Free poutine, pancakes and Beavertails are just three of the things to get excited about in Toronto right now. There's also a night market at St. Lawrence Market and a huge catering showcase.
Events you might want to check out:Vegan Oktoberfest (October 13 @ pin Lithuanian House )
Don't put away your lederhosen just yet. Veg Heads and Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank are back this year to deliver vegan dishes like gluten-free pretzels, cheese sauce, and of course, plenty of beer.
World Poutine Eating Championship (October 14 @ Yonge-Dundas Square)
Think you can eat more poutine than anyone else? Head down to Yonge-Dundas Square and put your stomach to test. Admission and poutine are free, and a KISS cover band is set to kick off the festivities.
Evergreen's Feast On BBQ (October 14 @ Evergreen Brick Works)
The cottage comes to Toronto for this annual fundraiser featuring local and sustainable food and drinks as well as axe throwing. Tickets start at $150.
The Pancakes and Booze Art Show (October 14 @ The Opera House Grill)
The annual art show will showcase work by 100 emerging artists in a massive warehouse environment with live music, body painting and free pancakes.
Shawarma Festival (October 15 @ Gorilla Management)
Let your taste buds do the talking and decide who has the best shawarmas and falafels in town as you explore Toronto's first ever shawarma festival.
Free BeaverTails (October 15 @ BeaverTails Toronto)
BeaverTails we will be giving away free cinnamon and sugar pastries in exchange for a donation of a non-perishable food item. It's all in support of World Food Day.
Toronto Catering Showcase (October 15 @ The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon)
Some of Toronto's top caterers make an appearance at this annual food show where they will showcase the latest food trends while serving up food, beer and wine.
Food in Film (October 19 @ Revue Cinema)
Julia Roberts fans won't want to miss the next edition of the Food in Film Festival where they'll be screening Mystic Pizza. Each ticket comes with admission to the movie, and a pizza pairing by Village Pizza.
Evening at the Market (November 9 @ St. Lawrence Market - South Market)
The annual event at St. Lawrence Market is back for another night of food, drink and entertainment after the sun goes down.
Gourmet Food & Wine Expo (November 16-19 @ Metro Toronto Convention Centre)
The annual 4 day festival showcases wine producers from around the world as well as bakers, confectioners, butchers, caterers and ice cream outlets, restaurants and more.
Construction is a fixture in Toronto, but Queen West has taken a particular beating when it comes to roadwork over the last few years. As of Monday, the latest intersection to be closed will be Queen and McCaul, which will be shut in all directions. Yikes!
Queen St W & McCaul St intersection closed Oct 16 - Nov 6 for TTC streetcar track replacement, news release: https://t.co/bzi49shm5r #TOnews pic.twitter.com/ipS9tHiL1x
— City of Toronto (@TorontoComms) October 13, 2017
The closure will last from October 16 at 5 a.m. until November 6 at 6 a.m. as the City of Toronto replaces the TTC streetcar tracks.
This work is required to bring the track infrastructure up to date and will also allow for improved sidewalks in the surrounding area.
Drivers and cyclists are urged to use alternate routes like Richmond Street West, Adelaide Street West or Dundas Street West. As for going northbound and southbound, University or Spadina Avenues are your best bets.
From Oct. 15 to Nov. 6, 501 Queen will divert via Spadina, King, Church due to track work at Queen and Mc Caul. Visit ttc.ca for details pic.twitter.com/xpXabkyduQ
— TTC Customer Service (@TTChelps) October 13, 2017
For TTC users, the 501 streetcar will divert via Spadina, King, and Church due to this track work.
Work on the project will take place seven days a week from 7 a.m. to midnight, but some work will occur on a 24/7 basis to complete the project faster.
The first few days will be the most disruptive as they involve breaking and removing concrete within the streetcar-track areas. The work to break up the concrete will stop at 11 p.m.
Good luck out there.
A popular Toronto music producer has been sentenced to prison for his role in a cocaine-smuggling trip allegedly arranged by former Vice Canada music editor Yaroslav Pastukhov.
Jordan Garner, 27, was arrested with three other Canadians and one American in December of 2015, when approximately $6 million worth of cocaine was found hidden in their bags at Sydney Airport.
The four men and one woman, all in their 20s, had been awaiting sentencing in an Australian jail ever since, until this morning when a judge handed down prison terms ranging from three years and four months to seven years and six months.
Gardner, who makes up one half of the Toronto-based EDM duo Ebony, received the heaviest sentence alongside travel companion Kutiba Senusi, 24.
Both young men were sentenced to seven and a half months in jail with a non-parole period of four years and four months, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The two other men received slightly lesser sentences, and 20-year-old Porscha Wade has yet to be sentenced.
