A 20-year-old Toronto man who, yesterday, made headlines for joyriding on the back of a TTC subway train is now apologizing for his (allegedly drunken) behaviour.

"I don't want people seeing the video and thinking it's OK to do what I did," he said to CityNews by phone this week after footage of the stunt ride went viral.

"It was a drunken moment," he said. "I was 11 out of 10 drunk and I remember thinking 'hey, I want to do this, this is a like a bucket-list item type of thing.'"

The video in question was first uploaded to Instagram by York University student, bartender, and self-described "professional train rider" Liam Haslett.

In it, a young man holding on to the back of a train films himself moving at full speed through Toronto's subway system while screaming "I'm on the back of a train, wooooo!"

TTC officials said yesterday that they were investigating the incident, which transit agency spokesperson Stuart Green called "perhaps the most downright irresponsible and dangerous stunt we have seen on the TTC in quite some time."

“Video Shows Guy Joyriding on the Back of a Toronto Subway Train” - “Perhaps the most irresponsible stunt we’ve seen. [TTC rep]” - “Fined #Toronto. #DarwinAwardshttps://t.co/QutAogKnVY

— Max Tremaine (@maxtremaine) February 28, 2018

The joyrider, whose name has not been confirmed, told City that he has been in touch with the TTC and that he will meet with officials on Thursday to "present them with an apology letter."

Judging by the transit agency's harsh condemnation of the video (not to mention Mayor John Tory's) yesterday, the man could still be facing fines of up to $425.

 "Not only was this person putting their own life at risk," said Green of the stunt, "This could have resulted in a dangerous situation for other customers, our staff or worse - not to mention the possible impacts on service."

Free events in Toronto in March are all about celebrations: of strong women, of the city itself, and, of course, a of all things Irish in honour of St. Paddy's Day. What a time to be alive. 

Your right to access an uncensored version of the internet in Canada is at risk - serious, imminent and potentially devastating risk, according to experts.

The digital rights advocacy group OpenMedia has staged what it calls a "day of action" this week against 25 corporations (including Bell, Rogers and CBC) that are asking the federal government for greater control over what Canadians can and can't access with their own devices online. 

"They want to create an official Internet censorship committee within the federal government, without court oversight," explains the non-profit group, which has been working to protect a free and open internet since 2008. 

"This dangerous and over-reaching proposal will lead to legitimate content and speech being censored, violating our right to free expression and the principles of Net Neutrality, which the federal government has consistently pledged support for."

ICYMI: The case against @Bell coalition's website blocking plan illustrated (adapted from @mgeist's blog series).
More reasons why this plan doesn't make sense: https://t.co/ioHphqoY6F
ACT NOW: https://t.co/MCOAxUo2ue#DontCensor#CRTC#cdnpolipic.twitter.com/85kPUnF4pp

— OpenMedia (@OpenMediaOrg) February 24, 2018

The coalition of telecoms and entertainment companies (a full list of which can be seen here) says its trying to crack down on internet piracy.

"Piracy is a large and growing problem that threatens the massive
employment, economic, and cultural contributions of Canada's film,
television, and music industries," reads the group's application to Canada's Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC.)

To stop losing so much money, these companies want to establish an "independent agency to identify websites and services that are blatantly, overwhelmingly, or structurally engaged in piracy."

On February 28 join the national day of action to tell the CRTC #dontcensor the web in Canada. @OpenMediaOrg has prepared fantastic social media resources to help get the word out. pic.twitter.com/1MtRlQgVqW

— CJFE (@CJFE) February 20, 2018

If the request is approved, internet service providers would be required, by law, to block such websites once they're identified by the agency – which doesn't sound too terrible in and of itself.

What concerns net neutrality advocates is the framework that these rules set up for corporations and government bodies to censor what Canadians can do, see and publish online.

In China, for instance, everything from YouTube and Instagram to articles that mention Winnie The Pooh have been blocked off by government officials in recent years.

