Unknown Toronto

Remembering Jack Layton

2011-08-26T11:25:00.009-04:00

After a very long hiatus, I feel I must write something on this site again, about Jack Layton, with whom at one time I worked very closely.

Although it would be hard to imagine any greater legacy for a politician than redrafting the electoral map of Canada, as he has done, I am awfully sorry he didn't get another decade (or two or three) to keep bringing about change simply by being the person he was. I also have great sympathy for Olivia, who will feel his loss immeasurably as she moves about their beautiful home, which is such a strong manifestation of their conjoined spirits.

Jack had a special quality of being always on duty. He never missed an opportunity to ask advice, to network, to find out more about what the people he represented might need. I first got to know him when I was a member of the Toronto City Cycling Committee. In those days (the late 1980s), he was just coming to the end of his time as the city councillor appointed to the committee.

That didn't mean he had to attend the twice-monthly meetings, but he made himself very open to TCCC members, and in fact to anyone who wanted to chat with him about any idea or project he might be able to assist. I remember sitting in his City Hall office on many occasions; it featured one of Olivia's staggeringly strong and impressive bronze sculptures. You didn't have to jump through hoops to see Jack; sometimes you could even drop in spontaneously.

In the days before email we TCCC members used to stuff, stamp and address the 3,000 or so copies of the city's cycling newsletter after meetings. On several occasions I remember Jack dropping in between 9 and 10 at night, after a very long day, to ask us what was up, to chat, to let us know about things we might be interested in. I believe he stuffed more than a few envelopes along the way.

In those days I think he represented what was then known as Ward 6, the territory on the east side of Yonge, south of Bloor. I was living with my husband near Church and Wellesley, so he was our councillor. Through my husband, who had previously managed political campaigns, I became actively involved in city politics, and eventually the two of us became part of an informal group known as Citywide NDP, a strategy largely masterminded by Jack to open up communication between municipal NDP campaigns in each ward.

There were about eight of us who would meet in each other's living rooms. Jack was always there. It wasn't something that he needed to devote any time to – heaven knows he had enough other priorities – but it was one of the numerous things he identified as a simple way to make big changes, so he found time for it.

It was almost a joke in those days how many fundraising auctions Jack turned up for, as auctioneer. It was an odd skill in a city councillor, but he recognized that this particular gift of his time could multiply his ability to do good a thousandfold. Over a dozen or so years he was responsible for helping to bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars for community causes.

Similarly, he was always willing to turn up to present an award or preside at a community event. And his most remarkable gestures were often invisible to the general public. In 1995, when the city's bike messenger community was trying to bring the 3rd annual Cycle Messenger World Championships to Toronto, the event was baffled by a $7,000 charge for tarpaulin rental to cover the field at Lamport Stadium before the revenue for the event had started to come in. The organizers asked Jack for help, and his answer was to put the entire $7,000 on his own personal credit card to tide them over until the income started to flow.

He sincerely enjoyed being part of community events, which is how he must have stood the gruelling demands on his time. He liked being in a crowd of people engaged in doing something creative, something celebratory, something to build a community. And if there was a keg of beer around, so much the better. (He did tell me two secrets of organizing a successful fundraising auction: "Spend as much time getting people with money there as gathering items for auction" and "Make sure they have a chance to have a beer before the bidding starts.")

I remember in those days attending one of Jack's auctions, this one on behalf of the 519 Community Centre. Among other things, my husband and I successfully bid on a tandem bike tour of Toronto and a Chinese meal with Jack and Olivia, which he had donated along with his auctioneering services. At the time we laughed because we were spending so much time in each other's company in any case, but the four of us agreed to do it, and now I will especially treasure the memory of that junket around downtown as stoker on Jack's tandem, and the cheerful meal with Jack, Olivia and her mom.

That would have been during the time they were living just behind the BamBoo Club on Bulwer at Soho. It was a modest spot, but full of personal souvenirs and lots of cultural memorabilia. One of the things that struck me was a Caribana costume artfully suspended in one of the children's bedrooms. I served as media relations representative for the festival for several years, and Jack and Olivia especially loved the event. Like my husband and me, they enjoyed dancing with the Shadowland group from Ward's Island in the parade, not on a float with their names on it, but masked and painted, anonymous, in the crowd on the street.

That spirit permeated Jack and Olivia's home life as well as their political careers. Their campaigns were suffused with participation from the arts community. I remember a campaign event on Ward's Island, likely for Jack's mayoralty bid, that featured Moxy Früvous; of course the Barenaked Ladies also performed at Jack's events. When Jack and Olivia moved into their present home, it became a base for delightful social evenings where Jack would play the piano and hand around his collection of song sheets. Good music, good friends, good food, good drink; this enthusiasm for his own community was the root of Jack's passion for action. I think he essentially wanted to live in a world where everybody would be able to come to the (small P) party.

Once, after I had been working with Caribana for a few years, I ran into Jack on the street. "What would be the best thing the City could do to help the festival?" he asked us, off the top of his head. That was a typical Jack Layton moment; turning an inconsequential sidewalk encounter into a chance to support something he believed in.

Perhaps his biggest chance to help the festival came in 1996, when a shooting at the parade caused one death and paralyzed a nurse visiting from England. I was with the festival that year, and I knew Jack and Olivia had been dancing in costume very close to the spot where the shooting occurred. Cell phones were in their infancy in those days, but I had rented one for the weekend and called up Jack and Olivia at home (luckily, I knew their home number by heart; that's how accessible they were!)

Jack and Olivia instantly turned up at Police HQ at College and Bay for a press conference. Because they were actually involved in the life of their community, they were able to comment as participants, not just as politicians. It was genuine and powerful, and I really believe that their presence helped turn around the media story about the shooting and possibly the subsequent future of the festival.

I haven't been very active in politics for about some time now, but when I heard Jack was running for leadership of the NDP, I reinstated my lapsed membership so I could cast my vote in support of him. At the time, a dear friend who lives in Ottawa asked me what I thought of him. She was inclined to vote for him too, but was doubtful because she had the impression he had a tendency to seek the limelight. I gave her my thoughts on the matter and I believe she cast a vote for him. Thus, some time later, I was particularly pleased to see that the federal Jack remained as genuine as the municipal one.

The occasion was, if I remember correctly, his first Remembrance Day as leader of the federal NDP. With Canadian soldiers being killed in Afghanistan, it would have been a great chance for a cynical and glory-seeking individual to put his face out there in the media, perhaps appearing at the Cenotaph in Ottawa or at Toronto's Old City Hall, or at a high-profile photo op with some of our new generation of veterans. Instead, when I went up to the East York Civic Centre at 11 a.m., there was Jack. He was in his home riding, serving in a low-key way at a ceremony that was only covered, I believe, by the East York Mirror.

In the past few years I've only bumped into Jack socially: at the occasional Spacing magazine launch, for instance, and a couple of times in the crowd at Udupi Palace's Spicy Dosa Eating Competition on Gerrard East during the South Asian festival there. It was a typical Jack Layton appearance: cheerful, smiling, laughing, genuinely enjoying the colour and bustle and confusion of the street festival, completely unpretentious, utterly unafraid of the jostling mayhem, giving a little of his time and himself to everyone around him without having anything much to gain in the way of media attention.

Today there are memorial posters of Jack on the shopfronts in Gerrard India Bazaar. In the picture they've chosen of him, he looks almost transfigured, with kind, shining eyes, luminous skin and silver hair, gazing out over his lovely and inspiring final words. If he was cynical in his claim to espouse love, hope and optimism, I want to be cynical just like Jack.

Cable Transit for Toronto?

2010-01-02T14:37:00.003-05:00

Happy 2010! It's been a while since I posted here, but I just had to mention The Gondola Project, a great website and a fabulous concept championed by urban planner Steven Dale. The Toronto Star recently ran a story about his idea for a cable transit system in the Don Valley or the Humber.

Cable transit is used routinely in Europe and South America, as Dale documents on his site. It's relatively inexpensive, has a very small envorinmental footprint, and is very fun. But have a look at Dale's site and see what you think! Let's get Toronto to put the FUN in FUNicular!

East-End Birdbath, Autumn

2009-10-03T23:24:00.002-04:00

Just so you know I'm still here. But mainly the action's over on my food blog for the time being: Toronto Tasting Notes.

East End Collage

2009-09-06T21:04:00.002-04:00

Coach House Press Celebration

2009-09-03T23:16:00.003-04:00

Coach House Press celebrated its annual Wayzgoose Party (a traditional party held by a master printer for the workers) earlier this evening in the laneways around the Coach House itself (80 bpNichol Lane). This year's edition was at full capacity, partly due to the incursion of some of the neighbourhood frat boys, but mainly, I believe, because literary types were excited to toast the news that the press is buying its building, and that Coach House owner Stan Bevington has been appointed to the Order of Canada.

Besides chatting, beer, a BBQ and a book table, the entertainments included tours of the building, where sections of books in production lie in neat stacks amidst the beautiful old printing equipment like the "Original Heidelberg Einfarben" pictured above.

Darcy Allen Sheppard Memorial

2009-09-02T21:06:00.006-04:00

Just got back from the memorial ride for Allen Sheppard, which I'm guessing drew maybe 400 riders: couriers, commuters, activists and others. It was very moving. After the Bloor Street observance, couriers (above) went to the aptly named Allen Gardens.

Above: Bikes in the air at Allen Gardens

Above: The street memorial

The writing on the shirt reads: "Remember Darcy Allen Sheppard Murdered August 31, 2009."

Memorial for Darcy Allen Sheppard Today

2009-09-02T10:48:00.004-04:00

At 5 p.m. today, cyclists and friends will gather at Bay and Bloor for a memorial to Allen Sheppard, the veteran bike messenger who died on Monday in Yorkville after a minor confrontation with former Attorney General Michael Bryant escalated into a bizarre race down the wrong side of Bloor. It's a case that is of course before the courts, and no doubt much evidence will surface to elucidate what happened, if not to explain it.

I have so far heard mention of Chappaquiddick and Mary Jo Kopechne twice today (youngsters, you can look it up on Wikipedia.) Having spent Friday and Saturday in the U.S., where the flags are flying at half-mast for Ted Kennedy, the parallel occurred to me at once, as did the resemblance to The Bonfire of the Vanities. I expect this case will run a course much closer to the former; my guess is that in a few years Bryant's career, like Kennedy's, will be back on track. I must say, my heart sank when CBC Radio's Metro Morning announced this morning that it would be discussing the case of "former Attorney General Michael Bryant" and "a cyclist".

There will be media reports that cast a favourable light on Sheppard, or at least present a balanced view. In a rather insightful Globe and Mail piece, Christie Blatchford struck what I consider to be the right note. And the Star published a moving story today that mirrors the tale I am actually hearing from people who knew Sheppard: a good piece of research. But for most people, I suspect this story will be remembered as an unfortunate blot on the copybook of a still-rising political star, and that the man who died will be maligned at worst, at best forgotten.

This makes me very sad. I know so many stories – especially from the bike courier community, which can be kind to those who are at odds with the world – of men who are frankly hard to like for a decade or so in their 20s, but who find their rudder somewhere around 35 and enjoy calm and stability, often as loving, responsible fathers and husbands, in their more mature years.

Allen Shepherd was apparently given a pretty rough start out of the gate, but he clearly was struggling to find that rudder. He may have been extremely annoying and unpleasant on Monday night. He may even have seemed frightening. But, unlike Bryant, he won't get a chance to put it behind him. No matter what the outcome in the courts, that makes me very, very sad.

Brief Rant About the Indy

2009-07-10T09:29:00.002-04:00

This morning while I was getting dressed, I was dimly aware of an annoying droning noise. Then I realized it sounded like racecars. Then I realized it was racecars; the Indy starts today. Thing is, I live at Coxwell.

I used to be amazed that the race would shake windows at my previous house at Parliament. I thought that moving to the other side of the city would get me out of earshot, but at this moment, sitting in my kitchen with the door closed, I can clearly hear the characteristic whining of large engines downshifting fast. Ironically, the only place I've lived in Toronto where I wan't bothered by it was Liberty Village – virtually on the track, but just behind a big warehouse that must have bounced the sound to other locations. Like here.

Pages Book Shop Will Close on August 31

2009-07-09T12:02:00.002-04:00

Pages books & magazines (256 Queen West, 416-598-1477) has announced it will close on its 30th anniversary due to the hike in rents at the city-owned property. Owner Marc Glassman reports he has not yet found a new location. In an official notice posted to Facebook Friends of This Is Not a Reading Series, he wrote "I have to see this as an opportunity ... Old business models are crumbling, but new technologies will not eliminate books as objects. Beautifully produced books, art books, graphic novels, and books signed by authors will always have a place."

TTC Subway Station Wall Decals

2009-07-09T10:14:00.000-04:00

I know other people have written about this before, but I like it too: Michael Warning and Derek Watson of Walloper, a self-described "collection of art geeks, design wonks and new-urbanist cheerleaders" have designed stick-on vinyl wall decals featuring TTC station typography for your kitchen, bedroom or office. They come in 4'x2' and 2'x1' sizes, and cost $25 to $36. We have an orange wall; I'm wanting Dupont tiles. Then again, Spadina's a classic, isn't it?

Rest in Peace, Rick Bébout

2009-07-03T13:45:00.000-04:00

I'm so very sorry to hear that Rick Bébout has died. I never met him, but I loved his writing about this city; his essay on Temperance Street was especially dear to me. That's where he wrote: "I am ever heartened, in citizenship, to find people who know where they live."

City Strike Cancels Canada Day Fireworks

2009-06-30T21:46:00.000-04:00

The City of Toronto's Labour Disruption Information site announces that "all City-run Canada Day events have been cancelled". This includes the Ashbridges Bay Fireworks. However, you can still see free Canada Day fireworks at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1 at Downsview Park. The Toronto Ribfest at Centennial Park in Etobicoke promises fireworks, but I don't know what time.

Also, the Festival of Fire starts at 10:30 p.m. on July 1 and July 4 at Ontario Place. It costs $11.75 to $17.75, but if you bring a picnic blanket to the Rose Garden (near the wind turbine) at Exhibition Place, you can see most of the show for free. If you also bring a radio, you can tune in to the simulcast of the show soundtrack at CHFI 98.1 FM.

Other Canada Day festivities that are cancelled by the City strike:

Amesbury Canada Day, Amesbury Park
Weston Lions Canada Day Event, Weston Lions Park
Canada Day Event, Earlscourt Park
Somali-Canada Day, Earl Bales Park
Ontario Australian Football Championships, Colonel Samuel Smith Park
Peanut Town Festival, Oriole Park - North
East York Toronto Canada Day, Stan Wadlow Park
MPP Canada Day Event - Don Valley West MPP, Flemingdon Park
Shomoy Mela, Dentonia Park
Canada Day Celebrations, Thompson Memorial Park/ Miliken District Park
Canada Day Celebration, St.James Park
16th Annual Neighbours Together, Riverdale Park East
Canada Day Festival, Kew Gardens
Canada Day, Mel Lastman Square

Other Canada Day celebrations that will go on as previously announced:

Canada Day at Harbourfront Centre
Canada Day at Ontario Place Chinguacousy Park
Toronto Ribfest and fireworks at Centennial Park
Canada Day at the Toronto Zoo
New Country Canada Day Jam, Woodbine Park
Queen's Park Canada Day
Canada Day at Downsview Park

Dora Award Winners 2009

2009-06-30T01:25:00.000-04:00

Oh what a night! The 2009 Dora Mavor Moore Awards were handed out in a sensationally efficient (under three hours) gala a few hours ago. In fact, as I write, the after-party continues to rage at the St. Lawrence Centre (whither it was moved when the City strike closed Metro Hall).

The photo above shows big winner Waawaate Fobister (right), whose play Agokwe picked up six awards, including Outstanding Production of a Play and New Play. Seeing a Native-written play stealing the show in this 30th anniversary year made me remember my first Doras, the 10th anniversary in 1989, when Tomson Highway's Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing won four awards (or was it five?), including Outstanding Production of a Play and New Play. Billy Merasty (above, left) played the tragic Simon Starblanket in that show. (Merasty has a Fringe show coming up: Artifacts, written by Anthony Furey and dierected by Jani Lauzon. It runs July 2 to 10 at Theatre Passe Muraille.)

Among other notable award winners, Sound of Music took three awards, including Outstanding Production of a Musical, Oustanding Set Design and a performing award for Elicia MacKenzie. Jersey Boys was also honoured three times. It received awards for its direction and for Jeff Madden's performance, and also took home the overall People's Choice award. The COC's War and Peace was named Outstanding Opera Production, while Sanctuary Song was named Outstanding New Musical/Opera.

Eternal Hydra won four Doras in the Independent Theatre category, and, in the Dance division, Innovation: Emergence swept all four possible awards. Walking the Tightrope won both Doras in the Theatre for Young Audiences division.

The ceremony itself was relatively short and sweet. Host Jian Ghomeshi got off a few good Billy Bob Thornton lines and remarked that Dora organizers had cleverly manged to pick an Iranian host for the only time in history that being Iranian is considered cool. In an evening that stuck pretty much to the script and the clock, there was welcome levity from comic diva Mary Lou Fallis, who sang the opera nominations, complete with irreverent synopses – and spoiler alerts. Dan Chameroy positioned himself well to be considered as a show host in some other year (Toronto's answer to Hugh Jackman?) with his presenting antics, including a spot-on and impressively athletic ballet parody.

Most of the thank-you speeches were predictable; warmest was perhaps the one from Alison Sealy-Smith, accepting her acting award for Raisin in the Sun, who said she had been prepared to get upset that Soulpepper Theatre would attempt to stage a play that required an inside track on black cultural esthetic... but that she had been happily proven hasty.

Here's the complete list of winners:

GENERAL THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION
Outstanding New Play: Waawaate Fobister, Agokwe
Outstanding New Musical/Opera: Abigail Richardson (Composer) & Marjorie Chan (Librettist), Sanctuary Song
Outstanding Production of a Play: Agokwe, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Outstanding Production of a Musical: The Sound of Music, Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian, David Mirvish
Outstanding Direction of a Play: Ed Roy, Agokwe
Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys
Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role - Play: Waawaate Fobister, Agokwe
Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role - Play: Alison Sealy-Smith, A Raisin in the Sun
Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role - Musical: Jeff Madden, Jersey Boys
Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role - Musical: Elicia MacKenzie, The Sound of Music
Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role in a Play or Musical: Raven Dauda, Miss Julie: Freedom Summer
Outstanding Set Design: Robert Jones, The Sound of Music
Outstanding Costume Design: Erika Iserhoff, Agokwe
Outstanding Lighting Design: Kimberly Purtell, Agokwe
Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: John Gzowski, It's a Wonderful Life
Outstanding Musical Direction: Anne Manson, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Outstanding Choreography in a Play or Musical: Denise Clarke / Peggy Baker, Radio Play
Outstanding Touring Production: Black Watch, Luminato presents The National Theatre of Scotland

INDEPENDENT THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION
Outstanding New Play or New Musical: Anton Piatigorsky, Eternal Hydra
Outstanding Production: Eternal Hydra, Crow's Theatre
Outstanding Direction: Chris Abraham, Eternal Hydra
Outstanding Performance by a Male: David Ferry, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Outstanding Performance by a Female: Maja Ardal, You Fancy Yourself
Outstanding Set Design: Gillian Gallow, Appetite
Outstanding Costume Design: Gillian Gallow, Appetite
Outstanding Lighting Design: John Thompson, Eternal Hydra
Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: Waylen Miki, An Inconvenient Musical

DANCE DIVISION
Outstanding New Choreography: Crystal Pite, Innovation: Emergence
Outstanding Production: Innovation: Emergence, The National Ballet of Canada
Outstanding Performance: The Ensemble, Innovation: Emergence
Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: Owen Belton, Innovation: Emergence

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION
Outstanding Production: Walking the Tightrope, Theatre Direct
Outstanding Performance: Wayne Robson, Walking the Tightrope

OPERA DIVISION
Outstanding Performance: Paolo Gavanelli, Simon Boccanegra
Outstanding Production: War and Peace, Canadian Opera Company / English National Opera

SPECIAL AWARDS
Pauline McGibbon Award: Brendan Healy
Silver Ticket Award: Marlene Smith
TAPA's Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production: Jersey Boys
Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award: Colin Mochrie
George Luscombe Award: Leah Cherniak and Martha Ross
Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award: Naomi Campbell

All attendees received a commemorative book chronicling the Doras' 30-year history. It will be available for sale to the general public at Theatrebooks. For more Dora news and history, check out the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) site.

Art On the Move Art-Wrapped Buses

2009-06-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

Some shots of the finished art bus created by Patrick Thompson and Jenifer Rudski with youth at the Belka Enrichment Centre. It'll be used in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood as a mobile homework drop-in spot. I wrote about it in the National Post.

A Bit of Old Liberty Spirit in New Liberty Village

2009-06-26T13:38:00.000-04:00

Canadian Opera Company's New Website Look: Opera 2.0?

2009-06-24T13:33:00.000-04:00

You've gotta hand it to the Canadian Opera Company; they really have been trying very hard to keep a younger audience engaged with what they do. Today they've relaunched their website with every conceivable Web 2.0 bell or whistle: Twitter feed; podcasts; a blog called "In His Own Words" penned by general director Alexander Neef; interactive quizzes; photos, and embedded YouTube videos like the sample above. Have a look. But I think their very best youth-attracting initiative is their Opera for a New Age program, which offers $20 tickets to people under 30.

