Neighbourhood Living West, Winter 2013 Issue 8 by Neighbourhood Living Magazine

CELEBRATING NEIGHBOURHOOD PEOPLE

Winter 2013 • Issue 8

west

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meet the nl teAm! Allison Anthony Neighbourhood Promoter/ Contributing Writer/ Photographer A devoted resident of Little Italy and the Annex, Allison Anthony has stuck to her comfortable quadrant for many years. Since joining Neighbourhood Living Magazine, she has travelled east of Yonge Street more than five times and continues to be amazed at just how much Toronto’s east and west end neighbourhoods have to offer. CArolyn tripp Neighbourhood Promoter/ Writer/Photographer/Social Media Manager Carolyn Tripp is an artist, writer and creative consultant living in Toronto’s west end. She has a soft spot for vintage and local fashion and loves showcasing the city’s best boutiques and designers. Her favourite time of year is when she gets to bust open the boxes and revisit all of her favourite seasonal standards–and the accessories she forgot she purchased the year before! pAmelA hiCkey Graphic Designer On Career Day in Grade 5, Pam got up in front of the class and told everyone she was going to be a race car driver. Naturally, she became a graphic designer but still doesn’t own a cool car. She is happy to bring the pages of NL magazine to life and celebrate our vibrant neighbourhoods. trACey CoveArt Editor/Feature Writer/ Photographer A writer, editor, columnist and photographer, Tracey Coveart emerged from the womb with a pen in one hand and a camera in the other and has been fortunate to find a home for her skills in a rich list of publications over the past 30 years. In 2011, upon emigrating from small-town Ontario to the bustling metropolis of Toronto, she landed on the doorstep of Neighbourhood Living Magazine and has made her home within its glorious pages ever since. Tracey has a fierce love of family, chocolate, bubbly things, lightning, a good turn of phrase and orangutans. GreG BArsoski Publisher/Photographer/ Neighbourood Promoter A hammer was the first tool I ever used–putting nails into the kitchen floor–and I have been building ever since: three paper routes as a kid; large businesses for corporate interests; and now a media business building community spirit. I love Toronto, especially its neighbourhoods (great neighbourhoods make a great city!) and I am lucky so many people have allowed me to participate in the life of their neighbourhood by sharing their stories on the pages of this magazine. I have been blessed to make it this far and still retain my sense of humour. My motto is to serve with an open heart.

From the

editor’s Deck It’s winter in the neighbourhood. And sadly, I’m not a winter person. There are stairs to salt, driveways to shovel, car windows to scrape, icy roads to navigate and a dog to walk in subzero temperatures. There are coats and hats and mittens and boots and scarves to clutter my doorway; sweaters and chenille socks and slippers and extra blankets piled beside my bed. There are snowstorms and snow tires and snow days and and snowsuits and snowballs and snow forts and snow angels and snowmen. There are long, dark nights and short, bright brittle days, when nostrils pinch and burn and tree limbs crack under biceps of white or glittering jackets of ice. And it’s freezing. Always freezing. I’m a cold-blooded type; my body adjusts to the temperature around me. Clearly I was meant to live in a place where the mercury never dips below 22 degrees Celsius. Like a snake—a gentle, loving snake like our ball python Taka—I’m a basker, a huddler, a hibernator. But the neighbourhood never sleeps. Not even when the window panes rattle and frost. In fact, it’s a hive of activity. Which is a good thing, because there is no time for hibernating, especially with Christmas just around the corner. Between them, the advertisers that support this magazine will get my winter-weary tuchus through another season of snow and ice, and I’ll barely feel the chill–not just because they’re so close to home, but because they generate a warmth that I haven’t found anywhere else; a familiarity that makes me feel like I’m shopping with friends. James and Joseph at The Motion Room, who make working out not only fun and effective but affordable with their revolutionary Personal Co-Training program; Nataliya at The Beauty Studio, where I went to treat my neglected epidermis to a little laser rejuvenation and left feeling like I had a new face and a new best friend; Rob and Chris Lundy at Shakey’s, who have turned a local bar into a friendly neighbourhood gastro pub (and my favourite place to take my mom-in-law for lunch); Tod Waring of Waring Works, with his garden sculptures and mobiles that pay homage to Mother Nature; Bill Mohan, a real estate agent with a passion for people and our shared architectural heritage; Emad the Jordanian/Brazilian chef at Broastyy, who takes his chicken so seriously he invented his own rotisserie; and so many more. Visit them. They exist for you and because of you. A neighbourhood is something so remarkable that social scientists have yet to agree on an exact definition. Some say: ‘A specific geographic area in which face-to-face social interactions occur and residents seek to realize common goals and maintain effective social control.’ But it’s like winter. It’s cold. They’re missing the feeling of a neighbourhood. And it’s the feeling that makes a neighbourhood so special. They way it feels when you walk into your corner store and the owner greets you by name, and asks about your mom and dad and their moms and dads. The way it feels when all the dogs rough and tumble in the dog park while their owners toss balls and chat about kids and politics and work and the weather. The way it feels to belong. A neighbourhood is a beautiful, indescribable thing, and we celebrate ours, here, on the pages of this magazine. Happy Holidays. Happy Winter. Happy Neighbourhood Living. www.neighbourhoodliving.com

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NEXT ISSUE: March 2014 Delivered to homes and targeted businesses in Bloor West, The Junction, Roncesvalles, High Park, Royal York, The Kingsway, Swansea and Baby Point. Editor/Feature Writer: Tracey Coveart Graphic Designer: Pamela Hickey Social Media Administrator: Carolyn Tripp Neighbourhood Promoters: Carolyn Tripp, Greg Barsoski Printer: Ironstone Media Contributing Photographers: Judy-Ann Cazemier, Tracey Coveart, Marc and Arlene (Hazzan) Green, Dennis Hanagan, Carolyn Tripp

In the Neighbourhood 6 - High Park home unites three generations of art history curators 11 - Turn the winter blues green 12 - Friendly, affordable, effective fitness 16 - The dog days of winter 17 - Roncevalles optician takes like by the horn 18 - Journeys bu Judy: Castle in High Park

Fashion + Beauty

Contributing Writers: Judy-Ann Cazemier, Tracey Coveart, Paula Deresti, Marc and Arlene (Hazzan) Green, Dennis Hanagan, Carolyn Tripp

22 - Fashion forward 23 - Fashion finds in Your Neighbourhood 25 - The hidden gem of the film industry 26 - Peeling back the layers 27 - Service, selection and satisfaction 29 - Neighbourhood Source Guide

Publisher: Greg Barsoski

Neighbourhood Living Magazine is now in its 5th exciting year, celebrating the wonderful people and places in our neighbourhood. Do you own a business in the neighbourhood or are you thinking of becoming a local merchant? For ways to increase your cash flow, contact Greg Barsoski at 416-402-4283 or b5@sympatico.ca. 19 Ravina Crescent, Toronto, M4J 3L9

Food + Celebration 30 - Where everybody knows your name 31 - Chef Feature: Dave Neinstein 34 - There’s a nip in the air and the soup’s on 35 - The little shop with a big vision

Home + Garden 38 - Tod Waring put his heart and soul into metal work 44 - Rocking the foundations of home ownership 48 - Neighbourhood Walking: The Junction Art Constitutional 50 - New kitchen or kitchen makeover? 52 - Upcoming Events 53 - Wriggle away the blues with a vermicomposter 54 - Gift Guide

ON OUR COVER: Metal artist Tod Waring uses fire and imagination to create his colourful garden sculptures, spinners and mobiles that pay inspired by Mother Nature. See more on page 39.

All rights reserved info. No article or ad may be duplicated without the consent of the publisher. Neighbourhood Living makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the qualification or accreditation of those whose opinions are expressed herein, or with the respect to the accuracy of completeness of information (medical or otherwise) provided to, or published in, this magazine. The views and opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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High Park home unites three generations of art history curators In the way that certain people are drawn to certain houses, some grand old homes have a way of bringing like-minded people together. This is certainly the case at 267 Indian Road in High Park, where the lives of three men–Eden Smith, Terry Ryan and Bill Mohan–have been inextricably interwoven through history and a passion for art and architecture. This story, at least this chapter, ends with the sale of Eden Smith House on October 2, 2013, but it begins more than 150 years ago in England. Eden Smith The son of a master builder, Eden Smith was born in 1859 in the industrial city of Birmingham and was already an accomplished artist and draftsman by the time he emigrated to Canada in the mid 1880s. Working as an apprentice for the firm Strickland and Symons in Toronto, he was promoted to architect in 1890 and struck out on his own in 1891. Five years later, he designed and built a home for his family on Indian Road–Eden Smith House–the second on the street. Originally intended as an artists’ enclave, he built 11 more in the area over the next 10 years, four more on Indian Road, many of them for esteemed members of the Toronto arts community. Increasingly annoyed with the intensification of the neighbourhood, he abandoned High Park for Wychwood Park, then a heavily wooded 22-acre estate on the edge of the escarpment above Davenport Road and west of Bathurst Street, where the artists’ collective could live in a semi-rural retreat-style setting. There, he designed 11 homes over the next 17 years. (In recognition of Wychwood Park’s unique characteristics, it was designated as a heritage conservation district by the City of Toronto in 1985.) He also designed custom family homes for affluent clients in The Annex, Rosedale, Poplar Plains and Forest Hill as well as Grace Church on the Hill, a studio for his Group of Seven friend Lawren Harris, the Spruce Court and Riverdale Court Apartments, the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, and three public libraries: Wychwood, High Park and The Beach. In all, Eden Smith’s firm designed and built an estimated 2,000 buildings in and around Toronto, many of which are still standing and a few of which have been granted historical recognition. Eden Smith was also an accomplished violinist, artist and writer; an active member of St. Thomas’ Church; a fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada; a member of the Ontario Association of Architects and St. George’s Society; a patron of the Central Ontario School of Art and Industrial Design; and a founding member of both the Arts and Letters Club and the Toronto Architectural Eighteen Club (the Toronto Society of Architects). He died on Oct. 10, 1949, at the age of 90. www.neighbourhoodliving.com

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Eden Smith is regarded as the father of the Arts and Crafts architectural movement in Toronto—if not all of Canada—a movement that regarded architecture as an art form more than a technical profession. His humble asymmetrical ‘English cottage’ style homes stand out among the more elaborate, ornamented Victorian houses of the time because of their unpretentiousness, their simplicity and the way they embrace the beauty of nature and light in the urban environment. Completely unique to Eden Smith is the ‘turnaround house,’ in which main living spaces turn away from the street and face south or toward a garden, with main entrances ‘hidden’ at the side of the house to allow for privacy and a garden view. In Eden Smith’s words: “The best art is to make nature do as much of the work as possible. Nearly every room of the house should be placed so as to get as much sunshine as we can give it, and at that time of day when it will best add to the enjoyment of our use of the room.” Terry Ryan Like Eden Smith, Toronto artist Terry Ryan is also recognized as a founding father. An Ontario College of Arts grad inspired by other Canadian artists who had painted in the Far North, Terry first sailed to Cape Dorset, Nunavut, in 1959, then returned to work as the general manager of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative (WBEC) in 1960–the first non-Inuk ever to be hired by an Inuit-owned association. He stayed for the next four decades, officially ‘retiring’ in 2000 to focus on Dorset Fine Arts in Toronto as the director of Kinngait Studios. During his 40 years managing the independent Cape Dorset co-op, Terry–who also served as postmaster, Justice of the Peace and coroner– introduced printing techniques including engraving, lithography, etching and aquatint, established a letterpress print shop, travelled by dogsled to deliver pencils and paper and pick up drawings from artists who worked remotely, sourced stone for carving (setting his own dynamite charges!), established a visiting artists program and various fine crafts programs, set up an international network of Inuit art dealers across North American and Europe, managed the production of Cape Dorset’s annual print catalogue and founded the Dorset Fine Arts marketing and distribution centre in Toronto, turning the co-operative into a multimillion dollar enterprise. Known fondly as titirtuaqtuq (man who loves to sketch) by the people of Cape Dorset and considered a friend, helper and a member of the community, “he had his mind,

