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Your photos of Toronto's first major snow storm

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toronto snowstorm 2014Toronto got its first real dumping of snow yesterday, which bathed the city in white for a pretty morning scene before everything turned bad when people hit the road to commute to work. The city was hit harder than expected, which meant that the afternoon ride back home wasn't any better -- and any prettiness that one could have cited in the morning was replaced by giant heaps of slush sure to cause soaked feet all around town.

Here's what it all looked like through the cameras of our Instagram followers.

snow torontoPhoto by modlight

snow torontoPhoto by imagesbym

snow torontoPhoto by mercurystar

snow torontoPhoto by darlingmagpie

snow torontoPhoto by chrisjayyy

snow torontoPhoto by frockandfig

snow torontoPhoto by theredsonia


The TTC wants you to know about its airport bus

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192 Airport RocketAs the Union-Pearson Express continues to make headlines for its costly fare(s), the TTC has revealed that it's taking steps to raise the profile of the 192 Airport Rocket. The bus, which runs from Kipling Station to Pearson International, has never been advertised heavily, even as it provides the cheapest way to get the airport and is now fitted with luggage racks.

According to the Star, the current ridership of the bus is 4,500 daily. With a desire to double that number, the TTC will wrap the vehicles with travel-themed graphics and add the service to the official route map that appears on subway vehicles.

192 Airport RocketWhile the service is obviously slower than a taxi or the UPX (unless you happen to live near Kipling Station), the three-stop express service is actually pretty good, and it makes sense to highlight its existence to transit users who may not have even considered it given the attention focused on other modes of travel to Pearson.

It'll cost $100,000 to wrap the 10 buses on the route, but that's covered as part of the TTC's advertising deal with Pattison Outdoor. What do you think? Will pushing this knowledge out there lead to more people using the 192?

10 holiday gift ideas for the beer lover in Toronto

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beer gift guide torontoThat time of year when you start to sweat about to get the last few people on your shopping list is nearly upon us. But, as long as the people on your list are into beer (and if they're not, why are you friends with them?), I've got you covered.

Read on to avoid that annual panicked trip to Shopper's Drug Mart that ended up with you buying everyone magazines and novelty tooth brushes last year.

Henley Brands Waxed Canvas Wine Tote with Corkscrew
While technically designed for wine, this handsome natural-cotton tote is perfectly suited to stylishly concealing your bottle of Witchshark for post slacklining summer refreshment in Trinity Bellwoods park. With a built-in shoulder strap, you can also haul ass with it when the popo show up to harsh on your good time. Available for $34.00 at BYOB

A homebrew kit from Noble Hop
Noble Hop, the homebrew supply store on Dundas West, has introduced four simple one-gallon brew kits that include everything the aspiring beer-maker on your list needs to channel his or her inner brewmaster. Available in kits to make an IPA, an Oatmeal Stout, a Blonde Ale, or a Hefeweizen, the one gallon, all-grain brew kit contains pre-milled malted barley and hops in a vacuum-sealed bag and dry yeast. For roughly three hours work, the kit will yield nine beers.
Available for $39.99 at Noble Hop

The Spiegelau Craft Beer Glass Set
After making a hugely successful glass specifically designed to bring out the flavour of an IPA, Spiegelau has now partnered with Left Hand Brewing Company from Colorado and Rogue Ales from Oregon to create what they call "the ultimate tool for enjoying Stout beer" as well as a glass they deem the "new standard" for enjoying wheat beer, made in collaboration with Michigan-based Bell's Brewery. Set of four glasses Available on Amazon for $45.68

The Lost Breweries of Toronto
Written by Toronto beer writer, Jordan St. John, Lost Breweries of Toronto isn't just a book about beer, it's also a book about the origins of Toronto. Because, as the book entertainingly points out, the big smoke's humble beginnings are actually intrinsically tied to everyone's favourite beverage. Available for $21.99 in various bookstores

Stalk and Barrel Rye
Because sometimes fans of craft beer need something a little stronger to drink, why not introduce the fiercely local alcohol enthusiast on your list to this 100% Ontario rye grain whisky made in Vaughan? Mashed, fermented, and distilled by hand in small batches, this whisky is aged in ex-bourbon casks for three years and, while it may taste a little "young" to the more discerning spirit sipper, it's an excellent new rye and a great accompaniment to an Ontario craft beer.
Available via Still Waters Distillery's website for $69.95 a bottle

Brew Box membership
For some reason, last month when I wrote about the absolutely brilliant idea of craft beer of the month from The Brew Box Company, people came out of the woodwork to decry the concept as overly expensive. Frankly, I just think haters gonna hate. With structured packages available for $55, $75, and $105, the company offers people in the areas they service access to great craft beers they probably wouldn't think to--or be able to--buy at the LCBO.

