Photo by Jack Wong in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Labour Day in Toronto is your last chance to wear white before risking the ire of the city's fashion police. If the rules are getting you down, run away from your worries to picnic and dance at Electric Island, featuring Jamie XX, Tale of Us, and more. Try not to get barbeque sauce on your white shir- well, nevermind, RIP summer, it's better to burn out than to fade away. Condiments, come at me!

Videofag's Feminist Film Screening Series will show Born in Flames (bring your own snacks). Today and tomorrow are your last chances to gorge yourself at the CNE, and today is the last day to strain your neck watching the air show. Possible excuse to make it a four day weekend? A day of rest and laundry. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Party: Electric Island (Olympic Island Park)
• No Regrets: CNE (Exhibition Place)
• Music: DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist (Guvernment)
• Film: Born in Flames - Feminist Film Screening Series (Videofag)
• Noise: Canadian International Air Show (CNE)
• Film: Doc Days of Summer (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• Community: Ashkenaz Festival (Harbourfront Centre)
• Community: Hispanic Fiesta (Mel Lastman Square)

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

Photo of Electric Island via Facebook

Each month we profile a collection of shows opening soon in Toronto.

True / Citizenry / September 3-13 / $24
Celebrated playwright Rosa Labordé explores the confining qualities of memory in the Fringe-lauded True, about three sisters who must confront the past when their estranged father unexpectedly re-enters their lives. Boasting a talented cast, Layne Coleman, Shannon Taylor, Ingrid Doucet, Sabrina Grdevich and Scott McCord, and some of the city's best designers, Thomas Ryder-Payne, Trevor Schwellnus and Lindsay Walker, there's a reason this one returns for a remount.

Glenn / Soulepper - Young Centre / September 2 - October 1 / $29-$74
David Young's musically-inspired portrait of one of our creative treasures, Glenn Gould, is a Canadian classic. Gould's two distinct versions of Bach's The Goldberg Variations serve as a structuring device for the playwright, who explores four sides of the musician's genius: Prodigy, Perfectionist, Performer and Puritan. Under direction from Diana Leblanc, Jeff Lillico, Mike Ross, Steven Sutcliffe, and Brent Carver bring the music of the pianist to life.

KURIOS / Grand Chapiteau Tent / August 28 - October 26 / $50-$160
An enchanting and whimsical narrative anchors Cirque du Soleil's newest spectacle, KURIOS - Cabinet of Curiosities. Reality is turned on its head inside the curio cabinet of an imaginative inventor who toys with notions of time and space in a desire to explore the limits of possibility. With acrobatic feats and comic scenes, all seemingly given the steampunk treatment, we're curious to pull back the cabinet door and take a peek at what's inside.

Wicked / Ed Mirvish Theatre / September 3 - November 2 / $36-$100+
The story of Glinda and Elphaba, not exactly your Thelma and Louise tale, journeys back to Oz at a time before Dorthy and her house ever toppled into Munchkinland. Wicked took Broadway by storm in 2003, harnessing the popularity of the original film but also by delivering a clever and engaging story. Since Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel originated the leading roles, international tours have keep the musical traveling and here it arrives back in Toronto to set the witch record straight.

Much Ado About Nothing / Spadina Museum / September 10-27 / $25
Single Thread Theatre returns to the Spadina Museum with their WWI treatment of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. When the decorated soldiers return home to Canada after defending their country's freedom, sought after merriment is accompanied by a little mischief. The young company has been gaining momentum as of late with site-specific shows at historic sites across the city -- the Campbell House, the Mackenzie House, and Fort York.

Freda and Jem's Best of the Week / Buddies in Bad Times / September 18 - October 5 / $20-37
Judith Thompson directs Freda and Jem's Best of the Week, a play concerned with the changing nature of love and family in the face of the end days of a long-term relationship. After falling in love and building a family, Freda and Jem say goodbye to their same-sex partnership in their own unique and beautiful way. The play explores how queer culture charts its own path towards family creation and also separation.

Photo by Jesse Milns

If you mixed World MasterCard Fashion Week with the One Of A Kind Show, the result would look very much like INLAND, a brand-new fashion event that brings the work of Canada's best up-and-coming designers to a massive marketplace. (Well, you'd get that, or dresses made of needle-felted catnip toys on a runway paved with artisanal soap.)

Taking over 99 Sudbury this upcoming Saturday and Sunday, the INLAND marketplace features 80 designers, with many of the creators on-site to chat with shoppers and fashion fans. Local shopping picks include the colourful, understated jewelry of Moonlight for Violet, Hilary MacMillan's runway-approved designs, sleek outdoor gear from OSC Cross, and pieces by Jennifer Torosian geared toward the career girl with attitude.

