Hankering for freshly-baked Montreal-style bagels in Toronto? Look no further than this new bakery in Kensington Market, which touts a massive wood-burning oven (which gives these bagels their signature woody flavour and hard crust), cafe staples, and some sandwich classics that are perfect for a leisurely morning.
Read my profile of Nu Bugel in the bakeries section.
The first time I ate at Cowbell was something of a watershed moment--newly emerged from a stint of my intermittent vegetarianism, I feasted on charcuterie and gave nose to tail dining a shot, and found it delicious enough to keep me chowing down on bone marrow for a good long while. So, it's with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to Mark Cutrara's Parkdale restaurant, which closed down this past Saturday.
After six years of carnivore-appropriate dishes marked by locally-sourced ingredients and expert butchery, Cutrara posted the following message on the restaurant's door:
To my valued customers, neighbours and friends,
Over the past six years, it has been a great honour to be part of the Parkdale community. I'm proud to have served you the best of what Ontario has to offer, helping to introduce locally sourced, quality produce, and nose-to-tail dining to the city's tables. However, it is with great sadness that I must announce Cowbell has closed as of February 2.
I would like to give my sincerest thanks to all Cowbell staff past and present. It is because of them that we have earned the loyalty and appreciation of so many wonderful customers. I cherish the legacy that Cowbell leaves behind, and look forward to what they will bring to the food community of this fine city.
Cheers, and eat well,
Mark Cutrara
According to an interview with the Grid, Cowbell has apparently fallen on some hard financial times in recent months, above and beyond Toronto's tendency to forgo dinners out during the deep chill of winter. Cutrara isn't bowing out of the chef game entirely, though, saying he plans to continue his work with The Group of Seven Chefs, although he's no longer involved with the highly-anticipated Samuel J. Moore inside the Great Hall. The Grid says that Cutrara is currently reviewing new tenant applications for the space, so here's hoping he'll continue Cowbell's legacy with another hot dining spot. It's a tough playing field, guys.
Photo courtesy of Cowbell
On Saturday a Toronto Spice Girls tribute band, appropriately called Wannabe took over The Great Hall in celebration of their 1-year anniversary of being together, and a celebration of all things girl-power. After a sold out gig at The El Mocambo a year ago, the look-and-sound-alike quintet had a whole new stage show to debut, backed by their pro live band, complete with costume changes, confetti, and buff shirtless men named The Spice Boys.
As the venue started filling up, 90s pop classics blared from the Union Jack-clad speakers, and the vibe was ripe with nostalgia and 90's outfits. The crowd was made up of mostly 20-something women (former tween Spice Girls fans), and a small percentage of gay and straight men. I suspect the straight men may have caught on to the night being a good place to pick up, and one particularly rowdy group conga lined and danced their way into many throngs of girls. As every Spice Girls fan knows: If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends.
A note to those who may be scratching their heads at the very existence of this concert: If you didn't grow up a Spice Girls fan, you may just not get it. But for those of us who grew up in a teenage Spice World, we no doubt had our favourite Spice Girl and always dressed like them on Halloween growing up, making this kinda too good to be true. Especially if you missed seeing them live back in their heyday or for their reunion tour last year, this felt like the next best - and the only - thing. The only real live Spice you're gonna get these days in Toronto.
Excitement mounted as the clock stretched well past their announced start time. And then, finally...Wannabe took to the stage, amid screams and squeals louder than the group's own harmonies at times. 98% of the time they had the whole thing down flawlessly. Scary and Sporty stood out a little bit above the rest as complete dead ringers. If you were a bit further back in the crowd, head and hips swinging back and forth, singing along with them, you could've easily mistaken them for the real deal.
Wannabe did an excellent job at building up momentum throughout the show. The first set featured tracks like "Saturday Night", "2 Become 1" and "Mama". Then, another 90s pop hit dance party c/o of DJ Kung Fu Kid while the girls exited the stage and changed clothes. They returned in classic ensembles most fans would recognize as archetypal Spice Girls outfits complete with rhinestoned Union Jack bustier on Ginger, white knee high platforms on Baby and black pleather catsuit on Posh.
The second set is when things really got spicy. The hits came out one by one, but Wannabe saved the best for last. What did we want, did we really really want? WANNABE, of course!
But not before the Spice Boys (mentioned above) came out to dance alongside Ginger & the girls for a rendition of "It's Raining Men". Wannabe and Spice Up Your Life closed out the show, and the audience's teenage dream was complete. And Wannabe: Spice Girls Tribute Band seemed to have the time of their lives spicing up our lives. Girl Power!
Words & Photos by Becca Lemire
The city's compliance audit committee has unanimously recommended pursuing legal proceedings against councillor Giorgio Mammoliti after a forensic audit of his election finances found his campaign overspent by $12,065, an apparent contravention of the Municipal Elections Act.
The news comes just days after the same team of auditors found mayor Rob Ford overspent on his election campaign by $40,168.
