Bargain hunters, rejoice! Why? Because Nordstrom Rack is slated to open in Toronto by 2018.

The discount designer store, which sells clothing, shoes and accessories at 30 to 70 percent off, will move into a massive 38,600 square-foot space at 1 Bloor Street East, home of what is one Toronto's tallest condo projects under development.

The retail giant will be situated at the base of One Bloor, Great Gulf's new 76-storey mixed use tower designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects.

While you'll have to wait a few years to shop at Nordstrom Rack in Toronto, the more expensive Nordstrom is scheduled to open up at the Eaton Centre and Yorkdale this fall.

Photo courtesy of Nordstorm.

707 Richmond Street West is a designer four bedroom listed for just over $2.3 million just around the corner from the city's Fashion and Club Districts. Adjacent to this modern cubed dwelling, the contemporary home is yet another hidden residential gem unique to the area, and located on a dense downtown street lined with retailers and restaurants.

The custom four-level home has a distinct architectural presence using a combination of brick, glass and siding. Over 3,000 square feet, the spacious interior features a floating staircase and a transparent glass wall in the back. The modern kitchen is a chef's dream, and large enough to host dinner parties with two separate eating areas.

Surprisingly, there's plenty of outdoor space on the 24 x 91 foot lot. In front, there's a private driveway, attached garage, and a small landscaped yard and the upper level terrace.

SPECS

• Address: 707 Richmond Street West
• Price: $2,328,000
• Lot Size: 24 x 91 FT
• Bedrooms: 4
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 2
• Taxes: $6,717
• Walk Score: 96
• Listing agent: Leeanne Weld, Royal LePage
• Listing ID: C3405795

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Approx. 3,000 square feet
• Four storeys
• Floating staircase
• Upper level walkout
• Backyard
• Attached garage and driveway

GOOD FOR

Parking. Not that you need a car in this transit and Uber-friendly location. Two-car parking, a driveway and garage is handy for the homeowner and visitors who can't find a spot.

MOVE ON IF

You work in the suburbs or want to live on a quiet cul-de-sac. It's a long commute if you work in the north-end or past Finch Station.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Would you live on Richmond St. if you could? Have your say in the comments.

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate Ltd, Brokerage for sponsoring our House of the Week. All content and editorial selected and written by blogTO.

It was another successful year for Winterlicious as Toronto diners descended upon local eateries to sample limited-time prix fixe menus. As always we challenged our readers to share their photos of the most drool worthy eats they could Instagram over the course of the festival. Now we ask that you take the time and vote for your favourite photo from this year's crop of captures. Try not to drool.

Check out all the submissions here.

1. Top photo of chef's feature soup and baby kale leaves at Sassfraz by @smittensophie.

2. Margherita pizza at Lil Baci by @forkphuck.

3. Whitefish doughnuts at America by @yuna.eats.toronto.

4. Corned beef tongue carpaccio at Fabricca by @uannasor.

5. Beet carpaccio at FRANK Restaurant by @fourfeetten.

6. Insalata d'arancia at Bar Buca by @life_of_y.

7. Baileys brownie at Bymark by @foodphotosfromfuzz.

8. Bittersweet chocolate macaron cassis sorbet and torched vanilla meringue at Cluny by @petite.cow.

9. Buttermilk panna cotta with pomegranate jelly and pistachios at Diwan by @modernpicasso_.

10. Artisanal cheese plate and bittersweet chocolate ganache cake at Bosk by @bannana_kim.

POLL

PRIZES

Our winners are up for three prizes:

• 1st place: $200 gift certificate from Scaddabush Italian Kitchen and Bar
• 2nd place: $100 gift certificate from from The Badali Bar and Cucina.
• 
  3rd place: $50 gift certificate from from Linda Modern Thai.

Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack is trying to become more multifaceted. That's why it's looking to build a 5,000 music venue on a large parcel of land next to its horse racing track.

According to CP24, Woodbine Entertainment Group, together with Trinity Development Group, will propose to add live music to the mix at this west end destination.

As CP24 notes, the incoming venue will likely be 165,000 square-feet and would take up between three to four acres of land.

To put this all in perspective, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre (excluding the lawn) seats about 5,500 people. In other words, this would be a major addition to Toronto's roster of live music venues. As to whether Woodbine will have success booking the type of talent that plays the Amphitheatre is another story.

