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Thompson Hotel Toronto With Pool and Ice Rink! Coming Soon

contact — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:07:28 +0000

Set to open during the summer of 2009, the Thompson Hotel will feature a rooftop pool and bar with amazing views of Lake Ontario, Fort York and the CN Tower, all completely unobstructed; 102 rooms and 340 residential units; 42-inch plasma TVs, private 40-seat screening rooms; an outdoor skating rink with an rink-side lounge!

Thompson Hotel Toronto
550 Wellington Street W
Toronto ON M5V Canada
Telephone: 212.204.5010 (for info)

[via]

Valentine’s Day for Singles: Toronto Dance Clubs

contact — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:06:50 +0000

On your own tonight? Lots of people are date-less on Valentine’s Day; there’s no need to be ashamed or anything. Go have a great time dancing the night away. Invite some other solo Valentine’s friends and have a blast burning off some calories and listening to fun music:

Ba Ba Lu’u
136 Yorkville Ave., Telephone: 416-515-0587

Bovine Sex Club
542 Queen St. W., Telephone: 416-504-4239

Cira
126 John St., Toronto, Telephone: 416-979-0044

Courthouse
57 Adelaide St., Telephone: 416-214-9379

The Dance Cave
529 Bloor St. W., 2nd floor

Devil’s Martini
473 Adelaide St. W., Toronto, Telephone: 416-603-9300

The Docks
11 Polson St., Toronto, Telephone: 416-469-5655

El Convento Rico
750 College St., Telephone: 416-588-7800

The 5th Social Club
225 Richmond St. W., Toronto, Telephone: 416-979-3000

Fluid Lounge
217 Richmond St. W., Telephone: 416-593-6116

Funhaus
526 Queen St. W., Toronto, Telephone: 416-703-4999

The Guvernment/Koolhaus
32 Queens Quay E., Telephone: 416-869-0045

Hotel Boutique Bar
7 Peter St. Telephone: 416-345-8585

Inside
218 Richmond St. W., Telephone: 416-591-0009

Limelight Nightclub
250 Adelaide St. W., Telephone: 416-593-6126

Muzik
15 Saskatchewan Rd., Toronto, Telephone: 416-595-9998

Shallow Groove Lounge
559 College St., Telephone: 416-944-8998

This is London
364 Richmond St. W., Telephone: 416-351-1100

Tonic
117 Peter St., Telephone: 416-204-9200

[source]

Canada’s Oldest Book Store (The Book Room) is Closing

contact — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:07:38 +0000

From The Book Room:

“The Book Room will be closing its retail bookstore on Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Over the next few weeks The Book Room will begin an orderly shutdown of its retail store and dispose of its inventory by the end of March. However, the wholesale operation will continue.

The management and staff of The Book Room wish to thank its loyal customers, as well as the publishers and suppliers, the authors and many friends in the strong book community both in Halifax and throughout Canada whom we are proud to have served and privileged to have been part of. The store was founded in 1839 and is the “Oldest Bookstore in Canada”.

Mr Burchell said: “Changing times and market conditions have necessitated our decision. The coming of big-box-bookstores with their large inventory at discount prices; the expansion of books into grocery and drugstores; the ease of ordering books at discount prices over the internet and the dual pricing of books with higher selling prices in Canada than in the United States have made operating a profitable independent bookstore in Canada extremely difficult. I am very disappointed to make this announcement as The Book Room has been an institution in Nova Scotia. The bookstore has survived two World Wars, the Halifax Explosion, the Great Depression and many economic ups and downs over its 169 year history. It is the end of an era, one which I am proud and privileged to have been part of during my 42 years with the bookstore.”

Scary Canadian Public Service Announcement (PSA)

contact — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:07:19 +0000

Watch the clip here

February Beer Events in Toronto

contact — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:05:46 +0000

Hart House Beer Academy with Mirella Amato – Hart House presents an evening of Craft Beer Tasting with Mirella Amato, tour guide for the Beer Lover’s Tour Company and host of the beer segments on legourmet.tv. – on Thursday, February 21, 2008 from 7pm to 10pm in the Music Room. Featuring yummilicious pub food and samplings of 9 specialty craft beers – Hart House, Music Room, 7 Hart House Circle, $45 – call 416.978.8849 to reserve

Gouden Carolus Dinner – Friday and Saturday, February 22 and 23, 2008 – This event is a 3-course Belgian menu fixe ($40) menu with your choice of Gouden Carolus, Gouden Carolus Tripel or Gouden Carolus Ambrio. The Abbot On The Hill, Abbot on the Hill, 1276 Yonge Street, call 416.920.9074 to reserve

Thankfully This Guy Doesn’t Live in Toronto

contact — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:06:32 +0000

MONCTON, New Brunswick, Feb. 6 (UPI) — It may be the Year of the Rat in China but every year is the year of the rat for one Canadian man who purposely has 87 of them in his home.

Clark Graham, who lives in the Moncton area, takes in abandoned pet rats as part of his Angel’s Heart Rat Rescue adoption program, Canwest News Service reported. He’s been at it for five years now, charging those who want to adopt a rat $10 to $15.

“I look for people who do not want them for food for their snake,” he told Canwest in a telephone interview Wednesday.

Rats get a bad rap as disease-spreading vermin but Graham finds them friendly and loyal.

“They love the company of people,” Graham said. “They crave it. I walk into a room and they all jump up and want me to come see them.”

Toronto Teen Wins $1.4 Million

contact — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:08:17 +0000

WATERLOO, Ontario, Feb. 4 (UPI) — An 18-year-old Canadian man with just six months background playing poker has earned $1.4 million in a German tournament.

Mike McDonald of Waterloo, Ontario, northwest of Toronto, is too young to legally play in most Canadian provinces and the United States, but since turning 18 in September, has racked up some impressive wins in London, Prague, Macau and Aruba, his mother told the Waterloo Record.

Saturday night was the biggest win for McDonald, who saw through repeated bluffs by German poker veteran Andreas Gulunay in Dortmund, the report said.

Speaking to the newspaper by telephone, the teenager said he’ll continue playing until he’s had enough.

“I see these guys who are playing 60 hours a week when they’re old, and none of them seem very happy,” McDonald said. “I don’t want to make this my long-term career … I might like to go back to school and get a real job.”

He said he’d also like to buy a used car, although he hasn’t got his drivers license yet, the report said.

The Dirt on Toronto: Garbage Facts

contact — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:07:01 +0000

From toronto.ca:

General

From January to August 2007, on average, 74 truck loads per day of solid waste (approximately 441,363 tonnes) went to Michigan landfill…down from 142 daily truck loads in 2003. This includes waste the City collects from residents, ICI (Industrial, Commercial, Institutional), ABC&Ds (Agency, Boards, Commissions, Divisions) and schools.

Toronto sent approximately 696,327 tonnes of waste to Michigan landfill in 2006.

Toronto’s waste disposal contract with the Carlton Farms Landfill in Michigan expires at the end of 2010.

Effective April 2, 2007, the City of Toronto became official owners of the Green Lane Landfill Site located in Southwold Township in the County of Elgin, southwest of the City of London, about 200 km from downtown Toronto. The Site features the latest technology including onsite treatment of leachate and a methane gas collection and flaring systems.

As of mid-April 2007 through to the end of August 2007, Toronto sent on average, three loads per day of solid waste to Green Lane Landfill, an amount equal to approximately 11,735 tonnes.

Green Bin organics are collected once a week and recyclables and residual waste are collected on alternating weeks.

Solid Waste Management Services has the following facilities

-seven Transfer Stations
-one Organic Processing Facility
-six HHW depots (Household Hazardous Waste)
-wo MRFs (Material Recovery Facility for sorting recyclables)
-three Maintenance Yards
-one Landfill (Green Lane Landfill Site)

Current waste diversion statistics

In 2006, 42% of Toronto’s residential waste was diverted thanks to the Blue/Grey box, Green Bin and Yard Waste composting programs. This means 375,621 tonnes of garbage was kept off Michigan trucks.

In 2006, multi-unit dwellings (apartments and condos) recycled only 13% of their garbage. The City, looking to improve that statistic, is launching a new volume-based rate structure in 2008 to enhance recycling rates. The results from piloting various waste diversion programs in select multi-unit buildings will be used to implement new programs.

In 2007, Toronto City Council approved the “Getting to 70% waste diversion from landfill plan”, which lays out the plan to increase waste diversion to 70% by 2010 and the funding model by which this goal can be achieved.

Environmental benefits of achieving 70% diversion from landfill

By achieving 70 % diversion, Solid Waste will reduce its GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by an additional 25 per cent, which is equal to taking over 100,000 cars off the road.

With 70 % diversion, Toronto will recycle 240,000 tonnes of paper annually, to save 4.5 million trees a year.

Diverting 70% of its waste means Toronto will recycle enough Blue Box materials to save 900 million kWh (kilowatt hours) of energy annually, which is enough to supply all the electrical needs for 170,000 homes.

Green Bin Organics collection

The Green Bin Program, which collects and processes household organic waste so it can be turned into finished compost, is now available to all 510,000 single-family households across Toronto.

With city-wide single-family household participation, approximately 100,000 tonnes of waste is diverted from landfill annually (resulting in 2,750 fewer trucks to Michigan each year).

It is estimated that each single-family home on the Green Bin Program contributes more than 200 kilograms of organic waste annually to the program.

30% of all residential garbage is “wet” waste or organic waste.

The Green Bin Program has a 90% participation rate.

Blue/Grey Box Combined

In 2006, Toronto recycled 163,385 tonnes of residential blue/grey box recyclables (resulting in 4,805 fewer trucks to Michigan).

In 2005, the Program expanded to include tubs and lids (e.g., margarine containers and yogurt tubs) and in 2006, cardboard cans (refrigerated dough, frozen juice, chip, nut, powder drink mix and powdered cleanser containers – minus peal-off seal or pull-off strip) were added to the Blue Box Program.

Toronto residents now combine Blue Box and Grey Box recyclables together in one container for more efficient collection and processing (effective Spring 2005).

Recycling not only saves money, it helps saves electricity via energy savings

75% less energy and 50% less water is used to make paper from recycled paper versus raw wood fibre.

Recycling one tonne of old newspapers saves 19 trees (Toronto typically recycles 100,000 tonnes of newspapers annually giving more than two million trees a tomorrow).

30% less energy is used to make glass from recycled crushed glass (cullet) versus new resources.

A 74% energy reduction is achieved by reusing steel cans and every tonne of recycled steel cans saves 1.36 tonnes of iron ore.

When scrap iron is used instead of iron ore to make steel, mining wastes are reduced by 97%, air pollution effluents by 80% and water pollution by 76%.

A 33% energy reduction is seen when new products are made from recyclable plastics.

95% less energy is used to make new aluminum cans out of old ones. Recycling just one pop can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours. Throwing away a single aluminum can is like pouring out six ounces of gasoline.

[source]

Dr. Horror, the Kidney Harvester Lives in Toronto! EEEEEE!

contact — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:06:47 +0000

From the star:

“While police forces around the world search for the Indian doctor who scammed hundreds out of their kidneys, his wife and children remain barricaded behind security doors at their Brampton home.

Interpol, the international police organization, last week issued a rarely used “red notice” warrant for Dr. Amit Kumar requesting his arrest anywhere on the planet.

Kumar, dubbed “Dr. Horror” by the Indian media where his story has led to nationwide revulsion, is alleged to be the kingpin of an underground kidney trafficking ring. Indian police believe the ring illegally harvested kidneys from as many as 500 unsuspecting Indians.

Most of the kidneys came from Indian labourers or farmers who say they were either duped, or forced at gunpoint, to give up a kidney.

The organs were then transplanted into wealthy clients, Indian or foreigners, in well-equipped underground clinics in residential areas.

It is illegal in India to sell a kidney; the Interpol warrant charges Kumar with “crimes against life and health” and being part of a criminal enterprise.

“If he has done what police say he did, I hope he gets punished severely,” a Brampton neighbour told the Star.

Neighbours said Kumar, his wife Poonam Ameet, and their two boys, 5 and 4, moved into the area last …”

Sad News: Environment Canada scientists told to toe the line

contact — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:11:06 +0000

From the national post:

Environment Canada has “muzzled” its scientists, ordering them to refer all media queries to Ottawa where communications officers will help them respond with “approved lines.”

The new policy, which went into force in recent weeks and sent a chill through the department research divisions, is designed to control the department’s media message and ensure there are no “surprises” for Environment Minister John Baird and senior management when they open the newspaper or turn on the television, according to documents obtained by Canwest News Service.

Ex Canada official: Nuclear Reactor was unsafe!

contact — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:05:53 +0000

From USAToday:

The fired head of Canada’s Nuclear Safety Commission on Tuesday defended a decision to keep a reactor shut down for nearly a month, creating a critical shortage of radioactive isotopes used to diagnose cancer patients, and causing delays to thousands of cancer patients around the world.
Former commission president Linda Keen said the agency was following the law when it refused to approve the restart of the reactor in Chalk River, Ontario. When the government ordered operations to resume last month, the risk of a nuclear accident was 1,000 times greater than acceptable, she said.

“Ignoring safety requirements is simply not an option,” Keen said. “Safe enough is not good enough.”

The reactor supplies half the world’s radioactive isotopes. Thousands of patients around the globe faced delays in crucial medical tests because of the shutdown.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last month there was no risk of a meltdown with the start-up, and his government blamed Keen for refusing to quickly resolve the impasse.

The 50-year-old reactor was shut down Nov. 18 for maintenance. It was scheduled to resume operations on Nov. 23, but the commission ordered an indefinite stoppage after discovering the reactor had been running without the emergency power system connected to two cooling pumps.

The Canadian government scrambled to pass legislation allowing the company to bypass the nuclear safety watchdog. The reactor reopened on Dec. 16…

Canadian No Longer Has To Pay More For AppleCare

contact — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:06:46 +0000

From Consumerist:

Zachariah no longer has to wonder about why AppleCare costs more in Canada ($199) than in the US ($169), he found a deal at L.A. Computer Company where he could get it for $119. They emailed him the agreement number, he registered the number online at Apple, and received his official AppleCare Protection Plan Certificate in the mail. So what’s the solution to the mystery of why there was a pricing disparity even though there’s parity between the dollar and the loony? We don’t know for sure, but we’re placing our money on that the prices were figured out when the dollar was worth more and they just haven’t been readjusted since.

Part 1 of the story: Canadian wonders why he has to pay more for AppleCare

Puppy’s death prompts rabies scare

contact — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:13:04 +0000

From UPI:

The recent rabies death of a puppy has led to a major scare in Toronto, where at least 20 people have since been vaccinated against the disease.

Toronto Public Health Spokeswoman Susan Sperling said that since a puppy purchased at a flea market died of rabies, local health officials have been inundated with calls from concerned citizens, The Globe and Mail in Toronto reported Saturday.

“We’ve had 500 calls to date, but no human cases so far. We’ve also managed to recover some of the other puppies,” Sperling said.

The border collie puppy died at the Toronto Humane Society last week, prompting health officials to recommend that anyone who came in contact with the animal to call for a medical assessment.

The Canadian newspaper said the dog’s former owner will likely not face charges in Toronto due to the fact the vendor operates outside the Ontario city and a lack of provincial regulations regarding dog sales or breeding.

Cattle Call to Star as Maria in `Sound of Music’

contact — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:10:50 +0000

From AP:

The Canadian airwaves will soon be alive with “The Sound of Music” when a TV reality show begins auditions to cast the role of Maria in an upcoming Toronto production of the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is producing its own version of the hit BBC series “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?,” which garnered the 2007 International Emmy Award for best non-scripted entertainment program.

Auditions began Friday in Toronto to start a seven-city, cross-country audition tour, from Vancouver, British Columbia, to St. John’s, Newfoundland, that will run through Feb. 9.

About 200 hopefuls will be invited for callbacks in Toronto, and about 50 finalists will attend the “Maria School” for further training.

The 8-part TV series set to air this summer will follow the “Marias” as they go through auditions, training sessions and evaluations.

