Toronto's most-accessible giant head is missing from its longtime perch along the sidewalk of Queen's Park, if you haven't noticed, leaving nothing but space where there should be a face.

Jun Kaneko's six-foot-tall head sculpture, made of galvanized steel and glazed ceramic, has sat in front of Toronto's Gardiner Museum since its unveiling in 2013.

With its zebra stripes and peaceful expression, it's a piece that's as easy to love as it is hard to miss.

#LoveMW Jun Kaneko @gardinermuseum#Toronto#MuseumWeekpic.twitter.com/MBw9X5SeZr

— sara rodriguez (@isacreative) April 3, 2016

SO WHY IS IT GONE?

Construction. That's why.

Rachel Weiner, Senior Manager of Marketing at Gardiner Museum, says that the head was removed a couple of weeks ago "in preparation for construction on the plaza."

The Museum is replacing its front steps, creating a new accessibility ramp and extending the garden, making it necessary for the head to step aside temporarily.

Japanese-American ceramic artist Jun Kaneko unveiled his untitled giant head outside the Gardiner Museum in 2013, though the work was initially completed in 2002.

"The head will be back once construction is complete sometime between mid to late July," says Weiner. "Don't worry."

This time, however, it'll return with a friend.

Weiner says that the museum will be installing a new public sculpture by Shary Boyle on the other side of Kaneko's work when it's replaced.

Here's to hoping it's a life-sized version of this.

The legendary Massey Hall will soon be closing its doors in downtown Toronto until 2020 as part of a massive revitalization project.

This means, as of July 2, you won't be able to catch concerts, comedy shows, or anything at all inside the 124-year-old building — one of the finest of its kind in this city, depending on who you ask — for at least two years.

Why not make your last pre-hiatus visit a real banger?

Massey Hall is hosting a party, of sorts, for the former venue at 178 Victoria Street on June 14.

"On the occasion of Massey Hall's 124th anniversary as we gather several Massey Hall alumni for an historic night of music," reads a Facebook description for the event.

"Performing double duty as both featured performers and the house band, Whitehorse will lead an all-star lineup including Jim Cuddy, SarahHarmer, Sam Roberts and Buffy Sainte-Marie, with more to be announced."

Coolest of all? Tickets to the event are all priced at $18.94, "to honour the year that Massey Hall was gifted to the citizens of Toronto."

Awww.

The development of Toronto's new public-space-under-a-highway is moving along at a clip, and with every new detail that emerges from the project comes another (justifiable) wave of excitement.

The Bentway, as you should all well know by now, is a massive urban park that will eventually transform 1.75km underneath Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway into a series of open-air markets, music venues, festival spaces, gardens, recreational facilities and more.

The initial phase of the project is already open to the public. You may remember it from such trendy Toronto things as the Bentway Skate Trail (before it closed in February.)

As promised, the space between Strachan Avenue in the west to just east of Bathurst Street is now being converted into a year-round recreational space.

There is so much to look forward to this summer @thebentway& @fortyork! Great community open house tonight. Excited about the inclusive, welcoming and creative approach to animating this unique and wonderful public space along the waterfront. Find more: https://t.co/uQRShGVIlEpic.twitter.com/fMV8Dwha1F

— ausma malik (@ausmalik) May 25, 2018

A full schedule of events for this summer will be released in the next few weeks, according to The Bentway Conservancy, but we do already know that skateboarding will play a major role in at least one part of the program.

"The Bentway and Build for Bokma are thrilled to announce CITE, a summer-long celebration of skateboard arts and culture launching on June 30 and officially opening the Skate Trail for the season," reads a press release issued by the Bentway on Thursday.

"CITE is an art installation /skatepark featuring Semblance, skateable sculptures conceived and constructed by Build for Bokma, which create a 3D terrain for boarders to ride on."

SUMMER 2018: Skateboarding. We're teaming up with #BuildForBokma to present a 6-week celebration of skate culture. Includes temporary skate park with “skate-able” art sculptures, launch weekend, and ongoing workshops. https://t.co/qgCNSXUZ8T#FYBWOpenHouse18#TOBentway#CITEpic.twitter.com/NJJw8kQgrT

— The Bentway (@thebentway) May 24, 2018

Opening weekend will include DJ sets and music performances, live graffiti demos, open skates, trick showcases, demos, meet and greets with pros, a marketplace featuring local skateboard retailers, and more.

Subsequent weekends will see CITE offer a variety of workshops including learn to skateboard clinics, videography, screen printing, and designing skateboards.

The program will serve as a response to Toronto's new skateboard strategy (which exists, apparently?), according to The Bentway, by better serving as an example of how to better integrate skateparks in the future development of the city.

Sponsored by Vans, CITE will run from June 30 until August 12, 2018, and you will definitely see me there trying to look cool.

Fancy a side of drama with your cheese curds, eh?

The first-ever Toronto Poutine Fest is now well underway at Yonge-Dundas Square, where you can buy more than 50 different types of the fry-based delicacy until Sunday night.

This may sound like a great opportunity for local poutine purveyors, and for some it just might be — if you consider Kitchener, Perth and Ottawa local.

You see, there's not a whole lot of "Toronto" in the Toronto Poutine Fest. Most of the food trucks involved in this weekend's event are from Quebec or thereabouts (which totally makes sense, given the origins of poutine) and are actually on a poutine tour of sorts.

