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Pizza, Coke, and nostalgia in general are cheaper than ever today in Toronto. Post-lunch, you'll also find an outdoor clothing swap and a Canadian astronaut in town.Â
Events you might want to check out:Pizza Pizza $1.50 Pizza Day (October 17 @ Pizza Pizza)Pizza Pizza is celebrating 50 years with a nationwide pizza party. Torontonians can visit any location for a cheese or pepperoni slice and a coke for $1.50.
Pop-up Clothing Swap in Nathan Phillips Square (October 17 @ Nathan Phillips Square )Come and swap out your old Halloween costume for a new one or find some new additions to your fall wardrobe.
Planet in Focus Film Festival (October 17-22 @ Multiple Venues)The annual environmental film fest returns with four days of features about the planet and its inhabitants.
An Evening with Dr. Roberta Bondar (October 17 @ Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema)Canada's first female astronaut is in town to share her view of the world through the lenses of a doctor, scientist, photographer, astronaut and author.
Shin Godzilla (October 17 @ Revue Cinema)Head down to the Revue for an incredible homage to one of the most enduring legends of the cinema with this screening of the 2016 flick.
PVRIS (October 17 @ The Danforth Music Hall)This fast rising American rock trio lands in Toronto for a one night at the Danforth Music Hall. With them is solo artist Flint Eastwood.
An Evening With David Sedaris (October 17 @ Sony Centre for the Performing Arts)The New York Times bestselling author and humourist visits the Sony Centre for a night of wit, satire, and social critique.
Eat to the Beat (October 17 @ Roy Thomson Hall)Expect 60 stations worth of specially prepared savoury and sweet dishes from talented female chefs, along with wine, beer and non alcoholic drinks from 20 servers.
Andrew W.K. (October 17 @ The Opera House)Multi-instrumentalist Andrew W.K. hits the stage alongside Toronto rock outfit Little Junior as part of The Party Never Dies tour.
Toronto After Dark (October 12-20 @ Scotiabank Theatre Toronto)The annual the cult horror, sci-fi, and action film festival continues today with the Toronto premiere of action comedy Mayhem and the world premiere of sci-fi thriller Defective.
This week on DineSafe the Second Cup inside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was busted by city health inspectors. While the location wasn't shut down, they did manage to land three infractions, one of which was deemed crucial.
See which other establishments got carded on DineSafe this week.
Pablo Cheese Tart (114 Dundas St. West)
Inspected on: October 10, 2017
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Mangia & Bevi (260 King St. East)
Inspected on: October 11, 2017
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 1, Significant: 5)
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Upper Deck by Fran's (20 College St.)
Inspected on: October 11, 2017
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.
Second Cup (255 Front St. West)
Inspected on: October 12, 2017
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.
Sushi Gen (1502 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: October 12, 2017
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4)
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Super Arzon Food Market (6105 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: October 13, 2017
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Note: The above businesses each received infractions from DineSafe as originally reported on the DineSafe site. This does not imply that any of these businesses have not subsequently corrected the issue and received a passing grade by DineSafe inspectors. For the latest status for each of the mentioned businesses, including details on any subsequent inspections, please be sure to check the DineSafe site.
More than half a million students in Ontario are unable to attend classes today after faculty members at all 24 of the province's colleges decided to strike.
Humber, George Brown, Seneca, and Centennial College are among the GTA schools that'll be closed for the duration of the strike, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. this morning.
Full-time classes will be cancelled until the strike is over – which might have been awesome in Grade 5, but really sucks for tuition-paying young adults eager to join the workforce.
Hate that my education is being used as a bargaining chip, #wepaytolearn but I stand behind my professors they deserve #aBetterPlan @OPSEU
— Krysten Rischel (@KrystenRischel) October 16, 2017
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents the 12,000 striking college faculty members, had been seeking an agreement with the College Employer Council that would make work less precarious for instructors and other contract employees.
OPSEU's proposal included measures to increase job security for part-time faculty, to give faculty members a stronger voice in academic decision-making, and to ensure a 50:50 ratio in the number of full-time faculty to faculty members on contract.
"Our union has a track record of getting deals done without work stoppages," said OPSEU president Warren Thomas in a statement issued Sunday.
