There's no shortage of food festivals in Toronto but one of the newest ones seems to be having some difficulties getting off the ground.

The inaugural edition of the Toronto Sandwich Fest is set to take place this Sunday at Artscape Wychwood Barns. It promises a full day of all things sandwich, including vendors, drinks, live music, a sandwich design competition and eating contest.

But already it seems there's some issues with the festival.

L. L. noticed that after she had purchased three early bird tickets at $30 each, general tickets appeared later listed at $25. Normally when someone buys early they're getting more favourable pricing but the ticket strategy here seemed to have the opposite effect.

At first, L. thought maybe her higher priced tickets came with added benefits but after doing some investigation work she discovered this wasn't the case.

TODAY IS THE DAY! TICKETS TO #TOSandwichFest HAVE FINALLY GONE LIVE! GRAB YOUR EARLY BIRD TICKETS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! https://t.co/ryRM4wZ6TM

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON THE ONE & ONLY TORONTO SANDWICH FEST!

— TORONTO SANDWICH FEST (@tosandwichfest) February 27, 2018

"I compared the description, there are no extra benefits included in the early bird ticket," she says. "[This is not] how early bird tickets normally work and it really makes me feel like they used advertising to sell expensive tickets."

A bunch of George Brown students are behind the festival. It's supposed to be a fundraiser for The Stop Community Food Centre.

When contacted for comment, Operations Manager Laura Downes explained that organizers are "reaching out to customers who purchased early bird tickets individually" and offering complimentary drink and 5 raffle tickets as compensation.

L. confirmed she has since been contacted by Downes, but only after she sent an angry email explaining the issue.

"I hope they can speed up their process of "reaching out to customers," so everyone who purchased the early bird ticket as I did could receive "their appreciation" on time," she said.

A report set to go before Toronto's executive committee on Tuesday suggests that casino operators have now met all 21 conditions put in place by city council for the expansion of Woodbine Racetrack.

This means that Ontario Gaming GTA LP (OGGLP) can now enter into a formal "Community Benefits Agreement" with the city, moving the massive project one step closer to realization — but only if council agrees that the conditions have indeed been met.

Today @JohnTory Executive Committee debates a casino at Woodbine in a deal where city would get a tiny fraction of $ original promised by Province, less than half job estimates, less than half jobs will be local, with ZERO local transportation improvements to site. #baddeal

— Mike Layton (@m_layton) April 17, 2018

In terms of financial impacts, gaming at Woodbine Racetrack currently brings in about $16 million per year in revenues for the city.

Once the casino is expanded as planned, the Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation predicts that the amount could rise to between $26 million and $31 million per year.

An exterior rendering of the casino. Image via Woodbine Entertainment Group.

Some city councillors aren't all that gung-ho about generating so much revenue from casino operations, however.

"The social costs of gambling must also be taken seriously," wrote councillor Mike Layton in a report criticizing parts of the project. "It preys on the poor and those vulnerable to addiction."

"A commercial casino in Toronto will make it that much worse," he continued. "Studies indicate that where casinos go, so go increases in poverty, homelessness, gambling problems, suicides, drug/alcohol addictions, and crimes by those feeding their habit."

City Council will debate this and other issues related to the Woodbine Racetrack gaming expansion today. 

If the city decides to enter into a formal Community Benefits Agreement with OGGLP, the decision will be passed along to the Province of Ontario and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

Calling all sci-fi buffs and people with a general fondness for next-level custom set builds: An intricate new "starship simulator" is now open for business in Toronto.

Part escape room, part video game and part Trekkie dream experience, Proxima Command is unlike anything else you'll find in the city (or elsewhere on Earth, as far as its creators know.)

"Don’t just watch Sci-Fi — live it!" reads the company's website. "Enter the bridge and become a starship officer as popularized by the genre."

In some ways, Proxima Command is similar to a regular (albeit quite high tech) sci-fi escape room: Teams of 5-7 people are given roughly one hour to complete a specific mission in a themed environment.

What sets this one apart is how realistic and immersive the experience is meant to feel.

The starship simulator, located near Christie and Dupont, is equipped with 27 interactive screens and over 1.5 tonnes of set and embedded video game technology.

