Toronto's longest single graffiti wall has cropped up in a rather unlikely place: the University of Toronto's St. George campus. The 276-foot long mural is located on a temporary wall surrounding the Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CEIE) construction site. It's not as long as Parkdale's Reclamation Project, but that was the work of some 50 artists.

Prominent Toronto graffiti artist Jason Wing, commonly known as SKAM, did most of the painting along with Aleksandrs Popelavskis and Alex Lazich. The faculty of engineering helped design the installation and the artists brought it to life using brightly coloured spray-paint to highlights the department's success as well as the innovative nature of its field.

With over 2,208 square-feet of wall space, this massive mural is hard to miss. And it'll stay up until 2017, when the CEIE is complete.

There are conflicting reports today that the CBC plans to sell all its buildings across Canada including its downtown Toronto broadcast headquarters at Wellington and John. The Canadian Media Guild is reporting that an announcement came at a town hall meeting and was in response to the decline in funding the CBC is receiving from taxpayers.

According to the Toronto Star, however, the manager of media relations at CBC, Alexandra Fortier, denied the claim, saying the broadcaster will be following the plan announced in February to sell up to 50 percent of its property.

The news comes in the midst of a Federal election campaign where both the Liberal and NDP parties have promised to restore some of the funding the CBC lost under the Harper government.

Photo by Benson Kua in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto you have have stories galore to get you through the doldrums of hump day. One might spice it up with Tinder Tales or hit up upcoming bands at Studio Bar. Not doing it? Head to the AGO and get educated about contemporary feminism in the field of contemporary art. The last of these might be the most worthy endeavour of the night.

For more events, click on over to our events section.

• The Natural (Studio Bar)
• That's How I Remember It (The Ossington)
• Tinder Tales (The Gladstone)
• Wax Wednesday (The End)
• Night Shift (Tota Lounge)
• Feminist Art Conference (OCAD)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section.

After years of confusion regarding the condo project at the Church of St. Clement Riverside in Leslieville, we finally have an idea of what the area will look like in the near future.

The development, which has been in the works since 2012, has two components: loft-style condos and townhomes. Led by deCargani Developments Inc., this project will see the more than 100-year-old church be re-purposed into a 14 unit condo building, the smallest of which is slated to be 807 square-feet. However, most will clock in at well over 1,000 square-feet.

The adjacent townhomes will include 12 units and each one will have its own terrace. Prices start at just under $700K. These are smart if basic looking units from Open Architects, who tend to offer understated designs.

Check out more images of what to expect below.

What do you think of this church conversion? Let us know in the comments.

Toronto beer events are a little hard to come by in autumn. I'm not sure if people are burned out on the idea of standing around drinking after doing it all summer, the fact that the weather is too unpredictable to make plans, but the season isn't as robust for beer gatherings. That said, there are some absolute gems. Quality over quantity is an adage to live by.

These are the top beer events in Toronto this fall.

Bar Hop Presents Greatest Hits, September 24
This is a pretty damn winning formula for a beer event: invite six amazing breweries and one amazing cider maker to bring some of the best beverages for a takeover of the taps at an amazing bar. Amsterdam, Bellwoods, Great Lakes, Indie Alehouse, Nickelbrook, and Sawdust City join West Avenue Cider in dominating the 36 tap lineup at Bar Hop.

Toronto Cider Festival, September 26
Taking place at Yonge and Dundas Square, the Toronto Cider Festival will feature a slew of Ontario's great hard cider makers like Angry Orchard, Spirit Tree, and angry Orchard, plus live music and an army of food trucks to keep you sated. Tickets are $30 and include four sample tokens.

Cultivate Food and Beer Festival, September 26-27, Port Hope
Cultivate takes place just an hour east of Toronto, but is worth the drive. Featuring live music from The Strumbellas, Wintersleep, and Gentlemen Husbands, the event showcases local farmers, food vendors, and craft brewers you may not have had a chance to try before like William Street Beer Co., Northumberland Hills Brewery, Manantler, Smithworks and more.

The Brewer's Backyard Torontoberfest, October 12
The always family-friendly Brewer's Backyard series of events returns to the Evergreen Brickworks just in time for turkey day, and with it will likely bring a small but interesting list of craft brewers and local eats (vendors TBD). So bring the kids to blow off some steam while the turkey cooks. No admission, pay for beer and food as you go.

Cask Days, October 23 - 25
If you're only going to attend one beer event this fall, it's got to be Cask Days. Arguably the best annual beer event held in Toronto if not all of Ontario, this year the 11th annual tribute to real ale returns to the Brickworks over five separate sessions featuring 150 participating breweries and over 300 beers. Tiered access tickets range from $35-$80 and are already selling fast.