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his head, and his heart with the Inuit,” recalls Bill Ritchie, a Newfoundland artist who ran the WBEC Lithography studio. “He was a very, very dedicated person.” While in Nunavut, Terry amassed a collection of more than 100,000 drawings by local Inuit artists. These are now safely stored at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg on a long-term loan agreement. Dating from the 50s, this priceless collection of the first 40 years of drawing in Cape Dorset offers a rare glimpse into Inuit culture through narrative and memory art, “at a time when this particular group of people was very anxious to comment,” Terry says. For his extraordinary work and dedication, Terry received the Order of Canada in 1983 with this citation: “It is largely due to his efforts that Inuit and, in particular, Cape Dorset arts, have become internationally known and the welfare and morale of the people improved.” He received the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal in 1992 and was made an honorary fellow of the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1995. In 2002 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and in 2010 he received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts for his groundbreaking contribution to the development and promotion of Inuit art and

artists at Cape Dorset (Kinngait), Nunavut. The Kinngait print shop in Cape Dorset is the oldest continuously running print shop in Canada and recognized as the most successful printmaking studio in Canadian history. Kinngait is a $20 million annual industry, releasing more than 2,000 editions of fine art prints to international acclaim under Terry Ryan’s innovative and visionary leadership. A match made in heaven When Terry Ryan walked through the side entrance doors at 267 Indian Road with a real estate agent 18 years ago, the spirit of Eden Smith must have rejoiced. Here was a man after his own heart. A pioneer! A man who set out to change the world, and did. A man who understood the imperatives of nature; the importance of light; the intrinsic value of beauty. One hundred and eighteen years earlier, Eden Smith had built his Arts and Crafts home in High Park for a man of Terry’s distinction. Like most Torontonians, Terry Ryan knew nothing of Eden Smith or the historical significance of 267 Indian Road when he agreed to look at the extraordinary property that was well out of his price range. It didn’t matter. Terry fell instantly in love “with the feel of the place; the sweep of the place.” Despite the shockingly garish furnishings of

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the seller, “I was drawn to its underlying artistic sensibilities,” he says. “I could see the house through the architect’s eyes; how he’d designed it and how he would have used it.” It was as if one artist was whispering to the other through the hush of time. It was far too expensive, but it was impossible, having visited its rooms, for Terry to let it go. The Ryans bought the house and Terry and his wife raised a child within the comfort of its walls, making sensible, sensitive improvements over the years, always making sure to stay true to Eden’s intentions and his Arts and Crafts aesthetic. And the house served them well, both as a family sanctuary and a gallery for Terry’s vast personal art collection. Now 80 and living with Parkinson’s disease, Terry is leaving Eden Smith House. And that’s where Sutton real estate agent Bill Mohan enters to finish this chapter of the story. Bill Mohan Terry had come to know Bill over the years through his marketing efforts in the neighbourhood. When Terry decided it was time to downsize, he called the area expert and the two hit it off immediately. “He could tell that I’m patient and respectful and knowledgeable and that I have a real veneration for the historical homes in the High Park area,” says Bill, who has been a licensed agent for 30 years. The fact that Bill has an arts background was the icing on the cake. “I have an affinity for old houses,” Bill says. “They move me. And houses like Terry’s are even more special because there are so few examples of true Arts and Crafts architecture left in the city. You don’t see that kind of love of craftsmanship anymore. You walk into Eden

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Smith House and you see gorgeous trim from a bygone era and gorgeous stained glass windows and wood inlays. There’s a real beauty in that.” For Bill, who has lived and worked in the High Park area for years, “it’s a real treat to be in the business of buying and selling these historical properties. It’s a dream job. And I love it when I can put together a special house like this and people who are really going to appreciate it for what it is. People who are not going to come in and try to change the nature of the house.” Featured in Old Toronto Houses (2003) by Tom Cruickshank and John De Visser, 267 Indian Road is a truly exceptional house–“a magnificent example of the English Cottage style in an historically significant neighbourhood,” says Bill. Design elements typical of Eden Smith include an Inglenook (chimney corner) that was represented in a recent exhibit at the National Gallery (Artists, Architects and Artisans: Canadian Art 18901918), small panelled casement windows, a second floor landing—also know as the musicians’ gallery—with superb acoustics, steep sweeping roof lines, extended eaves, a tall prominent chimney, off centre gables and Eden’s prototypical side entrance. To represent this house, which was designated as a heritage property by the City of Toronto in 1995, Bill went above and beyond, researching the home for three weeks—“not just because I wanted to do the best for Terry and the neighbourhood, but also because there was a lot of joy in this house for me. I talked to the Arts and Letters Club, the Toronto Historical Society, the William Morris Society, the National Gallery of Canada and the owners of the other Eden Smith houses in the neighbourhood. Terry and I discussed strategy for a couple of months before we put it on the market. I had articles in The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Villager and SNAPd. We had 65 showings. In the end, Eden Smith House sold for $1,169,000, the highest price ever paid in the GTA’s W1 district for a house without parking.” While there has been a disturbing trend to tear down these beautiful old houses because they cannot be modified to accommodate all the modern amenities today’s families have come to expect, says Bill, “there is a finite number of historically significant old homes left in our city and people are starting recognize and appreciate that once they’re gone, we can never get them back. That craftsmanship is a thing of the past and we need to preserve it for future generations.” Eden Smith, Terry Ryan and Bill Mohan, are separated by time, distinguished by profession, but united by passion. Each one is, in his own way, a curator of our collective art history; a colourful thread in the tapestry of the Eden Smith House.

Turn the winter blues green

with a tabletop garden

Your bulbs are planted for next spring, your garden has been cleaned and put to bed with a fresh covering of compost or mulch, and you and all the other avid city gardeners are being forced indoors for the winter. But that doesn’t mean you have to hibernate. Just turn your attention inwards ... and think small. Think tabletop! There are a multitude of containers – purchased and found – that you can use to create a tabletop garden, including wooden boxes, serving trays, oversized ceramic mugs, teacups and saucers, and antique or vintage planters and bowls. Add decorative stones, driftwood, shells, bark, seed pods and other accents to enhance your composition. And get creative with your plants – anything from tender annuals, to miniature roses and African violets, to ferns, grasses, ivy and moss, to exotics such as anthurium, ginger and heliconia, to long-lasting, minimummaintenance cacti and succulents. A variety of mushrooms, sprouts, kale, gourds and other vegetables (growing or harvested) can be employed as an unusual centrepiece for a special dinner party. A stunning Bonsai can be the basis of a reflective tabletop garden. Add stones, miniature ferns or moss to complete the theme. Perhaps the sound of water is your inspiration. Start with a miniature table top water feature and create your garden around it, being careful to match the scale of plants and accents to the size of the aqua feature. Love to cook? Line your sunniest window sill with pots of your favourite culinary herbs. You can even plant them in grandma’s Blue Mountain pottery! Don’t despair now that the cold weather is here. There is so much gardening to be done indoors...

Paula Deresti Landscape Design www.pauladeresti.com | paula@pauladeresti.com 416-270-0534 www.neighbourhoodliving.com

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Friendly, affordable, effective ďŹ tness at The Motion Room BY

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Tracey Coveart

www.neighbourhoodliving.com

“

There’s a real sense of camaraderie and support and

encouragement. They’re not out to one-up each other. It’s not a competition to see who can bench press a compact car. There are no meatheads in muscle shirts, with pecs the

”

size of small continents. It’s about feeling better.

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The Motion Room is unlike any fitness training centre I have ever stepped inside. And that’s a good thing. Because I would be too embarrassed to set foot in most gyms these days. In terms of physical conditioning, I am not exactly at my peak. Looking in the mirror— which is an activity I studiously avoid these days—I would say I’m halfway down the slippery slope to unfit and overweight. Activity and I have kind of parted ways, and I spend most of my days hunched over my laptop, snacking on things that will never appear on Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Thank heavens New Years is coming up so I can make yet another resolution I am destined to break. The point is, I wasn’t humiliated when I walked into The Motion Room to interview owners James Cappellano and Joseph Martino for this story. In fact, I felt unexpectedly comfortable and—could it be true?—motivated.

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These guys have done something that no other gym has managed to do. They’ve made working out fun and affordable. Yeah, yeah. I know all about the endorphin rush. But I mean real fun. They had a Halloween Boot Camp for goodness sakes! People worked out in costume, in the dark, using glowing equipment. There were strobe lights and healthy snacks and severed limbs. (Check out the video on YouTube.) At The Motion Room people like me—of modest means and dimpled thighs—are laughing. They’re chubby and sweating, but they’re laughing. And they’re working out together. There’s a real sense of camaraderie and support and encouragement. They’re not out to one-up each other. It’s not a competition to see who can bench press a compact car. There are no meatheads in muscle shirts, with pecs the size of small continents. It’s about feeling better, and how can you feel better if other people who

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have at once both more and less are constantly making you feel worse? It seems pretty simple, but it took two frustrated fitness professionals like James and Joseph—who worked together at the RitzCarlton Hotel in Bahrain for three years—to figure it out and then find a way to put their inclusive, affordable model into practice. They opened The Motion Room in 2010. The TMR philosophy The foundation of TMR sits on four main pillars: Educate, Motivate, Guide and Support. “I was the manager of fitness operations at the Ritz-Carlton and James was the director of resort development and we heard the same thing from our guests over and over again,” says Joseph. “They wanted to work with a personal trainer but it was too expensive. Or they wanted a program they could follow on their own so they didn’t waste their time wandering around the gym aimlessly.” James still remembers the day when he turned to Joseph and said, “‘We need to start a fitness business where we write tailored programming for our members. Where we create a system and train the trainers to administer it.’ We tested it out at the Ritz and it worked. But I wanted to see if we could do it on our own, if we could generate the business ourselves without a welloiled machine pumping customers through the door. So we came back to Toronto and started The Motion Room.” Three years later, their membership continues to grow.