The rest of Canada's also represented, including a strong showing from Montreal, thanks to the unimpeachable cool of Norwegian Wood and the vintage-inspired Rachel F. Tickets to this smorgasbord of style are $10 online or $12 at the door.

Photo from Cantin

Red Sauce, the Italian-American sandwich shop and cocktail bar on Clinton St., has served its last Muffeletta. When owners Scott and Lindsay Selland shut down the critically acclaimed Acadia to try their hand at something more laid back, everything looked great on paper. The name was right, the branding was excellent, and the menu promised Italian-inspired favourites like calzones, veal cutlet sandwiches, and one very creamy Caesar salad. There was even a $5 negroni on tap, surely the best deal on a cocktail in the city.

Yet, for those who went to Red Sauce regularly, it was curiously never altogether that busy. With old school eateries like California Sandwiches and Bitondo's right around the corner, the takeout side of things never really seemed to, well, take off. While the owners have yet to confirm the closure, the for lease sign in the window leaves little doubt as to the fate of the business. As for the exact reasons for shutting down, it's speculation at this point, but the restaurant just never seemed to capture the hearts of diners the way that many of us thought it would.

Restaurant openings in Toronto hardly slow down in August - even if half the city is still on vacation. The past month this summer continued to see our dining scene bloom, with brand-new additions to both fine-dining and fast-food pools of new places to eat.

In no particular order, here are my top picks for noteworthy restaurants openings in Toronto in August 2014.

Dailo
The two-floor eatery on College opened to much fanfare this month, with Chinese dragons and drummers making appearances at the grand opening. The menu displays chef/owner Nick Liu's brand of east-meets-west hybrid cusine through playful dishes like the Big Mac bao and roast duck and scallion tacos.

Poutineville
Hailing from Montreal, this poutinerie entered the Toronto marketplace with inventive, build-your-own variations of the Quebecois classic. Their version of the perennial low-brow favourite pairs supremely delicious frites and cheese curds before being upgraded with delicious extras - say, filet mignon - and matched with a rich, complementary gravy.

Colette
Replacing Scarpetta at the base of the Thompson Hotel, this bistro and cafe offers an airy modern Parisian-style setting, perfect for indulging with French classics like veal tartare and foie gras three ways. With the same group as the Chase Fish & Oyster responsible for this latest haute spot, expect seafood-centric features like chilled shellfish towers, lobster vichyssoise and whole-fish preparations.

Mamakas
This month, he paper was finally lifted from the windows of this Ossington spot, which has been in the works for the last couple years. The charming new Greek taverna makes family style eating the focal point, with mezze and grilled items available to share around the table.

Pie Squared
Handheld pies in Toronto have become a booming business, and this latest entrant into the market at Bloor and Sherbourne thinks it's got the formula for success just right. Savoury pies are available in both vegetarian and meat varieties, stuffed with hearty fillings like spinach and lentil or a saucy pulled pork - and then there's indulgent desserts like the chocolate banana or apple crisp. Better still, each pie is priced under $5, and combos with two pies and a drink come in at under $10.

Kadbanu
An expansion of Queen West's Iranian restaurant Banu landed on Dundas West this month. The casual new cafe aims to accommodate locals with quick service and takeaway sandwich options, plus a menu that covers staples found in Persian households, like Tachin (saffron-coloured rice cake) and Ghormeh sabzi (herb stew).

Linwood Essentials
Taking over the Queen West site that was formerly A-OK Foods, this newly opened bar is making a name on imaginative cocktails like The Troublemaker, with peanut butter-infused Wild Turkey bourbon and chocolate stout. On the menu, you'll find equally inventive foods like foie gras risotto and Catalan fried chicken.

Sea Witch
The specialty at this newly opened fish and chip shop on St. Clair is crispy, battered fried fish filets and golden fries sparkling with sea salt. The always-fresh daily catch features classic fryer fish like haddock and halibut along with less-traditional options like pickerel, Atlantic char or Pacific cod.

Thoroughbred
After debuting earlier this summer with foie gras pop tarts at the Toronto Underground Market, this multi-storey restaurant and bar finally opened its doors on Richmond Street. On the first floor you'll find a party vibe with DJs spinning tunes and a menu of bar snacks to go along with carefully crafted cocktails. Upstairs, in the dining room, the focus is large-format feasting featuring seafood dinners and roasts.