Hangover Tea
Regrettable sexual encounters aside, for my money the only real downside to drinking to excess is that it can make you virtually useless the next morning. But finally, there's a tea for that. Available at the Drake General Store, this locally made Hangover Tea claims that after drinking it there is no need to regret last night's party. Until the burning feeling when you pee, presumably. $18.00

Cool Beer Labels: The Best Art & Design from Breweries Around the World
While I'm loathe to associate craft beer with a certain sect of people that lesser authors might classify with a certain "H word," it is probably true that a large swath of those involved with craft beer are notably creative, artistic, and yes, hip. The result is that, in addition to great beer, the craft brewing industry has given rise to innovative and cool packaging and labels (I once even devoted a post to the ones found here in Toronto). Available for $31.00 at BYOB Cocktail Emporium

BEER!

Just because it's the obvious choice doesn't mean it's not the perfect gift. In a few days (teaser!) I'll share my top picks for the best local beers for winter, but if you're grabbing something to give someone who really loves beer or you want to impress the host of a party you're crashing, why not grab something imported that's on LCBO shelves for a limited time, memorize one or two descriptive adjectives, and pretend you know what the hell you're talking about? Cheers!

Sigtuna Midvinterblot
A Russian Imperial Stout from Swedish brewer Sigtuna Brygghus,, this beer is as dark as the winter night. With aromas and flavours of espresso and molasses, this strong beer will make attempting to pronounce its name more fun as you finish the bottle. $4.50 for a 350mL bottle

The St. Bernadus Mix Pack
Something like your perfect introduction to abbey ale, the St. Bernardus gift pack comes with their wit, watou tripel, tripel, pater 6, prior 8 and abt 12--all phenomenally good beers. It's the perfect gift to bring to that buddy of yours who claims to love great beer so that when inevitably resorts to his go-to IPA you can drink it! $18.95 for a six pack of 330mL bottles

Bonus Beers

Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw
A world class Belgian strong ale, the name of this beer from Het Anker brewery translates to "beer of the emperor" and is brewed every year to celebrate the birthday of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. With carmelized malts, dark fruit and plum flavours and warming 11% alcohol, this is a great beer to convince the oenophile in your life that beer deserves as much attention as wine. $8.75 for a 750 mL bottle

Rochefort 10
Remember a couple years ago when people went crazy because Westvleteran 12 was finally going to be available at the LCBO for a limited time and people were shelling out crazy money to get their hands on the "best beer in the world?" Well that was nonsense for a number of reasons, not the least of which the fact that Rochefort 10 isn't nearly as hard to get and the fruity, spicy, caramell-y Trappist-brewed Belgian Quadruppel is every bit as good as the mythical Westy. $3.85 for a 330mL bottle

What items did I miss? Leave your ideas in the comments.

lcboThanks to the LCBO for sponsoring our 2014 Gift Guide.

Ben Johnson also writes about beer over on Ben's Beer Blog. Send him seasons greetings or bah humbugs @Ben_T_Johnson

The Best Vintage Furniture Stores in Toronto

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vintage furniture torontoThe best vintage furniture stores in Toronto are a portal to the past, hand-picking iconic finds from last century for the modern home (specifically, yours). Toronto's appetite for '60s Scandinavian design remains particularly strong - but if you don't dig Danish teak, no problem. The perfect piece for your cheery '50s kitchen or lounge-lizard living room is out there - provided you're ready to do a little digging. Take that, IKEA.

Here are the best vintage furniture stores in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Furniture Stores in Toronto
The Best Salvage and Reclaimed Furniture Stores in Toronto
The Best Antique Stores in Toronto

Ryerson University gets a new radio station license

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scope at ryerson torontoRyerson University has a radio station once again. Three years after the CRTC pulled the plug on their previous station, the broadcasting regulator approved The Scope, an online radio station based on the campus, for an AM radio license Thursday morning.

The decision opens the door for the station to begin broadcasting (on the 1280 channel) in January 2016. The station is set to produce 126 weekly hours of programming, focusing on both music and spoken word.

Ryerson's previous foray into campus radio, the long-running CKLN, spiraled into a morass of volunteer lockouts and internal strife before the station was shut down in 2011. Their FM frequency soon became home to Indie88. While you won't be able to listen to hear the Scope on the airwaves for the next year, you can listen online here until then.

The top 10 winter patios in Toronto

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winter patios torontoPatio season in Toronto is all too short but if you haven't yet had your fill then there's still some off-season fun to be had. These terraces operate year-round, and while some will test your resilience al fresco, others are fully enclosed and pretty cozy.

Here are my picks for the top patios in Toronto that are open all winter.

Big Crow
Anthony Rose's backyard BBQ joint on Dupont has been fully winterized this season, with under-seat and overhead heaters warming up the enclosed, cabin-like dining hall. The banquettes have been wrapped in cowhide, and blankets are on offer should guests want to cozy up while dining on coal-baked brie at brunch or baby back ribs at dinner.

Valdez
The heated rooftop patio is open year round thanks to a retractable glass roof that keeps this Latin street party going strong even in the depths of winter. Margaritas spiked with hot sauce help, too.

Gusto 101
The stylish rooftop space at this Italian eatery boasts a retractable cover that keeps this patio populated year round with patrons looking for hearty comfort foods like pumpkin agnolotti in sage butter.

