YYZ Magazine

Z Y Y

0 R 201 E M M SU

ME 2 VOLU

your ticket to summer

ine

magaz

AllAn gardens | fading punk scene | g20 summit | gladstone hotel

2010

INE

MAGAZ

ER SUMM

2 ME VOLU

YYZ Editor-in-Chief Dan Ilika Managing Editor Lindsay Belford

Executive Editor Jason Rauch Section Editors Sam Carson Jill Cecchini Thomas Parisi Khristopher Reardon Brent Tennant Copy Editors Jeff Blay Melanie Kerr Jordan Maxwell Research Chief Justin Millerson Fact Checkers Mark Bowman Richard Hinkson Art Direction Kyla Sergejew Natalia Buia Royel Edwards Michael Van Oosten Kristyn Tsampiras Photo Editors Shane Kalicharan Kyla Sergejew Photographers Reem Abu-Jazar Gurpreet Ghag Don Henderson Angelo Mazziotti Faculty Advisors Renee Wilson Lara King Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning School of Media Studies and Information Technology 205 Humber College Blvd.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 5L7

EDITOR’S NOTE As the school year wraps up and summer sits on the horizon it’s easy to be stressed out. Finding a place to work, somewhere to live, even things to do – it can be a hectic time. YYZ may not be able to help with the first problem, but for some expert rental advice it’s covered. And if it’s keeping busy, consider this a summer itinerary planned.

Summer is the time to kick back, relax and enjoy. And that’s just what this summer’s edition of YYZ is all about: finding ways to enjoy the city. Whether it’s Toronto’s unique culture and history or what to do on a budget, there’s a little of everything in YYZ. From annual affairs (check out the events sections for more on Caribana and Pride) to once-ina-lifetime experiences (we have everything you need to know about the best World Cup venues in the GTA and the G20 Summit), YYZ has it all. For life’s simple pleasures follow the best bike trails in the city, must-read books and free activities that offer all the fun without costing a dime.

Step back and smell the roses (literally) as Jordan Maxwell profiles the Allan Gardens; and for a good pint, Jeff Blay reports on the interesting story of one of the city’s premier breweries; and for great places to eat look no further than the City’s Finest section for some of Toronto’s best eateries, for both carnivores and herbivores.

Just remember: it’s pronounced Y-Y-Zed.

Dan Ilika

DEPARTMENTS hot wheels

•4

The best bike trials for green riders VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 2010 www.yyzmagazine.ca

CONTENTS

steaming

•6

An inside look at Steam Whistle Brewery

history 101

•9

Historical sights to feast your eyes on

house hunt

•13

Expert Jodi Gilmour offers tips on apartment hunting

summer reads

•16

Great books to read on your time off

caribana

•42

What the Caribana Festival has to offer this year

loud & proud

•44

The best summer event is at the Pride Festival

burger lust

•46

Mike Van Oosten’s on the hunt for the best burger

veg city

•48

Chowing down on tastey vegetarian treats

world cup

•51

The best places to watch the game

ON THE COVER...

18• Allan Gardens JORDAN MAXWELL WRITES ABOUT THE BEAUTY FOUND INSIDE THIS BOTANICAL HAVEN

Fading Punk Scene 22• KHRIS REARDON MOURNS THE DEATH OF THE BIG BOP AND OTHER PUNK SCENES DOWNTOWN

25• Gladstone Hotel SHANE KALICHARAN GOES INSIDE THE GLADSTONE HOTEL AND FINDS OUT WHAT MAKES IT SO AMAZING

36• G20 Summit

DAN ILIKA EXPLAINS WHY THE SUMMIT IN TORONTO THIS JULY IS STIRRING CONTROVERSY

COVER PHOTO BY GURPREET GHAG

IV LU S

E!

E XC credibl ad re in e

o sp 8! t o ph n p.2 o

Locations

HOTSPOTS:

Hot wheels in the city

BY GURPREET GHAG

S

ome cyclists crave beautiful skies filled with cottonball clouds that hover over rich, red paths. Other riders see cycling simply as a greener means to live.

Whatever gets those pedals moving, Torontonians are blessed with some great recreational trails and street paths.

“We are very fortunate,” says Yvonne Bambrick, the Toronto Cyclists Union’s executive director.

“We have a very nice, extensive network of trails.”

Bambrick was born and raised in the city and has enjoyed these paths for 33 years. She fondly remembers the weekend and afterschool rides in and around Taylor Creek, when her parents would let her go out alone without worrying about her safety.

The trail is located between Woodbine and Victoria Park Avenues, just north of the Danforth. Taylor Creek is part of a giant series of green spaces that extend from Don Valley, and to all of Flemingdon, Sunnybrook and Donora Parks. The creek itself, which is sometimes referred to as Massey Creek, runs 16 kms and flows through two major ponds before entering residential areas. More importantly, in terms of summer attractions, is the trail’s connection to Woodbine Avenue, which at its most southern point becomes Lakeshore Boulevard.

It is at Lakeshore where you will find the waterfront trail, explains Bambrick, which is the passage way to summer hot spots like Woodbine

4

GURPREET GHAG Putting one foot infront of the other doesn’t get much better than on a bike in Toronto.

beach, Harbourfront Centre, the CNE grounds, and Ontario Place.

It is also the passage way to the Molson Amphitheatre.

Eddie Oliveira would hit this trail about three times a week depending on the weather, usually never stopping for anything more than a sip of Gatorade.

But on one particular night, upon speeding up to the mouth of Ontario Place where the Molson Amphitheatre is located, Oliveira could not help but drop his kickstand down for a minute at the vibrant sound of a friend echoing down from the Lake.

“I was just biking down the path,” says Oliveira, “and I heard it in

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

the distance. It was a very familiar tune.”

“Alice-goddamn-Cooper!” he exclaimed. “Eighteen!”

Across from Oliveira’s near psychedelic experience are the CNE grounds, which hold a plethora of attractions. Ryan Withyman, who has spent a few summers as a security guard there, is very familiar with the events.

Beyond the actual exhibition, which is to be held between August 20 and September 6, 2010, is the return of the Molson Indy (July 16 to 18).

More specific to biking, the grounds also host an annual bike race during the CHIN picnic on

self-proclaimed “Off-Road Warrior” Van Nguyen, 24, spends most of his summer riding hours.

“You’ve got it all,” says Nguyen.

“There are off-road trails, concrete trails, wooded areas, creeks, and lots of different kinds of bikers.”

On any given sunny day, Nguyen says he’ll pass teams of endurance riders – tons of people just biking up and down the trails – and mountain bikers tearing up and down the many dirt paths enclosed within the almost 400-acre cluster of trees and shrubbery.

And after a hard day of biking, you can settle down at one of the many picnic benches in the park, or catch a couple of innings at one of the baseball diamonds. You can take a dip in the pool, or you can do what Nguyen does and head just west of Grenadier pond, on the same path coming off of Parkside

Avenue, to a real treasure in the city’s biking infrastructure: the dirt jumping mound.

“I’ve seen a guy do a perfect tabletop over and over,” says Nguyen.

A table top’s a move where, upon becoming airborne, the rider then turns his bike sideways and then back before landing.

“I’ve also seen some kid smash his face into the ground on a regular jump, then get back up, try the same trick, and then smash his face again,” he says.

Nguyen says he can rest there for hours, never getting tired of the tricks or the mishaps.

And then when the sun says that the day has ended, it’s only a few kilometers north to Bloor Street and both High Park and Keele subway stations, where you can load on your bike and go home, regroup and await the next day’s warmth.a

Locations

July 1 where cyclists run the same circuit used for the Molson Indy.

The picnic also features live boxing, wrestling, and the popular Mr. and Mrs. Chin Picnic bikini pageants.

Moving westward along the waterfront trail, past the yacht clubs, past the Gardiner’s floral arrangements, past the bridge that takes you to Roncesvalles, is where you’ll find Parkside Drive in High Park.

Situated amid Roncesvalles and Bloor-West Villages, the park is a popular recess for city folk. It offers many types of paths through its forested areas, by the shores of Grenadier pond and even through a petting zoo.

Riding up from Parkside, then taking the first possible left turn into the park, you’ll find the beautiful Grenadier pond, and most likely some waterfowl.

It is in and around here where

GURPREET GHAG High Park offers cyclists close to 400 acres of beautiful bike trails that span from Bloor St. West to the Queensway.

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

5

Locations 6

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

Locations

Steam driven

BY JEFF BLAY The name “Steam Whistle” was chosen for the beer before they chose the location of the brewery, which ironically happened to be at the historic John Sreet Roadhouse, located downtown Toronto (just south of the Rogers Centre and CN Tower). The Roundhouse was formerly a functional Canadian Pacific Rail steam locomotive repair facility built in 1929, servicing steam trains that helped pioneer this nation.

“

We believe the car you drive, like the beer you hold in hand, reflects your unique character and personal style.

“

T

hree friends were on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park in 1998.

Greg Taylor, Greg Cromwell, and Cam Heaps, had been colleagues at a Canadian microbrewery (Upper Canada Brewing) in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, before it was bought out by a national brewer and closed down. While sharing memories on the trip, the “Three Fired Guys” rekindled their dream of running their own brewery.

They wanted to make a pilsner that could compete with the most renowned beers in the world. With the passion and knowledge they acquired from their previous bout in the brewing industry, they made their dream become a reality.

At first the founders were thinking about naming the beer “Three Fired Guys” but, after talking it over, they wondered how far the name could take them.

While meeting in downtown Toronto to discuss things further, the guys found themselves looking up into the windows of office buildings, wondering why people were still at work so late. From there, the idea of the Steam Whistle was born.

“We were standing on top of a building looking at the skyrises and thought it would be cool to have a steam whistle blow to indicate the end of each work day,” explains Heaps. “We took that idea and turned it into the name for our beer.”

The City of Toronto bought the Roundhouse from the Canadian Pacific Railway for $1.00 to pronounce it a historic site. Steam Whistle then leased the location to house their brewery, preserving all of the original architecture, except the ceiling, which had to be replaced due to weathering.

“A lot of breweries relocate to the suburbs, but we feel it is important to stay central to get the feel of the city,” says Heaps. “We wanted to not only be in the heart of Toronto, but in the heart of Canada.”

Since the first beer rolled off the

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

line in 2000, Steam Whistle has been recognized for making a premium pilsner that is said to be worthy of competing with some of the most well known European beers.

“We want to compete with the best of the best, and a lot of those great beers come from Europe,” says Steam Whistle tour guide Jenny Henderson. “Steam Whistle is only 10 years old, but despite our youth we are right up there in terms of quality with those European Breweries.”