The inside of the escape room looks like a spaceship. Photo via Proxima Command.

It took creators Michael Chapman and Bob Papadopoulos years to design and construct the final product using metal, plastic, wood, hydraulics, lighting, sound and other digital equipment as well as custom-designed software by by Glen Watkinson of Stratum Games.

Now that their work is complete, Torontonians can play through the first "episode" at 253 Christie Street for around $25 per person.

"You are the crew of the Starship Odysseus caught in hostile territory, after escaping the prison of a secret Alphian League base," reads the description of Episode Zero.

"You destroy the base and board your ship," it continues. "However, you have forgotten how to operate its complex systems. Each one of you must now, in the midst of danger, re-familiarize yourselves with your own stations and Escape to Proxima Command!"

Players work together to control the ship, but those of you who got really into the USS Callister story in Season 4 of Black Mirror will be happy (or maybe terrified) to note that only one person can take the captain's chair.

Good luck.

When it comes to outstanding views, Southern Ontario is hard to beat with Lake Ontario, picturesque forests and parks and city scenery. But, there are some perspectives few of us get to experience – especially from the unique bird-eye view of a hot air balloon.

With balloon rides that run from May to October, Ontario Hot Air Balloon Rides specializes in trips where the destination is irrelevant, and the journey everything.

A post shared by Adrian Cesinaro (@aventura.del.fiero_gt) on May 17, 2017 at 12:42pm PDT

With six launch sites outside Toronto, OHABR hosts several flight options, depending on the occasion.

Since hot air balloons travel with the wind, the take-off location varies according to the prevailing winds of that specific day. Rides launch just before sunrise or sunset, and travel around the speed of 10-15km/hr.

The hot air balloon is the first successful human-carrying flight technology, and the first flight was performed in France in 1783.

Today, modern hot air balloons consist of a single-layered fabric bag ('envelope') that is made from either nylon or polyester. Attached to the envelope is a basket for carrying passengers, and a burner which injects a flame into the envelope, heating the air within.

A post shared by Adrian Cesinaro (@aventura.del.fiero_gt) on Sep 10, 2017 at 8:16am PDT

Although there have been some notable accidents throughout history, travelling by hot air balloon is extremely secure, and is considered one of the safest forms of aviation. The highly trained pilot and crew on board ensure its safety and will only take off in perfect weather conditions.

Although the air time is only about 45 minutes, the entire adventure takes close to 4 hours, including instruction, and travel time from launch/ landing sites.

During the flight, nothing quite compares to the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, as the only thing you’ll hear while soaring through the sky is the hum of the burner.

The balloon will glide through the air at around 1,000 ft over urban areas, and if conditions permit, will come down low enough to touch the tops of trees among rural parts.

You can even rent a GoPro to film the entire experience.

The Hollywood scandal that sparked a torrent of revelations about sexual harassment, gender inequality, and abuse of power in the entertainment industry will be explored at length next month in Toronto.

Hot Docs announced on Tuesday that a documentary about famously disgraced film producer and sexual predator Harvey Weinstein has been added to its Special Presentations Program.

Called The Reckoning: Hollywood’s Worst Kept Secret, the film is said to detail "not only the personal toll of Weinstein's alleged pathology, but broadens the systemic scale of abuse to the ensuing scandals involving James Toback, Woody Allen and Louis C.K."

Toronto will be hosting the world premiere of this film on Saturday, April 28, when it screens at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, complete with an extended post-screening Q&A featuring "special guest subjects."

No names have been confirmed for the Q&A session, but Hot Docs notes that the film features interviews with insiders, whistleblowers, alleged victims and "divisive Canadian figures" like Jian Ghomeshi lawyer Marie Heinen and outspoken columnist Margaret Wente.

Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, who directed this and a previous documentary about the "micro-managing, hair-trigger tempered but ultimately genius" Weinsten will likely be present, along with the film's producer, Melissa Hood.

"In 2010, filmmaker Barry Avrich wrote, directed and produced Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project," reads a release announcing the film's premiere at Hot Docs.

"Eight years later, Avrich returns to detail what he didn't know then about the far darker side of the now-disgraced sexual predator."