Part of the partners’ success is their no pressure approach to membership sales. “We don’t want to sign you up when you walk through the door,” says Joseph. “We have promotional vouchers, coupons through deal sites like Groupon, dropin sessions, starter packages and even a $99 athome membership where we set you up with an eight-week program that you can take away and do anywhere. If you want to continue, you can talk to us about a membership, which includes 24-hour access to the class booking schedule, meal guides, educational tools, an exercise and fitness library, and the TMR Ambassador blog where members share their fitness journey, supporting one another in their goals and celebrating their achievements together.” And because of the partners’ revolutionary ‘Personal Co-Training’ (PCT) cost-sharing program, personal training at The Motion Room is affordable. “People work in small groups, but it’s not your typical group exercise program where everyone does the same thing,” explains Joseph. “Everyone has their own goals and they’re working on their own program but there are multiple trainers on the floor.” There are very definite advantages to The Motion Room model. “We’re not a big box gym. We’re not a personal training studio,” says James. “Our most expensive membership is $49.” Personal Co-Training=affordable personal training The Motion Room offers four PCT programs: Firm and Tone, for people who want to get strong, build lean muscle and improve their overall health and fitness; Slim and Trim, for people who want to aggressively lose weight and change their lifestyle; Redefine, for people who want to increase lean muscle, reach new levels of intensity and get cut; and Sport, for people who have a specific target or sport goal and are ready to commit. TMR’s 4-Series Re-energizer Boot Camp— classic full body workouts done in a circuit format—supplement the Personal Co-Training Program. All workouts are one hour long and, for best results, James and Joseph suggest members sign up for two to three PCT workouts and one corresponding boot camp workout—Full Body, Core, Movement or Recovery—each week. “We wanted to create a completely different kind of fitness centre experience,” says Joseph. “For a fraction of the cost of one-on-one training, you get a tailored, evolving program and fitness professionals who are on the floor with you at all times to help, educate, motivate, guide and support you. We believe PCT is the future of guided fitness training.” Joseph writes the fitness programs—how to progress and not regress—and every step is backed by solid scientific research and medical evidence. “There is nothing random about it,” he says. “People who have never seen

results at another gym will see results here because we’re not about the newest fads and the newest equipment. We’re about the basics. Our programs periodize your workouts through continuous reevaluation and redevelopment so your body never has a chance to adjust and plateau. Your program continues to change and evolve as you continue to change and evolve, with each step preparing you for the next.” James agrees. “We’re not just giving you a hard workout. We’re giving you a results-based exercise system.” Although they are never more than a few feet away, James and Joseph—both Pro Trainers with Canadian Fitness Professionals Association— don’t get to spend that much time on the floor training members anymore. They are too busy with the business and the fitness science that has made The Motion Room so successful in its first few years. “I love what we’ve created,” says James, looking around the floor with obvious pride. “This space. This system. These people. We have such a good group of happy members getting results. The culture we have created here is like no other place I’ve ever worked. It’s a small group and it’s a small training floor. We have five exceptional trainers and they give their all to our members.” Will there be more Motion Rooms in the future? “I don’t think we’ve quite found the recipe for being scalable,” James admits. “Certainly not for being able to provide this type of service and quality in multiple locations. Our vibe is here. Our life is here. We know every one of our clients by name. Do we want to have multiple Motion Rooms or one really good gym in The Junction?

“Fifty members feels very different than 500 members, which is close to where we are today,” says James, “and 500 feels very different than 5,000. Do we want the numbers to win or do we want our members to win? Our mission is to deliver a great product and we’ve built The Motion Room on honesty, transparency and affordability. Be truthful with people. Give them the right package, not the hard sell. Provide them with the services they need. Show them results. And make sure they leave with a smile. I don’t want $100,000 this month, I want members forever. I want to know that 10 years down the road, you’ll still be coming to my gym.” I shake hands with Joseph and James, and leave The Motion Room reluctantly, which is odd because I don’t generally like to associate with physical exertion. But just being there, in that space, with those happy, sweaty people, made me feel like trading my Blundstones for a pair of sneakers. Sadly, The Motion Room at 3431 Dundas Street West is not my neighbourhood gym, and there are a million reasons why I’ll never find the time to work out, but then again, I am a sucker for a good Groupon deal...

The Motion Room 3431 Dundas St. W 647.351.8671 info@themotionroom.ca themotionroom.ca

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@themotionroom The Motion Room |

Neighbourhood Living

The dog days of winter at PetAgree

It’s cold and blustery outside and Old Man Winter – torn between rain, sleet, snow and hail – decides to throw a little bit of everything your way, including last season’s fallen leaves. You stagger through the door, windswept and tangled, and without even looking in the mirror you know it’s a bad hair day. You make a bee-line for the shower and after a cleansing lather with your favourite shampoo, a revitalizing conditioning rinse, an invigorating towelling off and a few styling minutes with your favourite product and a warm blow dryer, all is right with the world again. But what if you couldn’t wash, dry and brush your own hair? What if you were your pet? “Winter grooming can be a challenge,” admits Linda Kilpatrick, owner of PetAgree Professional Grooming salon on Queen Street West. “On the one hand we don’t want to strip the matted coats of dogs and cats during the colder months; on the other hand we don’t want to wait for the spring overhaul.” Instead, the grooming staff at PetAgree have developed ways to get around the tangles, knots and matting so that stripping isn’t necessary and winter grooming is not only less invasive but actually

soothing for your pet. “There are a number of options available to owners when their pet is need of professional winter care,” says Linda. “De-shedding and de-matting both help to maintain the pet’s coat without sacrificing length”. For the short double-coated and smooth-coated dogs, PetAgree offers a de-shed groom. “Some of these dogs shed a fair amount of hair in January and can become quite ‘aromatic’ during the winter months,” Linda says. “The de-shed bath rids pets of hair and odour, while keeping the home free of excess fur and smelling fresh.” To hold the elements at bay, PetAgree also carries hand-made sweaters and Muttluks booties, as well as Pawz disposable rubber boots and Paw Protectors to guard against ice and salt. To prevent winter fireworks indoors, the salon also offers a conditioning spray that tames static build-up in fur and hair. And if you’re stuck for the perfect Christmas gift for your four-legged friend, says Linda, “we’ve got festive feather extensions, bandanas, bows and collars; Bear Bites dog treats; shampoo bars, brushes and combs; and our wildly popular fish cat beds.”

Dogs On The Go SHORT HAIR & SMOOTH COATS BATH ..........................................................................Toy ..................................Medium ....................................Large Smooth & Double Coats...............................................$30 ..............................................$40 ................................................ $60 Includes any two: nail trim, ear cleaning, anal sac expression, sanitary clip. *Scissoring, Clipping or De-matting extra at $30/hr for any two. *De-shed is $15 per 30 minutes.

Additional salon services include: • Teeth cleaning for dogs and cats with ‘Plaqclnz’’ gel – guaranteed to rid your pet of bad breath and break down plaque and tartar on the teeth. • Nail trims/nail grinding and ear cleaning on a monthly basis. • Face, feet and tail cleanup for in-between grooming periods. • Colour enhancing to brighten those whites, browns and blacks. Discounts are available for monthly or bi-monthly grooms and for owners who have two or more pets. The same services are available for cats, as well as the Pet Style ‘Lion Cut’, a banded creative style and the basic De-shed Groom. Cats must be tolerant of human ﬁngers for teeth cleaning.

PetAgree Professional Grooming 1708 Queen St. W. • 416-536-9064 • petagree.org 16

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Roncesvalles optician takes life by the horn In 2008, Hanna Filarska, owner of Phila Optical in Roncesvalles, travelled to the International Vision Expo in Paris to meet with European eyewear designers. She wanted to make new business contacts, refresh her views on the industry and discover ways to reinvent herself and her optical store. The trip proved to be both an eye opener and a game changer for the west-end optician. Hanna was captivated by eyewear made from natural materials like wood and buffalo horn. She was fascinated by demonstrations of how these frames were made and how they were presented by the European manufacturers. Back at home in Toronto she couldn’t get the horn frames in particular out of her mind. She started researching, then budgeting, so she could place an order with Hoffmann Natural Eyewear in Germany, a company founded in 1978 by Joseph Hoffmann, whose guiding principle was to use only pure, natural horn in production of his frames. Why buffalo horn? As a raw material, buffalo horn offers many environmental and manufacturing benefits. On the one hand, horn is an excellent alternative to tortoiseshell, which is no longer a viable natural material as a result of wildlife conservation efforts. On the other hand, horn is also one of the oldest materials used in eyewear design. Horn is naturally regenerating. The water buffalo is a holy animal in India – not a wild animal. It is not hunted, but used as a working farm animal in rice cultivation. When the buffalo dies of natural causes, the material becomes available – and water buffalo horn can grow to an astonishing two metres in length. The sanding process produces very little waste and the horn shavings are used as fertilizer in vineyards and on organic farms.

Aside from its eco-properties, what makes buffalo horn such a desirable resource for making eyewear? Horn is lightweight, skin-friendly and non-allergenic. And because horn is living material, the glasses warm up to body temperature when you’re wearing them so you hardly notice you have them on. (Much like skin, the natural material needs special care, so every frame comes with a conditioning cream.) Why do people choose horn-framed glasses? There are several reasons. Phila Optical has some customers who choose horn because it does not trigger any allergies. Other customers choose to wear only natural materials. There are those who want superior materials and craftsmanship: horn framed glasses are hand made, not factory produced. And for others, individuality is important: since no two horns are the same, no two pairs of horn glasses are the same. Hanna Filarska followed her intuition (some might call it obsession!) and placed her first order for horn frames in 2011 when she visited the New York Vision Expo. They have been a feature at Phila ever since. Each frame is made to Hanna’s precise specifications, and she selects a variety of shapes, sizes and colours so she can offer a range of options to her clients. If you think you can wait three months, Hanna even offers full custom horn frames, where you order exactly what you want, straight from the manufacturer. For a truly unique eyewear experience, visit Phila Optical and explore the selection of horn frames by Hoffmann Natural Eyewear.

Phila Optical 359 Roncesvalles Ave • 416-538-8580 • philaoptical@gmail.com • philaoptical.com Follow Phila Optical on Facebook and on Twitter @philaoptical www.neighbourhoodliving.com

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Jounes   Ju: 

Castle in High Park by Judy-Ann Cazemier

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Neighbourhood Living

One of the coolest playgrounds in the city is the Jamie Bell Adventure Park in High Park. Just ask any kid. On my most recent visit for Neighbourhood Living, a little boy name Zepelline was having so much fun he refused to leave, despite some very persuasive coaxing from his grandfather, Hilberto. This castlethemed structure is full of so many nooks and crannies, towers and windows that is it usually bursting at the seems with pint-sized princes and princesses who are delighted with their miniature kingdom. I had almost decided to stay home that day. The sky was dark and threatening rain, the wind was gusting up to 50 kilometres per hour, it was a bone chilling nine degrees Celsius and a squirrel was so frantically burying a nut in one of my planters I felt certain he was trying to warn me winter might arrive at any moment. With the weather so inclement, would any children be within the castle walls? The simplest way to get to the playground is to travel along Parkside Drive, enter at High Park Boulevard and take Spring Road. There you will find the duck pond and a parking lot. (Remember this spot. It’s also the best place to view the cherry blossoms in the spring.) Even though the closest subway station is High Park on Bloor, it’s probably a little too far to walk with the kids. (According to Google Maps, it’s an 18-minute drive.) My route was more complex. Not finding the map to be of much use, I asked for directions at the Bloor Street entrance. I parked my car at the lot next to the Grenadier Restaurant and walked down Deer Pen Road, which is gated at both ends. This is where you will find the residents of the High Park Zoo—mostly hoofed creatures—but that’s another story. As I continued by foot, it started to rain and the wind began to blow in earnest. I sheltered with the animals in a small valley, and as I gazed off into the distance I spotted the distinctive spires of the castle—not surprising, since the

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tallest of the copper-topped turrets reaches almost 11 metres skywards. Mother Nature was doing her best to spoil the afternoon, but when I arrived at the castle grounds I found a few children and their intrepid parents braving the elements. Kristiina and her daughter were having fun on the slides and swings, three little girls were scrambling around the smaller set of towers, and a group of older children in costume were using the castle as a dramatic backdrop for a video they were shooting. There was enough happy activity to keep me focused behind the lens of my camera and almost immune to the chill. The Deer Pen Road gates are locked at dusk. I knew this, and yet so absorbed was I in my photography that I lost track of the hour and didn’t make it out in time. As a result, I was forced to take a steep stepped trail back up the hill behind the zoo to get back to my car. Having made this mistake once, I won’t likely make it again. I strongly recommend the easier route!