During discussions today, the audit committee heard how Mammoliti's aborted run for mayor may have confused his election team when it came time to file paperwork. The York West representative switched his focus to a seat on council shortly after the campaign period started in 2010.
The Municipal Elections Act contains strict rules on what a candidate can spend on an election. As a citizen seeking the office of councillor, Mammoliti was restricted to $27,464.65
The overspend identified by Froese Forensic Partners equates to roughly 40 per cent of his total budget and centres on misreported spending on an American Express credit card the team used during the campaign.
Late last month Mammoliti claimed he had been followed and his telephone tapped as part of an ongoing conspiracy against him by former and current staff at city hall. So far there has been no evidence in support of that claim.
The committee's recommendation now lies with a lawyer who will decide whether to push for non-criminal charges against the councillor. If Mammoliti is found in breach of the Municipal Elections Act he could be fined or removed from office.
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Image: Giorgio Mammoliti's Facebook
Toronto events on February 5, 2013
MUSIC | The Addington County Revue
Chris Oldfield, Evan Wise and Mitch Arend are three high school friends, living in cities across the 401 who are gathering at the Horseshoe tonight for a blues and folk-infused rock n roll show. Formed out of Napanee, Ontario, the three fellows of The Addington County Revue put on an early show tonight so you can be home in time for a proper 8 hours. Promising sounds you've never heard and things you've never seen, the ACR boys are putting this one on free of charge.
Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen Street West) 8PM Free
FILM | #16yearsleft Film Festival
We already know that Toronto has a transportation problem but the #16yearsleft Film Festival plans to show you just how bad the transportation crisis really is. A festival of documentaries about climate change that highlights the inefficiency of big-city transportation systems, #16yearsleft rolls out a steady line-up of films like Keep on Rolling: The Dream of the Automobile, Spoke, Solar Taxi and Carbon Rush. Opening tonight at Creatures Collective, the films are pay-what-you-can and will include after-screening discussions and popcorn.
Creatures Collective (822 Dundas Street West) 7PM PWYC (suggested $5)
CULTURE | Lecture Series: Japanese Film: 1897 to Today
Rewinding to the beginning of motion pictures in Japan, Shinsedai Cinema Festival co-founder and director Chis MaGee runs a 7-week lecture series on the history of Japanese film. Taking place at U of T's Bahen Centre, the series will begin by covering the first 30 years of film in tonight's lecture "The Beginnings & The Silent Era: 1897 to the 1920's" and will focus on each subsequent decade in the coming weeks. Watch and learn how cinematic movements were reflected in Japanese cinema and the influence it left on Hollywood filmmaking. Passes are available at a discounted rate for all 7 lectures.
Bahen Centre (40 St. George Street, Room B025) 7PM $12 general, $9 student/senior
FILM | Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada
How far has feminism taken women in contemporary Canada? Status Quo? is a shocking investigation into the changes and regression of women's rights and the evolution of equality. Karen Cho's 2012 documentary screens as part of Cinema Politica at Hot Docs tonight with the director in attendance for a Q&A session. Violence against women, access to abortion, and universal childcare are topics that will be covered throughout the film and subsequent discussion.
Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor Street West) 6:45PM $12
ALSO WORTH A GANDER:
MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK
For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.
Photo by GBaker63 in the blogTO Flickr pool
The best crepes in Toronto are pretty much straight from France, with love. While some restaurants are known to take liberties with fillings — offering everything from fried eggplant to Philly steak with cheese — the crepe itself usually remains its thin, light, soft-but-not-too-chewy self. These crepes come sweet and savoury and made with a regular wheat batter, or buckwheat and gluten-free, are are often folded around premium ingredients that will, quite likely, save you a trip to Paris. Alright, maybe that's an exaggeration, but these are still some mighty tasty crepes.
Here is the list of the best crepes in Toronto.
See also:
The best pancakes in Toronto
The best French restaurants in Toronto
Toronto events on February 6, 2013
MUSIC | Os Tropies Release Residency
Os Tropies is a Toronto group that came together through a collective love for Tropicália, an underground Brazilian genre that began in the '60s, influenced by the psychedelic movement and other cultural forces of the time. This project's moniker and EP title ("Tropicalia!") surely leave no ambiguity when it comes to their influences, and Os Mutantes certainly tops the list. After a period as a cover band, they have revamped their game, created the recordings being launched tonight and are focusing primarily on original material going forward. Every Wednesday this month, Os Tropies will play The Piston with different musical guests and guest DJs to celebrate this release. Tonight they are joined by Samba De Gringo, Maria Bonita and others, along with DJs General Eclectic and Firecracker.
