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Toronto startup lets you preview concerts online

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Show Gopher TorontoAfter the death of Stillepost, and more recently Offerings Magazine, Toronto's music community has faced dire straights for diverse live music listings. We do our best, and I'm always one to champion ultra-simple local listing website Just Shows, but what newly re-launched Show Gopher does differently is it allows fans to stream a track by every artist from every show.

The site, led by Mike Walter Rosenthal, Owen Norquay, Devin O'Haire, and Darcy Pease, also allows users to search by venue and time-slot, and includes a listing section for all ages shows. Users can log in via email or Facebook to bookmark gigs. Basically, it's a dream for curious and on-the-go music fans.

Show Gopher has run in since 2012, but officially re-launched its new design and increased functionality today. Rosenthal tells me half their listings come from submissions, and the other half is sought out by the team. "If we find a show and someone else hasn't put it up, we do. The site aggregates a lot of the music, so most of our job is just guesstimating set times as well as possible."

When asked if any other cities have similar listing sites, Rosenthal says he only knows of one in BC - "but it tends to just have music for the odd band here and there." The team have plans to expand the unique concept to Montreal, London ON, Windsor, and Detroit sometime later this year.

Check out Show Gopher's newly reno'd listings at showgopher.com/Toronto, and let us know what hidden gems you find.


Toronto designed app aims to put an end to bike theft

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joyride bike appJoyride is a Toronto startup that wants to make bike theft a thing of the past. Leveraging public WiFi, the service tracks a bicycle's location with a variety of pings that can be used to generate a travel history. In other words, the bike doesn't need to be in the presence of a WiFi signal at all times, just often enough to put together a record of its route.

I asked company founder Vince Cifani to give me the broad strokes on how Joyride works.
"The hardware is a small device that's secured to the bike and keeps track of it's location offline," he explains. "Once Joyride comes into contact with an open Wi-Fi network, cyclists can map where their bike is and where it has been from the Joyride app."

Obviously the limiting factor right now is the number of free public WiFi networks. Cifani, however, is optimistic that open networks are on the rise. "The more open networks there are, the better chance of recovering your bike -- and the number of open Wi Fi networks is growing rapidly," he says. "Some cities, like New York, are planning for complete blanket coverage of free WiFi."

A similar service is offered by the Vanhawks Valour smartbike, though it uses GPS for tracking purposes. That's more reliable, but also more expensive than the use of open WiFi networks. More importantly, Joyride is designed to be outfitted to one's existing bike. The app is currently in beta testing with a launch date planned for later this year.

Photo by DdotG in the blogTO Flickr pool.

The top weekend events in Toronto: April 10 - 12 2015

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weekend events torontoWeekend events in Toronto will hold up even if the predicted sunshine falls through. As always you can feast on food and the arts, with everything from the Images Festival through to Spice World and pancake-topia. Here are my picks for the top events happening in Toronto April 10-12, 2015.

The Toronto Food & Drink Market (April 10-12, The Direct Energy Centre)
This show is devoted to eating, drinking, shopping and learning with advertising master classes, a farmers market and a food truck alley featuring local favourites like Buster's Sea Cove, The Food Dudes, and Fidel Gastro. Single day admission is $12 online or $15 at the door, sampling tickets will be sold 20 at a time for $1 each. LI

FILM

Images Festival (April 9-18)
Images may be the world's most wide-reaching film and media event. The experimental finds a home here with screenings, installations, performance, art exhibits, and more. Check out their website for programming, and don't miss Chinatown Happenings and The Influence of Anxiety - recent works by Toronto artists.

aluCine Latin Film and Media Arts Festival (April 2-16)
aluCine Latin Film and Media Arts Festival is turning 15 years old this year, and they're celebrating their Quinceañera with screenings at Jackman Hall, CineCycle, and Wychwood Barns. Check out the programming on their website.

Bulletproof (April 12, KITCH)
Video Vengeance is celebrating their 15th screening with 1988 cult action classic Bulletproof. There will be a raffle!

