North York Post April 2022

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IRON CHEF ENCORE HOW CULINARY ICON SUSUR LEE AND HIS SON HAVE GARNERED MILLIONS OF NEW FANS ON TIKTOK

15 TH ANNUAL REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE

MICHELE ROMANOW

BRIAN GLUCKSTEIN

ODEEN ECCLESTON

BENJAMIN TAL

T.O.s PUZZLING HOUSING MARKET ’

OUR ANNUAL UNSCRIPTED & UNREHEARSED DISCUSSION FEATURING 10 OF THE CITY’S TOP REAL ESTATE EXPERTS

APRIL 2022 · VOLUME 23 · ISSUE 7

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BIG BRANDS. SMALL PRICES! 88 YORKVILLE the Big or small, uys CASHMAN b ll! and sells it a ELLERY.CA

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CONTENTS APRIL 2022

Welcome to this month’s Post.

Sit back & enjoy.

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SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF LOVE Meteorologist Ross Hull on how an Instafamous dog helped him find his match

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ROLL INTO SPRING DaiLo chef Nick Liu samples the city’s best spring rolls

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THE SEASON’S TOP SHOE TRENDS Jeanne Beker’s affordable and luxury footwear picks for warmer weather

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APRIL 2022

2022 REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE An unscripted and unrehearsed discussion with 10 of T.O.’s leading real estate experts

15-YEAR CHALLENGE Three stunning homes on the market and what they sold for 15 years ago

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WE ARE YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS & TRUSTED REAL ESTATE ADVISORS Janice, Julie & Katie Rennie SALES REPRESENTATIVES

CITYSCAPE

TRIVIA

Do You Know T.O.?

Another installment of our trivia series that’s taking the city by storm!

by Ron Johnson

Contact us for your real estate inquiries at

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Tax Smart Planning Michael specializes in creating advanced tax-efficient wealth accumulation and retirement income plans to help clients enjoy more of their wealth.

How would you like to enjoy more of your wealth?

Contact us today for a free tax-smart and performance evaluation of your plan.

Michael Marcovitz MBA, LL.B. Senior Investment Advisor

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TD Wealth Private Investment Advice 79 Wellington Street West, 11th Floor, Toronto, ON M5K 1A1 T: 416 308 9084 | F: 416 982 8624 | E: michael.marcovitz@td.com

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The Marcovitz Group is a part of TD Wealth Private Investment Advice, a division of TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. which is a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ® The TD logo and other trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or its subsidiaries.

Toronto sketch comedy legends Kids in the Hall

1. Name the Torontonian & journalist who helped found Greenpeace?

A. David Suzuki B. Elizabeth May

C. Bob Hunter D. Raffi Cavoukian

2. Name the NBA star who had one undefeated season at a T.O. middle school?

A. Stephen Curry B. Kevin Durant

C. Chris Paul D. Vince Carter

3. What T.O. pizza chain was founded the last year the Leafs won the cup?

A. Dominos B. Pizza Pizza

C. Godfather’s D. Pizza Hut

4. In what famous Queen West venue did Kids in the Hall first develop?

A. Cameron House B. The Bamboo

C. The Rivoli D. Drake Hotel

ANSWERS: 1. C 2. A 3. B 4. C

39 Weybourne Cres. - $3,895,000

CITYSCAPE

THE POST INTERVIEW

Toronto’s favourite April fool Howie Mandel has been judging America’s greatest performers across the border for over 10 years. Now, the comedian is back in his home country for the start of Canada’s Got Talent, and he’s more excited than ever. by Julia Mastroianni

NEWS

BY THE NUMBERS OPENING DAY EDITION

8 The date in April of the Toronto Blue Jays home opener versus the Texas Rangers.

16 The jersey number of new Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, also his 2022 salary in millions of dollars.

L-R: Howie Mandel, and the cast of ‘Canada’s Got Talent’

Well, I love the show, and I love talent. But most importantly, I’ve always resented the fact that I had to leave Canada to go do what it is that I love to do. Any opportunity I have to come back and do what it is that I do, I’m always there for it. And I also resent the fact of being on AGT and seeing that some of my favourite moments are Canadians who ended up showing up. When performers tell me they’re Canadian, I’m a huge cheerleader for that and I'm very proud of that fact. So when they decided to do CGT, I was thrilled. And when they asked me to join it, I was even more thrilled.

As someone who has worked in both Canada and America, is there a difference in the talent coming out of both places?

This has always been a little soapbox of mine — I don't think the world knows how much

What can we expect from this season?

other kind of act. Because after every couple of sentences, you’re asking them to laugh.

And as somebody who has continued to have their roots in live performing, I get nervous every time somebody steps out on that stage because you are going out on that stage to ultimately be judged.

What’s one of your best memories of growing up in Toronto?

“I can honestly say between AGT and the CGT season, this is the best season I’ve had as a talent judge in the last five years as far as the level of talent, the surprises, the moments.

This is not a secondary version of the big show. This show is as big and as exciting as Got Talent is supposed to be. And I think there’s going to be some stars coming out of here as big as, if not bigger, than the ones we’ve seen before. I think there are going to be viral moments coming out of this show that people are going to go, “Oh my god, that’s from Canada’s Got Talent.”

The moment that changed my life forever: April 19 ,1977, sitting in the audience at Yuk Yuk’s, at the corner of Bay and Yorkville and hearing Mark Breslin say, “if you think that you can do what you just saw, you should try this and get up for amateur night.” Everybody at my table said I should go. I didn’t aspire to be a comedian. I didn’t aspire to be in show business. But I just said, “OK.” And that OK changed my life forever.

As a comedian yourself, when comedians cross the stage, are you harder on them or more empathetic?

Well, ultimately I didn’t have to, but it beckoned me. I had done spots at Yuk Yuk’s, and when I was in California on vacation, I got seen at the Comedy Store, and that gave me the opportunity to do a show called Make Me Laugh. Mike Douglas saw that and called me to do The Mike Douglas Show and The Merv Griffin Show. There, I got seen by Gene Simmons and his girlfriend at the time, who was Diana Ross, and she asked me to be her opening act.