The Piston (937 Bloor Street West) 10PM $5
ART | Kinship (February Steam Whistle Art Show)
Steam Whistle's February art exhibition is called Kinship. Thirteen artists will be displaying works that incorporate this theme, exploring the various types of imagery, symbolism, and iconography we use in our culture to signify togetherness and unity, even forcing these qualities on situations where they do not exist. Various media will be incorporated into this show, and the artists include: Ross McAuley, Johann Joseph TeBrake, Amy Killoran, Gillian Blekkenhorst, Melanie Tranchemontange, Trevor Henderson, Tim Comrie, Erin Rei Ornstein, Jenn Woodall, Ron Boyd, Sarah Walterhouse, Brendan Derrig, and Mary Verhoeven. Tonight is the opening night party, and Kinship will be on display throughout this month at the gallery.
Steam Whistle Brewery (255 Bremner Blvd) 7PM
THEATRE | A FOND HUSBAND (or The Plotting Sisters)
Tonight is the opening night for the George Brown Theatre's run of their production of Thomas D'Urfey's A Fond Husband. D'Urfey was an English poet and playwright who lived in the 17th Century, and most of his works are comic and satirical. This production is directed by Blair Williams, and stars Gabriella Colavecchio, Ryan Bommarito, Merritt Crews, and Scott Farley. D'Urfey's plays are not often performed, so do consider coming out to this engagement, which runs until February 16th.
Young Centre for the Performing Arts (50 Tankhouse Lane) 7:30PM $18 (students $7)
BOOKS & LIT | Lift Out Loud
The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers (LIFT) is an organization devoted to excellence in their industry through education and access to production resources. LIFT Out Loud is a bi-monthly writing workshop devoted to the art of the screenplay. At each event, a screenplay is read with the help of a guest moderator. Tonight, two TV pilots are the focus for discussion: The Third Wheel by Toronto writer Stephanie Law, and Sol, written by Genevieve Heineman. Tonight's guest moderator is writer/director Sudz Sutherland.
The Magpie (831 Dundas Street West) 7:30PM $5
ALSO NOTEWORTHY
MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK
For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.
Photo from Os Tropies Facebook page
Frank Di Giorgio is Toronto's new budget chief. After serving on the budget committee for the duration of Rob Ford's term as mayor, Di Giorgio was handed the job by the mayor yesterday. As the city's head of finances, the York South-Weston councillor says he'll freeze property tax and trim the land transfer tax by 10%. Sound likely?
Woodbine Live - a sprawling entertainment complex and pet project of Rob Ford that was supposed to create thousands of jobs - is now officially on the scrapheap. The company working with Woodbine Racetrack to develop an 81-hectare site into a shopping and gaming destination announced it had pulled out yesterday, ending a six-year impasse. The project never broke ground. BlogTO covered the development last year.
Looks like the TTC could receive a third bid for its newsstand contract. The Commission agreed to review its decision to award a sole-sourced contract extension to the company currently operating the Gateway stores in the subway system and accept rival bids. New York News will join International News in bidding for the lease, which could go for over $50 million.
Speaking of the TTC, do you think it should be more expensive to ride to work during peak times? When Presto arrives it could provide the flexibility to create off-peak fares or fare zones. Would charging more to 9-5 commuters unfairly penalize those who rely on the system to most?
Captain John's might not be sunk yet. A Hamilton-based developer wants to tow the rusting vessel - closed last year over back taxes, rent, and insurance - and turn it into a floating waterfront casino. The finer points of the plan to save the ship aren't clear but it John Letnik, the owner, told the Star "it's better than having the ship go to the scrapyard." High praise indeed.
A report by Toronto Public Health says a casino in Toronto would be a mixed bag. According to the study due to be heard by the Board of Health, a major gaming facility would be unlikely to change Toronto's unemployment rate and could syphon off revenue from other local entertainment venues. It also warns that low-income families would contribute most of the casino's revenue. Does this back up what you thought?
Plans to turn the back campus field on at the University of Toronto into an astroturf hockey arena is taking flak from students and faculty. Under the plans, the uneven turf playing area would be torn up for an artificial surface in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games. The negative environmental impact of fake sod is at the centre of the debate.
Finally, what could be better than cold weather, rapid drinking, a track and field event rolled into one. The Toronto Beer Mile - an alcohol-fueled scamper round a running track - has all those bases covered. Here's a video introduction.
IN BRIEF:
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Image: "City In Grey" by Acid_Punk/blogTO Flickr pool.
Telephone Explosion Records celebrated its five year anniversary in December at Toronto's Hard Luck Bar. The next day's hangover paid tribute to both a worthy p-a-r-t-y and the nights' performances by Telephone Explosion bands the Soupcans, CROSSS, Young Mother, Holy Cobras, and the act who spawned Telephone Explosion: founder Jon Schouten and Steve Sidoli's band Teenanger.
Now that the headaches have faded, it's back to work for Schouten and Sidoli. The label, who have put out LPs for Ty Sygall, Actual Water, and Anagram, will soon release Montreal / Halifax psychedelic grunge band CROSSS's debut, and will continue their new cassette-only series Ataraxia, which launched in 2012 with a release by Tonstartssbandht member Andy Boay.