PARTY & DANCE

Jose Marquez (April 11, Remix Lounge)
Uma Nota and Solid Garage team up to bring Los Angeles soulful house producer/DJ Jose Marquez. Expect lots of organic Afro-Latin percussion, dubbed out vocals, and moody jazz chords. There will also be some live Brazilian samba, courtesy of Batucada Carioca. 10pm, $10.

FOOD & DRINK

Spice World Film Screening and Junk Food Extravaganza (April 10, Videofag)
This sleepover-style screening is PWYC - if you don't have cash the pure spirit of Baby Spice will let you in for whatever half pence or whatever you've got. Bring spicy or sweet snacks, dress as your favourite gal, and tell the promoters not to bother bringing sheet music - everyone knows the lyrics to "Spice Up Your Life."

The Pancakes & Booze Art Show (April 11, Opera House)
The camp continues on Saturday in Toronto with the return of all-you-can-eat pancakes, live body painting and art battles, performance, booze, and visual art. It's only $5.

Songkran (April 11, Various)
Celebrate the Thai New Year with Songkran fests hosted by Toronto's top Thai restaurants. Pai hosts a northern Thai food market and water fight on April 12, where Chef Nuit will create special dishes using rare imported ingredients. $55 includes four food tickets and a water gun. Nana also celebrates with a water fight and AYCE menu over four sessions on the same day for $40. LI

ART

art shows spring TorontoNature Abstracted (Nicholas Metivier Gallery, April 2-25)
Edward Burtynsky and David Shapiro will join forces in April. Burtynsky's stunning photos from five-year-long project Water are a "natural" (sorry) fit with David Shapiro's textured works on paper.

Souther Salazar - Attic Transmissions (March 28 - April 25, Narwhal)
No surprise to see Narwhal's Roncesvalles Village gallery on this list - the Magic Pony affiliate have been knocking it out of the park. American artist Souther Salazar's charming and whimsical paintings and drawings in this Toronto exhibit were inspired by his time living in a "scrapper's attic."

LIVE MUSIC

Screaming Females (April 10, Silver Dollar)
New Jersey trio Screaming Females have kind of sneakily become one of the best rock bands around over their decade-long existence, helmed by frontwoman Marissa Paternoste's raucous screams (band name is apt) and mind-blowing guitar solos. This cheapy gig at the Silver Dollar, on the heels of new album Rose Mountain, is a very economical way to get your face melted on a Friday night. SK

SHOPPING & LIFESTYLE

Wychwood Vintage Clothing Show (April 12, Wychwood Barns)
Head to St Clair West to look through the wares of thirty vintage dealers from Toronto, Montreal, and more. It's $8 to get in, but that perfect pearl collar will last a lifetime.

COMEDY

A Mr. Show Marathon (April 11, Smiling Buddha)
This tribute to David Cross and Bob Odenkirk runs from 11:30 - 4pm on Saturday. There will be a best sketch round up at the end, and, most exciting of all: you get to vote on which episodes are screened here.

For more events this weekend click on over to our Events section. Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit it for free using this form.

Contributions by Shazia Khan, Ben Boles, Liora Ipsum

Photo of Fidel Gastros from Toronto Food Trucks

Music fest coming to abandoned Toronto power station

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unsound music hearnLuminato has made a major announcement for the city's music lovers and abandoned spaces obsessed alike: lauded music festival Unsound, which began in Krakow, Poland and has spread out to cities like New York, will arrive in Toronto for the first time ever this summer, and it will take place in what's possibly the year's most surprising venue choice.

Unsound's two day music and immersive art festival will take place at Hearn Generating Station, which currently sits abandoned and empty in the Port Lands.

Stars of The Lid, Robert Henke (a.k.a. Monolake), and Tim Hecker are among musicians performing in the Hearn's raw space for the carefully curated avant garde music festival. Unsound 's Ephemera with Tim Hecker also promises "conceptual perfumer" Geza Schoen's olfactory contributions (perfume art!), and lighting installations by Berlin's MFO.

Added to David Byrne's Contemporary Color and Tanya Tagaq in Apocalypsis, this looks to be a monumental year for weird and wonderful music productions at Luminato.

Unsound is June 19-20. Tickets are $20 per night, $30 for both nights, and $10 for an additional ticket to attend Ephemera.

