The best new cafes in Toronto range from the minimal to the whimsical to the fantastical, and all provide much-needed get up and go. Some bake their own croissants and one even makes their own chocolate.

Here are the best new cafes in Toronto that opened in 2017.

We've got microbreweries, brewpubs, taprooms, alehouses, a thriving craft beer scene and – in just a few weeks – Toronto will have a ciderhouse, too. 

Brickworks Cider just announced that it will be opening "the first urban ciderhouse in Canada" this February at Queen and Broadview, right in the heart of Toronto's beer mecca.

Aptly named "Brickworks Ciderhouse," this business differs from the 5-year-old company's cider brewery (now owned by the Labatt Brewing Company) in that it's not a straight up cidery.

The ciderhouse will, of course, brew cider, but it'll also be a restaurant with "locally sourced seasonal menu" items to compliment its portfolio of beverages.

Home.

A post shared by Brickworks Cider (@brickworkscider) on Jan 19, 2018 at 2:02pm PST

"Cider makers from Brickworks Ciderhouse will be working closely with local culinary talent to develop locally inspired dishes," reads a press release announcing the new venue, "such as Ontario classic apple pies made directly in-house using the same apples as the ciders."

The bar will feature 16 drinks on tap at all times – 10 cider and 6 local craft beers from Mill Street (also owned by Labatt.) 

The ciderhouse plans to produce up to "40 new, rare and experimental micro-batch ciders" at the Riverside location using "superior" barrel and bottle aging facilities.

The Brickworks Ciderhouse will be located at 709 Queen Street East in what used to be the An Sibin Pub.

Toronto Mayor John Tory dropped some super exciting news for soccer fans this morning with his endorsement of a FIFA bid for 2026.

That's right, the World Cup could be coming to Toronto – but not exclusively, or for certain, and certainly not for quite some time.

Tory announced on Monday morning that he supports a City of Toronto staff report asking for the "authority to enter into bid agreements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup."

The city's general manager of economic development and culture recommends that Toronto participate in a joint bid with Canada, The United States and Mexico. If the multi-country team, dubbed the "United Bid Committee," is successful, 48 nations will play 80 matches over 30 days across North America in 2026.

#2026_FIFA_World_Cup
Toronto would host three to five games if the Canada-Mexico-U.S. three-country proposal is selected... Hosting the World Cup could be the best thing to happen to Canadian soccer in a long time #WorldCuppic.twitter.com/9cVCao6S6s

— Samer Kamal (@Samer_Kamal) January 22, 2018

Canada would only host 10 of those games, as would Mexico, based on current discussions, with the remainder being played in the U.S.

If selected as part of the bid, Toronto would likely host 3-5 FIFA games at BMO Field, which would be given additional seating to meet the capacity standards of a World Cup stadium.

City staff estimate it would cost between $30 million to $45 million to co-host the World Cup, but the total cost would be shared between the city, province, and federal government.

Vancouver, Edmonton and Montreal are the only other Canadian candidates in a list of 28 potential host cities being considered across the continent, should the United Bid Committee win FIFA 2026.

Toronto City Council's Executive Committee will be considering the recommendations on Wednesday. If approved, Toronto must irreversibly commit to providing stadiums, funding and other ancillary agreements to support the tournament by February 5, 2018.

If you headed down to Toronto's central waterfront over the weekend, you might have noticed something different about the place. As part of the annual Ice Breakers Exhibition, five large-scale structures have turned Queens Quay into a playground featuring giant musical instruments and makeshift shelters until February 25. 

Take a look at all the playful structures in this photo gallery.

Graffiti's Bar & Grill, home of the "black metal brunch," will be closing up shop this Friday after decades of legendary live music shows at 170 Baldwin Ave.

The Kensington Market mainstay will be hosting its last regular show ever on January 26 with Matty Runge and Dan Gagnon, according to promoter Matt Ross.

The bar's Facebook page has billed several events as "the last" of their kind in recent weeks, and local musicians have been lamenting the news on Instagram.

"It's time for the boys to find a new home," reads an event description posted by Graffiti's last week. "Come by this Sunday for one last kick at the can. It will be sad, but also a load of fun. The market will be so different on Sundays now."

Indeed it will. RIP Graffiti's.

The King Street Transit Pilot is working double time this week as both a transportation project and the subject of a widespread social media soap opera.