Sidoli tells us Ataraxia is defined as "a state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety; tranquility" and the series promises to take Telephone Explosion to whole new territory, while also linking them back to their roots in cassette culture.
Schouten and Sidoli show no sign of slowing down, so I caught up with them to pick their brains about the ins and outs of running an indie record label, Toronto's music scene, why vinyl rules, and what madness lurks behind those innocent faces.
2012 marked five years as a label for Telephone explosion - congrats! What are your fondest memories from those five years?
Jon Schouten [JS]: For me it was when I realized that Steve was the dude I wanted to do this with. I brought over some beer and proposed the idea that we partner on this label idea I had. Sometimes I forget how amazing the dynamic is between us and act like a dick. Sorry Steve.
Steve Sidoli [SS]: Wow, that was touching Jon. For me it was when the first "Lost In The Desert" LP basically sold out before we even had the records in hand. I figured we would be rolling in money very shortly. Then reality slapped me in the face. Hard.
At heart, what is Telephone Explosion's mandate? Have your priorities changed over time, or stayed the same?
JS: The mandate is to simply put out music we enjoy. We are both insanely active in terms of digging up new sounds, so naturally what we put out reflects our new / current interests.
SS: I think the basic premise has stayed the same, but we've made a conscious effort to open our doors to a wider array of bands/artists. We don't want to be viewed as a niche label anymore.
Do you have an office? What's it like there? How's the hood? We're in a snooping mood.
JS: Our office is both of our kitchen tables and a closet that the back catalogue calls home.
SS: I'm fortunate to have a day job that allows me to work from home. My office here doubles as my half of the TE headquarters. I haven't put any pictures on the walls since I moved here almost a year ago. There is a relatively large velvet painting of a dog right beside my desk. Attempting to figure out where it should hang gives me anxiety.
Some labels put out and (hopefully) promote records they dig, while others "sign" bands and do a lot of that general management type stuff for the artists. Where on this spectrum is Telephone Explosion?
JS: We're all about digging it. Over the last year we've really tried to become a little more serious and help bands with whatever we can. We both play music so we truly understand what it feels like for someone to step up and offer you some help.
SS: What Jon said (only with a strong Cajun accent.)
What are some of Telephone Explosions biggest inspirations? Artists, labels, personalities, foods...
JS: Anyone who has an idea and acts on it. Being lazy is shitty.
SS: I've found a lot of recent inspiration from the Fava Bean. It's bigger than most legumes and has a meaty texture/slightly bitter taste. Highly undervalued in western cuisine. Plus Hannibal Lecter digs it as a side dish.
You guys are both from Ottawa, right? What drew you to Toronto? Do you think you could have started Telephone Explosion in Ottawa?
JS: A very common misconception! I'm from Milton, ON.
SS: Jon and Chris Swimmings actually came up with "Telephone Explosion" as a name when they were both in Ottawa (Jon was visiting.) I'm not sure what the situation was, but I know we were sitting on steps in front of someone's apartment.
Ottawa's a nice place, but after 25+ years I needed to make a life change. It worked out for the best. The last time I was there, we tried to drink a couple of beers in Major's Hill Park. 10 minutes later, an armada of police SUV's suddenly surrounded us. They were shining crazy interceptor lights on us, and it was quite disturbing, to be honest. We got away with a warning.
What's the best thing about Toronto's current music community and music climate, and what would you like to see change this year?
JS: Oh man, this is gonna be a long one! "Just Shows" launching was huge. When Stillepost went down, Facebook events filled the show promotion gap. Nobody pays attention to those anymore, so JS has become essential.
"Feast in the East" is doing a lot to get people out of the Spadina/Bloor/Queen W/Lansdowne bubble. We basically put out the Young Mother record based on their performance at a "Feast in the East" show.
The launch of "OFFERINGS" is super cool. We needed someone to promote all the "weirder" stuff that happens in the city, especially on a physical level.
SS: I'd like to see more all-ages shows. I know it's probably not financially feasible in most situations, but it would be awesome. When I was growing up, there were a lot of punk/hardcore shows that catered to a mostly teenage audience. It ruled, for the most part.
Every once in a while there would be an experimental/avant-garde concert that was all-ages as well. I always tried to make it out to those. It helped broaden my perspective in a lot of ways. It's important to make that experience accessible to teenagers.
Tell us about your own musical projects - what are they, how long have you been playing, and why are they awesome?
JS: Teenanger and other stuff.
SS: Teenanger is basically it for me. I've played in a lot of bands over the years though. The best was "Frodo," followed by "Gay As The Day Is Long." Both of them were surprisingly earnest and serious.
Let's be cliche and talk vinyl. In a time where everyone I know is down-sizing and moving across the city, country, or world every few years, the best music is getting put out on this heavy, cumbersome format, which seems counter-intuitive to the times. I feel compelled to sell off my records every time I move. What do you think about vinyl? Why isn't there something better? Should I just stop moving so much?
