One-hit wonders from Toronto share in the age-old tragic tradition in which a glorious rise to the top of the charts gives way to a whimper-filled fall from grace and the public eye in general. Lucky for us, these hits are so conducive to nostalgia that they'll never really fade away — even as their creators have slipped into oblivion. Obviously there's a certain subjectivity to any list like this (there are, after all, more than 10 local bands who've suffered this Roman candle-like trajectory), so please add your nominations to the comments section.

Here are the top 10 one hit wonders from Toronto.

10. Boys Brigade - "Melody"
OK, OK I admit it — if this song wasn't my namesake, I likely wouldn't have included it on this list. It rarely gets radio play and is arguably one of the worst songs ever written, but it occupies a very special place in my heart. The Boys Brigade was a new wave band in the 80s who enlisted the help of Rush's Geddy Lee in the production of the album on which "Melody" appeared. The song was a top 40 hit in Canada before it stole the band's staying power and the Boys Brigade danced away into obscurity. (Note: this band is not to be confused with the Boys' Brigade, the Christian Youth organization that outranks the band according to Google's search results.)

9. Platinum Blonde - "Crying Over You"
So let's start the debates in the comments section with Platinum Blonde's "Crying Over You." Let me first point out that I am in my mid 20s, so to those of you who, like my dad, believe Platinum Blonde has more than a handful of hit songs and should not be included on this list I say, "sorry, you're wrong." Why? Listen to the radio today — if you're going to hear a song by Platinum Blonde, it's going to be "Crying Over You." "Not In Love," on the other hand, is (now) a song by Crystal Castles. Sorry, Dad.

8. The Pursuit of Happiness - "I'm An Adult Now"
So this band is technically from Edmonton but they didn't take off until they moved to Toronto, so they count, OK? Plus, this song is pure gold: "I can sleep in till noon anytime that I want / Though there's not many days that I do / Gotta get up and take on that world / When you're an adult, it's no cliche, it's the truth." In fact, the song was so good it made it to Canadian charts twice: once in 1986 as an independent single, and again in 1989, after the band signed with Chrysalis Records. Although The Pursuit of Happiness never disbanded, they've never again had a hit like "I'm An Adult Now." Most recently, they released a Greatest Hits album. And yes, it included both releases of "I'm An Adult Now."

7. Toronto - "Your Daddy Don't Know"
A Toronto-based band called Toronto? That's cool. The band hit their musical peak in the early 80s with "Your Daddy Don't Know" — a song that was covered by another Canadian band, the New Pornographers, in 2002. The 1982 song was among the top 5 hits on Canadian charts and reached number 77 in the U.S. The band was basically forced to break up in 1985 when their record label Solid Gold Records filed for bankruptcy protection. Solid gold it was not.

6. Love Inc. - "You're A Superstar"
Yes, Love Inc. had a pretty major hit with their first single "Broken Bones" but they reached the highly coveted international one-hit wonder status with "You're A Superstar," which they released in 1998. The song was the band's only hit in the United States and let's face it, a song isn't really a hit unless Americans hear it, right? The Eurodance tune proved that you are indeed a superstar...until you're not. After releasing a few lesser-known songs, the band officially broke up in 2000. Most recently, band member Simone Denny provided vocals for the theme song from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

5. Choclair - "Let's Ride"
Canadian hip hop pioneer Choclair has had more than one hit but I'm sure a simple word association test would result in the pairing of "Choclair" and "Let's Ride." Released in 1995 and produced by Kardinal Offishall, the song earned worldwide respect. Choclair's latest album, Flagship, was released in 2006 but aside from the occasional appearance on Flow 93.5, his music has entered into obscurity.

4. jackSOUL - "Can't Stop"
jackSOUL was an R&B group that peaked in the mid to late 90s with their hit "Can't Stop." The cheery lyrics and dance-friendly beat nearly nabbed a Juno but ultimately lost out to Canadian music princess Nelly Furtado's "I'm Like a Bird." Hindsight being 20/20, I think "Can't Stop" was robbed. jackSOUL's fate was troubled, to say the least: after a car accident in 2007 that left him in a coma for weeks, lead singer Haydain Neale made a full recovery. But two years later, in November 2009, he died of lung cancer, just prior to the release of their final album SOULmate.

3. Alannah Myles - "Black Velvet"
On top of inspiring early 90s Canadian fashion, Alannah Myles and her hit "Black Velvet" basically sum up the whole period in pop music. With big hair, tight leather vests, and strong rock ballad vocals, Myles belted out an ode to the King of Rock himself, Elvis Presley (black velvet is a reference to Elvis's hair). The song won a Grammy in 1990 for best female rock vocal performance and topped the U.S. Billboard Top 40 chart for two weeks. Alannah Myles' last album was 2008's, ahem, Black Velvet, which featured an updated version of the classic hit. She continues to tour and will be performing in Hamilton in May.

2. Snow - "Informer"
Can you believe Snow's "Informer" is over 20 years old? Released in 1992, just before Snow spent a year in prison on assault charges, the song spent seven consecutive weeks on the U.S. Billboard Top 40 chart. The album on which it appeared, 12 Inches of Snow, sold over 8 million copies worldwide and "Informer" has been recorded twice in the Guinness Book of World Records as the top-selling reggae single in America. The song was also included on VH1's list of 100 greatest songs of the 90s. Much like those white flakes that fall from the sky, Snow melted and fell off the map (in North America, that is — he was actually pretty big in Japan for a while.)

1. Len - "Steal My Sunshine"
Although Snow offered some pretty steep competition for top spot, the deal breaker comes in the form of Len's Wikipedia page. Quite literally, the page consists of two sentences, including this rather apt knowledge bomb: "They are best known as a one-hit wonder for their 1999 song 'Steal My Sunshine'." Even The Boys Brigade have a longer wikiography! In all seriousness, the music video for "Steal My Sunshine" won the Much Music Video Award. Featuring a Toronto summertime beach scene found only in dreams — also known as Florida — the video, like the song, was made up of sunshine and happiness (although the lyrics, if you can make sense of them, might be a bit sombre).