There hasn't been this much drama coming out of the entertainment district since Drake's caravan cut off a motorist during TIFF – and it just keeps on rolling, right into Twitter feeds across the city.

King Street business owners & their employees unveil a social media campaign today appealing directly to the public. Show your support by sharing this message across your social media networks using #ReverseKingCarBan || #Toronto#KingStreetPilotpic.twitter.com/d2YCeuxrzO

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) January 22, 2018

Kit Kat Restaurant owner Al Carbone, who last week erected a large middle finger made of ice on his property, held a press conference on Monday morning to once again decry Mayor John Tory over King Street's new traffic restrictions.

Carbone told reporters today that his sales have dropped at least 50 per cent since November, when the pilot project came into effect.

He (and some other business owners along King) blame the city's elimination of parking spots between Bathurst and Jarvis for declining revenues, though others suggest that cold weather and competitors could be at fault.

Wait, it's the ban on driving on King that turned patrons away from area restaurants and not paying $15 for Costco chicken fingers and $18 for basic pasta dish? #ReverseKingCarBan

— Daniel (@Mason_TR) January 22, 2018

Either way, Restaurant Row has been tearing up the web for a solid week now with its ice sculpture shenanigans and related backlash.

When critics of the #KingStreetPilot chose ice sculptures as their symbol of protest, it warmed up a whole puddle of ironies... #topolipic.twitter.com/JUEwhhJVKK

— Brian F. Kelcey (@stateofthecity) January 22, 2018

City Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti is among those fanning the flames by promoting the hashtag #ReverseKingCarBan on Twitter today.

"The King Street merchants just launched a social media campaign. It's a great idea!" he tweeted this morning. "Let's help spread the word and support the local businesses."

Looking forward to an announcement by King Street business owners and their employees at 10 AM tomorrow at Kit Kat. #ReverseKingCarBanpic.twitter.com/NkKFcUUcep

— Giorgio Mammoliti (@mammolitiward7) January 21, 2018

Unsurprisingly, given his stance on the issue, mayoral candidate Doug Ford has been similarly active in promoting the anti-pilot campaign.

All you really need to know is the two biggest political champions of #ReverseKingCarBan are #DougFord& #GiorgioMammoliti neither of whom have any idea what living downtown is actually like, or what commuting is like, or what riding transit is like. #ToPoli#KeepItpic.twitter.com/SoFpXg9ZiD

— Alex Kane (@alexpkane) January 22, 2018

The #ReverseKingCarBan hashtag, while not exactly accurate as cars aren't banned on King, is being used by Carbone and his supporters to ask the city for an immediate end to the King Street pilot.

"We’d like the mayor to reverse it immediately. It’s hurting too many businesses all at once,” said Carbone today during his press conference. "They want to do a pilot project for a year; I'll do a campaign for a year."

Toronto's booze delivery options got a major boost when the LCBO entered the online sales market back in 2016, but the service wasn't exactly perfect. While the selection was great, the delivery times left something to be desired.

Since online sales launched at the LCBO, the quickest shipping times were pegged at two to four business days at a cost of $12. You could also have orders shipped to a store location for free, but with a wait of one to four weeks.

Shopping from the comfort of your couch just got even easier. We now have next business day delivery!https://t.co/YUVDfaQSyOpic.twitter.com/R1I4OJ2lTH

— LCBO (@LCBO) January 22, 2018

The latter option is still available, but the good news for online booze buyers is that next day delivery is now an option. This quicker shipping service costs $16.95, but that's not too bad considering the cost of standard shipping. 

Anecdotally speaking, everything I've ordered from the LCBO has arrived in three days. That's not terrible by any means, but it doesn't allow for any last minute ordering, which many of us have come to expect from online retailers. 

Add in the fact that the LCBO is soon to implement a click and collect program, and it seems like our provincially managed source for booze is finally getting with the times.

So now you really can leave your party planning until the day before. Just make sure you decide on what booze you want by 1 p.m., as that's the cut off for next day service. 

Toronto's premiere latte artist Brian Leonard – a.k.a. @BaristaBrian – is back in Park City, Utah this week for his second, star-studded Sundance Film Festival. And he's killing it. As usual.

Leonard, a trained opera singer, got his big break in the coffee world while working at the exclusive Producer's Ball during TIFF 2017.

Someone there thought his talents would be well received by the Sundance crowd, and they were right.