"I encourage the colleges to get back to the table so we can wrap this up swiftly, for the good of students and faculty alike."
Welcome to Toron!
One of our city's most-photographed new attractions is hurting today after losing its heart and, ironically, the letters "T" and "O."
The culprit? A short but stunningly fierce rainstorm that rocked Toronto on Sunday afternoon, leaving a mess of downed hydro lines, toppled trees, shattered glass, and very wet people in its wake.
Tens of thousands in the GTA were left without power following the roughly 10-minute-long flash storm, which peaked around 3:30 p.m.
🎶oh it’s suuuuch a perfect daaaay 🎶 #parkdalelife shot by @runningdive
A post shared by Parkdale Life (@parkdalelife) on Oct 15, 2017 at 1:40pm PDT
Most of that power has now been restored, but the widespread damage from just minutes of up to 90 km/h winds has not been undone – especially in neighbourhoods bordering Lake Ontario, where storms are known to be particularly intense.
One lakeside casualty of Sunday's suspected "microburst" was the popular driftwood Toronto sign near Humber Bay Park.
A post shared by Miriam Wong (@mimimiriam_w) on Oct 14, 2017 at 3:24pm PDT
The sign, installed this past July by two local artists, lost its heart to yesterday's high winds. Also missing is the final "TO" in Toronto.
A post shared by Curtis Tom (@ubermenschi) on Oct 13, 2017 at 11:13am PDT
We've seen a few photos of well-intentioned citizens trying to "fix" the sign with their own bodies. While cute, this is not a permanent solution.
A post shared by Lauren Williams (@laursruth) on Oct 15, 2017 at 1:23pm PDT
Hopefully this oft-photographed attraction will be repaired soon.
In the meantime, Humber Bay's driftwood sunbather (made by the same artists behind the broken Toronto sign) appears to have weathered the storm just fine.
The top buildings in Toronto must be divided into two groups: those which came before the construction of New City Hall in 1965 and those which came after. Comparing churches to condos is a mug's game, so this list concerns itself with the latter period.
Besides, everything changed in Toronto when Viljo Revell brought the future to Queen and Bay streets. This spaceship-like civic hub put Toronto on the global architecture map, and since then we've continued to add bold and often beautiful structures to the urban fabric.
These are my picks for the top buildings in Toronto.
One man, 10 minutes, and 20.5 lbs of gravy-soaked, curd-laden french fries.
That's all it took to win the world's largest poutine eating competition at Yonge-Dundas Square this weekend — and by "that's all" I mean "an astounding feat of human gastronomy."
Professional eater Carmen Cincotti, who came in second at the same event last year, won first place at the 8th annual Smoke’s Poutinerie World Poutine Eating Championship on Saturday afternoon.
A post shared by Marlene Benedicto (@tastingtorontoonwheels) on Oct 14, 2017 at 8:15pm PDT
The New Jersey-based champ wasn't able to best his numbers from 2016's competition, when he downed a whopping 25 lbs in 10 minutes, but he still came out way ahead of the competition with 40.5 boxes (literally) under his belt.
A post shared by Carmen Cincotti (@carmen_cincotti) on Oct 15, 2017 at 6:07pm PDT
Second-place winner Darron Breeden managed to eat 15.5 lbs this year, and Gideon Oji came in third with 13.75 lbs of poutine.
It's worth mentioning, however, that all three of 2017's trophy winners would have blown everyone away just five years ago, when the winning number of poutine pounds was just 9.5.
A post shared by John Garbutt (@flairboy14) on Oct 14, 2017 at 6:26am PDT
Official results aside, every poutine-loving person at Yonge-Dundas Square felt like a winner during the event thanks to an abundance of free, unlimited poutine from Smoke's.
A post shared by raachel (@raychelng) on Oct 14, 2017 at 2:39pm PDT
The championship also featured a KISS cover band, a photo booth, and, of course, lots of free poutine guy stickers.
A post shared by SpecialFacesToronto (@specialfacestoronto) on Oct 15, 2017 at 1:16pm PDT
Overall, the event raised more than $50,000 for We Care – a charity that helps send disabled kids to camp.
So you see, stuffing one's face with poutine can be an act of generosity.