In October 2012, Len released "It's My Neighbourhood" — with a video set in real-life Toronto — that kind of sounds like Annie's and Jay Z's "Hard Knock Life." Could it be the band is making a comeback? I doubt it. But they did make the #1 spot on this list, which is something....

Got a one-hit wonder to suggest? Let us know in the comments.

If you're not on Instagram, it's quite possible that you don't actually exist. If you can get over the profound Western bias and socioeconomic privilege inherent in that statement, you'll understand that my point is directed towards our contemporary desire to archive everything. Had a pretty-looking salad for lunch? Shoot it. Bought some new sunglasses? Time for a selfie! Have kids? Better make sure to capture every funny face they make.

But what about art? While not everyone's a believer, if you spend enough time on Instagram, you'll notice some absolutely fabulous photographs. While you couldn't blow them up and exhibit them beside Edward Burtynsky's large format work, it'd be tough to argue that some of them don't deserve the gallery treatment. Chalk it up to the infinite monkey theorem, if you will.

Though surely not the first exhibit of its kind, INSTAGRATIFICATION is an upcoming show at Goodfellas Gallery that should attract the interest of the city's most committed Instagramers. Held in conjunction with the CONTACT Photography Festival, the exhibition will feature a whopping 500 12" x 12" photographs all sourced from, you guessed it, smartphones.

If nothing else, the show should provide an intriguing glimpse into our archival impulses and just what quality of images can now be created with in-phone cameras. Would-be participants have until April 22 to register. The cost is $60, which covers the wood panel-mounted print, entry in the show, and the opportunity to sell one's work for $120. The image voted best of the bunch will be awarded a $1000 prize courtesy of the gallery and Hello Foto.

More details can be found on the exhibition's dedicated website.

While not a place to look for pampering, this east end CrossFit facility recently relocated from a smaller space off the Danforth near Victoria Park. Here you'll find serious training sessions as well as a commitment to community. More akin to group-based personal training than a fitness class, the workouts here are perfect those who take inspiration from group settings.

Read my profile of Tidal CrossFit in the fitness section.

The top 10 cookie companies in Toronto work hard to make goods that are guaranteed to whet your appetites from cafe displays around the city; rare is the day when I'm able to resist the allure of a sugar-or-chocolate-chunk speckled cookie. Whether your particular weakness is decadent chocolate, festive cinnamon, or a simple, beautifully-executed shortbread, these cookie companies have you covered, and many of them even have proper storefronts or open-to-the-public bakeries, as well as selling pitch-perfect espresso-partners to cafes and restaurants.

Here are my top 10 cookie companies in Toronto.

Cookie Martinez
Cookie Martinez sets itself apart by going above and beyond your usual suspects, and offering cookies with a self-professed Latin flare. Baker Natalia drew inspiration her Columbian background, and infuses her homemade treats with guava and coconut, while her "cookie cafe," with Chocosol bittersweet chocolate, features fair trade Columbian coffee. Order directly from her ($19 for 6), or find her treats at Haven Espresso Bar.

Circles and Squares
Well-known (and much-loved), Circles and Squares' made-from-scratch and preservative-free cookies can be found at restaurants and cafes around the city, such as the Rooster and Lit Espresso Bar. All of their cookies ring in at $1.50, and are usually available in 10-12 flavours. The most popular among them are predictably the chocolate chip, and (one of my personal favourites) ginger molasses, but their toffee and chocolate has been catching up, along with a new sweet-and-savoury contender--the "kitchen sink."

Sweets from the Earth
Sweets from the Earth subscribes to the notion that those with dietary restrictions should still be able to enjoy a damn good cookie, and churns out a full line of vegan, dairy-gluten-and-wheat free, all-natural and certified-kosher baked goods. With two separate facilities (one nut-free, the other gluten-free), Sweets from Earth's cookies are simple--think flourless cashew cookies loaded with cashew butter, and a classic chocolate chip ($6 per box)--and delicious. Available at Manic, Hogtown Cure, and other locations.

Pow Cookie Company
Pow Cookie Co. offers three varieties of cookies for those with wheat and gluten sensitivities--the Blonde Pow (cardamom, orange peel and white chocolate), Gluten-free Pow (raw almonds, dark chocolate, and flax seeds), and Wheat-free Pow (dark chocolate, coconut, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon)--with more arriving soon. Available at Lil' Bean and Green and Broadview Espresso.

Robyn's Cookies
Robyn's Cookies grace the shelves of Pusateri's and McEwan, but can also be picked up directly from the source--her small, fragrant Yonge and Lawrence-area bakery and storefront. Special orders are welcome, but you can't beat the $10 bag of cookies, available in a range of flavours from the rich stilton, walnut and rosemary shortbread, to the oatmeal chocolate chip with 80% dark chocolate.

OMG Baked Goodness
With a solid roster of local retailers, and a fitting name (who among us hasn't taken the Lord's name in vain for a cookie), OMG has a full roll-call of chocolate (around $2.25), peanut butter, and soft ginger cookies, as well as espresso-ready biscotti. Available at Jimmy's Coffee and Lit, or directly from their storefront.

Queen B Pastry
I first spotted Queen B's famous flourless, butterless, walnut chocolate chip cookie at Dark Horse, and wryly noted "Then what's it made of; air?" To which the barista earnestly replied, "They're delicious." And it's true: they are. With just two cookie varieties (the other being a zesty blend of citrus and coconut, and also gluten-free), Queen B has populated Toronto cafes with improbable cookies: substantial, moist, and palatable even to those without gluten allergies.

Sweet Flour
Sweet Flour caters to backseat bakers with its 20 existing flavours (around $2.25) available on a rotating basis throughout the week, including two gluten-free options, all baked while you wait. Stop by their Bloor West Village outpost, and you'll be able to customize your very own cookies from a list of options including mini pretzels, dried figs, and potato chips (no judgement), or opt for the ever-popular cookie sandwich with spreads such as salted caramel. Find them at cafes such as Crema and Niche.

