Toronto has so many envy-worthy modern homes, but for all the beauty and convenience of cube-style new builds, it's really hard to match the character of an old Arts & Crafts home.

This is a style of architecture that has lefts its mark on Toronto, particularly around the Wychwood Park and Casa Loma areas. These houses are marked by dramatic roof pitches, pointed windows, wood-fitted interiors, and prominent brick fireplaces. 

They are idealized detached homes born of period when the city expanded beyond Bloor St. and property sizes bulged in accordance with a new frontier of development. 

As far as this particular example goes, it has those characteristics that you'd expect of historical home of this style. Wood everywhere. Large principal rooms, and plenty of sloped ceilings. 

For those with deep enough pockets to afford them, one of the nice things about Arts & Crafts homes like these is that they're wonderfully suited to renovation. The architectural bones are amazing. 

The Essentials

• Address: 39 Austin Terrace
• Type: Detached
• Bedrooms: 4 + 1
• Bathrooms: 4
• Lot size: 46 x 107 feet
• Hit the market at: $2,295,000
• Sold for: $2.5 million

Why it sold for what it did

Great house. Great area. Sales might be down, but a property like this will always have cachet.

Was it worth it?

We're not seeing many homes going over asking these days — and it's obvious this wasn't an under-listing scheme. So, yes. Everyone came out happy on this one. 

Two giant mobile payment apps have made their way to Canada from China, and stores in Toronto are scrambling to cash in on the move. 

Though these apps have had a presence in the city since last year, Cadillac Fairview malls like the Eaton Centre and Sherway Gardens are only now accepting WeChat Pay and AliPay – the preferred mobile wallets of the super wealthy in China – as methods of payment.

Shoppers can use either of these apps to buy a Cadillac Fairview gift card from the guest services kiosk, which they can then use to shop from any store in the mall. 

Pretty wild to see @Alipay starting to show up as accepted payment at Toronto retail merchants. @sportinglifecan@YorkdaleStylepic.twitter.com/4Oja6L6rus

— Josh Sookman (@jsookman) December 9, 2017

Oxford property malls like Yorkdale, Scarborough Toronto Centre, and Square One were way ahead of the game, having already adopted the payment systems late last year using the gift card system with a maximum of $7,500 per card. 

The partnership with these apps was facilitated by Tourism Toronto and OTT Financial Inc., a Chinese-Canadian financial group working in tandem with Chinese Internet corporations Alibaba and Tencent to bring their systems to Canada.

Using the umbrella app OTT Pay– which officially launched last year –buyers can use Chinese Yuan Renminbi from their WeChat Pay or AliPay wallets to pay merchants in converted Canadian dollars. 

Even local stores like Riverdale Mac, a small Apple retailer with locations on the Danforth, Beaches and Roncesvalles, and several businesses in Chinatown have partnered with OTT Pay to expand their customer reach. 

According to Tourism Toronto, China is the number one overseas tourism market for the city. In 2016, around 300,000 tourists from China visited the city and spent approximately $275 million  here. 

Expanding from existing payment options like Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, these new apps are a way for Canadian companies to tap into the spending power of Chinese tourists and expats.

The top Hong Kong milk tea in Toronto is a perfect blend of black tea, dairy, and sweetness. A tradition passed over from colonial Hong Kong, this drink blends the British tradition of tea (minus the crumpets) with a twist of evaporated milk that takes tea time to another level. 

Here are my picks for the top Hong Kong milk tea in Toronto.  

Marathon Cafe

The owners of this Richmond Hill cafe have won several awards from the Association of Coffee and Tea of Hong Kong (yes that exists) for their Hong Kong-style milk tea. You can also try this legendary tea at their original Scarborough location.

Crimson Teas

This Chinatown cafe has a selection of tea blends that are healing and restorative, but their milk tea is especially potent, using strong fermented leaves to give it an especially robust flavour. Crimson also has yin yang tea which blends milk tea and coffee together.

Icha Tea

Being a specialty Chinese tea shop, you can imagine the Hong Kong style tea here is exceptional. Watch as the tea masters take you through the process of creating these beverages from scratch, from the filtering all the way to the steeping of the tea leaves.

Phoenix Cafe

Everything at this Hong Kong-style cafe by Yonge and Dundas is served promptly, so you can enjoy your cup of tea on the fly. Order their smooth tea or their yin yang coffee mix for a caffeinated kick.

