If nothing else, Toronto is quirky — and the theatre scene is definitely no exception. 

The season of Toronto's Fringe Festival is coming soon and, in light of that, here are a few of the different places where you'll be able to catch performances this year. 

Flooded takes place on a sailboat and stars Hayden Finkelshtain, Melanie Leon, Duncan Rowe and Nicole Wilson. Photo courtesy Ara Glenn-Johanson.

On a sailboat

This hour-long performance of Flooded is truly a showboat. That is, a show on a boat — the Pirate Life Boat specifically. 35 guests will be taken aboard a vessel and sail around the Toronto Islands as the performance takes place. 

Harvey & The Extraordinary is staged in a garage. Photo courtesy Neil Silcox. 

In a garage

In the garage of a home on Markham Street, the one-woman show Harvey & The Extraordinary gets up close and personal with theatre-goers for an hour. 

How to be FEARLESS! (with Roxy Roberts) is taking place at The Bell Tower Cafe. Photo courtesy @belltower_cafe. 

In a coffee shop

This play gets a jolt by coming to a coffee shop (maybe) near you. How to be FEARLESS! (with Roxy Roberts) is on at The Bell Tower Cafe at Avenue Road and Dupont Street.

Catch FEATHERWEIGHT at the Paddock near Queen and Bathurst. Photo courtesy John Gundy. 

In bars

Bars seem to be a very popular venue this year, with seven shows taking over various spots around the city.

Catch Carmilla at The Painted Lady, Lighters in the Air at Monarch Tavern, We The Men at whatever is taking over the Cadillac Lounge, Hamburger at The Hideout, Coconuts, Cedar Trees, and Maple Leaves at Sarah's Café, Enjoy the Hostilities at Bovine Sex Club, and Featherweight at The Paddock. 

Kitchen Sink Drama will come to life inside Betsy Swift Community Kitchen in The Ralph Thornton Community Centre.

In a kitchen

Performing in the kitchen space of The Ralph Thornton Community Centre near Queen and Broadview, Kitchen Sink Drama serves audience drama and food. Even better, there will be food samples to chow down on during the performance.

Is That How Clowns Have Sex? A One-Woman, Queer Clown Sex-Ed Show will be staged at King Toront. Photo courtesy Pascale Yensen. 

In an adult entertainment store

Learn a bit more during this sex-ed class than you did in middle school by taking in Is That How Clowns Have Sex? A One-Woman, Queer Clown Sex-Ed Show at adult entertainment store Kink Toronto, near Bloor and Dovercourt. 

The Makeover Show will be at Monsieur Barber Shop & Spa. Photo courtesy Gilles Gagnon. 

In a barber shop

Monsieur Barber Shop & Spa near Bloor and Spadina plays host to The Makeover Show, giving audience members a real feel for what actually happens before, during and after TV makeovers. 

The Bata Shoe Museum ise where Mrs. Mama's House will take place. Photo courtesy Philip Castleton. 

In a museum

Mrs. Mama's House invites you to spend an evening at the Bata Shoe Museum for their "site-informed" production. 

Behind St. Hilda's Residence serves as the location for The Queen's Eulogy. Photo Ccurtesy Tanya Rintoul. 

In an alleyway

The Queen's Eulogy  takes place "behind St. Hilda's Residence" and is accessed via the alleyway behind the building. Meant to be performed in a "garbage dump" the creators invite audience members into the "uncomfortable yet vulnerable space" to better understand their production. 

Of Xanath Fuentes Natanson in the neighbourhood she grew up in that serves as the backdrop to Sweet Girl Shrapnel. Photo courtesy Colleen Osborn.

On a neighbourhood walk

Beginning at 29 Lippincott Street, the audience is invited to join the travelling (literally) production of Sweet Girl Shrapnel on a walk of the surrounding neighbourhood. 

After decades of cabaret nights, drag shows, and nearly 1,000 onstage productions, Buddies in Bad Times– Canada's most active and most prolific queer theatre – turns 40 this year.

Launched in 1978, the revolutionary and at times controversial Buddies has been celebrated for paving the way for queer theatre enthusiasts  way before gay civil rights and same-sex marriage became a part of public discourse. 