Montecito
Toronto continued to attract international star power in its kitchens this month with the opening of this joint venture from Ivan Reitman and Jonathan Waxman. While reactions to the decor were hit and miss, the food managed to impress with ingredients plucked straight from the fields on Ontario and menus derived from New York's famed Barbuto.

Photo of Poutineville by Jesse Milns.

The best baked treats in Toronto have risen out of bakeries, cafes and patisseries that boast pedigrees in Italian, French and even humble home-style baking traditions. Whether it's cookies or more delicate macarons, buttery puff pastries or tarts, these baked treats are sure to start a party on your taste buds, even if there's no reason to celebrate.

Here are the best baked treats in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Cookies in Toronto
The Best Cupcakes in Toronto
The Best Macarons in Toronto
The Best Donuts in Toronto
The Best Muffins in Toronto

Sporting goods stores in Toronto manage to cater to virtually every kind of athlete, offering a level of service, quality and product depth the big-box stores can't quite touch. What the big guys do offer, however, is convenience - which makes it all the better that many of Toronto's top sporting goods retailers have moved their businesses online.

Though you might still prefer to go and pick out your stuff in person (and remember, in-store pickup is often an option), these stores make it easy for shoppers to compare prices and hunt for hard-to-find specialty pieces while still buying local. With this level of choice, there's a Toronto-based online store likely to have everything you need to hit the ground running (or swimming, or biking, or kitesurfing).

Here are the top 10 sites in Toronto for buying sporting goods.

Sporting Life
They might be approaching massive chain status at this point, but until not that long ago, this sporting goods store, which also boasts locations in Etobicoke, Collingwood and Ottawa, was mostly focused on two uptown Toronto stores. Clothing and footwear are a huge focus, with all the necessary threads for your next race / yoga retreat / hike / tennis match represented, but they also deal in skis and snowboards, snowshoes, racquets, and a respectable mix of bikes (from Specialized carbon-fibre rides to Linus step-throughs). They also offer free ground shipping over $99.

Brown's Sports & Cycle
If you're looking for a good, old-fashioned, everything-and-the-kitchen-sink sporting goods store, Brown's has what you need. That could be anything from squash, badminton and tennis racquets and team-sports gear to bikes and home gym equipment. (It's so comprehensive, I learned that pickleball existed just by browsing their site.) Shipping is free over $100; if you're buying a bike, pick it up locally and they'll assemble it for you.

Running Free
This Toronto mini-chain of running stores has everything you need to train for your next race. Seriously, everything - clothing and triathlon gear, performance-gauging electronics and safety headlamps, hydration belts and nutritional items, and a selection of over 600 shoes categorized by running style. Regular shipping is $6 within the GTA (free over $100).

Enduro Sport
Iron men (and women) will dig Enduro Sport, a Leaside shop geared toward triathletes. They've repeatedly been dubbed one of North America's best tri stores, and that shows in their online selection: There's clothing for men and women for each leg of the race, as well as road and tri bikes from Cannondale and Cervelo and specialized gear like one-piece tri suits. If you're chasing deals, they have a separate page for their eBay auctions, where you can score last pairs of Adidas and Saucony runners for as low as $44.

Silent Sports
In a city saturated with bike shops, Thornhill's Silent Sports still has a loyal following for their mountain and road bikes and performance hybrids - but it's their wider focus on kiteboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, cross-country skiing and surfing that really sets them apart. On their website, there's a comprehensive selection of everything you need to do both, including bikes and boards, apparel, maintenance items, and roof racks to tote your gear to the trail or beach. (The store adds that if you find a lower price on the item you're hunting for, give them a call and they'll try to cut you a deal.)

Cycle Solutions
This duo of Toronto bike stores, with locations in Cabbagetown and the Beaches, also features a robust online lineup of bikes and gear. Every riding style is covered, with zippy Electra cruisers right alongside trail and road bikes from Trek, Norco and Specialized. The accessories lineup is equally varied - you can kit out your bike with bells, lights, bags and baby seats, or grab everything you need to do at-home repairs.

Sanction Skate & Snow
In addition to stores in the Junction and Thornhill, Sanction operates an admittedly-gorgeous webstore stocked with a healthy range of snowboard gear for men and women, a full range of skate decks and add-ons, and all the clothing and gear you need to look the part. They hold frequent online sales - follow them on Facebook to keep tabs.

Merchant of Tennis
Our No. 1 pick for Toronto's top tennis store also has a killer e-tail component, serving up a comprehensive array of gear. They've got a racquet for every player, with offerings from Dunlop, Wilson and Babolat, as well as the tape, vibration dampeners and accessories that will tailor that racquet to your exact needs. There's also footwear and clothing for men and women from the usual heavy-hitting sportswear brands - is that Adidas by Stella McCartney tennis gear we spy? As a bonus, they dock $15 off shipping for orders over $100.