A post shared by Calii Love (@caliiloveco) on Jan 20, 2018 at 4:22pm PST

Leonard impressed celebrities like Peter Dinklage, John Legend, Laura Prepon and Rashida Jones with latte art of their own faces at the winter film festival in 2017, and he's doing it all over again right now.

So far, he's given personal coffee caricatures to the likes of Idris Elba and Hilary Swank, both pictured above, as well as Paul Rudd...

A post shared by @baristabrian on Jan 20, 2018 at 9:33am PST

Kiera Knightley...

A post shared by @baristabrian on Jan 22, 2018 at 8:48am PST

Debra Messing...

A post shared by Debra Messing (@therealdebramessing) on Jan 21, 2018 at 3:57pm PST

Jaden Smith...

A post shared by @baristabrian on Jan 22, 2018 at 7:30am PST

Blythe Danner...

A post shared by @baristabrian on Jan 20, 2018 at 9:38am PST

Usher...

A post shared by @baristabrian on Jan 22, 2018 at 9:19am PST

John Cho...

A post shared by John Cho (@johnthecho) on Jan 21, 2018 at 3:57pm PST

Priyanka Chopra...

A post shared by @baristabrian on Jan 21, 2018 at 5:04pm PST

Jim Parsons...

A post shared by Jim Parsons (@therealjimparsons) on Jan 21, 2018 at 3:15pm PST

And Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the Queen actor Peter Dinklage.

A post shared by @baristabrian on Jan 21, 2018 at 8:40am PST

When he's not busy making flawless famous faces in foam, you can find Barista Brian at Toronto's own Calii Love on King Street West.

Calling all dancers with non-dancing day jobs — there's an enormous dance show coming to Nathan Phillips Square that you could be a part of. 

Luminato is looking for non-professional performers to star in one of its marquee shows for 2018 and auditions start this week.

Le Grande Continental, an internationally acclaimed dance show by Montreal choreographer Sylvain Émard, made its debut in 2009 but has since been performed all over the globe, from New York and Boston to Mexico and Chile.

Participation in the project is free, but it won't necessarily be easy.

A total of 400 people are being cast for Toronto's 30-minute-long version of the show, all of whom will be required to attend rehearsals twice a week for 11 weeks.

The group will perform four times between June 22 and 24 in Nathan Phillips Square, where family, friends and anyone else in the city can come and watch for free.

Organizers are looking for people of "all ages, cultural backgrounds, and dance experience" to perform Émard's contemporary re-imagining of a traditional line dance.

There will be three rounds of auditions to find 400 dancers, the first of which begins this week at Ryerson University. More information is available here, should you be so inclined. Good luck!

Toronto is moving on up... in the rankings for places that nobody can afford to live.

This year's Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, the 14th annual edition of a global report on middle-income housing, reveals that Toronto is now 21st out of 293 cities around the world when it comes to unaffordability. Last year, we came in 28th.

Put simply, 272 cities (out of just 293) are cheaper to survive in than Toronto right now across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

The 14th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey lists Toronto as "severely unaffordable" when it comes to how much houses cost vs. how much residents make.

When contrasted only against other "major metropolitan" areas, Toronto still comes in just 88th out of 92.

The city is called out for having "the worst housing bubble risk," as well as a "severely unaffordable housing market" in the report, due in part to "the middle-2000s adoption of urban containment policy (“Places to Grow”), including a Green Belt and other draconian restrictions."

"In both Vancouver and Toronto," reads the report, "the household cost of even the least expensive housing, apartment condominiums is well above widely accepted 30 percent maximum guideline."

Recent cooling measures from our provincial and federal governments, like the foreign buyer's tax and Ontario's Fair Housing Plan, were panned as "ineffective Initiatives." 

Today in Toronto you can learn how to DJ, hear true stories from some of the city's strangest citizens, and eat free pizza thanks to a mathematics pun. Whoever said math wouldn't come in handy in the real world? 

The owner of Swiss Chalet, Harvey's and Kelseys is buying The Keg — as in the entire restaurant chain — for an estimated $200 million in cash and stocks. 

Surprised? You shouldn't be. 

Cara Operations Ltd. has been on an aggressive tear of acquisitions in recent years, scooping up The Bier Markt chain, Casey's and East Side Mario's in 2013, followed by New York Fries a few years later, and then Montreal's St. Hubert chicken chain in 2016.