Following the traditions of an old German brewing law that states: “a truly great beer can be made with no more than four ingredients,” Steam Whistle specializes on making only one beer out of their brewery.

Cam Heaps, vows that his company is striving to have “the best brewery tour in the entire world,” and the most respected beer in Canada.

A tour of the brewery is offered to the public daily. The environment inside the brewery is more than welcoming, it’s almost cozy.

Visiting Steam Whistle is a mustdo while you’re in downtown Toronto. Its central location makes it the perfect time filler before taking in a Toronto Blue Jays game, or after touring the CN Tower.

“C’mon down! Everyone is welcome. Not every product you support offers a unique look into the

7

Locations 8

operations and procedures of how they craft their products,” says Heaps. “We wanted to find a way to create an environment where people are stoked, where our staff can get to know our customers, and feel like one big family.”

The brewmasters have developed a distinctive pilsner recipe using traditional brewing techniques, and all natural ingredients including: spring water, malted barley, hops and yeast – all GMO-free. (GMO’s are genetically modified organisms that could have a negative impact on health, as well as the environment.)

“One of the greatest benefits is that it’s not artificially preserved or pasteurized, which means you aren’t going to get as hung-over after you’ve had a beer, or 12,” says Henderson. “It’s an easy-todrink beer that’s refreshing and it’s smooth. It’s naturally carbonated over 28 days of aging, which results in a very fine bubble that settles really well in your stomach.”

Heaps explains that the reason Steam Whistle is sold at a consistent price of $42.95 is because of the time and care that goes into making the beer.

“It only benefits the consumer.

They are putting a quality product in their body that is natural and chemical free,” he says. “It’s more expensive to produce than a beer that is sold at a discounted price, but the final product is much better for the consumer.”

Steam Whistle also produces its bottles independently. The glass is made 30 per cent thicker than standard bottles so they can be reused much more often. The translucent green bottle – designed after a 1950s 7UP bottle – and green logo is not the only green that Steam Whistle takes pride in.

The Roundhouse is powered entirely by Bullfrog Power (Canada’s green electricity provider that offers

100 per cent clean, renewable electricity using wind turbines).

Steam Whistle uses various techniques to produce its beer in an environmentally friendly way. Everything from the beer production, air-conditioning, and even the labels on the bottles are environmentally-friendly. The Steam Whistle label is silk-screened directly on to the bottle, saving on paper and preventing the use of toxic inks.

“The environment is a big deal to us here,” says Henderson. “Steam Whistle is known to be the most sustainably green brewery in Can

smiles in people along the route.

The vehicles certainly help us to spread the word of Steam Whistle to potential beer drinkers.”

“You have to be relevant to the times and support your community,” Heaps explains. “Instead of big billboards or huge ad spaces we put our marketing dollars back into the community by supporting local artists, music, events, and in turn they support us.”

The company also prides itself on its marketing techniques. It actively supports local art and music, as many of the staff members

GURPREET GHAG Steam Whistle Pilsner racing from the Roundhouse to the hands of discerning beer drinkers.

ada, and second in North America.”

According to the Steam Whistle website, the staff has taken the nickname “The Good Beer Folks”, having gained a reputation for their vintage vehicle fleet that delivers beer and makes appearances at community events throughout the GTA. “We believe the car you drive, like the beer you hold in hand, reflects your unique character and personal style,” says Steam Whistle’s Marketing Communications Correspondent, Sybil Taylor. “Steam Whistle has a lot of fun with our vintage vehicles. We call them our ‘one-man-parade’ because they attract so much attention and inspire

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

dip into the arts themselves.

Steam Whistle organizes a concert series called Unsigned, where it invites local bands and record labels to the Roundhouse and different venues throughout Toronto, allowing bands to perform and hopefully get noticed by a label or concert promoter. It also allows local artists to hold exhibitions in the brewery, and instead of charging the artists to rent the space, the artists are asked to donate a piece of their work to line the Roundhouse’s walls.

Visiting the brewery can be an interesting outing for any legal-aged drinker — whether you are 19 or 99.a

Locations BRENT TENNANT Left to right: Old City Hall and Mackenzie House.

Enriched by history

BY BRENT TENNANT

T

he city of Toronto is over 200 years old. Its establishment began with the founding of Fort York in 1793, with a nearby settlement founded two kilometers away. By 1834, that small, military settlement had evolved from the Town of York to the City of Toronto. According to Stephen Otto, co-founder of Friends of Fort York, this is when the settlement really started to boom.

“Not really until the 1830s did you get a town of thousands of inhabitants,” Otto says.

Even then, Toronto was building its identity as a multicultural city, as ships full of immigrants would come up the St. Lawrence to Toronto.

Though the city has clearly changed a lot in the past two centuries, many historical sites have remained untouched.

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

9

Locations 10

FORT YORK Governor John Graves Simcoe had Fort York built out of fear of war with the Americans. His plan was to use York as a naval base to control Lake Ontario. Unfortunately for Simcoe and York, the brass in Montreal didn’t share his vision.

“Simcoe did not get his wish to get a naval depot at York,” Otto says.

The fort is distanced from the shore because it had no fleet to defend it, and without the naval powerhouse he wanted, Simcoe’s fears came true, as an American attack in April 1813 caused Fort York to be abandoned. A few months after, the British forces reclaimed the site and built the Fort as it is today.

Since the War of 1812, Fort York has only seen political battles. When the Gardiner Expressway began construction in 1955, there were no concrete plans for where it would end. Otto says when plans did come together, piers of the expressway were to go through the fort itself.

Public outcry to the plan forced the city to change its plans, and now the Gardiner runs next to the Fort, not through it.

Fort York sits at 100 Garrison Road, West of Bathurst. To get there via TTC, take the southBRENT TENNANT bound 511 streetcar from Clockwise from above: the distillery district, Fort York, distillery district sculpture.

Bathurst station. Admission is $8 per adult. power, which gave the site its distinctive tall chimney.

The mill ceased production in 1901 after it was badly TODMORDEN MILLS damaged by fire. Emily Tinkler, who has worked at the Todmorden museum since 2007, says a few “historic Todmorden Mills also dates back to 1793. Todmor- houses” remain, changed into museums interpreting den was a small industrial community, consisting of life in the 1830s. The site also has an art gallery which a paper mill and brewery that made beer and rye. In changes exhibits every few weeks, and a theatre.

1825, William Lyon Mackenzie asked the government The museum stands next to a wildflower preserve to offer a prize to whoever would open the first paper that’s over nine hectares in size. mill in Upper Canada. It was the first time the prov“It’s a beautiful place to come visit,” Tinkler says, addince had an automated mill. Todmorden’s was not the ing there are many walking trails through the park, first paper mill, but the first mechanical mill in Upper “It’s a nice little adventure.”

Canada. In the 1880s, the mill was converted to steam Todmorden Mills is at 67 Pottery Road. To get there

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

Locations

was declared an historical site.

The former City Council chamber is open to the public when court is not in session.

Old City Hall sits at 60 Queen St. West. To get there by TTC, take the subway to Queen station, then walk east, or go to Osgoode station and head west. Alternately, take the Bay 6 bus to Queen Street West.

DISTILLERY DISTRICT

by TTC, board a northbound bus from the Broadview subway station and get off at Mortimer Avenue. Cross Broadview Avenue and walk down Pottery Road until you reach the site. Admission is $5.24 per adult.

OLD CITY HALL Upon completion in 1899, Old City Hall was the biggest municipal building in all of North America. It was built with a dual purpose: house city council and serve as a courthouse. Toronto’s current city hall was completed in 1965, leaving Old City Hall as just a courthouse. In the late ‘60s, plans for the Eaton Centre threatened to demolish Old City Hall, an act that was overturned after a fierce campaign by a citizen’s group called Friends of Old City Hall. In 1989, the building

The Distillery District was first founded in 1832, when William Gooderham and James Worts founded the Gooderham and Worts distillery, the largest in the entire British Empire. In the 1990s, the distillery ceased production.

In 2003 the district was changed to be pedestrian-only and promotes itself as the largest collection of Victorian architecture in North America and has been named a national historic site.

Now, the district celebrates the arts with 15 art galleries, museums and theatres. It also hosts special events such as Luminato, an annual 10-day celebration of the arts (running June 11-20) and The City Roots Festival, a free roots-music celebration (running June 26-27).

The Distillery District has several tours, with walking tours starting at $19 and more expensive segway tours starting at $39. Reserving a spot ahead of time is recommended.

To get to the Distillery District, take the subway to Castle Frank station, then get on the 65A Parliament bus to Parliament. Exit at Front St. and walk south until Mill St.

MACKENZIE HOUSE Mackenzie House is the last home of William Lyon Mackenzie, Toronto’s first mayor. Outside of politics, Mackenzie was best known as a newspaper publisher.

Due to lax libel laws of the time, Mackenzie’s news was

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

11

Locations BRENT TENNANT Todmorden Mills stands tall through the years.

1820s, a group of the elite class grew tired of Mackenzie’s scathing commentaries and, in broad daylight, attacked his print shop. In a move unheard of at the time, Mackenzie took them to court.

“It was quite the thing for the time,” says Janet Schwartz, site coordinator of Mackenzie House, “He very much wanted to make a point.”

The money awarded to Mackenzie in the lawsuit not only let him rebuild his printing business, but helped launch his political career. However, a failed rebellion led in part by Mackenzie against the British resulted in his banishment to the United States for just over 12 years until a general amnesty allowed him to return.

After retiring from politics, the people of Toronto gave back to the man who had given so much for his city.

“The house was purchased for Mazkenzie by his friends and supporters,” Shwartz says, adding they felt it wrong that a man so dedicated to politics would

12

spend his retirement in poverty.

In the 1930s the house was set for demolition, until a group of concerned citizens raised the money needed to buy it. After renovations, it was opened to the public in the 1950s. Now the house is used as a museum, with a recreated print shop and gallery, added in 1967 as part of centennial celebrations. The museum also features costumed staff that document Mackenzie’s life, and life in the 19th century.

Mackenzie House is at 82 Bond St. To get there by TTC, take the subway to Dundas station, and walk east to Bond St. Alternately, take the Dundas or Queen streetcar to Bond St. Admission is $5.71.

Toronto’s historical sites celebrate not just the city’s history, but its art and the people who made Toronto the city it is today. With an afternoon and an open mind, anyone can travel back through 200 years of history. You might just learn something.a

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

How-To

STUDENT LIFE:

A renter’s guide

JUSTIN MILLERSON

BY JUSTIN MILLERSON

K

“

eep an open mind. Sometimes people are so picky that they push themselves right out of the market.”

This is the valuable advice from renting expert and television host Jodi Gilmour.

