As Chart Attack reported yesterday, Toronto punk label Mammoth Cave is going under after seven years in the vinyl business - and not going underground into the basement from which they came. Going way under, for the big forever sleep. The label has been pronounced dead as of this week, via an email newsletter and Facebook post, which in part blames rising costs from Canada Post, the failing Canadian dollar, and a 120% increase in the time it takes to press a record.

"I quit" diatribes hit the internet fast on their feet, and while some are actually worth a laugh more than the shedding of tears (i.e. The Darcys revealing that they view their music as inaccessible art rock), Mammoth's passing hits harder - not just because co-founder Paul Lawton (Ketamines, Century Palm) is one of the city's most outspoken (notorious?) curmudgeons.

Thanks to Mammoth, Simply Saucer's Reckless Agitation 7" was in our Christmas gift guide (it's a frisbee), and they teamed up with Ugly Pop Records last year to run an anti Rob Ford punk show. Teledrome's 2014 self titled LP was an instant cult Canadiana favourite that saw a reissue before the end of the year.

Because it's Friday, here's something a little different: an off the cuff and mostly unedited chat interview with Paul Lawton on the state of vinyl in Canada today, in the interest of people* who just don't get it. (Personally, I'm always on the side of the whining team.)

So, I read your post and the Twitter drama from today. When did you decide to shut down MC?

Paul Lawton: I've been in the on the fence for a long time. We had a solid run - Strange Attractor's "Back to the Cruel World" and Teledrome's "S/T" LP both did really well. And then I repressed Teledrome and sold 10 copies. We used to say that an LP had a year before no one cared, and then music started following the paths of big movies, a.k.a. you get four or five weeks and then no one wants to hear about it.

I think that after 7 years I just got the itch to do something different, and all the outside factors just added up.

That Teledrome record had a lot of people excited. What was Mammoth's mandate? Like you mentioned getting music out that wasn't finding an outlet.

The label started in Lethbridge, Alberta and our motto from day one was "ambition without expectation." We kept seeing all these amazing bands from western Canada being completely ignored and undocumented and decided to put our money where our mouth was.

If everyone's downloading now, why don't you move into being a digital label?

We put out bands from a lot of cities like Sudbury or Moncton that just are being left out because of geography.

Records - and I know this sounds stupid - make me feel something. Digital files do not.
We started to make physical artifacts. Digital files are fleeting and will be lost in time.

Everyone is downloading. I download! But who cares about that? You don't care about your mp3 collection. You don't care about your Spotify subscription. It just doesn't matter. And it's taking music down the toilet with it.

What do you think is turning people off of physical artifacts? Is that just not in line with the way we consume culture anymore, the idea that you're buying something that has a place in history?

I think that after 15 years of having free music, people are used to having free music. Asking them to pay for a record, and then again for shipping which doubles the cost just seems unreasonable. I think that we are, as a culture, ahistorical. It is all about now. I want it now.

We started getting people who would order a record on a Monday complaining about "their order" on a Friday.

You mentioned that other labels are in trouble. Or hinted at it. Yet people are hailing the conquest of the indie label a lot right now. What's going on?

Yeah. I shouldn't have said that. I think that I was speaking for other people.

Look, for us we put thousands of dollars into this thing purely because we wanted to document a scene and a portion of Canadian music history. We decided that in the end we carried our share.

I know that labels who are not hooked to the FACTOR trough are struggling.

What was cutting you off from receiving Factor grants? I know this is one area where you end up getting accused of "whining."

That is a great question. To get in the big grant system, you need at least one "hit"
and then once you have that "hit" you are in, right now forever.

You can keep going back to the trough again and again on the merit of your one hit, enabling you to get access to resources (marketing, tour funding etc) to keep you on top of the game.

We have had records that have sold extremely well, but never enough to crack the barrier. Even though we were 100% Canadian. Even though we marketed our records properly and had distribution.

FACTOR is meant to deliver radio hits. That's why you get a punk band given $25K to record a "radio quality" album so it can get delivered to radio.

I get not wanting to speak for any other labels by saying they're in trouble too. But you do believe it's likely true? And then how do things need to change so Canadian bands can make these artifacts of their work?

So the issues I listed: plant delays, Canada Post [raising prices], the exchange rate - those are hard costs to being a label. It is impossible to be truly independent and not have to deal with those issues.

Without that funding, you are just pouring your own money into it.

So is the only answer funding?

I don't know. Honestly.

What about things like Wyrd Distro, has that helped you out?

The Wyrd Distro is a great idea, but it did not help us out at all really.

I think the answer is that you have good people willing to take on the burden of documenting unheralded Canadian music and lose money until they can't.

So indie music is just not sustainable?

There are lots of labels in Canada doing that right now: Pleasance, Telephone Explosion, Bruised Tongue, Debt Offensive in Calgary, LaTiDa in Victoria - just owning it. You try and break even, if you don't, you don't. Indie music has never been sustainable. Music is not sustainable.

You have all these people doing the grunt work, and doing an amazing job of it. But the success is illusory.

I got so many emails yesterday from people who we inspired to put out records, and were shocked when we decided to stop. From my perspective, we got to a point where I honestly didn't think anyone cared at all outside of a few people.

Did you read our interview with NO LOVE, where Jakob Rehlinger talks about people who want to stay in the underground VS people who aren't happy there and will shmooze their way into mainstream?

Yes! That interview is great. I found it super inspiring. I think I am not happy being underground and I'm also not interested in getting into the mainstream. So fuck me, right?

There are people who just continue to exist in spite of being actively ignored. Take Strange Attractor from Sudbury.

"I think I am not happy being underground and I'm also not interested in getting into the mainstream." - Why do you think that is? Is it partially resentment of the success of mediocrity vs. the bands you love struggling?

I think doing music, you want respect and recognition. But you don't need to sit on any throne. You put out records, you want, at bare minimum, people to buy those records.

So a lot of people will say "if no one is buying these records, they must be shitty." Why is that false?

It's exactly what we've been battling from day one. Right now we are in a cultural state where you have to be X popular for anyone to take you seriously.

People will actively ignore you unless you get very specific kinds of attention. And even then. The reason is that there are 2 billion Bandcamps and Soundclouds coming at you from all sides all the time, and you only have the time to devote to the stuff that will be good.

I wrote that Weird Canada piece on how to reach out to media, and one criticism was that a similar piece should exist about how media should approach bands. Do you think that's part of the problem? That no one is actively looking for new music anymore?

I don't think people are not looking for new music. It's that it is impossible to process what is worth paying attention to. So they wait until they hear about it enough.

The problem for us was that we didn't have the resources to get to that bare-minimum level of attention to even sell through a small run. One shift in the seven years was that I used to be able to email 30-40 bloggers and music writers directly.

Then they got so bombarded that you had to be with "the right" pr person for anyone to listen to what you were delivering. It's the same problem. Music writers can't possibly process everything coming at them. You said it best actually: "content fatigue."