#Toronto just got it’s first ever poutine festival @torontopoutinefest 🍟 #poutineTO #videosTO

A post shared by blogTO (@blogto) on May 25, 2018 at 11:01am PDT

Hungry fans aren't mad about that, but Smoke's Poutinerie is.

A PR rep for the Toronto-born chain, which itself hosts an annual poutine event in Yonge-Dundas Square, says that Smoke's took offence to "being left out" of this weekend's festivities.

In response to the snub, Smoke's started handing out flyers at Yonge-Dundas Square to advertise its own $3 poutine deal (created specifically to encourage a boycott of Poutine Fest.)

Now Toronto Poutine Fest was displeased.

"At or around 6PM on May 24, 2018 two Smoke’s Poutinerie employees or contractors were seen distributing flyers at the Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, ON," reads a cease and desist letter from the Ottawa-based event organizers.

Smoke's Poutinerie employees handing out flyers across the street from Poutine Fest near Yonge-Dundas Square.

"The flyers contain an identical graphical representation of a large portion of the 'Toronto Poutine Fest' logo, published to social media on March 3, 2018," the letter continues. "The flyers are designed to intentionally misrepresent an affiliation with the Toronto Poutine Fest."

The #Toronto Poutine Fest has sent @poutinerie a letter to cease and desist https://t.co/mv2njNE8dPpic.twitter.com/SkvViJmBfk

— blogTO (@blogTO) May 25, 2018

The letter, shared with us by Smoke's on Friday, requests that the Toronto company immediately stop using the "Toronto Poutine Fest" name and logo.

Smoke's says that it will be "fighting back to support independent local franchisees who are being hurt by being excluded from the event," though it remains to be seen how. (Gravy fight! Gravy fight! Gravy fight!)

The poutine feud between one of Toronto's top french fry purveyors and a travelling food festival continues as we head into the weekend, with some new and shocking allegations from the latter.

Earlier this afternoon, a PR rep for Smoke's Poutinerie told us that organizers of the Toronto Poutine Fest had "bullied them away" from participating in their event at Yonge-Dundas Square this weekend.

"Smoke's Poutinerie has taken offence to being left out of a travelling Poutine Fest that has come to Toronto in a desperate attempting to take over their turf," wrote James Tessier of the PR agency Ireland + Hall.

Sharing a cease and desist letter that Tessier said was sent from the Poutine Fest to his client over use of the festival's logo, he noted that Smoke's was "fighting back to support independent local franchisees who are being hurt by being excluded from the event."

The #Toronto Poutine Fest has sent @poutinerie a letter to cease and desist https://t.co/mv2njNE8dPpic.twitter.com/SkvViJmBfk

— blogTO (@blogTO) May 25, 2018

As it turns out, Smoke's had been invited to participate in the event multiple times, as per new information from Poutine Fest.

According to the travelling festival, Smoke's had even agreed to join the Toronto Poutine Fest back in February when first approached by organizer Jade Racicot.

A series of emails sent to blogTO by Poutine Fest show that Smoke's general Manager Jennifer Salazar had initially been keen on the idea of joining this weekend's festival.

"We absolutely would LOVE to be involved in Toronto. Send me all the details," she wrote in reply to Racicot's invitation. "If you need anything please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly."

But you didn’t want to come... we invited you... pic.twitter.com/1b9JJO6OSe

— Poutine Tour (@PoutineTour) May 25, 2018

A few weeks later, after speaking to Salazar by phone, Racicot said she emailed Smoke's again to finalize the details.

"Hi Jenn," she wrote. "We have to submit our site plan with truck specs early next week. Can you confirm Smokes' attendance?"

Salazar appears to have replied a few days later, writing: "Thank you for reaching out to Smoke's Poutinerie. Unfortunately we're going to have to pass on this event at this time. Best of luck and I wish you a successful event."

That's where the story ended — at least until Smoke's appears to have used the Poutine Fest logo without authorization and solicited people at Yonge-Dundas square to boycott the Poutine Fest event.

pic.twitter.com/nkxqffcYaU

— Smoke's Poutinerie (@poutinerie) May 25, 2018

"We don’t know why they did this to us," said Racicot on Friday evening.

"Toronto Poutine Fest is run by myself, Dennis Collette and Kevin Parent. We are three food vendors from Ottawa. We all run small businesses (food trucks) and attend poutine fests all over the place," she explained.

"To be clear, we are not profiting as a festival... We (organizers) all paid for our spots and put hundreds of hours into planning this festival. It has been a great success and we are so proud of what we’ve accomplished."

"We invited Smokes and even discussed potential naming rights to the festival or our poutine judging contest over the phone," Racicot continued. Smokes said they would 'LOVE' to come, but then went silent... I have no idea what happened between then and now."

Tessier has yet to reply to a request for clarification, but Smoke's Poutinerie did give a comment to us via Twitter: "#FAKENEWS."

#FAKENEWS

— Smoke's Poutinerie (@poutinerie) May 25, 2018

Events in Toronto today should spell heaven on earth for coffee, dog, music and horse racing lovers as Beanstock, Woofstock and Greenwood Stakes kicks off, while the CBC Music Festival is on as well as the first day of Doors Open Toronto.

Toronto is about to get an influx of block parties. These huge jams generally shut down whole city blocks so you can get your dance, eat and drink on outside in the summer sun.

