Toronto's Bunz Helping Zone stays true to its name. It lets Torontonians solicit advice on a slew of issues, both mundane and serious - the latter of which usually attracts lots of attention from fellow members. That was the case this weekend when one woman posted about her experience at a local bar.

On Friday evening, one community member recounted a recent night out at Dundas and Ossington bar The Painted Lady. In her post, she claims she witnessed two men slipping pills into drinks intended for her and her friend. She felt the bar handled the serious situation inadequately and sought out guidance online.

In the wake of her post negative reviews started popping up on The Painted Lady's Facebook page. The establishment began responding with this statement:

After this surfaced, the negative reviews continued to roll in with individuals accusing the bar of victim-blaming and perpetuating rape culture.

Later, The Painted Lady took to Twitter to release another statement.

When reached for comment yesterday, owner Nicky Potter acknowledged her original response was rushed and insufficient. She says she and her team want to make sure The Painted Lady is a safe space for all people at all times.

"We will be meeting with local police force on Monday morning to discuss the situation and learn about police protocols for these situations," she says in a statement.

"We will also be calling an all-staff meeting to ensure that our bartenders, security and any other staff have current training on how to deal with any situations around sexual assault or attempted sexual assault."

As this social media maelstrom starts to blow over, it points to a bigger issue that's been plaguing Toronto's bars and nightclubs for years. And it's one that must be dealt with on an industry-wide scale so that all party-goers can have fun without fear.

Where do you find yourself stuck in traffic? Probably everywhere, considering we live in Toronto. But today, Mayor John Tory announced the second phase of his plan to help curb congestion.

The city determined 10 congestion "hot spots" and aims to implement strategies - such as retiming traffic signals for peak periods - at these intersections. So where exactly are the 10 busiest intersections in Toronto? They're scattered all around the city.

• Eglinton Avenue West and Martin Grove Road
• Lawrence Avenue West and Black Creek Drive
• St. Clair Avenue East and Mount Pleasant Avenue
• Finch Avenue and Yonge Street
• Sheppard Avenue and Yonge Street
• Bloor Street East and Parliament Avenue
• O'Connor Drive and Don Mills Road
• Eastern Avenue and Carlaw Avenue
• Finch Avenue East and Victoria Park Avenue
• Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East

The city used a third party service to measure traffic at peak times against so-called free-flow conditions and came up with these rankings. Here's what's happening at each intersection - most of these improvements looks like they'll be complete some time next year.

Photo by Michael Gil via the blogTO Flickr pool.

The CN Tower might be one of our country's top tourist attractions, attracting more than 1.5 million visitors a year, but that doesn't mean there's not room for improvement. As any local will tell you, ascending what was once the world's tallest freestanding structure can be exhilarating but it can also test your patience.

Here are the worst things about visiting the CN Tower in Toronto.

The ticket prices
Visiting the CN Tower doesn't come cheap with adult prices clocking in at $35 and kids costing $25. What's worse is there are no discounts for families meaning a family of four will have to pony up more than $125. And this doesn't even include access to the SkyPod which will set you back an additional $12 person.

The online ticketing process
The CN Tower's web site will sell you tickets but only at a meager discount - and it won't really save you time. While you can avoid the ticket lines (which generally move rather quickly) you'll instead need to line up at Guest Services which might actually take longer. Also, online tickets must be purchased 24 hours in advance but you can now buy same-day tickets on your phone on-site.

The lineups
On busy weekend afternoons waiting times to enter the CN Tower can take well in excess of an hour, and this doesn't even include the separate security lineup where you get scanned for explosives. Lineups are admittedly a fact of life but what would be helpful is if the CN Tower found a way to display current waiting times at the entrance and on their web site.

The obnoxious photo up-sells
If the lineups aren't frustrating enough, staff make you pass through a green screen on your way to the elevators where you're forced to decline getting your photo taken because who really wants to buy a photoshopped portrait of themselves hanging off the CN Tower?

The missing glass floors in the elevators
The CN Tower has six amazing high speed elevators that take you to the LookOut Level in 58 seconds. But did you know only some of these have glass floors? You're likely to be a bit miffed after your long wait if you get one that doesn't provide half the view.

The crowds
Once you've braved the lineup and ascended the tower you'll need to fight for a spot on the always popular glass floor or gently wedge yourself in to get a prime view.