.@Bell: Withdraw your support for @FairPlayCanada. You guys suck, maybe move to China. (cc: @CRTCeng@NavdeepSBains) https://t.co/PKp8qHxpzT#DontCensor

— Dan Doucette (@dan_doucette) February 21, 2018

Open Media has staged a widespread "Don't Censor" campaign to fight back against what it calls the "website blocking plan."

The campaign is being supported by more than 30 different digital rights and civil liberties associations, including Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, Creative Commons, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Ontario Library Association.

Today, Wednesday, February 28, citizens are being encouraged to tell the CRTC how they feel by signing a petition or commenting directly on the regulator body's website (among other actions.)

Incredible to see power of @Reddit + Canadians standing up against Bell-led censorship proposal. Check out https://t.co/OFBUIWv35j to see page take over urging ppl to take action at https://t.co/3l3OIdLjJO + early this morning on r/Canada, Top 3 posts were about @Bell#DontCensorpic.twitter.com/E53GZXMpWz

— ~ k@+¥ ~ (@KatyAnderson) February 28, 2018

The goal is to gather at least 50,000 comments for the CRTC by the end of today, though, as Mobile Syrup reports, the CRTC has extended its deadline for comments on the application until March 29th, 2018.

"If Big Telecom providers control the Internet, they'll slow down your favorite web services, raise prices, and even censor content or entire platforms," reads Open Media's website.

"This is not fiction. They're actively lobbying for legislation that will give them these powers."

It's so warm in the T! How the heck we 'sposed to wear fleece?

February continues to surprise the people of Toronto this week by delivering yet another daytime high that far surpassed the predictions of any meteorologist.

Temperatures reached 15.7 C at Pearson International Airport at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

Environment Canada's averages and extremes index puts this as the warmest February 28 our city has seen in 64 years (previous to this, the record was set at 11.1 C in 1954.)

There is some confusion here, however, as the same government agency's daily data report for February 28, 2016, has a recorded temperature of 14 C.

Either way, it's almost 16 C outside in February. The record has been broken.

This marks the second weather record broken in our city this month. Last Wednesday, Toronto smashed another, 24-year-old daytime high temperature record when thermometers rose to about 16.5 C.

Things should cool off a bit by tomorrow, according to the federal weather agency, with a daytime high of 4 C forecast for Thursday afternoon (and possibly some snow— eek!).

Then again, you never really know which way the mercury will swing. Forecasts seem to be changing by the minute these days, as tropical cyclones and arctic winds battle for control of our weather (and, consequently, happiness).

The increasing number of markets and pop-ups in Toronto in March are a definite sign that spring is in the air. They're the perfect opportunity to get yourself some new-to-you clothes, some old paper you didn't even know you needed, or even some retro video games. 

Kurt Russell, 1980s hot guy turned legendary Hollywood actor, has been spotted around Toronto lately rocking a long white beard and sometimes a red velour twinset.

The Tombstone, Hateful Eight and Escape From New York star is reportedly in town to film a Netflix original Christmas movie produced by Chris Columbus – the guy behind Home Alone.

Russell plays Santa Claus, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and will be joined by two children (plus a bunch of live-action CGI stuff) as the movie's main character.

"12/24", Starring Kurt Russell, produced by C Columbus, directed by Clay Kaytis
#12/24 #toronto#Netflix#filmmaking#filmset#tiff_netpic.twitter.com/j9SncZ4npn

— Imad DeirAtany (@imaddeiratany) January 23, 2018

No official name has been released for the feature film yet, but we do know that it's set to hit Netflix around the 2018 holiday season. The project is tentatively titled "12/24" and started filming locally in mid January.

Shooting will wrap on March 23, according to The City of Toronto's "currently filming" database. Crews have been spotted around the Leslieville area and The Windsor Arms hotel, among other locales.

Kurt Russell is standing outside of my house btw

— Nikki Sin (@TheNikkiSin) February 26, 2018

Russell is no stranger to the city. Being a very famous film actor, he's often around for TIFF, and he and his longtime love, actress Goldie Hawn, are also said to have a cottage in Muskoka.