Luminato 2015 is June 19-28.

Photo by Sebastian Zdyb

Drake gets his very own search engine

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drake search engineAs if further proof was needed that the 6 God rules the internet along with this city (and most certainly this website), someone has built a Drake search engine. Yes, every search result here returns information that relates to our own Aubrey Graham (unless the algorithm gets confused by other things in the world that go by the name Drake, like say a hotel in Chicago).

Let Me Drake that for You is like an alternately utopian/dystopian future in which a generation lacking in patience has completely succumbed to Drizzy's influence. It's also quite fun to play around with for a few minutes, especially when you get daring and use the "I'm feeling Drizzy" option. Beware of that rabbit hole.

There's even audio cues like "just hold on, we're coming home" that play each time that you, well, return to the homepage. In short, the future is here, and it's both terrifying and cute all at once.

Bay Street

Toronto Food Events: Bread & Butter Tasting, Trending NOW, The Hashigo Project, Marketlicious

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

THIS WEEK

  • Luther's Chicken hosts a one year anniversary party at The Churchill (1212 Dundas St. West from 4pm on Sunday, April 12. Expect a repeat of their fried chicken filled opening day celebrations.
  • 86'd Monday at The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. West) features a Bread & Butter Tasting this week on Monday, April 13 from 8pm. Join host Ivy Knight to enjoy a collection of simple pleasures from Bar Raval, Woodlot, Blackbird Baking Co., O&B Artisan, Drake Commissary and more.
  • The Chefs' House (215 King St. East) presents a dinner by Chef Nick Liu (DaiLo) on Tuesday, April 14 in part of its monthly Trending NOW Dinner Series. Doors open at 6:30 pm for a four-course dinner at 7pm featuring a Cantonese and new Asian menu for $85 per person including two glasses of wine.
  • The Carbon Bar (99 Queen St. East), Cumbrae Farms and Canadian Whisky team up on Tuesday, April 14 for Smoke Meat Whisky. The four course dinner will feature ten dishes and cocktails for $59 per person.
  • Room 4 Dessert a showcase for pastry arts students at George Brown Centre for Hospitality takes place on Friday, April 17 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Expect 24 food stations featuring pastries, chocolates, sandwiches, soups, breads, viennoiseries and more.

UPCOMING

Photo of Luther's Chicken

The 10 weirdest Toronto kid's shows of all time

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kids shows torontroEvery generation has a slate of local kids TV shows that seem to transcend the medium, and not always in a good way. Although Toronto has never produced anything as truly bananas as Teletubbies or Boohbah in modern times, we pretty much owned the genre in the 1980s after unleashing an avalanche of utterly loopy kids programs onto an unsuspecting public - the effects of which probably still keep a fair amount of Psychiatrists busy today.

Childhood is already a crazy enough time, never mind the weird stuff we see on TV or at school which involve puppets, clowns, talking Police cars or friendly old men in freshly ironed beige sweaters. Much of this stuff has a tendency to get repressed for decades, only to be blown asunder by one wrong turn on YouTube. Be careful where you click.

This is not an affront on any of the shows mentioned below - quite the opposite. These are the 10 nuttiest, most brilliantly insane slabs of Toronto TV culture that equally inspired and shocked a generation of kids in the city, the province, the country and around the world. Most of them are still talked about in hushed and revered tones: A doff of the hat in their general direction, always.

todays specialThese are my selections for the 10 craziest Toronto kid's shows of all time.

Today's Special
TVOntario series which attained a massive cult following in the United States thanks to its appearance on Nickelodeon. Mannequin Jeff magically comes to life after hours at the downtown Simpson's department store and experiences the joys and sorrows of life along with his friends Jody, Muffy and security guard Sam Crenshaw. Many unforgettable moments, including episodes about alcoholism, death and jealously and musical guests as varied as Bruce Cockburn and Oscar Peterson. Criminally unavailable on home video or online, other than fuzzy off-air recordings.

Rocket Robin Hood
Canada's first colour cartoon series in 1967 was animated and dubbed in Toronto, but looked cheap as chips even with a purported budget of almost $2 million dollars. Best remembered for its head-ache inducing, infinitely looped psychedelic intro, and the completely cuckoo episode "Dementia 5" about trans-dimensional demons who turn up in an almost identical episode of Spider-Man.

