kicked a guy just for walking by the stage.

A lot of (great) performers have been there. In that moment when someone's stone cold passing you by, lashing out - via physical aggression or just a hard stare - becomes a double hit: half "come back here, you fucker, you need this," half "I don't give a damn about doing what you want." Violence is always questionable and we should talk about it, but violence in a performative format can be so refreshing. Plus, I'm pretty sure Meg Remy kicked a bro in the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Aside from that, there's the necessary statement about Remy's ability to belt it out like she's possessed by, I don't know, something supremely mighty and unforgiving. There's also my quick admission that I'm still completely in awe of what she and MacKenzie are doing right now. During both sets it sounded like the speakers were busted or inadequate, but at least a good portion of that was deliberate sound, steeping pop ideas in the heavy sludge of cultural commentary.

AGO First ThursdayA couple of blinged-out attendees in the front row wearing bodycon dresses lost their minds after Remy pointed a light at them, dancing like mad people and mouthing words to songs they may or may not have known (OK, who doesn't love "The Boy is Mine"). It hit home how the solo experimental pop thing might not have been the best fit for the largely King Westian crowd, but both musicians made some new fans on Thursday, and now MacKenzie and Remy get to say they've played at the AGO.

AGO First ThursdayRemy (who was mad or playing mad, remember) turned on the crowd at one point. "Art doesn't excite you anymore? Art doesn't excite me anymore either." If you missed this, you were in line for a drink. "Art" with a capital A largely doesn't excite me like it used to, but Petra Glynt and U.S. Girls are two artists who constantly have me confronting challenging ideas, and swaying to their beat.

Photos by Jeff Karpala, 3rd and 6th photo via The AGO

That time Toronto pondered an airport in the Port Lands

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toronto stolportEarlier this week Toronto city council voted to talk about one day allowing jet flights out of the island airport. If the city eventually gives the green light, the runway could be extended by 168 metres at each end, further into the Toronto Bay and closer to the new Ontario Place parkland.

At around 1,550 metres, the new landing strip would still be about half the length of several of the runways at Pearson, but still considerably bigger than the tiny one the city briefly considered building in the 1970s. It was never built, of course, but in light of recent events the Toronto STOLport was an interesting concept for an urban airport.

toronto island airportThe island airport, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to use its full, formal name, was built in 1937. Its construction was authorized by the same controversial council vote that established Pearson Airport (then Malton) and gave the newly-formed Trans-Canada Air Lines a place to land in Toronto.

The artificial field south of Bathurst Street was created by filling in a large lagoon popular with boaters, demolishing an amusement park that included the baseball stadium where Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run, and razing a cluster of homes at Hanlan's Point. Before the extensive landscaping work, the northwestern end of the islands had ended in two distinct fingers.

The airport was originally named Port George VI Island Airport in honour of an upcoming royal visit and was mainly used for pilot training and the occasional passenger flight. The first commercial arrival, a "giant U.S. airliner from New York," contained Tommy Dorsey "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" and his band who played over two nights at the dance pavilion at the Exhibition Grounds in September 1939.

Also on stage that summer were Artie Shaw, Glen Gray, Bennie Goodman, and Guy Lombardo.

toronto island airportDuring the middle years of the second world war, the field was used by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and nicknamed Little Norway. The country's government and military leaders had been forced to flee after the Nazi invasion and run the country's defence corps in exile. Pilots received basic training on the Toronto Islands in little fighter planes: Fairchild PT-19s, Northrop N-3PBs, and Curtiss Hawk 75-A8s.

In the 1950s, the city transferred control of Malton Airport to the federal government in exchange for a series of upgrades at the island airport, includng a runway extension, air traffic control facilities, a night lighting system, and new hangars with the intention of expanding the number of commercial passenger flights.

The STOLport idea arrived in the 1970s. The number of planes using the improved facilities at the island airport had started to fall and officials blamed a lack of a tunnel or bridge to the city and the lack of room to extend the runways for jets. The recent upgrades to Buttonville airport had grabbed some of the commuter business as well.

In all, the airport was losing about $300,000 a year in 1975 - $160,000 of it on operating the tiny ferry across the Western Channel alone - and wasn't expected to make it beyond 1976 on its various federal and provincial subsidies.

toronto island airportIn response to what was perceived as a death rattle from the island airport, the city floated an ambitious redevelopment scheme that would see the airport replaced with an offshore community of some 60,000 people.

