Photo by mooncall2012 in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on April 17th, 2013

MUSIC | Kevin Breit Field Recording CD Release Party
Kevin Breit is truly one of Toronto's greatest musical treasures. One of the most in demand guitarists going, he has played with the likes of Norah Jones, Natalie McMaster, Cassandra Wilson, Roseanne Cash, KD Lang, and many many others. Many TO music fans will know him from his group, Sisters Euclid, who have long been a staple at The Orbit Room, but on his solo releases, Breit usually pushes his own musical envelope (which is actually no mean feat) into new stylistic territories. On his new CD, Field Recording, which he is launching tonight, he collaborates with the Upper York Mandolin Orchestra to give new compositions a unique sound and direction, and one that sits very comfortably in an ever expanding body of important work.
Hugh's Room (2261 Dundas Street West) 8:30PM $22.50

THEATRE | Sterling Studio Theatre's One Act Play Festival
Sterling Studio Theatre's One Act Festival has two interesting pieces for you this evening that won Sterling Theatre's One Act Playwriting Contest. This unique festival features - you guessed it - one act plays, in an intimate, independently run venue. Sterling Theatre operates with the mandate of helping productions come to life that would be very challenged at larger venues operating with their bottom line as a priority. Adam Hunter Collier's Nine Months Is An Arbitrary Number will be staged tonight, directed by David Tompa, and following a short intermission, Carolyn Bennett's Hitler's Ass will be presented, directed by Bruce Pitkin. This double-bill runs until the 21st. Come out and support local theatre!
Sterling Studio Theatre (163 Sterling Road Unit 5) 8PM $20

MUSIC | Paganfest America @ Opera House
Paganfest America lands here in TO tonight! Watch out... this could be dangerous. Paganfest is a traveling festival, and one that focuses on Metal (of the Heavy variety) and this is their "fourth edition". The intention of Paganfest is not only to rock our collective worlds, but also to "pillage" our city! I hope they're kidding... Their 2013 lineup features Ensiferum from Finland, Tyr, Heidevolk (The Netherlands), Trollfest (Norway), and Helsott (USA). Engage your devil horns and get ready!
Opera House (735 Queen Street East) 6:15PM $27

COMEDY | Kyle & Mark At The Comedy Bar
With all of the craziness the world puts in our faces every day, it becomes more and more clear that getting a dose of laughter in your life is important, and The Comedy Bar will take care of you nicely tonight. A regular Wednesday night feature now in its third unstoppable week, Kyle Dooley and Mark Little's sketch comedy is sure to please. The first two Wednesdays with Kyle and Mark proved to be quite a hit, so the waters have been tested for you, and apparently, these "comedy princelings" passed the test with flying colours. Check them out tonight as they get a full evening of great comedy rolling at The Comedy Bar.
Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West) 8PM $5

ALSO OF NOTE

Jason Lescalleet + Fleshtone Aura + Rampersaud/Cameron/Liu
Brooms Up! Curl for a Cause

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
• April concert listings

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

Photo of Paganfest

Toronto police say they're re-thinking their Toronto marathon security despite there being no credible threat to the event. Chief Bill Blair said he'd spoken with his American counterparts and confirmed there is an "absence of an identifiable threat." Two bombs exploded near the finish of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing three and wounding 170.

In case you missed it yesterday, Rob Ford's executive committee voted 9-4 in favour of sending the casino to city council. The cabinet-like group confirmed that all revenues from the development would go to transit but left the door open for a possible Port Lands site. The final decision will be made next month, but it doesn't look like the project has the votes to pass.

The city's BIXI bikes could be in financial trouble and even in danger of closing, according to a staff report and comments made yesterday. The Montreal-based parent company PBSC Urban Solutions has struggled to service a high debt load and keep cash flowing during cold winter months. Should the city subsidize BIXI like other transit?

The city has also narrowed its scope on transit taxes, choosing four sources of revenue capable of funding the next phase of transit expansion. A report to be considered by the executive committee next week says the combined force of a development charge hike, a fuel tax, a parking space charge, and a sales tax is capable of raising the $2 billion needed each year.

Toronto's cab companies have kindly agreed to stop illegally charging wheelchair users extra for taxi rides. The deal comes four years after Alessia Di Virgilio complained to the Human Rights Tribunal about premiums for accessible taxis, even on short journeys. Four major cab companies say they'll discipline drivers who break the rules.

Police are investigating a suspicious package, possibly a mortar shell found between two apartment buildings on Ozark Crescent near Broadview and Danforth. The CBC is describing the object as an "artillery shell." So far the area hasn't been evacuated.

The long-neglected Guild Park, a home for pieces of long-lost Toronto buildings on the Scarborough Bluffs, has made some new pals who want to restore the site. The Friends of Guild Park want the city-owned property that's home to pieces of the Old Toronto Star Building and others to get new historical plaques and see re-open. The restaurant there closed in 2001.

The Delta Chelsea hotel between Yonge and Bay south of Gerrard is getting a new name starting 1 July. The 1,590-bed hotel, the largest in the city, will soon be known as the Eaton Chelsea. The name change is part of a rebrand by the parent company.

