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This week on DineSafe: Ellas Meat Market, Ginger, New Lim Ga Ne, Pinoy Ako, Prince of Seafood, Queen Slice, Satay on the Road, Tasty House

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DineSafe TorontoThis week on DineSafe featured a lingering "Conditional Pass" delinquent. The offender?Tasty House up at Alton Towers Circle, which got its second yellow flag in as many weeks. Third time's a charm, Tasty House? We'll see. Also on the DineSafe low list this week is Queen Slice on College with a not-horrible tally of three infractions, along with Satay on the Road, with a closer-to-horrible report including nine infractions. Here's a closer look at DineSafe this week.

Ellas Meat Market (674 Pape Ave)
Inspected on: November 29
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 4, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination

Ginger (695 Yonge St)
Inspected on: November 29
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination

New Lim Ga Ne (686 Bloor St W)
Inspected on: November 28
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 3, Significant: 4, Crucial: 0)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Pinoy Ako (8 Howard St)
Inspected on: November 29
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Inadequate food temperature control

Prince of Seafood Chinese (240 Alton Towers Crcl)
Inspected on: November 27
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 0, Significant: 2, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Inadequate food temperature control, failure to protect food from contamination

Queen Slice (177 College St)
Inspected on: November 26
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 0, Significant: 3, Crucial: 0)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Satay on the Road (2003 Avenue Rd)
Inspected on: November 27
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 5, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Inadequate food temperature control

Tasty House (240 Alton Towers Crcl)
Inspected on: November 27
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 0, Significant: 2, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to protect food from contamination, improper maintenance/sanitation of non-food contact surfaces/equipment


Vietnamese underworld karaoke hangout now a hip bar

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May Dundas WestFirst Lower Ossington and now Dundas West? If the site of Vietnamese karaoke bars within a mile of Trinity Bellwoods is no longer a common site as it was in the 1990s, just blame the gentrification neighbourhood revitalization that has occurred here in the past decade. The latest casualty, er, sign of progress can be spotted across from the 7/11 near Dundas and Gore Vale. The former Cafe May is now simply a bar and live music venue called May. And, yes, tall cans of Stiegl are available.

Read my profile of May in the bars section.

Album Review: Gold & Youth, 7"

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Gold and Youth City of QuartzConsidered an indie label heavyweight nowadays, Arts & Crafts have been stepping outside their comfort zone for a while now. No longer do they stay within the confines of their family tree of acts, but the label who gave us Broken Social Scene, Feist, Stars and Jason Collett have now furthered their reach of talent, from outside of Toronto to lesser-known acts with loads of potential.

Their latest signee comes to us from Toronto and Vancouver in the form of a four-piece synth-rock band called Gold & Youth. Formerly known as The Raccoons, the band has gone through a bit of a transformation, adding a new member and refining their sound a bit more. Gone are the riff-heavy pop rock melodies, as heard on their 2010 EP Islomania, and in its place came a wave of keys and synths.

Sure, this seems like a quick fix that most acts are guilty of — dim the lights, add a splash of synth, and voila, "edge"! — but you can't fault a band who does it correctly. And, for the rebranded Gold & Youth, it's a sound that much better suits them.

Their debut full-length in this incarnation has been delayed till next year, but for now, we've been given this 7" single to get a taste of what's to come.

"City of Quartz" is the lead single; a track that features a light and bouncy beat, but is immediately balanced out by Matthew Lyall's heavy baritone voice. On the flip side, we get "Time to Kill," a song that starts off more somber, but eventually picks up with a drum beat.
There's a clear thread of nostalgia that underlies the band's music, with its dark 80s synth aesthetics clouding the tracks in a cinematic haze that's undeniably hypnotic.

Newly added member, Louise Burns, is the lone female in the band, but her contrasting voice creates a pleasant juxtaposition that syncs up well with Lyall. This is what Ian Curtis would sound like if he sang duets with a female vocalist.

Gold & Youth have clearly rewired their sound in the right direction and if these two tracks are any indication, 2013 will be a big one for this band.

7 St. Thomas a good example of heritage preservation?

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7 st thomasTake a ride across the Gardiner or a stroll along Adelaide, and you'd think Toronto was all glass towers and temporary cladding. But the cognizant Toronto resident knows the city has, indeed, retained relics of architectural charm, which are evident just so long as you don't look up.

One of the more recent cases (or casualties, depending on how you look at it) is the row of Victorian towns on Sultan Street just southwest of Bay and Bloor. The heritage structures, which were built back in the 1880's, are now the base for a new condo office concept that will rise nine storeys and tout its own healthy presence of glass.

Developed by St. Thomas Commercial and designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, units in the structure are now available for sale to businesses an at average of $830 per square foot, with three floors for occupancy in the "podium" heritage structures and six available atop. Dubbed 7 St. Thomas, the project boasts curved fritted glass, stone detailing, and a starkly different impression from the townhomes below.

Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, mind you. But with so many urban examples of heritage properties moved aside or built upon — from relatively small projects such as the James Cooper Mansion condo devlelopment to the massive ROM Crystal overhaul — Toronto's so-called heritage projects seem to be increasingly perceived as ripe for the taking. Rarely left to revel in their own charm (where's the potential capital in that?!) hundred-year-old structures are often literally pushed aside for something new and lucrative.

7 st thomasI get the need for urban development and the pressures of added density. But it doesn't help that the "something new" added to heritage projects is often obtrusive in visual contrast (sorry 7 St. Thomas, I'm talking about you) and overwhelming in scale. The effect, in my opinion, is a cheapening of heritage charm and somewhat grotesque streetside juxtaposition. But that's just my hopeless romantic heart bleeding all over the newly inlayed brick sidewalk.

What do you think of the design for 7 St. Thomas? Add your comments to the thread below.

What Harbord Street used to look like in Toronto

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History Harbord Street TorontoHarbord may seem like an underwhelming street to give the historical photo treatment to, but when you consider its transformation from a mostly quiet residential street into a crucial passage through U of T and a bonafide business strip west of Spadina, there's more than enough intrigue in its past to warrant a closer look. Going back a century, Harbord was a narrow thoroughfare cutting between St. George and Ossington, anchored by Harbord Collegiate Institute in the west and the burgeoning U of T campus in the east. Street widening efforts in the early 1910s brought streetcars to the area and the first wave of commercial business, which has been preserved in the bustling stretch between Spadina and Bathurst streets.

Prior to the turn of the 20th Century, the area around St. George and Harbord — now a highly trafficked intersection with U of T students coming and going from one of the city's most notorious examples of Brutalist architecture, Robarts Library— was mostly residential in nature. A second wave of street widening in the late 1940s ushered in drastic changes to this stretch of Harbord, which culminated in the construction of the library in 1973.

Looking east from Spadina in 1944, the street bears almost no resemblance to its current state. Narrow and densely packed with trees, there's a sort of lazy quality about it that has been lost to the expansion of the university and the rise of large-scale buildings in the area. U of T has always had a gorgeous downtown campus, but it was really something back then. One wouldn't even consider walking around without leather patches on his suit jacket.

But U of T isn't, of course, the only prominent educational institution that graces Harbord Street. Both Central Tech and Harbord Collegiate have been staples since the western stretch of the street was still populated with farmland. Built in 1892, Harbord Collegiate was the first major building to be constructed on this section of the street. In honour of the school's hundredth anniversary, a group of alumni put together a sprawling history of the institution, which, despite dry moments, is certainly worth a skim. Also worthy of note regarding the school is just what a glorious building it used to housed in. What a roof!

Heading further west, one encounters a bit of (mostly) buried Harbord history. The Harbord Street Bridge was constructed in the early 1910s to span the remains of the Garrison creek. Unlike the Crawford Street Bridge, which was buried entirely, the north railing of the Harbord Bridge was left above ground, so as to mark the presence of the lost structure below. It's one of those small examples of Toronto history that's easy to miss if you don't know about it, but at least somewhat satisfying to know about as you pass over its remains.

PHOTOS

2012124-harbord-1899-spadian-robert-s0376_fl0002_it0090.jpgHarbord between Spadina and Robert, 1899

2012124-harbord-bridge-1910-top-s0372_ss0084_it0024.jpgHarbord Bridge under construction, 1910

2012124-harbord-bridge-1910-f1231_it1917.jpgHarbord Bridge nearing completion, 1910

2012124-harbord-grace-bridge-1910-f1231_it1889.jpgGrace Street and Harbord Bridge in the distance, 1910

2012124-harbord-west-spadina-s0372_ss0058_it0016.jpgHarbord west from Spadina, 1911

2012124-harbord-west-borden-1911-s0372_ss0058_it0025.jpgHarbord looking west to Borden, 1911

2012124-harbord-west-spadina-1911-s0372_ss0058_it0026.jpgHarbord looking west from Spadina, 1911

2012124-spadina-harbord-1911-s0372_ss0100_it0230.jpgSpadina and Harbord, 1911

2012124-harbord-hoskins-st-george-1913-s0372_ss0100_it0190.jpgIntersection of Harbord, Hoskins and St. George, 1913

2012124-harbord-west-spadina-1913-f1231_it0493.jpgHarbord west of Spadina, 1913

2012124-palmerston-harbord-1914-s0372_ss0001_it0095.jpgHarbord and Palmerston, 1914

2012124-clinton-harbord-1915-s0372_ss0058_it0488.jpgHarbord and Clinton, 1915

2012124-central-tech-1920s-f1257_s1057_it0235.jpgCentral Technical School, 1920s

2012124-harbord-collegiate-1920s-f1257_s1057_it0272.jpgHarbord Collegiate, 1920s (wow, check out the roof)

2012124-bath-harbord-1935-s0071_it10829.jpgBathurst and Harbord, 1935

2012124-harbord-st-george-1944-s0372_ss0058_it1656.jpgSt. George and Harbord (pre-Robarts), 1944

2012124-harbord-st-george-1949-s0372_ss0058_it2017.jpgHarbord and St. George, post-street widening, 1949

2012124-st-george-harbord-1949-south-s0372_ss0058_it2018.jpgLooking south at the same intersection

2012124-hoskin-east-st-george-1949-s0372_ss0058_it1958.jpgHoskin looking east from St. George, 1949

2012124-hoskin-east-devonshire-1949-s0372_ss0058_it1957.jpgHoskin looking east from Devonshire, 1949

2012124-spadina-harbord-1990s-s1465_fl0213_it0013.jpgHarbord and Spadina in the 1990s

Photos from the Toronto Archives

Pacific Mall raid protects us shoppers, right?

