The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario has elected Doug Ford as its new leader after a fast, chaotic and rather unexpected campaign season.

And the leadership vote itself was every bit as messy as the run up to it.

The results of the race were meant to be announced today around 3 p.m. during the PC leadership convention in Markham, but a significant, unexplained delay had politicos, journalists and many Ontarians on edge for hours.

Analysts say that tight results and technical problems were to blame.

Ford was one of four candidates in the running to replace Patrick Brown, who stepped down as the party's leader in January amidst accusations of sexual misconduct.

The former city councillor and brother of late former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford launched his bid to the lead the PCs at the end of January from his mother's basement.

Christine Elliott, Caroline Mulroney, and Tanya Granic Allen also threw their hats in the ring ahead of this week's election, but none could garner as much support as Ford.

Elliott was extremely close, however. CBC News reported this afternoon that the amount of votes between her and Ford was as small as half a per cent of all votes cast.

Brown himself had submitted a last-minute application to run for for his old job on February 16, but dropped out of the race just 10 days later after news broke that Ontario's Integrity Commissioner was conducting an inquiry into his personal finances.

Ford will be going up against Liberal leader and current Premier Kathleen Wynne this spring to vie for control of the province during Ontario's general election.

Events in Toronto show that Sundays aren't just for laying around. There's lots going on with the Vegan Bake Off, an art show, and a celebration of Toronto's Indigenous communities. Get out there!

The top Filipino brunch in Toronto are spots that put their own spin on your fave silog. Affordable Filipino meals like fried eggs with sausages and garlic rice make the perfect trifecta to go with a coffee for your weekend brunch.

Here are my picks for the top Filipino brunch in Toronto.

Lamesa

Serving modern twists on traditional Filipino food, this Queen West restaurant has a weekend brunch with menu options like longanisa- cured salmon bennies and a silog with boneless bangus, cassava hash and a classic garlic rice. 

Dolly’s

Though its best known as a mojito bar, this eclectic Bloordale Village spot also has brunch on Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a longanisa sausage silog and another with beef short ribs. You can also get some beef sinigang soup or try the sio pao – Filipino steamed buns.

Chelsea’s

This grocery store-meets-hot food counter in the Pape Village serves breakfast all day. Choose from 11 silog options from milkfish to tapsilog, all served with an egg, and free coffee. They also carry all day American breakfasts – but who needs waffles when you have lumpia.

Ritz

It may look like an all-American diner but this restaurant in East York is about homemade Filipino foods. Their biggest sellers are their super affordable breakfasts – meals like longsilog come with eggs, salad, and sweet Filipino sausages, which you can order with a side of potato rosti.

Bangku

Located just south of Lawrence on Bathurst, this little counter specializes in quick silogs that come with the usual sides plus atchara – a sweet and sour green papaya dish that’s perfect for offsetting your fried lechon kawali and fatty tocino.

The top Italian restaurants in Toronto are essential to the city’s dining scene – what’s a city without some Italian mainstays? Whether they’re new or old institutions, these restaurants are the place to go for the tastiest spaghetti and gnocchi around.

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

Baby Point

As the second of three locations in the city, Queen Margherita Pizza on Annette Street is the area’s best option for traditional Neopolitan-style wood-fire pizza with blistered crusts.

Bloordale

Decked out in checkered prints, Sugo is a hip little place for simple but delicious Italian bites like ricotta gnocchi and spicy rigatoni.

Cabbagetown

A beautiful spot, especially in the summertime, F’Amelia has all the Italian essentials and then some: cold cut platters, beet and blue cheese risotto plus beautiful panna cottas are all on the menu.

Castlefield Design District

Part butcher, part restaurant, Speducci Mercatto has communal eating tables next to deli counters where you can grab salumi boards, lasagnas and veal osso buco to eat in-restaurant or to go.

Corso Italia

Pizza e Pazzi is certified by the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana, which basically means it serves some of the most legit Neopolitan pizzas in the city – enough said. 

Danforth

This area is flush with Italian restaurants, but Pizzeria Libretto takes the cake. Its original location on Ossington took the city by storm when it first opened years ago, and its Danforth location is equally as good.   

