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

Toronto Mini Maker Faire
Head to the Toronto Reference Library this weekend for Maker Faire to find over 100 exhibits plus workshops, yarn bombing, 3D printing, and the rampant overuse of the word "maker" as a substitute for "person who does stuff." The best part? It's totally free. Think about what you want to 3D print beforehand to avoid that glazed, overwhelmed look all 3D printing workshop tutors know too well. Saturday, Nov 22 - Sunday Nov 23, Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street).

FOOD

Gourmet Food & Wine Expo
The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo celebrates its 20th anniversary this year at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Thursday, November 20 to Sunday November 23. The four-day event will featuring tutored tastings, a Food Network chef stage, a spiritology pavilion and, of course, plenty of opportunities to eat and imbibe. LI

Veggielicious
Veggielicious is on now thanks to Toronto's kitchens. Through November 30, the fourth annual event brings vegan-friendly prix-fixe menus and other specials to a couple dozen Toronto restaurants. Learn more here. NM

MUSIC

Not Dead Yet Music Fest
Stuck in the City's hardcore/punk/noise festival Not Dead Yet is on now with an impressive line up. Venues S.H.I.B.G.B's, Sneaky Dee's, Nocturne, Hard Luck, The Garrison, Magpie, Soybomb, and more will see the likes of Forward, Perfect Pussy, Iron Lung, Career Suicide, Destruction Unit, Pleasure Leftists, S.H.I.T., and way more. Check out our preview here. Until November 23.

For more music listings, check out our October Concerts post.

ART

Jen Mann - Q&A
At Neubacher Shor in Parkdale see Jen Mann's enormous works on canvas with titles like "garbage selfie.". If you're frustrated with painting as a medium or the grey weather outside, these ultra saturated contemporary visions might cheer you up. Nov 20 - Dec 20, Neubacher Shor Contemporary.

PARTY

Joy Orbison
Over the past five years, UK DJ/producer Joy Orbison has emerged as one of the more unique voices in modern dance music, freely borrowing just as much from drum'n'bass as from house (not to mention techno and dubstep), and continues to surprise listeners with exciting new tangents. Saturday, November 22, Coda. BB

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

FASHION

WORN Fashion Journal presents The Black Cat Ball
WORN, sadly, is gone, but they're not done, not just yet. This will be their last party ever - apparently. (I don't believe it. Publishing can die, but parties are immortal.) Dress as a cat or don't, but not that kind of cat, that's for weirder parties. Saturday, Nov 22, The Dovercourt House
(805 Dovercourt Road).

CRAFT SHOWS

Midnight MRKT - Holiday Shopping Edition - November 21
It's $5 at the door, but this DJ party isn't your ordinary holiday show and sale. Check out the sounds, eats, and vendors at this edition of MRKT here. 2nd Floor Events (461 King St. West)

For more craft shows and holiday pop ups, check out our Holiday Craft Shows in Toronto 2014 post.

FILM

November film festivals
This weekend the film fests number less than November weekends past, but they're free, free, free. Chose between European Union Film Festival (Nov 15-30) at the Royal and Regent Park Film Fest (Nov 19-22) at Daniel's Spectrum. I'm kidding, you don't have to chose. Happy watching.

THEATRE

NSFW
In our technologically-driven lives, a deluge of shared media glides effortlessly across our touchscreens and feeds. Some such posts are definitely Not Safe For Work. Riffing off the ever-popular acronym, which at once tempts and warns, playwright Lucy Kirkwood explores the world of digital media and the lack of personal integrity it sometimes takes to get eyeballs on content. Theatre Centre, November 7-30. KB

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

MOVEMBER

Suits & Staches Charity Gala
This annual Movember gala is November 21 this year at Steam Whistle Brewery. In addition to an open bar, light catering, live music and a DJ, you'll find an on-site barber doing moustache trims and a caricature artist to immortalize that 'mo forever. Good luck finding a ticket. NM

Hop on over to our events hub to see more top pick events, concerts, parties, and more going on this weekend in Toronto.

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

Contributions by Benjamin Boles, Liora Ipsum, Natalia Manzocco, Kieth Bennie

Midnight MRKT photo by Jimmy Lu, Jen Mann in studio via her website

Photo by 416shots in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events, festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

• Starting Saturday, November 22, Chef Aleem Syed hosts a pop-up at Midpoint (1180 Queen St. West) to showcase the menu for his upcoming venture The Holy Grill. Reservations are a must, and available Tuesdays through Saturdays from 5pm onward.
• Pork Ninjas BBQ Pop-Up Dinner at Tallboys Craft Beer (838 Bloor St. West) takes place on Monday, November 24 from 7pm to 10pm. The one-night-only menu will feature pulled pork, chicken lollipops and brisket with all the fixin's for $40.
• Chef Chris McDonald has announced plans to move on from Cava and is handing the reins over to former partner Doug Penfold. To celebrate his eight and a half years at the acclaimed Iberian restaurant and to bid farewell, McDonald hosts one last hurrah on Wednesday, November 26, featuring eight courses and a top shelf selection of wines. Dinner is $250 per person. Seating is extremely limited.