Canadian viewers will vote to determine their choice to play Maria von Trapp, the singing and dancing nun-turned-governess made famous by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.

The winner will join the cast of a production of “The Sound of Music” premiering in October at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and David Mirvish.

“I am delighted that `How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?’ is coming to Canada,” Lloyd Webber, the famed British composer and impresario, said in a CBC news release.

“It was an enormous success in the…

Read more

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Rejects DRM

contact — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:06:09 +0000

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Jennifer Stoddart, published an open letter to Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Industry Minister Jim Prentice, who has been diligently committed to resurrecting his disaster of a copyright bill, which will import the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act to Canada. Essentially, the systems in question often spy on users and then report back with detailed, private information about your activities. Ms. Stoddart is very concerned with the prospect of changing Canadian law to make it illegal to tamper with this spyware. An excerpt is below:

…Canadians are making use of new information and communication technologies to obtain access to information, films, music and other content. While new technologies have generally widened individual access to copyrighted content, they also allow copyright holders the means to control use or reproduction and to manage authorized uses.

Technological protective measures can be embedded in various media to control copying and prevent copyright infringement, or they can be built into electronic devices to prevent the reading of unauthorized content. Digital rights management (DRM) is the general term for the varied technologies used to enforce pre-defined limitations on the use of digital content. These include any means by which publishers or manufacturers control use of data or hardware. My office has prepared an information sheet on DRM technology, a copy of which is enclosed for your information.

If DRM technologies only controlled copying and use of content, our Office would have few concerns. However, DRM technologies can also collect detailed personal information from users, who often do no more than access the content on a computer. This information is transmitted back to the copyright owner or content provider, without the consent or knowledge of the user. Although the means exist to circumvent these technologies and thus prevent the collection of this information, previous proposals to amend the Copyright Act contained anti-circumvention provisions.

Technologies that report back to a company about the use of a product reveal a great deal about an individual’s tastes and preferences. Indeed, such information can be extremely personal….” read the whole letter

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Guess Who’s in the Top 10 Happiest Countries in the World?

contact — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:07:51 +0000

No. 10: Canada
Population: 33 million
Life Expectancy: 80 years
GDP Per Capita: $34,000

Canada may sometimes feel overshadowed by its giant neighbor to the south, but a strong sense of national identity and abundant natural beauty help make the sprawling and sparsely populated country one of the world’s happiest. Canada also punches above its weight economically, with a huge $1.1 trillion GDP and per-capita that ranks among the world’s highest. It also has strong health care and a low crime rate.

Yay! We always knew Canada ruled.

See the other 9 happy countries

Canada puts U.S. on torture watch list

contact — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:06:37 +0000

From CTA:

Omar Khadr’s lawyers say they can’t understand why Canada is not doing more to help their client in light of new evidence that Ottawa has put the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on a watch list for torture.

Khadr — a Canadian citizen who was just 15-years-old when he was captured in Afghanistan more than five years ago and taken to Guantanamo — has claimed that he has been tortured at the prison. Now, CTV News has obtained documents that put Guantanamo Bay on a torture watch list.

Khadr’s U.S. military lawyer says the new documents contradict Harper’s assurances that his client is receiving fair treatment.

“Omar has certainly been abused, his rights have been violated under international law, and apparently the Canadian government has reason to believe that’s true, and yet, they’ve acted not at all to assist him,” William Kuebler told CTV News.

Khadr’s lawyers say suspicions of torture undermine claims that he can get a fair trial from the military commission in Guantanamo Bay. They want him sent back to Canada to face justice here. But the government has said he’s charged with serious crimes and they are waiting for the U.S. judicial process to play itself out.

Canada’s new focus on torture was ordered by the inquiry into Maher Arar’s nightmare in Syria. U.S. authorities sent Arar — a Canadian of Syrian ancestory — to Syria after he made a brief stopover in New York in 2002. They wrongly accused him of…

How to Move to Canada

contact — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:07:44 +0000

It’s no shocker that Americans are extremely disgusted by the U.S. government, and because of all of the lies, murders and secrets the government is responsible for, well, many American wanna get the heck outta Dodge. And fast. I don’t blame them. America is flawed. Very flawed, I hate to say, and I sympathize with Americans.

So. Many Americans are seeking a new place they can call home sweet home, and be proud of where they live. Howz about moving to Canada?????

This primer might be just for you. How to Move to Canada: A Primer for Americansmight be the ticket to your happiness.

Recently, 1.1 million Canadians voted Tommy Douglas, “the Sakatchewan premier who spearheaded Canada’s universal health care system” the “Greatest Canadian” of all time. This sort of mentality is what makes Canadian emigration more and more enticing to Americans out of step with their homeland’s priorities. In an easy-to-follow and comprehensive guide, How to Move to Canada: A Primer for Americansoffers a detailed action plan for Americans seriously thinking about making a permanent move to Canada. From the smallest details on what is necessary on the application to the rules regarding moving from Hawaii with a houseplant, the books covers details vital and otherwise, and lists websites and phone numbers for additional information. In addition to the hows, this helpful guide provides the whys from a Canadian perspective: apparently, skilled workers are needed, and as it currently stands 49 percent of Toronto residents were born outside Canada.

Brief overviews of each province and territory help readers find where they fit best. The writers play to the presumed liberal bias of their readers and provide information to that end (abortion: legal since 1988; the death penalty: abolished in 1976; same-sex marriage: legal since 2004;the firearm homicide rate: one-eighth the U.S.’s). As a lighter and less ideological companion to this useful but narrowly targeted book, readers should check out Will and Ian Ferguson’s comic work How to be Canadian.

Free WiFi at These Toronto Public Libraries

contact — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:07:38 +0000

When you’re traveling, the last place you’d think you’d visit would be the public library, but don’t knock it! You can find travel books and magazines there to peruse (and be up to date with current news by reading newspapers) but it’s also a great place to catch up on email or do work online, while you’re in our great Canadian city. So if your accommodations don’t, by chance, have any internet accessibility, here are the public library locations in Toronto where you can access the internet for free via Wifi:

Agincourt – 155 Bonis Ave. Toronto, Ont. M1T 3W6, T: 416-396-8943
Albion – 1515 Albion Rd.Toronto, ON,M9V 1B2 T:416-394-5170
Albert Campbell – 496 Birchmount Rd. Toronto, ON, M1K 1N8 T: 416-396-8890
Bridlewood – 2900 Warden Ave. Toronto, ON, M1W 2S8 T: 416-396-8960
Centennial – 578 Finch Ave. West Toronto, ON, M2R 1N7 T: 416-395-5490
Eatonville – 430 Burnhamthorpe Rd. Toronto, ON, M9B 2B1 T: 416-394-5270
Flemingdon Park – 29 St. Dennis Dr. Toronto, ON, M3C 3J3 T: 416-395-5820
Gerrard/Ashdale – 29 St. Dennis Dr. Toronto, ON, M3C 3J3 T: 416-395-5820
Lillian H. Smith – 239 College St. Toronto, ON, M5T 1R5 T: 416-393-7746
Mimico – 47 Station Rd. Toronto, ON, M8V 2R1 T: 416-394-5330
Morningside – 4279 Lawrence Ave. East Toronto, ON, M1E 2S8 T: 416-396-8881
North York Central Library – 5120 Yonge St. Toronto, ON, M2N 5N9 T: 416-395-5535
Parkdale – 1303 Queen St. West Toronto, ON, M6K 1L6 T: 416-393-7686
Parliament – 269 Gerrard St. East Toronto, ON, M5A 2G3 T: 416-393-7663
Richview – 1806 Islington Avenue Toronto, ON, M9P 3N3 T: 416-394-5120
Riverdale – 370 Broadview Ave. Toronto ON M4K 2M8 T: 416-393-7720
Toronto Reference Library – 789 Yonge St. Toronto, ON, M4W 2G8 T: 416-395-5577
Woodside Square – 1571 Sandhurst Circle Toronto, ON, M1V 1V2T: 416-396-8979
York Woods – 1785 Finch Ave. West Toronto, ON, M3N 1M6 T: 416-395-5980

For more information

The Power Plant

contact — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:07:24 +0000

Toronto’s contemporary art museum, The Power Plant, is worth a visit and will make for a wonderful day spent perusing modern art. The museum itself has 3 major exhibition galleries and smaller, adjacent indoor and outdoor sites which lend themselves to virtually any presentation circumstance.

The interior of The Power Plant is made up of 3 major gallery spaces. The 2 largest, named the Royal LePage and J. S. McLean Galleries, are designed for maximum flexibility and for the diversity of contemporary art. The ceilings are nine meters high they have an adjustable grid lighting system. The third, named the Canadian Tire Gallery features three-meter high ceilings. In addition to the galleries, which share approximately 650 square meters, the Fleck Clerestory, a central corridor with a glassed roof, lobby and exterior spaces are also designated for exhibition purposes.

The Power Plant is wheelchair accessible. An elevator connects the visitor to both levels.

The Power Plant
231 Queens Quay West
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada M5J 2G8
T: 416.973.4949

Regular Hours

Tuesday to Sunday | 12-6 pm
Wednesday | 12-8 pm
Closed Monday
Open Holiday Monday | 12-6 pm

HOLIDAY 2007-08 HOURS

24, 25, 26, 31 December 2007 | Closed
01 January 2008 | Closed

ADMISSION
$5 | Adults
$3 | Seniors & Students

The Toronto Marathon

contact — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:06:46 +0000

I know it’s a bit early! The Toronto Marathon takes place this year on October 18, 2008, but don’t you need time to train for it? THAT’S why I’m telling you about it so early!! If 26 miles isn’t your style, try the half-marathon or the 5k run.

For more information and to register

Winter Activity in Toronto: SURFING!

contact — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:05:43 +0000

From Blogto:

Canada is brutally cold in the winter. This weekend Toronto had one massive winter storm. 30cm (about a foot) of snow accumulation, gusting winds creating wind chills of -20°C (sub 0°F) and complete road carnage were enough to keep most of us in the city holed up in our homes this weekend. The closest I came to “surfing” was when, in my pajamas, I sank into the couch with a mug of fresh coffee and remote control in hand, and flipped through the channels looking for something to watch on TV.

Hardcore Toronto surfers Mark Karvonen, Walter Tuokkola, and Geoff Johnson, on the other hand, got suited in their neoprene wetsuits, waxed their boards, and headed down to Ashbridge’s Bay to ride the wicked waves of Lake Ontario.

Nuts, I say. NUTS! These guys surfed up a….

Continue reading the whole article

Toronto Fire Chiefs Drive Hybrids!

contact — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:07:11 +0000

From Treehugger:

Remembering the events of five years ago, none of us would begrudge our firefighters a nice ride; we are pleased to see that the Toronto Fire Services chief is tooling around in a Highlander hybrid. It won in a competitive bidding process that looked at performance, ground clearance and versatility. They are almost off-the-shelf- a custom Toronto colour (is not fire engine red the same all over?) and “a set of very subtly-integrated strobe lights built into the roof rack, grille, side pillars and rear lamps: at night, the thing lights up like a Christmas tree, and is visible from very far away, even though the LED units are actually tiny. ” TFS liked the fuel consumption stats and the fact that it was not a beefed up heavy duty sedan but an off-the-shelf car that was strong enough to take it. Sez Chief Stewart: “”All of the equipment we’ve chosen is here so we can respond faster and work safer.” Canadian Driver

Canadians warned to avoid travel to Pakistan

contact — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:15:32 +0000

From Canada.com:

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada is warning Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to Pakistan.

“Canadians who choose to travel to Pakistan despite this warning should evaluate carefully the implications for their security and safety,” the government warned on its website.

The warning was issued Friday, the day after Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.

Pakistani soldiers stand guard during a lawyers’s protest against the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, in Quetta, 29 December 2007. Pakistan’s planned elections were in doubt after polling officials said the vote had been “adversely affected” by a wave of violence and unrest after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

“News reports indicate that riots and violence have occurred in several locations throughout Pakistan, mainly in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi,” according to the warning on the website.

“During the period of mourning and the funeral, riots and large-scale demonstrations may take place. Heightened security measures have been put in place in major cities, including the set up of checkpoints.”

Canadians are warned to exercise an extreme level of caution, monitor news reports and follow the advice of local authorities.

The warning also said to avoid all crowds, demonstrations and political gatherings, “and stay away from areas where they will occur, as they may turn violent without warning.”

Heated Waterslide at the Delta Chelsea Hotel

contact — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:06:27 +0000

I can’ really recommend the actual hotel or condition of the Delta Chelsea Hotel. What I can mention here and want to share with you is the very awesome 130-foot heated indoor waterslide! Pretty neat.

Delta Chelsea Hotel
33 Gerrard Street West
Toronto (Downtown), Ontario
M5G 1Z4
Tel: 416-595-1975

Radioactive Waste Found in Ontario Groundwater

contact — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:08:29 +0000

From Canada Environment:

Ontario Ministry of Environment officials are downplaying the discovery of high levels of a radioactive substance called tritium (radioactive waste) found recently in the groundwater of a Pembroke landfill.

“While there was tritium in the ground water at the site, [it was] well below our ministry standards,” said Ministry spokesperson Kate Jordan. “We don’t feel that they pose a risk to the community or to the environment.”

Tritium is widely used in nuclear weapons for boosting a fission bomb or the fission primary of a thermonuclear weapon.

The highest level found in the dump’s groundwater was 1,000 Becquerel/Litre – which is 7 times lower than the level considered “safe” under Ontario law.

Not very reassuring when you consider that the the European Union’s “safe” level of Tritium concentrations in water is 100 Becquerel/Litre. In California the allowable level of Tritium in groundwater is 15 Bq/Litre.

Toronto Says Goodbye to a Legend: Oscar Peterson

contact — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:10:10 +0000

Canadian jazz piano virtuoso, Oscar Peterson, died on Sunday at the age of 82. A gentle giant of a man, Peterson set the standard for taste and invention and shaped the jazz scene indelibly in the history of music.

Although his greatest influence was undoubtedly Art Tatum, he incorporated elements of Nat King Cole and Teddy Wilson into his own inimitable sound. Norman Granz discovered him in 1949 and put him to work in his Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts.

In the early 1950s, Peterson began performing with Ray Brown and Charlie Smith as the Oscar Peterson Trio. Shortly afterward the drummer Smith was replaced by guitarist Irving Ashby, formerly of the Nat King Cole Trio.

Since the late 1950s, when Oscar Peterson gained worldwide recognition as one of the leading pianists in jazz, he played in a variety of settings: solo, duo, trio, quartet, small bands, and big bands. However, his solo piano recitals, as well as his solo piano recordings were rare, until he chose to make a series of solo albums titled “Exclusively for my friends.” This solo piano sessions, made for the MPS label, were Peterson’s response to the emergence of such stars as Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner.

Oscar Peterson also taught piano and improvisation in Canada, mainly in Toronto. He also published his original jazz piano etudes for practice. However, he asked his students to study the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially the Well Tempered Clavier, the Goldberg Variations, and the The Art of Fugue, considering this piano pieces essential for every serious pianist. [source]

Solar Powered Car Wash in Toronto

contact — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:06:14 +0000

Solarco has completed the installation of twenty solar thermal panels at the Wash N’ Go Car Wash, located at 4000 Dundas St West in Toronto. The system pre-heats process hot water used for washing cars. Awesome.

WashNGo
4000 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Canada
416.766.7024

Toronto Neighborhoods

contact — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:06:42 +0000

Thought this might come in handy if you’re trying to get a feel for Toronto. Here are the neighborhoods and their names:

In-town
Annex
Beaches
Cabbagetown
Danforth
Dufferin Grove
Downtown
Kensington Market / Chinatown
Little India
Little Italy
High Park
Queen Street West
Riverdale
St. Clair West
Yonge St. (central)
Yonge & Eglinton
Yorkville

Suburbs
Etobicoke
North York
Scarborough
West of Toronto
North of Toronto

Canada Considers the U.S. to be Unsafe

contact — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:07:17 +0000

From rabble:

“The U.S. does not meet the Refugee Convention requirements nor the Convention Against Torture prohibition.”