Drake Sky Yard
Partially sheltered and outfitted with heat lamps, the top floor of The Drake Hotel is has been converted into a Newfoundland ice fishing scene this year complete with ice hut replicas and blankets to keep warm.

Mill St. Beer Hall
Heat lamps keep diners toasty on this sprawling patio in the Distillery District, but it's the cushy seats huddled around two outdoor fireplaces that are in highest demand.

Bellwoods Brewery
Embrace the cold weather and slide into a picnic table under the radiating heat lamps at this brewpub on Ossington Ave. You'll have to keep your coat on, but it's proved a popular pick for resilient True North-types.

The Fifth Grill
The terrace is open year-round at this fifth floor steakhouse where the enclosed space is temperature controlled and the skyline view is stunning.

3 Speed
There's no service on this Bloordale patio, but it's partially covered and there's a big forno oven to keep guests toasty while sipping beers and mixed drinks.

Jazz Bistro
It might be freezing outside but things are just heating up on this fully-enclosed rooftop terrace. The third-floor venue plays host to live music and is buzzing year round with jovial diners and jazz enthusiasts alike.

Cold Tea
It's bare bones and still a little chilly, but the back patio at Cold Tea is fully enclosed and heated. This is great news for cocktail fiends and means that pop-ups and winter BBQs are not out of the question.

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

Photo from The Drake Sky Yard

David Crombie Park

Toronto gets vending machine that makes loose leaf tea

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teabotTruly, we are in a golden era of vending machines in Toronto. First, the downtown got its very own twin machines that dispense cufflinks and fancy donuts. Now, you can add custom-blended tea to the list of luxuries that you can now purchase without talking to anyone: teaBOT is a locally-based startup that lets you create your very own blend of loose-leaf tea through a touch-screen kiosk.

It's a simple process: Walk up to the kiosk, pick out your ingredients, watch your tea get brewed, and take a sip of your custom blend, all in about 30 seconds. (It's like the Nutrimatic, except it's able to actually produce real tea.)

teabotIf you settle on a blend that you like, you'll eventually be able to order some to enjoy at home. Want to give the drink of the future a spin yourself? teaBOT will be located at Harry Rosen's Bloor St. location today (December 13) and next Saturday, December 20.

Photo via teaBOT.


New Toronto concert series pairs chefs with live shows

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Eat and Greet TorontoNot sure what to look forward to after the rush of holiday concerts and eatathons? Toronto could stand for more dinner and a show affairs, so there's good news on the snowy horizon: Collective Concerts and Rose & Sons are teaming up in 2015 for a six part dinner series that'll let music fans feast together and mingle with the band before the show.

The first dinner, presented by food-loving CC promoter Amy Hersenhoren and music-loving chef Anthony Rose, will give fans the chance to meet and eat with Elliott Brood. On Saturday, January 24, 2015 at the Phoenix, expect a dinner in the spirit of the Canadian alt-country outfit featuring a Big Crow menu of hearty, down-home cooking like chopped brisket, mac 'n cheese, lots of sides and beers from Beau's.

While upcoming dinner and concert pairings have yet to be announced, menus will be tailored to the talent, and for the duration of the venue-hopping series the number of limited availability tickets will fluctuate with the size of the room. The debut dinner at The Phoenix looks to be a roaming 75-person food station experience, while other events might be more intimate. Tickets for the Elliot Brood show are now on sale. Watch Collective Concerts for word on upcoming bands.

Queen West bar does creative cocktails & molecular eats

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rush lane barThis cocktail spot on Queen West enjoyed plenty of hype shortly after opening, but their methodical, inventive approach to drinks and bar snacks (decorate-your-own milk sorbet and smoked turkey legs, anyone?) definitely merits some extra chatter. Look forward to draught cocktails and a punch program (in lieu of bottle service).

Read my profile of Rush Lane in the bars section.

A 1950s Toronto photo extravaganza

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toronto 1950sThe 1950s were a time of profound change for Toronto. In the boom decade following the second world war, the city built its first subway line under Yonge Street, welded together its downtown expressway, and created new downtown land by infilling south of Front St.

1954 was a particularly big year: The provincial act that created Metropolitan Toronto, the now defunct senior level of government, took effect in January, Toronto opened its subway in March, Marilyn Bell became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario in September, and Hurricane Hazel caused widespread destruction in October.

In short, the 1950s were an exciting time. Here's a look at the decade in photos.

toronto 1950sToronto when the Royal York Hotel and Commerce Court still ruled the skyline.

toronto 1950sThe Toronto skyline from the Port Lands with a Mitsui Line ship at the docks.

toronto 1950sThe Redpath sugar factory under construction on the waterfront.

toronto 1950sMalton Airport before the construction of Aeroquay One and its renaming for former prime minister and Nobel Prize for Peace winner Lester B. Pearson.

toronto 1950sA colourized view down University Ave. when the median still had grass.

toronto 1950sFront Street outside Union Station when it was a 5-lane street.

toronto 1950sLooking up Yonge Street from just south of Richmond. That's an S. S. Kresge store on the left.

toronto 1950s"Bertie the Brain," arguably the world's first arcade game, at the CNE in 1950.