Gilmore’s show For Rent, airs on HGTV and offers advice to the inexperienced Toronto renter who searches for their palace on a tight budget. Gilmour is no stranger to real estate. She is a real estate agent with 10 years of experience and currently leads one of Canada’s largest RE/MAX franchises.

Gilmour shares a strategy that potential tenants can use when looking for an apartment and also reveals that there is a harsh reality to consider in a market like Toronto.

Working out of her father’s independently owned of-

fice in Mississauga, she serves as an honest mentor with creative solutions to anyone interested living in the big city as a renter, or owner.

Those new to the market will find most prices will climb way over budget. It might not have that large kitchen, or the office space you’ve always wanted. This article calls out all who are struggling and offers a helping hand.

Gilmour: You want to look for something that is in a good location that allows you to enjoy the city the way you want.

As a renter, you have two options: the residential scene and the downtown scene. Your decision should be based on your needs and wants. The two are differ-

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

13

How-To

DOWNTOWN Gilmour: It’s all about your interests. If you’re into restaurants and you’re a big shopper, a secluded residential area is not for you.

Here, prices are relatively high for the amount of square footage you get because of surrounding convenience.

Affordable apartments are small, but you are paying for location as well as shelter. Gilmour says downtown is a large hub for young people and that it holds ample entertainment. Whether you’re catching a hockey game or seeing a live show, it’s all just minutes away. You really don’t need a vehicle; or the burden of maintenance and insurance.

But downtown has its downfall. Privacy is slim and for some that’s extremely important.

RESIDENTIAL Gilmour: You get a good neighbourhood feeling. It’s much quieter. The benefit for some renters is having their own space. You really have that warm cozy feeling of being in a community, rather than the feeling of anonymity in a busy area.

Although it might be further away from the glamour, residential apartments do have advantages. First, if you want a larger living space, apartments in residential areas can supply your need. Since these apartments are outside the core, you can get more space for your buck.

If you’re really adamant about a home-like atmosphere there are many home rental opportunities to investigate.

Gilmour: You have to be a little bit careful who the neighbours are. If you live in a semi-detached house, or if you have neighbours above or below you, you have to feel it out. Almost every person I speak to doesn’t have a vehicle and therefore rides public transit. It’s generally not a problem getting people close to the TTC, but there are some residential areas that require quite a long walk to get to transit. Without a car, you have to avoid those areas.

Once you have decided on your needs and limitations,

14

you can start your search. To help you kick-start, here are a few affordable areas with plenty of apartments between $1,000 and $1,500 a month.

“

“

ent markets, each with pros and cons.

The positives of renting a house are privacy, land occupancy, living closer to ground level, the community feel and scenery, space and that many are pet friendly.

The negatives are being further away from the core and the TTC is not as consistent.

City living is expensive, so be prepared to make some sacrfices.

Gilmour: If you’re looking for new and modern, you can get some really good, affordable deals in the areas that have really blown up lately. If you look at City Place, there are tons and tons of units there. Lots of people love the area because they have access to bars and restaurants, theatres, the Rogers Centre. It’s a major hotspot for young people.

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

COURTESY JODI GILMOUR For Rent host Jodi Gilmour offers tips on city dwelling.

The price is something that may concern you. A budget is crucial. You need to know to-the-cent how much you can spend monthly. Try to make sacrifices in your spending and be prepared to spend more than $1,000 a month. Every apartment has its conditions. Your bill may not include all necessities, like heat and hydro, and the additional costs can add up. So when you’re looking for something that fits your budget, make sure you know what you’re paying for.

Gilmour encourages all her clients to call the landlord and bombard him/her with questions. Possibly the most important additional cost is content insurance.

You’ll need it to ensure safety to all your belongings.

This is must have.

Gilmour: Content insurance generally costs $50 a month. We have a wonderful story about a renter who had a basement apartment and there was a sewage flood and she was pulled out of the tiny window, broke two ribs and lost everything she owned. She did not have content insurance, so she did not get any funds back. She honestly had to borrow shoes to buy shoes.

All her clothes were lost. She needed everything from top to bottom, so it’s very important to have. No renter should go without. The landlord may have insurance, but that only covers the property and not your belongings.

With all this in mind, you are now ready to make your next move. Remember to be open-minded and confident. This is your biggest monetary decision yet and Toronto can be a delight to live in, but the wrong move

could lead you to a financial nightmare. Be sharp and sure.

Gilmour: Go and visit places on foot. Many times a renter’s website might not display pictures of the building and some people may not consider it for that reason.

But hey, there are a lot of good deals out there so have a look. Pictures on the Internet can be very misleading, so it’s really worth calling the landlord and asking some questions before you go see a place.

How-To

If you’re looking for something that is a little more residential and neighbourhood feeling, Roncesvalles is doing really well. Gladstone is also doing really well, doing really great. Even along Queen Broadview Village is becoming a really cool place to rent.

Humber College economics professor, Arthur Younger, 56, has direct experience in the renting market.

Formerly working in rent control, Younger understands the leeway and restrictions landlords have.

“Because Toronto landlords are restricted by rent control, they really want to avoid lowering the actual rent amount. So you will find, now is the time to try to get some upgrades in your unit. Since building owners have frozen their prices high, you will find that most building owners are willing to give you something here or there instead of negotiating price. They realize the danger of losing potential renters to the housing market. They have to keep their building(s) full to ensure they are maximizing their profit.”a

GILMOUR’ S TOP NEIGHBOURHOODS City Place Location: Downtown core TTC/Subway: St. Patrick, Osgoode, St. Andrew, Union, King, Queen, Dundas Recent rental vacancies: 36 Blue Jays Way - $1,450 (1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom) 50 John St. - $1,300 (1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom) Roncesvalles Location: 3 km West of downtown TTC/Subway: Keele Recent rental vacancies: 1639 Bloor St. W – $1,250 (2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom) 22 Oakmount Rd. - $1,000 (1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom) Gladstone Location: 2 km West of downtown TTC/Subway: Dufferin Recent rental vacancies: 1155-1199 Lansdowne - $1,150 (2 Bedroom, 1 Bath room) *Home rental 57 Pauline Ave. - $1,150 (2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom) Queen Broadview Village Location: Eastern border of downtown TTC/Subway: Broadview Recent rental vacancies: 1338 Queen St. E - $1,200 (3 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom)

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

15

How-To

TORONTO LIVING:

Books on the beach

BY KYLA SERGEJEW

I

n the warmth of a summer’s breeze, indulge in an encounter with an unlikely hero or a foreign land found on the smooth pages of a novel.

THE CLASSIC At the top of the list of these novels comes a parade of classics, tested by time and etched in literature’s history. Art Redding, professor of contemporary criticism and modern American literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries at York University, encourages the reading of great nineteenth century authors. He recommends; Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Mark Twain and Canada’s Margaret Laurence.

“They’re works that are recognized by consensus as being important,” says Redding. “People used to say that all American literature came out of Huckleberry Finn, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”

But, Redding says, if you are going to read American literature,

16

that novel is something you should know.

IT’S A SCARY BOOK The hot, sticky sweat of summer months is the best time for perfectly terrifying thrillers that will leave you unable to sleep for fear of abduction by gruesome characters waiting in the darkness.

Redding calls upon the classics for the reader interested in the genre of horror and suspense. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and any writings from Edgar Allan Poe are among his top picks – though, personally, he leans towards the cinema for a real scare.

“I tend to prefer horror movies to horror books,” says Redding. “I want that visual experience and the building of suspense that can be created with the camera. In books there is more psychological horror.”

Ghost story and Pulitzer prizewinning novel Beloved by Toni Morrison takes the psyche by storm.

Plagued by a poltergeist, an ex-

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

slave attempts to rebuild her life while succumbing to the supernatural as the novel explores the haunting effects of slavery.

“It’s a classic contemporary tale about American history – an escaped slave woman killed her children rather than have them taken back into captivity, that’s the history,” says Redding. “Morrison turns that into a piece of fiction.”

As Redding says, there are many haunting things we don’t know about American history – and this novel sinks into the depths of American race relations.

During the past few years, vampires have appeared out of the shadows again to bask in the spotlight and to lure extremely large audiences.

Books like Twilight and The Southern Vampire Mysteries a.k.a. The Sookie Stackhouse Chronicles even made it to the screen either silver or small. These stories fantasizing vampire-human relations have taken the living world by storm.

“Twilight novels, I suspect, though

Author Douglas Coupland’s eccentric approach in Jpod and Microserfs presents an amusing spin on the typical novel formula. Emails and lists, randomized numbers, words and thoughts; a generational collage of the twenty-first century computing era is strategi-

classic to make note of.

Stepping away from the typical and predictable Harlequin style of romance, Mills suggests two antiromantic, yet relationship central novels. The Women’s Room by feminist Marilyn French was published in the late 1970s and explores a

How-To

I have never read them, are kind of interesting,” says Redding. “For young people, vampires become a metaphor for being misunderstood, that sense that you are alone and that no one understands you.”

Long before the books and phenomenon that is Twilight, A.A.

KYLA SERGEJEW

O CANADA Nick Mount, associate professor of Canadian literature at York University, suggets a Canadian author with a modern experimental style of writing. Stephen Marche in Shining at the Bottom of the Sea, records an extremely detailed anthology of a country that doesn’t exist on an imaginary island.

“The whole thing is made up, none of it is real,” says Mount. “It even has a website [sanjania.com]. In terms of somebody doing something different in fiction, that’s probably it.”

Raymond and Hannah was Marche’s first novel, another experimental style written in the form of e-mail between the two main characters.

cally placed in Coupland’s tales of mass culture.

LOVERS’ LANE Ah, romance. L’amore. We all know how it ends. Not to spoil it for the uniformed, but of course they end up together! The basic doctrine of a romance novel is the development of a romantic relationship between the central characters, where the plot and climax revolve around that primary theme. In the end, a romance novel has an optimistic outlook on love and makes for a satisfying read.

Angela Miles, an expert in popular romance literature at the University of Toronto, commends Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen as one of the finest novels ever published.

“It’s a classic,” Miles says. “It’s considered by some to be the best novel in the English language. It’s so well written, it captures human nature, and it’s a complete economy of words all in the right place.”

Redding concurs, adding Sense and Sensibility as another timeless

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

young woman’s relationships in her traditionalist marriage and feminist development in the 1950s.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver parallels family relations with relations of colonization in Africa in the late 1950s, following four daughters through their struggles and into their futures, which Kingsolver captures up to the 1990s.

“

People used to say that all American literature came out of Huckleberry Finn, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true

“

Carr wrote Eye Killers (published in 1995), a suggested read by Redding, which unravels an ancient heritage of contemporary American Indian tribes in the southwest in the midst of the mythical vampire traditions.