UPCOMING

• The Toronto Plate Swap, in part of The Winter Chef Series, presented by The Food Dudes and Danny Gunam, will take place on Sunday, December 21 at The Templar Kitchen (348 Adelaide St. West). Chefs Jonny OC (The Beverley Hotel), Cory Vitiello (THR & Co.), Tyler Cunningham (The Whippoorwill), Graham Pratt (The Gabardine), Leonie Lilla (Farmer's Daughter), Matt Blondin (The Food Dudes), Dave Mottershall (Loka Snacks) and Coulson Armstrong (Canoe) will each create a dish for the multi-course tasting menu, priced at $89 per person. Proceeds will go to support The Children's Breakfast Club.
• Nota Bene (180 Queen St. West) and California Wines present a special prix fixe menu with guided wine pairs between January 2 and 31.

A group of passionate riders rode the rocket a little too hard Thursday night, shutting down the King streetcar and thoroughly grossing out dozens of unfortunate witnesses.

According to police, the incident took place around 5:30 p.m. at the height of the evening rush hour. The CBC reports two men and a woman, all of whom appeared to be intoxicated, were engaged in "sexual activity" (though it's not clear what that involved exactly) as the car headed westbound near York St. After being confronted, the amorous bunch disappeared into the night, but not before causing a 20-minute delay.

According to the Toronto Star, cops declined to confirm the threesome and were unable to say if anyone involved was drunk.

TTC spokesman Brad Ross told reporters outside City Hall, where the transit provider was hosting a town hall meeting, that the lovers should "get a room."

No charges were laid, according to 52 Division, but "streetcar named desire" jokes were all the rage on Twitter.

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

Image: Stephen Gardiner/blogTO Flickr pool.

There's more underground in Toronto than just the PATH, the subway, and the sewers. In fact, there's everything from solid gold to rotting garbage hidden beneath our feet, you just have to look for the clues. For urban explorers and believers in urban legend, the subterranean world is a happy hunting ground. Abandoned subway stations and disused tunnels make for great photographs, and even better stories (who can forget the one about the secret alien city or the bizarre Tunnel Monster of Cabbagetown.)

Here are 5 (real) things you didn't know were underground in Toronto.

Gold bullion
Far below Scotia Plaza, in what is the deepest excavated basement in the city, lies a high security bullion vault, the only of its kind in Canada. Few people outside the bank are sure quite how much precious metal is stored down there (visits by reporters are no welcome,) but ScotiaMocatta, the bank's gold bullion division, accepts deposits at Scotia Plaza. You know, for people who carry around solid bars of gold.

Garbage
Cities like Toronto produce tonnes of garbage every single day. Thanks to recycling and composting efforts, a decent amount of the stuff we throw out is diverted from landfill sites, though a troubling amount of waste still ends up being stuffed into the ground. In Toronto, numerous parks have been built on the top of old landfills, including parts of Riverdale Park, which was active as a garbage dump for one year in 1960. The site of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on Morningside Ave. was also once a garbage dump. Look for the tell-tale green pipes that act as methane vents.

Reservoirs
Sir. Winston Churchill Park at St. Clair and Spadina hides a secret beneath its massive lawn. A massive and visually impressive reservoir, built during the 33-year term of R. C. Harris, Toronto's best-known commissioner of public works, supplies a large portion of downtown with clean, crisp drinking water. Just to the east, the Rosehill Reservoir is also located underground. That giant tank was completed in 1874 and currently has a capacity of around 53 million gallons. There are a total of 10 underground reservoirs serving Toronto.

Enwave tunnels
District heating company Enwave uses a network of tunnels beneath city streets (and the lake) to provide heating to buildings in the downtown core and as far north as Queen's Park. The tunnels aren't as well known as sewers and subway tunnels, but urban explorer Michael Cook has ventured inside and published extensive photographs on his site, Vanishing Point. Many of the most recent tunnels, excavated and bored in secrecy, date from between 1998 and 2004. Look for steaming drain covers.

Private bowling alleys
Back in the days when churches doubled as community centres, many congregations set up theatres, gyms, and bowling alleys for the enjoyment of parishioners. Eastminster United Church on the Danforth has its own basement bowling alley that dates from 1924, so too does Knox Presbyterian Church at Spadina and Harbord. Knox's alley was revealed to the public during Doors Open last year. Both remain in use by "holy rollers" to this day.

Bonus: A Cold War control bunker
Canada wasn't quite as twitchy as the United States during the Cold War, but living in close proximity (in nuke terms) to potential targets like Detroit and Buffalo caused all levels of government to consider various measures to protect the public from hazardous fallout. The subway was studied as potential mass storage area, but perhaps the coolest piece of infrastructure was built outside Toronto in Aurora in 1962.

The Metropolitan Toronto Emergency Preparedness Centre, a concrete, cinderblock, and steel bunker hidden beneath a rural farmhouse in Aurora, was supposed to become a coordination centre in the event of a disaster that never came. Happily, it still exists relatively intact.