"The Reckoning opens on a contrite Weinstein packing off to a rehab centre, mere moments before the tectonic plates of an industry would heave open both a cultural zeitgeist and a feminist revolution: the #MeToo movement."

The recent weather in Toronto has many folks turning to thoughts of sunnier climes, those at Bandit Brewery included.

But when the microbrewery near Roncesvalles started putting out their globetrotting-inspired “YYZ” Milkshake IPA series (named for Toronto’s airport code) they were slapped with a trademark infringement.

“Since the change from the original name, YYZ→LAX, to a provisional ZZY→LAX, our customers have been puzzled about our apparent inability to spell YYZ, so we felt it necessary to explain the issue to them,” says Juan M. Gonzalez-Calcaneo on behalf of Bandit.

“We looked into challenging the trademark but unfortunately, as a small microbrewery, we simply don’t have the funds or resources to fight this.”

Bandit posted a photo to their Instagram of a letter with names blacked out sent to them by “intellectual property solicitors” on behalf of their client, “the registered owner of the trademark YYZ,” who Bandit only names in the post as “The Big Guys.”

WHAT’S IN A NAME? A lot of you have been wondering about the recent slight name change to our Milkshake IPA travel-inspired series. Turns out, a few weeks back we got some very friendly mail from The Big Guys claiming they own “YYZ”- our fair city’s airport code. Since we don’t have the funds to fight this (we are a MICRObrewery after all), we are “pleased” to introduce our series YY*→ And now you know; so you don’t think we’re a bunch of doofi who can’t spell YYZ.

A post shared by Bandit Brewery (@bandit_brewery) on Apr 16, 2018 at 8:11am PDT

However, it’s evident from the outpouring of comments on the post that the letter most likely came from Amsterdam Brewery.

So, Amsterdam Brewery (deduced by others based on a search through the trademark database) is issuing Bandit Brewery with a cease & desist for making a beer with YYZ in the name, despite: 1) it being the city's airport code, 2) Amsterdam not even making a "YYZ" beer https://t.co/3Quho5V7CO

— ℳatt (@matttomic) April 16, 2018

When reached for comment, Amsterdam President Jim Carefoot noted the brewery has produced some YYZ beers, usually just ones available in their pubs or tap rooms.

He admitted that Amsterdam doesn't own the YYZ trademark as a whole but did register it "in relationship to beer."

Carefoot emphasized that Amsterdam has no desire to damage any ties with "other craft brewers," but suggested the letter was sent because even a rarely-used trademark only has value if protected.

Complaints of icy, snow-covered, inaccessible bikes lanes have been pouring in from around the city this week following Toronto's most-recent winter (er, technically spring) storm.

The City of Toronto says that crews have been working around the clock to keep roads, bridges, walkways and, yes, bike lanes safe in recent days — but there's a lot of repair work still being done as a result of the storm.

Did anyone else encounter a snowy bike commute this morning? @311Toronto@TO_Cycling Any suggestions for cyclists travelling in bike lanes on their way home tonight?📍Adelaide & Bathurst #biketo🚴‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/oMvBA8G1jp

— Onlia (@OnliaCA) April 17, 2018

Mayor John Tory reminded the city in a press release on Monday that our "patience and cooperation" is appreciated.

Patience is wearing thin for many, however, as winter drags on and on and on...

Dude, where’s my bike lane? I appreciate there was a big storm but roads have been cleared and even the bike lanes designated for priority maintenance (like Wellesley here) are still full of snow and ice chunks. ❄️🚲@311Toronto@TO_Transport@CycleToronto#bikeTO#VisionZeropic.twitter.com/zKVSMBYfQm

— Jay Wall, RGD (@Jay_Wall) April 17, 2018

Aside from the hardcore all-weather bikers we see out in January and February, most cyclists would just be getting back on their bikes for the season now.

A lot of people had already switched up their method of commute, in fact, when the ice storm came blasting through late last week. 