Finally, it's been a little while since we heard from the man upstairs (and by that I mean astronaut Cmdr. Chris Hadfield, Canada's representative aboard the International Space Station.) Last night everyone's highest Maple Leafs fan tweeted another aerial image of the city, an obsidian lake, and brightly-lit surrounding communities from orbit. Looking good, Toronto.IN BRIEF:

• Accused in cyclist's death granted bail [CTV News]
• Taxi driver dead after Avenue Rd. crash [Toronto Star]
• Capitals keep Maple Leafs from securing playoff spot [CBC]
• White Sox use 2-run 9th to hold off Blue Jays [CBC]

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

Image: Dominic Bugatto/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Fashion rounds up the week's style news, store openings and closings, pop-up shops, sales and upcoming fashion and design events in Toronto. Find it here every Wednesday morning.

EVENTS/PARTIES

Vitaly Design - a local unisex jewellery brand with an eco-conscience - is hosting their first ever pop-up shop and sample sale at Oz Studios (134 Ossington Ave). While current and past collections will be priced at up to 75% off, guests will also have a chance to preview the "Elements" collection of high-quality titanium pieces. Partnered with other accessory brands like Varsity Brown and Felony Case, the event starts today (April 17) and runs until Monday (April 22).

After 5 years in the game, Clothing Brand Experiment - a company best known for its signature hoodies and limited edition collaborations - decided to hang up their hat; to wrap things up on a high note and throw a party at their studio (116 Geary St). Happening tomorrow (April 18) from 7 pm until 10 pm, the event promises giveaways for the first 20 people to arrive, plus drinks and snacks for everyone celebrating! Be sure to also visit their online shop for a chance to score a sweet deal on the last few hoodies in stock.

This Saturday (April 20), three forces are coming together to host an extravaganza of a flash sale at Gladstone Hotel's Art Bar (1214 Queen St W). For one day only, The Black Box Boutique's unique jewellery, Homegrown Boutique's Canadian-designed clothing, and The Pop Shop's edible delights will all be shoppable in one place from 10 am until 6 pm.

Join Paper People Clothing at Fresh Collective (692 Queen St W) on Monday (April 22) to participate in a little eco-friendly, clothing-swapping fun. If you ladies have 1 - two pieces of gently used clothing you're ready to part with, bring it over at 6:15 pm and leave with a (sort of) new set of garments. Plus, there'll be a chance to shop Paper People's latest sustainable creations and have a one-on-one session with style coaches! Find out more and RSVP through the official event page.

This Monday (April 22), reduce your fashion footprint with Fashion Forward - a relatively new online marketplace that allows users to sell unwanted pieces of clothing via free local classifieds. The sustainability-promoting website is hosting a shopping event at Town Shoes on Bloor (95 Bloor St W) highlighting a handful of exhibitors including Pomp & Pageantry and Stella & Dot. To attend the two-hour affair running from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm, register online and bring along a professional pair of shoes or clothing to donate to Dress For Success.

Next week from Tuesday (April 23) until Saturday (April 27) marks the eight annual |FAT| Arts & Fashion Week - a multi-faceted festival celebrating contemporary art and design through 50 runway shows, performances, short films, photography, and art installations. Both the $30 day pass and $80 week pass are well worth the price - the notoriously conceptual creations are typically enough weird/wacky/awesome inspiration to last the whole year.

SALES

The Puma Warehouse and Sample Sale is running from today (April 17) until Sunday (April 21) at Markham Fair Grounds (10801 McCowan Rd). According to StyleDemocracy, it's going to be epic with a full size range of men's, women's, and children's clothing at up to 80% off.

For music fans and industry peeps the third Saturday of April is Record Store Day, which since 2007 has been a global pep rally for struggling independent record shops. Bands and labels produce special releases and reissues to be distributed in limited vinyl quantities for RSD, and while it can feel quaint to music fans who are already buying vinyl, or at least music, all year - the official RDS website features predictable quotes from Jack White, Neko Case and Tom Waits about the joys of touching record sleeves - there's plenty to do, and it's a good excuse to visit Toronto's record shops.

Record Store Day 2013 will find itself in competition with 420, an event that will hopefully work in its favour as stoned droves of revelers snap up Kings of Leon, Doors, Cypress Hill and Grateful Dead limited editions (I actually have no idea what stoners like) - if, and it's a big if - they remember to leave the park before midnight. Sonic Boom's Kensington Market storefront wins this one.

Here's the scoop on what to expect in Toronto this year from releases to live bands, and how to make the most of the day.

Take a look at the list

Record Store Day has a website (linked above) and while the American releases list is longer and better than its Canadian counterpart, there's enough diversity here that something should charge your neurotransmitters with desire. The Canuck list is at Record Store Day Canada.

There's some very record store-ish (or soundtrack to a movie about people working at a record store type) artists on there: Pulp, David Bowie (who appearstwice), The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, The Cure, Joan Jett, Stephen Malkmus, Public Enemy, Nick Drake, Codeine, Miles Davis, Built to Spill, Marianne Faithful and Big Star. There's some alternate takes from Elliot Smith's Either/Or thing on 7", which creeps me out.

Evian Christ's 12" looks interesting if you're into electronic, and this Titus Andronicus release is probably worth grabbing if you like rock from NYC (The Strokes have a RSD release too). There's also stuff from The xx, A Place to Bury Strangers, Notorious B.I.G., Sharon Van Etten, The Flaming Lips, Gil Scott-Heron, Dan Deacon, Junior Boys, Mercury Rev, and a decent looking Thurston Moore collab with Loren Conners.