I’m the most empathetic when it comes to comedians. And that’s because I believe that the audience and my fellow judges don’t realize how much harder that is than most other acts. As a comedian, you have to go out there with your own sensibility, your own sense of humour, and it’s kind of like standing there naked and you’re just baring your soul, and you need more from that audience than any

23 The number of saves for Jays closer Jordan Romano, a Markham native who took over the role last season.

70 The number of rooms at the Rogers Centre hotel that overlook the baseball field.

You say you resent having had to go to the U.S. to start your career. Why do you think it happened that way?

30 This year marks the 30th anniversary of the last Blue Jays world championship.

Good time to win it all again!

APRIL 2022

Fans were excited to hear you’d be joining the CGT judging panel. What compelled you to come back across the border to join the show?

entertainment they consume that has roots in Canada. Whether it’s comedians, writers, directors, actors, some of the most iconic roles and movies and comedies have been based in Canada. I think that’s just by virtue of how our culture is. We just do our work and quietly enjoy and succeed at what we’re doing without saying, “yeah, that’s Canadian.”

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Howie Mandel has been making us laugh — whether it’s on TV, the big screen or on stage — for decades. But, he might be best known most recently for his run as the longesttenured judge on reality competition show America’s Got Talent (AGT). When Mandel got the call to be a judge on Canada’s Got Talent (CGT), which is returning to air a decade after its one-season run in 2012, he was thrilled. The show premiered March 22.

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Celebrate Earth Day by taking a new step Biking is one of the easiest ways for Torontonians to make personal change PUBLISHER

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families, I think I’ll just say: Give it a try. Once a week to start. Even that will at least negate the gas price increases and allow for some weekly exercise, which is good for mental health.

Although a lot of the Toronto climate plan focuses on buildings and natural areas, which are incredibly important, the city is doing its part in this regard by moving forward with a lot of safe bicycle infrastructure projects — many of which popped up during the pandemic under the ActiveTO program.

Our office is on the Yonge bike lanes, an ActiveTO project, and I’ve pedalled here every day I’ve come to work. And it’s glorious. Today, it poured rain and ice pellets, and I had to dry my pants with the hand dryer in the staff washroom. No problem. It’s truly the least I could do.

Find your thing. It might be having a meatless meal day. It might be switching out your home heating system. But do something and see how it feels.

It’s Earth Day this month.

Let’s take the opportunity to start treating the climate crisis like the actual bona fide emergency it is. As they say, there is no Planet B.

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SALES

The City of Toronto declared a climate emergency more than two years ago, on Oct. 2, 2019, along with a slew of other cities across the country. It was the thing to do. But not much has happened since.

This month, the city is set to release the draft of its new climate plan, cobbled together over more than two years since the so-called emergency. It is in contrast with the speed at which the city operated during the pandemic when it showed great flexibility and confident decision making and action.

Maybe it’s because the climate crisis is just slowly creeping up on us without any of those “massive spikes” that make for good headlines. The climate crisis has an image problem, even though it has the potential to wreak havoc on the planet and on humanity at a scale that is seemingly too large for the average person to comprehend.

I ride my bicycle, in case you didn’t know. Someone from a local residents association called up the other day to chat about the Yonge Street bike lanes and identified me as such, which I take as a great compliment.

It’s probably one of, if not the, easiest ways to make change on a personal level that could actually have a massive impact on the climate crisis if done en masse. I don’t push it. There is already so much animosity in the city between car drivers and cyclists. But now that gas prices are high and inflation is hurting

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NEWS

Following a city council meeting on March 8, the City of Toronto is moving forward with a plan to name the area in front of the Russian Consulate as Free Ukraine Square. The Consulate General of the Russian Federation is located in north Toronto at 60 St. Clair Ave. E. on the fifth floor. The initiative was spearheaded by city councillor Josh Matlow, in whose riding the consulate is located,

along with Mayor John Tory and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. “Toronto stands in solidarity with Ukraine. Moving forward, St. Clair Ave. (between Yonge and Avoca, in front of the Russian Consulate) will now be known as “Free Ukraine Square,” wrote Matlow, on social media. There have been regular protest rallies at the site since the war began.

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Midtown Toronto renames square in front of Russian consulate

APRIL 2022

SECTION

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POST CITY X BAYVIEW GLEN

Bayview Glen students flying paper airplanes

Capable and Curious Curators of Their Own Learning

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Beginning the youngest of students on a successful learning journey

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How early does a child’s attitude towards learning develop? At Bayview Glen School, they begin with children at the age of two in their Preschool program, where they encourage their students at this young age to begin to discover the joy of learning.

Learning at this age needs to be very “hands-on” so children have a chance to explore, wonder about things and develop their natural curiosity.

It’s a time of astonishing growth, when children’s inherent inquisitiveness, insight and empathy spark constant discoveries about themselves and the world.

As children discover new experiences and new opportunities for challenge and success, tasks must be age appropriate and based on the rate of development for each child. An individualized approach allows children to progress at their own pace and allows children to excel in areas that are unique to their personality, character and interests.

By encouraging children to take initiative with guidance and discover who they are, it establishes not only the foundation of their learning journey but also the groundwork on which future success will be built.

Creating a learning environment that is safe, happy and stimulating, where each child feels welcome and secure, is just as important to the success of building that foundation. In this type of space, positive interactions with teachers and peers can help develop and

Preschool student practicing his painting skills

facilitate purposeful learning that is created with intent and based on children’s curiosities.

The arts, music and painting allow children to wonder, question and practice critical thinking skills, as they plan out their next stroke. Paint is a material that can foster deep connections and curiosity when we allow for space, time and freedom to explore. Hands-on learning is the framework that will lead children towards a life full of successful learning.

Bayview Glen celebrates and cultivates children’s natural love of learning through the Reggio Emilia approach, helping them uncover not only what but how they learn. Bayview Glen’s “whole child” philosophy begins in the early years with their well-rounded learning experience from nurturing faculty. Their approach to learning provides children with a head start on becoming confident, kind and collaborative contributors to their environment where they can also develop friendships that last a lifetime.

When children then move into

the Kindergarten years at Bayview Glen, they have started to develop that eagerness and delight in learning. They have also acquired a belief in themselves and a sense of confidence that they can tackle anything. They are ready for an enriched academic experience, which at Bayview Glen includes reading, writing, math, French, music, technology and physical education.

Their continued learning journey expands and deepens as they move through the Lower, Prep and Upper Schools.