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Pacific MallPacific Mall played host to a sweeping raid last Thursday as part of a massive investigation in which police seized more than $3 million in counterfeit goods. After an inquest, which, by all accounts, could only be described as "groundbreaking," police showed off their loot from ten sites across the GTA during a press conference yesterday morning. Among the annexed items were counterfeit toys, drugs, clothing, and electronics.

The investigation, called "Project Consumer Safety," resulted in several arrests and marked a triennial event in Pacific Mall's general operation. Next for Toronto cops? Cracking down and exposing pot-smokers during Toronto's annual 420 parade.

For the couple of people who still can't tell a Louis Vuitton from a Louie Vuitton, the raid comes as a massive shock. For the rest (including the Toronto Reddit consensus) the seizure is pretty much just another yawn. Thank heavens someone's looking out for the unsuspecting consumer, right?

Photo by chewie2008 in the blogTO Flickr pool

Hudak promises the sale of wine & beer at corner stores

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Hudak Booze Corner Stores OntarioHmmm. I don't like Tim Hudak a whole lot, but I do like booze and things that are convenient — you know, like being able to buy booze at the corner store. So I must confess that I'm on board with the provincial Conservative leader's announcement this morning that he'd open up the sale of beer and wine to grocery and corner stores, something which really should have been legislated long ago.

While one can point to the possibility that such a move would hinder the mighty LCBO's earning power, it's hard to ignore the fact that the current system is marked by misplaced paternalism as much as it is by dollar signs. Hudak indicated that he would not sell of the LCBO in its entirety, but that he was keen to open up the market to the private sector in favour of a more consumer friendly system.

Will the Liberal-leader-to-be have to get on board with this idea come election time? The power of convenient booze could be worth a few votes, even if the status quo has proven good for government business. What say you? Good idea? Good enough idea to sway a potential vote in favour of the Conservatives when the time comes?

Photo by Patrick Cummins in the blogTO Flickr pool

Annex catering company opens Davenport cafe

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Salt and Pepper CateringHere's something besides flower shops for the area right by Avenue and Davenport. A new cafe has cropped up in the former home of Caz's Great Fish, offering baked goods, hot lunches, and espresso drinks to nine-to-fivers in the area. This place takes catering orders and lunch requests, but be prepared to fight over a seat.

Read my profile of Salt & Pepper in the cafes section.


Who might run for mayor of Toronto in a by-election?

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toronto mayor voteWith a by-election likely looming for Toronto in the coming months, now is the perfect time for councillors with mayoral ambitions to take a stab at the top job. The only obstacle in their path: convincing enough people to vote their way. For some that means assurances that they are suited to stay as leader of council, for others it means getting recognized as a viable alternative.

Here are some of the contenders who have a chance of running in a by-election and perhaps winning an abridged mayoralty until 2014, assuming Rob Ford is granted a stay but loses a January appeal, which is widely touted as the most likely scenario.

ROB FORD

The present incumbent announced on his weekly radio show Sunday he "will be the first one into the race" to try and win his job back via a popular vote. Love him or loathe him, Ford is the man to beat here and you have to like his chances of getting re-elected even with reduced support. Whether or not Ford will make it to the end of said race or fall over trying to throw something is still unknown.

SHELLEY CARROLL

Though not such a well-known name publicly, Carroll is a vociferous anti-Ford voice at City Hall who's had eyes on the mayor's chair for several years. As budget chief under David Miller, the Ward 33 Don Valley East representative was able to draw on her banking background to help shape the city's finances. She implemented the personal vehicle tax in 2007 then voted with Rob Ford to kill it off, saying she had heard from her constituents that they didn't like the idea.

In 2010, when she was also considering running, The Star said Carroll has a "plain-speaking, almost folksy manner and can bandy numbers with any member of the Bay Street crowd." So far Carroll is the only councillor to confirm she'll run if there's a byelection.toronto olivia chowOLIVIA CHOW

Widely touted as Toronto's saviour, Chow, like her late husband Jack Layton, has oodles of political nous. As a councillor last term she championed sustainable development, tackled homelessness, and, in stark contrast to Rob Ford, rode a floral, brightly colored bicycle to her office at City Hall. Chow was voted best councillor on several occassions by NOW magazine and is considered the strongest candidate to unseat Ford. Anyone would think she was actually running.

JOHN TORY

A former mayoral nominee in 2003 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, John Tory could, as Star columnist Royson James puts it, be a chance "to hit the reset button" button on Ford's divisive politics and put forward a credible, pro-urban conservative candidate.