toronto 1950sConstruction of the replacement Dufferin Gate at the CNE in 1959. The old one was knocked down to allow for construction of the Gardiner Expressway the year before.

toronto 1950sThe Joy Theatre (formerly the Rex Theatre) in 1956.

toronto 1950sMen line up outside the Lux Burlesque theatre in the late 50s.

toronto 1950sThe Maple Leafs battle it out against the Chicago Black Hawks at Maple Leaf Gardens in the late 1950s. The Leafs goalie is Johnny Bower and the two visible Hawks defencemen are Ron Murphy (#10) and Eric Nesterenko (#15,) according to Wikipedia.

toronto 1950sMarilyn Bell and a support board during a Juan de Fuca practise swim in 1956.

toronto marilyn bellMarilyn Bell with trainer Gus Ryder after successfully swimming the English Channel.

toronto marilyn bellThe reception for Marilyn Bell outside City Hall after Channel swim in 1955.

toronto 1950sA man, woman, and dog abandon their home by boat in deep flood waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Hazel.

toronto 1950sA woman wades through waist deep water following Hurricane Hazel.

toronto 1950sQueen Elizabeth II during a royal visit to Toronto in 1959.

toronto 1950sOffice building under construction at the southeast corner of Eglinton and Bathurst circa 1953.

toronto 1950sPower Supermarket on Eglinton Ave. around 1955.

20121212-1950s-401.jpgThe 401--then the Toronto Bypass--near Midland Ave. when it was a four lane road.

toronto 1950sA traffic-free Gardiner Expressway shortly after its opening in 1959.

toronto 1950sGardiner Expressway construction and huts beneath.

toronto 1950sAn empty Gardiner Expressway looking towards downtown. Contrast with the same view today.

toronto 1950sAn unidentified man contemplates the Gardiner Expressway bridge over the Humber River in 1955.

toronto 1950sA PCC streetcar on Bloor outside the University Theatre. The building was mostly demolished (except for the facade) in the 1980s. It's now a Pottery Barn.

toronto 1950sA Peter Witt streetcar on Queen near the Russell yard. The model last ran in Toronto in 1965.

toronto 1950sThe first Yonge line train leaves Davisville station in 1954.

toronto 1950sToronto Mayor Allan A. Lamport (centre) and Metro Chairman Frederick G. Gardiner (second from right) at official opening of Yonge Street subway, 1954.

toronto 1950sA new Toronto subway car on a section of temporary track.

toronto 1950sA bright red Gloucester subway train at Eglinton station.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives (as marked,) Toronto Public Library, and public domain.

The death of Descant spells worry for Toronto journals

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Descant torontoAfter 44 years, Toronto-based literary journal Descant Magazine has announced its latest issue will be its last. Editor-in-Chief Karen Mulhallen revealed that Descant has been in deficit for three years and can't continue in its current form.

Descant began in 1970 in mimeograph form and has since published quarterly as an international journal. Mulhallen has run Descant since the fifth issue. The other original staff were University of Toronto students. Issues have featured works of Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Dennis Lee, and Timothy Findlay.

Descant held a fall fundraising campaign, which ultimately fell short of shoring up the publication's debts. Various cost solutions and possible replacement for Mulhallen as editor were not found, leaving the magazine high and dry.

"This has been a very hard decision to make. For the last three years Descant has been in a deficit position, and as head of the Descant foundation and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, I carry all the debts."

She went on to thank everyone who has contributed to Descant over the years.

The demise of the journal is part of a larger and worrisome trend that foreshadows the lack of sustainability suffered by small press publications. WORN Fashion Journal might not have a whole lot in common with Descant in terms of content, but both are longstanding publications with loyal followings that just can't pay the bills.

And that is loss for Toronto's cultural scene.

Read the full notice from Karen Mulhallen here.

Photo from Descant's Facebook page

The top 10 holiday food drives in Toronto for 2014

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holiday food drives torontoHoliday food drives in Toronto are getting underway for the 2014 season. Embrace the spirit of giving as the year draws to a close, and contribute to one of these annual food drives and year-round initiatives that provide hunger relief across the city.

Here are my picks for the top 10 holiday food drives in Toronto for 2014.

Second Harvest Turkey Drive
Help ensure people in need have a festive holiday meal this season by donating a bird through the Second Harvest Turkey Drive at participating Loblaws locations this weekend (Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14). If you can't make it out this weekend, donate funds online and see each dollar turned into two meals.

Daily Bread Food Bank
Donations of healthy, non-perishable foods are always welcome by the Daily Bread and holiday drive is in full force until December 31. Donations can be dropped off at your local fire hall and participating supermarkets.

North York Harvest Food Bank
Hoping to lend a hand to North York residents in need? Help the winter food drive reach its goal of raising $250,000 and 250,000 pounds of food by dropping off non-perishable donations at fire halls in the city's north end.

The Community Share Food Drive
Located inside the Church of Ascension at 33 Overland Dr., this food bank accepts non-perishable food items dropped off Tuesdays and Saturdays between 10am and noon, and at partnering North York churches.

