Photo by cookedphotos in the blogTO Flickr pool

Just when you thought football had stopped being a source of controversy for Rob Ford, a member of the mayor's staff - a city employee - goes and performs admin for Ford's football charity, apparently on the taxpayer's dollar. The aide in question has attended football practices using a city car and is occasionally listed as an assistant coach with Rob Ford. Is using a city employee to assist your football charity gravy?

Also in unexpected behaviour, coun. Doug Ford says his brother will attend this year's Pride flag-raising ceremony. Ford made the comments to a Ryerson U law class attended by the city's only openly-gay councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. So far there's been no official confirmation from the mayor. Do you think Ford should attend?

Yesterday's meeting between Rob Ford and Premier Kathleen Wynne was "productive," according to the mayor. Ford met with Wynne to discuss transit issues - likely tolls and taxes, which the mayor says he's against - and the location of a planned Toronto casino. Wynne says she will try and implement new ways of paying for transit in the GTA.

7,123 - that's the number of city employees on the province's 2012 Sunshine List. Released yesterday, the document details every government employee who earned over $100,000 that year. Half of the those on the list were employed by the police service, and 1,395 came from the TTC - 22 were ticket collectors. Part of the reason why the list is 30% longer than in 2012 is down to inflation.

22% of drivers hit with parking tickets in 2012 were able to avoid paying the fine, according to new stats from the City of Toronto. 2,761,802 tickets were handed out, down 2.5% from 2011. The drop in ticket revenue is being attributed to a workplace shuffle that's seen more parking enforcement staff put on other traffic duties. Should Toronto be more strict with tickets?

The new-look Mount Dennis library has just opened, and it's looking pretty slick. The Toronto Star's Christopher Hume discusses the opening and the impact it will likely have on the neighbourhood now the Eglinton-Crosstown LRT is also under construction.

Two of Toronto's oldest streetcars will make an appearance at this weekend's Toronto Beaches Lions Easter Parade. A PCC and Peter Witt streetcars, which are maintained at the TTC's Hillcrest facility and used for special occasions, will travel from the Neville Loop to Woodbine Avenue. At one time, the TTC owned the largest fleet of PCC streetcars in the world, running 745 of the vehicles.

IN BRIEF:

• Man, 22, dies from injuries after King Street shooting [CTV News]
• Ex-TTC boss gets house arrest for foster daughter sex [Toronto Star]
• Toronto teacher faces 42 sex-related charges [CBC]
• Joffrey Lupul, Leafs rally to overcome Hurricanes' charge [CBC]

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

Image: "Easter Spirit" by cookedphotos/blogTO Flickr pool.

How To Dress Well played an intimate performance for a rather crowd at Wrongbar on Wednesday night. Half were there for the ethereally voiced Tom Krell while the obvious throngs of pop tarts showed up to pay homage to their latest idol, Sky Ferreira. The Aussie codeine-trance-inducing-shoegazer-band High Highs was also in attendance. World of Posters Queen W. location must have made bank on fake IDs for the concert as there were a hell of a lot of youngsters that got in.

Dressed in a baggy, too big for his frame Grace Jones t-shirt that he tended to awkwardly ring his hands through in concentration (some of us stick our tongues out, others bite our nails) and flanked by an accompanying violinist/lap top jockey and a projection screen, How To Dress Well delivered about 40 minutes of soul-baring modern white boy R&B secrets and told us funny stories. Like the time just a few weeks ago when he was invited to Maxwell's urban hang suite, er home studio, after his show where they ordered macaroni and cheese, popped mollies and listened to Juicy J for hours together, or the time he played Wrongbar in 2008 for the Big Primpin' New Years party.

Also notable was a heart-wrenching a cappella ode to his brother titled "Blue" that somewhat echoed The Verve Pipe's 90s hit "The Freshman" in tone and heart. Hearing the music without beats made me realize how much his style is entirely based on the production that surrounds it. This crooner could easily share the stage D'Angelo or R. Kelly given the right beats... and some clever special effects.

Sky Ferreira's set made some of us wonder if she'd spent too long hanging out with Michael Jackson as a member of his Neverland posse. She can belt out a gamut of songs and styles jumping from guitar led country-blues ballads ("Ghost"), Runaways meets Garbage styled thrash & roll ("Can't Say No"), to Solange-inspired songs ("Everything Is Embarrassing," which shares Blood Orange as a producer and sounds almost identical to the Knowles hit "Losing You." Embarrassing much?) — and has a voice beyond her years. But her black on bleached trailer trash Courtney Love via Pam Anderson Bratz doll look was a little off-putting.

Was she related to one of the Toddlers In Tiaras cast members, or did she just grow up real fast on gogo juice? I'm sure she will come into her own one day as she is incredibly gifted singer and an edgy manufactured pop starlet in the making, but maybe the Forever 21 spokesgirl should loosen her jeans up a bit, as she clung tightly to her safety bubble and relied mostly on flashing those sultry eyes of hers to capture our attention. It's a decent trick, but she should have a few more up her super-skinny jeans by now.

Additional Photos

Photos by Alejandro Santiago

The photos of the week collect each of the editor-selected photos of the day into one post for a contest to be decided by our readers. Sponsored by Posterjack, the photographer whose image receives the most votes will be awarded with a voucher code for a 24"x36" poster print of their work.