Yin Ji Chang Fen

Order some rice noodle rolls and get a milk tea with it for an authentic Chinese combo. You can order the Hong Kong milk tea hot, or, if you order it cold, it comes served in a bowl of ice to keep it chilled as you nom on your food.

After two decades of serving Sunday brunch to hardcore death metal music, Graffiti's Bar and Grill is no longer. 

The neighbourhood mainstay closed its doors to Kensington Market last night after announcing on Facebook Monday that it would be hosting its final evening with $3 drinks. 

"After almost 23 years, it's time for us to call it day," said the posting. "We want to thank[s] everyone who has supported us over the years." 

While we've known about the property's sale for the past month, Graffiti's closure still marks the end of an era and the loss of yet another venue where local bands and musicians could perform, most notably during their Saturday matinees. 

Much-missed will be Graffiti's owner, Steve Mitchell, who for years provided the community with cheap drinks and the highly original concept of a Black Metal Brunch.

Now that Graffiti's is sold, he plans to return back to Nova Scotia to spend time with his family. According to Steve, the new spot will no longer be called Graffiti's, nor will it host live music events. 

But if it's any consolation, the new owners are Kensington locals, which makes it unlikely that the space will be transformed into a supper club or some such thing. 

Restaurants for brunch on Family Day will bring you and your folks together over a hearty meal. There’s no better way to spend the holiday than devouring an eggs benny with coffee in the company of your loved ones.

Here are my picks for the top places for brunch on Family Day in Toronto.

Hollandaise Diner

Bottomless coffee – enough said. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., this small Danforth East restaurant has build-your-own-benny meals and classic breakfasts. Be wary of limited spacing for families of six or more.

Lisa Marie

Located on West Queen West, this restaurant serves decadent albeit pricey brunch creations: the double pancake pork burgers are majestic but will definitely have you and the fam in need of nap time afterwards. Brunch hours are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 Brunch meals at Emma's Country Kitchen include their famous biscuits and gravy. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Emma’s Country Kitchen

Your folks will be sneaking bites from your delicious plate of biscuits and gravy at this St. Clair West spot. They don’t take reservations and it’s sure to get busy, so come before everyone gets hangry. Brunch will be served from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lady Marmalade

This fun Leslieville restaurant will be open all day with their big menu of egg dishes like huevos rancheritos and benedicts that come with sides like pulled pork or salmon, with options for vegetarians too.

Get a decadent pile of pancakes for brunch at Mildred's in Liberty Village. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Mildred’s

Treat your ma (and yourself) to an upscale brunch at this spacious no-reservation restaurant in Liberty Village. Serving their weekend menu from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., it gets busy here, but their famous pancakes are worth the wait.

Le Petit Dejeuner

A super cozy spot on King East, LPD will be serving its weekend brunch menu of crepes, waffles, as well as their popular Hungry Gal plate of eggs, potato rosti, and apple coleslaw from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Harry’s

Snuggle up with your family in this Parkdale diner’s comfy booth seats. This cash-only spot has straightforward classics like corn beef hash and avocado toast served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For something boozy yet discrete, they also have a bourbon milkshake.

With three locations in the city, it's all about waffles for brunch at the Starving Artist. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Starving Artist

Head to any of this popular brunch spot’s three locations for an unconventional twist on brunch. Their signature waffle-centric meals will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Homeway

This Mount Pleasant restaurant has buttermilk pancakes and breakfast plates for those who want to keep it simple in a low-key environment. Come hang with the locals and order from their weekend brunch menu between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The Green Wood

The spot for healthy, ethically-sourced meals of set breakfast plates, this pretty restaurant in Leslieville will be serving dishes like bennies, shakshuka and salmon rosti from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The top bakeries in Scarborough take bread and pastries to another level. Their creations span across cultures but the formula is the same: flour plus oven equals delectable baked goods.

Here are my picks for the top bakeries in Scarborough.

Lamanna’s Bakery

An Italian shop that’s been at Kingston and Sheppard since 2004, Lamanna’s beautiful desserts include tiny sospiri pastries, lavish custom cakes and traditional panna cotta.

Patisserie Royale

With some of the best baklava in the city, this Middle Eastern bakery located just steps away from Ellesmere subway station makes renowned sweets that are sure to satisfy your Lebanese dessert cravings.

