The scariest thing that Halloween can do is remind you that the days are getting colder and shorter. This October 31st was no exception, with icy drizzle quickly turning to snowflakes shortly after midnight; a threshold representing the last fleeting minutes of autumn and scaring some away from venturing out at all.

Fortunately, Mansion's Terror Vision party offered an immersive night of dance music that allowed us to forget about the coming onslaught of winter, packing 99 Sudbury with a combination of local talent complimented by Jus-Ed and DJ EZ, two veteran dance music producers from different corners of the globe.

I was immediately struck by the mesmerizing visuals that characterized both rooms. The entrance to the Glass Factory room showcased a massive all-seeing eyeball looks out over the crowd, cascading a series of twitchy laser patterns across the room. Bedroomer's Jennifer Illet and Liam Sanagan perfectly nailed the feeling of dystopian surveillance, evoking a post-NSA feeling of paranoia. What's creepier in 2014 than acknowledging the reality that your every moment is being watched, recorded, or posted to Twitter? Foucault would be proud.

The main gallery showcased an immersive 360 degree projection by visual artist Timur Musabay, which blended grainy footage from 80's horror VHS tapes with modern digital editing techniques - no matter which way you turned, a Dali-esque eyeball stared back at you. Though costumes were varied, no one's getup came close to overshadowing the looming installations.

Terror Vision's promoters have begun to specialize in fostering new collaborations with local talent - and nowhere was the growing synthesis between different Toronto musical communities more evident than with their Bedroomer collaboration, which also included a noteworthy est by the duo of Eytan Tobin and LUM, both clad in nerve-jostling evil mime apparel.

The duo bridged a perfect gap between Bedroomer's indie-focused output and the body-centric four-to-the-floor needs of the crowd, incorporating LUM's feverish remix of Majid Jordan's "A Place Like This" and Tobin's juke-focused, Aubrey Graham sampling "2On" to an extremely warm reception. Those interested in both producers should look out for a free mixtape end of November / beginning of December via Bedroomer, the first in an ongoing series.

Following Bedroomer, ÈBONY's Sylvermayne and Jordan Gardner brought the room to a temperature that briefly made me think my brain might be overheating, which had multiple dancers shedding layers of their costumes to facilitate better dancing.

ÈBONY's devotion to eclectic techno and house that shies away from predictability makes them one of my favourite acts to see in any sized venue - but here, they used the room's booming sound system to excellent effect, airing out the careening gospel house of Floorplan's "We Magnify His Name" to Kyodai's piano-led "Sex Affair", all with a mixing style that was both precise and free-flowing; well-disciplined and uninhibited.

While ÈBONY's set kept me glued in the gallery for most of the night, I managed to duck into the Glass Factory in time to catch a bit of an Ace Ventura dressed Gingy and mustachioed Kevin McPhee playing vinyl cuts back-to-back, including a mix of Prince's "Purple Muisc" that fit the hallucinogenic vibe of the night to a tee.

Contemporary dance music has a thorny reputation of paying tribute to its elders, which is why I'm consistently impressed when Toronto showcases genre originators (earlier in October I caught Paris Mitchell, one of Daft Punk's overt influences).

This Halloween brought two separate heavyweights, including London's DJ EZ, who debuted to an absolutely packed room, immediately leveraging the energy of the night to drop into a workout-paced routine of garage classics, from MK's remix of Nightcrawlers' "Push The Feeling On" to choppy edit of Harddrive's "Deep Inside".

Otis Roberts' career in dance music has spanned over a decade and a half, so it's unsurprising that the whole thing was edited together with a tightly-stitched surgical technical quality, using a series of drops, echoes, delays, reverbs and cuts to keep transitions quick and lively- the kind of mixing that causes sporadic cheers to escape out your mouth without even realizing it.

Wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with his name emblazoned on it, New York's Jus-Ed closed out at the Glass Factory room, showcasing some of the deeply soulful, bass-driven house music that's made his Underground Quality label one of New York's forces to be reckoned with. While the superior sound system in the Gallery room drew a sizeable portion of the crowd away from Jus-Ed's set, he carved out a rollicking groove that made his two-hour set melt away in no time, cycling through a series of choice cuts that made the large room feel as intimate as a tightly-packed basement party.

Lawerence's "Tangled Track" and the Mekanism's "Missing Love" were two tracks that I recognized amongst the selections; but really, one of the most enjoyable parts of Jus-Ed's set is to forget about trainspotting tracks, close your eyes, and let the textures sweep you into another realm.

The knowledge that dance music from past and present, originators and up-and-comers can not only co-exist together, but thrust the party into this blurred, communal let-go zone of total chaos is what makes me continually hopeful about Toronto's dance music community. And stepping out of the party into the blustery snow of early November, I wasn't feeling depressed about the end of autumn. Instead, I found myself thinking 'the beast is still very much alive.' Long live the new flesh.