#ToPoli priorities are shown after the #OnStorm. #biketo lane completely obstructed by hard packed snow/ice. Sidewalk, half full of snow/ice. #walkto Driving - barely a hint of snow. pic.twitter.com/O9twbv85dP

— 🌈 Papa Andy ✨🚲 (@pedalpapa) April 17, 2018

This might explain why people seem particularly irritated about this snow-in-the-lanes during spring business (especially when the city has proven it can keep up with clearing lanes in the dead of winter.)

Toronto's 311 Twitter account has been taking a lot of heat today over the uncleared lanes, and cyclists continue to notify their councillors, city officials and even the TTC about existing bike blockages. 

Bike lane on College from Ossington to Bay not cleared, bikes forced into traffic. @311Toronto#biketo#visionzeropic.twitter.com/FcmhUu8kw6

— Jason Timermanis (@timermanis) April 17, 2018

"We have heard our residents' frustrations with the ongoing efforts to clean up from this weekend's ice storm and have raised those concerns with City staff," reads a joint statement from Tory and Public Works chair Jaye Robinson.

"We have directed them to deploy all available resources and to secure additional resources to help deal with the remnants of this storm as quickly as possible," continues the statement, which was published in a press release on Tuesday afternoon.

Sherbourne #biketo lane this morning. When will this be cleared @311Toronto? Is everything @JohnTory says aabout #VisionZero a lie? pic.twitter.com/D0m3SK2zLW

— Mike Scott (@mscott71) April 17, 2018

"Transportation crews have been working 24/7 since Friday to deal with the storm and its aftermath."

The CN tower continues to cause problems with its pesky and incredibly dangerous new habit of dropping ice from the sky.

Ripley's Aquarium is the most recent victim of circumstance (that circumstance being cruel and stupid weather) but unlike its neighbour the Rogers Centre, the fish-filled facility has yet to sustain any damage.

Either way, in the interest of public safety, Toronto police decided to close the aquarium — among other attractions — until further notice.

ATTENTION: pic.twitter.com/YTak7LAIZE

— Ripley's Aqua Canada (@RipleysAquaCA) April 17, 2018

Police announced the closure shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, writing in a release that it was "due to concerns of falling ice caused by the recent weather conditions."

"The Toronto Police Service, in cooperation with public and private sector partners, has put in place the following traffic restrictions and closures, effective immediately," reads the release, noting that the CN Tower, Steamwhistle Brewery and The Rec Room are all fully closed.

A decision has been made to close the area around the #CNTower to all vehicle/pedestrian traffic for safety reasons. The CN Tower is now closed until further notice. Our top priority remains the safety of guests, employees & neighbours. Updates will be made as they are available. https://t.co/zpbAc6F6kT

— CN Tower/La Tour CN (@TourCNTower) April 17, 2018

Bremner Boulevard has also been closed off between Lower Simcoe Street and Rees Street , while people heading to The Rogers Centre for today's Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kansas City Royals doubleheader will have to enter from the west or south.

Gates 1-6 have been closed by police to prevent what could be a seriously terrifying icicle surprise.

Bob Saget, Robin Thicke, Bobby Flay and Shaggy walk into an ultra-glamorous Toronto event...

There's no punchline. This is actually going to happen next month, on May 17, during the soft launch of an exclusive member's only dinner concert series at Chateau Le Jardin.

Called Après Noir, the monthly event 's organizers promise to deliver the ultimate in opulence - an "unbridled experience unparalleled to any in the world."

"One Thursday night a month, our guests will be immersed in a pool of luxury," reads a letter introducing the series. "From the moment they arrive until the moment they depart, our guests will experience a tantalizing evening that engages all of their senses."

It is with great pleasure and excitement to announce that Drake will be performing at Chateau Le Jardin on June 7th for Après Noir! ✨✨ @apresnoir presents the opportunity to witness Drake perform in a room of only 1000 people, complimented by a dinner prepared by @giadadelaurentiis and an opening performance by @jessiereyez ✨ The globe’s transcendent hip-hop superstar @champagnepapi takes the stage at the opening edition of Après Noir on June 7th. Channeling his energy toward championing Canada wherever he treads, the singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur is set to greet concert-goers in an intimate and exclusive setting. www.apresnoir.com VERY LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE. Inquire Now

A post shared by Chateau Le Jardin ✨ (@chateaulejardin) on Apr 2, 2018 at 1:21pm PDT

The celebrities mentioned above are slated to host (Saget) perform (Thicke, Shaggy) and serve as chef (Flay) for the first of these dinners, each of which also includes a fashion show, top-tier wine tastings and various live artists, among other things.

