Events in Toronto this week may be emotional for some. Lorde is dropping by for a night of melodrama, while Nathan Phillips Square will see a die-in for safer streets. Also, get the tissues ready for when the Jays honour the late Roy Halladay.

The best Portuguese custard tarts in Toronto are composed of crisp and flaky pastry crust containing a rich filling of egg yolk, sugar and cream with a charred, caramelized top. Called pastéis de nata in Portuguese, these satisfyingly sweet treats are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, and can be found in Brazilian and Portuguese bakeries across the city.

Here are the best Portuguese custard tarts in Toronto.

This week on DineSafe a food court favourite was shut down by Toronto health inspectors. They landed a red card after the restaurant was found to be maintained in a manner permitting a health hazard. Yikes!

Discover what other establishments landed in hot water with city health inspectors this week on DineSafe.

The Captain's Boil (5313 Yonge St.)

• Inspected on: March 19, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Dim Sum King (421 Dundas St. West)

• Inspected on: March 19, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

3 Brewers (275 Yonge St.)

• Inspected on: March 20, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Bac Ky (567 King St. West)

• Inspected on: March 21, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Biryani (120 Adelaide St. West)

• Inspected on: March 21, 2018
• Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
• Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 2, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operate food premise maintained in manner permitting health hazard.

Touhenboku (261 Queen St. West)

• Inspected on: March 21, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to wash hands when required.

Copacabana (230 Adelaide St. West)

• Inspected on: March 22, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 5, Crucial: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated and operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.

Kupfert & Kim (20 Bay St.)

• Inspected on: March 22, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 60C (140F) or hotter.

The Friar (160 John St.)

• Inspected on: March 23, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
• 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.

Torontonian teenagers got the chance to join their American peers in protesting gun violence this weekend during one of roughly 800 international 'March for Our Lives' support rallies.

Inspired by last month's deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, where a lone gunman killed 17 people with an AR-15-style assault rifle, Saturday's widespread protests coincided with one main, massive, student-organized gathering in Washington, D.C.

Guns should not be in our schools or our communities. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

A post shared by Bri 🙌🏼💕☺️ (@brigardnerr) on Mar 24, 2018 at 11:14am PDT

Toronto was one of 12 Canadian cities to host an anti-gun rally in support of the larger movement, which aims to pressure the U.S. government to enhance gun control measures before more kids get killed (despite the country's long and tragic history of failing to do so.)

#marchforourlives ✊️

A post shared by Thomas Atkins (@thomas97atkins) on Mar 25, 2018 at 8:28am PDT

Hundreds of locals gathered at Nathan Philips Square on Saturday morning to show their support for our neighbours to the south.

The group then marched to Queen's Park while chanting and carrying signs with messages like "Books not bullets..."

A post shared by victoria goudzenko (@victoriagoudzenko) on Mar 24, 2018 at 4:23pm PDT

"Now is the time to change gun laws, morons"

A post shared by Menno Versteeg (@mennovers) on Mar 24, 2018 at 8:48am PDT

"Even Canada calls B.S.!"

A post shared by @carmen.dobs on Mar 24, 2018 at 9:13am PDT

And "Guess who's voting this year?" – which makes less sense, given the location of this particular protest... but you get the idea.

A post shared by grace_pigeon (@grace_pigeon) on Mar 24, 2018 at 4:19pm PDT

The rally itself was held in support of those fighting in the U.S., but as many who attended were told, gun problems aren't uniquely American.

"It's not just America's problem," said 15-year-old Riverdale Collegiate Institute student Colin Monahan during the rally. "We need a long gun registry, we need extended wait times (to purchase a gun) and better background checks."

Also present were people like Evelyn Fox, whose 26-year-old son Kiesingar Gunn was shot dead outside a Liberty Village nightclub in 2016, and Scarborough's Louis March, who founded the Zero Gun Violence Movement in Toronto.

At 7 years old, Terrence has already been impacted by gun violence. His father was shot and killed in Toronto in 2016. #marchforourlives

A post shared by Faiza (@faiza_amin) on Mar 24, 2018 at 1:45pm PDT

A 7-year-old boy also took the mic at one point during the rally to talk about the impact of losing a family member to gun violence.

His father was shot and killed two years ago in Toronto.

A total of 75 people have been shot in the city this year so far, according to Toronto Police Service statistics – 10 of them fatally so.