Photos by Conrad McGee-Stocks

Just how much the media world knew about former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi before he was publicly accused of sexual assault is beginning to come to light. On the same weekend that saw a third woman come forward with allegations, journalism profs at Western University admitted they began warning students away from taking internships at his show, Q, after one intern reported Ghomeshi had repeatedly tried to touch her inappropriately, invite her out for drinks and send her flirty text messages.

Another student going through the program two years ago tells the Toronto Star that Q internships were considered "off limits" due to Ghomeshi's behaviour. At Carleton University, meanwhile, faculty are reviewing the records of every intern they ever sent to Q, on the strength of tweets from the now-infamous @bigearsteddy Twitter account that accuse Ghomeshi of assaulting Carleton media students, and a Q producer told Canadaland this weekend that they were well aware of Ghomeshi's behaviour.

A former classmate of Ghomeshi's at York, meanwhile, alleges in a Facebook post that the pattern goes as far back as his school days in 1988. The writer says residence staff allegedly met with all the women in her residence hall to warn them about being near Ghomeshi in co-ed washrooms, stairwells, or at house parties.

In other Ghomeshi news from the weekend, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a glowing profile of the fallen star, Star reporter Kevin Donovan gives the lowdown on one very awkward dinner, and an old video from the Moxy Früvous days will probably make everyone uncomfortable. On the bright side, the Ghomeshi story has started an international conversation about rape culture that has been a long time coming.

Halloween's best party in Toronto this year was shy on horror, with costume queenpin Hotnuts' Garrison bash focusing instead on the far out theme of "Nature slut veg qween." It's less random with some background on the night's headlining performer Bunny Michael, self-professed "nature slut." The new-age, internet-inspired New York rapper's menacing punk screams and creepy baby croons are flawlessly suited to Halloween (or an average day for regular freaks), and she's a brilliant live performer.

Naturally (heh) imaginative costumes were out in full force. It was easy to forget the cruel environment outside (you can't convince me that was real snow) thanks to Pegzilla, Produzentin Proddy, Mary Messhausen, and Buzz Huneedew, who've been hosting Hotnuts parties for almost 10 years, bringing to Toronto some of the best queer artists from all over the world including Nomi Ruiz, Christeene, and Hard Ton.

Check out our gallery for 35 of Toronto's best Halloween costumes from 2014

Anyone else miss Hailo already? Uber, now the reigning taxi-hailing app in Toronto, celebrated its victory over the competition on Halloween night by breaking out everyone's least favourite part of the Uber business model: surge pricing. When demand goes way up for cabs - on holidays, say, or during acts of God - Uber multiplies the fare (Uber users in New York have seen rates go as high as 800%), and pockets the extra.

This weekend, we received a tip from an irate reader who was asked to pay $71.75 for a ride from the CityPlace area to King and Bathurst. The driver started the meter before the cab even arrived, which kept her from agreeing to the surge pricing, which was set at five times the normal fare. "The driver and I both weren't aware of the price peak until the end of the ride," she adds. It's not the $362 Halloween ride that one New York woman decided to crowdfund, but that's still some nasty sticker shock. (Our question: Why did the cabbie go all the way up to Dundas?)

Did you encounter Uber's surge pricing on Halloween? Tell us about it in the comments.

Photo via sarahholdy on Instagram.

Halloween has come and gone for another year, and all that remains are a few smashed pumpkins and lots of costume photos. We challenged our Instagram followers to share their most creative get-ups with us this year, which yielded everything from those creepy little girls in The Shining (the Grady girls) to a walking box of Kraft Diner and just about everything in between. Thankfully the Rob Ford sightings were low, and I won't even mention that other Canadian celebrity who's been all over the news lately.

Here are 10 of our favourite reader-submitted costume photos from Halloween 2014. Check out all the other creative outfits in this photo gallery.

Lead photo by kiantang.

Photo by kim_tr

Photo by lisadavey

Photo by xxchrix

Photo by lamangalamanga

Photo by squidheart

Photo by hailskristin

Photo by thedelightfulvegan

Photo by kateheming

Photo by dianahumbertson

The best fashion designers in Toronto have one thing in common: staying power. It takes a special kind of stamina and drive to maintain an attentive audience in an industry that's forever changing its preferences. Each of these designers have uncovered lasting examples of what's beautiful in the art of design and matched that with a vision that changes with the times.

Luckily, they're not the only ones - the city has plenty of talent to choose from. Younger designers like Sid Neigum, Beaufille, Mikhael Kale and Caitlin Power are part of a growing list of Toronto fan favourites. Together, they're all part of dressing the future.