All the rules and fine-print can be found in the original announcement post on the blogTO Flickr page. One thing to add, however, is that the voting period ends at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, after which the winner will be contacted with the good news.

For those photographers whose images are featured below, please feel free to give us a little information about your shot — i.e. where and when it was taken — in the comments section. Who knows? Maybe your description will sway voters in your favour!

Lead photo by Somewhere in Toronto.

2.
Photo by cookedphotos

3.
Photo by Natasha M

4.
Photo by Greg David

5.
Photo by Andrea Zaratin

6.
Photo by Francisco Silva in the blogTO Flickr pool

7.
Photo by Jacques

The Eastertime resurrection of the Cadbury Clucking Bunny was annually guaranteed to raise a smile. Like the trusted barrel collared St. Bernard dog from Neo Citron commercials, the Clucking Bunny was a loveable mascot of industry: a signifier of not only delicious chocolate covered crème egg yolk ecstasy but also of a kinder era where loveable animal characters helped shift nuclear powered sugar highs and the fleeting nature of Easter itself was reflected in the limited availability of the candy.

Before the advent of the Clucking Bunny in the early 1980s, the crème eggs were sold to Canadians using disco infused roller rinks as a backdrop for their enjoyment (and rarity).

But after his debut appearance in 1982, the Clucking Bunny became a persona of the brand itself, with merchandise, numerous books and yearly, global rollouts of his new commercials, including this pleasant one from Toronto ad agency MacLaren McCann, who stated this was "a fun reminder that the Cadbury Clucking Bunny had done his job once again"

But something changed as we careened into the 2010s. Cadbury dropped the Bunny in favour of spotlighting the "Goo". Even worse, their whole Easter campaign has come under fire for seemingly glamourizing chocolate eggs pleasurably eviscerating themselves.

While their clever Canadian Facebook page is busy, many comments expressing disbelief at the current campaign of the "Here Today, Goo Tomorrow" self-harming eggs are going uncommented on, even though a quick look at Google logs that in Australia concerned citizens rallied against the campaign and took it to the Advertising Standards Bureau. Cadbury's Brand Director James Graham defends the strategy as follows: "This campaign's infectious sense of humour is sure to spread as each new execution is revealed." Sorry to say, we prefer the Clucking Bunny (and roller rinks) to maiming, suicide and executions.

Either way, Happy Easter!

Retrontario plumbs the seedy depths of Toronto flea markets, flooded basements, thrift shops and garage sales, mining old VHS and Betamax tapes that less than often contain incredible moments of history that were accidentally recorded but somehow survived the ravages of time. You can find more amazing discoveries at www.retrontario.com.

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

THIS WEEK

• Kensington Market's Thomas Lavers and Cold Tea team up for a Drink Competition at 8pm on Monday, April 1st. Chefs and mixologists from restaurants across the city will face-off and all proceeds will be donated in support of Breast Cancer.
• Ocean Wise and Parkette Kitchen and Bar (874 West Queen West) host Fishing in The Park on Wednesday, April 3rd at 6pm. Tickets are $28.50 to join the discussion on sustainable seafood and enjoy maritime themed drinks and seafood dishes.
• Casa Loma (1 Austin Terrace) host a Five Stars wine tasting event on Wednesday, April 10th from 6pm to 9pm. Tickets are $68 for wine tasting focused on Ontario products plus pod tastings and a buffet.
• The Cookbook Store celebrates 30 years in business with an Anniversary Open House on Saturday, April 6th from 11am to 4 pm. Stop in for birthday cake, or meet James Cunningham (Eat St.) at 1pm as he launches his new cookbook.
• The Depanneur (1033 College Street) presents Supper Club: For The Love of Tea on Saturday, April 6th at 7:30pm. Tea sommelier, Carol Mark prepares a unique meal featuring tea infused cocktails, dishes and desserts. Tickets are $40.

UPCOMING

• The Gardiner Museum presents the Jamie Kennedy Culinary Series this spring with first locally-sourced, moroccan themed dinner happening on Friday, April 26th from 6pm to 9:30pm. Tickets are $150 per person (save $15 as a Gardnier Museum Member).
• Khao San Road presents its third annual Songkran festival on Saturday, April 13th in celebration of the Thai New Year. The event featuring a beer garden, dance party and traditional water fight will offer Thai-inspired street food stalls helmed by chefs like Matt Blondin of Momofuku Daishō and Alec Martin of Hawker Bar. Tickets are $29-$39.
• Tickets are available now for the Brewer's Plate, an annual spring event that offers unlimited tastings froms chefs, artisans and breweries from around Ontario. The event takes place on Wednesday April 17th at the CBC Barbara Frum Atrium (250 Front Street West). Tickets are $125.

OTHER NEWS

• Leslieville's Rashers has begun a promotion geared at runners and cyclists billed, Sweat Like a Pig Then Eat One. Anyone who can complete a circuit shaped like a pig (prove it on any running or biking app) will be reward with a 30% discount.