What do you say to inevitable accusations that you're a whiner for making the post? And why is getting the discussion out there important to you?

The only response is that people in this country are so afraid to critique the music gatekeepers because they don't want to get left out. And so people are not used to seeing valid critique, so they can only identify it as "whining."

Plus, in the case of a band like Greys, you have this cognitive dissonance of being in a punk band but also getting paid really well by the grant system.

I think that the whole "why I want this out there" is that people build up these illusions that are completely false. There isn't enough information of what lies ahead for a new label or band. I think ultimately people think they are the exception to the rule.

Like "oh, that's because Mammoth Cave sucks." But the truth is that we can't innovate without this discussion.

I'd like to make this a little different than every other interview anyone's done with you about these issues. In your opinion what are the keys to a better music scene, where labels aren't folding when they can't balance them with their dayjobs anymore?

The key to a better music scene, or community if you will, is to stop chasing ghosts and start looking for ways to structurally support musicians on a much broader scale.

Take 1/4 of the money Arts and Crafts got last year and pay for 30 bands to support themselves on the road for a week. Start investing in infrastructure like lessons, studios, rehearsal spaces and performance areas. Spread the love, lower the barriers to access.

Limit yearly maximums for the top 1% of the Canadian music industry. Subsidize shipping for art and cultural materials, like records. I can go on...

Were you surprised to see a band like Greys, a punk band who have had so much support locally, react negatively to your post?

Not really. I was more surprised there wasn't more of it. When you are delivering bad news, people respond negatively. Instead we got an outpouring of support from around the globe.

The bad news being that vinyl in Canada is in trouble?

The bad news being that Canadian music is in trouble. You have FFWD, The Artery in Edmonton, and Mammoth Cave all closing in one week. They all have different reasons, but the overall cultural shifts are the same.

Last question. Do you think the Music Advisory Council / Music City initiative should be involved in some of those ideas for infrastructure you named above?

Yes! They should be, but they won't. To me it seems like they are another mouthpiece to the Canadian music haves. I'd like to be proven wrong. I play music all the time in Toronto and I cannot see a single benefit or improvement yet from that agency.

Are indie labels headed for trouble? Let us know in the comments.

Mammoth Cave's last release will be B.A. Johnston's Shit Sucks LP. All other LPs are now $5 / 7"s $2-$3 on MC's website.

*Full disclosure: Colin from Greys writes for blogTO Music, and our non-Colin music team was all about that Greys LP.

Photo by Matt Forsythe

Acclaimed chef Jamie Kennedy has announced that the Gilead Café & Wine Bar will serve its last supper at the end of next month. The Corktown restaurant, known for organic, sustainable and locavore fare, opened in 2008 and has operated in various incarnations of bistro, cafe, event space and wine bar since.

Chef will continue to operate Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, as well as pursue new opportunities but whatever comes next will happen elsewhere. The space at 4 Gilead is up for sale, advertised as a potential turnkey operation that could be reopened under new management by April 1.

Would-be restaurateurs looking for a charming yet hip mid-sized restaurant (equipped with a massive catering kitchen no less), need apply. You can even keep the name.

Photo by Jesse Milns

Photo by jeffisy in the blogTO Flickr pool.

The top kitchen and bathroom tile stores in Toronto feature a range of materials like marble, ceramic, and porcelain, suited for different projects - from indoor to outdoor, flooring to backsplash. Tiles are like wine - there's a seemingly endless variety of different materials from different regions used for different purposes, with no two exactly the same.

Every store's stock is unique with most of them carrying at least a few products exclusive to them. If you're looking for something specific, you will likely end up having to visit several of them to find exactly what you're looking for but luckily, most are located in the same two general areas - the Castlefield Design District and

Here are my picks for the top tile stores in Toronto.

Olympia
Olympia is the place to go for basic, affordable, mid-range options and as one of the biggest in the business, they are well-stocked with lots of product, so you can often get what you need without the long wait times. They do a lot of replica tiling, which is porcelain made to look like marble, concrete, wood, and slate.

Saltillo
The set-up in this hidden gem specializing in mosaic is very user friendly - all samples can be pulled off the displays allowing you to compare them side-by-side. A few of the welcoming staff went to design school.

Stone Tile
Self-described as the Mercedes Benz of tiling, Stone Tile is known for being cutting edge, in terms of sourcing revolutionary new products. They are the first company in Canada to bring in a large format, thin porcelain sheet tile called laminam that can be put directly on the floor, on walls, and used for exteriors. The impressive 10-foot pieces are on display in their showroom, which is like an art gallery for tile.

Ciot
On the more upscale side, Ciot is good for marble and has a lot of product exclusive to their store including tiles from Italy. They have a clearance room in the back where you can often find items for as much as 40% off.

The Tile Store
With laid-back staff and a casual, unpretentious showroom, The Tile Store offers a range of options. One of their top-sellers - exclusive to their store - are Aparici porcelain tiles from Spain.

Centura Tile
The big, beautiful, modern showroom that's well laid-out has lots of natural light, which allows you to really see the samples properly. All staff are designers, qualified to provide design consultation and they have a department in the back for contractors that sells the tools needed for installation.

Antica
With over 25 years of experience, Antica imports from overseas and specializes in natural stone and custom products. They have their own production facility on-site where they cut and mesh tiles - from basic patterns to intricate, one-of-a-kind designs.

Deco Tile
A family-run business in their 20th year, Deco Tile imports most of their product from Italy and Spain. They do a lot of porcelain and hand-cut glass, working primarily with the art and design industry and doing a lot of commercial business.

Creekside Tile
A new import to Toronto from Vancouver, Creekside has a smaller showroom off the main Castlefield strip, where they specialize in warm and rustic concrete tiles exclusive to their store. They also carry unique hand-glazed tiles from the UK.

Keramin
Keramin has a big selection of porcelain and mosaic, but they also produce countertops, sell fireplace stone, and exterior stone. Frequented primarily by retail businesses and contractors, they offer free delivery and often run promotions where you can get good deals.

What did I miss? Add your suggestions for top tile stores in the comments.

Photo via Ciot.

The idiosyncratic sister spot to Bar Isabel has opened down the street in the former Teatro, serving pastries and coffee by day, and pintxo snacks and cocktails by night. Inside the 40-seat dining room, wrapped in sinuous wooden panelling, Grant van Gameren and his team are already turning out perfectly-judged small plates worth raving about.

Read my review of Bar Raval in the restaurants section.

In neighbourhood terms, the Junction Triangle is a relatively new creation. Historically, the wedge-shaped area bound by rail tracks on all sides to the east of the Junction was a place where heavy industry nudged up against residential streets.

Factories making everything from aluminium auto parts and home appliance parts to chocolate bars lined the streets close to the Canadian Pacific rail tracks with brick homes and crowd-filled playgrounds a short walk away.

Today, the neighbourhood is undergoing rapid gentrification. The remaining industrial sites are being converted into residential units and homes on Wallace, Perth, Symington, and Campbell avenues are selling for seven-figures.