The lack of a clear view
Safety is paramount when it comes to the CN Tower so the fact that the views out the windows are slightly obstructed should come with the territory. But how about those days when it's foggy out or visibility is limited? Discounted tickets for bad weather days don't seem like such a bad idea.

The viewing machines
It's nice that the CN Tower has a handful of hi-spy viewing machines but it would be even better if they worked well or didn't require a toonie to use. Updating them to more modern technology including a way to tap and pay with a credit card should be on the to-do list.

The food
Even though the CN Tower opens at 9 a.m. the restaurant doesn't open until two hours later. In this brunch-crazed city they're missing out on what could be the world's best breakfast with a view. Also, what's with the uninspired offerings at their cafe?

There's not that much to do
Assuming you don't pony up for the SkyPod, eat at the 360 Restaurant or risk your life on the EdgeWalk, you're going to wonder how you can possibly spend more time in the tower than you spent waiting in line to go up it. It also doesn't help that they got rid of the screening rooms that used to be on the ground floor.

What's missing from the list? Add more suggested improvements to the comments.

Photo by Gregory Thiel in the blogTO Flickr pool.

The best Japanese restaurants in Toronto will satisfy your cravings for more than just sushi. In addition to raw fish, expect to find grilled yakitori, soothing bowls of ramen, crispy kaarage, oden and more on these menus.

Here are the best Japanese restaurants in Toronto.

The most recognizable feature of Toronto's skyline isn't a matter of debate. The CN Tower is both our most famous building and a navigational beacon that even longtime residents rely on to get their bearings on occasion. Take away this soaring landmark, and the city no longer looks like Toronto at all.

That's why it's so strange to look at images of certain Tehran's skyline. If you squint your eyes, it can seem startlingly like Toronto thanks to the cranes that seem to continually cover the sky and the presence of the Milad Tower, a slightly shorter communications beacon that shares a number of traits with our local version.

Kuala Lumpur also has a structure that resembles the CN Tower, but it shares the skyline with the brighter Petronas Twin Towers, which diminishes the centrality of the the KL Tower. Other major observation/communications towers in cities like Seattle don't really resemble the CN Tower in the first place.

Tehran's tower is just over 100 metres shorter than our central landmark, but the resemblance is heightened by the disc on its top section, which is located around the same area where the Skypod is on the CN Tower. As a distant silhouette, the two structures are eerily similar (even if that can't be said when they're examined up close).

How similar are the shapes of these two towers? Enough that that the CN Tower appears on transfers for Tehran's subway system, as someone on Reddit pointed out recently. That's definitely Toronto's skyline depicted there, as you can see the outline of First Canadian Place and Brookfield Place as well.

There is, however, a major point at which the comparison breaks down. When looking at Tehran's skyline from the south and from a position of elevation, the backdrop of the city is the stunning Alborz Mountain range, which eliminates any possible Toronto confusion -- well, except for the folks at the Tehran Metro.

Photos by Sina and @sh_majnoon.

If you're looking for some inspiration for your Thanksgiving tablescape or Halloween decorations, you might turn to Martha Stewart. Now you can meet this lifestyle guru in real life when she visits Hudson's Bay at the Eaton Centre next Tuesday.

She'll be at The Bay to celebrate the launch of Martha Stewart bedding. And as we inch closer to this momentous occasion, we can look back on the last time Martha was in town.

Back in 2013, Stewart visited our fair city and dined at Edulis. While she enjoyed her seasonal meal, she indulged in a little bit of food photography and posted photos of her onion soup, white truffle pasta and squid on Twitter.

Third course at edulis. Portuguese squid grilled on a plancha with bacon grapes onions. Delicious pic.twitter.com/bv7is17x1R

— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) October 25, 2013

Naturally, her followers weren't impressed with her photography skills and a social media uproar of sorts ensued.

Wonder where she'll eat and tweet this time. We asked our Twitter followers and a choice suggestion ensued.

@blogTO Nowhere! Stop promoting ex cons. You should be ashamed of yourself!!!

— Jason Cron (@Jasoncron77) September 26, 2016

What would you recommend? Let us know in the comments.

Photo via Martha Stewart on Facebook.

Shomi, the streaming platform launched by Rogers and Shaw, will shut down on November 30, throwing in the towel in its battle with the American-based Netflix. The service, which was launched nearly two years ago, never managed to draw the type of market share it needed to compete with its US counterpart.