Seasoned actor and internet darling Bill Murray stole the show at Koerner Hall in Toronto this weekend, wooing his many local fans all over again with charm, wit, and flying red roses.
A post shared by Al Mav-E-al (@amaveal) on Oct 14, 2017 at 10:13am PDT
Did we have any doubt that something like this would happen?
Murray was in town to perform with cellist Jan Vogler, a personal friend, at the Royal Conservatory of Music's annual Season Gala on Friday night.
A post shared by Landon Bailey (@landon.a.bailey) on Oct 13, 2017 at 8:10pm PDT
Called New World, the show was billed as a "spirited evening of music and literature" that would feature Murray reading excerpts from the works of Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and Truman Capote.
A post shared by Al Mav-E-al (@amaveal) on Oct 14, 2017 at 10:12am PDT
When they announced the concert in February, the conservatory also promised that Murray would "dance a tango while Vogler plays works from Bach, Piazzolla, Ravel, and Bernstein."
Fans were expecting a fun performance, no doubt, but many were thrilled to learn that BFM would be interacting heavily with the audience too.
A post shared by Leilah Ambrose (@leicentious) on Oct 13, 2017 at 9:41pm PDT
At one point, the 67-year-old actor is said to have climbed up a balcony during his performance.
Later, at the show's conclusion, Murray received some long-stem roses on stage. He decided to share them, and proceeded to personally deliver the flowers people in their seats.
A post shared by Maggie Maggie (@magmeowzaa) on Oct 13, 2017 at 8:17pm PDT
Attendees in the balcony got roses as well, if they could catch one.
A post shared by Leilah Ambrose (@leicentious) on Oct 13, 2017 at 9:41pm PDT
Overall, people only called the performance "absolutely spectacular" and "genius on every level."
A post shared by Kirsty NC (@kirstyfnc) on Oct 13, 2017 at 7:19pm PDT
"So we saw Bill Murray tonight," wrote one attendee on Instagram. "The programme was pretty much Bill Murray doing Bill Murray and, frankly, one of the best experiences of my entire life."
Bloor Street West will undergo a series of massive changes over the next decade that will completely transform the character of the street.
Plans for the Honest Ed's site have been widely discussed as have the more recent designs to revamp the former TDSB lands at Bloor and Dufferin, but now a third major project has come into focus.
Looking northwest across the site from the GO/UP Express corridor. Image via Choice Properties.
Choice Properties has unveiled preliminary plans for a mixed use community on a 10 acre site at 2280 Dundas St. West that's currently occupied by a 1960s-era strip mall. Like the other Bloor developments in the works, this one is envisioned as a mixed use community.
Right now, the plaza's primary tenants are Loblaws, the LCBO, Kal Tire, and Coffee Time, but the ocean of a parking space serves as a reminder that a defunct Zellers also occupies the site.
Looking north across reconfigured retail closer to Dundas St. West. Image via Choice Properties.
The former department store has been turned into a "Community Idea Centre" where people are encouraged to provide feedback regarding the plans for the site, which the developer has put together in conjunction with Giannone Petricone Architects, Urban Strategies, and Public Work.
It's still early days, but you can tell the desire to focus everyone's attention on the way in which the development will reanimate the area beyond just the residential component, the detail of which has been faded out in these images.
Looking southeast across a possible public square at the site. Image via Choice Properties.
Give the current state of the strip mall, these plans look immediately promising. With the current tenants set way back from Dundas right now, the site is something like an urban black hole when it comes to pedestrians.
While the site attracts plenty of customers to the Loblaws and LCBO, as a whole it's totally under-utilized given its proximity to what is quickly becoming a major transit hub. This is a prime site for increased density and a reimagined relationship with the main streets.
Looking southeast from 2280 Dundas West towards the Junction Triangle and the future home of MOCA. Image via Choice Properties.
There are a lot of moving parts here. Serious consideration is being put into moving the Catholic school at the southeast corner of Bloor and Dundas to the south end of the site so as to cluster the density near the busiest intersection with the site tapering to the south.
Given the transit options here, there's also a desire to offer a significant amount of office space to go along with the retail and residential offerings. Throw in the need for green space, and all of sudden 10 acres doesn't seem quite so big.