This is what the Junction Triangle used to look like.

Bloor St. looking east towards Perth Ave. on March 9, 1914.

A wet and muddy Bloor St. at the corner of Sterling Rd., looking east, in March 1934.

Bloor St. west to the railway underpass in March 1934.

Cowan's Cocoa and Chocolate factory on Sterling Rd. in 1922. Founded by John Warren Cowan, the company produced and sold tea, coffee, and candy, such as "Iceland Moss Cocoa" and "Queen's Dessert Chocolate." The business was sold to British company Rowntree and Company (Canada) Limited in 1926.

A house converted for use as a gas station at Dundas and College streets in April 1939.

North from Dundas St. along Sterling Rd., March 1923. The Northern Aluminium Company Building is on the horizon.

Dundas St. southeast from Sterling Rd. in June 1937.

Looking west from Dundas St. and Sterling Rd. Note the separated the vehicle and streetcar tracks on the railway overpass.

At-grade railway crossing at Dupont and Dundas streets before construction of the railway overpass in 1923.

A wrecked house on Franklin Ave. in 1921.

Opening day of the a senior baseball tournament on the Perth Ave. playground in May 1915.

A crowd gathered to watch a baseball game at the Perth Ave. playground in 1920.

Street sweeper cleans near the Perth Ave. park in 1913.

View of Perth Ave. from the roof of a building near the CP tracks in 1916.

Perth Ave. fire hall, just south of Dupont, on May 9, 1914. The building opened in 1910 and was demolished in the 1960s.

436-440 Perth Ave. in 1944. Two of these homes are still standing. The one on the far right of the picture has been demolished and replaced by a laneway entrance.

The Bawden Machine Co. factory in April 1914. The company, which made water pumps and fire hydrants, was founded roughly 10 years before this photo was taken.

A charcoal pool near Sterling Rd. in 1911.

An unidentified industrial site near the rear of the Bawden Machine Co. plant. in 1914.

The 12-storey Northern Aluminium Company Building on Sterling Rd. Built in 1920, the tower was part of a complex that produced cooking utensils and military supplies during both world wars. Later, engine parts, bottle caps, and home appliances accessories were also made there. The Toronto heritage building is currently being converted for residential use.

Railway crossing on Symington--now replaced with an underpass--in 1923.

Storage yard on Symington Ave., May 1915.

The historic Wallace Ave. bridge over the rail tracks in April 1915.

West on Wallace Ave. in 1923. Both the brick industrial buildings on the right side of the photo are still standing. The one in the foreground is home to artist studios and video games company Ubisoft, among others.

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

Images: City of Toronto Archives

Manakeesh isn't easy to come by in Toronto. Some call it a Middle Eastern pizza, but I like to think of it as classic Arab street food at its finest. The oven-baked flatbread is typically topped with za'atar, melted cheese, or sometimes both - but there are other variations. Traditionally a breakfast food, manakeesh is best consumed when nursing a hangover, after partying at 3 am or when hungry but have nothing except a toonie.

Here are my picks for the top places to get manakeesh in Toronto.

Lebanese Bakery
Lebanese Bakery, located on Lawrence Avenue in Scarborough, was my childhood manakeesh spot, so it will always top my list - but maybe I'm biased. The manakeesh is made on the spot with thick dough and served old school style, folded into a half moon.

Paramount Fine Foods
Paramount Fine Foods is a great downtown spot. With a prime location near Yonge and Dundas - not to mention the plenty of other locations across the city - this is a sit-down restaurant with a vast menu of Middle Eastern classics. Paramount has 17 manakeesh flavours, including labneh (yogurt) mixed with za'atar or mortadella and cheese.

Mamajoun
Mamajoun, Scarborough's Armenian pizzeria, offers standard flavours like za'atar, cheese, and some specialty recipes. But it's all about the "mamajoun", a spin on traditional Armenian pizza made with ground beef, tomatoes and peppers. The manakeesh or 'joun' comes open like a pizza, or can be made into a wrap filled with toppings.

Akram's Shoppe
Akram's Shoppe has been open in Kensington Market for over 20 years. Yes, Akram is the owner, and he is passionate about fresh, quality food. The specialties are the falafel and shawarma sandwiches, but Akram's also offers manakeesh and saj (round flatbread). Akram is super flexible with his manakeesh and will even put falafel in it if you ask.

District Oven
District Oven takes its name from the century old Middle Eastern village practice of collective dough making in a public oven. Inspired by this tradition, this sit-down restaurant offers a fun twist on popular Middle Eastern dishes. The manakeesh, made on a stone oven, is sold as part of the brunch menu and comes in za'atar, cheese and labneh versions.

Haddad's Mid East Bakery
Open since 1994, Haddad's Mid East Bakery is located on Dufferin Street in North York. The bakery and restaurant offers six manakeesh options, including 'kishek' (crushed wheat mixed with yogurt). Aside from that, there are salads, hummous, and fatayer (pastries), as well as fresh baked kaak (sesame bread) and kaak sandwiches.

Arz Fine Food
Before Arz became a super-awesome grocery store, it was a super awesome bakery specializing in fresh bread and manakeesh. Staying true to its roots, a key component to the Scarborough grocery store is its bakery - which still makes different kinds of fresh bread and manakeesh daily.

Golden Dough
Located in Mississauga, Golden Dough has 22 different kinds of manakeesh including kafta (minced meat), falafel and scrambled eggs. In business for over 25 years, this place also has a decent menu of sandwiches, main courses and grilled meats too.

The Saj
For anyone who likes thin-crust manakeesh, The Saj is definitely the place. Located close to the UofT campus, The Saj is more of a saj place but nonetheless has a good manakeesh selection. My favourite is the mixed za'atar/cheese or 'nus nus' served open like a pizza.

Zeytouna
Zeytouna is centrally located on Dundas between Bay and University. The manakeesh at Zeytouna is made Turkish style - long, sunk in and folded into a triangle at each end - kind of like a canoe.

What did I miss? Add your suggestions for where to find great manakeesh in Toronto in the comments.

"Some people are best observed from a distance. That's me: DB Hawkes."

Most often, when we think about a music scene we describe it in terms of artists, promoters, venues and labels. Certain inputs into the economics of local music can't be described so easily, like well-directed community institutions, supportive journalists, or a record store employee with persuasive taste. They're often unexpected, but they amplify everyone else's efforts and create greater vitality in the process.

From the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, DB Hawkes (an alias) was one such figure. He traveled around the GTA and worked in the shadows at most of Toronto's live reggae shows of consequence, a self-styled archivist sometimes on the sly and sometimes with permission. Joe Strutt of Mechanical Forest Sound is a modern-day parallel, however DB's medium isn't the internet but good old radio, and its reach into a loyal audience who has followed him for decades.