Today, the theatre remains a fixture in Toronto's Gay Village with weekly performances and recurring events like its lauded Rhubarb Festival, which has been showcasing new work since 1979, and workshops like the Queer Youth Arts program. 

"It hasn't been all smooth sailing," says Buddies' artistic director Evalyn Parry, "But we're at a more stable place than we've ever been."

Buddies in Bad Times holds drag shows and cabarets every week. 

Buddies' co-founder and first artistic director Sky Gilbert recalls getting hate mail constantly, and the time in 1994 when Toronto Sun columnist Christina Blizzard launched a campaign in protest of the city's funding for the theatre, prompting the city to pull its funding completely. 

City councillors and critics alike called Buddies "a sex club" and "an example of waste of government funding", says Gilbert. In response, he led a march (dressed up as his drag alter-ego, Jane) down to the Toronto Sun office, which led the city to later restore its funding.

That was the same year Buddies found its current home in the city-owned 12 Alexander Street in the Village, a move which strained the theatre financially but solidified its presence more firmly in the queer community.

"I realize now that I was creating a place where I was surrounded by my own kind and I knew I didn't have to go out to the straight world all the time," says Gilbert. 

Buddies' repertoire of productions has ranged from political dramas to comedies. 

Offering a safe space long before the term became popularized, Buddies has been an integral part to many people's coming-out stories. For many queer Torontonians, it's likely that Buddies was one of the first venues you ever visited.

Tyler Sloane, a 25 year-old Indigenous and East Asian queer youth, moved from Alberta to Toronto in search of a theatre program to enrol in and found Buddies. 

"Being there, I was able to come out a second time as a non-binary, two-spirited person, which was a very hard and beautiful journey," says Sloane.

"Without Buddies, I would not be the artist or performer that I am today." 

Now, Sloane is a community artist at Sketch Working Arts, and is planning a public political performance for the upcoming Pride.

The performance will start at Buddies and works it way into the street of the festival to demonstrate for the rights of gay Black folk and POC and – in true Buddies fashion – against society's toxic masculinity.

Fire crews are putting out a two-alarm blaze that broke out during Taste of Little Italy at around 2 p.m. today. 

A post shared by Teri Mojo (@terimojo) on Jun 17, 2018 at 11:12am PDT

The fire engulfed the second storey above the Fish Store and Ghazale near College and Grace Streets, putting a halt to one of the city's largest street festivals.

Fire at Taste of Little Italy Toronto #tasteoflittleitaly#firepic.twitter.com/gUNQwzIizD

— Bowl Cereal (@appsbymarc) June 17, 2018

The building was evacuated and barriers were erected to protect the crowd of festival-goers, who were made to clear a path for fire trucks as they worked to extinguish the blaze. 

Huge Fire in Little Italy in #Toronto. View from west humber bay park @Toronto_Firepic.twitter.com/NhdGXqULMk

— VinnyH (@vincenthong) June 17, 2018

The fire was massive – large enough to be seen from West Humber Bay Park. 

@blogTO@VirginRadioTO Fire art Tastes of Little Italy... so sad pic.twitter.com/4boA5a3BU9

— Bre Nda (@brendalrntns2) June 17, 2018

It took about half an hour for Toronto Fire to contain the fire, and thankfully no injuries have been reported.

Hot day for these @Toronto_Fire first responders in Little Italy. @CityNews@CP24pic.twitter.com/r6azum1OY2

— Patrick Searle (@Patrick4ONT) June 17, 2018

The smoking building has nearly been extinguished completely – in the meantime the Taste of Little Italy continues. 

Events in Toronto this week have lots going out as Open Roof festival kicks off with movies and music. It's also time to crack open a cold one at the Craft Festival of Beer and catch the fun at Toronto Pride.

This weekend was a scorcher; an excellent time to try out one of the many rooftop patios in the city that offers cold drinks. 

Toronto weather is killing me, it’s toooo hot

— nikki🦋 (@dailycamilaa) June 18, 2018

A heat warning is still in effect across Toronto today as temperatures are expected to climb to the low thirties again, with peak humidex values near 40. 

For all the people in #Toronto who complained about the weather in April being cold...enjoy the 38c humidex today during the last days of....... #spring

— Laurence (@twinsen123) June 18, 2018

But it looks like it's going to be letting up soon — not that we're happy about it at all. 