Concept drawing via Woodbine Entertainment.

NBA All-Star Weekend captured Toronto's attention for the past few days as celebrities descended upon the city for outdoor concerts, glitzy parties, and of course, three nights of basketball.

Naturally, court-side spots on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night were reserved for celebrities and other high-powered individuals, but some less famous Torontonians also got in on the action as volunteer seat-fillers. Yes, some lucky fans got in for free just to keep the Air Canada Centre looking crowded.

For Ari Benarroch, it was a dream come true. He ended up sitting within the first three rows for most of the Saturday night skills competition at the ACC and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Bill Russell, Jason Collins and Jon Stewart.

Though, not everyone was so lucky that night. Benarroch notes that the process was a little confusing. "To say it was unorganized was an understatement," he notes. Since these coveted positions weren't guaranteed and would be determined on a first come, first serve basis, many arrived early on one of the coldest days of the year thus far.

Those at the front of the line, like Benarroch, got to be seat fillers. Others, like Holly Chang, were led to a holding area where they were told they'd get to rush onto the court for the halftime show.

Chang, a second year student studying creative industries at Ryerson University, says that about 300 people waited in the unheated holding area. And, she claims, they weren't allowed to wear their coats as they stood around. After running into the stadium for the brief halftime performance, her job was done.

Like Chang, Benarroch's friend Joey R. (he refused to disclose his last name) also wasn't a seat-filler. He was among the crowd in the holding space and was frustrated when he learned he wouldn't be able to leave before halftime, especially since he says the area didn't have a TV where everyone could watch the skills competition unfold.

"When I found out they told people they couldn't leave, I'm like, 'what are you talking about?' How do you hold people against there own will for a volunteer event, essentially?"

Eventually, he left early. "It was really frustrating to be honest," he says, "because I froze my ass off for over two hours waiting for this and got nowhere."

Chang says all of the potential seat fillers were given instructions to dress nicely, which made waiting in the cold even harder. She alleges one woman in a dress and flats was taken away by EMS.

"I'm a really optimistic person, so I try to be positive. But the more I thought about this, the more I thought they didn't handle the situation very well," she says of her experience.

A representative from Gotham Casting in New York City, which ran this seat filler program, said he was aware of the complaints, but acknowledged that the seat filler spots came on a first come, first serve basis and wouldn't comment further.

Photo via the NBA's Facebook page.

Today in Toronto the Rhubarb Festival returns to Buddies in Bad Times for its 37th year. Spend your night mingling with performers and partygoers at the kick off bash - there'll be performances by Girls Rock Camp and special surprises. If your in the mood for something different, head to Artscape Sandbox for INsulator, a Long Winter event featuring a giant maze and audio-visual experience.

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

• INsulator (Artscape Sandbox)
• Island Oasis (The Addisons Residence)
• Notable Awards (The Carlu)
• Hand Eye & Laser Blast Present: FebMoVid (The Royal Cinema)
• Bad Bitches (Comedy Bar)
• The MUFF Society TO: American Psycho (Carlton Cinema)
• Music Bingo (Gladstone Melody Bar)
• Rhubarb Festival (Buddies in Bad Times)

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

Photo of Yamantaka / Sonic Titan (part of INsulator).

Toronto's Union Station will soon be flush with delicious food outlets, making it even easier for you to grab meals on the go. It's fitting, then, that Starbucks is debuting its first ever Canadian Express concept store today in this busy transit hub.

The tiny new cafe, which clocks in at 400 square-feet, doesn't have any seating. And instead of bee-lining it to the counter when you enter, an employee takes your order at the front of the store and sends it electronically to a barista.

To speed up long lineups, this location features a pared-down, commuter-friendly menu that focuses on basic drinks (i.e. brewed coffee and lattes; not PSLs and mocha java frappucinnos) and food items, such as breakfast sandwiches.

Starbucks opened its first Express store in New York City last year. The Toronto location is the third of its kind in the world. It joins the city's first solo McCafe at this busy station, which is proving to be a testing ground for corporate food giants that are trying out new concepts.

Photo courtesy of Starbucks.

With snow on the ground and frigid temperatures, it finally feels like it's winter in Toronto. So it's rather hard to believe that the summer festival season is just around the corner. But it's true, and now along with WayHome, Field Trip has released its 2016 lineup - yes, you can start getting excited now.