Double Rainbow Over Hanlan's Point

2009-06-23T11:56:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to post this since last summer: taken after a crashing thunder and wind storm on the islands during the Cycle Messenger World Championships, June 15, 2008.

Movies Embracing Music

2009-06-23T09:40:00.000-04:00

I was planning to blog about the Bird Project at Todmorden Mills today, but it takes place at a city facility, so it'll be one of the casualities of the strike. Instead, kind reader, allow me to direct your attention to Movies Embracing Music.

It's the first in a planned series of musical community-building events created by the folks at The Whole Note magazine, and it takes the form of a double bill of inspiring films about choral music. These are, from Sweden, As it is in Heaven, which was a 2005 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Film, and, from Estonia, The Singing Revolution, pictured. (I hear rumours that live singing may break out too.)

Movies Embracing Music takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, June 24 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. (with The Singing Revolution first) at the Bloor Cinema. Admission is $10 per film. You can get tickets in advance through TO Tix or at the door.

Having been a member of several choirs in my time, I think their slogan, "Music Changing Lives", is an apt one. I'll be there. Hope you can make it too.

Queen's Wharf Lighthouse

2009-06-22T08:42:00.000-04:00

Another of my "CurioCity" series, reprinted courtesy of the National Post.

What’s a lighthouse doing in the middle of a landlocked park across from the Princes’ Gates? Actually, Queen’s Wharf Lighthouse once stood on a pier more than 200 metres offshore. (Back in the day, that was north of its present site; the shoreline has advanced about 900 metres.)

Because shipping was once so important, lights were installed by 1838 on the end of Queen’s Wharf, near the foot of Bathurst Street, to guide ships safely into the harbour. Edward M. Hodder’s 1857 book The Harbours And Ports Of Lake Ontario describes “a fixed red light” to the north and “a bright beacon light” at the west end of the pier. “These lights when brought into line indicate the entrance to the channel.”

In 1861, a pair of towers was built for these “range lights”. The taller one, painted white, housed the beacon light. The shorter one, for the red light, was the 11-metre octagonal building that still stands in Gore Park. It was decommissioned in 1911, and in 1929, it was moved about 450 metres southwest to its current location. The Toronto Historical Board restored it in 1988 (the brown-and-red paint job is authentic), but the light itself no longer works.

No one ever lived there, but the lighthouse keeper had a cottage nearby. “It’s pretty bare; it has wood floors,” says Jo Ann Pynn, Supervisor of Cultural Assets for the City of Toronto. “There’s no insulation; it’s a frame structure, and in the centre there’s a rather steep open-riser staircase.” The second level (proportionately smaller, of course) has windows and a “still steeper” staircase to the third level: the glass lantern itself. A hatch leads to an exterior walkway, which, says Pynn, “is a pretty cool place to be.”

Image: Postcard from 1940, from Wikimedia Commons, originally from Halton Hills Public Library, Local identifier no. 302.

George Reid and Doris McCarthy Murals at Dufferin/St. Clair Library

2009-06-21T15:04:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favourite "CurioCity" stories, reprinted courtesy of the National Post.

Shortly after it opened in 1921, the Dufferin/St. Clair Branch of the Toronto Public Library was decorated with murals by two important Canadian artists. In the euphoric spirit of the ‘60s, they were painted over, and for half their lives, these irreplaceable treasures have lain hidden beneath layers of house paint. Recently, with help from the Regal Heights Residents Association, they’ve been uncovered.

It’s hard to understand the choice to hide the work, considering the calibre of the artists involved. The first was begun in 1925, after George A. Reid won a Royal Canadian Academy of Arts public art competition. Reid (1860-1947), was no slouch; apart from founding OCAD, he was a prolific painter who was drawn to vignettes of early Canadian life. Visitors to the National Gallery in Ottawa know his painting “Mortgaging the Homestead”, and he’s responsible for the murals inside the entrance to Old City Hall.

Encompassing the upper portion of all four walls of the adult reading room, Reid’s murals show people outdoors, grouped around figures reading from books. Names of authors and words like “romance”, “adventure”, “art” and “philosophy” are blazoned on scrolls near the ceiling. The paintings, executed in soft, rich forest colours, are imbued with a gracious tranquility that’s redolent of a period when some people thought there would be no more war.

Later, Reid’s student Doris McCarthy was commissioned to paint scenes from stories like “Cinderella” and “Jack the Giant Killer” in the children’s section. Then barely 20, she’s now one of Canada’s most revered artists, and these early paintings are alive with cheerful promise and charm.

Completed in 1932, the paintings were covered in 1964, and four decades passed before they were rescued. It took two laborious years to chip away surface paint to reveal them. Sections are too damaged to save, but even so, they’re inspiring.

Extra note: In 2007, the branch closed for a $2.54 million renovation, including restoration of the murals. It's now open again. I took the pictures above before the restoration. They look even better now.

Summer Solstice Mermaid Parade

2009-06-20T17:18:00.000-04:00

Get out your fins and scales! Yoga studio Sananda is inviting one and all to join them in costume or just in the right spirit for a Summer Solstice Mermaid Parade at Ashbridges Bay, their contribution to the worldwide liveH2O festival. It begins on Sunday, June 21 with a parade along the Boardwalk at 7 p.m. to a cluster of rocks, where mermaids will meditate for living water. At 8 p.m., the group will participate in the live H2O festival with a sound ceremony celebrating living water. More information is available at 647-285-9031 or via email.

Art Vehicles at Art on the Move Launch

2009-06-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

Beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 22, Arts Etobicoke and Lakeshore Arts are launching Arts on the Move in the Distillery District (55 Mill Street). It's a community art project that will bring 15 artist-transformed vehicles to Toronto streets. David Miller and MPPs Laurel Broten and Dr. Shafiq Qaadri will help open the festivities. Participating artists are Beata Kruszynski, who worked on her project with FoodShare; Amir Akbari, who worked with White Knight Kitchens, Inc., and the duo of Patrick Thompson and Jenifer Rudski, who worked with Belka Enrichment Centre on a decommissioned TTC bus that's used to work with youth in the Jane/Finch area.

Image above: Patrick Thompson and Jenifer Rudski's painting done in association with Belka Enrichment Centre. Photo credit: Patrick Thompson

GO Transit Service to Niagara Falls

2009-06-18T12:34:00.000-04:00

Richard White reports on Transit Toronto that it will soon be possible to get to Niagara Falls by GO Transit. He writes that GO will "offer four train trips daily in each direction on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from June 27 through to Thanksgiving weekend, October 12. The two-hour trip will run between Union Station in downtown Toronto, Port Credit GO Station, Oakville GO Station, Burlington GO Station, St. Catharines VIA Rail station, and Niagara Falls VIA Rail station." (The full details are posted on the GO site.) The single adult fare is $15.90; considerably cheaper than standard bus service, which runs $19.50 to $27.50 one way, depending how far ahead you book. Some allowances are being made for bikes. (This may mean competition with Via's Bike Train, which is $31 one way.)

As it happens, I'm writing this from Niagara-on-the-Lake, and it makes me crazy that neither bus nor train can get you from Toronto to here. I have to take the bus to St. Catharines (about $40 return) and then (ouch!) take a $30 cab ride each way. Fine if I'm on business, as I happen to be at the moment, but prohibitive if you just want to bike, sightsee or see some plays at the Shaw Festival. Get on the case, Greyhound!

Photo courtesy of Niagara Fall Tourism.

Toronto Field Naturalists' Nature Walks

2009-06-17T13:36:00.000-04:00

The Toronto Field Naturalists hold regular nature walks in the semi-wild areas around Toronto. Here's what's coming up:

Saturday, June 20: High Park – Insect Watching
Sunday, June 21, 2 p.m.: Major Gray's Tree Train – Lost Rivers. Walk begins at the Bathurst Street entrance to Old Fort York (off the bridge) and ends in Parkdale. (A joint walk with the Toronto Green Community)
Tuesday, June 23: Rouge Valley – Nature Walk
Wednesday, June 24: Sherwood Park – Urban Issues
Saturday, June 27: Charles Sauriol Conservation Reserve – Nature Ramble
Sunday, June 28: Nordheimer Ravine – Nature Walk
Tuesday, June 30: Two Valleys and a Shoreline – Nature Walk

TFN asks that walkers dress for weather, bring water, binoculars and anything else they may need, and respect the natural areas they're exploring. You might like to print out a bird checklist before you go. Find out more at 416-593-2656 or via email, but allow a few days, since TFN is staffed by volunteers.

Photo of blue heron by mrmac04, Morguefile

Free Outdoor Concerts for Music Garden 10th Anniversary

2009-06-16T10:54:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe the Yo-Yo Ma's wonderful Toronto Music Garden (Queens Quay West at the foot of Spadina) is already celebrating its 10th anniversary! Great excuse to go down and walk around its gorgeous all-season plantings, hear a free concert or watch some dance. Here's the lineup:

Sunday, June 28, 4 p.m.: Shauna and Friends (cellist Shauna Rolston)
Thursday, July 2, 7 p.m.: Samulnori! (Korean drumming & dance)
Sunday, July 5, 4 p.m.: Orfea and the Golden Harp (Theatre Cotton Robes)
Thursday, July 9, 7 p.m.: Quartets with a Past (Kirby String Quartet)
Thursday, July 16, 7 p.m.: Moonlight, Mountains and Flowing Streams: Voices of Ancient China (China Court Trio)
Sunday, July 19, 4 p.m.: Does This Drum Make My Brass Sound Big? (National Youth Orchestra of Canada)
Thursday, July 23, 7 p.m.: Another Knock at the Door (Shiraz Ensemble - Persian art music)
Sunday, July 26, 4 p.m.: Oiseaux Interurbains / Migratory Songflutes (Alison Melville)
Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m.: Behind the Masques (Toronto Masque Theatre)
Thursday, August 6, 7 p.m.: Strong and Free (True North Brass)
Sunday, August 9, 4 p.m.: Passage to India (Bageshree Vaze & Vineet Viyas)
Thursday, August 13, 7 p.m.: Coming out of Haydn (Cecilia String Quartet)
Sunday, August 16, 4 p.m.: Utopian Voices (FOLIA - Baroque)
Thursday, August 20, 7 p.m.: “My Unrest: Yiddish Songs for a New Day (Adrienne Cooper & Marilyn Lerner)
Sunday, August 23, 4 p.m.: Accordions for a Weill (Accordionists Ina Henning, Eugene Laskiewicz, Joseph Macerollo & Alexander Sevastien)
Thursday, August 27, 7 p.m.: Echoes of Ancient Boundaries (taiko ensemble Nagata Shachu)
Sunday, August 30, 4 p.m.: Percussion from a Suitcase (Aiyun Huang)
Thursday, September 3, 7 p.m.: Bach at Dusk With Claudia (Winona Zelenka)
Thursday, September 10, 7 p.m.: Leika (Andrea Nann Dreamwalker Dance Company & composer Tom Kuo)
Sunday September 20, 4 p.m.: The Sanssouci Quartet)

There are also free guided tours at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays until September 30 and at 5:30 p.m.: on Thursdays from July 2 to September 10.

Biker Bob Memorial June 16

2009-06-15T12:01:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, June 16, you might spot a surprising number of bike messengers wearing pink. It's a gesture of honour to "Bicycle" Bob Byers, a veteran courier and a kind and decent man who literally died on the job on June 16, 2005, at the age of 50-something. He had just dropped his last package at 20 Queen West, after a rough week of heat- and smog-alert weather, when his great heart simply stopped beating. Don't be surprised to see a memorial gathering there tomorrow of his friends, who all miss him dearly.

B-Bob, you are well loved and remembered; let many a glass be raised to your memory.

Visit the Don Jail Before It's Redeveloped

2009-06-14T01:57:00.000-04:00

Toronto’s first prisons were sites of hardship and real punishment; when the Don Jail became the city’s fourth prison in 1864, it was notable for its architecture and as a great advance in the humane treatment of prisoners. Now it's soon to be redeveloped by Bridgepoint Health as part of its new hospital complex. If you missed seeing it during Doors Open, when huge crowds turned out to view it, you still have some time.

Throughout this summer, the Don Jail (550 Gerrard Street East at Broadview) will be open to visitors. If you’re drawn either by the architectural merit of the design by William Thomas (who also designed St. Michael's Cathedral and St. Lawrence Hall), or by the tales of hangings and famous criminals, you won’t want to miss this rare window of opportunity. You can choose between 40-minute historical tours in the daytime ($20. Seniors & youth: $17. Children: $10) or ghost tours at night ($25. Seniors & youth: $20 Children: $12). Special packages and custom rental arrangements are also available. Visit the Don Jail tour website or call 416-274-4126 for more information.

Cellblock photo by Marc Sargent, courtesy FLIP Publicity & Promotions

Leslieville 150th Anniversary and Leslieville Tree Festival 2009

2009-06-13T14:04:00.000-04:00

Leslieville is named after horticulturalist George Leslie (1805-1892), who was responsible for planting Mount Pleasant Cemetery. He also provided the city with numerous horse chestnut trees, and planted many trees around Leslieville. On June 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Ward 30 Councillor Paula Fletcher, LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) and people from around the neighbourhood are celebrating the 150th anniversary of Leslieville at the annual Leslieville Tree Festival, which takes place at Leslie Grove Park (Queen and Jones).

A neighbourhood walking tour presented by Heritage Toronto starts at 10 a.m. from 1444 Queen East and arrives back at the park in time for a noon plaque unveiling and tree planting. There's also music from Juno nominee Chris McKhool and Burning Boyz, kids' activities, environment-themed exhibits and a native plant sale, plus an array of vendors of organic food, crafts and eco-friendly products. Organic Gardener Douglas Green, author of A Guide to Canadian Vegetable Gardening, is offering a seminar at 1 p.m.

Note: Due to rainy weather, the festival has been postponed to June 21!

Marker for Gravesite of Ontario Premier Edward Blake

2009-06-12T14:05:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, June 13 at 10:30 a.m. the Ontario Heritage Trust will unveil a marker to commemorate the gravesite of The Honourable Edward Blake (1833-1912) at the Chapel of St. James-the-Less (635 Parliament Street, north of Wellesley) in St. James Cemetery. Blake (pictured) was a constitutional lawyer who helped establish the Supreme Court. He served as Ontario's second premier from 1871 to 1872. He was also the federal Liberal opposition leader in Ottawa from 1879 to 1887. The unveiling is part of the ongoing Premiers' Gravesites Program, administered by the Ontario Heritage Trust.

Edward Blake photo by Ewing / National Archives of Canada / C-30444 from Wikimedia Commons

OCPA Calypso Tents 2009 Lead Up to Caribana Festival

2009-06-11T12:55:00.000-04:00

The annual Calypso Tents series that builds up to Caribana is one of the true best-kept secrets of this city – at least outside the existing fan base. Organized by the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA), it presents top calypso singers from across the country in a showcase and showdown, along with special guest performers such as steel pannists and non-competing singers.

Each calypsonian presents two original songs: usually one political commentary and one humorous or party song, and hones the performance from week to week. Judges eventually narow the field down to semifinalists, then finalists for the title of Canadian Calypso Monarch of the year.

This year's series features two competing "tents", known as Kaiso Forum and The Professionals. Performances started on June 6 and run through to Sunday, July 5, with semifinals on July 11 and ther finals on July 18. The admission is modest, the atmosphere is fun and laid back, and anyone is welcome, regardless of whether they know the first thing about calypso.

The Professionals Schedule

The Professionals perform every Saturday up to and including July 4, beginning at 8 p.m. at Steelworkers Union Hall, 25 Cecil Street. The performers are Macomere Fifi (2008 Calypso Monarch), Dick Lochan, The Calypso Crooner, Naki, Penshioner, Jayson, Lady Pearl, Beginner, Roger Gibbs, Panman Pat and house band Soca Bunch Brass Band led by Michael “Skel” Redhead. For more information, tickets and reservations, call 416-769-7888 or email the organizers.

Kaiso Forum Schedule

Kaiso Forum has a more complicated schedule (see below). The performers are Structure, De Carra, Redman, Guney, Susan G, Web, King Cosmos, Sailor, Connector, Black-I, Lady Scorpio, Delee, Spice, Yellows, Dynasty and house band Neu Jenarashun led by Jan Morgan. For more information, tickets and reservations, call 905-209-0739 or email the organizers.

Sunday, June 7, 4 p.m., CAW Union Hall, 30 Tangiers Road, North York
Sunday, June 14, 4 p.m., CAW Union Hall
Saturday, June 20, 8 p.m., Masonic Temple, 15 Chisholm Avenue, Toronto East
Saturday, June 27, 8 p.m., Masonic Temple
Sunday, July 5, 4 p.m., CAW Union Hall

Final Competitions

These are bigger, more elaborate shows with a higher ticket price.

Saturday, July 11, Time TBA: OCPA 2009 Calypso Monarch Semi-Finals, Steelworkers Union Hall, 25 Cecil Street

Saturday, July 18, 7:30 p.m.: OCPA 2009 KAISO 365 Calypso Monarch Finals, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Exhibition Place

Time and ticket information is available at OCPA's website.

Pictured at top, left to right: Pan Man Pat, King Cosmos, The Calypso Crooner and Macomere Fifi.

Woofstock - June 13 & 14, 2009

2009-06-10T16:17:00.001-04:00

With all the Luminato fuss, don't lose sight of Woofstock, the increasingly popular festival for and about dogs. Here's the weekend schedule, which runs Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14 in and around the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood.

Saturday, June 13 only

4 p.m. - Paws to Remember Memorial Service (Berczy Park Main Stage)
6 p.m. - Yappy Hour Dog Party (Market Lane Park)
7 p.m. - WOOFSTOCK Ugly Dog Contest Winner (Market Lane Park)

Sunday, June 14 only

11 a.m. - Rescue Me Walk-A-Thon (Berczy Park)

Both Days

10:30 a.m. - Purina Pro Plan Dog Stars (Church Street, south of Front)
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (6 p.m. on Sunday) - Doggie Wine & Beer Garden (Market Lane Park)
11:30 a.m. - Purina Pro Plan Dog Stars (Church Street, south of Front)
12:05 p.m. - Fashion Show (Berczy Park Main Stage)
12:30 p.m. - Dyson Next Top Animal Dog Trick Contest (Berczy Park Main Stage)
1 p.m. - Ms. & Mr.Canine Canada (Berczy Park Main Stage)
2 p.m. - Best Costume Contest (Berczy Park Main Stage)
3:30 p.m. - Purina Pro Plan Dog Stars (Church Street, south of Front)
4:30 p.m. Purina Pro Plan Dog Stars (Church Street, south of Front)

Photo by PatriciaEGreen, Morguefile

Shop the Block - A Retail Discount Card for North Toronto

2009-06-09T13:26:00.000-04:00

A Toronto entrepreneur named Lauren Wise has created a local retail discount card called Shop the Block that's designed to keep people interested in supporting their local businesses through TTET*. For $65, cardholders get discounts ranging as high as 20% at local stores, services and restaurants for one year. A second family member can get a card for an additional $10.

Wise is hoping to expand across the city; visit her site to keep track of the list of participating businesses. So far, most of the participating businesses are in the Allenby (Eglinton and Avenue Rd) neighbourhood; these include:

*These Tough Economic Times, of course.

Image by jeltovski, Morguefile.

CAFTCAD Spring Movie Wardrobe Sale

2009-05-14T13:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, here's a fun one for film junkies like me. The folks from CAFTCAD (The Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design) are holding their annual Spring Movie Wardrobe Sale, where people in the movie business sell off vintage, new and handmade clothes and accessories that have been used in movie shoots. It takes place at Filmport Studios (225 Commissioners Street, south of Lakeshore between Cherry and Carlaw) on Sunday, May 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 (children, seniors and CAFTCAD members free). Free parking. TTC access from Pape or Union subway stations. Wonder whether they have anything left from Hairspray or The Time Traveller's Wife?

Caribana 2009 Order of the Bands

2009-05-11T09:07:00.000-04:00

This just in: an early sneak peek at who will be coming down the road at 10 a.m. on August 1 in the 2009 Scotiabank Caribana™ Parade.