What did I miss? Add fall beer events you've got on your radar in the comments.

Ben Johnson also writes about beer over on Ben's Beer Blog. He eagerly awaits your comment point out that one of these Toronto beer events isn't in Toronto and one isn't serving beer.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced today the province has inked a new deal with The Beer Store that will see beer finally hit grocery store shelves this fall.

The deal will also lead to more widespread availability of craft beer - 20 per cent of all beer shelving (not just in supermarkets, but also the LCBO and The Beer Store) will now be reserved for independent brewers.

The announcement of the new deal comes following a slew of leaked information about ongoing talks related to beer sales in grocery stores. While beer will now arrive sooner than expected, the province confirmed that beer sales will be capped to 279 six-packs per day for each retail location.

As previously reported, grocers can choose to exceed the sales quote but will be required to pay a 1 per cent penalty.

Timing for the start of beer sales in grocery stores is still a bit ambiguous but a government release suggests it could come as early as this December with 60 retail locations. 150 grocers are expected to sell beer by May 2017.

Photo by MrDanMofo in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Paris and Toronto might be an unlikely combination, but it's hard not to be at least a little in awe of what the CN Tower looks like on the Champs-Elysees. Posted to Reddit by anislitim, a graphic designer from Paris now living in Toronto, the mashup features two of the most iconic elements of each city.

The original photo (pre-CN Tower addition) looks towards the Arc de Triomphe, which has been replaced by our most globally recognizable building. It's a simple combination, but one that's also striking and fun. Just imagine the possibilities.

Drake, Toronto's greatest hip-hop treasure, has just been ranked third on Forbes list of The World's Highest-Paid Rap Acts, raking in a cool $39.5 million this past year. He fell behind legends Diddy and Jay Z but beat out notable artists like Dr. Dre, Pharrell, and Eminem by millions.

This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as Drizzy has had quite the year. He's spent the better part of it performing shows, raking in around $1 million on the average night.

Plus, that mixtape he dropped, If You're Reading This It's Too Late, was the first Platinum album of 2015. He also has numerous endorsement deals with-big name companies like Sprite and Nike.

It looks like things can only go up from here. His recent collaboration with Future has been making waves and he just opened a restaurant with Susur Lee.

Do you think Drake will be #1 on the list next year? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Josephine in the blogTO Flickr pool.

While there may be many a Good Life in Toronto, the gym is not for everyone - especially not in the morning. If you find it difficult to get yourself to the weight room before work, RISE N' GRIND may be the answer to all your prayers, offering an upbeat alternative to boring circuit routines that involves both dancing and coffee.

On some Mondays and Wednesdays (check the schedule) Morning Grind will be hitting up Toronto coffee shops and bringing DJ's along with them for dance party/workout hybrid. Participating cafes so far include Tokyo Smoke and the Youngplace Coffee Pub.

Each $15 session comes with free coffee and cold-pressed juices. This definitely beats sweating to the sounds of CHUM FM as you tackle the StairMaster.

Will you be doing the Morning Grind? Let us know in the comments.

Photo via Instagram.

TTC customer service satisfaction has reached its highest level in two years, according to a recent second quarter survey undertaken by the Commission. On a statistical level, that brings the overall satisfaction level up to 79 per cent from 72 per cent during the same period last year.

If this were a university class, that mark would still leave you shy of an A, but I'd say that more than a few people would be surprised to see such a solid grade. On the other hand, it should be difficult not to notice the strides that Andy Byford and co. have made in communicating with customers, having a staff presence at stations, and just prioritizing customer experience in general.

In other good news for the TTC, customers gave high grades when it comes to value for money, with 90 per cent believing that their last TTC trip offered average or better value. Perhaps the high ranking is the result of the low expectations set up by the question, but that's often the nature of these types of surveys.

What do you think? Do these numbers reflect your experience riding the TTC?

Photo by Adrian Badaraco in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Fried chicken in Toronto does not adhere to a single regional style. This is a city where Southern-fried chicken is just one of many options, and finger lickin' Korean, Taiwanese, Filipino, and even unique maple-dusted Northern variations can be found on menus citywide.

Here are my picks for the top fried chicken joints in Toronto by neighbourhood.

BALDWIN VILLAGE
Formerly, McRamyun, now Mo'Ramyun offers up a classic chicken katsu, plus fusion recipes like chicken wings ($5.45 for 3 pcs, $11.45 for 7pcs) coated in crispy crushed noodles accompanied by garlic mayo and a gochujang.