There's plenty of community consultation to be done before this one heads to city planning (the Idea Centre is open four days a week), but the first stage looks like it could completely revitalize a chunk of valuable land that's presently being wasted with surface parking. 
About 3.8 million people in Canada are living with a disability according to the most-recent figures available from StatsCan – but you wouldn't necessarily know it.
Toronto artist, educator and self-described "cis queer crip community activist" Kate Welsh wants to change this for public transit riders who have invisible disabilities; people who may look well on the outside, but need to sit down on the subway for health and safety's sake.
In an effort to help people with such conditions as multiple sclerosis, HIV, fibromyalgia and cancer, she started Equity Buttons.
"Riding public transit can be hard especially if you have an episodic disability, chronic illness or invisible disability," reads the project's website. "This button is a quick DIY way for you to ask for what you need without having to disclose diagnosis."
Equity buttons are sold on a sliding scale, with prices that range between $1 and $5. Photo by equitybuttons.com.
Welsh recently told CBC Toronto that she was inspired to create the buttons after a friend of hers with cancer was denied a seat on the TTC.
The friend, who needed to sit down after cancer treatments, was once even told to get up out of a seat and move to accommodate someone else, Welsh says.
"I have asked for a seat and been given a long pause," says Welsh, who also has an invisible disability. "I have been questioned, like, 'Prove it.'"
Four different button designs can be purchased in any one of four different colours for between $1 and $5 online, or at select Toronto locations like Glad Day Bookshop and Six Degrees Health.
"Episodic disabilities are long-term conditions that are characterized by periods of good health interrupted by periods of illness or disability," reads a card sold with the buttons.
"These periods may vary in severity, length and predictability from one person to another."
Mmm, bitterballen...
A new Dutch snack bar and restaurant is coming soon to The Danforth, giving a permanent, bricks and mortar home to a pop-up restaurant series that started as "a casual annual get-together" almost 10 years ago.
"Borrel is a term the Dutch use to describe an informal gathering of friends for a drink and some snacks," reads the restaurant's website. "Our bar and restaurant aims to provide the perfect setting for you to enjoy just that!"
Some pannenkoeken happening.
A post shared by BorrelTO (@borrelto) on Jul 9, 2017 at 7:02am PDT
Inspired by Holland's historic brown cafés, Borrel's menu includes plenty of hard-to-pronounce – but delicious sounding – traditional Dutch dishes like Erwtensoep (pea soup with smoked ham hock and sausage), Poffertjes (mini puffed pancakes) and Draadjesvlees (slow-cooked seasoned “threaded beef”).
Bitterballen is described as "deep-fried balls of goodness served with mustard from Zaandam," which I think justifies my propensity to keep repeating the Mmmm sound.
The entire menu is worth taking a gander at, really. The illustrations alone will make you smile.
A post shared by BorrelTO (@borrelto) on Apr 22, 2016 at 6:26am PDT
Borrel's owners say that they want to maintain "the dutch ethos of gezellig" with the new restaurant's atmosphere, similar to the "cozy and relaxed Sunday afternoon affairs" they've been hosting as pop-ups.
An opening date has yet to be announced, but we do know that spot is located just steps from Greenwood Station and that it's going to have some very cool art on the walls courtesy of Dutch-American artist Nanna Koekoek.
A new battle in Parkdale's war on gentrification is emerging this week as rumours swirl that a global fast food giant might be pushing out a local Asian restaurant.
Tibet Kitchen is reportedly closing after 13 years of business due to a massive rent increase brought on by a juicy business offer.
"Recently, a multinational chain restaurant offered a large amount to lease Tibet Kitchen's current location," reads a Change.org petition created on Oct. 12th. "As a result, the rent for this location more than doubled, forcing the owner of Tibet Kitchen to find another location."
The petition's creator said in an update over the weekend that Pizza Hut is the restaurant in question, and that "while I hold no ill will towards to the property owner, I think we can agree that Pizza Hut has very little of the magic that makes Parkdale special."
