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Toronto's Harry Potter bar is opening a second location

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When The Lockhart opened in 2015, it cast a spell over Toronto, inviting magic-obsessed muggles to venture over to Dundas West to sip potions and elixirs at this Harry Potter-inspired bar.

Co-owners Matthew Laking, Matthew Rocks and Paris Xerx are now getting ready to bring The Lockhart to Montreal. However, when it opens in Quebec, it'll be known as Lockhart (sans "the").

The Lockhart team is currently transfiguring a space at 3979 rue St. Denis. This new spot will take on more of an apothecary theme and will feature food and drink items inspired by the original Toronto location.

Lockhart should open in Montreal sometime this month.


Toronto is selling thousands of old street signs

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If you're looking for the perfect piece of Toronto memorabilia to decorate your living room or apartment, you should probably check out the on-going street sign auction right now.

There are plenty of signs available, including many in the old acorn style. The signs stay up for 60 days at a time and the starting bid is always $30. Although many signs usually fetch much more than that.

street sign toronto

The city first started selling its decommissioned street signs in April 2014 via the auctioning site Platinum Liquidations. By July, it had already made $35,000 from this initiative.

Three years ago, a Yonge Street sign autographed by Rob Ford went for $3,210.

Toronto bar turns a joke into a booming business

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If you're a rock 'n roll fan, the word techno isn't really in your vocabulary. So when Scott Harwood, a bartender at Embassy bar suggested an electronic night at the typically guitar-loving Kensington watering hole, owners laughed it off. 

"When I started working there, it was kind of a joke," says Harwood. He's talking about Techno Tuesday, a weekly night where Toronto DJs play their electronic hearts out.

Little did they know that techno would experience a resurgence and that Tuesday would consistently become one of their most popular nights. It's also quietly becoming a hot spot to hear some of the city's best techno, in what previously would have been an unlikely venue.

Kaz Kandy ln #techno #technotuesday #torontonightlife #embassytoronto

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It's an anomaly in the bar's regular weekly schedule. 

"Techno Tuesdays has been quite a surprise," admits Harwood. "There's always a dance floor around 12:30."

Owner Lucy Brandon has owned the Embassy for 13 years and says "there's a new energy in the place right now."

"We're all involved in one way or another with music and art," says Harwood. "There's a sound engineer, an actress...it's almost like an artist run space, and we've brought in the DJs in our own way."

Toronto is getting a cheap pie day

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Cheap pies are coming to Toronto for Pi Day on March 14. Even if you hate math you can appreciate this quasi-holiday derived from the date 3/14, get it?

Select bakeries and pizzerias (as-in pizza pie) are getting in on the action by offering specials deals that everyone can indulge in whether you failed Calculus or mastered Pythagoras' Theorem.

Here are five places you can celebrate Pi Day in Toronto this year.

Blaze Pizza

Lebron James' pizza chain at Yonge and Dundas will be slinging pies for $3.14. Limit one per person.

North Shore Pie Co.

This Roncy pie shop will sell you two handheld pies for $10 or two family size pies for $25. 

Pi Co

This Yorkville pizza joint is extra sneaky so they're only doing deals between 12:30 p.m. to 3:14 p.m. Stop by then and you can get a custom pie with unlimited toppings for just $3.14.

Pie Squared

This Bloor Street pie shop will be serving all of their handheld pies for $3.14 all day long. 

Tito Ron's

Now found inside the revamped Death In Venice Gelato on Queen West, this Filipino food purveyor will be selling slices of their ube polvoron pie for just $3.14.

6 things to do in Toronto today

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Today in Toronto, you can sit and listen to some super interesting people talk. There's a dance music history panel on Geary Avenue and a new Tinder Tales night. If you need something a bit more participatory, head to the Beaver for Drag Race trivia.