BLOORDALE
The Whippoorwill specializes in comfort foods and the crispy fried chicken thighs ($17) are among the many plates of soulful classics on offer. Expect juicy dark meat encased in crackling skin and dressed with Korean BBQ sauce.

CABBAGETOWN
The TFC, a.k.a Tawainese Fried Chicken at Kanpai boasts a crispy skin dusted in spices and finished with fresh toppings including cilantro, scallions and chili peppers. Order three ($9), or eight pieces ($22.) at a time, or opt for the 12 piece bucket ($88) including a pail of PBR, side of tater slaw and a choice of sides.

CHINATOWN
Lucky Red slings five spice fried chicken on the bone, two pieces at a time for $6, four for $11, and six pieces for $16. The house hot sauce packs some serious heat, while pickled vegetables on the side offer relief.

THE DANFORTH
Morgans on the Danforth does fried chicken ($16) two ways and neither route will disappoint. Satisfy cravings for southern style buttermilk fried chicken accompanied by bacon studded braised chard and a choice of fries or corn bread, or go for the Korean style chicken marinated in gochujang hot pepper paste and served with kimchi fried rice and sautéed bok choy.

DUNDAS WEST
Luther's Chicken operates out of the kitchen at the Churchill and as you might guess from its name, fried chicken is the specialty. Bone-in and boneless varieties are available in various combinations, but if you're flying solo try the two piece buttermilk fried chicken meal ($13) including a biscuit and a choice of two sides.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Order (with 24-hours notice) from Momofuku Noodle Bar, where fried chicken is a large format meal ($125) featuring two whole fried chickens, one southern style and one Korean style. Meant to feed 4-8, this meal comes complete with scallion pancakes, ginger scallion sauce, jalapeno garlic sauce, pickled vegetables, radishes, herbs and Tabasco salt.

HIGH PARK
The southern fried chicken ($16) at The Mugshot Tavern is a lot of food. Each order includes a trimmed half chicken battered and fried crisp, plus broccoli slaw and mac 'n' cheese (or a choice of side).

THE JUNCTION
The Yardbird ($16) at Roux can be had one of three ways. Order this southern-style chicken with waffles and bourbon maple syrup, with spicy slaw and mash, or with grits.

KENSINGTON MARKET
The Dirty Bird distinguishes itself from the rest of the flock with its signature Northern (maple sugar-dusted) style. Orders range from two pieces of dark meat with a side for $7, up to 10 pieces with three sides for $31, or you can have your chicken in sandwich form or laid over thick fresh waffles.

KOREATOWN
At White Brick Kitchen they do classic buttermilk fried chicken ($18 for half a bird) with scallion biscuits and a choice of side.

LESLIEVILLE
Skin + Bones does fried chicken at lunch in sandwiches ($11) topped with coleslaw, ranch, pickled carrot and cucumber. They do a spicy version at brunch too, this time over waffles with coleslaw ($13).

LITTLE INDIA
Fried chicken with potato waffles ($14) is just one of several beer-friendly foods at Eulalie's Corner Store. Look forward to crispy, gently spiced fried chicken with savoury waffles paired with plum and red wine preserve.

NORTH YORK
Max's Restaurant hails from the Philippines, as does its 70-year old recipe for fried chicken. Available by the half ($12), or whole ($18) bird, expect flavourful seasoned poultry, fried to a perfect golden hue and retaining ample moisture inside. A side of garlic rice is well advised.

OSSINGTON
The fried chicken ($22) at The Saint is coated and fried to perfection yielding juicy supple flesh inside. The entree is served with smoked sweet potatoes, collard greens and pickled watermelon for a complete (and euphoric) southern experience.

PARKDALE
Boneless chili and pepper encrusted chicken thighs ($10.50) are right at home on Electric Mud's menu of Southern fare. Get some crack buns and pork rinds to start, then a side of coleslaw to cut through the richness.

RIVERSIDE
The signature fried chicken ($18) is a favourite at The County Cocktail & Snack Bar. As a main ($18) with buttermilk ranch, Texas mop sauce and fresh herbs, or stacked on a bun ($14) with avocado chutney and pickled onions - these golden fried specimens are finger lickin' and addictive.

RONCESVALLES VILLAGE
The Ace certainly knows how to ace this southern staple. The country-fried chicken ($19) boasts a crackling exterior and moist, juicy flesh inside. Each order comes with collard greens, cornbread, and ham gravy for good measure.

ST. CLAIR WEST
The Stockyards is famous for its fried chicken (along with everything else it does from BLTs and burgers to breakfast sandwiches and smoked meats. Here you'll find fried chicken over Belgian waffles ($13) on offer until 3pm, then it's all about the four-piece dinners ($15) featuring buttermilk brined chicken served with fries, coleslaw, and hot sauce.