Desmond and Beatrice
Desmond and Beatrice might be best known for their cupcakes and cakes, but their cookies deserve credit. While they're available at cafes such as The Black Canary, Te Aro, and Green Beanery for around $2.25, you can also order the dough itself frozen and rolled direct from the source, so you can flood your home with the (let's face it) aphrodisiac scent of fresh-baked cookies. Choose from a wealth of options, including carrot cake breakfast cookies, cookies and cream, and (my drop-everything-and-salivate weakness) coconut macaroons.

Plum Bun Bakery
The brainchild of Ashleigh Ryan, Plum Bun focuses on vegan baked goods, and supplies local businesses such as Sadie's and Intergalactic Travel Authority. All cookies eschew refined sugars, are preservative-free, and made with alternative flours, and the mouthwatering roster ranges from oatmeal raisin ($1.25), to a spiced ginger cookie, to a lavender shortbread cookie with coconut icing.

Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on March 6, 2013

MUSIC | Ra Ra Riot and Pacific Air
Ra Ra Riot are in Toronto tonight, for a show at Lee's Palace. This Syracuse, NY-based group have been together for seven years, and have a knack for catchy, tight and infectious melodies. Their latest disc, Beta Love, was just released in January, and it's their first since cellist Alexandra Lawn's departure. It was produced by Dennis Herring, who has also worked with Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse, The Hives, and others. Also on tonight's bill is Pacific Air, a band based out of Santa Ana, California.
Lee's Palace (529 Bloor Street West) 8pm, $18.50

ART | Voice of Patmos Exhibit
A new exhibition opens this evening at the Steam Whistle Brewery; this month's show is entitled, Voice Of Patmos, and features work based on or inspired by the Book Of Revelation. Artists Andrei Georgescu, Ginette Lapalme, Patrick Kyle, and Chris Kuzma are participating in this show which runs at the Steam Whistle until the end of the month.
Steam Whistle Brewing (255 Bremner Blvd) 7PM

CONFERENCE | Dx3 Canada 2013
Dx3 begins today at the Metro Convention Centre. This gathering is all about digital retail, marketing and advertising, and is a key networking event for retailers, publishers and those in branding and advertising. Over the course of this two-day event, there will be keynote speeches from the CEOs of Mountain Equipment Co-op and Blue Ant Media, Alan Huggins, the President of Lowe's Canada, and others. Educational sessions have been programmed about content marketing, the digital economy, optimizing your content for the mobile world, and more. Forward thinking is what this event is all about, and while there is a charge for a two-day pass, there are plenty of free sessions and features worth checking out.
Metro Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front Street West) 8AM $299 all-access pass

BOOKS & LIT | In Conversation: Margaret Atwood with Naomi Alderman
This afternoon, Margaret Atwood talks with another celebrated novelist, Naomi Alderman, at the Indigo Manulife Centre. Alderman is a recipient of the Orange Award for New Writers, which she earned for her debut novel, Disobedience, in 2006, about the lesbian daughter of a London rabbi. Her latest novel (and the focus of this event), The Liars' Gospel, has a 'religious' theme as well, relating the life of Jesus from the perspectives of Mary, Judas, Caiaphas and Barabbas. There will be a Q&A following the talk, as well as a book signing.
Indigo Manulife Centre (55 Bloor Street West) 7PM

ALSO OF NOTE

New Arrivals
"INSATURATION' A solo exhibition by Beck Pura
One on One with Miriam Toews
GREY GOOSE CHERRY NOIR PRESENTS AFTER DARK

MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• This week in food
• This week in fashion
• This week in film
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• This week in music
• Toronto concerts, March 2013

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Lead photo by Matthew McAndrew

Exhibition Place could get a whole lot more extravagant if MGM is able to realize its vision for a casino resort on the lake front property. Executives from the American gaming giant officially unveiled their plan to package Ontario Place, BMO Field, Molson Amphitheatre, and the CNE into a single sprawling entertainment complex spanning both sides of the Lake Shore Boulevard.

The major development will, the company says, represent a $3-5 billion investment resulting in 10,000 permanent and 5,000 construction jobs. The overhaul will also see the entrance fee for the Ex scrapped as part a sponsorship deal with MGM and the annual event will be partially shifted to the Ontario Place parking lot, which will be rebranded "Festival Plaza," on the south side of Lake Shore.

Digital images released today depict excited gamers arriving outside a glittering curved entrance (complete with the obligatory gold lion statue) while posing for a photo in the snow. Inside, the company promises cuisine from chef Mark McEwan and a permanent Toronto home for the Cirque du Soleil.

A 1,200-room hotel will be attached directly to the 279,000 square metre gaming hall. Somewhere below, the Exhibition streetcar loop will also be beefed up and buried with direct access from Liberty Village, they say.

The addition of 12,000 underground parking spaces would mean the roads leading to the site would require significant alterations. Ever optimistic, MGM says the new layout with fewer traffic lights will actually improve traffic flow on major nearby streets. An expanded GO station with more frequent service Union Station is also on the cards.

Away from the gambling, ferris wheels, and sporting events, the Marting Goodman bike trail that currently runs parallel to Lake Shore Blvd. will be re-routed along the waterfront past a new landscaped Ontario Place, possibly tying in with plans for the shuttered park unveiled in 2012.Rob Ford has indicated that the Exhibition Place site is his preferred option for a downtown casino as the city will be able to reap more revenue from the lease of the land. MGM said in a press release their plan will inject "millions" into the local economy and attract new tourists.

A recent report from the board of health suggested any Toronto casino would likely have no effect on the unemployment rate and would disproportionately impact low-income families. Interestingly, councillor Mike Layton, whose ward covers the proposed site, tweeted that he was denied access to the media briefing along with another local resident. "I guess they don't want facts to rain on their pretty model," he said.

Do you believe MGM can deliver on the promises it made today? Would you even want them to? Is this a way to improve the CNE and net some dollars for the city or just a bad idea in general?

MORE IMAGES:

Martin Goodman trail in autumnChris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: MGM/Cadillac Fairview.

