blogTO

Breakfast and Sweets at Cool Hand of a Girl

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:11:00 -0500

Cool Hand of a Girl in The Junction offers organic coffee, soups, sandwiches and sweets. After a somewhat uninspired breakfast, Alyssa and I tried (and recommend!) the sweets.

See my profile of Cool Hand of a Girl in the cafe section.

Toronto Through the Eyes of Shane Belcourt

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:51:00 -0500

Getting out of their father's shadow is something many young men wrestle with - and musician and filmmaker Shane Belcourt, son of Métis leader and activist Tony Belcourt is no different. But he's managed it better than most.

His award-winning 2008 film Tkaronto (the Mohawk word for Toronto) follows two characters as they struggle to maintain or recapture their Aboriginal identity in the concrete city. The heavily autobiographical tale prompted me to ask Belcourt about his relationship with the city.

Belcourt moved here from Ottawa at the age of 20 to study film at York University. When he isn't working on a suite of film and television projects including an animated documentary short, "Red Car, Blue Hood," (about growing up the son of a Métis rights leader), Belcourt is absorbed in the daily duties of family and fatherhood in his home near Pape and Danforth.

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She's Shameless / She's Writing

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:20:00 -0500

When I was a kid there was Chickadee magazine and then Owl, and then the thinking girl was unceremoniously dumped off the science train of the Mighty Mites, and into the world of Tiger Beat.

"Maybe you can think big thoughts again when you're older," the magazine rack seemed to say. "But the teen and pre-teen magazines that tide you over until then will be wholly populated by doe-eyed boys, glossy ads for lip gloss, and vanilla-flavoured sex tips. Be prepared for a solid decade where your interests are presumed limited to bangles and boyfriends."

Then 2004 rolled around, and a Canadian upstart broke through these piles and piles of flippant frou frou and frizz -- Shameless, a magazine "for girls who get it."

Shameless is also written particularly for teen and pre-teen girls. But with politics in place of pop idols, queer positive instead of quizzes that only care if "he" likes you, and sexuality that's invited along for the whole messy and complicated ride that is growing up.

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GTA Tripping: Horse Palace

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:22:00 -0500

This week I visited the Horse Palace at the Canadian Exhibition Grounds. There I met a Staff Sergeant with the Toronto Police's famous Mounted Division, stopped by the stables that carry on a 195-year equine tradition at the grounds, and gawked at a miniature pony living in sin with an African Pygmy goat...

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How to Shop In Your Own Closet

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:20:00 -0500

I have a lot of clothes. Like, a lot of clothes. So the current "shopping within your own closet" trend is not only easy for me, but necessary, now that I'm living the life of a freelance writer sans cash for frequent shopping jaunts.

But there are ways to work with what you have, as well as make the right choices for what to buy next time to keep you stylish through good times and bad.

I scored a shop-your-own-closet session with local style consultant Wendy Woods of The Refinery, who threw together a few outfit "modules" for me, but also allowed me to crib her tips for fellow Toronto fashion enthusiasts looking for some re-inspiration about what they already have and how to shop smarter in the future.

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Negroni does Panini Right

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:03:00 -0500

Negroni in Little Italy is an attempt to bring back fresh and delicious Italian to an area that's been slipping. Tempting starters, very affordable wines, and a wide variety of panini (like the pancetta, arugula, oven dried tomato, and lemon garlic mayo delight) make it worth a visit.

See my review of Negroni in the restaurant section.

Weekend Radar: July 4 + 5, 2009

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:01:00 -0500

Photo: "The Bang Bang" by sevres=babylone, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for SATURDAY, JULY 4 and SUNDAY JULY 5, 2009 ... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar

COMMUNITY | Corso Italia Festival
Corso Italia's annual street festival gives visitors a chance to experience the area's cultural history with a diverse lineup of live music and entertainment, food, and local shops and boutiques, happening all day Saturday and Sunday.
St. Clair Ave West from Westmount to Lansdowne / FREE

MUSIC | Metz / Tropics Release Party!
Two of Toronto's best (and loudest) art-rock bands celebrate the release of new material - Metz' new self-tilted 7-inch, and Tropics' debut cassette.
Canadian Corps Legion Hall, 201 Niagara St / Doors at 9pm / $7

PARTIES | IDD4 - An Indie-Pendance Day Party
The second dance party held by Toronto music/entertainment blog the Panic Manual, featuring killer indie music from Canada and the UK.
The Boat, 158 Augusta / 9pm / $5

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Sonic Youth Rock Massey Hall

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:50:00 -0500

All the excitement leading up to Sonic Youth's show on Tuesday nearly gave me an aneurysm. As I'm somewhat prone to do, I'd been deliberately panicking since my photo pass was approved the week before. Why? Because it's f@&^ing Sonic Youth.

Massey Hall is an odd choice of venue for these guys, but once the show started, I figured it out - the acoustics blew my mind... and my eardrums as well.

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Private Garbage Services: Saviours or Opportunists?