Easter Weekend events in Toronto (March 29-31)

ARTS & CRAFTS

One Of A Kind Show
Now in its 38th year, the One Of A Kind Show returns for its semi-annual display of unique crafts by local artisans at the Direct Energy Centre. The largest consumer craft show in North America features late night shopping, an Etsy sellers section, the OOAK Hall of Fame and hundreds of exhibitors of popular and upcoming brands selling everything from clothing to housewares and accessories to trinkets. The One Of A Kind Show runs until Sunday evening with tickets available through the official website and at the doors.
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place (100 Princes' Boulevard), March 27-31, 2013, 10AM $7-$12

MUSIC

Waka Flocka Flame
Southern rapper Waka Flocka Flame has three albums under his belt so he's more than deserving of the Canadian tour is he is embarking on this Saturday night. Waka Flocka is joined by the Comeback Season Kids--a collective consisting of 11 Toronto DJs--at the Phoenix for one of the weekend's biggest shows. Tickets are still available at Soundscapes, Rockpile Venue and Play De Record. Buy now or risk being the person at home liking Instagram photos of the show later.
The Phoenix (410 Sherbourne Street), March 30, 2013, 8PM $45

FOUNDRY 2013 // Andres + Bruce Trail + Colin Bergh
Foundry 2013, the month-long showcase series, continues with another show at BLK BOX on Friday featuring three sets by international musicians and DJs. Headliner Andres is joined by Bruce Trail and the evening's curator Colin Bergh, who will each be spinning DJ sets at the event, which is sponsored by Sapporo beer. Tickets are available at Soundscapes, Play De Record and Rotate This.
BLK BOX (1087 Queen Street West), March 29, 2013, 10PM $17

For more music listings, check out our This Week in Music and March Concerts posts.

PARTY

Nineties by Nature
Tube tops, 90210, The Proclaimers, Super Soakers, plaid tied around Eddie Vedder's waist, cassette tapes, Zack Morris, bodysuits, "Come As You Are", pogs, "My So-Called Life", jazzercise, Spice Girls, Tamgotchi, trolls, House of Pain, Thigh Master, Walkman, ICQ, slap bracelets and MA$E. Sound good? Nineties by Nature will provoke all your '90s nostalgia this Friday night at The Parkdale Drink with '90s music by DJ Kid C and DJ Channel 9 all night. Know your '90s if you're going to make a request.
The Parkdale Drink (1292 Queen Street West), March 29, 2013, 10PM $5

#ParlourParty TO
Want to party for a cause? #ParlourParty is a night of drinks, dancing and music to raise funds for a young Toronto woman with a brain tumour. This no cover party featuring music by leading and up and coming Toronto techno and tech-house DJs Pasha, Jeff Button & R+D takes place Friday night at Parlour. Get on the guest list by going to partypeopleto.com.
Parlour (270 Adelaide Street West), March 29, 2013, Free

FASHION

HALFWITS Clothing Co. 2nd Annual Family Reunion
HALFWITS is a clothing line that keeps it in the family. Celebrating their second year designing, the good folks behind the line invite their kin (the good people of Toronto) out for celebratory drinks and a look at their new babies--the threads of the upcoming Spring/Summer line--this Friday night at Sneak's. Beers are $3 until midnight and music will be provided by Exeter and Mike Din. Forego critical comments about your clothing from your parents and join this fam for an Easter fashion party instead.
Sneaky Dee's (431 College Street), March 29, 2013, Free

For more fashion listings, check out our This Week in Fashion post.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cymatics
Artist and photographer Turner Wigginton uses the fundamentals of sound and photography to create sound vibrations and explore their effects on liquid in his upcoming exhibit Cymatics. Opening this Friday night at Lomography Gallery Store, this show is dedicated to visualized sound and the shadows created by light-sensitive chemicals. Wigginton will speak at 6PM with an opening reception to follow at 7. Wigginton, a Ryerson photography student, exhibits at Lomography as the winner of the Win Your Dream Space contest.
Lomography Gallery Store (536 Queen Street West), March 29, 2013, 6PM Free

THEATRE

And Slowly Beauty...
Michel Nadeau's French-Canadian play And Slowly Beauty..., adapted for English audiences by Maureen Labonté, has its final run at the Tarragon this weekend, allowing one last chance to see this critically-acclaimed performance. Portraying the story of Mr. Mann, a gentleman who has won tickets in an office draw to see Anton Chekhov's The Three Sisters, And Slowly Beauty... shows how a man's world is enriched and broadened when he ends up at the theatre alone, left to learn to appreciate art. The performance closes Sunday evening with tickets available through Tarragon's box office.
Tarragon Theatre Mainspace (30 Bridgman Avenue), March 29-31, 2013, 8PM $27-$53

For more theatre listings, check out our This Week in Theatre post.

COMEDY

3 Greeks
Tim Nasiopoulos, Jon Malanos and Josh Elijah are three Greeks who have been touring Canada with their stand-up routines but will unite to perform as a trio at the Lower Ossington Theatre's stand-up comedy club this Friday night. Nasiopoulos, a former opener for Angelo Tsarouchas and a Sirius XM personality along with Josh Elijah are joined by Montrealer Malanos for a small Canadian tour that includes Friday's show before they part ways again. Greek culture will take a big hit at this show, which may or may not be worth the $15 to you, depending on how Greek you are. Tickets at the door.
The LOT Stand Up Comedy Club (100 Ossington Avenue), March 29, 2013, 10PM $15

For more comedy listings, check out our This Week in Comedy post.