Students develop a natural love of learning that is age appropriate and differentiated. A breadth of experiences provides students with the opportunity to make global connections, explore their interests and develop their passions.

Building a stable foundation in Preschool and introducing that spark of joy for what learning can be at such a young age can start a journey of a lifetime.

------We hope that you will contact Diane Weston, dweston@bayviewglen.ca or Judy Maxwell, jmaxwell@bayviewglen.ca to further explore if Bayview Glen is the right fit for you and your family.

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FEATURE

Strengthening the rules around tree protection is paramount especially in older neighbourhoods such as Hogg’s Hollow and Lawrence Park by Jennifer Schembri One of the best ways to fight the climate crisis and maintain a healthy local environment is through maintaining a healthy network of trees. So why does it seem so easy to cut trees down that took more than a hundred years to grow?

Sky-high real estate prices encourage speculation, and those looking to flip houses might not see the value of keeping trees in place. Instead, it all too often seems to be about building back bigger to make more money, and if a few beautiful and environmentally significant trees have to be axed in the process, so be it.

Located in the Don Valley, Toronto’s Hoggs Hollow neighbourhood is known for its luxury homes, impeccable landscape and picturesque treelined streets. But a series of “infuriating incidents” prompted residents Shannon Rancourt and Laura Lamarche to spring into action with an overwhelming need to protect their tree canopy before it happens again.

“The trees overhang until they

meet in the middle on some streets and literally create a lush, green tunnel,” said Rancourt. “To nature lovers like us, we felt like it was worth the time, the effort, the headaches, the push back to fight for our trees and we actually like the ‘crazy tree ladies’ moniker some have given us.”

Last year, over a holiday weekend, a heritage home located on Plymbridge Crescent was demolished and several mature trees were felled without a permit. The house, which backs onto a ravine, is on a flood plain in a designated environmentally sensitive area.

According to Rancourt, the developer has continued to work on the property, despite a stopwork order, and additional trees have been damaged or taken down. The second incident involved the felling of three large healthy, and extremely old pine trees from a neighbour’s backyard.

“He didn’t have a permit. He was unafraid of any real financial penalty from the city. He didn’t care how he was affecting his

neighbour’s property, which is now completely exposed, and he wanted a swimming pool,” Rancourt said. “The workers who removed the trees had the name of the company on the side of their truck covered up and when questioned by neighbours as to what they were doing and if they had a permit, they became combative and aggressive.”

And then, Rancourt and Lamarche discovered that a new

Urban Forestry, too, became involved, writing a compelling report in hopes of saving the tree; however the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) seemed unconcerned.

“This all added up to the feeling that our neighbourhood was under siege,” said Rancourt.

Out of frustration, Rancourt and Lamarche started the Stop the Chop campaign, with local kids handing out flyers and

“This all added up to the feeling that our neighbourhood was under siege.” build had been approved at an abandoned home located at 7 Knightswood Rd. It would include the destruction of a healthy 250-year-old sugar maple tree and had been approved by the city.

“We learned from neighbours that the Committee of Adjustment’s online meeting was a farce,” said Rancourt.

distributing more then 100 lawn signs in the neighbourhood.

Despite these efforts, the tree was taken down.

“Although many of Toronto’s older trees are not designated or recognized as heritage trees under the Heritage Act or the Forests Ontario program, including those in Hoggs Hollow, their removal or injury is still regulated under

APRIL 2022

The city needs to stop allowing property owners to cut down one-hundred-year-old trees

the city’s tree bylaws,” said Kim Statham, director of Urban Forestry, City of Toronto.

The story received nationwide coverage after it was discovered that the new home set to replace 7 Knightswood would accommodate an enormous twostorey basement — a new housing trend called an iceberg home.

The mandate of the Hoggs Hollow Tree Watch (HHTW) is to not only save the trees in their own neighbourhood, but protect the rest of the tree canopy throughout the GTA. “We have been told that the provincial government has decimated environmental protection legislation and that is why it is so much easier to destroy the canopy,” said Rancourt.

“Development at any cost is the mantra of the provincial government and one of the costs is our trees.”

The city has tree protection bylaws in place, but any homeowner can apply to chop down any tree if the homeowner gets an arborist’s report, which is a pretty giant loophole and makes one wonder how difficult it is to obtain an arborist report citing the need for tree removal.

Often city arborists’ findings contradict those of private tree companies, or property owners are allowed to replace large trees providing a valuable ecological function with replacement trees that need to be grown again.

Motions have been passed in Toronto City Council by Jaye Robinson with the hopes to further tree protection and impact the city’s planning process. The most recent motion was to add recommendations to Actions to Reaffirm Toronto’s Tree Canopy Target (a 40 per cent tree canopy cover by 2050), to study the correlation between parcels of land with building permits and those exhibiting canopy loss and also to review the minimum diameter a tree must be in order to be protected under Toronto’s tree protection bylaw.

“This whole endeavour has really brought us closer as a community and made us feel like we all have a common cause — the protection of the tree canopy in our wonderful neighbourhood,” said Rancourt.

“That is our mission in a nutshell.”

Loss of tree canopy is a major issue in the city of Toronto, and it is up to residents to keep a watchful eye and speak up to preserve what’s left.

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Clockwise from left: Hogg’s Hollow residents took to protesting local tree cutting, an ancient maple that was not saved, and a rendering of an iceberg home

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Re-designating employment lands would allow for more residential development

2794 Yonge Street, Toronto • 416-488-2118 • thesigntoronto.com

Entering the market with $1 million mortgages There are 130 city applications that could help with the affordability housing crisis

Bayview Glen Online Summer Academy

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Secondary school full-credit courses and Middle and Secondary school skill-building programmes Monday - Friday from July 4 - July 29, 2022

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There has been much handwringing across policy makers about the rising cost of housing.

Young families are taking mortgages of over $1 million to simply enter the housing market.

Policy-makers want to add more supply while raising interest rates.

Politicians want to help through subsidies, tax breaks and penalties for foreign ownership.

There needs to be a comprehensive approach to addressing the unaffordability of living in our city. Which is why it is surprising that the city could make more land available for residential development and affordable housing, but it is choosing not to do so. There are more than 130 applications to allow for the building of residential development on lands designated for employment but only a few are being allowed to proceed.