The best custom T-shirts in Toronto let you show off your sweet design skills or witty self-deprecation abilities. Get the shirt of your dreams made at any of thes printing companies and never wear an ill-fitted custom tee again.  

Here are the best custom T-shirts in Toronto.

Running clubs in Toronto are where to turn to when running solo starts to get boring. Thankfully, there are plenty of running clubs in the city so for of all skill levels looking to join one. 

Here's a round-up of notable running clubs in Toronto. 

RunningRats

When: Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m., meet at the Downtown Yonge Running Room
Distance: 7K, 10K and 13K
Cost: Free
More junior runners should join on the first Tuesday of the month when a moderate pace is available because this popular club is for those who can run 10K at a moderate pace or faster. 

Longboat Roadrunners

When: Wednesdays at 6 p.m., meet at University Settlement; Saturdays at 8:45 a.m., meet at The Grenadier Cafe; Sundays at 9 a.m., meet at West End YMCA and Sundays at 9:30 a.m., meet at University Settlement
Distance: 5K, 10K, 12K and 32K
Cost: $60 running membership, $30 reduced rate for students.
All running levels are welcome here, but the club recommends that you should be able to run at least 10K continuously. This club has a reputation for fast runners and the club posts race results for you to compare your time to. 

Lululemon

When: Various, find run clubs using the store locator. 
Distance: 5K to 10K
Cost: Free
Not just for yoga, Lululemon hosts run clubs from many of their stores across the city. Their seasoned run ambassadors typically host runs twice a week within the 5-10K range. Beginners are not just welcomed, they're encouraged.

Nike Runner's Lounge

When: Wednesdays at 6:34 p.m., meet at Central Tech Stadium 
Distance: 5K and 8K
Cost: Free
This run club began is support of the mammoth Sporting Life 10K and now meets at Central Tech. Follow their pacers on Instagram (like Eric Bang, Tas, Rachel, Krista and Brandon) for run times, or head over to the Nike website for more info. 

Running Room

When: Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 8:30 a.m, meet at all Running Room locations
Distance: Varies by location
Cost: Free, but requires registration
With a name like Running Room, you expect them to have a wealth of running options and they deliver. Practice is open to all runners and walkers with multiple groups under the guidance of pace group leaders. Running Room also holds walking training programs in addition to women-only, learn to run and training for all major distances.

Toronto Beaches Runners Club

When: Saturdays at 8:30 am by the Starbucks across from the Beaches Running Room (formally); Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 8:30 a.m. at the Beaches Running Room (informally)
Distance: Various between 6 and 30K
Cost: Free, but members are asked to donate some time volunteering for races within the community.
In just a few years this run club has grown from 20 to over 200 runners, with about 30 runners joining for each run. The club is a "social running club" that offers all new runners support and guidance on the road to getting better. 

Toronto Running Club

When: Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m, meet at the Lawrence Park Health Clinic
Distances: 7K to 15K
Cost: $40 membership
Midtowners can get in on the running action by joining this club that runs in the Yonge & Lawrence, Yonge & Eglinton, Yonge & St. Clair corridors, and from the Allen in the west to Laird in the east. The club also hosts a pub night every week after the Wednesday run.

RunTOBeer

When: Every week or couple of weeks, check the event schedule, starting location varies depending on event and run length
Distance: 3K, 5K and 10K
Cost: Free, but registration is required for some runs
Since 2014 this steadfast craft beer running series, meeting every week or two, has a different way of doing things: 10K racers begin first, picking up the 5K races in the last half who — as a large group — pick up the 3K racers to all end together. Then, they go out for a brew at one of the city's fine establishments. 

Parkdale Road Runners

When: Tuesdays at 7:45 p.m., Saturdays (women's run) at 8:45 a.m., meet at Capital Espresso 
Distance: Varies
Cost: Free
The Parkdale Road Runners offer a women's only run on Saturdays, open to women who are capable of running 10K in under 1 hour. The later start time on Tuesdays is perfect for the warmers days of summer and for those who work into the evening. 

Frontrunners Toronto

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:15 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:15 a.m., meet at The 519
Distance: 5K, 10K, 13K and 15K 
Cost: 30$ annually 
Frontrunners Toronto is a chapter of the International Frontrunners running organization that aims to create "a friendly space for LBBTTTIQQ2SA runners." They run a variety of distances for all levels through areas like the Rosedale and Moore Park Ravines, the Kay Gardner Beltline and the Don Valley.

The top Caribbean restaurants in Toronto are mostly neighbourhood staples serving up orders of jerk, roti and coco bread patties for takeout — peppered with the occasional dine-ins worthy of date night. Wherever you go, prepare to have your Caribbean cravings satisfied. 

Here are my picks for the top Caribbean restaurants in Toronto by neighbourhood.

Annex

One Love Vegetarian is a meat-free haven just steps from Bathurst station with a menu that features pumpkin-filled roti, chickpeas and a signature corn soup that’s chunky and delicious.

Avenue and Lawrence

Named after a street in Jamaica, you’ll find large portions of chicken curry roti and oxtail at Scotthill Cuisine. It feels a lot more sit-in friendly than other Caribbean spots but you can also order your meals to-go.

Baby Point

Quick service at Annie’s Cuisine and lunch specials of faves like oxtail, chicken rotis and jerk chicken make this corner spot by Annette and Jane streets a winner. 