With just over two months to go until Ontario votes for its next Premier, attack ads continue to surface for at least one candidate – but not in the traditional sense.

Anonymous signs blasting newly-minted PC Party leader Doug Ford have been popping up on community bulletin boards around Toronto in recent days, starting with some cheeky "Beware of Doug" posters late last week.

On Saturday, a different set of anti-Ford messages had been plastered around Koreatown – these ones a bit more explicit in their intent.

Spotted in Koreatown. pic.twitter.com/jC2gLN1ywt

— Sean Marshall (@Sean_YYZ) March 24, 2018

"Doug Ford thinks it's ok to harass women outside abortion clinics," reads one. "He also wants to be your next Premier."

"If you hate transit, libraries, public education and gay people, you'll probably like Doug Ford," reads another.

Yet another poster highlights an actual quote given by Ford in 2014 to a local newspaper regarding a group home for the developmentally disabled.

"My heart goes out to kids with autism, but no one told me they'd be leaving the house."

All of these posters feature a prominent link to the website notdoug.com, where citizens are encouraged to print off and display their own posters.

"This campaign is yours as much as it is ours," reads the website.
Join us in advocating for smart, progressive leadership."

The site's "who we are" section states that they are volunteers who live in Ontario, are not aligned with any political party, that they are 100 per cent self-funded, that they will not accept funds from any corporation, business, political group, or lobby group and that anyone can join them.

More is to come from the group, according to its website, including free stickers and a strategic voting campaign. 

Street festivals in Toronto this spring bring the fun with markets, music, and all the food imaginable. They're a great way to check out the different neighbourhoods around the city and see what makes them each so unique.

The polarizing, combative style of political discourse that's been sweeping the U.S. in recent years (you know, antifa vs. the alt-right and such) is creeping into Canada more and more, it seems.

A dual protest held just outside the GTA yesterday, on the recently-vandalized Locke Street in Hamilton, Ontario, illustrated this well.

About 150 loud, angry people from opposing groups gathered at Victoria Park on Sunday to "shout at each other," according to the Hamilton Spectator, though their reasons for doing so were a bit unclear.

The drama started with the creation of a Facebook event called Patriot Walk on Locke, which was said to have been organized by "far right wing groups" such as The Proud Boys, Soldiers of Odin and Ontario Northern Guard.

Stay safe #HamOnt#nohate#lovewins thank you @HamiltonPolice for keeping #lockestreet safe! pic.twitter.com/UqRjMfry6w

— Amber Dawn Rieder (@Mamberland) March 25, 2018

The Patriot Walk was scheduled, apparently, to protest the actions of 20-30 masked people who caused about $100,000 worth of damage to local businesses during a vandalism spree earlier this month.

tomorrow's fascist goon show in hamilton--where local proudboys are organizing w racist militias and neo-nazi wannabe biker goofs--hasnt even happened yet, and they are already planning the next one. these losers play hard at being ambitious. pic.twitter.com/lhapksT8Q2

— (((slingshot))) (@alexhundert) March 24, 2018

A second group that calls itself "Hamilton Against Fascism" was quick to refute the initial event's purpose and book a demonstration of its own at the same time, in the same place.

"A collection of anti-immigrant and alt-right hate groups - Soldiers of Odin, the Proud Boys, and the III% 'Militia' among them - are planning a 'Patriot Walk on Locke'," reads that event's description. 

"They're hoping to cast themselves as more than the racist, xenophobic goons they are by capitalizing on public sympathy for Locke Street. We won't let them!"

Some more pics from the march#LockeStreet#HamOnt#Antifapic.twitter.com/V9TkSb2ocb

— Ungovernables (@Ungovernables_) March 26, 2018

This "Locke Street Anti-Fascist Counter-Rally" was created for members of the anti-fascist group to "confront and denounce this cynical attempt at re-branding by 'western chauvinist', white supremacist, Islamophobic fascists."

The protests went off as planned, according to reporters, though a heavy police presence – including officers from Hamilton, Toronto and Waterloo – kept things well under control.

No injuries or arrests were reported, though some attendees were said to have clashed with or disrespected police. 

Lots of peaceful people out today in Hamilton to let racists and fascists know that they are an insignificant and outnumbered.

— Rick Roberts (@rrickrroberts) March 25, 2018

The Hamilton Against Fascism group considered the event a victory for their side on account of how unsuccessful the Patriot Walk was.