Here are the best fashion designers in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Clothing Stores For Local Design in Toronto
The top 10 independent jewelry designers in Toronto
The top 10 handbag designers in Toronto

Pink Tartan
In the 11 years of Pink Tartan's history, founder Kimberly Newport-Mimran has cracked the code to becoming a crucial designer in Canada's fashion elite. After eight years in business and a New York showroom already under her belt, Newport-Mimran opened a Pink Tartan flagship store in Yorkville in 2010 while high-end retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Holt Renfrew continue to carry the line. The Pink Tartan woman possesses all of the fashion sense of a delicately pretty, preppy girl, while managing to fit strong professionalism into the balance. When it comes to outfitting women, Pink Tartan is all about class.

Smythe Les Vestes
Smythe Les Vestes' flawlessly tailored goods have garnered attention from nearly every relevant female celebrity of the past 10 years, from Kate Middleton to Blake Lively and Katy Perry. The brand exclusively creates jackets and outerwear with a sharp, classic focus. Familiar classics, like the wool HBC coat, are given memorable twists (creative patterns, interesting silhouettes) to showcase the brand's unique capability to take mainstays and make them feel new again.

Philip Sparks
Philip Sparks' designs offer a vintage feel - the type of uniform donned by gents clad in thick-rimmed glasses and a 1920s flair. What started as a brand designed solely for men eventually extended into womenswear, which stems from the same old-school mentality but with contemporary touches. The designer's rise to the top has been a steady one, with less emphasis on runway shows and more of a focus on a ready storefront. Sparks also takes orders for custom suits at his shop on Ossington.

Greta Constantine
Greta Constantine have made a name for themselves by creating beautiful draped pieces with a subtle theatrical touch. Design duo Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong prefer simple materials to high-maintenance fabrics and consider themselves "an accessible luxury line" with a clientele of powerfully chic women looking for effortless style. Past men's collections (under the name of Ezra Constantine) have revealed the minimalist inclinations of Pickersgill and Wong, while their women's line maintains an enviably chic attitude.

David Dixon
David Dixon's luxurious eveningwear designs speak to a woman who favours simple silhouettes and textured, colourful gowns. Since his apprenticeship with Alfred Sung in the 90s, Dixon created his own label In 1995 and has since established himself as one of Canada's leading designers in ultra-feminine formalwear. Earlier this year, he launched a bridal collection for Kleinfeld Hudson's Bay.

Klaxon Howl
Matt Robinson's Klaxon Howl has clothed every type of manly man there is. His designs harken back to a time when the blue-collared man had to clothe himself in sturdy workwear - thickly-laced leather work boots, dungarees, and cotton button-up shirts. Robinson's primary inspirations have come from mixing early-to-mid 20th century military and sportswear influences to create a vintage take on today's modern man.

Adrian Wu
Adrian Wu's imaginative designs are more conversation pieces than ready-to-wear fashion. The designer got his start at Vancouver Fashion Week in 2010 at the age of 19, and has since collaborated with Margaret Atwood (he designed clothing based off of her book In Other Worlds) and broken into the national fashion landscape. His often dramatic and fairy-tale-like work has been met with varying levels of praise and criticism - like his fall/winter 2012 show at Toronto Fashion Week, where models wore Guy Fawkes masks.

Anu Raina
The Toronto-centric art infused into Anu Raina's designs have granted the designer praise in the city's fashion and art communities alike. Her designs have placed a colourful Toronto skyline on the backdrop of supple fabrics. The result is a vision of vibrant and youthful clothing with a splash of creative elegance.

VAWK
Since his win on the second season of Canada's Project Runway, Sunny Fong has developed VAWK, a line dedicated to creating beautifully hand-crafted women's wear. The brand is named for the phonetic spelling of a Sanskrit word meaning "of divine creativity," a fitting description of the designs that make up the brand as a whole. Women's suits are finely tailored with hints of femininity and grace.

Photo of Philip Sparks at his Toronto studio.

This week on DineSafe, there are no closures to report. Among those handed yellow cards, it looks like the newly opened North York outpost of Kinton Ramen is struggling with some opening jitters - specifically, temperature control.

Here are the rest of this week's worst on DineSafe.

Pulp Kitchen (717 Queen St. East)
Inspected on: October 27, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Mata Hari Bar & Grill (39 Baldwin St.)
Inspected on: October 28, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Jugo Juice (65 Front St. West)
Inspected on: October 28, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 1, Significant: 5, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands when required.