Tory has the chops, too: he leads CivicAction, a non-partisan group that tackles social and economic issues in Toronto, and has a history of socially liberal policies. In Toronto, Tory also led the Ontario Place revitalization panel that delivered a report recommending the land become a public park. But will he run against Ford?

ADAM VAUGHAN

The former reporter turned Ford basher has made a name for himself outside City Hall for being an outspoken critic of the mayor and his politics. Vaughan has consistently proven he's not afraid to go toe-to-toe with Ford, even if it results in a shouting match. A vote for Vaughan is unlikely for anyone on the fence about the incumbent mayor.

In March, Vaughan wrote a letter of apology to Doug Ford's executive assistant Amin Massoudi after being heard saying "there go the Blackshirts" as the pair were seen entering the mayor's office. Other controversies could make him an easy target during a Ford campaign.toronto city councilGEORGIO MAMMOLITI

What a story it would be: Rob Ford's attack dog barks his way to the top of the pack. Mammoliti, in reality, is actually something of an enigma. A one-time NDP MPP, the veteran councillor was one of 12 party members to break ranks and vote against Bob Rae's Bill 167 that would have extended civil rights to same-sex couples.

Before he was the mayor's right hand man, Mammoliti was a strong critic of Rob Ford and the pair frequently clashed as representatives of neighbouring wards. According to Grid writer David Topping, who has a detailed list of insults traded between the pair, Mammoliti has called Ford an "idiot" and a "goon." Ford has used the pejoratives "snake" and "weasel" in response. Ah, friends.

DOUG HOLYDAY

The Jekyll to Ford's Hyde, Doug Holyday is a generally considered a more palatable fiscal conservative for those on other parts of council's political spectrum. The last mayor of Etobicoke before amalgamation and present deputy under Ford, Holyday has long advocated low spending and prides himself on an excellent attendance record, missing just 1.2 per cent of votes this term.

Holyday recently made headlines for his "little Ginny" comment during a debate on a quota for family-friendly units in new downtown condos. After questioning where downtown kids would play, the deputy mayor said "I could just see now: 'Where's little Ginny?' 'Well, she's downstairs playing in the traffic on her way to the park!'" Holyday hasn't ruled out a run, yet.toronto doug holydayKAREN STINTZ

The current TTC chair and Ward 16 Eglinton-Lawrence rep famous for her opposition to Ford on One City could, conceivably, have a good run. Possible targets for her opponents would be the OneCity transit plan, pitched out of nowhere with councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, that was pummeled into dust by the province, Metrolinx and city council.

KRISTYN WONG-TAM

Although she's an outside bet, Wong-Tam has had a strong first stint at council after being elected by a hair in the 2010 Toronto Centre-Rosedale vote. A former Timothy's franchise and art gallery owner, the tireless worker has championed the preservation of heritage buildings in her ward and been a strong voice for LGBTQ community issues. Wong-Tam hasn't clearly signaled she'd like to run at this stage but that hasn't stopped people wishing she would.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section. Who do you think the best candidates would be? Is it time the conservative members of council endorsed someone other than a member of the Ford family?

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

Photos: "Vote here sign" by asianz , "Olivia Chow at Robocall Protest in Toronto" by Ryan Kelpin, in the blogTO Flickr pool and Chris Bateman/blogTO.

Lonely Red Rocket

Morning Brew: Ford in court to request stay of removal, Vaughan wants combined casino/mayor vote, more Union-Pearson wrangling, and helping friends in need

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toronto ttc busRob Ford and his legal team are due in court again this morning to request a stay of a judge's decision to remove him from office. If he's successful, which seems likely, Ford will remain mayor until his formal appeal against the decision can be heard in the new year. Paul Madger and Clayton Ruby, the team that argued against Ford in the original case, have decided not to oppose the request for a stay.

Councillor Adam Vaughan says a referendum on a Toronto casino should be included on a mayoral by-election ballot to save cash. A full-blown election will cost the city about $7 million, more if it decides to go to the electorate again on a separate question of whether a major hotel and gaming complex should be built in the city. Thrifty move?

Yesterday set a temperature record for Dec. 4 when the thermometer reached a positively scorching 16 degrees Celsius. It broke the previous record of 15.9 set in 1998. Despite the mild weather, it's supposed to be a winter of typical seasonal temperatures and regular snowfall overall.

The Clean Train Coalition isn't about to just give up on electric trains for the Union-Pearson rail link. Despite having to pay $30,000 in legal costs, the group plans to appeal an Ontario Divisional Court decision that ruled Metrolinx was mandated to use diesel vehicles to get the line ready for the 2015 Pan Am Games.

A small, student-run bus service from Toronto to London has been nixed by Greyhound Canada over concerns the company isn't licensed. A letter from a law firm to "London Rocket" says only Greyhound is licensed to run the route between the southwestern Ontario town and Toronto. Are Greyhound being meanies or looking out for the law?