As the humble ruler of Saturday overnight's Club Ned on CIUT for many years, his recordings remastered into broadcasts have had a direct, positive effect on the overall health of Toronto's reggae scene. Likewise, the sheer workload of managing so much content over the years has given DB a sense of purpose when things could easily have gone completely off the rails.

Canadian Reggae World's Julion King's first encounter with DB describes him well.

"One night at The BamBoo, probably mid to late '90s, IBADAN was performing and I saw a little skinny, weird li'l white dude attaching mics to vocal mic, bass, guitars and key amps, drums and things.

As the manager of the band, I wanted to know "who de blood claat is this likkel man a record my band shit without my permission!" and as I was just about to puff up my chest and walk over to him, [dub poet] Michael St. George (in the audience that night) said, "that's DB Hawkes." Thank goodness he stopped me from making a fool of myself."

"He played IBADAN's sets on his show the following week. Needless to say the next time IBADAN played at the Boo, the place was PACKED! I credit that to DB and was eternally grateful because he chose to do this on his own to elevate the music and the scene and has still never asked me or anyone else that I know for a single dime."

DB has been in the public eye forever but has now seems like the right time to tell his story. To speak with him is to notice his distinctive voice right away - like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, but deeper, older and wiser, punctuated by a signature laugh that every reggae musician in this city can identify. DB speaks in paragraphs, paced by a good-sized spliff.

"I record the whole show from the beginning" DB begins, "when I play it back on the air I'll start it up from before I actually get the mix together so if you're Johnny-come-lately, you end up being fodder for the monitors. You don't end up sounding so good cause you don't have a lot of experience. I'll play you anyways on the radio! And you hear it and you get really embarrassed and you go 'I'm never going to let that happen again.'"

"So because of that, people started getting really slick. The backup bands started getting really tight because they were hearing each other and there was competition. Not just among artists but compared to the last time you were on the radio."

For a scene fighting to break down barriers to the mainstream of Canadian music, it was a godsend to have weekly, high quality reggae broadcasts beamed to hundreds of thousands of people across Canada's biggest media market and surprising that a "skinny, weird li'l white dude" was responsible.

Nobody could have seen it coming.

DB was born in Toronto in 1950. He lived in Scarborough early on ("farmland north of Eglinton, construction south") before moving to Montreal. Things fell apart.

"When I was fifteen I became a ward of the court. That really sucked. But my family really sucked. I ended up in Douglas Hospital, which is a mental hospital, on this experimental ward where they were trying out new techniques, new drugs on people. During the daytime it was young Jewish intellectuals - basically the doctors, psychologists, head nurse. But at 3pm they went home and the staff ended up being Jamaicans and until 7 in the morning I was surrounded by Jamaicans."

"I didn't even know what a Jamaican was. So anyways you could get in trouble for doing things, so you wanted to stay on the good side of the staff. I discovered that Jamaican women are really susceptible to laughing. I discovered that if you could make a Jamaican woman laugh, well then they won't bother you. So I figured out how to make Jamaican women laugh and I think that's stuck with me for the rest of my life."

Shortly afterward, Expo 67 came to town and DB caught Byron Lee and the Dragonaires and the Mighty Sparrow. Also around that time he started doing sound for bands (including The Haunted).

Moving back to Toronto in 1969, he took up residence in U of T's notorious Rochdale College and partook in the various wheelings and dealings therein.

"It was an exciting place to live" he deadpans. "A bunch of young people with a budget. You don't find that very often. Now the way it goes in Rochdale is you do alright but weird fluky things happen and you make a whole bunch of money in one night. And it's not something you're expecting and you can't make it happen again the next night. So anyways, we made a whole bunch of money one night and my partner decided we should stay up all night and in the morning go to the airport and go to Jamaica. So we ended up in Jamaica."

The mid '70s were spent smuggling back and forth from Jamaica to Toronto, which established a lot of contacts outside of his principal trade. "If people know you're a commuter they start giving you things." He met Stranger Cole, an expat who ran a record store in Kensington who gave him envelopes of record sales' proceeds to deliver to producers and artists in Kingston.

DB ended up meeting every artist and producer of note in mid-70s Jamaica, and people were always trying to push things on to the Canadian commuter thinking he could help their music up north. He did informal promo work for Bob Marley's international debut Catch A Fire. At one point we was given the screenplay to cult classic movie Rockers but had no idea what to do with it, so passed it on. "I honestly didn't think I could sell that."

But, as these Scorsese movies play out, he got caught at Toronto International Airport in 1977. "I had made it through customs. I always felt that when the doors open up people would be cheering. I made it all the way to that point then somebody grabbed me and hauled me back. And I did time for it." However, he reasons, "If I went to jail for it then I can talk about it."

Back in Jamaica in 1982, he began to record more and more including making a bootleg record of Aretha Franklin performing at the Jamaica World Music Festival. This stint in Jamaica didn't last as long. "I got into a fight with my landlord and that caused the police to become involved which caused immigration to become involved which meant that I got deported. It seems that's one of my big claims to fame - lots of Jamaicans have been deported from Canada but not so Canadians have been deported from Jamaica."

His history with the Toronto reggae scene really picked up when he got back "When I got back to Toronto somehow I got plugged into working with Blue Notes Toronto. Blue put on a whole bunch of concerts at the Masonic Temple and he hired people to video them. I was one of those people. Having just come back from Jamaica I would go over the opening acts and say 'hey, check for him, he's really good'."

"That was the beginning of what at that point was the Livestock Band and became the Hit Squad. Eventually there was a shooting - it was a really good show with Barrington Levy and Horace Andy. When the shooting happened Horace Andy was on stage. He's singing into the mic then you hear this crack and boom! He's down on the ground level, still singing into the mic, then another crack and he runs off the stage sideways, still singing. After that people didn't want to go to the Masonic Temple as much."

"The next one was Lance Ingleton (LIP Promotions). He used to do the Copa a lot. For some reason, if you went to the Copa when Lance had a show you could smoke herb all you want."

Long before Zoom recorders, his tools of the trade were "the bag camera, it was the early days of video and I had a video camera and I got my friend to make an extension for the video monitor so you could have the zoom controls in your lap while the camera was in the bag, there was a hole in the bag. It worked really good for the Copa because you could get right up on the balcony and get in front of the stage. It took three people to carry in all the equipment - the VCR, the battery packs and mics and you had to sneak all this into the club."

This led to CIUT in 1986, where he began an open format Saturday overnight show. By 1990, Saturday nights on CIUT kicked off at 7pm with Dhantal Radio, playing soca, chutney and bhangra followed by pioneering hip hop broadcast The Masterplan Show at 8:30, then Patrick Roots' Reggae Riddims from 10PM until midnight.

"I came on after them" DB says "that's a lot of why my show became a Jamaican show. You had the whole of Patrick's audience there - why would you make them turn it off?"

In the days before FLOW, this was the longest and most widely available stretch of Black and Caribbean radio programming in Toronto and DB became a celebrity of sorts, his nerdy wit always bringing surprising knowledge, context and analysis to his many of hours of live recordings.