Events you might want to check out:

Ebbs & Flows Toronto Dance Music Histories (March 14 @ 165 Geary Ave)
It's Not U It's Me hosts its first round table panel discussing the places, people and music that have defined Toronto’s underground dance music scene.
Tinder Tales Live (March 14 - May 9 @ Gladstone Melody Bar)
This new monthly show features comedians, storytellers, and people who have never been on stage before sharing their online dating stories.
RuPaul's Drag Race Pub Quiz Fantasy Realness (March 14 @ The Beaver Cafe)
Dress up in your finest eleganza for this cut-throat night of Rupaul's Drag Race trivia. All tie-breakers will be settled via lip-sync.
Fornication Forum (March 14 @ Drake Hotel)
Dr. Martin Dragan will give you the tools you need to build better relationships and the keys to a healthy sex life. Questions are submitted anonymously and answered out loud.
Free Lunchtime Yoga (March 14-30 @ Sony Centre for the Performing Arts)
Spend your lunch hour stretching, twisting and breathing and add some calm to your day with instructors from Moksha Yoga Danforth.
Sunn O (March 14 @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Toronto))
Need some early-week drone, doom metal, black metal, dark ambient or noise rock? See Sunn O inside this intimate theatre setting. It's doing to be very loud, so don't forget your earplugs.

Toronto ranked one of the top cities in the world for quality of life

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Toronto has been ranked one of the top cities in the world for quality of life according to the 19th annual Quality of Living Ranking from the Mercer consulting firm.

Toronto tied with Melbourne for 16th place out of the 231 cities that were included in the report. Alas, that spot wasn't good enough for top honours among Canadian cities.

That title went to Vancouver, which came in at number five behind Munich and right in front of Dusseldorf.

Mercer puts out its ranking to help companies and organizations figure out how to fairly compensate employees working abroad.

This year, it also ranked cities in terms of infrastructure. In Canada, Vancouver (9) and Montreal (14) both ranked higher than Toronto.

Here are the top 20 cities in Mercer's 2017 Quality of Living Ranking:

  • Vienna, Austria
  • Zurich, Switzerland
  • Auckland, New Zealand
  • Munich, Germany
  • Vancouver, Canada
  • Dusseldorf, Germany
  • Frankfurt, Germany
  • Geneva, Switzerland
  • Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Basel, Switzerland and Sydney, Australia
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Berlin, Germany
  • Bern, Switzerland
  • Wellington, New Zealand
  • Toronto, Canada and Melbourne, Australia
  • Ottawa, Canada
  • Hamburg, Germany
  • Stockholm, Sweden

What the Flaming Lips' wild Toronto concert looked like

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Last night marked The Flaming Lips return to Toronto with a show at mega-club complex, Rebel. In true Flaming Lips fashion, they brought the house down with some over the top stage antics.

From light-up robot-unicorns to plastic ball crowd surfs to some serious Toronto love, it was an unforgettable performance.

If you missed out on this epic concert, here's a recap of what went down.

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Students upset that George Brown didn't call a snow day

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Toronto was bracing for a snowstorm today, but it looks like all we got was a light dusting. While a few more centimetres might accumulate over the course of the day, it looks like we dodged the "monster nor'easter" lashing out south of the border.

Yet some parts of southern Ontario, like St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, are feeling the wrath of winter.

That's why Brock University, Niagara College and Mowhawk College are closed today. The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, the Halton Catholic District School Board and all Sheridan College campuses also shut down today.

George Brown College announced yesterday afternoon that it would stay open today, well before the snowstorm was expected to hit. While the school accurately predicted the weather, some questioned its preemptive tweet.

Some students were pretty upset they dodged what might be their last opportunity for a snow day this season.

There's currently no special weather statement in effect for Toronto. According to Environment Canada, we could see up to two centimetres of snow today and another two tonight.

weather toronto

Expect a high of -7 C today and a low of -11 C. It might be nasty out, but it looks like we're going to have to embrace the last week of winter without the luxury of forced hibernation.


Toronto winter storm was bad but not that bad

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Toronto woke up today to snow covered streets, cars and buildings. But even though the storm caused havoc at Pearson, at least we didn't fare as badly as upstate New York. Some might even call the storm here a light dusting.

Today is expected to bring modest accumulation but the temperature is going to feel like -16C so drink some hot chocolate.

And if you haven't made it outside today yet, here's what you missed.

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There’s a giant book sale in Toronto this week

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If you're planning to cozy up inside on the last weekend of winter, you probably need a good book (and a cup a tea) to keep you company.