In a surprise ruling the Federal Court of Canada has overturned the “Canada United States Safe Third Country Agreement” in a judgment issued on November 29, 2007.

In a 124-page decision Mr. Justice Michael Phelan ruled that the Safe Third Country Agreement, which came into effect on Dec. 29, 2004 and regulated refugee movement between Canada and the U.S., violates refugee rights and that the United States did not meet the conditions required to be considered a “Safe Country” under the terms of the Agreement.

The Agreement was also held to be contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “The interest at stake is highly important to an individual’s life, safety and dignity,” wrote Justice Phelan.

The Judge stated, “I would therefore conclude that the designation of the U.S. as a safe third country leads to a discriminatory result, in that it has a much more severe impact on persons who fall into the areas where the U.S. is not compliant with the Refugee Convention or CAT (Convention Against Torture), as well as discriminating and exposing such people to risk based solely on the method of arrival in Canada.”

“For the reasons outlined in this judgment, the United States’ policies and practices do not meet the conditions set down for authorizing Canada to enter into a Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA),” Justice Phelan stated.

“The U.S. does not meet the Refugee Convention requirements nor the Convention Against Torture prohibition (the Maher Arar case being one example.) Further, the STCA does not comply with the relevant provisions of the Charter.”

The court ruled that a one-year deadline to file refugee claims in the U.S. was inconsistent with the international conventions because it increased the risk claimants would be sent back to countries where they faced danger or torture.

Justice Phelan also noted that the U.S. definition of terrorist activities can…

Apple announces crappy TV programming available at the Canada iTunes Store

contact — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:06:52 +0000

More of a general Canada news item but thought it was worth posting. I wonder: do Canadians appreciate this crappy TV programming? From MacMerc:

This is either what some American executive thinks Canadians would like to watch (i.e. give them Hockey and Corner Gas) or what some Canadian Government agency dictates that we should be forced to watch (i.e. mostly Canadian content, regardless of what the people want). The inclusion of South Park as one of the few US-produced programs available may be a clue as to which one is to blame for the horrible selection–Blame Canada.

Here’s the gist of the press release:

Apple today announced that hit television programming from Canada’s top networks, US broadcasters and the National Hockey League (NHL) is now available for CAN$1.99 per episode from the iTunes Store in Canada. iTunes customers can choose from Canadian-produced favorites such as the top-rated, award-winning “Corner Gas” from CTV, smash hit comedy “Little Mosque on the Prairie” from CBC, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “South Park” from Comedy Central and the NHL Games of the Year.

CBC’s comedy programs “Little Mosque on the Prairie” and “The Rick Mercer Report,” reality programming “No Opportunity Wasted” and “Dragon’s Den;”
CTV’s smash hit comedy “Corner Gas,” dramas “Instant Star,” “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and “Robson Arms;”
Comedy Central’s “Drawn Together,” “The Sarah Silverman Program” and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “South Park;”
MTV Networks programs “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Hills;” and
NHL Games of the Year, including top NHL games in their entirety for the 2007-2008 season, as well as Stanley Cup Classics, a five-game bundle of great Stanley Cup Final games.
TV shows from the iTunes Store are downloaded in near-DVD quality at a resolution of…

Time Lapse Video of Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum’s Crystal

contact — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:07:34 +0000

From May 2003 to November 2007 this time lapse video was produced through a series of still images taken at 1pm every day during the construction of The Michael Lee Chin Crystal at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum. Later images were captured every 10 minutes during the building’s opening week.

It is amazing.

Watch the video

[via]

Upcoming Toronto Beer Events

contact — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:06:32 +0000

These are not your every day, ordinary codswallop or run-o-the-mill kind of brew. We’re talking quality liquid gold elixir. Anyway. I had to look up some beer lingo. Can ya tell?! Back to this post. Here are a couple of not to be missed beer events in the Toronto area. Happy chugalug! (just kidding.) DON’T chugalug for your liquid sleep. Ok, I’ll stop now.

Fri Jan 25 and Sat Jan 26 2008
Robbie Burns Night
Granite Brewery

2008 (date t.b.a.)
Dogfish Head Beer Dinner with Sam Calagione
beerbistro

[via the bar towel]

Speak Easy

contact — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:10:34 +0000

SpeakEasy is a Toronto gathering event, a way for students, creative pros, curious onlookers, well, just about everyone is welcome. Eight times a year, meet new people, mingle and exhibit some of your creations. This is a great way to get some exposure for your art, crafts, jewelry if you are trying to become a creative professional.

Where and When?
SpeakEasy
8 times a year on the first Thursday of the month
from 8pm-Midnight
The Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen West, Toronto
Admission is “Pay What You Can” ($4 Suggested)

Nearly Half of Toronto Area Residents Are Immigrants

contact — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:12:58 +0000

From CBC:

The Toronto region has experienced substantial growth in its immigrant population over the last five years, according to new census data released Tuesday.

Statistics Canada released information from the 2006 census that gives a snapshot of people who came from other countries to live here. It reveals that most people moving to Canada are flocking to large urban centres, especially Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Demographic experts have predicted that Canada’s population growth will be almost entirely dependent on immigration by 2030 and communities that don’t attract new Canadians may see steady declines in population.

A shrinking population can have a host of economic and social consequences, including a fragile local economy starved for workers that, in turn, discourages much-needed investment. Business and school closures can result, and as the declining population ages the delivery of social services such as health care becomes strained.

Some communities find it difficult to attract immigrants because new Canadians tend to choose large cities where their families have already settled and where they can obtain the services they will need.

The latest census statistics show that immigrants make up 45.7 per cent of the Toronto area population. Five years earlier, immigrants represented 43.7 per cent of the population. In terms of recent immigration, the number of immigrants who lived in the region increased to 2,320,160 from 2,032,960 between 2001 and 2006.

During the same five-year period since the 2001 census, the overall population of Toronto region increased by 9.2 per cent — compared to a provincial gain of 6.6 per cent and a national growth rate of 5.4 per cent.

The immigration figures shows that about one out of every five Canadians was born in another country. In the Toronto region the ratio is almost one out of every two, while for Ontario, it’s more than one out of every four.

The national figures are skewed by the concentration of immigrants in the metropolitan regions of Toronto, Vancouver (39.6 per cent) and Montreal (20.6).

In terms of the country of origin for foreign-born people in the Toronto area, the highest proportion came from…

The Fun Advertising Minds of Toronto

contact — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:07:57 +0000

Tagline: Energizer. It would never run out on you.

Created by the advertising agency: TBWA, Toronto, Canada; Creative Director: Joe Amaral; Art Director: Pete Ross; Copywriter: Allan Topol; Photographer: Adam Rankin
Published: November 2007

Don’t Hate Toronto: A Brief History of Urbanophobia

contact — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:06:40 +0000

From The Toronto Star:

The prejudice of city-hating seems to be deeper, more persistent and more poisonous to progress in Canada than anywhere else in the world. That’s going to spell trouble in a century experts say will be defined by cities.

This week brought another sample of the disdain leaders in senior levels of government have for cities.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities on Tuesday warned that close to 80 per cent of the nation’s urban infrastructure, including roads and bridges, water and waste-removal systems, and transit are past their service life. The tab for replacing it is a staggering $123 billion.

Yet pleas for help from the weakest level of government are almost always greeted by sophistry or condescension. This time the rebuffs came from the top tier of the federal government.

First up was Prime Minister Stephen Harper: He boasted of his government’s $33 billion infrastructure program, which actually goes to provinces, not cities, and in any case works out to a paltry annual $4.7 billion over seven years.
Next came Lawrence Cannon, Harper’s minister of transport and infrastructure, who passed the buck: “I call upon the cities to go and sit down with the provinces,” he said.

And finally Jim Flaherty reminded cities of their comparatively trifling place in the universe: “We’re not in the pothole business in the Government of Canada,” said Harper’s finance minister, adding that the cities should stop “whining.”

North America is unique in its traditional denigration of cities.

The phenomenon is especially pronounced in Canada, where the urban centres, in which roughly 80 per cent of Canadians live — the country’s largest voting block — are powerless creatures of the provinces, with no constitutional standing and very limited spending powers, despite the massive downloading on to them in recent years of social-service and other responsibilities.

Almost wholly reliant for revenue on the property tax — one of the most regressive forms of taxation — municipalities are routinely depicted as feckless authors of their own misfortune whenever finding themselves staring into the fiscal abyss, even after, in Toronto’s case, accounting firm KPMG concluded in a study this year that the city is an able steward of its finances.

Toronto just lacks the money to do all that’s asked of it, a story that is repeated in scores of communities across the country.

“Many political leaders just don’t like cities,” says Richard Florida, the renowned U.S. urbanologist recently tapped to help launch the Prosperity Centre at Toronto’s Rotman School of Business. “They ofx ten think they can mobilize rural and suburban voters by running against cities.”

It might be that Western civilization traces its roots to city-states like Athens and Florence.

But suspicion of cities is as old as the Scriptures, where the Christian regard of urban life begins in Genesis with God’s wrath in destroying Babylon, Sodom and Gomorrah.

And in a New World that rejected much of the old, Henry David Thoreau despaired of the stress puppies in Boston and Philadelphia and retired to his Walden cabin far from “the desperate city.”

Even Lewis Mumford, one of the greatest urbanologists of the 20th century, worried about forces of alienation at work in cities grown too large.

“Democracy, in any active sense,” Mumford said in the 1960s, “begins and ends in communities small enough for their members to meet face to face.”

In the early days of modern neo-conservatism, prominent U.S. commentator George Gilder, appalled by the costly social-work burden cities had taken upon themselves beginning in the 1960s, described cities as “parasites,” ignoring the multitude of studies showing that national prosperity is tied to the rising affluence of urban dwellers.

More recently, the neo-conservative agenda has made room for an attack on progressive voters and U.S. cities teeming with Democrats.

“New Yorkers don’t really see themselves as part of the rest of America,” said American pundit Ann Coulter. “Americans understand that Manhattan is the Soviet Union.”

On a more sorrowful note, Joe Clark acknowledged that the easiest way to unite Canadians is to invoke their hatred of Toronto.

It helps when a nation’s capital is also its principal city. That way, federal politicians and mandarins get a daily experience of failing transit systems, decrepit schools and abandoned factories in wait need of creative redevelopment.

Outside Canada, great cities are regarded as national treasures, the face that countries show the world. Principal cities like Rome, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, and even “sub-national” centres such as Shanghai, St. Petersburg and Edinburgh, are adequately funded by national governments.

Outside Canada, senior governments partner with cities in what are regarded as national projects.

Paris has funded a stunning makeover of the Charles de Gaulle airport in a successful bid to share European gateway status with Heathrow, Frankfurt and Amsterdam’s Schipol.

With Britain’s enthusiastic support, London is attempting to outmuscle New York as the world capital of finance.

Washington, whose ambivalence toward cities contrasts with Ottawa’s resolute disregard for them, financed Boston’s “Big Dig,” one of the largest U.S. urban-renewal megaprojects in American history.

And to help spur tourism in the gritty industrial city of Bilbao, Madrid footed much of the bill for Canadian expat Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao museum.

Outside Canada, cities have authority to collect local retail and income taxes, and they share in regional taxes. All that applies to U.S. cities, as well, which also have long been permitted to engage in debt-financing by issuing tax-free municipal bonds. Canadian cities, by contrast, are in a fiscal straitjacket, forbidden from running deficits, much less issuing and managing debt.

Yet Canadian cities have rarely been blessed with a confluence of conditions favourable to their future prospects — and to Canada’s.

The nation’s public finances are more sound than that of any G-8 country, enabling Canada to invest heavily in social as well as physical infrastructure to a degree not seen before.

Canadian cities consistently rank among the most liveable in the world. Canada’s receptivity to immigrants and America’s contrasting post-9/11 xenophobia is directing an unprecedented share of the world’s talent to Canada.

The strengthened loonie makes recruiting large numbers of leading scientists, academics, software engineers and corporate administrators away from strong-currency jurisdictions possible for the first time in decades.

These people want to live in cities. “Places that bring together diverse talent accelerate the local rate of economic development,” Florida writes on his blog (www.creativeclass.typepad.com).

“When large numbers of entrepreneurs, financiers, engineers, designers and other smart, creative people are constantly bumping into one another inside and outside of work, business ideas are more quickly formed, sharpened, executed, and — if successful —expanded.”

Globalization and the information age are accentuating the importance of cities, Thomas Courchene, director of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations at Queen’s University and one of Canada’s foremost public-policy experts, writes in a landmark June report for the Institute for Research on Public Policy, Global Futures for Canada’s Global Cities.

Courchene describes a “virtuous circle” by which global city regions can take “actions that make them attractive to human capital, which, in turn, allows them to become magnets for attracting knowledge-based industries.

“Evidence suggests that privileging Canada’s `hub cities’ will propel them and their hinterlands forward economically.”

Yet Canadian cities are starved of the cash to fund such a renaissance.

“The international evidence on our global city regions’ fiscal weakness is striking,” Courchene warns.

“Cities like Stockholm, Berlin, Vienna and Helsinki spend twice as much and Copenhagen and Amsterdam three times as much per capita (on infrastructure, social services and cultural amenities) as Toronto does.

“This suggests that there is ample scope for decentralization in Canada to go beyond devolution of money and power from Ottawa to the provinces.”

Bottom line: It’s time Canada’s communities were funded directly by Ottawa, which is projecting $26 billion in excess funds over the next six years.

Cities should also be given the capital-raising tools common to cities elsewhere in the world.

It would help immensely if mayors like Toronto’s David Miller had quasi-premier status, with complete control over the city bureaucracy and all-important budget that New York’s Michael Bloomberg wields.

It would seem obvious that municipalities have unrivalled competence in understanding and dealing with the multitude of issues in their jurisdictions.

In the prolonged absence of visionary leadership from Ottawa or provincial capitals, “on urban planning, environment, transportation, education, refugee settlement, public health and many other policies the true innovators in Canada and the U.S. have been mayors,” says Florida.

It’s time to withhold political support from leaders who don’t grasp that urbanity will shape this century even more than the last one.

We have nothing to lose but elected representatives who take our votes for granted, impeding municipal and national progress and inviting our civic deterioration.

[source]

“Hot” Plans for Affordable Housing

contact — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 23:05:47 +0000

From Eye Weekly:

With the vote on Toronto’s new “revenue tools” out of the way, the city can finally start concentrating on other issues. A big one that didn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserved during the provincial election — though many have deemed it a crisis — is affordable housing. Today, the city released a framework called Housing Opportunities Toronto (HOT), with the goal to develop a 10-year blueprint for meeting Toronto’s affordable housing needs. The public have been invited to comment on this document so that, much like the with city’s recent climate change plan, everyone will have the opportunity to make sure that city council ultimately approves a framework that works.

It’s wonderful to see the city finally pull together a plan on this issue. Some of you might recall that over a year ago, the Wellesley Institute released it’s own 10-year Blueprint to End Homelessness in Toronto. The idea was to push all three levels of government to at least adopt a similar strategy by showing how it could be done — including how governments could afford it. The Institute offers a…

Read the full article

Rare Dinosaur Discovered in Museum Basement

contact — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:07:57 +0000

The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto went hunting for a dinosaur skeleton only to discover that it already had the massive creature buried in its own collection for over 45 years. The Barosaurus skeleton, affectionately nicknamed Gordo after Dr. Edmund, will be the largest dinosaur skeleton on display in Canada, as well as the only Barosaurus skeleton on display in the world made mostly of real fossil bone. It lacks the original skull.