Still, it's not every day that a Hollywood star pops up outside your house – and certainly not dressed like Santa Claus, two months after Christmas.

Good luck tracking this production down, Kurt Russell stans of Toronto.

The best wonton soup in Toronto are delicious bowls of swishy shrimp balls served with noodles in hot broth. These traditional Cantonese dumplings filled with ground pork, shrimp, or both, come in all sizes but always make for a satisfying meal.

Here are the best spots for wonton soup in Toronto. 

I think I've found my dream apartment in Toronto. It's a furnished rental, so now I just need to find an equally dreamy job that lets me split my time between here and a city like London or Paris and I'll be set. 

Seriously, not everyone is in the market to plop down $6K a month in rent, but for those who are, 194 Clinton is worthy of consideration. This three bedroom semi just south of Harbord marries loft living with the comfort and privacy of a family home. 

While the vast majority of furnished rentals leave something to be desired in the decor department (not every item needs to be from Structube, you know), the design chops on display here are superlative. Fans of Mid-century Modern furniture will be particularly impressed.

A few highlights worth mentioning beyond the wood ceilings and healthy dose of exposed brick include the working fireplace (yup, it's real), the soaker tub in the main washroom, and the private rear terrace.

If there's a problem with an apartment like this, it's that once you've seen it, it's hard to go back your old place and not feel a bit meh about it. 

Specs

• Address: 194 Clinton St.
• Rent: $5,995
• Realtor: Lina and Francesco Porretta
• Furnished? Yes
• Utilities: Included
• Air conditioning? Yes
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 3
• Parking: 1 spot
• Laundry? In suite
• Outdoor space? Backyard/terrace

Good For

Someone with impeccable taste who needs a furnished place for a short but significant period of time. 

Move On If

Your design sympathies haven't made it to the 20th century. This space is thoroughly and unabashedly modern. 

While students and faculty at York might be preoccupied by the possibility of yet another strike next week, there's some bright news on the horizon for the university in the architectural realm.

What was once one of the most dismal campuses in Canada, will get yet another upgrade in the form of a new School of Continuing Studies building, which is set to break ground in 2019 for a 2021 completion date. 

This would add to a recent architectural resurgence on the Keele campus that's witnessed a slew of highly acclaimed buildings arrive on the campus over the last few years, mostly notably the Foster + Partners-designed subway station and the Bergeron Centre from ZAS Architects.

York held a design competition that resulted in a short list of three firms: HOK, Gow Hastings Architects with Henning Larsen, and Perkins+Will. The latter was recently announced as the winner, and preliminary design work has begun.

Despite the early phase, a press release form York indicates that the new home for the school is projected to feature 39 classrooms as well as student lounges, private work spaces, and office space spread over 9,000 square metres.

Location-wise, the structure is destined to rise at the corner of The Pond Road and James Gillies Street, which is just a short walk from the main subway station. 

York's early Brutalist architecture doesn't have many fans these days, but as the campus continues to fill with attractive new buildings, perhaps it'll earn more love as a whole. It's already a far cry from what it looked like even a decade ago. 

Pacific Mall's symbolic little sister, Market Village, is closing down at long last this week to make way for the new, much larger and more modern-looking Remington Centre.

Stores had already been preparing to vacate the Market Village building as early as last spring, but it wasn't until recently that signs appeared on the Chinese mall's doors indicating that it will be closing officially on March 1.

滿載腳毛與回憶。 #Nostalgic #Memories

A post shared by Fanny Wong (@fannywongaries) on Feb 26, 2018 at 3:11pm PST

One of the mall's most popular tenants, Sam's Congee, confirmed on its website that Wednesday, February 28 was its last day of service. Luckily it will be moving to a new location near Woodbine and Denison in late March.