And if you want a new treasure to read, you can check out the Friends of Toronto Public Library, South Chapter's big clearance sale.

These blowout events happen a few times per year and feature some truly spectacular deals - all books will be priced between 10 and 50 cents. So go clear out your change jar and grab a book or five. Best of all, proceeds go towards supports programs at the Toronto Public Library.

The sale's running from Thursday, March 16 until Saturday, March 18 at Beeton Hall in the Toronto Reference Library.

It'll be open from 9:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. on March 16, from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on March 17 and from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on March 18. 

Whitney Houston movie premiering at Hot Docs

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The Hot Docs festival announced its impressive first batch of films for its 2017 run and it's now added 16 more titles to the lineup, including the buzzed about Whitney Houston documentary Can I Be Me.

There are loads more national and international premieres as well as award winners, so get your calendar out and book your date nights stat.

Here are some flicks to start getting excited about.

Whitney Can I Be Me

This is the Canadian premiere of the high-profile doc about Whitney's career until her sudden death at 48. 

Becoming Who I Was

A young boy learns he’s the reincarnation of an esteemed, high-ranking Tibetan monk.

Screen shot from Becoming Who I Was.

Brother's Keeper

This is the 25th anniversary screening of this true-crime story. It's kind of like the original Making a Murderer.

City of Ghosts

Get to know the brave group of citizen journalists who risk their lives to document and expose the atrocities of ISIS in their home city.

The Departure

This film follows a Japanese punk rocker in his new role as a Buddhist priest who helps suicidal people find hope.

Gilbert

Gilbert is all about comedian Gilbert Gottfried and it looks inside his peculiar life and process.

Gilbert Godfrey.

Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS 

Look at the political and social consequences of this ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.

Hondros

This film explores the work of award-winning conflict photographer Chris Hondros, who was killed in combat in 2011.

A still of Chris Hondros from the documentary film, Hondros.

Intent to Destroy

Joe Berlinger documents the Turkish government's shocking tactics  to suppress the history of the Armenian genocide.

Documentarian Joe Berlinger.

The Last Animals

Follow the conservationists, scientists and activists trying to protect world’s remaining elephants and rhinos. 

Image from The Last Animals.

The Long Strange Trip

Deadheads will rejoice at the rare archival footage and never-before-seen performances of the Grateful Dead. 

Jerry Garcia is the Long Strange Trip.

Mommy Dead and Dearest

True crime fans will want to unravel this mystery about a wheelchair-bound girl who goes missing and her mother who is found dead in their home. 

An image from the movie poser for Mommy Dead and Dearest.

No Stone Unturned

Academy Award winner Alex Gibney's thriller doc is about the unsolved 1994 murder of six men in a rural pub in Northern Ireland. 

Playing God

One US attorney has been charged with the task of assigning a dollar value to the lives of 9/11 victims.

Compensation specialist Kenneth Feinberg in Playing God. Bildersturm Film Produktion

Pre-Crime

In this real-life Minority Report, see how forecasting software, algorithms and databases can quickly predict future crimes.

Step

One fierce step dance team from Baltimore battles the odds to make it to the championships and beyond.

A still from Step.

Mississauga is getting a stunning rooftop skating rink

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Toronto got very excited when a rooftop hockey rink was installed on top of a skyscraper in the Financial District last year. While only a select few got to try it out, the concept was intriguing. 

Well, prepare to get jealous, Toronto — Mississauga is about to get a permanent rooftop rink. This one is slated to be built atop the podium of the flagship M City tower, a development that's already attracted attention for its design

With incredible competition in the condo market, developers are turning to unique amenities to attract prospective buyers.

This building will also have a splash pad in the summer as well as a chef's kitchen along with more standard features like indoor and outdoor lounges.

It's a slick-looking rink that's sure to attract lots of attention. Given that CityPlace just got a new outdoor rink (though not of the rooftop variety), it's quite possible that future developments in Toronto will take inspiration from M City.

This one is still a few years from realization, as construction has yet to begin on the complex. Now would be the time to start recruiting friends who are thinking about buying a condo in Mississauga.