1. Errol and Alicia Achue & Mas Toronto: Into D Wild, 416-283-6161, Tam Heather Country Club - 730 Military Trail, Scarborough (west of Morningside)
2. Louis Saldenah & Mas-K Club: A Tribute to Harold Saldenah – The Golden Years, 416-560-4419
3. Nip Davis & Scarborough Caribbean Sports Club: Dis Is Africa, 416-282-8809, 60 Barbados Blvd Unit 4 & 5
4. Marlon Singh & Callaloo: The Ganges Meets The Nile, 416-576-0694 or 416-845-3754
5. Marcus Eustace, Bryce Aguiton, Dwayne Pitt & Carnival Nationz: In Full Bloom, 416-565-4079, 416-985-8488 or 416-930-9650
6. Jamaal Magloire & Toronto Revellers: Brazil – Bachanal In Rio, 647-827-5745, 289-232-0366 or 416-709-0632
7. Dexter Seusahai & Tribal Knights: Birds Of Paradise, 416-893-1867 or 416-396-3780
8. Cy & Jessie Matthews & All Ah We Toronto: All Board, 416-283-2238 or 905-924-1716
9. Anthony Joseph & Borokeete Nex Generation: 20TEN – A Tribute to the Olympics, 416-452-9973
10. Whitfield Balasco & Pleasure Players: Dragon Masters of the Shaolin Temple, 905-568-9136
11. Mervyn Skeete & Connections – Toronto Carnival Connection: Gem Stones, 416-492-5584 or 647-295-5584
12. Courtney Doldron & Associates: Mas Hysteria, 416-986-7875, 647-928-5609 or 416-779-4211
13. Curtis Eustace, Andre DeFreitas & All Spice Carnival: Safari, 416-728-6504 or 416-660-9154
14. Sherry Lee Kam & All d’Friendz: Dance With Me, 416-287-6309 or 416-238-5323
15. Will Morton & Fantazia International: A Taste Of Brazil, 289-888-1247

Scott Pilgrim on Front Street

2009-05-06T09:36:00.000-04:00

For a while it seemed like I couldn't go for milk without wandering onto the set of Hairspray. Now it's Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, which, as of midnight last night, was filming outside the Joey and Toby Tannenbaum Centre on Front at Berkeley. Lots of snow; not just foam batting, but wet from a machine, and lots of 20-something extras in winter coats. I thought it was sort of funny when the specialized tech folks were called out to shovel a pile of snow from one location to another. Sort of (exactly) like the joke about the guy who's complaining about his horrible job, where he has to shovel up after all the animals in the circus parade every time they hit a new town. It's backbreaking work, he hates the smell, and so on. "Why don't you just quit?" his friend asks. "What, and leave show business?"

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Filming Locations

2009-04-29T23:30:00.000-04:00

It's snowing on Cherry Street tonight. Well, not really, but the sidewalks around the Canary Restaurant are covered with fake snow blankets, and there's a pretend phone booth as well as an impressive archway with a giant numeral VII over the top*. It's all in aid of the shooting of the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the much-anticipated film version of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel series set in Toronto.

Last I checked, it was still slated to star Michael Cera (Juno, Arrested Development) as the hapless Scott, who's doomed to defeat each of his girlfriend Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in a gamelike alternate universe. The big question: are they using the real Sneaky Dee's or replicating it in some giant warehouse?

If you don't already know the Scott Pilgrim series, grab some issues now so you can enjoy them before everybody on the continent has found out about them.

*Maybe for the seventh Evil Ex?

Blog One - Introduction - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World from Scott Pilgrim The Movie on Vimeo.

Blog Two - First Day of Principal Photography - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World from Scott Pilgrim The Movie on Vimeo.

Vintage Clothing Sale at Maple Cottage

2009-03-11T10:55:00.000-04:00

This is a great best-kept secret! Once again, the east-end vintage trove Gadabout has teamed up with Eclectisaurus and Angela McCool to put together a sensational sale of vintage men's and women's clothes from the 1890s through the 1970s, as well as costume jewellery, textiles and accessories. The Absolutely Vintage Sale runs one day only, Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the historic Maple Cottage (62 Laing Street just south of Queen).

Happy Birthday, Toronto!

2009-03-06T09:38:00.000-05:00

March 6, 1834, the Town of York officially became the city of Toronto. In 1984 the City made a big fuss all year about the 150th anniversary, or Sesquicentennial... anybody remember the mascot, Seskwee the Squirrel? (Look it up.)

Anyway, today's 175th is passing much more quietly, but there is a calendar of official events, and my friends at Spacing have taken the occasion to donate a collection of 175 photos by Sam Javanrouh, Miles Storey, Rannie Turingan, Bouke Salverda, Adam Krawesky, Gayla Trail, Davin Risk, Payam Rajabi, Matt O’Sullivan, Hamish Grant, Tanja-Tiziana Burdi, Jerrold Litenwinko, Sean Galbraith, David Michael Lamb, Yvonne Bambrick and editor Matthew Blackett to the Toronto Archives. If you've never been, it's a great spot, and you can also have a lot of fun looking up historical photos online; try typing in your own street name and see what happens.

Also, from 5 to 6 p.m. the Archives is launching a book called Toronto's Visual Legacy: Official City Photography from 1856 to the Present in the Rotunda at City Hall, and it's available there for sale from noon to 9 p.m. tonight. Also at 6:30 and 7:15 p.m., our current Mayor David Miller will debate our rebellious first Mayor William Lyon Mackenzie (portrayed by Eric Peterson) in the Council Chambers. That should be hilarious. Also, very excitingly, all the City-operated museums and historic houses are free this weekend; that includes Colborne Lodge, Gibson House Museum, Montgomery's Inn, Mackenzie House, Scarborough Historical Museum and Spadina Museum: Historic House and Gardens.

Photo: King and York Streets, looking east along King by John G. Howard, 1834. City of Toronto, Toronto Culture, Museums and Heritage Services, 1978. 41.61.[1970.113.19A]

Top: Our oldest standing structure, Gibraltar Point Lighthouse on the Toronto Islands, photo by me.

Lecture Series on the Mississaugas of the New Credit

2009-02-04T12:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, so here's something interesting: the Community History Project is presenting a series of lectures by and about the Mississaugas of the New Credit, who quite correctly bill themselves as the "Original Toronto Landowners". The talks will be held on Wednesdays at 7 in the newly restored Tollkeeper's Cottage Museum at the northwest corner of Davenport and Bathurst. Here's the lineup:

February 11: Elder and storyteller Gary Sault tells "Stories from the Past affecting the Future".
February 18: Former chief Carolyn King presents "Indians 101: Who are the Aboriginal People in Canada today?"
February 25: Poet Stacey LaForme speaks on "Being an Indian in a Non-Indian World"
March 4: Historian and land claims expert Margaret Sault discusses the Toronto Purchase Land Claim.

Admission is $15 per lecture or $50 for the whole series; proceeds go towards the upkeep of the Tollkeeper's Cottage. There will be refreshments and a Q&A session at each lecture. Call 416-515-7546 for more information.

Model Railroad Club of Toronto Public Shows

2009-01-31T10:05:00.000-05:00

Have I been neglecting this blog? In a sense. But I see it simply as part of my larger blog network, and I've posted more than 30 items this month on my Toronto Tasting Notes site. However, it's time once again to mention that the Model Railroad Club of Toronto is soon to open its doors to the public again for its once-a-year viewing of the most extensive model train layout in this city.

This year's dates are Sundays, February 8, 15 and 22, as well as Family Day (Monday, February 16) from noon to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $8 (adults), $5 (seniors) and $4 (children). The club is located on a laneway down what would now be considered the back of 171 East Liberty Street (Door 8; look for the sign). It's in the same location as always, but the neighbourhood had changed around it, and those who have visited before might remember that the building used to be called 37 Hanna Avenue.

Here's a short piece I wrote about the club for the National Post; note that it was originally published on February 17, 2007, so you can add two years to all the dates mentioned. The film referred to is Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman (whom I caught filming outside my neighbourhood Goodwill in August 2006.)

***

Last summer, a Hollywood film crew needed a location for a magic room containing the ultimate model train setup. Luckily, somebody told them about the Model Railroad Club of Toronto.

"They came down and had one look and said 'This is it'," says past president Dave MacLean.

MacLean has been a member for about 16 years. "So I'm one of the new guys," he says. He's not joking. Club regulars aren't teenagers blowing their allowance money at George's Trains. They're skilled hobbyists with day jobs who have painstakingly crafted the 3,300 square-foot layout of the "Central Ontario Railway" over almost 70 years.

"We don't buy the track; we make it," says MacLean. "We buy miniature spikes in bags of 10,000. It takes a phenomenal amount of time." He's working on an HO-scale replica of the Summerhill train station (now an LCBO outlet), using "foam core, basswood, card stock, styrene, clear plastic, metal and lots of imagination."

The group was founded in 1938 by Borden Lilley and Harry Ebert, who are memorialized in the names of the layout's principal municipalities: Lilleyburg and Ebertville. The honour extends to other prominent members: "Brian Bentley has the fortune of having Bentley's Bay named after him, and Port Coleman is Erv Coleman."

They club has inhabited the same warehouse basement since 1946. In those days, freight cars rolled right past the clubhouse door. Now, members are grateful that gentrification hasn't forced them out – most of the layout can't be moved.

The COR changes constantly, but it's also frozen in time; bikes, billboards and cars along the route date to the mid-1950s. "We chose that, because you can still run steam engines and passenger trains," says MacLean. "We're really modeling the world as it existed half a century ago."

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post. Image from Modelrailroadclub.com.

Toronto Tasting Notes

2009-01-15T17:59:00.000-05:00

I've created a new blog about food.

Frank Stella Maquettes on View

2009-01-02T13:37:00.000-05:00

It was a bit of a coup for Toronto when the art-savvy Mirvish clan secured the services of top-drawer American artist Frank Stella to decorate parts of the then-under-construction Princess of Wales Theatre in the early ‘90s. At the time, Stella was just developing an interest in pursuing big public architectural installations, and his contribution to the building was praised by international art critics.

Stella created lively – even humorous – abstract murals for the lobby walls and stairwells, the proscenium arch, the fly tower and the ceiling dome of the theatre, as well as for the rear exterior wall of the building. They take up more than 10,000 square feet, and, to the best knowledge of the folks at Mirvish Productions, they may be the largest mural commission of the 20th century.

He also designed three-dimensional adornments for the sides of the aisle seats and the fronts of the dress circle, boxes and balconies, made by casting a mold from an assemblage of found materials. Their swooping shapes are fun and exciting; art critic Roni Feinstein also observed (in the July 1994 issue of the influential magazine Art in America) that "the sensually undulating gilded reliefs suggest nymphs, putti and garlands when viewed at a distance."

Even the models used to design the work (known as "maquettes") are considered to be important pieces of contemporary art, and one was acquired for the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada. However, two of them (the models for the balcony fronts) are displayed for free downtown, in the lobby of The Suites at 1 King.

To see them, go in the front doors and look right, to the wall at the landing of the stairs to the second floor. The opportunity to examine these two maquettes – made of scrap bits of blue styrofoam insulation, flexible orange webbed fencing material and other debris that might be found in the studio of a visual artist or a stage designer – is an eye-opener. They really cast a light both on Stella’s working processes and on the inspiration for the fluid, colourful art installations that make the Princess of Wales unique.

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post. Image by Evan Dion, courtesy of Mirvish Productions.

Ten Best Toronto Moments of 2008

2008-12-31T13:24:00.000-05:00

Media folks have been complaining about 2008, but I have some great recollections. I was one of those who was rooting for us to pass the snowfall record of 207.4 centimetres, set in the winter of 1938-39. We didn't quite make it, but all our shovelling efforts were rewarded with a great growing season and a lot of happy trees.

Ten more cheerful thoughts from 2008:

March 29: The Toronto Star reported that Toronto cut its electricity use by 8.7% during Earth Hour (pictured above). I was at a party on Algonquin Island and was able to witness something pretty close to the sight recorded in this video posted by musicians Tony Law and Andrew Swinamer (AKA toneandand).

April 8: The remodelled Museum TTC station was unveiled, with its massive, ROM-inspired columns conceived through the Toronto Community Foundation's Arts on Track program. I think they're great.

May 17: Toronto FC played to a scoreless draw with the Columbus Crew to extend their unbeaten streak at BMO Field to six games since September 22, 2007; not bad for a second-season club. No wonder the Reds have won Toronto's hearts in a way the Blizzard never managed to do!

June 12: Gorgeous, artifact-inspired sculptural bike racks by Phil Sarazen and Jack Gibney were unveiled outside the ROM. Partly created with the help of people "at risk", these racks are far more indicative of what makes Toronto interesting than any of our big new buildings. Phil has others in Parkdale.

June 29: The CN Tower lit up with an exciting display of LED lights. After some debate with myself, I've decided it's more delightful than detestable. Adam Schwabe of BlogTO posted a video of the inaugural illumination; the folks there seemed to like it a lot.

July 1: The relocated and restored Tollkeeper's Cottage (pictured) was finally opened to the public after a tenacious fundraising effort by the Toronto Community Foundation.

August 28: Who doesn't love the new Pedestrian Scramble at Yonge and Dundas? Check out the time-lapse images by Sam Javanrouh, courtesy of Spacing. And I must admit I enjoy seeing movies at the new AMC Theatre. It's fun to go up all those escalators, and I like the movie quotes embedded in the floor.

October 17-19: Cask Days at Caffe Volo (587 Yonge). Proprietor Ralph Morana is way ahead of the curve when it comes to stocking and promoting local, artisanal beer. We'll be hearing lots more about this event in particular and Ontario craft beers in general.

November 20: The reimagined former TTC barns at Bathurst south of St. Clair reopened as the Artscape Wychwood Barns, a banner achievement for this city's visionary thinkers that will provide a space for creative endeavours for years to come.

December 21: The annual Kensington Festival of Lights turned 20, but the official component was cancelled due to high winds and a blizzard dubbed "Snowmageddon" by creative meteorologists. Nonetheless, numerous community revellers insisted on celebrating anyway, a sign that the event has truly come of age.

Also – sometime in early November: I noticed that the Village of Yorkville Park has really grown into a successful public space. It received its share of criticism when it was unveiled in the early '90s by Oleson Worland Architects, in association with Martha Schwartz, Ken Smith and David Meyer Landscape Architects, not least because of the seeming extravagance of importing a 650-tonne granite rock from Muskoka on 20 flatbed trailers. This fall, I was especially struck with the Birch Grove which, with its iron patio furniture and floor of crushed dark Parry Sound granite, projects a timeless tranquility reminiscent of parts of the Bois de Boulogne. Also, the Prairie Wildflower Garden is now a microsystem with its own birds and insects.

Happy 2009!

The Tile Project

2008-11-17T18:13:00.000-05:00

Where in Toronto would you look for an installation of 120 ceramic tiles by artists from 40 countries? Not the Gardiner Museum, as it happens, but a wall behind the Wallace Emerson Community Centre on Dufferin at Dupont.

The Tile Project was created by Boston artist Mary Sherman to "unite the world". She hooked up with Toronto artist Dyan Marie, who was already working with a group called DIG IN to improve the area around Dupont and Lansdowne. "Our work seemed to link in with many of the ideas that she was talking about – building a community through artwork," says Marie.

Every Tile Project installation is matched with work by local artists, so Marie and DIG IN conceived "Constellation", a set of 16 plate-sized bronze discs set into an adjoining pathway; each is cast with an image contributed by a neighbourhood artist like Vera Frenkel, Eldon Garnet or Blue Republic.

As for the tiles, they're remarkably various. "One has a little hole that you're supposed to put something in," says Marie. Another has a pluckable string, making it into a tiny, delicate musical instrument. Notable among the tile artists is Portugal's José de Guimarães. "He's an important Portuguese artist, and it was a real coup to get him," says Marie. "The Portuguese ambassador came to the opening."

Artists produced enough tiles for installations in 21 countries, from Azerbaijan to Wales. Among other sites are the Peace Garden in Washington, DC; the Fine Arts Museum of Ho Chi Minh City; Tel Aviv University; the Bar of Modern Art in Berlin, and UNESCO's Paris headquarters. Each installation is unique; here in TO, the stark concrete is a perfect counterpoint to the brilliance and detail of the collection.

"Honest to God," says Marie, "Ours is the best one."

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post. Image from TransculturalExchange.com.

Sevastopol Cannons at Queens Park and Missing Queen Victoria Statue Mystery

2008-11-08T15:47:00.000-05:00

A signal event of the Crimean War was the eleven-month Seige of Sevastopol, in which British, French, Turkish and Sardinian forces besieged and captured the Russian-held Black Sea port city. The taking of Sevastopol in 1855 was a British military landmark. In fact, legend has it that the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest award for military bravery, is always minted from metal made from the cannons taken at Sevastopol, although scholars have recently been casting doubts on this belief.

However, it’s certainly true that Queen Victoria arranged to mark the victory by sending Russian cannons to key cities throughout her realm. (It may be worth noting that the cannons were Russian only in the sense that they had been commissioned by the Russian army. In fact, most of them were made in China. Plus ça change...)

Since Ottawa would not be named as Canada’s capital until a few years later, Toronto received a fine pair of Sevastopol cannons. The plan was to place them on either side of a statue of the Queen as the focal point of a new park on land formerly owned by King’s College.

In 1860, the City of Toronto did in fact install the cannons in the new park, and it was officially named Queen’s Park in honour of Victoria. William Denby, in his wonderful book Lost Toronto, tells us that the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) was on hand to lay a cornerstone to Queen Victoria. (This was more than 30 years before the Parliament Buildings opened, incidentally; Queen’s Park was just a park in those days.)

And Sculptor Marshall Wood did in fact create a statue of Queen Victoria. It was finally unveiled in 1871, with the Sevastopol cannons on either side. But in 1874, when Wood submitted his invoice for $7,500, city officials were taken aback; they apparently hadn’t realized the City would be asked to foot the bill – and such a high one at that! So they removed the statue and moved the cannons, which had formerly stood on the spot where there’s now a John A. Macdonald statue, to their current positions on either side of the main entranceway to the Legislative Buildings. A new, less costly statue, was commissioned and installed in 1902. It’s still there.

But whatever happened to the original statue? Queen’s Park staff has tried to locate it. At one time, it was thought that it might have been shipped to Quebec, because archival images show it was an exact duplicate of the one that now stands in Victoria Square on Old Montreal. However, that statue was already in place by 1872, so to this day no one knows where our copy of Wood’s Queen Victoria statue has gone.

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post.

Child Abuse Survivor Monument

2008-11-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

Visitors to Little India may wonder, as they glance north up Rhodes Avenue from Gerrard East, why a neighbourhood resident is storing a 4,000-pound bronze figure on skids in his front yard.

Well, in 1990, while standing in front of the Vietnam War Memorial, sculptor and psychotherapist Michael C. Irving, Ph.D. conceived a grand-scale monument to the survivors of childhood abuse. His vision: "Reaching Out", a massive archway-shaped bronze public artwork consisting of two 11-foot figures with outstretched arms.

Between 1996 and 2003, Irving created 300 "quilt squares" based on wax-modeled individual handprints and symbolic images contributed by abuse survivors and their supporters across Canada. Among the contributors are people we’ve heard of, like Sylvia Fraser (author of In My Father's House) and some of the young men abused at Maple Leaf Gardens. Most handprints are from anonymous contributors: a 70-year-old woman, a Vietnam vet, Native youth from Alberta and Saskatchewan, infants whose parents’ lives had been affected by abuse.

The first figure, completed in September 14, 2007, is embellished with 150 squares. Its mate is expected to arrive in late 2009, depending on fundraising (a further $400,000 is required to complete it).

In 1999, Irving was offered a space outside the Air Canada Centre, but development plans for the area have changed, so the sculpture inhabits his front yard while he seeks a permanent home. Irving’s dream location is the northwest corner of College and University, where the University of Toronto greenhouse used to stand; he’s negotiating with Queen’s Park to get permission to use it.

"Visually, that’s the right space for it The parkette setting is so public, and yet you can almost be private on this corner. The paradox of this sculpture is that it has to be public so people will see it, and it has to be private so people can grieve," he says.

"It’s at the hub of education and healing and government. In a sense, it’s a place that is close to the stakeholders. We have the war, police and fire memorials – the heroes – and then there are the heroic children who have come through these adversities. In that location, it completes the circle."

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post

48th Highlanders Museum

2008-11-03T19:02:00.000-05:00

Here's one for Remembrance Day:

Two days a week, a modest sandwich board appears outside St. Andrew’s Church at King and Simcoe, just across from Roy Thomson Hall. It signals that the 48th Highlanders Museum is open. Few of the lunching office workers turn in to the iron-gated entrance; maybe they know they couldn’t take in the whole collection in just a few minutes.

Founded in 1891, the 48th Highlanders of Canada was present at most of this country’s signal military events, from the Boer War to modern Afghanistan. (In fact, Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, killed by "friendly fire" near Kandahar in 2002, was with the Regiment.)

The museum’s holdings tell hundreds of stories, like that of Corporal Arthur Barnard, who faced the first gas attacks at Ypres, then fought and died at Vimy Ridge. After the battle, his name was among those painted on a wooden memorial cross to those who died there. When a more permanent memorial was erected at Vimy, the weathered cross was sent to Canada; it now occupies a prominent place in the museum, and it would be worth seeing even if it was the only item in the collection.

But, small as it is, the 48th Highlanders Museum is packed with artifacts: uniforms and medals, musical instruments, weapons and equipment, like samples of the ration kits carried by soldiers of various periods. (Some received tins of hearty soup and brand-name chocolate; others just got bars of anonymous pressed food.) Deeply resonant are the clearly inadequate "gas hoods" distributed in WWI. So is the bullet-pierced jersey worn by Master Corporal John Tescione when he was injured in Yugoslavia in 1994 – it’s signed with get-well messages from his comrades.

Then there are watercolours from the Italian front, ink drawings of World War I and poignant trench art: intricate keepsakes made from painstakingly engraved shell casings, charms crafted from scrap tin, a wooden portrait bust complete with wire glasses, and even an inscribed animal bone reminiscent of the scrimshaw of the 19th-century sailors.

And it may be a Highland regiment, but the 48th is all-Canadian. Just check out the photo of the presentation of the original regimental colours; the presiding Governor General is none other than Lord Stanley... that’s right; the man who gave us the cup.

The 48th Highlanders Museum (416-596-1382) is usually open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but it doesn’t hurt to call ahead to confirm. Admission is free; donations are welcome.