Head to Amano at Union Station for some Italian before catching the next train. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Don Mills

Fabbrica’s made-to-order Roman pizzas have been satisfying people at the Shops at Don Mills for years. They also have a menu of tasty antipasti and desserts.

Dundas West

Truly one of the best Italian spots in Toronto, Enoteca Sociale is best known for its huge wine list and sharing plates – piatti socials – of beef crudo and vitello tonnato.

Eglinton West

Head to 7 Numbers for a home cooked Italian meal feel. This restaurant serves the best that South Italy has to offer, with traditional pasta and huge veal meatballs.

Entertainment District

For years, Tutti Matti has been the go-to spot for quality Italian. Ever-classy, it boasts an incredibly extensive wine list, plus in-house made dishes like gnudi and tagliatelle and seasonal goods like wild boar.

Cellar Door does gnocchi and other Italian classics in South Etobicoke.

Etobicoke

Cocktails, wood-fired pizza and Canadian-Italian food are on the menu at Cellar Door, a comfy spot with a cellar-like vibe that’s

Harbord Village

Pretty both on the inside and the outside, Piano Piano is a charming spot to get your Italian food fix, with charcuterie boards and delicious pastas served up in a spacious dining hall area.  

Financial District

You’d never think an Italian spot in Union Station would be a winner, but Amano has all the points for accessibility and simply-plated portions of delectable pasta.

Junction

For something casual but simultaneously high end, hit Nodo and try their personal-sized pizzas and massive list of wine in a super comfy environment. They’ve also got a pretty handmade cannoli with pistachios and orange rinds that are a must try.  

Beautifully presented dishes are good for sharing at Piano Piano on Harbord. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Junction Triangle

Mattachioni is a humble spot that is both a bakery and a dine-in restaurant. There’s not a lot of wine here, and the menu is a simple read of pizzas, sandwiches and salads.

King East

Sicilian eats are the main draw at Ardo, especially their fresh seafood dishes. Polpo plates of beautiful octopus and pastas with shellfish are must-trys, along with their selections of long pizzas.

King West

Head to the modern Italian restaurant Buca for a wine list compiled by four sommeliers and rich shareable dishes. They’ve also got coffee and phenomenal ricotta for dessert.

Leslieville

As its full name implies, Gio Rana’s is indeed “really, really nice”, in a fun, kitschy way. If you’re looking for a place with a happy, loud atmosphere and gargantuan meatballs.

Little India

You wouldn’t expect a great Italian spot in an area known for Indian, but Pizzeria Via Mercanti breaks the mould with a successful third location that serves the same delicious pizzas as all its other spots.

There's more than pizza on the menu at Pizzeria Via Mercanti in Little Italy.

Little Italy

Il Covo is one of those places that offers a really exceptional dining experience. Off of presentation alone, this restaurant is unlike any other. Specializing in Venetian dishes, the handmade pasta here is to die for.

Mount Pleasant

The massive oven at Viva Napoli is the key to the success of their pizzas. Just a minute in there turns this restaurant’s doughy creations in to award-winning Margherita pizzas.

Ossington

Neither a dive nor a high-end joint, Superpoint is a neon-lit spot to pair wine with portions of house-made pasta and whole pizzas – perfect for a casual nighttime date.

Parkdale

A homey-feeling spot with limited seating, Local Kitchen prides itself in antipasti, crudi and pastas like wild boar ragu with veggies mostly sourced from their garden in King, Ontario.

Il Covo is a Venetian spot serving up beautiful plates of fresh handmade pasta. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Roncesvalles

Pizzeria Defina serves up wood-fired Italian pies on Neopolitan or Roma crust in a cozy atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from the Polish population on Roncey, it also serves a pizza with potatoes and pancetta.

Scarborough

An institution on Old Kingston Road for over 15 years, Fratelli’s is a family-run venture of wood-fired pizzas made in their wood oven. They even serve an unreal dessert pizza topped with chocolate or hazelnut, strawberries, and gelato.