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

Photo of the underground vault at the Bank of England

Toronto has lots of quirky and even beautiful maps that chart its streetscape, but every once in a while one comes around that's a cut above the rest. While there are already quite nice woodcut maps devoted to Toronto, this offering from Ali Harrison is pretty much the crown jewel of local cartography on Etsy.

Unlike other wood maps out there, the highlight here is how intricate our streets are rendered. Set against negative space, the iconic nature of our urban topography is thrown into sharp relief, such that it's possible to temporarily look at the city with a new set of eyes. One is reminded of Flavio Trevisan's map-sculptures of Toronto, even as this work is less ambitious on a conceptual level.

To make the map, Harrison started by hand-cutting paper (her speciality) before converting the resulting map to lasercut. The results are stunning if you're into such things. The 24.5 by 15.5 inch map goes for $180 and can be found at lightpaper on Etsy.

Dufferin station has been a construction site for four years, but finally, on Monday, the finishing touched will be unveiled following a $30 million renovation that has dramatically transformed what was once one of the TTC's most dreary stations.

But before that can happen, the TTC needs to close the station for two full days over the weekend to complete last minute jobs, like wall, ceiling, and floor finishes, and deep cleaning.

Spokesman Danny Nicholson says trains will be bypassing the station Saturday and Sunday and shuttle buses will be covering the gap between Ossington and Lansdowne. The 29 Dufferin bus will not be affected by the station closure, he says.

When Dufferin reopens it will become the 33rd fully-accessible TTC station. Workers have installed elevators between street level and the subway platforms as well as upgrading the 48-year-old building's interior design.

New interior artwork that looks like it's from an 8-bit video game covers the walls, but, best of all, indoor waiting space is coming for the beleaguered riders of the Dufferin bus.

"There's been new tiling, a second exit, a green roof, bike parking outside, canopies over the sidewalk, just a fresher look for the station," Nicholson says. "It looks really, really good. New art, lots of art. I think the public will find it quite enjoyable."

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

Barber supply shops in Toronto will help you get that barbershop-smooth shave at home. Of course, plenty of gents are happy with their Shoppers-special shave gel and whatever razor Gillette has managed to shoehorn another blade onto, and that's fine. But for others, a time comes when they're ready to graduate to shave brushes and fine soaps, imported blades, and non-Grandpa-scented aftershave.

Here are my picks for the top barber supply shops in Toronto.

See also:

The best barber shops in Toronto
20 essential beauty shops and salons in Toronto
The top 10 places for manscaping in Toronto
The top 10 spa and salon treatments for men in Toronto

GROOMING STORES AND BARBERSHOPS

Toronto Barber & Beauty Supply
In business since 1937, this Dundas and Bay store started out as a business that sold razors door-to-door. Now, though they've expanded to include women's beauty products, they still focus primarily on barbering and men's grooming supplies for both pros and the public. Aficionados go there for reasonable deals on J.M. Fraser shaving cream, Merkur razors, and pro-quality brushes.

MenEssentials
When it comes to men's grooming, there isn't much that this store on the Danforth doesn't sell. In-store, you'll find friendly staff that will hook you up with everything from entry-level shave gear to high-quality straight razors. (In the extremely unlikely event that they don't have what you're looking for in-store, head online for the full range.)

Sleuth & Statesman
Located under First Canadian Place, this shop specializes in everything a Refined Gentleman Of Leisure needs - specifically, cigars, fancy pens, and men's grooming products. If it's the latter you're after, they carry the full range of products from Geo F. Trumper, a heritage British line of shaving soaps, skin products, razors, brushes, and more. You'll also find Dovo and Merkur shaving equipment and high-end manicure tools.

Cure Apothecary
This brand-new go-to spot for all-natural beauty products doesn't leave the fellas out - in fact, many local blokes have already fallen for their selection of moustache waxes, pomades, shaving soaps, and beard balms from brands like Brooklyn Grooming, along with numerous skincare items. Along with woodsy, lumberjack-friendly fragrances, priority is also given to neutral, fragrance-free items.

BARBERSHOPS

Saul's Beauty Shop
This all-genders-welcome beauty spot is known for including complimentary beard care and conditioning in all of their facial treatments; you can also get those specialty products to go, including treatments from Beardbrand, Bluebeard's Originals, and Brooklyn Grooming, and shaving soaps by Hudson Made. (New in store: A coffee-infused beard balm.)

Crow's Nest
This Kensington barbershop is a cut above (ha) its peers when it comes to their in-shop selection of grooming products. In addition to an absolutely ridiculous selection of pomades (Layrite, Cool Grease, North Standard and Grant's), they've got a full line of the Drake General Store's grooming products and vegan shaving brushes from local line Crown Shaving Co. (more on them later).

ONLINE

Fendrihan
Yep, it's online - and yep, they ship from Oakville, but Fendrihan is still a favourite grooming source for in-the-know Toronto gentlemen. They began as a shaving supply store (and still focus on importing hard-to-find lines from overseas), but have since expanded to carry all manner of grooming products and gifts from dozens of brands. As a bonus, they throw in free samples with each order.