Sinking into your favorite stories and escaping the present for a while is just what the doctor ordered this summer. Whether it’s a classic, horror, adventure or light read, there is a book out there for everyone.a

17

Spotlight

Hidden in the stone

BY JORDAN MAXWELL Toronto’s like a stone maze, especially in the downtown core. Stand on the northeast corner of Yonge and Bloor, or University and King, and be engulfed by tall, grey, mundane buildings.

Other than the miniscule, infant trees planted ubiquitously downtown, the weeds that grow wildly through the cement cracks and the odd parkette with both real and artificial grass seeped in dog and pigeon crap, where is all the life?

Rest assured that there is a green, wholesome oasis in the center of all this concrete – even though there is a dingy old man in a tattered coat passed out with the lip of an empty 40 oz. bottle of Old English in his hand. Walk just east of Jarvis St. and Carlton Ave. and you’ll find Allan Gardens at 19 Horticultural Ave. An oval-shaped roof of a Victorian style greenhouse appears and, through its murky windows, you can see a group of flat leaf trees that stand about 20 feet tall.

Eureka! Life is found.

In 1858, George William Allan donated this land to the city of Toronto. Allan was a senator and former Mayor of Toronto in 1855. The park and gardens were subsequently opened by the Prince of Wales, Edward VII, in 1860. After leasing more land to support the Horticultural Gardens, the city took control over the park in 1888. It was renamed Allan Gardens in 1901 and officially opened in 1910.

The entrance of the building is as immaculate as the building’s design, which covers about 1,500

18

JORDAN MAXWELL Inside the gardens.

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

the public that it’s open “10 a.m.– 5p.m., Monday to Sunday.”

“The Gardens is open 365 days a year including holidays,” says Curtis Evoy, superintendent of Allan Gardens. “We have spring, summer, fall and Christmas shows. We teach children from schools in less fortunate neighbourhoods about our plants in the Children’s Conservatory.”

Evoy says that bananas aren’t the only food that grows here after witnessing looks of awe. “We also have ginger, lemons, pineapples, papaya, vanilla, coffee, and guava here,” he says.

The moment you open the door, you can literally taste the air – clean and fresh. Benches line the outer wall where a mother relaxes feeding her infant daughter. On the other side, a middle-aged man is sleeping, his head nodding off to the side and a faint smell of liquor wafting from his breath. A shrieking toddler waddles by without a care in the world, while his father stalks closely behind him to make sure he doesn’t put his fingers in the damp soil. Just above his head, a black stone sign with the words “Palm House” rests in the stone garden.

The Victorian palm house is over 100 years old and is the sixth oldest palm house in North America.

The leaves on some of these trees look like feathers or fans. Evoy says that there are four different kinds of palm trees in this room: Bismarck, Calathea, Butterfly, and Christmas.

“A lot of these palms come from Asia, South America, and part of Central America,” he says.

A screw pine tree stretches to the top of the oval dome with its entwined branches and feather palms. The golden barrel bamboo, which hides behind the banana trees, is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, but perhaps the best feature of this room are the

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

massive banana trees. Some have died and their leaves have turned yellow and decayed, because after the trees bear their fruit, they die and implant their seeds in the soil to form a new plant. It takes about 18 months for it to produce bananas again.

When your neck gets tired of looking up, there are two ways to go from here to see the rest of nature’s paradise.

As you look back towards the ground, a flash of vibrant colour from beyond the green door at the south end of the building hits you in the face like a slap. Once you open that door, your nose is just bombarded by the cool, sweetsmelling air of spring bulbs.

This room is the called the “Cool House” and was built in 1924.

It pays homage to its name as it’s more brisk in here than the others and is usually at an average temperature of 10° C. As you make your way down the short, steep ramp, the wide array of colours opens up your eyes to what true beauty is and what it should be.

In the center of the room, a Kashmerian Cypress governs the other flowers. As you walk around, you will see crisp daffodils with majestic white petals and yellow trumpet centers. The daffodils are part of the narcissus plant family, which all have the “trumpet or bell” characteristic in the center. Geraniums can be found in this room. Red, yellow and orange calceolarias and green cinereas are two notable shrubs that grow here in the Cool House. White and red primulas; fuchsia; white, purple mimulus; red, yellow and purple tulips — all of these and more.

As you observe, don’t be surprised if your trance is interrupted by the sound of the mechanical roof. The roof in this room is automated by climate-control computers – they open when it’s too hot and close

Spotlight

square metres.

There are five greenhouses attached to each other with the Victorian greenhouse as its core. Two doors – one on the left and one on the right – form the entrance of this building where a sign informs

19

Spotlight JORDAN MAXWELL Outside structure of Allan Gardens.

when it’s too cold.

Near the end of the park you can hear the sound of water coming from “Leda and the Swan” – a sculptural fountain. The stone tablet beneath it says that Leda was a Queen of Sparta noted for her great beauty. Ostensibly, Zeus transformed into the swan in order to be close to Leda. An eagle attacked the swan, causing Leda to protect it and keep him at her side.

After learning a bit of Greek mythology along the way, you’ll notice another green door in the south west corner of this room.

This room is the “Tropical House”.

There is an abrupt flash of heat and humidity that hits you once you open the door to this room. The difference in temperature makes this room actually smell like you’re in a rainforest, as if you were actually in the Amazon. Evoy says the temperature can get up to 20 – 22°C in this room but, during the summer, it can go up to 30° C or warmer. The majority of the plants

20

in this room are called epiphytes – plants that thrive in a warm environment.

They grow off of trees – not from the ground – and depend on humidity and moisture to flourish. An example of these plants would be the elegant white and purple orchids at the back of the room that grow in a glass case.

As you journey through this greenhouse and the sweat trickles down your face, you will see the bromeliad plants, which produce pineapples. The bromeliads absorb their food and water through their leaves. The vase in the center of the plant is like a funnel to capture water.

Much like the banana tree, the

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

Banana Tree inside Allan Gardens.

plant dies once its fruit is picked and implants its own seeds. The pineapples take about a year to

“

IT’S A GREAT PLACE TO COME TO LEARN AND SEE PLANTS THAT MOST PEOPLE WILL NEVER SEE OUT IN THE WILD

“

flowers look like orange bells: slim near the stem and broadening out near the petals. The Angel’s Trumpet aligns the pathway all the way to the back of the room and leads you to the last greenhouse in the Gardens: The “Cactus House”.

The cactus greenhouse is one of the most intriguing and awe-inspiring rooms in the Gardens. After Evoy identifies the cyclamen plant

to an elderly Brazilian woman who is showing a picture of it on her digital camera, he points out the Golden Barrel Cactus.

“The spines of the golden barrel cactus always point to the south so you’ll always know where you are in case you’ve gotten lost in the desert and happen to see it,” he says. Cacti are typically loaded with water and use their spikes to repel desert animals. As you advance and survey the field, you will see the aloe vera plant, which is known to grow in parts of Africa.

The succulent plant is renowned for treating burns, diabetes, colitis and even genital herpes. It is also used in lotions, moisturizers, beverages and tissues.

The Punta cactus, which is often called rabbit ears, is a slim, tall green cactus covered with white spores that hook onto your skin if touched and can be impossible to get out. Another annoying cactus is the euphorbia.

The leaves that grow off its stalk produce a white sap at the tip of its stem that is so irritating to the skin that it could cause a rash. Evoy reminisces about a time when this happened to his chin.

Next on the journey takes you to the cicely, which is used to make rope in Cuba. Just beside this is the agave cactus. “It’s used to make tequila and syrup,” says Evoy.

There’s also a Children’s Conservatory, where children can “experience things like worm-composting and planting produce they used for lunch,” says Christine Kennedy, a former superintendent of Allan Gardens. “It’s part of the curriculum so the kids aren’t missing school and get to learn about the life-cycle of plants. They have a great appreciation too.” Evoy seconded that. “It’s a great place to come to learn and see plants that most people will never see out in the wild,” says Evoy.a

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

GARDENS IN THE CITY INDOOR Allan Gardens Conservatory 19 Horticultural Avenue Open: Monday to Sunday,

10 a.m. – 5p.m.

Spotlight

grow. The Tropical House is home to many of the fruit that can be found at Allan Gardens. Plump but immature lemons rest on one tree while the coffee, vanilla, and papaya trees are around the room.

Another unique fruit grown here is the carambola or starfruit, which grows in parts of Asia and Indonesia.

Guava and ackee – Jamaica’s national fruit – grow in the other Tropical House, which is just past the green door located at the north end of the Palm House. This room, which was added in 1957, is a little bit cooler than the other tropical house because there are no epiphytes in this room. Although this room is a little less interesting than some of the other rooms, it is home to some of the world’s medicinal plants like ginger, hibiscus – to make tea and other mild medicine in the Caribbean – and lavender cyclamen, which is native to the Mediterranean and parts of Africa.

Perhaps the most attractive flowers in this room are the brugmansia (a.k.a the Angel’s Trumpet).These

Bay-Adelaide Cloud Forest Conservatory 184-230 Yonge St. Open: Monday to Friday,

10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Centennial Park Conservatory 151 Elmcrest Road Open: Monday to Sunday,

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

OUTDOOR Cedar Ridge Creative Centre and Gardens 225 Confederation Drive Open: Dawn till Dusk, every day, year round.

Edwards Gardens 777 Lawrence Avenue East Open: Dawn till Dusk, every day, year round.

High Park South side of Bloor St., west of Keele St. Open: Dawn till Dusk, every day, year round.

Humber Bay Park Lakeshore Blvd. W, east of Royal York Rd. Open: Dawn till Dusk, every day, year round.

James Gardens Edenbridge Drive Open: Dawn till Dusk, every day, year round.

Toronto Sculpture Garden 115 King St. E Open: Dawn till Dusk, every day, year round.

Toronto Music Garden Queens Quay Blvd.

Open: Dawn till Dusk, every day, year round.

21

Spotlight

Vanishing Act Toronto’s Fading Punk Scene

BY KHRISTOPHER REARDON [Get the fuck out].” If you knew this place you’d smile and say at least this place hasn’t lost its spirit. Ceiling tiles are missing in place, wires are exposed, and the hard concrete flooring seems like the most dangerous place to mosh around on and fall.

“

“

I

t’s a cold late January night and some people are hanging out at the bar watching all of the younger punks mosh in the pit to live Toronto punk and hardcore bands playing on stage. The bartender, a young woman, has a sheet of paper taped to the bust of her hoodie saying, “You fucking suck.” Perhaps that was meant for the band.