St. Clair West

It’s all traditional at Ferro: their menu has all the caprese salads and bolognese you could want, plus paninis that are only available from Sunday to Thursday and calzones with their signature Mamma’s roma sauce.

Queen West

With a minimalist design, Stelvio's sleek decor is all an ode to cuisine from Lombardia, Italy. Explore the valley of Valtellina with cuisine like Valtellinese spaghetti and a huge grilled beef skewer called Zigeuner, both authentic dishes to the area.

Terroni is among the most famous names in the local Italian restaurant scene. Photo by Jesse Milns.

West Queen West

Terroni– because obviously. Since 1992, this restaurant has been packed with locals and tourists who visit to try their huge selection of pizzas and pastas – all handmade in their bakery Sud Forno next door.

Yonge and Eg

A popular spot right by the Eglinton subway station, Grazie almost always has a lineup around dinner time. Ambiance here is key – with a bustling interior, you really feel like you’re dining at a cantina in South Italy.

Yorkville

Head to Drake's second home, an atmospheric two-floored Italian staple you've probably heard of. Sotto Sotto is all about ambience, and has very successfully resuscitated itself since its previous location burned down in 2014.

Free events in Toronto this week will make you laugh, wonder and crave. Music fans won't want to miss the opening of the Polaris Poster show featuring some iconic Canadian music posters.

For all the home chefs who brag about their cooking – now's your chance for you to prove your chops. A new app that lets you sell your home-cooked meals is launching in Toronto this April, letting you make money off your original creations.

Labelling itself a "food sharing app", LaPiat wants to connect hungry users with people who love to cook at home. 

Rather than connecting users to existing restaurants, the app aims to create a network of cooks from different backgrounds, selling all sorts of food items beyond the average restaurant finds. 

If you're making a meal and happen to make an extra portion, you'll be able to post the meal on LaPiat and see if there are any hungry takers while making some bucks at the same time. 

According to its website, the app is branding itself as a "revolution in food industry" by proving accessible meals and reducing food waste. 

"Cooking is the most fundamental lever of economic empowerment, and the food industry has taken that away through its strict barriers to entry," it says. 

The app, which will be available on Apple and Android phones, allows users to scroll through food that's available in their area, and an option to contact the cook for more info.

Sort of like Uber, cooks with LaPiat can sign up through the app and set their own schedules and menus.  

The app doesn't guarantee quality, and though cooks are "personally checked by the LaPiat team and are held to high standards," how those standards will be upheld isn't clear. 

"Accordingly, food safety remains the ultimate responsibility of the cook from whom you purchase," says the site. 

Torontonians might already be familiar with Mongolian or Beijing-style hot pot, but a new method of boiling your meal is making its way to the city in the form of Hong Kong-style hot pot. 

A fairly new trend to hit Hong Kong, this style (also known as chicken hot pot) is making its debut in the GTA in the form of GoGo Chicken Pot.

A post shared by GoGo Chicken Pot (@gogochickenpot) on Mar 6, 2018 at 7:45pm PST

Though its exact opening date has yet to be confirmed, the all-you-can-eat restaurant is slated to open in Richmond Hill, sharing a plaza with Chingu Fried Chicken and a Little Caesars on Bayview.

Unlike regular hot pot, Hong Kong-style pots come with a heavily marinated chicken already boiling in water. Chopped up into pieces, the spices of the chicken flavour the broth before being eaten first. 

The next step is adding raw ingredients like the usual beef and veggies, which absorb the chicken's flavour to give it an extra boost. 

The owner of GoGo's spent half a year in Hong Kong perfecting the recipe before landing on, as its website says, a "perfectly marinated chicken soup for a two-fold enjoyment of authentic chicken hotpot." 

It's that time again: restaurants in Toronto are up for sale and new owners are closing in for some prime real estate. Get ready for some new eats, or at the very least new management. 

Here's a round up of restaurants for sale in Toronto right now. 

Maison Fou

The French "mad house" in Bloor West Village is being sold for an asking price of $149,000. With two storeys and a patio, this generous space may soon house a totally different operation. 