Fort York Food Bank
Contribute non-perishable goods to this food bank located at 797 Dundas St. West. The food bank strives to stock a balanced variety of canned vegetables, fruits, meats and fish, plus cereals, dry pastas, peanut butter and soups, but encourages donors to be creative.

The Stop Community Food Centre
This food bank focuses on supplying families and individuals with healthy, whole foods. Donations are always accepted, but coordinators ask that you contact them first. Pantry items like flour, beans, rice, and peanut butter are especially appreciated; so are cash donations designated for fresh produce and dairy. Donate $25 and they'll distribute a food hamper for the holidays.

Yonge Street Mission
Help keep the shelves stocked at this charity organization that strives towards food security for Torontonians living in poverty. Among their greatest needs are canned goods, cereals, grains, hygiene products and baby diapers, formula and bottles.

Parkdale Community Food Bank
Parkdale Community Food Bank's plan is to delivery turkeys and toys on December 21 and in the lead up, this group is collecting frozen turkeys, hams and roasts, plus dessert mixes, puddings, cookies, crackers, and other non-perishable items.

Good Shepherd Ministries
Want to give more than canned goods? The Provide A Meal Program asks volunteers to make one casserole each month and provides disposable pans and recipes. Donors just drop off cooked casseroles to a freezer near by which are collected and warmed up at drop-in meal programs.

Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank
Set to launch in January 2015, this food bank is devoted to providing vegan-friendly foods, 50% of which will be fresh whole foods. Their partners at the Yonge Street Mission have already provided the space and now the volunteer-run organization is crowdfunding for food. Contribute to the cause on Indiegogo.

Did I miss any? Leave your picks for holiday food drives in the comments.

10 holiday gift ideas for the sweets lover in Toronto

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Toronto gift guideSweeten up the holidays with classic confections, serving pieces and bakeware from Toronto retailers this season. No holiday would be complete without the annual spike in your glycemic index anyway.

Here are my picks for gifts for the sweet lover on your list this holiday season.

Victorian Gingerbread House Cookies / Bobbette & Belle $11.25
Like every Victorian on the market in this city, these beautiful gingerbread houses are pricey but oh so pretty to look at. The precious cookies are hand detailed with icing evergreens and edible 24k gold decorations.

Falcon Enamelware Bake Set / Spruce $125
Give this five piece set of iconic British bakeware to the avid cooks on your list. The heavy-gauge porcelain pieces can withstand high oven temps and then double as stylish serveware.

Hot Chocolate and Guimauve Sampler / Nadege $52
The Parisian patisserie embraces the classic comfort of hot chocolate and fluffy marshmallows. The sample pack includes the chocolate chaud in signature dark, spiced, and bourbon vanilla bean varieties, plus raspberry and cotton candy marshmallows.

Chocolate Panettone / Soma Chocolate $25
Laced with rum soaked cherries, orange rinds and raisins, and topped with crunchy caramelized almonds, this made-from-scratch chocolate Christmas bread might just sway your feelings towards panettone forever.

Bunner's Bake Shop Cookbook / Bunners ($24.99)
The vegan and gluten-free bakery shares recipes for sticky cinnamon buns, brownies, cheesecake and doughnuts - all made from non-traditional ingredients.

Shortbread / Mary Macleod's $4.50-$110
Over 300 hand-made, small-batch shortbread shapes (everything from Christmas trees to Hannukah dreidels) are available a la carte, or packaged up in tins, cookie jars and gift sets.

Cooking Classes / Baker and Scone $55-$120
Nourish the home-bakers in your life with classes from professionals. The schedule at this St. Clair West bakery starts in February so there's plenty of time to register for hands-on workshops focused on topics like winter baking or how to build a classic croquembouche.

Toronto Popcorn Co. ($4-$24)
If you're struggling to stuff XL stockings, then popcorn is your friend. Satisfy snack lovers with savoury, sweet and premium popcorns in addictive flavours like maple bacon, cinnamon caramel and peanut brittle.

Short Stack Editions / Room 2046 $16 each
Each of these small-format, collectible cookbooks zero in on one inspiring ingredient (think, apples, brown sugar or honey) and feature recipes ingenious ways to use sweet fixtures in every pantry.

Pedestal Cake Stands / Le Dolci $16-$80
The collection of cakes stands available for sale at this Dundas West bakeshop is sure to be appreciated (and get a lot of use) by the sweet-tooths on your list.

What amazing items did I miss? Leave your ideas in the comments.

lcboThanks to the LCBO for sponsoring our 2014 Gift Guide.

Photo from Bobbette & Belle

Santa Speedo Run 2014


Everything you need to know about rats in Toronto

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toronto ratRats are the archetypical urban critters. As long as there have been towns and cities, these furry rodents have been scurrying through our buildings, scavenging our food, and sometimes infecting us with diseases.

Toronto's rats the same ones found in almost every corner of the world. An aggressively invasive species that likely originated in Asia, the Brown rat is everywhere except the high Arctic and, strangely, Alberta (thanks to its geography, the province is almost entirely surrounded by natural rat barriers, like mountains and prairie.)

