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Today in Toronto: Toronto Fashion Week, Kung Fu and Cocktails, T.O. Short Film Festival, Bread n' Fat Tasting

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today in torontoToday in Toronto Fashion Week kicks off with a bevy of shows at David Pecaut Square. If you're not an insider or more of a jeans and t-shirt person, dress down and kick it with some cocktails and kung fu movies at The End. Hungry? Head to the Drake for some of the best bread you've ever tasted.

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

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


Bestival Toronto announces full line-up for 2016

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Bestival Toronto 2016Bestival Toronto's 2016 full lineup has been revealed. That means we can finally see who'll be joining headliners Tame Impala and The Cure on stage for the second iteration of this U.K.-based music festival.

As Bestival moves from the Toronto Islands to Woodbine Park, its bringing with it a diverse array of bands and artists including:

  • Odesza
  • Grimes
  • Jamie XX
  • Porter Robinson
  • Madeon
  • Tchami
  • Dubfire
  • Thomas Jack
  • Daughter
  • Maya Jane Coles
  • The Wombats
  • Joris Voorn
  • Art Department
  • Classix
  • Catz N Dogz
  • Less Foss
  • Swim Deep
  • Anna Lunoue
  • Malaa Shauan Frank
  • Giraffage
  • Gaiser
  • Tom Trago
  • 48
  • Thugli
  • Rob da Bank
  • Reeps One
  • Jonathan Rosa
  • Pusher
  • The Twilight Sad
  • Hrmxny
  • Blajk
  • Elliot Vincent Jones

Along with its genre-spanning lineup, Bestival, which runs on June 11 and 12, is bringing back its signature interactive elements, such as a costume party and parade, a Bollywood Temple, a Day of the Dead cocktail bus and a marching band.

Tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m.

Photo by Alejandro Santiago.

Police warn Blue Jays fan after apparent Twitter threats

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jays twitterA Toronto Blue Jays fan got a surprise visit from the police this weekend after he sent out some apparently threatening tweets regarding Jose Bautista's contract.

On February 22, Twitter user @TorontoHooligan - or Nicholas Kharshoum - passionately wrote, "F-cking pay the man or I'm throwing the Ted Rogers statue in the harbour you pieces of sh-ts," as the Toronto Star reports.

He continued his diatribe with another equally explicit post. According to the Star, Rogers noticed the tweets and reported them to the Toronto Police, wherein the city's cybercrimes unit joined the investigation.

Police tracked down Kharshoum to his home in Kitchener, and the Waterloo Regional Police paid him a visit early this past Saturday morning and gave him a verbal warning.

Kharshoum took to Reddit, writing that he felt as if his privacy had been compromised.

A Rogers spokesperson, on the other hand, said in a statement to CBC News, "We always err on the side of caution when the safety of our employees, property or fans at the Rogers Centre is threatened."

Do you think this was over-reaction to a few passionate tweets? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Udo Dengler in the blogTO Flickr pool.

French bistro and piano bar does a great steak frites

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Carens RosedaleThis French bistro holds down the fort in the former Petit Castor space. It serves up great steak frites, one of the tastiest mac and cheese dishes I've ever tried and has live music nightly.

Read my profile of Carens Rosedale in the restaurants section.

Uncle Tetsu like lineups at Toronto's new Japanese cafe

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tsujiri torontoToronto's latest Japanese sensation is already seeing hour long lineups in Little Tokyo. As we reported, Tsujiri's first North American location opened last week near the corner of Dundas and Elizabeth. It's a short walk from Uncle Tetsu where long waits are still the norm a year after opening.

The draw here, aside from a chance to experience the storied brand without taking a 13 hour flight, is the cafe's creative takes on matcha infused soft serve, sundaes, shaved ice and pastries. But the space is small and the lineup moves at a snail's pace.

This past weekend, eager customers obligingly waited in the spring-like temperatures for a chance to get in on the action. At most times, there may have been no more than 30 or so people waiting to get in but inside everyone was squished together like sardines.

Later this year the third location of Uncle Tetsu will open a few doors away at 191 Dundas St. West. Now all we need is Bang Bang to open an outpost here and the mania will be complete.

How long would you wait in line at Tsujiri? Let us know in the comments.

Excitement builds for Toronto to Montreal Hyperloop

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hyperloopA trip from Toronto to Montreal usually takes about five hours, though it can drag on for much longer. But imagine cutting your travel time down to a mere half an hour. That may actually be possible within the next few years thanks to the Toronto-based startup Transpod.

No, this isn't science fiction. Transpod, as the Toronto Star reports, aims to bring Elon Musk's Hyperloop technology (pods that run in a low pressure tube to transport people and things at extremely high speeds) to fruition.

Transpod has already built a prototype and aims to present at Berlin's InnoTrans Rail show in September. According to the Star, the company aims to have a working model of the Hyerloop ready by 2020.