Known as Harbour City, the idea came at a time when the city was busily working on Metro Centre, a plan to turn disused downtown railway lands into a mass of office space, commercial buildings, and apartments. (The only Metro Centre components ever realized were the CN Tower and Metro Toronto Convention Centre.)

Urbanist Jane Jacobs called Harbour City "probably the most important advance in planning for cities that has been made this century." The community would be built on little islands and stitched together by residential roads, lagoons, and canals between the airport and Ontario Place. All air activity would be shifted east to the Port Lands or Leslie Street Spit.

toronto island airportRather than build a replica of the old airport, aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Canada, which was then assembling its planes at Downsview, pitched the idea of a STOLport - short for "Short Take-Off and Landing Airport" - roughly opposite Cherry Beach.

Had it been built, it would have been extremely small, roughly half the size of the current Billy Bishop layout, and served 50-seater commuter planes capable of zipping between similar STOLports in urban centres as far as Chicago and Sault Ste. Marie.

The compact layout meant small cities could afford to build STOLports relatively cheaply, in doing so creating a network of local commuter airports across Ontario. Toronto alderman Thomas Harris saw the idea, which had the backing of the federal government, as a plan to build a southern version of NorOntario, the province's air transport network in Northern Ontario.

Federally-owned de Havilland said the ideal planes for the network of micro airports were (conveniently) its own new Dash 7s (officially DHC-7s), which were specially engineered for slow landings and quick take-offs. The aircraft, each powered by four Pratt and Whitney turboprop engines, would make as much noise as the Gardiner Expressway from 500 feet away, the company claimed.

toronto island airportAs proof of concept, six de Havilland Twin Otters, the precursor to the Dash 7s, were tried in a short take-off and landing test route between Rockcliffe Airport in Ottawa and the Victoria STOLport in Montreal, which was built in the Expo 67 parking lot, by Airtransit, a subsidiary of Air Canada.

The idea of commuter planes, even tiny ones, flying out of downtown Toronto wasn't without its detractors. "Opponents of Dash 7 say it is absorbing large sums of taxpayers' money [the federal government invested $80 million in the plane's development] to benefit a small number of traveling businessmen, and that basing it on the Toronto islands would have dire implications for the island and the Waterfront parks," wrote Toronto Star reporter Janice Dineen in 1975. "The argument is that a park is no place for an airport."

Mayor David Crombie was also a vocal opponent, citing environmental concerns on the waterfront. Local MPP Marion Bryden predicted the battle over the future of the Toronto island airport would be as big as the struggle against the Spadina expressway.

toronto island airportThe STOLport would have been linked to Leslie Street by a streetcar or rapid transit line and a road with a direct connection to the now-demolished portion of the Gardiner Expressway east of the Don River. If it couldn't be built mid-way along the spit, de Havilland suggested an alternative location in the Port Lands, just south of the turning basin.

As it happened, the idea of an completely new STOLport was relatively short-lived. The proposal did, however, evolve into the current island airport, albeit very slowly.

toronto island airportAfter years of back-and-forth over how the downtown airport should operate now it that Harbour City had fizzled, commuter airline City Express started a service between Montreal, Ottawa, and the Toronto island using turboprop Saunders planes.

In 1980, Voyageur Airways started flying to North Bay and Sudbury from downtown Toronto, too. Combined with training flights, the number of take-offs and landings started to increase. The first short-take off and landing Dash 7s, operated by City Express, arrived in 1984.

The tripartite agreement, signed by the City, the Ministry of Transportation and the Toronto Harbour Commissioners (now the Toronto Port Authority) in 1983, kept jets out, limited runway expansion, and ordered the island airport stay true to its name by keeping the world's shortest ferry ride.

The agreement also officially killed off the STOL principles lauded by de Havilland and the federal government during the previous decade. The Dash 8s Porter Airlines uses today were developed from the Dash 7s but without the special aerodynamic features that would have allowed them to use short runways.