Drug Mules Linked to Former Vice Editor Sentenced To Prison https://t.co/zTrJ3nmfMR pic.twitter.com/8b8mMeb0HQ
— DJ SYDNEY FLASHBACK (@DJSYDNYFLASHBAK) October 13, 2017
In her ruling, Australia District Court Judge Dina Yehia said she was "firmly of the view that these offenders were exploited by people who were ruthless, persistent and manipulative in recruiting them."
One of those people is thought to be Pastukhov, who used to work for Vice under the name Slava Pastuk.
Gardner's lawyer alleges that Pastukhov had badgered Gardner into the smuggling trip while working at Vice, and that when Gardner tried to back out, Pastukhov threatened the lives of his family members and girlfriend.
Sensui also told court during the hearing that, when he tried to back out of the trip, he was told his safety couldn't be guaranteed and that razor blades had been placed beneath the fingernails of others in his situation.
Both Gardner and Senusi will be eligible for parole in April of 2020, but that's not nearly soon enough for the former's friends and supporters, who've been campaigning for his release February.
Please help my friend Jordan. He was manipulated & made a dumb decision due to the wrong friends. #FreeJordanGardner https://t.co/cwOIRUhifr
— Manda J (@emandaaa_) February 9, 2017
In the wake of today's ruling, supporters are once again placing blame on Pastukhov – who was called out in a National Post article earlier this year for trying to recruit three other employees at Vice's Toronto office to be drug mules.
"When a music editor turns roommates and aspiring musicians into drug mules," wrote one person on Twitter.
"How a white vice editor got a bunch of young poc thrown in jail," commented another.
Pastukhov has not been charged at this point, though police in Canada reportedly confirmed at the Australian hearing that the Toronto end of the smuggling ring is under investigation.
Miniso, the China-based, self-described "Japanese lifestyle brand," is officially expanding into Ontario this month with the opening of a new, 1,500 square-foot store.
The store, sometimes described as a competitor to Dollarama, sells kitchenware, home furnishings, cosmetics, notebooks, electronics and lots of other daily use and household items. Most of these retail between $2.99 to $5.
Miniso unveiled its first-ever Canadian store earlier this year in Vancouver, but its first Toronto area store will open at the Pickering Town Centre on October 21. That will be followed by a store at Stone Road More in Guelph in November and one at Bramalea City Centre before the end of the year.
As we reported previously, several Miniso stores are planned for Ontario including one in downtown Toronto that is expected to be announced soon.
A grand opening event will take place at the new Pickering Town Centre Miniso on Saturday October 21
Ontario is home to some of the most impressive waterfalls in the world, from the Queen of the Cataracts herself to the thunderous Kakabeka Falls in the rugged northland. It's possible, however, that the most scenic of the province's waterfalls is located just 45 minutes from Toronto.
A closer look at the cascade effect. Photo by Joe DeSousa.
Hamilton has plenty of spectacular waterfalls, but when it comes to pure beauty, Albion Falls is certainly near the top of the heap. While it isn't the highest or widest of the bunch, its array of steps makes the water cascade in a way that's reminiscent of an oil painting depicting some forest paradise.
Sunset and cascades. Photo by fl3ms.
If you had to conjure the perfect waterfall, it'd probably look a lot like this. Along with the beauty of the scene, the rounded rock shelves also elicit thoughts about the immense stretches of time required to carve out such geological formations.
An autumn view of Albion Falls. Photo by Frances Maas.
As seems to be the case with all popular waterfalls, there's also some tragic local lore here. In this case, Albion Falls has its own version of the lover's leap narrative in which Jane Riley leapt to her death after being spurned by Joseph Rousseau. There are others, too.
Evening view of Albion Falls. Photo by Kevin Patrick Robbins.
In an effort to prevent modern day tragedies from taking place, access to the bottom has now been restricted. Improvements were made to the viewing platforms around the falls about a decade ago, which offer a safe vantage point from which to take in the spectacle.
The falls have formed over thousands and thousands of years. Photo by Joe DeSousa.
Visitors these days should be wary of the by-law officers who issue fines for trespassing in prohibited areas. Lots of people still break the rules, but they're being enforced more diligently this year.
Entry to Albion Falls is free, and the site can be accessed during all four seasons. 
Neighbourhoods like the Financial District, Yorkville and Bloor Street might be home to most of Toronto's hotels, but that doesn't mean you need to stay in these areas when you visit. With smaller boutique hotels and Airbnbs more prevalent than ever, it's now easy to stay in neighbourhoods slightly off the typical tourist track.
Here are my picks for what neighbourhoods to stay in when visiting Toronto.
West Queen West
The second coolest neighbourhood in the world is filled with restaurants, bars and plenty of shops. Hotels like The Drake and The Gladstone are particularly charming, and Trinity Bellwoods is a good option when it's nice outside. You could spend an entire vacation here, but it's also a perfect launching spot for exploring the rest of the city.