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post. Photo by Jens Grabenstein.

Retired Don Railway Station

2008-10-21T11:37:00.000-04:00

Visitors to the City of Toronto’s Todmorden Mills heritage site in the Don Valley (at Pottery Road just below the intersection of Mortimer and Broadview) will notice this charming little brown building with its roofed wraparound verandah and turret. This is the retired Canadian Pacific Don railway station, now mostly quiet and empty, but once a bustling commuter hub.

Many people mistakenly believe the old Don Station was one of the stops on the Toronto Belt Line, which once ran up the Don Valley from Union Station. However, by the time the station was built, the Belt Line had already been closed down for more than a year.

In fact, the station building that now resides at Todmorden Mills was constructed by the CPR in 1895 and put into use in early 1896. It originally stood at a level crossing on the west side of the Don River just south of Queen Street. When the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway (CNOR) began to run to Toronto from Parry Sound in 1906, they made use of some of the former Belt Line route, and the little Don Station became the Queen Street East stop for passengers traveling between Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal.

The dangerous level crossing at Queen Street was replaced by a bridge in 1911, but passengers could still reach the station via a wooden staircase through the First World War years. The CNOR eventually became part of the Canadian National Railway, and by the 1920s, all CNR passenger trains between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, as well as CPR trains, stopped there. However, through the ‘50s and ‘60s, traffic on the line dwindled until the only passenger service through the station served travelers to Havelock and Peterborough. The building was taken out of service in 1967 and moved to Todmorden Mills (in three pieces that were reassembled at the new location) in 1969.

For about 20 years, the old station was closed to the public, but since 2003 it has been open during public events such as Doors Open Toronto. My sources tell me that it's slated to be moved to a new railway museum at the Roundhouse (where Steam Whistle Brewery is located, south of the SkyDome).

Originally published in The National Post "Toronto" magazine on May 31, 2008. With files from Derek Boles, Historian, Toronto Railway Historical Committee. Photo in the public domain, from Wikipedia.

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post

The Oldest Text in the Toronto Library System

2008-07-29T17:18:00.000-04:00

Originally published in the National Post "Toronto" weekend magazine on April 14, 2007:

For some years, the oldest text in the entire collection of the Toronto Public Library was a beautiful little ornate 14th-century vellum illustrated and hand-lettered edition of Aesop’s Fables held in the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books. Recently, however, Aesop has been bumped into third place, since the library system has acquired a pair of clay tablets bearing cuneiform texts dating from the Old Babylonian Period (about 2000 to 1600 B.C.E.)

Cuneiform means "wedge-shaped", because the characters in this ancient writing system were made by stamping wedge-shaped impressions into damp clay with a cut-off reed stylus. It began as a system of fairly literal pictographs, and simplified over the centuries into a mainly syllabic code of hundreds of abstract signs. Cuneiform was first used by the Sumerians around 3000 B.C.E. to write their own language. It was adopted and greatly simplified by the Babylonians and Assyrians to write in the Akkadian language, which is related to modern Arabic and Hebrew. It was still later picked up by other language groups, but disappeared in the first century A.D. after the Aramaic alphabet – a much simpler system, related to our own – came into general use.

The Toronto Public Library acquired the tablets to expand their holdings of artifacts that illustrate the history of storytelling and writing, like printing blocks, scrolls and manuscripts. At first sight, they aren’t especially thrilling: just lumps of dirt-coloured clay, probably flattened into shape between two hands, with left-to-right lines of overlapping incisions. (They’re actually on the large side; some cuneiform records are as small as Shreddies.) And the subject matter isn’t scintillating either: one is an account document about someone’s fields that dates between 2000 and 1600 B.C.E.; the other, personally stamped with a seal, is a textile receipt from late in that same period. Most people walk around with a sheaf of similar texts in their wallets. But that fact that these ancient words are preserved for the public is vital.

The Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians inhabited Mesopotamia, the land lying between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a birthplace of culture and civilization. In April 2003, scholars of ancient history watched in sadness as television footage revealed the looting and wrecking of irreplaceable historical treasures from the National Museum of Antiquities in Baghdad at the time of the American invasion. Even card catalogues and records were destroyed. Since then, every scrap of Mesopotamian history in responsible, well-documented public collections has become even rarer and more precious.

The TPL’s tablets aren’t the only ones in Toronto; the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library holds a palm-sized Babylonian legal text from 1789 B.C.E., and there’s also a substantial collection at the ROM. However, the library tablets are the most accessible to the general pubic. [In March 2007] they were displayed in an exhibit at Metro Reference Library called Picture Perfect!, which focused on artwork from the Osborne Collection. When the exhibit was finished, the tablets were returned to the Osborne Collection’s home at the Lillian H. Smith Branch at College and Huron.

They are expected to be put on public display there in the future. But in the meantime, since the Osborne Collection has a particularly generous policy on public access to books and other items, visitors are able to drop in and request to see anything in the library, including the tablets (or the 14th-century Aesop’s Fables, for that matter). The tablets are "encapsulated" for protection, but other items are completely open for perusal (in some cases the library supplies white cotton gloves to keep them clean.). Call 416-393-7753 for more information.

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post

Scadding Cabin at Exhibition Place

2008-07-28T15:07:00.000-04:00

For all you faithful readers who've nearly given up on me, here's another bit, first published in the National Post "Toronto" magazine on March 31, 2007: Toronto's oldest home is a log cabin that has been standing (more or less) since 1794. It's just not standing in its original location. The little one-story log house known as the Scadding Cabin was built by John Scadding, who was the estate manager for Col. John Graves Simcoe's property back in England. Scadding followed his employer to Upper Canada in 1792, acquired some land here and built himself a log cabin (picured), but barely a year later, that one burned down.

Undeterred, Scadding built another one to replace it on the east shore of the Don River, south of what is now Queen Street East. (In those days, the bridge over the Don was known as "Scadding's Bridge", and it linked King Street with "The Kingston Road".) Scadding's second home is the one that has survived for over two centuries.

Simcoe returned to England in poor health in 1796. Once again, Scadding followed his employer across the ocean, but he later returned to Canada, followed by his wife Melicent and three sons. The family didn't return to the cramped, one-room cabin. Instead, they moved into a larger place near what is now the intersection of Gerrard East and Broadview (until 1824, when Scadding was killed by a falling tree).

Meanwhile, the little cabin had been sold to a man named William Smith. He handed it on to his son John, who in turn passed it in 1879 to a historical society known as the York Pioneers. They decided to disassemble it and move it across town as a historical exhibit for the first Industrial Exhibition, held that same year. With a certain amount of fanfare, a cohort of "pioneer builders" was transported through the streets to the exhibition grounds via oxcart to "raise" the log cabin on its present site, almost at the foot of the wind turbine at Exhibition Place.

Many people turned out to watch, and the cabin has remained on that spot ever since. In fact, it's still maintained by the York Pioneer and Historical Society, who open it to the public every year during the CNE.

Photo by Sarah B. Hood. Pen drawing of "River Don near York and John Scadding's Cabin, Autumn, 1793" by Elizabeth Simcoe, (1766-1850). Reference Code: F 47-11-1-0-107, Archives of Ontario, I0006959

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post

Capt. John’s Harbour Boat Restaurant

2008-07-28T15:03:00.000-04:00

I've been so busy with other writing that I've really been neglecting this blog. So here's some of that other writing... The original version of this piece was originally published in the National Post "Toronto" magazine on May 5, 2007:

Some claim the Jadran, moored at the foot of Yonge Street, is stuck to the lake bottom with concrete. Not so, says John Letnik (69), veteran skipper of Capt. John’s Harbour Boat Restaurant.

"I hope it’s afloat; if it’s not, I’m in trouble," he quips. The motor has been disassembled, but "If I loosen the ropes, I don’t need a motor to move me away; the wind will do it. In the early days, we had much bigger storms in the lakes than recently. I spent days just watching the ropes, because she’s free-floating. Many times the ropes snapped."

And Capt. John knows what it’s like to lose a vessel. Once a mere landlocked restaurateur, he launched his first floating foodery in 1970 aboard the S.S. Normac, a 125-foot cruiser that used to run between Owen Sound and Tobermory. But on June 2, 1981, she was struck and sunk by the Trillium ferry.

"I had over 200 people on board. I was lucky that none of them got killed," Letnik says. After an eight-year court battle with the City, he raised his ship; she’s now in Port Dalhousie. "She was built in 1902 and she’s still floating; she’s one of the oldest in the Great Lakes," he says.

The present Capt. John’s was a Yugoslavian government-owned tour boat that plied the waters between Pula (near Trieste), Dubrovnik and Venice. In 1975, with a crew of 16, non-sailor Letnik brought her across the Atlantic. "We sailed down the Adriatic into the Mediterranean, stopping at Gibraltar and the Azores to take on supplies," he says. "From there, we passed into the North Atlantic. On November 11, 12 and 13, I think we were more under the water than above. We had a very big storm." The voyage took 15 days to Montreal.

The Jadran was originally fitted with 355 cabins. Now, it can accommodate up to 400 diners inside, plus another 200 on deck in summertime. But "more than half the ship is still empty," says Letnik.

Reprinted courtesy of the National Post.

The Light That Stands Still

2008-07-07T14:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I've written a play for Shadowland Theatre, inspired by the 200th anniversary of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, the oldest stone building in the city, and a haunted one at that. It's a mixture of history, myth and urban legend, and it takes the audience on a journey all over Gibraltar Point, with stilt-dancers, music, fire and an acoustic soundscape by Wende Bartley. The Light That Stands Still runs from July 17 to 24 at Gibraltar Point. Tickets are $15 ($10 for students/seniors and $45 for families). Call 416-203-0946 or visit Shadowland's website for tix and more info.

Super Sellers is Gone!

2008-05-18T16:01:00.000-04:00

I'm finally breaking my long silence to point out how sad I am that Super Sellers, the great discount lingerie place at 474 Yonge Street (just north of College Street) has disappeared after 21 years of supplying drag queens and just plain gals with wigs, bras, hosiery and related products. I will miss them. Oh well, off to Chockey's, I guess!

L'Oréal Toronto Fashion Week Fall Winter 2008 - Day One

2008-03-17T17:46:00.000-04:00

I have two words for fashion fans so far: raglan sleeves. Also jodhpurs; please tell me they're not the new capris! Also, it seems that grey is the new black. And brown. And navy. And red. And... you get the idea.

This newest (15th) edition of L'Oréal Toronto Fashion Week (or FashionWeek, as it seems to be given in some of the press materials), is already off to a bang; fashionistas already have six shows under their stylish belts.

At 2 p.m. Evan Biddell led off the batting order with a pretty impressive collection in shades from white to black, plus dull olive, fuschia and midnight blue. Biddell, winner of Project Runway Canada, ran his own independent design shop in B.C. for several years before appearing on the TV show. This may account for his assured, confident and technically proficient presentation. Many of his skirts, dresses and tops were made in a luxurious shiny silk, but not very heavily ornamented. A recurring garment was an eight-gored skirt with narrow horizontal tucks in the centre four gores. Numerous outfits were finished off with a wide wrapped silk sash with necktie points. He also produced an array of very nice coats, ranging from bolero jackets to floor-length creations in a soft wool.

Max Chernitsov is Moscow Fashion Week's contribution to the festivities. He brought men's and women's day clothes that prove – among other things – that cyberpunk lives. They ranged from fairly classic raglan-sleeve turtlenecks with moderately wide sleeves and very long cuffs to a pair of brief briefs with a shining gold "rocket" (hem-hem) motif that made even Jeanne Beker blush. Also lots of skintight stirrup leggings. (Can anyone tell me whether the unibrow makeup on the models was his idea of a pardoy of North American stereotypes of Russians???)

The work of B.C.'s Mellinda-Mae Harlington was wearable to the max. It featured coats and jackets in the evening's favoured palette, from pale grey to black. Very stylish pieces indeed that could be favourites worn for years, especially a three-button coat with wrap collar, turned-up two-button cuffs and wide button-flap detailing at the shoulders. Also nice: a simple round-neck, long-sleeved dress in finely-striped grey jersey.

Stating that she was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, Nadya Toto of Montreal brought a collection with lots of detail and hand embellishment. Many pieces seemed to be knit of a very slubby wool with a loose weave that gave a great drape with an astrakhan texture: mostly black, but one senational, simple long dress in crimson with an interesting triangular point detail at the upper arm made by a fold in the fabric. There was a sensational belted knee-length dress with long sleeves, a modest cowl neck and a bubble-skirt bottom that launched from a series of triangular pieces around the hem. There was one off-the-shoulder full-length gown with a bike-glove ending to the sleeves and a fitted top and a skirt beginning at a dropped waist that was made of tiers of grey lace tied with ribbons into five horizontal puffs, and another that was a romantic cloud of leg-revealing dark emerald.

At 6 p.m., Montrealer Denis Gagnon wowed the crowd with a very William Gibsonesque future-Goth presentation featuring some of the most luxuriantly supple leather you'll ever be privileged to stroke. Standout pieces included a flowing jersey cape-coat with an edging of snap-studded leather; the weight of the edging gave it bounce as well as flow. Hems were insistently diagonal. Both trousers and jacket sleeves were constructed of narrow bands of leather painstakingly joined in pieces of medieval simplicity of line and austerity of decoration but excitingly fresh shapes.

The day was rounded out by the Holt's media cocktail, graced by the presence of such luminaries as Elio Fiorucci and Monika Schnarre. It was followed by the Joe Fresh show: exhuberant as always.

Goodbye Suspect Video!

2008-02-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

I find myself actually in mourning today for the cluttered, lively, shabby exuberance that was the south side of Queen Street West east of Bathurst. I am especially sad about Suspect, and can only hope that a huge proportion of their stock was out on loan yesterday, and that the borrowers return them. I have spent scores of happy hours browsing Suspect's delightfully idiosyncratic collection, and they helped me survive an especially rotten few months of my life a decade or so ago.

But I also got my skates fitted at Duke's, and of course as a member of the bike community, I know how active Gary Duke has been among the bike retailers in town.

Nikolau was another favourite of mine; some of our kitchen knives and a few of my favourite baking tools came from there. It was a serendipitous source for cooking tools that were hard to find elsewhere.

And just a few weeks ago I bought a record player at National Sound. I can't believe that messy, fascinating shop is gone. Not to mention Preloved, Ali Baba and the others.

It's a great blessing that everybody (and apparently all their pets) got out safe. My hope is that the city will rally around all the business owners and residents and help them rebuild their homes and work and lives.

I haven't got anything more inspired or wise to say about this; except maybe this is what a city is really about: the intersection of public and private lives and the human-made geography that they shape and that is shaped by them. It's a tragedy to lose such an old, dense and intricate piece of our urban fabric.

An update: A trust fund has been established for residents who have been affected by the Queen Street fire. Donations can be made to the Queen Street Fire Fund at all Scotiabank locations across the city, beginning tomorrow. To find out more, contact City Councillor Adam Vaughan's Office at 416-392-4044. Rumour also has it that the monthy Critical Mass bike ride will pass by Duke's and also collect donations for the fund. The ride meets as usual tomorrow (Friday the 29th) at the corner of Bloor and Spadina, at 6 p.m., departing at 6:30.

Photo from Virtual City. If you look closely, you can see the spirit of Suspect. Oh no, sorry, that's just Jack Skellington.

Vote Kickstand! (Ooops! I Mean: Two Bike-Related News Flashes)

2008-01-30T19:54:00.000-05:00

The new Toronto Cyclists Union bike magazine needs a name, and you're being asked to vote for the best of the possibilities, whittled down from over 150 submissions. Click here to choose your fave. Mine is Kickstand. There. I said it.

Also, I've heard on good authority that Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is creating its first-ever position for a "Product Manager - Bicycles". After first looking for a candidate through staff and word of mouth, they'll start to advertise the position widely on February 14 (Valentine's Day). I believe the candidate should understand bike repair and have a good knowledge of bike parts, products and suppliers. A great job for anybody who's ever run their own bike shop, I'd guess. Interested? Message me here or on Facebook in case I hear more in the meantime.

PS: Since this was posted, Kickstand has taken the lead!

The Great Toronto Chocolate Truffle Hunt

2007-12-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

My article about my efforts to locate the best cupcakes in Toronto is consistently one of the most-read on this site, so – at great risk to my already substantial waistline – I’ve plunged into another research project: the search for this city’s best chocolate truffles. Actually, I did a lot of the research when I wrote the food sections of Toronto, The Unknown City, but this list includes a few new “candy-dates”.

My very favourite at that time is still my very favourite, even though they have moved to a less chichi location. It’s Stubbe Chocolate (now at 653 Dupont Street, 416-923-0956). I love them because they’re run by a very sweet fellow (appropriately, I suppose): Daniel Stubbe, who’s a sixth-generation chocolatier. That’s about 200 years of truffles, folks. And I prefer my chocolates to have a matte, velvety, irregular exterior finish, which the Stubbe truffles do (see the picture, above). And I love their classic flavours, like Gewurtztraminer, champagne and Poire William. Second place in my opinion for soft-shell truffles would be The Chocolate Addict (185 Baldwin Street, 416-979-5809), which continues to lure me with their lavender and hot chili centres, and a very close third place would go to Simone Marie Belgian Chocolate (126A Cumberland Street, 416-968-7777).

For truffles with a hard, shiny finish, the leader has to be the extremely elegant Soma (The Distillery District, Building 47, 416-815-7662). They treat chocolate like wine, and can tell you a lot about each type and where it comes from. Flavours include such foodie magnets as balsamic vinegar, bergamot, olive oil and the Gooderham Worts whisky truffle. Second in this category would be Simryn (147A Danforth Avenue near Broadview, 416-778-7978), which even makes sugar-free truffles. Honourable mention goes to the Belgian Chocolate Shop (2455 Queen Street East in the Beaches, 416-691-1424).

If you want politically conscious chocolate, head to Kakayo (1584 Queen Street East near Coxwell, 416-828-0402). There, Colleen Wong-Sala fashions exquisite organic and fair-trade treats like chai and chili chockies (and she also sells T-shirts that say “Stop staring at my truffles”.) Or you could go all the way, with Chocosol Horizontal Traders, Chocolatiers and Bicycle Based Business (Cacao Loft, 6 St. Joseph Street, 4th floor, 416-923-6675). Michael Sacco and Graham Corbett, the charming young fellows of Chocosol sell raw and roasted cacao and nibs, as well as fair trade coffee, organic cinnamon, vanilla pods and popped amaranth. Their “chocolate foods” are grainy, intense bars with ingredients like chilies, agave, vanilla and hempseed. Find them at farmers’ markets and special events.

Also, any Toronto chocoholic will want to keep an eye on the Chocolate Fest, which is still a young event, but with its popular chocolate fashion shows (yes!) and events featuring chocolate fountains and other delights, I suspect it’ll be growing over the next few years.

By the way, I’ve heard so much about J.S. Bonbons (163 Dupont Street at Davenport, 163 Dupont, 416-920-0274; and 811 Queen West, 416-703-7731) that I’m sure they’re great, but I have made many tries to visit them and never yet found them open. The hunt continues...

Sarah’s Top Ten Picks for Live Holiday Theatre, Music and Dance 2007

2007-12-13T11:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, I’m a Christmas hound, so I’m all over these traditional once-a-year holiday performances. You can’t go wrong with any of these. And, although they're numbered, they’re not presented in any specific order.

1. If you read any mean reviews of Ross Petty’s Peter Pan, I’m here to tell you not to believe them. Kurt Browning is immensely charming and his roller-skating turn is heart-stopping; Eddie Glen is lovable as Smee and Nana the Dog; the "Hip Hop Crock" is a scream; the schtick is hilariously corny, and the gratuitous Bollywood number totally rocks. Finally, I don’t care what Richard Ouzounian says; some of us did want to hear the theme from The Greatest American Hero one more time. It runs at the Elgin Theatre until January 6. 416-872-5555

2. The Kensington Festival of Lights, presented by Red Pepper Spectacle Arts, is Toronto's most exciting community pageant, with its lanterns, stiltwalkers, masks, puppets and fire effects. Participants include a who’s-who of the local grassroots arts scene: Shadowland, Clay and Paper, Darbazi, Samba Squad, Richard Underhill, EagleHeart Drummers and more. Go and get renewed; gather at Augusta and Oxford (just south of College) at 6 p.m. on December 21. 416-598-3729

3. This is the 20th year for Wintersong – Dances for a Sacred Season, the seasonal dance celebration by Canadian Children's Dance Theatre that explores Celtic, Native, Jewish and medieval midwinter traditions. It runs December 14 and 15 only at Ryerson Theatre; me, I’m going on Friday. 416-924-5657

4. Ballet Creole artistic director Patrick Parson has been working for six years on Glorious Soulful Messiah, a dance performance set to jazzy, soul-infused renditions of the parts of Handel’s Messiah. It runs December 14 and 15 only at Premiere Dance Theatre. I’m going Saturday; which day will you be there? 416-973-4000

5. The Christmas Story is the annual Nativity pageant performed by the community around the Church of the Holy Trinity (the one near the Eaton Centre). It’s now in its 70th season, which tells you something about its enduring power. And the baby is real. December 14-16 and 21-23. 416-598-8979

6. I have CD based on one of John McDermott’s annual Christmas concerts, and it’s a regret of mine that I’ve never been to one. Maybe somehow this year I’ll make it to John McDermott’s Bringing Home Christmas at the Princess of Wales on December 16. 416-872-1212

7. Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People presents The Wizard of Oz to December 30. I’m going on the very last day! 416-862-2222

8. On December 22, Tafelmusik presents their annual authentic Baroque performance of Handel’s Messiah at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, with Handel himself in attendance (really!) Bring the music; they will probably let you sing the chorus bits. 416-964-6337

9. Okay, I was tearing up all the way through White Christmas. Besides fab tap numbers, it has a feast of immortal songs by the great Irving Berlin. It runs at the Sony Centre until January 5. 416-872-2262

10. Puppetmongers (brother and sister David and Ann Powell) present their funny, gentle and lovely Russian folk tale Tea at the Palace (pictured), about the clever peasant girl and the Tzar, with the aid of lovingly crafted puppets of all sizes inspired by Russian children’s toys. December 26 to January 1 at Tarragon Theatre's Extra Space, with a special New Year’s Day Tea Party. 416-531-1827

It's really hard to narrow down to just ten, because I also want to plug the Nathanial Dett Chorale's Indigo Christmas, the version of Sleeping Beauty that's turning the St. Lawrence Centre into an ice rink, The Snow Queen at the Distillery and – oh yeah – there are also four versions of The Nutcracker in town! Whichever you choose, go with someone you love and have a hot chocolate with them after.