On June 7 - the official premiere show - Toronto's very own Drake will perform on a bill that also includes Mia Martina, Jessie Reyez, SNL's Mikey Day and Chef Giada De Laurentiis.

If it sounds too fancy for the GTA, well... that's kind of the point.

"Think of it as the best, most extravagant evening you can imagine," says the event's producer, Julian Parentela. "We wanted to create something different for somebody who's done everything."

Pre Season Opener.

A post shared by Carlo Parentela (@carlo.le.jardin) on Apr 17, 2018 at 2:57pm PDT

Parentela credits his father Carlo, president of Le Jardin, as the genius behind the concept.

"What we're trying to do here is a harmonious blend of four pillars - fashion, music, culinary, and art," he explains. "The fifth pillar is networking - people building relationships."

Ranging in price from $4,950 for three events to $29,500 for 12 events in the "elite" tier, which includes a personal butler, it's not a cheap ticket.

It is, however, unlike anything Toronto has seen before on this type of scale: 6-10 course meals prepped by celebrity chefs, intimate performances by the likes of Drake (and maybe J-Lo,) ingredients brought in from around the world...

This American singer, actress, and spokesperson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol. From there onward, @iamjhud became a household name for powerful, emotional and evocative music. Thursday, July 26th, an Academy Award and 2-time Grammy Award winner steps foot inside Château Le Jardin for the 3rd act of Après Noir.

A post shared by Après Noir (@apresnoir) on Apr 17, 2018 at 3:05pm PDT

The menu items listed in press materials for the series so far include such delicacies as black Russian caviar, risotto with saffron and 24K gold flakes, brulé di buratta with 50-year-old balsamic vinegar, lobster coral xiao long bao and wagyu beef tartar.

"We're fielding interest from all across the globe - New York, LA, Sweden, France, Spain" says Parentela. "Our doors are open to the public. We want everyone to experience Après Noir."

If you're curious, individual tickets can be purchased for the May 17 event. All other dinner concerts will be open exclusively to members (request an invitation here) who purchase packages of three events or more.

Events in Toronto today offer a nice spread of different things to do. It's National Canadian Film Day across the country and the second night of Fashion Art Toronto.

It’s not often you find a rental in such good condition. But, in this case, the owners are considering selling the house so it's show home ready and full of upgrades. The 1800’s Victorian townhome is situated in the heart of Little Portugal making it a perfect location for shopping along Queen St., hanging out in Trinity Bellwoods and stuffing your face at local restaurants.

The home is open-concept with a ton of natural light and hardwood floors throughout.  

The kitchen was recently renovated and the colourful barn style floorboards add a touch of character.

Upstairs, the bedrooms are bright, spacious and tastefully decorated with Scandinavian furniture. 

While the listing says the basement is finished I'm not so sure it's fully finished. The weird cinder block posts don’t look very “finished”.

Outside the house has a decent backyard with a cute garden shed. I’m sure it’s lovely in the summer. Winter pictures never do gardens justice.

Specs

• Address: 46 Robinson Street
• Type: Row house
• Rent: $6,000 / month
• Listing agent: Jenna De Lisa
• Furnished? Yes
• Utilities: No
• Air conditioning? Yes
• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 1
• Laundry? In suite
• Outdoor space? Backyard
• Pet friendly? No

Good For

Someone looking to buy in the near future. This house is also listed for sale. Blue Elephant Realty told me the owners are open to renting or selling this property. So if you want to test run a house before you make a purchase than this place might just be perfect.  

Move On If

You plan on using the basement for any type of rowdy activities. Those supporting posts don’t seem stable and look like they might topple if hit hard enough.

Look forward to a weekend outdoors because Toronto is getting a double digit dose of sun.

Environment Canada came through with the good news that this weekend, temperatures are expected to hit a high of 9 degrees on Saturday and 12 degrees on Sunday.