Although, you may feel like dancing on your own this year because The National and Robyn are headlining Arts & Crafts' annual music fest.

You can also expect to see July Talk, Santigold, Of Montreal, DIIV, Charles Bradley, Jazz Cartier, Boy and Bear, Bully, Holy Fuck, Plants and Animals, Basia Bulat, Dear Rouge, Ra Ra Riot, Jason Collett, Tei Shi, Eliot Sumner, Meg Mac, Lennon and Maisy, Brave Shores, Tor Miller, Kalle Mattson, Charlotte Day Wilson and Most People.

Field Trip runs from June 4 to 5 at Fort York Garrison Common. Tickets go on sale on Monday, February 22 at 10 a.m.

Toronto is wild about matcha. Capitalizing on the trend, this new cafe in the space formerly occupied by Seven Grams features a selection of matcha products as part of a menu loaded with organic, gluten-free and house made treats that pack a punch of energy.

Read my full review of 5 Elements Espresso in the cafes selection.

Craving a cookie in Toronto is great problem to have given that the solution is never too far away. No matter where you're situated in the city, there's a bakery or cafe serving up a fresh batch of treats in nostalgia-inducing flavours ranging from chewy chocolate chip cookies to crisp to crumbly Italian varieties.

Here are my top picks for 21 cookies that rule their respective Toronto neighbourhoods.

See also:The Best Cookies in Toronto,

ANNEX
Frangipane on Dupont is home to an array of beloved biscuits including shortbread infused with lemon or lavender, crumbly Swedish-style oatmeal cookies, ginger molasses cookies, chocolate pecan chews, and more.

BAYVIEW & LEASIDE
Wisey's Pies & Bakehouse is a Kiwi-inspired bakery where you'll find fresh batches of cookies in an of ever changing array of flavours including peanut butter, oatmeal raising, salted chocolate chip, or white chocolate cranberry.

BEACHES
Homestyle baked goods including an abundant selection of cookies are the specialty at Sleepy Baker. In addition to rotating specials, you'll find classics available daily including almond snowballs, raspberry linzer cookies, pinwheels and stuffed cookies embedded with goodies like Nutella, Kit Kat bars and Turtles.

BLOORCOURT
Oatmeal cookies, ginger molasses cookies, and the pretzel-laden "everything" cookie are favourites at Bakerbots. These biscuits are better still with a scoop of house-made ice cream sandwiched in between.

CORKTOWN
Get the "shorties" at Roselle. The best selling cookies at this King East pastry house feature a pair of orange and Earl Grey shortbreads sandwiching white chocolate and candied orange.

THE DANFORTH
Discover Icelandic confections at the Viking Bakery on East Danforth. The shop is stocked with devoted entirely to Icelandic treats and when it comes to cookies you'll find chocolate dipped biscuits, chewy oatmeal cookies, oatmeal biscuits and more.

DISTILLERY DISTRICT
Freshly baked cookies in flavours like chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, ginger molasses and peanut butter are all on offer the Sweet Escape Patisserie.

DUNDAS WEST
Sugar cookies decorated in fun shapes and colours are sweet little treasures from Le Dolci. Custom creations are available for special orders and while the shop is generally stocked with a few varieties for afternoon snacking at Bellwoods.

EAST CHINATOWN
Andrea's Gerrard Street Bakery is well-stocked with cookies including a classic chocolate chip, spiced ginger, and coconut snickerdoodle.

ETOBICOKE
Chocolate chip, double chocolate, and peanut butter are all accounted for at Bake Sale on The Kingsway. In addition to the classics, you'll find an oatmeal cookie embedded with M&M's, chocolate chips and peanuts as well as Empire cookies featuring two sugar cookies sandwiching jam and coated in icing.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Big, soft, nutty chocolate chunk cookies and "home-made" Oreos at Maman are the perfect pick-me-up to take back to your desk with a cappuccino or carton of milk.

THE JUNCTION
Among the many delightful vegan and gluten-free baked goods at Bunner's you'll find signature cookies including a lemony cornflake cookie, a chewy chocolate chunk cookie, and the original Supersonic cookie flecked with choco-chips, cranberries, pepitas, sunflower and flax seeds.