Kinton Ramen (5165 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: October 30, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Beaver Cafe (1192 Queen St. West)
Inspected on: October 31, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 3, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

The Wild Indigo Bar (607 College St.)
Inspected on: November 1, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

The Cookbook Store, which closed back in March to make way for a condo development, is set to return. Instead of its own retail location, the store will open as a section of high end grocery shop All the Best Fine Foods. As such, the books on offer will be dramatically scaled back -- just 60 or so to begin with, though there are plans for more -- but events like cooking demonstrations and author appearances will once again have a home. The new boutique will be called All the Best Cookbooks.

That's the most intriguing aspect of this partnership, the degree to which it might foretell a way to help maintain the presence of independent booksellers in bricks and mortar shops across the city. While the marriage is a convenient one based on the food-focused theme of the store, one suspects that if it works, other bookstores might be willing to try this hybrid model, one which would still allow for online sales but also a space in which to promote literary culture and the authors whose books are on offer.

Photo by Rick McGinnis

A new pop-up is about to transform the vacant lot at 335 Yonge St., just north of Dundas, into a winter wonderland of handmade local goods. (And you thought Dundas Square was impersonal.) The new marketplace, dubbed #localTOmrkt, will allow local designers and artisans to showcase their wares to holiday shopping crowds between November 28 and December 24.

The lot, which has stood vacant since a fire in 2011, will now host makers and sellers of clothing, jewelry, foods, cards, and all manner of gift-ready goods under a (heated!) tent. There's a dozen or so already on board, and they're still looking for more vendors interested in showing their stuff to the roughly 120,000 pedestrians that pass by the area each week. Learn more here.

Celebrities from Toronto have successfully risen to the very top of the pop culture heap. We can bang on endlessly about whether or not we're a "world-class city" (whatever that means), but we can at least take comfort in the fact that we've been able to produce world-renowned names in the fields of music, acting, design, comedy, and Hindenburg-calibre public embarrassments.

Of course, some of Toronto's most notable sons are world-renowned, while others are just Canadian-famous (or, even worse, Toronto-famous). After some internal debate - would they be just as likely to know this person in Paris as they would at home? - we rounded up the 10 biggest household names who were either born in the GTA or spent a significant portion of their formative years here.

Honourable mentions go to stars like Will Arnett, Rachel McAdams, Nina Dobrev, Howie Mandel and David Cronenberg, and dozens of others. We're sorry there wasn't room on the list, but you guys have legions of fans, and probably some really nice houses, so it all works out.

Here are our picks for the 10 most famous people from Toronto.

Drake
When was the last time Toronto had a bona fide international hip-hop superstar? (Aside from Snow, obviously.) As a child, Aubrey Graham lived on Weston Road and in Forest Hill, attended Forest Hill Collegiate and Vaughan Road Academy, and ate enough Dutch Dreams peanut butter chocolate ice cream that the shop later renamed the flavour after him.

Keanu Reeves
Before he was Neo or Ted "Theodore" Logan, Keanu Reeves lived in Beirut, New York and Sydney before his family settled in Toronto. He attended four Toronto high schools in five years, including De La Salle College and Etobicoke School for the Arts (who, at one point, expelled him).

Kiefer Sutherland
The veteran actor, best known for his starring turn in 24, moved to Toronto at age nine from California and attended a whopping nine elementary and high schools over the course of his youth. (Bonus Canadian fact: He's the grandson of Tommy Douglas.)

Margaret Atwood
Atwood, arguably Toronto's greatest contribution to the field of literature (and first-ever contributor to the Future Library) grew up between the city, Ottawa and Quebec before settling in Toronto during high school. She's lived in the Annex since the mid-'80s.

Lorne Michaels
Little wonder that so many SCTV stars showed up on Saturday Night Live; even though the show is quintessential New York content, showrunner Michaels was born in raised in Toronto, attended FHCI, and studied English at U of T.

Christopher Plummer
You probably know him as Captain von Trapp, but the legendary Canadian actor's career has been going strong for decades - in 2011, he became the oldest actor to ever win an Academy Award (for Beginners). Plummer was born in Toronto, though he spent much of his childhood growing up in Quebec.

Deadmau5
When he's not touring the world, the mouse-eared DJ (aka Joel Zimmerman) lives downtown, and his fleet of luxury cars occasionally make appearances around the city (including a McLaren and the Nyan Cat-themed, dearly-departed Purrari).

Frank Gehry
Gehry, one of the world's greatest architects, was born in Toronto in 1929, and his grandfather's Queen West hardware store was a launching pad for his earliest interests in construction and architecture. He moved to California as a young man and lives there to this day, but has since given back to his hometown through the AGO and an upcoming development from Mirvish.

Jim Carrey
The comedian grew up inside and around the GTA, with stints in Scarborough and North York, and came up in the Toronto comedy scene in the late '70s. Carrey moved to LA by the time he was 21, but apparently, he still loves the Leafs.