Shanee

This cute Thai Spot has already seen its share of rebranding, having formerly been Soi Thai. Now the Little Italy spot is up for sale for $139,000.

Sushi 930 

A takeout joint on King West, this restaurant has been run by the same person for over 11 years and now hopes to be transferred over to some young bloods for $65,000. 

Double D's

This Chicago deep-dish pizza spot is selling for an asking price of $39,000 after opening on Dundas West just a year ago. Don't fret pizza lovers, their first location in Leslieville seems business as usual.

Junked 

After folding its first location on Dundas West, the snack bar is now selling its store on Queen West for $199,000, just a year after taking the space over from P&L Burger.

As the old adage goes, dogs are a human's best friend – so it only makes sense to buy your four-legged bestie a cake on their birthday, right? 

Over the past few years, Toronto has been seeing an influx of businesses catering to luxurious baked goods made just for dogs – a trend that has long been on the rise in America. 

The newest company in Toronto to make custom cakes and cupcakes for canines is Mattie and Finnegan, a project started by a vet industry professional Denise Angus and Lynda Paul, owner of It's The Icing On The Cake, a Leslieville bakery (for humans).

The company gives partial proceeds to the No Hungry Pets Project, which supplies pet food to local food banks, and bakes nine and half-inch cakes and cupcakes for any celebratory occasion. 

Parties in the parks, post-surgery celebrations, adoption anniversaries – known to pet parents as "Gotcha Days" – are just a few examples of events worth buying a $40 cake baked with recipes of ingredients like apples, carrots, or liver. 

"Pets have become kids for many people, they are treated on the same calibre as children," says Denise, who says plenty of owners throw parties for their pets where other dogs are invited to share the cake.

Some even order treats for their terminally ill pets on the day of their euthanization, she says, as a healthy alternative to cheeseburgers and ice cream as a final meal. 

Mattie and Finnigan also sells half-dozens of cupcakes for $19.50 and custom cakes which you can pick up at Lynda's Leslieville bakery, though the company also offers free delivery on all their doggie products.

"The younger generation is the biggest market," says Denise, though she's noticed older long-time pet owners start to hop on the trend as well. 

The Instagram factor plays a big part in the demographic: for many younger customers, the value of posting an adorable picture of their "pet kid" and their birthday cake on social media is as satisfying – if not more – for owners than the cake itself. 

A post shared by pawsalicious bakery (@pawsaliciousbakery) on Mar 5, 2018 at 7:35am PST

Serene Chin, owner of the Markham-based dog goods bakery Pawsalicious, also says the majority of her customers are millennials. 

"It's usually [people in their] early twenties to early forties," she says.

Selling between 15-25 cakes a week, many of Pawsalicious' clients are people who don't have children and  who like to splurge once in a while on their pet kids. 

Those who do have children find it easy to adopt dogs into the family given their pack-animal nature, says Dr. Richard Benjamin, who owns Kleinberg Vet Hospital. 

"A lot of people want to feed the dogs the same thing they feed their family," says Dr. Benjamin, who has noticed baked goods quickly replacing old treats like milk bones. 

"We have to be careful because there are certain dogs that have health issues, so you need to look at food sensitivities." 

While Mattie and Finnegan uses healthy ingredients like turmeric, cinnamon, veggies and fruits, and Pawsalicious boasts itself as organic and gluten-free, owners should still be paying extra attention to packaging. 

Dogs, who have as many allergies as humans, should stay away from treats that are high in sugar, fat, and excess protein like beef liver, says Dr. Benjamin.

"It should be more of a complement than occupying the majority of their diet for that day," he says, recommending that doggie cakes or cupcakes be given throughout the day in small portions rather than all at once.

"One extra cube of cheese for a dog is like an extra cheese burger for us," he says. "It looks small for us but for these guys it's a lot." 

Indigenous restaurants in Toronto serve up dishes inspired by Aboriginal flavours and ingredients. Giving us a true taste of what this land has to offer, these restaurants are few and far between, but still impress by paying tribute to traditions but with a twist. 