Total support. Councillor Gordon Perks: Keep Tibet Kitchen in Parkdale - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/zgYAHdqeDf via @CdnChange
— Nancy Leblanc (@NancyCLeblanc) October 16, 2017
Members of the Parkdale Community Updates Facebook group didn't mince words.
"Gross," commented one person. "We just got an A&W too. Hopefully they don't last, but still... displacing Tibet Kitchen is a crime."
"The only way to fight these giants is to not use them," wrote another local resident. "Once this one and that Domino's opens we should encourage everyone to boycott them."
In the meantime, supporters of Tibet Kitchen are asking Parkdale-High Park Councillor Gordon Perks to change the licensing situation of a building down the street.
It is their hope that Tibet Kitchen can move into the vacant space at 1558 Queen St. West instead of closing down altogether, but right now there's a limit on the number of restaurants and bars allowed to operate on Queen St. between Dufferin and Roncesvalles.
Tibet Kitchen requires a licensing provision because the street is already at capacity for restaurants and bars.
This is the second time in less than a month that a major chain has upset Toronto residents with the perceived threat of its presence in their neighbourhood. 
A new food-ordering app that fuses sustainability with restaurant meals is poised to change the way Toronto eats – or at least the percentage of our incomes spent on takeout.
Feedback, co-founded by cousins Josh and Ben Walters, allows users to browse "time-specific deals from Toronto's best restaurants" and purchase meals at up to 80 per cent off the original price.
That's a deep, deep discount – so deep that one cannot be blamed for wondering "awesome, but... how?"
Essentially, Feedback partners with local restaurants to help them sell end-of-day food that would otherwise be tossed into a dumpster.
Restaurant owners are happy to reduce inefficiencies, customers are happy to get great food on the cheap, and our planet, though it cannot speak, is probably quite happy about the reduction of food waste.
On top of that, the startup has partnered with Second Harvest to donate a meal to someone in need for every order placed during its first month of business.
The young men behind the app seem to practice what they preach. Just a few weeks ago, the team rescued a whole bunch of flowers that were set to be tossed out following an event. They handed them out in front of Sick Kids and Mount Sinai hospitals.
A post shared by F E E D B A C K (@feedback_app) on Oct 2, 2017 at 1:12pm PDT
Feedback has about 30 restaurants in its roster right now, including North of Brooklyn Pizzeria, Bolt Fresh Bar, Mabel's, SU&BU, Little Anthony's, Carver, and Pai.
Torontonians with both iPhones and Android devices can order "salads, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, sandwiches, burritos, sushi and everything in between - all at unbeatable prices," according to the app's website.
"The only condition is you show up in a designated time window. That's it."
Plans for a massive condo complex at the foot of Yonge St. have been floating around for almost five years now. During the early stages, Pinnacle One Yonge was proposed as a six building cluster, but there's been a slew of changes since, which have brought the number down to five.
As Urban Toronto reports, a recent examination of the first two phases of the Hariri Pontarini plans by Toronto's Design Review Panel has revealed the latest renderings, which still include a proposal for a 95 storey tower that could become the tallest in the city should it ultimately be approved.
The first phases of the Pinnacle One Yonge project will leave an indelible mark on Toronto's waterfront and skyline. Photo via Pinnacle International.
Right now, the tallest approved tower in Toronto is The One at Yonge and Bloor, which is now under construction and will reach just over 306 metres. As it's currently configured, Pinnacle One Yonge's tallest tower would rise just a metre higher (307) to take the crown.
It's all a moot point if the YSL project at Yonge and Gerrard is approved in (or near) its current form, which is a whopping 344 metres, but that project has much further to go in the planning process.
The podiums and street plan surrounding Pinnacle One Yonge will continue to be refined. Photo via Pinnacle International.
The DRP had lots to say about Pinnacle One Yonge, as Urban Toronto notes, but the height of the building doesn't appear to be a major sticking point at present. Where it appears much of the design refinement will take place at is ground level and the podiums.
That makes good sense. As much as the height of these super tall towers fascinates us right now, in a decade or two, 300 metre buildings won't be so rare, and the important thing will be how they relate to the street and the urban milieu as it's used everyday. 