Rob Ford
Fame lasts 15 minutes, to borrow a phrase, but infamy lasts far longer. Thanks to an infinitely-publicized crack-cocaine scandal, topped off with a few perfect soundbites ("in one of my drunken stupors", that charming line involving his wife), Ford appeared on Kimmel, was parodied on Saturday Night Live, and made daily headlines in papers around the world - how many people from Toronto can say that?

Who would you put on this list? Let us know in the comments.

Looking for a bold, big-ticket statement piece - a table that looks like a headless ostrich, for example? You'll find it at this design shop, which opened just off King St. East earlier this year. Their bread-and-butter is modern furniture with a whimsical twist from a handful of lines - several of which aren't available anywhere else in Toronto.

Read my profile of RADform in the design section.

It looks like your purple dreams may come true: rumours are flying this morning about a secret Prince show at Massey Hall going on tonight. Or... not.

Update 2:50pm: Live Nation has just tweeted that a Prince show is not happening at Massey Hall.

In response to inquiries, we can confirm that Prince will not be performing at @masseyhall tonight.

— Live Nation Ontario (@LiveNationON) November 4, 2014

Yes there was going to be a show! Prince decided moments ago he just "wasn't feeling it" So Sad. #Prince

— Josie Dye (@josiedye) November 4, 2014

@Tanya_Kim Hey Tanya, from a girl who has tickets...I just heard its 90% off. #Prince

— Josie Dye (@josiedye) November 4, 2014

@karen_bliss Hey! Sorry, Prince will not be performing tonight or tomorrow night.

— Live Nation (@LiveNation) November 4, 2014

A Prince rep, accompanied by a Massey Hall staffer, just told us all in line that there is indeed no show. What a bust! #Prince#Toronto

— Dale Gago (@DaleGago) November 4, 2014

Our own writer Po Karim is still stoically in line, and tells us that when asked why they showed up to work today, security answered they were called early this morning due to the rumours circulating. The box office typically opens on the day of a show at noon and did not, so many in line are holding on to hope that wristbands will be distributed at 6pm for access to a show (or shows) later this week. Live Nation's tweet does say "tonight or tomorrow" after all. Who said that optimism is dead?

Hope is being propped up by this picture of Prince's gear on stage at Massey Hall, and by Karim's own sighting of "a woman unloading purple orchids" while walking on Shooter Street.

I did see someone unloading purple orchids at the stage door. #princeto

— !PO! (@hungrypo) November 4, 2014

What follows below is our post from earlier this morning, when speculation was at fever pitch that Prince was taking the stage tonight:

An early morning tweet by his @3RDEYEGIRL band (which has since been deleted) read: "4th day of November, we need a purple high: OTNOROT CALLING..." For non Twin Peaks fans, OTNOROT is Toronto backwards. Global is reporting wristbands will be snaking onto arms at 8pm (watch out - we've also heard 6pm), but you know you'd better get in line like, now.

Massey Hall has told us they can't confirm the rumours of tonight's Prince appearance, but they'll be updating their website with information if it's true - sounds like a venue with a plan.

Prince and secret shows go hand in hand (here's a review of one in London) so we're guessing the hype is to be believed. Here are some snippets from Twitter, and fingers crossed the fake Prince from our Halloween costume round-up sees this.

Update: it gets better - based on multiple reports there looks to be a second show in the works as well.

TORONTO: Quick reminder that Prince is seemingly playing @masseyhall tonight... No more details at the minute!

— Prince Museum (@PrinceMuseum) November 4, 2014

Prince pulled this tweet, but I caught it. A Toronto surprise is coming. Let's go crazy. pic.twitter.com/uu3vOm0FbK

— Jill Krajewski (@JillKrajewski) November 4, 2014

Rumour is that tickets to see Prince & @3RDEYEGIRL in Toronto tonight will only be $10.

— Victor (@EyeAmVictor) November 4, 2014

Can you keep a secret? ... Rumours of a line forming outside of #Toronto's @masseyhall for two secret $10 Prince shows tonight. #AlwaysON

— OntarioLiveMusic.ca (@OntLiveMusic) November 4, 2014

If you are in Toronto, go line up in front of Massey Hall. No matter the wait, it will be worth it. #Prince#jealous

— JRPatterson (@JPintheLDOT) November 4, 2014

Prince to perform surprise show in Toronto tonight at Massey Hall !! $10 tickets !!

