Get ready to Netflix and chill by the dock this weekend. That's because the video streaming service will start operating so-called download zones in Ontario cottage country.

Since internet can get spotty up north, Netflix is working to make it easier to binge watch Riverdale, Black Mirror and whatever other shows and movies you're obsessed with if you get bored of enjoying the province's natural splendour. 

Here's where you'll reportedly be able to find the download zones over summer long weekends.

• May 19: Bass Pro Shop Vaughan Mills (1 Bass Pro Mills Dr.)
• May 20-21: Collingwood Farmers' Market
• June 30: Bass Pro Shop Vaughan Mills
• July 1-2: Gravenhurst (101 Centennial Dr.)
• Aug 4: Bass Pro Shop Vaughan Mills
• Aug 5-6: Huntsville (37 Main St. E.)
• Sept. 1: Bass Pro Shop Vaughan Mills

The water's not in the Nathan Phillips Square reflecting pool for the season yet, but Toronto's civic centrepiece had a decidedly aquatic feel this afternoon thanks to an appearance from a giant rubber duck.

How giant? The one spotted today is a 10-foot clone of the World’s Largest Rubber Duck, a facsimile of which will be visiting the city from July 1 to 3 at the Redpath Waterfront Festival.

This one seems pretty big sitting beside the Toronto sign, but it only hints at the plastic monster that's on the way. Inspired by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck sculpture, it's 61 feet tall, 79 feet wide, and 89 feet long.

It was comical to watch this smaller (but still pretty big) version get moved into place this morning, as three people propped it above their heads and marched in across the square. It's not the most bizarre thing I've ever seen, but it certainly got the tourists' attention.

Once it was finally set in place around 11:30 a.m., a crowd quickly gathered to capture the moment for posterity. Meanwhile, the duck looked on with solemn grace. 

Lucky the Ducky, as this clone has been named, will be making a few more appearances around the city over the next few days to drum up excitement for the arrival of his/her oversized sibling. Keep your eyes peeled for a bright yellow plastic blob.

Victoria Day weekend events in Toronto give you lots of reasons to celebrate. We made it through the worst of spring, and summer is just around the corner. Not only will there be loads of fireworks on holiday Monday, but there are plenty of parties, concerts and festivals on too.

Escape games in Toronto have brought the massive gaming trend from Asia to our home turf. The real-world games imprison participants in a room and then force them to hunt for clues around the game environment, using logic and teamwork to free themselves in a race against the clock.

Here are my picks for the top room escape games in Toronto.

Real Escape Game

With two downtown locations, this was one of first escape rooms to arrive on the scene in Toronto and remains one of the city's best. Each new game they add is consistently engaging, with high-quality puzzles and stories. 

Escape Games

Located just a stone's throw away from Downsview Station, Escape Games bills itself as the largest escape facility in North America, at 10,000 square feet. It may also be one of the most intense, with a heavy focus on realistic props and settings. 

Mystery Room

With locations in Chinatown, Richmond Hill and near Downsview station, Mystery Room has games that are ordered by level of difficulty, so newbies and old hands alike will have the opportunity to get the pants scared off of them.

EscapeZone

This Chinatown destination is a solid choice if you're going with a group of friends who want to get competitive. There's four different rooms to choose from and each is ranked by difficulty and team size.

Escape Casa Loma

This escape game series scores points for being located inside Toronto's famous castle. The fun storyline with integrated characters as well as the novelty of being in a historical building make it a game worth trying.

Roundabout

This Yonge & Dundas escape game uses high-tech props and intricate sets to create a convincing, realistic vibe. If you're looking for a full immersive experience, this might be your best best.

Captive Escape Rooms

On Elm St. near Yonge & Dundas, Toronto's most intense and unique live escape room experience has rooms that are quite realistic and not for the faint of heart.

The Great Escape

This escape game on Geary Avenue has rooms with intriguing themes that range from theatrical (The Da Vinci Code) to lifelike (The Hangover). They also have the option to dress up while you play.

Riddle Room

In addition to multiple escape rooms this facility near Yonge and Wellesley has an attached cafe that offers board and video games along with food and drinks. This is an ideal spot if you're looking to make a full day out of competing with your friends and family.

Looking Glass Adventures

This Danforth East option has a family-friendly escape room, with kid-appropriate puzzles too. The immersive and interactive game is perfect for any skill level and is played in groups of four.

Many Toronto Blue Jays fans were shocked while watching last night's baseball game when Kevin Pillar spit out a homophobic slur towards Atlanta Braves pitcher Jason Motte after striking out in the seventh inning.

Some have called for his suspension and Major League Baseball is currently investigating the incident. 