Hot Docs, North America's largest documentary festival will present its 20th annual edition this Spring from April 25th to May 5th. Today, the festival announced a number of the films that have already been selected to screen this year. Here are five films I'd suggest adding to your personal must-see list.

PUSSY RIOT - A PUNK PRAYER
D: Maxim Pozdorovkin, Mike Lerner | United Kingdom | 2012 | 86 min | Canadian Premiere
When the Russian punk band Pussy Riot dawned balaclavas and staged a guerrilla performance in Moscow at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and then released a video that agitated Putin and his government, they started a war for the hearts of minds of their people, and got the world's attention doing it. The film, which was a hit at Sundance, traces the history of the feminist punk-rock collective and their battle in the Russian courts. Here's hoping it will be as candid as promised.

BLOOD BROTHER
D: Steve Hoover | United States | 2012 | 93 min | Canadian Premiere
This Sundance award-winning doc follows a man's sudden move to India to care for HIV-positive orphans, and the opposition and suspicion he faced when he confronted his friends and family about his decision. Does he have an ulterior motive, or is he simply looking for meaning in his own life?

PREPARE FOR THE WORST
D: Barry Avrich | Canada | 2013 | 80 min | World Premiere
You might not recognize the name David Steinberg, but you would probably recognize the face. Steinberg supposedly made more appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson than anyone - with the exception of Bob Hope, who practically lived there. Through his dedication to comedy, Steinberg reportedly influenced a generation of comedians from John Belushi to Larry David, which he says is "not bad for a Jewish kid from Winnipeg".

THE UNBELIEVERS
D: Gus Holwerda | United States | 2013 | 76 min | World Premiere
Guaranteed to spark a debate, or at least a shouting match, renowned scientists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss go on a crusade to "enlighten" the world. Their goal? Replace religion and politics with "a far more powerful idea" - reason. Their motto, though, "believe in science, not God", seems more confrontational than anything else.

MUSCLE SHOALS
D: Greg 'Freddy' Camalier | USA | 2013 | 111 min | International Premiere
A star-studded documentary where musical legends like Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Wilson Pickett, Gregg Altman, Bono and more share how the little forgettable village of Muscle Shoals, on the border of Alabama, made them stars. This doc sheds light on what might be one of the greatest untold, until now, stories in American music history.

Also, not to be missed! This year's Hot Docs program includes the world premiere of Caucus, the international premieres of After Tiller, Anita, Gideon's Army and the North American premieres of Fatal Assistance, Let The Fire Burn, and Rent a Family Inc.

The full selection of films to screen at Hot Docs 2013 will be announced on March 19th, including the opening night film.

Photo by Tony Wei-Han Chen in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on March 7, 2013

MUSIC | Citizens!
London's Citizens! are fresh off a European tour and ready to make their North American debut. Having their debut album produced by Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos is surely a good start and the result is Hear We Are, an indie rock record that is classically British in the best way. Playing their Toronto debut at Wrongbar tonight, Citizens! are sure to be fun, pop-y and indie all in one five-piece outfit. Tickets available at the door.
Wrongbar (1279 Queen Street West) 8PM $15

MUSIC | Masta Killa
Wu-Tang Clan's Masta Killa is one of the many members of the Clan to branch out in recent years, playing solo shows in Toronto. Performing music from his solo albums, including 2012's Selling My Soul and works from his upcoming fourth record, Masta Killa plays the Mod Club tonight. Joining the Brooklyn rapper will be Loren Whittingham, Black Market Underground, Taigenz, and Lyricks. Tickets are available through TicketScene, Play de Record (357 Yonge Street), and Scarborough's Ecko Clothing store (300 Borough Drive).
Mod Club Theatre (722 College Street) 8:30PM $15

ART | Best in Show
Curator James Hewitt showcases rising talents in Toronto's art world with Best in Show, an exhibit opening at the Gladstone Hotel. Contemporary artists who employ traditional artistic style with imaginative new technique will display at the show. Names include Mike Wirth, Piotr Adas, Brian Rideout and Olenka Kleban along with many more. The show is free with a special reception taking place at 7PM tonight.
Gladstone Hotel, 4th Floor Gallery (1214 Queen Street West) 7PM Free

THEATRE | Odyssey: The Musical
Homer's epic Odyssey takes a turn with musical accompaniment and lyrics by U of T's Victoria College student Khamsina, who stars in the title role. Odysseus' struggle to remain alive on his journey back from Troy is amplified with original music and lyrics in this Tom Osborne-directed performance. Opening tonight at the Bader Theatre, tickets to this rock opera can be purchased through the U of T box office.
Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles Street West) 8PM $12

ALSO OF NOTE:

• U of T Caribbean Film Festival
• SNAP! 2013: Annual Auction of Contemporary Art Photography

MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• This week in food
• This week in fashion
• This week in film
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• This week in music
• Toronto concerts, March 2013

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Film still from Chasing Ice

Rob Ford could be in trouble at the high school where he coaches football over comments he made in an interview with Sun News. In a letter signed anonymously by teachers at Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School, staff say Ford's suggestion the school is hive of gang activity controlled only by the football team he leads is "disgusting" and "filled with untruths." Ford arrived at Don Bosco after being asked to vacate coaching duties at another school over a confrontation with a player.

In the endless will she, won't she of Olivia Chow's potential 2014 mayoral run it seems right now the NDP MP is leaning towards taking on Rob Ford at the polls. Chow said she is "considering" running, which is a break from her usual stock responses on the matter. Polls conducted in the past have shown Chow would be likely to beat Ford in a straight race. When should Chow decide?

Hundreds of Toronto teachers could be let go shortly after the local school board approved $28 million in staff cuts late last night, a figure that equates to roughly 248 positions. The Toronto District School Board is trying to work around a $55 million deficit.

A second Metrolinx board member is a registered casino lobbyist with the city. Doug Turnbull, who's also vice-chairman of TD Securities, was forced to declare a conflict of interest over his role with MGM. Both he and Metrolinx chair Robert Prichard have excused themselves from discussions over GO expansion at MGM's proposed CNE resort.