KING WEST
If you love a crisp biscotti then Forno Cultura is your jam. Find the Italian bakery stocked with amaretti di nocciole, frolla al Limone, and more.

LESLIEVILLE
The repertoire of cookie recipes at Desmond & Beatrice numbers over 25. Here you'll find all the classics plus signature creations including bacon chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter pretzel chocolate cookies, and one playfully dubbed, unicorn poop.

LITTLE ITALY
Bake Shoppe on College St. is stocked with an abundance of sweet treats. Among the rows of house-baked pop tarts and passion flakies, find cookies in flavours like Nutella brown butter, oatmeal hemp, and white chocolate macadamia.

OSSINGTON
Bang Bang is an offshoot of the above-mentioned Bakerbots and they share strengths in the ice cream sandwich department. The lineup of cookies includes soft house-baked graham crackers.sss

QUEEN WEST
The enormous, often still-warm, fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies at Le Gourmand are just awesome.

RONCESVALLES
Cherry Bomb is a cafe that takes pride in its fresh baked goods. Look forward to jars filled with cranberry, almond biscotti, and soft chewy double chocolate cookies.

WEST QUEEN WEST
All-natural, scratch-made cookies are a staple at Mabel's. The selection includes ginger, oatmeal raisin, oatmeal chocolate chip, chewy chocolate chip, and the house fave, peanut butter fudge featuring two peanut butter cookies sandwiched with peanut butter fudge.

YONGE & LAWRENCE
The lineup of over-the-top doughnuts and pretty pies might take the cake at The Rolling Pin, but the selection of more humble cookies should not be missed either.

YONGE & WELLESLEY
The Red Bench is a self-serve fro-yo shop, tea-centric cafe, and first and foremost, home to a made-to-order cookie station. Here, cookie monsters can pick the dough and mix-ins (options such as raisins, nuts, mini M&M's, chocolate chips, etc.) and three minutes later, voila!

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

Lead photo of Wisey's Pies and Bakehouse by Jesse Milns.

The best late night sandwiches in Toronto are are the heroes of a wild night out, fuelling party-goers into the night and providing a night cap after last call. Even in the off-hours, the breadth of sandwiches is hardly limited -- you'll find subs, smokehouse standards and hot Italian specialties at top notch takeout counters, snack bars and eateries city wide.

These are the best late night sandwiches in Toronto.

See also:The top 35 late night eats in Toronto by neighbourhood.

Found below Torito, this new watering hole in Kensington Market has a hip yet cozy vibe. With cocktails named like pulp fiction detective novels (the bar's proprietor is a writer), tasty Spanish-style snacks, and a ton of fun programming, this spot is sure to become a neighbourhood gem.

Read my profile of The Lowdown in the bars section.

If you've got bags of money to spend in Toronto, look no farther than this list of opulent properties that'll make you feel like Scrooge McDuck. We all know houses in this city are expensive, but these over-the-top mansions - including this address-free one in Forest Hill - all cost more than $15,000,000 and come with resort-like amenities such as indoor pools and tennis courts.

These are the 5 most expensive homes for sale right now in Toronto.

10 High Point Rd. - $28,888,000
For nearly $30 million, you can get a 24,000 square-foot house complete with 10 bedrooms, 14 bathroom, a ballroom and two acres of land. Basically, you'll never have to leave your palatial pad; you can probably just get everything you need delivered, right?

194 Roxborough Dr. - $22,900,000
The Integral House by architectural firm Shim-Sutcliffe is one of the most famous living spaces in Toronto, and for good reason. Along with its stunning, open design, this Rosedale-area home features four bedrooms, eight bathrooms and an indoor pool.

26 Park Lane Circle - $21,800,000
Yes, this is Conrad Black's pad and it'll be going up for auction on March 8, 2016. Located in the swanky Bridle Path area, this 23,000 square-foot estate includes a Beauty and the Beast-style wood-panelled library, eight bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and an indoor pool.

35 High Point Rd. - $18,200,000
Live like royalty in the Bridle Path area. Seriously, this house looks like it was plucked from a fairy tale thanks to its ornate interior design. Along with 10 bedrooms and 16 bathroom, this property has a massive-looking indoor pool (with an overhead skylight), a home theatre and Versailles-style gardens.