A few showers are on the agenda today and a cold front is expected to chill Southern Ontario tonight, effectively ending the heat wave for now. 

A screenshot of the weekly weather report from Environment Canada. Courtesy Environment Canada. 

Tomorrow is looking like a mix of sun and cloud, with a high of 22C. The rest of the week is a mix of higher and lower temperatures in the 20-30 degree range. 

Have you ever wondered why so many old-school ice cream and poutine trucks get to hang out in front of places like City Hall, while the vendors we clamour for at food truck festivals are nowhere to be found?

Toronto’s notoriously hard-to-follow food truck rules make everything from getting a permit to staying far enough away from brick and mortar restaurants confusing.

It’s a well-known fact that mobile businesses can’t just park wherever they want, whenever they want, for however long they want. 

FeasTO, for instance, can't just roll up on Queen Street and start selling dumplings. Nor can Queen Arepa, Gorilla Cheese, Kitchen Empire, La Novela, or anyone else who hit the scene after American Pie went to DVD.

Mr. Tasty Fries, on the other hand, is out in front of Nathan Phillips Square every day.

You see, this truck plays by a different set of rules — a set of rules that only apply to 23 food trucks in Toronto, all of them with a now-extinct type of permit registered before 1999. 

It's harder to get a food truck permit in Toronto than a gun in America

— sumitarora (@sumitarora) May 30, 2014

"It's a very two-tired system," says feasTO's Ada Mok. "I don’t believe the city treats any other industry this way... it's weird how it's just these 23 guys."

Mok explained that modern food trucks can only apply for something called an R54 permit (a "mobile truck") permit. This allows them to set up in one of a select few parking spots around the city, on a first come, first served basis.

It's not uncommon for R45 permit holders to prepare an entire day's worth of food to sell, only to have it wasted when they can't find anywhere to park.

Conversely, the older food trucks we see in front of places like the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and City Hall have R55 or "designated curb lane vending permit" permits.

These allow them guaranteed access to a stationary curb lane spot with their name on it. No other food trucks can park there, nor can regular cars — regardless of whether the truck shows up that day.

MR TASTY FRIES! My favourite #poutine in Toronto. @Rolfey21pic.twitter.com/eHO3qXp535

— Señor Darren (@dazunderscore) March 21, 2015

When R55 permits were cancelled, those who already had them were "grandfathered" into the existing system, meaning they — and only they — could continue to operate as curbside vendors.

Twenty-seven of these operators were still in existence as of 2014, when the City of Toronto put forth a new regulatory framework for food trucks.

At the time, officials promised to start phasing out this type of permit, eventually allowing all food trucks to compete for all spots equally.

This has yet to happen, and if a report set to go before City Council on June 26 is approved, it might not happen for quite some time.

It's almost as if the city's R55 food truck permit holders saw what council did with standard taxi plates & want in: http://t.co/Uw0uUPiu9k

— John Michael McGrath (@jm_mcgrath) April 14, 2015

The City of Toronto's Licensing and Standards Committee amended a motion late last week that recommends the extension of these 23 stationary curb lane vendor permits until the end of 2022 (as opposed to December 21, 2016— one of several such deadlines that have already come and gone.)

Mok, who founded feasTO in 2014 and was present for the meeting at City Hall, finds the decision confusing.

"I understand that they've been in business for many years, but since when is 'we've been doing it for 50 years, we should be able to keep doing it' a valid excuse?"

"I owned a restaurant, and I was a 60 year old man, and my restaurant wasn't successful," she continued, "The city wouldn't help me out."

Some of the 23 curb lane vendors who were present at the meeting felt it would be unfair to take away their designated spots, claiming that they'd be unemployable after so many years of running a food truck. 

As Mok points out, these owners would still be able to run their businesses on an R45 permit — they'd just be under the same regulations as everyone else in the city.

One of the food truck owners who advocated for not a two year, but a ten year extension, spoke about how the fast-changing industry was already threatening the livelihood of R55 operators.

"Two years is not enough," said the man, who has been selling ice cream in Toronto roughly 50 years.