— YOLO Radio (@1YoLoRadio) November 4, 2014

Security barriers set up at Massey Hall, so looks like you might need to line up to buy tickets at the door? #PrinceWatch#PrinceArmy

— Victor (@EyeAmVictor) November 4, 2014

@joshwolfcomedy secret. fucking. prince. show. in toronto. tonight. 10am and people are already lining up. =/

— Dave J (@DaveyBeamish) November 4, 2014

Did I find a link to Prince in Toronto tickets.... too late?? http://t.co/r8vX0yXE9l

— Corina Newby (@corecorina) November 4, 2014

Is it still a secret show if everyone knows about it? #Prince? #Torontohttp://t.co/auLwUbBe3Jpic.twitter.com/49Xr9ovdwQ

— Simon Ostler (@SimonOstler) November 4, 2014

Prince fans lining up at Massey Hall. Wristbands for surprise show reportedly on sale at 6pm. #Torontopic.twitter.com/uZBPGlfyce

— Entertainment City (@EntCity) November 4, 2014

Possibly-incoming-but-who-the-hell-knows-with-this-guy-really: Prince @ Massey Hall - November 4 (2 shows and yes that's tonight) O-{+>

— Frank Yang (@fyang) November 4, 2014

@3rdeyegirl secret concert?For scalpers?True Prince fans are missing out.These are the people lining up for tickets. pic.twitter.com/SSJDgAOpdS

— Nikki (@nikkismiles) November 4, 2014

Apparently Prince might be playing a secret show at Massey Hall in Toronto tonight. $10 tickets. The lineup is HUGE.

— TETHER (@OfficialTether) November 4, 2014

Photo from the Prince Facebook page

You might not know that Bloorcourt bar the Steady has a sister bakery operation that specializes in donuts. But they do - and they make donuts so good that they just beat out two other top-notch donut companies in the Food Network's televised donut deathmatch.

Donut Showdown pits donut bakers from all over the continent against one another in a series of challenges for a $10,000 cash prize. In last night's episode, Steady bakers Baden Cunning and Vanessa Robak, along with bakers from Florida and Ohio, were tasked with creating a wasabi donut - the Steady's version came topped with sesame seeds and candied ginger.

Next up was a "masquerade"-themed challenge, which they met with a popping-candy donut, and another "masquerading" as a bagel (prompting guest judge Zane Caplansky to have a minor freakout). The duo eventually took home the, er, dough, and, hopefully, some more recipes to add to the Steady's roster, because I desperately want one of those Pop Rocks donuts. Check out all the action on the Food Network site.

Image via Food Network.

The Beaches (or the Beach, see below) grew up as a cluster of independent villages east of Toronto. Before merging into a cohesive part of the city, the area west of Queen and Kingston Rd. was a popular tourist destination thanks to numerous summer resorts, hotels, and a popular horse racing track.

In recent years, the neighbourhood has struggled against perceived threats to its identity. The war of words over the name of the area ("Beaches" is largely perceived--incorrectly--to be the product of newcomers) and battles over the arrival of mid-rise developments on Queen St. and Kingston Rd. have recently been hot topics of conversation.

Here are 10 quirky things to know about the Beaches (or Beach).

The landscape was shaped by numerous lost rivers
The most dramatic Beaches ravine, Glen Stewart, winds south from Kingston Rd. to Queen with gigantic mansions perched on its walls. The stream still exists, though it has been channeled underground in places. It previously emptied into the bay close to Glen Manor Dr. Norway Creek caused the strange elevations along Kenilworth Ave. while Tomlin's Creek, which continues to surface from time-to-time, is responsible for the hills north of Kingston Rd.

There was an anti-semitic uprising in 1933
In the years before the outbreak of the second world war, a troubling undercurrent of pro-Nazi, anti-semitic activity festered in Toronto. The Balmy Beach Swastika Club marched in 1933, flashing Nazi salutes, carrying placards, and selling merchandise. The separate Balmy Beach Canoe Club put up a sign saying "Hail Hitler" and other local groups added a swastikas to their uniforms. Things came to a head with the Christie Pits riot that August. Swastikas still appear on the boardwalk today.

Kew Beach used to be "a place of innocent amusements"
Kew Gardens, named for the famous gardens in London, England, was a popular and sedate summer resort where "innocent amusements in great variety, including dancing" were on offer. Kew was once a distinct area, separate from, say Balmy Beach just down Queen, with its own fire hall and library. In its 25 years of existence, Kew Gardens offered meals, camping, and boarding facilities.

Scarboro Beach Blvd. is named for a lost amusement park
Scarboro Beach Park was the polar opposite of Kew. Owned by an early transit provider, the popular summer attraction drew some 32,000 visitors a season during its heyday in the early 1920s. There was a ride that simulated the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a burlesque show featuring the raunchy "Tipperary Girls," a tunnel of love, swings, and outdoor concerts. It closed in 1925.