Really going to miss this place at Market Village once they tear down end of this month (all the shops will close FYI)! Thankfully Sam's got a new location coming soon. 😏🙇 #HiddenGem

A post shared by Patrick·Toronto Food/Events PR (@feedmyphone) on Feb 13, 2018 at 7:20pm PST

Customers with fond memories of the 28-year-old Markham shopping centre have been flocking there all week to say goodbye and get a few last photos, for nostalgia's sake.

Bye Market Village I’ll never forget you, thank you for my childhood 1991-2018 😢

A post shared by Jason Lo (@jasonlobsterr) on Feb 25, 2018 at 11:19am PST

The Remington Centre will eventually replace the 325,000-square-foot building (which once had a stable with live horses) at Kennedy Road and Steeles Avenue. 

It will be connected to Pacific Mall by an indoor walkway once built, though an opening date has yet to be set.

Bentway Skate Trail, we hardly knew ye. 

Toronto's first-ever recreational outdoor winter athletic facility under a highway has announced that it will be calling it quits for the season today on account of unseasonably warm weather.

The yo-yo temperatures of winter 2018 had already prompted several intermittent closures of the ice rink since its opening in early January, and organizers feel that keeping it open during this most recent spate of spring-like weather won't work out in anyone's favour.

"After an extremely successful launch in January 2018, the early taste of spring weather in Toronto has required the premature closing of The Bentway Skate Trail," reads a media advisory sent out Wednesday.

"Effective immediately, The Bentway will close for the season."

With the early closure of the popular skate rink, construction on phase one of the full, permanent Bentway project can resume.

The Bentway Conservancy says that, by spring, Torontonians can expect something called "Strachan Gate" in and around the space currently occupied by the skate trail.

This will include "a grand cascading wooden 'staircase' that doubles as a main entrance and performance space, and the adjacent Green Amphitheatre, a grassy hill that welcomes audiences to relax and enjoy performances under the sun."

That should soften the blow for anyone upset by this temperature-motivated change of events. 

Good news, sports fans. Never again will you have to wait in line at a game as someone fumbles in their bag for 10 minutes, looking for the crinkly tickets they printed at home. 

Starting this fall, print-at-home tickets will no longer be accepted as legitimate forms of entry at Raptors and Maple Leafs games, with a plan to phase them out of all Toronto sports teams by 2020. 

In an effort to move toward paperless ticketing, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) has decided that only mobile tickets and tickets printed on cardboard stock will permit you entry to a game. 

The company cites counterfeits as their reasons for cutting print-at-homes: scammers sometimes sell their tickets to unwitting fans only for them to find out that they're duplicates at the door.

While this is good news for any sports fan that owns a smartphone (99.9%?), some fans are complaining that it excludes those that don't own their own little piece of pocket technology. 

Already $$$ tix - how many additional barriers do they want to create? If they eliminate print at home tickets entirely and go mobile, then I know my own father in law will never attend another Leaf's game. He used to be a season tix holder. He doesn't have a mobile device.

— Morag Paton (@Morag_Paton) February 28, 2018

There's also the issue of extra costs sometimes incurred by opting for mobile tickets instead of printable tickets.

While the extra fee for a mobile ticket is usually only a few dollars, the cost is enough to have people already wishing for the days of longer lines and scrunched up paper.

Events in Toronto today feature the grand opening of a super popular grocery store, plus the sounds of music and laughter with the kick of the always entertaining Sketch Comedy Festival.

While Toronto has seen a few glimpses of spring weather of late, winter is about to serve up an abrupt dose of as much as 10 centimetres of snow tonight. 

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement that sketches a troubling portrait of the impending snowfall for those of us who thought we were done with shovelling and slush for the year.

"A rain and wet snow mix is expected to move into the Greater Toronto Area early this evening as a strengthening low pressure system approaches the Great Lakes."

"As the low pressure passes by to the south, brisk northeasterly winds will pull in colder air and cause the precipitation to turn over to all snow this evening."

Based on temperature projections, rain will quickly turn into snow overnight, which could make for a messy commute on Friday morning. 

The news comes after a bout of beautiful spring weather that saw record breaking temperatures for the month of February.