At present, there are areas of the city that are designated as employment lands. That means that no residential buildings can be built. The city wants to keep land available for large-scale industrial investment. The reality is that large-scale industrial investment isn't coming to Toronto for many reasons, none of which has to do with available land.

Often provincial policies and investments direct those new investments to economically depressed areas of the province.

There are other good reasons to keep employment lands separated from residential developments, particularly if the employment is industrial and generates noise and

dust. There have been occasions where the city did re-designate employment lands to allow for residential. One such occasion was a condo building next to a cementmaking factory. Not surprisingly, residents started complaining about the noise and dust.

However, it makes little sense not to convert when the employment lands currently contain office towers next to existing subway stops and there is a plan to keep the towers and add residential or when the land has been vacant for years.

City of Toronto Planning staff is taking the position that the land needs to be protected for some future employment.

There is no question that Toronto needs a vibrant and diverse economy as well as affordable housing and there are opportunities to do both.

The current challenge is that city planning staff is required by the province to make decisions on the approximate 130 applications before the next provincial election.

Once a decision is made, there is no right of appeal, so it is critical that rushed decisions don’t lead to missed opportunities because making more land available for housing is urgently needed.

KAREN STINTZ

Karen Stintz is a former city councillor, elected in 2003, and was a chair of the TTC. She lives in Ward 8.

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Plans for the Ontario subway line will lead to extensive above ground disturbance

Are we stuck with the Ontario line? onto Richmond and Adelaide streets, and vehicular traffic will be in a mess.

Various other parts of Queen will find lane reductions from Bathurst to Sherbourne, and one can only sympathize with those unfortunate enough to be trying to run a business on Queen.

It would have made sense to run the subway under Richmond, a block south of Queen, just as the Bloor-Danforth subway was built a block north of those streets. But city council

“Apart from sections the line will be underground.

But the intrusions above ground are extensive.” apparently never considered that option. Metrolinx plans have been completed and work will begin later this year. A serious missed opportunity.

This mistake was not made on Pape Avenue, where the line runs a block east or west of the street, protecting the retail storefronts.

And there are other problems with the Queen Street alignment.

The interchange with the Yonge line will be convoluted.

At University Avenue, the station is planned on the Law Society lawn, one of the primary heritage spaces in the downtown.

Apparently Metrolinx (and city council) didn’t consider putting it on the southwest corner, where the existing, six-storey structure is about to be substantially rebuilt.

Another missed opportunity.

To the east, as the line will burrow under the site of the first parliament building in the old town of York — the building torched by the Americans in the war of 1812. But the site will not be respected: the province plans three high-rise structures there.

The at-grade section of the line in Leslieville has caused serious concern. The existing three tracks on a berm beside Jimmy Simpson Park will be further elevated and expanded to six tracks. Residents can expect a train to whistle through every minute or so.

Sounds like fun.

In Thorncliffe Park, the abovegrade line will take out a mosque and more than a dozen businesses, while a station yard will use a big hunk of land.

We will live with bad decisions for the life of the subway, which will certainly survive the lives of many of us. Will the provincial election in June give us a government that will reconsider these mistakes?

JOHN SEWELL

John Sewell is a former mayor of Toronto. His most recent books are How We Changed Toronto and Crisis in Canada’s Policing.

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APRIL 2022

Toronto certainly needs more rapid transit but, as we have learned from the Crosstown link on Eglinton, construction can cause significant problems over many years. And it seems that the Ontario line subway will cause even more difficulty.

The Ontario line will run from Don Mills and Eglinton, down through Thorncliffe Park, Pape Avenue to Gerrard Square, then along the rail tracks to the Don River and Lakeshore Boulevard.

It then heads west through the Distillery District and across Parliament Street, then up to Queen Street, running along Queen to almost Bathurst, then dipping down to Ontario Place.

Apart from sections along the railway and through Thorncliffe Park, the line will be underground. But the intrusions above ground are extensive.

The intersection of Queen and Yonge, usually considered the main intersection of downtown Toronto, is planned to be closed from 2023 to 2029, but eight years is the more likely time frame. When it was suggested that Bathurst and Eglinton would be closed for six months to speed construction of the Crosstown, there was such a loud public uproar that the idea was quickly abandoned.

About the closure of Queen and Yonge, there has barely been a peep, and city council consented to it with hardly a murmur. The Queen streetcar, a major transportation resource for many people, will have to be diverted

| POST |

Or will the provincial election enable mistakes to be fixed

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Five off-leash dog areas in Vaughan are currently under construction

New off-leash park to hit Thornhill City of Vaughan asking residents to help determine new location for this summer

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by David Olsen

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The City of Vaughan is currently conducting an online survey as part of a public consultation regarding a new off-leash dog area in Thornhill.

Residents are encouraged to review three potential locations and provide feedback. The three potential locations under review are York Hill District Park (330 York Hill Blvd.), Winding Lane Park (580 York Hill Blvd.) and Gallanough Park (21 Springfield Way).

For SpringFarm Ratepayers Association, it’s an opportunity to balance out city services that were not available in the small neighbourhood.

“In general, SFRA wants to see equal levels of city services and facilities in each part of the ward and city and appreciates that parks east of Bathurst are being considered,” said Jordan Max, president of the association. “But [SFRA] doesn't have a position at this time on which of the three parks should be chosen. That is why we have circulated it to our members and are waiting to hear from them, and we will discuss this at our monthly board meeting on April 6.”

The Winding Lane Park location is the largest option of the three, at a total area of approximately 1.25 acres, whereas the York Hill District Park and Gallanough Park locations would both have an off-

leash area of approximately 0.55 acres.

Renderings of the options show that all three locations would feature double-gated entry and a separate off-leash area for smaller dogs.

The survey comes after Vaughan City Council adopted the Local Off-Leash Dog Area Strategy. As part of that strategy, five off-leash dog areas in Vaughan are currently under construction and are expected to be ready for use by the public in summer 2022.

These five locations are Chancellor District Park, Legion Park, Mackenzie Glen District Park, Mathew District Park and Sugarbush Heritage Park. These locations were chosen from a total of 76 locations recommended by residents through public consultation during the formulation of the Local Off-Leash Dog Area Strategy.

The survey regarding the addition of the new Thornhill off-leash park can be found at Vaughan.ca/dogpark and is open until April 12. The feedback will help the city determine the recommended location of the new off-leash area, which will be presented to Vaughan City Council in June 2022.