FOOD

Easter Chocolate Tour
Ten Thousand Villages hosts an Easter Chocolate Tour in Trinity Bellwoods Park this Saturday afternoon, with plenty of free chocolate samples and a guided tour detailing the history of chocolate. The group will meet at 709 Queen West and walk to five stores, speaking with chefs and learning about chocolate-making with shop owners. The tour combines the charm of neighbourhood exploration with free chocolate so you really can't go wrong (unless you hate learning about how deliciousness came to be).
Ten Thousand Villages (709 Queen Street West), March 30, 2013, 3:30PM Free

For more food listings, check out our Toronto Food Events post.

FILM

The Resurrection of Tony Gitone
Jerry Ciccoritti's drama The Resurrection of Tony Gitone, a film about an Italian-Canadian actor returning home to Toronto where he has finally landed his big break, explores the kinship of the Italian-Canadian community and the immigrant experience. This 2012 indie film starring Fab Filippo, Paula Rivera and Tony Nardi by the director of Boy Meets Girl is about the complications of family dynamics and the drama that comes with a big meal amongst Italian relatives. The Resurrection of Tony Gitone runs on a limited engagement at The Royal, beginning this Friday night until April 4th.
The Royal (608 College Street), March 29-April 4, 2013, 7PM $11

ReelHeART Monthly Film Series
ReelHeART continues to celebrate International Women's Day with an evening of movies by celebrated female filmmakers like Lauren and Marissa Sandler, Patricia van Ryker and Jerri Zbiral. Four films will screen back to back this Friday night at Big Picture Cinema, including child trafficking doc Keeping Them Safe and performance art doc Never Turning Back. Entry to the three features and one short is just $10, payable at the door on the night of.
Big Picture Cinema (1035 Gerrard Street East), March 29, 2013, 7:30PM $10

For more film listings, check out our This Week in Film post.

ART

Mix, Mingle, Blend Art Party
Mix, Mingle, Blend is an art party that gets everyone involved in the creative process. Taking place at The Common Café on Friday night, everyone will be invited to experiment with paints and encouraged to try out new techniques when creating their personal pieces of art during the two-hour workshop lead by a professional painter. Drinks, hors d'oeuvres and conversation will be included and the admission fee includes framing for the personal piece that attendees will be creating to take home at the end of the night. Book your space now at offthewallartparties.com.
The Common Café (1071 College Street), March 29, 2013, 8:30PM $35

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

Photo by Subjective Art in the blogTO Flickr pool

With the weather getting warmer, Richmond Street gets a lot more interesting from Thursday to Sunday. But let's face it: you're 30, and, well, if the party isn't labelled, "For the mature clientele" it isn't for you anymore. Never fear! Everything from the (partial) cast of PicnicFace to the Nubian Disciples of Pryor are here to save the days. Follow me as I lead you away from the clubbing district to This Week In Comedy...

SUN MARCH 31 / NUBIAN DISCIPLES OF PRYOR / YUK YUK'S / 224 RICHMOND W / 9PM / $20

In the early 90's, BET's Comic View and Def Comedy Jam started featuring all-black comedians. In the same spirit, Kenny Robinson and Mark Breslin created the, "Nubian Disciples of Pryor" to feature the best that the great black north had to offer. The show is immensely popular, with the likes of Dave Chappelle, Will Smith, and even DMX dropping by when they're in town. In accordance with the HRDC, a non-black comedian is added to the mix every week.

MON APR 1 / SIX PACK / THE OFFICE PUB / 117 JOHN / 8PM / FREE

Let me tell you something: Chris and Brian know what they're doing, proving that you don't have to be part of the mainstream to profit from one's passion. This edition, DJ Demers, Mike Rita, Alex Pavone, Barry Taylor, and Christina Walkinshaw bring the noise. From the outside looking in, it's simple: put on free shows that win a following, and then invite that following to a show which has a cover charge. But ask the hundreds of people that have tried to run a room in Toronto, and they'll tell you the truth: it's freakin' hard. Good on them for having the brass to show the old-timers how it's done.

WED APR 3 / KYLE & MARK DO NEW SKETCHES AND JUST KILL IT / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 8PM / $5

When PicnicFace's slot on The Comedy Network was nixed, they held an online campaign (which sounds kind of lazy but isn't) to plead their case to the pantheon at Bell Media.  Mark McKinney, Dave Foley, and some dude named Andy freakin' Samberg showed their support. Unfortunately, the smoke that wafted up from the altar of internet offerings didn't reach their way to Mt. Olympus. Luckily, two of the members, Kyle Dooley and Mark Little, are rising from the dead to put on a skid sketch comedy shows. Word to the wise: if you want to get a seat, come early.

THURS APR 4 / LAUGH SABBATH / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 930PM / $5

This week, the charming Tim Gilbert hosts another edition of Laugh Sabbath. I never know what to expect with Tim's jokes, and I love that. Sometimes when you've seen a comedian for a few times, you get a sense of where they are going to take things, i.e. dark comic going for the offensive, racial comic going for racial, etc. Not Tim. Like a box of white chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, walks you through the up's and down's (they're mostly down's, really) in my quest to become a killer comic in Toronto.