JS: There will never be a format better or even as good. You've heard all the audiophiles talk about the difference in sound and how awesome it is to look at/hold a record. Right now, vinyl is really the only relevant physical music format.
People love to buy shit and you don't get that same fix with ITunes. Of course moving records sucks, but it forces you to downsize your collection to the essentials, and that's a great thing!
SS: The last time Teenanger went on tour, we spent almost every night at a different person's house, listening to music in their living rooms. The only time it wasn't on vinyl was in Raleigh, and the guy we were staying with smoked a legal version of cannabis known as "Potpourri." Enough said.
Speaking of retro formats, I'm excited about the cassette-only ATARAXIA series you have in the works - it seems like the medium will allow you to work with some really out there artists. What are your plans for the series, and what have you released so far?
JS: We've just done the Andy Boay release thus far but we have Ataraxia II: Daryl Mahoney coming up in late winter. We're taking the series very easy, just like the name suggests.
SS: I'm really going to place a lot of emphasis on art for this series. I want all the volumes to look amazing and unique.
Any advice for new bands and or labels, and anyone who wants to start one or both of those crazy things?
JS: Do it - WHY NOT!
SS: Make sure you are prepared to do a lot of work. In order to succeed, the label needs to take up a large portion of your daily life. You will get out of it what you put into it, and likely encounter some failures and disappointments along the way. Any success you do achieve will be more than enough to balance these out.
What's coming up for Telephone Explosion in 2013?
JS: CROSSS "Obsidian Spectre" LP, Ataraxia II: Daryl Mahoney (as mentioned above) and a bunch of other stuff. We're pretty hand-to-mouth, so buy our records and we'll put more out!
SS: I would like to find a nice coffee table for my living room. The one we have now is far too big, and I constantly scrape my knee against it.
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS
Favourite non-Telephone Explosion Toronto band or artist?
JS: Kraftwerk
SS: Currently a tie between S.H.I.T. and Kremlin.
Favourite place for a caffeine fix?
JS: Sam James (best dude).
SS: Brett Lawrie's personal Red Bull stash.
Most anticipated record of 2013?
JS: The new Teenanger record.
SS: Darius Rucker "Target Earth."
Best find you've ever had in a Toronto record shop?
JS: The Fall - "Slates"
SS: I once found a valid TTC metropass just outside Soundscapes. Does that count?
Value Village or Goodwill?
JS: Goodwill better people, worse merchandise
SS: Goodwill because VV has driven its prices way too high.
Person X from your fave out of town band is in TO and wants to hang RIGHT NOW. You'll meet them at:
JS: If I say my bed is that weird?
SS: Trinity Bellwoods in the spring/summer; in the fall/winter I'd take them for Pho or Ramen somewhere.
Teenanger open for Ty Segall Wednesday, February 6th at the Phoenix.
Live photos by Ivy Lovell. Telephone Explosion photo by Chris Swimmings.
The 8 Fest is one of the only festivals in the world devoted to all forms of small-gauge film, including Super 8, 8mm, 9.5, and loops, that also shows the films in their original formats.
The 8 Fest showcases the entire history of small gauge film--from contemporary artist works, to home movies, instructional loops, and more. Some of the work I've had the chance to preview felt much like I raided grandpa's closet, took a handful of psychedelic drugs, or a combination of the two. I can't recommend that you take drugs, but if you already find yourself on drugs, why not put the 8 Fest on your calendar?
Now returning to Toronto for its 6th year, the 8 Fest features 3 nights of screenings and live performances. There are 7 programmes this year, one regular 8mm workshop, and one artist's talk.
Below is an excerpt from my favourite entry, Collide-O-Scope by Naren Wilks. The experimental short about a man in a white room who replicates himself using Super 8 cameras was shot in one take, and using only one actor.
Also noteworthy is Ross McLaren's Winning (1979). The description below says it all.
"When Andy Warhol cant make it as a judge for the Impulse Magazine dance competition he sends his second in command, Interview Editor, Bob Colacello. Winning is as ironic and punk as the dance contest itself."
The other 8 Fest programmes include:
Zinger! Volume IV: More Tales from The Funnel Films by various artists.
Co-presented with Art Gallery of York University (AGYU).
Bageroooooo, six: Part 1
Films, loops, and film performances by various local and international artists. Co-presented with Trinity Square Video.
Salomé
A powerful Super 8 feature film by Mexican experimental filmmaker Teo Hernandez, which is adapted from Oscar Wilde's play. Co-presented with Pleasure Dome.
Where The Sidewalk Ends, Montreal Showcase Begins
Films and loops by various artists. Co-presented with the Images Festival.
Bang It Out: Impulse, Warhol + Ross McLaren
Films by various artists who've all been inspired or influenced by Ross McLaren.
The Design of Everyday Life: Fashions, Interiors, and Household Objects in the 20th Century
A presentation by Home Movie History Project.