Christmas Lights Displays Around Toronto - 2007 Edition

2007-12-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

Last year I posted quite a few items about great Christmas lights displays at homes and neighbourhoods around Toronto. These included a preliminary general one, mainly about downtown locations, a second one about a great east-end home, and one about the great Nativity scene at St. Francis of Assisi Church. I also posted about the Weiss home formerly at 123 Rutledge Avenue in Newmarket, but this year the family has moved. They plan to do displays in future, but in the meantime they've loaned their lights to Fairy Lake in Newmarket.

However, I've found out about a couple of new locations. The first is the DeSario home at 165 Benjamin Boake Trail at Keele and Sheppard. It raises money for Sick Kids (over $25,000 so far!) with an enormous display that includes a huge Nativity scene and a giant dancing snowman.

Then there's the Borges home on Caledonia north of St. Clair (pictured above, thanks to Tanja of BlogTo). Their home and yard are simply engulfed in lights, many of which are arranged to spell messages like Feliz Natal. (Thanks to Tanja's BlogTO's "GlowTO" series for these last two and the links. I hope she keeps going with that this year!)

Also recommended by me, though less over-the-top, are some of the official displays made of of silver and blue LEDs around town, like the tiger across from the Christie subway entrance, the snowflake tree in Berczy Park outside the St. Lawrence Centre and the polar bears in the traffic island on Yonge just south of College/Carleton.

I'm still trying to find out more about a reported home off Brimley Road just south of Eglinton that apparently always has toy reindeer all across the lawn, a giant lit-up wreath and a crazy display of lights. I'd also welcome any further details of one near Willowbank and Underwood in Mississauga and another near Centennial Boulevard in the Bluffs neighbourhood.

If you know about these or other great sites, please add a comment to this post, or call in when I make my now-annual Christmas visit to CFRB's Christina Cherneskey Show on Sunday, December 23 from 1 to 2 p.m. She always has prizes for people who all in.

Music and Theatre for Christmas... And A Little Kensington Jazz

2007-12-04T10:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight (Tuesday, December 4) at 9:15 p.m., Richard Underhill Quartet is playing from their new CD "Kensington Suite" at Supermarket (268 Augusta Avenue in Kensington). The cover is $6 and CDs will of course be available. The band includes Eric St-Laurent (guitar) and Brandi Disterheft (bass). On Thursday, December 13, the Quartet will be at Dominion on Queen (500 Queen Street East), beginning at 9 p.m. Those who can’t make either gig can acquire the CD online.

The final event of the year-long Caribou Art Project is a free, one-time-only presentation of Clay & Paper Theatre’s Song of the Innocents on Sunday, December 9 at 10 a.m. at St. Philip the Apostle Anglican Church (201 Caribou Road, south of Lawrence and east of Bathurst). It’s a retelling of the Biblical story of the Slaughter of the Innocents by King Herod; only in this version, the people fight back to save the children from death. It’s told using puppets and other street theatre techniques, as well as medieval song reworked by music director Laurel MacDonald and Clay and Paper artistic director David Anderson. These include "Personent Hodie", "King Herod" (based on the ancient Christmas carol "The Carnal and the Crane", and the beautiful "Coventry Carol". The Caribou Project is an innovative interfaith arts series commissioned by the tiny congregation of St. Philip the Apostle Anglican Church.

On Wednesday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m., The Toronto Choral Society presents a Christmas concert of works by French composers at Eastminster United Church (310 Danforth Avenue, one block west of Chester subway). The program includes François Poulenc’s Gloria and Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit pour Noël. Tickets ($20) are available at the door. 416-410-3509

Christmas Gifts, ROM Dinos, Hip Hop Hanukah and Other Seasonal Delights

2007-12-03T17:01:00.000-05:00

Here’s a handful of great seasonal happenings for those in the Christmas and Hanukah (I refuse to write Christmakwanzukah) spirit. A good and dutiful blogger would have turned this into a whole series of posts, but hey... I’ve been busy.

Did you know that the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood BIA sells a series of pewter ornaments shaped like old Toronto landmarks? It includes St. Lawrence Hall, St. Lawrence Market, St. James Cathedral, the Flatiron Building and the (Royal Meridien) King Edward Hotel, and you can buy them in some of the City’s historical homes/museums, as well as in places like Christmas On The Beach (1889 Queen Street East), the Flatiron Christmas Market (51 Front Street East) and the Visitor’s Centre in the Distillery District. And this year, the Parkdale Liberty Economic Development Corporation has issued “Yuletide in Muddy York” (pictured) by Amita Sen Gupta, the first in a new series to be designed by Toronto artists annually. You can pick one up for $9.99 online or at the Parkdale Liberty office (1313 Queen Street West), Good Catch (1556 Queen Street West), Made You Look (1338 Queen Street West), The Polar Bear – Sheraton Centre (123 Queen Street West), Flatirons Christmas Market (51 Front Street East), Arcane Metal and Stone (87 Roncesvalles) and Woolfitts (1153 Queen Street West). They come in a nice box; proceeds after production costs go to community job fairs ($2), neighbourhood beautification ($1), local festivals ($1), community information forums ($1) and St. Philip’s Pantry food bank ($1).

On Saturday, December 8, Ashkenaz Foundation presents Hip Hop Hanukah at the Mod Club Theatre (722 College Street at Crawford). It features Socalled (named "one of the most deliciously demented minds in beat science" by Village Voice) on vocals, sampler, accordion and piano. He’s joined by NY emcee and freak-rapper C Rayz Waltz, vocalist Katie Moore, NYC funk guitarist Allen Watsky, drummer Daniel Barnes, violinist Aleksandar Gajic, and bassist Eric Stein of klezmer/folk fusion group Beyond the Pale. Call 888-222-6608 (toll-free) or 416-979-9901, or buy tix here.

At 7:30 p. m. on Sunday, December 9, Echo Women’s Choir sings its winter concert, dedicated to the winter moon, at the Church of the Holy Trinity (10 Trinity Square, behind the Eaton Centre). Conductors are Alan Gasser and Becca Whitla, with Becca Whitla on piano plus guest performers Moon Joyce, Artie Roth (bass) and Tim Posgate (guitar). Greg Furlong has arranged a suite called Moon Tunes for Women’s Voices featuring standards like “Blue Moon”, “Moon River” and “Fly Me to the Moon”. Moon Joyce has written “Winter Moon” especially for the choir, and the repertoire also includes American country music and songs from Georgia, Bulgaria and Ukraine. For more information, call 416-588-9050, extension 3.

Starting on December 15 and 16, the dinosaurs are back at the ROM, with the unveiling of the James and Louise Temerty Galleries of the Age of Dinosaurs. Nine of the big boys have been repositioned, since scientists have changed their opinions as to what they would have looked like when they were walking around. The most different is the duckbilled hadrosaur, a.k.a. Corythosaurus. It's been set up on its hind legs since 1932, but apparently that’s wrong, wrong, wrong. Also, I don’t know whether it will be ready for the opening, but a centerpiece of the new exhibit will be an 80-foot Jurassic-period Barosaurus, the only near-complete example of its kind. ROM staffers recently dug it up when they were excavating… their basement. The museum has owned it for 45 years, and somehow managed to forget it was down there. Now you can stop feeling so guilty about those badminton rackets you got at that garage sale that you never use.

And finally, a couple of neat tips. Every Friday and Saturday, the très luxe Pantages Martini Bar (200 Victoria Street, 416-262-1777) has free live piano performances. Fridays, Robert Scott plays from 8 to midnight, with Great Bob Scott on percussion from 10 p.m. on. Upcoming Saturdays feature John Sherwood (December 8), Waylen Miki (December 15), Norman Amadio (December 22) and Steve Koven (December 29).

And if you want a great Sunday brunch, don’t ask questions, just head to Greg Couillard, Lee Sannella and David Nganga’s Manyata Courtyard Café in Hazelton Lanes (55 Avenue Road, lower level, 416-935-0000) for the lovely, fresh and tasty $26 buffet from 11 to 3:30. (Go before they start raising the prices!!!) They’ve also started laying on an afternoon tea on Tuesday to Saturday from 2:30 to 5 p.m., and I bet that’s great too.

More Creative Christmas Shopping Tips

2007-11-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

Early last week I wrote about some holiday shopping opportunities that support local artists and good causes in the community. Here’s a list of others; if you want more, more, more, download the fabulous 15-page Toronto Arts Council Foundation 2007 Arts Holiday Shopping Guide for a wealth of other suggestions for using your holiday shopping dollars to support the arts in Toronto. It includes great performance and book tips.

November 24:
OCAD Mystery Art Sale at the Ontario College of Art & Design (100 McCaul Street). Hundreds of original works donated by Canadian artists, celebs and OCAD faculty, alumni and students; each measures 5½" x 7½", and each is priced at $75. Sales are first-come, first served, and you don’t know whose work you’ve bought until the end. It could be Will Alsop, Barbara Astman, Margaret Atwood, Andy Fabo, Barbara Klunder, Charles Pachter or...? Remaining preview times: TODAY! Fri, November 23, noon to 8 pm; Public Sale: Sat, November 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 416-977-6000

November 29 to December 2:
Point Zero, BIG IT UP, and RAISINS Sample Sale at 99 Atlantic Avenue, suite 100. A chance to buy Canadian fashion at low prices. Wed & Thu, November 29 & 30, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fri, December 1, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat, December 2, 9 a.m. 4 p.m. 416-597-1007. Cash only.

COC Arts & Crafts Fair and Sale at the Toby and Joey Tanenbaum Opera Centre (227 Front Street East). The Canadian Opera Company presents a weekend extravaganza of art created by COC staff, including visual artists, sculptors, cartoonists, multimedia artists, jewellers, knitters and crafters. Opening Reception: Thu, November 29, 5 to 7 p.m. Continues Fri, November 30, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat & Sun, December 1 & 2, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

December 1:
Toronto Business Development Centre Holiday Sale and Showcase at TBDC (1071 King Street West). A showcase and sale of work by Toronto entrepreneurs in areas like jewellery, fashion accessories, crafts, food, home decor, health and beauty. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 416-345-9437

December 6 to 15:
Wall to Wall - Holiday Art Sale & Party at Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography (401 Richmond Street West, suite 120). Over 100 photographic artworks and objects created by Toronto artists, priced from $5 to $500. Proceeds benefit Gallery 44's education and exhibition programs, and are matched by the Ontario Arts Council Foundation. Opening Reception: Thu, December 6, 6 to 10 p.m. Continues: Fri, December 7, 11-8 p.m., Sat & Sun, December 8 & 9, 11-5 p.m. and Tues-Sat, December 11-15, 11-5 p.m. 416-979-3941

December 8:
Who’s Your Santa: A Seasonal Auction at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street). Maggie Cassella hosts a fundraising auction with Charlene Nero as auctioneer, alongside celeb Santas Dennis O'Connor, Miss Conception, John Simpson, Chris Carter, Deb Pearce and Anna Giaouris. On the block are sexy seasonal goodies ranging from travel packages to art. Big ticket items include a gay erotic tapestry by Carl Stewart, a Banff getaway from Vision2000 Travel Group, a BATAVUS Metro Bike from Curbside Cycle and $1,000 worth of Northbound Leather products. Preview from 6 p.m., Auction at 7. 416-975-8555. Admission: $20

December 8 to January 5:
Gifts by Artists at Art Metropole (788 King Street West). A sale of new artists' books, multiples and other art presents by Andrew J. Patterson, Maura Doyle, Julie Voyce, Ann Dean, Tonik Wojtyra, Terence Koh, Audrea Di Julio, Liz Knox and a host of others. Opening festivus: Sat & Sun, December 8 & 9, 2 to 5 p.m. Continues Tue-Fri, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sat, noon to 5 p.m. 416-703-4400

Goodby, Angie!

2007-11-15T17:20:00.000-05:00

This morning Angie Baldassarre died. This is my favorite picture of this passionate and vivacious woman, taken by Arne Nordtop. She had a full life as a devoted film journalist, wife, friend and above all mother. She got to jet to L.A. to interview Brad Pitt, serve on the jury of the Venice Film Festival, publish two books about Italian and Canadian filmmakers, host innumerable gracious hospitable gatherings for her delightful circle of friends, and acquire unavailable preview copies of all the best kids' films for her lovely daughter. She made a great marriage with a terrific guy via the internet, watched every episode of Northern Exposure, recommended that her friends should get tattood (for the rush), and claimed to have participated in some pretty radical actions in her impetuous Italian youth. She also stayed close to her cultural heritage and her faith, and even managed to have Sunday dinner with her parents most weeks. For all of these things I admired her and will miss her. I can't believe how long she managed to hold death away and keep writing and cherishing life with her family through an illness that would have licked most people. She deserved another 50 years of health and life. However, I remember how sad she was when her friend Gene Siskel died. I hope they're sitting in armchairs side by side, giving the double thumbs-up. And I hope all the films in heaven are good ones.

Art and Craft Holiday Shopping for Christmas Gifts (2007)

2007-11-12T14:51:00.000-05:00

I always vow I won't get into the Christmas thing too early, but then there are always some great gift shopping events around town that I badly want to promote, so... whatever. In particular, I figure if people are going to go out and spend a bunch of cash once a year, they may as well spend it on art and good causes.

The Algonquin Island Association holds its wonderful annual Christmas Boutique on the island. It's a heartwarming community event that features steaming bowls of chilli made by gradeschoolers and the Eggnog that Escaped Heaven. Among the items for sale are original pieces by Island artists, baking and jams, ornaments, cards, kids' crafts and unbelievably idiosyncratic creations that beggar description. Prices are generally pretty low, although some of the serious art and crafts (like quilting) can get up into three figures. The Boutique is held on Saturday, December 1 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The AIA clubhouse is located about 15 minutes by foot from the Ward's Island ferry dock, and there'll be plenty of signs to direct you. Consult the winter ferry schedule to figure out when to arrive and leave (You may even see me there with my catnip toys.) Admission is free. For more information, call 416-203-0965.

At the 15th anniversary Holiday Marketplace at 401 Richmond, you'll find every kind of original creation from tiles to textiles, including painting, photography, prints, ceramics, jewellery, watches, home decor items, hats, knits, bags and even dance classes. Be sure to check out artwork (and ceramic trolls!) by Fiona Smyth and the sensational hand-stenciled organic bicycle T-shirts, kids' onesies (see image!), bike art cards and prints by Janet Bike Girl. The Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre is showcasing limited-edition film stills Canadian filmmakers (curated by Michael Snow). And Toronto Cat Rescue is selling kitty-theme crafts. (Check the link for a complete list of participants.) There'll be live music performance through much of the event, which runs Thursday and Friday, December 6 & 7 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., plus Saturday and Sunday, December 8 & 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. At 401 Richmond West, of course. Admission is free, but don't blame me if you buy stuff.

Sarah in GreenTOpia

2007-11-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

Last year around this time, I announced how pleased I was to be one of the authors contributing to The State of the Arts: Living with Culture in Toronto, the second volume in the uTOpia series from Coach House Press. I'm, if anything, even more pleased to be included in the third: GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto. This "newest and greenest" volume is launching this Sunday, November 11 at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West), beginning at 2 p.m. I have a little piece in it about advances in (and barriers to) alternative energy technologies being used here.

Coach House is making quite the full day of it, starting with two panel discussion moderated by Misha Glouberman and featuring GreenTOpia contributors. The first, on the natural environment, is at 3 p.m. with Eduardo Sousa, Lorraine Johnson, Todd Irvine, Wayne Reeves and Keith Stewart. The second, on built environment, is at 4, and features Eva Ligeti, Graeme Stewart, Cathy Nasmith, John Lorinc and Bert Archer. The event will be entirely solar-powered, courtesy of Solera Energies, and participants are invited to bring something they no longer need or want for the freecycle swap table. Cover charge is $5, or free with the purchase of a book (at the launch price of $25 including GST).

At 6 p.m., when the panels have wound up, Shawn Micallef of Spacing and [murmur] will lead a Psychogeographic Wander (that'd be a thoughtful, philosophical walk where you notice things) to College and Bathurst in time for a 7 p.m. dinner with various GreenTOpia participants at Plaza Flamingo (423 College Street).

At 8:30, Wavelength Music Series presents Remember Toronto with The Bicycles, The Two Koreas, The Blankket, the Hip-Hop Karaoke Crew and Etaoin Shrdlu with Jonny Dovercourt performing the best Toronto songs of all time ("Spadina Bus" had better be on that list!) at Sneaky Dee's (431 College Street). Admission is pay-what-you-can.

If you can't make the launch, you might like to know that Coach House is offering a package deal of all three books: GreenTOpia, last year's State of the Arts and the original uTOpia: Towards a New Toronto – GST and shipping included – for only $60.

Toronto Artscape Creative Convergence Project Survey

2007-11-02T13:15:00.000-04:00

The folks at Toronto Artscape are working on what they call the Creative Convergence Project, a study of the unique characteristics of Toronto neighbourhoods that contribute to the success of creative business and individuals. Their goal is to be able to help public policymakers understand how to protect and promote these critical elements. If you work in a creative field, you can help by filling out their online survey. It doesn't take too long, but you must give them your e-mail address. They promise that your information will be kept confidential.

L'Oreal Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2008 - Final Day

2007-10-26T17:31:00.000-04:00

Hello again! The evening opened with a sadly underattended banquet of beautiful creations from Paul Hardy. Ruffles reigned in this show of shiny, sparkly silver, tattered fabric and endless yards of sensational silk in white, grey, pink, black and gold. All who were present enjoyed confections like his gold, one-shoulder cocktail dress with big opulent gathered clouds at collar and hem (pictured, courtesy of Paul Hardy). Or his floaty flapper dress: tiers of horizontal apricot ruffles (with unfinished edges) to the knee, and a simple black bow at the left shoulder. Mmmmm...

Next up was the very young-looking Nada Yousif (not to be confused with "Nada"). Her youthful, cheerful and flirty dresses took the palette of Indian fabrics and '60s psychedelia: fuschia, orange, peacock blue, lemon, purple... and showed them off in fitted tops with bubble skirts in solids, prints and plaids (pictured, courtesy of Lotus Leaf Communications). This is fashion that your five-year-old niece would love; perhaps no coincidence that the models made their final parade carrying brightly multicoloured giant swirl lollipops!

Seven Eighty took us on a "nautical adventure" with a line inspired by classic boating themes: navy, white and black with anchor and ship motifs plus their "SE" monogram entwined with crossed anchors. Stripes and pinstripes were everywhere, both in traditional jackets and slacks (for men and women), and also in fun applications like the strapless pinstriped playsuit ending in cuffed shorts, or the shortie pinstripe hoodie paired with matching cuffed shorts. Later items introduced some other hues, but subtly, as in the plaid jacket-dress in muted Burberry colours.

The ever-popular GSUS Sindustries presented a typically vivacious line that ranged from utterly practical cargo shorts and hoodies to outrageous shiny lemon plastic pants and the surreal men's oversize T with the suspenders printed on them. Big blocky checks in colour combinations like mango/brown/gold/red/white and blue/grey/canary/black made for some really nice men's and women's jackets in a variety of fairly classic, sporty styles.

8:47: The penultimate show was Rudsak, whose eminently streetworthy outerwear is always appreciated by a full-house crowd. This time they've come upon an ingenious design detail: a dress with a stand-up trenchcoat-style collar that resolves to a cowlneck front (pictured here under a jacket, courtesy of Lotus Leaf Communications). The rest consists of short sleeves and a fairly full A-line skirt, with rows of parallel topstitching at the hem. It's available in black, grey, ivory, mustard and brown, and was generally shown with a wide contrasting belt. I expect it would be fairly flattering for most people, and could be dresssed up or down. The rest of the line consisted mainly of men's and women's coats and jackets, including trenches and variations on the bomber jacket, pea coat and motorcycle jacket, many of which were executed in a buttery leather in ivory, grey, brown, white or black. Faves for me were mildly distressed men's and women's dark brown leather jackets with multiple button-flap pockets, sort of a his-and-hers Indiana Jones look for this millennium.