"Still some families, they have a mortgage to pay, and a house. Some people, they have kids in university," he continued. "If in two years you throw them out, they don't have any other support."

To that, Mok says: "I have a mortgage. I have a family. I have to pay for my kids' university. These problems are not just experienced by them."

"I'm going to be 46 in 2032," she continued. "I'm not going to wait until I'm 46 to park downtown. I won't have a food truck by then."

Ward 28 councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker pointed out during the meeting that the permits had already been extended, several times, since 1999.

The motion was amended nonetheless and will be set to a vote at City Council later this month.

"It's weird those are their reasons for keeping the permits, and that those reasons are being accepted by the Licensing and Standards Committee."

Some of the men, as part of their rationale for an extension, mentioned the fact that they are immigrants, according to Mok.

"I'm an immigrant too," she says. "I'm 31, but I'm an immigrant."

One of Toronto's most party-friendly outdoor spaces became a literal fire island this weekend thanks to some cottonwood fluff, a cigarette butt, and the hot, hot summertime heat.

Hanlan's Point Beach was bumping on Sunday afternoon as soaring temperatures sent scads of young adults out to the Toronto Islands. 

The clothing-optional beach, known for its lack of children and abundance of happy fun-seekers, also happens to be a magnet for the fluffy white seeds of cottonwood trees, when the wind is right — and this was definitely the case all weekend.

It’s snowing at Hanlan’s! #summersnow #beach #allergiesarekillingme #hanlanspoint #itssopretty

A post shared by R.O (@ivegoneprivate) on Jun 17, 2018 at 3:49pm PDT

Pretty as it might be (for people who don't have allergies), this "summertime snow" is extremely flammable, as are dry grass and trees.

All it took was one carelessly disposed-of cigarette, witnesses say, to spark a blaze on one of the trails leading up to the beach.

Photo and video footage of the small grass/rubbish fire emerged on Twitter and Instagram shortly after 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Holy fuck there’s a grass fire near Hanlan’s beach. The white fluffs and a cigarette most likely. pic.twitter.com/DFdyB5G45X

— Christopher Clark (@heychristofur) June 17, 2018

Toronto Fire Service crews were dispatched at 1:02 p.m., and appear to have put out the blaze before any serious damage was caused.

"Don't throw your cigarette butts on the ground," scolded a Twitter account run by staff at the Hanlan's Point mooring wall later on Sunday. "It might catch on fire."

Fire (grass/rubbish) [Toronto]
Lakeshore Avenue
b/w Hanlan's Point Park Trail / Hanlan's Point Park Trail
Dispatched: 17/06/18 @ 13:02 EDT
[Stn: 335] Pumper-335
General Area: https://t.co/kKNSJMlk1p

— Toronto Fire South (@tofireS) June 17, 2018

Indeed, this part of the island is no stranger to fire. A large grass fire broke out in the same area two summers ago, creating plumes of smoke visible from mainland Toronto.

In 1909, a far more devastating fire claimed an amusement park at Hanlan's Point, as well as the long gone Hotel Hanlan.

The mysterious pink building near Greenwood Park in Leslieville has been a source of curiosity for the neighbouring community, until now. 

Earlier this year Food Dudes announced that they were opening a pizza chain and as it so happens, Blondies Pizza is said to be opening up in the pink space.  

A post in the I am a Leslievillian! Facebook group reads "My wife and I chatted with a guy outside of the mysterious pink corner under construction at Hastings and Dundas. Couldn't be more pumped!" 

A post shared by Blondies Pizza (@blondies_pizza) on Jun 9, 2018 at 4:37pm PDT

Going off of the very pink aesthetic of the Blondies Pizza social media accounts, it makes sense that they've chosen the very pink building as their landing spot — if true. We'll just have to wait and see.

This week on DineSafe we see the closure of one of Toronto's most popular comedy clubs. Yuk Yuk's managed to get nailed with four infractions from city health inspectors including failing to prevent a rodent infestation. Blech!

Learn what other local restaurants landed in hot water with city health inspectors this week on DineSafe.

Calii Love (65 Front St.)

• Inspected on: June 11, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 5 (Significant: 5)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Hocus Pocus Witchery (592 Queen St. West)

• Inspected on: June 11, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

La Rosa Chilena (788 Wilson Ave.)