Thankfully after tonight, the rest of the week is expected to mellow out as pre-spring spring weather resumes with a mix of sun and clouds and temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark.

T-minus 19 days until spring officially arrives.

New restaurants in Toronto may have started out in the shortest month of the year, but show signs of going a long way: a collab between Drake and Antonio Park, a new all-day concept from one of Toronto’s best Greek restaurants, and a brand new place to get some of the most popular cider made right here in town.

Here are my picks for the top restaurants that opened in Toronto last month.

Pick 6ix

Yet another highly anticipated project from Drake, order over-the-top omakase nigiri and sashimi meals and cocktails garnished with gold leaf at this new restaurant that’s as baller as its creator in the Financial District.

Agora by Mamakas

This extension of Mamakas Tavern on West Queen West is open all day long and serves handmade Greek baked goods and coffee. There’s also a hot counter and a grab-and-go fridge stocked with house dips.

Gin Mill

Another pub now stands in Bloor West Village where Yellow Griffin used to be, serving relatively similar pub fare such as steak, pork tenderloin or grilled chicken sammies, vegan stews and mussels.

Brickworks Ciderhouse

The famous cider is actually made right here at this cidery and pub in Riverside. A seasonal brunch, lunch and dinner menu uses local ingredients and pairs perfectly with cider.

Rustle & Still

Banh mi and direct trade iced Vietnamese coffees and purple sweet potato lattes are available at this new plant-filled cafe in Koreatown.

Paris Paris

A new project from the guys behind Superpoint, this day-to-night Dundas West bar brings a chef from Chantecler aboard for a French-inspired menu with ingredients like chicken liver, prosciutto and clams. Also, lots and lots of wine.

Open House

There’s a Nashville hot chicken counter hidden inside this new bar in Bloorcourt that’ll set your mouth on fire, so thank goodness they pour a great selection of local craft beer.

Walrus Pub

Salad bowls, pizzas, sandwiches and an extensive selection of wine and draft beer can be found at this slick new pub featuring a martini bar in the Financial District.

Mira

This new King West area restaurant serving Peruvian food sources ingredients direct from Peru to create a menu of ceviches, anticuchos, skewers and rice dishes.

FK Wine Bar

Frank’s Kitchen has moved north from its previous location on College to St. Clair West, but still makes everything from scratch and will now have a huge patio.

The Bank of Montreal is building what it describes as a new "urban campus" for thousands of its employees, right in the heart of Toronto's busiest retail and tourism hub.

Located on the southwest corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets, directly across from Yonge-Dundas Square, the 346,000-square-foot complex is set to take over the space (or some of the space) formerly occupied by Sears at the Eaton Centre.

BMO Financial Group and Cadillac Fairview are expected to announce the revitalization of the commercial property during a press conference just ahead of noon on Thursday, but renderings provided to us ahead of time show that at least part of the office will sit atop Toronto's first Nordstrom location.

The four-storey facility is expected to open in 2021, according to the Star, and will feature a large, naturally lit atrium with collaborative workspaces throughout.

BMO workers – about 3,500 of whom are expected to flesh out this "cutting-edge" space - will have direct access to both the subway system and the PATH from their place of employment.

This means that they could, theoretically, walk between the new Eaton Centre campus and BMO's Toronto headquarters at First Canadian Place without ever needing to go outside.

Colour me jealous of that in December and January.

Toronto restaurant openings highlights the latest food news in Toronto and gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