Prince Amponsah suffered serious 2nd and 3rd degree burns and lost both his hands in an apartment fire above the Cameron House on Nov. 12. He's still in a coma as a result of his injuries but his friends are rallying round to help him when he wakes up. A campaign to raise $5,000 for Amponsah when he wakes up has already reached its goal, but why not donate a little more? Here's a video.

QUICK HITS:

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

Photo: "Long commute" by asianz in the blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Fashion: Milk Glass Co. Holiday Pop-up Shop, Tunezy and Urbanebloc party, Reia Sample Sale and Jessica Jensen moving sale

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Jessica Jensen handbagThis Week in Fashion rounds up the week's style news, store openings and closings, pop-up shops, sales and upcoming fashion and design events in Toronto. Find it here every Wednesday morning.

NEWS

The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) is doing something remarkable for the neighbourhood, livening up the streets just in time for the holidays. They've implemented nine pop-up shops into empty storefronts, featuring remarkable artists and entrepreneurs like Pop Goes the Easel and 14-year-old Marina Rocks. Visit Danforth East all month long for an eclectic slice of culture and life.

EVENTS/PARTIES

Milk Glass Co. (1247 Dundas St W) is hosting an official opening reception tomorrow night (December 6, from 5 pm until 11 pm) to celebrate their holiday pop-up shop featuring handcrafted goods. It's the perfect way to get all of your shopping out of the way; their Christmas cards, home décor, clothing, accessories, and more make excellent one-of-a-kind gifts. If you can't make it out, the pop-up shop will be open all the way up to December 22nd - and will always offer complimentary hot chocolate! - for a happy holiday shopping experience.

The seventh Calvin Klein store in Canada is set to open in Vaughn Mills (1 Bass Pro Mills Dr) tomorrow (December 6), so - of course - they're doing it with a bang. Celebrate with music, refreshments, and shopping alongside FASHION Magazine's Sarah Casselman from 6 pm until 9 pm. Don't forget to bring any new or gently worn women's business attire to receive an additional discount on one item. Plus, a portion of sales will be donated to Dress for Success. Fun, fashionable, and friendly... what's not to love?

On Friday (December 7), the Fur Bearer Defenders are hosting their Fur Never Fashion Party at 918 Bathurst. The featured designer - Vaute Couture - is a Brooklyn-based and cruelty-free label who'll be showcasing designs via live modelling all night long. Grab a ticket for $30 to enjoy the art installations, complimentary vegan hors d'oeuvres, and raffles, all while participating in a fabulous anti-fur campaign.

Clothing swaps have been all the rage in Toronto in the last year, so Yorkville's participating in the eco-friendly experience, putting their own little spin on the experience. The Black Box Boutique (106 Yorkville Ave, 2nd floor) is asking guests to bring along their pre-loved accessories and jewellery to trade for something else this Friday (December 7), all while enjoying refreshments and shopping with vendors Sneha Varma Handbags, Pinky's Nails, and LightFound. The $5 entrance fee will go straight to Toronto's YWCA.

Tunezy is turning one this December, meaning only one thing: a party with only the best music, fun gifts and giveaways (including a Lomography camera!) is just around the corner. Celebrated in conjunction with Urbanebloc, the event - happening next Tuesday (December 11) from 6:30 pm until 11:30 pm - promises "good company for days," so RSVP ASAP for either a VVIP ticket ($40) or a guest ticket ($5 or a canned good to donate to the Daily Bread Food Bank)!

SALES

The coveted Reia Sample Sale is back and ready for action, starting today (December 5) and running until Friday (December 7). This time, save up to 70% off your designer goods for both men and women - including Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, and YSL - on the second floor of 580 King Street West.

Jessica Jensen - a Canadian designer of handbags and leather goods - is onto bigger and better things, which can only mean she's having a moving sale. Head down to the new studio located at 35 Mowat Avenue tomorrow (December 6) from 11 am until 5 pm or Friday (December 7) from 11 am until 7 pm for minimal and practical designs in every staple colour you can think of.

Photo by Fara Winestock

Six Shooter Records on how to make it as an indie label

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Six Shooter Records TorontoStarting with a simple motto — "Life's too short to listen to shitty music" — owner Shauna de Cartier has built Six Shooter Records into one of Toronto's most high-profile independent labels, organizing festivals, producing albums, and managing the careers of some of the most interesting artists working across Canada and abroad. They may have a name torn straight from the dialogue of a spaghetti western as well as some of the best alt-country artists in Canada, but whatever you do, don't pigeonhole them as a Toronto boutique roots label. They hate that.

HISTORY
Six Shooter Records began as "I think a typical indie label story," says de Cartier. When Luke Doucet — at the time, frontman of psych-rockabilly band Veal— was looking to release a solo album, "I couldn't find anyone to release the record, so I did it myself." That record,Aloha Manitoba, launched a very successful solo career for Doucet as well as a longstanding relationship with Six Shooter that continues to this day.