Cross the DVP and step into Toronto's burgeoning Riverside neighbourhood. Photo by Dominic Bugatto.
Riverside
Like brunch? You'll love this vibrant, Queen East neighbourhood. Just steps from historic Corktown, Leslieville, and the newly built Canary District, Riverside is a shutterbug's dream come true. Stay at the stunning, newly- renovated Broadview Hotel to see just how much Toronto excels at blending historical charm with forward-thinking design.
Walking along Spadina between Queen and Dundas can be an adventure in its own right. Bring cash. You'll want to buy stuff. Photo by Chinatownchef.
Chinatown
Colourful. Energetic. Chaotic. Exciting. If you're looking for action, good deals and authentic Asian cuisine, Spadina-town is yours to discover. Situated next to the equally-popular Kensington Market, this downtown neighbourhood boasts some interesting hotel options, including the boutique Hotel Ocho and a centrally-located Super 8.
Catch a movie at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, see a broadway show, or hit a rooftop patio for dinner. There's plenty to do in Toronto's Entertainment District. Photo by Ben Roffelsen.
King West
This condo dense Toronto neighbourhood is filled with ad agency workers by day and club-goers by night. There are hundreds of bars and restaurants dotting King West, but the area is also home to plenty of historic architecture, iconic theatres and swanky hotel-residences like The Thompson and Bisha (both of which have their own lobby bars.)
You'll never be bored (or out of restaurants to try) on College Street. Photo by Philip Johnson.
Little Italy
See Toronto through the eyes of a resident in this lively neighbourhood by checking into a well-priced Airbnb rental or, if you're on a tight budget, the Planet Traveler hostel. If you're into live music, try to catch a concert at The Mod Club or in the basement of Nightowl and or go for dinner and drinks at Pinky's Ca Phe, Bar Raval or Dailo. 
Plenty of Toronto bars, restaurants and local fast food joints have long lineups, but only some of them are worth the wait. The best of the bunch have a great vibe and amazing food, but you'll just have to be patient before you can eat it.
Here are my picks for Toronto restaurants with long lines that are worth the wait.
Adamson Barbecue
For some of the best barbecue in the city, look no further than this spot near Bayview and Leaside. It's not open on Sundays or Mondays, and you better head here early if you want to get food. Lines start formulating before opening and they usually sell out before closing.
Planta Burger
Located in the heart of the Financial District this fast-casual all vegan spot is bustling come lunch hour. Hungry suits flock to the joint to sink their teeth into plant based burgers and epic side dishes like spicy buffalo cauliflower.
KaKa All You Can Eat
It's really no surprise that one of the city's best AYCE sushi restaurants has major lines to get a seat. Many make the trip to Markham to get stuffed but soon there will be a downtown location.
The Rooftop at the Broadview Hotel
The Broadview Hotel was one of Toronto's major hotspots this summer after it transformed Jilly's strip club into a boutique hotel with a rooftop oasis. The views can't be beat and the food and drinks are ok, if a bit expensive, but either way you're going to have to wait for a seat.
Mabu Generation
If you're hankering for hot pot and sizzling plates look no further than this Markham destination. While the restaurant has tons of seating there are often still lineups to get a table.
Pai
You'll have to wait to get into this Thai spot on Duncan Street. Even though it's been open for a few years now, there's often lineups out the door on weekend nights just to put your name down.
Pinky's Ca Phe
The folks behind Hanmoto and OddSeoul might have opened their best restaurant yet with this Vietnamese snack bar on Clinton St. While lineups are well controlled, you'll likely need wait for a table, so amble over for drinks somewhere nearby while waiting for their phone call.
Queen St. Warehouse
If you want to spend your evening eating some of the cheapest eats and drinks in the city, you're going to have a wait. This restaurant and bar might not be everyone's idea of good food or a good time but there's no denying it has fans who pack the place, especially during happy hour.
Otto's Bierhalle
One of Toronto's best restaurants to open last year, this Berlin-style pub at the corner of Queen and Dovercourt does brisk business in schnitzel and beer even if it might take a while to get a table.
Bar Raval
This perennially packed reservation-free bar and restaurant in Little Italy still attracts a lineup. Not only does it feel like somewhere in Barcelona but the food is undeniably great with shareable snacks, cocktails, cava, and more. Just be prepared to stand as they don't really have seats.
Toronto has been ranked one of the greenest cities in the world. This makes sense if you're one of the people who calls it the Emerald City on account of its large green spaces, which coexist beside concrete infrastructure.
The work in assessing the greenest cities in the world comes courtesy of Newsha Ghaeli of MIT's Senseable City Lab, who used an algorithm to assess images on Google Street View and determine the green-to-grey ratio in each picture.
Ghaeli then complied the data into Treepedia, an interactive map that catalogues the greenery in various cities based on the canopy cover from the street view images.