Construction of the park at the chosen location is expected to start in winter 2022/2023.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

NEWS

Will Metrolinx bring ‘devastation’ to the Don? Metrolinx’s train layover facility will be built on parkland beloved by locals

The facility includes three one-storey buildings in the Don Valley

The Don Valley to many Torontonians is a special place that should be protected, so when a new facility from Metrolinx was proposed within its boundaries, there was resistance.

Metrolinx is proposing to build a “layover facility” right below and adjacent to the Prince Edward Viaduct (or Bloor Viaduct), the bridge near the Evergreen Brick Works.

The agency says the facility is a necessary part of its plans to improve and expand its services.

The facility, which includes three one-storey buildings, in the Don Valley would clean and repair trains stored on a track that hasn’t been used for the last 20 years, Metrolinx officials told Post City during a tour of the proposed location.

The officials said that up to three trains totalling about 900 metres could park on the existing rail track during peak periods between the morning and afternoon. The trains would slowly enter the area in the morning after rush hour and go back to service in the early afternoon, according to the officials.

The plans would require fencing to be established along the trains to protect them from intruders, as well as three one-storey facility units that would be the size of portables, such as the ones used at schools. Metrolinx also plans to build a retaining wall to the west of the facility as the natural landscape slopes downward and create an access road to the facility.

The plan would require the removal of “invasive”

by Eric Stober trees, which Metrolinx hopes to replace.

“We are really keen on making sure that we put a minimal footprint of this facility in this area,” Metrolinx spokesperson Matt Llewellyn said.

However, the plan has received strong opposition from community group Don’t Mess with the Don. Representative Floyd Ruskin said the project will bring “devastation” to the Don Valley that will take away access to the parkland and provide an eyesore with the possibility of barbed wire fencing.

“It does affect hundreds of thousands of people who live and enjoy the Don Valley green space.”

“It does affect hundreds of thousands of people who live and enjoy the Don Valley green space,” Ruskin said.

He said there are other locations Metrolinx could have chosen instead, such as a portion of the Don branch track south of the preferred location, just east of Bayview Avenue, but Llewellyn said that site is not an option because it is in a flood zone.

Metrolinx asserts its chosen site is the “most environmentally friendly,” given its use of existing infrastructure.

Ruskin laughed at that notion: “It’s absolutely ludicrous.”

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| POST |

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NEWS

NEIGHBOURHOOD

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416-960-9995 Sales Representative

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Sales Representative Senior Vice President, Sales

A rendering of the proposed club on Leslie Street near Lawrence Avenue East

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| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

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Phoenix to rise at old Wrigley plant There’s an exclusive private members club coming to Toronto and it involves a starstudded development team.

Joining the growing list of members-only private clubs in and around the city, is the Phoenix Centre, in Toronto’s Don Mills neighbourhood. Part office complex, part social club, the property is situated on a whopping 4.6 hectares of land, with plans for the development to occur over two phases.

Located at 1123 Leslie St., near the corner of Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East, the club will replace an existing office building and factory complex, and the space currently occupied by OTT Financial will remain. OTT Financial is a financial services company founded in Toronto in 2006. The developer of the club is OTT Properties.

The club will be owned and operated as a not-for-profit and include a variety of recreational, social, dining and business functions.

The scope of the development is huge, with a total gross floor area of approximately 24,834 square metres — or 6.1 acres — consisting of the existing and retained 4,530 square metres of office uses, with an additional 23,114 square metres designated for club use.

In 2019, the office building, which was originally constructed in 1962, was recommended for inclusion on the City of Toronto Heritage Register.

According to a city report,

by Jennifer Schembri

“1123 Leslie Street was constructed for the William Wrigley Jr. Company. Built at a cost of $3,500,000, the factory was one of two factories built as part of an international expansion (a sister plant was built in West Germany) (Associated Press 1962).

The William Wrigley [ Jr.] Company began in 1891 and is the largest manufacturer of chewing gum in the world.

Wrigley remained on the property until the factory closed in March 2016.”

“There are certain landmarks or facilities in communities that add luster and prestige to neighbourhoods.”

Phase 1 of the project will see the removal of most of the factory building while retaining the original office structure.

Additions to the existing facility include a central courtyard area and a rooftop terrace, and a new three-level underground garage will be available for club members and office employees.

Various social and recreational uses for club members will include basketball, tennis, badminton and pickleball courts, as well as a gym, swimming pools

and an ice rink.

There are also plans for a children’s play area and an auditorium, as well as the construction of ancillary banquet halls and dining areas.

“It’s an interesting proposal that will be really good for the neighbourhood, and I think it has the potential to be a landmark in the same way as the Granite Club,” said Denzil Minnan-Wong, city councillor for Ward 16, Don Valley East, in whose ward the new club will be located.

“There are certain landmarks or facilities in communities that add luster and prestige to neighbourhoods, and I think this [club] has the potential to have the same impact.”

The Granite Club, located on nearby Bayview Avenue near Lawrence, is a well-known neighbourhood landmark a short distance away from the site of the Phoenix.

The project will be helmed by the esteemed architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, which has been involved in the design of some of the world’s tallest buildings, including the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea.

Toronto-based firm B+H Architects, known for its bold designs, including the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s South Building, will also be involved in the project.

Design and project details of the Phase 2 development will be outlined at a later date in an additional application.

NEWS

© Robert Zaichkowski at spacing.ca

NEIGHBOURHOOD

City council will consider making the Yonge bike lanes permanent

Call us to book an appointment.

We would love to see your smile.

Should Yonge bike lanes stay or go?

"They haven't really done the proper studies. They've done sort of a focus group, but they really never did a study,” she said. “They did a good study up north Yonge and Sheppard. But here, they have just put them in and sort of decided it was a pilot."

City councillor Mike Layton, who is a cyclist and an advocate for safe cycling infrastructure, said the report is set to come to council in early April. And, in the meantime, city staff has been studying the project.

“Staff have been closely studying the road uses, including

“There are some real challenges with access along a couple of streets.” cycling, pedestrian safety, travel time, on street patios and emergency vehicles, and will report on this to the infrastructure and environment committee in March,” he said.

“Staff want to make sure we get a good picture of what can be done to improve safety and traffic flow.