"Somewhere along the line Revelation band said they wanted to be on the air and I said well there's implications here - mostly we were doing instrumental stuff or singer songwriters (live on air) so I was a bit concerned there were no monitors. They said we'll bring our own monitors. Because Revelation played live on the air, next thing Tabarruk wanted to play and then Rockstone and those three sort of came in and out a few times. For some reason or another I was getting in trouble with the station, and they didn't want me to put live bands on the air anymore."

"So the people from Revelation had this rehearsal hall place on Oxford St. and said hey, we can do it from here. So we rented a Bell line and we started putting on live bands all night on Saturday night from 26a Oxford. We weren't having much luck getting an audience. So all the sudden we started selling booze and kaboom!"

For a while, Lionheart was one of the city's premier boozecans, and became an anchor destination for downtown reggae and the evolving African music scene. While everyone who was there remembers its vitality and incubation of singers and players alike, the reality for DB was "It's another one of those situations where everybody was out there and I was locked in this little room doing a mix. Being DB Hawkes I don't spend a lot of time on the physical plane."

Needless to say, a live broadcast of DIY reggae music after hours in Kensington was pretty edgy for a mass medium, and this added to the excitement and prestige for bands to be represented both at the venue and on the air. The DB Hawkes cultural feedback loop really kicked into maximum effect at that point, although Lionheart itself "eventually got busted, live on the air! I had to sneak out pretending I was part of the audience and go back to the radio station."

His reputation spread quickly even among foreign artists. "First time I met Sugar (Minott), I was setting up stuff (in a club). Someone came up to me and said Sugar wanted to speak to me. I figured he wanted to know what the deal was with the recordings, stuff like that. I get to the dressing room and he says 'I just wanted to thank you in person for everything you're doing for the Jamaican community'."

Around town, DB would record at the BamBoo, the Real Jerk spinoff the Jerk Pit (on Richmond St.), the Rivoli, El Mocambo, Apocalypse Club (now El Convento Rico) but also venture further afield to shows and festivals produced by Jones and Jones or Rasta-focused events at Jane and Finch, Rexdale and into Brampton produced by Iley Dread.

"He was putting on shows for his people. Anybody could come if they wanted but as far as he was concerned, his people were shut out of bars (due to the perception that reggae crowds weren't heavy drinkers) so he set things up so that it would work for a Jamaican audience and he'd put them in a place where Jamaicans lived. He would rent these halls like the Golden Palace. Iley would rent one, then move to another place. He'd put on these shows that were about 4-5 hours worth of entertainment. I remember several times people saying to me 'I'm really glad that you came up to our part of town.'"

He also started recording Afrofest at this time, and his dubwise mixes on CIUT often sounded better on the air than the mix coming out of the mains at Queens Park. "Invariably people would show up and say it sounds really good on the radio and I got here and was disappointed. I started noticing people wearing headphones at Afrofest." These broadcasts leveraged CIUT's huge reach into southern Ontario to drive the success of the festival which now draws over 100,000 people each July.

The gear, cab fare and post production costs didn't finance themselves. "Herb money does come into play" he says, matter-of-factly about the ganjanomics behind the music. "It's financed most of the shows I've recorded to some degree or another. Or at least made them better." DB's standing in the community also came about because he fulfilled another valuable purpose: a connection.

"Not all promoters are willing to take care of those things, so DB Hawkes walks in. I try my hardest to always have the best herb in town. I started realizing that if I could come up with good enough herb, as good as they could get back home or better then people would start mentioning it to other people. After a while it sort of became a standard thing. From my point of view, I'm doing a recording: you want happy artists! It's worth the money! One of my favourite quotes is from Ken Boothe who took a draw and said "that's SINGING herb."

This is the contradiction of DB Hawkes. Nobody doubts his agreeableness, knowledge, and selflessness in having advanced the Toronto reggae scene, but he's been on the wrong side of the law and subject to occasional mental instability for quite some time. It's needless to pass definitive judgement on whether he's a good or bad guy, only to reiterate that it takes all kinds of people to foster a scene. This business has seen far worse intersections of drugs and music.

DB is not as active as he used to be. He's been busted many times. An in-studio altercation led to him being banned from CIUT in 2007 and though he's back on the air, his broadcast is no longer presented live. He produces his radio show at home in his cluttered apartment, with master tapes, CDRs and so forth peeking out from all surfaces. His archives consist of the stuff under his bed: 16 milk cartons filled with tapes, topped by a plywood board.

He's no longer online, and despite the temptation to call him a bootlegger, DB has never resold or traded many of materials, so most of his collection remains private. He speaks of applying for grants to get things organized and out in the world, though nothing's imminent. Whatever happens, he'll push forward lest he get caught up in the present closing in on him.

Though it hasn't always been the case in his long and winding journey through life, DB has people around him to help him pursue options. Good will is out there in the community he helped to build.

"Most, including I, would love to spend some time in his archive. You would most definitely hear the good, bad and ugly as he records it all. Club Ned is where you can hear it. He is always pleasant and willing to help. Stay strong D.B. I man respect your contribution" - Michael St. George.

Writing by David Dacks.

Posters courtesy of Reggae Toronto, group shots by Steven Cogdell, the festival shot of DB by Michael Stohr

A mystery TTC hater (/lover - this looks like love to me) has been dishing out grab-n-go Tardy Passes on the TTC - a sign if there ever was one that this winter has included one too many bad commutes. And it's not just the nightmarish, Winnipegian snow days that have led the TTC to bail on our dreams of arriving early enough to work to grab a coffee: a little ice here, a little signal problem there, and it seems the whole system crumbles like a biodegradable trip-based transfer in the pocket of your parka.

So, with a fare hike set to hit tomorrow, asking for some accountability from the TTC doesn't seem untoward. The tardy slip allows TTC officials or sentient vehicles to check off anxiety-triggering boxes such as "Fire investigation," "Short turn," "Flooding," "Passenger alarm activated," and, more humourously, "Stalled politicians" and "Waited for Scarborough subway - never came."

#TTC Tardy Pass found in subway. "Stalled politicians" new favourite excuse https://t.co/xPHza0hr2s

— David Cantatore (@freedompixel) February 28, 2015

Who is behind these mystery excuse notes? One thing is for sure: come Monday, Brad Ross will be dumping them into thetunnel.

(We love you, Brad Ross.)

Lead image: Gordon Yarley on (‏@masteractor)

The top bartending schools in Toronto might not replace the years of experience required to truly learn the art of cocktail-making, but they can be a fun way to up your skills in a hurry. While I'm not a fan of non-accredited certification, for those who have no experience working with cocktails, it's great that there are places you can go to have some fun and learn about some of the essential drinks and ingredients.

Here are the best places in Toronto to go and pick up some bartending skills.