Toronto ranks a decent 19.5 per cent on the Green View Index, which makes sense when considering how much emphasis we place on creating green spaces around the city, and our extensive network of trails and park systems.
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While we trail behind Vancouver, which ranked 2nd with a 25.9 per cent GVI, it's still nice to be the biggest city in the country and still have excellent greenery. You might even say that we have it all.
Pho is one of those foods that Toronto really relishes as soon as the temperature dips. While the staple Vietnamese noodle soup has taken a back seat to the ramen craze in recent years, these aromatic broths nevertheless endure as the ultimate cold weather comfort food.
Here are my picks for the top pho in Toronto by neighbourhood.
Annex
Vietnam Lovely Noodle is a low-key spot where the real stand out is their build your own pho option. Select your broth and mix in up to three ingredients.
Baby Point
Bowls of pho can be found in this neighbourhood at Pho VP. Get piping hot bowls of pho in either small or large - no medium here.
Bloordale Village
Pho Jade serves up classic and affordable Vietnamese cuisine. Pho is available is small and large portions and are available in classic offerings of rare beef and beef ball.
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Brockton Village
Pho Linh is not only one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto it's also one of the best destinations for pho. Here you'll find finely sliced meat and noodles, generously served in deep bowls of pale broth.
Castlefield Design District
Once you're done furniture shopping in this area cozy up to a warm bowl of pho at Lac Vien Pho. Opt for their house special pho dac biet and be rewarded with rare beef, beef ball, tendon, tripe and brisket.
Chinatown
The laughing cow at Pho Hung has long been a beacon for pho enthusiasts. The bustling Chinatown restaurant is the place to enjoy deep bowls of bo vien - a delicate beef noodle soup swimming with meatballs.
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Dundas West
Nuzzle into a big bowl of pho dac biet at Pho Phuong to sate cravings for deep and complex broth and a medley of meats including rare beef, beef ball, tendon, tripe, and brisket.
East Chinatown
Pho East is a family spot and always reliable for delicious portions of pho. On the menu you'll discover a wide variety of options including classic beef options as well as seafood and veg.
Etobicoke
Pho House ends your search for good Vietnamese soup in this area. Just like most pho places, when you order your beef noodle soup arrives nearly instantaneously.
Junction
Pho Huong is a consistent spot for comforting bowls beef broth loaded with generous portions of protein. Steaming bowls of beef ball soup need just a squirt of Sriracha and a squeeze of lime to achieve perfection.
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King West
Bac Ky is a canteen where the menu keeps things simple with just four varieties of pho. Opt for offerings of the pho tai nam bo vien, which features rare beef, beef flank and beef balls in beef broth and pho ga, featuring chicken. There's also a vegan option.
Leslieville
Northern Vietnamese cuisine is the specialty of Hanoi 3 Seasons where the beefy pho dac biet and lemon-scented pho ga are among the menu standouts.
Liberty Village
If you're looking for a great lunch option find Saigon Bistro within the row of spots on Atlantic Avenue. Fill up on bowls filled with either seafood, beef, chicken or veggies.
North York
Pho Con Bo occupies a modest strip mall storefront on Wilson and is a popular lunch time spot to slurp up some noodles and fill up on steaming bowls of broth filled with meaty delicacies.
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Ossington
There's a lot of stiff competition on this Toronto street but top honours is going to have to go to Golden Turtle - sorry, not sorry. Slippery rice noodles in delicate broths, including lots of vegetarian-friendly options, stand out on the menu.
Parkdale
Pho Asia 21 is the go-to near King and Dufferin to get big bowls of beef broth loaded with slippery noodles and handfuls of fresh herbs. In addition to the usual array of beefy soups, there's a seafood version that's well worthwhile.
Queen West
Pho Vistro offers a simple menu of pho options and makes for the perfect spot for a quick lunch in the neighbourhood. Everything on the menu is all-natural and organic. They even have a ton of vegan options.
Riverside
Lan Restaurant brings authentic Hanoi dishes to Broadview and Queen. Besides Vietnamese pancakes and pan-fried beef rice noodles you can order special noodle soups like pho ga with chicken and pho bo with beef.
Roncesvalles Village
Located at the corner of Dundas West and Howard Park is the low-key Cafe Pho Nho. While the restaurant may not be anything to look at the bowls of pho are great.
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Scarborough
Some of the best cheap eats in this area can be found at Pho Metro. The menu features 15 varieties of clear beef broth soup swimming with rice noodles and topped with heaping portions of meat.
St. Clair West
Pho Ga Banh Cuon serves noodle soups with your choice of either beef or chicken broth.
Yonge & Dundas
If you're looking for a quick lunch option look no further than Ginger. The restaurant on Yonge Street caters to the student crowd and serves six different types of pho.
Yonge & Eglinton
Boasting one of the most boastful restaurant names in the city Pho King Fabulous also makes good pho. There are traditional options as well as more unique pho like pho do bien with tiger shrimps, fish balls, and crab sticks.