• Inspected on: June 11, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 3, Significant: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

The Six Brewing Co. (777 Dundas St. West)

• Inspected on: June 11, 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 4C (40F) or colder.

District Eatery (303 King St. West)

• Inspected on: June 12, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.

Kupfert & Kim (150 King St. West)

• Inspected on: June 12, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Swiss Chalet (5487 Dundas St. West)

• Inspected on: June 13, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.

What A Bagel (421 Spadina Rd.)

• Inspected on: June 13, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 3, Significant: 3, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.

Yuk Yuk's (224 Richmond St. West)

• Inspected on: June 13, 2018
• Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Significant: 2, Crucial: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to prevent a rodent infestation and operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Aji Sai Plus (637 Yonge St.)

• Inspected on: June 14, 2018
• Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1, Crucial: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to prevent gross unsanitary conditions and operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Eggsmart (477 Ellesmere Rd.)

• Inspected on: June 14, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 2 (Minor: 1, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.

Kinka Izakaya (398 Church St.)

• Inspected on: June 14, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2)
• Crucial infractions include: N/A

Second Cup (40 King St. West)

• Inspected on: June 14, 2018
• Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
• Number of infractions: 3 (Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
• Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.

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

The best ice cream sandwiches in Toronto are a sign that summer is here. Gelato and ice cream are stuffed into cookies, donuts, cinnamon buns and more at these places where those with a sweet tooth seek satisfaction.

Here are the best ice cream sandwiches in Toronto.

The only thing scarier than being trapped inside a hot, sticky public transit vehicle is the thought of having to deal with all those angry passengers when they eventually break free.

TTC customer service staffers have been... busy this morning, to say the least, as no less than five emergency alarms were pulled during Monday morning's commute, leading to the virtual shutdown of both major subway lines as of 11 a.m.

The #TTC is total chaos today. This is just outside Pape Station #Torontopic.twitter.com/8pIdQxQy50

— blogTO (@blogTO) June 18, 2018

Things were no more choppy than usual heading into the day, with only minor delays caused by stalled streetcars and traffic collisions over the first few hours of rush hour. 

Then, around 8:45 a.m., customers started reporting complete service outages on multiple subway lines.

Does this look minor to you? pic.twitter.com/YWz2X8GS8W

— Tiz M (@tizcanfab) June 18, 2018

Passengers all over the notoriously-crowded Yonge-University subway line found themselves getting increasingly frustrated as full cars passed through their stations without stopping.

I don’t know if I’d call this a mindor delay. This is at Davisville. 4 full trains have passed. pic.twitter.com/cHsUhafdB2

— Kurtis Chen (@kurtischen) June 18, 2018

The TTC announced just before 9 a.m. that service had been suspended eastbound on Line 2, as well, between Ossington and St. George Stations, on account of a medical emergency.

@TTChelps your supervisors at St. George should be channelling more people to the west end of the upper platform. The east end often gets scarily crowded like this, west end nowhere near as bad. pic.twitter.com/VDi14D0Yf6

— Patrick Farrell (@PatrickFarrell1) June 18, 2018

Delay persisted across the entire downtown portion of Line 2, from Islington to Broadview Station, all morning, as emergency alarms continued to stop service.

Delay lvl 1,000,000 this morning on the #TTC. 35-minute wait for a S/B subway at Yonge/Sheppard. Imagine if I had to get to work or something?! Ha! What a joke this system is - today was just classic @TTChelps#KeepUpTheCrapWork😂

— Laura T. (@laurakt_) June 18, 2018

Over the past hour, injuries at track level have so far reported at both Bloor-Yonge and College Stations.

Toronto Police have confirmed that a male was hit by a train at Bloor Subway station. They say that he was rushed to hospital and that one person is in custody. An investigation into the incident continues as some subway platforms remain dangerously overcrowded.

Wow. Every day, the #TTC has delays. Today - we've reached a new low with multiple injuries at track level (Bloor, College), delays, traffic, and a whole bunch of other nonsense @TTCnotices@TTChelps

— Clear Skys (@clearskysmusic) June 18, 2018

As of 11 a.m., TTC subway service has been suspended completely between St. Clair and Union Stations on Line 1, and from St. George to Pape Stations on Line 2.