Canadians feature sparsely on the list but include Buck 65, Serena Ryder, Billy Talent, Tegan and Sara, Paper Beat Scissors and MGMT, but the most interesting looking one is this Austra / Gina X collab, though I wish they didn't write "edgy" in the description.

See some live acts

So far only a few shops have announced live bands, but of course Sonic Boom has their game together: bands will be playing in store at the Annex location all day, with a line up of Tess Parks, Language Arts, Lullabye Arkestra, Beliefs, William Tyler, Brent Jackson & The Royal We, Single Mothers, and Young Mother (maybe Single Mothers and Young Mother can arrange a play date?).

Of a Kind will host acoustic sets by The Box Tiger and Elos Arma. Cabin Fever Collective in Bloor West Village will host Jadea Kelly at 2pm, and at 6pm Rob Collinet's art exhibition kicks off with music by something called Spl@T. June Records will have DJs in store, as will Play De Record.

In the evening you can celebrate your finds over beer at Rancho Relaxo, where DJs are spinning vinyl all night and live bands start at 9pm.

Make a day out of it

This list of participating stores can help you map out your quest, but be warned, the list isn't perfect: The Record Vault no longer has a storefront, and the site says Frantic City is still open, which made me tear up a bit. You also need to know not all stores will have every RSD release in stock. If you're chasing a specific record, it's best to call ahead (though Vortex doesn't want you to call them)

Record stores from east to west are participating and weather's supposed to be decent, so RSD is a great chance to get out and explore the city by bike, TTC, or on foot. Make a map of shops you want to hit, bring a friend or go it alone, and use the trip to explore hoods you don't normally get to explore. You might find some new fave haunts, and as your haul gets heavier, your muscles will get more awesome.* Cuties will be like, "where'd you get them things?" and you'll flex and be like "from carrying these mad Record Store Day releases" and they'll will be like, "no, I mean what store sold you that Bowie vinyl". End scene.

*Subtip: Stretch before you leave the house.

Leave your comfort zone

I don't just mean leaving the Bloor/Queen paradigm: I mean spend some cash on something you're not sure you'll like. Some of my best buys over the years have been blind finds. The battered copy of The Sisters of Mercy's Floodland I plucked from a used bin as a teen because the cover was spooky is still one of my favorites to this day, but don't let that dissuade you from taking my advice.

Take a chance on music. If you don't like it, you probably know someone who will. Plus even I manage resell records all the time, and I'm pretty lazy.

Buy something

A grumpy Tweet ran through my feed the other day about "kids these days" taking Instagrams in record stores and leaving without buying any music. Totally understandable: who doesn't want a cute pic of themselves surrounded by stacks of colorful vinyl? Aside from the street cred poached from a music shop's persisting aura of integrity and coolness, the square images on display, the rows and columns of the bins: geometry is flattering.

Record Store Day hopes to help remind us that these struggling shops are more than just a great background for personal branding. Records aren't just cultural commodities: they're physical entities that demand space in our homes which connect to the creative process of the artists who made them, and to ourselves. I have this Pink Noise cassette that came with a 17 x 8 inch piece of screenprinted cardboard. It doesn't fit anywhere - looks weird with my records; ridiculous with my cassettes. It's special. It reminds me to stop trying to fit every piece together in my life.

Picking up a record is a potential lifetime of emotional release, inspiration, and sweat on behalf of you or a good friend while moving. Whether you're Justin Bieber or Not the Wind, Not the Flag, an unknowable effort goes into recording and releasing music and any given record shop houses a million hours of experience, suffering, and sacrifice. So take a selfie, and then take a second pic: a haul of the weird shit you bought that will change your life in subtle but meaningful ways. Then forget about Record Store Day and support musicians you care about all year. Excuse me, I have something in my eye.

If you've been drinking beer in and around Toronto with any regularity in the past couple decades, you've likely had a beverage brewed by one of the province's oldest craft brewers, Great Lakes Brewery. Family owned and operated since 1991, Great Lakes has been brewing beer in Etobicoke for over 25 years.

Originally founded in 1987, the brewery was purchased by Peter Bulut Sr. in '91 and moved to its current location at 30 Queen Elizabeth Boulevard, a building that originally served as a factory for Faberge Perfumes Limited. The building was designed by Canadian firm John B. Parkin and Associates and actually won a Massey Medal for architecture when it was built in 1950. After 63 years and a quarter century of service as a brewery, the facilities are certainly a little worse for wear, but they're still highly functioning and churning out more innovative craft beer than ever before.

The brewery originally just brewed Golden Horseshoe Lager — a beer they still make and one which you've probably had even if you didn't order by it name— and Unicorn Ale (a beer they no longer make but one that may enjoy a resurrection thanks to claims that brewer Mike Lackey has discovered a long lost copy of the recipe). In 2006, the brewery produced their Devil's Pale Ale for the Toronto Festival of Beer and it proved so popular that they continued to brew it on a large scale.

Thanks to the reception of Devil's Pale Ale, Great Lakes launched a seasonal program and started brewing their Orange Peel, Pumpkin Ale, and Winter Ale. They've since embarked on a new era of experimental brewing — notably with a critically acclaimed series of beers to mark their 25th anniversary last year and Tank Ten, a newly launched series--and have proven that while they may be the oldest craft brewers in town, they're still at the cutting edge when it comes to brewing interesting craft beer.

There have been some changes at the brewery over the years, notably a high efficiency boiler that's helped keep costs down, as well as updated tanks, but a tour of the place shows that the old building still retains much of its character.