A failure for what they called the "sad nazis" was a victory for them.

The ones "celebrating" their failed march by gathering around the swastika in the ground. pic.twitter.com/ys2wY3ZFlP

— Bring me 100 Nazi scalps (@Petrunak3D) March 25, 2018

"Faced by a large and militant opposition consisting of Hamilton Against Fascism and our community allies... the fascists were wildly outnumbered," read a post published to the HAF Facebook group following the rally.

"Today was a resounding defeat for the far-right in Hamilton, and a huge victory for anti-fascist forces."

Hundreds of people are waiting for shuttle buses in Toronto right now thanks to a fire-related subway line shutdown.

The TTC announced around 11:15 a.m. on Monday morning that subway service had been being suspended in both directions between Eglinton and Lawrence Stations due to a fire investigation.

About 25 minutes later, Line 1 closed all the way down to St. Clair Station.

Great job #TTC. I've decided to walk north from St. Clair and have only seen 3 busses head NB. There are still stranded passengers at Davisville since the start of the suspension.

— AM (@TorontoTalker) March 26, 2018

Commuters started asking the TTC where its shuttle busses were almost immediately, but as the transit agency pointed out "shuttles are operating but it will take a while for all of the shuttles to arrive on the route."

As of around 12:30 p.m., an estimated hundreds of people are still stranded at Lawrence Station...

#TTCMondays#TTCpic.twitter.com/0nTsflAGXz

— Charlie Kelly (@charlieekellyy) March 26, 2018

And St. Clair Station.

AAAAHHHH! 1000s of passengers stuck at St Clair! Put out the fire and get us moving! #TOpoli🚆pic.twitter.com/C51g07SzIc

— Michael M (@kingof416) March 26, 2018

And elsewhere along the subway line, customers are experiencing "longer than normal wait times" between Dupont to Bloor on account of the fire investigation.

This is what Lawrence station looks like with service being suspended on Line 1 pic.twitter.com/arBV6XDZj0

— blogTO (@blogTO) March 26, 2018

"Honestly, TTC needs to do a bit better during these 'interuptions'," tweeted one frustrated passenger. "What the heck are we supposed to do? I feel like TTC should be free considering what's happening. Awful service!"

@TTChelps@TTCnotices@bradTTC@JohnTory y’all REALLY screwed the pooch on this one. An HOUR to get a shuttle bus? And you want MORE of my money for fares? Hell no! You should NOT increase rates until you fix this mess! #TTC#annoyed

— Jammelia James (@Jammeliajames) March 26, 2018

Someone else asked TTC customer service on Twitter if this was going to be an "hours long situation."

"No ETA at this time," wrote the account. "There is water leaking into Eglinton Station causing electrical arcing and sparking of the third rail. Toronto Fire is on scene."

TTC spokesperson Brad Ross confirmed that water was causing problems.

Water leaking into Eglinton Station, causing electrical arcing and sparking of the third rail. Toronto Fire is on scene. No subway service between St Clair and Lawrence Stations. More to come.

— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) March 26, 2018

Some passengers are reporting dangerous behaviour among members of the crowd as people try to push and shove their way onto shuttle busses or streetcars.

"Guys, there's a huge line, no one knows where the streetcar line is, there's people pushing each other, there's old folks lost," wrote one woman to the TTC Customer Service account. "Is this the service you provide?"

Also, saw @Uber surge charges of around $10 at Lawrence and Yonge during the #TTC issues. Walked by dozens of people trying to find a ride.

— Patrick Luciani (@Luciani680NEWS) March 26, 2018

Meanwhile, nobody can catch a cab and Uber surge pricing is in full effect around the affected areas.

Huge lineups for shuttle buses are forming due to the #TTC closure for a fire investigation 🚇 #subwayTO

A post shared by blogTO (@blogto) on Mar 26, 2018 at 8:57am PDT

Shuttle buses continue to operate, according to the transit agency, while emergency tunnel repairs take place at Eglinton Station.

Leafs Nation, here is your hockey team presented in the style of everyone's favourite TV show about a Pennsylvania paper company.

That's right, fresh on the heels of a highly successful Toronto Raptors x The Office fan video, someone has created a parody version of the same theme song starring the Toronto Maple Leafs.

'The Leafs,' an Office parody, was created by 22-year-old Maple Leafs super fan and photographer David Scala.