Open now

• Paris Paris, an all-day (well, open at noon) cafe and wine bar by the duo behind Bar Fancy and all of the Superpoints, is now open at 1161 Dundas St. W. (at Ossington).
• Dumbo Snack Bar has officially opened at 1704 Queen St. W. in Parkdale in what was formerly Raca Cafe & Bar.
• Star Ice Cream, which also serves bubble tea, has opened at 1428 Queen St. W. in Parkdale.
• Peruvian restaurant Mira, named after Miraflores, an upscale district in Lima, Peru, opened yesterday at 420A Wellington St. W. in the former F-Stop space.
• The Walrus Pub & Beerhall, from the Vancouver-based Donnelly Group who also own Belfast Love, Death and Taxes and The Gift Shop in this city, has taken over the former Far Niente space at 187 Bay St. in the Financial District.
• Arbar, a wine bar, has taken over the Royal Meats BBQ space in CityPlace at 88 Fort York Blvd.
• Dal Moro's Fresh Pasta To Go, a Venetian take-out pasta joint, has opened its first North American location at 605 Yonge St. (just north of Wellesley).
• Naan & Kabob now has a downtown location at 691 Yonge St. (at Hayden St.) in what used to be a Spring Rolls.
• Rustle & Still, a modern Vietnamese cafe offering direct-trade Viet coffee, banh mi and other light fare, is currently in soft opening mode in what was previously Sky Blue Sky (RIP) at 605 Bloor St. W. in Koreatown.
• FK, from the team behind the former Frank's Kitchen, is now open at 770 St. Clair. Ave. W. (at Arlington Ave.).
• Toronto's first Farm Boy opens today at 841 Brown's Line in Etobicoke.
• The Arepa Republic is serving up Venezuelan arepas at 76 Densley Ave. in North York.

Recently reviewed

• Yonge Street Warehouse
• The Library Specialty Coffee
• Sichuan Ren
• Mega Street Food Complex
• Brunswick Bierworks
• The Dessert Kitchen
• The Sweet Potato
• Dineen Outpost
• La Paella

Opening soon

• Early Bird Coffee & Kitchen is opening a second location, this time inside the Financial District's Brookfield Place, this April.
• Calii Love will soon be opening its fourth location in the city at 599 King St. E. (at River St.) in the Canary District.
• Burger's Priest is aiming to open a new West Queen West location at 1120 Queen St. W. (at Lisgar) this spring.
• Kinton Ramen officially opens its eighth location in the city this Saturday, this time in Scarborough, at 1 William Kitchen Rd.

Closed

• Sleepy Baker at Coxwell & Queen St. E. is no more.

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

The China-based, self-described "Japanese lifestyle brand" Miniso is finally following through on its promise to open up a store in downtown Toronto.

Fans of cheap everything, rejoice!

It was less than a year ago that the variety retailer, which has been likened to Dollarama, announced aggressive expansion plans for Canada, beginning with one store in Vancouver (the first of an estimated 500 planned nationwide.)

Since then, five different Miniso locations have opened up near (but not in) Toronto: One in Pickering, one in Guelph, one in Brampton, one in Newmarket and one in Oshawa.

The company has yet to release any details about its forthcoming store at the CF Eaton Centre, but branded shop hoarding is already in place around a unit between Lids and The Canadian Naturalist on Level One.

It's only a matter of time before we can all pick up crazy cute giant plushies for less than the cost of a smoothie downtown.

Mountain Equipment Co-op has officially severed ties with a U.S. manufacturer of bike helmets, goggles, camping gear, water bottles and – oh yeah, assault rifles – amidst mounting pressure from members of its outdoor lifestyle community.

Vista Outdoor, which owns dozens of popular sporting goods brands, has been taking a great deal of heat in recent weeks following the deadly shooting of 17 students at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

The controversy stems from a series of tweets and blog posts in which Vista was revealed to have strong financial ties to the NRA and, perhaps even more importantly, that it happens to be one of America's biggest gun manufacturers.

A very responsible decision. No one is anti-guns. We are all anti-guns that are used to murder innocent people. Until the American gun lobby becomes more responsible the only way to effect change is by hitting them in the pocketbook. I support you. Thanks.

— cheryl baron (@cherylincanada) March 1, 2018

Gun control advocates have been calling on stores that sell any goods produced by the Utah-based corporation's non-weapon related brands, which include Giro, Camp Chef, Razkulls, Bushnell and Bollé, to stop ordering from Vista immediately.

MEC alone has already received more than 50,000 signatures on just one petition related to the boycott.