Pillar issued an apology on Twitter this afternoon.

pic.twitter.com/WWpfRrP7IW

— Kevin Pillar (@KPILLAR4) May 18, 2017

The Toronto Blue Jays also put out a statement, saying the organization was disappointed with Pillar's behaviour, though there's no mention of disciplinary action.

Statement from the Toronto Blue Jays. pic.twitter.com/ASZuzUM6RM

— Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 18, 2017

At the time of writing, Major League Baseball has yet to announce a decision related to its investigation of the incident. 

Toronto dog and cat lovers will soon have one less place to bring their pets on a date night.

The PawsWay, a shockingly big facility on Queens Quay that features a pet museum, cafe and space to let your pets roam free and play together, is permanently closing on September 5.

Open for just shy of 10 years, PawsWay was meant to be a place for dog meetups and a convenient spot to bring your critter and burn off energy during the winter months. 

It was also home to drop in classes and very specific training courses like cat agility and promoted pet well being as well as responsible pet care. 

The Purina Pawsway will remain open for regular hours and programming until September 4. 

The province of Ontario already issues gender neutral drivers licenses and health cards, but as of right now, it doesn't allow for non-binary birth certificates.

However, as the Canadian Press reports, the minister of government and consumer services says the province hopes to be able to start issuing gender neutral birth certificates as early as 2018.

Public consultations related to idea are slated to begin this summer. It's not a done deal yet, but the government will is there to make this change across provincial forms of identification.

There's quite a spectacle taking place near Queen and Bay streets right now. Sitting on James Street, just east of Old City Hall, is a 95-tonne steel platform that will ultimately form the base of the new Eaton Centre sky bridge.

The structural box girder, as it's technically called, made the trip from Hamilton to Toronto on May 10, and now it will remain here over the course of the summer as construction crews assemble the structure as close as possible to its final destination.

Video courtesy of Studio433 Inc. for PCL Constructors Canada Inc. and Cadillac Fairview.

"The strategic decision to construct the bridge on the ground next to CF Toronto Eaton Centre, instead of demolishing and constructing the bridge in place... allows us to minimize impact to our clients, neighbours and tenants of CF Toronto Eaton Centre," explains Wayne Barwise, Executive VP of Development for Cadillac Fairview.

Put more succinctly, the potential for a traffic nightmare had the bridge been constructed using a "traditional stick build method" was just too high. This isn't just a vital transit corridor, it's also a busy pedestrian area. 

Building a glass and steel bridge that will span 120 feet takes a long time, so the far quieter James Street was a much less disruptive option. The added bonus is that those passing by can check in on the construction progress as the structure comes together. 

Once the bridge has been constructed, contractor PCL will move it from James Street using what Barwise calls "a self-propelled modular transport (SPMT) vehicle," which will lift into into place. Crews will do the finishing touches and it'll open to the public sometime this fall.

You can check out the steel skeleton the next time you pass by Old City Hall. 

The Fyre Festival scandal is raging on, and amidst the lawsuits, ticket holders are probably still bummed they never got to party with Insta-models and influencers on a beach in the Bahamas.

That's why the Toronto-based WayHome festival says it's stepping in to save the day by offering to accept Fyre Festival tickets at its third annual music fest in Oro-Medonte, about an hour north of the city.

"We will honour each ticket bought to the cancelled 2017 FYRE Festival with one free General Admission full-weekend ticket to WayHome 2017," reads a post on the WayHome website. 

Dear #FyreFestival purchasers, let’s chat. Link in bio for details.

A post shared by WayHome Music & Arts (@wayhome) on May 18, 2017 at 12:20pm PDT

"At WayHome we cannot promise swimming adventures with pigs or fancy yachts, but we can help to fill a void & provide an experience to those who were unable to have the time-of-their-life at FYRE," it continues. 

While WayHome has received heaps of praise after its inaugural and sophomore editions, many have noted that its 2017 lineup pales in comparison to previous years.

Those burned Fyre Festival-goers interested in making the trek to WayHome can redeem their free three day passes by sending their "unique confirmed FYRE Festival ticket" to ticketing@republiclive.com.

Three-day WayHome passes are currently selling for $249.99. Oro-Medonte might not look quite like Great Exuma, but at least WayHome has much better food than sad-looking cheese sandwiches.

There's no immediate end in sight to the flooding that continues to soak the city and hold the Toronto Islands captive. As water levels continue to rise, the City of Toronto has been hard at work to try and manage the flooding and prevent more damage.

"Lake Ontario water levels [are] expected to rise, even without further rainfall, for several more weeks," says Wynna Brown, manager of media relations at the City of Toronto.

Brown explains that authorities from various departments are working together to keep things safe for everyone.

To date, they have placed more than 20,000 sandbags on shorelines throughout the city and have also employed industrial pumps and various rock and earth moving techniques to mitigate flooding impacts.