"The business climate and online video marketplace have changed markedly in the last few years. Combined with the fact that the business is more challenging to operate than we expected, we've decided to wind down our operations," said David Asch, Senior Vice President and GM of Shomi in a press release.

So Shomi is done.. Doesn't surprise me at all... spent 3 days trying to get set up.... Gave up and well... #Netflix in 5 minutes! #EndGame

— Nick Quinn (@nmq95) September 26, 2016

The companies have bled a lot of money in carrying the under-viewed service. Rogers will take a loss of $140 million in its third quarter related to the cost of Shomi and its subsequent retirement.

Glad Rogers bailed on Shomi instead of continuing to hemorrhage money. It was a good attempt, but overall a terrible investment.

— Paul (@minor_glitch) September 26, 2016

"We tried something new, and customers who used Shomi loved it. It's like a great cult favourite with a fantastic core audience that unfortunately just isn't big enough to be renewed for another season," said Melani Griffith, Senior Vice President of Content for Rogers.

It's too bad that CraveTV isn't the one shutting its doors. Shomi was a better service

— wankershim (@10velociraptors) September 26, 2016

Bell's streaming service craveTV will continue as a Canadian alternative to Netflix, though market competition is extremely high. The global streaming market is massive, but it's monopolized by a small group of American companies including Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

UPDATE: The original title of this article has been changed to reflect feedback from Aaron Lazarus, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Rogers. Lazarus kindly wrote us to explain the nuance missing in our original headline as follows:

I am writing to request a change to your headline re shomi as the current one is false. Rogers did not shut down shomi. The streaming service is a joint venture of two equal partners, Shaw and Rogers. The service itself announced the wind down in a news release issued at 4:15 this afternoon.

To say it was shut down "because of Netflix" is also not supported by any factual evidence. It would be fair to say there was a challenging business climate, or that there were not enough subscribers to sustain but neither shomi nor Shaw nor Rogers have ever said the wind down is attributable to Netflix.

Will you miss Shomi? Let us know in the comments.

Today in Toronto you can learn what's really going on with Honest Ed's and the Mirvish Village development. What was the plan? What's going on now? There's also a couple of cool film screenings and the return of Jordan Tannahill's acclaimed play Concord Floral.

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

• Designing the movies: Heathers (Revue Cinema)
• Free Bollywood dance class (Sony Centre)
• The Honest Ed's Redevelopment Back Story (Green Beanery)
• Music On Film: 32 Short Films about Glenn Gould (Hot Docs Cinema)
• Tuesday talks with strangers (The Ossington)
• Concord Floral (Bluma Appel Theatre)
• Buzzing Lights book launch (Bar Neon)

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

Photo of Honest Ed's by Rashomon in the blogTO Flickr pool.

If you want to chow down on only the finest things that the herbivore life has to offer, you have to check out this new plant-based restaurant. Try one of these "18 Carrot Dogs" and see for yourself if they really measure up to your champagne tastes. Or hey, you know, do it for the planet. Whatever works for you.

Read my profile of Planta in the restaurants section.

This house at 781 Craven Rd. might feature the most minimalist design in all of Toronto. On the market at $699,000, the so-called Mini House was designed by architect Andrew Reeves of LineBox Studios who took a tiny plot of land on one of Toronto's most interesting streets and created something unique.

It won't be to everyone's taste, but the ultra contemporary design is radical in its simplicity. Some would call it stark, but the light-filled space is designed to be free-flowing and well connected to Zen garden at the back. Meanwhile, the wood stove adds considerable warmth -- both thermal and aesthetic -- in the fall and winter.

Prior to the construction of Mini House, the building at 781 Craven Rd. was a shack-like drug lab (or so claims Linebox Studios). The current structure dates back to 2011 when it was built to suit the tastes of a client with near disdain for ornamentation. It will have to attract someone with a similar sensibility now.

When thinking of this 566 square foot house, it's useful to view it as a condo alternative. Its minimalism, for instance, doesn't seem quite so harsh when compared to the many modern loft spaces. In fact, the intuitive design of the fold-up kitchen and loft bedroom, make this space considerably more airy, and the garden is far nicer than a balcony

SPECS

• Address: 781 Craven Road
• Price: $699,000
• Lot Size: 16.37 x 73 feet
• Bedrooms: 1
• Bathrooms: 1
• Parking: Street only
• Taxes: $2,607.42
• Walk Score: 89
• Listing agent: Chestnut Park
• Listing ID: E3607729

NOTABLE FEATURES

• 22 foot ceilings
• Floor heating
• Wood burning stove
• Japanese Zen garden

GOOD FOR

One or two people who love good design but hate ornamentation. This is a house to take pride in, but only if the architectural vision matches your taste. You must be willing to sleep on a Murphy bed in an open loft space.