Get ready to rejoice while more specs of green and colour from only the keenest flowers surface, things warm up and the final remnants of last weekend's rendition of The Tempest is flushed away.

Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 15 degrees over the next week. Image courtesy of Environment Canada.

Temperatures are set to climb even higher beginning next week, with 14 degrees slated for Monday followed by 15 degrees on Tuesday.

The Toronto Raptors took a franchise-first 2-0 series lead last night by defeating the Washington Wizards 130-119 in a home game at the ACC.

Millions of eyes were on the game, judging by how much hype it generated — but a much smaller number of eyes than usual were watching from Jurassic Park.

Lets Go Raptors!!!! @raptors #northovereverything #wearethenorth #nbaplayoffs

A post shared by Mykel Millar (@mykelmillar) on Apr 17, 2018 at 2:53pm PDT

You see, it's not a very nice time to be outside in Toronto this year. There's snow on the ground, it's way colder than usual and the city is still recovering from a brutal weekend ice storm.

A massive tailgating party scheduled for Game 1 of the Raptors-Wizards series was actually called off on Saturday due to inclement weather conditions at Jurassic Park (aka Maple Leaf Square — the party zone directly outside of where the Raptors play).

-2 & freezing rain.. OF COURSE!! LETS GO RAPS #ChristmasInThe6 ☃️

A post shared by JV (@jonathanveitch) on Apr 14, 2018 at 3:13pm PDT

It looks like some fans might have assumed that last night's Raptors tailgate was cancelled as well.

A post shared by @appleshuuen on Apr 17, 2018 at 8:36pm PDT

Toronto police did shut down pretty much everything within impaling distance of the CN Tower on Tuesday afternoon.

Ripley's Aquarium, Steamwhistle Brewery, The Rec Room and half the exits to the Rogers Centre were all closed for safety reasons, and while the ACC wasn't affected, one could be forgiven for thinking it might be.

HOME.

A post shared by Glendon Wilson II (@glendonwilsonii) on Apr 17, 2018 at 4:28pm PDT

Whatever the case, only about 200 people showed up to the Game 2 tailgate party outside Toronto's Air Canada Centre.

NBA Playoffs 2018 🎉 Let’s get it!! @Raptors #wethenorth #northovereverything

A post shared by Elimar (@papiguccimar) on Apr 17, 2018 at 4:57pm PDT

Here's a shot from last year, for contrast's sake.

How far must the Raps go for the playoffs to be a success? It all starts tonight. The Raps look to defend home court against a familiar playoff foe, the Washington Wizards. Last time these two teams met the Raps were swept, but these are two very different teams this time around. I’ve got the Raps in 5. Leave your predictions. #Toronto #Raptors #NBA #NorthSide #NorthOverEverything #DefendTheNorth #WeTheNorth #NorthTower

A post shared by 6ix (@6ixreport) on Apr 14, 2018 at 9:39am PDT

"There's 200 people outside in Maple Leaf Square watching the Raptors game," teased a Leafs fan on Twitter during last night's game. "About 200 people. That's cute."

"They showing bad angles of Jurassic Park in Toronto like there are only 10 people there," wrote a Raps fan, suggesting that maybe the cameras were to blame.

It was relatively quiet outside the ACC as fans stood around watching the game on the big screen. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

The truth is more likely that people are over this extended winter weather and would rather stay inside, where its warm, to enjoy the game.

Need I remind you that it was 22 C last year at this time? Yeah. Blankets up. Sorry, Jurassic Park.

Delicate as though they may appear, cherry blossoms are surprisingly resilient - and the sakura trees of Toronto will wait no longer for Old Man Winter to eff right off.

Sakura in High Park reports that, despite the effects of this weekend's brutal ice storm and persistent low temperatures, High Park's cherry blossoms show positive signs of blooming within weeks.

"The cherry blossom trees have survived the storm," reads an update on the website, which is dedicated to monitoring the development of cherry blossoms in High Park.

"Even snow and ice wasn't enough to deter these buds from getting ready to make their grand entrance into spring 2018!"

Video footage shows that the unseasonable April storm did have some impact on High Park. Small branches twigs were found scattered around the snow-covered grounds early this week, overall damage is said to have been minimal.