A frenzy of social media activity last weekend prompted the famously ethical Canadian co-op chain to address its customers on Monday, but executives said little more other than that they were investigating further.

As it turns out, gun makers don’t just make guns.

Well done, @mec! https://t.co/zjf4yrtRjj

— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) March 1, 2018

This changed on Thursday – just one day after both Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart took steps to restrict semi-automatic gun sales at their U.S. stores – with the release of an open letter to MEC members from CEO David Labistour.

"It has recently come to light that several brands MEC sells are owned by a corporation that has holdings in the manufacture of assault-style weapons," he wrote in the letter, which was published on the company's website Thursday morning.

"Thousands of MEC members have contacted us to express their concerns and to ask that we stop selling products made by these brands," he continued. "The fact is, the debate has involved us and as a member-based organization we are compelled to respond."

An Open Letter to MEC Members from CEO David Labistour - https://t.co/Y5Lb9GQHX3pic.twitter.com/xRtCpQUhv8

— MEC (@mec) March 1, 2018

Labistour does note that some members had contacted him to say "purchasing decisions like these should be left to individual consumers."

Still, he said, after careful consideration, MEC has decided to suspend any further orders with the five brands it carries owned by Vista Outdoor, effective immediately.

Existing inventory from Bollé, Bushnell, CamelBak, Camp Chef and Jimmy Styks will remain on the chain's shelves until all of it has sold through.

Thank you for this decision. I enjoy the quality of CamelBak bottles but cannot abide supporting a parent group that manufacturers assault weapons. Thank you for being a community leader in responsible decision making and effecting positive change.

— Dave Anderson (@electrobarn) March 1, 2018

Many MEC members – of which there are 5 million across the country – are now praising the co-op today for taking a stance against gun violence following our southern neighbour's most-recent mass shooting.

"Another business hearing the loud roar of those seeking sensible gun laws," wrote Graham Roberts on Twitter. 

"Interesting to see a Canadian company separating themselves from a brand that sells guns in America," wrote another Canadian, Lorinda Bye. "Amazing to think this is because of brave kids who have spoken out."

Embattled Canadian rock band Hedley is stepping away from the spotlight for a while after two solid weeks of catching sexual assault and misconduct allegations, both online and in real life.

"Following this tour, Hedley will be taking an indefinite hiatus to work on our personal relationships and who we are as individuals," reads a statement posted to the band's official Twitter account last night.

The tour they refer to is set to wrap on March 23 with a final show in Kelowna, B.C.

Concerts listed in Brampton, Mississauga, Hamilton, Oshawa and Kitchener, among other Ontario cities, will all take place as scheduled over the next few weeks.

pic.twitter.com/WZApnhoAPD

— Hedley (@Hedleyonline) March 1, 2018

A separate statement was released simultaneously on Wednesday night by the band's frontman, Jacob Hoggard, who over the weekend was accused of violent sexual assault.

A 24-year-old woman told CBC News on Sunday that Hoggard had raped her in a Toronto hotel room following one of his concerts in 2016.

Her graphic, brutal account of the alleged assault intensified things for Hedley, which had already been dropped by its management team, booted from the Juno Awards, and blacklisted by hundreds of radio stations.

**TRIGGER WARNING**

this is honestly so disgusting and i hope his career gets ripped into shreads. i hope he never lays hands on a person ever again. #outHedley2k18https://t.co/RGgoMDdfBJ

— brianna banana (@fragileflame13) February 26, 2018

Hoggard said in his Twitter statement that he had "never engaged in non-consentual sexual behaviour" in his life.

"However, over the last 13 years, I have behaved in a way that objectified women," he wrote. "That way I've treated woman was reckless and dismissive of their feelings… I have been careless and indifferent and I have no excuse. For this I am truly sorry."
 
Hoggard apologized several more times throughout the letter before announcing that "It's time for me to change."

"I've decided to step away from my career indefinitely," he wrote. "I will honour my commitments to this tour, then will be taking a serious step back in order to make real changes in my life."