Some walls are kicked in, graffiti is all over the place, especially in the washroom where all the stalls are covered with band names or tagged by patrons. Looking to the far left scrawled in large spray painted letters is the phrase “Tits or GTFO

The Big Bop is such a huge part of the music scene, especially in my life.

But the atmosphere is almost as

dark as the lighting. The mood of these alternative-scene kids is heavy. The Big Bop is closing tonight and with that, many will lose what they consider to be one of the best local independent music venues. Amid the scuffs, dirt and grime collected on the floor lies the spirit of that breakneck music scene. Tonight the Big Bop dies and there’s one less place to go for the many who would rather this ratty chaotic hell hole than one of the several trendy fashion nightmares catering to the larger population down the street.

Terrorchargers front man John Tard tells me a story about his sis-

GURPREET GHAG Streets turn into a blur with people passing by the Big Bop along Queen Street .

22 22

YYZ YYZ •• yyzmagazine.ca yyzmagazine.ca

Spotlight

ter’s first time at the Kathedral, “it was a 3Tards show,” he recalls, “she was with her boyfriend at the time and this guy ran over and just barfed right on his shoes. They looked down and they were disgusted, all of a sudden this Kathedral security guard ran over with a mop and mopped up the puke with this disgusting mop. Then he lifted up the mop into the air and walked through the crowd with it, and this mop was brushing up against peoples hair. My sister said, ‘You know what? That would only ever happen in the Kathedral.’ ” The Big Bop, also known as, Holy Joes and The Reverb has gone by many names to many people and acted as an all-ages venue. It served as a mainstay for the smaller independent music scene within Toronto for years.

Two nights before the older crowd came out to pay homage to long established Toronto punk bands.

Tard sprayed the name of his new band on the wall behind the stage because this place meant so much to him.

“The Big Bop is such a huge part of the music scene, especially in my life,” says Tard, 39. He’s the former

GURPREET GHAG The Big Bop’s remains still tower over Bathurst/Queen corner.

front man for the 3Tards, a punk band infamous for its crazy stage shows, the band played at the Kathedral so many times that he had to go back to collect the remains of the bar after deconstruction started. Now hanging on the wall of his place is a piece of that same stage he played on over 40 times before.

“If I didn’t love that venue I wouldn’t have gone through the bullshit to grab that piece of the stage,” said Tard. “It’s a huge loss to the city and it’s a huge loss to me especially considering I played that Kathedral stage more than any other

GUPREET GHAG The purple monolith is still netted down by the street cars lines.

yyzmagazine.ca yyzmagazine.ca •• YYZ YYZ

singer in history.”

Notorious in some circles, the 3Tards founded ‘Asscore’ punk music. Tard was known for donning some ridiculous outfits, everything from a frilly dress to a full out Superman costume with a strapon clearly outlined in the spandex around his crotch and going down one of the legs. The band lasted for eight years, from 2001 to 2009, but Tard had been going to the Kathedral long before he started playing there. He sees the alt scene changing and the Kathedral as simply a lynch pin in the process which has seen many popular venues close.

The punk scene is more than just mohawks, hair dye, piss, spit and a little attitude. It’s also a place to belong outside of the borders that society has imposed, it’s about rebellion, resistance, having fun, flipping out or off, and not letting go of the DIY spirit which purveyed the scene in its earlier days.

“It’s just one of those things. It’s Kensington Market. Even though the Kensington Market punk are doing their damndest to try and scare the yuppies and the scenesters out of their environment, they’re succumbing to it whether they like it or not. Money talks. Sadly, money talks,” says Tard. “Now remember, the Big Bop did really well at a lot

23 23

Spotlight

of shows but there were a million other shows that nobody was at.”

Kensington Market, the area beside Spadina south of College Street, serves as a memory of things that were. The classical vintage shops, food stores and pubs dot Kensington Road. On the other side of Kensington Market along Augusta are the art galleries, a restaurant and up-scale shops.

Walking up Kensington and over to Augusta feels a lot like traveling between worlds, the air is different, the attitude. The DIY aesthetic of Kensington Market slowly turns into business attire as you reach the other end. It’s a kind of crazy experience making that walk, you feel like two realities threaded together both co-existing in the heart of the same city somehow. The crazy colourful graffiti and stores give way to a more subdued upright atmosphere, it feels safer along Augusta but the excitement of that unique culture along Kensington Road seems to blend away into a more commercial area along Augusta.

Roger DeSouza, a 14-year vet of Kensington market who owns several stores along the strip including Flashback and King of Kensington

deals exclusively in vintage goods, things that were either used and sold or simply forgotten by time.

For him the changes along Kensington road are slow but he’s seen quite a few changes along Augusta which seem to cater to “more highend people”.

“I think changes in our planet have affected us. When I say the planet, I mean from five, six or seven years to now. You know, Ebay has changed a lot of things, a lot of people shop on Ebay instead of shopping in person. It’s change where we have no control,” says De Suza.

At just past 7 p.m., walking up Kensington market on any Tuesday afternoon and you can see the stores close one by one. In the dimming daylight one might feel a little abandoned.

In front of one of the beer shacks along the road, a small group of punkers blend into their surrounding in a place that once used to host punk shows. Though the culture of the area hasn’t been as vastly affected by the changes as it’s neighbouring street, the punkers in front of the bar stand out against the scene a little more, jutting from the exterior of the market. Where once

GURPREET GHAG The Big Bop crew tell the community goodbye on the marquee.

24

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

there would have been many there are now four punkers.

Tard says it’s cyclical. The punk scene is in transition though he thinks it won’t die within the city, he admits, for the scene to survive it’s going to be rough for a few years.

“What we’re going to have now is, instead of having big shows with lots of punk bands on ‘em, you’re going to have lots of smaller shows,” he says. “It’s impossible to put a punk rock lineup in some of the generic locations. It won’t happen. You’ll have out of town punk rock but you won’t have local.”

All-ages venues are in short supply, which means hardcore independent alt music is going to go unheard by a younger generation of punks. Most punks in the area remember the venue with a certain fondness.

One of the locals who attended a lot of shows at the now late Big Bop, Nicole Wilson, remembers how it was at the final show for the 3Tards.

“Everyone I know what was close was there, and we just had a blast drinking, moshing and no drama whatsoever. It was great,” says Slacker. She describes her better days at the venue as “legal, chaotic fun.”

As the doors close for the final time on the Big Bop and the construction crew rolls in the next day, pictures surface of the destruction of a place that already seemed to be falling apart. In hindsight, for many, it was the only thing really holding the alt scene together in that area. As the walls get knocked down so does the punk scene in the area. Only the scribbles on bricks try to impose some kind of ownership and it becomes obvious that, although these walls come down, the memories of what this place meant to so many will still stand.a

d a l G Gl

e n o t s d a

fo

e h rt

Spotlight

BY SHANE KALICHARAN

S

itting solidly on the corner of Queen Street West and Gladstone Avenue, a Victorian styled structure stands out from the crowd. The rough brick body and stone arches over the windows and doors separate the Gladstone Hotel from its surroundings. A simple classic red and white “HOTEL” sign hangs on the intersection corner.

Above the main entrance, fluorescent lighting provides a soft glow, and a small preview of what’s waiting inside. The building may look small, but don’t let it fool you.

Step inside, the spacious foyer decorated with unique art pieces from all over Toronto. To your left is the quaint Gladstone cafe. On your right is the Melody Bar, where hundreds of musicians have expressed themselves on stage. Straight ahead is the entrance to the Ballroom, which as its name suggests,

“ ” There are about a hundred events per month, it’s crazy

is an area for private parties and events complete with its own bar.

Beyond a staircase leads to the second and third floors, but take the authentic hand-operated Victorian elevator – one of the few remaining in Toronto.

The 115-year-old building, ac-

26

cording to current hotel president Christina Zeidler, has never closed its doors to the public, making it Toronto’s longest continuously operating hotel.

The original owner, Susanna Robinson, operated and lived in the hotel with her 13 children before the Zeidler family purchased it in 2002. Renovations and restorations took place in 2003, steering the hotel in a more artistic direction while still keeping a vintage atmosphere.

Under operation by the Zeidler family, the hotel became a landmark for the Toronto art community. Its 37 rooms are all unique, each painted and designed by different Toronto-based artists who, Zeidler says, reflect the cultural community in Toronto.

“It’s [the hotel] reaching out to the cultural community – it teaches about Toronto’s culture.”

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

In addition to the rooms, the hotel also houses two suites, both designed by the Zeidler family. One of the suites, simply known as “The Best,” offers a breathtaking view overlooking the cityscape via an exclusive staircase up to a second suite floor.

Zeidler says she drew a lot of inspiration from Parkdale, the area around the hotel. “Parkdale’s an interesting area,” says Zeidler. “It was a wealthy area that got left behind when the Gardiner Expressway came in. The art community is

Spotlight SHANE KALICHARAN Clockwise from left; Queen and Gladstone Ave., Art Display, Melody Bar Sign.

strong here though.”

She hopes that people can ultimately get a lasting flavour of Toronto upon visiting the hotel.

Although he has only been there for a few months, Jeremy Vandermeij, the Creative Director at the Gladstone, sees how strongly tied the hotel is to the art community.

“There are about a hundred events each month, it’s crazy,” he says.

Vandermeij recently hired several interns to the Gladstone to increase the output of event coverage. Monthly events include musical performances, film screenings, art exhibits, speakers, book readings, and even private parties.

With so many events going on, the Gladstone has something to appeal to almost anyone.

Hotel visitor Dexter Lestage was impressed.

“The people here are great. The place has a sort of homey feel,” he says. “It’s a nice and intimate venue.”

During Black History Month, the Gladstone hosted a slew of celebratory events. One of those events, “Ha Ram Bee,” which is Swahili for “Party with a Purpose,” served as a function to raise AIDS Awareness while promoting music by African born Canadian artists. Event host Uitsile Ndlovu says it has been going on since 2005 and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Ndlovu says she was caught off guard by the Gladstone.

“I didn’t think it would be so big,” says Ndlovu. “It looked small from the outside. I heard the rooms are all different which is cool. The food here is fantastic, too.”

The Gladstone offers food from a critically acclaimed menu praised

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

by Canada.com, the New York Times, USA Today and National Geographic Traveller, among others. Food items at the Gladstone promote environmental friendliness, organic foods, and local economics by supporting Ontario farmers while maintaining fair food prices. Every Wednesday, the Gladstone holds Harvest Wednesday, an event where the hotel’s Chef Marc Breton invites guests to experience fresh produce harvested in accordance to the local growing season with a unique menu varying each week. Harvest Wednesdays is supported by many local farms, personalities such as CBC host Mary Wiens, and local beverage partners like the Steam Whistle Brewery.