Corktown

This second location of Ackee Tree stays serving favourites of stuffed patties with house jerk mayo and deliciously spicy fries tossed in signature jerk sauce.

Danforth

Head to Simone’s for homemade Caribbean meals made from scratch. Grab a bowl of banana or coconut porridge (a rare find in the city) and huge portions of jerk, rice and peas.

Don Mills

Allwyn’s Bakery has two Toronto locations including one on Underhill Drive. They're renowned for their jerk chicken sandwiches, beef patties and coco bread.

Just steps from Bloor Station, Randy's Roti serves a delicious bake and shark. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Dundas West

It’s all Haitian eats at Rhum Corner, the Caribbean restaurant and bar that serves up small plates, like banana frites, with some unique cocktails.

Etobicoke

Doubles from Drupati’s is the best stop you'll ever make if you’re near the Humber College North Campus. They also have fried bread with smoked herring or salt fish and stuffed roti.

Junction

If you’ve never had jerk chicken mac n’ cheese, it’s time to hit up Taste Seduction. This little strip mall spot also does jerk chicken tacos and puts a twist on shrimp fettuccine by adding jerk pesto to it.

Kensington Market

While Kensington has no shortage of delicious eats, Rasta Pasta’s summertime outdoor grill brings the lines. Grab a box of gnocchi with salt fish and ackee for a medley of Italian and Caribbean faves.

King West

One of the few dine-in spots on the list — though it’s still comfortably casual — Chubby’s has a an elevated menu of “likkle bites,” brought to you by the same people behind Gusto 101 across the street.

Leslieville

Tropical Joe's might look like a regular ol’ food court counter, but this Gerrard Square gem serves up surprisingly tasty dishes. A rare item worth trying: the jerk chicken poutine.

Liberty Village

For nearly half a century, Island Foods has been wrapping up Trini-style rotis stuffed with potatoes, channa, boneless chicken and more. You can't miss this giant green sign at the corner of King and Dufferin.

Chubby's menu consists of bites like slow-baked jerk wings. Photo by Hector Vasquez. 

Oakwood Village

The lunch specials at Judy’s Island Grill are great, with huge portions of the usual Jamaican go-tos like jerk chicken, rice and peas, and tripe gravy.

Ossington

The takeout counter-turned-hip speakeasy-style spot Roywoods is a fun spot for a date or get-together over lobster on coco bread and clamatos with jerk seasoning around the rim.

Parkdale

Veggie rotis are killer at Bacchus, a Caribbean favourite that serves up Guyanese and Bajan eats. If you like their hot sauce, you can take it home by the jar.

Queen West

Pat’s Homestyle has everything you would expect from a Jamaican takeout spot: killer hot sauce, tasty oxtail, solid beef patties and no-nonsense service from Pat. 

Regent Park

You can grab Trini classics and twists on favourites at Jerk Paradise, a tiny boîte co-owned by ex-Harlem Underground chef Kuganathan Kulanthaivelu. Chicken roti, jerk burgers and their famous island-style chicken and waffles are all on the menu here.

Scarborough

Serving one of the best — if not the best — roti in the city, Mona’s Roti on Sheppard East is known far and wide for their fluffy creations. They’ve also got tamarind balls, plantain chips and other essential snacks for sale.

St. Clair West

The fact that Albert’s Real Jamaican is open until 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays makes it an instant classic. This longtime restaurant sells roti, curry and has soup specials every day of the week.

St. James Town

No one does jerk pork better than Mr. Jerk. This cash-only spot has been a hotspot for years. If you can’t handle the heat, stay away from their house-made hot sauces.

Ackee Tree is corktown offers stuffed patties on coco buns with house jerk mayo. Photo by Hector Vasquez.

Upper Beaches

Located on Kingston Road, The Real Jerk brand has been going strong for over for 30 years. Get drunk off their extensive selections of rum while you tear apart their massive chicken roti and crispy cod fritters.

Weston-Mount Dennis

Everything at V’s Caribbean Restaurant is meat-free, subbing jerk chicken and oxtail with items like maple jerk tofu and pumpkin stew. If you’re vegetarian, you’ll love the heartiness of the meals here.

Yonge and Bloor

The food truck-turned brick and mortar Randy’s Roti offers their popular doubles and roti, plus a mouthwatering bake and shark — just steps away from the Reference Library.

Yonge and Dundas

Sitting right on the busy stretch across from the Eaton Centre, Ritz is the ideal lunch getaway from the hustle and bustle outside. Lunch specials like jerk chicken are pretty affordable and lines are bearable enough for the YDS area.

The Leslie Street Spit began as a manmade peninsula of discarded bricks and debris but is now one of Toronto's most beloved nature getaways.

Whether you refer to it as Leslie Spit, the Spit, Tommy Thompson, or the Outer Harbour East Headland (its more formal moniker) this five kilometre path extending from Leslie Street south to the water is a testament to the unrelenting resilience of mother nature. 

Tommy Thompson Park is the beginning portion of the Leslie Street Spit.

A real city-nature mashup, this stretch near Woodbine Beach is home to 400 species of plants and an immense population of birds, all of which reside and flourish alongside hills of eroded cement and rebar along the Spit's shores. 

The street is a popular trail for bikers and joggers.