The landing strip at Billy Bishop Airport, which the city will consider extending in 2015, is already almost exactly twice the length it would have been as a STOLport.

toronto island airportChris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images (in order): "Toronto Island Airport," Airmaps Limited, Toronto, 1940, Toronto Public Library, 988-9-9; "Proposed Harbour city plans, Island airport," de Havilland Canada, City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 291, "Little Norway," 1940, Archives of Ontario, C 109-2-0-18

20 great looks from Holt Renfrew's Uncrate India party

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Uncrate IndiaHolt Renfrew rolled out the red carpet - and sitar players, henna artists, and a whole lot of samosas - to launch the store's Uncrate India collection, a selection of handmade goods curated by Holt's Alexandra Weston and designer Waris Ahluwalia, on Thursday night. The colour didn't stop at the fabric-draped walls and ribboned ceilings: many broke out their brightest saris, dresses and suits for the occasion.

Check out all the looks in the Style section.


The top 10 places in and around Toronto to get away from it all

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Toronto get awayToronto might be one of the most livable cities in the world, but sometimes one feels the need to get away from it all, to escape the bustling metropolis for a change of both pace and scenery. Fortunately in a city like ours, there are opportunities for mini-escapes of this type without even crossing the border into the GTA. But if you have the time and means of transportation, a sea of day-trip and getaway options exists within a short drive of Toronto. Whether you have 45 minutes or all day, the following destinations will offer a temporary reprieve from city life and the restorative power of an escape from routine.

See also:

The 10 most serene spots in Toronto
Toronto spas with no phone policies

Leslie Street Spit (Tommy Thompson Park)
The Leslie Street feels like more and more of an escape the further you go out, particularly if you stick to the eastern side, where the view of the lake and distant Scarborough Bluffs seems somehow unfamiliar and serene all at once. If it's a complete escape you're after, head to the spit bright and early in the morning before the crowds show up. Ride your bike. It's the fastest way to put some distance between you and the skyline.

Rouge Park
While there are plenty of ravines and green spaces to enjoy in (relatively) central areas of Toronto, the jaunt to the eastern edge of the city and Rouge Park is well worth it should have more time to explore and less desire to see obvious signs of civilization. While the Rouge River Valley is only about 20km from downtown, the river still follows its original course to its floodplain (unlike say the Don), which gives the area a topographical diversity you tend not to witness closer to the core. The park is also huge, so there's plenty of area to explore should you have the time.

The Palm House at Allan Gardens
Allan Gardens still seems to suffer from a bad reputation born of the years in which the park saw its far share of drug trafficking. That's kind of a shame insofar as the Palm House and other greenhouses are an inner city sanctuary, particularly in the dead of winter when everything outside seems frozen over and lifeless. Yes, there's even palm trees. And, no, you probably won't run into Liam Neeson, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your perspective.

Le Neuf Cafe
OK, let's say you're in the midst of a hellish day and all you can think about is that trip to Paris you took five years ago when everything was relaxing and filled with the type of optimism that accompanies life on the Seine in springtime. Assuming you're not willing to hop on a plane and abandon life in Toronto, a visit to Le Neuf Cafe might be enough to get you through the day. From the old building to the cafe's location on Clarence Square to the authentic baguette, this is a little slice of France in Toronto.

Ward's Island Beach (on a weekday)
Despite the obviousness of the selection, the Toronto Islands have to make this list. The key here is to take the ferry ride midweek when the visitor traffic is low. As for your choice of beach, that's at least somewhat subjective, but if it's an escape from the "city" you're after, Ward's is my choice. Not only does it face southwest (and hence away from the city), but it's also one of the quietest on the Islands.

Beamsville Bench
I can think of few more relaxing day-trips than a drive out to wine country. You could do Prince Edward County or Niagara-on-the-Lake, both of which have numerous merits, but the Beamsville Bench is the closest, and it might just have the best wine (though that is a matter of some debate). Should you want to register that you've escaped the city, head to deck at Fielding Estate with a glass of wine and gaze out at the Toronto skyline across the lake 50 kilometres away.

Elora Gorge
Located just over an hour to the northwest of Toronto, the Elora Gorge is a rugged little paradise that's easily accessible to the curious explorer. While there's various camping options in the area, you needn't spend the night to get the most out of the Grand River. Descend down the gorge wall and swim in the shallow waters or, for those with a bit greater sense of adventure, you can snag an inner tube and float down the river. Just make sure you start upstream.