When I visited last week, more changes were in the works, including a soon to arrive lauter tun that mercifully features a removable bottom for the extraction of spent mash — the hot, wet, used, residual grains that, under the current system have to be back-breakingly shovelled out manually after each brew. A new brew kettle will also feature a 12000 litre capacity as opposed to the current one which is 5000 litres.

Somewhat sadly, these changes will mean that the old copper kettle that long served Great Lakes will be removed from the brewery; however, part of the old kettle's top will be retained as decoration at the brewery and a small part, cut down, will be engraved in honour of Peter Bulut Sr. and affixed to the family's tomb, a fitting tribute from a brewery that clearly has its sights set on the future, but doesn't forget its past.

Additional Photos

Ben Johnson also writes about beer over on Ben's Beer Blog.

Photographs by Andrew Williamson.

Find out what's new and hot with our our bi-weekly local music roundup.

HOODED FANG / GRAVES / APRIL 9TH
The name Hooded Fang always conjures an image in my head of a wolf wearing a hoodie. This makes me laugh and, just for a fleeting second, wish that my spirit animal was a wolf wearing a hoodie. Then I quickly shake my head and recant this wish for my spirit animal is strong, wise and frumpily "with it." Of course, my spirit animal is a shirtless Mordecai Richler, whom I suspect is a spirit I share with these Hooded Fang cats.

You see, I was watching them play a couple weeks ago at the Bicycles album release and I noticed Mordecai at the other side of the room, glowing in his spiritual way and smiling his well broken-in sly smile (very much so like the Jedi deities at the end of Return of the Jedi). I waved to him, but to no avail, as he was absorbed in the band happily muttering that way he does, stomping his foot and making eye contact with approving nods at the individual musicians.

Naturally I was jealous but then I relaxed. After all, Shirtless Mordecai has enough undead wisdom for everyone. My patience paid off as afterwards he returned to my side and showed me a neat shortcut home. Graves is the first single of Hodded Fang's new album "Gravez" (go figure) out May 28th. See them, and perhaps a shirtless spirit called Mordecai Richler, live a mere few days later, May 31st at the Horseshoe.

CLARINET PANIC DELUXX / GF//RW / APRIL 15TH
Here's a one for a more sophisticated palate. Clarinet Panic Deluxx are a real fun act that looks on paper like its a band your mother would be very impressed you went to see. Little does Mom know that they're actually quite degenerate. Whenever I listen their music, I get the feeling that I'm going a little crazy albeit in a very pleasing way. This is augmented by a lack of vocals, which often serve as the guard rails in freak-out music, ensuring the very human act of listening to another's voice keeps your brain from swerving over the cliff of madness. Clarinet Panic Deluxx offers no such safety measure; it's just you and the music, man.

So perhaps it's best that the venue for the EP release this Sunday is SECRET until you RSVP. You don't want word to get out to the Mom community.

ODONIS ODONIS / BETTER (EP) / APRIL 16TH
This EPfrom Odonis Odonis will really add some doom to your gloom if your the gloomy type who feels as if a dash of doom will improve said gloom. Why anyone would want this, I have no idea but I am the type of person who preferred the Munsters over Addams Family....

OK, I was kidding about not needing any doomy gloom. It's always fun to get a little dark, and Odonis Odonis certainly fit the bill (and I ain't talking the electricity bill (because it's dark...walka walka walka). Plus the name Odonis Odonis recalls that Richie Valen's classic Donna. Say, while we are on the subject, has anyone else noticed an absence of Frankenstein (and no, I refuse to refer to it as Frankenstein's monster because Frankenstein made the monster so why shouldn't he inherit the name?!) in pop culture for the last 20 years or so? I blame it on Robots, which more or less, scratch the same philosophical exploration-through-fantasy-creature-itch. Still, we miss ya Frankie!

Don't miss Odonis Odonis on May 17th at Lee's Palace as they support Toronto/blog favorites Metz.

THE BAWDY ELECTRIC / I'LL BE YOUR MOUNTAIN/ANY CLOSER TO THE DAY 7" / APRIL 1ST

If you like your rock loud, nonabrasive and without cynicism, I suggest checking out The Bawdy Electric. It's not my job to gauge sincerity in artists, but it's not hard to see the earnestness in lyrics about looking "for a family/some land/ and a home." Warms the heart. Of course, it's pure escapism for a urban deviant like me whose priorities don't extend beyond writing copy for cultural websites and my next fix of booze, babes or barbiturates (and who wears a patch spelling out Irony on the sleeve of his jean jacket). But every dirt bike (me) needs someone with a truck and a trailer (earnest people) for when they pop a tire.

COOL VIDEO CORNER

SONREAL&RICH KIDD / HOMETOWN / APRIL 4TH
More rap videos need to feature parkas worn for practical reasons and games of snow baseball.

FACT: If you are a Toronto artist and email me your new music I will most likely feature it in an upcoming New in Toronto Music. Email me at ericboshart[@]blogto[dot]com, aight?

Photo of Hooded Fang

This new Etobicoke cafe and gallery opened in February to give Toronto's Cuban community a little taste of home, and to share Cuban food and culture with local residents. While the coffee is tasty and the art is eye-catching, the real question is, how does the Cuban sandwich stack up?

Read my profile of Havana Style Cafe and Gallery in the cafes section.