Entry rules are more stringent here than at other parks, likely because of the dangerous materials located all along the water's edge. There are no cars allowed on the trail here — though there's plenty of parking at the Tommy Thompson Park entrance — and dogs are forbidden.

Lookout points along the beginning part of the path let walkers and bike riders check out the eastern view.

On weekends the park opens early, at 5:30 a.m., and closes at 9 p.m. During the weekdays you'll have to skip the early morning walk and head over for the incredible view of the sunset instead, since the park opens late, at 4 p.m., and closes at 9 p.m. 

There are several little paths that let walkers travel through grassier areas.

It'll take a little over an hour for moderate walkers to cover the entire path well-worn by bikers, joggers and nature lovers craving an escape from the city. Full of grassy trails and cottonwood trees, you'd never guess that a portion of Leslie Spit still acts as a landfill today.

The manmade peninsula was originally built as a breakwater during the 1950s. 

Originally intended as a breakwater in the 1950s, the peninsula was created to accommodate a forecasted expansion of shipping traffic to the city's outer harbour — an increase that never ended up happening. 

Tommy Thompson's shore is full of rebar and construction debris. 

Instead, the city began using the Spit as a dumping ground in the 70s. Construction materials, silt and mud from Toronto's building zones and TTC have transformed the southern area of the Spit over the decades.

The natural environment has flourished in Leslie Street Spit, despite being a landfill. 

Despite this, the natural environment has thrived on this manmade piece of land and the naturalization of the Spit has become a big priority (thanks to advocacy groups like Friends of the Spit) with plans to turn the entire area into a parkland in the future. 

There are over 400 types of plants growing in the Leslie Street Spit. 

Today the area is quite a bird lovers paradise, with over 300 species calling it home. Near the last leg of the trail you'll pass a forested area that rings with the cacophony of bird cries and no doubt you'll see a number of gulls, finches and night-herons soaring overhead here. 

The Bird Research Station is open during bird migration seasons in spring and fall.

Designated an Important Bird Area, the Spit also houses the Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station, which is accessible to the public via an offshoot trail on weekends during the migration seasons of spring and fall. 

The Tommy Thompson Park floating bridge marks the halfway point to the southermost point of the Spit. When you get here you'll be rewarded with incredible views to the east and west across the outer harbour toward Cherry Beach. 

A sheltered lookout provides a glimpse of Toronto's skyline.

Further along the tree-lined path you'll eventually find a little lookout with a quintessential view of Toronto's skyline. It looks especially beautiful when the sun begins to set. 

Vicki Keith Point marks the tip of the Leslie Street Spit. 

As you near the Vicki Keith Point (named after the celebrated Canadian swimmer), you'll see the road fork around an uphill climb to High Point.

A solar-powered lighthouse sits atop High Point. 

Sitting atop High Point is the Toronto Harbour Light, an automated lighthouse built in 1974, that's powered by a solar panel and conducts ship traffic along the eastern channel into the city's harbour.

The very tip of the peninsula is littered with brick and steel, but the western skyline view makes up for it. 

Just beneath the hill at lake-level is the anti-climactic tip of the Spit, a barren piece of land littered with industrial junk. The real view is to the west, where — just across the water — you'll see Toronto's skyline uninhibited by trees. 

Toronto’s white squirrels are pretty much a municipal treasure, so it’s understandable that people were very upset when one met a tragic end in Trinity Bellwoods a few years back.

Rarely seen two at a time, the solo sightings of these ghostly critters have led most to believe that there’s only a handful of white squirrels in the whole city.

Well, Torontonians can rest assured that the legacy of the white squirrell continues. 

A post shared by Understanding Is Ecstasy (@vanillashanahan) on May 23, 2018 at 2:08pm PDT

On Thursday somebody sighted a family of these majestic white morphs chilling on a fence at their favourite haunt, Trinity Bellwoods.

In the video it looks like a young squirrel is attempting to feed off its mother who's simply not having it (I guess it's weaning time).

While there’s only two squirrels in the photo, the lucky witness @vanillashanahan commented that there were actually a few more hanging out nearby.

The regram by @parkdalelife has gotten thousands of reactions, with one user referring to the squirrels as “Toronto’s royal family.”

The regram caption reads, “This is the only royal progeny I care about. Babies to carry the white squirrel crown are here!!”

While nowhere near as expensive as Harry and Meghan’s union this past weekend, the squirrel clan’s showing was just as exciting (if not more so).

A post shared by Catherine Mangosing (@myturtleneck) on May 14, 2018 at 7:02am PDT

The warm weather seems to have brought out more sightings of these treasured tree-dwellers in the past few weeks. 

Doing the most #Toronto thing ever: sitting in bellwoods, drinking a @BrickWorksCider& spotting the white squirrel. This is my life now. pic.twitter.com/r4XCIzltCs

— Kate L. Grant (@KateLGrant) May 22, 2018

For anyone losing sleep over the possible extinction of these rare beauties, keep calm and head over to Trinity Bellwoods because you might just spot some heirs to the throne.

Doors Open Toronto 2018, the city's annual, two-day-long celebration of architecture and snooping, returns this weekend with more than 50 new spaces (out of a total 134) for the public to explore, many of them centred around this year's theme of "Film: The Great Romance."

From can't-miss favourites to exciting new additions, here are my picks for the top buildings to check out at Doors Open Toronto in 2018.