Huge lineups in Toronto for cheap pizza

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Happy Pi Day, Toronto! If number's aren't your thing, you can still celebrate this mathematical constant with sweet or savoury pie and lots and lots of pizza.

As we reported yesterday, a number of local businesses embrace this quasi-holiday. Blaze Pizza, however, is attracting huge crowds for is Pi Day extravaganza. For today only, all of its personal pizzas are priced at $3.14.

Thanks to its proximity to Ryerson University and Yonge-Dundas Square, people are eating up this deal and don't seem to mind standing around in -10 C and snowy weather for pizza. 

I mistakenly called right in the middle of the lunch, but an employee said the restaurant was packed and wait times were about 20 to 30 minutes.

Toronto ranked one of the top cities in the world for startups

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Toronto has been ranked among the top 20 startup ecosystems in the world according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2017 by the Startup Genome. Out of the top ranked cities, the Toronto-Waterloo corridor placed 16. 

"These two startup ecosystems have been considered separately in past reports," reads the explainer on Toronto. "However, over the past year, there have been strong signals that the region is increasingly behaving as one eco-system."

The report notes that startups here have been attracting more and more attention from American venture capitalists. It also highlights our leading research in quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

According to the report, our ecosystem - comprised of around 2,500 startups - is worth $7.2 billion. 

It's interesting to note, however, that in 2012, Toronto ranked eighth in the Global Startup Ecosystem report. In 2015, we ranked 17th.

With all the talk about Toronto's tech scene as of late, it'll be interesting to see where we rank in the next report.

The question, "in which ecosystem does an early-stage startup have the best chance of building global success?" was the main driver behind the 2017 rankings. However, each city was also measured against a variety of metrics. 

About 10,000 founders from 100 cities in 50 different countries answered a survey to generate data for this report. 

Here are the top 20 global startup ecosystems:

  • Silicon Valley
  • New York
  • London
  • Beijing
  • Boston
  • Tel Aviv
  • Berlin
  • Shanghai
  • Los Angeles
  • Seattle
  • Paris
  • Singapore
  • Austin
  • Stockholm
  • Vancouver
  • Toronto-Waterloo
  • Sydney
  • Chicago
  • Amsterdam
  • Bangalore

House of the week: 66 Havelock Street

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Townhouse living is become increasingly popular in Toronto. With property values skyrocketing, it's a housing model that just makes sense. This recently listed space near Dufferin Grove Park is a good example of what's on offer.

66 Havelock Street TorontoThe number three comes up a lot when describing this home: there are three bedrooms and three bedrooms spread across three storeys of space.

While townhouses are typically narrow and tall compared to detached homes, this one doesn't appear this way thanks to the floor plan.

66 Havelock Street TorontoFrom a design standpoint, this is a good looking home. The kitchen and en suite are both stunning, and the floating staircase provides a bit of flair on the main floor. Nothing is over the top, but fans of open concept interiors will like this one.

66 Havelock Street TorontoWhat you don't have is a lot of private outdoor green space. There's a small balcony and a decent patio on the ground floor, but there's no backyard to speak of. That's the trade-off when it comes to townhouses. Given its proximity to the park, I'm not sure it's a huge loss.

66 Havelock Street TorontoSpecs
  • Address: 66 Havelock St.
  • Price: $1,399,000
  • Square Footage: 1,900
  • Bedrooms: 3
  • Bathrooms: 3
  • Parking: 1
  • Walk Score: 77
  • Transit Score: 91
  • Listing agent: Nicki Skinner
  • Listing ID: C3727785
66 Havelock Street TorontoGood For

Toronto. Low rise housing with added density compared to detached homes is a good use of urban space. From a buyer's standpoint, this will suit those looking to live on a residential street but who aren't stuck on having a ton of green space.

66 Havelock Street TorontoMove on If

If you've always been set on having a grassy backyard, this won't do it for you. Similarly, those looking for historical character in their home will want to explore other options. 

66 Havelock Street Toronto66 Havelock Street Toronto66 Havelock Street Toronto66 Havelock Street Toronto66 Havelock Street Toronto

66 havelock street toronto

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


Casa Loma is getting a huge steakhouse

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Toronto's only castle has become quite the destination over the past few years.