The company announced on Tuesday that it had signed an agreement to acquire the popular, B.C.-headquartered steakhouse chain Keg Restaurants Ltd., 51 per cent of which was already owned by Toronto's Fairfax Financial holding company.


This purchase will bring the conglomerate's portfolio of major Canadian restaurant brands up to 13 (in addition to its airport services division at Pearson and Vancouver International Airports.)


Keg CEO David Aisenstat will reportedly join Cara's executive team and assume oversight of its "higher end brands," such as the Landing Group, Bier Markt and Milestones restaurants.


Cara, which is headquartered in Vaughan, said that it intends to change its corporate name once the deal closes.

People around Toronto woke up to near-zero visibility, in some cases, on account of dense fog patches rolling across the region early Tuesday.

A post shared by Alexander Chuyko (@chuykorolla) on Jan 22, 2018 at 11:26pm PST

Environment Canada had issued a fog advisory for the entire GTA after fast-rising temperatures made driving conditions dangerously hazy on Sunday night.

A post shared by Naeem (@nnvv__) on Jan 23, 2018 at 5:59am PST

The advisory was ended shortly after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, but not before the mist could rock our socks off.

A post shared by Gaby I, Ontario, Canada (@gabyisphoto) on Jan 23, 2018 at 6:51am PST

Dense patches of misty air made it hard to see more than a few feet off of an upper-level balcony ahead of this morning's commute.

A post shared by Ze Han ・ 韓澤 (@zirocket) on Jan 22, 2018 at 7:27pm PST

The fog was also incredible in the evening last night, particularly at the northern end of the city such as York's campus, which looks TRON-like with its new subway station.

A post shared by AliMirza (@alidababaman) on Jan 23, 2018 at 5:06am PST

Until it finally started to clear... though not completely.

A post shared by wallerworld (@wallerworld) on Jan 23, 2018 at 6:41am PST

Toronto is expected to reach a high of 6 C today, with cooler temperatures on the way for Wednesday and Thursday - but not so cool that it hurts to breathe.

We're in the midst of a wintermission, after all.

I hate to say I told you so, but - just kidding! - no I don't.

Toronto may have cracked the top 20 on Amazon's list of potential cities for HQ2, the e-commerce giant's soon-to-be-built second headquarters, but the chances of us actually winning are still pretty slim.

Analysts and sports-betting sites have long favoured Atlanta as most likely to be chosen, followed by Austin and Boston (with some variation.) Nashville and Washington are also proving popular across the board.

Toronto, on the other hand, is tied for last place with Miami on at least one betting site in the race for Amazon's new $5 billion headquarters (and the estimated 50,000 high-paying jobs that are expected to come with it.)

Atlanta is the new favorite to land Amazon HQ2 (@BovadaLV):

ATL +500
Washington +800
Nashville/BOS +1000
Austin +1300
Northern VA +1500
Philly/Chicago +1600
Montgomery County/PIT +1700
Dallas/LA/Denver +1800
Raleigh +1900
Indy/NYC/CLB +2000
Newark +2200
Miami/Toronto +2500

— OddsShark (@OddsShark) January 22, 2018

Bovada puts the odds of Toronto winning at +2500, writing that "the current chill in relations between Canada and the United States, stemming from stalled trade talks and the uncertain future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could ultimately eliminate Toronto from the competition."

Toronto does, however, bring a lot to the table for a thriving tech company; just ask Google's Sidewalk Labs. To be chosen as one of the top 20 cities out of 238 across the continent is an honour in and of itself.

Unfortunately, as the only Canadian city on Amazon's list of finalists, tech talent and rapid growth might not be enough to offset the political firestorm to our south.

The Irish betting site PaddyPower puts the odds of Toronto winning at just 16/1, with Atlanta and Austin tied for first place.

You can hold out hope for HQ2 in Toronto, if you want to, but you may want to consider holding your bets as well.

Tucked away near the ravine wall that leads to the Don River, Drumsnab Road is one of Toronto's nicest and oldest streets. Many contend that the house after which the street is named is the oldest continually occupied residence in the city, dating back to 1834.

Just a few doors down, 9 Drumsnab Rd. has just hit the market for nearly $6 million. It's nowhere as old as the namesake estate, but it still has that old world feel characteristic of the street. 

Designed in the Georgian style, as is the case with a few others on the street, the house is understated from the street, but marked by huge, light-filled rooms and multiple bedrooms that would serve as a master suites in a smaller home. 