10:11: Well, it's all over but the After-Party... except for those heading to Holt Renfrew on Bloor at 1 p.m. tomorrow for the desiger meet-and-greet (you should go!) The very last show was Thien Le's golfwear for women, under the label Le T Golf. It followed the general trend set by many designers this week of using brilliant colours: in this case vivid pastels like rose, fuschia, canary, pale violet, pale lime, baby blue and sky blue plus ivory, black and a few touches of scarlet. Accents included a tropical floral print as well as fine checks, stripes and pinstripes. The pieces were sporty classics: shorts, skirts and wrap skorts, jerseys, blazers, jackets and vests. He even has co-ordinated and monogrammed golf and flight bags in sky blue, ivory and red (pictured, courtesy of Kelly Drennan). My favourite item: a surprisingly feminine knit sweater-vest in baby blue with a plunging U of ivory ribbing at the front neckline. At the end, his models paraded to the buoyant strains of the '70s hit "Celebration"... a fitting end to another L'Oréal Toronto Fashion Week.

L'Oreal Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2008 - Day Four

2007-10-25T14:47:00.000-04:00

2:46: An early day today, with all shows over by about 8:30 tonight. Are you curious as to whether it's worth waiting around the tents to see celebs? Well, so far, I've already mentioned the presence of Kalan Porter and an assortment of other Canadian Idol personalities, as well as Keshia Chante. Last night, K-OS was here. Then there are the TV faces, from top fashion maven Jeanne Bekker to OMNI's Pei (am I spelling her name right?) and a couple of the Designer Guys. Are you getting excited yet? Well, on to the shows.

First up today was a show that really got me excited, although it wasn't all that well attended. Fashion Takes Action was a repeat of a concept that showed earlier this year in a gala-priced soirée. The theme is ecologically sustainable fashion, and it unites ten top designers: Annie Thompson, Damzels in This Dress, Rosa Constanzo, Sarah Nichol, Farley Chatto, JUMA, Thieves, Thien LE, Ula Zukowska and veteran Pat McDonagh. The lines used SYKA's Tussah silk, bamboo, organic cotton, merino wool, soy and hemp to create a range of wear from easy, casual, everyday jersey pieces to Thien LE's stunning evening dresses – with trains (pictured. Pat McDonagh's big poufy penguin-ornamented evening skirt made another appearance (it was shown at her 40th anniversary show last spring).

I loved Annie Thompson's fashion-forward olive, deep rose and black skirts, vests and stoles (pictured, left); the Damzels' more sedate black, mustard, deep rose, dark blue, violet and taupe dresses (right), and Farley Chatto's exquisitely elegant men's summer suits. Actually, I loved it all; take that, Fast Fashion! (All images of Fashion Takes Action by Kat Szatmari, courtesy of Kelly Drennan.)

4:30: A dozen talented Fanshawe College students presented small collections: Dawn Marie Frowley, Tara Wilson, Cassie Blackman, Candice DiMarco, Messina Salter, Victoria Overlord, Erin Hawke, Vu Nguuyen, Margaret Banasik, Erin Coyle, Roya Poorsanan and Brandon R. Dwyer. Even though it was the work of students, it stood up well... although it seemed clear that this year's class assignments included a cuffed capri and a bubble miniskirt/shorts. Styles ran the gamut: Salter reminds you of Play Dead Cult, with her bondage elements, slashes, overpainting and textual prints. Dwyer, on the other hand, could be a junior Andy Thé-Anh, with his opulent, ruche-bedecked orange and lime raw-silk cocktail dresses, and his really lovely black strapless gown with fitted hip-long bodice and luscious lower layers of frothy ruffles. Also worthy of mention were Banasik's two meticulously constructed strapless cocktail dresses – one rose, one mocha.

Saniya Khan presented an elegant, laid-back line decoratively linked by a circle theme, and mostly riffing on the Pakistani shalwar kamees outfit of tunic (kurta), trousers (shalwar) and scarf (dupatta). Pale, rich earth colours and long, flowing lines, enhanced with hand-painting, occasional beading, appliqué and spray dyeing, characterized this subtly impressive collection.

5:39: Stephen Trigueros (Tanya Stephens and Maria Jose Trigueros) just showed a beachball-bright collection of dresses, shorts and tops, swim and loungewear suitable for Florida yachting or LA clubbing. Oranges, vibrant blues and brilliant whites opened eyes. They stayed open for numbers like the skin-fit silver spaghetti-strap one-piece bathing suit: clearly the garment of choice for Wonder Woman when she goes to the local pool. A unifying motif was a wide swathe of basket-weave in the same fabric and colours as the garment, often used as a wide waistband; occasionally set in to the side of a dress as a decorative oval between hip and ribcage.

Next day's additions: Ula Zukowska opened with her four Fashion Takes Action outfits, and the rest of the show carried on with the themes she established there of silkscreened images (trees, faces), creased, crunched and folded fabrics in black, grey, bitter mustard and golden tones. Her complicated geometric constructions made for extreme originality, but did anyone else notice the absolutely straightforward riff on men's doublets of 1625-40? It was obvious in the waist seams, wide wilting collars and sleeves with gathered puffs at the upper arm – the creases of the gathering standing in for the slashing of the period (pictured, courtesy of the designer).

A complete shift: Aqua di Lara ended the evening with an exuberant show of sexy, slinky high-end swimwear. Some of the nicest featured horizontal gathering inserted into a tall ova at each side.

L'Oreal Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2008, Day Three

2007-10-24T16:35:00.000-04:00

4:40: We've already seen one show so far: Slavka Plavsic. She presented a line of mainly dresses, skirts and tops made from uncut lengths of metallic silk in pale rose-gold, steel-grey, very soft green, black and occasionally brilliant red. The fabric was molded to the body with draping and gathering, but very little tailoring. Some pieces featured lengths of thread woven into the fabric and trailing loose; some were utterly transparent. Most garments were more imaginatively stimulating than practical; however, a few would make delightful cocktail outfits in the real world.

5:40: Damzels in This Dress (Kelly Freeman and Rory Lindo) are back after taking some time off to launch their Queen Street East retail outlet, Doll Factory by Damzels. Teamed up in a double-bill with Play Dead Cult, they led off with a collection of dresses suitable for Marilyn Monroe's beach-picnic date with Tim Burton. Ribbon sashes, '50s styling, romantic floral prints and tulle ruffles at hem and neck were executed in black and blood-red for a flavour of shock chic.

More gory, less girly, Play Dead Cult offered up studded belts, blood-spattered jean jackets and a fine array of "propaganda" Ts lavishly embellished with PDC's distinctive lettermarks and logos. Most fun item: a nerdish pinstripe jacket that zips to the neck. Top marks for skully glam.

7:48: Jayn Simpson presented a collection of extremely pretty gowns ands separates in metallic textures and beach colours like pale gold, pale peach and off-white. The sleeveless knee-length white balloon dress with wide black bow at the waist epitomized this line's essential femininty. Corset-lace back closures and see-through black lace panels played up the sexiness; the grand finale full-length wedding gown – complete with virginal white bouquet – was all ladylike elegance.

Tilley Endurables won cheers from a crowd that had been primed to be a little snooty towards a rather conservative line of travel clothes whose signature item is a hat that can pass through an elephant's bowels without losing its character. (True.) But everybody seemed to like the bright, simple and stylish sleeveless women's turtleneck pullovers, evening trousers and jackets, and the men's practical shirts and pants – all evidently designed to be crushed into a bag and emerge looking fresh and crisp. And who could resist a troupe of models (including older men and a plus-size woman) in sensible undershirts, Ts, boxers and briefs? (Especially when they toss pouches of lightweight outerwear into the audience.) Points for panache.

10:35: Two extremely popular designers just went back to back; first, Andy Thé-Anh of Montreal, who showed his trademark opulent gowns, cocktail dresses, blouses and trousers. Like many other collections on this season's runway, Thé-Anh opted for a pale and shimmering palette of soft metallic blues, peaches, golds, steels and silvers. As always, his garments are meticulously constructed of numerous panels that outline each contour of the body. In this case, the female form is also overlaid and embellished with rosettes and ruffles that draw attention to curves.

Then David Dixon took his turn with one of my very favourite lines so far. Last year he staged an outdoor show with fire and Hudson's Bay blankets. Now, inspired by Newport, Rhode Island, his collection reflects the brilliance of sunlight on white sand and blue water. The first few cocktail and evening-length dresses were pure white cotton, and entirely overlaid with softly trembling laser-cutout cotton flowers (pictured, photo by John Ortner, courtesy of David Dixon). Meticulously cut and fitted, Dixon's lovely parade continued with garments in black glazed linen, robin's-egg blue organza and even – he does seem to have a sense of humour as well as style – a blue-and-white all-over seagull print.

11:40: All hands are rapidly jumping ship; the last show is over and people are leaving in droves. That show was the work of Common Cloth (Melanie Talbot and Kristina Bozzo). They showed a casual, very summery line in shades of grey, black and white – including solids and a big tropical floral print – as well as light mustard. Many pieces were saucy (see-through or cutaway). Some were solidly functional-looking lightweight jackets. Overall, the line seemed to be inspired by the tropical beach, with caftans, muumuus and sarongs highly in evidence, as well as lots of pieces fastened with a knot tie (the one pictured here, courtesy of Lotus Leaf Communications, actually has a sundress-style back with halter top and knot tie). Good for lazing by the seaside (or at least on the patio) sometime next June.

L'Oreal Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2008 Day Two

2007-10-23T16:41:00.000-04:00

4:45. Live again. Ginch Gonch has taken every cliché of bad taste (African and Native "tribal" tropes, animal skins – heads included – and bad banana jokes) and made them their own... in a good way. A huge crew of hard-bodied and hard-working models danced, leapt and flirted their way through a surprisingly long presentation of cheeky (in every sense) underwear, including white briefs, panties and camisoles with lion, monkey or eagle patterns in magenta, cyan and yellow (the printer's primary colours) plus shades of pink. A standout: the cropped, sleeveless, zip-front girls' hoodies with brick-red, turquoise and black west-coast Indian motifs (pictured, courtesy Lotus Leaf Communications).

5:45: I've already mentioned on this site how much I like Zoran Dobric. Tonight he's channeling Edith Piaf through his own brand of sobre, moody creativity. His presentation featured enormously wide, elegant flared trousers; highly constructed draped skirts, and New-Look-inspired jackets in metallic textures and shades of grey, black, cream and, occasionally, dark sky blue. Some were embellished with patterns that looked like Rorschach tests; many were working on diagonal lines and triangular shaoes. All were fearlessly original.

8:55: Three more shows under our belts... Indiva is a Bloor-Street store featuring contemporary western-style fashion by various South Asian designers. They showed a collection of strongly ‘60s-inspired micro-minidresses in bright colours with lots of extra surface detailing (beads, embroidery) and many Egyptian collars.

Nada was inspiring: very wearable, feminine and flattering looks with wide, smocked belts, floaty skirts and vivid bright colours. Everyone gasped with delight as the final few numbers, covered with glittering paillettes (see image, by Barbara Cole Photography), came down the runway. The last, a silver full-length gown with a train like a cascade of mermaid scales, was literally and figuratively a showstopper.

Bustle, always tongue-in-cheek, started their show like a horserace with a live bugler and models bursting out of the starting gate. It’s mostly a men’s clothing line, but there were a few chic ladies in the lineup. Last spring’s theme was skeet shooting; now it’s the horsey set, and the garments evoke everything from jockey jacket to naval looks to waiters in the finest of restaurants. A recurring item was a single-button jacket with a yoke and two side pleats behind, and piped slit pockets in front. Pinstripes and pale bright beach colours abounded, and the crowd loved it all.

10:10: We're getting pretty tired; luckily a new collection of fashionista-clubbers is taking the reins for the rest of the night. We've just seen the final show... for Day Two. Joeffer Caoc showed us a summery line of floating off-the-shoulder dresses, slit-front evening gowns and generous trousers. They were off-white and vibrant in jewel colours like shocking fuschia and bright yellow. (Jeanne's just calling Caoc "one of the true bright lights"...) And he also used big silver paillettes... is this an emerging theme for Spring 2008?

More tomorrow if the internet connection from the big white tents holds out... Meanwhile, kudos to the caterers, Catering With Style (I think?), who turned out one of the few truly delicious catered meals I've ever eaten. Yum, those gorgeous seasonal root veggies! And thanks to my media room angel – name unknown – who's been giving me encouraging words on the blog.

L'Oreal Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2008 - It Begins

2007-10-22T20:38:00.000-04:00

So we're live at the media room under the Big Top at Nathan Phillips Square. Jeanne Bekker is interviewing Joe Mimran over an intercom system (live we think, but it's hard to tell) and ladies in long pink skirts are passing around silver trays of cosmetics. Kalan Porter and his big blonde curls are lurking about somewhere just outside, and people are remarking that Iman is way shorter than they thought. It must be another Toronto Fashion Week.

"I've never seen a time when everyone – all across the board – is more interested in fashion," says Mimran. He's sort of banking on that, really; his Joe Fresh Style show has just shown a collection of youthful bright white, pink and yellow clothes that will be retailing out of select Loblaws outlets next spring. They're short dresses and long shorts with a spirit that seems to be channeling the vibrant populism of Mary Quant in the '60s.

"It's not just about price; it's gotta be more than price," he continues. "We have so many customers who are It girls and who are also buying Joe Fresh." No kidding; I'm sure everybody's going to be wanting a pair of those shiny citrine stilettos next April (for $24!)

The Project Runway Canada show is next... more soon.

Later the same night...
So what are we allowed to say about the final collections for Project Runway Canada? Not much, because the show won't be broadcast until December. We can say that Iman did in fact introduce the show, and that a bunch of designs by some very talented designers chosen from across Canada were paraded to enthusiastic response from the crowd. When the embargo expires in about eight weeks, I can tell all.

Jeanne's now interviewing Keshia Chante (spelling?), a frequent FW attender. Boy, we must really be living, eh? Note the "eh". That's Canadian Fashion for ya.

Postal Service at Nuit Blanche?

2007-09-28T12:45:00.000-04:00

You may not find him on any of the official schedules, but Martin le Facteur – who bears an uncanny resemblance to comic French film star Jacques Tati in the film Jour de Fête – will be popping up all over at Scotiabank's Nuit Blanche and the Nuit Noire that belongs to no corporate sponsor this Saturday night between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Media this week received the following bulletin: "Poste, Téléphone et Télécommunications (PTT), is pleased to announce a special all-night telegram service for Toronto during the night September 29/30. From 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., PTT will be delivering telegrams sent from its customers in France to all artists and participants of both Nuit Blanche and Nuit Noire. In keeping with the tradition of telegram service in France, these deliveries will made on bicycle by PTT staff in traditional uniform. In addition, commemorative telegram seals will be issued for the occasion."

Martin's route begins at 8:30 p.m. at Bloor & Lansdowne (possibly to be seen at the illuminated bike parade that's part of Dyan Marie's light-inspired installation there). The rest of his schedule runs as follows:

-9 pm: Hart House/U of T

-9:30: CineCycle and 401 Richmond

-10:15 Trinity Bellwoods Park

-10:30 Queen & Ossington

-11 to 12:30 Kensington Market (break)

-12:30 - 3 a.m.: At-large deliveries and second attempts

-3 to 7 a.m.: Paperwork and Wine.

For more information, please contact: Service Presse du groupe La Poste, 44 boulevard de Vaugirard 75757 PARIS CEDEX 15 Tél : 01 55 44 00 00 Fax : 01 55 44 22 62 service.presse@laposte.fr.

Bells On Bloor Mass Bike Ride

2007-09-21T10:20:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, September 23, Bikes On Bloor invites hundreds of cyclists to ride along Bloor Street from High Park to the ROM in Bells On Bloor, a group ride to support bike lanes on Bloor and elsewhere in the city. Police on bikes will be on hand to help make sure the ride is safe and easy for less experienced riders and families with younger kids. Bikes On Bloor is also looking for volunteer "bell captains" (click here for details.

Bells On Bloor is one of many Car-Free Day celebrations around the world, and it's timed so that cyclists could choose to join the Toronto Smog Hike at 1 p.m. Meet at the Bloor Street entrance to High Park at noon (free bike bells for all comers while they last!)

Rogue Wave 2007 on Ward's Island

2007-09-20T11:31:00.000-04:00

You have until November 4 to catch Rogue Wave, the creative tsunami that breaks over the Toronto Islands every second year. Rogue Wave is a biennial outdoor art exhibition that always includes works that riff on the islanders' particular sense of place, like "Connect the Hearts", a love letter to island trees made up of heart-shaped stones.

Participating artists include Claudette Abrams, Wende Bartley, quilter Eva Beyerle-Rutherford, Anne Bourne, Colin Brodie, Culpable Behaviour, Betsy Canfield, Robin Christmas, Marci Crist, Michael Davey, Peter Dean, photographer Gera Dillon, panoramicist Jerry Englar, painter Leida Englar, Paul Grajauskas, Doug Guildford, Brad Harley, Jane E. Hobbins, Warren Hoselton, natural dyer Sandy Krzyzanowski, Valerie LeBlanc, Gary MacLeod, musician and illustrator Jacquey Malcolm, Nigel Malcolm, Andre McConnachie, Luisa Milan, Karen Morch, Richard O’Brien, Joseph Muscat, Michael Page, fabric artist Christopher Pinheiro, Bill Roedde, graphic designer Rick/Simon, David Smiley, Allison Sterry and Talia.

Maps and information are available at the Ward's Island Ferry dock.

Streetknit Winter Knitting Drive for the Homeless 2007-2008

2007-09-13T12:58:00.000-04:00

Last year, knitter Sadie Lewis launched a knitting drive for homeless people in Toronto called Streetknit, and it's on again this year. Lone knitters or groups are invited to create scarves, toques, mitts, blankets, socks or even sweaters and drop them off to the following spots:

Knit-O-Matic (1378 Bathurst Street)
The Naked Sheep (2144A Queen Street East)
Sew Be It Studio (2156 Yonge Street)
The Knit Cafe (1050 Queen Street West)

All the collected kitting will be distributed to homeless people through Windfall Clothing, Ve'ahavta, St. Francis Table, Scott Mission, Parkdale Community Health Centre, PARC and Out of the Cold.

TAPA Launches Toronto Theatre Blog

2007-09-11T10:22:00.000-04:00

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) has recently created a blog for the Toronto theatre community at http://torontotheatre.wordpress.com. It includes all the notices they used to send out as an e-mail bulletin, like theatrical job postings and auditions, parties, fundraising events, discounts for people in the community, workshops, seminars and, occasionally, notice of the demise of some important figure. Highly recommended both for theatre practitioners and devoted fans.

By the way, TAPA also has a great online listing of llive shows at www.GoLiveTO.ca/.

Rooftop Parties

2007-09-07T09:17:00.000-04:00

These sound fun! From Friday to Sunday, September 14 to 16, the Rooftop Arts Collective presents work by Julie Campagna, Kari Minchin, Matina Theodosiou and Stef Lenk at the Studio Galleries, 1716-1718 Queen Street West, UpperLevel. The opening reception is on Saturday, September 15, and it features music by Barbara Lynch, the scintillating Beverly Taft and others, beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 416-531-5819 or 416-539-9206.

And starting at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday September 15, Louise Bak hosts the Box Salon on top of the Wrigley Building at 235 Carlaw Ave (6th floor). It features Claire Jenkins Avec Band, performance artist Jess Dobkin, electronic music producer KarlMohr, subversive performance duo The Fat Femme Mafia, Mike Hoolboom, Leanda Quinquet (AKA DJ L-Tron), musician Josh Thorpe, self-styled "Premier Siamese-Fighting Prom-Band" Tomboyfriend, Sex City Sluts Jeanette Cabral and Bryen Dunn, and writer/artist Steve Venright, plus food, drink and a DJ. Admission is PWYC ($10 suggested), and you may RSVP by e-mail or phone (416-929-1906), or just show up.

Teachers Wanted at Nuit Blanche

2007-09-06T10:53:00.000-04:00

Teachers are invited to get involved in a Nuit Blanche Performance called Night School, which is part of the University of Toronto's Sleepless Night – Bright Lights programming for Nuit Blanche on the night of September 29. They'll get a small honorarium for participating in a 12-hour overnight art performance and installation curated by Barbara Fischer in collaboration with Ann Macdonald, Tejpal Ajji, Day Milman and Maiko Tanaka.

This "one-night school of the night" promises "reverse pedagogy, subversive lecturing, up-side-down departments, and sliding disciplines", with instruction on ghosts, sleep talkers, bubble-blowing, mind reading and moth collecting. There's also the transgressive and sexy "Slow Dance with Teacher".

Participating artists include Darren O'Donnell of Mammalian Diving Reflex (who created the fabulous Ballroom last time), plus Lisa Neighbour, Tejpal Ajji, Day Milman and Maiko Tanaka. If you're a teacher with a sense of humour and a tolerance for staying up all night, e-mail Darren to find out more.

Parkdale PLAY/GROUNDS and the Queen West Art Crawl

2007-08-29T08:42:00.000-04:00

On Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16, Parkdale Liberty Economic Development Corporation (PLEDC) launches a new festival of site-specific art and installations called PLAY/GROUNDS. It takes place on sidewalks and in vacant lots, storefronts and parking lots along Queen Street West from Dufferin to Roncesvalles; there'll be performance in the halls of the Gladstone Hotel and a cheer rally under the Dufferin bridge, plus A Layperson's Field Guide to Parkdale Mushrooms.