"Only one tree suffered any significant damage where it lost one its larger branches," writes Sakura in High Park, "but all the rest appear to have survived the icy onslaught unscathed."

"Suck an egg, ice storm!" is what the trees might say, if trees could talk and also personified weather events.

With the majority of buds on trees around High Park now showing green tips, and warmer weather on the way, experts say things are looking good for an early-to-mid May bloom.

The cherry blossoms as seen last year in High Park. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

"Though this is a positive sign, it does lead into the question of what percentage of blossoms will be seen so late in the season," cautions Sakura in High Park.

"Previous years have proven that the farther past the usual end of April, early May bloom season it takes the buds to reach maturity, the less amount of blooms will actually occur."

Some buds may go straight to leaf and bypass the blossoming stage altogether, but the blossoms are coming either way – whether the weather starts cooperating or not.

The best breakfast poutine in Toronto is something pretty much only Canadians know about. Bringing together bacon, eggs, gravy, cheese curds and potatoes, this artery-clogging, eye-popping, hangover-curing dish turns around even the most dismal of mornings.

Here’s the best breakfast poutine in Toronto.

More than 15,000 people found themselves delayed this morning by a GO train that got stuck on the tracks between Kitchener and Toronto, effectively blocking any other trains from using the route.

The problematic train was carrying equipment, according to Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins, and got caught on a broken switch just west of Malton Station before 6 a.m. on Wednesday.

The regional transit agency told The Star earlier today that commutes could take "anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes longer than usual," as trains needed to be re-routed through the Barrie corridor.

Hey @GOtransit any timeframe on when trains will be moving again, Been stuck on this train from guelph since 7 this morning... #anytimenow

— Andrew Currie (@AndrewCurrie28) April 18, 2018

Customers aboard some of the delayed trains reported wait times of more than four hours, however.

Now more than 4 hours sitting on a GO train. Going to be a looooong day.

— Michael Melvin (@michaelmelvin) April 18, 2018

Aikins said on Twitter around 7:30 a.m. that crews were working as fast as possible to repair the problem, but things were taking longer than expected.

Been sitting on this GO train so long I’ve finally decided to break the rule about putting my feet up on the seat. pic.twitter.com/JAhAL2rWou

— Candice Lepage (@cinn48) April 18, 2018

The stuck train appears to have been moved, but customers on both GO and Via Rail trains were still reporting delays related to the incident as of 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

I thought my 10:11am train was only delayed 5 mins, but I'm still waiting to depart (11:22am). @GOtransit hasn't done much to find alternate solutions for customers which is disappointing. It would be great if you could work on solutions for when situations like this arise. Thx!

— Kadrah Mensah (@KadrahMensah) April 18, 2018

Fortunately for passengers affected, Metrolinx offers full refunds for all delays of 15 minutes or more (unlike some transit agencies...)

"Refunds are not automatic since passengers could take a different or an alternate route last minute," wrote GO Transit in response to one customer's query on Twitter. "Making a claim is easy, just fill in your trip and Presto details, here is the link."

No cable? No problem! - at least not when it comes to watching today's Toronto Blue Jays game.

Facebook will be streaming the MLB matchup live and for free this afternoon as the Blue Jays take on the Kansas City Royals at home.

First pitch is at 4:07 p.m. ET, if you're interested, and the Jays have shared instructions on how to watch (one of which is "hide your screen from your boss") via Facebook.

If you'd rather catch the action on TV, well... you're out of luck.

Only people who are logged into the social network (or have tickets to Wednesday's game at the Rogers Centre) will be able to watch live. You can thank an exclusive partnership between Major League Baseball and Facebook for that.

This will be the third of 25 "digital-only broadcasts" scheduled for 2018 as part of MLB's deal with Facebook, and the first this season to feature the Blue Jays.

A second Jays game will be streamed as part of the deal, which includes only afternoon weekday games, on May 24 when the L.A. Angels visit the Rogers Centre. 

Facebook is thought to have paid between $30 and $35 million for exclusive rights to broadcast the 25 games in question, according to Bloomberg, with MLB owners unanimously approving the deal back in March.