Boardsports Canada
Another board-oriented specialty store, Yonge and Eglinton's Boardsports specializes in surf, snow, skate, and SUP, windsurfing, wakeboarding, and waterskiing. (Oh, and kiteboarding.) Some, including hardcore skaters, may not find everything they want, but if you're looking to do your shopping for a year's worth of board sports all in one go, this is the spot. (Bonus: They'll hand-deliver items more than two metres long within the GTA.)

Gallant Bicycles
Gallant's Koreatown shop cranks out (ha!) custom rides. Half the appeal of their site is the custom bike visualizer window - I challenge you to not spend half an hour making multicoloured Frankenbikes. If you're willing to commit to a brand-new custom ride, shipping is free over $100. Or check out the rest of their webstore, which features a small but choice smattering of parts (from basic components to upgrades like coloured bike chains) and accessories (including bags from sister company YNOT).

Thanks to PayPal for sponsoring this post.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite Toronto-based online sporting goods store in the comments.

Photo by jethros_tale in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto you probably want to take it easy, whether you're sore from moving boxes or hammock disasters. If it's the latter I have no sympathy, but either way a couple of art shows and a free outdoor film screening await you. June Records' secret performer turned out to be a free backyard show with Toronto band-about-town Zeus via Arts & Crafts, which is more exciting than Brendan Canning I suppose. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Art: Why Can't Minimal. Opening Reception (Justina M. Barnicke Gallery)
• Art: I didn't retire, I surrendered (8-11)
• Film: Almost Famous (Yonge-Dundas Square)
• Music: Zeus (June Records)
• Tempt Fate: Last day of the CNE

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

Fall is a busy time for festivals. Venice. Telluride. TIFF. New York. It's also a busy time for Hollywood, which uses all those festivals as staging grounds for the films they want to propel into being Oscar contenders.

TIFF in particular has hosted many a successful would-be Oscar winner, but sometimes you can't rush the filmmaking process and movies just aren't done in time. Or, as is the case this year, controversial new rules TIFF has introduced to force studios to choose between festivals means some flicks head elsewhere instead. So, some films that would have been great to see in Toronto this year sadly won't make it. Here are five in particular that it's too bad we'll all have to wait to see for a while.

Birdman
Ever since the crazy trailer for Alejandro González Iñárritu's (21 Grams, Babel) latest movie--about a washed-up actor (Michael Keaton), who once played a superhero, trying to save his career--premiered, I hoped to see it to believe it at TIFF. Sadly, it's not coming. Which makes the glowing reviews coming out of Telluride and Venice Film Festival just more salt in the wound.

Inherent Vice
Paul Thomas Anderson has not only emerged as one of America's greatest filmmakers, but one of its most fascinatingly unpredictable. Each new movie he makes--especially since There Will Be Blood--is a thrilling leap forward towards something slightly different. Which is why it's heartbreaking that his next, an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's famous novel, will skip over TIFF to premiere at the New York Film Festival.

A Most Violent Year
Last year proved to be a breakout year for both writer-director J.C. Chandor (with All is Lost) and actor Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis). Now their exciting team-up becomes a must-see with A Most Violent Year, a movie focusing on an immigrant family trying to see their business succeed in New York during the winter of 1981--statistically one of the most violent years the city ever experienced.

Unbroken
Angelina Jolie's second feature film as a director is generating a lot of buzz in part because of its harrowing, almost unbelievable, true story. Based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand about an American Olympic runner who became a soldier in World War II and then not only survived being lost at sea but a grueling stay at a Japanese POW camp, it's a story that could easily become overwrought on film. Thankfully, the involvement of the Coen Brothers (who worked on the script) guarantees a certain level of quality, and adds a great deal of anticipation to a project that has yet to make a festival appearance.

Queen of the Desert
A Werner Herzog film is always an occasion. Especially in this case: Queen of the Desert marks Herzog's first non-documentary film since 2009. An impressive cast (Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson, James Franco) and a big story--a biopic about famous traveler, writer, archeologist and British Empire liaison, Gertrude Bell (Kidman)--all makes this a film worth anticipating. Sadly, the film won't be appearing at TIFF because of technical issues.

Thanks to the Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington, for sponsoring our coverage of TIFF 2014.

The 65th running of the Canadian International Air Show (CIAS) on Toronto's waterfront featured a selection of military and civilian aircraft taking to the skies to perform for the crowds at the Canadian National Exhibition, but, as usual, it was difficult to avoid seeing (and definitely hearing) them no matter where you were in the city this weekend.