De Cartier, along with her business partner Helen Britton, shared a tiny office at Queen and Broadview for a number of years before moving the label downtown. Currently managing their clients with a staff of four full-time employees and a few rotating part-timers and interns, de Cartier and Britton now work out of a renovated factory near Queen and Spadina. It's a gorgeous space with old, varnished wood floors and chandeliers positively bristling with lightbulbs, exactly the sort of environment you'd expect an indie label to occupy.

ARTISTS
Though it's easy to see how Six Shooter could be pigeonholed as a roots label, or a country label, or an alternative label, the truth is that their artists bring much more diverse and subtle blends of musical styles and expertise. Add to that the fact that their roster is in constant flux, and trying to describe the "signature" of the label becomes much more difficult. When looking for musicians, De Cartier is insistent that, besides strong songwriting and a dedication to make a real career out of their music, she has to see any prospective signing play live. As she puts it, "a lot of things can be faked on records, but you can't fake it live."

Whitehorse
Husband-and-wife duo Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland released their second record earlier this year as Whitehorse, The Fate Of The World Depends On This Kiss. With a unique formula for performance — shows are just the two of them, looping melodies, guitars and percussion live on stage — and a captivating sound, they're definite must-sees. Whitehorse are playing Massey Hall on March 2nd, 2013.

Martin Tielli
The former Rheostatics frontman blends rock with many unexpected other genres of music to come up with his unique sound. He's released all of his solo albums with Six Shooter, including a subscription series that has been described as "tragically ambitious." The Rheostatics were actually booked to reunite for a three-night stint at the Horseshoe until very recently, when they had to cancel the shows. Those shows were definitely on our radar as one of the must-see events of the winter, and we're looking forward to hearing more from Tielli when he's fully recovered.

Jenn Grant
Her newest album, The Beautiful Wild, is a wonderfully subtle and enigmatic record. Her unmistakable, rich voice shines especially on "I've Got Your Fire" and "The Fighter," a career-making one-two punch of songs.

Danny Michel
Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me is the 10th album by Juno nominee Michel, but just his first release with Six Shooter. It's filled with gorgeous percussion and subtle rhythmic touches, coming from the traditional music of Belize. He and his backing band, The Benque Players, come on December 8th to the Winter Garden Theatre.

Amelia Curran
Spectators, her new album, brings Curran's incredibly deft songwriting together with a fuller sound, thanks to Toronto producer John Critchley. The record features some high-profile Canadian backing musicians, like Martin Tielli, Bryden Baird and Elliott Brood's Stephen Pitkin guesting.

OTHER PROJECTS
Six Shooter has really begun to branch out, getting into the business of festivals. When asked about these new endeavors, Cartier responds, "I take a lot of risks. "Most of them don't pay off," she deadpans, but the joke doesn't hold up in light of her recent success. Last year, Six Shooter organized a festival called The Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton over three days at the end of July. With Whitehorse and Jenn Grant on the bill, the label was well represented alongside other musicians like Blue Rodeo, Alejandro Escovedo and Richard Buckner. It was a glowing success. The "Edmonton media really came on board to support us; it was fantastic," says de Cartier.

The Sleepwalk Guitar Festival has just wrapped up its second year at The Great Hall in Toronto. Luke Doucet is easily one of the best guitarists in Canada, so a natural curator for such a gathering. His bill of performers brought out some of the most talent guitarists around — people like legendary Elvis sideman James Burton, as well as Cindy Cashdollar, Albert Lee and Wilco's Nels Cline.

ON THE FUTURE OF THE RECORD INDUSTRY
When asked whether or not the resurgence of vinyl in is a sign of a turnaround in the sliding sales that all labels have faced in recent years, de Cartier isn't optimistic. "Vinyl is a T-shirt," she says. "Vinyl is not going to save the music industry." She speaks of how expensive it is to make, the difficulty artists have in shipping and storing it, and how despite plenty of interest — not just from record collectors and music fans; casual listeners or those who don't have record players, who buy records for the art — it just never makes up ground against the erosion of sales brought on by digital downloads and streaming.

It's plain that Six Shooter Records is here to stay, though. With a group of artists keen to experiment and push their limits, a constantly growing, dedicated fan base and an already-great history in the music business in Canada, Six Shooter is still making waves, and Shauna De Cartier seems happy and unfazed by sometime cold realities that come with working in the music business.

How is that? As a friend once told her, Shauna says with a smile, "we're not saving lives here. It's just rock and roll."

You can follow Six Shooter Records on Twitter @sixshooterr and on Instagram @ sixshooterrecords. Make sure to like them on Facebook; as well, Six Shooter's just released their first app, actually; check it out to learn What Kind Of Awesome Are You.

Gotstyle opens new unisex shop in the Distillery

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Distillery District FashionGirlfriends and wives (or, more likely, wives-to-be) have known this store as a place where their men can pick up some dapper duds. But with a new location now open in the Distillery District, women can, too, pick up a little Ted Baker or Tiger of Sweden. While the lower Bathurst location will remain menswear only, this shop will boast brands new and old for both men and women, plus its own salon (of course) and a pool table up on the Mezzanine level.

Read my profile of Gotstyle (Distillery) in the fashion section.