TTC chair Karen Stintz wants transit enforcement officers to be special constables again once Presto arrives. Right now the TTC's 40-person team responsible for enforcing payment do not have powers of arrest, the right to transfer people under the Mental Health Act, or the ability to force fare-jumpers to provide an address when caught. The officers' status was revoked by the police a few years ago. Should TTC officers be given new powers to ensure more fines are paid?

A fire in a Kensington Market apartment building last night has left several people without a place to stay. The blaze started on Oxford Street around 4 am in a semi-detached home containing 5 units. No injuries were reported.

Finally, who needs enemies when you've got friends? A man struck by a van on Victoria Park Avenue on Tuesday evening was left in the street by his two companions while they went into a nearby Beer Store. The man suffered severe head trauma and is listed in a critical condition.

IN BRIEF:

• Plaza lost parking after Mammoliti relatives sold, owners say [CBC]
• Oakwood Collegiate teacher fired over jokes [Toronto Star]
• Etobicoke superjail sits empty because province can't staff it, union says [Toronto Star]
• Toronto woman speaks out against cyberbullies on Reddit [CBC]
• Stompin' Tom Connors dies at 77 [CBC]

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: "Southbound" by Lychee_Aloe/blogTO Flickr pool.

In today's world of WiFi hot spots and public networks, protecting your privacy online has become vital. Browsers can store your history, internet providers can monitor your activity, and websites can track your data. Working out of King and Spadina, however, Toronto's SurfEasy is providing low cost privacy protection, online freedom, and identity protection to consumers around the globe.

With a USB key that slips into your wallet, you can carry your own private web browser in your pocket. Need to use another computer to check Facebook? Plug in your SurfEasy key and do it securely. When you're done, just pull it out and your data is never left behind.

Further, Canadian customers get an added benefit: SurfEasy allows you to choose your location, allowing you to access sites like Pandora and Hulu that often are only available from within the US. Say goodbye to the dreaded "This content is not available in your country" message the next time you try to play a song or watch a video.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Houston, SurfEasy's founder and CEO. A former VP at Virgin Mobile, he outlined his product, company, and vision for online privacy. Here is what he had to say:

What is SurfEasy and how does it work?

Fundamentally, SurfEasy is the simplest way to protect your privacy online. We believe that issues around who can see what you are doing online and whether or not a website is tracking you have become really relevant. Our product is a USB key - a portable private web browser that can be plugged into any computer. You have access to your bookmarks, passwords, and history, but we never store any information on the computer. All of the data in and out of the browser is wrapped in bank grade encryption and when you remove your key, nothing is left behind.

How many users do you have?

We have tens of thousands of customers in 50 different countries around the world. We are now on the shelves in Staples and have just shot our first TV commercial that will be on the air in the US in March.

Who are your competitors? How are you different?

In the enterprise space, there are a lot of companies doing VPN (such as Cisco), but we are trying to take that technology and make it accessible to a mainstream target audience. While proxy solutions exist, they are very technical and often targeted towards people who are comfortable re-programming their browser.

In terms of our current product, a portable USB encrypted browser, and there really is nothing else out there like that. There is a real opportunity in taking these solutions and making them consumer-friendly.

And in terms of pricing, how much does it cost?

It is $69.99 and it is a one-time fee. There is no bandwidth cost and nothing else to pay ever again.

You first launched the product on KickStarter, how would describe that experience?

It was great - we were one of the top ten projects on there at the time. The sales were good, but it also allowed us to engage with customers. Input from KickStarter users influenced our privacy policy, our product, and our features.

You also work very closely with Mantella Venture Partners, how has that impacted your company?

It has been really good. I have done a few startups with a lot of different VCs and Mantella differentiates themselves by being much more hands on. They get heavily involved in the companies they invest in and being able to leverage that is a really big plus. They are also really well respected in the Canadian and US startup community and it has really helped us open up a lot of doors.

And finally, what are your next steps?

The biggest question we get from our customers is 'Can we get it on my iPad?' and we are launching the mobile version of our solution in the very near future!

Writing by Vasant Kumar

This Week in Film rounds up noteworthy new releases in theatres, rep cinema and avant-garde screenings, festivals, and other special cinema-related events happening in Toronto.

NEW RELEASES

Neighboring Sounds (TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Remember that gleeful feeling you got when you saw Brick by Rian Johnson, The Life of Jesus by Bruno Dumont, or, to go way back, Blood Simple by the Coen bros.? That feeling of seeing films by born filmmakers for the very first time, and knowing they'll be around making masterpieces for years to come?

That's the feeling you get from Neighboring Sounds, the debut feature from 45 year-old Brazilian Kleber Mendonça Filho. The film is a leisurely amble through a middle-class neighborhood in Recife, Brazil. Filho observes the sounds and rhythms of life there as if filming ordinary people doing ordinary things and making it fascinating were the easiest things a filmmaker can do. A plot ultimately sets in when a crew of suspicious men arrive in town, driving the film toward a prickly class statement. Not that it needed it, though; the mastery of sound, image, pace, and cutting was already sufficient.

Also opening in theatres this week:

• Cloudburst (Carlton)
• Dead Man Down (Carlton, Scotiabank)
• Greenwich Village: Music That Defined a Generation (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• The Jeffrey Dahmer Files [AKA Jeff] (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• Oz: The Great and Powerful (Varsity, Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
• Shepard & Dark (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• Trouble in the Peace (The Royal)

REP CINEMA

70mm Classics: 2001: A Space Odyssey and Vertigo (opening March 8 at TIFF Bell Lightbox)

For most cinephiles, the Sight & Sound Greatest Films Poll, updated only once every ten years, serves as the official benchmark for critical consensus. Citizen Kane's fifty-year stint at the top of said poll had much to do with it being heralded - virtually objectively - as the greatest film ever made. So when Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo replaced it at the top last August, it was big news indeed.