DaanGo

The miso butter tarts from this Asian bakery are so innovative and so tasty they’ll have you addicted. Located at Midland and Mcnicoll, they also bake adorable maracons designed with the face of your favourite cartoon characters (read: Totoro).  

Agincourt Bakery

Located in a mall on Pharmacy, this Italian bakery is the place to go for delicious traditional cannoli that come filled with flavours like vanilla, chocolate, and Nutella, plus tons of Italian-style cupcakes and cakes.

Montmartre

There are so many tasty things at this bakery at Kennedy and Lawrence, it’s hard to choose what to get. Between the pretzels, the 140-layered strudels, danishes, and croissants, you may be at this Eastern European bakery all day.

The top bars for gluten free beer in Toronto offer brews that can be consumed by everyone. Move aside ciders and cocktails: folks with gluten intolerance can now safely enjoy a beer at any of these local watering holes.

Here are my picks for the top bars with gluten free beer in Toronto.

Get Well

This arcade room meets bar on Dundas West has an extremely extensive list of beers, both on tap or in bottles and cans. Grab a bottle of Glutenberg Pale Ale or Glutenberg Blonde for $9.

Convenience

Tucked away behind a bodega corner store front, this West Queen West spot has tall boys of Glutenberg Pale Ale and Blonde for $8 a pop.

The Drink

Drag shows, bingo night, gluten free beer: you can find it all at this Church and Wellesley bar. For prices between $7 and $10, you can find Glutenberg beers and New Grist, depending on what’s in stock.

Hair of the Dog

This Church Street pub with the great patio is the spot to enjoy a bottle of the gluten free Minnesota beer Bard’s Gold, at $5.75 each.

Amsterdam BrewHouse

A go-to spot by Harbourfront both during and after Jays games, this spacious brewhouse carries bottles of the popular Lakehouse New Grist ($8).

Craft Beer Market

There's a few gluten free options at this high-ceilinged beer house in the Financial District. Wash down a tasty – but pricier – celiac conscious meal with bottles of Glutenberg Pale Ale or Blonde ($9.75), Mongozo ($9.75) or New Grist Pilsner ($8.75).

Sin and Redemption

Just steps away from the AGO, this classic pub has a good selection of international beers. They carry bottles of the barley-brewed malt Mongozo Pilsner for $7.25.

Beerbistro

Need some beer to wash your brussel-style mussels down? Bottles of Lakefront New Grist ($6.45) and the fruity Strathroy 1815 Freedom Framboise ($9.07) are available at this Financial District eatery and pub.

Trinity Common

One of the larger hangouts in Kensington Market, this bar also serves up a nice variety of BBQ dishes and international plates, alongside bottles of Omission Pale Lager ($7.50) to wash it all down.

Bar Hop Brewco

Tons of gluten free beverages are offered at this Peter St. bar near Queen West. Aside from a big selection of ciders, this location and its original spot on King both serve the Belgian Brunehaut beer, among several more gluten free brewskis at varying prices.

One of the city's most popular spots for unique indoor play is closing its doors this weekend, at least temporarily, as it works to relocate over the next few months.

Pursuit OCR has held ground at 444 Dufferin Street for the past several years, but like the other tenants in the old warehouse building, it must find a new place to call home. 

The company's owners got word last November that the landlord and developers were looking to transform the space into a series of residential buildings.

"This was definitely a choice that was made for us to a degree," said Zach Kieri, a Kettlebell Coach at Pursuit.

"The redevelopment of the space was not something we were consulted on, and in my experience this is not often what you can expect."

The company has been successful over the years, amassing a loyal following of patrons who enjoy the experience of an indoor obstacle so close to both WestQueenWest and Parkdale.

For a business that needs the kind of square footage that Pursuit does, the odds of finding another downtown location that could accommodate the large and customized obstacle courses proved slim, and it eventually landed on a new spot in Rexdale.

Kieri notes that "as much as a new development like this is often needed, if consideration for services and small businesses isn't taken into account, the city is going to look a lot different from the one we're used to."

Climbers, ball-pit lovers, and kids at heart alike can look forward to the new facilities opening up sometime this summer.