Drinking wine in Toronto takes many different forms, from an easy-drinking glass at home with dinner to a pimped out Bordeaux at one of the city's finest steakhouses. Beer culture has tended to hog the spotlight in this city for the last few years as a full-scale craft brewing movement has taken shape, but the city's wine options deserve plenty of attention as well.
The world of wine can be intimidating for novice drinkers. Staring at a sprawling 20 page wine list or aimlessly wandering the aisles at the LCBO without a few go-to options is unnecessarily stressful and often leads to us all spending more than we need to.
With that in mind, here's a guide to drinking wine in Toronto.
Not all VINTAGES locations are created equally. Photo courtesy of the LCBO.
Where to buy wine
As much as we might love to drink wine out, most of us buy the majority of our wine at the LCBO. Given that this is the case, it's worth knowing which locations are the best and which products offer the most bang for the buck.
In terms of selection, the best LCBO locations for purchasing wine are those with the largest VINTAGES sections. These would be Summerhill, Queens Quay, the Manulife Centre, Leaside, Bloor and Royal York, Bayview Village Mall, and Avenue Rd. (south of Wilson).
If you're buying from regular stock and not looking to spend a lot of money, this list of 10 wines under $11 at the LCBO might serve as your go-to buying guide. Each of the bottles on the list is an excellent value.
One thing that tends to burn wine buyers at the LCBO are the company's business hours. The majority of locations close by 9 p.m. even on Friday and Saturday nights. It's worth noting, then, that the LCBO at Weston and the 401 is open until 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
There are plenty of wine classes for different knowledge levels in Toronto. Photo by Derek Flack.
Where to learn about wine
Wine education in Toronto isn't reduced to classes for burgeoning sommeliers. There's plenty of opportunities for newbie wine fans to learn a little while also having fun in a social setting. These are the top wine classes and programs in the city to help you get started.
Toronto wine bars don't get much better than Midfield. Photo by Derek Flack.
Where to find the best wine bars
The wine bar trend never caught on in Toronto to the same degree that it did in a city like New York, but that's not to say that we don't have some excellent spots. Two in particular stand out: Midfield Wine Bar and Archive Wine Bar, both of which are on Dundas West. The former has a more European vibe, while the latter features lots of local wines.
The best of the rest tend to be less bar-like, but still have superb wine lists and extensive by-the-glass options. Recent addition Chez Nous is also worth mentioning for its Ontario focus and east side location. Ditto for Good Cheese, which doubles as a wine bar (it's a match made in heaven).
Nodo has an excellent value-driven Italian wine list. Photo by Jesse Milns.
Where to drink wine on the cheap
There are two ways to drink wine on the cheap in Toronto - by knowing which restaurants have standardly well-priced wine lists, which ones do day-of-the-week discounts, and which offer free or low-fee BYOB.
In terms of the first category, Le Paridis has the best value-driven French wine list in the city while Nodo takes the crown in terms of Italian wines. Cactus Club also has surprisingly inexpensive offerings by the glass. Gusto 101 is also worth a visit for its buck an ounce deal on draught wine.
Wine specials are harder to keep track of because restaurants and bars tend to change them often. There are, however, some longstanding half-price specials that are exceptions.
Sunday: Globe Bistro, Marben, Biff's Bistro
Monday: Ascari Enoteca, Union, Cava
Tuesday: L'Unita, Boehmer
Wednesday: Montecito, F'Amelia
Thursday: Parts & Labour, The Yukon (before 10 p.m.)
BYOB policies and pricing are also notorious for changing often, but there is a site dedicated to corkage specials and fees in Toronto that does a decent job of keeping up with the various deals around the city.
Via Allegro might have the best wine cellar in Toronto. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.
Where to splurge on wine
Not all of the best wine lists in Toronto are ridiculously expensive, but if you're looking to play big spender or are celebrating a special occasion, there are a few cellars that standout. For sheer selection, you could spend hours reading the wine lists at Via Allegro, Barberian's, Le Select, and Opus.
If you're looking to splurge on wine that's less big-money than it is hyper-interesting, I'd suggest Alo, Edulis, Figo, and the Coravin selection at Midfield Wine Bar.
If you've got a big wine collection and no space, the Fine Wine Reserve could be a good option. Photo by Derek Flack.
Where to cellar wine
If you've become a fanatical wine collector whose condo just can't contain all of your bottles at the proper temperature, you might be a candidate for the Fine Wine Reserve, a sprawling private cellar near King and Spadina that rents locker space. It's not cheap, but your wine will also be safe and properly stored.
Good stemware is a prerequisite for enjoying good wine. Photo by Derek Flack.
Where to buy wine accessories and stemware
Those looking to start a home cellar will do well to visit the Enostore, which sells everything from ice buckets and stemware to ridiculously expensive oxygen-controlled serving machines (a.k.a. the Enomatic).