Scala uploaded the video to Twitter last week, writing "The only explanation I can give you for creating this, is that I LOVE the @MapleLeafs .... so here it is in all its glory!"

The only explanation I can give you for creating this, is that I LOVE the @MapleLeafs .... so here it is in all its glory! @TheFordFANatic@theofficenbc@Steve_Dangle#TMLtalkpic.twitter.com/FMCqsaP565

— David Scala (@davidscala) March 22, 2018

I give it a week before we see the Blue Jays in full Dunder Mifflin style as well.

Animal rights activists were horrified this weekend when the co-owner of a Dundas West restaurant they'd been protesting for weeks staged what appeared to be a counter-protest of his own.

The restaurant in question, Antler, is known for serving "local seasonal and wild foods" that are native to Canada, such as bison, boar, rabbit, duck and deer.

They also serve foie gras, which has long been condemned as especially cruel in terms of animal welfare.

Murder at dinner

A post shared by MackenzieMackenzie (@mac515mac) on Mar 23, 2018 at 5:15pm PDT

A group of local activists had arranged a protest in front of the restaurant on Friday evening, writing on Facebook that it would be their fourth of such protests outside Antler.

"Last week was the first vegan menu board that they've had thanks to activists taking a stand for animals," read the protest event's description.

"It's a great start, but only a start. Antler serves the cruel foie gras, they also farm animals meant to run in the wild like deer."

About an hour into their demonstration, protesters say that the restaurant's co-owner and chef, Michael Hunter, "brought out an entire animal leg and started cutting it up right in the window on a table reserved for diners."

Event organizer Marni Jill Ugar wrote later that night on Facebook that she felt Hunter had been "taunting" the group by cutting up a deer leg right in front of them.

"Once the deer was cooked Michael Hunter, owner of Antler, sat back down at the window to eat the dead deer," she wrote.

"Look in the window. Look at Michael Hunter. That deer was treated like a joke. That deer was an innocent animal who did not want to die."

Len Goldberg, another animal rights activist in Toronto, livestreamed about 20 minutes of the encounter.

At one point, a couple of police officers arrive and go into the restaurant. They are seen speaking to Hunter as he continues to prepare the meat.

After about a minute, Hunter packs up his tools and meat. Both he and the police officers are then seen smiling as they walk away.

"I'm not sure if the police were telling the owner to stop for trying to anger the protestors, or for ethical or health & safety violations," said Goldberg. "I just think this is very disturbing."

When asked about the protest, Antler said by email that "our identity as a restaurant is well known throughout the city as is our ethical farming and foraging initiatives."

"While we would much rather not be the focus of these protests, we are not at all surprised," said Hunter.

"We simply want to carry on running a restaurant and have a peaceful environment where our guests can enjoy their food."

A brand new, high-end, 15-storey residential building has been approved for the northwest corner of Spadina and College, right on top of the legendary Hotel Waverly.

This much, we already knew. What we didn't know up until now was what the development would look like – or what it would be called.

Behold, "The Waverly": A 189-unit premium rental building with condo-like suite finishes and amenities, named after the almost 120-year-old building that it will eventually replace.

It's a nice tribute, right? Nicer than the controversial student residence once proposed for the site – and what will become of the adjoining Silver Dollar Room is even nicer.

Unlike its notoriously seedy and faded hotel counterpart, the one-time live music venue has been designated a heritage building. 

Kirkor Architects paid heed to this fact while designing the most-recently submitted plan for this building by leaving space at ground level for what Urban Toronto calls "a renewed Silver Dollar Room."

Signage for the venue, which opened in 1958, will be reinstalled on the building's Spadina frontage, "preserving the historic venue's legacy on the new building's modern face."

The new Silver Dollar room will be found adjacent to about 5,000 square feet retail and commercial space on the ground and mezzanine levels of the development.

Fitzrovia Real Estate announced just last week that it would be serving as both developer and asset manager project moving forward, though, while demolition permits have been issued, an expected completion date has yet to be announced.

One of Toronto's most-hyped west coast restaurant imports,The Cactus Club Cafe, will soon have a second location in The 6ix – and this one is set to be even bigger than the first.

Cactus Sherway Gardens, as it's being called, will be the chain's largest location in Canada when it opens this year, according to a hiring fair announcement.

"Cactus is opening a brand new location at Sherway Gardens in Toronto!" reads the event listing on Facebook. "Be part of our first-class opening team and launch Canada's largest Cactus location."