The top coffee shops that serve booze in Toronto know how to cash in on our two favourite stimulants. Whether it’s caffeine during the day and alcohol at night (or vice versa), these licensed cafes have both your vices covered.

Here are my picks for the top coffee shops that serve booze in Toronto.

Boxcar Social

As the flagship location of the Boxcar brand, this cafe’s Temperance location serves the widest array of cocktails, whiskey, beer, and wine alongside their selection of coffee roasts. They’re closed on weekends but open until 2 a.m. on Fridays.

Pamenar

No laptops are allowed here after 8 p.m., so get some work done early before stashing the computer and getting your drink on at this Kensington Market cafe. They serve cappuccinos starting at 9 a.m.; from 11 a.m. onwards, they also have wine, beer and cocktails.

The Drink in the Church Wellesley Village serves up coffee and booze all day. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

The Porch Light

Not only does this Beaches cafe serve up coffee, it also has a full kitchen that offers dishes like buttermilk fried artichokes, plus fun versions of regular mixed drinks like cucumber puree gin and tonics.

The Drink

Espresso and whiskey aren’t a common pairing, but this cafe in the Church Wellesley Village could care less about outdated views on coupling anyway. They offer both coffee and liquor until 2 a.m. every day of the week.

Page One Cafe

Start off your morning with a beautifully designed latte and then get your evening going with a special cocktail made by the resident mixologist at this Yonge and Dundas cafe.

Field Trip offers caffeine for the study sessions and booze for afterwards. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Field Trip

Free WiFi and an incredible selection of coffee beans makes this Bloorcourt cafe an amazing place to study, with a menu of beer and whiskey to help you de-stress afterwards.

The Beaver

This West Queen West cafe has coffee, booze, and so much more. Karaoke and tacos can be paired with fun cocktails like the Earl Gay, or you can mix a dance party with some coffee with dessert, available all night.

Drake Cafe

Espresso and specialty lattes are offered at this hotel cafe all day, as are their signature Drake Caesars and mimosas. If you want to expand your booze options, head to West Queen West during happy hour for their drink specialities from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.  

Wash down your tacos with either a cocktail or a coffee at the Beaver Cafe. Photo by Hector Vasquez

Bob Coffee Bar

This ex-convenience store by St. Clair West makes coffee with signature brews like their Bob’s Bold while also serving up some lovely cocktails like a rose negroni and beer from some of your favourite local breweries.

Dundas and Carlaw

The Sleazer Caesars at this Leslieville joint are the stars of the show here but sangria pitchers are the patio's best friend. If it’s morning, people might feel more inclined to have a cup of drip coffee instead of booze, but then again, maybe not. 

Apartment renters, rejoice. A new province-wide standardized lease is finally coming to a residential property near you. 

Starting April 30, any landlords entering the market on or after that date will be legally obligated to use a standard 13-page lease agreement.

Implemented by the provincial government, this new template is easy to understand, available in 23 languages, and is designed to protect tenants from landlords who include lease clauses that are actually against the law. 

Examples of these illegal rules include forbidding tenants to own pets in apartment homes, or forcing them to pay a security deposit – both clauses which are not uncommon and sometimes unwittingly abided by. 

"Renters told us that their leases were often confusing and contained illegal terms," said the provincial Minister of Housing Peter Milczyn in a statement. 

Up until now, there have been no real guidelines for landlord-tenant agreements, making it difficult for both parties to fully understand and adhere by their contracts.

Many agreements are just templates downloaded from the internet and full of legal jargon that's difficult to decipher unless you're thoroughly well-versed in the LTB rules. 

The standardized lease will explicitly outline what the landlord can and cannot include in the lease as well as details like the total rent and due date, building rules, and the rights and responsibilities of both parties. 

Any extra clauses the landlord wants to tack on will be added as an extra document at the back of the agreement. 

Unfortunately if you're already bound by an old lease, you may still have to abide to its rules (so long at it doesn't contravene the Rental Tenancies Act), but you may want to look it over again in case you missed any illegal clauses the first time around. 

The top General Tao chicken in Toronto does this Americanized Chinese dish right. Whether you call it General Tao, Tso, or even Tse – whatever. These saucy chunks of deep fried chicken are going to taste good regardless.

Here are my picks for the top General Tao chicken in Toronto.