The R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is gloriously over the top
Built on the former site of yet another amusement park, Toronto's "Palace of Purification" was never meant to be modest. In the late 1930s, public works commissioner Roland Caldwell Harris, who lived within sight of his most famous project, ordered an ornate art deco complex of yellow brick and Queenston limestone that was to be decorated with marble, bronze, and herringbone tile. There were rumours of secret balls held in the opulent building in the years before it opened. Not bad for a water filtration plant.

There used to be a racetrack at Kingston Rd. and Queen
Founded in 1875, Woodbine Park was a popular early Beaches attraction. People came from downtown on ferry boats and on horse-drawn Toronto Street Railway streetcars and many stayed overnight at the Woodbine Hotel. The King and Queen's Plate was run there for 70 continuous years until new Woodbine in Rexdale opened in 1956. Old Woodbine was renamed Greenwood before being demolished in 1993. Today, the land is occupied by Woodbine Park and a housing development.

Somebody messed up the design of the Donald D. Summerville pool
The bulky concrete mass of the Donald D. Summerville pool, named for the only Toronto mayor to die in office, dominates the waterfront at the foot of Woodbine Ave. The cantilevered structure was completed in the early 1960s and was supposed to contain an Olympic-sized, 50-metre swimming pool, but the finished product ended up being slightly too short, possibly due to a goof converting from imperial to metric.

The Beaches used to be virtually dry
It's now home to the fanciest LCBO store in the province, but the Beaches wasn't always so friendly to liquor. As M. Jane Fairburn notes in her book Along the Shore "during the 1960s, it was virtually impossible to find an establishment in the Beach or surrounding area that served alcohol. The exception was the Orchard Park Tavern, located across from Greenwood Racetrack." That's changed now, of course. Like the Junction, the Beaches' bars and restaurants are now comfortable serving a tipple or two.

Pianist Glenn Gould and artist William Kurelek called the Beaches home
Gould was born on Southwood Dr. and lived there while he recorded his first version of Goldberg Variations for Columbia Records. Kurelek, famous for his scenes of rural Canada, several of which are in the permanent collection of the AGO, moved to Balsam Ave. in 1965. He painted several Beaches scenes and created some of his best known work from his basement studio.

The neighbourhood went to war over its name in 1985
Is it the Beach or Beaches? Your answer to that seemingly innocuous question matters a great deal in the Beaches, or the Beach. In 1985, the steadily heating argument over the name of the neighbourhood boiled over when the city installed new street signs proclaiming it "The Beaches." Much hyperbole and vitriol later and the singularists eventually won out. The signs were replaced, but still no-one quite agrees on the name.

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

Images: Sarah Khan/blogTO Flickr pool; City of Toronto Archives; Toronto Star, Aug. 8, 1933 and Oct. 24, 1985.

54 Dupont Street is a house that's been reduced in price multiple times since the spring, despite a wild Toronto housing market and what looks to be a stellar location between the Annex and Summerhill. Originally listed for $1,795,000 back in June, it sold for $1,750,000 before almost immediately going back on the market. The folks at the Mash have been tracking this one continue to drop in price, now on its third reduction and listed at $1,595,000.

It's hard to say exactly why the last buyer re-listed the house so quickly, but one possibility is the proximity of the CP rail tracks immediately behind that house. I've lived within 100 metres of these tracks for over a decade, but not in house worth over a million and a half bucks or directly on top of them. Perhaps those trains (which run more frequently than you might think) aren't as charming as the real estate listing makes them out to be (no joke: the "charm of the CP railway" is listed as a feature).

It's rather fascinating because this is a gorgeous house in a desirable area. There's a nice marriage of an old structure with modern design courtesy of extensive renovations carried out by JCI Architects, and at four bedrooms and four baths, it's got plenty of space for an average family.

SPECS

• Address: 54 Dupont St.
• Price: $1,595,000
• Lot Size: 27' x 96'
• Bedrooms: 4
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 1
• Taxes: $7,715

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Sweeping ground level windows
• Two balconies
• Halogen lighting
• Sapele wood throughout

GOOD FOR

People looking for a deal in a real estate market gone off the rails. Sure, there are train tracks to deal with and the back yard is rather tiny, but $1.6 million for this house in this location is nothing to complain about, especially given the initial asking price of $1.8 million. This place will appeal if you're into modern design, like not having to drive everywhere, are hard of hearing, or just really into trains.

MOVE ON IF

Obviously those sensitive to noise and disruption don't want to live on top of (very) active train tracks. If you have multiple cars, the single parking spot also won't be appealing. But, come on, there's lots of houses that back right onto this railway throughout its course through the city. I think one would get used to the rumble of the diesel locomotives in time, but then again, I'm a heavy sleeper.

MORE PHOTOS

Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate for sponsoring our House of the Week.