120 Inglewood Dr. - $16,800,000
If you have 5,000 wine bottles lying around, you can always store them at this Rosedale mansion. Along with its spacious wine cellar, it features dramatic wrought-iron railings and a great room that's perfect for hosting parties as well as casual Netflix nights - watching movies is always better in a "great room."

Would you buy one of these if you won the lottery? Let us know in the comments.

The Eaton Centre has always been a destination spot for bored kids looking to kill a few hours after school or on weekends. Loitering in the food court and watching cheap movies on ridiculously small screens was a rite of passage for TO kids who grew up in the 1990s. The city's downtown shopping centre was a bit rougher around the edges back then, but that just proved even more of a draw.

Here are 10 signs you shopped at the Eaton Centre in the 1990s.

1. You hardly "shopped" at all. You mostly just hung around at the food court, which was nothing like the fancy Urban Eatery of today.

2. On the rare occasion that you bought clothing without your parents, it was usually at Stitches, Le Chateau or the Jean Machine. If it was electronics you were after, Radio Shack was the place to go.

3. The name of the mall made way more sense because there was actually an Eaton's department store on site. After going bankrupt in 1999, the name of the longstanding retailer was retired in 2002.

4. You watched countless films in the 21-screen Cineplex with its cramped theatres and super cheap tickets (as low as $1.50 a flick in the cinema's last days).

5. The phrase "Life in the city begins at the Centre" would on occasion get stuck in your head as you entered the mall because you watched TV commercials for the mall when you were a kid.

6. Mr. Green Jeans and Lime Rickey's were actually cool places to eat. RIP.

7. You remember when the Toronto police opened a mini-station at the north end of the mall in part because there was a widespread perception that the kids who hung around Eaton Centre were dangerous.

8. Harry Rosen was a McDonald's back then, where you could watch the traffic come and go along Queen St. while eating French fries (the only thing you could afford).

9. It never struck you as particularly odd that there was a massive shopping centre in the heart of downtown Toronto almost completely closed off to Yonge St. Renovations in the 2000s would create a marginal relationship with the streetscape.

10. The portal-like bridge linking Simpson's/The Bay to the modern mall seemed so very futuristic back then. Now it's due for a makeover to bring it inline with the upscale properties opening at/around the mall.

What did I miss? Add your memories in the comments.

Photo via the Toronto Archives.

Today in Toronto get body positive at BodyThoughts. The previous home of The Detox Market has been transformed into a hub of self love, made over with works by photographer Alexa Mazzarello and former model Erica McDonald. If you want to see multiple exhibitions, head to the opening night of The Artist Project, instead. You'll get to see over 5000 works and get in some drinks and dancing.

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

• Rhubarb Festival (Buddies in Bad Times)
• In Memoriam: A Tribute to Scott Weiland (Adelaide Hall)
• Back to the Rack (Gladstone Melody Bar)
• February Cinemacabre: Phantasm II on 35mm (The Royal Cinema)
• BodyThoughts (The Detox Market)
• Amy (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• Artist Project Opening Night Party (Better Living Centre)
• Lee DeWyze and Wakey Wakey (Lee's Palace)
• INsulator (Artscape Sandbox)

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

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

• Provo FoodBar is now open at at 308 Dundas Street West across from the AGO. On the menu you'll find an array of antipasti, crostini topped with things like smashed navy bean and ricotta, plus hearty meat and seafood entrees.
• The Wine Swine debuts this week at 1001 Eastern Avenue, formerly Le Papillon on the Park. The "Gastro Wine Pub" is officially open as of Wednesday, February 24.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

• MeNami
• Cava
• Jacobs Deli
• Cafeteria

OPENING SOON

• Lbs. Restaurant, a new burger and seafood spot, is slated to open this May at 100 Yonge Street
• Dirty Food is taking over the Locomotive space at 3070 Dundas Street West in The Junction, and is set to open this spring with a menu featuring boozy brunch comfort foods.
• Ciao Europa Cafe is soon to open at 80 Western Battery Road in Liberty Village. Look forward to espresso drinks and pressed panini by day, then wine and a menu featuring charcuterie boards, pizza and salad at night.
• Joe's BBQ Smokehouse located inside The Duke at 1225 Queen Street East looks ready to open any day now.

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

Photo of Provo Foodbar from Facebook.

Wine will likely appear on some Toronto supermarket shelves this fall. And today, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne outlined how this rollout will happen across the province.