WEST QUEEN WEST
The fried chicken plate ($16) is the pièce de résistance at chef Jonathan Poon's Bar Fancy. Each order features four pieces of delicious, crispy-skinned bird accompanied by slices of Wonder Bread, pickles, lime, two sauces (habanero and mayo) and wet naps.

YONGE & DUNDAS
Don Don Izakaya is a Japanese pub, where plates of ginger fried chicken ($8) pair perfectly with a frozen beer.

What did I miss? Disagree with my selections in the comments.

Lead photo from Bar Fancy

Noah Rosen has been painting bikes for over a decade, but to describe precisely what he does in those pragmatic terms would be to ignore that he's fundamentally an artist. His company Velocolour transforms bikes into works of art, and if you're a cycling fanatic you can't help but swoon for some of his creations and restorations.

A new short documentary about his practice has been put together by Stray Matter, and it offers some insight into the process of custom painting as well as the passion that Rosen has for bikes. Custom paint jobs likes these aren't cheap. You probably wouldn't want to bother getting your old Supercycle revamped in this manner, but that becomes more understandable with a peek into the process.

Velocolour is located near St. Clair and Weston Rd. and offers a range of custom services including frame repair. Naturally, the shop also does custom designs for those looking to create their dream bike. Check out the gallery for some doozies and watch the doc for more info about Rosen.

The best boxing gyms in Toronto let you train like a world class fighter regardless of whether you're itching to throw punches in the ring or you're simply looking to get some exercise. From old school facilities that'll make you feel like Rocky Balboa to sparkling boxercise studios, many of these spots will teach you basic self-defence and provide you with a sucker punch of a workout.

Here are the best boxing gyms in Toronto.

Today in Toronto Skratch Bastid gets the party started at Parts & Labour and JFL42 kicks off with shows from Faisal Butt, Brian Posehn, Robert Kelly and more. Want more? There are plenty of parties around the city, featuring live performances and booze to liven up your night.

• Grolsch Creates X Parts & Labour presents Skratch Bastid (Parts & Labour)
• JFL42 (Various Locations)
• Collective Arts Brewing x Gladstone Hotel Collab Party (Gladstone Hotel)
• Lee's 30th Anniversary: Constantines (Lee's Palace)
• NXT City Night (56 Maude Street)
• TAKE IT OFFLINE: A device-free bar night (Track & Field Bar)
• The Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Thanks to Grolsch for sponsoring this post.

Photo by Dylan Leeder.

Like most scenes in Toronto, our comedy community parses the trends made popular by our counterparts down South. And expats like Nathan Fielder are now redefining how comedy is created, promoted, and consumed.

Here are the five trends to look out for on the Toronto comedy scene.

WOMEN IN COMEDY

Years ago, Biggie advised Nas don't forget the publishing. Heeding this advice, Crimson Wave, Things Black Girls Say, West End Girls, and Joker's Corner all have one thing in common - these shows are produced and headlined by women, women who've built their own following.

PODCASTING

Crimson Wave by Jess Beaulieu and Natalie Norman is perhaps the most notable success story of the bunch, having skillfully traversed the Oregon Trail of podcast glory: record a quality podcast, build a following, invite the following to a show, charge at the door, sell out the entire room, get invited to have your own freakin' show at JFL42.

ACTI-HUMOUR

Ever since Jon Stewart rose to stardom, I've noticed the invisible hand of comedy at play. More and more, you see comedians talking about social, political, and economic issues. Some have become so carried away that they've banded together against fellow comedian Nicole Arbour. It's kinda funny when you think about it. Kind of tragic too.

ALT GOING MAINSTREAM

The alternative comedy scene is where it's at right now. From Nathan Fielder's wildly successful Nathan For You to Mark Little, Chris Locke, and David Dineen-Porter invading LA, the alternative intelligentsia seems unstoppable. In what might be the most extreme case of the alternative going mainstream, a McDonald's commercial might've ripped off a Burger John's sketch by Barlow and Locke.

RISE OF THE INDEPENDENTS

Quality comedy acts are coming to Toronto in droves thanks to independent producers Rob Mailloux and Ian Atlas. Danish Anwar recently struck gold with his Your Hood's A Joke series. Quinn C. Martin's been putting on shows for years. You wanna know how strong the independent scene is? Last week, after the Canadian Comedy Awards, everyone went to Comedy Bar rather than the official after party.

Thanks to JFL42 for sponsoring this post.

What trends did I miss? Let me know in the comments.

Photo of Crimson Wave via Facebook.