Park history

The Jamie Bell Adventure Park was designed and built by 4,000 children, parents, teachers, volunteers and renowned playground designer Robert Leathers in1999. According to a sign at the site: ‘Jamie Bell was the General Co-ordinator of the High Park Adventure Committee. He first raised the idea of a community-built playground in High Park and he worked very hard to make the High Park Adventure Playground, as it was called, a reality. He died in the fall of 2002. To honour his memory, the playground’s name was changed to The Jamie Bell Adventure Playground in 2003.’ Detailed relief designs on the largest three-level structure are, I believe, a nod to contributions by firefighters. Because of a blaze that was deliberately set, the castle was destroyed on March 18, 2012. The devastated community rallied, fundraised, donated and rebuilt on July 7, 2012, with Toronto fire and police—many of them initial responders to the fire four months earlier—along with HGTV celebrity home renovator Mike Holmes, Canadian Tire and Landscape Ontario helping in the reconstruction effort. Sources: www.highparktoronto.com/playground. php www.thestar.com/news/ crime/2012/07/07/high_parks_jamie_ bell_adventure_playground_rises_from_ the_ashes.html www.torontosun.com/2012/07/13/ high-park-playground-replaces-onewww.neighbourhoodliving.com

Neighbourhood Living

fashion + beauty

Welcome to Neighbourhood Living’s introduction to fashion, a place for us to feature the designers you know and love, and for you to learn more about the boutiques you’ve always meant to visit. This season we’re pleased to be fashion forward with...

Ziliotto designer and owner, Jennifer Ziliotto Durand, began her career in fashion at the studios of Chanel in Paris, France working along-side Karl Lagerfeld in the accessories department. Upon returning to Toronto, she set out to realize her dream of launching her own label. In 2002, Ziliotto was born. Today, Jennifer has three boutiques in Toronto's Danforth, Queen West and, Bloor West neighbourhoods. She caters to a loyal clientele who praise her for her timeless, comfortable and unique pieces. Her made-in-Canada brand includes organic or bamboo fabrics that are luxurious to the touch. Her clothing is beautifully made; basics that easily take you from day-to-evening andLiving season-to-season. | www.neighbourhoodliving.com 22 | Neighbourhood

You can find Ziliotto designs in three Toronto neighbourhoods and at ziliotto.com 764 Queen W (416) 867-1632 592 Danforth (416) 463-0632 2380 Bloor W (416) 604-1102

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DESSY

Belo Fashions B O U T I Q U E

4 2 0

R O N C E S V A L L E S

www.belofashionsboutique.com 24

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A V E N U E

6 4 7 . 3 4 9 . 8 8 2 2

brides@belofashionsboutique.com

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Leslieville’s

WOTEVER INC. The hidden gem of the film industry WOTEVER INC. keeps Toronto’s Hollywood North warm. Our city is the third largest screenbased production centre in North America, with more than 1,300 television, movie and commercial projects filmed here each year. Standing on set all day or night —especially from October to March—can get brutally cold. That’s why stars, directors, producers, crew and extras have been trusting the experts at WOTEVER INC. with all their winter gear needs for the past 10 years. The Leslieville company is the hidden gem of the film industry. “A lot of the film people who come to the city from LA are not used to Canadian winters,” says WOTEVER co-owner Bridget Faroo. But with quintessential winter gear from such brands as Canada Goose, Sherpa Adventure Gear, Nobis, Quartz Nature, Kombi, Woods and Ibex, “we can outfit them from head-to-toe. Electric gloves, merino thermal (and electric) underwear, shells, wool insoles, hats, mitts, snow pants, parkas. If we can’t keep them warm and dry, no one can.” WOTEVER INC. also retails to the general public, and despite being a ‘destination’ store at Dundas and Carlaw, it is frequented by neighbourhood shoppers. “We have all kinds of clients who come to us for cold-weather solutions,” says Bridget. “Police officers—who also work as extras and security on film sets —dog walkers, newspaper carriers, crossing guards and hockey moms and dads are among our regular customers. Basically anyone who has to spend time in the cold.” Bridget, who managed wardrobe departments

for production companies, and her business partner, Anne Dixon, a costume designer for stage, film and television, started WOTEVER INC. (the ‘WOT’ stands for Wardobe and Other Things) as an industry house that specialized in renting and retailing all-weather gear, kits and supplies to costume designers and stylists. “As far as we know, we are the only company in the world that has combined this kind of rental and retail for the industry,” says Bridget, and certainly the only business of its kind to open its doors to the neighbourhood. “Part of our mandate is to promote Canadian companies and businesses with a philanthropic, social or ethical mission,” says Bridget. “Let’s face it, only Canadian companies really understand Canadian winters. Kombi is a Quebec company that has been in business for generations and Canada Goose has been an internationally esteemed name for around 60 years.” Sherpa donates a portion from every item sold to The Paldorje Education Fund for less fortunate Sherpa children, many of whom live in impoverished conditions and are the ones who suffer the most when a Sherpa guide is injured or killed in a climbing accident. Ibex is trying to keep its manufacturing strictly North American. With manufacturers like that on your side, “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,” Bridget is fond of saying. “The bottom line is, if you buy the right gear that fits correctly, it will keep you warm on the coldest Canadian winter day. If that weren’t true, we’d be out of business!”

WOTEVER INC. • 11 Dickens St. • 416-461-1033 wotever-inc.com • info@wotever-inc.com www.neighbourhoodliving.com

Neighbourhood Living

Peeling back the layers

at The Beauty Studio by

Tracey Coveart

I am an aesthetician’s worst nightmare. When I walked into The Beauty Studio in The Junction the other day and put my 50-year-old face in the expert hands of senior skin therapist and owner Nataliya Patriki I felt sorry for her. She was so sweet and gentle and earnest and eager to help. We were starting with a simple Q&A and I was heading for an epic fail. “What is your skin care regimen?” she asked. I don’t have one. Bless her, she didn’t even flinch. “Do you wash with soap and water?” No. Well, yes, when I’m in the shower. To prevent further humiliation, she tried a different tack. “Have you ever had any skincare treatments?” No. Clearly this was going to be harder than she thought. Nataliya put down the clipboard and asked me to lie down on the treatment table. Then she went over every square inch of my face under a magnifying lamp, pointing out breakouts, old scars, sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles. My biggest problem: dehydration. My face was like the Gobi Desert. I could see Nataliya mentally wringing her hands. Where to start? I was like a blank slate and she had all of these different pieces of chalk. “There are so many treatment options that would be beneficial for you,” she said. “Microdermabrasion.” Cool. “A lactic acid peel.” Go for it. “Laser skin rejuvenation.” Definitely! My skin was feeling adventurous. “But I can’t do them all. Not on the same day.” In the end, she felt the laser would offer me the greatest benefit if I ended up doing just one treatment and never darkening her door again. My friend and NL colleague, Carolyn Tripp, had been to see Nataliya the week before. In fact, it was Carolyn’s recommendation that sent me scurrying all the way across town to The Beauty Studio. I’d seen her the day after her treatment and she looked and felt terrific. Carolyn’s favourite part—and mine, too —was the initial cleanse and moisturize. Using non-comedogenic toners from Dermatologica, Nataliya removed Carolyn’s makeup (I wasn’t wearing any), unclogged our

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pores and moisturized our face and neck in a soothing massage-like treatment. Carolyn had told me to breathe deeply because the products are derived from natural ingredients and they smell fantastic. The relaxing pineapple facial was tempting, but both Carolyn and I were keen to test the effects of the laser. Nataliya—a certified medical aesthetician—has received extensive training on the use of this $120,000 stateof-the-art machine and she was going back in time to treat old wounds and stimulate collagen production far below the surface of our skin. The pulse can be used to treat anything from precancerous skin lesions to rosacea to unwanted facial hair. “It really is a miracle machine,” says Nataliya, who has had clients cry on her table because the results have changed their life. And looking at her own skin, which is milky white and flawless, Carolyn and I were both inclined to believe her. The zap of the laser is a bit startling—like the snap of a rubber band—but certainly not painful, and a layer of gel acts as both a protector and conductor. Although others might disagree, I found the procedure relaxing. It was warm and bright, and Nataliya and I chatted amiably as she moved across my face, pressing the tip to my skin. She is frank, but not critical. Extremely knowledgeable but not preachy. Friendly, with a lively sense of humour and a genuine curiosity. I like her enormously. When we were done, Nataliya gave me a customized skin health prescription. She went easy on me. A hamster should be able to follow this program. There was no pressure. She gave me some free samples, but she didn’t try to sell me any products. She didn’t expect me to follow my prescription, but she encouraged me to try. If only to drink more water. Nataliya told Carolyn and I what to expect over the week following our treatment. The dead skin cells would darken and fall off as the epidermis renewed itself. We would start to see results immediately, including improved skin tone and clarity. The appointment—including initial assessment, laser skin rejuvenation and

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treatment recommendations—took an hour and a half, and both Carolyn and I felt refreshed, youthful, when we left. My skin was like butter. I was tempted to keep stroking it, but Nataliya’s mini-education session on the evils of bacteria put the fear of god into me. (I did let my husband and daughter touch my soft cheeks. Once. After they washed their hands with soap.) Nataliya normally books a 15-minute followup appointment one week after a laser treatment, but I already want more. I’m going back in two weeks for my first ‘chemical peel’ —a great way to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars and prevent breakouts. And Carolyn? I want her to try the 24K Gold Skin Treatment. It’s real gold, which seems a little decadent. But heck. It’s Christmas and she’s worth it.

The Beauty Studio 3112 Dundas St. W. 416-836-1949 skintherapist.ca book@TheBeautyStudioToronto.com

Service, selection and satisfaction at Beaulieu Vision

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten.” Spoken more than two centuries ago by US Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, this statement still rings true today. We, as consumers, are all too often sucked in by the deep-discount deals designed to push sales volume. Once the allure of having ‘saved’ money wears off, we’re often left with a product that doesn’t quite deliver what it promised. Then we find ourselves back at square one. Enter Beaulieu Vision Eye Care Boutique, a family-run business that has garnered quite a following in The Kingsway and beyond for its attention to detail when it comes to both service and product. Established more than ten years ago in a space that once housed a shoe store and later a restaurant, Beaulieu Vision gives you the product you want delivered with the service you need. It’s a one-stop shop that takes you from eye examination to eyewear purchase with an ease of transaction that you just can’t get at an eyewear chain location. When Beaulieu says customer satisfaction is their number one priority, they mean it. After years of working in the optical business with ophthalmologists in Etobicoke, Cathy