Scandinave Spa
You can do the whole circuit spa thing in the city at any number of fine establishments, but the game changes when you're outdoors surrounded by the smell of trees and burning wood. The first time I went to Scandinave I was dubious at the prospect of enjoyment, but after an hour of cold and hot baths I was about as chilled out as I get. Blue Mountain is a rather family-focused place, but the spa is where the adults go to get away from it all.

Prince Edward County - Drake Devonshire Inn
The once-quiet roads of Prince Edward Country are slowly attracting more visitors as the area becomes a fully fledged wine region, but you really know you've made it when the Drake Hotel chooses to plop down in your yard. While the opening date is still under wraps, it appears that the Drake Devonshire Inn will make its debut in the next couple of months, and with it a whole new era of cool will descend on PEC. And when the Starbucks eventually arrives, well, you know how that plays out.

Shanti Retreat on Wolfe Island
You'll want to make a trip to Kingston's Wolfe Island a weekend getaway based on its distance from Toronto (just under three hours of driving), but for Yoga enthusiasts looking for the ultimate Ontario escape, Shanti Retreat is the ticket. Less dogmatic than some other yoga-based trips out there, this is a place where rest and relaxation are as much a part of the concept as perfecting your downward facing dog. If yoga isn't your thing, Wolfe Island is also known for its good cycling roads, and Kingston is surprisingly charming so long as you stick to the old part of town (mostly east of University).

BONUS

Try a conservation centre
There are numerous conservation areas spread across the GTA, many of which offer a cheap way to escape the city for a day. Some of my favourites include Kelso (mountain biking), Rattlesnake Point (fall colours), Kortright (maple syrup), Boyd (picnicking).

Got a favourite day-trip from Toronto? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks to Focus: Life Gear by TRIDENT for sponsoring this post. Focus: Life Gear by TRIDENT is a fashion line that blocks your mobile connectivity, allowing you to embrace a lifestyle of focus.Focus Trident

Photo by BruceK

Doc back with the first pitch

Free events in Toronto: April 7-13, 2014

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Free events in TorontoFree events in Toronto this week can leave you richer: a hot portrait, new skills, and, of course, the usual expanded-mind BS (it's not BS) are only the beginning of the wonders Toronto has to offer those who can't afford, say, the Cher concert on Monday. Do you believe? I do.

Here's what to do in Toronto this week if you blew your paycheque on Cher tickets.

Launch Party for Raise Some Shell: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Cowabunga, my hungry reptiles: free pizza! Richard Rosenbaum wrote a book about Ninja Turtles, and ECW Press is throwing a party, Turtles style. Monday, April 7, 6pm, No One Writes to the Colonel (460 College St.).

FLAME: Block 2
Does the spring have you wanting to make comics, paint, or tell stories? FLAME will host free art programs for LGBTQ2S spectrum youth under 29 from April 7 to May 28. Learn more about their programming and how to apply here. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, April 7-May 28, 6pm.

365 Days of African Liberation Film Series
Mark this down: on Mondays from April 7 to 28, the 365 Days of African Liberation Film Series will show a total of four films: Black Power Mix Tape, United States of Africa: Beyond Hip Hop, Mama Africa, and Fela NYC: Fresh From Africa. April 7, April 14, April 21 and April 28, 6pm, Regent Park Focus Youth Media Arts Centre (38 Regent St.).

MakeWorks Open-House
MakeWorks is launching a 10,000-sq.-ft. shared work space in a restored factory in College West. The open house is free to enter from 4pm to 7pm with demonstrations by members, live music, local food and drink, and 3D printing. If you want to attend the party with Skratch Bastid that begins at 7pm, you'll have to slip 'em $10. Wednesday, April 9, 4pm-7pm, MakeWorks Coworking Studio (1139 College St.).

IFOA Weekly presents Ghalib Islam and Adam Sternbergh
If you're over 25, not a student, or not an IFOA supporter, then this event is not free, but if you meet one of those qualifications you can attend this reading by novelists Ghalib Islam and Adam Sternbergh without spending a dime. Wednesday, April 9, 7:30pm, Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West).

Norman Marshall Villeneuve's Jazz Message Quartet
Shout out to the people who accuse us of hurting for jazz coverage - namely a shout of "I know, and I'm sorry." If you'd like to write about jazz for blogTO let me know. Here's a free concert in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre to soothe your disappointment in the meantime. Thursday, April 10, 12pm, Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (145 Queen St. West).