Bageroooooo, six: Part 2
Films and film performances by various artists.
The festival takes place from Friday, February 8 to Sunday, February 10, 2013 at the (licensed) Workman Arts Theatre (651 Dufferin St.). Tickets are $5 per event or you can splurge on the $25 festival passes, but note that it's cash only. Full programme details for the 2013 8 Fest can be viewed online at the8fest.com.
Film still from Collide-o-Scope
Leslieville has a new yoga studio, and it boasts hardwood floors, exposed brick, and skylights--in short, everything you need for an "om" moment. The classes aim to combine a multitude of yoga poses and styles, while also borrowing from other fitness practices, so you can tone, stretch, and strengthen with ease.
Read my profile of Yogathletix in the fitness clubs section.
This Week in Fashion rounds up the week's style news, store openings and closings, pop-up shops, sales and upcoming fashion and design events in Toronto. Find it here every Wednesday morning.
NEWS
Yesterday, IMG Fashion announced the show dates for World MasterCard Fashion Week Fall 2013 in Toronto. Once again, the event will be held at David Pecaut Square and runs from March 18 until March 22. The preliminary designer lineup will be released on Monday (February 11).
EVENTS/PARTIES
This weekend, Blackbird is throwing all you lovebirds a pop-up sale to assist you with all of your Valentine's Day needs. From Friday (February 8) until Sunday (February 10), visit the Oz Studios (134 Ossington Ave) to see all of their unique trinkets in the flesh, stock up on sweets, and (hopefully) leave with a lil' something for your special someone.
The Black Box Boutique (106 Yorkville Ave, 2nd floor) is also hosting a weekend shopping event in honor of Valentine's Day - a his and hers experience happening Saturday (February 9) and Sunday (February 10). Three designers - Nayme (sterling silver name pendants), Liel and Lentz (men's jewellery), and BLAST (men's clothing) - will be present to help you impress your loved ones.
On Saturday (February 9), from 2pm until 3:30 pm, Dr. Alexandra Palmer is giving the inside scoop on how a Dior dress came to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in a seminar breaking down the design and creation of the stunning haute couture dress in the BIG exhibition. The event - which also includes the world premiere of the film Dior - is taking place at the ROM (100 Queen's Park) and is $20 at the door, or $15 for museum members.
The annual Cookies & Champagne party is back for its third year in a row, giving all "hip and urban girls and guys" a chance to network and take home a giant ziplock bag full of homemade cookies. To get in on this super fun affair, purchase a ticket for $25, bake three dozen cookies, and bring it into the Steam Whistle Brewery (255 Bremner Blvd) next Tuesday (February 12) with a card explaining the contents of your baked good. Aside from walking away with a great new selection of cookies, you'll also get a swag bag! See the event page for more details.
If you're at a loss when it comes to Valentine's Day gifting, eLuxe.ca's stylists will be offering personal shopping advice at the website's pop-up styling lounge (355 Adelaide St W), running all the way up to that special day (February 14). They'll help you choose between a leopard thong or an umbrella with dogs on it.
SALES
Students, stock up on your American Apparel favourites tomorrow (February 7), because the Queen Street location (499 Queen St W) is throwing a party of sorts to cure those school-related woes from 6 pm until 9:30 pm. In addition to 20% off purchases of $50 or more, they're giving away a free gift, hosting a live DJ, and offering complimentary beverages. All you've gotta do is show up with a valid student ID.
For the first time ever, OSC Cross is turning their showroom into an open studio, so if you're still in need of a proper winter parka, head down to 1179 King Street West unit #008 to get 15% off fall/winter 2012/2013. The open studio runs from 9 am until 7 pm tomorrow (February 7) and Friday (February 8).
If for whatever reason you need a costume this time of year, or you're looking to be really thrifty about an upcoming Halloween getup, visit Candy's Costume Shop (511 Mount Pleasant Rd) for their 50% off moving sale. Get costumes, wigs, makeup, and accessories for super cheap until next Thursday (February 28). Visit their website for business hours.
From tomorrow (February 7) until Valentine's Day (February 14), Jacflash (
1036-38 Queen Street West) is giving guys a chance to pick up a sassy pink dress for that special someone, and girls an opportunity to spoil themselves. All dresses and accessories will be 15% off both in store and online, so everyone can enjoy the season of love.
Photo courtesy of Blackbird
The Junction might just be one of the most interesting neighbourhoods in Toronto. At once a place that's undergone profound change (a.k.a. gentrification) over the last decade or so, the former character of the area, particularly north of Dundas West has yet to fade completely. The pocket of streets just north of the sprawling Heinztman Place Condo project (where the eponymous piano manufacturer took root) — Junction Road, Mulock and Cawthra avenues, Old Weston Road — retain a messy measure of industry that's all but been eradicated elsewhere.