This marks the first time a major U.S. sports league has agreed to show regular season games on Facebook alone. MLB itself is producing the game with analysts Cliff Floyd and Jeremy Guthrie, in-game reporter AlexaDatt, and announcer Scott Braun.

Another weekend, another TTC subway closure. This time a chunk of Line 1 will be affected for the duration of the weekend. 

For those wondering, there will be no subway service on Line 1 between St. Clair West and Union stations on April 21 and 22 due to signal upgrades.

During this closure Dupont, Museum, Queens Park, St. Patrick and Osgoode stations will be shut down. All other stations will be open for the sale of fares and access to surface routes.

Regular scheduled service will resume on Monday morning. The next scheduled closure will halt weekend service on Line 2 between Woodbine and Kennedy stations on April 28 and 29 due to track work.

NBA superstar and style icon Russell Westbrook got tongues-a-waggin' and fingers-a-clackin' on Sunday with yet another one of his fashion-forward off-court lewks.

And the Raptor took note.

The Oklahoma City Thunder point guard (and reigning league MVP) scored 29 points against the Utah Jazz to win Game 1 of their series that night, but the viral web had declared him winner long before that point — as in, the minute he got to the venue.

Russ… pic.twitter.com/KePcwVshoG

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) April 15, 2018

Westbrook showed up to the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Sunday wearing pink shades, pristine white sneakers and a low cut, powder blue suit with nothing but a chain across his chest.

Reactions to the bold spring look weremixed, but it definitely got a lot of attention (which is the most valuable type of currency in a post-Instagram world, some might say. Probably not NBA players, though. They have real money.)

.@russwest44 I know this is a long shot, but did you find this suit in a 7-11 bathroom in Irvine CA in 1994? It looks conspicuously like a suit I got for Easter when I was 13. I changed out of it at 7-11 and accidentally left it. I was grounded for a week. pic.twitter.com/e286Bgk5DO

— Jimbo Slice (@JimboRudding) April 16, 2018

On Tuesday, the situation took a turn for the hilarious when another NBA star turned heads with his outfit - the very same outfit that Westbook was seen in only days earlier.

As if anybody needed more proof that the Raptors have the best mascot in professional sports.

"Heading into Game 2 with #ShirtlessSwag!" wrote the world's only living dinosaur on Twitter ahead of the Tuesday's Toronto Raptors-Washington Wizards game. "#NoShirtSzn."

Heading into Game 2 with #ShirtlessSwag! @TheStarters@raptors#NoShirtSznpic.twitter.com/2UiAUbN1fn

— The Raptor (@the_raptor) April 17, 2018

The Toronto Raptors' mascot (known only as "The Raptor") is being hailed widely today for his poking fun at Westbrook, but even more so for how accurately he emulated the human baller's ensemble.

Westbrook wasn't carrying a basketball purse and his suit was considerably more fitted, but the detail that went into creating The Raptor's outfit shot is impressive.

Iced ❄️ out for Game 1.#CourtsideCertifiedpic.twitter.com/UMG4kaclLO

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 15, 2018

"To be honest, this mascot looks fresh," tweeted one fan.

"What in the skinny ballsack is this?! Westbrook ... nah son your nuts gotta breathe," tweeted another. "The Raptor did it better...and he has a purse."

The recent ice and wind storm saw a merciless takedown of trees and poles snapped liked twigs all across Toronto and some people are still feeling the effects.

Instagram user @theredswitch, real name Matthew Goulet, shared a video of cars, including his, trapped under fallen debris in a back alley in Leslieville. 

The first video was posted just after the storm wrecked havoc and shows several cars trapped underneath fallen tree trunks and cables.

A post shared by @theredswitch on Apr 16, 2018 at 5:53am PDT

But another video posted today shows that the alley has yet to be cleared, and the cars are still trapped under trees and wires.

A post shared by @theredswitch on Apr 18, 2018 at 3:52am PDT

The ice storm initially left around 44,000 people without power after harsh winds and freezing rain saw Toronto transformed into a springtime winter nightmare for two days straight.

When Goulet reached out to Toronto Hydro about the damage, he was informed that they're actually telephone wires likely belonging to Bell.