The future of the iconic El Mocambo sign is once again looking uncertain. The palm tree-shaped neon sign was briefly listed on eBay last week where it attracted more than $15,000 in bids before being hastily taken down without explanation.

"No-one bought it," said co-owner Sam Grosso in a text message last week, without divulging any additional information. "I want to keep it in Toronto," he said.

Now it appears there are indeed plans to find a new home for the sign. According to the Toronto Star, Grosso held a preliminary meeting with representatives from City of Toronto, the local BIA, and a music industry lobby group with an eye to its preservation, though nothing has been decided.

The sign, the club's most famous and visible asset, was extensively renovated at a cost of $20,000 in 2012. Grosso had said he would like the sign to be placed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if the Cleveland, Ohio, if the institution would cover the cost of removal and shipping.

Grosso, co-owner of the El Mocambo with Marco Petrucci of 99 Sudbury, announced last month the club would be permanently closing in November after 70 years as a mecca for rock and roll fans.

The building has been conditionally sold, although it's not clear what will fill the space or if the deal will eventually be finalized.

The club's farewell show, a fundraiser for Parkinson's research, is scheduled for next Thursday.

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

Image: Alex Meoko.

A male student who worked for Jian Ghomeshi during the former CBC broadcaster's student days at York University has become the third person to put their name to public accusations of sexual assault. Though Ghomeshi has been met in the past week with an escalating tally of violent sexual assault accusations against women, Jim Hounslow, who currently works at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, is the only male to have come forward.

Hounslow told the Toronto Star that he worked under Ghomeshi when he was president of the York Federation of Students in the 1990-1991 school year. Hounslow alleges that he and Ghomeshi were waiting for an elevator when, without warning, Ghomeshi "grabbed my genitals and fondled them." Hounslow says he then twisted Ghomeshi's arm against his back and warned him never to do that again. The next day, he says, Ghomeshi claimed it had all been a joke and accused Hounslow of being "macho" and "violent".

Hounslow says he and his fellow students viewed Ghomeshi as a "predator", and the attack was part of a pattern of behaviour against fellow students; he added he was not aware of any other male victims. Word also surfaced earlier this week that around the same time, Ghomeshi had been the subject of warnings to female students at York University. Young women living in residence at that time were warned to stay away from Ghomeshi in places like co-ed washrooms, stairwells, or at house parties.

Photo by Ariane Colenbrander on Flickr.

Photo by Kaeko in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto it's an interesting night at Beerworking: Ted Moroz, president of the Beer Store, will be a panelist sharing "initiatives the Beer Store is taking to improve their sustainable practices." If you'd like to talk to, troll, or pull faces at the Beer Store, tonight is the night! Then, it's a huge night for November film festivals: chose from the EKRAN Toronto Polish Film Festival, Russian Film Fest, Pomegranate Film Fest, and enRoute.

At the AGO Suzy Lake's photography, video work and more on body, gender and identity will be on display starting tonight. The Toronto Mini Maker Faire is hosting a huge early launch at 918 Bathurst, so if you're a crafter, party lover, or person who uses the word "maker" you know where you have to be. Tickets are $10 and include a cocktail. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Beer: Beerworking - Food & Brew Masters Panel (Propeller Coffee)
• Film: enRoute Film Festival (Scotiabank Theatre)
• Film: Pomegranate Film Festival (Armenian Youth Centre)
• Film: 6th Film: EKRAN Toronto Polish Film Festival (Revue)
• Film: Toronto Russian Film Fest
• Art: Susy Lake (AGO)
• Party/Art: Make/Wonder/Tinker (918 Bathurst)
• Comedy: Holodeck Follies - Star Trek Variety Comedy (Social Capital)
• Music: Bahamas + Barr Brothers (Danforth Music Hall)
• Lit: Sheniz Janmohamed Reads at the Brockton Writers Series (Full of Beans)
• Music: Lee Paradise (Smiling Buddha)

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

Suzy Lake, Pucker via her website

Shoe shopping is a giant pain for the following people: those with small feet, large feet, high arches, wide widths, narrow widths, large calves, skinny calves, and pretty much anyone who doesn't wear a perfect 7.5. (7.5s, please take a moment today to thank the shoe gods for your good fortune.) For the past few years, Poppy Barley, a custom-shoe company based out of Edmonton, has been alleviating that agony with custom-sized, made-to-order and flats in a slew of cute, on-trend styles.

Later this month, the company will be trucking out to Toronto for the first time ever, setting up a pop-up where shoppers can check out their shoes in person and get measured on-site for a custom pair of their own. On November 13 and 14, they'll be at Brodawka & Friends (1114 Queen St. West); for November 15 and 16, they'll share space with a BRIKA pop-up shop at 398 Front St. East. You can book an appointment ahead of time here.