The TTC system, or at least parts of it, got a bit more cheery this morning as a troupe of ukulele-wielding self-described gangsters put on an impromptu show for commuters. Dubbed the Project Ukulele Gangsterism," the lighthearted intervention was reminiscent of some of the projects organized by Improv Toronto like the No Pants Subway Ride.

Local photographer Jason Cook stumbled on the scene at around 8:00 a.m. "A flashmob of 30-odd people with ukuleles were singing a very sweet song to morning commuters on the TTC," he explains. "It was a lovely mood booster, and everyone left with big smiles."

Organized by Adil Dhalla, who I happen to know is a big Toronto booster, the event was supported by the first CSI Awesome grant, which is a spin-off from the local branch of the Awesome Foundation. Fittingly, the song the group played this morning is titled "Have an Awesome Day." In putting the event together, Dhalla and company were able to accomplish two modest but noble goals: to shakeup the monotony of the commute and get people in a good mood on their way to work.

Nicely done, everyone.

PHOTOS

Photos by Jason Cook

For almost a decade, a prime piece of real estate has been sitting vacant at one of Toronto's major intersections. The former Eglinton station bus bays near the southwest corner on Yonge Street were decommissioned by the TTC in 2004 and officially declared surplus to requirements in 2012.

When a city property is no longer needed, the land is usually transferred to Build Toronto, a real estate and development corporation mandated to prepare land for construction and earn money for the city. Though the patch at Yonge and Eglinton has been closed off and officially earmarked for a mixed-use building, so far nothing's been done to the once-busy transfer point.

"There's very little status," says Bruce Logan at Build Toronto. "The process that's going on right now is mostly below the grade work and primarily between the TTC and Metrolinx ... we really have no status on that property at this stage, and it has not been transferred to us."

The site will likely remain fenced off and abandoned in until Spring 2016 when the tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the Eglinton LRT is scheduled to reach the west side of Yonge Street. At that time Metrolinx will demolish the concrete bays and dig an extraction shaft to retrieve its underground machinery.

Also in 2016, a separate TBM will arrive from the east and be removed from a separate shaft that's likely to be in the middle of Eglinton Avenue. The intersection will be closed at this point for construction of the station and the connecting tunnels to the subway line.

"It will be post-2020 before something else can be built there," says Jamie Robinson, Metrolinx's director of Toronto LRT projects. Brad Ross of the TTC confirms that date, saying no development will take place before the provincial transit agency has finished its light rail line.

Last October, Build Toronto told the Toronto Star it wanted to have something built in advance of new transit to extract the maximum value from the land, but that now seems increasingly unlikely under the current TTC/Metrolinx plans.

In 2009, city council approved a development of between 20 and 40 storeys for the site and there are rumors the TTC would like some of the space for a new headquarters. Ross says the Commission will speak with a real estate broker soon about consolidating operations away from its current Davisville station headquarters but there are no specifics on where it will go.

Last year coun. Josh Matlow worried that preliminary plans by Build Toronto were for a larger, more dense property, including a skywalk over the intersection of Yonge and Eglinton. Right now, the developers are keeping mum, maintaining there will be "no status" on the site until it's formally handed over to the city in around seven years time.

UPDATE: 15:00

Local councillor Josh Matlow says he's working with Metrolinx, the TTC, and the city to build a small public space surrounded by "good quality hoarding" on the periphery of the bus bay lands in the meantime.

"We're going to put up big boards that have really nice pictures of the Crosstown, slogans like "Coming Soon," and pictures of the Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood. Information boards as well, information about the progress of the project ... about construction, either good news or delays. Basically, a place where people come to collect information."

The boards will claim a portion of the disused site for benches, too. Matlow says the Metrolinx is on board to pay for the cost of the temporary facelift and hopes it will improve the TTC's reputation in the local area.

"I said to the TTC: 'With all due respect, you're not being a good neighbour.' We have standards in the city about private residents not being allowed to leave their properties like that because of how it adversely effects their neighbours. The TTC is a public entity and it shouldn't be doing it either."

Matlow said his wife thinks the Yonge-Eglinton site is "the perfect place to set a Hollywood armageddon film" with its cracked concrete and faded paint, and that's something he hopes to change.

What would you like to see happen at Yonge and Eglinton? Should Build Toronto focus on mid-rise instead of high rise? Is 12 years too long to keep the former bus connection vacant? What do? Let us know below.

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

Image: Sean Galbraith/blogTO Flickr pool and City of Toronto Archives.

Located in The Verve tower at Wellesley and Jarvis, this two-story, loft-style unit is pretty incredible. The environmentally sustainable building (LEED certified) towers over the area at 39 storeys (with an additional six-story loft building attached) so if cozy is what you're looking for, you may be heading in the wrong direction with this one. That being said, the steep price tag on this corner penthouse does come with some impressive additions—floor-to-ceiling windows, an ecosmart fireplace, fancy staircase, the works. Ultra-modern in every element of its design, this isn't exactly a family home, but for the young couple or rich bachelor or bachelorette, this will definitely be an abode worth showing off to your obviously less impressive friends.