The Elephant Show
Sharon, Lois and Bram were like the original Wiggles - folk singing grown-ups whose music was strangely irresistible to youngsters. Their TV show mixed live concert footage with life lesson parables starring an Elephant costume who spoke only in Tuba bursts. Shot in and around Toronto and featuring reputable guest actors like Lois Del Grande, Andrea Martin and the legendary Maury Chaykin (RIP).

Read All About It!
Extremely spooky edu-tainment screened in classrooms to teach Grade 5's writing and grammar in the 1980s, this TVOntario Sci-Fi serial mostly played like a Toronto set episode of Doctor Who, with an evil alien warlord (floating silver head Duneedon), time travel back to the War of 1812 and sentient monitors and type-writers.

The giallo-esq overtones in the opening episode ("The Coach House") alone elevate this creepshow to the upper pantheon of classic WTF Canadian television. Created and written by Clive Endersby (who also novelized the series), a veteran of other classic TVO fare such as Today's Special and Dear Aunt Agnes.


Just Like Mom
After running for what felt like an eternity, "wholesome" memories of the Toronto shot Just Like Mom game show seemed to consist mostly of announcer Dave Devall, shots of Camp Onondaga, and kids baking shitty looking cookies. That is until someone uploaded a supercut of host Fergie Oliver's creepy behaviour and the whole thing took on a sinister ick factor that would be impossible to unsee now.


Circle Square
Well-intentioned religious kid's show unmercifully teased in the 1970s and 80s for its overt zeal and hokey sing-alongs. Featuring a revolving group of kid hosts (including a young Marci Ien, better known now as co-host of Canada AM) and some poorly made puppets who focused on life lessons through the prism of Christianity. Most people of a certain age could sing you the theme song, forever the bane of waking up too early for Saturday morning cartoons.

The Friendly Giant
Serene TV magic featured the baritone voiced Bob Homme, a giant amongst men, telling stories and playing music with his puppet friends Jerome the Giraffe and Rusty the Rooster in a Castle way up in the sky. Running at 15 minutes per episode, featuring a conversational tone, freestyle jazz sessions, and a silver haired host, this type of show has been unimaginable since the early 1990s.

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein
Frankly bonkers sketch comedy show for kids featuring man-of-a-thousand faces Billy Van as multiple gruesome characters inhabiting the titular House, alongside Vincent Price, Fishka Rais and Guy Big (supposedly the inspiration for the Austin Power's Mini-Me character). Although shot in the Hammer, this was Toronto man Billy Van's playhouse; his menagerie of monstrous types included Grizelda, The Librarian, Bwana Clyde Batty, Dr. Pet Vet, The Wolfman, and The Oracle. Even after 4 decades this unique and brilliantly demented series still defies sense, genre or even definition.

Uncle Bobby
Like some lost character from a Paul Thomas Anderson film, Uncle Bobby remains as mysterious today as he was back in the 1960s when he started daily at CFTO in Toronto. Portrayed by ex-pat Bobby Ash (who also drove School busses part time and showed up at kids' birthday parties), Uncle Bobby had strange wisdom to impart upon kids ("Be good, but not so very, very good that someone comes up to you and asks what have you been up to?") and also a Pied Piper like ability to inspire and lead them. Memorable bits on his show included Bimbo the Birthday clown, helpful and friendly Police officers discussing traffic safety, and magicians (later replaced by robots).

Polka Dot Door
Based upon the popular BBC kid's show Play School, Polka Dot Door is now best remembered for its monosyllabic mascot Polkaroo (catchphrase: "Polkaroo!").The series rain daily from 1971 until 1993 on TVOntario, during which time the male host always managed to step away and miss Polkaroo due to the creature's affinity with the female hosts (quote: "Polkaroo was here, and I missed him again?").