Bay Lower Station

You've likely heard that there's a secret, unused TTC subway station beneath Bay — and that it's nearly impossible to visit without being on some sort of film crew. That changes this weekend, when the TTC opens up Bay Lower to the public after years of reserving it for productions like Resident Evil and The Handmaid's Tale.

Toronto Reference Library

If you think that the first five floors of Toronto's biggest library are spectacular, wait until you see the other five — the ones that are usually off-limits to the public. This architectural and cultural landmark houses a lot more than books. Doors Open visitors can expect to see everything from the Arthur Conan Doyle Room to TPL's own Conservation Lab.

The stunning Toronto Reference Library was designed by architect Raymond Moriyama and completed in 1977. Photo by Jack Landau.

Humber Lakeshore Campus

Like Bay Station, something old, cool and definitely haunted lies beneath the brick "cottage" buildings at Humber College's Lakeshore campus. Built in 1888 by patients at the Mimico Branch Asylum, the psychiatric hospital-turned-learning centre is connected by a series of historic underground tunnels that you can walk through this weekend.

Malabar Ltd. Costume Warehouse

Theatre, film, TV and fashion fans alike will have the rare opportunity this weekend to see Malabar's sprawling Brockton Village warehouse — home to more than 30,000 historical costumes dating back to 1923. Experts in makeup, design and costumes ranging from the Medieval to Edwardian periods will be on hand to help you explore.

The costumes in Malabar's warehouse at 122 Brock Avenue are rented throughout North America for opera and theatre productions, as well as for film and television shows. Image via City of Toronto.
 

PARTISANS

Doors Open purists will be thrilled to note that one of Toronto's most-renowned architecture studios will be welcoming guests into its open-concept creative hub in Dovercourt Village — a space that has severed as everything from a textile factory to a practice space for musicians like Drake and The Weeknd early in their careers.

Ubisoft Toronto

This video game industry giant will be opening its doors to the public on May 26 for the first time since it was established in 2010. Guests can look forward to experiencing Ubisoft's "Performance Capture studio," which uses 80 VICON cameras to produce the highest-quality performance capture for games, film and TV. (Please note: Visitors must register in advance to access this Doors Open exhibit.)

Ubisoft Toronto is located in the the former General Electric factory, a four-storey industrial building located in the Junction Triangle.

University of Toronto: McLennan Physical Labs

Another new addition to this year's program is home to some of Canada's most cutting-edge research in physics, astrophysics and astronomy. It's also where Good Will Hunting was filmed. Doors Open visitors should be sure to check out this building's huge, 16th floor telescopes for a chance to safely view the sun.

MOCA (Tower Automotive Building)

One of Toronto's coolest depression-era industrial towers is fast-transforming into the the Museum of Contemporary Art's new home in the Junction Triangle. Get a sneak preview of how MOCA is using the Tower Automotive Building before everyone else does: the space won't officially open until September.

The Tower Automotive Building, build for the Northern Aluminum Company in 1919, has been sitting vacant since its closure in 2006. Image by Hector Vasquez.

Shaftesbury

Located in the heart of Toronto's Studio District, this 10,000 square foot media production space features an indoor park, among other cool filming spaces. Visitors for Doors Open will get to take pictures with larger-than-life props from shows like Carmilla and Murdoch Mysteries.

St. John's Convent

This actual convent in North York, near the intersection at Cummer and Maxome avenues, is described as a "contemporary expression of monasticism" for the Anglican Sisterhood of St. John the Divine. Guests are invited to explore spectacular architectural details, like a high-vaulted chapel with 100-year-old carvings and an outdoor labyrinth.

Photo Challenge

Submit your photos of this year's Doors Open Toronto and you could win one of three gift certificates for Henry's Canada. Just tag your photos of Doors Open Toronto with #blogTOdot18 on Instagram to enter the challenge. The deadline to submit is May 27 at 11:59 pm.

We will select our 10 favourite photos from those submitted, and then the public will have a chance to vote for their favourite between May 28 and June 3, 2018. The winners will be announced on June 4, 2018.

For decades, the intersection of Bathurst and Wilson has been most closely associated with a large pocket of Toronto's Jewish population: with Bathurst Manor and B'Nai B'rith just blocks away, it's not hard to see why. 

But over the past five years, this North York neighbourhood has begun to see a separate identity emerge, more formally recognized by another name: Little Manila. 

There are approximately 47 Filipino-owned businesses in the small area of Little Manila. 

Consisting mostly of restaurants and bakeries serving up lechon, pancit and snacks from the Philippines, Bathurst and Wilson is where you'll find the most Filipino-run businesses situated within walking distance of one another in the city. 

Many businesses in the area service those workig in the caregiving industry. 

According to business owners and locals, the Filipino community saw a major surge in the 1980s and 90s which led to the creation of Little Manila as we see it today. 

Due to the now-terminated Live-In Caregiver Program that allowed many people — mostly women — to find jobs in Toronto, many immigrants were able to work and eventually bring their families to Canada.

You'll see a mix of Filipino and Jewish businesses at Wilson and Bathurst. 

The Wilson and Bathurst area became the perfect landing place: populated with an aging, mostly Jewish community in need of care, new immigrants were able to find work and homes outside of other Filipino-dominant areas like St. Jamestown and parts of Scarborough. 

You can get a huge feast to share at Wilson's Haus of Lechon. 

