Unknown Toronto

Brief Rant About the Indy

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

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

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

Pages Book Shop Will Close on August 31

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

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

TTC Subway Station Wall Decals

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

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

Rest in Peace, Rick Bébout

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

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

City Strike Cancels Canada Day Fireworks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dora Award Winners 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's the complete list of winners:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Art On the Move Art-Wrapped Buses

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

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

A Bit of Old Liberty Spirit in New Liberty Village

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

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

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

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

Double Rainbow Over Hanlan's Point

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

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

Movies Embracing Music

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

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

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

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

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

Queen's Wharf Lighthouse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summer Solstice Mermaid Parade

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

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

Art Vehicles at Art on the Move Launch

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

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

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

GO Transit Service to Niagara Falls

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

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

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

Photo courtesy of Niagara Fall Tourism.

Toronto Field Naturalists' Nature Walks

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

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

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

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

Photo of blue heron by mrmac04, Morguefile

Free Outdoor Concerts for Music Garden 10th Anniversary

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

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

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

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

Biker Bob Memorial June 16

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

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

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

Visit the Don Jail Before It's Redeveloped

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

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

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

Cellblock photo by Marc Sargent, courtesy FLIP Publicity & Promotions

Leslieville 150th Anniversary and Leslieville Tree Festival 2009

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

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

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

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

Marker for Gravesite of Ontario Premier Edward Blake

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

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

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

OCPA Calypso Tents 2009 Lead Up to Caribana Festival

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

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

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

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

The Professionals Schedule

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

Kaiso Forum Schedule

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

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

Final Competitions

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

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

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

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

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

Woofstock - June 13 & 14, 2009

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

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

Saturday, June 13 only

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

Sunday, June 14 only

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

Both Days

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

Photo by PatriciaEGreen, Morguefile

Shop the Block - A Retail Discount Card for North Toronto

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

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

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

*These Tough Economic Times, of course.

Image by jeltovski, Morguefile.