That's almost the entire downtown subway system.

I just can't believe how the TTC service is getting worst and worst. Took us out of the trains on Pape and in 20 minutes JUST ONE bus

That's an amazing contingency plan!

@TTCnotices@TTChelps@CBCNews@CBCAlertspic.twitter.com/2T4YAXUM1s

— Miguel Meneses R (@MiguelMenesesR) June 18, 2018

Passengers are hot, late and livid all over the city.

@TTChelps like 5 buses have passed rosedale with out of service signs, when will an actual shuttle bus come by?? pic.twitter.com/Z3Yyq28735

— 友人 🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥 (@DaijoubuDesu_) June 18, 2018

Meanwhile, it's inexplicably raining inside at least one TTC streetcar that, according to passengers, is now without power.

sooo the entire green line loses power so I have to get on a streetcar and then it literally starts RAINING INSIDE the streetcar... can someone explain??? @TTChelps#ttcpic.twitter.com/GxLMfxaBiI

— rayne (@rayneydaes) June 18, 2018

Condensation? Is the streetcar itself just that freaking hot?

Good luck out there, Toronto — and good luck to any TTC officials who have to handle the fallout from this truly horrendous spate of service problems.

It's Pride Week in Toronto and with it comes extended last call at many restaurants, clubs and bars in the city. This week, from June 20 to 23, you'll be able to party and celebrate well into the night over drinks. 

Here are the bars with extended 4 a.m. last call in Toronto this week.

• Crews & Tangos (June 20 to 23)
• Bovine Sex Club (June 20 to 23)
• Zanzibar (June 2o to 23)
• Woody's and Sailor (June 20 to 23)
• The Garrison (June 20 to 23)
• The Baby G (June 20 to 23)
• Church St. Garage (June 20 to 23)
• Remington's (June 20 to 23)
• Oasis Aqualounge (June 20 to 23)
• Club 120 (June 20 to 23)
• Boutique (June 20 to 23)
• Drake Hotel (June 20 to 23)
• The Everleigh (June 20 to 23)
• Lost and Found (June 20 to 23)
• Mick E Flynn's (June 20 to 23)
• Nest (June 20 to 23)
• O'Grady's (June 20 to 23)
• Fly Nightclub 2.0 (June 20 to 24)
• Maison Mercer (June 22 and 23)
• EFS (June 22 and 23)
• Cure (June 22 and 23)
• Death & Taxes (June 22 to 23)
• Wayward (June 22 and 23)
• Nunu Ethiopian Fusion (June 22 and 23)
• Convenience (June 22 and 23)
• Coda (June 22 and 23)
• Same Nightclub (June 22 and 23)
• Phoenix Concert Theatre (June 23)

This represents establishments approved to serve until 4 a.m. by the AGCO. They don't have to exercise that right on each night, so it's always best to called ahead to confirm.

Hawks eating pigeons. Coyotes pups on train tracks. White squirrels posing for pictures. Raccoons doing pretty much anything you could possibly imagine (and a lot of things you probably couldn't.)

Toronto has a brilliant urban wildlife scene, but it's not too often we see red foxes trotting along city sidewalks, let alone with dinner in tow.

Koryn Greenspan happened to stumble upon one of the elusive beauties in broad daylight on Sunday morning just north of St. Clair Avenue West, below Forest Hill Village.

Apparently, foxes aren't all that uncommon here; they're just really good at hiding from people. They also tend to be nocturnal, like our beloved bumbling trash pandas – though they can occasionally be found "sunning" during the day, according to the City of Toronto, which sounds adorable.

This is where you should stop reading if you cry when the lions kill zebras on Planet Earth.

Greenspan noted that the fox she saw had what appeared to be a grey squirrel in its mouth — and not in an "aww, the fox is raising an abandoned baby squirrel as one her own!" kind of way.

Small mammals are a staple in the red fox diet, according to the Toronto Wildlife Centre, and squirrels are indeed quite plentiful around these parts.

"These intelligent animals thrive throughout Ontario, from rural countryside to urban backyards," writes the TWC. "Foxes and coyotes play a crucial role in our ecosystems, and are more common in the city than people realize."