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:49:00 -0500

We're nearing the end of Day 12 of the unionized city workers strike, and Toronto is neither in a state of total mayhem nor is it clearly on its way to becoming a diseased-filled cesspool. But things are definitely getting messy and stinky in some parts. Garbage is piling up at residents' homes and it's overflowing at some of the temporary dump sites in parks.

Not everyone has the ability to store their own waste. Not everyone has the time or the courage to cross picket lines, or the physical ability to take their garbage to one of the city's temporary garbage dump sites or the few larger, permanent transfer stations. This is where established private companies, and other, less established (some cash hungry opportunists, no doubt) come in.

Private garbage collection services are seemingly popping up in this city faster than poutine restaurants and construction pylons.

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The End of Kodachrome and the Death of Kodak Heights

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:47:00 -0500

Last week's announcement by Kodak that they were discontinuing their iconic Kodachrome slide film made me wonder what's become of the Kodak lands where their Canadian factory stood for 80 years. The disappearance of Kodachrome is just one more milestone in the end of the film era of photographic history, but for me, the closure and demolition of Kodak's Mount Dennis plant four years ago was the one that rang the death knell resoundingly.

There's nothing left of the Mount Dennis plant but Building 9, though that might not be the case for much longer - the former home of Kodak's employee centre is a derelict hulk, open to the elements and the depredations of local kids who've smashed nearly everything breakable and covered the walls with graffiti tags. Metrus Properties, the developer who demolished the plant two years ago, has obviously put the preservation of the sole remnant of what was once called Kodak Heights at the bottom of their list of priorities, and it's hard to imagine it still being around when Metrus - or anyone - finally gets around to breaking ground.

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What's Fresh, Toronto? Strawberries!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:20:00 -0500

Even though June 21 officially marked the beginning of summer, it's only when certain flavours begin making their way into my meals that it really feels right. Ontario strawberries are one of these foods, and they have started popping up at grocery stores and farmers' markets across the city (and now all markets that have been affected by the strike will re-open).

Their season begins in mid-June, and it peaks in early- to mid-July. The season really only lasts about 6-8 weeks, so it's time to start thinking picking up some of these bite-sized heart-shaped beauties.

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The Top 20 Summer Festivals in Toronto

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:55:00 -0500

Summer means festival season in Toronto. From food festivals to those showcasing theatre or music, there's more weekend activities from June to August to boggle the mind. Some of the best ones have already come and gone - but there's a lot more on the schedule for the coming months.

We recently asked readers of this site to nominate and vote for their favourite summer festivals. Here's a rundown of the top 20, organized by month.

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Fringe at the Movies: Blue Velvet, On Screen and On Stage

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:24:00 -0500

Sex, violence, intrigue... and comedy. The Silver Stage premiered its adaptation of David Lynch's dark and surreal mystery Blue Velvet on Canada Day, one of the group's five movie entries in the Toronto Fringe Festival 2009 lineup.

Having seen it, I can report that this is a laugh-a-minute production - both a spoof and tribute to David Lynch's 1986 film. While the original movie is projected in the background, actors are on the Bloor Cinema stage recreating, and often reinterpreting, the on-screen action. This is called "shadow casting".

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Inside Georgia Scherman Projects

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:09:00 -0500

Pretty much all major galleries and museums offer some form of independent audio tour nowadays, but this isn't really a realistic option for smaller spaces. Despite this, I tend to think independent art galleries have something even better: an interactive audio tour. To put this less coldly, I mean that they have human beings happy to chat about a given exhibit or art in general. That's why even though I could be accused of being a touch shy, I always make a point of engaging with the staff at the galleries I visit, whether I plan on writing about them or not.

A success story in this capacity was my recent visit to Georgia Scherman Projects. Having had my eye on profiling this space just south of Queen West for a while, the primary intention of my visit was to learn about the history and mandate of the gallery. But as part of the process of doing that, Elena Soboleva, an assistant at the gallery, gave me a great tour of the Hank Willis Thomas exhibit that was on at the time. As we strolled through the gallery discussing each piece, I was reminded why such interactive experiences are really the prime stuff of gallery-going.

See my profile of the Georgia Scherman Projects in the gallery section.

Toronto Transportation Alternatives: The Kick Scooter

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:09:00 -0500

As Toronto's transportation expands, many citizens are finding new ways to get from point A to point B. Whether it's on a bike, rollerblades or a long board, Torontonians are trading their gas-powered wheels for muscle power. With the weather improving to summer-like conditions in the past week, it's no wonder Toronto is seeing more alternative modes of transportation on its streets.

Surprisingly, the kick scooter is popularizing among Torontonians. Some of this may be attributed to warmer weather. Many overlook this simple 'toy', and some may even laugh, but on closer inspection, it tends to be an efficient piece of machinery. I was especially shocked when I saw a businessman on his blackberry riding down Bay St. He flew by all the other pedestrians on his shiny red scooter. At that point, I began to look at the toy as a serious way to get around, particularly when used for shorter distances. With that in mind, I borrowed my friend's scooter to see what all the rave was about.

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