Tomorrow Mayor John Tory is expected to visit the Toronto Islands and provide an update on the progress. In the meantime, we're all hoping that the coming rainfall on Sunday doesn't exacerbate the situation. 

The top patio furniture stores in Toronto go beyond Canadian Tire, Ikea, and Home Depot. Scattered across the city are stores that range from the highly affordable to the high end. No matter what your style is there's a shop nearby to assist.

Here are my picks for the top stores for patio and outdoor furniture in Toronto.

West Elm

The Liberty Village store sells all of the standard outdoor patio accoutrements, as well as a few fancy extras. Shop items like outdoor rugs, outdoor stemware, lanterns, and various planters and lounge chairs.

Restoration Hardware

The popular chain deals in patio furniture of many different backgrounds, including wicker, teak, fabric, and metal. 

InsideOut

If you walk into InsideOut you can find absolutely any item you need for life out-of-doors. They've got barbeques and accessories, gazebos, bar stools, porch swings, fire pits... you name it. This is the holy land of patio furniture, and is a bit more affordable than some other spots, too.

Fresh Home & Garden

Just north of the Distillery District is where you'll find this shop. It has some of the prettier patio furniture on offer. They sell outdoor bar carts, tables and seating. 

Design Within Reach

Shop different outdoor collections that will suit any type of backyard design you wish to create. Whether you're looking for wooden or wired outdoor sets, they have it all.

Moss

Here's where you'll find full-on outdoor bar setups. They also, of course, provide the standard giant sectional couches, daybeds, and chairs, as well as a series of umbrellas and fire pits.

Hauser

Lounge seating, sectionals, chaise lounges, benches, fire pits are just a small fraction of the outdoor patio furniture available at the Merton location.

Jardin de Ville

The 3-storey showroom in King East showcases their various outdoor collections. The high-end store runs on the pricier side so if you're willing to spend some dough this may be your best bet.

Urban Barn

This chain of furnishing shops has a wide selection of outdoor furniture options that are both great looking and reasonably priced. 

Kiosk

If you have an unlimited budget, the pricey King East shop carries everything you need to construct a full-on outdoor living room. Aside from the regular seating and dining tables, they sell lighting, coffee tables, and rugs. 

CB2

The Crate and Barrel offshoot at Queen and Bathurst has a small selection of outdoor patio furniture options. There's sectionals, hammocks and umbrellas.

Studio B

At this King East store, you'll find giant sectionals, side tables, coffee tables and all-weather cushions in a variety of scintillating neutrals. Prices are steep so might want to hold off until they have sales on the floor models.

Southport Outdoor Living

Outdoor furniture is what this shop specializes in. Shop their lounging collections, fire pits, dining sets and much more.

Kitchen Stuff Plus

This kitchen friendly chain store goes beyond cabinet accessories. They have a whole outdoor collection for the summer which includes sofas, deck chairs, BBQ accessories and even tiki torches.

Casualife

Make your way to their Markham showroom to shop for some of the trendiest outdoor living furniture available. Along with a variety of outdoor collections they offer design tips and services. 

Modani

Located in the Castlefield Design District, this is the first Canadian location for the U.S. chain of home decor stores. The 25,000 square foot shop boasts a variety of outdoor furniture options including sofas, chairs and dining sets.

The Toronto International Film Festival takes over Toronto for 10 days in September, including a big chunk of King Street.

For the past three years, TIFF has used King Street to created a pedestrian-only promenade (known as Festival Street) on the festival's opening weekend.

However, as the Toronto Star reports, each year, the TTC fights back against this major road closure, which backs up traffic and diverts streetcars on the city's busiest surface route. 

According to the Star, TTC staff said that the 2017 Festival Street will likely run on King Street. But at yesterday's TTC board meeting, staff suggested alternatives, such as moving the event to John Street.

Incidentally, the yet to be approved King Street pilot project that is designed to give streetcars priority over cars isn't slated to start until October, long after TIFF wraps. 

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious festivals, pop-ups, wine maker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

The City of Toronto is highly discouraging folks from heading to the Toronto Islands until at least June 30.

Municipal parks and facilities are closed thanks to the flooding and a carp invasion, but they haven't taken away water taxi service permits, so adventurous island explorers can still get across if they want to. 

"Due to extremely high water levels, there are significant restrictions on where it is safe or even possible for water taxis to dock on the island," says Wynna Brown, manager of media relations with the City of Toronto.

But water taxis are run by private operators, so if you're up for it, the Island is yours to explore. 

"Island residents, some businesses and their staff, use water taxis as transportation to and fro," Brown says. "Our message to the general public is clear: the park is closed and they are advised to refrain from visiting until further notice."

Most of the Island is completely closed to the public due to the flooding. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Tina Lazzarone is the manager of Tiki Taxi and will be running boats back and forth all weekend. 