With 115 years of running service, the Gladstone has seen great changes in Toronto, it can be found at 1214 Queen St. West at the corner of Gladstone Avenue and Queen Street West.a

27

A walk through Toronto Photo essay by YYZ reporters

On the corner of the Gooderham building, known to Torontonians as the Flat-Iron building.

SHANE KALICHARAN

ROYEL EDWARDS

Toronto’ underground .

A sculpture looms large over pedestrians in the heart of the Distillery District.

30

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

BRENT TENNANT

ROYEL EDWARDS

Catching the train at Bloor Station.

The peak of the Princess Gates.

SHANE KALICHARAN

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

31

Lake Ontario is home to many beautiful swans.

Streetcars frequenting downtown Toronto.

32

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

ANGELO MAZZIOTTI

ROYEL EDWARDS

ROYEL EDWARDS

Enjoying the view of the lake at Harbourfront Centre.

DONALD HENDERSON

Flora at Allen Gardens.

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

33

An alleyway mural behind the Big Bop at Bathurst and Queen Streets.

SHANE KALICHARAN

Traffic on Bay St.

34

KHRISTOPHER REARDON

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

Fireworks display on Canada Day.

NATALIA BUIA

A bee enjoying a flower.

NATALIA BUIA

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

35

Shutterstock

Stand up for your rights

“

“

Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them – and then, the opportunity to choose.

-C. Wright Mills

BY DAN ILIKA

As science has shown, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And while Newton may have been talking about physics, the theory seems fitting just about anywhere.

Take democracy, for example. If the foundation of democracy is freedom, and if Mills was right and citizens of a democratic society are entitled to choose, then it’s only natural for reaction when decisions are made without public consent.

(1916-1962) American sociologist, advocate of public-political engagement

September 24, 2009: As the crowd forms you can sense the tension, the defiance; you can feel the sense of opposition in those around you floating like a heavy cloud. It is burgeoning from inside of the masked souls scattered around the streets; it is written on the signs of others. As night falls, the chants can be heard over the sounds of marching boots and police batons being slammed against plexi-glass shields in unison.

activists have the ability to use outlets like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, among others, to connect and get their messages heard.

“It’s a time in history where … you can connect with someone who thinks like you and cares about something like you on the other side of the world instantly, so you can connect [with] like-minded people. And then we have these tools to kind of be the media. “[Now] it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be out in the streets yelling and screaming,” he adds. “Your form of protest could be connecting with people, organizing and figuring out how to use our ability to connect and our ability to be the media. That can be the new form of protesting.”

As with any paradigm shift, though, it takes structure in order to work effectively, and Zak hopes he can provide just that.

“If everyone at this Summit can take their content and label it, say with ‘Toronto G20’, and then post it to all these social media sites,” he says. “Then we can have every little group collective get a feed from Flickr looking for photos with Toronto G20 or can get a feed from YouTube with Toronto G20 and we can have this massive chunk of media that’s the people’s view.”

To carry out this strategy Zak’s plan, which he calls the “unified social media labeling system,” will see him handing out business cards at the demonstartion with the importance of controlling media and instructions on how to upload and label content to the Internet printed on them.

While Zak’s plan to change protesting has the ability to become effective, he admits that it is a more conservative form of activism and there is still a need for organized on-the-ground protest.

Enter Andrew Donovan, a former police foundations student at Georgian College who found his calling on the other side of the proverbial fence.

Donovan, who now works with Zak through g20central.com, takes an organized, traditional approach to protesting.

“How our economy grows and shrinks and how our markets are affected really wasn’t in the control of the people that we elect,” says Donovan when asked why he got involved with G20 protest. “I felt as though this is now being controlled by an international forum which is the G20. I mean, who would know how to fix the Canadian economy better than Canadians? And here we are sitting in an international forum trying to turn our economy around.”

But even as Donovan hits the streets in the name of his cause, he believes there is a clear divide between radicals and protesters – one that should be respected.

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

Spotlight

“We, the people, have the right to assemble,” repeats the crowd, a reaction to the abrupt and forceful action taken by police in Pittsburg during the G20 Summit.

While these events took place in Pennsylvania during last year’s Summit, Torontonians can expect similar demonstrations this summer as the city hosts the leaders of the G20, a group of finance ministers, central bank governors and other delegates from 19 nations and the European Union.

On June 26 and 27 downtown Toronto, known for its array of events – from Pride to Caribana and everything in between – will be home to a different kind of event as the Group of 20 meets at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to discuss and implement financial plans and policies regarding worldwide economic growth.

The international committee, whose website boasts that “member countries represent around 90 per cent of global gross national product, 80 per cent of world trade (including EU intra-trade) as well as two-thirds of the world’s population,” meets twice annually to discuss global financial matters that affect people everywhere.

For protesters, it is these decisions being made behind closed doors that affect so many in the world that are most troubling. And it is these decisions that lead to reaction.

“Ever since (the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in) Seattle there’s been protests at all these summits and I think they have a limited utility to tell you the truth,” says Judy Rebick, a renowned activist and author who currently holds the Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy at Ryerson University.

“I think initially they were very useful because they brought to attention the problems of these international organizations that were anti-democratic and that were making very important decisions about people’s lives on a global level and that there was kind of a new form of governance which was not democratic.”

And while Rebick may be right, Toronto has the opportunity to be different.

“Protesting is ineffective if it’s just large crowds that look angry,” says David Zak, a protest organizer who runs g20central.com and has turned to social media outlets to stand up for the rights of the unheard. “It probably works against the people. You get labeled as leftist and extremist and it just puts you back a notch.

If there’s an issue that actually upsets you, then you have to find people that think like you and you have to say, ‘How do we approach this so that we’re effective and can actually communicate properly’.”

According to Zak, this is where social media comes into play, as now more than ever before protesters and

Continued on page 48

37

OTTAWA - JANUARY 23: citizens gather to protest Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to prorogue Parliament.

Spotlight yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGES

39

Spotlight 40

“[The media] make it seem as if people who protest are generally a bunch of anarchists or kids who feel like they can change the world, which to me isn’t such a bad thing,” he says with a laugh, citing media coverage of activism at the Vancouver Olympics as an example. “The media didn’t care what the peaceful protesters with the signs had to say in Vancouver, they didn’t give a rat’s ass what they had to say. The whole time on CTV’s coverage of this was these anarchists dressed in black with black bandanas over their faces throwing mailboxes and stuff like that through the windows of (Olympic sponsors).”

According to Donovan, people like the vandals in Vancouver give protestors a bad name as the media soaks up their actions and packages it to viewers as what protesting is all about.

“You even saw it with the Sri Lankan protests (last summer),” he says. “When they ran onto the highway it wasn’t that they had a legitimate concern or a legitimate thing they were fighting for it was, SHUTTERSTOCK ‘Well how dare they stop rushAbove, OTTAWA - JUNE 29, 2009: Forestry workers demonstrate in the nation’s capital demanding more support for their industry from the hour traffic’.” federal government; Top, LONDON- APRIL 1, 2009: Police are out in full Vandalism can also have a reforce as 35,000 protesters converged on Central London during last verse effect, says Rebick, as small year’s G20 Summit. groups of anarchists can put large groups of people in danger by increasing police retaliation.

To avoid situations that would out of the pens. That’s normal huplace the safety of delegates and members of the public man behaviour. So as soon as they at risk, the government and law enforcement officials create free-speech zones they create are implementing a variety of tactics, one of which is confrontation, inevitable confrontation.” the use of ‘designated free-speech zones’ for protestors Another tactic that has been used by police in the to use. These zones, which were first used at a NAFTA past, most notably at a North American leaders’ summeeting in 2007, use live video feed to allow protest- mit in Montebello, Quebec, is the disguising of law eners’ concerns to be projected to delegates inside who forcement officials as protesters, also known as police choose to watch. provocateurs.

But according to Rebick, containing large groups to Organizers like Donovan are concerned about the use restricted areas is a problem waiting to happen. of these undercover officers, but law enforcement offi“Designating free-speech zones is asking for trouble,” cials are staying tight-lipped as to whether or not they she says. “The whole city should be a free-speech zone will be used in June. and if you try and pen people in, then you’re just ask“The ISU (Integrated Security Unit) will use a numing for trouble because people are going to try and get ber of different security methods to ensure a safe and

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

Events

there’s something unjust going on or there’s something not fair, there’s something that has the potential to affect our future negatively then you should stand up and say, ‘Listen, we have to organize and we have to do something about this’.

“The thing that’s really frustrating is … the majority of people who are going to be there because of the spectacle,” he continues. “It’s not going to be organized and some of them want to just cause problems and some of them just want to be part of something that feels exciting.”

If protesting is something that you can see yourself involved in, Donovan has some advice as you take the next step.

“Protesting might not get you the results you want it to,” he says. “But it definitely opens up the public’s eye to the concerns of the citizens of the city that they live in and the country that they live in and in the G20’s case, in the world that they live in and it’s a good opportunity to get SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGES out there and voice your Police in riot gear will be a familiar sight in Toronto during the G20 Summit. concerns. At the samesecure Summit for both the delegates and the public,” time people need to realsays RCMP media relations official Michele Paradis. ize that we’re doing this for the betterment of Canada “The vast majority of protesters are peaceful … the po- not to go and destroy the city that they live in, the city lice will not tolerate criminal activity, however.” that they love.”

It’s not just the police, though, that want to ensure Much like Newton’s theory, protesting can have repeace and order among those in attendance. actions to the actions taken by demonstrators. But if “I only think they should [protest] if they actually care you organize and protest effectively it can be crucial in about something,” says Zak. “I guess if you read an taking back the right to choose. article or watch a YouTube video that gets you upset So weigh your options – after all, it’s the foundation and then you do some research and you find out that of your freedom.a

41

Events COURTESY ANDREW WEIR

Caribana fever

BY RICHARD HINKSON

A

rainforest of colours highlights the rhythm of the dancers. Lost in another world, they take you along with them with their smiles and free spirits. Who knew you could be in a different world on the streets of Toronto?

What started as a community project back in 1967, the Trinidadian Carnival-inspired event known as Caribana has evolved over the

42

years to become a premiere Caribbean festival. Last year, the festival attracted 1.2 million visitors.

The parade, originally a contribution to help celebrate the Canadian Centennial, proceeded along Yonge Street led by what are known as “mas band” leaders, which is short for masquerade bands.

One such mas band leader is Louis Saldenah, who came to Can-

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

ada from Trinidad in 1970 but didn’t get involved with the parade until 1977. His father, Harold “Sally” Saldenah, was also a longtime mas band leader in Trinidad for Carnival.