Beaulieu decided to strike out on her own. A specialist in contact lens fittings, Cathy liked the fashion direction in which the eyewear business was headed. Together with her brother Tom and colleague Wolfgang, both licensed opticians, she happily settled into the Kingsway location, and in February of 1999, Beaulieu Vision opened its doors to the neighbourhood. Cathy’s daughters, Christine and Jennifer, helped in the family business from an early age, filing paperwork, answering phones and sharing opinions on frames with customers. The girls also travelled with their mother to eyewear expos in New York, Paris and Milan, getting a big taste of the fashion side of the business. Jennifer, in particular, wanted to become more involved but didn’t have the necessary qualifications. The twoyear Opticianry program at Georgian College, then a two-year co-op placement, paved the way for a full-time position at Beaulieu almost four years ago and now she’s the boutique’s go-to frame stylist. If she doesn’t think a particular set of frames looks good on you—even if you do— she won’t just take your money. Instead, she’ll suggest other options based on the shape of your face, your skin tone and other factors before you make your final decision. And more often than

not, you’ll end up choosing something else. She’s got a great eye for what works and what doesn’t. While all members of the well-rounded Beaulieu Vision team are educated in every facet of the optical industry, each has his or her own specialty. For Cathy, it’s contact lenses; Jennifer is the frame stylist; and Tom is the expert in optical lab finishing. It’s a team that works efficiently to deliver a level of service unmatched by the big chains. Because they are an independent optical boutique, Beaulieu Vision is not limited in their resources or their frames. They can call on any lens manufacturer, which means they are better able to meet the individual needs of their clients. And if you can’t find the right set of frames from among the more than 20 lines they carry in-store, they will visit trade shows with you in mind, searching for frames that match your specific requirements. Beaulieu Vision carries contact lenses and a wide variety of the latest and hottest fashion frames available in the industry from such noted manufacturers as J.F. Rey, Lafont, Tom Ford, Chanel, Tiffany, Oliver People, Martin & Martin, Ray-Ban, Maui Jim and Theo, offering on-site eye examinations of all types as well as free exams for kids 18 years of age and younger. And just in case the promise of great eyewear and great customer service isn’t enough, it’s nice to know that Beaulieu Vision is a small business with a big heart. The annual Out of the Cold was born out of a conversation Cathy had with one of her customers several years ago. Sponsored by the Kingsway BIA, of which Cathy is currently vice-chair, the November Christmas concert is now the biggest fundraiser for the Out of the Cold program, raising $10,000 annually for this important charity that helps keeps people in need warm during the winter months. Beaulieu Vision also supports Read for the Cure and has been a fixture at the Taste of the Kingsway Festival, an annual event that has grown to be one of the top festivals in Ontario, attracting more than 150,000 people each year. Whether it’s out in the neighbourhood or in the store, Beaulieu Vision has always put people first. They treat their customers like family, placing enormous importance on their eye health and providing them with the best quality products available. Because that’s the way it should be with a family business.

Beaulieu Vision Eye Care Boutique

2938 Bloor St. W. (just west of Prince Edward Dr) • 416-233-EYES (3937) beaulieuvisioncare.com • contactus@beaulieuvisioncare.com www.neighbourhoodliving.com

Neighbourhood Living

JUMP for JOY !!!

‘Tis the Season for

imals

Show & Sale DEC 1 - JAN 2 Mangia & Bevi

Laisy Daisy

260 King St. E.

1515 Gerrard St. E.

Small Works Show (from DEC 15)

Dimensions Custom Framing & Gallery 732 Queen St. E.

stephimals.com

New Collections for your Holiday Shopping Your Ultimate Destination for Beachwear & Accessories

Specializing in: • Women’s + Men’s Bathing Suits • Casual Wear • Accessories + more

HOLIDAY D TOY & FOO DRIVE

rd Dec 1st-23 y n a Drop off le b a sh ri non-pe new a r o s m food ite y to unwrapped

2989 Bloor St. W. | T. 647.341.9236 | www.coralbliss.com 28

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NeighbourhoodSource Guide w Another Story Bookshop 315 Roncesvalles Ave • 416-462-1104

w Maggie’s Farm

w Tailoress

407 Roncesvalles Ave • 416-537-4356 • maggiesfarmvintage.com

335 Roncesvalles Ave, Unit #4, 2nd Floor • 647-351-0761 www.tailoress.ca

Proudly independent since 1987.

A vintage curio emporium experience!

We specialize in books for adults and kids about social justice, equity, and diversity. We also have an extensive collection of small press titles, Canadian and international fiction, cookbooks, and bestsellers. Ask about our customer points program!

A treasure hunt on Roncesvalles with a selection of great women’s and men’s second hand and vintage clothing, footwear, and accessories. Furniture, retro, kitsch, buttons, art, albums, books, leathers, toys, and furs. See you soon!

w Articulations

w Mrs Huizenga

All your wardrobe solutions. Featuring our own Karamea line and retail shop with stunning bridal accessories, Tailoress is your go-to for every wardrobe riddle. We can work with existing pieces, or create new ones based on what suits you best.

28 Roncesvalles Ave • 416-533-2112 • mrshuizenga.com

w The Sweet Potato

Local, Creative, Cool

Thinking outside the fashion box.

2995 Dundas W • 416-762-4848

We are a locally run art store located in the heart of the Junction neighbourhood. We are creative navigators here to provide you with art supplies, cool art workshops, and creative exhibitions.

Come see our new digs at 28 Roncesvalles for items not available in other shops. Fun and whimsical: A chock-a-block with whatnot! Come looking for one item and get immersed in our archeological dig of vintage finds.

A full service natural foods grocery store. Featuring everything from the finest in local organic produce, fabulous fresh baked goods, fresh organic meat and dairy - all at amazingly sweet prices!

3097 Dundas St W • 647-726-9400 • blackdaffodil.ca

w Natureal

w Trap Door Boutique

Glamour and style for every fashion lover.

3072 Dundas St W • 416-767-3072 • theearthcollection.ca

2993 Dundas St W • 647-827-6994 • shoptrapdoor.com

Comfortable, fabulous, eco-conscious fashion.

Fashion for the artistic professional.

Formerly the Earth Collection, Natureal carries an array of cozy cotton knits, clothing, jewelry, baby gifts and gifts-to-go and more. Ready for warmer weather? Natureal also keeps a constant stock of sun-dresses and accessories for trips down south and future trips to the beach here in town!

A distinctive boutique in the heart of the Junction, Trap Door blends modernist design trends with local flavor. Delivering high quality pieces from Canadian designers, the shop features clothing, shoes, boots, handbags, and jewelry.

2928 Dundas St W • 416-901-7464 • articulations.ca

w Black Daffodil Our boutique features unique women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories from across North America. We mix modern designs with a 1940s glamour twist, referencing a sophisticated pin-up woman. Every day is a possibility for great vintage-inspired style.

w Casual Affairs

w Trove

2873 Bloor St W • 416-233-4779 • casualaffairsclothing.com

w Planet Kid

Something exciting for everyone.

87 Roncesvalles Ave • 416-537-9233 • planetkid.ca

Casual Affairs offers versatility in every-day clothing, we offer Canadian brands with some favourites from Europe and the USA. We can take your wardrobe from day to night with our unconventional brands and personalized service.

Delightful, Distinctive, and Practical. Always mindful of how our products are made, we strive to bring you the best quality for your family. Planet Kid features a fantastic array of toys, clothing, bed, bath and more for little ones of all ages.

Offering a unique range of clothing, boots, handbags and more. Service-oriented and artisan-driven, we also specialize in whimsical one-of-a-kind jewellery by Canadian and international designers.

w Coco’s Closet

w Phila Optical

w West Side Cycle

359 Roncesvalles Ave • 416-538-8580 • philaoptical.com Part of the vibrant Roncesvalles community since 1995. The unique and artistic optical store is filled with an exciting and fashionable eyewear. Eye examinations are available by appointments.

213 Roncesvalles Ave • 416-531-4648

w Puh-Nash

w Wise Daughters

413 Jane St • 647-981-6870 • couture@cocos-closet.ca

Designer Consignment Boutique. Find fantastic, original pieces in Baby Point, at Jane St just north of Annette. OpenTuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm..

w Fresh Collective 401 Roncesvalles Ave • 647-352-7123 • freshcollective.com Other locations: 274 Augusta, 692 Queen W

Confident, Beautiful, Inspired

2420A Bloor St W • 416-845-7380 • puh-nash.com

Verve, Style, Flair

We are Toronto’s premier designer boutique. Our Canadian designers create beautiful and exclusive fashions that are guaranteed to leave you feeling powerful, confident and beautiful.

We can take your personal style and give it an edge within your budget. Come visit to get the best style that suits your unique shape. We also offer denim in our retail shop for every body type.

w Kid Culture

w Scout

3124 Dundas St W • 416-859-9006 • @kid_culture

Locally made, bright, fun and unique! For kids of all ages, visit this fantastic collection of toys, and accessories. Featuring local designers you can find anything from eco-conscious stockings to plushie owls. This is a child’s (and parent’s) dream come true.

w Lila Yoga 9 Neepawa Ave • 416-530-1359 • lilayogastudio.com

Your neighbourhood sanctuary. A quiet, serene place for you to relax and unwind. Call us if you need help finding a class that’s right for you. Hatha, Vinyasa, Restorative, yoga for 50+, Prenatal and more.

405 Roncesvalles Ave • 416-546-6922 • iheartscout.com

Warm, friendly, and contemporary. With our stock always changing around our favourite brands, there’s always something new at Scout. Featuring all natural bath and beauty products, household items, clothing and accessories, we have something for every creative friend on your list.

w Seventh Sister Bakery 53 Roncesvalles Ave • 647-748-7747 • seventhsisterbakery.ca

Hand baked perfection in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood!

2264 Bloor St W • 416-766-1258 • trove.ca

We’re a fashion-forward boutique.

Reliable, friendly service from a great, knowledgeable team! Whether you just need air in your tires, are coming in for a new model or full spring tune up, West Side has got you covered.

3079B Dundas St W • 416-761-1555 • wisedaughters.com

Beautiful, Unique Gifts Your neighbourhood source for gifts to suit every taste and budget. The shop carries unique jewellery, bags, socks, t-shirts, sleep wear and much more – all hand-made by local designers and artisans.

w Ziliotto 2380 Bloor St W • 416-604-1102 • ziliotto.com

Great fashion, great service. Come visit our team of trained stylists to guide you through our shop. Featuring great Canadian brands, we mix and match for the real woman and take the guess-work out of finding what’s best for you.

Call 416-402-4283 or email: b5@sympatico.ca to find out how to introduce yourself to the neighbourhood!

Try the triple chocolate pecan brownie, the Nova Scotia Oatcake or the Banana Muffins with chocolate and peanut butter today. www.neighbourhoodliving.com

Neighbourhood Living

food + celebration

Shakey’s:

Where everybody knows your name

Warm up with a winter cocktail

Just in time to take the chill out of winter, the staff at Shakey’s have developed their own, signature cocktail menu. “We didn’t need a cocktail menu before—just like we didn’t need a wine list,” laughs Shakey’s manager Emma Stevenson-Blythe. But we’ve got a lot more women coming in—a lot more girlfriends and the ‘girls’ night out’ crowd – and all of a sudden our customers were asking for one. So we each created our own drink and put together a menu.” Here is just one of the scrumptious specialty drinks you will be able to sip at Shakey’s this holiday season.