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

OPEN NOW

• The Thirsty Duck, a new pub from the same folks behind Eastside Social, is now open at 972 Queen St. East in Leslieville where Celline Garden Restaurant used to be.
• The massive new Snakes & Lattes at 489 College Street is now open for all your board gaming pleasure.
• TuckShop Kitchen in the Junction Triangle celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, September 26. The new takeout sandwich and snack shop is located at 1640 Dupont St.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

• Dooney's
• Rickshaw Bar
• Denny's
• The Lockhart

OPENING SOON

• Spiceman is going in at 596 College Street, the address known for such high-frequency turnover that I've almost stopped reporting on its comings and goings. This new country-style Mexican chicken rotisserie featuring an opening menu from chef Greg Couillard might just break the streak. Couillard reports it's being "religiously cleansed" before it launches.
• Casual Italian chain, Levetto is opening another location at 382 Spadina Ave. in December.
• Tealish is relocating from Queen West to Roncesvalles. The Queen St location closes September 28, while the new spot at 367 Roncesvalles Ave. opens on October 3.
• Bao Time It's A Bao Time, a new steamed bun and Vietnamese sandwich shop is slated to open this October at 230 Commerce Valley Dr. East in Markham.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com

The Union Pearson Express (UPX) hasn't seemed to pick up steam since launching back in June. It's currently running at 10 per cent capacity, which means around 2,500 people use it to travel to and from the airport every day. And, this marks a 23 per cent drop in ridership since since June.

Many believe that the $27.50 one-way fare (or $19 with a Presto Card) is just too expensive, especially when Torontonians can take an alternative route to the airport, via the TTC, $3. Yet, according to the Globe and Mail, the provincial government doesn't want to lower the UPX fare prices any time soon.

Provincial Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca expects the UPX's currently lacklustre numbers to increase and he hopes to see more than 5,000 daily riders by June of next year.

However, at Queen's Park yesterday, PC MPP Michael Harris said the UPX is "becoming a white elephant on the rails," reports the CBC.

Transportation advocacy groups, such as TTCriders, are also vocal about their disdain for the UPX, which cost $456 million to build and $68 million annually to operate. They want to integrate the express train with the TTC. Others, say this money should go towards more essential projects such as a downtown relief line.

Do you think Metrolinx should lower fares on the UPX? Let us know in the comments.

The days of queuing up to play board games at a cafe are over. This new venue is enormous, and offers everything you could ask for to fuel long drawn out battles with cards and dice in hand. There's coffee and baked goods, snack foods, beer and wine, plus thousands of games to discover.

Read my profile of Snakes & Lattes in the cafes section.

Unless you're a Ryerson student, you probably haven't seen Drake roaming around your campus this semester. Luckily, an ingenious individual is remedying that, bringing Drizzy to the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus the best way they know how: Photoshop.

@uoftdrizzy imagines the life of Drake as a post-secondary scholar, adding his mug to images of life on campus - at Starbucks, orientation events, and more. They've even fashioned him his very own student card (which probably turned out better than any of yours). If you feel like your Instagram feed is lacking in the Drake department, this may just brighten up your day.

Check out all of the dubious Photoshop jobs here.

In an extremely tight vote last June, Toronto City Council opted for the hybrid option in regards to the Gardiner East. Many downtown councillors, however, advocated to completely tear down the highway and replace it with a ground-level boulevard. While that won't happen, there are still some rather innovative proposals on the table for a stretch of the Gardiner between Jarvis and Cherry Streets.

At a meeting yesterday, Toronto's public works and infrastructure committee looked at three alternative hybrid design concepts based on the original on council voted on.

What has received much less discussion, however, is the stretch of the Gardiner east of Cherry Street. This is where there might be potential to do something spectacular by addressing Metrolinx's need to expand its railway corridor and freeing up land that could be developed.

A proposal from the architectural film Brook McIlroy looks at stacking the Gardiner on top of the expanding Union Station rail corridor, which runs between Jarvis and Cherry street, and creating a green space above the roadway.

John Lorinc, for Spacing Magazine, writes: "If the City and Metrolinx can align their construction agendas... they could expand the existing berm south to create not only additional track space, but a deck above the new tracks, upon which the four-lane Gardiner could run. The highway portion, in turn, could also be decked, creating a linear park overhead."

Brook estimates this plan would cost $316 million and would also free up 4.3 million square-feet of city-owned space. Creating a park atop the Gardiner has been talked about for years, but this proposal makes a whole lot of sense. Let's not hold our breath that it'll happen, but the city has at least commissioned a cost-benefit evaluation.

What do you think of the plan? Let us know in the comments.