The city's website says that local foxes have been successfully vaccinated against rabies by the Ministry of Natural Resources since 1989.

Experts still advise that humans should leave them alone, however. Squirrels should follow suit. 

The Art of Banksy is now open in Toronto! The much anticipated show, billed as the world's largest, has taken over a warehouse on Sterling Road. Want to check it out? We've teamed up with them to give you a chance to win a pair of tickets to the exhibit.

Check out all the contest details here.

He hasn't even been sworn in yet, but premier-designate Doug Ford is already out there slowing down gravy trains with his bare hands.

The Canadian Press reports that Ford, who secured a majority win for Ontario's PC party just 10 days ago, has directed all government ministries to freeze hiring, cancel their newspaper subscriptions, and cut back on out-of-province travel — immediately.

Ford won't officially take office until June 29, but a spokesperson for his administration says that the public hiring freeze is necessary until the PCs can get a "true look" at the financial state of our provincial government.

the order has gone out to all deputy ministers at queen's park: hiring freeze is on, cancel all paper-based newspaper/magazine subscriptions, new restrictions on out-of-province travel, no food at taxpayers' expense approved for in-house meetings. #onpoli

— Steve Paikin (@spaikin) June 18, 2018

After all, if Ford is to fulfil his campaign promises, he needs to eliminate some $6 billion from the provincial budget while simultaneously lowering taxes and improving public services.

Nixing magazine subscriptions and catering for in-house meetings seems like an easy way to start, though it remains to be seen how much money is actually being spent on those things.

"We made a promise to the people of Ontario that respect for taxpayers was coming back to Queen's Park," said Ford spokesman Jeff Silverstein on Monday.

"The people of Ontario work hard for their money and they expect their tax dollars to go to the services we all depend on."

Sure hope we didn't buy them any snacks or coffee for their little orientation session.. #ONpoli

— ThursdayGuy (@ThursdayGuy) June 18, 2018

Both the Toronto Star and CP report that "essential front line staff" such as police officers and fire fighters will be exempt from the hiring freeze, as will current public service workers moving laterally.

Consultants, on the other hand, are unwelcome at this time, as are such expenditures as advertising, media monitoring, temporary help and non-essential events.

As Ford himself said on the night of his win, "the party with the taxpayers' money is over." I guess he meant that both figuratively and literally.

The two-alarm fire that began at a Middle Eastern restaurant on College Street during Taste of Little Italy has kept the restaurant it started in, and the two surrounding restaurants, closed as of today. 

The Fish Store has a "Sorry we're closed" sign up and red tape surrounding it. 

The red tape extends from The Fish Shop to Ghazale and Vivoli. 

Ghazale's storefront is dark and the front patio is littered with debris, a splintered wood board leans against one of the two picnic tables out front. 

The fire spread to the second storeys of The Fish Store and Ghazale and caused "lots of damage to the rooftop patio" at Vivoli, according to an employee. 

Vivoli remains closed as well, "for the next little while" a spokesperson for the restaurant said. 

Devastating day for our restaurant @vivolitoronto...a fire broke out during our Taste of Little Italy festival. So happy we were able to get everyone out safely!

A post shared by KIMADIAN (@kimadian) on Jun 17, 2018 at 11:21am PDT

According to Toronto Fire Services the cause of the fire is still unknown and the situation is currently under investigation.

Firefighters were called to a swanky hotel and condo complex this weekend after some patio furniture went flying high above the streets of Toronto.

The furniture in question was a "large umbrella" from the top floor of King West's Bisha Hotel & Residences where one can find the upscale restaurant Kost, as well as an outdoor rooftop patio and infinity pool.

Toronto Fire Services reported around 7:40 p.m. on Sunday that a large patio umbrella had blown off the 44th floor of the tower at 80 Blue Jays Way and landed on a crane at 355 King Street West, where the King Blue Condominiums are still under construction.

355 King St West
A large patio umbrella has blown off the 44th floor of 80 Blue Jays Way and lodged on a tower crane at 355 King West.
S331 and P331 ascending tower to secure piece and lower to roof level.
Eliminate potential of umbrella dislodging and going to ground. pic.twitter.com/fdN4EeJDKJ

— Toronto Fire Service (@Toronto_Fire) June 17, 2018

While the umbrella was likely very expensive, first responders didn't hustle for the sake of saving some bougie condo furniture. They were concerned that the huge umbrella could become dislodged and fall to the ground, injuring (if not killing) a pedestrian.