[via]

Direct Flights From LAX and SFO to YYZ

contact — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 05:59:21 +0000

Los Angelinos and San Franciscans, rejoice! Starting June 23, 2010, Virgin America is offering direct flights out of San Francisco and Los Angeles to and from Toronto, marking the airline’s first international destination. For an unbeatable fare, you’ll get power outlets at every seat, in-flight internet, mood-lit cabins, custom designed leather seating, and Red™ — the touch-screen personal entertainment system featuring live TV, movies, music, video games and more. [via thrillist]

See the flight schedule and fees

Canada’s 10 Best New Restaurants (2 in Toronto!)

contact — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:05:45 +0000

1. Atlantica

Beach House, 38 Beachy Cove Rd., Portugal Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador, 709-895-1251, atthebeachhouse.ca/atlantica

2. KINGYO IZAKAYA
871 Denman St., Vancouver, 604-608-1677

3. SALT TASTING ROOM

45 Blood Alley, Vancouver, 604-633-1912, salttastingroom.com

4. BISTRO BIENVILLE

4650, rue de Mentana, Montréal, 514-509-1269, bistrobienville.com

5. COLBORNE LANE

45 Colborne St., Toronto, 416-368-9009, colbornelane.com

Read the full list

Organic Gardens in Canada, An Upward Trend

contact — Mon, 31 May 2010 23:05:58 +0000

Via ENN:

As climate change makes longer, drier summers a reality in many parts of the world, a new trend in landscaping is taking root in Canada.

In Toronto, where precipitation levels were 52 percent below the seasonal average over the past six months, according to government data, residents are trading in their manicured lawns for environmentally friendly organic landscapes.

“Irrigation is a huge issue as water is such a valuable resource,” said Claire Suo-Cockerton of landscaping company Aesthetic Earthworks. “We are trying to plant material that is more appropriate today in our climate.”

Organic landscapers use drought resistant plants and shrubs native to the region, which encourage the development micro-organisms in the soil. This attracts birds and insects to act as natural pest and disease control.

A well-managed organic landscape is self-sustaining, whereas a traditional yard needs to be watered at least once per week, Suo-Cockerton said.

“It’s a drastic lifestyle change for those who incorporate it in their homes,” she added.

But the change may be a bit too drastic for average homeowner.

Kevin MacDonald, operations manager of Humber Nurseries near Toronto, said he hasn’t seen an increase in the sale of native plants and shrubs. He said the downside to native plants is they are more susceptible to native insects.

“By planting a cultivated variety, that is non-native, you may not end up with diseases and insect problems, simply because the diseases and insects that would traditionally attack that plant are not found in the new location,” he said.

Still, the main reason why traditional gardens remain popular may be purely aesthetic.

“In most cases homeowners will have a preference for what looks best,” MacDonald said.

While the bare shrubs and woodchips of an organic landscape don’t quite have the curb appeal of an ornamental garden, commercial and residential buildings looking to go green are picking up on the trend.

“From a developer’s standpoint it’s a great marketing tool because people are becoming very conscious of the environment,” said Melissa Ferrato of the Canada Green Building Council (CGBG).

The CGBG uses the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) standard developed in the United States to measure the “green factor” of a building. Avoiding pesticides, lawnmowers and leafblowers all reduce a building’s carbon footprint, contributing to a higher LEED score.

“Native, organic plants is what we’re all about,” said Ferrato. “We really discourage the use of manicured lawns and pesticides.”

While organic landscaping is only now gaining popularity in the private sector, it has long been used by city parks departments.

“We’ve been moving away from traditional lawns for many years now,” said Patricia Landry a liaison officer at the Toronto parks department. “We are using plants able to withstand drought, pollution and the changing climate.”

Organic landscaping makes economic sense for urban municipalities, Landry said. Less money is spent on labor and irrigation. And reintroducing native plants provides habitat for birds and small animals.

While efforts to convert Toronto’s ornamental flowerbeds to organic gardens were met with public opposition, some of the cultivated annuals were swapped with native plants.

“It’s about trying to keep a balance,” said Landry. “Finding different ways to keep those areas a little more environmentally friendly.”

City of Toronto’s Official Website

contact — Sun, 23 May 2010 23:06:09 +0000

How can I go on with this blog without talking about the very official City of Toronto’s very complete and awesome website? I can’t. It’s as simple as that.

Here, I’m going to link you to the “special events” page, where you’ll find gobs of things to do during your stay in this great city.

Toronto Special Events is a full-service Section of the City of Toronto’s Economic Development, Culture & Tourism division.

With a mandate to develop and promote dynamic, innovative and accessible events and festivals, the Toronto Special Events office celebrates the richness and diversity of this great city, enriching the quality of life for residents and attracting world-wide tourist audiences.

Toronto Special Events produces more than 30 festivals and events and consults with hundreds more every year. This web page provides you with detailed information on all events produced by Toronto Special Events.

Link: City of Toronto

3 Concerts for $39 Each – Toronto Symphony Orchestra

contact — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:55:39 +0000

From daily-free:

“Toronto Symphony Orchestra: 3+ Concerts for $39 Each, Best Available Seats
August 9th, 2009 Posted in RedFlagDeals The Now or Never sale for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is on now at TSO.ca. Until August 17th at 5PM EST, you can purchase tickets for 3 or more concerts in their upcoming season for $39 each per ticket. That’s certainly not the cheapest form of entertainment but for $39 you do get to choose from the best available seats in the house. As a bonus you’ll also get a free CD that highlights the upcoming season and an additional discount of 5% once the Now or Never sale is over.

What concerts can you choose from? Take a look at their 09.10 Season at a Glance brochure (PDF).

This deal Toronto Symphony Orchestra: 3+ Concerts for $39 Each, Best Available Seats was originally posted on RedFlagDeals.com – Your source for Canadian Deals, Free Coupons and Freebies.”

Canada to Ban Bottled Water?

contact — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 09:23:35 +0000

From the cbc:

“The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has asked Canadian cities and towns to phase out the sale and purchase of bottled water on municipal property.

The federation board of directors passed the anti-bottle resolution at a meeting in Victoria on Saturday.

The move carries no legal weight and aims simply to encourage municipalities to speak out against bottled water and avoid distributing it when possible.

“It’s not a ban, we just try to educate our citizens that the water that you pay in your city is good — use it,” said FCM president Jean Perrault, the mayor of Sherbrooke, Que.

It takes a lot of energy to produce the bottles themselves, Perrault said, and despite being recyclable about half of the bottles sold end up in landfills — at a direct cost to local governments.

But there’s also the personal expense, he said.

“Buying a bottle of water costs approximately $2.50. The cost to produce water in the city? I can fill up 6,000 little bottles for the price of $2.50,” Perrault said.

Twenty-seven Canadian municipalities have already phased out the sale of bottled water on their properties.

Pam McConnell, a Toronto city councillor, described what goes on at Toronto City Hall. “You’d see glasses on the tables, you’d see jugs of water from the tap, you’d see people happily drinking them at their desks and committee meetings,” McConnell said.

Ontario’s provincial association of municipalities has also encouraged its members to use tap water, and 21 Canadian universities and colleges have created bottle-free zones.

“It’s a way to say our water is good, our water is safe and our water is paid for,’” McConnell said.”

Goose Poo Problem

contact — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:13:15 +0000

From upi:

“Dogs are now banned from Toronto’s Lake Ontario beaches but there remains a persistent problem of some 3,000 Canada geese defecating every few minutes.

Carol Guy of the City of Toronto’s Waterfowl Management Program said the recent ban of dogs is a small step toward reducing E. coli contamination along some 30 miles of the lakefront but the stubborn goose population that doesn’t migrate south for the winter is still a headache, the Toronto Sun reported.

“Each bird defecates every 6 minutes and that is approximately … 1 pound of goose poo every day,” Guy said. “You multiply that by 3,000 and it’s a considerable impact.”

The city has a program in which workers coat goose eggs with mineral oil to prevent them from hatching but Environment Canada waterfowl biologist Jack Hughes said it’s a losing battle.

“They’re definitely increasing,” he told the Sun. “We’ve estimated presently that they’re increasing at about 8 percent per year.”

Some 1,300 geese were captured, caged and relocated by trucks from city parks last year, and the city also pays a woman with four trained dogs to herd the flocks away from beaches, the report said.”

Network Neutrality in Canada

contact — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:21:56 +0000

From arstechnica:

“Canada’s telecoms regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is in the midst of a network neutrality proceeding, and the responses that rolled in this week were vociferous. Several ISPs and music groups objected to any such rules, arguing that they might stop ISPs from implementing all sorts of wonderful policies such as P2P upload throttling, website blocking, and graduated response rules.

One of the more interesting responses came from an ISP called Videotron, which told the CRTC that controlling access to content “peut être bénéfique non seulement pour les utilisateurs de services Internet mais pour la société en général”—that is, “could be beneficial not only to users of Internet services but to society in general.”

Louis Vuitton Graffiti

contact — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:11:46 +0000

This is from viewonfashion:

The Louis Vuitton ad campaign for the Stephen Sprouse collection is really amazing, and it´s a great branding tool too. All around the world, LV shops are using graffiti to promote this long-awaited collection which is already a big sales hit.

To promote the launch of the Louis Vuitton book that pays tribute to Stephen Sprouse, they´ve got legendary graffiti artist Skam to paint an LV mural in Toronto.

Edgar Wright in Toronto

contact — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:03:12 +0000

From twitch:

“Rejoice, Toronto film fans! Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright has taken up residence here in our fair city and is soon to be taking over the Bloor Cinema with a series of hosted screenings. What’s he bringing? Well, on Saturday, February 28th Wright will be hosting a night of his own work, screening a double bill of Shaun and Fuzz along with an uncut version of his Grindhouse trailer Don’t. The only thing missing is A Fistful Of Fingers, don’t hold out on us Edgar! How to follow that up? Well, the very next day Wright will be presenting – both on 35 mm – a double bill of Shaolin Soccer and legendary gore-fu flick The Story of Ricky! Pig entrails on the big screen! Hurray! As for the rest of the series, there’s still a slot or two to be filled, but here’s the list as it currently stands:

Mar. 8th: 7pm The Wanderers / 9:30pm – The Warriors
Mar. 14th: 9:45pm – Head
Mar. 15th: 7pm Dames / 9pm – Phantom of the Paradise TBC
Mar. 22nd: 5pm – Spaced Marathon TBC
April. 5th: 7pm Five Fingers Of Death TBC/ 9:30pm Drunken Master 2
April 12th: 7pm The Brood / 9pm Last Night “

Best Poutine in Toronto?

contact — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:17:39 +0000

Head over to nothincrazie.com to find out. Here’s an excerpt:

“There’s a new fast food eatery in town! Their name is Smoke’s Poutinerie and poutines are the only thing you will find there. The poutine lovers (me, crazyDiva, and tooVee) drove all the way downtown to check it out. We had high expectations for their poutine since it was the only dish they specialized in. After spending 10 minutes hunting down a parking spot, we hopped out of the car with big smiles on our faces, excited for the worst combination of grease you can ask for.

Strategically placed in the heart of the entertainment district (218 Adeladie Street W.), they are open until 4:00 am for drunks to get fat on after their night of…”

Continue reading

Teen was Stabbed but Goes to his Job Interview

contact — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 09:50:45 +0000

From wellandtribune:

Toronto – “A 16-year-old Toronto student showed some real grit Wednesday and really impressed some potential employers, says The Canadian Press.

Despite being stabbed in the leg he showed up for a job interview instead of going to the hospital.

He another 16-year-old old were stabbed near a high school, sending the collegiate into lockdown and heavily armed police swarming through the area.

But staff at a veterinary clinic said the student showed up on time for his 1 p.m. co-op placement interview.

But when employees noticed blood on his leg, they called police.

He and the other student were finally taken to hospital.

“He did really well on the interview and we were very proud of him for sticking to the appointment,” said veterinarian Kent Ackerman, adding he was “shocked” the teen would do so.

Police were looking for two or three suspects seen running north out of the area.

Initial reports of a gun being seen prompted Emergency Task Force teams to search the collegiate.”

[via]

Happy Holidays!

contact — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:01:25 +0000

Igloo in TO

contact — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:02:55 +0000

via Neatorama

DVDs: The National Ballet of Canada

contact — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:26:26 +0000

This feature-length documentary goes behind the scenes at The National Ballet of Canada to witness the seemingly magical process of creating a major ballet production. MAKING BALLET captures the drama within a drama – the making of “The Actress.” Set to Chopin’s Preludes, this ballet was created by world famous choreographer James Kudelka for prima ballarina Karen Kain. MAKING BALLET will delight film buffs as well as beginners and aficionados of the art form. 88 minutes. Bonus DVD features include a Karen Kain biography, filmmaker Anthony Azzopardi biography, stage director James Kudelka biography and “About the Ballet, ‘The Actress’.”

If you are interested in what goes on behind the scenes of creating a ballet you will be thrilled to get this DVD. You will see that the people involved have so much fun when they are making a new ballet. Karen admits that her life was not as dramatic or sexy or funny every day as it is in this piece, but still, it’s based on a lot of true things about my world and about what I experienced and have experienced. So to create this character she was half inspired by real life and half inspired by her own imagination. She was 43 years old when she did this film and was still very beautiful. She still is today, for that matter.

Get more information

Gift from Canada: Coffee!

contact — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:27:25 +0000

Looking for a perfect Gift from Canada? How about a original 39 oz freshly sealed coffee for a low price! You get a large 1.1 kg tin can of fine grind coffee enough to make a month supply of coffee. Coffee comes directly from Tim Horton’s Warehouse. Tim Hortons Coffee! You’ve heard about the fantastic taste of Tim Hortons brand coffe – affectionately known as “Timmy’s”. Millions of cups of fresh brew are sold across Canada and in some US states on a daily basis. Most people say it’s better than Starbucks! It’s as fresh as can be! Each can contains 39 oz or 1.2 kilograms of Canada’s best fine ground coffee, made from 100% Arabica Beans and NO preservatives. For use in automatic filter drip coffee makers. BRAND NEW & HERMTICALLY SEALED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS!! Each of these tins will brew approximately 24 full pots of coffee, or many more pots if you making smaller batches for 1-2 people. My wife drinks this brand EVERY morning with her breakfast. She just loves it. A fresh can of Famous Canadian Tim Hortons fine grind coffee. It is the huge 39oz = 1.1KG Giant Size = 2 pounds plus.

Get some coffee that’s better than Starbucks

Frommer’s Toronto 2009

contact — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:03:14 +0000

Pre-order Frommer’s Toronto 2009 and get a price guarantee before the price goes up.

Order now and if the Amazon.com price decreases between your order time and the end of the day of the release date, you’ll receive the lowest price.

That is a deal, isn’t it?

Order Frommer’s Toronto 2009 now

Obese People Win Right to Two Seats in Planes

contact — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:16:44 +0000

From cheapflights:

“A Canadian court has ruled that obese people have the right to two seats on airlines.

The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by WestJet (Web site: www.westjet.com) and Air Canada on a decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency that people who are obese deserve to have two seats for one fare.

Currently, the policy exists on other types of public transportation such as buses, ferries and trains.

The policy for airlines will come into effect in January 2009.”

A City Renewal Project

contact — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:47:47 +0000

From jaunted:

“Canadian street artists Fauxreel and Specter have renovated an old warehouse into a dilapidated fake urban wonderland.

Called “A City Renewal Project,” it’s a secret world hidden behind a fake storefront in Toronto. Inside the seedy store is what looks like the workspace of an artist, filled with wood, construction materials and lots of Bell telephones. A back door will transport you into a long warehouse space that looks like an indoor facsimile of a real city street. Life-size black and white reproductions of closed and derelict stores line the walls of the warehouse. Further adding to the reality of the installation are real bus shelters, billboards, garbage cans–and real garbage. And of course, everything is covered in graffiti and tags.

The artists fear that the practice of tearing down old buildings and putting up brand-new condos is destroying their city’s cultural history. Even the building the show is housed in is scheduled to be knocked down to make way for new apartments. A City Renewal Project is up until November 23, at inconsistent hours, so check the website for details. “ [source]

For Photographers in TO

contact — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:50:33 +0000

From David Brown:

Looking for space to exhibit during the CONTACT 09 Photography Festival? SHOW AND SELL YOUR WORK AT THE GLADSTONE!