Portrait People
Ivy Lovell (full disclosure, she used to shoot for us) is opening a show at Oz with a unique concept. Pay-what-you-can portraits in the gallery (for your lacklustre dating profile), and free beer. Lots of free beer! So your portrait is going to look great. Friday, April 11, 2pm-2am, Oz Studios (134 Ossington Ave).

L'homme et le ciel - PWYC Opera Preview
"PWYC" looks weird next to "Opera," but that's fitting enough, since this is an "electro-acoustic" performance presented by FAWN Opera & New Music. This will serve as a preview of all the work the two groups have been doing along with three singers, a six piece ensemble, electronics and a responsive multi-media set. Friday, April 11, 8pm, Ernest Balmer Studio (55 Mill St.).

Also, check out these regular free events in Toronto

Photo by Ivy Lovell

The top 10 stores for watches in Toronto

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watches in torontoThe top stores for watches in Toronto offer everything from inexpensive fashion-focused watches to obscure mid-priced brands to the kind of high-end timepieces Bay Street bankers dream about. Though a certain segment of watch nerds may disagree, there's no rule that you need to spring for the latter option in order to make that piece of wrist flash worth your while.

In the advent of smartphones, many predicted watches would fall by the wayside as a fashion item, remaining only on the wrists of the aforementioned boardroom dwellers, or leisure-class high rollers who see their Swiss tourbillons as signifiers of status and wealth. But, as in so many other areas of fashion, nostalgia prevails: A new wave of sleek, retro, reasonably inexpensive designs has appeared right alongside the Barbour jackets and Pendleton flannels in men's boutiques across the city.

This list omits stores that focus entirely on high-end timepieces. Check these spots out if you're looking to stock up on a couple of stylish budget-friendly watches, or just grab something to wear while you save up for the Panerai or Baume & Mercier you've been lusting after. Either way, you'll be fashionably on time.

Here are the top stores for watches in Toronto.

Classic Creations
Located at Yonge and Eglinton, Classic Creations is primarily a jeweler, with the dizzying array of prestige watch brands to prove it. Watch geeks on a budget, take note: Classic Creations has all the mid-century-style Shinolas you could possibly handle, with most of the Detroit watchmaker's watch collection on offer ($550-$900). On the lower end of the price spectrum, there's also department-store mainstays like Coach, Tissot and Victorinox.

Watch IT!
Sure, it's part of a Canada-wide chain, but the Yonge-Dundas store is a popular destination. That's for a good reason: They stock everything from the outlandish (Karl Lagerfeld) to the serious (Tissot, 88 Rue du Rhone), the sporty to the military to the classy, with plenty of inexpensive, fashion-y brands represented.

Uncle Otis
Yorkville's Uncle Otis carries killer fashion watches to complement their lineup of casual menswear - some, like their vintage-styled Timexes, have downright un-Yorkville prices (they start at around $50). But for the discerning and higher-budgeted, there's Uniform Wares and Tsovet's stylishly spare timepieces, rounded out with a couple of ribbon-strap Daniel Wellingtons.

The Accessory Bar
The former Bang-On store near Yonge and Dundas is now stocked high with backpacks and caps, and lined with rows of glass cases packed with a huge range of Nixon watches (ranging from the spare to the out-there), mega-clean designs from Belgian brand Komono, and a few G-Shocks. Service is friendly and knowledgeable.

European Jewellery
On your next stroll through the Eaton Centre, you'll be able to spot the horology geeks from a mile away: They're the people breaking their nose cartilage on the glass cases outside European Jewellery, ogling the J12s and Planet Oceans. That's not to say that everything at European will cost you as much as a reasonably nice car - Hamilton, for example, has a rep for making some of the finest stuff in the high-three-figure-range. (If you're looking for a cheap thrill, though, this may not be your spot.)

Rolo
Piled high with unusual, high-design gifts, this oddball Yorkville shop (the name stands for Realm of Ludicrous Objects) sells watches by companies you didn't even know made watches - think Alessi and Braun - and some sculptural, sci-fi inspired novelty watches from 01 The One.