New Sky

Everything at this authentic Chinatown restaurant tends to be good – which is why their prices trend above average – but their General Tao chicken dish ($13) is worth it, especially when accompanied with some white or fried rice on the side.

Swatow

The inside of this restaurant may not pretty, but your stomach will fall in love with this Chinatown spot’s version of the General Tao ($15.99). It's a pricey portion with a bit of a kick, but big enough to split between at least four people.

Hong Shing

Cheap servings of General Tao are available at this Yonge and Dundas staple, costing $12 during dinner. The best deal is to come here at lunch and grab it with a rice combo for $8.50.

Hakka Legend

This is a Hakka restaurant, so you know the General Tao is going to have at least a little spice. A dinner portion here is $9.95, but it's a steal if you’re doing lunch takeout; including rice with your choice of a veggie spring roll or soup, the chicken is just $7.25.

Asian Legend

Regardless which of this chain’s six locations you go to, you’re bound to find some subtle chicken in a not-too-sweet sauce that’s sprinkled with some sesame seeds to complete the look. Order this tasty dish for $14.99.

Rol San

Crispy plates of your fave General’s chicken are served here for $10.95. You can eat at this Chinatown restaurant any day until 2 a.m. – try accompanying it with an assortment of their famous dim sum dishes while you’re at it.

Lee Chen

Cooked tangy and a little spicy, the chicken at this modern Chinese restaurant in the Entertainment District serves its General Tao chicken for $15.99. You can also find the dish at their location right across from the Reference Library.

Chinese Dumpling House

An understated spot in Koreatown, the chicken here is mixed in a honey sauce with a kick of jalapeno at the end. It’s not too sweet and is relatively cheap at just $9.99.

Not Just Noodles

This popular Yonge and Wellesley spot is known for their cheap prices. The General Tao is surprisingly good here, with big pieces of chunky chicken and a sauce that’s not too syrupy for $9.95. You can also get it in a family size for $12.95.

Lotus Garden

Though everybody raves about their crispy beef, the beloved General Tao chicken dish at this Hakka restaurant in Scarborough is almost as good, and just $8.50 a plate. 

Free events in Toronto this week include a science fiction film fest, complimentary poke bowls at a new restaurant, and the arrival of gorgeous ice sculptures by way of Bloor-Yorkville Icefest.

Perhaps surprisingly, there's a healthy chunk of Toronto residents who are passionate about eating ice cream in the winter.

Seemingly unfazed by the fact that they're subjecting their bodies to cold substances in sub-zero weather, these people are seriously committed, braving snowy conditions to grab their favourite scoops in a cone.

It's this level of customer dedication (really though, buying ice cream just to eat it in the warmth of your car deserves an award) that's led the popular West Queen West shop iHalo Krunch, to continue slinging out scoops even in the dead of winter. 

A post shared by ihalo krunch (@ihalokrunch) on Feb 18, 2018 at 11:10am PST

According to iHalo founder Charlene D'Aoust, the shop was only supposed to be open seasonally, which is why she was surprised to see how many phone calls the store was getting from people requesting store hours during the holidays.

Customers were so unrelenting that she and her partner decided to stay open Friday to Sundays rather than to take a winter hiatus. In fact, business has been so good that Charlene foresees the store staying open every day next winter.

Braving their first snowy season since opening last year, iHalo is most famous for introducing Toronto to charcoal ice cream, a menu item that saw hordes of people lining up to eat (and Instagram) their incredibly photogenic all-black desserts.  

A post shared by ihalo krunch (@ihalokrunch) on Feb 16, 2018 at 1:58pm PST

While lineups are nowhere near as hectic as their summertime queues, there's still a steady wintertime flow of people entering the shop for their famous ube and coconut ice cream, with only a few people dining in. 

"That was the most shocking thing for us, that people were open to grabbing something cold and eating it outside," says Charlene. 

Not all ice cream parlours are down to stay open in the cold weather. Neighbouring store La Diperie is closed until early March, stating that they're taking the off-season months to work on new recipes. 

iHalo will also release a new menu in the spring, with new flavours inspired by Filipino and Vietnamese cuisine. In the meantime, they're keeping their old menu intact for those customers still flocking to the shop for a taste of summer. 

Family Day events in Toronto run the gamut from programs and activities at the city's cultural institutions to the kick-off of the always popular WinterStations at the Eastern Beaches. It's one of the busiest Mondays of the year, so get planning. 