That said, even these streets show off the steady transformation of the neighbourhood. While the northern stretch of Mulock might still feel like it's perched on the edge of the world somehow, budding businesses like Junction Craft Brewing and Posterjack already call Cawthra Avenue home.
The presence of the former of these two companies offers up a sweet bit of historical irony given that the area was Toronto's last standing booze-free zone as late as 1997. We've already delved into this anachronistic manifestation of Toronto the Good (thanks, Ben!), but given that the Indie Alehouse has also recently opened near Dundas and Keele, it's worth considering, once again, just how different a place this has become in such a short span of time.
If you go back far enough, what we refer to today as merely the Junction was known as the city of West Toronto Junction, which was also its own federal electoral district. Post-amalgamation with Toronto in 1909, the West Toronto prefix of the former moniker (very) slowly faded into disuse, though it's not entirely uncommon to hear older residents refer to the area in such a manner.
Once the site of a confluence of Native trails — Indian Road, Indian Grove, Indian Trail — the history of the area as a transportation hub has continued through the 20th century and beyond with the presence of what's sometimes referred to as the West Toronto Diamond, the junction of multiple railway lines near the neighbourhood's main intersection.
Although West Toronto was subsumed by a rapidly growing city more than a century ago, standing at the crossroads of these two streets today, it takes little imagination to picture this stretch of Dundas West as the main thoroughfare of a town unto itself. As is the case with Roncesvalles to the south, there's an unmistakable drag-like quality that has stubbornly resisted the forces of redevelopment that chug away more rapidly than ever.
PHOTOS
Dundas and Keele looking east, 1912
Weston Road Bridge, 1919
Dundas West looking north from Glenlake, 1922
Dundas West and Edna, 1922
Dundas West looking south from Jerome, 1922
Southwest corner Dundas and Pacific, 1922
Dundas looking west from Clendenan, 1923
St. Clair looking east from Mulock, 1923
Keele St. looking south from Junction Rd., 1923
Keele looking south from St. Clair, 1923
Keele south from Dundas, 1923
Riding the bus on High Park Avenue, 1925
Weston Road Bridge, 1929
Runnymede bus stop, 1929
St. Clair and Mulock, 1931
Lloyd and Mulock, 1931
Maple Leaf Bacon plant
Southeast corner Keele and Annette, 1946
Northeast corner St. Clair and Keele
79 Talbot, 1938
Symes Road Incinerator, 1934
St. Clair and Laughton (date?)
420 Quebec Ave, 1946
119-121 Annette, 1952
Dundas looking west from Indian Grove, 1932
Dundas West track work, 1923
Keele subway, 1932
FURTHER READING
Photos from the Toronto Archives
While there's a smattering of Russian and Ukrainian restaurants around Toronto, finding authentic cuisine from the tiny post-Soviet Republic of Georgia is a little more tricky. But on Sheppard Avenue, within walking distance of Downsview station, is where I recently found myself to indulge in traditional Georgian classics like pkhali, khachapuri and khinkali.
Read my review of Aragvi Restaurant in the restaurants section.
It looks like the Bellevue restaurant in Kensington has served its last meal. This popular brunch spot at the corner of Bellevue and Nassau was slapped with an eviction notice this week for non-payment of rent. This follows an extended closure for the restaurant - one that was only expected to last until the Spring.
In December the owners of the Bellevue informed their customers that the restaurant was going to expand and that they were going to be back in business by the time warm weather returned - good news because of the spot's killer street-side patio. But, alas, it doesn't look like these plans are going to come to fruition based on the turn of events this week.
We reached out to the Bellevue for comment but have not heard back. Their Twitter has not been updated since December. Here's a copy of the eviction notice:
Thanks to Matt Cahill for the tip.
This suite comes with a (four) million-dollar view. Steps away from Yorkville and...um... a 24-hour Rabba, this condo was built for art collectors and those who like to go on late-night fresh fruit runs. While the maintenance fees alone will cost you over $3,000 per month, the skyline views from your two private terraces are surely worth a few bucks, right? While this unit is, sadly, just a smidgen over my price range, I will take that antique dentist's chair and/or the map of Canada shelf. I was never one for excessive natural light and premium finishes anyway.
SPECS:
Address: 1 St Thomas St, #22B
Price: $4,195,000
Size: 3,600 s.f.
Bedrooms: 2 +1
Bathrooms:3
Parking Spaces: 2
Locker: 1
Heated Terraces: 2
Exposure: S/W/N
Monthly Maintenance: $3,271.79
Taxes: $33,308.05
Building Amenities: Gym, party room, indoor pool, car wash, guest suites, concierge
NOTABLE FEATURES:
GOOD FOR:
Showing off your personal art collection, storing large musical instruments, nude tanning in the summertime. Good for people with oversized furniture, and décor that goes with walnut. Also good for downsizers who only need a cozy 3,600 square feet.
MOVE ON IF:
You're afraid of heights. You like to be able to move around your shelving. You can't properly define "rotunda."