In 1931, when the Maple Leafs fluttered out of the Mutual Street Arena, the first home of the team since the Toronto St. Patricks days, the 7,500-seater stadium west of Jarvis Street was in trouble. Without the hockey revenues that were essential to its business, the city-owned property was destined to struggle.

It was under the new ownership of Ted Dickson that after years of uncertainty the Arena Gardens (to use its original name) found its footing and became a venue for concerts, exhibitions, sports, and, most memorably, roller skating. The venue became known as The Terrace in 1962 and grew into a much-loved community hub.

When it was demolished in 1989, the wheels were already in motion to build a replacement. So far it hasn't happened, but that doesn't mean nothing was constructed. Today, the shell of a planned roller rink - located on a Toronto Community Housing property - still needs filling.

If a Toronto Star report is anything to go by, Toronto's roller-skating palace wasn't much prized for its aesthetics at the end of the 1980s. "Few people have asked the [Toronto Preservation Board] to save the Terrace so far. And city councillors want more housing than a questionable landmark," it reported as council gave final approval to remove the hockey shrine and build new apartments.

More than 1,000 people turned out to take the final skate at the Mutual Street Arena. Lovers who had met at the building in the 1930s at a dance were there to say their goodbyes. Outside, a small crowd of protesters voiced their concerns to local councillor Jack Layton, who promised their petition would make it to city hall. It did, but the city was powerless to stop the project that would leave Toronto without an indoor skating facility.

Various replacements were proposed at a time when the city budget was extremely stretched, including a half-hearted proposal to drain the reflecting pool in Nathan Phillips Square and turn it into an outdoor skating bowl in summer. The city would later get the hang of organizing skating outside city hall.

In an interesting parallel with the Scotia Plaza development, a group of teens under the guidance of Jack Layton persuaded the developer Centara to contribute $2 million to building a new roller rink, lest they chain themselves to bulldozers. The company also agreed to donate the Terrace sign, rental skates, and sound system from the arena to the new project.

In exchange, Centara was able to buy the protester's silence and boost the density of their development to 50% above what was zoned. Several years earlier, down on King Street, Layton and a group of other councillors had agreed to end a vocal protest against Scotia Plaza in exchange for a $2 million donation from developer Campeau Corp. to a housing co-op.

Even with a cut of the development funds the project was by no means a sure thing. The remaining $3 million required to add the rink to the a new Jarvis Street housing complex was hard to extract from city council. Mayor Art Eggleton and budget chief Barbara Hall favored asking Metro for the cash even though the project was also being funded by the province.

In the end, it would take another protest - a "skate-in" on Mutual Street - for council to approve adding the rink to the ground floor of a new subsidized housing project just north of Jarvis and Dundas. Success, or so they thought.

Belt-tightening measures under a newly-elected city council in 1992 nixed most the funds for the building. Instead of a ready-to-use rink, skaters would get an empty shell fitted out with only basic heating. The space would then be leased to the highest bidder. A city-run facility would be too likely to lose money, thought new budget committee chair Tom Jakobek.

By now Jack Layton had moved on after his failed mayoral bid and his vacated seat was taken over by Kyle Rae.

"It was pure political payback," Rae recalls of the decision to effectively kill the rink. "This happens a lot on councils, when someone leaves people who were upset with things unravel them. I feel the same way about Jarvis Street - the bicycle lane ... I put in 10 years of work the community and what do they do? They tear it out."

The property has since been taken over by Toronto Community Housing but the shell remains. Various groups have submitted plans to use the space - though none of them have been a roller rink - but all have balked at the cost of bringing the skeleton up to code.

Rae supported a boxing academy associated with Lennox Lewis but the backers bailed out over costs. A basketball arena was also scrapped for the same reasons. In 2007, the Academy of Performing Arts made a proposal that, in keeping with the theme, also fell by the wayside.

Most recently, a company approached TCH about installing a storage locker facility in the room but were unable to secure the necessary permits. In its decades-long existence, its only use has been as a backdrop for a handful of movies and television shows.

"Leasing or selling the space is complex because the space is part of a large housing co-operative," says Ian McConachie from TCH. "We have posted "For Lease" signs at 261 Jarvis St. and hope to offer a lease for a use that complies with zoning."

Rae calls the 20-year lack of progress "a travesty" for the local community. With no agreement on the horizon, it looks unlikely Toronto will ever get the promised replacement for the Mutual Street Arena.

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

Image: City of Toronto Archives and Toronto Star.

While downtown folk might be willing to endure long line-ups to feast on BBQ, true smokehouse fanatics know that the juiciest, tenderest, sauciest meats can be found at great value at lowbrow, roadside (er, strip mall) establishments that couldn't care less about the hype. Case in point; this unassuming 6-month old, Mississauga joint.

Read my profile of Holy Smokez in the restaurants section.

There's no homecoming like an Italian homecoming. The food, the wine, the stories...the secrets. Jerry Ciccoritti's latest film, The Resurrection of Tony Gitone which premiered at the Royal Cinema last night, is a character-led family drama in the tradition of Diner or Goodfellas - but with a focus here on the lives, loves and stories found in the Italian-Canadian community.