Pizza, Coke, and nostalgia in general are cheaper than ever today in Toronto. Post-lunch, you'll also find an outdoor clothing swap and a Canadian astronaut in town.Â
Events you might want to check out:
If every cloud has a silver lining, the Bombardier streetcar fiasco is one for the TTC — in the form of extra cash.
Lower than expected spending on labour costs (due to, you know, a lack of vehicles to drive) are one of several factors that have resulted in a projected $44.5-million surplus for the transit agency this year.
According to TTC CEO Andy Byford, $13.7 million of those funds were underspent by the paratransit service Wheel-Trans, which saw less ridership in 2017 than initially budgeted for.
The rest of the expected surplus – $30.8 million – is the result of less money spent on fuel, vehicle maintenance, staffing, employee benefits and Presto system fees for the transit system.
TTC headed for $44.5M surplus in 2017. This is the kind of thing that makes ppl wonder why they don't add service https://t.co/WaqqpcblzN
— Ben Spurr (@BenSpurr) October 11, 2017
The good news here is that the TTC won’t need to make a one-time, $14-million dip into a city reserve as planned.
The bad news is that a city policy prevents the TTC from reinvesting any of that extra cash into service improvements this year.
Thus, we can all still expect to get mad about longer than normal travel times due to signal problems on Line 1 – at least for the rest of 2017.
TTC spokesperson Stuart Green told The Star that, while the policy prohibits them from spending surplus money on the current year’s operating expenses," the agency hopes to learn from this year's finance records.
"Money from areas that were underspent (in 2017) could be redirected in next year's budget to other priorities," he said.
Can we suggest shuttle busses for when service is suspended due to a fire investigation? Thanks.
Happy 50th birthday to the OG Toronto pizza franchise!
From their landmark first store at Parliament and Wellesley, to the invention of a heated delivery bag, advertising on the spines of the Yellow Pages, and that ubiquitous 967-11-11 jingle, Pizza Pizza has always been a hot pie maverick.
Regardless of your feelings about the food, no one can deny Pizza Pizza’s crucial role in mainstreaming pizza culture in Ontario over the last 50 years, peaking with that unforgettable earworm alchemy crafted in the 80s by Pat Withrow and jingle prodigy Mike McCurlie of MJM Media.
Adored by Pizza Pizza founder, brain trust and CEO Michael Overs, this untouchable ditty was unceremoniously dumped by the chain after he passed away in 2010.
Although replaced by a compositionally challenged, clunky melody only slightly blander than some of the pies it's selling, the original remains a legend and the sole reason why everyone remembers their phone number.
A bizarre low-point for the brand came in the 80s with the "Shirley" TV spots. Besides the fuzzy no-budget vibe and irritating, "Know what I mean, Vern?" character, these commercials never bothered to actually show any pizza.
Surely that was an huge oversight? This is a failure at advertising 101 level, despite its intentions to tap into working class Toronto.
Things got back on track in '89 with a series of ads which really emphasized Pizza Pizza's home grown Ontario roots — the farm fresh ingredients, and the "timing" of the title, 30 minutes or free.
Also, the essential family angle ("the family who graze together stays together") appears in both of these spots, as does actual pizza!
For some context of the times, here's a truly atrocious 1989 pizza commercial from Buffalo that Toronto people saw courtesy of WUTV 29. There's simply so much wrong here that it's actually a masterpiece of error, and it makes the Pizza Pizza spots look Kubrickian by comparison.
Pizza Pizza's current advertising consists mostly of radio spots pitched by their chief marketing officer Pat Finelli.
These could double up as a drinking game — take a shot whenever Finelli uses the word "fresh" — but long gone are the days of their strange TV commercials, the promise of free pizza if it took more than 30 minutes, and the original ear worming intonation of that phone number.
Toronto is now awash in franchised pizza houses: Pizza Nova, Pizzaiolo, Papa Johns, Dominos, et al have taken a large bite out of Pizza Pizza’s market share, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the city (or the province) who doesn’t know that killer jingle inside and out.
Happy birthday, Pizza Pizza, hey hey hey!
Ed Conroy’s 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.
Who's up for hitting a rooftop bar this weekend?
Toronto is going to be warm, sunny and patio-perfect over the next five days according to Environment Canada, reaching a high of 21 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday.