The Gladstone Hotel in collaboration with Toronto’s SpeakEasy Event will once again produce a group exhibition entitled EXPOSED for the CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival, which takes place in May 2009.

EXPOSED: Innovation, Transformation, Revolution will showcase the work of contemporary photographers (both established and emerging). In keeping with CONTACT 2009’s thematic focus; STILL REVOLUTION, EXPOSED will showcase photographic works ranging “from reportage to abstraction, documented fact to constructed fiction exploring photography through its many complex and ever evolving manifestations.” The exhibition will be co-produced by the Gladstone Hotel and SpeakEasy and curated by Chris Mitchell and David Brown.

The Gladstone Hotel is renting second floor exhibition rooms and gallery space to individuals or groups of photographers interested in participating in this Marque event. We invite innovative, cutting-edge photographers to submit expressions of interest.

Dates & Details:

Show Date: Thursday May 7 – Sunday May 31, 2009

Gallery Hours: 12pm-5pm Daily

Opening Reception: May 7, 2009 7pm-10pm

Installation Dates: May 6 and 7

Submission Deadline: Sunday Nov 16, 2008

Signed Contract and Deposit: Due Dec 1, 2008

Submission Fee: Free

Show Location: Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West Toronto, ON 416-531-4635 www.gladstonehotel.com

Participation Fees & Display Opportunities:
Option #1: EXHIBITION ROOM $1200.00* (Tax Incl)/room
- 1 of 9 Exhibition Rooms which open on to the hotel’s main gallery space.
- includes full month exhibition space rental and CONTACT registration
– No commission on sales.
- Photographers may collaborate to share space and rental costs.

Option #2: ASSIGNED WALL SPACE in Main Reception Gallery $200* + GST/space
- 1 of 12 Assigned Wall Spaces to accommodate individual works or groupings of small pieces.

Why should you participate?

* EXPOSED will be a registered CONTACT Festival exhibition listed in the CONTACT 2009 guide and website

* The Gladstone has become a destination venue for CONTACT visitors, drawing significant crowds for the past 4 years. The hotel will host several CONTACT registered exhibitions during the month long festival.

* Exhibition and individual participants will be promoted in Gladstone Bag e-newsletter and Gladstone website Event Listings as well as featured on Gladstone Hotel website Exhibition Page and Gladstone Exhibition Press Release

* Showcase your work in the bright, beautiful spaces and newly restored Victorian grandeur of the Gladstone
* Gallery hours 7 days a week

The Gladstone is committed to providing participants with a rewarding and fulfilling experience including:

FOCUS – on established and emerging artists with a range of aesthetic sensibilities.

EXCLUSIVITY – In the unique exhibition setting of our historic hotel, the physical size, focus, and mandate of the exhibition will provide the opportunity for every participant to shine.

EXPOSURE – The Gladstone and SpeakEasy Events have successful track records of drawing attendees to exhibitions including Toronto and international press, local and international arts industry professionals, curators, gallery owners, collectors, patrons, and the general public.

CONNECTIONS – The Gladstone and SpeakEasy Events focus on creating networking opportunities for artists with various press and industry professionals as a primary exhibition objective. This focus is seen as a hallmark of success by many past exhibition participants.

These connections are enhanced by advance marketing that includes press releases, personal invitations, and an Opening Evening Reception hosted by the hotel.

ACCESSIBILITY – Participation costs for exhibitors are minimal compared to more commercial events. The Hotel takes no commissions on sales.

Interested in showing your work?

Submitting work for consideration is easy. Show us what you got, and what you want to do.

Email us samples of your work (max. 5 digital files), along with a short bio and a description of the work you will be presenting. Do not send originals!

Please include the following with your submission:

Name or Name of group

Contact information (phone, email)

Website

Email submissions to:

David Brown, david@blttogo.com and Chris Mitchell, chrism@gladstonehotel.com

*Participation Fees are only paid if your work is selected to be part of the show. A 50% deposit is due with signed contract on Dec 1, 2008 Balance of participation fees are due April 1, 2009

Toronto After Dark Film Festival

contact — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:27:08 +0000

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival is ON. Find out about the screenings, where to buy tickets and more here.

Canada will ban unsolicited incoming text message fees

contact — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:48:16 +0000

From electronista:

“Two of Canada’s biggest telephone companies, Bell Canada Enterprises and Telus Corp., have began charging their customers for incoming unsolicited text messages on their cellphones, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is passing legislation to end what he calls an unfair practice, says a Thursday report. Harper would allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to block unfair charges and the telecommunications act would be amended to include a code of conduct for wireless services.

A spokesman from the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association says a ban on unsolicited commercial text messages, or spam texts, is unnecessary, as cell-phone spam in Canada is virtually non-existent. Bell charges anywhere from 10 cents to a dollar for incoming texts, depending on which company sends it, but will cancel the fees at a customer’s strong request, provided the incoming message are clearly identifiable as unsolicited.

At the same time, Harper says loosening ownership restrictions in Canada’s telecommunications industry is not a wise move at the current economically tough times. A government-appointed competition panel in June suggested the industry should be opened up to foreign investors, but Harper believes opening up the market would hurt Canada’s economy, though he admits it would encourage competition.

Harper is under pressure from opposing parties to address such consumer issues, which also extend to other industries.” [source]

Upcoming Apple Related Seminars in Toronto

contact — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:07:35 +0000

September 22 – Introduction to Mobile Me – Learn about Apple’s new Mobile Me service and what it can do for you in this fun demonstration. Location: Computer Systems Centre Store, Main Floor, 275 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1S2 – more info

September 22 – Affordable power for the busiest printing environment – Learn about what Xerox printers can do in your Mac or mixed enviroment office. Location: Computer Systems Centre Store, Main Floor, 275 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1S2 – more info

September 23 – Introduction to the Wacom Tablet Family on the Mac – Come in and learn about important differences between the various models of Wacom tablets available for your Mac. Location: Computer Systems Centre Store, Main Floor, 275 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1S2 – more info

September 23 – Colour Calibration for Mac Graphic Artists – Learn how to calibrate your display for accurate colour reproduction. Location: Computer Systems Centre Store, Main Floor, 275 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1S2 – more info

September 24 – Your Media On Your TV – Learn about how to enjoy your multimedia content in your living room! We’ll discuss the Apple TV and how it can bring you into the digital age. Location: Computer Systems Centre Store, Main Floor, 275 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1S2 – more info

September 24 – Intro to Music Production and Recording on a Mac – Learn how to set up your very own digital audio workstation as we run through the basics of recording and producing music with a Macintosh. Location: BeamEcho formerly, CPUsed, Sales Floor, 26a Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1J5 – more info

September 24 – Introduction to Logic Express – for those curious about audio recording on the Mac and is ready for a step up from Garage Band. Location: Computer Systems Centre Store, Main Floor, 275 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1S2 – more info

September 25 – iPod + iTunes Workshop – for anyone interested in learning how to convert existing audio and video into high quality iTunes and iPod experiences. Location: BeamEcho formerly, CPUsed, Sales Floor, 26a Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1J5 – more info

September 25 – Managing Your Money on Your Mac With Money Works – for people wanting to learn to use their Mac to help them manage their finances. Location: Computer Systems Centre Store, Main Floor, 275 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1S2 – more info

Bankrupt: Zoom Airlines

contact — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:10:35 +0000

From gadling:

“The only thing worse than seeing an airline go out of business, is watching it unfold while you are at the airport waiting to get on one of their flights. That is the unfortunate situation many passengers of Canadian airline Zoom found themselves in yesterday.

Zoom took off in May 2002 and was founded by 2 brothers who wanted to introduce low cost international travel to Canada with a fleet of 5 Boeing aircraft. The airline flew various routes from Canada to the United States, The UK, France and Italy.

One of the Boeing 757’s leased by Zoom was stranded in Glasgow and impounded when Zoom failed to pay the required air traffic control fee. Another 213 passengers were stuck in Halifax while volunteers attempted to find alternative ways to help them get to their final destination of Ottawa. Zoom naturally blames the loss of their airline on rising fuel costs and a general ecomonic downturn. They are they the 36th airline in the world to close this year according to a list posted on Wikipedia.

Sadly there really are no good tips on what to do when you are stuck at an airport after your airline goes bankrupt. All I can suggest is that you have the phone numbers for other airlines and hotel chains programmed in your phone, the quicker you get in touch with them for an alternative flight, or for a room where you can spend the night, the greater your chances are of getting home before anyone else. It is in times like this that you’ll also learn to appreciate the importance of paying for your tickets by credit card, which might help you get your money back. Don’t depend on the airline to provide you with information when things go sour, most of their staff will be the first to leave the building once they hear their employer is going under.”

Toronto Dark Film Festival Announced!

contact — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:31:13 +0000

From twitch:

“Oh you lucky, lucky people. The first wave of titles for this year’s edition of the Toronto After Dark Festival was announced today and you are in for a treat this year! Festival director Adam Lopez and his team, including our lord and master Todd, have put together another fine selection of films for your viewing pleasure and horror and wonder. These titles will already be familiar to Twitch viewers and if you haven’t had the chance to catch yet you can do so in October.

In its first wave of film titles revealed for 2008, Toronto After Dark Film Festival is proud to announce a selection of eight outstanding new horror, sci-fi, action and cult feature films that will have their Toronto Theatrical Premieres at the festival this October 17-24. The initial lineup includes a number of critically acclaimed and award-winning films from around the world including the much-anticipated new sci-fi horror musical REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA, Sundance selection revenge thriller RED based on Jack Ketchum’s novel, cult horror action movie TOKYO GORE POLICE, celebrated vampire feature LET THE RIGHT ONE IN which won Best Picture at the Tribeca Film Festival, and Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton’s dark and twisted modern fairytale, IDIOTS & ANGELS.

For more information on the complete lineup of films at this year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival, to watch trailers, or to buy advance festival passes which are now on sale, visit the festival website.

All eight title descriptions. We’ll see you in the dark!

REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
“An audacious cinematic experience” – Fangoria
Darren Bousman, USA, Toronto Premiere
Beware the deadly repo man in the most highly anticipated cult film of the year, blending gothic horror, futuristic sci-fi, and rock opera! Starring genre icons Anthony Head (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), Bill Mosely (DEVIL’S REJECTS), Alexa Vega (SPY KIDS) and Paul Sorvino (GOODFELLAS).
Winner, Most Groundbreaking Film – Fantasia Film Festival.

RED
“What makes this movie worth seeing is the acting, which is superb throughout.” – New York Post
Trygve Diesen & Lucky McKee, USA, Toronto Premiere
Brian Cox (BOURNE SUPREMACY) delivers a standout performance as a wronged man out for revenge in this thriller based on the celebrated Jack Ketchum novel. Co-starring cult icons Robert Englund (NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST), Amanda Plummer (PULP FICTION), Richard Riehle (OFFICE SPACE) and Tom Sizemore (HEAT).
Official Selection – Sundance Film Festival 2008.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
“Remarkably moving…immediately takes its place among the classics of the vampire genre.” – Fangoria
Tomas Alfredson, Sweden, Toronto Premiere
Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire feasting on his neighbours. Based on the Best Selling Book from Sweden, this multiple award-winning film is a unique blend of drama, suspense, vampirism, and a love story, all set against the atmospheric backdrop of a snow-filled winter.
Winner, Best Picture – Tribeca Film Festival.

IDIOTS & ANGELS
“A darkly humorous approach to the classic struggle between good and evil” – Time Out
Bill Plympton, USA, Toronto Premiere
In this twisted animated fairy tale, with a David Lynchian flavour, a morally despicable man discovers angel wings growing out of his back. After our anti-hero uses his new found power of flight for dastardly deeds the wings seem to develop a life of their own. Affecting every aspect of his daily life, a dark, disturbing and frequently hilarious war between man and wings ensues. From the warped mind of celebrated animator and Double Oscar Nominee Bill Plympton, featuring a soundtrack by Tom Waits.
Winner, Best Animation – Fantasia Film Festival.

TOKYO GORE POLICE
“Over-the-top action, insane visual effects…the film throws everything at the screen” – Twitch
Yoshihiro Nishimura, Japan, Toronto Premiere
Samurai sword-wielding cops patrol the streets of a futuristic Tokyo facing an onslaught of bizarrely deformed mutants, in this ultra-violent sci-fi horror film that has drawn favourable comparisons to Paul Verhoeven’s ROBOCOP. From the producers who brought you the cult smash hit THE MACHINE GIRL. Co-starring Japanese cult icon Tak Sakaguchi (VERSUS, DEATH TRANCE, SHINOBI).
Winner, Best Asian Film – Fantasia Film Festival

MIRAGEMAN
“One of my favourite Superhero movies of all time…with full speed, full contact action” – Harry Knowles, Ain’t It Cool News
Ernesto Espinoza, Chile, Toronto Premiere
A nightclub security guard maintains a secret life as an everyday superhero in this action-packed crowd-pleaser featuring breathtaking stuntwork shot in a uniquely realistic style. Starring Chilean Martial Arts superstar Mark Zaror, also known as The Rock’s stunt double in THE RUNDOWN.
Winner, Audience Award, Best Film – Austin Fantastic Fest.

TRAILER PARK OF TERROR
“Destined to acquire cult classic status amongst horror fans” – Horror-Movies.Ca
Steven Goldmann, USA, Toronto Premiere
In this wickedly fun undead riff on the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, six high school students and their teacher find themselves facing the ultimate nightmare when their bus breaks down near an abandoned trailer park. Little do they know they’ve disturbed a group of reanimated corpses who come out for their blood. Based on the acclaimed Imperium Comics Series, Trailer Park of Terror, features some of the most original and outlandish kills ever set to screen with eye-popping special makeup effects by Academy Award Winning Drac Studios (BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA).
Official Selection – Slamdance Film Festival.

WHO IS KK DOWNEY?
“A cult, quirky breakout…absolutely hysterical” – Variety
Darren Curtis and Pat Kiely, Canada, Toronto Premiere
In this mutliple festival award-winning new comedy in the vein of cult classics WITHNAIL AND I and SPINAL TAP, bickering failed musicians Theo and Terrence try to win fame and fortune by pulling the biggest con of their lives. They publish a biography about KK DOWNEY, a bizarre cult figure with an amazing life-story, but who doesn’t actually exist. When their book, entitled TRUCK STOP HUSTLER, becomes a surprise best-seller, the duo find themselves having to impersonate the drug-addled KK at numerous VIP functions with dark and hilarious consquences.
Winner, Best Picture – Boston Underground Film Festival”

Rent a Mini Cooper or Smart Car for $1 a Day

contact — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:49:34 +0000

Yes, there’s a catch but what the heck. It’s a DOLLAR a day, for God’s sake.

From cityflitz:

“CityFlitz, a Toronto-based marketing company that provides advertisers with a fleet of MINI Coopers, MINI Cooper Clubmans and Smart cars that are wrapped with attention-grabbing graphics and logos that act as mobile billboards, launched their auto-sharing service in the GTA today.

For just $1 a day, members of CityFlitz will have access to its fleet of cars, wrapped in an advertisement from one of its clients, Yahoo! Canada.

“Using the CityFlitz fleet of wrapped MINI Coopers for our latest campaign was a viable and effective channel to reach our target audience in a way that is measurable,” said David Soyka, Yahoo! Marketing Manager. “Having the cars on the road 24/7 gives us the opportunity to offer a unique consumer experience and reach a broader audience in a more cost effective and creative way.”

Unlike other auto-sharing companies, high mileage is not an issue for CityFlitz. In order to access the $1/day CityFlitz cars, members are required to drive the vehicle at least 30 kilometres each day, with unlimited mileage within the city after that.

“The reason why our rental fee can be so low is the fact that our advertisers want to have their branded cars on the road so they can achieve maximum exposure to their target audience,” said Andreas Kotal, President and CEO of CityFlitz. “We are able to offer this exceptional value of $1/day rentals to consumers as part of the agreement to maximize exposure of a client’s branding.”