Yet, this technology has also attracted some skeptics, especially those who say it'll be far too expensive to build a Hyperloop network across Canada.

16 bars with extended 4am last call in Toronto this week

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4am last call torontoFashion Week has landed in Toronto for another season, and with it comes extended last call at clubs and bars across the city. From March 14 to 18, you'll be able to discuss haute couture early into the morning over the liquor of your choice. It's worth bearing in mind, however, that some of these licences are for private events, so do make sure in advance that you're on the list.

These are the 16 bars with extended 4am last call in Toronto this week.

Note: As always, this list reflects establishments that are licenced to sell booze until 4am. They don't have to exercise that right, so call ahead to confirm, particularly early in the week.

Photo of Same Nightclub by Jesse Milns.

Large crowd shows up for Sugar Shack event in Toronto

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Sugar Shack TorontoToronto's Sugar Beach drew Torontonians out of hibernation for two days of a Quebec-style Sugar Shack on the waterfront.

Billed as a weekend of maple sugar tastings, authentic Quebecois food, traditional French Canadian music and live entertainment, in actuality, the event entailed one sound stage, three food trucks, one hot chocolate station, an ice carving demo, a Quebec tourism booth, maple taffy on ice, and a whole lot of lineups.

Sugar Shack TorontoOn the food truck front, it seemed like poutine was the main-event - but seriously where were the pancakes and sausages?

Sugar Shack TorontoBeaverTails dished out its namesake fried dough along with poutine...

Sugar Shack TorontoThe Great Canadian Food Truck served up moose balls (mashed potato and cheese curd balls) and poutine topped with peameal bacon...

Sugar Shack TorontoWickedly Sinful dished out deep fried maple cookies and smokey maple buttered fries plus - you guessed it - poutine...

Sugar Shack TorontoBut, hey, among the four different variations on offer was a tempting Tourtiere Poutine.

Sugar Shack TorontoAlas, the queues to eat anything were over an hour long and the lineup to buy tokens for maple taffy tastings looked equally daunting. Removed from the action, Against the Grain had its patio open, which was welcome on the sunny day -- though a beer garden on event grounds would certainly have been appreciated.

Sugar Shack TorontoLounging on the beach was the activity of choice for most out to socialize and soak in some vitamin D.

Sugar Shack TorontoMeanwhile the hands-on ice carving demo put some sharp tools into the hands of wee ones, which was kind of fun to watch.

Sugar Shack TorontoLive performances and cooking demos took over the main stage, while a singalong helmed by Choir! Choir! Choir! proved most popular and drew large crowds.

Sugar Shack TorontoMy enthusiastic group of friends were happy to entertain themselves for the first hour but left shortly after to seek out food and drink elsewhere. The silver lining was that at least admission was free.

The day hardly lived up to a true sugar bush experience, but fear not, Maple in the County kicks off next weekend (March 19 and 20) in Prince Edward County for those still craving their maple sugar fix.

Photos by Hector Vasquez.


The Best Pour Over Coffee in Toronto

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Pour Over Coffee TorontoThe best pour over coffee in Toronto should never be rushed; not while brewing nor while drinking. For the uninitiated, these coffees take time to craft and require special equipment and the patience to manually pour water over beans allowing for a slow release of flavours and a cup of coffee that boasts clean flavours that accentuate the properties of the bean.

Here's where to find the best pour over coffee in Toronto.

Toronto has a new destination for sandwiches and beer

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Knuckle Sandwich TorontoToronto isn't short on places to grab a sandwich but this brand new spot is packing a serious punch with its massive sandwiches and simple menu dedicated to poutine, salad and a craft beer.

Read my profile of Knuckle Sandwich in the restaurants section.

3 Toronto neighbourhoods set to get safe injection sites

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safe injection sites torontoToronto's medical officer of health is asking the city to consider opening three safe injection sites. "The overdose rates we're seeing in Toronto are the highest annual number to date," said Toronto's Medical Officer of Health Dr. David McKeown in a statement today.

"Research shows that supervised injection services save lives, reduce drug overdoses and limit the spread of blood-borne diseases."

His office recommends The Works Needle Exchange Program at Victoria and Dundas, the Queen West-Central Toronto Community Health Centre at Queen and Bathurst, and the South Riverdale Community Health Centre by Queen and Carlaw as the three safe injection site locations.

All three currently have harm reduction programs in place and are the busiest needle distribution centres in Toronto. Canada has only two safe injection sites and both are situated in Vancouver.

Before Toronto gets these life-saving centres, as CBC News reports, the city will hold public meetings and a report is expected to go in front of the Toronto Board of Health by July 2016. Though, these facilities need federal approval prior to opening.