Which is all to arrive at the factoid that there are only two films in the Sight & Sound top 10 which have had 70mm prints made: Vertigo, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, the former being upgraded to the large format in a 1996 restoration, while the latter was actually mostly shot on 70mm for its original release in 1968. TIFF will be presenting both films in 70mm starting March 8, allowing Toronto audiences the chance to see two of the greatest films ever made in the greatest presentations allowed by the medium.

Comic Book Heroes (March 9-24; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

March Break means another opportunity for family programming at the Lightbox, and this time it's a celebration of super hero films adapted from comic books. There are definitely some curious and inspired choices here: Two Superman movies but no Spiderman, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm instead of any of the Burton or Nolan entries (Phantasm is still the best of the lot anyway), the Wachowski Starship's underrated Speed Racer, and one of the best animated films, period, in The Iron Giant. All screenings take place at 1PM.

Screening this week in Comic Book Heroes:

• Superman (Saturday, March 9 at 1PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Superman II (Sunday, March 10 at 1PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Dick Tracy (Monday, March 11 at 1PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• The Adventures of Tintin (Tuesday, March 12 at 1PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• The Powerpuff Girls Movie (Wednesday, March 13 at 1PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Megamind (Thursday, March 14 at 1PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

More rep cinema this week:

• Early Summer (Friday, March 8 at 6:15PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Free Friday Films - Musical Double Bill: The Wiz + Standing in the Shadows of Motown (Friday, March 8 at 7PM; Innis Town Hall)
• The Devil's Advocate (Friday, March 8 at 9:15PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Muddy River (Saturday, March 9 at 4:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Late Spring (Saturday, March 9 at 7PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Branded to Kill (Saturday, March 9 at 10PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Twenty-Four Eyes (Sunday, March 10 at 4PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• The Family Game (Sunday, March 10 at 7:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• The Spiral Staircase (Tuesday, March 12 at 6:15PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Sisters of the Gion (Thursday, March 14 at 6:15PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Darwin's Nightmare (Thursday, March 14 at 6:45PM; Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• The Bitter Ash (Thursday, March 14 at 8:15PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

FILM FESTIVALS

Toronto Irish Film Festival (March 8 & 9 at TIFF Bell Lightbox)

The Toronto Irish Film Festival a teeny little festival that was founded in April 2009 by Michael Barry and John Galway. While the programming includes everything from music videos to short and feature-length documentaries (all Irish, naturally), the primary concern of the festival seems to be their three Dramatic feature presentations. T

his year they're showcasing two Canadian premieres and a TIFF12 encore: Gerard Barrett's Pilgrim Hill, a cinematic love letter to Ireland's rural countryside; Kirsten Sheridan's Dollhouse, about a group of street teens who break into a house in a rich Dublin suburb for a night of partying; and Kieron J. Walsh's Jump, which follows the lives of four twenty-somethings whose lives collide one fateful New Years Eve. (This last one is a bit of a dud, I'm sad to say.) Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online here.

Lead still from Neighboring Sounds

It was billed as a night celebrating Erykah Badu's debut, Baduism, an album which defined and perfected '90s neo-soul. Nobody was "supposed" to show up due to tickets running a hefty $70 and almost no advance notice. Either way, expectations couldn't have been further off.

Speaking volumes about the undeniable dedication of Ms. Badu's cult fanbase, over 1,500 concertgoers of all ages eagerly packed the Kool Haus. While Toronto visual artist Suritah Teresa Wignall exhibited her "Badu Effect" illustrations at the merch table, DJ A1 warmed the crowd up with a soulful set highlighted by Michael Jackson's "Rock With You."

At about 9:30 pm, Erykah Badu came out to "Penitentiary Philosophy," backed by a four-piece band, a DJ, and three background singers. Interestingly enough, one of the vocalists was none other than Erykah's own sister, Nayrock, the one time star of a rather controversial Flaming Lips video; another the daughter of Millie Jackson. The opener concluded to Badu proclaiming herself a "warrior princess from the other sun," as the audience greeted her radiance with a warm ovation.

The band quickly responded with the Dilla-produced bongo groove of "Didn't Cha Know." Being one of the most popular offerings in Erykah Badu's catalogue, it came as no surprise that the packed house would instinctively fill in the words "back there some where" from the song's hook. Meanwhile, Badu removed her jacket to reveal a t-shirt with Harriet Tubman's face on its back.

"My Life," "... & On," and "Cleva" would follow, by now making it clear that we would be treated to the entirety of Badu's Soulquarian-helmed sophomore effort, Mama's Gun, instead. The singer explained that the tour was alternating albums between shows, clearing up any confusion. She then rejuvenated herself with swigs of her legendary tea-potion concoction. "I gotta do this sh*t right," she said.

And do it right, she did. The pitch perfect "AD 2000," "Booty," and "Kiss Me On My Neck" marked the more minimal, up close and personal portion of the set. The latter track briefly featured a slowed down, or "screwed" effect, which was particularly astounding to hear re-created live by a full band, as opposed to the conventional method of decreasing the pitch on a turntable. This technique was popularized by the late DJ Screw, so it's no coincidence that the Dallas-born Badu would pay homage to a fellow Texas native.

Out of all the songs performed throughout, it was a stripped down "Orange Moon" that tested Badu's voice more than any other. Needless to say, she delivered, time and time again. The Stephen Marley-featuring "In Love With You," came next. "Jah no dead," Badu firmly repeated.

Going into the album's final three songs, it was evident that the songstress was fully warmed up, in a zone, and ready to deliver her masterstroke.

"Bag Lady's" unmistakable Soul Mann guitar riff - also used in Dr. Dre's "Xxplosive" - immediately whipped the crowd into a frenzy despite being delivered via synths. The playful electronic composition, anchored by keyboardist R.C. Williams, validated itself as a fresh, more versatile take on the beloved studio version. Badu jokingly directed all the men - "all my tenors" - to collectively sing the song's chorus before moving on.

The string-heavy "Time's A Wastin" segued into Badu dancing under a solitary red light before proceeding to yet another showstopper in "Green Eyes." The conflicted, Billie Holiday-esque tune easily turned into the rawest, most overwhelming experience up to that point. "This is my therapy," Badu admitted.