The Toronto Auto Show is back for 2018. Running all week long until February 25, this year's iteration packs more than 1,000 cars into the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Take a look at some of our favourite cars at the Toronto Auto Show in this photo gallery.

Ever look out your property's window and feel like your roadside is missing something? A black oak, perhaps, or a white pine? 

Tree lovers will be happy to know that you can actually call or message the City of Toronto anytime and request to have a tree planted in front of your home or business this spring or fall.

Little known fact: there's a patch of land between the road and your property which is designated road allowance – a.k.a. public land that belongs to the city. 

That's where your new tree will go if the city deems your lawn a suitable place for a sapling to call home. 

First, a representative will come to your property to determine exactly where in the road allowance your tree should be planted. Then they'll figure out what kind of species will best thrive there depending on the soil and access to sunlight.

This free tree initiative is all part of the city's goal to increase Toronto's tree canopy to 40 percent.

Right now, our city is at 19.5 percent, and although we have the second largest urban canopy in Canada (after Vancouver) and the fourth largest in the world, according to a city report, factors like decreasing soil quality are still putting our trees at risk. 

For those who want to get their hands dirty, you can also apply for a grant through the city's Every Tree Counts initiative, which funds things like tree giveaways and community tree planting events.

The top Russian restaurants in Toronto have Eastern European classics that will make you feel like you're dining in Moscow. Order some borsch soup or beef stroganoff and wash it all down with shots of vodka, no chase.

Here are my picks for the top Russian restaurants in Toronto. 

Moldova

Soups at this simple spot on Dufferin just South of Steeles are one of the main draws here, with spicy tomato harchos and traditional borsch that definitely pass the authenticity test.

Amulet

Glamorous banquets go hand in hand with Russian cuisine, and this family-run restaurant at Dufferin and Finch fills that niche to the tee. Bring a group of guests here for the full experience with live music nights and dance parties.

Caspi

Located at Keele and Steeles, this pleasant little diner is actually Georgian, but serves food from all across Eastern Europe. Herring and potatoes go well with Borsch, vodka sold in increments of 100 grams (that's three shots) and Russian nut croissants to finish off the meal. 

Imperator

You can host your crew at this banquet hall, which is also located near the intersection of Keele and Steeles. Enjoy set meals of caviar, shrimp, and salads in an over-the-top but totally appropriate setting of gold and red decor. 

Arbat

This cozy Thornhill spot carries a mix of Russian and Jewish staples like holodets meat jelly and hummus that make this banquet hall a go-to for special celebrations with the family.

The best rock bars in Toronto are where to see the acts that are not only up and coming in this city but on a global stage. Great drinks, good sound, awesome bills and an exciting atmosphere are hallmarks of all these places, and most are also home to a ton of music history.

Here are the best rock bars in Toronto.

Events in Toronto this week include a massive art fair and the arrival arrival of Yoko Ono's Riverbed exhibition, a public curling event in Nathan Phillips Square, the return of Bloor-Yorkville Icefest, and plenty more you won't want to miss out on.

It's the first day back after the long weekend but the third after a change of vehicles along the TTC's 5o5 Dundas and 506 Carlton routes where buses have replaced the familiar streetcars.

The changes went into effect on Sunday after signs were posted at stops along the routes outlining the change of service, which will witness a surge in bus traffic across two of the city's busiest east/west thoroughfares.

#TTC 506 Carlton & 505 Dundas routes are operating with buses due to streetcar shortage. @TTChelps is also coordinating to take advantage and conduct maintenance & track work along routes during this period. 506 route will divert to High Park Station. #Ward18pic.twitter.com/rnk51E3SPJ

— Ana Bailao (@anabailaoTO) February 20, 2018

The change is primarily the result of the streetcar shortage the TTC has been facing with Bombardier behind on new vehicle deliveries and a significant chunk of the existing fleet requiring extensive maintenance on account of harsh winter weather.

Only buses running on the 506 Carlton/College route from today onward...because Toronto has run out of operational streetcars. Ain't that grand? #TTC#WorldClassCity

— FuzzyWuzzy (@FuzzyWuzzyTO) February 18, 2018

The change is expected to continue until late 2018 when the new streetcar inventory has increased and various maintenance projects wrap up along the routes.