SPECS

Address: #617-120 Homewood Avenue
Price: $999,500
Square Footage: 1,600 SF
Bedrooms: 2
Storeys: 2
Bathrooms: 3
Parking Spaces: 2
Locker: 1
Monthly Maintenance: $886.12
Taxes: $4,148
Balconies: 0
Building Amenities: Gym, Outdoor Pool

NOTABLE FEATURES

Three washrooms within 1600 sf (so one can urinate in every corner of one's home)
Massive floor-to-ceiling windows throughout
Built-in bar and wine fridge in kitchen
Custom marble entertainment unit in living room
Ecosmart fireplace
This place comes with a custom Miele Coffee System (I'm sold)

GOOD FOR

The young, successful power couple who have seen American Psycho too many times (though likely haven't read the book) and crave the high pressure rush of city-living. Those who find value in not adding to the pollution of the surrounding downtown core and would instead prefer to live in an eco-friendly building that emphasizes green energy in almost every aspect of its construction.

MOVE ON IF

You feel as though a near-million dollar price tag should likely buy you more than a 1,600 square feet, two bedroom apartment in a cookie-cutter condo high rise that looks more like a bank than a home. If you are at all klutzy, please turn away. That staircase is just asking for a concussion.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
If you had the dough, would you buy this condo?

Read other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board.

It's not an optical illusion. This St. Patrick Street house really has been sliced and diced. Once part of a row of six matching properties, the home is now a relic of a bygone era, marooned opposite a concrete surface parking garage and snuggled tight against a major housing development.

Like many bay-and-gable homes close to the ever-expanding core, demand for land made survival unlikely. Yet 54 1/2 St. Patrick has managed to hang on, a rare survivor out of a squalid slum.

The row of houses was built between 1890 and 1893 on what was first Dummer Street, then William Street, then, finally, St. Patrick Street. The names of the roads in this part of the city area have been shuffled more than most: St. Patrick Street used to refer to the stretch of road that's now part of Dundas west of McCaul; McCaul used to be William Henry Street, then West William Street, for example.

For much of its past the street was blighted by poverty. Early photos show severe faces, crumbling wall cladding, and backyards strewn with detritus. More recently the area between University and Spadina has been home to a large Chinese community.Starting in 1957, most of the block bound by Queen, McCaul, St. Patrick, and Dundas Street was purchased in pieces by Windlass Holdings Ltd., the company that developed the Village by the Grange, sometimes using aggressive tactics to secure land deeds.

The owner of 54 St. Patrick Street - once part of the original terrace - complained to the Toronto Star that the company's actions were "an extreme example of blockbusting," claiming he had received over 300 directives on his property in a single year.

Interestingly, the odd numbering system almost as old as the houses. The houses are marked 52 1/2, 54, 54 1/2, 56, 58, and 60 moving north on the 1913 Goad's fire insurance plan.Despite some resistance, the owners of the homes sold up at different times, and the row was pulled down in pieces like tooth extractions. The sole-survivor pictured here was once in the third house in the row from the south - the similar buildings next door are a later addition built on top of a laneway.

Though the development company was interested, it was never able to secure what's now 54 1/2 St. Patrick.Instead, the company demolished its neighbour to the north with surgical precision, ensuring not even the woodwork on the facade of the hold-out building was disturbed. An internal supporting wall became a blank exterior when the house next door came down.

The owners of the original building to the south, the one preceding the current property, held out a while too. Pictures taken in the mid 70s show it clearly inhabited with cars in the drive. Eventually, however, just one of the six in the row of homes would remain.The Village by the Grange, originally a much denser housing project, opened in early 1975 after several concessions were agreed between the city and Windlass that reduced several of the planned buildings in size and added public space. Other proposals at Quebec and Gothic avenues (just north of High Park) and Dundas and Sherbourne were also hotly debated at the same time.54 1/2 St. George is currently vacant. No-one answered when I knocked at the door and the front room has been stripped to the floorboards. Perhaps it's being spruced up, it would surely be worth it. The current assessment on file with the city lists the value at $648,000.

MORE IMAGES:

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

Images: Chris Bateman and City of Toronto Archives

Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on Thursday, April 18, 2013

PARTY | AGO Massive Party GOLD
A gold party for 1800 people is set for tonight at the AGO, with installations and performances by local artists like Maylee Todd, Thrush Holmes, Tibi Tibi Neuspiel & Geoffrey Pugen, Mahmood Popal and DJ Mensa. One of the city's largest art party, which funds the AGO's exhibitions and education programs, this year's Massive event comes from the mastermind of curator and photographer Justin Broadbent. A golden ticket includes access to the open bar, hors d'oeuvres, entertainment and installation pieces. Dig it?
Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West) 9PM $150

MUSIC | A-Trak
The brains behind Fool's Gold Records, musical director for Jay-Z's Heart of the City tour and the former DJ for Kanye West, A-Trak returns to his home country for a show at The Hoxton tonight. The Montreal-born DJ and producer (whose real name is Alain Macklovitch), plays a set this evening featuring music from his recent EPs and mixtapes, of which there are dozens, including Tuna Melt EP. Tickets are available through TicketWeb. Sorry kids, this event is 19+.
The Hoxton (69 Bathurst Street) 10PM $20

ART | 14 Forgeries
A playful re-imagining of iconic brands, logos and classic cultural symbols by OCAD printmaking thesis students will be showcased at the opening reception of 14 Forgeries at Gallery 1313 tonight. The exhibit launches with works by up-and-coming artists working with traditional etching, lithography, screen-printing, and relief processes. The artists will be in attendance to discuss their forgeries with drinks and snacks served. The exhibit runs until April 25th.
Gallery 1313 (1313 Queen Street West) 7PM Free