Now with the more recent addition of the Taste of Manila festival that draws thousands to the area every summer, the neighbourhood has officially established itself as the hotspot for all things pinoy.

Pat's No Frills has both kosher items for the Jewish community and frozen Filipino favourites. 

According to Taste of Manila's founder Rolly Mangante, Little Manila today encompasses 47 Filipino-owned businesses, with restaurants serving Filipino silog breakfasts now outnumbering Jewish institutions like the breakfast spot Bagel World and Amazing Donuts.

The Bathurst-Wilson Parkette acts as a gathering space for the Filipino community during special events. 

Located just beneath the 401 bridge, you'll find the Bathurst-Wilson Parkette which acts as a gathering place for the community during special events like Philippines Independence Day. 

Wilson's Haus of Lechon features an outdoor grill. 

One of the most well-known restaurants in Little Manila right now is Wilson's Haus of Lechon, a purveyor of Cebu-style suckling pig and rotisserie chickens, with a stall outside for grilling. 

Filipino-style Lechon is a roasted suckling pig often ordered whole for special events. 

A quintessential meal at family get-togethers, lechon is ordered whole or by the pound. There are a few other establishments roasting up lechon in the area, and around Toronto too, but Wilson's is by far the most popular.

Da Best Filipino bakery has been selling Filipino goods for the past seven years. 

In the same strip of businesses is also Da Best Filipino Bakery, a simple store that has stocked tons of Filipino goods, like Kare-Kare mix; dried chicharron (pork rinds) and instant pancit (noodles), for the past seven years. 

Da Best Bakery specializes in pandesal, which are simple and sweet buns popular in the Philippines. 

The sweet scent of bread is the first thing you'll notice here: they sell bags of airy pandesal buns for $3.50, plus pan de coco and pan de buko. 

Kabalen offers Pampanga cuisine like adobo and sisig. 

Right next to it you'll also find Kabalen, a secondary location of the original down the street on Bathurst which specializes in Pampanga-style dishes like adobo to-go. 

Jollytops specializes in fried chicken, with daily deals and student specials that include spaghetti and pancit.

The restaurant Jollytops take a page from the book of the giant Filipino fried chicken empire Jollibee — now with a location in Toronto — selling student specials of fried chicken with spaghetti or palabok noodles. 

FV Foods is a bakery, takeout counter and grocery store rolled into one. 

At FV Foods, you'll find a hot table and baked goods, along with frozen empanadas made in-house. Not only that, the bakery also has a downstairs grocery store that looks barren, but actually has a decent number of staple items. 

Head downstairs to access FV Food's underground market. 

Shelves of Datu Puti soy sauce and classic snacks like Ding Dong and Boy Bawang corn nuts make up this sparse subterraneous space. 

The market sells balikbayan boxes, which are commonly filled and sent back to the Philippines. 

FV also sells the quintessential balikbayan boxes used by the majority of families to fill up with Canadian goods and send back home. 

Sampaguita Village is a Filipino institution in Little Manila. 

Further along Wilson you'll find Sampaguita Village, one of Little Manila's favourite restaurants among locals and tourists alike. For over 25 years this humble spot has been serving lechon kawali, sinigang and huge dishes of garlic fried rice for takeout or dine-in. 

Cusina Lounge offers a daily buffet and different forms of entertainment for parties. 

And closer to the main drag is Cusina Lounge, a buffet-meets-entertainment venue with an extensive bar and lunch buffets for $12 on weekdays, $15 on weekends. Coupled with karaoke parties, this spot is a guaranteed good time. 

Right outside during the day you can grab chicken and beef skewers for $3 apiece. This outdoor grill is, for many, as reminiscent of the Philippines as Wilson Street can get. 

A dilapidated home in Leslieville with no door and no windows has been sold for $9,900 below asking price. 

Clearly the owner of the eyesore at 28 Woodfield Road has been desperate to get rid of the property; just two weeks ago the price had already been bumped down to $699,000 from its original $800,000. 

The property sold shortly afterward for $690,000 which is exactly 98.8 percent of the asking price. 

While the term 'asking price' is commonly used in tandem with gimmicks meant to stir bidding wars over properties that have already been undervalued, it's obvious there was no such turf war over the sad little bungalow near Coxwell and Eastern Avenue. 

The buyer – whoever they are – will now certainly tear down the existing structure deemed unsafe by real estate agents to build a new home on the 20 by 117-square foot lot.

Undoubtedly its replacement will be worth far more than the coveted Leslieville real estate was bought for.

When Yung Sing Pastry Shop closed its doors for "major renovations" in November 2009, a sign in the window promised to re-open the following summer. 

Nearly ten years later, the family-run business in Baldwin Village is still closed and is looking more dilapidated than ever. 

Once a bonafide Toronto institution for BBQ pork buns, curry beef buns and rare tofu buns, Yung Sing had been serving cheap Chinese snacks to Baldwin Street since the 1960s. 

People eagerly awaited the pastry shop's return when the Ko family closed its doors and put up a window sign assuring everyone they'd be right back. 

But several months passed by, then several years, and even the most loyal customers eventually abandoned the prospect of ever tasting Yung Sing's buns again.

Today, the shop's window decals are faded; there's no evidence that any type of renovations ever happened at all. If you peer into the paper-covered window, you can make out piles of old furniture stacked haphazardly inside. 