"This location also boasts an epic rooftop patio, tons of seating, and first-rate design."

An official opening date has yet to be announced for the new Cactus Club but it's expected to open sometime this spring. 

Marcus Stroman won't be going.

Vinyl heads in Toronto can start trading records anonymously thanks to a new 'give or take record crate' called the Vinyl Swap Box. 

The box acts as a little library for vinyl enthusiasts, who are free to take or leave whichever records they want. 

The box gets its first late night donor. #TheCure #PaulSimon #TearsForFears

A post shared by Vinyl Swap Box (@vinylswapbox) on Mar 22, 2018 at 6:07am PDT

Created by visual artist Matt Durant, the Vinyl Swap Box hangs outside his Leslieville studio at 1401 Queen Street East, where it was made. 

Calling all private press musicians/bands! Share your music here! This little gem was found in the box this morning. VSB is open to all formats! Thanks for the tape @rvotoy

A post shared by Vinyl Swap Box (@vinylswapbox) on Mar 22, 2018 at 5:47am PDT

Besides old classics on vinyl, you might also find a cassette or two, and users are encouraged to share their own original music. 

Events in Toronto today are both packed with fun like Disney movie trivia and free bagels. There's also performances from Justine Skye, Knocked Loose and Toronto sound project Bernice.

I’ve walked past this house so many times and always wondered what it looked like on the inside. Now that it’s been listed I can say it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

The detached Victorian home is located right on the corner of Trinity Bellwoods Park, making it kind of a landmark house among locals. It wouldn’t be surprising if some curious neighbours along with potential buyers came to check it out.

The house is full of charm and warmth. As soon as you walk in, the foyer is all dark wood and stain glass, which reminds me of an English pub in the best possible way.

While legally a duplex the current owners are treating it as a single-family home. On the main floor, you have your standard living room, dining room and kitchen. They’re bright and spacious with stain glass accents and authentic Victorian details throughout.

The garage, which was converted into a family room, gives off summer cottage vibes with the paneling and wood fireplace. It's full of natural light and looks out onto the park.

Oddly on the main floor, there’s a weird cove that isn’t quite a full room but has been made into a bedroom. Personally, I would have done something different with the space, like turned it into an office. But to each their own.

Upstairs there's the master bedroom, two other bedrooms, office, and a second kitchen. This could easily be turned back into a separate apartment if desired.   

The basement has been newly renovated with a spa-like bathroom and has a spacious playroom / rec room.

But even though there’s a spa-like bathroom in the basement, the bathroom situation in this house is a letdown.

There’s only two, which guarantees fights over who gets first dibs in the morning, plus the main one on the second floor looks really cramped. Also, how does this house not even have a powder room on the main floor?

Listed at almost $4 million, this place also boasts a carriage house that’s been transformed into a stand-alone apartment. It’s really cute and I can see why it’s such a popular Airbnb destination.

As for outdoor space, there’s a concrete patio but it’s nothing spectacular. Thankfully this place is right on the park so the lack of private green space isn’t too devastating.  

Specs

• Address: 179 Crawford St.
• Price: $3,999,999
• Lot Size: 25 x 118 feet
• Bedrooms: 4 + 1
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 4
• Walk Score: 94
• Transit Score: 100
• Listing agent: Alex Brott
• Listing ID: C4071375

Good For

An investor looking to turn this home back into a duplex. While the Crawford St. house is beautiful as a single-family home it’s hard to ignore the fact that you could make some sweet, sweet rental income off this place.

Move On If

You don’t want to deal with the eccentric characters of Trinity Bellwoods. Living right on the park can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand a gorgeous park, on the other hand, drum circles.

Top concerts in Toronto for April touch on a variety of genres. There's 80s icon Rick Astley, indie darlings Franz Ferdinand, and UK superstar James Bay, while Toronto's own Majid Jordan and Charlotte Day Wilson are home to perform.

When we were kids, the idea of spending the night in a treehouse would have been the coolest thing ever. As adults, The Treehouse Retreat makes it cool and glamourous.

Located two hours from Toronto in the township of Durham, this magazine worthy (it's been featured in Style at Home) Treehouse Retreat and Cabin Hideaway can accommodate up to six people for the ultimate wilderness vacation.