This summer, as the Globe and Mail reports, the province will hand out 70 licences to grocery stores. Half of these will restrict retailers to selling only Ontario VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) wines for the first three years of this program.

Eventually, 150 Ontario stores will be able to carry wine. Additionally, 150 in-store wine retailers (like the Wine Rack) will get to use supermarkets' regular checkout counters.

However, as the Globe notes, unlike at the LCBO, all grocery stores bottles will come with a minimum price-tag of $10.95. The reason for this stipulation remains rather murky.

Late last year, beer made its way to some local supermarkets. And this morning, Wynne announced that these stores can now start stocking cider as well.

1 Chestnut Park Road spans an entire ground floor inside a restored mansion in the elite Rosedale neighbourhood. Priced at $4,500,000, the luxury three bedroom is part of a four-unit condo conversion by J.F. Brennan Designs inside the gated community with landscaped grounds similar to the Spadina Museum.

The mansion was restored in the early 1990s, transforming the grand 10,000 square foot property into smaller townhomes. There's one residence on each floor and a fourth located in the back coach house.

At 3,900 square feet, this main floor unit features a large foyer and a long hallway leading to multiple principal rooms, an idyllic setting for afternoon high tea. The living room has a gas fireplace (one of four in the home), a checkerboard kitchen, library with a walkout patio and a generous master bedroom and ensuite. There's a garden view from every room and underground parking.

SPECS

• Address: #Main - 1 Chestnut Park Road
• Price: $4,500,000
• Square feet: 3,900
• Bedrooms: 3+1
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 2
• Taxes: $23,272
• Maintenance fee: $2,481.45/monthly
• Walk Score: 94
• Listing agent: Robert Greenberg, Harvey Kalles
• Listing ID: C3411050

NOTABLE FEATURES

• Skylights
• Four gas fireplaces
• Library room
• Spacious gourmet kitchen
• Garden views from every room
• Wine cellar
• Two terraces
• Underground parking

GOOD FOR

A game of chess on the kitchen floor? Joking aside, this condo in a mansion has plenty to offer. For the bookworm, a cozy library with a gas fireplace and built-in shelving to the master bedroom decking out a full-sized dressing room and a seven-piece ensuite with a whirlpool tub.

MOVE ON IF

You want a traditional high-rise. The allure to this community-oriented neighbourhood near Yonge Street is the custom-designed homes and boutique buildings on the quiet enclaves, overlooking parks and the Rosedale ravine. There are plenty of soaring skyscrapers further north or southbound, catering to those needing a 24-hour concierge and condo amenities.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Like this luxury Rosedale condo? Have your say in the comments section.

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate Ltd, Brokerage for sponsoring our House of the Week. All content and editorial selected and written by blogTO.

Saks has finally landed in Toronto, opening its doors today to its sprawling new location in the Bay Building at Yonge and Queen streets. This is a lavish place, complete with marble floors, hyper-luxury brands, and a variety of VIP shopping experiences on offer. It's also just gorgeous space with serious attention paid to interior design.

See more of Toronto's new Saks Fifth Avenue in the fashion stores section.

Toronto may be hosting the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup later this year, but well before that, the Argonauts will kick off their season at home in the newly renovated BMO Field on Thursday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m.

This game will pit the Argonauts against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in what Sara Moore - the senior VP of business operations for the Argonauts and the COO of the 2016 Grey Cup Festival - describes as a mini Grey Cup where fans will finally get to celebrate their new home with a festival-like atmosphere.

"We could not be more excited about the move to BMO Field," says Moore. "It's the perfect size stadium for a Canadian Football League team."

Since 1989, the Toronto football team has been playing out of the Rogers Centre. But, Moore knows the more intimate outdoor stadium at Exhibition Place will help fans create new game-day traditions - and those, of course, include tail-gating.

"Without question that's a huge part of football culture and it's really been missing in football culture here in Toronto," she says, noting how Exhibition Place has plenty of space for licensed pre-gaming activities.

But, Moore doesn't want these activities to be too prescribed. "The most authentic tailgates are the ones that sort of come from the fans," she says. "We're just going to help provide the pieces that they need and then allow them to really create their own culture and community and celebrations."

Will you grab tickets to see the Argos face the Ti-Cats for their first game of the season on June 23? Let us know in the comments.