CityFlitz vehicles are also accessorized with the latest technological gadgets for use by the renter and the advertiser. At no extra cost to the renter, each vehicle comes with access to Wi-Fi High Speed Internet that make experiencing a CityFlitz vehicle more enjoyable. For the advertiser, each car is equipped with a GPS tracking system which enables them to have access to real time information about the use of the car, giving them measurable results for their marketing purposes.

Renters will be able to use the vehicles within the GTA. Once consumers have registered with CityFlitz, they will be able to use the vehicles for up to one week at a time.

CityFlitz plans to expand their auto-sharing service to include Vancouver in the near future. Drivers interested in becoming a member of CityFlitz can sign up at www.cityflitz.com. “

The Guy Who Stole Your (and Everyone Else’s) Bike in Toronto

contact — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:11:29 +0000

From nyt:

“What exactly was he planning to do with 2,865 bicycles?

“The police are baffled by what Igor Kenk planned to do with such a surplus of bikes.

That is just one of many questions the police and others have been puzzling over since the arrest last month of Igor Kenk, the owner of a used-bike shop here.

Mr. Kenk’s legacy now fills a former police garage with a leaky roof. Organized by brand name and mostly resting on their handlebars, wheels pointed upward, are 2,396 of the bicycles that police say Mr. Kenk either stole or arranged to have stolen.

The jumbled collection of bicycles suggests that Mr. Kenk is the unofficial world champion of bicycle thieves. But as he awaits trial next month on 58 charges related to theft and drug possession, the biggest mysteries of all are Mr. Kenk’s motives and his ultimate plan for the armada of steel, rubber and aluminum he amassed.

“He’s easily the most hated man in Toronto,” said Alex Jansen, a filmmaker who has been working on a documentary about Mr. Kenk for more than a year as part of a study of his rundown neighborhood’s transition to hipsterdom. “But I just found that it’s not as black and white as I originally thought.”

Mr. Kenk was something of an informal social worker, Mr. Jansen explained, giving work to street people and outpatients from a nearby mental health institution. Of course, the police say some of that work involved stealing bicycles.

The arrest has provoked an outpouring of anger and publicity in a city renowned as one of the most bicycle-friendly places in the world. About 15,000 hopeful cyclists, some teary-eyed, have scoured the Kenk collection in search of their missing bicycles. But only 469 bicycles had been returned as of Thursday morning, when 17 more days of public viewings began.

The public reaction “was staggering,” said Ruth White, the superintendent of 14 Division, the police unit that made the arrest. “I’ve never seen anything like it in 30 years.”

Oddly enough, the police and many bicyclists were aware that Mr. Kenk’s little shop, the Bicycle Clinic, appeared to be a black hole that consumed stolen bicycles. Bike theft victims regularly discovered their missing bicycles there, and were often able to recover them, either through vigorous argument or a payment of $30 or $40.

While he had been arrested once before, Mr. Kenk was acquitted because prosecutors could not prove that he knew that the bicycles in his possession had been stolen. After that, the police lost interest in pursuing him, and many in the neighborhood came to tolerate or avoid him and his shop.

“It had become the culture in his neighborhood to visit Igor to get your bike; people accepted it,” Ms. White said.

The only reason Mr. Kenk was arrested was that bicycle thefts rose sharply in June, prompting 14 Division to start a general effort to trap the thieves by planting bicycles on the streets and waiting to see who took them.

As plainclothes officers watched on the afternoon of July 16, Mr. Kenk and another man passed the bait with no display of interest. But Mr. Kenk soon directed his companion, who has a history of mental illness, to cut the locks on two other bicycles — not ones planted by the police — and they then rode off on them.

“It was God’s way of saying, ‘It’s time to put a stop to this,’ ” said Inspector Bryce Evans of 14 Division.

When the police subsequently raided the Bicycle Clinic, the Fire Department at first blocked them from entering for safety reasons. The building was so crammed with bicycles and bike parts that a Fire Department rescue squad had to remove the upper-floor windows and lower the bicycles by rope.

That was just the beginning. An additional 200 bikes were seized in Mr. Kenk’s home. Ten landlords around the city reported that their garages had been rented by Mr. Kenk and were bulging with bicycles. As the police gathered the mounds of bikes, they also found cocaine, crack cocaine, about 15 pounds of marijuana and a stolen bronze sculpture of a centaur and a snake in battle.

Ms. White is among those baffled by it all, though she noted, “He made a lot of money off it, judging by where he was living.” While his shop was a shambles, Mr. Kenk shared a rented house in Yorkville, a fashionable and expensive neighborhood, with his partner, Jeanie Chung.

An accomplished pianist, Ms. Chung, who also faces charges for drugs and possession of stolen goods, turned herself in after returning from two performances in Banff, Alberta. (Ms. Chung’s lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.)

Since Mr. Kenk’s arrest, theories about his hoarding have proliferated. Because Mr. Kenk held a scrap metal dealer’s license, Inspector Evans speculates that he was playing the commodities markets, waiting for another spike in metals prices before melting down the bicycles.

In the past, Mr. Kenk has said that he was accumulating bicycles in preparation for a severe oil shortage. But in a somewhat disjointed interview in July for a radio documentary, portions of which were published by The Globe and Mail, a Toronto daily newspaper, Mr. Kenk portrayed himself as a crusader against theft and a protector of cast-off bicycles.

Mr. Kenk holds a passport from Slovenia and has claimed he was a police officer and a former K.G.B. agent. He has shed little light since his arrest. After one court session, he told reporters, “I’m a dead man.”

In a brief interview, Mr. Kenk’s lawyer, Lon G. Rose, declined to elaborate or offer any information about Mr. Kenk’s past, before saying: “The public reaction is a bit extreme and knee jerk.”

Mr. Jansen, the filmmaker, and others found Mr. Kenk to be a charismatic, if sometimes misguided, neighborhood philosopher. Mr. Jansen, who lives near the shop, said Mr. Kenk was a link to an era before street signs in the once-rundown area declared it to be the Art and Design District.

“You just get pulled completely in when you start talking to him,” Mr. Jansen said. “With the changing neighborhood, I knew that it would culminate in Igor being pushed out. I’m just shocked at the number of bikes and storage facilities, and the quantity of drugs is just ridiculous.”

There is no discernible pattern to the bicycles in the Kenk collection, which includes several children’s bicycle trailers and at least one toddler-size tricycle. But not everything is old, incomplete or damaged. Along two walls of the garage are dozens of packing cases filled with a product that is either appropriate or preposterous, given the circumstances: new bicycle locks.”

New Porn Channel in Canada

contact — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:35:44 +0000

From reuters:

“Canadians who may have become tired of being passed over as porn stars will have a new, home-grown outlet to showcase their erotic talents.

Federal regulators have granted Alberta-based Real Productions approval to launch a new digital pornography channel, which promises to serve up at least 50 percent domestic content.

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved the Category 2 pay-television service on Wednesday, allowing Northern Peaks to become “Canada’s first adult video channel offering significant Canadian adult content.”

“I think as Canadians there is a bit of a tiredness in seeing all American stuff,” Shaun Donnelly, president of Real Productions, said during an interview on Friday.

“There is always that thrill for something that is local and you get the sense that these are people you can meet at the supermarket.”

The CRTC only required 15 percent Canadian content, but Northern Peaks agreed to provide “not less than 50 percent of the broadcast day and not less than 50 percent of the evening broadcast period to Canadian programming,” according to the license.

“We want to be Canada’s adult channel and I think to do that, 15 percent wouldn’t cut it,” Donnelly said.

Real Productions boasts the largest collection of Canadian adult-themed content in the country with more than 200 film titles and 75 television episodes in its library.

The regulator stipulated the license will only be issued once Real Productions enters into an agreement with at least one licensed distributor.

Donnelly, who has also produced television programs for Playboy TV in the U.S. and Granada Television in Britain, said all five major Canadian cable and satellite carriers have expressed interest in hosting the channel and are reviewing the proposal.

“I’ve been in touch with the cable companies throughout the process and went ahead with it based on the interest we had,” he said

Northern Peaks will be restricted to certain types of programming including long-form documentaries, dramatic series, feature films, game shows, mini-series, sitcoms and made-for-TV movies.

The CRTC received no interventions in connection with the application, which was initially launched in October 2007.”

University of Toronto and IBM are Launching a Supercomputer

contact — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:03:54 +0000

From reuters:

“The University of Toronto and IBM Corp (IBM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) are building Canada’s most powerful supercomputer, a mammoth machine that will need its own building for storage and will be capable of performing 360 trillion calculations per second.

It’s expected the system will be among the top 20 fastest supercomputers in the world and the largest outside the United States. It will be able to store data equivalent to that held by one million regular DVDs.

The entire budget of the project, which includes construction and operating costs, is just under C$50 million ($47 million) over five years.

Its power is roughly equivalent to “30,000 to 40,000 home computers linked together,” said Chris Pratt, strategic initiatives executive at IBM Canada.

“The kind of interconnect between parts of the system will allow the equivalent of two full-length feature DVD movies to be moved around in the space of a second,” he said.

It will be a big boost to scientists at the University of Toronto and its associated research hospitals, as it will help tackle projects in an array of areas from aerospace and astrophysics to climate change prediction and medical imaging.

Among the research, the system will be used to explore the modern scientific mystery of why matter has mass and what constitutes the mass of the universe.

Funding is being provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, in partnership with the province of Ontario and the university.

Building the supercomputer will involve the largest implementation of IBM’s iDataPlex system, which holds twice as many processors per unit as standard systems and is entirely water-cooled. More than 4,000 servers will be linked together.

“Every aspect of the system has been put together to be the most powerful and yet the most energy-efficient,” Pratt said.

A data center will be built just north of Toronto. Installation will begin in the autumn and it’s expected the supercomputer will be fully operational by next summer.”

Public Transportation

contact — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:46:48 +0000

Public Transportation in Toronto is one of the world class leaders in affordability and comfort. When traveling here on business or leisure, it makes the most sense to take the GO Trains or buses or ferries. Once within the metro area you will be impressed by the efficient combination of subway, bus, and streetcar to get you where you want to go. Need information on maps, routes and generally how to get from point A to point B? The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) routes are online, and you can also feel free to telephone them for further information. From traveling to and from the airport, to downloading and printing schedules and map routes, all you need to do is go online to the TTC website.

Check it out here

Tips, Tools, Rebates to Live Green in Toronto

contact — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:07:34 +0000

Check out Live Green Toronto, a one-stop resource for living friendly and green in our favorite Canadian city. There you willl discover literally hundreds of extremely easy ways to contribute to a healthier, lovelier, greener planet. Get inspired. Get motivated. Get a rebate!

Live Green Toronto

Toronto Meetup Groups

contact — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:58:14 +0000

There are literally hundreds of different groups of people meeting up in and around Toronto. These meetups are a great way to meet new friends and people with similar interests as yours. Some examples of groups are: Addicted to Travel (672 members), 20’s to 30’s Friends (554 members), Compassion For Animals’ Animal Rights / Vegetarians (167 members), Competitive and Recreational Volleyball Social Group (226 members), Documentary and Inspiring Films Social Club (684 members), etc. You’ll find a whole spectrum of interests, some very specific, but certainly there’s something for you. From hobbies to professional interests and sportive groups, you are bound to find your little corner of like-minded people.

Look for your meetup group here

Heritage Toronto Walks

contact — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:02:35 +0000

Discover Toronto’s rich and fascinating past by taking a walk. Hey, not only will you get that much needed exercise, you’ll be adding even more knowledge to that noggin of yours.

Today, the walk is through Bâby Point to learn about 10,000 Years of History, but the walk won’t take 10,000 years, rest assured. Explore some of Toronto’s First Nations and French history with this tour of the area named after the estate of James Bâby, an early French settler. Hear about the Seneca village of Teiaiagon, the Carrying Place trail and the first French fort in what is now Toronto. Tours will be offered in English and French. It all begins at 1:30pm today so if you can make it, you won’t regret the last minute plans. The walk will last approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Meet at the southwest corner of Jane St and Bâby Point Rd/Annette St. You will end your walk near Old Mill Subway Station.

July 26 – 1:00pm – 3pm – you’ll find yourself in the footsteps of black Victorians. In the 19th century, Toronto was a centre of antislavery organizations and Black cultural and political activities. Hear about the men and women of the community as we visit some of the sites known to them. Meet at South St. Lawrence Market, 95 Front St E at Jarvis. End at Mackenzie House, 82 Bond St, S of Dundas St.

August through October

AUGUST
Lambton Mills (Aug 9 2008 – 1:30pm)
African-Canadian Women in Early Toronto (Aug 10 2008 – 1:00pm)
Cabbagetown People: Discoveries of Remarkable Lives (Aug 16 2008 – 1:30pm)
The Royal Alexandra Theatre and Its Neighbourhood (Aug 17 2008 – 11:00am)
Faces on Places: Gargoyles and Other Architectural Ornament (Aug 23 2008 – 1:30pm)
Edwards Gardens and Wilket Creek (Aug 24 2008 – 1:30pm)
Colourful Corktown (Aug 24 2008 – 1:30pm)

SEPTEMBER
Spadina: The Story of an Estate & Its Neighbourhood (Sep 6 2008 – 1:30pm)
The Guild Inn Gardens (Sep 7 2008 – 1:30pm)
Weston Side Story – All Around the Town (Sep 13 2008 – 1:00pm)
Yorkville (Sep 14 2008 – 11:00am)
Imagining Toronto’s Past – CANCELLED (Sep 20 2008 – 1:30pm)
Wellington Place Neighbourhood (Sep 21 2008 – 1:30pm)
Historic Moore Park (Sep 27 2008 – 1:30pm)
Fort York: 200 Years of Lakefront Development (Sep 28 2008 – 1:30pm)

OCTOBER
Exhibition Place: Ghostly Secrets Revealed (Oct 3 2008 – 7:00pm)
Swansea: The Country in the City (Oct 4 2008 – 1:30pm)
Thomson Pioneer Settlement (Oct 5 2008 – 1:30pm)

More information about Heritage Toronto Walks

[via]

Canadians Don’t Back Out

contact — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:51:14 +0000

From the globeandmail:

This week, Collected Wisdom is driving to the supermarket in its luxury Globe and Mail company car — a 1978 AMC Gremlin. But do we reverse into that parking space or drive forward into it?

THE QUESTION: Mississauga’s Tom Landre wondered why so many people back their cars into parking spots in parking lots. “More than a few times, I have been walking through a parking lot and been startled by a vehicle that had backed in and was suddenly moving forward toward me. If they had pulled in forward, then I, as a pedestrian, would have two signals for their departure. First the brake lights would come on and then the reversing lights.”

THE ANSWER: Well, we received a huge number of responses on this on. Many thanks to all who wrote in, but unfortunately we have room for only a few of the replies.

“I always try to park so that I can drive forward out of the space rather than backing out,” writes Barbara Pettit of Fergus, Ont. “When backing out, with all the vans, trucks and SUVs on both sides, it’s almost impossible to see if it’s safe to back out. If you drive out, you can see, with much less of your vehicle sticking out into the driving lane, whether something is coming.”

As for pedestrians, she says, although they may not have as much visual information about when a vehicle is about to drive out of a space as they do when one is about to back out, the driver has a much better chance of seeing the pedestrian.

John Reid of Mississauga says driving front-first out of a parking spot is safer for pedestrians because eye contact can be easily made between driver and pedestrian to ensure that both are aware of each other.

David Sword of Willowdale, Ont., adds that backing into parking spaces is far safer than backing out because “you are backing into an empty and known space that is clear of pedestrian and vehicle traffic.”

Peter J. Ogloff of New Westminster, B.C., says it is much easier to back into a tight parking space than to drive forward into it because when you are in reverse, your turning circle centres on the rear wheels, making for a better turn.

Meanwhile, “if Mr. Landre needs signals from a vehicle that it is pulling out of a parking space,” writes Cecil Bush of Toronto, “there should still be the two signals he seeks — one when the running lights come on as the vehicle is put in gear, and the other when the driver uses the turn signals to indicate whether he is turning left or right — although, admittedly, the latter is now seldom done.”