Thankfully for those whose sensibilities are easily shaken, the air show's selection this year has minimized the shock-and-awe of modern US military jet teams (who are unable to perform here due to budget cutbacks) in favour of a much quieter, smoother show that still managed to amuse and delight.

Check out all the aerobatics from the Air Show in this photo gallery.

Want a free tattoo? Want a free tattoo from Death From Above 1979? While Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler won't be poised over you with a needle (probably?), Death From Above 1979 is celebrating their comeback album in Toronto by hosting a pop-up shop on West Queen West complete with free ink for a lucky few and limited edition merch for those lucky enough to have cash lying around after OVO. No word yet on what DFA plans to re-name Toronto.

The semi-legendary Toronto duo only released two EP's and one album in the mid aughts, but their limited output hit the mark with a generation of MySpace users looking for punk rock to dance to - and put eyeliner on to without having to cry it off later. Those were different times. After a reunion and a string of live shows, they band will release The Physical World, their first album in a decade, on Last Gang September 9.

The Physical World: Pop Up Shop & Tattoo Parlour will be open Wednesday September 3 and Thursday September 4 at at Edward Day Gallery (952 Queen St. West). If you want a tattoo, I'd advise showing up before the slated 10am opening time. Then you can catch DFA 1979 at Riot Fest along with the other bands you put in your top 16 on MySpace this weekend at Downsview Park.

Photo by Dylan Leeder

A new report from Metrolinx raises questions as to the possibility of electrifying GO rail corridors over the next 10 years. That's not good news if you're John Tory, who has staked much of his transit vision, the so called SmartTrack plan, on running high frequency inner city rail service along existing rail lines.

"Tory's 53-kilometre, 22-station SmartTrack line will provide all-day, two-way express surface rail to all four corners of the city, and deliver citywide relief in seven, not 17 years," reads a press release distributed by the mayoral candidate earlier today. That timeline always seemed ambitious, but is now veering closer to unrealistic.

One of the major issues is that adapting Union Station for electric rail is a massive job, one that Metrolinx CEO Bruce McQuaig told the Globe could take "three to four years." With current construction on the station not close to completion, there are some major question marks as to when work on electrification could even begin. Unsurprisingly McQuaig won't commit to the 10 year timeline, something Tory is going to have to address as the campaign hits the home stretch.

Photo by Martyn in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Student deals in Toronto are plentiful - as one might expect given the milieu of university, college, trade, and vocational students who live, study, and party in the city Restaurants, shops, city attractions, and entertainment centres know you're working on a tight budget as you put yourself through another grueling year of school (today's average OSAP debt hovers around twenty two thousand dollar mark for a four year degree).

Cashing in on discounts is a good way to live a little without feeling that pang of instant regret once the bill comes. Savings are relatively modest, generally in the 10-15%, range, but hey, if you take advantage of every deal possible, you may be able to pay off your OSAP a whole month earlier.

See also

The Best New Cheap Eats in Toronto, 2013
The Best New Cheap Eats in Toronto, 2012
The Best Cheap Drinks in Toronto
The top 69 cheap eats in Toronto by TTC subway stop
Where to eat and drink around Ryerson University
Where to eat and drink in and around York University
Where to eat and drink in and around UofT
Where to eat and drink around George Brown College
Where to eat and drink around Glendon College

STUDENT CARDS

International Student Identity Card Card
ISIC is the only internationally recognized student ID that lets full-time students take advantage of offers on travel, shopping, museums and more. The card costs $20 and is valid for 16 months. It's useful for discounts on Via Rail, plus hundreds of restaurants and retailers like Play De Record, Papaya Island, Body Shop, The Bike Clinic, and Lou Dawg's.

SPC Card
SPC is a loyalty card exclusively for students 16 and over. It provides discounts (usually 10%-15%) at thousands stores and restaurants across Canada. American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, Booster Juice, and FedEX, are just some of the hundreds in Toronto. For just $11, it's probably a smart move if you're a student with a bit of a shopping addiction.

TOP DEALS

TTC
The post-Secondary Metropass is $108.00 compared to the regular $133.75. Careful though, students must carry their TTC Post-Secondary Photo ID when using their monthly Post-Secondary Student Metropass and present it upon request by TTC staff.

AGO (317 Dundas St West)
Gather some inspiration by exploring the collections at the city's landmark art gallery. With valid ID, full-time students get in for $11, and if "free" is more up your alley, head over Wednesday nights between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King St W)
A treasure for the city's film fans (not to mention aspiring film-makers), the Toronto International Film Festival's theatre on King Street is home to some of Toronto's most anticipated movie screenings and exhibitions year-round. Tickets for students are made affordable at only $10.50.