A post shared by Tristan Knowlton (@tristanjayne) on Nov 13, 2017 at 5:41pm PST

Bringing the term ‘glamping’ to an entirely new level, the treehouse (more like tree mansion) is fully equipped with everything you need in a resort-style setting.

A post shared by Compact Living (@compactliving) on Sep 1, 2017 at 4:06pm PDT

There’s a private pool (it’s massive!) multiple hammocks for lounging the day away, poolside fireplace, 100 acres of walking trails, and more.

A post shared by Christine Flynn (@lovethedesign) on Jul 10, 2016 at 9:43am PDT

Both the treehouse and accompanying cabin are as Insta-worthy as they come, as owner Lynne Knowlton is an unbelievable designer, and has put her personal touch into every inch of the luxury retreats she owns and operates.

A post shared by Tristan Knowlton (@tristanjayne) on Jul 22, 2017 at 8:11am PDT

From the reclaimed wood kitchen counters, rustic farmhouse dining table, and comfy queen-sized beds draped with white linens, you definitely won’t be ‘roughing’ it out here.

A post shared by K A I T E M A E ✨ (@kaiteinwonderland) on Sep 14, 2017 at 6:52am PDT

The treehouse and cabin are rented together for $785 per night (and 2-night minimum stay) but, if you max out the space with 5 others, it’s a little easier on the wallet.

A post shared by Lynne Knowlton (@lynneknowlton) on Sep 16, 2017 at 2:17pm PDT

Think of it as a private 5-star resort for you and your closest friends. You may never want to come back to civilization again.

For the second time in less than a year, Parkdale residents are declaring victory over the threat of a steep, above guideline rent increase that would have pushed some lower-income apartment tenants out of their homes and onto the street.

"Another rent strike... another victory for Parkdale!" declared a local advocacy group on Facebook Monday evening, announcing the end of a months-long battle between about 55 residents of 1251 King Street West and their landlord, Nuspor Investments.

"In Parkdale rent strikes are not just possible but are successful," wrote Parkdale Organize. "Whether it's a dozen buildings or just one, we deal with rising rents and other hardships by organizing."

The neighbourhood's most-recent affordable housing and anti-gentrification protest started on Feb. 1, after Nuspor proposed a rent hike of 3.4 per cent – nearly double what the province recommends – for 1251 King Street West. 

With the support of Parkdale Community Legal Services (and many of their neighbours,) residents of the building announced that they were refusing to pay rent as a means of standing up against what they saw as a plot to push out lower-income tenants.

"In the summer of 2017, more than 300 Parkdale tenants in MetCap buildings went on strike against AGI's (Above Guideline Increases) and won," read an info sheet distributed by Parkdale Organize in early February.

"In the same way, the tenants at 1251 King can force Nuspor to withdraw its applications for the AGIs at their buildings."

And that's exactly what Nuspor has finally done – but only after threatening residents with eviction notices and trying to shut down their strike at Landlord and Tenant Board tribunals.

The high-rise at 1251 King Street West is located in a prime part of downtown Toronto – a fact that hasn't been lost on community legal workers who say that some landlords in the area are trying to make way for wealthier tenants. (Photo by Lauren O'Neil)

"The rent strike at 1251 King has ended in victory," wrote Parkdale Organize on Facebook in its announcement last night. 

"In Parkdale rent strikes are not just possible but are successful....We can expand this work. We can bring in [a] greater numbers of our neighbours. By organizing our neighbourhood we will grow stronger, more creative and more effective at winning the fights that need to be won.

"For ourselves, for our neighbours and for the future of our neighbourhood. This is Parkdale. This is just the beginning."

The contentious King Street streetcars are facing a new wave of criticism this week after a relatively chill and undramatic month between Bathurst and Jarvis Streets.

Last we heard, support for the project – which restricts car traffic on King Street in favour of getting some 65,000 commuters through the downtown core more reliably – was slightly down, despite the release of data touting the pilot's quick success.

Protests along restaurant row have slowed down too, however, save for a game of road hockey here or there – but this doesn't mean that local business owners are finally cool with the changes.

Do I need to go to each of these restos and tell them with poster boards why rush-hour-only restrictions will be ignored like the last time we tried them and King St will return to being terrible? #TOpoli#KingStreetPilothttps://t.co/H0zcjEuKf3

— Gabe Lerman (@gabelerman) March 27, 2018

More than 50 different businesses in the pilot area are now asking City Council to modify the rules of the King Street Transit Pilot in an attempt to recover some of the economic losses they say are being suffered.