Participating artists include Katie Bethune-Leaman, The Gladstone Cooperative, Anthea Foyer, Oliver Husain, Katherine Lannin, Adam Lauder, Laura Nanni, Adam Paolozza, Jon Sasaki, Nick Tobier and Joy Walker. Pick up infomation from the tent at Queen and Cowan during the festival, or request the lowdown via e-mail.

The very same weekend (September 14 to 16), Artscape's Queen West Art Crawl includes an outdoor art show and sale at Trinity Bellwoods Park; screenings, performances and parties at the Gladstone Hotel, and exhibitions at 401 Richmond, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and shops like Rumah, Dufflet, Planet Kid and Woolfitt’s.

Slow Food, Local Food, Eco-Friendly Gardens

2007-07-25T08:46:00.000-04:00

Here's a selection of seasonal events relating to local and sustainable food and gardens:

Every Wednesday until September 19
Harvest Wednesdays at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West), featuring seasonal menus by chef Marc Breton, along with local wines and beers. The series culminates with a seven-course Final Harvest event.

Wednesday, August 15, 6 to 9 p.m.
Toronto Green Community presents a workshop on Water-Friendly Gardens and Landscapes, followed by a two-hour workbee.

Sunday, September 16, noon to 5 p.m.
Slow Food Toronto and Evergreen present Picnic at the Brickworks, featuring local chefs, craft brewers and VQA wineries like Jamie Kennedy, Michael Stadtlander, Soma Chocolate, Oyster Boy, Cave Spring, Closson Chase, Fielding, Flatroc, Henry of Pelham, Lailey Vineyard, Norman Hardy, Peninsula Ridge, Southbrook, Stratus and Tawse. Advance: $75. After Labour Day: $95. For info, call 416-596-1495 or 416-451-7009.

Blog TO Urban Maps

2007-07-12T08:50:00.000-04:00

The folks at blogTO have created a series of Urban Maps. I ran across No. 1 (Leslieville+Riverside) at my regular coffee hangout, Red Rocket (1402B Queen Street East, across from the TTC car barns just east of Greenwood). Printed on a nice sturdy paper, they feature a map on one side showing attractions in categories like "Gallery", "Fashion" and – a long category in this neighbourhood – "Baked Goods+Specialty". The other side gives detailed listings for each spot.

They've done a nice job, and inveterate westies might do themselves a favour by picking up the Leslieville one in particular, so they can find out that beyond the Don Valley, not only does the water not run off the end of the earth, but there are great restaurants like Gio Rana's, Queen Pita and Joy Bistro; fabulous bakeries like Altitude and Sweet Bliss, and too many vintage and designer furniture outlets to imagine.

Others in the series so far include West Queen West+Liberty Village, Little Italy+Dundas West and Parkdale+Roncesvalles Village. They're available in the focal neighbourhoods and at boutique hotels.

Goodbye, Honest Ed!

2007-07-11T10:17:00.000-04:00

A little bit of the fun has gone out of this city. The Mirvish family is announcing that Edwin "Honest Ed" Mirvish left us for good early on the morning of July 11 at St. Mike’s. He would have turned 93 on July 24. I wish everybody with money could have his imagination and humour; from his cuckoobananas light show at Bloor and Bathurst to his rescue of the Royal Alex and his annual turkey giveaways, he gave this city some of its most memorable features. I expect heaven will be happy to welcome an irrepressibly whacky bargain entrepreneur; Toronto will certainly miss him.

A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, July 13 at Beth Tzedec Synagogue (1700 Bathurst Street, south of Eglinton), to be followed by a private family Shiva. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Ed Mirvish Educational Memorial Fund c/o The Benjamin Foundation, 3429 Bathurst Street, Toronto M6A 2C3 (416-780-0324). The fund will support up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Who Will Be The Next Calypso Monarch?

2007-07-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

This Friday, July 13 at 9:00 p.m., the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes presents Calypso Vanguard, with preliminary judging for this year's Calypso Monarch Competition, at the very accessible Cutty's Hideway (538 Danforth Avenue at Pape). This year's crop of calypsonians, who can be expected to deliver up two original, topical songs for this season, are King Smokey, the always-entertaining Rajiman, the elegant Victorio, Naki, Goddess of Piece, Osaze Dolabaille, Cecil Peters and Joy Lapps, backed by Jeremy Ledbetter and the Kaiso Vanguard Orchestra. Admission: $15 (a 2-for-1 offer is in effect). Doors open at 7:30.

Caribana 2007 Schedule of Events

2007-06-29T09:29:00.000-04:00

Just in case you're wondering, because Caribana is almost upon us!

July 13: Official Launch at Nathan Phillips Square, with music performances and official speeches

July 21: Junior Carnival at Yorkgate Mall, where kids get to strut their costumes for the first time this season

July 26 to August 6: COLOURblind! International, an art exhibit at the Distillery District produced by the Association of African Canadian Artists

July 27: Calypso Monarch Finals at Toronto Centre for the Arts, guaranteed to be a great evening of entertainment

July 29: Concert in the Park a free event hosted with the City of Toronto in a venue to be named later

August 1 to 6: Caribana Village at Ontario Place

August 2: King and Queen of the Bands Competition at Lamport Stadium, where the biggest and most spectacular costumes competes for the crown

August 3: Pan Alive at Lamport Stadium, a competition of this city's top steelbands. (All bets are on Afropan!)

August 3: Caribana Ball at the Fairmont Royal York

August 4: 40th anniversary Caribana Parade at Exhibition Place and Lakeshore Boulevard. (Gosh, I remember working on the 20th, and it seems like yesterday)

August 4: Machel Montano After Parade Bash at Lamport Stadium. (So don't try driving anywhere near Dufferin and King all day...)

August 5: Caribana Imagine Music Festival at Ontario Place (no longer on Olympic Island – the end of a era!), featuring Sean Paul, Ne-Yo and Soca Queen Destra Garcia

August 9 to 12: Caribbean Jazz at the Distillery District

Visit the official site for ticket details.

Dora Award Winners 2007

2007-06-28T16:50:00.000-04:00

I wasn't really planning to post anything about the Doras, but since I see people are coming to the site looking for news, here you are...

The ceremony at the Winter Garden last Monday the 25th was ably opened with a drum salute by the most excellent Samba Squad. Since they were stationed right inside the glass-lined lobby, they could be heard for blocks. With few gigantic megamusicals this year, the awards were spread around a bit. Here's my slightly idiosyncratic listing, not quite in the official terminology:

Canadian Opera Company (4)
Elektra: Opera Performance (Susan Bullock - well deserved!), Outstanding Opera Production, Set Design - General Theatre (Derek McLane)
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk: Musical Direction (Richard Bradshaw)

Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young Audiences (4)
Comet in Moominland: Outstanding Production - Theatre for Young Audiences
i think i can: Outstanding New Musical (Florence Gibson said a few words, but Shawn Byfield gave a righteous acceptance speech in the language of tap-dancing.)
Seussical: Direction of a Musical (Allen MacInnis), Lead Female - Musical (Corrine Koslo)

Volcano/Crooked Figure Dances/Factory Theatre/Global Mechanic (4)
The Four Horsemen Project: Outstanding New Play - Indie Theatre, Outstanding Production - Indie Theatre, Direction (Kate Alton & Ross Manson), Lighting Design - Indie Theatre (Itai Erdal)

Tarragon Theatre (3)
Generous: Outstanding New Play - General Theatre. Hooray for playwright Michael Healey!
Scorched: Outstanding Production - General Theatre, Direction - General Theatre (Richard Rose). I found this show rather heavy going, but I guess a lot of other people liked it.

Toronto Dance Theatre (3)
Timecode Break: New Choreography - Dance Division (Christopher House), Outstanding Production - Dance Division, Sound Design/Composition - Dance Division (Phil Strong)

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (2)
Here Lies Henry: Lead Male - General Theatre (Daniel MacIvor) and Lighting Design (Andy Moro, who snuck in without a ticket)

Mirvish Productions (2)
Orpheus Descending: Lead Female - General Theatre (Seana McKenna)
We Will Rock You: Outstanding Production of a Musical

Sight, Sound and Action (2)
Tang Concubines: Costume Design - General Theatre (Xiaomin Mo), Choreography in a Play/Musical (Jonathan Feng Han Tang). Neither of these recipients were present, because, as we were told, they wouldn't have been able to get a visa to travel from China in time.

Actors Repertory Company (1)
36 Views: Costume Design - Indie Theatre (Robin Fisher)

The Cabaret Company (1)
Will the Real J.T. LeRoy Please Stand Up?: Male Performance Indie Theatre (Ryan Kelly)

Cahoots/Modern Times/Theatre Passe Muraille (1)
The Sheep and the Whale: Set Design - Indie Theatre (Camellia Koo, who merely referred to her two great speeches from last year, but didn't try to top them)

CanStage (1)
The Rocky Horror Show: Lead Male - Musical (Sweet Transvestite Adam Brazier, who mentioned that his agent had told him he was "a character actor trapped in a leading man's body" and that this was therefore an important opportunity for him)

The Company Theatre (1)
Marion Bridge: Female Performance - Indie Theatre (Sarah Dodd, with a heartfelt speech about being an actor and a mom)

Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company (1)
Esencia Flamenca: Dance Performance (Ramon Martinez)

Harbourfront Centre (1)
Mabou Mines DollHouse: Outstanding Touring Production. (Well, it would have been a bit outrageous if this blow-away show hadn't been recognized.)

Necessary Angel (1)
Insomnia: Sound Design/Composition - General Theatre (Richard Feren, who did a funny bit of making the accompanists play scary music on the piano to set the mood for his speech)

The Severe Acute Repertory Theatre Company (1)
SARSical: Sound Design/Composition - Indie Theatre (Waylen Miki)

Soulpepper Theatre (1)
Leaving Home: Featured Performance - General Theatre (Jane Spidell). Just love her. Always have.

Theatre Direct/Eldritch Theatre (1)
The Babysitter: Performance - Theatre for Young Audiences (Christine Brubaker)

Special Awards:
-Audience Choice Award: Evil Dead The Musical (and it's still playing...)
-Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award: Karen Kain
-George Luscombe Award: Andy McKim
-Pauline McGibbon Award: Lindsay Anne Black (who gave a very moving speech about the difficulties of working in the arts)
-Silver Ticket Award: Layne Coleman

All in all, the awards ceremony was way better than last year, which went on for over an hour before any awards were handed out. This one came in neatly under three hours, and Rick Miller (MacHomer) performed three funny and diverting musical numbers – just enough to break up the pace without slowing things down too much. I wasn't blown away with the post-show reception, however. If I want cold Pizza Pizza late at night, I can stay home, thank you! Or maybe I'm just being grumpy because I'm not eating sweets these days, so had to forego the copious Häagen-Dazs treats...

Darren O'Donnell's Ballroom Dancing Again... This Time With Balloons!

2007-06-28T14:43:00.000-04:00

You may recall that one of the most fabulous parts of Nuit Blanche was Darren O'Donnell's Ballroom Dancing, a dance party in a room full of bouncing balls to tunes picked by kid DJs (pictured left). Well, now you can not only experience the thrill again, but even help make it happen.

O'Donnell's theatre company Mammalian Diving Reflex is having a working party on Saturday, June 30 from 7 to 11 p.m. in the Lakeside Terrace at Harbourfont's York Quay, and you're invited to help inflate 3,000 balloons (pumps provided).

The next day (Sunday, July 1), your handiwork will be part of Balloonroom Dancing, a dance party DJed by 10-year-olds (from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., also at the Lakeside Terrace). Could you possibly have a more fun Canada Day?

Hidden Library Spaces

2007-06-21T14:23:00.000-04:00

If you go up one flight of stairs at Metro Reference Library (789 Yonge Street), what floor are you on... surprise, the third! It turns out there's a hidden floor sandwiched between each public floor of the library, used for book storage. By the way, this is the 30th anniversary of the library, built in 1977 to a design by Raymond Moriyama.

Dive into the Spacing Water Issue

2007-06-21T14:06:00.000-04:00

The summer issue of Spacing magazine launches at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4 at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West). This time, the theme is water, and I have a little piece in it about swimmers, rowers, sailors and the like who've responded to the challange of Lake Ontario with unique athletic exploits. I think there's also a story about Toronto's multilingual street signs.

To celebrate the Water theme, the Spacing folks are asking everyone to come dressed in white and/or blue. They'll also be selling tickets for a Spacing boat cruise later in the summer. Admission is $10, which gets you a copy of the magazine. For more info about the party, click here.

Carnivalissima: Luminato at Harbourfront

2007-06-10T12:09:00.000-04:00

How have you been enjoying Luminato so far? Well I have mixed feelings, but I'm loving some of it, like the Carnivalissima component at Harbourfront, which I hope can be repeated in future years. Yesterday there was a fabulous Fire Walk (pictured). It featured a fine array of this city's pageant and carnival artists, and attracted others (like international calypso star David Rudder, apparently out to enjoy the day with his kids, and Muhtadi, chilling out after his annual drum fest last weekend.)

Today, it's Afro-Caribbean Day in the (free) Carnivalissima Tent, and the whole surrounding Harbourfront area will be animated with stilt performers, music and spectacle. Some highlights: the Subtonic Monks' Zoosemobile (the giant percussion trike) will be around at 1:30. At 3 p.m., there's Calypso Calabash, a show that explores the history of calypso music with some of Toronto's top Caribbean performers. The grand finale is the Final Circle Dance at 5:30. Find out more about today's Carnivalissima events here.

Meanwhile, the cabaret venue called Spiegeltent'ntavern has been held over until July 1; they keep selling out. Also, the fabulous Pulse Front by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, which allows people to affect a light show in the sky above Harbourfront by attuning one of the beams to the internal rythm of their bodies, has been held over to June 17. Check it out!

Canadian Environment Week Activities

2007-06-06T10:23:00.000-04:00

June 3 to 9 is Canadian Environment Week; here are a few things to do to celebrate:

Wednesday June 6
From 6 to 9 p.m., the Toronto Green Community hosts a free workshop for gardeners on natural pest and weed control at Eglinton Park Heritage Community Garden (behind North Toronto Memorial Community Centre, 200 Eglinton Avenue West). A two-hour garden "workbee" follows. RSVP here or to Nadia Bellio at 416-781-7663.

Saturday, June 9
City of Toronto Environment Days, a chance to recycle toxics, replace broken blue boxes and green bins, pick up free compost and learn about other green initiatives around town. Councillor Bussin holds one at Woodbine Beach Park (1675 Lakeshore Boulevard East at Coxwell) and Councillor Hall hosts hers at Albion Centre (1530 Albion Road at Kipling).

At 9 a.m., volunteers are invited to plant vines with Police 53 Division, Burt's Bees and Toronto Green Community in Chatsworth Parkette (Yonge and Lawrence) as part of 53 Division's graffiti eradication program. Wear sturdy shoes and gloves. For more information, e-mail Toronto Green Community or call 416-781-7663.

At 2 p.m., Toronto Green Community and LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) host a Lost River Walk that also looks at "Lost Forests", trees that reflect traces of vanished first growth forests, like the line of oak trees that grows along the top of the old Lake Iroquois shore cliff at Davenport. Meet outside the St Clair Subway (entrance on the south side of St. Clair east of Yonge).

Sunday, June 10
At 2 p.m., Sarah McGaughey will give a talk at Colborne Lodge (in High Park) about how she spent a month without creating any garbage. Admission: pay-what-you-can; RSVP to 416-392-6916.

Saturday & Sunday, June 9 & 10
This weekend and on every other weekend in June, all 12 Home Depot outlets in Toronto will exchange a $25 gift card for any old or used window air-conditioner brought in between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The air conditioners will be recycled as part of Toronto Hydro’s Keep Cool program. (I did this last year and it's great!) For more information, call 416-542-2688.

Bike Week Film and Arts Events

2007-06-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple more select Bike Week events:

On Wednesday, June 6 at 8 p.m., there's a Film Night at CineCycle (129 Spadina Avenue, down the lane). It starts with a very special Super 8 screening of La Fuga di Olmo with a live performance of the musical score and narration. The feature is Jacques Tati's heartbreakingly funny Jour de Fête, set in a small French village, in which the local postman is inspired to feats of hilarious bicycle heroism by a film about the efficiency of the American postal system.

On Thursday, June 7 from 5 to 8 p.m., the new I Bike Toronto website launches at 401 Richmond Street West, Studio S26 (lower). It's a celebration of bicycles and bike culture in Toronto, with over 100 photos by Martin (Bike Lane Diary) Reis, held in conjuction with artist Janet Attard's Open Studio events.

Riverdale Art Walk (RAW)

2007-05-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend (June 2 and 3) is not just the beginning of Luminato, but also the Riverdale Art Walk. On Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., about 50 artists will be exhibiting their work in galleries and other spaces in the Queen East area between the the Don Valley and Carlaw. It’s organized annually by the Artists Network of Riverdale, and a brochure with the full schedule and artist details went into NOW Magazine last Thursday (May 24).

Of all the exhibitors, though, I’m most excited about Noreen Mallory, whose work is shown above. Why? Well, apart from the fact that her work is absolutely smokin’, she’s my mom. I just hope I’m still showing art in sketchy bars, practicing yoga and teaching printmaking when I’m in my ‘70s. Or the equivalent.

She calls the mixed media show "Up the Creek and Down the Waterfall”. It’s at Blue Moon (725 Queen Street East, just east of Broadview), and she’ll be there from noon to 6 p.m. during the Saturday and Sunday of RAW, but the show will stay up all the way from June 1 to 30. You can see some good examples of the type of work she’ll be showing here.

She says: "The swamps, creeks, rivers, waterfalls and large lakes of South Eastern Ontario, known and loved by me all through my childhood, stay fresh in my adult imagination, where they become the starting point for everything I do. I am enticed to keep working with landscape, figure or the two combined using materials that seem to present the broadest scope for what I want to work out at the time. These paintings are acrylic on canvas. Acrylic promised the best colour, canvas the best size for the moods contained in the locations I wanted to explore. The drawings on arche paper offered great flexibility with combinations of paint, pastel, crayon, graphite, and sometimes paper and glue."

Will I see you there?

Bike Week and Other Signs of Spring

2007-05-25T09:54:00.000-04:00

Biking on a Full Stomach
Bike Week launches on Monday with the annual convergence ride (a.k.a. "group commute") to Nathan Phillips Square for an 8:30 a.m. pancake breakfast courtesy of the St. Lawrence Market with music and free cycling maps and T-shirts. There are four meet-up points: Bloor/High Park, Yonge/Lawrence, Danforth/Woodbine and Dundas/Kingston Road. All four groups will leave at 7:30 a.m. to converge at Yonge and Bloor at 8 for the final leg to City Hall. Bike Week 2007 runs May 28 to June 10. Find out more at the official site or call 416-392-7592.

Some of my favourite Bike Week events are the breakfasts; Here’s the list:

-Monday, May 28, 8:30 a.m.: Nathan Phillips Square (see above)
-Monday, May 28, 8 to 9 a.m.: 777 Bay at College
-Wednesday, May 30, 8 to 20 a.m.: The Bike Joint, 290A Hardbord Street (thank you, Guido!)
-Thursday, May 31, 7 to 9 a.m.: Rosedale United Church, 159 Roxborough Drive
-Thursday, May 31, 9 to 11 a.m.: La Carrera, 106 Harbord Street
-Friday, June 1: 8 to 9:30 a.m.: Grassroots Environmental Products, 408 Bloor Street West
-Wednesday, June 6, 7:30 to 9 a.m.: Hart House at University of Toronto (always among the best!)
-Wednesday, June 6, 8 to 11 a.m.: Cine Cycle, 129 Spadina Avenue (down the lane)
-Friday, June 8: 8 to 9:30 a.m.: Grassroots Environmental Products, 372 Danforth Avenue at Chester

Also part of Bike Week, the second annual Streets are for Picnics picnic invites you to bring your bike, picnic gear and music to a secret location on a secret date and time that will be announced here on May 28. And watch for ARC Good Fortunes as Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists hands out random fortune cookies to cyclists throughout the week!

Tree Planting
On Saturday May 26 from 9 a.m. to noon, you’re invited to plant trees at Eglinton Park Naturalization Site on the northwest slope of Eglinton Park overlooking the baseball field (enter through the North Toronto Memorial Community Centre at 200 Eglinton Avenue West, a five-minute walk from Eglinton Subway Station).

Bike Drive
On Your Bike! Is a non-profit organization that’s looking for gently used bikes to redistribute to kids who need them. Right now, they’re also looking for volunteers to help repair bikes at their next bike drive between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m on Saturday, May 26 at St. Alban's Boys' and Girls' Club, 843 Palmerston Avenue at Dupont. (They’re also accepting bikes, of course.)

Native and Heritage Plants
The wonderful Urban Harvest, which sells organic, heritage and native seeds and seedlings, has a brand-new retail location at 360 Dufferin Street just south of Queen. It'll be open Tuesdays to Sundays during May and June. Call for hours: 416-504-1653.