Lost & Found
Ossington's favourite menswear store/coffee shop features a handful of watches from Shinola, real-deal dive watches from Military Watch Co. and retro models from Miansai. Though the selection's small, they're planning to expand their Shinola collection; the store's staff add they'll also do special orders for buyers looking for a certain model.

Minh Chau
In addition to being a mainstay on our lists of best optical stores, Minh Chau also operates a jewelry and watch boutique in Chinatown. It's a favourite source among fans of certain brands (Omega and Tissot come to mind) for the selection and discounts.

So Hip It Hurts
At the moment, the legendary Queen West skate shop appears to stock two watch brands, Nixon and Vestal. But with several cases liberally interspersed around the store, the selection's pretty respectable, and the designs are cool enough that you don't need to be a skater to wear 'em.

La Swiss
The selection has shrunk since La Swiss moved to Bloor from its long-ago home in the Eaton Centre. Now, it's quite the mixed bag - TW Steel, ESQ Movado, and Victorinox alongside a number of high-end Swiss brands and their own house line. The real treasures are to be found in their vintage case, which features pieces from stratospherically expensive brands like Piaget and Blancpain for a fraction of the cost. (Granted, that's still in the thousands.)

What did I miss? Add your picks for watch stores in the comments.

Photo of So Hip It Hurts by Jesse Milns.

Rob Ford triggers social media circus at Leafs game

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toronto ford leafsRob Ford went to the Leafs game last night. It was never going to end quietly. Reports surfaced on social media yesterday evening that the Toronto's chief magistrate had been ejected from the Air Canada Centre (again), but those rumours were quickly squashed by people with eyes on the mayor.

According to the Toronto Star, it appears things took a bad turn when Ford was denied entrance to the exclusive Directors' Lounge at the ACC and became "upset," in the words of Councillor Frank Di Giorgio, who was at the game with the mayor. He said Ford thought the rebuke was a political move because he voted against MLSE's proposed expansion of BMO Field.

"That's politics, it's bullshit," he was filmed telling a security guard as fans chanted "Robbie, Robbie."

Ford was swamped by Leafs fans during the game which, by the way, the team lost 4-2 to the Winnipeg Jets. Di Giorgio said the pair became separated in the melee. It appears that the mayor returned to his office at City Hall and then went to Muzik nightclub, where he appeared in a blurry picture posted to Twitter.

Ford was famously booted from a Leafs game while a city councillor in 2006 for drunkenly yelling at other fans.

Here's how last night's events unfolded on social media.

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

Cold morning in Toronto

Today in Toronto: Music on Film presents Wavemakers, Sister Spit, Cher, Trampoline Hall, Pysanky Workshop

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Today in TorontoToday in Toronto electronic music heads will want to be at the Bloor Cinema for the Toronto premiere of Wavemakers, a doc about early electronic instrument the Ondes Martenot. If you're feeling crafty it's worth your while to email about the pysanky workshop below (don't just drop in) - if there aren't spots today or Wednesday, more sessions are in the works. To learn more, read our interview with folk arts group Kosa Kolektiv here. For more events, click on over to our events section.

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

Photo: Anafrog


This Week in Music: New Drake, Hua Li, Gay, Graze, Greys, The National, Nadja, Picastro, PUP, Bile Sister

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This Week in MusicThis Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

Drake drops new tracks
This week in Drake, Toronto's soft-hearted, hot-headed rapper is tiffing with Jay Z, which sounds like a boring pastime to me. He dropped two new tracks in two days, one of which ("Draft Day," the dissy one) samples Lauren Hill. That should ensure that the track is a cool listen but it's really not. There's a skit at the end too, oh boy. Since they're from Drake and not some Soundcloud random, both tracks are pretty bad.

Non-Drake new Toronto songs and vids

Greys - Guy Picciotto
Wow! This track is loud and it sounds like it was recorded at a swimming pool! I like both those things (sincerely).

Graze's Boiler Room Toronto Live Set
Not a music video, just Graze doing their thing in the Boiler Room. They look so happy. I'd actually compliment that Cool Goth shirt if I saw a stranger rocking it on the TTC, and I don't talk to strangers.

PUP - Lionheart
Remember that totally crazy PUP video? Here's a new PUP video. It's about a gross highschool party. Possibly in Winnipeg? Ah, memories.

Digits - Keeping Secrets
Karaoke.