Friday's forecast is nothing to sneeze at either, with temperatures expected to reach 20 degrees – and nothing but sunshine in the sky.
October's friendly forecast is going to pack Toronto patios this weekend. Screenshot from Environment Canada.
Oh, I'm sorry – did you already bust out your winter wardrobe? Put your bike away for the season? Close up the cottage? Bring your snow pants out of storage?
Oh ye of little faith. Meteorologists promised us a warmer than usual fall and, so far, that's what the GTA has been getting. Mostly.
Our lucky streak continues this week, but one could not be blamed for worrying about an abrupt end to fake-summer '17.
I mean, a warm actual summer was predicted for this year too – and we all know how that turned out.
Bars and restaurants in Ontario could soon be prohibited from mandating that female employees wear high-heels at work.
Wait, what year are we in right now? Never mind.
Toronto MPP Cristina Martins is set to introduce a bill in Parliament today – which, for the record, is Oct. 17, 2017 – that amends the province's Occupational Health and Safety Act to protect workers from "being required to wear unsafe footwear as part of dress and uniform codes."
Today, I'm introducing the Putting Your Best Foot Forward Act 2017. Thanks to @Hys_Steakhouse & the Ontario Podiatrists Assn for supporting! pic.twitter.com/k6mzfu21cD
— Cristina Martins (@CMartinsMPP) October 17, 2017
Martins does not take aim at any specific employer in her release about the bill, but it's clear, based on the experts she quotes, that her "Putting Your Best Foot Forward Act" is directed towards the hospitality industry – and specifically, how some bars and restaurants treat women.
Employee dress codes at so called "breastaurants" (places known for having scantily-clad female servers) have been the topic of much debate over the past few years, both in Canada and abroad.
Totally barbaric to force women - like waitstaff - to run around all day in heels. Modern day foot binding! Thanks @CMartinsMPP ❤️ #onpoli https://t.co/o9xQDQ4DNa
— Gabrielle Gallant (@G_Gallant) October 17, 2017
Last year, an employee at a Joey's restaurant in Edmonton went public with her story about being told by management to wear heels during a training shift, despite intense pain and bleeding feet.
Servers from Moxies, Earl's, Jack Astor's and other establishments have since come forward with similar tales of strict, sometimes straight-up creepy dress code rules for women.
If this bill doesn't pass, I propose a bill requiring men working in any capacity in the same establishment to wear high heels too #equality
— Cristina (@Cricrifi) October 17, 2017
The Ontario Human Rights Commission came out against sexualized dress codes for women at work in March of 2016, and in April, the province of B.C. amended its own workplace legislation to ban employers from mandating that anyone wear high heels. 
If Lavender farms are a must-visit summer attraction in Toronto, the fall equivalent must surely be the cranberry farm. What better way to soak up autumn's splendour than by plunging into a sea of bright red cranberries surrounded by dazzling foliage?
A post shared by luisdiazb (@luisdiazb) on Oct 9, 2017 at 7:03pm PDT
Located in Bala, about two hours north of Toronto, Johnston's Cranberry Farm offers an array of fall activities including the cranberry plunge, which takes visitors waist deep into a marsh specifically made for the perfect fall photo op.
A post shared by Perfectdayto_travel (@perfectdayto_travel) on Oct 14, 2017 at 6:20pm PDT
The cranberry harvest generally takes place from late September through to the end of October during which time the farm is a bustling hub of activity. Those making the trip during this period get to witness the unique manner in which cranberries are picked from the marsh.
A post shared by Ladybugpurseph (@ladybugpurseph) on Oct 15, 2017 at 8:12pm PDT
While you won't see millions of cranberries sitting atop the water as depicted in an Ocean Spray ad, the process is entirely fascinating. It's also thirst-inducing — look at all those fresh cranberries coming out of the water — which is why you'll want to head to the tasting bar next.
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After you're done wading around and viewing the farmers at work, you can guzzle some of the cranberry wine sold on site. It's a bit tart, but it actually does really well as the base of sangria. You can also buy cranberries in bulk, of course.
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The cranberry plunge ends for the year on October 22, though harvest activity will continue until the end of the month. The farm itself is open year round. So if you're averse to crowds, you can make the trip after the harvest and enjoy the hiking trails and tastings on offer.