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

Ku-Kum

A real gem in Toronto, this Mount Pleasant restaurant aims to reinterpret Indigenous dishes by combining chef Joseph Shawana’s French culinary background with the food from his childhood –  hence the restaurant’s name, which means “grandmother” in Cree.

NishDish

What began as a catering company is now a restaurant in Koreatown serving a rotating Anishnawbe menu. Expect mains using traditional native ingredients only, like roasted elk and venison stew.

Pow Wow Cafe

Ojibwe tacos: if that’s not enough to intrigue you, I don’t know what will. This Kensington Market restaurant serves frybread dough topped with ingredients like beef or veggie chilli, plus delicious brunch items like potato short stack and homemade cedar soda.

Tea n Bannock

With a straightforward menu, this no-frills spot on the fringes of Little India returns to Aboriginal basics by serving things like bannock, a.k.a frybread with bison, Navajo Indian Tacos and blanket digs, which are beef wieners wrapped in frybread.

Boralia

With an aim to revitalize cuisine from the early days, this Ossington restaurant does contemporary takes on dishes inspired by Native cuisine and the early settler diet, like venison liver and pigeon pie.

The best used CD stores in Toronto really take you back. They can be a walk down memory lane or an amazing place to find newer releases at a discount or in hard-to-find formats. Give downloading a rest and have an IRL experience at one of these shops.

Here are the best used CD stores in Toronto.

Events in Toronto this week will see more people walking around Toronto in costume as Comicon kicks off while the man of the woods himself, Justin Timberlake, pays us a visit.

This week on DineSafe a Coffee Time received a conditional pass from Toronto health inspectors. The coffee shop managed to rack up four infractions including failure to provide adequate pest control.

Here are the other Toronto restaurants that got in trouble with city health inspectors this week on DineSafe.

Monga Fried Chicken (692 Yonge St.)

• Inspected on: March 5, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Coffee Time (821 Brimley Rd.)

• Inspected on: March 7, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Naan & Kabob (1780 Markham Rd.)

• Inspected on: March 7, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 3)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Koek Koek (2685 Yonge St.)

• Inspected on: March 8, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to wash hands when required.

Maman (100 King St. West)

• Inspected on: March 8, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.

McDonald's (2936 Finch Ave. East)

• Inspected on: March 8, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Sarah's Shawarma and Falafel (487 Bloor St. West)

• Inspected on: March 8, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Note: The above businesses each received infractions from DineSafe as originally reported on the DineSafe site. This does not imply that any of these businesses have not subsequently corrected the issue and received a passing grade by DineSafe inspectors. For the latest status for each of the mentioned businesses, including details on any subsequent inspections, please be sure to check the DineSafe site.

The seemingly irresistible Queen's Quay streetcar tunnel drew another car into its sticky, well-marked trap this weekend, bringing the grand total of drivers who've made this mistake over the past four years to 25.

Yes, as TTC officials confirmed on Sunday, there have been 25 separate incidents of cars getting stuck on the tracks inside the Ferry Docks terminal at Queen's Quay W.and Bay St. since 2014.

The latest, logged early Sunday morning, involved a male driver in a silver Toyota with Quebec licence plates. 

How many more flashing lights, rumble strips, signs, and poles does the TTC need to install at the entrance to the Queens Quay streetcar tunnel? https://t.co/43Bk6oIFWM

— Sean Marshall (@Sean_YYZ) March 11, 2018

Police say a car drove into the tunnel just after midnight, where it was lodged for approximately four hours, disrupting streetcar service until 4 a.m.

Both the 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina streetcars were forced to turn back at Queens Quay W. and Spadina Ave. as fire officials worked to have the car towed.

"How does this keep happening?," asked everybody seeing the news on Twitter.

Car drives into Queens Quay streetcar tunnel — again

Seriously?! It’s VERY clearly marked. 🤦🏻‍♀️ https://t.co/gFAWwCPMHu

— Rogue Paralegal (@rogueparalegal) March 11, 2018

At least five "do not enter" signs are placed clearly above and around the tunnel, along with literally dozens of flashing lights to warn drivers that only streetcars are permitted on the visible, very noisy tracks.