The final word, perhaps for owners of 1978 Gremlins, comes from Duncan Boyce of Toronto: “If your battery dies and you need a boost, it can be very problematic for battery cables to reach your car if the engine is not at the front of the parking spot.”

HELP WANTED

“Now that the football season is well under way,” writes David Bryant of Regina, “I was wondering why, in a country that has been metric for decades, the Canadian game is measured in yards and not metres.” The field being 110 yards long is ready-made for a very tidy conversion to almost exactly 100 metres.

“I was reading a book that mentioned that bell-bottom pants were long associated with the Royal Navy,” says John Manuel of Golden, B.C. He wonders if there was a functional reason for this.

Joggins Fossil Cliffs New Natural Wonder in Canada

contact — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:45:34 +0000

Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Nova Scotia Canada) has been added to the World Heritage List of new Natural Wonders of the World.

These magnificently exposed layers of rock reveal the world’s most complete fossil record of life in the “Coal Age” when lush forests covered Joggins and much of the world’s tropics, 300 million years ago.|

Preserved in situ at Joggins, “Coal Age” trees stand where they grew, the footprints of creatures are frozen where they once walked, the dens of amphibians are preserved with remnants of their last meal, and the earliest reptiles remain entombed within once hollow trees. Nowhere is this record of plant, invertebrate and vertebrate life within now fossilized forests rendered more evocatively.

The fossil record includes species first defined at Joggins, some of which are found nowhere else on earth. It was here that Sir Charles Lyell, with Sir William Dawson, founder of modern geology, discovered tetrapods — amphibians and reptiles — entombed in the upright fossil trees. Later work by Dawson would reveal the first true reptile, Hylonomus lyelli, ancestor of all dinosaurs that would rule the earth 100 million years later. This tiny reptile serves as the reference point where animals finally broke free of the water to live on land. This evolutionary milestone recorded at Joggins remains pivotal to understanding the origins of all vertebrate life on land, including our own species.

With careful observation and interpretation, you may find your own missing piece of time’s puzzle. As you explore the beach at Joggins, remember that every rock holds the possibility of discovery. [source]

Happy Canada Day!

contact — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:06:51 +0000

ok. I’m a day late. Sorry.

From pch.gc.ca:

Background

On June 20, 1868, a proclamation signed by the Governor General, Lord Monck, called upon all Her Majesty’s loving subjects throughout Canada to join in the celebration of the anniversary of the formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada on July 1st.

The July 1 holiday was established by statute in 1879, under the name Dominion Day.

There is no record of organized ceremonies after this first anniversary, except for the 50th anniversary of Confederation in 1917, at which time the new Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, under construction, was dedicated as a memorial to the Fathers of Confederation and to the valour of Canadians fighting in the First World War in Europe.

The next celebration was held in 1927 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation. It was highlighted by the laying of the cornerstone by the Governor General of the Confederation Building on Wellington Street and the inauguration of the Carillon in the Peace Tower.

Since 1958, the government has arranged for an annual observance of Canada’s national day with the Secretary of State of Canada in charge of the coordination. The format provided for a Trooping the Colours ceremony on the lawn of Parliament Hill in the afternoon, a sunset ceremony in the evening followed by a mass band concert and fireworks display.

Another highlight was Canada’s Centennial in 1967 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the celebrations with Parliament Hill again being the backdrop for a large scale official ceremony.

The format changed in 1968 with the addition of multicultural and professional concerts held on Parliament Hill including a nationally televised show. Up until 1975, the focus of the celebrations, under the name “Festival Canada”, was held in the National Capital Region during the whole month of July and involved numerous cultural, artistic and sport activities, as well as municipalities and voluntary organizations. The celebration was cancelled in 1976 but was reactivated in 1977.

A new formula was developed in 1980 whereby the National Committee (the federal government organization charged with planning Canada’s Birthday celebrations) stressed and sponsored the development of local celebrations all across Canada. “Seed money” was distributed to promote popular and amateur activities organized by volunteer groups in hundreds of local communities. The same approach was also followed for the 1981 celebrations with the addition of fireworks displays in 15 major cities across the nation.

On October 27, 1982, July 1st which was known as “Dominion Day” became “Canada Day”.

Since 1985, Canada Day Committees are established in each province and territory to plan, organize and coordinate the Canada Day celebrations locally. Grants are provided by the Department to those committees.

tags: toronto canada canada day

10,000 Canadians petition for iPhone rate relief

contact — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:38:58 +0000

More about it here.

World Premiere in Toronto for the Documentary: UFOs: The Secret History

contact — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:09:27 +0000

The 2-hour feature documentary UFOs: The Secret History, (UFOs and the Politics of Reality), premieres in Canada on History Television, July 15th at 8:00 p.m. EDT with a repeat at 12:00 a.m. midnight EDT.

There will be a public preview screening on July 8th at 7:00 p.m.here:

The Royal Cinema,
608 College St. West
Toronto M6G 1A1
Phone: 416-534-5252

The Royal has recently been renovated and has an High Definition projector so the documentary will be seen on a 40-foot screen.

There’ll be a $6 charge at the door with all proceeds going to the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies.

The doors open at 6:30.

Summer Festivals in Toronto

contact — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:52:00 +0000

While we’re on the subject of summer festivals in Toronto, here are some more coming up:

OLYMPIC ISLAND 2008
Date & details: Olympic Island. $49.50 at Rotate This, Soundscapes, Horseshoe, Ticketmaster. June 7.
Who’s playing: Your favourite sensitive nü-romantic types: Toronto/Montreal Arts & Crafts indie darlings Stars and mopey Yank college rock idols Death Cab For Cutie. The latter are from Seattle, so odds are they write songs in the rain, which explains a lot.
What to bring: A Slip ’n’ Slide, to turn your tears into joy.
What not to bring: A bag to take home cellphone company brochures —?this year’s Olympic Island fest is sponsored by “you: the local music fan.”

HARBOURFRONT CENTRE
Date & details: Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. All summer long. See www.harbourfrontcentre.com for complete details.
Who’s playing: Only top talent from every culture in the world. Everyone from dub originator Lee “Scratch” Perry (June 30) to Afrobeat scion Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 (July 2) to electro-indie veterans Ladytron (July 4) and loads of world music artists whose fame in their own countries guarantees that some portion of the city will throng to the stage.
What to bring: An open mind; in some cases, a translator.
What not to bring: In a staggering number of instances, money — many of these top-drawer concerts are partly paid for by your tax dollars, a fact that can do double-duty as a heckle.

NORTH BY NORTHEAST
Date & details: June 12-15. Check www.nxne.com for info.
Who’s playing: Whoever they can rope into playing in a sweltering club even when it’s already hot outside. Which means upstart post-punkers These New Puritans, D-Block rapper Sheek Louch, southern rockers My Morning Jacket and plenty of bands you’ve never heard of, spread across 50 venues.
What to bring: A backup plan in case your show of choice fills up quick with greasy industry types.
What not to bring: A leather jacket, unless you plan on drowning in your own sweat.

TD CANADA TRUST TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL
Date & details: June 20-29. See www.torontojazz.com for complete schedule.
Who’s playing: Some new faces (indie-hip-hopsters The National Parcs and Grand Analog), some old faces (Al Green, Dr. John), and some very old faces (Dave Brubeck, who at 88 can still handle “Take Five” with its odd 5/4 time better than you, young whippersnapper).
What to bring: Carefully sculpted facial hair; your concentrating-on-jazz face.
What not to bring: Jazz hands; a microwave oven — ack, my pacemaker!

EDGEFEST 2008
Date & details: July 12. Downsview Park, 75 Carl Hall. $80.50 at Ticketmaster.
Who’s playing: The titans of alt.rock radio (Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots, Sam Roberts Band, The Bravery) will try to fill a space so big you could park the Titanic in it and still have room for Scott Weiland’s ego. Almost.
What to bring: Piercings, testosterone, angst.
What not to bring: Black leather shorts. Ouch.

VANS WARPED TOUR
Date & details: July 19. Downsview Park, 75 Carl Hall. $43.25 at Rotate This, Sonic Temple, Ticketmaster.
Who’s playing: Who cares, it’s the best mall-punk show of the year and we finally don’t have to go Barrie to see it. But for reference, Angels And Airwaves, Relient K, The Academy Is…, and more are on the bill.
What to bring: Wallet chain; hair gel; skateboard for getting from one side of the venue to the other.
What not to bring: Your carefully prepared rant about which bands have sold out since last year’s Warped, and/or since 1977.

THE ROGERS PICNIC
Date & details: July 20. 1pm. Historic Fort York, 100 Garrison. $49.50 at Rotate This, Soundscapes, Play De Record, Ticketbreak, Ticketmaster.
Who’s playing: A very trendy bunch — Vampire Weekend, City and Colour, Cat Power, Animal Collective, Dizzee Rascal, Born Ruffians and more. It’s basically an indie fan’s wet dream, if indie fans had wet dreams and weren’t totally asexual and didn’t have genitals made of Nerf.
What to bring: Oh my god, you’re wearing that?
What not to bring: Oh my god, you’re wearing that?

ROCK THE BELLS 2008
Date & details: July 20. Noon. Arrow Hall, 6900 Airport. $75-$175 at Rotate This, Ticketmaster.
Who’s playing: A hip-hop dream team — A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, De La Soul, The Pharcyde and more. Did I say hip-hop? By that I mean, Hip-Hop-Before-Soulja-Boy. You knew that. Nah’mean?
What to bring: A backpack; Haterade to pour on anyone who admits any fondness whatsoever for Akon.
What not to bring: A checklist of acts to see, since based on the last RTB, you shouldn’t count on the entire lineup making it over the border.

V FEST
Date & details: Sep 6-7. Toronto Island. $87; $159 for both days at Ticketmaster, Future Shop.
Who’s playing: All aboard the time machine, we’re going back to 1996! Foo Fighters, Oasis, Paul Weller, Spiritualized… admittedly, a lot of people slept through the NickelCreed era, so pretending it never happened is probably a sound business strategy. For the modern-minded, Wintersleep, Constantines, Robyn and way more round out the otherwise-excellent two-day lineup.
What to bring: 10-year-old copies of the NME to get yourself in the zone.
What not to bring: One of those internets I keep hearing about. I asked Noel Gallagher and he said he’s not sure, but he thinks he already has one.

[source]

Toronto Jazz Festival Starts June 20

contact — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:49:37 +0000

This festival is not to be missed if you’re anywhere in the vicinity of Toronto. Or not. Some highlights feature Al Green, so you must see the Rev (June 19) if you’re tired of being alone, because if anything, he’s still in love with you. Ahmad Jamal will be there (June 23) too! And – A surprising guest, a very old timer in jazz, Dave Brubeck (yeah, he’s still alive!) will be kickin it with y’all (July 2) and taking at least 5 minutes to play his signature tune. If you have no idea who he is, you will surely recognize his tunes, and at 88 years old, he will amaze you.

There will be lots of music and lots of artists and venues so the best thing to do is download a schedule and go from there. Get tickets online at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling 416-870-8000.

For more information: toronto jazz

Canadian Border to Check iPods for Copyright Infringment

contact — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:36:53 +0000

“The federal government is secretly negotiating an agreement to revamp international copyright laws which could make the information on Canadian iPods, laptop computers or other personal electronic devices illegal and greatly increase the difficulty of travelling with such devices.”

Read about it here.

[via]

Uranium is Polluting Lake Ontario

contact — Sat, 24 May 2008 11:04:17 +0000

The producer of Uranium says uranium “might have” leaked into Lake Ontario. We know that really means uranium “definitely without a doubt leaked” into Lake Ontario.

From the nyt:

“OTTAWA — Cameco, the world’s largest uranium producer, has told the Canadian nuclear regulator that its refinery might have leaked uranium, arsenic and fluorides into Lake Ontario.

A section of the Port Hope, Ontario, plant of Cameco, the world’s largest uranium producer.
The plant at Port Hope, Ontario, across the lake from Rochester and down the shore from Toronto, first refined uranium for the Manhattan Project during World War II. It has been temporarily closed since July to remove contaminated soil.

A spokesman for Cameco, Lyle Krahn, said Wednesday that a computer model created for the cleanup, which is several months behind schedule, indicated that the radioactive and toxic materials have been polluting a harbor adjacent to the factory. The harbor leads directly to the lake.

The company notified the regulatory agency, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, about the finding at a meeting last week and now plans drilling tests to confirm the contamination and to measure its extent.

“We’re anticipating that material may have been entering the harbor,” Mr. Krahn said, adding that Cameco did not know how long it would take to confirm any possible pollution.

A spokesman for the agency, Aurèle Gervais, said: “The Port Hope UF6 plant matter has been ongoing for some time and the harbor issue is a recent development,” using the chemical formula for uranium hexafluoride.

In a background paper prepared for the agency’s commissioners last week, its staff concluded that the potential remained for continued water pollution from the plant.

Cameco in general and the aging Port Hope refinery, which transforms mined uranium into forms suitable for electrical power reactors, have long been targets of environmental groups and the regulatory agency.

After a flood last year closed one of the company’s mines, which produces about 10 percent of the world’s uranium, Linda J. Keen, then the head of the regulatory agency, said her commissioners and staff had a “lack of confidence” in Cameco and its management…”

Read the full article

How America Sees Canada: Better!

contact — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:18:48 +0000

From mcleans:

They came from China and England, from India and Mexico — 94 people of every age and race, from 13 countries in all. They arrived this crisp autumn morning at an imposing new office complex in Surrey, B.C., filling neat rows of folding chairs in a second-floor courtroom, Citizenship Judge Shinder Purewal presiding. The judge is a cheerful man in a happy job. He told them about some of his own experiences: the murder of his father when he was an infant, and how he arrived in Canada from India as a 17-year-old because his mother wanted to raise her family in a land of peace and security. Purewal, also a political science professor, told them how difficult it is to move to a country where you don’t speak the language or understand the culture. Give it time, he urged them, and Canada will exceed your expectations. He told them how he built a new life in Canada and earned a Ph.D., and how this country — ranked best in the world, he said — has much to offer them as well. “What makes this country great,” he said, “is your presence.”

They stood and raised their right hands — a little girl with bouncing pigtails and a pink coat, a dignified older man with a flowing white beard and a saffron turban, and all the rest — and they recited the oath of citizenship in halting French. “Now you are 50 per cent Canadian,” joked the judge. Then they recited the pledge again in English. Now you are 100 per cent Canadian, he said. They applauded. Friends took photos. And just before 10 a.m. on Nov. 13, the country gained 94 new citizens, with 94 sets of hopes and dreams and plans.

It was a beautiful thing to see. A visitor to the ceremony couldn’t…”

Read the rest and watch a video

Food Prices to go UP in Canada

contact — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:57:52 +0000

From msn.ca:

“Canada cannot remain immune to the skyrocketing food prices that already affect much of the world and it may be only a matter of months before the impact here has a major impact on the economy, says a new report from Bank of Nova Scotia.

Except for baked goods, Canada been mostly spared the price spikes in basic foods that has roiled the developing world and even caused two major food retailers in the United States to ration some types of rice as a “precaution” against hoarding.

Because most agricultural commodities like grain, fuel and fertilizer are priced in U.S. dollars, the stronger loonie has cushioned Canadians from many of these shocks. Consumers have also benefited from stiff competition among grocery chains.

“But I don’t think Canada can escape the sort of food pass-through that has been going on in the global economy indefinitely,” says Derek Holt, vice-president at Scotia Capital Economics, who wrote the report.

“This is the year it starts to catch up to Canada. We’ve already started to see in some key categories and that will intensify in the summer months.”
Scotiabank’s warning is the latest in several issued recently by Canadian businesses and international agencies.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization reports that global food prices have increased 57 per cent from last year, while the price of rice has doubled.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has forecast the higher prices are likely to last at least two years before moderating slightly.