Saldenah, who has won an impressive 15 Band of the Year awards at Caribana during a 33 year span and designs his own costumes, recalls the difference between Caribana of

‘‘

“

WHAT PEOPLE CELEBRATE IS THE FESTIVAL, NOT THE NAME

Some of the events include the official launch at Nathan Phillips Square on July 14, the Junior Carnival parade on July 18 – which showcases some younger mas bands in full masquerade – and “Pan Alive” on July 31, which shows off the finest in steel pan music.

As hard as the festival has worked to grow into the cultural powerhouse that it is today, the festival has been plagued with financial problems for many years, some through a lack of government funding, some through mismanagement which eventually led to the City of Toronto cutting its funding of the C.C.C in 2005.

Since then, the festival has partnered with Scotiabank and now goes under the official name of Scotiabank Caribana Festival.

“I think within the Caribbean-

Canadian community this was a shock.

It’s the first time that you’ve seen a major corporation put their name on a 40-year tradition,” says Stephen Weir, who looks after all the media for Caribana.

“However, as somebody who works in the arts, corporate sponsorship is what makes it or breaks it for museums and art galleries, for everybody. I think what people celebrate is the festival, not the name.”

Saldenah believes that Caribana benefits almost everybody – from the City of Toronto, to the airlines, to the local hotels and restaurants.

For him, the future is a family affair. “The good thing about it is I’ve seen a lot of new young people as band leaders coming into the parade, including my sons. So the parade, from an artistic point of view, is in good hands,” he says.

And while Caribana may be light years away from reaching the same plateau as the Trinidadian Carnival, people like Saldenah are forging ahead to help make Caribana rival Carnival in every single way.

For more information about Caribana, please visit the official website at www.caribanafestival.com.a

CARIBANA TIDBITS 1967

The first Caribana is presented in conjunction with the Canadian Centennial festivities.

Events

the past and the Caribana of the present.

“The first band I brought out, I just had 95 people and most of the bands were about 150-175 people,” Saldenah says. “Last year, I had a little over 1,500 people.”

The biggest Caribana draw, of course, is the massive parade which now travels down Lakeshore Boulevard through the Canadian National Exhibition grounds on July 31, but it’s not the only thing to attend during the three week event.

1968

August 5 to 10 is declared Caribbean week by then-mayor of Toronto, William Dennison.

1970-71

Parade moves to University Avenue, providing more space for patrons.

1991

The parade is moved from University Avenue to the Lakeshore strip, where it has taken place ever since.

1997

An $800,000 debt leads to a boycott by mas costume makers. Fans are disappointed.

2005

City withdraws funding but the show continues. Platinum selling American rap superstars Jay-Z, Kayne West and Rihanna perform at a surprise block party, Roc Da Caribana.

2006

The C.C.C forfeits organization duties but keeps the name “Caribana.” The festival is named the Toronto Caribbean Carnival but people still call it Caribana.

2008

Caribana finds itself sponsored by Scotiabank. The new corporate sponsorship paves the way for a joint project with the Royal Ontario Museum, resulting in the Roots to Rhythm exhibit. (source: Now Magazine)

COURTESY DAVE TOLLINGTON

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

COURTESY DAVE TOLLINGTON

43

Events

CHEERS TO 30 YEARS:

Pride shines bright

GURPREET GHAG A woman dances in the street at last year’s Pride festival.

D

r. Suess once said, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

Toronto Pride’s acronym – LGBTTIQQ2SA, is just as Suessical. Michael Ain, the Marketing and Communications manager of Toronto Pride, explains.

The most recent A addition was to represent our Allies. “Family members, colleagues, sponsors and anyone that has been a fundamental support for the queer movement over the years,” says Ain. “The rest of the acronym stands for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual community, as well as the intersex, queer, questioning and 2-spirited populations.”

44

Pride celebrations began in Toronto in the 1970s as a way to mark racial, linguistic, and sexual diversity in the city. In 1981, Operation Soap was a raid by the Toronto Police Services against four gay bathhouses in Toronto. More than 300 men

“

It is a chance to share with the world who we are and what we’re all about.

“

BY JILL CECCHINI

were arrested, marking a major turning point in the history of LGBT communities in Canada.

The raid motivated gays and their supporters to organize a

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

major demonstration, held at Yonge Street and Wellesley, on the day that followed. Overall, this event raised public awareness of queer issues and, for the first time in 1984, Church Street was closed and people danced in the street.

“What people may not know about Toronto Pride is that our origins are very similar to the riots of Stonewall that escalated into New York Pride,” says Ain. In 1969, drag queens and queerstreet kids rioted at the oppression of the gay and lesbian community into Pride. Toronto quickly jumped on the bandwagon, baring all for the world to see.

Torontonians have the freedom to join in on waving the bright colours of the rainbow flag, to especially celebrate the 30th an-

a way without torment, prejudice or question,” said Fredrick Ball, 29, a member of the gay Toronto community. “If people would open their minds and educate themselves, I am sure any negative feelings toward Pride would dissipate.”

Ball also says he believes Toronto Pride is a positive celebration for everyone in many ways, because it is a celebration of togetherness that helps build families and

events for people identifying in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered communities.

“It will be amazing,” says Ball.

“It is our chance to share with the world who we are and what we’re all about.”

WorldPride was first held in 2000 in Rome, followed by Jerusalem in 2006. Toronto beat Stockholm with 77 votes to 61 at the InterPride 2009 Conference in St. Petersburg, Fla. Mark Singh, cochair of Toronto Pride, says the decision came down on October 19, 2009.

“WorldPride is a celebration of

Events

niversary of Pride this summer.

“I think the most important thing about Pride Toronto and Pride week is remembering the 30 years

GURPREET GHAG Photographs from last year’s pride parade.

of Queer History, which grew into a movement which places Toronto as a forerunner for Human Rights and Equality around the Globe,” says Ain. Toronto Pride is one of the largest in the world, and it grows each year. Toronto Pride officials stated that Pride Week 2009 contributed $136 million to the City’s economy and attracted over 1 million participants.

This year, Pride week begins June 24, with festivities taking place until July 4th. “It’s a time when everyone can let loose, be themselves and express themselves in

bridges between communities.

Toronto has won the bid to host WorldPride in 2014, a first for a city in North America. The event is expected to draw an extra quarter-million people, which will cost organizers an additional $10 million .

Founded in 1982, WorldPride promotes the LGBT communities on an international level, increasing networking and communication among Pride organizations all over the world. Events during WorldPride include parades, marches, rallies, festivals, cultural activities, or any other organized

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

all things queer and a platform to push the queer Human Rights agenda,” says Mark. “It is a dream come true to be able to bring WorldPride to Toronto in 2014.”

Pride promotes self-expression, heritage, and an ever-growing community. Pride week is a celebration of diversity, and the acceptance of subtle differences.

Pride represents age, ability, race, colour, gender, and sex. But most importantly, Pride is a feeling.

As we all know, closets are for clothes. Coast to coast and around the world, Pride shines everywhere.a

45

City’s Finest

Toronto a la carte FINDING THE BEST BURGER IN THE CITY

BY MICHAEL VAN OOSTEN

F

inding a hamburger in Toronto isn’t hard to do. Around almost any corner is a McDonalds, Burger King, Harvey’s or Wendy’s, all offering burgers with one, two or three patties, in many sizes.

And while these burgers are inexpensive, a really good burger will sometimes be found in a place that’s not advertised on TV. Let’s start off on Queen Street East, where there are at least two good places to find a great burger.

First, there’s Dangerous Dan’s Diner. Located at 714 Queen St. E., the Double D offers two of the biggest burgers in the city: the “24 oz. Bulls Balls Burger” at $14.95,

“

“

MOST PEOPLE CAN’T BELIEVE THE SIZE OF THESE DAMN THINGS

46

and the “Colossal Colon Clogger” at $23.95.

“Those are what we’re most famous for,” says Double D Chef Bill (Bill is the only name he uses).

“Most people can’t believe the size of the damn things. People don’t even try to hold them. They just stare and go right for their knife and fork.”

Both burgers are 24 oz. of beef topped with all the classics and have to be served on separate plates. The “Bulls Balls” comes with your choice of fries, onion rings, perogies and greek, garden or ceasar salads as a side, while the “Colon Clogger” is topped with two fried eggs, ¼ lb. of cheddar, ¼ lb. of bacon, a poutine on the side, and your choice of a large chocolate, strawberry or vanilla milkshake.

RANK:

Just down the street at 688 Queen St. E. is the small, but excellent, Burger Shoppe. Serving daily, fresh

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

from the butcher beef, the Burger Shoppe offers classic, cheese, organic and veggie burgers, topped with all the standards, as well as the choice to add old cheddar, horseradish, caramelized onions or an extra beef patty. Your choice of fresh-cut fries, hand-battered onion rings, poutine, or mixed greens as a side to the burger, will cost under $7.00.

RANK:

If you’re on Roncesvalles Avenue, why not check out The Dizzy. Located at 305 Roncesvalles Ave. and called a “Sports Gastro Pub” by Owner/Chef Scott Murie, The Dizzy serves classic pub and bistro style foods and offers what they call “The Ultimate Burger.”

“It’s 11 oz. of NY strip loin, grilled to perfection, however you want it,” says Murie. The burger comes topped with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, grilled mushrooms, old cheddar and smoked bacon and with

RANK:

Located at 573 King St. W., Craft Burger offers classic, cheese and veggie, all 6 oz. patties that can be doubled with all the standard toppings. More interesting, are the “Craft Spicy”, with glazed onions and chipotle mayo, the “Craft Red”, with gorgonzola, garlic mayo and roasted red peppers, and the “Craft Blue”, with gorgonzola, garlic mayo, and avocado.

All burgers are made with fresh ingredients and come with a choice of fries, onion rings, poutine or mixed

greens as a side, all at a cost of $10.00.

RANK:

And finally, if you’re ever down on Eglinton Avenue West, try out The Burger Shack. Located at 233 Eglinton Ave. W., The Burger Shack has been in business for over 30 years, selling burgers that make people line-up out the door to get one.

“It’s always like this,” says Ioan Gheordanescu, a prep cook and server at The Shack. “On any given day people will be lined-up outside to get a burger inside. I guess we make good burgers.”

The Burger Shack offers both frozen and handmade burgers. Frozen burgers are what you’d expect, while the homemade burgers are 6

oz patties, charbroiled right in front of you, how you like it, and definitely taste better. On your burger you can choose between regular and glazed onions, hot peppers, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and all the standard condiments, prepared right in front of you. Have hand-cut fries or fresh battered onion rings as a side, and all cost under $10.00. Under $8.00 if you order a frozen burger.