The Lingon Berry Lush 1 oz gin 2 oz Pinot Grigio 1/2 oz thyme simple syrup 1/2 oz lingon berry concentrate 1/2 oz sweet vermouth Soda Poached cranberry garnish

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Walking into Shakey’s on Bloor Street West you can almost hear the theme song from Cheers playing in your head: “Sometimes you wanna go... Where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came.” It’s just that kind of place. It’s your quintessential, friendly neighbourhood pub. A place where everyone feels instantly welcome. People – many of them strangers before they sit down – talk amicably across tables about their food; about politics; about the latest Leafs win and Raptors loss. There are guys and couples at the bar, girlfriends and families at tables. It’s dinnertime and the place is packed. “It’s not just about location,” says manager Emma Stevenson-Blythe. “Convenience is part of it—many of our regulars live in the neighbourhood—but that’s not why they’ve made this their local. We’ve worked really hard to make Shakey’s a place where people feel comfortable. I’m not trying to toot our own horn, but people really do feel at home here. We hear that constantly, especially from our regulars.” It’s the little things that make a big difference, she says, like getting to know everyone’s name and what they enjoy. Of course the specials – Rib night on Mondays, Wing night on Tuesdays, Fish and Chip night on Fridays, Oyster Night the first Wednesday night of every month and Customer Appreciation Night several times each year – always draw a crowd. “And with Chris in the back keeping his ingredients fresh and local and our kraft and micro-brewery drafts and wines up front,” says Emma, “it’s different than your typical pub.” Everyone feels at ease at Shakey’s. “It’s not exclusive to a younger crowd or an older crowd or men. And that’s something we’ve worked hard to achieve,” says Emma. “A few days ago

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six moms with their strollers came in for lunch and they’re coming back next week. It’s exciting when you reach that point. Any place with a bar is going to struggle to attract moms and families. There’s a stigma attached to an ‘ale house.’” When Rob Lundy bought Shakey’s seven years ago, the ‘sports bar’ was well established in the neighbourhood. After more than two decades, “it had become rather set in its ways,” recalls Emma. “Rob started to shake things up.” A few years later, brother Chris Lundy came on board as chef, “and brought a certain exuberance with him. We really had to up our game out front to keep that level of enthusiasm fluid throughout the restaurant.” Many of the staff have been with Rob and Chris from the start and customers are always telling the brothers about their wonderful front of house. “Our staff really care,” says Emma. “I’ve been here more than five years I couldn’t be more invested in Shakey’s if it was mine. It’s a really positive environment to work in and that translates. You’re happy to show up for work. “Rob and Chris are very supportive and behind the staff 100 per cent. You want to do well when you’re working for good people. And you want to be proud of where you work. That’s what we’ve been striving for at Shakey’s: to create something we can all be proud of. And we’ve done that. We’ve created something that we’re proud of and the whole neighbourhood can be proud of, too.”

Shakey’s

2255 Bloor St. W. 416-767-0608 shakeys.ca @ShakeysTO

chef feature Dave Neinstein Barque Smokehouse • Roncesvalles • by Dennis Hanagan

Dave Neinstein has no regrets about giving up his computer for a meat smoker. “I’ve always been passionate about this industry,” says the owner/chef at Barque Smokehouse on Roncesvalles Avenue, “but I never had the guts to do it professionally.” Until he got his MBA and went to work for a digital marketing firm. “It didn’t last long,” Dave says. “I was very uninspired. I decided if I didn’t give cooking a shot I’d always be kicking myself.” Three years ago—with help from a partner —he opened Barque, which specializes in slow-smoked barbecued meats. “I thought it would be well received in Toronto.” He was right. Dave uses recipes as guidelines – on occasion. “But I find myself winging it for the most part.” For ingredients, he heads to local businesses: De La Mer, Maple Produce, The Mercantile, K & C Fruit Market. “We do a lot of business on the street.” Among Dave’s several favourite chefs is another Dave: Dave Buska. “He’s from Oklahoma and he taught me a lot about southern barbecuing.” There’s also JeanGeorge Vongerichten, David Chang and Mario Batali. “These are big names for a reason. They’re excellent chefs.” But Paul Prudhomme was “my first celebrity chef crush. He loves food, but he isn’t so serious. I remember him as being very jovial – a host first and a perfectionist second.” When it comes to his own table, Dave’s tastes are simple. “I love late-summer harvest food: radishes, cucumbers, green beans, butter, truffles, lemon juice and fresh bread. I really take advantage of nature’s bounty.” So where does this chef head for a meal out? Roncesvalles Village, of course! Ace, the Dizzy, Hopgoods Foodliner, Defina and the Westerly. “I love eating in the neighbourhood. All these restaurants are fantastic. Every one

Dave Neinstein in his kitchen at Barque Smokehouse on Roncesvalles Avenue.

“It’s about being hospitable and serving people. Being in a neighbourhood like this, you get to know people. I get to be part of the community.” of them has amazing stuff to offer.” He laughs when he recalls what happened to him one morning in the early days of his restaurant. “I was unlocking the front door and suddenly my back conked out. I was doubled over.” Luckily he had a young kitchen assistant working with him. “I was keeled over beside him giving him cooking directions. It was a couple of weeks before I could stand straight again.” For Dave, being a chef is more than just cooking. It’s a social business, too. “It’s about being hospitable and serving people. Being in a neighbourhood like this, you get to know people. I get to be part of the community.”

299 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto 416-532-7700 barque.ca YOU GOTTA GO TO BARQUE FOR BBQ! Seriously, best chicken wings, ribs and brisket I’ve had in the city...

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CHOWHOUND

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A pure, fun experience! Delicious, authentic Daniel Le Chocolat Belge. Everything we do adheres to purity.

Leave a lasting, tasteful impression – and a smile – with Daniel Chocolates. Daniel uses only: • Pure Belgian chocolate • Pure, natural ingredients, like whipping cream and butter for fillings, with no preservatives, artificial colours or flavours or hydrogenated oils • Pure Belgian chocolate-making techniques Daniel covers the full range of chocolate eating occasions … when you want to share fun with someone over snacks, baking or gifting. We can deliver to your friends and family as well. (Internet and phone order fulfillment capabilities.) 32

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Daniel Le Chocolat Belge 4242 Dundas St. W. (at Royal York) 416-234-0611 DanielChocolates.ca

Art worth eating

Chocolate with your fruit

Delicious Gifts

Sea Salt Caramels

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Neighbourhood Living

Winter at

Avec Panache Restaurant

There’s a nip in the air and the soup’s on at Avec Panache! Be sure to try Chef Mo’s delicious, made-from-scratch, signature soup–Fire Roasted Sweet Potato with fresh veggies, apples, red lentils and fresh herbs. Fat free and gluten free–except for the garnish of creamy Bulgarian feta cheese. It’s the one Ted Woloshyn raved about on his show. For dinner there’s grilled fresh fish, quality meats and vegetarian dishes with outstanding French sauces and 10 different locally grown fresh vegetables with each entrée! And don’t forget the scrumptious homemade desserts!

CATERING WITH AVEC PANACHE Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner for 10 or a wedding for 150, your guests will be impressed with the delicious food and friendly, professional service provided by Avec Panache. Avec Panache can accommodate groups of up to 30 at their elegant restaurant or will cater at your home or venue. “If you’ve never had an event catered before, the first thing you need to think about is how much you want to spend,” says Sue, of Avec Panache. “This really helps us to meet your needs and design a menu that will deliver the best value for your budget, no matter how big or small.” Avec Panache has a long history of fine catering for clients that include the National Ballet and the Canadian Opera Company. They bring the same artistic 34

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presentation and attention to detail to every event. “It’s all about flavor and presentation,” says Chef Mo, “together with pride in what we do. We love making our clients happy.” To hear what clients have to say, read their testimonials at avecpanacherestaurant.com

Restaurant open Christmas. Pick-up turkey dinners available.

3108 Dundas St. W. 647-348-5992 avecpanacherestaurant.com avecpanache@ymail.com Please make a reservation to avoid disappointment as seating is limited.

Food brings us together, whether we are cooking it together, eating it together or just talking about it together.

Crème Fraîche Market Cafe serves great organic coffee, local artisanal cheese and breads and delicious, local, sustainable goodies. It is a hub for the exchange of ideas surrounding food and a meeting place for learning, building connections, sharing stories and, above all, enjoying good food! It provides quality products with great customer service and a commitment to the neighbourhood, which shows in conversations that fill the shop every day and extend to its Meet Your Farmer Markets each Wednesday at the local church up the street.

Crème Fraîche is the little shop with a big vision. We celebrate farmers, artisans, cheese makers and butchers, and support heritage and young people returning to small farms. More and more, people want clean food, healthier food, and tastier food, from farms that are sustainable.

Visit Us. Love What You Eat. Tell us what your favourite things are or leave it to us to create a cheese board, gift basket or food experience to tease your taste buds. www.neighbourhoodliving.com

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Crème Fraîche Market Cafe • 639 Annette Street • 416-546 2918 • cremefraichemarket.com

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Here we are close to the festive season, and we’re all feeling the pressure.

Why not make life a little less hectic with a few easyto-prepare seafood snacks and suppers from Snappers? You can make crab cakes with delicious Phillips’ crab meat or try ours, made with crab, shrimp, scallops and veggies. Serve with a hearty salad and you’ve got a delicious meal that’s perfect for any occasion. Snapper’s also stocks party-size boxes of shrimp tempura, a perfect appetizer for holiday entertaining. Just pop them in the oven on parchment paper and serve on a festive plate. Combine with shrimp cocktail and breaded calamari rings to create an impressive seafood platter.

416.236.2234

4243 DUNDAS STREET W . TORONTO l mamaisongourmet.ca

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Snappers Fish Market 263 Durie Street 416-767-4083

Because Christmas without Mary Macleod’s Shortbread is unthinkable

We deliver sweetness - anywhere! Place orders early. Order online or shop in person.

639 Queen Street East • 416.461.4576 • www.marymacleod.ca 36

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When autumn is at its worst, Miele is at its best. When autumn is at its worst, Miele is at its best.

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home + garden

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Tod Waring puts his art and soul into metal work by

Tracey Coveart

Tod Waring has always been entranced by colour and movement; captivated by the shadows cast by a flower’s petals and the wings of a bird in flight. An art major at Guelph University, “I always thought I’d be a painter,” says Tod, “but I didn’t have all this angst to get out of my system.” Instead he gravitated to printmaking and aquatinting, and after graduation he stayed on in Guelph for a year to work as a picture framer. He travelled to Barbados to teach art at a community college, then returned to Toronto and lived a fairly Bohemian life as a picture framer for another decade before landing at Rusty Girl, a metal working studio, after a year of soul searching. “Rusty Girl makes outdoor metal garden accessories,” says Tod, “and when I started I was afraid of most of the equipment. I never took any of the shop courses when I was in school because I always figured I’d blow myself up with the oxyacetylene. But Clare Scott-Taggart and her partner taught me all about metal production and I got really good at welding and installation.” Eventually, with the encouragement of family and friends, Tod decided he was ready to strike out on his own. “I took a business course and I started making my own metalworks, sharing the studio space with Clare.” At first, he focused on small things for shows like One of a Kind: sconces, insects made from cutlery, and tops. “I was fixated with spinning tops and they were a big hit on the craft show circuit. I ended up doing a lot of babysitting, because parents would park their kids at my booth and I would do one demonstration after another!” It took Tod about eight years to develop his own style, “but once I stopped making

household objects and tops–and started using colour instead of rust–I really came into my own as a metal artist.” Now, Tod designs largely for the garden and he’s happiest when he’s outside–in natural light, with the sunshine casting playful shadows– setting up a new installation for a client or for visitors at a weekend garden show. “Shows are great because they force you to be creative,” says Tod. “You have to make something new, which is perfect for me because I get bored making the same thing. After a show, I come home with all kinds of great ideas, and I really look forward to that creative burst.” And all that time in the studio. “I have this great space close to home in the old GE Building at Wallace Ward,” a collective of metalworkers, woodworkers, weavers and painters. “I ride my bike there at least five days a week and stay for six to eight hours. I used to hate my job. Now I love going to work. When you weld you’re in this very calm place in your head. You can’t weld if you’re stressed or anxious. You have to be relaxed.” Drawn to the works of Henri Matisse, Paul Klee and Joan Miro, Tod was influenced by 50s design and the decorative arts but he is inspired by nature, and in particular, birds and plants. “I try to boil them down to their essence; to shapes that are similar to but not the same as what I see around me; organic enough that they blend in, but geometric enough so that they present a contrast.” It’s a delicate balance. Tod finds mobiles particularly fascinating and is moving increasingly in that direction, “towards balancing sculpture; pieces that pivot. I’m trying to get more volume; trying create new