Dance Cave (529 Bloor St W)
Located on the top floor of Lee's Palace, Dance Cave is the go-to bar (and now a music venue) when you are fresh to the city and ready to party with all your new college pals. The drinks are cheap, the dance floor is sweaty, and ending up here tends to become a weekend ritual of the student lifestyle. With student ID, cover is free on Friday and Saturday nights.

Insomnia (563 Bloor St. W)
Insomnia is an Annex staple, known for great food, like tacos, pastas, pizzas, and a generous selection of martinis. DJs entertain on the weekends, making it perfect for relaxing after a hard week of classes. Students receive a 20% off all meals, except during weekend and holiday brunches.

Apple Store (220 Yonge St, 3401 Dufferin St, 218 Yonge St)
Save up to $200 on a new Mac, and up to $20 on a new iPad. Education pricing is available to post-secondary students, students accepted into a post-secondary institution, parents buying for post-secondary students, teachers and staff at all levels.

RESTAURANTS

Arisu Korean & Japanese Restaurant (584 Bloor St W)
Students receive 10% off with a student ID.

Mangiacake Panini Shoppe (160 McCaul St.)
Students get a 10% discount at this Italian cafe in Baldwin Village.

The Annex HodgePodge (258 Dupont St)
Students receive 10% discount.

Fika Cafe (28 Kensington Ave.)
Show your student ID and get 15% off.

Fresh (326 Bloor St. W)
Students get 15% off with proper ID.

Subway Restaurants
Students receive a discount of 10% off with valid ID.

Dairy Queen
Students receive 10% off purchase.

Future Bakery (483 Bloor St. W)
$5 breakfasts before 11am, Monday through Friday.

Salad King (340 Yonge St.)
Student ID gets you 10% off between 2pm and 5 pm.

Art Square Cafe (334 Dundas St. W)
The first 10 OCAD students get free coffee each morning. After that it's 13% off with a student card.

Orange Alert (298 Dundas St. W)
10% off with student ID.

Golden Griddle Restaurant (45 Carlton St, 180 Eglinton Ave E)
Students receive 10% off with a student ID.

St. Louis Bar & Grill (376 Bloor Street)
Get $5 off any hot menu item, or 20% off food.

Hard Rock Cafe (279 Yonge Street)
Hard Rock Cafe locations worldwide offer a 10% discount for students with valid ISIC.

RETAIL

Above Ground Art Supplies (74 McCaul St, 2868 Dundas St. W, 1842 Queen St. E)
Students receive a 10% discount on regular-priced supplies.

Curry's Art Stores (283 Dundas St. W, 490 Yonge St., 1153 Queen St. W)
Offers 10% discount on regular items.

DeSerres (130 Spadina Ave.)
Students receive a 10% discount off regular-priced items with student ID.
Sign up for a free Campus Club card for discount plus $10 off after every $100 spent.

Gwartzman's Art Supplies (448 Spadina Ave.)
Offers 10% discount off all regular- and sale-priced items with student ID.

Midoco Art & Office Supplies Inc. (555 Bloor St. West, 1964 Queen St. East)
Offers 10% discount off regular-priced art supplies only.

Toose Art Supplies (229 College St.)
Offers 15% discount off regular- and sale-priced merchandise

Solutions - Your Organized Living Store (2329 Yonge St)
Offers 20% off one item, 10% off your purchase.

Urbane Cyclist (180 John St.)
Offers a 10% off parts and accessories.

Henry's Cameras (119 Church St.)
Offers 10% off select items.

The Fashion District (553 Queen St. W)
Offers a 10% discount.

Lavish & Squalor (253 Queen St. West)
No tax upon presentation of valid OCAD U student ID.

Topshop and Topman (176 Yonge Street inside The Bay)
Students receive 10% off Topshop product with any valid student card.

Mara Dancewear and Clothing (2189 Queen St. East)
Offers a 20% discount.

Club Monaco (157 Bloor St W, 2610 Yonge St)
Show your student ID to save 15% to 20% at Club Monaco store locations.

Umbra Store (165 John Street)
George Brown and OCAD U students receive 20% discount on all regular priced items.

4 Seasuns Tanning (587A Yonge St)
Students get a free tanning session, 200 minutes for $52, or 30% off on any package or a single tan.

Bulk Barn
Students receive 10% off on Wednesdays with valid ID.