Classic Edge
Another online destination, Classic Edge shines (ha) when it comes to razors; straight or safety, $50 "beginner" models to $1700 vintage ivory-handled Sheffield blades. Everything comes professionally sharpened, and they'll set up a follow-up honing for you free of charge. (It should be noted, however, that they've got comparatively less going on in the soaps and grooming products department.)

Italian Barber
Founders Joseph and Michael have assembled a rich selection of shaving products, including hard-to-find items imported from around the world. Unsurprisingly, they stand out for their selection of Italian products, including RazoRock aftershave and handmade, limited-run shave brushes commissioned specifically for the site from an Italian artisan.

Shaving Style
Shaving Style has a strong focus on classic shave brands, though they gear their site toward modern men (follow them on Facebook for frequent online deals.) Some of their top sellers also give the time-honoured shaving ritual a modern twist, including eShave, which features a variety of unusual scents.

BONUS

Crown Shaving Co.
This Toronto-based company's shaving products are carried at a number of international retailers (and several of the spots on this list) - but you can go straight to the source by ordering from their website. In addition to skin care products, their shave creams, after-shave products and beard balms feature all-natural ingredients like white tea and ginger extracts, spearmint oil. (Obviously, you're going to smell terrific.)

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite spots for shave gear in the comments.

Photo of Saul's Beauty Shop by James C. Lee.

If you've ever thought about making your own beer at home, this new Dundas West supply shop has everything you need to make that dream a reality. Owner Dave Crum was inspired to quit his job in banking and set up shop after making his own successful brews; now, he's doling out countless varieties of yeast and hops (and plenty of home-brewing know-how) to the city's amateur brewers.

Read my profile of Noble Hop in the grocery section.

The best falafel in Toronto is more than the sum of its parts, though each of those parts had better be on point. From crispy fried-to order chickpea balls with steaming centres, to freshly-baked pita or laffa, and condiments like silky hummus, pickles (turnips are a must!) and fiery hot sauce - this list of falafel shops will satisfy all the essentials.

Here is the best falafel in Toronto.

See also:

The top 25 falafel in Toronto by neighbourhood
The Best Late Night Falafel and Shawarma in Toronto
The Best Shawarma in Toronto

Winter weekend escapes from Toronto can provide the brief respite required to endure the long, hard season. Not all of us have the time or money to head to the tropics each winter, which is why it's so useful that Ontario is dotted with year round resorts and cottages/cabins that allow weary city folk take a load off for a few days. Most of the places on this list are designed to take advantage of winter activities like skiing, but I've also included a few that are purely about getting cosy by a fireplace and hiding from the weather.

Here are my top 10 winter weekend escapes from Toronto.

Try out a yurt
Winter doesn't mean that our provincial parks shut down. One of your best bets for winter camping is a renting a yurt. They're cheap, warm, and there are more of them than you might think Ontario parks boast over 50 yurts within a reasonable drive of Toronto. Yurts typically cost $86 per night before taxes and additional fees.

Rent a cabin at a provincial park
If a yurt sounds just a little to rustic for your liking, you can also rent a variety of other roofed accommodation at our provincial parks, which include back country cabins (arguably even more rustic), cottages, and camp cabins. Most of these are open year round, though there are exceptions, so be sure to check the dedicated page on the Ontario Parks website.

Be entertained at Blue Mountain and Scandinave Spa
Blue Mountain is perhaps one of the most obvious destinations to hit for a winter weekend getaway, particularly for those who love to ski and can handle the crowded hills (not mountains) of Ontario. The best part, however, isn't the skiing. It's the proximity of restaurants, indoor pools, adventure activities, and the indoor/outdoor Scandinave Spa that mean you don't have to pin all the fun on skiing.

Curl up by the fire at a log cabin
My favourite winter activity has nothing to do with the outdoors. On the contrary, I like to find a sport where I can read by a fireplace and occasionally glance at the unforgiving weather outside. The cabins at Cedar Grove Lodge have a rustic beauty to them without sacrificing on comfort. You don't even have to worry about cooking, as the lodge does that for you. Cabins start at $120 per person.

Head to the Falls
Niagara Falls is at its finest in the winter if you go to the place for the right reasons, namely to explore the last remains of North American motel culture, eat at retro diners, and gawk at how even brutal winter weather can't quite tame the Queen of the Cataracts these days. In winter, accommodations are way cheaper, there are less tourists, and you can still take a (heated) ride on the SkyWheel.

Hit up Hockley Valley Resort
If you're looking for a ski getaway that's close to Toronto, Hockley is one of your best bets. With 14 trails for skiing and snowboarding (many of which are lit at night), a half pipe, and decent on-site accommodation, you can focus on your traversing through day and evening, before resting up to do it all over again.