Brown rats spread throughout the world as stowaways in the holds of ships, arriving in North America some time in the 1700s. Port cities like Toronto would have seen its first rats scurrying down gangplanks around this time, too.

Today, experts can only guess at the number or rats living in Toronto. Rough estimates put the population in the tens of thousands, most of them downtown, according to David Sugarman, an animal expert at the Ontario Science Centre.

"If you see a rat in Toronto or Ontario, you're seeing a Brown rat," he says. Fully grown adults are usually about 20-25 centimetres long, excluding the tail, which is about the same length as the body. The males tend to be about a third bigger than the females.

Because they aren't fussy eaters (though they prefer seeds and grains,) cities like ours with overflowing garbage cans stuffed with food scraps present an irresistible smorgasbord for rats. When the going is good, females, which are biologically programmed to be baby-producing machines, deliver larger litters.

"They can have litters of up to 14, but generally it's around seven," Sugarman says. "And they can have from five to seven litters a year. So if you think about it, one female having 35 to 49 babies a year, you can see why the population of rats can really grow."

The average Toronto rat lives for about a year, but the lucky ones that avoid being poisoned, run over, or otherwise untimely snuffed out can last up to three. What's really remarkable, however, is how quickly Brown rats grow up. Infants become sexually mature just a month after birth and females spend almost their entire lives pregnant, giving birth in small nests of discarded newspaper, fabric, wood shavings, or other insulating material.

Sheds, basements, and crawlspaces are popular rat real estate locations, though almost anywhere away from predators--skunks, raccoons, coyotes, dogs, and cats--works just fine.

Generally speaking, they're extremely wary of humans and prefer to remain out of sight, though a cornered or threatened rat might act aggressively or bite. Despite a reputation for being riddled with disease, Nathalie Karvonen from the Toronto Wildlife Centre says Brown rats are no dirtier than other wild animals.

"They're actually very clean in the sense that they keep themselves very, very clean," she says. "They are constantly grooming themselves and if by some miracle you could actually snatch one out of the wild at a random moment you would find it to be a very clean, well-groomed animal."

(That doesn't mean Toronto's rats are disease-free. Sugarman says they can carry toxoplasmosis, a potentially serious parasitic disease, and other nasties picked up from their surroundings.)

Though widely despised, it seems people still care about the wellbeing of Toronto's most common wild rodents. A small number of rats are admitted to the Wildlife Centre every year, often after being poisoned or attacked by domestic pets, Karvonen says.

"Yes, they do have a bad reputation, but there's lots of people who just care about animals generally and who understand, rightly so, that there really is no difference between a rat, and a squirrel, and your pet hamster at home. They're really all just rodents."

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

Image: tom/blogTO Flickr pool.

10 things you didn't know about Chinatown in Toronto

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toronto spadina dundasToday, the main Chinatown in Toronto is centred around Spadina and Dundas, but it wasn't always that way. The city's first predominately Chinese neighbourhood was once anchored around a now-demolished portion of Elizabeth St., where City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square stand today. Over the years, the community shifted west and smaller Chinatowns, like the one at Gerrard and Broadview, have appeared. Chinatown's home, it seems, is where the heart is.

Here are 10 things you didn't know about Toronto's various Chinatowns.

One of the first Chinese-owned Toronto businesses was a laundry on Adelaide St. E.
The 1878 city directory lists Mr. Sam Ching as one of the first Chinese businessmen in Toronto. His laundry at 9 Adelaide St. E. was of the first in what would soon become a booming industry. By 1902 there were more than 100 Chinese laundries in Toronto, which worried the city's Laundry Association. The group lobbied the city to impose a $50 fee on all new laundries, but the amount was eventually lowered to between $5 and $20. At their peak, the city directory listed Chinese laundries as a separate category.

A group of youths rampaged through Chinatown in 1919
As visible minorities in a predominately white, Anglo-Saxon town, immigrants from Asia were often the target of racism. As the federal and provincial governments adopted policies that discriminated against outsiders it deemed "unsuited" to Canada, a mob of around 400 men rampaged through the Elizabeth St. Chinatown, smashing windows and looting stores. The violence was centred on Hop War Low's cafe at 31 Elizabeth, where $300 was stolen. The violence, which the Toronto Star reported had been triggered after an argument between a waiter and customer, was condemned by then-mayor Thomas Church.

toronto chinatown elizabethChinatown used to be near Queen and University
Before the area was extensively reconfigured for construction of New City Hall in 1962, the neighbourhood around Elizabeth St. (north of Queen between Bay and University) was known as The Ward. Predominantly poor, the densely packed collection of homes was often the only place where new immigrants could afford to rent a room or open a business. As times changed, Chinatown shifted west to its present location and smaller outposts established on Gerrard and elsewhere.

The city ordered Chinese cafes to fire their white waitresses in 1928
Canada hasn't always been welcoming to outsiders. In 1914, in response to nationwide hysteria over an influx of Asian and East Indian immigrants, the Ontario government restricted who could work at businesses owned by Chinese people. Pressure from local Chinese and the country's Consul General stopped the law being enforced until 1928, however. According to the city archives, "the law addressed unfounded fears that Chinese employers would take advantage of white women."