Onyx Barbershop (219A Yonge Street)
Full cut and line up for customers between 18 and 25 years old.

TRAVEL

GO Transit
Get a GO approved Student ID card through GO Transit or at your school, then pick up a re-loadable PRESTO card wherever you buy GO tickets. Set up your PRESTO card for Student Fares to save at least 17%. Always travel with GO-issued student ID.

Zipcar
Zipcar has partnered with many schools to offer discounted membership rates to students. Search for your school on Zipcar's website and register with your school email address. Sign up rates are usually $20 for students.

Greyhound
A student ID will save you 10%, and an ISIC card will save you 25% on a regular adult fare.

Via Rail
With an ISIC card, you can get the Via Rail 20/20 discount card, which means for $20 you can save up to 20% on Economy fares and 10% on Escape fares.

ATTRACTIONS

Centre Island (Catch ferry at 9 Queens Quay W)
Get the natural Toronto experience, and enjoy the Instagram-worthy view of the Toronto skyline. If you're under 19, the ferry ride is $4.50 with a student ID. Admission to the Island is free.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra (212 King St W)
Classical music makes you smarter, right? Student status aside, as long as you're between 15 and 35, you can get TSO tickets for as little as $16.

Canadian Opera Company (145 Queen St W)
If you're under the age of 30, you can buy opera tickets for only $22 (or if you want the best available seats, $35). While wearing sweatpants on campus might be socially acceptable (is it though?), try to make yourself a little more presentable for an evening of soaring music and spectacular visuals at one of Toronto's most beautiful buildings.

Rainbow Cinemas (20 Carlton Street at Yonge)
Who doesn't want to skip class and go see a good movie? Students tickets are $7.00 at this theatre located right by College Subway station.

ROM (100 Queen's Park)
The perfect place for dating. Carbon dating, that is. Get lost in the endless displays of natural history and world cultures. Students get in for $14.50 any day of the week. On Tuesdays, admission is free with a student ID.

Ontario Science Centre (770 Don Mills Road)
Spend an afternoon wandering through the hundreds of interactive and passive exhibits at the Ontario Science Centre. Geology, natural sciences, astronomy, music, technology, human anatomy, oh my! Students with valid ID pay $16 for hours of pure educational bliss.

Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor St W)
No discounts are offered on single movie passes, but their Friend of the Cinema Membership is $28 for students, which gets you discounted tickets, free popcorn, exclusive member-only screenings and more.

Toronto Zoo (2000 Meadowvale Rd)
Unfortunately there is no discount for a day pass, but show your student ID and get $25 off a year membership and $40 off a two year membership.

Museum of Inuit Art (207 Queen's Quay West)
The Museum of Inuit Art is southern Canada's only museum devoted exclusively to art made by Inuit. Their beautiful layout displays art in beading, basketmaking, ceramics, and much more as new exhibits always coming to the gallery. Students get in for $3.

Bata Shoe Museum (327 Bloor St W)
The Museum celebrates the style and function of footwear in four galleries. Displays include Chinese bound foot shoes, ancient Egyptian sandals, chestnut-crushing clogs, fabulous platforms and even a collection of 20th-century celebrity shoes. Students with ID get in for $8, or come on a Thursday between 5pm and 8pm when admission is PWYC ($5 suggested donation).

Textile Museum of Canada (55 Centre Ave)
The only museum in Canada exclusively devoted to the collection, exhibition, and documentation of textiles from around the world. Their collection spans work from over 200 regions, displaying 12,000 objects including traditional fabrics, garments, carpets and related artifacts such as beadwork and basketry. Students pay $6.

Know of any other student deals, discounts, or city-hacks? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Candice Kung via Flickr

Photo by Michael Monastyrskyj in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto Death From Above 1979 will take a page from Drake's consumer-savvy book and open a pop-up shop in West Queen West. Get there early and you might get a free tattoo (there will be more surprises later).

Michael Cho's first graphic novel Shoplifter will launch at the Central tonight. Corinna's "been working at the same advertising agency for the past five years and the only thing she's written is ... copy." Sound like everyone you know? Look out for a fashion-y take-over at Trinity Square on Yonge Street, too. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Rock: Death From Above 1979 pop-up shop (Edward Day Gallery)
• Beer: Hops & Headshots - presented by Beerworking (Project: OWL)
• Food: #FarmDropTO (Reebok Crossfit Liberty Village)
• Erotica: Tell Me Something Good (Gladstone)
• Comics: Shoplifter (The Central)
• Film: CaribbeanTales (Royal Cinema)

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

Image from Shoplifter

Apparently, the rule of threes holds true for Toronto restaurant closures, not just celebrity deaths. On the heels of a Labour Day long weekend that saw both nouveau-Italian joint Red Sauce and beloved dance lounge Andy Poolhall hit the deadpool comes news that Mr. Greenjeans, a family-friendly joint perched high atop the Eaton Centre, has closed after 34 years. The restaurant announced the news on Twitter and in a posting in front of the restaurant, with no reason for the closure given; CityNews reports that mall staff described the closure as sudden.