Escape the city to Cobourg
The Breakers made our summer getaway guide int he category of cheap escapes, but with many rooms outfitted with gas fireplaces, and lots of quaint restaurants and pubs in Cobourg and nearby Port Hope, it's also a nice place to take a mini vacation when life in the city is all slush, long waits for the TTC, and general misery. Rooms start at $105 per night in the off season.

Enjoy a French-style Inn without leaving Ontario
The Claire de Lune B&B on Pigeon Lake in the Kawarthas is a cosy French-style mini-restort, complete with cosy wood-panelled rooms and a fireplace-adorned vivoir where guests eat breakfast and relax in the evenings. There are only a few rooms, but it's a gorgeous little place. Rates start at $135 per night including breakfast.

Rent a cabin on airbnb
The beauty of renting vacation properties on airbnb in the winter is that so many of them are readily available. You can rent a gorgeous cabin for $135 a night. Don't want to drive so far? There are plenty of other options.

Pamper yourself St. Anne's Spa
St. Anne's Spa isn't cheap, but winter in Toronto can get so bad that a weekend of pure indulgence and self-pampering might not seem like a crazy expenditure in mid-February. The accommodations are inviting, the list of services and facilities is extensive, and the food is gourmet without being hyper fussy. Getaway packages start at $299 per person per night.

What did I miss? Add your favourite winter weekend getaways to the comments.

Photo of Scandinave Spa at Blue Mountain

Photo by Johnny [Shakedown] in the blogTO Flickr pool.

In 2012, Wendy Smith became curious about the owner of the laneway behind her Harbord Village home. After digging through the provincial property records, Smith came up with a name: "F. W. Jarvis." One of her neighbours, she assumed, because the same person also owned the narrow alleys in the Victorian terrace.

Not quite.

What Smith found out about the mysterious F. W. Jarvis and the history of early Toronto became the inspiration for a Heritage Toronto Award-winning interactive map of the city, The Toronto Park Lot Project.

"It turns out that F. W. Jarvis was sheriff Frederick William Jarvis, who died in the 1870s," Smith says. "He was a cousin of [assistant secretary of Upper Canada] Jarvis and the well-known Jarvis clan [of Jarvis St.] That got me curious ... everything I read game me more questions."

Launched in 2012, Smith's map overlays modern Toronto with insightful historical morsels discovered in the course her research, like the location of lost creeks, the ancient shoreline of Lake Iroqouis, the original 10-block street grid between Adelaide, Front, Jarvis, and Berkeley, and First Nations portage trails.

"It's historical geography," Smith says. "This project was always for me a study guide. I have a couple of books I'm working on ... and as I learned stuff I put it on the map to help me remember it and to put some visual aids to what I was learning ... as I get interested in something, it goes up on the map."

The Park Lot Project gets its name from the 32 narrow fingers of land that were granted to important members of Upper Canada society in the late 1790s. The rural 100-acre plots were only about 200 metres wide, but each one stretched between modern day Queen and Bloor streets, a distance of about 2.1 kms.

The park lots were granted by York founder John Graves Simcoe and his successor, Peter Russell, in an attempt to lure worthies to set up home in the town. For a time, Queen was called Lot Street after the pieces of land, which were eventually subdivided and sold off.

Smith's map allows users to add and remove overlays, making it possible to compare the park lots with the current street grid and important historical landmarks. Those interested in the various lost waterways of Toronto will find a rich source of information, so too will those curious about the origins of street names. It's a great tool to just play with.

If you like it, Smith says, consider donating. Web hosting and other fees tend to add up. Information is welcome, too.

"Sometimes people click the contact button and send me information about their family, their neighbourhood, a little bit of history that they grew up with. I really love those days."

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

Toronto, Ont. getting you down? Why not seek out a new Toronto, one on the shore of a saltwater lake in the near the Pacific Ocean, maybe. Or perhaps another amid gently rolling verdant countryside in the north of England. If not, there are plenty of small towns in the United States (emphasis on small) using the Toronto name.

It's safe to say every other Toronto in the world is named for our Toronto. This city derives its name from a Mohawk word used to describe an area where trees grow in shallow water, anglicized variously as: "Tkaronto," "Taronto," and "Taranteau" before the current spelling was decided in the 1830s.

Here are 5 other Torontos of varying quality for your next trip.

Toronto, New South Wales, Australia
Australia's version of Toronto is by far the most exotic location on this list. Located on beautiful Lake Macquarie, the largest saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere, the town of about 5,000 people is roughly 150 kms north of Sydney. The town acquired was named in honour of champion rower Ned Hanlan (think Hanlan's Point,) who visited the area in 1884. The main attraction in Toronto, NSW is the annual Classic Boat Fest.

Toronto, County Durham, England
Just down the A689 from Bishop Aukland lies England's version of Ontario's capital city. It's almost entirely residential, save for a couple of small churches, and it appears most of the town's appeal is in its picturesque location close to the River Wear. An anecdote on the town's Wikipedia page claims the town got its name when a landowner, visiting our Toronto, was sent word coal had been found beneath the town. Toronto, Kansas makes the same claim. Other towns nearby: Quebec, Philadelphia, Deaf Hill, No Place, and Pity Me.