Before wrapping up, DJ/producer Rashad "Ringo" Smith was introduced to the audience. Taking a well-deserved breather, Badu asked him to play some of his best beats. The crowd exploded upon hearing Busta Rhymes' "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check" and Biggie's "One More Chance." By the time LL Cool J's "Doin' It" blared through the speakers, fans could be heard yelling "go Brooklyn!" in harmony with the beat's vocal sample.

Keeping in line with the beat-oriented interlude, Badu began playing an 808 drum rhythm on her beat pad, while crediting Raphael Saadiq as a co-writer on her celebrated "Love Of My Life." At once, the 808 pattern cleverly kicked into the song's melody, as Badu ad-libbed "freak, freak y'all" to a more contemporary-sounding arrangement. As if that wasn't enough, two verses later, the instrumental evolved into Tribe's "Bonita Applebum," sitar sample and all.

"Toronto, why are y'all so f*cking cool?" Badu asked, with the vibe reaching a fever pitch. In what appeared to be a gesture of appreciation, she finally transitioned into Baduism's Andre 3000-starring "Other Side Of The Game." Remarkably, the rendition contained the funkiest groove of the night - a five-minute bridge, accented by "Still D.R.E."-like piano stabs, "I understand it!" shouts from the background vocalists, and high-pitched scatting from Badu herself.

Worldwide Underground's "Bump It," and the Scott-Storch-circa-2004-stadium-status banger, "Danger," closed out the unforgettable performance.

For those lucky enough to have witnessed the New Amerykah Pt. 1 Tour at Massey Hall in 2008, this would have been a perfect companion piece. On the other hand, first-time Badu concertgoers might have preferred the anticipated bill and an encore. "Other Side Of The Game" certainly did feel like a bit of a tease, making listeners wonder just how incredible "Apple Tree," "Afro," or "Next Lifetime" would have sounded in person. Still, set list bias aside, it'd be downright absurd to complain about an essentially flawless showing from the queen of neo-soul.

The nine-member outfit truly did bring about a new appreciation of Mama's Gun, fleshing out more intricate orchestrations of the album's studio production. Most importantly, Twitter reactions going strong past 2:30 am proved to be nothing but positive. Praising her voice, beauty, and unparalleled presence, tweets filled with words like "crying," "inspiring," and "healing" came up more often than not. Emotions definitely ran high.

Additional Photos

Writing by Marko Orlic / Photos by Alejandro Santiago

707 Lofts is a new Bloorcourt development that will replace a Dovercourt funeral home and a row of adjacent houses. In other words, not for the ghost-fearing condo buyer. Designed with loft living in mind (read: it's a new structure), this project has seen much community input and developers have eventually settled on a plan of five floors instead of eight. Amenities are minimal and so too is unit square footage, but the location can't be beat and the price is just about right. Here is a closer look at 707 Lofts.

SPECS

Address:707 Dovercourt Road

Floors: 5

Total number of units: 77

Elevators: 2

Types of units: Studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, two-plus-den

Unit sizes (in square feet): 384 - 866

Ceiling heights: 9.0'-10.0'

Prices from: Low $300,000's

Parking: Included

Locker: $4,500

Maintenance fees: $0.49

Developer:Enirox Group

Architect:Tact Architecture

Amenities: Party room, outdoor BBQ area

Expected occupancy: TBD (currently under construction)

THE GOOD

Excellent suite-to-elevator ratio. I'm consistently baffled when it comes to developers who try to get away with two elevators for a 300-unit building. Yes, elevator wells can't rake in the same type of cash as 20 storeys of studio suites, but you would think some potential buyers would be deterred by the perpetual wait that comes with too few elevators serving too many people. In any case, 707 Lofts clearly won't have this problem.

Location, naturally, is the big draw for this project. Steps to Bloor and walking distance to both Ossington and Dufferin Stations, this area has a heavy residential presence with plenty of independent restaurants, shops and cafes within a few minutes of the loft site. Dufferin Grove Park is also less than five minutes away, offering potential residents the opportunity the shop its farmers' market every Thursday afternoon. The five-storey structure will certainly stand out from the semis and detached homes presently blanketing the area, but it shouldn't be such a stark contract as to upset the family-community vibe. In other words--could be worse? A compelling reason to laud a condo, indeed.

Pricing is, perhaps, a more persuasive point. Maintenance fees are starting off low, and with any luck, they will remain low due to 707 Lofts' relatively few building amenities. Most suites can be purchased for somewhere in the $550-per-square-foot range, which is probably right where it should be for this address in Bloorcourt Village. However, since many of 707's units have already been snatched up, you may have to fork over a little more if your floor plan of choice is being offered by a third party.

THE BAD

Believe it or not, Enirox, some one-bedroom units are given 600 square feet of living space. But here, you've assigned 609 square feet (and, granted, a 224 square foot terrace) to a two-bedroom unit with one bathroom. That's almost as bad at the 384 square-foot bachelor, and the collection of one-bedroom condos wherein the unit bedrooms don't have windows. Poor show.

This project is symptomatic of the developer trap of trying to cram as many units as possible into a single structure ("trap") resulting in floors of narrow units with little by way of natural light. Some of the smaller one-bedroom layouts also don't lend themselves to any sort of dining setup, meaning you'll either have to eat on the couch or over that single undermounted stainless steel sink. If you can spring for one of the two-bed, two-bath, fifth floor suites you'll be all set, but otherwise, you're left with slim pickings in terms of livability.

THE VERDICT

Good idea, poor execution. Not for the superstitious.

What do you think? Would you live here? Add your comments to the thread below.

Read other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board

Without any advance billing, Grand Electric owners Colin Tooke and Ian McGrenaghan launched their barbecue-focused second restaurant on Saturday in the space that was once home to Stampede Bison Grill. Similar to its older sister in style if not menu options (yup, there's still lots of bourbon), you can bet that this place is going to be just as popular. And why not? The room is lively and the food is stellar — if not overly traditional.

Read my review of Electric Mud BBQ in the restaurants section.