Outside of Chinatown, Chinese restaurants served western food
As author Arlene Chan recalls in her book The Chinese in Toronto from 1878: From Outside to Inside the Circle, Chinese-owned restaurants, like Toronto Quick Lunch at 301 Yonge St., often served hamburgers, roast beef, steaks, apple pie, soups, sandwiches, and ice cream. The prices were often lower than rival businesses and so were popular among the working class and unemployed men during the Depression. As a result, in 1923, the Western-style Restaurant Owners' Association was established in Toronto.

toronto chinatown toiletThere used to be an underground toilet at Queen and Spadina
Toronto used to have several underground conveniences, most of them located at major streetcar interchanges on Queen: at Broadview, Parliament, and Spadina. The Spadina washroom was located down a set of steps located on the west side of the streetcar tracks. It was demolished in 1939 after being branded "the worst traffic hazard in the city" by a city alderman.

There used to be a raunchy burlesque shows at Dundas and Spadina
The Standard theatre started life as one of the city's only Yiddish movie houses, but after the second world war, as tastes changed, the business morphed into a saucy burlesque joint. Victory Burlesque was short lived (the building eventually became Chinese language theatre called Golden Harvest,) but the building still stands as a branch of RBC.

toronto riversale sun yat-senEast Chinatown has a statue to a founding father of the Republic of China
Toronto's statue to Sun Yat-sen stands in Riverdale Park near the intersection of Broadview and Langley avenues. Yat-sen was the first president of the Republic of China, the co-founder of the Kuomintang political party, and the developer of the Three Principles of the People, which roughly translate as nationalism, democracy, and the people's livelihood. Chinese people in Toronto raised funds for Yat-sen's revolution in 1905 and thousands marched in 1925 to mark his death.

Queen and Spadina has one of only three "grand union" rail intersections on the continent
Cyclists know that Queen and Spadina is a treacherous tangle of streetcar tracks, but few know intersections like it are a relative rarity in North America. What makes Queen and Spadina special (with King and Spadina and King and Bathurst) is that north, south, east, and westbound streetcars are able to turn in any direction. The resulting track layout is as complex as it is pretty - just try not to snag a tire in its many hungry grooves.

toronto spadina expresswaySpadina Ave. could have been converted into a highway
The Spadina Expressway, had it been fully realized, would have linked the 401 with the Gardiner via Spadina Ave. The highway would have likely ducked underground at Bloor, but the upheaval would have wrecked neighbourhoods to the north, including the Annex. As Ontario Premier Bill Davis put it: "If we are building a transportation system to serve the automobile, the Spadina Expressway would be a good place to start. But if we are building a transportation system to serve people, the Spadina Expressway is a good place to stop."

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

Images: Loc Nguyen, Dominic Bugatto/blogTO Flickr pool, City of Toronto Archives (as marked,) and Series 1143, File 3143, Item U.

The top 5 free events in Toronto: December 15-21 2014

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Free events TorontoFree events in Toronto this week can set you up with your most cherished holiday movie picks, which could make for some emotional journeys that we broke people have learned to substitute for physical journeys. Then there's a money-saver for the greeting card procrastinator, a noise march downtown, fire twirlers, and more.

Here's how to have something new to talk about when the creditors call this week in Toronto.

1. Post A Letter Social Activity Club (December 15, Wise Bar)
If you've been procrastinating, Wise Bar's Post A Letter Social Activity Club could get you on top of your greeting cards/letters home/taxes from last spring, etc. They'll set up a PWYC stationary bar for everything from stamps to (maybe) sparkles. Or BYO sparkles just in case.

2. Queer Fear: The Craft (December 17, Videofag)
Festive this, festive that. Makes me feel stiff as a board, honestly. Videofag gets my coven and I, and this free screening of cult teen sensation The Craft should be a carol-free zone on Wednesday. Wear your blackest, least ironic sweater.

3. Unsilent Night (December 19, Music Gallery)
Want to blast a boombox in the streets of Toronto? Not quite a flash mob, this is about as different as it gets than your usual Christmas caroling. Philip Kline's composition calls for a mass of marchers to BYO music for a dissonant, free-for-all holiday march. There's a PWYC fundraiser proper to follow at the Music Gallery. Learn more here.

4. Holiday classics at the Bloor (December 19-23, Bloor Hot Docs CInema)
The Bloor has caught the holiday spirit, and you can reserve free passes now for holiday and holiday-ish classics including Bad Santa, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, Love Actually, and more.

5. 25th Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice (December 21, Augusta Ave)
Do you want to play with fire, little girl? The Kensington Market Winter Solstice will fill Augusta with night-defying antics, complete with puppets on stilts and a healthy dose of pyrotechnics and fire jugglers. If you want to help out, donate to their Kickstarter here.

Also check out these regular free events

Elvis Mondays (Mondays, The Drake)
Toronto's longest running indie showcase, William New's free show has put thousands of bands on stage. It's at the Drake Underground every Monday.