Gay - Another Green Stitch
Here are the top Google search results for is anyone in the band gay actually gay? which are possibly more interesting than the answer to that question. Or the band! Fun times and chill summer vibes here in this track.

SlowPitch - Robotic Rain Cells ft Shikha
SlowPitch has collabed with Toronto singer Shikha, and while it's not as creepy and futuristic as I'd like it to be, it kinda sounds like a song that could be on Dawson's Creek during a scene where several cast members have ingested psychedelic substances and some serious things (this is Dawson's Creek) go down. You can download this trip-hoppy track for free.

Nadja - Dark Circles
From their new album Queller, this video is made from pieces of Brazilian short film Glauco, Glaucio & Chavez. The video actually doesn't do the song justice but you'll enjoy this if you're into slow moving ambiguity (and if you've slept on this track, wake up).

This week in Bandcamp

  • Nadja have finally released Tangled, their "grindcore" 7" (grindgaze?). Availability is limited, so jump on this one.
  • Rory Hinchey's band Alpha Strategy have a new release, Thread, which captures what they're up to lately with the full band. It's swaggery.

This week's hot tickets

The National
Three dates to get intimate. Typing "intimate" below "The National" made me think of my parents. Therapy. If you don't have to save all your money for therapy (or maybe indie rock is your therapy because you cry? We are all united in our different-ness), Craigslist is the only place you'll find tickets for these dates. April 9, 10, 11, Massey Hall, sold out.

Picastro
Picastro supporting their new LP You at Cinecycle April 9, presented by Wavelength. Liz Hysen's quintet for this brief tour will include Nick Storring, Clarke, Matthew Ramolo (of Khora), and percussionist Germaine Liu. Read our interview with Liz Hysen here. It promises to be an enchanting evening - there will be two separate performances on the same night with film screenings, $5 Steam Whistle, popcorn, and more (read about the line up here). Wednesday, April 9, Cinecycle, (129 Spadina), $12.

L'homme et le ciel - PWYC Opera Preview
"PWYC" looks weird next to "Opera," but that's fitting enough since this is an electro-acoustic performance presented by FAWN Opera & New Music. This will serve as a preview to all the work the two groups have been doing along with three singers, a six piece ensemble, electronics and a responsive multi-media set. Friday, April 11, 8pm, Ernest Balmer Studio (55 Mill St, Toronto), pwyc.

The Dirty Hustle w/ Skyler & Hua Li
Oh, what is this? Rappers Hua Li (化力) (Montreal) and Skyler (Berlin) will perform live at The Steady on Saturday night. Watch this video and you'll know if you need to be there. There will be $4 Red Stripe & Booty Drops plus a dance party to follow, naturally. Saturday, April 12, 10pm, The Steady Cafe (1051 Bloor St. West), $2. (It's seriously $2).

ZONES, Bile Sister, Nick Persons, Doom Tickler, Fleshtone Aura
This local gig will be literally in a separate universe from the chain. Doom Tickler watches two hundred hours of throat singing Youtube videos every month and growls over the pop production she makes in her swanky east end loft. Bile Sister is killing it lately with her new full band which hasn't managed to damage her wavy psych sound -- the opposite, in fact. I've exhausted the space I have to talk about this show, but check out all the artists online. Saturday, April 12, May Cafe, $7.

Other shows to hit up

See also

What we got up to this week

Photo of Hua Li by Danik Yopp via Facebook

Where to get stuffed on Korean eats on Yonge St.

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Oh Geul Buh GeulThis casual Korean spot, a couple doors down from one of the bustling locations of the Owl of Minerva chain, is a good spot in Koreatown North for honest Korean comfort food in the form of BuDae Jongol (boot camp stew) and Soon Tofu.

Read my review of Oh Geul Buh Geul in the restaurants section.

Giant pillow fight brings a little catharsis to city hall

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Pillow Fight Toronto 2014Has there ever been a better time to hold a pillow fight at city hall? As mayoral candidates amp up their campaigns to take office, this is a place that's both contested and, depending on your feelings about the mayor, contemptible. In other words, it was the perfect stomping grounds for a bunch of people looking to smash each other in the face with down pillows. Hosted by Newmindspace and Atomic Lollipop, the 2014 edition of the Toronto Pillow Fight offered a chance to purge one's frustrations all in the name of fun.