Toronto, Kansas, USA
One might call Toronto, Kansas cute if it wasn't so run down. Main St. is populated by a seniors centre, post office, liquor store, cafe, library, and restaurant, but there are many more vacant lots and shuttered stores. Artificial Toronto Lake and the exotic sounding "Toronto Point Public Use Area" lie just to the south. The bright lights of Wichita are only an hour and a half away.

Toronto, Ohio, USA
The Gem City is about an hour outside Pittsburgh on the west bank of the Ohio River. It's a small community of about 5,000 people (challenging Toronto, Australia for second city status) with its own police force, fire department, high school, and, until it closed, its own National Bank of Toronto. As Sean Marshall reports at Spacing, the town was given its name by a local businessman born in Toronto, Ont. He said our city "a place worth emulating."

Toronto, South Dakota, USA
If Toronto, Kansas sounds too exotic, there's always Toronto, South Dakota, which is truly in the middle of nowhere. The skyline is populated by a water tower and several impressive grain silos, and not much else. There are lots and lots of fields. At last count, the population was 213, up from 202 in 2000. Toronto, South Dakota is also 93 percent white.

Bonus: The Toronto space
"In mathematics, in the realm of point-set topology, a Toronto space is a topological space that is homeomorphic to every proper subspace of the same cardinality." Bonus points for understanding any part of that sentence.

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

Image: Chris Bateman/blogTO; Jon Dawson/Flickr; Wikimedia Commons.

Winter on the Toronto Islands is a whole lot quieter than the summer months, when city dwellers looking for a temporary escape make the short trek across the harbour in droves. While the number of ferries servicing the Islands dwindle in mid-October, the trip to Ward's Island is still made consistently throughout the day. Once you arrive, you'll find that attractions like the Centreville Amusement Park have closed for the season, but if you're adventurous enough and do some advance planning, there's actually still lots to do when the crowds have left for the season.

Here are the top five things to on the Toronto Islands in the winter.

Cross country skiing
There are trails spread all across the Islands that dedicated cross country skiers make good use of throughout the winter. As beautiful as most of these are, the highlight of gliding across this winter wonderland is the looming skyline across the harbour. The juxtaposition is irresistible, and it's impossible not to think that you're in on a secret that the rest of the city just doesn't know about.

Far Enough Farm
While the Centreville Amusement Park closes for the season, Far Enough Farm is open 365 days of the year, allowing visitors to interact with its animals, which range from horses and donkeys to alpaca and black swans. It's obviously a hike to get to the farm, but it's well stocked if you make the trip.

Lagoon skating
There's no shortage of outdoor skating options in Toronto, but the vast majority are on artificial ice. That's not so bad when the temperature rises, but a natural skating experience still carries with it significant allure. Skating on the inner harbour is dangerous except during the coldest of winters, but the lagoons around the Islands are a better bet, and the locals have plenty of experience in determining when the ice is thick enough.

Artscape Gibraltar Point artist residences
The artist residence program at Gibraltar Point is year around, and if it's true seclusion you're after, there's no better time than winter to hunker down and work on that manuscript you've been plugging away at. There are both programmed and self-directed options available, but do bear in mind that you'll need to apply for acceptance to both.

Stay at a B&B
Almost all of the bed & breakfasts on the Islands are open year round. A few of them even feature separate studio/apartment spaces if you're looking for ultimate privacy. Prices typically range between hover between $100 and $150 per night, which is actually quite good given what you'll pay for a downtown hotel. The accommodations might not be as nice as on the mainland, but the experience is certainly unique.

Add your suggestions for things to do on the Islands during the winter in the comments.

Photo by Patrick Dell in the blogTO Flickr pool

Dance party promoters in Toronto are the unsung heroes of the electronic scene. The DJs and producers get the glory, but they need people to organize events, find venues, create that elusive vibe, book talent, and fill the dance floors with sweaty bodies. There may have been a time in the distant past when you could count on finding a great party any weekend at certain select clubs, but a better strategy is to familiarize yourself with the people throwing the events, and trust that the crooked alley they've directed you to will have a dark room full of bass.

Too often, promoters are seen by some dancers as greedy parasites leeching off the scene. In reality nothing would exist without crazy visionaries willing to gamble their savings on flying in a DJ, securing visas, renting warehouses, hiring security, investing in massive sound systems, decor, and lighting, and all the other unglamorous jobs that make a night on the dance floor memorable. In many cases these folks are balancing full time day jobs with their nightlife activities, so keep that in mind next time you're complaining about cover charge.

The mainstream EDM scene is so big now that even your grandmother probably knows about the giant corporate festivals thrown by promoters like Electronic Nation and Ink. If you're looking to go a bit deeper into the underground and want to check out the larger world of dance music, though, familiarize yourself with the people who help make Toronto's party scene so diverse and vibrant.