Free Nights at the Horseshoe (Monday/Tuesday, The Horseshoe)
The Legendary Horseshoe has a storied history, and hosts free indie rock shows in the early week with Shoeless Mondays and Dave Bookman's Nu Music Night on Tuesdays.

Free Evening (Wednesday, AGO)
The Art Gallery of Ontario's free evening runs from 6-8:30pm. It can be a little crowded, but sometimes the people watching is as good as the art (sometimes).

CINSSU's Free Friday Films (Fridays)
Though the Innis Town Hall is still under construction, you can follow the Cinema Studies Student Union for reliable Friday night movies and solid picks at Isabel Bader Theatre and/or Alumni Hall 100.

Canadian Opera Company (Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre)
September through to early June, catch free classical shows at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts "most Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon, and some Wednesdays at noon or 5:30 p.m."

MOCCA (Monday - Sunday)
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.

Have a free event you'd like to plug? Submit it using this form.

Anthropologie to open in Queen St. church this Friday

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anthropologie queen west torontoLovers of floral and frilly things: Your hour draws near. Earlier this fall, U.S. clothing and housewares chain Anthropologie, an Urban Outfitters offshoot known for their feminine wares, began converting a stately former church at 751 Queen St. West into its latest Toronto outpost (joining existing locations in the Shops at Don Mills, Yorkville and Yorkdale).

This Friday, December 19, the store is set to open for business, just in time to buy last-minute gifts for the Zooey Deschanel dress-alike in your life (this might be you). RSVP to the store opening on Facebook, or just throw open the shutters and sing your joy to your woodland friends.

Photo via videojey on Instagram.

The top 10 winter fitness bootcamps in Toronto

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winter bootcamps torontoWinter fitness bootcamps in Toronto are for those who need that extra push to stay motivated, want a break from the normal gym routine, or have a fitness end goal in mind. Once the temperature drops, many of the bootcamps you loved in the summer move indoors so you can continue kickin' butt all winter long.

Here are my picks for the top winter bootcamps in Toronto.

Best Body Boot Camp
Best Body's multiple locations around Toronto offer a community vibe that will help you stay engaged. Their workouts combine High Intensity Interval Training with functional movements and active rest, allowing you to continue burning calories even after your workout is over. They also offer nutritional support.

Fit Chicks
There are seven Fit Chicks locations around Toronto spanning from downtown to midtown, so there's really no excuse not to try out one of their bootcamp options. You can choose from various-length programs, ranging from 2 weeks to 12 weeks, to suit your schedule.

CrossfitTO
At CrossfitTO, located near Carlaw and Lakeshore, they offer four week long bootcamps where you'll be getting in 45-minute sessions, five days a week (now that's commitment). With small class sizes, you'll be getting more personalized training without paying for an actual personal trainer, and can work at your own pace at a level you're comfortable with.

Fit Body Boot Camp
If you have a specific fitness goal in mind, then Fit Body Boot Camp, located near Wellesley Station, is a great place to work your way there. With 30 minute sessions, you'll get maximum impact in minimum time, and their non-threatening atmosphere will keep you motivated.

Body Buster Fitness
The Body Buster bootcamp is one that you can take out of the gym and into your home, thanks to an online tracking system that will help you keep yourself accountable. With four locations, all within proximity to the High Park area, this boot camp incorporates a variety of different workouts, including cardio, yoga, strength training, obstacle courses and more.

Fit Feels Good Boot Camp
Fit Feels Good's six-week bootcamps are offered in the Annex, Roncesvalles, and the Danforth. Founder Oonagh Duncan was named canfitpro's Pro Trainer of the Year for 2014 - so you're definitely getting trained by some of the best. Along with the boot camps that include cardio, core work, plyometrics and much more, they also provide a meal plan.

Metro Life Fitness Boot Camp
At Metro Life Fitness, located in the Dundas and Lansdowne area, no two workouts are the same. Combining high intensity circuit training and obstacle courses with Pilates and yoga, this boot camp is a great way to start your morning - if you can drag your butt out of bed for the 6:30am workouts. (They also offer evening classes.)

Fit Family Belly Boot Camp
For all you mommies and mommies-to-be, Fit Family - with class locations in the east, west, central and midtown - is inviting for both you and your little one. Fit Family offers a variety of styles, whether you want to work on your fitness with a bun in the oven, break a sweat with baby in tow, or simply want to get into running.

Fit Factory Fitness
If you're looking for some serious discipline, then the bootcamps at Fit Factory Fitness are where it's at. You'll be getting a grueling workout courtesy of former U.S Marine Corps drill instructor Tony Austin. They currently operate out of a new gym at King and Spadina, while winter O Course bootcamps are held indoors at Monarch Park.

SDR Training Boot Camp
The SDR Training Boot Camp offers a military-style workout designed to whip that booty into shape. SDR is owned and run by canfitpro-certified personal trainer, Stephanie De Rossi, who hosts indoor training sessions at the Harbour Front Community Centre.

See also:

The Best Fitness Bootcamp in Toronto
The top 8 fitness bootcamps for women in Toronto

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite picks for winter boot camps in Toronto in the comments.

Writing by Chynna Wilson. Photo of Fit Factory's O Course.

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