MOVE ON IF

You need more space (duh). This micro home will appeal to a limited clientele, one who likely doesn't drive, is kid-free, and doesn't own any stuff. If you're looking to radically downsize your life, this could be your dream space.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
What do you think of Mini House? Let us know 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.

If you've been to Nathan Phillips Square over the past couple of days, you may have noticed a giant white ball sitting in front of city hall.

And no, it's not an homage to the Blue Jays. Instead it's part of a Nuit Blanche exhibition created by Director X - he directed Hotline Bling, along with a slew of other popular music videos.

The installation is called Death of the Sun and it'll open at around sunset on Saturday, October 1.

According to the Nuit Blanche website, it's an "immersive experience where the observer will witness a massive sculpture of the sun as it progresses through its life cycle. A deeply personal and highly evocative meditation on human mortality and people's individual place in the universe, this installation portrays the death of the star that sustains this planet."

Director X's project is part of the OBLIVION zone (located in Nathan Phillips Square and City Hall) curated by curated by Janine Marchessault and Michael Prokopow. The other Nuit Blanche installations will be scattered around the city, so you'll have to go seek them out this Saturday night.

Have you spotted this giant white ball? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by @ninjahmal.

The first Toronto Uniqlo opens this Friday, September 30. After teasing its arrival for about two years, we finally got to look inside the new Eaton Centre store and browse through its colourful and affordable basics.

Read my profile of the first Toronto Uniqlo in the fashion section.

The World Cup of Hockey finals starts tonight. This best-of-three series between Team Canada and Europe will probably be a nail-biter, and if you don't have tickets at the ACC, you can still get in on all the action.

Simply head to Maple Leaf Square for a free viewing party. The puck drops at 8 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 27) and the series continues on Sept. 29, and if necessary, on Oct. 1.

If team Canada does well, we can only imagine what the celebrations will be like. And since we're expecting some wet weather over the next few days, you may want to pack an umbrella before heading out - though a little rain will never dampen a Canadian hockey fan's spirit.

Photo by Sue Holland via the blogTO Flickr pool.

Rogers is getting into the condo game -- in a major way. Plans for a 10 tower Mississauga condo complex were revealed today for a swath of land that Ted Rogers purchased in the 1960s with the intention of building a radio transmitter there. Now it will serve as the site of the first project for Rogers Real Estate Development Limited.

To call this an ambitious start would be an understatement. According to the Toronto Star, the plot of land under development is 15 acres and the initial costs are pegged at $1.5 billion. It will also add two acres of public green space to the city of Mississauga.

This is the second massive redevelopment plan announced for Mississauga in the last few days. On Saturday, officials launched construction of a 64 acre park as part of sprawling project to transform the city's waterfront.

The Rogers development has been dubbed M City, and initial plans indicate that the developer is aiming for more than run of the mill glass towers. Architecture and design firm Cooper Robertson has dreamed up a vertical neighbourhood with buildings that mostly show off bold designs.

The venture has the clear support of Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie who characterized the project as "bold" and "exciting." It will add 6,000 residential units to Mississauga's rapidly growing downtown as well as commercial space in the podiums of the towers.

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

Toronto is once again under siege by swarms of insects looking to mate before they perish later this fall. Those who live near that water will find the clouds of these chironomids (a.k.a. midges) particularly thick and bothersome, though they can also be found in other areas.

The city typically experiences two of these midge attacks a year, though the number can be as high as four. So far, the concentration hasn't been as bad as last year, but it's also earlier that they've been spotted.

There was a huge collection of these suckers buzzing around in the early morning sunlight outside my window this morning, which is about four kilometres north of the lakeshore. People living in lake-facing condos have it much worse, as they've unwittingly bought front row seats to this massive mating ritual.

The tiny insects don't bite like mosquitos, but based on their small size, they tend to be able to infiltrate areas other bugs are kept out of. And because they fly in such close proximity to one another, leaving a window or door open for even a few minutes can result in your light fixtures being covered by the creatures.

The appearance of the midges is typically short-lived but it would appear it's on the upswing right now and will get worse before it gets better. Your best bet to avoid inviting them into your apartment/condo is to leave a light source on the balcony, which will draw them there rather than inside.