The story, set in Little Italy, centers on the return of Nino, a local boy done good played by Fab Filippo. Nino is the neighbourhood golden boy, having left for Hollywood to try his luck in the city of dreams, and now he's returned clutching the biggest one - a leading role in a major feature opposite the Hollywood It-Girl of the moment, Vanessa Luna (Paula Rivera). The bonus? She's also currently his girlfriend.

The whole family is there to meet them - successful contractor Leo (John Cassini), esteemed novelist Frankie (Ron Lea), Italian-community media mogul Alberto (Alvaro D'Antonio), Eddie the restauranteur (Louis Di Bianco), mobster-turned-chef Bruno (Tony Nappo) and aging film director Nick Mancuso. But beneath the glistening surface of these immigrant success stories and celebration, each person hides a lurking secret that threatens to rock the emotional foundations of the family, and even Nino himself is not being completely honest about his sudden Hollywood success story.

Here's my interview with director Jerry Ciccoritti about the unexpected way the film came into existence.

Where did the story come from?

It comes from a very serious place in my heart. The circumstances of where this film came from emotionally, and where this film came from physically are actually one and the same. I was literally having lunch at Il Gatto Nero with a friend of mine, a film distributor who's since retired. And we were just having a completely casual lunch. I had no agenda of any kind and I had no idea of a movie of any kind.

He's Italian and I'm Italian. We were both just riffing on how it's too bad that there's this generation of Italian-Canadians, men and women who are in their 30s, 40s, approaching 50...there's a particular creative and life crisis they have as they're sliding into middle age, and the issues are, you know, what do we do with the second halves of our lives? Have we accomplished anything? Canada is supposed to be a place where the immigrant story is one of success but at a price. How do we fit in?

I was like...literally rambling. I had no intention of making a movie at all. And as I was going on and being all upset, like, "Gosh darnit, somebody should make this movie because these are important personal issues!" he reached over and grabbed my hand, the distributor, and he said, listen to me, if you make that movie, I promise you I'll get it out to theatres. And that stopped me, I was like, Oh my God, am I talking about a movie? Am I talking about something for real? I know these issues are really important to me, but am I ready to do this movie about these people and these issues? Fuck it, I am.

I looked over and there was Carmen, who owns Il Gatto Nero...a good friend of mine, and I marched right over to the table and right out of my ass I said, "Carmen I'm going to come back here at the end of August. I need your place for six nights. I'm going to shoot a movie with Nick Mancuso, Fab Filippo, Tony Nardi, blah blah blah, and I need your place. How's that?" And he says, "Ok, sure."

And then I realized I had a location, so I ran home and phoned all the actors and said, "We're going to shoot something at the end of August, are you guys available? And they all said yeah, so then I realized I had the location, I got the cast, I need a script...and it kind of went from there.

Did you know who you wanted right away?

Well, I knew that practicality had to mean creativity, so auditioning actors and stuff was out of the question, and I knew I wanted to make it about a bunch of Italian men, and there was this group of actors who are Italian, and they are really, really, really amazing actors, and they're also friends of mine. I've worked with them a lot.

So it makes more sense that I just sort of write something for these guys, and it will give us all a chance to fire on all thrusters. I know what these guys do really well. I know what their weaknesses are. I also know what they've always wanted to do and no one has ever let them. So I'm going to write that for them, so everyone finally gets a chance to really, really shine.

So I guess it's good that you wrote the script after you got your location and everything?

Oh, yeah, exactly. Everything has a certain impact - I got a cafe for free, but Carmen says I can only use it from midnight to 6 am when the place is closed. So then you have to sit down and say to yourself, okay, what happens in a cafe or restaurant when it's closed? Well, you're going to have a private party. So I know that my movie, whether I like it or not, is going to be about a private party.

Talking about the story, I found it very interesting that you had it kind of work around a party, a homecoming, but there's all these different layers to it. It's not what it seems like at first. Was that intentional, when you were first going in, to have all these layers peel away, or did that come across the more you worked on it?

That was extremely intentional from when I was writing the first draft of the script. The movie takes place in one night, and I owe it to the audience, if I'm going to ask them to watch a movie that takes place basically in one location, I need to give them the world in one location. So I sort of, in a very pretentious way, modeled it on James Joyce's Dubliners. I got ten people. Conflict is always between two people which means I've got five sources of conflict. I've got to give the audience five stories.

So out of these ten people I've got to give them a series of two-handers where it's a beginning, a middle and an end. The conflict, if you take it by itself, it's completely unimportant and not interesting. But if you put five uninteresting stories together, banging together...they're like two pieces of flint. You hit them together and there's a spark, and all of life and all the world can come out by these small stories.

The Resurrection of Tony Gitone is currently playing exclusively at the Royal Cinema. Check the theatre's web site for showtimes.

On Wednesday night, Malaparte on the 6th floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox set the scene for a bit of bling courtesy of Gc Watches as they unveiled their new timepieces and anointed Alexandria Pellegrino from Cake Opera Co., Frankie Solarik from Bar Chef and Jano Badovinac of Fugitive Glue as their three Rising Stars.

View and rate the looks in our Style section.