I expect their recommendations will reflect this.”

Jennifer Keesmaat, former chief city planner for Toronto and a midtown resident, defended the bike lanes becoming permanent in a prior article for Post City.

“Yonge Street is an iconic street

in the city of Toronto. For quite some time, we’ve treated it in many parts as a bit like a highway,” she said. “There are parts of Yonge where it’s a very wide street, so there is the extra right of way and extra asphalt, which can be better used to serve the needs of local neighbourhoods. I think the biggest driver behind making both CaféTO and the bike lanes permanent is about creating better places for the increasingly higher-density neighbourhoods that are very pedestrianoriented.”

Other concerns expressed by local residents include a series of what have been called “landlocked streets” that are on dead ends and have trouble accessing Yonge because traffic is so bad, thanks to the loss of active vehicle lanes to the bike project.

This concern is compounded when taking into account emergency vehicles getting caught in the same traffic snarls.

“There are some real challenges with access along a couple of streets in the neighbourhood, and we should look for solutions that can provide safe streets for all road users while maintaining access,” Layton explained. “I think we can find solutions that work for all.”

If the project gets final approval, is there a chance the lanes will be expanded?

“There is an upcoming environmental assessment on Yonge from Bloor south to College, which will examine options, consistent with plans south of College,” said Layton.

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APRIL 2022

This month, another ActiveTO report will head to Toronto City Council on April 6 and, with it, an opportunity for local residents to find out whether or not the Yonge Street bike lanes will become a permanent midtown fixture.

The complete street pilot project for the midtown area was initiated one year ago, in April 2021, and included separated bike lanes on either side of Yonge from Bloor Street to Davisville Avenue, as part of the city’s Pandemic Mobility Recovery Strategy.

Since that time, there have been complaints from those commuting into the city along the main thoroughfare as well as from local residents. And there have also been compliments.

A local resident, who did not want to be named as a result of ongoing harassment, said she understands the importance of cycling infrastructure and separated bike lanes but suggested they might be better suited on other north-south corridors in the area.

"One issue is just the street is too narrow. And there's far too much development going on in this neighborhood.

From Summerhill to Heath, there are 12 developments, most of them towers,” she explained. “So I was thinking that this is not the street bicycle lanes should be on. There's an opportunity to put them on Avenue Road or put them on Mount Pleasant."

She also questioned what study the city has done to inform its decision regarding the project.

by Ron Johnson

| POST |

Project heads to council for a crucial vote

17

NEWS

NEIGHBOURHOOD BUSINESS

A designer consignment pop-up shop is here for the long run Plus a burger shop owner with a worthy mission, a coffee bar with ‘Gilmore Girls’ vibes and more by Megan Gallant Luxury retailer Oliver Jewellery has recently opened an all-new two-level flagship store at 88 Yorkville Ave. Russell Oliver (better known as “The Cashman”) first founded this family-run business in 1971. The first level is the showroom where customers can find bags, jewelry, watches and accessories in the world’s biggest brand names, whereas the second floor gives customers the chance to meet with a representative to trade in gold and silver for money.

Johnny Prassoulis donated 2,000 burgers to esential workers

The mother-daughter duo behind Grounded.

Coffeebar is giving off Gilmore Girls vibes with their infectious friendship and their love for coffee.

Located at 3454 Yonge St., the name “Grounded” comes from the homey vibe of this café, which offers a concession stand of local goods including Tonica Kombucha and Tori’s Bakeshop. Alongside the specialty coffee menu, you’ll find sandwiches, soups and baked goods homemade by Momma herself.

Since the start of lockdowns two years ago, the owner of Holy Chuck Burgers at 1450 Yonge St. has done all he could to bring a smile to the face of those most affected by the pandemic. Johnny Prassoulis estimates he donated up to 2,000 burgers as he drove around to health-care workers, grocery store staff and other essential workers. Prassoulis even donated his hand-rolled patties to entire hospital wards.

A local company is fighting back against the number of bicycles that end up in landfills across the country.

Canadian Bicycle Recycling has been encouraging people to donate their bikes at three drop-off locations in the Junction, Bellwoods and Riverside neighbourhoods, which can then either be repaired and sold for a reasonable upcycled price, stripped for usable parts or given to a local charity who puts it in the hands of those who need it.

If you’re looking to get rid of a designer bag or looking for a designer bag on a budget, Collectif Consignment is the place to go. This second-hand designer boutique featuring Gucci, Prada, Chanel and Fendi opened as a pop-up shop at 1132 Yonge St. months ago to sell the best in designer handbags, jackets, dresses and footwear, but it just announced it’s here to stay.

Promenade Shopping Centre just welcomed a new designer and formal wear store that gets kids looking their very best. The Thornhill store is the second location of Paparazzi Kids and offers an on-site stylist to assist in finding the right clothing, footwear and accessories for any occasion. Isaac Mizrahi, Polo, City Ink, Air Jordan and Nike are just some of the must-have brands offered by this one-stop shop.

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

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CRIME

NEWS

CITYWIDE BREAK-INS MARCH 2022 WHERE

WHEN

TIME OFOF DAY TIME DAY

THORNWOOD RD. AND ROWANWOOD AVE.

MAR. 1

4 P.M.

YORKVIEW DR. AND SENLAC RD.

MAR. 3

2 P.M.

BERNARD AVE. AND ST. GEORGE ST.

MAR. 4

12 A.M.

ROSEDALE RD. AND AVONDALE RD.

MAR. 4

5 A.M.

HENDON AVE. AND KENSINGTON AVE.

MAR. 4

3 P.M.

GREY RD. AND WOBURN AVE.

MAR. 4

7 P.M.

BYNG AVE. AND WILLOWDALE AVE.

MAR. 6

4 A.M.

BEECROFT RD. AND NORTH YORK BLVD.

MAR. 6

3 P.M.

ROXBOROUGH ST. E. AND CHESTNUT PARK RD.

MAR. 8

1 P.M.

WOODWARD AVE. AND DUDLEY AVE.

MAR. 9

12 A.M.

CLARK AVE. W. AND JOANNA CRES.

MAR. 9

2 P.M.

ORIOLE PKWY. AND WILBERTON RD.

MAR. 11

11 P.M.

HORSHAM AVE. AND TAMWORTH RD.