If the outcome of a single public vote had been different, the Imperial Oil building on St. Clair Avenue (now in the midst of being converted into condos) would be standing at the top of Nathan Phillips Square instead. Before city council conceived the design competition that produced New City Hall, Toronto toyed with an alternative proposal by a committee of architects for their newly-acquired space at Queen and Bay, recently leveled into a surface parking lot.

Three local firms - Marani & Morris, Mathers & Haldenby, and Shore & Moffat - worked together to produce a proposal for a new civic square, council chamber, and office tower that the group submitted to city council in 1955.

Toronto mayor Nathan Phillips put the blueprint and cost of building a new City Hall to the electorate in a referendum in December 1955. Perhaps fortunately, the people said no dice, and the project went back to the drawing board. A year later council endorsed holding a design competition for the new civic building - Phillips' original plan - which won public support.

The original plan for the new city hall, though decidedly less ambitious than the structure Toronto eventually acquired, did have nice touches. The long lost Registry Building was to be retained and incorporated into the large Queen Street plaza. The south facing facade of the new council chamber, shown above, matched the older structure's giant ionic columns.

An enclosed square between the council chamber and office tower included trees, an area in which Nathan Phillips Square lacks today, and at the corner of Queen and Bay designers imagined an entrance to the then-proposed Queen subway, a rival transit plan to the Bloor-Danforth line that was never fully realized.Its rejection by voters didn't mean the original "20-storey, office-style" building went unbuilt, though. The architects sold the design to Imperial Oil - now Canada's second largest energy company - who sliced off the council chamber and enclosed square and tweaked the floor plan for their new headquarters at 111 St. Clair Avenue.

While purchasing the properties it would need to clear to make way for its new office, Imperial Oil ran into problems with local residents, including the redoubtable Mrs. Isabel Massie of Foxbar Road. Massie refused to sell her property to make way for the back parking lot, a move that forced the company to shift the entire tower closer to the street.

Massie's land poked into the oil giant's concrete backyard until she died in the 1960s. Her family later caved and sold the land for $700,000 when Imperial Oil upgraded and expanded the parking lot.

To address noise concerns from owners of the remaining nearby homes, the metal skeleton of the structure was entirely welded together. Upon completion, the Imperial Oil Building was the largest steel-framed structure to completely forego rivets.

The Imperial Oil building was finished with minor exterior modifications in 1957 and converted to condos when the company moved its offices to Calgary in 2011. BlogTO's Rick McGinnis took a look around the building before the refitters arrived. Do you think Toronto came up roses with its current city hall?

MORE PICTURES:

View west across Bay Street from Albert StreetLooking south from within the enclosed squareThe view north from Queen StreetThe original blueprint showing the civic square and towers

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: "Imperial Oil Building (Or It Was)" by sssteve.o/Creative Commons.

Everyone knows the Dufferin bus has a reputation as one of the worst transit routes in Toronto. In terms of reliability and overcrowding, long periods of drought are often followed by deluges of jam-packed vehicles filled with pure misery and disappointment. There's surely no more spirit crushing activity in the city than waiting in the cold for a packed bus only to be repeatedly left on the sidewalk.

In a recent Grid article, the TTC's Brad Ross blamed the size of the route, the changing nature of Dufferin Street along its length, construction, bad weather, and the road surface for the generally dismal riding conditions.

Dufferin isn't even the busiest bus route - that prize goes to the 32 Eglinton West route, followed by the 35 Jane, and 36 and 39 Finch buses, according to the 2012 ridership figures. It's not buses that see large amounts or riders (which should be a good thing). The King streetcar is the daddy of all surface transit routes with a whopping 57,300 passengers on an average weekday, which is 440 times as much as the 99 Arrrow Rd, the quietest route of all.

Back in 2011, we took a look at the Finch West route and discussed several proposed options to improve service (bendy buses and dedicated lanes). Back then, the Dufferin bus was the busiest bus route, possibly indicating the ridership has suffered due to the poor conditions. The Finch bus on the other hand has continued to add new riders.

Local transit guru Steve Munro has a great in-depth look at the Dufferin bus' woes for those interested in examining the nitty-gritty of observed headways on the route. For the rest of us, we asked after what you felt was the worst surface route on the TTC. The responses were as follows. Add your two-cents (or tokens) below and maybe suggest a solution. Are dedicated lanes the only way to go?

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: djp3000/blogTO Flickr pool.

These wings have garnered quite the reputation in a place where that really matters: Buffalo, NY. And having recently pushed into the Canadian market in lovely Hamilton and with a location due in Toronto before the year's out, I thought a preview was in order. So across the QEW I went in search of wing perfection.

Read my review of Anchor Bar (Hamilton) in the restaurants section.

It's tough growing up, especially when the big kids get jealous they're no longer in charge. With that in mind, Neil Steinberg at the Chicago Sun-Times took the news that Toronto recently surpassed the windy city's population (therefore calling into question his city's very soul) particularly badly yesterday evening.

Chief among Steinberg's gripes is that everyone north of the border seems to understand that Chicago actually has a more populated metro area and if it weren't for amalgamation we would be nowhere close to competing in terms of numbers. Toronto just isn't bellowing at other cities often enough, he scolds.

Steinberg goes on to knock our "donuts" (whoa, easy) and our skyline, whose "only noteworthy element is a TV antenna." Also in the crosshairs are the city's monument to multiculturalism outside Union Station (he can't believe it!) and our insecurity about whether we're "world class" (ok, so maybe that one's accurate.)

"Let us know when you can make a decent pizza, or build a building that bears a second glance. Or when somebody writes a song about Toronto. Or shoots a movie in Toronto that actually takes place in Toronto. We'll be here, waiting, humming 'Chicago.'," he finishes.

Ouch. Can't we just be friends? We could, of course, mention Chicago's crime rate, the Cubs' World Series drought (longer than the Leafs!), or the bland Midwestern attitude that so many Chicagoans sport, but why engage in such hostility?

We're not the ones suffering from envy — for once.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: "Frozen" by Acid_Punk/blogTO Flickr pool.