Though it had a rep as a bit of a tourist trap, Greenjeans held a little place in the heart of many native Torontonians (probably owing to a healthy dose of childhood nostalgia). The spot had seen numerous renovations over the years, recently running toward a rustic, shabby-chic look, while the menu tended toward crowd-pleasing comfort dishes. Portions were generous, but diners were known to lament high prices (even for the location) and uneven quality.

Competition for mall shoppers' appetites has gotten stiffer, with Trattoria Mercatto, Richtree Natural Market, Joey and the Urban Eatery arriving on the scene in recent years, and that top-floor location, removed from all but a couple of stores, may have put it even further out of sight (and mind) for diners. But now, in our hearts and minds, Greenjeans and its admittedly-epic milkshake menu will be forever perfect, and forever young.

With hundreds of movies every year at the Toronto International Film Festival, the law of averages would dictate that more than a few of them would have to have something in common. Sure enough, every year at TIFF a few trends emerge across the programme that tie together films in a kind of thematic synergy. This year is no exception.

Here then are five trends to keep an eye out for at TIFF this year.

The Before Sunrise Wannabes
It seems 2013's Before Midnight proved to be an inspirational reminder for many filmmakers of the Before series' existence. The result being, apparently, several movies in this year's TIFF programme--Before We Go, Spring, Gyeongju--that not only evoke Before Sunrise, but directly reference it in the festival's descriptions of them. If even one is as good as that Richard Linklater classic, we'll be blessed.

The "Not Your Average Musical" Musical
While Hollywood releases popular, familiar musicals like Rock of Ages, Les Misérables and the upcoming Into the Woods, it's nice to know some filmmakers are having fun with the movie musical in different ways. Three "Not Your Father's" musicals appear at TIFF this year, including Tokyo Tribe (hip-hop musical), Bang Bang Baby (sci-fi musical), and The Last Five Years (an adaptation of an off-Broadway sung-through musical). The world needs all the musicals it can get, so this trend can only be encouraged.

The Movie about Actors
For filmmakers, the adage "write what you know" often results in movies about movies. At 2014's festival, it's more specifically movies about actors. With movies about established actors (Maps to the Stars, Top Five, Winter Sleep), theatrical thespians (The Humbling, Clouds of Sils Maria), the aspiring (The Last Five Years) and the once famous (Guidance, Sway), it's a veritable cinematic buffet of the lives of fictional performers.

The Power of Animation
Over the years, animation (2D, 3D, stop-motion) has proven to be a powerful storytelling tool to tackle any subject--even the most serious. Sadly, there are still those who dismiss animated work as little more than "cartoons." Many of the offerings at TIFF should provide a healthy rebuttal. Whether it be The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, or Luna, these serious minded animated films are steered not by fantastic animation filmmakers, but fantastic filmmakers period.

The Power of Music
Music plays an important part in our lives, what with headphones perpetually anchored to our heads playing the soundtracks of our past, present, and future. Not surprisingly, movies often want to explore this powerful force, and TIFF's movies this year in particular cast an extensive eye towards those who create music. There's the struggle of young musicians butting heads with tough teachers (Boychoir, Whiplash), behind-the-scenes looks at music phenomena real and imagined, (Itsi Bitsi, Eden, Beyond the Lights, I Am Here, Love & Mercy) and intimate looks at the way they weave themselves into our life (Seymour: An Introduction).

Thanks to the Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington, for sponsoring our coverage of TIFF 2014.

With under two months left in the Toronto mayoral race, the latest poll puts John Tory in a commanding lead, with a 14 per cent cushion over Olivia Chow and 16 per cent over Rob Ford. This is the second poll from Nanos to give the former provincial PC leader a significant lead over his opponents, though it has widened even more since the last survey in early July. Back then, Nanos put Tory just over six percentage points ahead of Chow.

While a recent poll from Forum Research ranks the candidates in the same order, it showed a much tighter race with Tory at 36 per cent, followed by Ford at 31 and Chow at 26. Tory may or may not have got some bad news regarding his transit plans today, but according to this poll at least, the race is his to lose with 53 days left before election night.

Photo by John Hanley on Flickr