At long last, the deciduous trees of Toronto are putting on their annual autumn colour show for local humans to enjoy.
It's a little late, but we might still get a decent show yet.
A post shared by Care (@ccotl) on Oct 15, 2017 at 8:18am PDT
Tree-lined streets and forested areas of the city are currently transforming into sea of yellows and oranges with the occasional burst of red, just like what cottage country started doing a full month ago.
Foliage fans are sharing pictures of the transition from all over the 6ix, and as usual, they're beautiful.
The Moore Park Ravine has really progressed over the last week with the tree canopy taking on bright yellow tones, but right now it's Toronto's eastern parks that are the furthest along.
Autumn in Morningside Park. Photo by ossington.
The Rouge River doesn't have much pure red on display, but the range of colours right now is very pretty. This weekend would be a great time for a fall hike.
What the Rouge looks like in mid October. Photo by Shahzad Alvi.
Trinity Bellwoods shows a few bursts of colour amidst a backdrop of greenery.
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Ditto for the Humber River, though the colour is starting to come on now and will likely advance quite quickly.
✨ morning views ✨ #fall #toronto
A post shared by Charlotte (@chardilksie) on Oct 16, 2017 at 7:22am PDT
Christie Pitts is starting to get very yellow, which makes sense given the heavy presence of Norway Maples here, which tend not to burst into orange or red tones.
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Peak leaf-changing season is usually about two weeks long – and it's barely just started in The Don Valley, which tends to lag a bit behind the city's other parklands.
A view of the Don Valley Brick Works, which is just starting to change colours. Photo by Dan Phillips.
There's still plenty of time to get out and experience the magical autumn hues with your own eyes, if you're keen. 
Google's parent company, Alphabet, is officially building a futuristic mini-city along a 12-acre section of Toronto's eastern waterfront.
This is absolutely huge – for the city, for the country, and for the California-based tech giant in its quest to develop high-tech "smart cities" around the world.
An artist's rendering of the transformed Queens Quay and Jarvis area after its high-tech makeover. Image courtesy of Sidewalk Labs.
As expected, Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs has partnered with Waterfront Toronto to develop a new waterfront community called "Quayside."
This will mark the biggest project tackled by Sidewalk Labs to date, according to Reuters, and the citizens of Toronto are here for it.
Sidewalk Labs is a subsidiary of Google/Alphabet. Here comes the city of the future... https://t.co/7bcI09WMm1
— Jonah Wolfraim (@jonahwolfraim) October 17, 2017
Sidewalk Labs describes itself as a company that "imagines, designs, tests, and builds urban innovations to help cities meet their biggest challenges."
"Today no single city stands as a model for our urban future," reads the Alphabet division's website. "Yet our cities rest on the way potential solutions to big urban challenges fit together."
"So we’re pursuing a large-scale district that can serve as a living laboratory for urban technology — a testbed for coordinated solutions, a foundation for people to build on, and a vision for other cities to follow."
A 220-page-long document outlining the Alphabet company's plans for Toronto's Eastern waterfront was released on Tuesday. Image courtesy of Sidewalk Labs.
The more than $1 billion development will see the creation of new public spaces, residential and commercial buildings, and advanced infrastructure for Toronto's thriving tech industry.
"The district will become a place for tens of thousands of people to live, work, learn, and play," reads a press release announcing the project in Toronto. "It will also reflect the cultural diversity and openness of Toronto, and help connect all Torontonians to waterfront beaches, parks, and communities."
BREAKING: Sidewalk + @WaterfrontTO announce @SidewalkToronto, a partnership to create a new district on Toronto’s Eastern Waterfront pic.twitter.com/OqOLXyqGbt— Sidewalk Labs (@sidewalklabs) October 17, 2017
"Working together with the local community, Sidewalk Toronto aspires to create a place that encourages innovation around energy, waste, and other environmental challenges to protect the planet," it continues. "A place that is enhanced by digital technology and data without giving up the privacy and security that everyone deserves."
According to The Wall Street Journal, which was first to report on the rumoured closure of this deal earlier in October, the smart city will span 3 million square feet in total.
That's roughly the size of the Empire State Building.