Oh, and failing that, make sure to keep your mouth shut.

Have you encountered the midges yet? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by D O'Quinn photo in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Yorkville is already pretty fancy, but the neighbourhood near Yonge and Bloor is about to get even swankier. That's because Greybrook Realty Partners Inc. and First Capital Realty are getting ready to demolish the existing building at 101 Yorkville Ave., to make way for a new 35,000 square foot space, as Retail Insider reports today.

"The redevelopment project will be tailored to meet leading international luxury tenants' demanding requirements," said CEO of Greybrook Realty Partners Peter Politis in a news release.

As Retail Insider notes, Yorkville Avenue is slowly getting an influx of high-end retailers, including Christian Louboutin. Chanel is slated to move in to 98 Yorkville Ave.

Popular denim destination Over the Rainbow is currently located at 101 Yorkville Ave. It's still unclear what's going to happen with this longstanding store.

Thrifters and vintage clothing lovers, you're in luck. That's because you'll be able to find all sorts of treasures at the massive Toronto Vintage Clothing Show happening this weekend at The Heritage Court inside the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place.

The show's on Oct. 1 and 2 and it'll cost you $10 at the door (it's cash only) to get in. Once inside, you'll be able to browse through racks on racks of vintage goods, including designer items.

There will be more than 80 vendors on site, and you should probably keep an eye out for Gadabout, a local store that recently acquired a ton of pieces from the 1800s and early 1900s. These items might be pricey, but you can always window shop.

The Toronto Antique and Vintage Market is happening simultaneously, so you'll be able to grab some fun tchotchkes for your house too.

Photo by Jesse Milns.

There are huge changes in store for the Junction Triangle, but an announcement today that the long vacant lot on Lansdowne Avenue between Bloor and Wallace has been finally been freed up for redevelopment might be the most significant.

The four acre site was the subject of a long dispute between the TTC and General Electric over TCE (trichloroethene) contamination. Vacant since 1997, now that the two parties have settled, the gaping hole in the neighbourhood can finally be reanimated. Anyone who's passed by here in the last nine years will know what a big deal this is.

Perhaps even bigger news for the city as a whole is that the site has been earmarked for affordable housing via the Open Door Program. "I'd like to have a Request for Proposal (RFP) out by the end of the year, beginning of next year," local councillor Ana Bailao said during a press conference this morning. "I think it'll move quite fast."

In other words, there's a long way to go until we see new residential housing here, but the crucial thing is that the gears are finally in motion.

Photo by Brian Cameron in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Can you imagine if you had to get a license for your bike? The idea's not so far-fetched - apparently Toronto had made people license their bikes from 1935 until 1957. But don't worry Toronto cyclists, you won't have to get a license to keep cycling around the city any time soon.

That's because the public works and infrastructure committee voted (four to one) to defer this issue indefinitely at a meeting earlier today.

Ward 3 Councillor Stephen Holyday put forward a motion related to bicycle licensing back in July but the ideahas been aroundfor a while.

Such a license would have applied only to adult riders and would help generate funds for bike-related infrastructure while also collecting data on riders and promoting health and safety.

Toronto previously looked into bike licenses in 1984, 1992 and 1996.

Photo by uncomman via the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto there's a myriad of terrific musical experiences on offer. There's Chance the Rapper's second show at Echo Beach (the first one sold out in hours), Ziggy Marley at the Danforth Music Hall and buzz boy How To Dress Well at the Mod Club. There are some great non-musical offerings today as well, but these shows are marquee.

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

• Change the Rapper (Echo Beach)
• Ziggy Marley (Danforth Music Hall)
• How to Dress Well (Mod Club)
• Forms Festival (The Great Hall)
• Eating Insects Tasting Series III (Cookie Martinez)
• Hudson Alexander x Pucci x Pete Campbell (Night Shift)
• Naomi Klein - This Changes Everything talk (Humber College)
• Phantoms of the Organ (Metropolitan United Church)
• Rue Morgue & Unstable Ground present: Little Terrors (Carlton Cinema)
• Free talk - Cuban Artist Alexandre Arrechea (OCAD U)
• reVision: Juried Group Exhibition (Propeller Gallery)
• Secret Society Sessions - Temple Bodies (Pacific Junction Hotel)

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

Image of the Forms Festival from their Facebook page.