If it's just top quality wine glasses you're after, the William Ashley Warehouse Sale is always a god way to stock up on Riedel products for cheap. Otherwise the Bay and other department stores are a good bet. And, yes, good glasses really do make the wine taste better.
Hidden Bench is just one of the amazing wineries near Toronto. Photo by Derek Flack.
Where to visit wineries near Toronto
Given the proximity of the province's largest wine growing region to Toronto, there are some amazing winery experiences to have within a comfortable drive of the city. For quick trips, your best best is to head to the Beamsville Bench, while Prince Edward County is more of a weekend getaway destination.
Haunted Halloween attractions in Toronto pop up every October. What better way to mark the spookiest month of the year than by taking a trip to a haunted house, castle or theme park? There are plenty of places get your scare on both in and just outside of the city.
Here are my picks for haunted Halloween attractions to check out in and around Toronto.
Halloween Haunt
This massive amusement park gets the haunted treatment each and every October, when 700+ roving monsters wander through the grounds and haunted mazes abound. New for 2017 is something called "Blackout," which takes guests into a centuries-old underground tunnel beneath the park.
Legends of Horror
Take a trip to Casa Loma this Halloween for a truly immersive, next-level haunted house experience. Liberty Entertainment Group has transformed the castle into Legends of Horror – a nightmare of an attraction filled with tons of creepy creatures – all month long.
Black Creek's True Terror Stories
This educational pioneer village in North York has stepped it up since the days of our elementary school field trips. For Halloween 2017, you can check out its new haunted escape room, various ghosts walks and a separate story series billed as a "journey to the underbelly of Victorian society."
Toronto's Horror Hallways
The 401 Mini Indy in Etobicoke debuted this new haunted attraction this year. It features a pitch-black maze for you to walk through and it's supposed to be a pretty creepy. It's not recommended for those under the age of 10, so you know it's got to be good.
Screemers
This event at Exhibition Place has been a Toronto tradition for the past 25 years – and it boasts some seriously terrifying characters. With seven main haunted house attractions, a magic show and carnival rides, you'll feel like you're back at the Ex – only this time, with hyper-realistic zombies.
Haunted High Park
Tapping into the real-life ghost rumours surrounding this massive outdoor space, High Park's annual October ghost walk series now includes everything from séances to "Victorian funeral and mourning traditions" inside Colborne Lodge. A separate, less-intense version of the event exists for children and families if you'd rather not have so many nightmares.
Fear Farm
Drive out to Kitchener-Waterloo to visit this farm, which features a creepy hike through the woods, a haunted hayride and of course, a haunted house. It also has a a candy barn, bakery and grill on site to satisfy your post-haunting hunger, as well as a pumpkin patch that's open late.
Spooky Lagoon
We all know that Gibaltrar Point lighthouse is haunted, but what about the rest of the Toronto Islands? A series of evening boat rides, launched just this year, promise to take spook-seekers on a journey through island waters, telling the stories of old sunken ships, diving horses, and other infamous local ghosts.
Nightmares Fear Factory
Billed as "the scariest attraction in Niagara Falls," this legendary haunted house is best-known for the approximately 150,000 people who've chickened out halfway through (full disclosure: I am one of said chickens). You can find it at the top of Clifton Hill in Niagara. Just follow the sound of screams.
The Fountain Gallery Halloween Bar
An art gallery/bar hybrid in the heart of Dundas West is going full-on spooky this Halloween by transforming into a haunted house. Local artists have been hard at work turning The Fountain into something reminiscent of The Shining's set, with the addition of some truly creepy masks. 
Virtual office locations allow us to slum in our pajamas while working from home, but still maintain professional appearances. A virtual office location generally provides a business district address, a secure mail box, reception services and, for out of town folk, a local phone number.
Here are my picks for some of the top virtual office locations in Toronto.
iQ Office Suites
Virtual offices are available at both their Yonge and Temperance and Queen and University locations. They offer a wide range of services, including discounts on meeting space. Plans start at $59 per month which includes a mailing address.
Regus
With locations across downtown Toronto and the GTA, Regus might be one of the more well known options on this list. Plans include a business address, call answering, mail handling and they'll also allow you to relocate to other locations. Prices vary depending on the area.
Workplace One
A favourite for those who work in creative industries, Workplace One has locations near Queen and Bathurst, Liberty Village, King and Parliament and Bloor and Bay. They offer virtual office services for $99 per month which includes a place to have your mail sent and reception services.
The 48
Located inside the One King West residences and hotel, this virtual office option comes with a 1 King St. West address and mail services starting at $35 per month.
OfficeExec
Two Bay Street location and two more in North York offer virtual office plans starting at $99 per month. This includes mail services and a 416 phone number.