RANK:

City’s Finest

hand-cut frites (fries) with special “Dizzy” mayo as a side. “The Ultimate Burger gives us great business,” says Murie. “A lot of people like it, especially when they find out it’s made from NY strip loin.”

These are some of the best burger places in Toronto. And the best out of this selection, at least by this taster’s choice, is The Burger Shack, followed by only half a patty by the Dizzy’s Ultimate Burger. If you want to be intimidated, try The Colon Clogger. It’s scary.a

ROYEL EDWARDS From top left: Dizzy’s Ultimate Burger; Dangerous Dan’s Colon Clogger; The Burger Shoppe.

BURGER RANKING I’d rather feed it to the dog Tofu tastes better than this Needs a lil’ something Worthy of seconds Tastes just like heaven -

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

47

City’s Finest

g ve the and

city

REEM ABU-JAZAR Annapurna offers a vibrant, tranquil eating space.

BY NATALIA BUIA

T

he guy at the next table orders four pieces of bacon, two slices of processed cheese wrapped between two battered, deep fried chicken breasts. It’s a heart attack in a mouthful. As the grease spreads through napkins and the ketchup stains his shirt, all the herbivores in the room wonder if the meal is as good going in as it is coming out.

48

Everyone’s always talking about where to go to eat the best burger, the spiciest wings or the thickest steak, but what about us herbivores who come in peace, looking to paint the town green? Toronto is a great city in which to be a vegetarian.

With the help of the Toronto Vegetarian Association, aiming to help people live a healthier life-

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

style, there are now more animalfriendly restaurants than ever before.

Associate Director of the Toronto Vegetarian Association, David Alexander, says a vegan or vegetarian diet prevents chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and lowers both blood cholesterol and pressure.

For both vegetarians and hardcore

City’s Finest REEM ABU-JAZAR Owner of Pulp Kitchen, Marie Crawford, hard at work.

wheat, and 100% vegan, but it’s also uniquely served with almond topping and fresh fruit.

Alexander recommends whole wheat bread rather than white bread which is high in sugar and takes longer for the body to process.

“I recommend the mushroom

“

It takes seven times more land to feed a meat eater than a vegetarian.

“

vegans, Toronto offers a wide variety of servings for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

To quench your thirst, Pulp Kitchen, located at 1129 Queen Street East, has a bevy of smoothies among other things. This juice bar’s philosophy is “to nourish the body and eat pure food.” Owner Marie Crawford says the Red Blazer is a favourite among customers because of its fulfilling, creamy texture. It’s made with raspberries, orange juice and banana and costs $4.

“There are higher nutrients in the vegetable juices,” says Crawford.

“The Rejuvenator is very energizing.” The drink consists of carrots, ginger, apple and parsley.

Unlike other juice bars that use additives and other hidden ingredients, Pulp Kitchen’s drinks are made with nothing but fresh fruit and vegetables.

Alexander says cutting down on animal products can reduce our carbon footprint and help with climate change.

“It takes seven times more land to feed a meat eater than a vegetarian,” says Alexander.

Due to late morning meetings, traffic on the highway or overall hectic work schedules, skipping out on a traditional breakfast is not unusual. That’s why Pulp Kitchen also includes a healthy lunch menu for those who want to stop by later in the day.

The French toast is worthy of a gold star. Not only is it whole

burger. It’s soy based. We take a whole Portobello mushroom, marinate it and add organic baby spinach,” says Crawford.

If ethnic food is more up your alley, there are two underrated restaurants to visit without having to

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

take out your passport.

The first is Annapurna which specializes in South Indian cuisine.

It’s the city’s oldest vegetarian restaurant. Located in the Annex at 1085 Bathurst St., it was open to the public in 1974. The restaurant was operated by students of a meditation teacher, Sri Chimnoy, who imgrated from India. ``It was probably the first nonsmoking restaurant in Toronto and the first to serve Chai,” says current manager Deva Vira.

For the first time customer, Vira recommends the masala dosai – a rice and lentil crepe filled with potato curry and served with coconut chutney, for $6.95.

All dishes at Annapurna are dairy free. Alexander says a popular mistake new vegetarians make is replacing meat with eggs and dairy.

It’s good to show resistance towards processed foods.

“Tofu isn’t processed so much,”

49

City’s Finest

“Tofu isn’t processed so much,” says Alexander.

A popular dessert at Annapurna is the chocolate tofu pie for $3.95.

It may have been around for decades but, currently, the restaurant is quite surprisingly slow.

Annapurna is a restaurant worth the time to check out, not only for the food but the bright and clean decor as well. Sitting at any of the white tables surrounded by a botanical haven will make any customer feel tranquil and refreshed.

An hour’s walk from Annapurna is White Lotus, a Vietnaese restaurant located at 303 Lansdowne Avenue. A new vegetarian once recommended the fake shrimp; a deep fried and battered appetizer for around $6.

White Lotus offers fake meat with almost every main dish. The alternative beef, pork and chicken can make a stomach curl, but the vegetarian shrimp was rich in flavour.

Another item that pleases taste buds is the spicy “hue” soup for around $8. It’s a large portion. so be prepared to take the rest to go.

When eating at White Lotus, stick with appetizers. The portions are as large as the main dishes, for a few dollars less. Eating appetizers like the wontons or shrimp, will fill you up.

Commiting to a healthier, green lifestyle shouldn’t be intimidating. It’s as easy as tofu pie. Herbivores can easily find a tastey cure for hunger in Toronto, a city full of vegetarian restaurants.

The same guy with the lust for deep fried chicken and bacon appears the next day to order food again. He seems to have washed the ketchup stains from his shirt.

This time, he has traded his greasy fork for chopsticks; he ordered a vegetarian stirfry.a NATALIA BUIA From top: White Lotus’ wontons and shrimp, soup and salad, veggie stir fry.

50

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

City’s Finest

A beautiful place, a beautiful game

JASON RAUCH Scallywags - The big yellow building on St. Clair West that people can’t help but notice.

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

BY JASON RAUCH

S

ome things in life are certain: death, taxes and the World

Cup. Once every four years one country hosts this soccer extravaganza and, on June 11, South Africa will be the first country from the African continent to host the tournament. One month later a champion will be crowned.

Millions of eyes will be watching from around the world on TV sets from countries as large as China to ones as small as Monaco; from the First World to the Third World. Everyone will be in on it.

The only question is: where are you going to be watching it all go down?

YYZ has made your choice a little easier. We went to places big, small and enormous to try to help you pin down a place to call your World Cup home.

Your home away from home is often only a step out the door. Little intimate bars are dotted throughout most cities. Most cater to specific national teams, but the experience can be quite jovial.

“A lot of people that come here know each other from around this community,” says Victor Almeida, owner and operator of Café Mocha on Nelson Street in downtown Brampton.

The community feeling leads to conversation about the game, the

51

City’s Finest

weather or pretty much anything else that’s going on.

Almeida can be found tending bar between cigarette breaks, dishing out $4 bottled domestics and whatever food is on the menu for the day.

The menu isn’t substantial, but who goes to a bar for food?

Small bars usually draw a pleasant crowd with large ethnic representation, like the Portuguese Cafe Mocha.

“Well, when they win anyway,” says Almeida through a smile and a laugh.

Maybe small and intimate is not your scene and you want something a little bigger, with more choice food-wise.

“

This is a place where the general public can come and watch games, but day to day patrons are more of the hardcore footy fan.

They can listen to whatver they want to listen to, watch whatever they want to watch...

“

Scallywags Pub might be it. Located at 11 St. Clair West, it’s big and has more TVs with more choice of what to watch.

It’s a place for the English supporter by far, according to Jeff May, the Scallywags owner. But it gets its fair share of pretty much every other national team supporter depending on the games shown that day. “[For England] we can be packed.

The English fans that come to Scallywags are football fans, so they’ll come and watch a lot of the games out of interest. It’s not just about watching the England game,” says May. “For any good match you’re going to get a lot of people out ... just to watch the football.”

Its standout yellow facade means it can’t be missed, and inside the feeling is that of a British pub, just bigger.

52

“I know English guys that have looked at the schedule and have booked those days off work already.

Right through to the finals,” May says.

Then there’s the giant Wegz Stadium Bar in Vaughan.

Wegz sits on Rutherford Road just east of Highway 400. It’s a massive 2,200 square metre structure with about 100 TVs hanging on walls. Just for some perspective, an average restaurant is around 560 square metres. Of the 100 screens on the walls of Wegz, there’s 10 huge screens, a private room with its own big screen and a giant theatre-sized screen on the back wall, all in High Definition, not to

JASON RAUCH Clockwise from top left: Pouring a pint up on Scallywags patio; Outside Wegz, where the parking lot can look like Wal-Mart on the weekend; Wegz has a party every night; Scallywags inviting patio; a couple enjoying Scallywags; Scallywags’ main bar and dining room.

YYZ • yyzmagazine.ca

“

City’s Finest

just as they will for South Africa 2010 – and there were lines.

“We don’t open until 11:30 a.m.

Well, by 11 o’clock in the morning there were 50, 60, 70 people waiting outside, in line, to get in to the building,” says Gladman.

Not only are there TVs everywhere, the sound system is unparalleled.

The place is split without walls into four areas that hold at least 100 people and keep things separate.

“They can listen to whatever they want to listen to, watch whatever they want to watch and not interfere with other people’s experience,” Gladman explains.

Being in Woodbridge, Italian games get a large draw. However, there’s plenty of excitement for other national teams as well.

“

mention the bench seating with individual TVs. “When we say Canada’s only stadium bar, Canada’s biggest sports bar, it’s really the case,” says Justin Gladman, Senior Operations Manager of

If you can’t be at the game then you should be here

Wegz Stadium Bar. The place is enormous and can seat up to 800 people and Wegz needs the space since they usually get about 500 to 600 for most major events.

“Because we can seat 800 people, guys and girls know that they can go out with 20 of their friends and get seated all together,” Gladman says.

“There aren’t very many places in the city you can do that.”

And it’s not just for hockey and the NFL. During the European Championship in 2009, games started around two in the afternoon –

yyzmagazine.ca • YYZ

“Spain is a really big draw too.

The German team as well. The Portuguese, the Spanish, the Italians,” says Gladman.

Wegz tries to make the experience like nothing else.

“We really want people that come here to get that same sort of experience that they get when they go to the game,” Gladman says. “If you can’t be at the game you should be here.”

The downside is there is a cover.

It can range from five bucks for popular events to $30 or $40 for the big events like the final World Cup game.

You could always just stay at home watching on your own TV, but where’s the fun in that?

To paraphrase Almeida Café Mocha, soccer is a funny sport and it gets people talking, and that’s why it’s so much fun.a

53