Holt said that Canadian spending habits could change profoundly once food prices begin rising, along with higher gasoline and heating prices that have already hit Canada.

“It’s a very material risk that people will start seeing themselves having to spend dozens or hundreds of dollars a month more on basic groceries, home heating and gasoline costs,” Holt says.

“You’ve got to do something, so you start to rein in spending on everything else and you postpone plans buy that HD television, or build a backyard deck.”

Several analysts have also forecast that Canada’s holiday from food price shock will not last forever.

But where Holt’s analysis differs from others is that he believes the likely impact will not be higher inflation, but lower prices for everything except food and energy.
Holt argues that sky-high energy and food prices could actually be disinflationary for Canada because consumers will have less to spend on everything else.

“That becomes a very dangerous scenario where you can have some sectors doing very well, food and energy, but other sectors see their pricing power totally evaporate,” Holt said.
While low inflation is generally regarded as a good thing, disinflation could trigger an economic slump because it may result in consumers and businesses holding back on purchases and investments in expectations of lower prices down the road.

“I think rationing in food is a possibility,” he said. “But an even bigger danger is that we go back to the days when we thought price and wage controls were a smart thing, this time applied to a particular sectors.”

One encouraging development is that farmers have begun to switch to cash crops to take advantage of the higher prices, but Holt said it will likely take three to four years before the higher production is felt in the market.”

I Am Elvis

contact — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:35:31 +0000

No, I’m not really the King, but you’ll find a bunch of Elvis impersonators May 1 at the Gladstone Hotel’s Melody Bar. Don’t miss tomorrow’s fun event; there will be 5 Elvis Tribute Artists performing live, the youngest of them is only 12 years old!

I Am Elvis
Gladstone Hotel, Toronto
Thursday, May 1, 2008
7-9:30pm
Melody Bar
Free

Clotheslines are IN again – Yay!

contact — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:44:55 +0000

From the torontosun:

“It’s time to get over any hang ups with clotheslines.

Ontario will outlaw clothesline bans by this summer to encourage citizens to use the environmentally friendly option when doing laundry.

“We want you to feel comfortable, wherever you happen to live in the province of Ontario, to put up a clothesline and to let mother nature, let the wind and the sun, dry your clothing,” Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday.

Homeowners would no longer be subject to municipal bylaws or homebuilder agreements that ban the lines.

Electric clothes dryers account for about 6% of a home’s energy consumption, and cutting use by 25% would save consumers about $30 per year.

Toronto Hydro’s Take A Load Off program is offering citizens a free retractable clothesline and cold water washing detergent.

At the official launch of the program yesterday, Energy Minister Gerry Phillips was wearing a shirt that had been hung out to dry.

“I think it’s safe to say that outdoor clothes-hanging season’s now with us,” Phillips said.”

House in Toronto for Sale – It’s $1

contact — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:27:32 +0000

From cbc:

“Toronto’s resale housing market may be cooling off, but at least one enterprising owner has found a way to get his home noticed.

He put it on the market for $1.

The Canadian Real Estate Association says existing homes sales across the country tumbled 13 per cent for the first three months of the year compared with last year.

The group says much of the slide was tied to lower activity in Toronto during February and March. The city accounts for about a quarter of the country’s sales in major markets.

Toronto saw its residential unit sales drop 13.4 per cent, though new listings were also down by seven per cent.

The $1 listing comes from Omar Ibrahim, who put his two-storey house on the market for less than the cost of a litre of gas.

He told CBC News the listing is “basically to see whether or not we can get an offer and something reasonable, letting the market determine … what the value of this house is.”

The house at 93 Badgerow Ave., a semi in the city’s Riverdale neighbourhood, shows well. It has three bedrooms, new flooring, appliances, fresh paint and a finished basement.

Ibrahim is not trying to give the house away and won’t let it go for the asking price. It’s a marketing strategy.

Tony Bassels, the real estate broker, remembers another house in Willowdale that was listed for $1 in 2004.

“It sold in 16 days for about $960,000 and that was listed for a dollar. And again multiple interest drove the price up to there,” he said.

Ibrahim buys homes, renovates and sells them. He bought 93 Badgerow Ave. in January 2008 for $342,000. He’ll find out Monday night when he opens the offers if his strategy will pay off.”

CN Tower Gets a New Glass Floor Elevator

contact — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:44:33 +0000

From canoe.ca:

“After losing its 32-year status as the tallest freestanding structure on the planet, Toronto’s iconic CN Tower has something new to brag about: the world’s highest glass-floor elevator that offers visitors a thrilling perspective of the city.

Shooting upwards at 22 kilometres per hour, visitors can now watch the ground below them fall away as the elevator soars 346 metres in just 58 seconds.

For those who dare to stand atop one of the elevator’s two narrow glass floor panels – each a little more than five centimetres thick – the trip is perhaps even more harrowing on the way down.

Plunging down the concrete elevator shaft with a view of some of the…”

Full article

Warm and Fuzzy Stories: Toronto Butcher Wins $14M Lotto

contact — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:16:25 +0000

From the star:

“Every time he bought a 6/49 lottery ticket, Jose Lima prayed he’d win the big prize and promised God to share his boa sorte, good fortune.

He’s doing just that.

Canada’s newest millionaire – the 52-year-old father of two who won $14.5 million in the 6/49 draw – is giving each of his 50 employees at O Nosso Talho butcher shop $5,000.

On April 3, the fifth anniversary of his father Joao’s death, his generosity will spread even further when he gives away 22,680 kilograms of chicken legs to thank his customers and help Toronto’s needy.

Gilberto Andre, a 10-year veteran behind the meat counter, was with Lima, who manages the busy shop, when he checked his numbers.

“When I told him he’d won, he hugged me,” said Andre who described Lima as a very caring, kind man.

“For me, he’s a great person who never says no. We’re all very happy for him. And it’s such a good thing that he’s doing, sharing his good luck with us. I don’t know if anyone else would do that.”

Lima admitted he’s still in a state of shock and it’s too early to decide what to do with the money.

“The first thing I will do is to keep my promise to my employees and the people. I’ll decide what to do with the rest of the money later.”

Also at the top of his list is his…”

Read the article

Air Canada Will Charge for Customer Service

contact — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:39:40 +0000

From the star:

“It was bound to happen eventually: Air Canada now wants you to pay extra for better customer service.

In an era of continued cost-cutting, the country’s largest airline yesterday rolled out a new service called “On My Way” that, for a fee, promises to help passengers cope with delays and cancellations beyond the airline’s control, including bad weather or airport traffic.

“This is something that many airlines used to do in-house,” said Rick Erickson, a Calgary-based airline consultant. “But since the advent of the low-cost carrier, everybody wants cheap fares.”

Air Canada said passengers who opt to pay an additional $25 one-way on short-haul flights and an extra $35 one-way on long-haul routes within North America will receive “speedy” access to “specially-trained” customer service agents who will help rebook flights on Air Canada or other airlines, as well as pay for hotel stays and meals, if necessary.

Air Canada said the program, which applies to any flight cancelled within 48 hours of the scheduled departure, goes beyond the industry practice of assisting customers affected by schedule changes deemed to be the airline’s fault, such as mechanical problems with aircraft, scheduling glitches or crew members failing to show up for flights.

But while Air Canada is touting the program as an industry-first, at least one observer said it was once common for big North American carriers to go out of their way to help inconvenienced or stranded customers – free…”

Article

2008 Earth Hour Toronto

contact — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:29:54 +0000

Yesterday’s turn out in Toronto for Earth Hour. Check it out at Treehugger.

First Eyeball Tattoo is in Toronto

contact — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:44:36 +0000

It’s so weird that I suspect this eyeball tattoo is a hoax but it’s still fascinating; the things people invent! Real or imagined.

Apparently, a guy from Toronto is the first person EVER to get an eyeball tatoo. I get weak knees thinking about it.

The photos are a bit scary so I’m not going to post them here. Check them out at the inventorspot.

How Canada Warmly Welcomes Their Returning Soldiers

contact — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:55:39 +0000

From the sun:

A far cry from how other countries welcome home their soldiers.

View the slideshow

Upcoming Beer Events in Toronto

contact — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:21:44 +0000

From beerbeatsbites:

Time to quench your insatiable thirst at the following upcoming beer dinner events in our great city of Toronto. Enjoy.

“Monday, March 24th
Easter Beer Dinner
Abbot On The Hill, 1276 Yonge Street
$65 – call 416.920.9074 for reservations
A special Easter Monday dinner pairing five Belgian beers from import agents Roland & Russell – Margriet, St Martin Blonde, St Martin Brune, Gouden Carolus Easter Beer & Boscoulis – paired with a five-course meal, including a main course of Rabbit Fricassee with Apricot Preserves & Spiced Pecans.

Tuesday, April 8th
Fuller’s Dinner with John Keeling
Duke of Westminster, First Canadian Place, 77 Adelaide Street West
$45 – call 416.368.2761 for reservations
Premier Brands presents a dinner with John Keeling, Brewing Director of Fuller’s Brewery, Chiswick, London, UK. Beers to be served include Fuller’s London Pride, Fuller’s ESB, Fuller’s London Porter & Fuller’s Organic Honey Dew.

Friday, April 11th
The Brewer’s Table
The Church at Berkeley, 315 Queen Street East
$150 – call 416.644-1012 to reserve
A benefit for Green Enterprise Toronto, co-presented by Local Food Plus and Slow Food Toronto. This first annual event celebrates slow food, local-sustainable food and farming, and import substitution in the winter/spring season in the Toronto region. Featuring finely crafted beers from Mill Street, Cameron’s, Wellington, Church Key, Steam Whistle and Black Oak to compliment dishes from Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, La Palette, Veritas, Cowbell, Gladstone Hotel and Rebel House, as well as variety of individual food artisans, oysters from Oyster Boy, and live jazz bands.

Friday, April 25th
Southern Tier Beer Dinner
The Academy of Spherical Arts, One Snooker Street
ticket info t.b.a.
Roland & Russell presents a dinner with Southern Tier’s Phin DeMink to celebrate the arrival of Southern Tier IPA at the LCBO. There will also be a more casual “meet & greet” with Phin on Saturday, April 26th at Volo. Further details t.b.a.

April (date t.b.a.)
Bavaria/La Trappe Beer Dinner
Abbot On The Hill, 1276 Yonge Street
ticket info t.b.a.
Premier Brands presents a three-course dinner to mark the arrival of Bavaria on draught for the first time in Canada, and La Trappe (Koningshoeven) Bock for the first time in the Western Hemisphere. Further details t.b.a.

Wednesday, May 28th
Dogfish Head Beer Dinner
beerbistro, 18 King Street East
$100 – tickets on sale May 1st
A dinner with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, featuring the beer cuisine of beerbistro chef Brian Morin paired with a number of DFH beers, some available for the first time in Ontario. Further details t.b.a.”

Top 10 Canadian Camping Destinations

contact — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:52:15 +0000

Check them out

Canadian Baseball Team’s Going to the Olympics

contact — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:00:01 +0000

From the star:

“They gleefully sang O Canada on the bus back to the hotel and again on the street after they arrived at the Howard Prince in Taichung, Taiwan.

Against the odds, the national baseball team qualified for the Beijing Olympics on Thursday and the jubilant players celebrated in the same way they did when a berth for the 2004 Athens Games was secured – by singing the anthem over and over.

“We’ve sung O Canada at least four times already,” said veteran infielder Stubby Clapp of Windsor, Ont. “Here we go again Canada, come on with me!”

The emotional display of national pride came after a 4-3 win over South Korea ran Canada’s record to 5-1 at the final Olympic qualifier, and guaranteed it a finish in the top three. South Korea and Taiwan, both 5-1 too, claimed the other two berths up for grabs at the tournament.

Washington Nationals prospect Matt Rogelstad of New Westminster, B.C., hit a three-run homer in the first while Cleveland Indians youngster Nick Weglarz of Stevensville, Ont., added a solo shot in the fourth to lead the way.

Cincinnati Reds product James Avery of Moose Jaw, Sask., held South Korea to a run on four hits in four innings and after Mike Kusiewicz of Ottawa recorded the final out, the Canadians partied into the wee hours on the eighth floor of their hotel, as players hooted, hollered and contemplated their achievement.

“To hear the national anthem sang on the bus so many times, we stopped at the hotel and we got off and before the players would go in the hotel they were singing outside and all the people were looking at us,” said manager Terry Puhl. “It really was quite a scene.

“It’s been a great night and a great tournament.”

Canada’s performance in Taiwan has been especially impressive since…”

Read full article

Arsenic in the Pear Juice

contact — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:07:03 +0000

From the canadian press:

“OTTAWA — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Loblaws Inc. have warned the public not to consume certain pear juices for toddlers that may be contaminated with arsenic.

The CFIA says in a news release that there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of the products.

The two products listed in the warning are the one-litre President’s Choice Organics Pear Juice from Concentrate for Toddlers and the 128-millilitre Beech Nut Pear Juice from concentrate with Vitamin C added.

The products have been distributed across the country, the agency says.

Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal that may be carcinogenic and may pose developmental risks to children.

Loblaws Inc, has voluntarily recalled the affected products and the CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall, the release says.”

Canadians Pay Less Taxes Than Americans

contact — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:02:43 +0000

From the economist:

“PAYING TAXES is, for most people, both unavoidable and irksome. But how much hard-earned pay is taken by governments varies considerably across the world. Among the rich countries of the OECD, Germans shell out the most, with a worker earning an average income giving 43% of their gross pay to the state, with nearly half of that going towards social security. Workers in Poland hand over nearly 25% of their wages to social security; whereas Australians pay nothing at all directly. Mexicans and South Koreans enjoy the lightest taxation by some way.”

See the chart

Canada Blooms Starts Today / The Toronto Flower & Garden Festival, March 12 – 16, 2008

contact — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:01:50 +0000

Canada Blooms has grown to be one of Toronto’s most successful events, drawing volunteers, visitors and participants from all across Canada and the United States. Already a popular destination with tour groups, gardeners from Bermuda, France, the United Kingdom and the United States now rank Canada Blooms as being one of the top five shows of its kind.

Canada Blooms
Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC)
South Building
222 Bremner Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario

Eco Wedding & Lifestyle Show, Toronto

contact — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:24:21 +0000

The Eco Wedding & Lifestyle Show will help the discerning couple make purchasing choices that have a lighter impact on the environment without sacriﬁcing style and joy. It’ll provide couples with a place to meet both non-traditional vendors who offer these alternatives, and established, traditional vendors who are excited about the changes being made in their organizations to create a sustainable example.

Eco Wedding/Bridal Show
March 1 & 2, 2008
at the Design Exchange
234 Bay Street
Toronto Ontario M5K 1B2 Canada
10am to 7pm
Website: Eco Wedding Show

11,000 Video Camera Eyes Will Be Watching You

contact — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:42:13 +0000

From the star:

“Surveillance cameras make TTC riders feel safer and the plan to dramatically expand their numbers is okay with Ann Cavoukian, Ontario’s privacy commissioner.

“Installing 11,000 cameras on buses, streetcars, subway cars and in stations complies with privacy standards, Cavoukian said yesterday when she released the results of her investigation.

But the TTC must make some changes to ensure the network of seeing eyes is used only for legitimate purposes and never for voyeurism, as has happened in other cities, she said.

Cavoukian urged that the TTC:

Delete video data after three days unless it’s needed for a police investigation.
Conduct annual audits to make sure privacy rules are followed.
Test a privacy-enhancing technology, under development at University of Toronto, that automatically encrypts people’s images.
The recommendations are meant to balance the legitimate needs for transit system safety and passenger privacy, Cavoukian stated.

TTC chair Adam Giambrone endorsed her findings and said his staff will be coming back with a plan for implementing them.

Privacy International, the London-based organization whose complaint trigged Cavoukian’s investigation, was less pleased.

“It is clear … the Commissioner has given up the ghost of privacy and become resigned to the inevitability of video surveillance technology,” the group said on its website.

The group argues there is no public-interest justification for the $21 million security system….”

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