In a market as competitive as Toronto's, it's not unusual for even the most venerable mainstays to go out of business, especially family-run ones purveying cheap eats. 

What's odd is that, even after all these years, this precious piece Baldwin Street real estate has yet to be sold or even put up for sale.

With the introduction of more exciting ventures like Omai, Momo San and Charadise just steps away, the abandoned Yung Sing feels like a golden egg gone cold.

There are rumours being passed around neighbours that a siblings' feud is what's causing the store's stagnant state, but members of the Ko family – who own Yung Sing's building as well as a number of residential properties in the area – remain elusive. 

Next-door businesses says that renovations are intended to happen so that the coveted space can eventually house a new business 

When – and if – that happens has yet to be seen: at this point the only thing we can bet on is that Yung Sing's pastries are a thing of the past.  

Events in Toronto are anything but quiet for a Sunday. Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington starts the season off with food, art and music in the streets, while it's the last chance to check out many off limit spaces around the city with Doors Open.

Free events in Toronto this week celebrate BeaverTails' 40th anniversary with a free BeaverTail giveaway. It's also that time of year for Dundas West Fest, now with an extra day of festivities.

Breaking up in public is undoubtedly one of the worst ways to call it quits with your boo. Even worse: having your split documented on social media by a member of the Blue Jays. 

On Friday, Jays reliever John Axford sent out a condolence Tweet addressed to a couple who "clearly broke up" while standing near the team's bullpen at their game in Philadelphia. 

Dear couple that clearly broke up while standing near our bullpen in the 5th inning today,

Lovely entertainment for a few minutes, but we hope you’re ok. Feel free to come back tomorrow and discuss with us. We can provide the third party point of view!

Love,

The Jays bullpen!

— John Axford (@JohnAxford) May 26, 2018

Apparently the couple's fighting caused enough of a raucous that it attracted the attention of players during the fifth inning of the game. 

"Lovely entertainment for a few minutes, but we hope you're ok," Tweeted Axford. 

The player followed by extending an invitation to the pair for a couple's therapy sesh with the team, who evidently heard enough of the fight to offer a "third party point of view". 

Does the Jays bullpen take appointments? I have some issues that I would like to discuss.

— Steve Butts #BASTA (@SteveB5477) May 26, 2018

The couple likely did not take up Axford's offer, as they were probably suffering from the post-break up blues and will likely never be able to watch a Blue Jays-Phillies game without feeling sad ever again.

@susanslusser Who better than relief pitchers to *save* a relationship?

— Michelle Milliken (@MichelleyM) May 26, 2018

Moral of the story: if you're going to break up loudly, don't do it at a sports event – especially next to the bullpen. 

Toronto is a fabulous city for vintage clothing shopping. We've got swaths of stores on Ossington and in Kensington Market, but that rich vintage scene also means there are plenty of lesser-known or underrated gems worthy of a visit.

Here's a round-up of vintage clothing shops in Toronto you might now know about.

Space Vintage

Now sitting pretty in Kensington Market, this shop has some great deals on women's vintage clothes among its selection of unique dresses. Their purse and shoe game is pretty bomb too, and prices are definitely reasonable considering the quality of the garment. 

People's Champ Vintage

This Dundas West spot is a go-to place for stocking up on vintage sportswear, including up-cycled and reworked clothing — especially T-shirts, long sleeve tees, sweatshirts and jackets. There's also the odd bag. 

You Babe

Named for the Sonny and Cher song, this Brockton Village spot is stocked with a unique collection of women’s clothing, accessories, housewares and knick-knacks. 

Garb

If you're looking to take things into the next bracket — labels and price-wise — this West Queen West store is a great place to head. They're a high-end designer men's and women's clothing and accessories consignment shop that's definitely picky about what it carries in terms of labels.

Frou Frou Vintage

If you've got a big event coming up where you need an outfit that crowns you as the 'belle of the ball', head over to this Parkdale shop that specializes in 60s and 70s vintage dresses and fashion accessories.

Paris Calling

Near the intersection at Lakeshore and Islington in Etobicoke, this treasure trove deals in all things fabulous. Here you'll find steals on designer labels — with really decent prices on everything, check their Instagram feed to start shopping before you get there — and absolutely amazing one of a kind pieces. Almost too good to be true. 

Lori's Locker

This gem in Etobicoke near the intersection at Kipling and Horner has an inventory that changes from week-to-week, with new items added every day. The majority of the items in the store are from storage locker auctions, but the owners also scour estate sales, auctions and garage sales for their many pieces on display.  

SIFTED

Nestled in a small plaza near the intersection at Ellesmere and Markham roads in Scarborough, this hot shop is all about bringing their customers rare and quality vintage pieces, and definitely no reproductions. Hit this place up if you have some cash to spend. 

The Handwork Department

Near Danforth and Woodbine, this shop is owned by jewellery artist Maggie Krawczyk and her partner. Together, the pair scour Ontario — and beyond — to find unique vintage items. They also sell handcrafted goods. Here you can find a small selection of stunning vintage dresses. 

Siberia Vintage

Just like grandma's closet (a really cool grandma!), this Bloorcourt spot is a curated assortment of women's fashion from the 70s, 80s and 90s. The sample of clothes, accessories, shoes, knits and faux and real fur coats may be small, but you can be sure it's all expertly collected.