"You would think the nearly 20 do not enter signs and grooved concrete would stop this," wrote one observer.

"Always err on the side that the human is not stupid - that the infrastructure is not intuitive," said a local cycling group on Twitter. "Perhaps lighted signs showing a Streetcar in a Green circle; Car in a Red circle with a line through it?"

Perhaps. 

Harry Potter fans will soon have the chance to get confunded together, because a Butterbeer Bar Crawl is coming to Toronto this summer.

The Butterbeer Bar Crawl is happening this June and will see four downtown bars transformed into the full Three Broomsticks drinking experience, beginning at The Fifth and moving from there.

You'll have the chance to get crookshanked from firewhisky and drink until your Patronus becomes a Droxy as there'll be themed drinks, prizes, and a Tri-Wizard challenge at each location. 

Patrons are encouraged to grab their freshest wizarding robes and stay for the Yule Ball after party, with a portion of all proceeds going to a local charity.

The Butterbeer Bar Crawl is on June 2 with early bird tickets starting at $25.

The corporate branding for Ontario's soon-to-be legal marijuana stores has been described as everything from "stripped down" to "intentionally drab" since Friday, when the LCBO released its chosen name and logo.

Most people saw fit to make fun of it at first, calling out the "Ontario Cannabis Store" and its simple "OCS" logo as something a child could design (for the record, they probably couldn't.)

pleased to debut my proposal for the new ontario cannabis store logo pic.twitter.com/N6ZPRCue1U

— Seb FoxAllen (@purpledocket) March 9, 2018

And then people started to learn how much that "safe, simple" branding project cost.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario confirmed on Saturday that it would pay about $650,000 to the global advertising agency Leo Burnett for development of the name, logo and brand guidelines.

How did the government pay $650,000 for the OCS logo 😭😭😭 fam they could’ve got that made on fiverr for $5 ☠️☠️☠️

— Aun (@a__ms96) March 12, 2018

"The name and logo are only one piece of the overall work from Leo Burnett," said an LCBO spokesperson by email to the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday. It also included "the development of the overall brand strategy."

Fair enough, but $650,000 is no small chunk of change – and people outside the worlds of marketing and design are blown away by how much was spent.

Ontario Cannabis Store logo is the design of an amateur . Ontario residents should demand reimbursement of @LeoBurnettTO $650,000 payout. #marijuana#onpoli

— Pete Strombo (@petestrombo1) March 12, 2018

"That borrowed $650,000 could have been spent on anything else," responded one critic. "For many good examples visit your local hospital."

"Pretty sure they could have saved $649,995 had they just used someone on @fiverr," joked someone else, referencing a popular freelance marketplace known for sourcing cheap design work.

Unbelievable for $650,000. My grandson could have drawn that. They should have made it a university contest to draw a logo

— Grace Johnston (@drum999) March 11, 2018

The LCBO has said that the straightforwardness of its OCS design was intentional.

Both the name and logo were chosen so that citizens could "safely and easily identify Ontario Cannabis Stores as the sole legal retailer of non-medical cannabis in Ontario," according to an LCBO release.

"To build a broad, province-wide brand that will be recognized as a sole retailer of legal recreational cannabis required thoughtful and strategic brand development strategies," said the liquor control board later, "and consultation from a variety of stakeholders."

$650 000 for this logo? Don't Worry.
We'll make that back in the first 3 mins.#OCS#ontariocannabisstore#MaryPlainpic.twitter.com/4SVWR4N288

— Greg Campagna (@TheCampShow) March 12, 2018

As many designers are now pointing out in response to the backlash, even the simplest of logo designs don't come cheap.

"The OCS logo jokes are funny but actually there’s a lot of work that goes behind making a logo, even if it’s simple," tweeted one person, but "650k for all the branding guidelines, strategy, and marketing isn’t that much. It’s a lot of time and work and people."

"It just irks me cause it's always another case of undervaluing artistic careers."

The top Irish pubs for live music set the stage for some of the best parties in the city. There’s nothing like a rip-roarin’ good tune and a couple of pints of Guinness to set the mood, and at these places, before you know it, you just might be swaying back and forth and belting out a song you just learned with someone you just met.