Photo by mishlove1 in the blogTO Flickr pool

This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.

Legoland / Theatre Passe Muraille / 7:30pm/2:00pm / $15-$35
Atomic Vaudeville's Legoland is the prequel to the recent and wildly inventive musical Ride the Cyclone. It's the first play in Jacob Richmond's trilogy of theme park inspired dark comedies. After violently attacking an American pop star, Penny and Ezra Lamb are extradited back to Canada where they are forced to explain their extraordinary behaviour. The story unfolds with the help of a ukulele, puppets, multi-media, and gangster rap.

True West / Soulpepper - Young Centre / 7:30pm/1:30pm $32-$68
Nancy Palk directs Sam Shepard's True West, a black comedy about two siblings (Lee and Austin) who couldn't appear to be more different on the surface. But as a tempting deal with a Hollywood producer presents itself, the brothers discover that they may be more alike than they first thought. Soulpepper main stays Stuart Hughes and Mike Ross star as the petty criminals.

Paprika Festival / Tarragon Theatre / 8:00pm/2:30pm / $5
Now in it's twelfth year, the Paprika Festival celebrates the theatrical work of emerging artists primarily ages 21 and under. This year, the lineup includes work from Britta Johnson (Life After) and Rosamund Small (Genesis and Other Stories). Additional programming includes This is Your Script, a collective creation by this year's Creators' Unit facilitated by Natasha Greenblatt, as well as a cabaret series of social and educational events.

Chile Con Carne / Factory Theatre / 8:00pm/2:30pm / $22-$29
Childhood innocence and political strife is profiled in Carmen Aguirre's Chile Con Carne. When a young girl takes up the fight to protect Cedar, a local tree that is to be removed, the actions of her parents, political refugees from Chile, cannot help but inspire the young girl's cause. The Alameda Theatre Company's play is directed by Marilo Nuñez and features Paloma Nuñez as Manuelita.

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story / Randolph Theatre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $49-$60
Profiling the music of one of the most successful recording artists of his generation, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story features 20 of the singer's most famous hits. The jukebox musical originally opened in London in 1998 and ran for 12 years before a short stint on Broadway and a host of touring productions. The musical runs at the Randolph Theatre until April 21.

Let's face it, touchscreen typing sucks! Whether I'm using the portrait or landscape keyboard on a smartphone, tablet or "phablet' it's all the same. The keyboard keys are unnaturally placed, the keypad takes up more than a third of my screen and I'm constantly sending out messages with spelling mistakes or incorrect words.

One Torontonian aims to correct all this and change touchscreen typing forever and judging from all the support he has already gained from his Indiegogo campaign, his dream is soon to become our reality.

Inspired by a University of Toronto research project, alum and former teaching assistant, Will Walmsley created Minuum - the tiny keyboard for big fingers - a one-dimensional keyboard that frees up screen space and allows for fast, accurate typing.

"When you're typing, you don't always hit the letter you aim for. And there's nothing wrong with that", explains Will from his Indiegogo campaign video. "We designed Minuum from the ground up to allow delightfully fast sloppy typing on as small a keyboard as you want".

Minuum is about half the size of your average touchscreen keyboard. It's a continuum of letters meaning letters and numbers are in one row rather than the multi-row format we are used to on our devices today. It leverages the QWERTY keyboard we know and love but allows for better access to punctuation, space, backspace and enter keys.

For fat fingers, Minuum provides easy letter magnification and its auto-correct algorithm promises you can type fast without worrying about being precise. Additionally, Minuum offers some neat customization features such as moving and placing the keyboard anywhere on the screen and changing the color.

Walmsley worked on the prototype for Minuum for two years before forming the company Whirlscape which he is the CEO. The project has already gained support from UTEST and MaRS Innovation programs and is now looking to the Indiegogo community to help raise the necessary funds to bring the keyboard to the public.

The Minuum Keyboard project has raised more than seven times the campaign goal they set at $10,000 to get the project off the ground which means that we will be seeing Minuum in the marketplace. Walmsley promises to deliver a beta Android app to all his Indiegogo supporters in about two months after the campaign ends which is estimated as June 2013. A general release of this beta app will be available to the public in Q1 of 2014.

As Apple doesn't allow third party keyboards to replace the default keyboard, Minuum will be offered as an iPhone SDK that developers can incorporate into their own apps. This SDK will also be available for Q1 2014.

What's most exciting about the vision of Minuum is that Walmsley and his team are not just building this keyboard for touchscreen but are looking ahead at wearable devices which are expecting to hit the market as early as end of this year. Since Minuum's Indiegogo campaign has reached its stretch goal of $60,000, Walmsley will also be releasing a WDK or wearable development kit which developers can use to incorporate the Minuum keyboard in new apps for smart watches, Google Glasses or gesture control devices like Kinect and Leap Motion.

For more information on Minuum or to become a supporter visit the Minuum Keyboard Project Indiegogo page.

Near the corner of Bloor and Dufferin this Latin American grocery store and MoneyGram might be the neighbourhood's best kept secret. Yes, you can get pick up some cacti, Mexica pop or complete a money transfer here but the real deal is the authentic Mexican sopes and tacos served up in the back.

Find out more in my review of Tierra Azteca.