Rostie Group
Virtual office plans with a prime 20 Bay St. address start at $69 per month and include a mailing address, fax and courier services.
The Professional Centre
This option a at 120 Adelaide St. West offers services including a mailing address, personalized phone services, access to private meeting rooms, day offices, and administrative support. Plans start at $80 per month.
Telsec
This virtual office in the Toronto Star building at 1 Yonge St. offers a $75 per month plan that includes personalized reception and phone answering services from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., as well as mail service. Those just wanting mail service can get it for $30 per month.
Agile Offices
Want to be near the Eaton Centre? Virtual office plans at 250 Yonge St. start at $30 per month but this only includes mail service. Those looking for more frills can fork over $280 per month which gets access to large meeting rooms for 8 hours to be used throughout the month.
Verkspace
For $95 per month you get a professional mailing address, 2 hours of board room time and member pricing on drop-in day bookings to their office at 32 Britain Street.
It's that time of year again. We're opening the poll to 10 new best of categories including coffee, Japanese desserts, ribs, Turkish restaurants, martial arts and more. Voting ends on Tuesday October 17 at 5 p.m.
Take the poll here
Despite a somewhat clunky narrative, Cirque du Soleil's latest production VOLTA seems to be winning over fans in Toronto. Currently playing under the Big Top in the Port Lands, the show is a spectacle we've come to expect from one of Canada's most famous exports.
There's all sorts of impressive stunts and circus acts in the show here, organized around an intermission where you can snack on bags of $12 refillable popcorn.
Perhaps surprising to some, extreme sports is a big theme with more than one act featuring BMX or mountain bikes where performers jump, balance and spin, sometimes within inches of an audience member.
View our photo gallery of VOLTA here.
There's also quite a number of aerials and other acrobatics involving ladders, a high wire act and a performer doing twists and turns in the air attached to some sort of rope by her hair.
Toss in someone doing ball tricks like a Harlem Globetrotter, a unicycle strongman and ample doses of comic relief and there's more than enough elements for a good time.
The performers seem to have as much fun as the audience which makes the price of admission worth it if you can score tickets that start at $49.
VOLTA continues through November 26 in the Port Lands at the corner of Cherry St. and Commissioners.
North Saigon aims to introduce Toronto to tastes of Vietnam they’ve never had before, like banh xeo, all while stealthily incorporated nutritious ingredients. The best part? It’s all pay-what-you-can.
The truck is headed up by Kim Vo, herself mentored by Nick Liu of Dailo. She’s modelling her pricing system after those seen in New York City and Asia. There’s no minimum amount to pay, but she says compensation tends to even out with customers from different walks of life: some might pay $5, while some pay $15.
A vegan Karma Bowl is filled with brown rice, marinated tofu, coconut milk, annatto seed oil, lemongrass, lime, peanuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, papaya salad, and their own vegan fish sauce.
Bowls come with your choice of house sauce, either the fish sauce or a nutty, toasty peanut sauce.
A non-vegan Karma Bowl is filled with grilled chicken, avocado, Vietnamese slaw, red and white cabbage, brown rice noodles, pickled carrot and daikon and a house dressing. I love the noodles, but I’d probably do them with that unbeatable peanut sauce.
The legendary banh xeo is a type of Vietnamese crepe, which Vo learned to make at a Buddhist temple in the Mekong Delta. They’re the only food truck in North America making these.
Depending on where you are in Vietnam, the crepe can be very thin or thick, and dry or greasy. The batter is made simply from rice flour, turmeric and coconut milk.
If you can believe it, these are usually done in a massive pan: this banh xeo is a mini version, and Vo prefers to make hers very thin.
It’s typically served with shrimp and mung beans, though North Saigon has added some modern twists like avocado.
The idea is you take a bit of the crepe in your hand using provided greens, load it up with lime, chili, cucumber and pickled veg lettuce-wrap style, then dip it into sauce.
North Saigon wants to make fast food that’s interesting and off the beaten path compared to what diners know of the typical pho that represents Vietnamese cuisine in this town. They’re hoping to perhaps integrate into an existing brick-and-mortar restaurant operation one day, enabling them to deliver through UberEATS. 
Outdoor activities this fall in Toronto serve as the perfect opportunity to appreciate what a majestic city this is when it comes to parkland. What better time is there to play sports and explore our many recreational spaces than when there's a bit of crispness in the air? It's not too hot and it's not too cold, so it's a joy to be outside.
Here are my picks for the top things to do outdoors this fall in Toronto.
Camp at Glen Rouge Park
Ever just want to escape the confines of your condo/apartment and sleep under the stars? Glen Rouge Park offers space to pitch a tent at the edge of the city, and it's open until October 29 for those who have high quality sleeping bags. The park is particularly at this time of year.