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Neighbourhood Living

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organic shapes that look like they shouldn’t spin and finding a way to balance them so they move gracefully through space.” That’s a tall order when you’re working with rods and flat steel. “You have to be creative with very limited materials.” Tod cuts every piece by hand—he doesn’t use a template—so each piece is different. And every one is painted individually. As for the work itself, “I never know what I’m going to be doing next,” Tod says. “I had a commission from the East End Community Health Centre to create a memorial sculpture for a volunteer who had passed away. He loved taking care of the birds. A couple that had a large tree cut down on their property wanted a spinner and a flock of birds ‘flying’ out of the stump. People want railings, tables and fireplace screens. And I get work from other artists: functional pieces like pottery stands.” He loves the variety and the collaborative

process. “My favourite thing is working with other people: combining my vision with theirs. I love talking with clients to find out what they want and then going back to the studio and figuring out what’s going to work. And I love visiting them five years later and hearing that they’re still happy with the end result. “I’m not getting rich,” says Tod, “but I love what I do and I’m getting more commission jobs. People are starting to recognize my work now that my pieces are popping up in their neighbours’ gardens. I feel like I’m busy!” Metal work is a fairly physical job admits Tod, who is a very fit 52. “Someday I may have to do something a little less punishing, like painting, but the three dimensional world is so compelling; so tactile. I can see myself making things for the rest of my life. This work is not just my job. It’s part of my soul.” www.neighbourhoodliving.com

Tod Waring Waring Works 24 Ward Street, Unit 123 416-535-5587 (studio) 647-300-5587 (cell) waringworks.ca tod@waringworks |

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Michel Labbe: Rocking the foundations of home ownership by Tracey Coveart

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Could social consciousness be an inherited trait? One could argue the case for Michel (Mike) Labbé, nephew of social justice advocate June Callwood, who, like his late aunt, believes very firmly in the ‘pay-it-forward’ principle. In 1994, Mike put his values and his business acumen to the test by establishing Options for Homes, a non-profit corporation that provides high-quality, cost-effective housing to people with limited capital. In just under 20 years, Options for Homes has developed nine condominiums in Toronto—including the first three condos in the Distillery District and, most recently, the 643-suite Heintzman Place in The Junction— and delivered more than 3,700 units of mixed income housing to people across Canada. The basic premise is to take the surplus (aka profit) from each housing development and channel it into a fund that is used to build more costeffective housing. The more developments you build—developments that deliver social as well as financial returns—the larger the central fund becomes, perpetuating the virtuous cycle. In essence, says Mike, a former volunteer at a housing co-op who graduated with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Waterloo, “Options for Homes is a non-profit consultant. We bring groups of people together to build their own homes. On the surface we appear to be the developer but, in fact, we’re acting on behalf of the end user. It’s a completely unique entity in the condo market.” A planner for just three years post graduation, Mike was involved in social housing for 15 years, until government funding for the movement all but disappeared in 1993. He then switched his focus to the affordable housing movement, terminology that has largely been abandoned in favour of terms like “cost effective ownership housing,” which is the underpinning philosophy of Options for Homes. “It’s not social housing. It’s not rental housing. It’s ownership housing. We’re not just building homes, we’re building strength of community.” What makes such a venture possible is that 60 to 70 per cent of the wealth created in the developed world is a direct result of real estate development including housing, says Mike.

The Village by Main Station, a 12-storey, 277-suite condominium featuring solar hot water and car-sharing to be built in the Main and Danforth area

Townhouses soon to be under construction in Limbe, Cameroon

“And the surplus and equity that is generated by cost-effective ownership housing ventures is a critical resource that can drive real social change that is not dependent on government.” Healthy real estate market = healthy economy “The pent-up housing need is the most significant economic resource of any country,” says Mike. “Take Mexico for example. The country currently needs nine million units of housing. If they built one million units a year, it would create three million jobs. Forget about mines—just start building housing for people!”

That realization, Mike says, “is huge. Ten per cent of all jobs in developed countries are directly related to the construction industry, and there are all kinds of secondary jobs that are created as a result of the disposable income generated by those jobs. Building houses is the best way to fight unemployment, and if you want to gather wealth to address social issues, there is no better place to start than real estate.” Ironically, says Mike, “it’s one area the social enterprising movement has completely missed out on.” At the heart of the oversight is the fact that many people don’t have the resources required to effectively tap into the

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equity that real estate and home construction create. And that is where Options for Homes has found its niche. “I was in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the early 90s when apartheid was falling apart and the non-profits were hard at work in the townships trying to solve social problems. The African government had used planning legislation to support apartheid, and white and black neighbourhoods were separated by a buffer zone—a no man’s land of undeveloped property.” The question was how to develop housing in these empty tracts in a way that everyone would benefit. The trend was to give lots to individuals, but many would flip the land for a quick profit and the affordability would be lost. Mike proposed the idea of a second mortgage held by a nonprofit corporation that would be recovered when the original builder/owner sold the unit. It wasn’t a good fit for South Africa at the time, so Mike returned to Canada to test his idea here.

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A hand up, not a hand out “The second mortgage is really the heart and soul of what we discovered,” Mike says. “Any residual value is used by the first owner for their down payment, but we want it back when he or she is ready to move on so we can help someone else.” Options clients, says Mike, although they’re not active clients and only meet every six weeks, “are the end users of housing anywhere we work.” And they are typically first-time homebuyers, new Canadians and retirees, because Options offers the best quality at the lowest price. In addition to the second mortgage, construction parameters and sales structure also play a large role in affordability. “Marketing is about 10 per cent of the cost of a typical condo unit in Toronto. Our marketing cost is $2,500.” As well, Options condominiums do not offer expensive amenities like pools saving another $15,000; and the developments are located where land is less expensive, like The Village by Main Station, a 12-storey,

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277-suite condominium featuring solar hot water and car-sharing to be built in the Main and Danforth area. In total, Options saves about $70,000 per unit in development costs, and reduces the average purchase price by about $20,000 around the world. Another key to the success of the Options for Homes model, explains Mike “is understanding that centralizing power, authority and wealth doesn’t work.” Instead, corporations have to be willing to share both control and assets. It’s one of the things that sets Options apart and one of the hardest things for traditional corporations to embrace. “Whatever they create, they feel they are the best people to handle it,” says Mike. Not Options. The non-profit creates resources beyond what it needs to support the organization, and volunteers control the surplus funds (currently $60,000,000 in Ontario). “People make better decisions and use money more effectively when they’re not entitled to it; when it’s not about satisfying shareholders but making decisions that will

move society forward. It’s still a profit model, but it’s rooted in philanthropy.” And it’s not just Canadian society (there are now 16 Options for Homes affiliates across Canada implementing this non-profit model of housing development) or even North American society that Options is helping to move forward, but societies around the globe. The organization currently has people on the ground in six countries—Bangladesh, Kenya, Cameroon, Peru, Columbia and Jamaica, with 16 more looking to adopt the model. “We’re not proprietary with our knowledge,” explains Mike. “And we’re not going into other countries to implement our model. Instead, we are helping people who were born and educated in the country – people who are invested in their community and knowledgeable about local building approval processes and procedures – to implement the model. When you teach rather than develop, all the secondary commissions structures and corruption suddenly become manageable.”

The ultimate goal? To establish thousands of social enterprises like Options for Homes and Options for Cars (a car sharing service with more than 200 members in Riverdale, the Pocket, Corktown and The Junction): good, solid businesses that deliver value and quality, while directing their surpluses into a central pool. “Using Options as their international link, communities all over the world will establish their own community wealth organizations. We’ll have billions of dollars managed by hundreds of corporations around the planet. Slowly the global economy will change into one that values social outcomes as much as it values material and financial ones.”

reasons Mike. Although he might not stick to the retirement part. “I’ve never had more fun in my life. And I’m finding out that no matter where you go— and no matter what others might say—there are tons of good people who want to make a difference. This kind of work really opens to your eyes to a quality of human spirit. And like anything in life—people, housing, wealth—if you come at it from a different angle you’ll be surprised by what you find.”

100 divided by four If everyone followed Mike Labbé’s personal recipe for a life well spent, we’d be a lot closer to that lofty goal. It’s based on the 25year principle. “You have 25 years to get an education, 25 years to work, 25 years to change the world and 25 years to enjoy retirement,” www.neighbourhoodliving.com

Options for Homes optionsforhomes.ca office@optionsforhomes.ca 416-867-1501 |

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NEIGHBOURHOODWalking

The Junction Art Constitutional by Carolyn Tripp One of Toronto’s best loved west end neighbourhoods is The Junction, named after its abundance of intersecting train tracks. Once a neighbourhood known for its liquor ban and not-so-close proximity to other downtown haunts, the area, which has flourished over the past decade, now embraces its roots, while offering up some of the most exciting wares the city has to offer, including the art, murals, galleries and curiosities encountered on The Junction Art Constitutional. Start your journey just east of Dundas and Keele at Cool Hand of a Girl [1] (2804 Dundas St, W., 416-832-1076) where you can grab a delicious snack or a coffee before heading west on your art and oddities journey. Continue west to 2928 Dundas St. W., where you’ll find 1

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the amazing gallery and resource centre, ARTticulations [2] (416-901-7464). Run by Heather Philips and Miki Rubin, this is a perfect stop for art makers and art lovers alike. With the Earl Selkirk window gallery space changing exhibits every few weeks, you can view pieces by amazing local artists and collectives 24/7. My personal favourite over the past months has been an incredible installation by Laura Moore (lauramoore.ca), entitled ‘Another Man’s Trash.’ Stay tuned for their Paint By Numbers Product launch coming in December. Once you’re ready to move on, stay on the north side of the street, stop at the train platform/gazebo at 2952 Dundas St. W., and look up. You’ll see what we affectionately refer to as The Junction Guardian [5], a tiny little horse-onwheels in a glass and wood box. Protected by the passage of time this little guy has been suspended over Dundas Street above Margret’s for many years, making sure that The Junction remains free of renegade toys. Unfortunately, as the Junction evolves so do its facades and this horse will be taken down. Be sure to say goodbye to the horse before it’s too late! There’s also a partially hidden mural in this great open-air event space on the east-facing building facade. [4]. Walking over to Dundas and Pacific, another mural [6] graces the northwest corner at Sanction skate shop, and a small diversion south will reveal a piece of street art that is even more intriguing. Heading south, stay on the west side of Pacific and duck into the alleyway on your right. [7] With teeny tiny details like skulls coming out of smoke stacks, this piece is definitely worth the detour, showing again just how lovely and unexpected this neighbourhood continues to be. Head back up to Dundas and head west once more to

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Narwhal Projects [8] (2988 Dundas St. W., 647-346-5317), where you’ll find contemporary art and exhibitions from an artist roster that includes Julie Moon and FriendsWithYou. Other artists on dispay include Nicholas Di Genova (mediaphobe.com), Heather Goodchild (heathergoodchild.com) and Trudie Cheng. There’s also what promises to be an exceptional exhibition by Lauchie Reid in Spring 2014 that you won’t want to miss. Take a breather and stop in at The Sweet Potato [9] (3094 Dundas St. W., 416-762-4848) for some healthy snacks before continuing your journey. Your final contemporary art destination is The Telephone Booth Gallery [10] located at 3148 Dundas St. W. (647-270-7903). This space features an eclectic mix of artists with pieces by Laura Peturson, Lizz Aston (lizzaston.com) and Aaron Oussoren (www.aaronoussoren.com). The gallery curators embrace fun, and have incorporated design elements like their very own in-house phone booth. 9

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Neighbourhood Living

New kitchen or kitchen makeover?