Toronto Institute of Bartending
Adjacent to the affiliated Spirit House at Adelaide and Portland, the Institute of Bartending also features Chicago and Montreal branches. Founded in 2001, Len Fragomeni's program has benefited immensely from the opening of Spirit House, granting participants access to one of the best bartending playgrounds you could find anywhere. Programs from $399.

Bartender One
Like the Institute of Bartending, Gavin MacMillan's Bartender One has programs in a number of locations outside T.O., including Mississauga, Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and Montreal. Toronto classes are held at either King West's Repeal, or College Street Bar. There's a range of packages, from $299 right up to the $799 ten day course, teaching a range of spirits, as well as molecular mixology techniques like spherification and fatwashing.

Bartending School of Ontario
The oldest bartending school on this list, BSO has been around for over 40 years. The popular program focuses on some skills beyond the drinks, such as cash register handling and customer service. Intro courses start at $125 for a 5 hour class, and you can bundle Smart Serve certification or even wine training in with the program.

BareBones Bartending
The newest school on this list, BareBones teaches largely out of the Madison in the Annex, and offers two tiers, at what must be the most affordable rates in the city. $99 is a one day class for those who just want to have some fun learning about cocktails, while $199 sets you up with a two-day crash course taught over a weekend.

George Brown
Less of a stand-alone course, and more of an element of the Hospitality Management diploma offered as part of George Brown's restaurant and catering-focused division, this course gives you 28 hours of class time spread out over three months for the price of $292. Being within an accredited college lends an air of authority, and each student has a proper well station with a sink to work out of.

Photo of Spirt House

Photo by Svetlana Yanina in the blogTO Flickr pool.

The top stores for windows and doors in Toronto can help you upgrade your home when the time comes to invest in some energy-efficient, stylish portals to the outside world. Whether you choose to refurbish what you already have, bring home some architectural salvage or get brand new customized pieces, it helps to know where to shop and who to talk to.

Here are my picks for the top places to buy windows and doors in Toronto.

Six Penny
Regan Brunette and his business partner Aaron McGill have been restoring, repairing and manufacturing specialty doors and windows out of the junction. If it's a replica you seek, or have a neat idea, its nice to know there is an option out there for homeowners who seek to reuse architectural items that just need a bit of love.

Fieldstone Windows and Doors Ltd.
Since 1997, Fieldstone windows and Doors have been helping people outfit their spaces with quality items. With a reputation for excellent customer service as well as a portfolio that includes finishes in wood, vinyl and fiber glass. I think Fieldstone Windows and Doors is a solid one-stop shop when it comes to doors and windows.

Chateau Windows & Door Systems
If you are looking for some ultra-cool steel framed windows for your home, Chateau can help. Though the cost may be prohibitive for some you can also opt for a wood frame window painted out to look like steel. As a supplier of some of North America's most reputable manufacturers, Chateau can provide and install some amazing products.

Clera Windows and Doors
As a manufacturer and installer, Clera is able to provide quality windows and doors with a lifetime warranty. As a family run business since 1978, they stand behind what they make and have a great reputation for providing homeowners with exceptional workmanship.

Delco Windows and Doors
Offering excellent warranties on their products Delco is another solid option when shopping for windows in Toronto. Specializing in the replacement and installation of vinyl windows, steel, fiberglass, patio and storm doors as well as porch enclosures since 1989, has earned them a great reputation.

The Door Store Ltd.
In the early 1970's, Sam Mirshak established The Door Store as a place where architectural items removed during home renovations went to be saved from the dump. It has since become a staple in Toronto for design junkies as a treasure trove of salvaged doors, hardware and a vast array of antiquities.

Brock Doors and Windows
Brock Doors and Windows have been providing solutions to Toronto and the surrounding area residents for almost 25 years. In that time they have earned themselves a reputation as a solid company who can meet the needs of its clients. From the smallest casement window to the biggest porch enclosure, Brock can help you out.

The Window and Door Specialist
With a large array of products at their disposal, the "specialists" can probably get you whatever it is you seek. Unlike most window and door outlets, the Window and Door Specialist carries shutters, steel doors as well as lock systems. Check out their virtual showroom tour if you want to take a peek at their wares without getting in the car.

Encore Home Improvements
In business since 1987, Encore specializes in energy efficient window and door replacements. As well, they also can provide customers with sound and noise reduction windows. With a good reputation in the industry, I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong with Encore Home Improvements.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore
As a non profit home builder for low income families, Habitat For Humanity raises funds from its nine retail locations throughout Toronto. If used windows and doors will work for your project, you must visit a ReStore. You can score some amazing donated stuff and the cause - as well as the price - will make you feel great.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite place to buy doors and windows in Toronto in the comments.

Photo of the Door Store by Jesse Milns.

This little shop, with its wide menu of sweet treats, aims to be Richmond Hill's friendly neighbourhood bakery. But they've got a few tricks up their sleeve that give plenty of GTA bakeries a run for their money, including their signature "salty millionaire" bars, cookie-and-icing sandwiches, and a rich variety of cupcake flavours.

Read my profile of Petal Dust Bake Shop in the bakeries section.

Free events in Toronto this week will let you tour the Aga Khan, the city's newest art museum, for free. Then you can share your sexiest exploits for public judgement, drink, drink, drink and be ill to hours of the saddest music known to Earth, dance it away among pink flamingos, and edit Wikipedia at the Art Gallery.

Here's how to hang out in style in Toronto this week if you haven't got a stitch to wear.

1. Aga Khan Museum Free Wednesdays Initiative (March 4, Aga Khan)
Big news for art lovers: the brand new Aga Khan Museum for Islamic art has launched Free Wednesdays Initiative: admission is free between 4-8pm. Check out our photo gallery here.

2. Tell Me Something Good: March Sexy Storytelling (March 4, Gladstone)
It's an exciting time for Toronto's erotic story telling monthly at the Gladstone, Tell Me Something Good: last month they launched their first podcast. Your tantalizing and/or hilarious sexy stories will be rated by a panel of judges - finally.

3. Smiths is Dead (March 4, Unlovable)
Stuff sucks, hey? Lean in to the winter. Tuck your head into Unlovable on Dundas West to hear all Morrissey, all night. Toronto has some fucked up monthlies, but this mad journey into Smiths territory might top the list. It's free, because no one would pay for this kind of misery. Or would they...

4. Summer Fling (March 6, The Steady)
Recover from your dive into every seemingly Smiths song ever on Friday night at Miami themed Steady on Bloor by dancing with the Summer Fling DJs, who are possibly obsessed not with Moz but with the letter B - "from Bowie to Black Lips, Blondie to Broken Social Scene." Drink specials will add to the pink flamingo wall paper's summer heat.

5. Art Feminism Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon (March 8, AGO)
On Sunday, the AGO will host a Feminism Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon for International Women's Day. All you need is a Wikipedia account (free). The AGO's list of artists and staff on site includes an amazing line up: Deirdre Logue and Allyson Mitchell, Rosamond Ivey, and Special Collections Archivist Amy Furness.