"The city isn't stopping the water taxis to the Island, so we're still dropping off customers," Lazzarone says. 

There's very litte beach left at Hanlan's Point. Photo by George Hornaday.

Lazaronne says she's definitely not as busy as last year and doesn't expect heavy traffic this long weekend, but Torontonians desperate for Island time are still zipping over. 

"Customers just want to be on a boat, so we’re doing tours, taking them over and then they come back right away."

Contrary to what it might seem, not every Toronto house sells for over asking. While the trend is perhaps more visible than ever, it's common for homes to be snatched up for less than the listed price.

This rundown property at 7 Edgedale Rd., at the northern end of St. James Town, offers some insight into the circumstances that can lead to this scenario. It's a home that's seen better days and will require a major renovation before a new owner will want to move in or resell.

It's been used as a rental property for many years, but the sale comes in conjunction with progress on the Viabloor condo development, which is about to built a stone's throw away at Bloor and Parliament. 

Listed at $1,349,000, it was ultimately bought for $219,000 under asking, a price that surely reflects the extensive amount of work required to restore the property as a single family home.

The attached home next door at 5 Edgedale is in a bit better shape, but it also sold for $1,130,000, hinting at the the likelihood that one buyer nabbed both properties. It wouldn't be surprising to see both renovated and re-listed in the future.

The Essentials

• Address: 7 Edgedale Rd.
• Realtor: Sotheby's Realty
• Hit the market at: $1,349,000
• Time on market: 43 days
• Sold for: $1,130,000

Why it sold for what it did?

This property (and its next door neighbour) sat on the market for a month and half before being snatched up. That partially explains the sale price. These homes need a lot of work, but the property itself is still highly valuable given the location and the condos soon to come.

Was it worth it? 

Definitely. There are good bones here. Beyond that, it's close to the subway, Rosedale ravine, and the neighbourhood is in the midst of transformation. If the property is ultimately flipped, you'd bet that it'll be a money maker.

The best bookstores in Toronto don’t just have the hottest new fiction or that next volume of Game of Thrones you swore you’d read. You’ll also find quirky gems, some of the best staff in Toronto, and maybe even a cocktail or two?

Here are the best bookstores in Toronto.

Instead of sitting in traffic along the 401, you'll soon be able to shoot on over to Windsor thanks to a high-speed rail line that's slated to open in 2025.

Today, the province of Ontario announced it would be putting $15 million towards preliminary design work and an environmental assessment to get this project moving and off the ground.

Trains on this incoming high-speed line will run on a mix of new and existing tracks and will reach speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour. According to a provincial news release, a trip to Windsor will take just over two hours, instead of four. 

The line will include stops in Toronto, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Chatham and Windsor, which is great news for future university and college students and anyone who commutes in and out of the city from southwestern Ontario.

Part of King Street West could look a lot different this fall if city council approves the King Street Pilot project.

This plan aims to prioritize public transit (streetcars) over private vehicles by limiting through traffic on this busy downtown thoroughfare.

It'll also include streetcar safety murals. These will not only beautify the streetscape, but they'll also replace serve to repurpose the existing transit shelters, according to the King Street Pilot plans.

The streetcar safety mural project, by Wysp Creative's Lucas DeClavasio and Andrew Patterson, won last year's $5,000 NXT City Prize.

"We're thrilled to be able to move the Streetcar Safety Murals forward," says Chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat, who led the prize jury, in a news release.

"It highlights the importance of transit in the fabric of the city, improves safety, and creates a platform for art/beautification. Integrating it into our pilot is about listening to and acting on ideas from young people in our city."

Ontario Place is turning into a go-to event destination in Toronto, and the action at this former amusement park continues this weekend with a huge drone light show happening during the Culinary Ontario Festival. 

Admission is free to this foodie fest, which takes place on the West Island, the section of the park west of the marina. It'll feature food and drink vendors from across the province.

The drone show will take place on Saturday, May 20 after sunset and will feature 30 flying robot light ships performing a choreographed dance show in the sky. It's all put on by Toronto startup Arrowonics.

According to the organizers, it's the first of its kind in Toronto and is an environmentally (and noise) friendly alternative to fireworks on this holiday long weekend. 

Toronto music venues might be shutting down across the city, including on the stretch of Spadina that makes up Chinatown.

To preserve this musical history, as CBC News reports, Dragon Den's Michael Wekerle and Councillor Joe Cressy are working to create a rock and roll walk of fame of sorts by next year.

They imagine embedding plaques in the sidewalk in front of establishments such as Grossman's Tavern, the El Mocambo and the recently shuttered (but destined to return) Silver Dollar Room.

According to CBC, Councillor Cressy will put in a motion to jump start this initiative at next week's city council meeting.