In these days of reduce, reuse, recycle – not to mention ﬁscal restraint – everything old can be new again. If the bones are good, master cabinet maker Kevin Karst is happier to revitalize than reinvent. In the case of this kitchen, the underlying structure was solid and the design was functional. Following a careful assessment, Kevin found that the existing hinges, drawers, slides and boxes were all ﬁne. Instead of starting from scratch, he completely transformed the kitchen with: • new Shaker fronts and pulls, shop sprayed • new Shaker crown • microwave cubby • new dimmable LED under-cabinet lighting • painted gables and trim • new quartz counters, undermount sink porcelain backsplash The result: A stunning makeover on a budget! KK_Design_INC_Card_rev:KK_Design_INC_Card_final

1/7/12

CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Kevin Karst

Kevin Karst Design Inc. P.O. Box 9, 388 Carlaw Avenue, Unit W22 Toronto, ON M4M 2T4 647.206.9002

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647.722.4165

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647.477.6048

design@kevinkarst.com

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West Realty Inc., Brokerage

R E S E R V E YO U R C O P Y !

“Insider’s Guide to the Neighbourhood” Contact or visit our advertisers today to reserve your ‘Insider’s Guide to the Neighbourhood’ Neighbourhood Living presents the ‘Insider’s Guide to the Neighbourhood,’ a limited edition, full-colour magazine with tips on shopping, dining out, having fun and enjoying life in the neighbourhood. Guides are available exclusively through our advertisers, and will be ready for pickup by January 2014.

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Upcoming Events ■

december 6

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Christmas Market Over 25 vendors offering unique gifts and packaged foods including jewelry, shortbread, pottery, health and wellness products and more! This year, we are adding a Silent Auction! Free. Main Fitness, 138 Main St, 647-352-3347, mainﬁtness.ca. ■

december 7

Santa in the Junction Please join us in the Junction neighbourhood for a full day of Christmas themed activities on Saturday, Dec 7th starting at 11AM. Dundas Street West strip between Indian Grove and St John’s. thejunctionbia.ca/ category/events. Gifts Of My Hands Holiday Craft Market Our second annual holiday show will be on December 7th from 11am until 6pm at the Sorauren park ﬁeldhouse. Buy locally made gifts for the whole family while supporting our artisan community. Dec 7th, 11am-6pm, Sorauren Park Fieldhouse, 50 Wabash Ave, 647-992-6316, giftsofmyhands.com. Y not Play Join the jolliest event of the year! Come and meet the man in red suit! He drops by every year to see the great children at the Best Place to Play! Christmas is all about children so is Y not Play! Lots of music, stories, games and more! Dec 7th, 10am-12pm, 335 Jane St, 647-884-9668, ynotplay.ca. Orienteering: Family Nature Walk Forget your GPS! Find your way through our orienteering course using a map and compass. Each station is an activity that teaches you about the natural ecology of the park. Bring your own compass or borrow one of ours. PWYC, Dec 7 2013, 1-2:30pm, High Park Nature Centre, 440 Parkside Dr, 416-392-1748 x2, highparknaturecentre.com/whats-on ■

december 7 & 14

Free Pictures with Santa Time TBA - please visit site for more details, Bloor West Village, bloorwestvillagebia.com. ■

december 11 & 18

Meet Your Farmer Market Every Wednesday afternoon, from 3 to 7 p.m., a special farmers’ market pops up on Annette Street. Offering fresh Ontario fruits and vegetables, Ontario cheeses, fresh breads and baked goods, and local, sustainable and delicious meals prepared by the ladies of Creme Fraiche. Dec 11th, 3-7pm, Runnymede Presbyterian Church, 680 Annette St, 416-546-2918, cremefraichemarket.com. ■

december 12

Drop-in Life Drawing Every Other Thursday at Articulations, $15 drop in, $65 for a 5-classpass, Dec 12th, 2928 Dundas St W, 7-10pm, 416-901-7464, articulations.ca. ■

december 13

Open Studio Come use our space to create! Every Other Friday at Articulations, $12 drop in, $50 for a 5-class-pass, Dec 13th, 2928 Dundas St W, 4pm-7pm, 416-901-7464, articulations.ca.

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december 14

Getting Ready for Winter: Family Nature Walk Plants and animals are prepared for winter. Are you? Search for busy squirrels, sheltered insects, friendly chickadees and sleeping oak trees to learn their survival strategies. PWYC, Dec 14th, 1-2:30pm, High Park Nature Centre, 440 Parkside Dr, 416-392-1748 x2, highparknaturecentre.com/whats-on. ■

december 15 & 21

Decorate A Tree For The Birds Help decorate an evergreen tree in High Park with handmade pine cone bird feeders and edible garlands for the birds. Hike through the woods and learn how to feed chickadees from the palm of your hand, search the skies for soaring hawks and discover how birds like cardinals, nuthatches and woodpeckers survive the winter. $8/person, Howard Park Tennis Club, 430 Parkside Dr (adjacent to the High Park Nature Centre), Sunday, Dec 15th, 10am–12pm, Sunday, Dec 15, 1pm–3pm & Saturday, Dec 21, 1pm–3pm. highparknaturecentre.com. ■

december 21

Christmas Cookie Creation Children 8 to 12 years will have fun making unique and tasty treats for the holidays in this historic baking workshop that uses a Canadian gingerbread recipe from the 1830s. While their cookies bake, participants will tour the house and discover Victorian Christmas traditions and stories. Participants will then take home the Christmas cookies they’ve made. Includes supplies and a dozen cookies to bring home. $22.50 + HST, Colborne Lodge, south end of High Park, Dec 21st, 9:30-11:30am. Pre-registration required at 416-392-6916. ■

december 22

Nutcracker Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement presents their annual Nutcracker at Lismer Hall. $15- $55 + $1 service charge. Dec 22nd, 2pm-4:30pm, Lismer Hall, Humberside CI, 280 Quebec Ave, 416-533-3706, piaboumanschool.org/tickets. Carollers at the Inn Carollers from the nearby music school, The Music Studio, will provide seasonal music in the tea room and throughout the Inn. Come out to our newly renovated tea room for a holiday sweet plate featuring our signature fruitcake. Cost of tea plate: $5.65. Dec 22nd, 2pm-3pm, Montgomery’s Inn, 4709 Dundas St W, 416-394-8113, montgomerysinn.com. ■

december 28

DJ Thomas Hall 80s Tribute Celebrate the totally awesome 80s with DJ Tom Hall as he shares the pop and New Wave hits of the 80s! 8pm-11:30pm, Old Mill Inn, 21 Old Mill Rd, 416-236-264, www.oldmilltoronto.com/gp_entertainment ■

december 31

New Year’s Eve Gala Join Award Winning Las Vegas Performers in a Double Header Spectacular Tribute to Tom Jones & Neil Diamond. There will be a champagne toast on arrival followed by a Gourmet Six-Course dinner. Old Mill Inn, 21 Old Mill Rd, Dec 31st, 8pm-1am, 416-236-2641.

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Wriggle away the winter blues with a vermicomposter

The Backyard Urban Farm Company: Your Vegetable Landscapers 647-290-2572 info@bufco.ca • www.bufco.ca Canadian winters. Images of skiers zigzagging down the slopes with powder flying; rosy cheeked kids tobogganing with reckless abandon; the call of ‘Car!’ interrupting a street hockey game; sipping hot toddies next to a roaring fire. You know. The old ‘Jack Frost nipping at your nose’ gig. Beautiful images, but not for everyone. Gardeners, for instance, who are most comfortable elbow-deep in the soil, are often haunted by what seems like the death of our vital connection to the earth. The ground is frozen solid and the promise of spring seems an eternity away. Despite the deep freeze, however, there is much to do to keep your blood flowing through the winter: great gardening books to read, important causes to be fought (have you said No To GMO lately?), indoor herbs and sprouts to be grown, next year’s garden to be planned, and soil to be made. Yes, soil, as in dirt. There’s a fascinating, fun and clean way to make soil in the comfort

of your own home. It’s called Vermicomposting, and it calls into action one of Mother Nature’s oldest and unchanged organisms: Worms. Red Wriggler worms, to be exact. Vermicomposting is the process of using worms to compost your fruit and vegetable scraps. The worms eat the food, then poop out brand new, nutrient rich ‘castings’ or soil. It’s making dirt, the natural way. There are, of course, many other insects that will decompose dead or unwanted organic matter in your garden and turn it back into earth, but Red Wriggler worms are highly efficient and their output is especially nutrient rich. Plus, being legless, slow and dark-loving creatures, they are easily contained in a bin in your house. Worm composting bins can be as simple as a single recycling bin-sized plastic box with a lid, to a three-tiered worm ‘chalet’ with a faux-shingled top. Regardless of the kind of vermicomposter you

choose, it should come with a starter kit – a brick of coconut coir (a compressed block of the hair of coconut shells), a bed of shredded newsprint and a small container of soil. These so-called ‘brown’ elements contain lots of carbon. All you have to do is add nitrogen, in the form of meal prep scrapes (raw fruits and veggies only), to create a 50/50 carbon/nitrogen mix that sustains a healthy worm population, maintains consistent moisture and maximizes the nutritional output from the worms. If managed properly, the compost should produce virtually no scent. Red Wrigglers are the invertebrates of choice for vermicomoposting, usually purchased with the unit. They keep well indoors and process a good volume of waste material. Don’t substitute Red Wrigglers with common dew worms that surface at night or during heavy rains. They won’t be able to tolerate the special conditions in your indoor composter. Red Wrigglers are champion consumers. They can eat an amount equal to their own body weight every day. A typical family of two to three people produces about two pounds of food waste a day. Theoretically, that means you would need two pounds of worms in your bin. But that’s a lot of worms! Start with half a pound or a pound at most. Their numbers will grow (you’ll be able to see the little brown worm eggs after a few weeks) and ultimately your colony will find its own natural population balance. Remember that half of the input is composed of carbon elements, so your worms likely won’t be able to take care of all your kitchen scraps. If you find that your Wrigglers are being overfed, simply get another bin, share your worms with a friend, or feed your backyard composter. Composting with worms is an amazing process to watch. Kids are fascinated by the Wrigglers and love to pick them up, feed them and help with the vermicompost harvest, which typically happens between two and four times per year. The castings will do more for your garden than just about any other natural soil amendment available on the market, which means your plants will love you and reward you handsomely with stronger immune systems and plentiful, delicious food. And if you’re squeamish about these notreally creepy crawlers, this can be a very effective way to overcome your fears. If you want to give vermicomposting a whirl, contact The Backyard Urban Farm Company. They have everything you need to get started. This winter, try a whole new way of composting. Grab some worms and an indoor composting bin and wriggle away this year’s cold weather blues!

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gift guide

“Smooth and creamy or dark and dreamy? Either way, I’ll take your breath away.”

647.922.6991

mthompsonchocolates.com

BEADWORKS Create your own Accessories Jewellery Making Workshops Custom Jewellery Jewellery Repair Children’s Birthday Parties Party Space For Rent 2154 Queen St. East 416.693.0780 www.beadworksjo.com 54

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