That ROM Thing Finally Opens
Finally, the Royal Ontario Museum is presenting a free, first-come, first-served outdoor concert to celebrate the official opening and dedication of its Michael Lee-Chin Crystal as part of the Luminato festival. "A World of Possibilities" takes place on the ROM’s new Bloor Street Plaza on Saturday, June 2 at 9:30 p.m. A host of Canadian luminaries will appear, including Paul Gross, Gordon Pinsent, Séan Cullen, Eva Avila, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Natalie MacMaster, David Suzuki and Governor General Michaëlle Jean. One by one they will be eliminated to see who'll be the next Top Canadian Icon. (Just kidding!) The new building will be lit by creative projections throughout the performances. Tickets to see the inside of the Crystal will be distributed free starting at noon on June 2 at the Loblaws Entrance on the south side of the Museum (limit: two per adult).

Oh yeah, and don't forget about Doors Open, coming up this weekend!

Caribana 2007 Mas Camps

2007-05-24T19:51:00.000-04:00

It’s time to start thinking about playing mas! That means choosing your Caribana costume, in case you didn’t already know that. I see that I’m already getting lots of folks on the site looking for information on Caribana 2007, so here’s the lowdown so far on mas bands. (This is the official order of the bands, as established at a meeting of May 26. There will also be guest bands at the head of the parade and steelbands mixed in with these competitive bands.)

Warning: If you're surfing at work, be aware that some of these sites will blast soca music as soon as you connect to them.

A Bands (based on last year's rankings)

1. Errol Achue and Western Union Mas Toronto are presenting "Petit Monde". Mas camp: Tam Heather Country Club, 730 Military Trail in Scarborough. Contact: 416-282-7712, 416-282-1488. 7 sections: Tropical Rain Forest, Gems of Persia, Spirit Dancers, European Glitz, Touch of India, Caribbean Spice, African Horizons ($115-$125). Music on the road: DJ Bad Lad, CG the Soca General, KV Charles

2. Caribana’s most winning band, with 15 Band of the Year titles, Louis Saldenah and Mas-K Club are presenting "Rainforest". Mas camp: 55 Nugget Avenue, Unit 10, Monday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to midnight. Contact: 416-444-9118, 416-560-4419, 416-843-4215. 10 sections: Flora, Amazon Rose, Paradisio, Water Lilies of the Congo, Amazon Women, Exotic Flora, Angels Falls, Meio Do Mondo, Wings of a Tiger, Javari ($120-$140). Music on the road: Enforcas, Wuk-Up Productions, Soca 101, Soca Vibes

3. NBA star Jamaal Magloire and Toronto Revellers are presenting their second annual Caribana band, "Viva Las Vegas". Mas camp: 160 Finchdene Square, Units 11 and 12 in Scarborough. Contact: 416-412-7159. 8 sections: Fan Dancer, Sin City, Mirage, ShowTime, Casino Royale, Show Me the Money, StarDust, Wedding Blitz ($140). Music on the road: Machal Montano, Dr. Jay, TnT Sounds, Play House, Soca Monarchs

4. Band of the Year winners for 2005 and 2006 Curtis and Marcus Eustace and Carnival Nationz are presenting "The Big Top". Mas camp: 533 McNicholl at Victoria Park, 2 to 10 p.m. (approx.) Contact: Curtis Eustace 416-676-6504, Marcus Eustace 416-565-4079. 11 sections: Acrobats, Cotton Candy, Snake Charmer, Fire Dancer, Jugglers, Lion Tamer, Sexy Clowns, Wild Indians, Siberian Tiger, Gypsy, Aerialists ($145). Music on the road: D'Bandit, Court Jester, Soca Sweetness, SKF and more

5. Jessie Matthews and Calabash Company are presenting "The Rhythm of Life" designed by Peter Samuel, Aldwin Chow, Marlon Griffith & CAMA Int'l - (D' Trinidad Posse). Mas camp: Tropicana Community Services, 750 Progress Avenue. Contact: 647-204-3689, 905-470-2738, 416-283-2238. 5 sections ($90 to $100)

6. Arnold Hughes and Associates are presenting "A Quest for Gold". Mas camp: 175 The Westway at Islington . Contact: 416-394-8483, 416-748-2858. 5 sections ($95) Music on the road: DJ Jamm Nation & Soul Vibes

7. Marlon Singh and Callaloo Connection are presenting "The Conquest of Alexander" for their tenth anniversary. Mas camp: 4140 Finch Avenue East in Scarborough. Contact: 416-576-0694, 416-898-3535. 10 sections: League of Corinth (burgundy & black), Asia Minor (black & gold), Alexandria of the Nile (pink), Oasis of Siwa (white & gold), Brides of Ophus (purple), Temptations of the Granicus (blue & white), Garden of Babylon (white & lime), Crusadors of the Grodosion Desert (blue & orange), Gems of India (red & gold). Music on the road: TBA

8. Mervyn Skeete, taking over from Kenney Coombs, and Toronto Caribbean Connection are presenting "Fusion". Mas camp: 34 Golden Gate Court, Unit 4 in Scarborough. Contact: Mervyn Skeete 416-492-5584 or 647-295-5584, Kenney Coombs 416-293-7244. 7 sections: Primrose Path (yellow), Indigo Power (blue & silver), Solar Energy (red/orange), Encounters in Pink (pin), Ever-Green (green), Harmony (black & white), Passion (red). ($125) Music on the road: Kold Fusion, Audiotainment, Soca Supreme, Stretch & Brenton

B Bands (based on last year's rankings)

9. Alvin Adore and Scarborough Caribbean Sports Club are presenting "Reflections 2K7". Mas camp: 40 Barbados Boulevard, Unit 1A after early June. Contact: Neville Yorke 416-444-3739, Alvin Adore 905-940-2944, Leslie Howard 416- 287-8960. 5 sections: TnT, TnT Kids, Bucco Reef, African, Sailor ($99). Music on the road: Bad Lad & DJ Silverbac

10. Cecil and Roz Roach and Bazodee Connection are presenting "The Enchanted Garden of Socaland". Mas camp: 520 Coronation Drive (off Morningside, south of Lawrence). Contact: 416-895-0286, 416-834-2185, 416-712-1348. 7 sections ($125). Music on the Road: Jump Up Kingz

11. Whitfield Belasco and Pleasure Players are presenting "Amazonia". The band participates in carnivals in Montreal (July 8), Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, New York (Labour Day), Talahassee and Miami. Mas camp: 45 Ernest Avenue (near Perth and Bloor). Contact: 905-568-9136, 416-516-6319. 7 sections ($85). Music on the road: DJ Ano

12. Andre and Ken de Freitas and Associates, along with veteran bandleader Jerry Jerome, are presenting "Dreamseekers". Mas camp: 299 Campbell Ave, Unit 3 (Dupon/Lansdowne). Contact: Ken de Freitas 905-791-3462 or 416-835-9686, Andre de Freitas 905-791-3462, Jerry Jerome 647-888-6716. 9 sections: Desire (pink), Serenity (blue), Fantasy (purple), Passion (orange), Eternity (gold), Paradise (green), Bustle Dancer (Indian), Fortune (mustard), Destiny (tangerine) ($100 to $130). (This year's costumes are pictured above.) Music on the road: Renegade Squad & friends

13. Courtney and Melissa Doldron and Mas Players International in association with Bridget Renne and Troy Logan of Diasporalife Spectrum are presenting "Dancing Spirit of Resilience". Mas camp: 1790 Albion Road, Unit 3 at Hwy 7 in Etobicoke . Contact: Mas Camp: 416-747-8085, Courtney Doldron: 416-579-7875, Bridget Renne: 416-225-1025, Troy: Logan: 416-779-4211, Parker: 416-747-7737. 6 sections ($50 to $90). Music on the road: JMC 3Veni, DJ Hitman, Dee Jay Lexx, Mastronic Sound

14. Selwyn "Nip" Davis and D' Midas are presenting "In Flight". Mas camp: 40 Barbados Blvd. Unit 1 in Scarborough. Contact: 647-426-3060, Clarence: 416-561-0988, Andrew: 647-818-5346. 6 sections: Firefly (red & gold), Forest Fairies (green), Blowing in D’ Wind (purple), In D’ Clouds (white), Flying to D’ Sunset (orange), D’ Sky is D’ Limit (blue) ($95-$100). Music on the road: DJ Professor

15. Frank Ramsaroop and Borokeete Canada are presenting "Atlantis". Mas camp: 36 Milford Avenue (Keele & Lawrence). Contact: 905-241-7405, 905-823-2795, 416-259-1411. 6 sections: Poseidon, Oceania, Coral Reef, Seafarers, Under the Sea, Atlantis Navy ($75 to $95). Music on the road: KOSradio.net

16. Caribana’s newest bandleaders Dexter Seusahai and Godfrey Wickham, who were former masquerade winners with Callaloo and Louis Saldenah's Mas-K Club, are presenting "Tribal Knights". Mas camp: 2210 Markham Road, Unit 5, Scarborough. Contact: 416-893-1867, 416-396-3780. 7 sections: Amazons, Desert Tribes, Apaches, Mayans, Aztecs, Gypsies, Zulus ($125). Music on the road: Blazer, Iwer George, Mc Giselle, Mr PlayHouse, Eternal Vibes, Yatz, Platinum Sounds, De Outlawz, Crystal Vibez, Saga Boyz

Toronto Farmers Markets

2007-05-24T12:42:00.000-04:00

I reported very recently on the opening of the Liberty Village farmer’s market, and just received some new information about the new one serving Riverdale and Leslieville that will bring local, organic and artisanal produce to Withrow Park. It’s launching on May 26 with a “Spring Fling” that features ornamental and native plants, heirloom vegetable seedlings and kid’s activities.

On the Saturday, there are also cooking demos by local chef Sacha Douglas of Coupe Space Event Gallery (998 Queen Street East). She’s going to be hosting culinary events at Coupe Space (as well as art shows and other things), and if her launch last week is anything to go by, it’s going to be great. I’m still longing for more of the succulent Morbier that was being served by Cheese Boutique (45 Ripley Avenue at South Kingsway, 416-762-6292).

But I digress. Here’s a list of farmer’s markets around town. Let me know if you hear of more!

Saturdays
-Don Valley Brickworks (NEW! June 2 to October 27, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a launch on May 26 and 27)
-Etobicoke Civic Centre (June 2 to October 27, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
-High Park at the Grenadier Restaurant (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
-St. George the Martyr Church, 197 John Street (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
-St. Lawrence North Market (year-round, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

-The Village Market, Toronto Waldorf School, 9100 Bathurst Street (organic, year-round 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

-Weston: York GO Train parking lot (May 19 to October 27, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
-Withrow Park (NEW! June 2 to October 27, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a launch on May 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
-Wychwood: Church of St. Michael and All Angels, 611St. Clair Avenue West (NEW! August 18 to October 6, 2 to 5 p.m.)

Sundays
-Distillery District (June 3 to Thanksgiving, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
-High Park at the Grenadier Restaurant (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
-Liberty Village (NEW! May 27 to late October, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a launch on June 10)

Mondays
-CAMH, 1001 Queen Street West (organic, July to October, 10 to 11:30 a.m.)

Tuesdays
-East York Civic Centre (May 22 to October 30, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
-Riverdale Farm (organic, May 8 to October 30, 3 to 7 p.m. with a launch on Saturday, May 5)
-Stonegate Community Health Centre, 276 Parklawn Road (June to October, 4 to 7 p.m.)

-Trinity Bellwoods Park, NW corner (NEW! June 5 to October 30, 3 to 7 p.m.)

Wednesdays
-Nathan Phillips Square (June 6 to October 17, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

Thursdays
-CAMH, 1001 Queen Street West (organic, July to October, 10 to 11:30 a.m.)
-Dufferin Grove Park (organic, year-round, 3 to 7 p.m.)
-Mel Lastman Square (June 14 to October 18, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
-Metro Hall Square (May 31 to October 25, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

Fridays

-BirchCliff Village, 1512 Kingston Road (June to October, 2 to 7 p.m.)

-High Park at the Grenadier Restaurant (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

-Sherway Gardens north parking lot (May to October, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
-Woodbine Shopping Centre (NEW! June 1 to October 26, noon to 6 p.m.)

Ashbridges Bay Victoria Day Fireworks 2007

2007-05-22T09:32:00.000-04:00

Were you there?

Liberty Village Farmers' Market and Warehouse Sales

2007-05-16T12:50:00.000-04:00

Lots going on in the Liberty neighbourhood these days.

First, they’re inaugurating a farmers' market every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning May 27 and running until the end of October. About 40 Ontario Greenbelt farmers will be setting up shop at the Green P parking lot at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Liberty Street. There’ll be an official launch party on Sunday, June 10.

Also, the neighbourhood’s soul as a warehouse district lives on, with lots of warehouse and sample sales coming up over the next few weeks:

Lovely person and sensational designer Arthur Mendonça (whose Spring 07 collection is pictured above) is holding an overstock and sample sale with discounts from 75% to 90% (very exciting!) on Thursday, May 24 from 4 to 8 p.m. at 219 Dufferin Street, Suite 112C (south entrance). Payment can be by cash, cheque, Visa or MasterCard, but all sales are final.

Check out No Regrets Restaurant (42 Mowat Avenue, 416-535-0050) for a sale of clothing, bags and accessories by LRG, Soul Edge & redSOUL and REDTANGO on Thursday, May 24 from 5 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, May 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Montreal streetwear company Point Zero, my fave hatters Big It Up and Raisins (could that be the California swimwear company?) are holding a sample sale at Point Zero (99 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100) on Wednesday and Thursday, May 30 and 31 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., plus Friday, June 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (cash only).

Finally, In Accessories jewellery (99 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 205, 416-516-4661) is holding their own warehouse sale of new jewellery designs, semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, sterling silver, 14 karat gold and gold vermeil from Wednesday, June 6 to Saturday, June 9. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Payment is cash only, for purchases under $100; Visa or MasterCard for purchases over $100.

Wild About Hats

2007-05-11T09:40:00.000-04:00

When did Toronto turn into a great hat town? Well we are (and have been since the days of Sammy Taft!) Here are some of my very favourite local creators:

The wonderful Karyn Gingras of Lilliput Hats (462 College Street, 416-536-5933) is the modern original. The story is, she meant to sign up for a tap dancing class, but the course was full, so she took millinery instead. Once she worked from her tiny second-floor studio on Bathurst near Bloor, surrounded by antique wooden hat forms, but now she’s in more chic digs, handling wedding parties, awards nights, theatrical productions like Mamma Mia! and movies like The Music Man with Matthew Broderick. Celebs from Sandra Oh to Adrienne Clarkson wear her dressy chapeaux in felt, silk, straw, feathers and so on (as per the image, above). Even I still have one of her luscious floppy velvet hats with silk flowers from the early ‘90s.

I also have a huge soft spot for Big It Up (55 Spadina Avenue, 416-541-0864, plus Eaton Centre, 416-547-6773; Square One, 905-803-8407; Vaughan Mills, 905-738-4462, and Yorkdale, 416-785-3770). They actually make real, classic felted fur men’s hats (homburgs, fedoras, bowlers), plus straw cowboy hats, women’s winter and summer headgear, range of tuques and berets that could go either way. Pictured is one of their red linen jockey caps. I myself own three Big It Up hats: a black cotton Castro hat with a zip that lets it convert to a visor; a grey, lined "Applejack" for winter (with a fold-down flap in the back for when you’re waiting at a freezing cold bus stop and comfort is more important than style), and my latest: a white cotton sun hat that makes me feel like Audrey Hepburn – as if! I hear my siblings say. I guess I’m just a sucker for contemporary takes on classic styles. (By the way, the Big It Up folks believe that “based on our own behavior hats and books go together”. They’re currently recommending Dalit: The Black Untouchables of India by V.T. Rajshekar and The Hanging of Angelique by Dr. Afua Cooper, among other reads.)

Finally, art hats made from felted wool are the specialty of Wildhagen (575 Queen Street West, 2nd floor and Studio 110, Case Goods Warehouse in the Distillery District, 416-830-8589). Some of their pieces look medieval; some resemble '20s cloches; others look like takes on the great Canadian lumberjack hat. They’re all fabulous one-off style statements. I don't have one yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

International Academy of Design and Technology Flash Contest

2007-05-10T09:32:00.000-04:00

Just in case you're not planning to spend a lot of time soaking up the sun and fresh air over the next few weeks, the International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT) is running a Flash video game design contest in partnership with Electric Playground. You have until July 2 to submit a fully-functioning version of the game, but be sure to register here first. The judges will be looking for "creativity, technical expertise and originality", and some time in July they'll be awarding a $10,000 schlaorship to IADT's Game Design School to the top winner. The contest is limited to Canadian residents 17 and older. Thanks to Mark H. for letting me know about this.

Bird Watching, Walking Tours, Mother's Day, Doors Open and the Queen's Birthday: Sarah Makes Up for Lost Blogging Time With One Huge Post

2007-05-09T12:28:00.000-04:00

I’ve been very remiss this past month. Webwise, that is. I assure you that in the rest of my life I’ve been very assiduous; in fact, I wrote more than 11,000 words last week alone, which is a lot by any standards. To make up for it, here’s a compilation of news that’s been coming across my desk while I’ve been engaged in other things:

Until May 20, there’s an unusual play running in the corroded lower decks of Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant at the foot of Yonge Street. April Productions is mounting Edward Bond's post-apocalyptic Have I None there, and it’s a great experience to sit on milk crates in the dimly-lit cargo hold to watch the show; the sound quality alone is worth the price of admission. Pictured, above, are Martin Julien and Dragana Varagic in a scene from the production. (By the way, I wrote something about the boat in the National Post last weekend.)

There’s lots happening this Saturday, May 12. First off, for early birds, Toronto Region Conservation Authority (416-661-6600, ext. 5660) presents its free Spring Bird Festival on the Leslie Spit from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with an Early Bird Hike at 7 a.m. This is a chance to spot songbirds that are returning to their breeding grounds. Binoculars and a bird field guide would come in handy, but are not absolutely required. The Howards' High Park is a free walking tour around Colborne Lodge in High Park during the best of the spring flower blooming season, hosted by Heritage Toronto. It runs noon to 1:30 p.m. Then newmindspace presents a free Urban Pillow Fight beginning at 3 p.m. on Nathan Phillips Square. Bring a soft pillow and maybe a costume, but no glasses.

On Sunday, May 13, there are Mother’s Day events at historical houses, including a Cream Tea at Spadina House (285 Spadina Rd next to Casa Loma, 416-392-6910) from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. ($12.50+tax per person, avance tickets required.) There’s also an event called My Time with Mom at Mackenzie House (82 Bond St, 416 392-6915). It features stories, poems and a craft (making a paper bouquet). You can attend from 10 to 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 to 2 p.m. , but you must preregister and prepay ($15 for one adult and two children plus $3 for each additional person).

On Sunday, May 20, you can find out all about the Fort York area at 200 Years of Lakefront Development: A Fort York Historic District Walking Tour starting inside Fort York from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Victoria Day celebrations will be held on Monday, May 21 at various historical spots around town, including Gibson House (5172 Yonge St, noon to 5 p.m.); Fort York (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); Montgomery’s Inn (4709 Dundas W, with tea and baking, from 1 to 4:30 p.m.), and Scarborough Historical Museum (1007 Brimley Rd, with a full yummy Victorian Cream Tea from noon to 5 p.m.) Admission charges range from $3.50 to $6 (less for kids), usually including snacks.

Saturday, May 26 is the date for Spadina Museums’s Annual Plant Sale at Spadina House (285 Spadina Rd, next to Casa Loma). Get there soon after it opens at 9 a.m., or all the good stuff will be gone. (Try to spot the 100-year-old apple tree while you’re there!)

Of course, Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27 is the 8th annual Doors Open Toronto, a free chance to visit all kinds of great places that are normally closed to the public. This year’s theme: green buildings. Some of my top picks (because it’s genuinely hard to get to see them at any other time) would be the Arts and Letters Club, the Distillery District kiln and tunnel (a very cool space!), the John Street Roundhouse, Queen’s Wharf Lighthouse, and of course, Lower Bay TTC station.

Then on Sunday, May 27, Ontario Field Ornithologists host a free bird walk on the Leslie Spit, starting at 8 a.m. at the parking lot at the base of Leslie Street (at Unwin), and lasting until mid-afternoon (bring a lunch, plus binocs and a bird book if you've got 'em!).

Genova Tours (416-367-0380) is a company that offers tours plus breakfast in the St Lawrence Market and Old Town area. At $35, the price is a bit steep (the suggested brekkie is back bacon on a kaiser from the Market, which is admittedly great, but hardly worth $35.) However, it sounds as though leader Bill Genova knows his stuff, so at least the history and storytelling component promises to be good. And not everything can be covered by tax dollars, after all.

As an alternative, all summer, the Royal Ontario Museum presents ROMwalks, free guided walking tours of interesting neighbourhoods. Upcoming are: Hidden Treasures (May 13, starting at 2 p.m. from King Street & Church); Parkdale (May 16, 6 p.m., Parkdale Public Library, 1303 Queen W); Rosedale (May 20, 2 p.m., outside Castle Frank Subway); Historic Toronto (May 23, 6 p.m., 260 Adelaide E) and Entertainment District (May 30, 6 p.m., King & Simcoe). In all cases, you just show up at the right place and time and look for the blue umbrella, rain or shine.

Finally, on May 2, a new site called OurFaves launched. It’s a social networking site created by Torstar Digital that allows you to rate Toronto food, shops, events and so on.