Are you in favour of safe injection sites at these locations? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by asianz in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto: New Ideas Festival, Star Wars Trivia, Toronto Roommate Mixer, Lake Street Dive

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lake street diveToday in Toronto embrace you inner nerd by heading to The Central for some Star Wars-themed trivia. If you don't know jedis from Jar Jar Binks (shame on you), opt for a concert, instead. Lake Street Dive is taking the stage at the Danforth Music Hall to play their latest and greatest.

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

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

Photo by wfuv on Flickr.

This Week on DineSafe: Bitondo's, Monarch Tavern, San Francesco Foods, The Real Jerk, The Battered Fish

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dinesafeThis week on DineSafe, Little Italy locals have cause for concern. Three beloved institutions on Clinton were hit with conditional passes: Bitondo's, Monarch Tavern and San Francesco Foods are all on the list.

See which other establishments got nabbed by city health inspectors.

Baguette & Co. (1643 Dupont Street)
Inspected on: March 8, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Bitondo's (11 Clinton Street)
Inspected on: March 8, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Monarch Tavern (12 Clinton Street)
Inspected on: March 8, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

San Francesco Foods (10 Clinton Street)
Inspected on: March 8, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 3, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen (141 Harbord Street)
Inspected on: March 9, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

The Battered Fish (224 Queen Street West)
Inspected on: March 9, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 1, Significant: 5, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

The Cereal Bar (199 Bay Street)
Inspected on: March 9, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

The Real Jerk (1004 Kingston Road)
Inspected on: March 9, 2016
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous foods at 60C (140F) or hotter.

Note: The above businesses each received infractions from DineSafe as originally reported on the DineSafe site. This does not imply that any of these businesses have not subsequently corrected the issue and received a passing grade by DineSafe inspectors. For the latest status for each of the mentioned businesses, including details on any subsequent inspections, please be sure to check the DineSafe site.

House of the week: 82 Wychwood Park

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82 Wychwood ParkWychwood Park is unlike any other hidden street in the city. What began as an artists colony in the early 1900s, the enclave near Bathurst St. and Davenport Rd. is home to 60 households inside the private gated community.

82 Wychwood ParkThe impressive eight bedroom at number 82 is similar to the other sprawling Arts and Crafts homes that line the street. The oval main foyer is flanked by columns, high ceilings and a spiralling wood staircase. The solarium in the back living area reveals a colourful stained glass ceiling.

82 Wychwood ParkThe unique property boasts plenty of notable features: a fireplace in almost every room, a home movie theatre, inground swimming pool and a private elevator in case you can't make it to the eighth bathroom. So what's the asking price? 82 Wychwood Park is listed for $8,980,000.

82 Wychwood ParkSPECS

82 Wychwood ParkNOTABLE FEATURES

  • Multiple fireplaces
  • Skylights
  • Solarium with stained glass ceiling
  • Balconies
  • Private elevator
  • Home movie theatre
  • Shared tennis court
  • Outdoor swimming pool

82 Wychwood ParkGOOD FOR

Living inside your own private villa. A home in Wychwood Park is like owning your own urban cottage -- an idyllic backdrop overlooking trees, a swimming pool and tennis court. One less thing to check off that bucket list.

82 Wychwood ParkMOVE ON IF

You love a modern kitchen. Built circa 1915, the property could use a facelift including much-needed renos to the dated bedrooms, washrooms and kitchen -- ok, all the rooms.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
82 Wychwood Park82 Wychwood Park82 Wychwood Park82 Wychwood Park82 Wychwood Park82 Wychwood Park82 Wychwood Park82 Wychwood Park82 Wychwood ParkIs this house worth the asking? 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.

Conrad Black sells Toronto mansion but won't be moving out

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Conrad Black mansionThe buzzed-about auction for Conrad Black's massive Toronto mansion was called off at the last minute last week after a pre-emptive bidder snagged the luxe Bridle Path-area property.

And, as the National Post reports today, Black won't be moving out of 26 Park Lane Circle any time soon. "It was sold with a leaseback and potential buy-back," said Black in a statement to the Post.

Yes, Black will continue living as a tenant in the home - and after scrolling through images of the property, it's easy to see why.


130-year-old Toronto home listed for sale for $1

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450 pape avenueToronto-area houses are notoriously expensive. But one fixer-upper in Riverdale is currently on the market for a mere $1.

Located at 450 Pape Ave., this 25,000 square foot heritage property is in desperate need of a facelift - even in the listing photos, some of its walls are in pretty bad shape. According to Metro News, the current owners had plans to turn it into a 28-unit condominium, but are now looking to sell.

Originally owned by William Harris, the property changed hands in the 1930s when the Salvation Army took it over and transformed it into a centre for single mothers.

Back in 2010, the City of Toronto wanted to turn the 25,000 square foot property into affordable housing units for artists. This plan, however, never materialized.