MAR. 12

10 P.M.

ST. CLAIR AVE. E. AND AVOCA AVE.

MAR. 14

12 A.M.

YONGE ST. AND MEADOWVIEW AVE.

MAR. 21

6 P.M.

CRIME BRIEFS

is seeking public assistance with a robbery investigation after an incident in the area of Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue. On March 13, at 5:43 a.m., a victim was waiting for a bus when a male suspect assaulted the victim with a weapon and demanded cash. The suspect then hailed a taxi and left, while the victim was treated for injuries at the scene.

Toronto Police Service

pictures of a suspect wanted as part of an anti-Semitic graffiti investigation. On Wednesday, March 2, police responded to a call for a hate crime in the area of Bathurst Street and Bloor Street West. It is reported that between 4 and 5 a.m., the suspect entered the grounds of Central Technical School and spray-painted a number of anti-Semitic messages on the school property. The investigation is being treated as a suspected hatemotivated offence.

Police have released

Police have released an image of a male suspect wanted in connection with a sexual assault in the area of Bathurst Street and Finch Avenue West. On Sunday, March 20, at 9:34 a.m., an 18-year-old female victim entered the elevator of a building. A male suspect also entered the elevator and sexually assaulted the victim.

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COMING SOON: New Builds: 59 Lake Promenade Addition/Renos: 561 Briar Hill

APRIL 2022

A 51-year-old male suspect of Toronto has been charged in connection with sexual assaults committed at a massage clinic in Thornhill. On March 10, York Regional Police received information that a victim was sexually assaulted during a session with a registered massage therapist at a clinic on Promenade Circle. During the police investigation, a second victim came forward and reported a sexual assault at the same clinic on March 5. The suspect

was arrested on March 14 and has been charged in connection with both incidents. Police are asking any additional victims to come forward.

| POST |

suspect of Toronto is facing multiple charges in connection with three retail store robberies. On Feb. 8, police responded to a convenience store robbery in the area of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, where it is alleged the suspect entered the store, approached an employee at the checkout counter and pulled out a handgun while demanding cash. He took a quantity of cash and fled the scene on foot. Police responded to two more incidents on Feb. 10 and March 7. In these incidents, it is alleged the suspect entered the store, took items off the shelf and attempted to leave the store without paying. When confronted by an employee, the suspect pulled out a handgun, threatened the employee and fled the scene on foot. After the March 7 robbery, responding officers located the suspect and took him into custody and executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home. He faces 18 charges, including three counts of robbery with a firearm, three counts of carrying a concealed weapon and six counts of failing to comply with probation.

A 22-year-old male

19

COVID -19 NOTICE Rest assured, all aspects of my business are conducted with strict safety precautions in place.

COVID-19 related restrictions are done in accordance with the Ontario government’s framework to protect the health and safety of our clients and colleagues.

36 HAZELTON AVE. #6A

20 NORMANDALE CRES.

$7,495,000. 2 BEDS & 3 BATHS, APPROX. 3,150 SQ. FT. + 420 SQ. FT. TERRACE.

$3,795,000. 104’ x 171’ LOT, 5+2 BEDS & 6 BATHS, APPROX. 4,480 SQ. FT. + BSMT.

FOR SALE

SOLD

84 GLENVALE BLVD.

127 BROOKDALE AVE.

604 WOBURN AVE.

$2,399,000. 35’ x 135’ LOT, 3+1 BEDS & 4 BATHS, APPROX. 1,744 SQ. FT + BSMT APT.

$1,995,000. 25’ x 110’ LOT, 3 BEDS & 4 BATHS, APPROX. 2,606 SQ. FT. TOTAL LIVING AREA.

SOLD

SOLD 620 LONSDALE RD.

RECEIVED 7 OFFERS AND SOLD FOR 122% OF ASKING PRICE!

R E A L

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

$3,600,000. 33’ x 134’ LOT, 4+1 BEDS & 6 BATHS, APPROX. 2,783 SQ. FT. + BSMT.

FOR SALE

215 CORTLEIGH BLVD.

20

253 ST. CLEMENTS AVE.

E S T A T E

SOLD IN ONLY 1 DAY FOR 123% OF ASKING PRICE!

B R O K E R

SOLD IN ONLY 2 DAYS FOR 142% OF ASKING PRICE!

SOLD 20 SULTANA AVE.

RECEIVED 5 OFFERS AND SOLD FOR 140% OF ASKING PRICE!

REAL ESTATE

ROUNDTABLE

Our 15th Annual Real Estate Roundtable, featuring 10 of the city’s top experts on the housing market, was an event to remember. The virtual event had over 500 people in attendance, watching our panel of developers, designers, realtors and economists discuss Toronto’s supply problem, the investor takeover of the market, the urban spread happening from those getting priced out of Toronto and updates

to add value to your home. The event was a great success, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s, at the Rotman School on March 2, 2023. Sad you missed out this year? Make sure you grab your tickets early next time around to hear Toronto’s greatest real estate minds share their thoughts about the city’s runaway market. Flip the page to find out what they had to say this year!

| POST |

15 years and still going strong

APRIL 2022

SECTION

21

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REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE 15th ANNUAL

What follows is an unscripted and unrehearsed discussion involving 10 of Toronto’s leading experts on real estate In partnership with the Rotman School of Management | Moderated by Julia Mastroianni & Nathaniel Baum-Snow Special thanks to our incredible sponsor The RE/MAX Collection

ODEEN ECCLESTON Co-founder, Wiltshire Eccleston Developments HILARY FARR President, Hilary Farr Designs BRIAN GLUCKSTEIN Principal, Gluckstein Design; Author MICHAEL KALLES President, Harvey Kalles JENNIFER KEESMAAT CEO, The Keesmaat Group MICHAEL LONDON Founder, Michael London Design JEANHY SHIM President, Housing Lab Toronto Partner, PMA360 MICHELE ROMANOW Dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den; Co-founder & President, Clearco BENJAMIN TAL Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC Capital Markets

POST: We traditionally like to start things off with a state-of-the-market update from the CIBC deputy chief economist, Benjamin Tal. BENJAMIN TAL: Thank you very

much. So, the state of the market, well, it's strong, it's very strong.

Maybe too strong. And it will slow down.