Get into the holiday spirit with vintage TTC ads

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toronto ttc christmasThough some of its staff might occasionally be lacking in the charm department, the TTC was once a perennial source of thoroughly endearing artwork and ideas. In the 1950s, the Commission not only published beautifully illustrated etiquette suggestions for its riders, when December rolled around it wished them a merry Christmas too (this being the '50s, there wasn't a whole lot of attention paid to non-Christian holiday celebrations).

Several of these cards were hung in the advertising gantry around the inside of PCC streetcars at the time the city was preparing to launch its first subway line. The drawings prominently featured a hard-working Santa Claus helping hoist steel girders and popping out of the wooden street cover with a pickaxe and shovel on his back.

toronto ttc christmasThe vaguely constructivist style shows the optimism that surrounded the coming modern era of rapid transit and gives an insight into the mentality of the TTC at the time, that is to say a sense of pride and excitement for the future. They were building a better city, and everyone would benefit.

toronto ttc christmasThe festivities weren't limited to happy artwork. Each year a special bus service toured the city's best Christmas illuminations in the downtown core and residential streets, giving eager onlookers a chance to see parts of the city they might not otherwise be able to visit. Special commemorative tickets and token holders were also part of the seasonal fare.

Enjoy these little pieces of nostalgia and think back to a time when a dusting of snow all it took to make the city look convivial and calm.

MORE IMAGES:toronto ttc christmastoronto ttc christmastoronto ttc christmastoronto ttc christmastoronto ttc christmastoronto ttc christmastoronto ttc christmas

Images: City of Toronto Archives

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


The top 10 films in Canada from 2012

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TIFF Top Canadian FilmsProbably the next best thing to having your film screen at TIFF is having it selected as one of its "Top Ten," a list that was established in 2001 to "honour excellence in short and feature length contemporary Canadian cinema." Curious to hear who made the cut this year, I put on some lip-gloss for the official announcement in the swanky "Malaparte" lounge at the Bell Lightbox last night. Hosts Don McKellar and Sarah Gadon brought some levity to the announcement with McKellar noting that lists were reductive and then going on to list a number or reasons why this is the case. Sounds like a comment board around here. Ahem, now onto the films.

The top Canadian features of 2012 in alphabetical order are (cyber drum roll please):

Cosmopolis - David Cronenberg
The End of Time - Peter Mettler
Goon - Michael Dowse
Laurence Anyways - Xavier Dolan
Midnight's Children - Deepa Mehta
My Awkward Sexual Adventure - Sean Garrity
Rebelle - Kim Nguyen (also Canada's official Academy Awards entry for Best Foreign Film)
Still - Michael McGowan
Stories We Tell - Sarah Polley
The World Before Her - Nisha Pahuja

The top Canadian short films of 2012 in alphabetical order are:

Bydlo - Patrick Bouchard
Chef de meute (Herd Leader) - Chloé Robichaud
Crackin' Down Hard - Mike Clattenburg
Kaspar - Diane Obomsawin
Lingo - Bahar Noorizadeh
Malody - Phillip Barker
Ne crâne pas sois modeste (Keep a Modest Head) - Deco Dawson
Old Growth - Tess Girard
Paparmane (Wintergreen) - Joëlle Desjardins Paquette
Reflexions - Martin Thibaudeau

While it's no shock to see Canadian darlings Mehta, Cronenberg and Polley on the list, there were two pleasant surprises in My Awkward Sexual Adventure and The World Before Her. The first is a shocking and somewhat explicit comedy and the second a sometimes difficult documentary about the lives of women in India. Also pretty cool to see Trailer Park Boys' Mike Clattenburg on the short film list. Kudos to the panel for their selection of these two films.

Public screenings of the Top Ten programming run from Jan 4-13 with special guests in attendance and considering it's TIFF — you never know who might show up! Purchase tickets online at tiff.net/topten by phone Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET at 416.599.TIFF and 1.888.599.8433, or visit the box office in person from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

Pricing as follows: standard ticket is $12 (feature film or shorts programme); the Take Five package: any five feature films for $48 (redeemed in person or by phone only; one ticket per screening); the Two Pack: both shorts programmes for $18; Mavericks with Sarah Polley is $18.75. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the screening. Member pricing available.
TIFF members can purchase tickets now and general public sales begin on December 12.

Writing by Priya Rao

Still from Cosmopolis

What should the TTC do to improve its Rocket trains?

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toronto subway rocketToronto's new Rocket subway trains have a design flaw: if the doors fail to close three times in a row, an automatic shutoff kicks in and the cars need to be taken out of service be reset. This, as you might expect, is a bit of an inconvenience during rush-hour on the jam-packed subway. As a result, the trains are currently running on time 92.7 per cent of the time, well below the TTC's 96 per cent target.

The doors are wired together so the train can't leave until each one is sealed. This safety feature is noticeable in the two-second delay at the platform after the train stops. If the safety is repeatedly activated, it seems the train assumes a fault and automatically shuts down.

toronto subway rocketTTC CEO Andy Byford called the issue "unacceptable" and will meet with Bombardier reps Friday to find a fix for the 27 trains presently in service on the Yonge-University-Spadina line and discuss changes to the remaining 70 "trainsets" under construction in Thunder Bay.