FILM | Ghosts in the Machine: The Evolution of Found Footage Horror
Lecturer Alexandra West discusses a unique subgenre in horror filmmaking that stems from literary beginnings but came to popularity in the late '90s. Ghosts in the Machine, presented by The Black Museum lecture series, takes a look at the found footage trend that first appeared in Asian cinema. Using case studies from films like The Blair Witch Project, The Ring and Paranormal Activity, West will conduct the lecture at Big Picture Cinema tonight. Tickets available at the door.
Big Picture Cinema (1035 Gerrard Street East) 8PM $12 advance $15 door

ART | Exploring Materials and Art Supply Swap
An art swap and painting party, Toronto Coffee Company opens up shop Thursday night for an experimental art event. Laying out pastels, paints and pencils, guests will be welcomed to play with various materials while swapping out old art supplies with other attendees for new. All supplies and books are welcomed and the entrance fee includes unlimited swapping as well as materials to explore with. All artists are welcome at this off-the-wall art party.
Toronto Coffee Company (685 Lansdowne Avenue) 7:30PM $20

ALSO OF NOTE:

• Crickets on the Tip of Your Tongue
• In Person: Jennifer A. Nielsen
• First Spring Book Launch

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
• April concert listings

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

Is Toronto in the midst of a Spanish resurgence? On the heels of the opening of Charles Khabouth's Patria, this stylish new eatery (from the team behind Torito) has set out to conquer West Queen West with arsenal of tapas.

Read my profile of Carmen in the restaurants section.

Despite the fact that it's an annual occurrence, the controlled burn in High Park always results in a scene that recalls one apocalyptic film or another. Of, course, given recent events in Boston, there's also far more serious images that are conjured up by the smoke rising this year — even as the event is completely benign. Here's the spiel from the City of Toronto:

"A prescribed burn is a deliberately set and carefully controlled fire that burns low to the ground and consumes leaf litter but does not harm large trees. This year's burn continues the well established program to restore High Park's Black Oak Savannah, a rare vegetation community that is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the Province of Ontario and at risk of extinction in Toronto."

On some level it's actually quite fascinating how this all works, and the images are compelling to say the least. Here's what it all looked like this year.

PHOTOS

Photos by Tom Ryaboi

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview at some of the places coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

OPEN NOW

• Lisa Marie, from Fidel Gastro's Matt Basile opens at 638 Queen Street West this Friday, April 19th. The new menu will feature cicchetti (tapas-like) offerings and a pantry in the back will offer a butcher counter full of grill-it-at-home marinated meats and an array of canned goods.
• Enzo Pizzabar will open its doors at 646 Queen Street West for a soft opening phase starting Tuesday next week (April 23rd). The grand opening is set to follow in early May.
• Etcetera has quietly reopened under new management as Seazons (147 Spadina Avenue).

COMING SOON

• The team behind The Slow Room (874 College Street) is branching out with new food studio, Sagra slated to open at 240 Annette the first week of May. Also set to debut the same week is their new food truck, Bestia, that will hit the road with wood fire oven onboard. Both new ventures will triumph Italian flavours featuring pizza and porchetta.
• THR & Co. (presumably The Harbord Room and Company) is opening at 97 Harbord Street next month in the spot formerly home to Messis.
• Lightweight Mini-Donuts is opening Wednesday, May 1st in Kensington Market at the El Gordo food court (214 Augusta Ave). The shop will specialize in fresh-to-order minis dusted in cinnamon sugar, icing sugar or both.
• Artisanal butcher, Olliffe will open a third retail shop on Tuesday, April 23rd in the previous site of Sausage Partners at 1378 Queen Street East.
• Pai, from Chef Nuit Regular (Sabai Sabai, Sukhothai) is aiming for a September opening. Specializing in Northern Thai, the new restaurant will be located at 18 Duncan Street.

CLOSING

• Elle M'a Dit has announced via twitter that it's last service will be Saturday, April 27th. A new Mexican restaurant is already set to open in its wake.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com

The High Park (not to be confused with High Park Condos) is a new development going up in 2015 that's set to tower above the park. And while it's part of my job to critique condos in this column, I have to say that this property just might be a critic's nightmare: there's something for everyone.

SPECS
Address: 1990 Bloor St. W.
Architect:Quadrangle Architects
Floors: 11
Total number of units: 108
Elevators: 2. One will open up into one of the units, as well as stopping at other floors.
Types of units: Studio, one bedroom, one plus den, two bedroom, two plus den, three plus den, two-level penthouses.
Unit sizes (in square feet): 481 to 1155
Ceiling heights: 9' to 10'
Prices from (available units): In the $300,000s.
Maintenance fees: $0.53
Developer: Northdrive
Amenities/building features: fitness room, gourmet kitchens, lounge area.

THE GOOD

Most units have balconies, which is obviously a humongous plus, especially for those overlooking the park. They each have pretty open layouts as well, with what appears to be ample living space. And from the renderings available so far, it looks like it'll be well-designed, chic, warm, and inviting .

And, really, the location is prime. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, arty hipster or family-oriented human, this area can work for you. The High Park overlooks its namesake, and is cozied up to both the Junction and Roncesvalles. It's also as convenient as it gets transit-wise.

THE BAD

In some of the units, there are window-free bedrooms, baths and/or dens. I'm aware that this is a frequent occurrence in condo developments, but that doesn't make it suck any less, so I will never stop mentioning it. I want to watch birds fly by/check out what my neighbour is up to while I shower, thanks very much. Also, this is Canada, and SADD is prevalent enough without playing prisoner in a box.