Other notable characters included the long suffering toys (Humpty, Dumpty, Marigold and Bear) who spoke in silent code, inanimate story-time mouse, and rarely seen French Canadian cat Minou. During its peak, Polka Dot Door was sold to more countries than the mighty Sesame Street. In the mid-90s it was bizarrely reborn as Polka Dot Shorts in which the human hosts were replaced by brash talking toys and a re-imagined Polkaroo blabbed away with a huge vocabulary. Talk about killing the golden goose...

Where's Bookmice? Were you more of Harrigan groupie? Sad that The Silver Basketball was not mentioned? Please post your favourite crazy Toronto kid's shows of all time in the comments below.

polka dot doorRetrontario plumbs the seedy depths of Toronto flea markets, flooded basements, thrift shops and garage sales, mining old VHS and Betamax tapes that less than often contain incredible moments of history that were accidentally recorded but somehow survived the ravages of time. You can find more amazing discoveries at www.retrontario.com.


Where to eat Tibetan blood sausage in Toronto

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tibetan restaurant torontoThis relative newcomer to Little Tibet's restaurant community in Parkdale is serving up delicious Tibetan specialties like Amdo momos, shabaley (beef patties), and for the more adventurous eaters, blood sausage, tripe and butter tea. If you haven't experienced this kind of food before, now's the time.

Read my profile of Norling in the restaurants section.

New site wants to list every art show in Toronto

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art shows torontoFinding art shows in Toronto is exceedingly difficult compared to finding, say, a concert or a food festival. Akimbo is a great tool for finding shows (and we do ourbest), but there's a real need in the city for more support for the huge array of gallery shows going on at any given time. So it's exciting to see a new contender has popped up online.

Simply titled Art Shows in Toronto (artshowstoronto.ca), the project is "just getting things underway," but you can get a good look now at what the listing site is all about: one tab lists upcoming exhibits including OCAD's GradEx (though MOCCA's Contact opening, for instance, is currently missing), while ongoing shows covers everything from Basquiat at the AGO to Hoda Zarbaf at Walnut.

Shows can be submitted for free via a form on the website, with an option to be featured for pay. The site hints that a full launch is coming later this spring.

While my sketchbag dream of a full index of every art show opening in the city offering free food and/or wine may not be in the works, this is a promising development for Toronto's diverse but often over-looked gallery scene.

Check out Art Shows Toronto's beta site here.

New climbing gym has a dragon and foam pit

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hub climbingWant to do some indoor climbing north of the city? This relatively new facility has extensive bouldering options as well as a dragon shaped structure and foam pit that's almost as fun to fall into as the climbing itself.

Read my review of Hub Climbing in the fitness section.

What are the worst Toronto pickup lines?

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pick up lines torontoWhen searching for the creepiest pickup lines in Toronto, we stopped short of hitting up local sleazebags-of-note who will remain nameless. Still, between our team and our Twitter followers, we were able to amass a cringe-worthy collection of the not good, the very bad, and the hideously ugly.

While some consider the TTC fair game for hitting on strangers, it's amazing just how many opportunities there are to miss-use public transit in pursuit of affection. Then, there's Drake. There's always Drake.

Here are the worst pickup lines in Toronto, ever.

  • "My place has beg bugs; can I crash here tonight?" (Your place)
  • "If you like taking the rocket to work, you'd love taking mine to bed." (8:55am on the southbound Bloor platform)
  • 1. "Do you know if Honest Ed's has condoms?" 2. "Do you know if Honest Ed's is open?" 3. "Want to come to Honest Ed's?"(Annex house party)
  • "Is your name Christie? Cause I'd love to play ball in your pit." (near Sushi on Bloor)
  • "My press releases keep getting bounced back. Thought we could do the same" (Drake Sky Yard)
  • "In the same amount of time, I can get more shots on net than the Leafs." (Who cares, so tragic)



Then, there's this - so bad it's almost good, but then... just bad.

And finally... no words.


What's the worst Drake-themed pickup line you've heard thus far? Let us know in the comments.

Lead photo by Atilla Soylu via the blogTO flickr pool.

The Best Hotel Bars in Toronto

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hotel bars torontoThe best hotel bars in Toronto used to be one of the few places you could go to get a decent cocktail, with bartenders who had years of experience, plush surroundings, and the budget to splash on the really good bottles of scotch and cognac. While that's no longer the case, there's still something really enjoyable about sweeping through the lobby of a grand hotel to grab a drink.