Here are the top Irish pubs for live music in Toronto.

The Old Sod

Sundays and Tuesdays are karaoke, Wednesdays are open mic night, and pro musicians are always on deck Fridays and Saturdays at this Etobicoke Irish pub.

Ceili Cottage

Live music every Tuesday night is a hallmark of Leslieville’s best Irish pub. You might hear up to 20 musicians at a time playing traditional instruments like the fiddle, flute, pipes, accordion and banjo.

Grace O’Malley’s

Head to this Entertainment District pub if you’re looking for a meal of pie and Guinness but don’t necessarily want to hear the most old-fashioned music afterwards. You have as good a chance of hearing live party rock as folk here.

Dora Keogh

This Danforth pub is frequented by local bands and there are traditional live Irish music sessions every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as acoustic open stage nights.

McVeigh’s

Music is on six days a week at this King East area bar, and the atmosphere is complete with decor paying homage to some of Ireland’s most famous musicians and poets.

Hip hop's most iconic couple dropped some bittersweet news on Toronto this morning with the announcement of their forthcoming On the Run II stadium tour.

Kicking off in June, the concert series will take Jay-Z and Beyoncé around the world together once again, thrilling fans in cities all across Europe and North America – with at least one notable exception.

Toronto doesn't appear on the duo's list of tour dates. 

So I guess Beyoncé and jay z won’t be running through the 6 huh? #OnTheRunTour2#Toronto

— (Virg)inia Black (@JunezFinest8) March 12, 2018

Before anyone tries to argue that Buffalo counts, it doesn't. 

The Carters will be performing at Ford Field in Detroit on August 13 and at Buffalo's New Era Field on August 18, but that's as close as their tour schedule gets them to The 6ix this time around.

Only one Canadian city – Vancouver – will get the pleasure of seeing Jay and Bey in concert together after what feels like years of high-profile marital drama.

My whatsapp, instagram & twitter are all being attacked by friends mad that Beyonce's going to Vancouver but not Toronto 😭😭 pls i can't control zis.

— Aday Sefu (@SefanitH) March 12, 2018

Toronto fans are understandably confused, given that this is a major North American market. Many had already been planning to attend a show this summer after news of the tour was accidentally posted to (and deleted from) Beyoncé's Facebook page.

Neither of the artists have skipped Toronto, individually or together, on any of their tours for ages.

So why now? Why us?

Is Jay-Z offended by Toronto's lack of reverence? Did Beyoncé say "no, no, no, no, no"when Caplansky's closed? How does Drake factor into this? Where is our 6ix God now?

Did Drake piss Beyoncé or Jay off or something why is there no Toronto show? WHY

— Lindsay (@lindsgrz) March 12, 2018

There's always the possibility of additional shows being added to the tour, of course. A five-day-long window appears between Detroit and Buffalo on the schedule, generating a bit of hope that Toronto will be announced at a later date.

Either way, tickets for On the Run II go on pre-sale March 14 through TIDAL and Beyonce's website, and on March 19 via LiveNation.

Starting today, passengers taking the ferry to Toronto's only downtown airport will be subject to "enhanced security screening."

What this means is that you could have your bag searched for explosives multiple times before flying Porter – once at the airport and once on your way to the airport.

Billy Bishop Airport, located on the Toronto Islands, announced Friday that it would be stepping up security measures as of Monday, March 12, to comply with new regulations put forth by Transport Canada.

"Under the Domestic Ferry Security Regulations, the enhanced screening procedure will randomly check baggage and/or belongs of some passengers for the presence of explosives," reads the airport's website.

"Passengers may expect to be approached by Billy Bishop Airport Security staff to participate in the screening process prior to boarding the ferry."

Those who choose to take the relatively new, underground pedestrian tunnel to airport will not be affected.

The best delis in Toronto are about more than smoked meat sandwiches you can barely get your mouth around. A sense of community might as well be sold by the pound alongside salads and chopped liver, because it's impossible to walk away from one of these places without feeling a sense of connection with the people around you.

Here are the best delis in Toronto.