450 pape avenueOf course, it's likely that the home will sell in the millions rather than the $1 asking price. But as real estate agent Matthew Pringle told Metro "We're just putting it out there and seeing what potential it has. There's no point putting a certain number on it because for some people it will be overpriced and for some it will be a steal."

Toronto diner closing after half a century in business

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crowbar torontoOympos Crow-bar will serve its final round of steak on a bun, hamburgers, souvlaki and all-day breakfast this Friday. After 47 years on Princess Street, owner Jimmy is ready to close the doors for good and retire.

I visited the diner this week to find Jimmy not too keen on talking about his last week at work, saying he doesn't want his last days to be busy ones. But if you haven't visited this tiny gem of a place it's worth paying a visit before it's too late.

The restaurant still evokes the 1970's with its retro decor and only noticeable update over the years being hand-written price updates to the menu. There's a certain neighbourhood charm to the place, as the regulars talk to Jimmy like an old friend.

One of Jimmy's employees tells me that the building has been sold and while he's unsure of what will take it over, he thinks it will be torn down and replaced by a condo.

crowbar torontoShare your memories of Olympos Crow-bar in the comments.

These two TTC subway stations are not like the others

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tubular subway station torontoTwo of Toronto's subway stations aren't like the others. Both Queen's Park and St. Patrick stations are immediately recognizable for their tubular shape, which many have remarked gives them a look that's similar to the London Underground. I've often wondered why it is that these stations are shaped this way, but never really looked into it.

tubular subway station toronto The answer is in some sense straightforward, though it does shed fascinating light on the manner in which the majority of the existing subway lines were constructed in Toronto. Take a look at photos of the Yonge Line being built in the early 1950s and you'll notice that the street was ripped to shreds when construction began.

tubular subway station torontoThe vast majority of Toronto's subway system was built using what's known as the cut and cover technique, which has significant impact on above ground traffic. When it came time to build the University Line in the early 1960s, the TTC decided to lessen the construction impact by tunnelling between Museum and Osgoode stations.

tubular subway station torontoAt each end of this tunnel, the stations were built using cut and cover, but the two in the middle - Queen's Park and St. Patrick - were tunneled out at platform level. If you dig for construction photos in the Archives, you can see evidence of their circular shape before the false ceiling was installed.

tubular subway station torontoOne might have thought that the TTC would stick to the use of tunneling to build the Bloor-Danforth Line a few years later, but instead it used (mostly) cut and cover. To diminish the effect on street level traffic, most of the line runs just north of Bloor St. where construction would be less disruptive.

It's cheaper than the tunnelling method, and the major transit expansion that was underway in the 1960s had stretched the TTC to its limits (it needed provincial subsidies to complete Line 2). Even when the Yonge Line was expanded north, the TTC used a combination of cut and cover and tunneling techniques (the stations are all cut and cover).

It's actually quite easy to tell which method was used when riding the subway, though only if you can snag a front window seat,which is now impossible on the Toronto Rocket trains. This timelapse video shot before the new subways were put into service is probably one of the best examples out there. You can easily distinguish between the construction methods based on the shape of the tunnel.

What many might find surprising is that so few sections of the existing lines were built by tunnelling.

Photos by k-beer and via Toronto Archives.

Toronto investigating tolls for Gardiner and DVP

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gardiner dvp pollsToronto is serious about moving forward with tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and DVP. Just a few days ago, the city issued a request for proposals (RFP) asking for outlines of how such a system might be implemented on two of its busiest expressways.

The information the RFP solicits is quite extensive. In addition to ideas for the implementation of polls - i.e. what technology would be used and where they'd be installed - it also asks respondents to determine who should have to pay the tolls and how much they should cost. Whether or not city residents and tourists would get a break is one of the questions a firm would have to answer.

The reason for the RFP is clear. The Gardiner is in drastic need of repairs, and both highways will need a steady influx of cash to be maintained properly over the next decades. The task is to create a toll model that will raise the necessary cash without exacting too much of a burden on commuters or neighbouring routes that would have to deal with overflow traffic.

What might the tolls cost? A report to the city's executive committee last year pegged the number at $1.25-$3.25 as a flat fee or 10 to 35 cents per kilometre in a distance-based model. Heavy vehicles like transport trucks would pay more. These, however, are only preliminary numbers. There's little doubt that numerous proposals would include more segmented toll models.

What do you think? Are tolls a necessary evil on these highways?

Photo by MarkBeauchamp in the blogTO Flickr pool.

New takeout spot serves up salad and noodle bowls

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AAamazing Salad TorontoThis new Toronto takeout spot wants to make you healthy. Salads, grain and noodle bowls, wraps and soups are the star attractions here with most offerings ringing in under ten bucks.

Read my profile of AAamazing Salad in the restaurants section.

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