These are the best hotel bars in Toronto.

See also:

The best hotels in Toronto
The best cocktails in Toronto
The best martinis in Toronto

Photos by Jesse Milns and Rick McGinnis.

Time Fest reveals lineup for return to Toronto in 2015

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Time 2015 torontoI'm not even going to try tolinktoeverysummerfestival announced for Toronto so far this year, but we already knew Time would be joining us again thanks to Embrace. The lineup was announced today, so if you love the following artists and you've already blown your summer festival budget, now might be the time to start looking for a summer gardening job.

August 15's one-day, all ages festival will showcase Die Antwoord, Mac Demarco, Badbadnotgood, Ariel Pink, Yung Lean, Ryan Hemsworth, DIIV, Alison Wonderland, Tory Lanez, Tommy Kruise, Lobby, and Eliot Vincent Jones.

Time's 2014 event was, it seemed, a bit cursed during its less than triumphant return after years dormant - there was the Death Grips break up, then Charli XCX dropped off, and finally, it rained all day. Still, we had an pretty good time watching Grimes, Flume, Majical Cloudz, Kaytranada and more, and it was miles better than Grove. Hopefully things run more smoothly this summer.

Time returns to Fort York Garrison Common August 15. Early bird tickets are on sale for an easy $25.

Creepy new Instagram documents women on TTC

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TTC instagram creepIt's creepy Friday here at blogTO, meaning we're drinking bitter black coffee while bringing you the worst of the worst. Any sprawling metropolis or tiny village has its creeps of both obscure and legendary proportions, and a new source of discomfort is making a name for himself on Instagram, and in the Toronto Star.

TTC Women is an Instagram account started just a couple of weeks ago by Anis Litim, inspired by Humans of New York and Hot Dudes Reading. Except the concept here is just, you know. Women Litim deems babes, often without their knowing about it.

The account has just over three hundred of what I'd guess splits between voyeur followers / hate followers / kind-of-in-both-camps followers.

Online, Torontonians have already pointed out to Litim that his concept is inapprops, and he told the Star he'll ask for consent from each woman before uploading from now on - though thus far, he has not removed the pictures clearly taken without approval.

Would you consent to be creeped by TTC Women? Is there an account like this but, like, for dogs? Let us know in the comments.


The top 10 stores for plus size swimwear in Toronto

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plus size swimwear torontoStores for plus size swimwear in Toronto will help every lass get ready to hit the pool or the beach - no matter the number on the tag. With the advent of size-positive fashion, manufacturers have finally realized that today's women are way more likely to reach for a fun print or an adorable bikini than one of those weird miniskirted numbers, and many Toronto stores pride themselves on finding the perfect suit for every shopper - so don't be afraid to dive right in.

Here are my picks for the top stores for plus size swimwear in Toronto.

Tatyana
This Queen West shop devoted to all things rockabilly and retro carries knockout wiggle dresses and pencil skirts from sizes XS to 4X - a range that, mercifully, even extends to their swimwear. All of their Beach Bash suits are available in plus sizes, from '30s-inspired one-pieces to high-waisted bikinis - and, best of all, they all ring in at $80 or less.

Gussied Up
This Bathurst and Dupont plus-size shop carries a healthy smattering of swimsuits ($115-125), including pin-uppy numbers by Esther Williams in about 15 different styles (featuring tons of cute prints, including beach-appropriate pineapples, gingham and lobsters), and a sportier pick from Danish label Junarose. Sizes run up to 24.

Your Big Sister's Closet
Plus-size blogger Karen of Curvy Canadian is behind this Junction store (so you know there's going to be an emphasis on the on-trend and fashion-forward). Commonly-found brands include Elyana and Esther Williams, with an average suit running about $80, and the staff make a point to stock both bikinis and one-pieces (the tyranny of the skirt suit is finally over!)

Melmira
This Yonge and Lawrence lingerie and bathing suit shop is something of a swimwear institution in Toronto, thanks to their ultra-personalized approach to customer service and fitting - they're particularly worth a trip if you're shopping for a larger cup size. Suits start at about $150.