Check out fall colours in High Park
There are a lot of places to check out fall colours in Toronto, but High Park gets bonus points for its varied landscape, parking, zoo, and ponds. As much as I love a good ravine, there's more to do at High Park, which encourages prolonged exposure to pretty fall colours.
Seek out an underrated park
If High Park is too busy or popular for your taste, fall might be the perfect time to seek out one of the city's lesser known green spaces. Toronto is home to some incredible and yet underrated parks. Glen Stewart Ravine and Crothers Woods top my list.
Take a hike
You don't have to leave the city to go on a hike. Toronto has hiking trails aplenty, some of which will even give you a good work out. Check the link above for a longer list, but favourites include the Finch Meander Trail and those that line the Scarborough Bluffs.
Hit the trails on your bike
Fall is the best time of year to ride your bike off road. Whether it's mountain biking, cyclocross, or even just the act of taking your bike down a relatively smooth trail, getting off the street and into a natural setting feels exhilarating, especially amidst fall colours.
Have a campfire in a park
If you're stuck in the city this fall, one of the best ways to have a camping or cottage-like experience is to hang around a campfire at a Toronto park. Dufferin Grove is probably the best known for this, but there are plenty of other options, including the new Ontario Place.
Explore the Niagara Escarpment
If you want an easy day trip out of Toronto to hike, bike, taste wine, or just soak up fall colours, head to the Niagara Escarpment. It's closer than you think, with conservation areas like Kelso and Rattlesnake Point just a 45 minute drive away. Those willing to go further can explore Hamilton's waterfalls, and the wineries around Beamsville.
Play a round of golf
Few activities are better suited to a sweater than golf. And few cities have more golf courses within their official borders than Toronto. The best of the bunch is surely Don Valley, though Humber Valley, Scarlett Woods, and Tam O'Shanter are all fine places to spoil a good walk too.
Go surfing
It might seem counter intuitive, but late fall is one of the best times to surf on Lake Ontario. Modest waves are often kicked up thanks to seasonal storms, such that you can actually get something to ride for more than a few seconds. A full wet suit is an absolute must, though.
Get a head start on skating season
Lest you think outdoor skating was solely a winter activity, bear in mind that the rink at Nathan Phillips Square typically opens around the third week of November, a full month before the official start of winter. If you're dying to skate, don a sweater and get out on the ice.
It should come as no surprise that it requires a team of dedicated workers to keep the 41 year old CN Tower in good shape, and the unsung heroes who work on the architectural wonder that take the term "high maintenance" to another level.
In the photo above, crews are seen conducting a concrete inspection and making minor cosmetic repairs, which are usually done during the summer months. Still, there's a near-constant flow of work for tower staff.
Engineers, technicians, waste management, and general maintenance staff are all responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations inside and outside of the tower often using specially designed equipment to match the novel shape and height of the tower.
Even tasks that seem like odd jobs, like repainting portions tower, take on epic status given the scale of the tower. Touching up the top-most antenna, for instance, looks downright terrifying.
We recently had our antenna mast re-painted. Not sure we'd want this job! #mycntower #cntower #toronto #upshow / Nous avons récemment repeint notre antenne pylône. Pas sûrs que nous aurions voulu ce travail! #tourcn
A post shared by CN Tower (@cntower) on Jul 19, 2017 at 8:55am PDT
At 1,815.3 feet, the tower stands equivalent to a 147 storey building, far eclipsing anything in the vicinity. It was the world's tallest building from its completion in 1975 until 2007 when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
The crew monitors all aspects of the tower through an electric system, including the rotating restaurant, glass floor, elevator, and programmed LED lights that serve as the Toronto's collective night light.
A post shared by W888 (@aranhaw) on Oct 13, 2017 at 6:07am PDT
It's thanks to the dedicated crew and their tireless efforts that the CN Tower remains an icon that represents Toronto to the rest of the world. Well, I guess Drake gets some credit too, but maintenance staff still have the best views.
There's a lot to do in Toronto this week without spending a dime, including Canzine, campfire stories, pumpkin carving, and students get in free to the International Festival of Authors.
Events you might want to check out:
Summer weather may be gone but, Toronto is brimming with things to do. The Planet in Focus and imagineNATIVE film fests kick off this week alongside two major beer events, and there's also a huge movie wardrobe sale taking place this weekend.
Events you might want to check out:
The Green Room and its beloved back alley entrance near Brunswick and Bloor will be no more as of Oct. 29th, so it's time to find somewhere else to do Halloween, students.
According to an email from a representative for the bar, the building that housed The Green Room at 296 Brunswick Street has been sold.
And yet, like it has before, the storied Annex hangout will come back to life – just not in its current location.
The Green Room is set to re-open (again) in Little Italy on Nov. 1st at 414 College Street with the exact same menu, prices, decor and telephone number as before.
You'll be able to find the new (new) Green Room in the building previously occupied by Crown and Tiger, which announced its own closure earlier this month.