Photo by Jonathan Castellino in the blogTO Flickr pool

Easter Monday events in Toronto, 2013

COCKTAILS | Happy Fun Times Restaurant Cannery Drink Competition
An interesting event tonight in Kensington Market for a great cause. The hip watering hole, Cold Tea, is the place to be for "Happy Fun Times" - a drinking competition presented in conjunction with Thomas Lavers, the nearby delicatessen and cannery. There are a number of matches already set up, and hopefully the competitors spent the weekend getting ready! This is the kind of event where everyone should really be prepared to take a cab or the TTC home, as the spirit of competition becomes contagious! All proceeds go towards breast cancer research.
Cold Tea (58 Kensington Avenue) 8PM

THEATRE | New Voices
"New Voices" is an event presented by the Ryerson Theatre School consisting of student-produced works. A variety of performances featuring a mixture of acting and dancing will showcase the students' skills and give a taste of emerging Toronto theatrical talent. It is not at all unusual for many of the works presented in this showcase to go on to be professionally produced to reach a greater Toronto audience. "New Voices" is produced by Sheldon Rosen, and runs until April 6th. If you are so inclined, attending this event is a great way to show your support for the theatre students at Ryerson University.
Ryerson Theatre (46 Gerrard Street East) 7PM $18/ students + seniors $14

MUSIC | Snarky Puppy at The Rex
Funky jazz collective, Snarky Puppy return to TO for two nights at The Rex Hotel. This instrumental band is made up of some top players who have worked with the likes of Snoop Dogg, ErykahBadu, Morcheeba, and others. These guys combine jazz with very danceable grooves, and their shows are very well-attended and definitely not in keeping with what many might think of as "jazz" in an either modern or traditional sense. Hailing from both Texas, and Brooklyn, this band spends a lot of time on the road, and are a well-oiled machine, even with a rotating lineup, and definitely worth checking out.
The Rex Hotel (194 Queen Street West) 9:45PM

MUSIC | Elvis Monday
Another edition of Elvis Monday goes down at The Drake tonight! Of course, given this TO showcase's long-standing reputation for presenting highly original and cutting edge underground talent, there really cannot be just "another" Elvis Monday. This TO musical force has been around for decades, and has presented early performances by Treble Charger, By Divine Right, Peaches, and others. Tonight's lineup includes an old TO favourite, the J.P. Wasson Band, as well as Elliot Shulman, Carmela Antonio Band, Luka, and Free Criminals. As always, there is no cover.
The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West) 9PM

Also Of Note

• The Two Sides of Carole King

MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• Toronto Food Events
• This week in fashion
• This week in film
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• This week in music

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

Photo by Morris Lum

Police are continuing to hunt for suspects in this weekend's fatal Yorkdale mall shooting. Michael Nguyen, 23, was shot multiple times during an altercation between two groups. A second man, who hasn't been named, was seriously injured. Police haven't said whether they believe the attack was gang related but did say both victims were known to the authorities.

Colleen Dempsey is living on the edge - literally. Her home is side-on to the construction site for the "Edition Richmond" condo on Richmond Street near Strachan. She claims developers damaged her home and cost her money when they tore down the house of her close neighbour. Yikes.

Parents of a four-year-old boy that drove the family car into a McDonalds in northwest Toronto are in a legal pickle. Police say the child put the car in gear and struck the side of the restaurant while his mother, who isn't insured to drive, was in the back seat. The mom later claimed she was driving the vehicle.

The National Post is looking back at coun. Karen Stintz's rise to power on city council with a profile that begins with her successful 2003 election campaign. Stintz defeated long-serving rep Anne Johnston who was embroiled in an the unpopular Minto condo development at Yonge and Eglinton.

Pusateri's Fine Foods sure knows how to cut a deal. 99-cent cans of Arizona Green Tea - with the retail price actually printed on the label - sell for $2.39 at the swanky Yorkville supermarket. I guess the owners have to pay for those valet zone lobbyists somehow. [via Reddit]

The HMCS Toronto has delivered a smackdown to a group of smugglers in the Indian Ocean. Crew aboard the Canadian frigate intercepted 500 kilograms of heroin, one of the largest seizures in a maritime environment, during an international patrol operation in the region.

The Black Hoof, a meat lover's paradise on Dundas West, is taking flak for its online etiquette. A tweet issued from the restaurant's official account early Saturday evening implored "(almost) everyone" to "please, please stop being such a douche". The outburst was apparently prompted by rude table. A later message claimed the troubles were "nothing 10 to 15 oz of chablis won't fix." Should restaurants call out bad behaviour?

Finally, difficult subway riders rejoice - the TTC is unveiling the "personal car," a place where nail-clippers, chicken-eaters, and big backpack wearers can finally ride in comfort, this morning. Here's the TTC's Brad Ross and Chris Upfold to explain the benefits of having absolutely no fellow humans to think about while you ride.

IN BRIEF:

• Man charged with murder after parents found dead inside Scarborough home [Toronto Star]
• Teen dies, four others escape, as speeding SUV plunges into Don River [National Post]
• Nazem Kadri scores hat trick as Leafs crush Senators [CBC]

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

Image: "Spotted: Uber 5000" by AshtonPal/blogTO Flickr pool.