Among the heavy hitters listed on a letter requesting the modifications are Shopper's Drug Mart, the Hyatt Regency, and the Thompson Hotel.

This letter, released yesterday by the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) suggests that the pilot remain exactly how it is from 7 a.m until 7 p.m on weekdays.

The rest of the time, the group asks that through restrictions are removed, that taxis be allowed to use King Street regularly, and that parking options be made available for people with accessibility permits.

King St. restaurateur Fred Luk has issued a letter "fact checking" the TTC's streetcar pilot project, says transit improvements are "modest" and merely the result of more streetcars being added to King. More than 50 businesses' names are on the letter. pic.twitter.com/PBFHxwMUuU

— Ben Spurr (@BenSpurr) March 26, 2018

The letter also provides a set of what the group says are facts, based on a review by Ryerson University professor Murtaza Haider.

Haider's review claims that transit ridership has seen a "marginal" increase at best and that eastbound morning commute times have actually been longer since the project was rolled out in November.

It also claims that reservations are down by 21 per cent in the area, year over year, and that people with mobility challenges are being left out.

.@ORHMA claims to speak for 1500 employees. That’s interesting, when did a lobby group representing restauranteurs with multiple shops in a high rent area also become a labour union? #KingStreetPilot#TOPoli

— Asif Hossain (@asifintoronto) March 27, 2018

The TTC does not endorse Haider's assessment.

"We have both the numbers — improved travel times and reliability, and increased ridership — and the anecdotal feedback from our customers, to call the pilot a success to this point," said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green in a statement responding to the letter.

Shoppers Drug Mart, meanwhile, doesn't endorse its name even being used as part of the letter.

"At least one business included in the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association release requesting changes to the King pilot denies being involved in the initiative," wrote Toronto Star transit reporter Ben Spurr on Twitter Monday evening.

"A spokesperson for Shopper's Drug Mart says the owner of the King location 'has not provided support for the revised proposal nor did she approve the use of the SDM logo on the material.'"

Winter may be overstaying its already tenuous welcome in Toronto, but cold weather has little effect on our city's biggest tourist attraction.

I'm talking about the Eaton Centre – where the seasons change like clockwork and it never rains or snows (not for real, anyway.)

The popular downtown mall is awash with lush flowers and topiary displays right now in honour of spring and the upcoming Easter weekend.

#easterbunny 🥚

A post shared by ♏️ (@redravengoesblue) on Mar 21, 2018 at 6:09pm PDT

People are loving the temporary CF Flower Market with its Insta-worthy backdrops and garden-like atmosphere.

Going to keep pretending that it’s spring until Mother Nature actually decides that it’s spring 🌸🌺🌼💐🌹🌻

A post shared by Victoria Hui (@thelustlistt) on Mar 26, 2018 at 2:00pm PDT

But big green bunnies are straight up stealing the show.

Bunny at the Eaton Centre. Easter is approaching but so is April Fools 😏 #Eaton #bunny #clovers

A post shared by Manyi Zhu (@aphelionangel) on Mar 22, 2018 at 6:40pm PDT

Large topiary rabbits have been positioned all around the mall, presumably in celebration of Easter.

big butt bunny topiary... #easter #almost #nottheeasterbunny #wishitwaschocolate

A post shared by DavidJH (@davidjhopley) on Mar 22, 2018 at 10:13am PDT

People want to touch them...

This little kid ran up to touch its paw. I took the picture at the right moment 🤗 #eatoncentre #easter #green #bunny #sculpture #public #display

A post shared by Manyi Zhu (@aphelionangel) on Mar 22, 2018 at 6:42pm PDT

And hug them...

One with Nature 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

A post shared by Joshua J Bochner (@josh_bochner) on Mar 20, 2018 at 10:32pm PDT

And climb them, too (but I don't think you're supposed to do that.)

🐇💛

A post shared by Charmaine Flores • MVF💕 (@charflores_) on Mar 24, 2018 at 1:03pm PDT

One guy even brought his actual bunny to meet one of the Eaton Centre's plant bunnies.

They claimed there were giant bunnies all over the mall. I had to go just to prove them I was the biggest.

A post shared by Otis Grey (@thebigboybunny) on Mar 26, 2018 at 5:49am PDT

Spring has sprung, indeed, my friends. At least inside the mall.