We should count ourselves lucky that a crane caught it in the first place. "Impalement by falling hotel patio umbrella" would be a terrible way to go.

Fortunately, firefighters were able to ascend the tower crane, secure the flying umbrella, and bring it back down to the ground where it could no longer pose a threat to society.

Firefighters climbed and recovered the flying umbrella pic.twitter.com/d6aXQMUcxf

— Toronto Fire Service (@Toronto_Fire) June 17, 2018

Bisha Hotel Toronto's General Manager, Jacques Lapierre, confirmed by email on Monday that an umbrella had indeed blown off the complex's rooftop restaurant.

"At this time, we are thoroughly investigating the cause of the incident and want to reassure our valued clientele that measures are being taken to help avoid this from happening again," said Lapierre. 

"As always, safety and security of our customers and the community in which we operate is our top priority."

The buildings surrounding Toronto's old Yonge Street Fire Hall have lived many lives since they first started coming up in the mid 1860s: They've housed hostels, a book store, a motorcycle dealership, a Chinese restaurant, the office of a corn dealer and, at one time, the most iconic gay bar in our city.

Now, they're being worked into the development of 38-storey residential tower in Toronto's Historic Yonge Street Heritage Conservation District, just north of College.

Halo Condos, as the project will be called, promises to be gorgeous upon completion, but what will be most exciting for anyone walking by is the complete restoration of a clock tower dating back to 1871.

The Fire Hall No. 3 clock tower appears on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register, as do several other structures in the immediate vicinity.

This in mind, Cresford Developments and architectsAlliance ensured that great care was taken to "seamlessly integrate the clock tower into the building facade" while drafting up their plans.

Demolition on the site only began a few weeks ago, but we're already starting to see long-covered pieces of the original clock tower emerge.

Urban Toronto reports that the clock tower will be repositioned closer to Yonge Street later in the construction process, and then joined by a replication of the former fire hall's original facade.

The tower will hold 425 condo units when it's finished, with a mix of 183 one-bedroom units, 212 two-bedroom units, 48 three-bedroom units. A portion of the building will also be dedicated exclusively to rental units.

No word yet on what, if anything, will go inside the clock tower (aside from Dalmation ghosts.)

Events in Toronto today will see lots of finger linking in the moonlight with an outdoor screening of ET. Artists are set to battle it out and there's a goth drag musical as part of Pride.

This darling 1911 High Park home has been renovated to perfection. They effortlessly added modern features while still maintaining the charm of the original home. The main floor is open plan with high nine-foot ceilings and is drenched in natural light thanks to the panoramic windows. Just think of all the house plants you could have with this much sunlight!

The kitchen is very spacious and gorgeous. I’m loving the brass accents that are popular in home decor magazines and on Pinterest. It’s such a refreshing change from the stainless steel.

The house boasts five large bedrooms and five bathrooms. They all give off this dreamy summer-home vibe, combined with the big windows and crisp white walls.

The master bedroom has beautiful accents of rich wood and walks out onto a balcony.

It also has a stunning spa-like en suite bathroom and a walk-in closet.

But oddly enough, my favourite part of the house is the basement. It’s just chocked full of character. With the gorgeous original fireplace and a massive barn door, it’s probably one of the nicest basements I’ve ever seen.

The home is also in a great location. It’s literally steps from High Park, Bloor West Village, and Roncesvalles. I honestly can’t find a single fault with this place.

Specs

• Address: 24 High Park Gardens
• Price: $3,988,000
• Lot Size: 50 x 102.93 feet
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 5
• Parking: 2
• Walk Score: 70
• Transit Score: 99
• Listing agent: Andrea Morrison
• Listing ID: W4160891

Good For

A family with a pet or two. This is such a stunning family home in a great school district and it’s so close to a big park that’s perfect for taking fur babies for walks.

Move On If

You don’t like period home features. Not everyone is into stained glass windows, old wooden doors and cast iron fireplaces.