The interior has been renovated, which delivered a contemporary kitchen with top of the line appliances. The cooking space isn't huge, but it opens into a second dining area and family room that give the overall area an airy feel. 

In addition to the large bedrooms, it's also worth noting that the attic office is beautiful, complete with wood beams and a high ceiling. Meanwhile, the basement offers a sauna and wine cellar as luxury features in keeping with the listing price. 

It's a bit of a shame that the most recent photos of the property are from the winter, as the backyard is really a treasure. A stone terrace leads out to an elegantly designed pool that looks like a little oasis despite the proximity of the house to Bloor St. and downtown Toronto.

Specs

• Address: 9 Drumsnab Rd.
• Price: $5,798,000
• Lot Size: 54.83 x 160.25 feet
• Bedrooms: 5 + 1
• Bathrooms: 5
• Parking: 6
• Walk Score: 69
• Transit Score: 97
• Listing agent: Kelly Lee Fulton
• Listing ID: C4022815

Good For

Someone who's always wanted a stately old mansion on one of Toronto's most exclusive streets. Drumsnab Rd. oozes with status and historical character.

Move On If

This is not a house for anyone who's a fan of modern or contemporary architecture. At this price, you wouldn't have to travel too far to find a contemporary home of equal luxury. 

Thanks to Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage for sponsoring our house of the week. All editorial written and selected by blogTO.

Canada is taking the number 2 spot once again this year on U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of the best countries on Earth.

With an overall score of 9.9 out of 10, our country is second only to Switzerland on the newly-released 2018 Best Countries ranking report, followed closely by Germany, The U.K. and Japan.

The rankings are based on "how global perceptions define countries in terms of a number of qualitative characteristics, impressions that have the potential to drive trade, travel and investment and directly affect national economies."

Basically, researchers from Y&R's BAV Group and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania surveyed 21,000 people across the globe on how much they associate particular attributes with 80 different nations.

Canadians are seen as very friendly. Sexy? Not so much. (Image via U.S. News & World Report's 2018 Best Countries Ranking)

Canada ranked 2nd overall, but didn't fare so well in the rankings for every one of the aforementioned qualitative characteristics.

When it comes to "sexy," for instance, Canada got a score of just 0.4 out of 10. Our "fun" factor got an 4.8 out of 10, and for "pleasant climate" Canada got just 1.8 (which actually seems kind of accurate.)

Take this with a grain of salt, though; the report lists only Céline Dion, Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell as examples of influential Canadian performers.

Here are the report's top 20 best countries, overall, based on such factors as adventure, citizenship, cultural influence, heritage, quality of life and power.

1. Switzerland
2. Canada
3. Germany
4. The United Kingdom
5. Japan
6. Sweden
7. Australia
8. The United States
9. France
10. The Netherlands
11. Denmark
12. Norway
13. New Zealand
14. Finland
15. Italy
16.Singapore
17. Austria
18. Luxembourg
19. Spain
20. China

People lined up down the block and around three corners in Toronto's Financial District this afternoon for free pizza. You'd have thought there was a Kendrick Lamar pop-up or something.

I'm not even exaggerating a little bit. Look at this:

A post shared by blogTO (@blogto) on Jan 23, 2018 at 9:08am PST

The local fast-casual Neapolitan pizza joint Pi Co. just opened its third location at 170 University Avenue, near Adelaide.

To celebrate its arrival, Pi Co. invited everyone and anyone to come on by this fine Tuesday for free pizzas between 12 p.m. and 3:14 p.m. (Get it? 3.14 is the mathematical derivative for which the company was named).

You can only grab a margherita-style pizza today, and there's a limit of  one pizza per person, but normally Pi Co. serves things made-to-order.

You basically walk in, pick your crust, your sauce, your toppings, your cheese, and then watch your pie get blasted in a 1000-degree oven for 90 seconds.

I'm telling you, people, they really wanna make their own pizza pie!  

A post shared by Pi Co. Pizza (@pi_co_pizza) on Jan 23, 2018 at 7:23am PST

The Financial District is always bustling with office workers who want a quick lunch, and while there are some solid options in and around the Path, variety is always welcome. So is pizza.

The H&M flagship store at Yonge & Dundas appears to have been vandalized last night by someone with a can of black spraypaint (and maybe a grudge against really bright lights?).