The turnout on Saturday was, perhaps, a bit disappointing -- about 200 people at its peak -- but there was no shortage of enthusiasm despite the cool temperatures. The superheroes vs. villains theme was taken up by just enough participants to make for some bizarre mini-battles (like, say, Luigi duking it out with a junior Spiderman). All in all, it was an entertaining afternoon for those who made it out.

Check out all the smashing and bashing in this photo gallery.

What street vendors used to look like in Toronto

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street vendor history torontoStreet vending started in Toronto at the turn of the 20th century in Kensington Market. Handcarts pushed by predominantly Jewish merchants were, in fact, how the neighbourhood got its started as a marketplace altogether. It would be easy to say we've come a log way since then, but the truth is that Toronto street vending has only just entered its renaissance with the birth of the food truck and freshly loosened regulations that will actually allow vendors to operate on, you know, city streets.

For years, Toronto street vending was dominated by the candy/cashew vendor and the hot dog stand. In fact, judging by the photos below, you'd have been lucky to get much of substance at all on Toronto streets until the mid '80s when more and more street meat became available. Prior to that, you were looking at ice cream, pop corn, candy apples, and the aforementioned cashews.

Yes, the street eats of Toronto's past were nothing to get excited about. Some of these photos actually look a little sad, but that's what makes great. As a kid growing up in the 1980s, I can assure you that these stands were the most wonderful things in the world, filled with things you weren't allowed to it. And then the wool is pulled from your eyes and you realize you've grown up -- just like Toronto's street vendors.

PHOTOS

2011727-kensington-1910s.jpgKenington Market, 1910s

201448-yonge-queen.jpgNewspaper stand at Yonge & Queen, 1925

201448-kensington.jpgKensington Market, 1926

201448-balloons.jpgKensington Market 1970

201448-candy-apples.jpgCandy Apples on Yonge, 1971

201448-aa-records.jpgOutside A&A Records in 1972

201448-pop-corn.jpgPop corn vendor in 1973

201448-yonge-dundas2.jpgYonge & Dundas, 1978

201448-cashews.jpgHot Cashews in 1979

201448-rom-gray-coach.jpgAcross from the ROM in 1980

201448-yonge-dundas.jpgYonge & Dundas, 1985

201448-queen-bev.jpgQueen West, 1988

2011130-yb1980s.jpgYonge & Bloor, 1980s

20090518---A-La-Cart.jpgThe ill-fated A La Cart program, 2000s

201448-crazy-food-truck.jpgWacky food truck by Danielle Scott

201448-hot-dog.jpgTrusty hot dog vendor at Bathurst and College by Brian Cameron

toronto food trucksPhoto by Jesse Milns

Photos from the Toronto Archives unless otherwise marked. Special thanks to the Toronto History Flickr page, from which most of these photos were sourced.

TTC streetcars get the IMAX treatment

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toronto ttc imaxThe Toronto streetcar is getting the big screen IMAX movie treatment this summer. A stunning looking trailer for The Red Rocket, a documentary that records the daily life of "one of the world's great trolley rides," is currently making the rounds online.

The 14-minute short was commissioned by the CN Tower's Maple Leaf Cinema. It follows the evolution of the Toronto streetcar from the wooden vehicles of the Toronto Railway Company, the precursor to the TTC, to the current fleet of CLRVs and articulated ALRVs. There's also a look at the new low-floor streetcars coming to Spadina Avenue later this year.

The Red Rocket was shot last summer and fall by Stephen Low, an IMAX filmmaker who has produced features about the building of the Canadian Pacific railway and the wreck of the Titanic, and is due for release in the next few months.

"We're aiming for the summer, certainly by Canada Day, perhaps sooner though," says Alexander Low from The Stephen Low Company. A full-length movie for museums and science centres that will include some of the TTC footage is also in the works.

"It's a bigger story about the history of the trolley and the current status of the trolley," Low says. "It's a different style of film. It will be a full 45-minute IMAX-style documentary."

The TTC says it made its vehicles available for filming but had little input in the direction of the film. Amateur film maker Brad O'Brien captured part of the production, which included a special camera truck, in October 2013.

You've never seen Toronto streetcars look this pretty. Check it out.

The Red Rocket trailer from Stephen Low on Vimeo.

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

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