Black Daffodil
This Junction shop encourages shoppers to "indulge their inner dame", stocking plenty of lace and polka dot frocks (with a slightly more grown-up, less-costumey twist). They stock swimwear for all sizes, including a smattering of halter-necked Esther Williams suits in the requisite dots and cherry print ($110) in sizes up to 24, as well as throwback suits from Unique Vintage in sizes up to XX (roughly a 16).

Beachwear Unlimited
This North York swimwear specialist shares a storefront with Legs Plus and Bra Boutique, a favourite of plus-size women seeking quality lingerie. They've got suits in sizes 4 to 26 (and cup sizes A through H), and offer solid selection, plus the knowledgeable service to help you navigate it.

Rosie the Rebel
Another steady local source for all things halter-necked, full-skirted and skull-printed, Bloorcourt's own Rosie the Rebel offers another trove of flirty retro suits (about $95) that run as high as 3X.

Team Aquatic
Maybe you're looking to get some serious laps in instead of just lounging delicately by the poolside with a froofy umbrella drink. This Scarborough store, which deals in competitive swimwear, offers TYR suits in up to a size 26 ($70 and up).

Linea Intima
This lingerie chain's six stores around southwestern Ontario (including four within the GTA) offer swimwear with an eye toward getting a perfect fit around the bust. Brands include Maryan Mehlhorn, Anita, PrimaDonna, and German label Sunflair; sizes, unfortunately, only go up to 18.

Sandpipers
Sandpipers' two swim-focused stores (one in Yorkville, the other at Yonge and Eglinton) stock Gottex and Miraclesuit suits in up to a 22, and a few brands - Karla Coletto, Jets, Seafolly and Sunflair - in sizes 18 and under, so you've got a couple of options. Suits start at about $160 and up.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite spot for plus-size swimwear in the comments.

Photo via Tatyana

Winning design for Jack Layton ferry terminal revealed

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jack layton ferry terminalThe winning design for the new Jack Layton ferry terminal was revealed this afternoon by Waterfront Toronto. Harbour Landing, the proposal submitted by KPMB Architects (Toronto), West 8 (Rotterdam), and Greenberg Consultants (Toronto), won the hearts of the public (via over 1,200 responses to an online consultation) and the selection committee.

jack layton ferry terminalThe new terminal is part of a plan that also includes a wave deck, an indoor/outdoor market, and a publicly accessible green roof. The hallmark of its design is the degree to which it draws on natural forms, with an undulating roof and rolling hills around the main building.

jack layton ferry terminalAlong with offering a far more aesthetically please gateway to the Toronto Islands, the open concept terminal will also dispense with the cage-like feel of the current structure and move people through ticket lines in a more efficient manner. Add to that eating and drinking facilities and you have a transportation hub that's worthy of the recreational nature of a trip to the Islands.

Have a look at the new ferry terminal in greater depth here.

Inside the offices of photo community site 500px

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500px torontoThe last time I visited the 500px office it consisted of a few desks in the Ryerson DMZ. There were no staff per se. The founders did pretty much everything at that early stage of the the Toronto-based company's development, from coding to social media to photo curation. Fast forward four years and the former startup has made it, now occupying a sweeping space in a heritage building at 20 Duncan Street, the former home of Syncapse.

500px torontoThe company's office now houses approximately 75 employees, but also a photo studio and and downstairs event space that can be tailored to host film screenings, conferences, art shows, and parties. With exposed brick walls, an indoor bike rack, pod-style spaces, and giant bean bag chairs, this is the type of office you'd expect from a company that's rethinking the way share and use photos.

"I had walked by the building numerous times," co-founder Evgeny Tchebotarev tells me as we chat in a quiet corner on the lower level of the office space. "When I saw that it had become available, I had my heart set on it. I moved on it very quickly."

500px torontoThere's an obvious youthful energy that exudes from this place, part of which comes from Tchebotarev's desire to create a casual office space that puts creativity and collaboration at the forefront. "I wanted to create an office where people would want to work," he explains.