The two groups will also discuss adding extra handles to the interior of the train and building covers for the driver intercom, which, apparently, is too easily knocked by wayward arms. What other changes should the TTC discuss with Bombardier? Are there any minor issues you would like to see rectified?

Personally, and this is just me, I would like the train's robotic voice improved to sound a little more human. Right now it says "please stand clear of doors" and "the next station is interchange station." A "the" and "an" wouldn't go amiss in those sentences. It's not as important as fixing in the doors but, you know, while they're at it... Oh, and could they dim the lights just a little? Some people are trying to get some sleep.

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

Photo: "Toronto Transit Commission 5416" by apta_2050, "Long Train" by Stephen Gardiner in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto seeks to design its own version of the High Line

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Green Line TorontoNew York City's High Line, a public park built atop a disused elevated railway along the Manhattan's west side, is something that would make a damn fine addition to any urban centre. The problem is, of course, that not every city has an old elevated railway with which to work. And then there's the problem of civic will. The High Line remains the product of a tireless campaign on the part of community members to adapt and reuse a structure that was destined to be demolished many times over.

In Toronto there has been more than one proposal to turn the Gardiner Expressway into a similar type of public greenspace, but the likelihood of converting an active highway into a park is, you'll forgive me, anything but realistic in a city that's struggled to show vision on projects of this nature (let's get the West Toronto Railpath extended downtown, and then we can talk, ok?).

That said, there are other urban elements in this city — hiding in plain view, as it were — that could be converted into valuable public space. The Railpath is a good example of this, but so to is the so-called Green Line, a meandering five kilometre hydro corridor that stretches between Lansdowne and Davenport to around Spadina and Dupont. While lacking the intrigue of an elevated railway, much could be done to make this a marquee addition to our portfolio of parkland.

Green Line TorontoAnd a newly launched design competition is looking to do just that. The Green Line Ideas Competition asks "architects, landscape architects, designers, planners, artists and community members" to "propose how a piece of infrastructure can be transformed into exemplary public space."

Many elements along the five kilometre route are already used as parks — both officially and otherwise — but the competition would like to showcase novel ideas for ways to create a continuous corridor. Alas, this is the earliest stage of the transformation process, and the winning design isn't destined to be built. The City of Toronto is missing key parts of land to complete the link, but according to a press release, local councillors are already negotiating for licences to the missing pieces.

And, really, if comparisons to the High Line are warranted it'd be good to remember just how long it took to get that project realized. This ideas competition will culminate in a community event in the spring, which should serve to get discussion and momentum going for a full-scale push to bring the Green Line into reality.

Lead image Derek Flack / Map courtesy of the Green Line Ideas Competition

Judge allows Rob Ford to remain mayor until January

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toronto rob fordAn Ontario Superior Court judge has granted Rob Ford a temporary stay of removal, allowing him to continue as mayor until a formal appeal against a court decision to oust him from office can be heard in the new year.

Alan Lenczner, Ford's lawyer, told Justice Gladys Pardu before an Osgoode Hall courtroom that removing Ford from office per Justice Hackland's original ruling would cause the mayor "irreparable harm" personally, and that on "balance of convenience" a stay would be beneficial to the city. Pardu, along with Clayton Ruby and Paul Magder, the lawyer and complainant that brought the original case, agreed.

Had the stay not been granted Ford would have been removed as mayor at the start of next week. That outcome could have lead to the bizarre situation of two legitimate mayors in Toronto if council had selected a replacement from within only to have an appeal restore Ford to office.

Lenczner also took time to outline the case he'll present at Ford's appeal. The lawyer will argue that council was outside its jurisdiction when it ordered Ford to bay back money gifted to his private charity, and that the overall sum, $3,150, was "insignificant" to the mayor, both of which are arguments that failed to convince a judge the first time around.

It's also possible he'll repeat his assertion that Ford made an honest mistake by participating in proceedings since he'd correctly declared a conflict of interest and excused himself on seven previous occasions.

Justice Charles Hackland, a Superior Court judge, ruled last Monday that Ford was in breach of provincial conflict of interest rules when he spoke and voted on an item at council in which he had a pecuniary interest, namely the repayment of donations to his football foundation that were deemed inappropriate, and was faced with no choice but to declare the mayor's seat vacant.

In a brief scrum with media at City Hall, Ford said he "can't wait" for the appeal to start and told press the cost of the process "doesn't matter" to him.

Here's the full text of the court's decision:

115643805-Ford-stay-1

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

Image: "Hizzoner Rob Ford" by under the influence of dub in the blogTO Flickr pool.

New cafe has the Parisian vibe down pat

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Parisian Cafe TorontoQuiet in King West is not necessarily an anomaly, but this new French cafe offers a little bit of respite from the bustle, complete with quiche, croissants, cafe au lait, and pleasant Francophone music you can actually hear over the traffic.

Read my profile of Le Neuf Cafe in the cafes section.

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