Mansion
Mansion have come a long way since their early days throwing the Happy Endings parties at dim sum restaurants. They've grown to become Toronto's top party promoters by continuing to search out unconventional event spaces, booking cutting edge talent, putting a lot of work into visuals, and bringing together multiple generations of partiers by collaborating with other promoters through their Foundry series. Their impressively consistent events prove that high end production values can coexist with a DIY attitude.

Promise
Their weekly Sunday afternoon parties on Cherry Beach each summer have become a Toronto institution, and while veterans who've been going since they started 13 years ago might feel conflicted about EDM superstars like Skrillex unexpectedly playing guest sets, the fact that their events continue to grow after all this time tells you they're doing something right. They've also continued to throw sporadic warehouse parties throughout the colder months, and have become integral partners in the legendary annual Harvest Festival.

Embrace
You could argue that Embrace are more concert bookers than party promoters, but no one else brings this sheer amount of quality electronic acts each week. They've also been smart to join forces with smaller promoters, as well as forge strong relationships with venues like Coda, the Danforth Music Hall, the Hoxton, Wrongbar, and other rooms, not to mention running events across North America. Embrace have also mastered the complicated art of throwing large scale outdoor events, and helped make the Electric Island series one of the highlights of the last two summers.

Breakandenter
Breakandenter started throwing intimate loft parties back in 2007, and continue to specialize in finding venues off the beaten path. They draw inspiration from the old school of Toronto's underground, but attract techno and house fans of all ages. Like many of the promoters on this list, they've also seen the value of collaboration, especially when it comes to throwing larger events, but also make sure to regularly host intimate jams for the heads.

Box of Kittens
Box of Kittens started out throwing small invite-only warehouse parties, but it's been a long time since their events were that exclusive and private. Not only do they organize club and loft events in Toronto, but they've also expanded to regularly hosting parties in Berlin, where founding member DJ Hali has since relocated. Their Sunday Afternoon Social parties prove that daytime dancing doesn't have to feel like a sketchy afterhours.

Turning Point
There was once a time in Toronto when it seemed like you could find somewhere to dance to rare soul, Latin, jazz, and funk every night of the week, but these days if you're looking for classic organic dance music your best bet is Turning Point. Host and resident DJ A Man Called Warwick has created a very tight knit community vibe, and the monthly party at the Garrison always attract a crowd looking to dance to his trademark "tropical funk" sounds.

Archi-textures
Every Thursday Archi-textures takes over Round, bringing together a colourful crowd of partiers reminiscent of the kinds of friendly hippy ravers you used to only see at Promise parties. They cater to an eclectic range of sounds, and also host the annual springtime festival Land-scapes at a remote site in Northern Ontario.

Platform
You'll see their name attached to many quality events at Coda these days, but Platform have long been involved in presenting house and techno events at clubs around town (not to mention events on boats and beaches), and are also partners in Electric Island. Like many on this list, much of their strength comes from their willingness to collaborate with others to put together bigger parties than they could on their own.

Hotnuts
When the Hotnuts crew first started throwing parties at the Beaver, there was barely enough room for the elaborate psychedelic drag queen outfits, let alone space to dance. Now that they've moved to the Garrison their events are still always busy, and still as delightfully weird and defiantly queer as ever. A healthy reminder that house music is meant to be a bit transgressive.

Galapagos
Originally a collaboration between Dmoney, the Faktory, and 92BPM, the Galapagos series has evolved into its own identity, focusing on modern electronic sounds that don't always fall neatly into any one particular genre. They now work closely with Embrace, and can always be counted on to bring forward-thinking contemporary sounds to the dance floor.

Photo of Foundry 2013 by Conrad McGee-Stocks (Mansion)

After spending some time tooling around Toronto in the Pretty Sweet "mobile cupcakery", baker Savera Hashmi has settled into a new space at Bathurst and Eglinton. In addition to some delicious cupcakes and a selection of cookies and brownies, the bakery whips up cakes that range from classic to elaborate.

Read my profile of The Pursuit of Frosting in the bakeries section.

Photo by Dominic Bugatto in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Free events in Toronto this week will let you mix cult and culture in a way that only the truly strapped for cash can appreciate. Gallery TPW's Photorama 2014 photo exhibit will pay their bills for most of the year, but it's free for anyone to check out. Then, did you know Unlovable has a Twin Peaks mural? It doesn't anymore after this week, so go take a backwards selfie. Sunday offers cheesy movies galore, and fans of classical music and indie lit will have plenty to do.

Here's what you'll find yourself stuffing plastic bags in your boots for in Toronto this week.