This building is also a tad light on amenities, so if you're looking for a hotel-esque condo environment, it might not be your thing.

OUR TAKE

The location is undeniably fantastic. If you're looking for easy access to different facets of the city, and you think you might be a fan of condo living, this property is definitely worth considering. They're holding a preview event on April 20.

If you had the dough, would you buy here?

Read other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board.

After a month of tasting specialty coffees around Toronto, I've learned that - with rare exceptions - most of the unique coffee drinks offered by the city's cafes travel in a confectionary landscape somewhere between a cup of java and dessert. With that in mind, I thought I'd end my caffeinated journey around the town with a coffee whose name alone brought on the tingling sensation of a sugar rush.

CONCEPT
The Peanut Butter Caramel Latte at R Squared (or R2, depending on how you see it) is a seasonal specialty on their winter menu, dreamed up by R2 barista Gigi and only likely to be offered for another week or two before the summer drinks menu goes up.

Like most of the coffee drinks in this series, the PBCL is designed to sweeten a coffee without white sugar, while adding something more to the flavour profile. In this case, it's two tastes that most coffee drinkers would associate with candy bars or rich baked goods, without the big caloric load that either of those sweet treats entail.

SCORE: 7/10

EXECUTION
R2 barista Reza takes me through the rather simple steps to create a PBCL, which begins with a heaping tablespoon of smooth peanut butter. He adds a shot of caramel syrup from the standard pump bottle, then mixes them together in the bottom of the cup.

A double shot of espresso is pulled on top of the sticky-sweet concoction, which is mixed again with a whisk so that the peanut butter and caramel doesn't lurk at the bottom of the drink. Reza steams a mug of milk and pours it over the top, adding a floral flourish of foam art.

SCORE: 7/10

VALUE
The PBCL comes in two sizes - a small ($3.89) and a large ($4.39,) and obviously doesn't need any sugar. You immediately taste the peanut butter in your first sip, but it goes away quickly, while the taste of caramel lingers much longer on the palate. It's probably because peanut butter - at least the organic, all-natural variety R2 uses - isn't excessively sweetened, though the last sips of the drink will contain a few crunchy morsels of peanut. Needless to say, the PBCL is probably classified as a weapon in most grade schools with their overzealous nut allergy policies.

SCORE: 7/10

TOTAL SCORE: 21/30

Thanks to the New Listerine UltraClean for sponsoring our coffee-fueled adventures.

See all posts in this series via our Toronto Coffee Drinks Challenge Pinterest board

Have a suggestion for a unique coffee drink that should be part of this challenge? Send your tips to editors [at] blogto [dotcom]

"It seems like our generation as a whole has rediscovered Fleetwood Mac in our adult years," Bobby Kimberley told me by email late Wednesday morning after Dwayne Gretzky sold out The Great Hall. "Fleetwood Mac are classic, and everyone in Dwayne Gretzky is a real fan," he continued.

The founder of Young Lions Music Club, a music marketing agency that has thrown some of the city's best music parties and concerts, Kimberley had invited his friends in Toronto indie band Dwayne Gretzky to pay tribute to the popular '70s band on Tuesday night, the same night Fleetwood Mac was to play on the ACC stage. Just blocks away from where Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham performed their own sold out concert, the local eight-piece cover band paid tribute to the legends by playing Mac's 1977 Rumours album in full.

Drawing on what he calls the perfect opportunity for a full-blown tribute, Kimberley, now a pro at organizing large independent shows such as this, had 600 people lined up around the block to watch some local kids take on music 15 years older than them.

"The band has all the right pieces for Fleetwood Mac: two female vocals, diverse from one another, and two male vocals. There's enough variety to find the right people for each part, while harmonizing beautifully throughout," Kimberley believes.

Lead female vocalist Allie Hughes, a woman who looks the part of ingénue but is a commanding schizo pop performer in her own right, powered through Nicks' vocals. Honing her incredible energy in for softer, down tempo songs, Hughes was the rowdiest of the band onstage, jumping on the backs of her bandmates during crowd pleasers and sinking to the floor to pound the beat out with her fists. Stealing the show during Gretzky's rendition of "Go Your Own Way", Hughes did her best Nicks' impression on "Dreams," a classic that had the crowd shouting her name by the end.

If Hughes was playing the part of Nicks, then keyboardist Robin Hatch was a strong Christine McVie, providing a backbone for the group to rely on for richer vocals as Hughes and lead male vocalist/guitarist Tyler Kyte played up their Nicks and Buckingham fantasies on lead.

Following the country sound of "Never Going Back Again," "Don't Stop" changed the mood of the place quickly as a wave of recognition spread throughout the venue and hundreds of '80s babies began dancing to the songs their mothers used to play. But it was the band's spot on version of "The Chain," a Dwayne Gretzky favourite, that made the evening, with their expertise showing through strong rhythms and full band harmonies on the chorus.

Paying tribute amongst the crowd were the hundreds of millenials who made the evening a sweaty dance party, downing beers, Instagramming the band and swaying to the music, just like Stevie Nicks taught them.

Standing on the balcony, an older crowd of long-time Fleetwood Mac fans listened and danced, substituting tickets to the sold out ACC concert to check out what kids nowadays were doing with Fleetwood's music. Pausing only to ask about Dwayne Gretzky's large following, it seemed that, judging by their reactions, the kids are alright.

Photos by Andrew Williamson