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 (Tuesday - 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.

Photo of the Aga Khan by Andrew Williamson

The top concerts in Toronto this March begin with Sleater-Kinney (this is not a dream) playing the pre-reno Sound Academy (this is not a nightmare) and cap off with Shad - not too shabby for a month that will undoubtedly be going through a slushy and gross identity crisis. In between are ample top shelf yet rent-saving local shows plus Italian noise, crowdfunded Kpop, and punk labels celebrating birth and death.

Don't forget Anamai is playing a free show tonight (March 1) at June Records. Then at Lee's Palace there's Gang Of Four (March 9) and Benjamin Booker (March 31), while Cancer Bats are at the Phoenix (March 12). Meanwhile the Decemberists and Alvvays will unite at Massey Hall (March 30).

As for love? Apparently you all looked too bundled up and depressed to catch anyone's eye at a concert last month, but Alvvays is still helping Toronto make IRL connections. Bless you, Alvvays.

Here are my picks for live music in Toronto this month.

Sleater-Kinney (March 2, Sound Academy)
In things I've been desperately hoping to say for the past decade: Sleater-Kinney have reunited. The much-loved riot grrrls are about to release their first album in 10 years and have just announced a major tour that thankfully includes one precious date in Toronto. The only downside is the venue, which I think we're all in agreement about. SK

St. Vincent (March 3, 4, Danforth Music Hall)
If you didn't get a chance to see Annie Clark headline NXNE this summer (either because you didn't go, or because you did go but the sight-lines at Yonge-Dundas Square are the worst), you'll get two more shots in March. She'll play back-to-back shows to continue her massive Digital Witness Tour. SK

Fresh & Future (March 5, Bassline)
The new Fresh & Future weirdo electronic music series is back on Bloor at Bassline. On this month's line up are Sexy Merlin, Zoo Owl, Kovacevic, and Baalam x S/ck F/sh. It's a steal - before 11pm both drinks and cover are $5.

Feast in the East (March 7, Jam Factory)
Speaking of deals, here's the show that feeds you and your ears for a mere $8 in advance. Feast in the East this month will bring HSY (Buzz Records), Shrines, Retired, and We Are Not Who We Are to the east end, with a Southern American dinner by Stephanie Fielding & Heather Rule.

TOPS (March 8, Smiling Buddha)
More great deals - Montreal synthpop band TOPS will be in town, performing along with local spine-tingling psych folk group Tasseomancy. Should be a dreamy $8 night.

Lust for Youth (March 9, Bambi's)
The first Toronto appearance of Sacred Bones artists Lust for Youth will be at Bambi's on Dundas West. Queen of trash Bile Sister and her band will open up. Capacity is limited, so get there early for the DJ prowess of two Toronto Josh's.

Unite the Mic (March 20, Massey Hall)
Before May's Toronto Kpop Convention, fans here have won the year's first KrowdPop event, which isn't a tweenie bopper krautrock program but rather an international site that allows fans to vote for and then crowdfund Kpop concerts. Ailee, Jay Park, and San E will perform in Toronto. Read more here.

Father Murphy (March 20, Dance Cave)
Father Murphy are bringing the doom and gloom back to Toronto - did you miss out on that "two one-sided 10" containing two movements each, meant to be played simultaneously - or maybe not"? Pick it up at Dance Cave this month and experience the screams and minimalism of one of the best goth duos Italy has to offer.

BA Johnston (March 20, Bovine Sex Club)
If Kpop and Euro-noise aren't your thing, maybe some kitschy Canadiana grime rock is. This show will be a funeral of sorts for Toronto label Mammoth Cave, whose last release will be B.A. Johnston's Shit Sucks LP.

The Holy Gasp (March 21, Silver Dollar)
Rules are as one DIY label dies, another rises, and NO LOVE will celebrate their second tape release with the official party for The Holy Gasp's The Last Generation of Love. The must-see local jazz-influenced outfit exploring territory as strange and original as BADBADNOTGOOD will be joined by Friendly Rich & The Lollipop People.

Shad (March 27, Massey Hall)
Drake may be the spotlight (and our) darling, but Toronto never fails to show love to Shad. Massey Hall's large yet intimate-feeling elegance will be a perfect match, and it will be a chance to experience one of the city's best venues before its upcoming makeover (opposite of Sound Academy, right?).

What did we miss? Leave the concerts you survived the winter for in the comments.

Contributions by Shazia Khan. Photo of St Vincent by Matt Forsythe

The best indoor pools in Toronto allow you to splish-splash all year round, whether you're opting to keep fit with some lane swimming or would rather just frolic with friends and family. While some of you may choose to just drop in on one of the public pools where leisurely swims are usually free (and lane swimming tends to be $3.50), others may wish purchase a membership at a club to receive additional services - whatever floats your boat.

Here are the best indoor pools in Toronto.

PUBLIC

Regent Park Aquatic Centre
The Regent Park Aquatic Centre is a stand-alone (and standout) swimming facility that has earned rave reviews since opening in 2012. The ultra-bright and modern facility features a lap pool, leisure pool and warm water pool as well as a Tarzan rope, diving board and water slide - all for free! With non-gendered change rooms, this centre is definitely forward-thinking.

Etobicoke Olympium
As the name would suggest, the Etobicoke Olympium contains is an Olympic-size pool (50 metres to be exact) with a number of diving boards. The facility was recently renovated for the 2015 Pan Am games, you'll feel like a pro swimmer as you do your laps. If 50 metres is a little intimidating, there's also a smaller leisure pool.

Trinity Community Recreation Centre
With lots of light (and, of course, an amazing park location) the pool at Trinity Bellwoods is a great option if you're lucky enough to live in this 'hood. At only $3.50 to drop in to do some laps (or get a membership to use the rest of the facilities), the pool is about half the size of an Olympic pool (25 metres).

Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre
North York's Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre boasts an Olympic size pool as well as a whirlpool for therapy and general chill-axing. Drop in leisure swims and Aquafit classes are free - perfect for staying fit on a budget all year round.

Birchmount Community Centre
The Birchmount Community Centre in Scarborough is great for people of all ages. With a 25-meter pool, a warm conversation pool with jets and a shallow pool for kids, this is definitely the place for the whole family (and a great place to get your kids into swimming lessons). Leisure swims are free, while lane swimming is (again, the magic number) $3.50. There's also a sauna if you want to sweat it out after.

Centennial Recreation Centre
The second Scarborough pool to make the list is the just-shy-of-25-metre pool at the Centennial Recreation Centre. This centre is truly multi-functional and you could really spend the whole day here swimming, working out, or even going for a skate!

Jimmie Simpson
The Jimmie Simpson pool in Leslieville/Riverside offers plenty of swim programs in their 25-metre pool, like Aquafit, swim lessons, and of course, lane and leisure swims. There's also a wading pool for toddlers.