MONDAY

• Tinder Tales Live (Painted Lady)

TUESDAY

• "I'll See You Again In 25 Years": TWIN PEAKS MURAL GOODBYE (Unlovable)
• TRUE STORIES TOLD LIVE (The Garrison)
• Polytechnique film Screening (OISE)

WEDNESDAY

• Exhibition: Looking for Marshall McLuhan in Afghanistan (AFT Campus de Spadina)
• Getting Treated Fairly at Work (The Foundery)
• Nonclassical Global [Free Before 6PM] (Canadian Music Centre)
• Blue Mind at the ROM: Your Brain on Water [RSVP] (ROM)

THURSDAY

• Butcher launch party (Videofag)
• Best of Toronto Short Films [RSVP] (Carlton Cinemas)
• Pivots 2014 Finale [PWYC] (Press Club)
• Somewhere There Presents: River Run Nomad Winds Leland Whitty [PWYC] (Ratio)

FRIDAY

• Photorama 2014 (Gallery TPW)
• BUFFALO w/t Parks at Night Jonathan Becker & The North Fields [PWYC] (Magpie)

SATURDAY

• 2014 Cavalcade of Lights (City Hall)
• 'MO' OFF 2: MOUSTACHE CHAMPIONSHIP (Screenlounge)
• Sortilegia, Empyrean Plague, Godstopper, Vlur (Smiling Buddha)
• QUEER SCI FI [PWYC] (Videofag)
• OCADU Book Arts Fair [PWYC] (OCAD)

SUNDAY

• Video Vengeance #12 - Rage 1995 - Free VHS Screening (KITCH)
• Bad Movie Night Toronto presents SAMURAI COP - 2 Year Anniversary (Clinton's)

Also check out these regular free events

• Elvis Mondays at the Drake
• Foosball Battle Royale, Monday, Disgraceland
• Art Gallery of Ontario free evening, Wednesday, 6-8:30pm.
• IFOA Weekly, free for supporters, students, & youth under 26, Wednesday, Harbourfront Centre
• Skin of My Nuts Comedy Show, Thursday, Sonic Espresso Bar
• Canadian Opera Company's Free Concerts series
• While nearly all art galleries in the city are free to enter, it's worth noting The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) is always PWYC.
• The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) offers discounted tickets on Fridays ($10).

Do you want everyone to know about your kinda random free or pay-what-you-can event? Submit it to our event section. (You can also submit your for-money events here, greedy-pants.)

Photo: Robert Burley, Interior of Building W3, Polaroid, 2009 (via Photorama)

Where would Toronto be without the contributions of Timothy Eaton, Robert Simpson, William Davies, Henry Pellatt, or Ed Mirvish? It's hard to say, but we would all be worse off were it not for the success of their businesses or the timing of their financial investments.

Some of the names on this will be familiar, others less so, but their legacies are still tangible. Toronto has streetcars, its downtown mall, and one of its defining foodstuffs thanks to the input of these early businessmen.

Here are 5 early entrepreneurs who helped shape Toronto.

Timothy Eaton: a national chain of stores and, eventually, the Eaton Centre.
Raised on a farm in present day Northern Ireland, Timothy Eaton set up shop on Yonge St. in 1869 after running a general store with his brother in St. Marys, Ont. Following a brief flirtation with the wholesale business, Eaton established what would become a national retail empire at 178 Yonge Street, just south of Queen. Eaton opened his flagship store at Queen and Yonge in 1883 where he grew his company into a Canadian social institution. Eaton died suddenly in 1907 at the age of 72, but his business lived on until 1999.

Henry Pellatt: electricity and streetcars.
Sir. Henry Pellatt's most conspicuous contribution to Toronto was his massive and ridiculous mansion, Casa Loma, which he was able to build thanks to numerous shrewd investments. He and a group of businessmen provided vital early funds to the Toronto Electric Light Company, the city's first electricity company, which in turn made it possible for the city to adopt electric streetcars. According to the Star, Pellatt lived "primarily for his own self-aggrandizement" and sometimes operated unethically or illegally. He died in 1939 with just $85 to his name.

Robert Simpson: another national chain and one of Toronto's great downtown buildings.
Eaton's arch rival Robert Simpson was, it appears, also his polar opposite. While Eaton was a religious teetotaller, Simpson, according to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, was a heavy drinker. The two businessmen followed similar trajectories: both were born outside Canada and were at the helm of failed businesses before finding success. Simpson's flagship store, which still stands, used for face Eaton's directly across Queen St. Its founder died in 1897 and, like Eaton's, the company name survived until the 1990s.

William Davies: peameal bacon and the Hogtown name.
Today, William Davies isn't a household name, but his Don Valley stockyards may have been responsible for Toronto acquiring becoming "Hogtown" (either that or it was an insult from the smaller towns of Ontario.) The William Davies Company was one of Canada's largest exporters of meat in the early 1900s, and their peameal bacon was particularly popular. Davies is also credited as being the first food producer in Canada to operate a retail store division, "Davies' Stores." He died in 1920, aged 90, weeks after being kicked by a goat.

Honest Ed: a discount department store and a revived theatre district.
"Honest" Ed Mirvish was best known for his eccentric discount department store at Bloor and Bathurst, but his contribution to the city's theatre industry was immeasurable. Born in Virginia to Lithuanian Jewish parents, larger-than-life Mirvish opened his famous store in 1948 and used the considerable proceeds to, among many other things, save the Royal Alexandra Theatre on from demolition. He built the Princess of Wales Theatre in 1993 and is widely credited with spurring the revitalization of the King West strip between Spadina and University. He died in 2007 aged 92.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, X 66-25