Additional photos:
If you had the dough, would you buy this home? Let us know where you stand in the comments below.
Union Station's arching SkyWalk, that most photogenic of Toronto's urban landmarks, could be on the chopping block if the city's preservation board adopts a report recommending its demolition at next week's meeting.
Revised construction plans for the downtown terminus of Metrolinx's Union-Pearson Express (formerly the Air-Rail Link) call for the removal of a large part of the curved glass arcade parallel to Station Street by summer at the latest. A small remaining section closer to to Simcoe Street will later be gobbled up by the podium for a separate office tower project.
Finished in 1989, the SkyWalk was built to connect Union Station with the SkyDome and reduce the need for additional parking spaces near the ballpark by providing a direct link to TTC and GO trains. The post-modern curved metal and glass structure was the first major construction project in the railway lands after the CN Tower.
If the station is built to the new, revised plan the route itself from Union to the ballpark and convention centre, which forms part of the PATH network, will be retained inside the a new, square-roofed structure. The bridge crossing the railway tracks will be unaffected.
According to digital designs released with the report, Station Street, named for its former location in front of Old Union Station, will be closed off at one end and turned into an pedestrian plaza when the tower project begins.
The SkyWalk itself forms part of the Union Station Heritage Conservation District. Though the city says in a report it would have preferred to keep the existing arcade, it cites "construction scheduling and programmatic requirements" as the reason for the design shift, suggesting pressures of Metrolinx's pledge to complete the project in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games are at play.
Allison Meistrich, a city of Toronto planner, insists that's not the case. "It is our understanding that the ARL station fit better (fewer grade changes, etc.) in a reconstructed SkyWalk connection. The ARL is to be running in time for the Pan Am Games and those timing issues will affect the project phasing, construction, etc., but is not a factor in the design change regarding the SkyWalk."
A 2007 report recommended demolishing only the west end of the SkyWalk and keeping the section closest to Union intact. Text on the Union-Pearson Express website describes the new station sitting within the existing structure but that design has since been altered.
The report, if adopted, will have to clear city council before demolition can proceed.
What are your thoughts? Is the SkyWalk a fair price to pay for a decent rail link to the airport or should Metrolinx have found a way to stick to its existing plans?
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Images: "The Skywalk at Night" by Ben Roffelsen/blogTO Flickr pool and City of Toronto.
Back in December 2011, I asked whether or not the TTC is priciest transit system in North America. The answer at that time was "yes," at least amongst big-city, single-fare, bus-and-rail systems.
Since then, the lagging impact of the Long Recession has caught up with many US public transit systems, slamming them with large fare increases and service reductions. While generously funded compared to the TTC, many of these systems rely much more directly on sales, property and payroll tax revenue for these extra funds and their operating budgets are therefore much more sensitive to shortfalls during economic downturns. (Capital projects are another story, with billions in federal funding that Canadian cities can only drool at).
As a result of the economy, and despite solid ridership, cities such as Dallas, Chicago and Boston saw fare increases from 15% to 23% while other cities struggled with threats of massive service cuts. In other words, 2012 was not kind to many transit systems.
So where does that leave the TTC compared to its peers as we enter 2013? With its more stable economy, Toronto was spared some of the funding crises that hit US cities (Rob Ford histrionics notwithstanding), although soaring transit use is putting increasing pressure on the system. And of course the TTC did see a fare increase kick in on January 1st, pushing the monthly Metropass up to $126. How does the comparison shake out?
The short and unfortunate answer is that while the gap has narrowed some, Toronto has defended its title and remains the Most Expensive City for Transit in North America (see fine print below).
While many transit systems have raised cash and multiple-trip fares, the TTC remains in the top tier for base fares. Senior fares are much more expensive in Toronto than all other cities except Ottawa, which offers a low cost monthly senior's pass (and free Wedesdays!) to compensate. Except for a pilot program on the St. Clair streetcar, the TTC has no two-direction transfers or reduced fare zone for those who only take short trips, harsh treatment in a city teeming with downtown residents.
Most damaging, the TTC has by far the most expensive monthly pass, one that requires a stunning 48 trips to pay for itself. This equates to having to commute all 22 work days in a month, plus twice on the weekends, while never taking vacation or being sick. No other city has such a high index. Even New York, where levels of car ownership are low and a certain amount of non-work-related transit use can be expected, has a lower Trip Index (47).
Something is clearly wrong about the price of public transit in Toronto. The reasons are well known, and the problems are only likely to get worse. (See: Metrolinx, Presto, Ford, no Ford, Big Move, etc.). What will it take to bring the cost of riding the TTC more in line with the rest of the continent? Can anything be done to keep the Red Rocket from becoming the Red Ripoff? For the health of the city, let's hope so.
COMPARATIVE FARE CHART
THE FINE PRINT (i.e. stop reading if you're already convinced)
Guest contribution from Larry Green / Photo by ~EvidencE~