North Toronto Memorial Community Centre
The North Toronto Memorial Community Centre located in Eglinton Park (near Eglinton and Yonge) actually has two pools (though one is outdoors - not winter friendly). When the cold weather rolls around the outdoor swimmers can come indoors to the 25-metre pool for free swims and other varied water-based programs.

Leaside Memorial Gardens Pool
Opening almost 60 years ago, the Leaside Memorial Gardens has a number of different recreational activities, including an indoor pool. The three-lane, 25-yard pool is great for an open swim, private swimming lessons and AquaFit classes.

Wallace-Emerson Community Centre
This 25-metre warm water pool (because who wants cold water?), located inside the Wallace-Emerson Community Centre at Dupont and Dufferin, is free to drop in for a leisurely swim. (It should be noted that the pool has closed for the 2015 year for repairs.)

PAID/MEMBERSHIP

Granite Club
There's a lot to say about the pools at the Granite Club in North York. With floor to ceiling and beyond windows, the space is clean, white and bright. There are two six-lane 25-metre pools, a Tad pool and an activity pool for kids. The roof above the pool is retractable so you can get the best of the outdoors in the summer, and stay warm in the winter.


U of T Athletic Centre
There are two swimming pools within the U of T Athletic Centre: a smaller 25-metre pool as well as a large 50-metre pool, located on two different floors of the very large building. Both are available for drop in lane swims if you're a member; membership fees vary greatly depending on if you're an alumni, live with a student, or are part of the general community.

Miles Nadal JCC
There's a reason the pool at the Miles Nadal JCC in the Annex is so high on the list - it's a salt water pool! In addition to the 23-metre pool, you can also kick back in their whirlpool and steam rooms. An adult membership to the centre (which includes the fitness center and more) is $80 a month plus an enrollment fee.

Central YMCA
A great thing about the YMCA is that they offer membership assistance programs in case you have trouble affording the membership fees. If you're a member at the Central YMCA on Grosvenor, you get to take advantage of the two 25-metre pools. Daily drop in fees vary from $7-$15.

Harbour View Estates Superclub
If you're fortunate enough to live in these estates near Spadina and Bremner (or know someone who does), you can enjoy their 25-metre pool and hot tub, as well as steam rooms in the change rooms.

YMCA West End
Another YMCA with strong swimming amenities is the west end location on College St. The pool is smaller than most, at just 18.5 metres, but it's often open for lane swimming with a couple of hours blocked off for AquaFit classes and swim lessons. Daily drop in fees vary from $7-$15.

Toronto Athletic Club
This fancy-schmancy club in the heart of downtown has an equally fancy pool located on the 38th floor penthouse (I feel rich just saying that). To swim here, you have to purchase a membership, which will set you back about $184 a month plus an enrollment fee.

The Toronto Cricket and Curling Club
This indoor pool has a retractable glass roof and walls - who doesn't love bringing the outdoors in when it's a lovely summer day? With a membership to the Toronto Cricket and Curling Club at Wilson and Avenue Rd, you can enjoy the 25-metre pool, in addition to dozens of other fitness options.

Sheraton Centre
The interesting thing about the pool at the Sheraton hotel near Osgoode Station is that it's half indoors and half outdoors - divided by a glass wall. The heated pool is obviously enjoyed by hotel guests, but you can purchase a day pass for $35.

Fitness Institute
At just under 25 metres and only wide enough for four lanes, this salt-water pool may not be the biggest on the list, but if you want to take a dip after your workout at North York's Fitness Institute, this pool does the job. Memberships start at $99 for you to use the facilities.

Photo of Central YMCA by Jesse Milns.

Shopping for a bridesmaids' dress is either exciting or harrowing, depending on your outlook. But a new Toronto startup is aiming to take the time and guesswork out of the process by offering dresses custom-made to your measurements in a variety of styles - no more trying on threads and tangling with sizing and alterations.

Pastel Dress Party is the creation of two Toronto women (themselves former bridesmaids) who wanted to make dress shopping for weddings (and proms, and any other occasion you can think of) simple and affordable.

"Buying dresses off the rack was always a hassle," says cofounder Janny Lam. "You could never find exactly what you wanted, and the cost of the dress and alterations, on top of all the other expenses associated with being a bridesmaid, add up. We saw what options the groomsmen had for buying custom suits online, and just didn't get why women couldn't get the same treatment."

On Pastel Dress Party, dresses in more than 30 styles - from long, elegant gowns to modern, wearable frocks - are available in as many as 35 colours, depending on the design of dress and fabric used). "Since our dresses are all made unique to each bridesmaid, we can cater to many requests - for example, adding straps, a belt, or changing the length," Lam says. Buyers can plug in their measurements, with detailed measuring instructions provided on the website.

The finished dress will be on your doorstep in 30 days or less, and a $20 alterations credit is provided if you still need more tweaks. It's a far more individualized option than many bridesmaids' shops, whether online or brick-and-mortar - and more wedding-ready than other players in the space like eShakti. Lam says for many of their customers, this is the first time they've had a dress custom-made for them - but the pricing ($160-$215) puts that luxury within reach.

Since launching in 2013, they've grown into throwing pop-up events (their first was held in Toronto last month) which connects them face-to-face with happy brides and bridesmaids. "Brides put a lot of thought into their wedding, and we like to think of ourselves as a company that helps bring their dream wedding into reality."

Pastel Dress Party will be presenting at the March 9th Toronto Tech MeetUp. Toronto Tech Meetup is the heart of Toronto tech where you can connect with smart, fun, creative people from across Toronto's tech community. Other presenters this month include: Sensibill, Top Hat, Tab Payments and RateHub. Find out more or book your ticket here.

Photo by tomms in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto riot grrrls Sleater-Kinney (this is not a dream) play the pre-reno Sound Academy (this is not a nightmare). Tickets for the all ages show are still available. Then TIFF's Books on Film series will start March off right and proper Shakespeare style with James Shapiro on Coriolanus. TIFF is also screening the Oscar shorts all week. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Music: Sleater-Kinney (Sound Academy)
• Film: Books on Film (TIFF)
• Games: Advanced Harry Potter Trivia (The Beaver)
• Cultural: Chinese New Year Carnival (Sony Centre)
• Film: Oscar Shorts: Animation (TIFF)
• Music: Michael Rault (Johnny Jackson)
• Music: Look Vibrant (Smiling Buddha)

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

Photo by Jay L. Clendenin

It's a good time to be a fashion lover in Toronto. A whole whack of new fashion chains settled in the city last year, Uniqlo (be still my merino wool-loving heart) is finally about to open in Yorkdale next year, and now we're about to cross another item off our wish list.

Reiss, the UK company behind several of Kate Middleton's favourite closet staples, is about to open their first Canadian location on the top floor of the Eaton Centre. Expect elegant, mid-priced cocktail dresses and separates for the ladies and monochromatic suiting and weekend wear for the guys. (Look for some more Yorkville-style swankifying happening in that stretch of the shopping centre, with Hugo Boss and Kate Spade about to open up just a few doors down.)