What looks like the word "torture" was first spotted in giant, dripping letters on Tuesday morning across the illuminated side wall of the retailer's Eaton Centre location.

A post shared by Solomon Kent Paul (@thekentpaul) on Jan 23, 2018 at 6:50am PST

"Is this related to the backlash over the 'monkey' ad last week?" wrote one person passing by on Twitter.

"H&M on Yonge/Dundas," wrote someone else at around 7 a.m. this morning with a photo of the scene. "The constant high intensity light is indeed torture."

A post shared by Kevin Tsai (@kevinhctsai) on Jan 23, 2018 at 7:21am PST

Regardless of who tagged H&M's wall and why, it was pretty dang gutsy move – and not in a good way. There are security cameras all over that intersection, which means police will probably figure out whodunnit sooner or later.

Crews were seen outside the Eaton Centre late Monday morning removing the tag, bit by bit.

Toronto's coolest new skating trail – you know, that 220-metre-long figure 8 under the Gardiner Expressway – has been open for just over two weeks now, and people can't seem to get enough of the Bentway.

Of course, Mother Nature gives no ducks about what anybody wants to do outside between October and May.

She just randomly tosses wind and rain and surprise blasts of sunshine while laughing at the misfortunes of humanity, which isn't ideal for anyone – least of all those who are tasked with maintaining an outdoor ice rink.

"We've had two occasions we've had to close the ice," said Sara Peel, The Bentway's director of facilities and operations, by phone. "One was the second weekend, on Friday when it hit 12 degrees."

Despite how brutally cold most of winter has been this year in Toronto, The Bentway Skate Trail was forced to close again this past Saturday.

Warmer than usual temperatures, plus a compressor system computer glitch, meant that operators simply couldn't get the ice hard enough.

It's not that the rink's operators aren't prepared for fluctuating weather – it's just hard to keep ice frozen and safe when temperatures swing around as wildly as they have been over the past month.

"There's a technical threshold of 10 degrees," said Peel when asked how her team decides when to close the rink. "But realistically, as soon as it starts to get above 0 degrees, by any measure, we start looking at the weather very closely."

Peel said that teams can be brought in early to flood the ice on warmer days while it's still morning-cold. They can also stay late for the same purpose.

But, after two or three days of warm, windy weather – say 5 or 6 degrees – the situation "might be a bit more challenging for us to deal with."

A post shared by The Bentway 📍Toronto (@thebentway) on Jan 19, 2018 at 6:06am PST

One thing that hasn't been able to trample the under-Gardiner fun? Rain.

Even the one corner of trail that isn't covered by the expressway held up just fine, Peel noted, when it was getting straight up pelted with pouring rain.

"Yesterday was was grey and drizzly, but the ice itself was fine," she said. "It was a huge relief."

The Bentway Skating Trail should be up and running just fine this weekend if temperatures materialize as forecasted. If you're not sure, check out the organization's Facebook Page, where they'll always post an update if facilities are closed.

Watch out, Netflix – the Toronto Public Library is jumping into your digital media streaming game, and they're not even charging for it.

TPL just announced the launch of a new video platform called Kanopy.

The service essentially allows anyone with a library card and an email address to stream thousands of feature films, documentaries, indie flicks and more, across any of their devices, for free ninety-nine a month.

"We're adding 30,000 new streaming videos to our collection!" reads a release published Tuesday on the library's website. "The selection of films is outstanding. It includes titles from producers including the Great Courses and PBS, as well as award-winning indie, documentary and Canadian films."

Hundreds of new titles will be added each month, according to the release, all of them fully accessible with captions, transcripts and screen reader software compatibility.

The interface itself is almost too slick to believe, like Netflix or Crave for intellectuals. It's rather impressive for a public library system.

Users can access up to eight films a month and, once they've rented a movie, they have three days to watch it as many times as they want on a myriad of different devices from anywhere in the world.

Kanopy will work with Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Android and iOS devices (including your smartphones and tablets,) according to the library. A regular PC will work just fine, too.

Some of the roughly 30,000 films available right now through Kanopy include film festival favourites Maudie, Brooklyn, Ingrid Goes West, Paterson and I am Not Your Negro, the Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson.

The educational TV program and course selection is similarly on point. You can learn about everything from wildlife photography to the science of addiction to speaking Spanish to cooking with essential spices.

It's true what they say: Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card.