Sure, Casa Loma has been a popular wedding venue for a while now. But the over-the-top tourist attraction also plays host to multiple escape games and a Christmas light festival (and contraband reindeer) and has also transformed into a haunted house.

Back in 2013, Liberty Entertainment Group floated the idea of turning part of Casa Loma into a restaurant. One year later, it announced it'd be opening a steakhouse on site.

Now, it looks like these plans are finally coming to fruition because Liberty Entertainment Group's starting to advertise Blue Blood Steakhouse, which will be located at 1 Austin Terrace (or at Casa Loma). 

Previous reports have said Blue Blood would include 140 seats inside, plus a 120-seat patio.

Liberty Entertainment Group has not yet provided an opening date but is expected later this year.

6 things to do in Toronto today

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Today in Toronto it's time to step away from your bathroom mirror, put down your hair brush and get on stage for a big lip sync battle. There are also some great concerts if you need to hear the real thing.

Events you might want to check out:

Toronto Lip Sync Battle (March 15 @ Garrison)
In December, finalists A-Money and Master G raised the bar with choreography, props and costumes. But who will take the lip sync trophy in March?
Canada Recast (March 15 @ Gardiner Museum)
This is a series of onstage conversations to help celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary. This month's event stars comedians Rick Mercer and Sabrina Jalees.
The Cypher (March 15 @ Miss Thing's)
Catch this underground concert featuring some of Toronto's most talented up-and-coming hip hop artists. All proceeds go to The Remix Project.
Passenger (March 15 @ Sound Academy)
Passenger's latest album Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea is getting rave reviews and his folk-pop shows are selling out around the globe.
The Ambient Ping (March 15 @ Handlebar)
This Toronto-based creative community of audio artists, performers, musicians and visual artists put together live multimedia shows featuring ambient, electronic dream pop from around the world.
Luge, Retired, Processor, Cutout Lover (March 15 @ The Baby G)
See Toronto talent open for the New York-based ensemble Cutout Lover, which mixes punk and jazz.

Micro laneway house hits the market at $600K

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In today's instalment of wacky Toronto real estate news, we have a unique listing that says a lot about the state of the market right now. The property at 95 1/2 Fuller Avenue is a tiny one bedroom laneway house that looks a bit like a decked out garage. 

95 half fuller avenueThe listing price of this unique property? Well, that would be a cool $599K. Just imagine how much house that number would have bought just five years ago.

95 half fuller avenue torontoTruth be told, it's not that outlandish for what's on offer. Plenty of one bedroom condos are listed well in excess of $600K and those also come with monthly maintenance fees. Besides, some buyers are always predisposed to freehold options.

95 half fuller avenue torontoAlong with the novelty of the laneway setup, the fact that it's located on a quiet residential street might also prove an attractive feature. There's plenty to like about this property; it's just hard to stomach how much it's likely to sell for.

95 half fuller avenue toronto

City Hall wants Zanzibar to reduce its signage

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Yonge Street might be changing, but Zanzibar still stands out, largely because of its over-the-top signage.

However, as Metro News reports today, the strip club is among a number of businesses that received a notice for violating the city's sign bylaws.

Zanzibar's giant flashing sign isn't at risk. According to Metro, its 78-inch LED television goes against the city's 2010 bylaw prohibiting video advertising in storefronts. 

Zanzibar will appeal to the sign variance committee next week because it wants to keep its street-facing TV in place, citing its use of the front window for advertising since its early days on Yonge Street.

People can't believe how cold it is in Toronto today

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It's very much still winter in Toronto, at least until next week. And while we may have gotten a taste of spring a few weeks ago, yesterday's snowfall reminded us we're not out of the woods yet.

Toronto's Medical Officer of Health issued an extreme cold weather alert today and with the wind chill, it feels like -17 C outside.

Last night, Mayor John Tory announced the city would be extending its 24-hour cold weather drop-in service at three locations to continuing helping vulnerable residents.

And as the cold weather continues, many were unhappy to wake up to frigid temperatures. There is, however, a reprieve in sight - the mercury's supposed to rise above zero this weekend.

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