2015410-500px6.jpgCase in point, you might see a few dogs running around at 500px. Making the workplace dog-friendly was a decision that came easily as part of the overall philosophy to avoid the pitfalls related to a work environment that's overly strict and corporate in nature. Ping pong tables also help in this regard, as do the events that regularly occur in the downstairs space.

2015410-500px2.jpgThese little touches are likely important to a company whose identity has been in flux since multiple rounds of venture capital have lead to major growth and internal restructuring. As the company has grown, a more formal management structure has been put in place, which is a necessity for the long term health of 500px, but also a possible dampener on some of the free flowing energy that has helped shaped the company to date.

2015410-500px7.jpgIt might be an overstatement to suggest that an office space alone can foster the creative will required to sustain the growth of a company, but it sure doesn't hurt. In that regard, 500px is ahead of the game.

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The top 10 diamond engagement rings in Toronto

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engagement ring torontoDiamond engagement rings in Toronto are not the only way to say "I love you," but they're probably the sparkliest. While Toronto has no shortage of fine jewelry options, from contemporary designers to vintage and antique finds, this list focuses exclusively on custom designers - so you can get a ring as one-of-a-kind and special as the person receiving it.

Here are my picks for the top places to find diamond engagement rings in Toronto.

Made You Look
In addition to representing 100 jewelry designers, Made You Look employs 20 in-house creators who can work with you on custom requests. They offer a strong focus on sustainability, including the option to use 100% recycled metal or recut an existing stone (say, from your grandma's ring) to fit a new design.

Anne Sportun
This veteran Queen West jeweler offers plenty of ready-to-go rings, but will also fulfil custom requests - provided it uses design elements already found in their catalog, including band finishes and stone settings. All of their diamonds are G colour, VS clarity (with a few select exceptions).

Fair Trade Jewellery Co.
This Cabbagetown shop has become a standard-bearer for ethical jewelry: They exclusively use Canadian diamonds, and were the first jewelry shop in North America to use fair trade-certified gold. If you'd like your future fiance(e) to be involved in the design process, they'll sell you a sample ring to use for the proposal, and apply the credit back to your ring purchase.

Devil's Workshop
They might be best known for their DIY wedding band workshops, but Sarah Wan, owner of this West Queen West jewelry studio will also craft custom engagement rings to your specifications, from traditional settings to elaborate hand-carvings - they'll even let you repurpose your own metals.

Leif Benner
Though this Distillery-based designer is often called upon to weave colourful gemstones into pieces of fine jewelry, he also works with diamonds. Benner's rings feature plenty of intricate details, from delicate hand-engraving to ornate Art Deco settings, and he'll go as traditional or as avant-garde as you'd like.

Studio1098
Nearly all of the engagement rings at this Rosedale jewelry studio are custom-made, working with clients to create something that fits the style or mood they're going for. All of their gems, whether sourced from Canada or elsewhere, are conflict-free.

Penwarden Fine Jewellery
OCAD and George Brown-trained jeweler Linda Penwarden has crafted some truly showstopping pieces of jewelry, combining pave stones, coloured gems, ornate patterns and filigree in her custom pieces (yep, sometimes all in the same piece). Penwarden uses responsibly sourced platinum, gold, sterling or palladium, and incorporates only Canadian or conflict-free diamonds in her pieces.

Flux + Form
Designers Kim Drosdick and Suzanne Crudden started out working at Made You Look, and now run their own studio on Sherbourne, where they both offer custom-made engagement rings. The duo aims to lend an "outside-the-box" edge to traditional pieces of jewelry.

Design By Sevan
A native of Turkey, Sevan Tosun opened his Richmond St. jewelry studio in 2000. All of his rings are custom-crafted to suit the stone at its centre - but clients are just as quick to rave about the customer service throughout the customization process as they are his elegant designs.

Pamela Lauz
In addition to offering a number of contemporary settings, Leslieville-based jeweler Lauz does custom work, sourcing conflict-free diamonds and rendering rings in platinum, silver or gold (including a number of gold alloys that vary widely in hue). Lauz is also happy to re-invent existing jewelry (using your stones and selling the metal, with the cost going toward your new ring).

Did I miss any? Leave your picks for diamond engagement rings in Toronto in the comments.

Photo by Jarvis in the blogTO Flickr pool.

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