That's definitely going to happen because it's unsustainable, and we want it to slow down. I would suggest that the next two years will be a major challenge for the housing market, a challenge that this housing market hasn't seen since the 2008 recession or since the '91 correction. I'm not saying that something bad will happen, but it's a test. And this housing market will have to pass this test. We are talking about a significant increase in interest rates, and we don't know how quickly interest rates will be rising. The market is pricing in a significant increase by the Bank of Canada, and this suggests that the Bank of Canada would go very fast.

I suggest that every housing market crash

POST: We see prices going up quickly, we see constraints in supply. Barry Cohen, with boots on the ground, what do you see happening to the market for single-family homes?

BARRY COHEN: Well, this is un-

precedented. We are inventory challenged. We have not seen a slow inventory in two decades. January started off very low with just over 2,000 listings. But when you look at the sales and what was consumed and what’s coming back on the market, you’re finding now that you have a listing inventory of less than one month.

And what that means to the buyers, the term we always use is less than one month means that if no new listings came on the market, we'd be sold out in three weeks. Now, of course, new listings come on the market.

That's not the case, but Toronto is not used to one month of listing. So prices are going to continue to rise. Buyers are challenged.

They're facing now the threat of higher interest rates. They're scrambling to buy, and it's not going to look good for buyers in the short term because they have to qualify at much higher rates.

MICHAEL KALLES: I was just going

to say quickly, there's a great concept my kids taught me, it's called FOMO, fear of missing out. And we're seeing that right now in the real estate market because, when the Bank of Canada did not

driving the prices up.

POST: Great. Thanks. Jennifer Keesmaat, you have your hand up. Go ahead.

JENNIFER KEESMAAT: Well, I was

just going to really pick up on the point that Michael made linking together both Benjamin's comments and Barry's comments, which is, when you take the conversation about potentially rising interest rates and then you link that together with a lack of supply, you take those two things and you put them together, and what do you get? You get FOMO, and the whole cycle starts to convulse on itself, and you get this crazy dynamic that we see today. And really, one of the challenges here that's underlying all of this is having a shortage of supply.

And the shortage of supply, the conversation has to keep coming back to that, and we've been talking about that for a couple of years in the context of this roundtable. But this challenge of a shortage of supply is what makes us vulnerable in this moment in history when you have supply challenges, when you have interest rates potentially going up.

We actually should be in a situation if we want everyone to be housed, if we want to

“Our enemy, the real estate market's enemy is not higher interest rates, it's rapidly rising interest rates, and we are now going to —BENJAMIN TAL test this theory.” increase interest rates, it got people of the mindset, "Hey, boy, I don't wanna miss out. I wanna qualify now. I wanna get in before the rates do go up." And I did a quick number in my mind. You know, if the average price of a home is $2 million and there's a 75 basis point increase in interest rates, if the market even went up 10 per cent, that means 12 months from now, a buyer's looking at a home instead of $2 million, at $2.2 million and an increase of payments of an extra $20,000. And if it's a central core, singlefamily detached home, that's $3 million. So now, it's $3.3 million. And when these buyers pay an inflated price today, it sets the floor for the future. So, a buyer can say, "Well, you know, that house next door sold for $3 million three months ago." Well, that house is gone and so was the one that just sold for $3.3 million. That's the new floor and it goes up from there." So it's just buyers who are desperate to get into the market. And as Barry said very well, the supply is at an alltime short, and it's basic microeconomics.

Major demand and very short supply are

continue to have incredibly aggressive immigration in this country — which we're on the cusp of seeing coming out of the pandemic — we actually should be in a position where we're trying to overachieve on the amount of housing that we're providing. And I think you could argue, it was a moment in the past, probably 60, 70 years where we did that. And so we have this incredible reckoning that's happening and we very quickly have to increase the amount of available housing across the entire country.

BENJAMIN: Yeah. If I may address two quick

things, first of all, the supply issue, of course, all of us, we know about the supply story, so there's no need to repeat that. But I think that the point here is that for the first time, and that's a good thing, governments at all levels are starting to talk about supply as opposed to demand. That's a good thing. We are starting to move in the right direction.

Two other things happen. First of all, we have to realize that what happened during the pandemic is not normal. You cannot see

APRIL 2022

BARRY COHEN Luxury Homes Specialist; Principal, Barry Cohen Homes Inc.

in history was helped, if not caused, by a monetary policy error in which central bankers raise interest rates way too quickly. And here, we have to realize that central bankers at the end of today are human. They can make mistakes. We are facing inflation and, unfortunately, the situation with Ukraine is making the picture even more foggy given the fact that there is some inflationary aspect in the commodity space. So, if the market was toying with the idea that the Bank of Canada will raise interests by 50 basis points next week, that's not going to happen now because of the situation in the Ukraine. But the big picture is that inflation is rising. And we are talking about numbers that we haven't seen in a long, long time.

Now, a lot of it has to do with COVID but not all of it. The labour market is very tight, wages are rising, and we don't know how long it will last. So the way I look at this situation is the following: when I meet with the Bank of Canada — and I meet with the Bank of Canada very often, unfortunately — I tell them, "listen, go baby steps, go slowly because we have a situation in which you are risking raising interest rates way too quickly if you listen to the market." But again, mistakes can be made because they were made in the past.

And I suggest that we have to look at these inflation numbers very closely, not in the next few months because they would be very high.

But if they don't start to rise, if they don't start easing in the second of the year, namely in August, September, October, if we don't see inflation easing, if it's still there, the Bank of Canada will have to raise interest rates or at least will think that they have to raise interest rates to catch this lagging indicator we call inflation, and then you overshoot. And when you overshoot, you cause the recession, and you plant the seed to a 2023–2024 recession with major negative implications for the housing market.

So I believe that the housing market is very strong. We are all familiar with the fundamentals. We all know that we are undersupplied. We all know that the fundamentals are very strong. We live it again today. But even an undersupplied market can correct if interest rates rise way too quickly. So I say go baby steps, start moving, start raising interest rates but don't shock the market. Our enemy, the real estate market's enemy, is not higher interest rates. It's rapidly rising interest rates, and we are now going to test this theory.

| POST |

2022 PANELLISTS

23

COVER STORY

2022 REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE

prices rising by 40 per cent in two years and continue to go like nothing happened. What we have seen here is something that we haven't seen before. We have seen a situation in which homebuyers got the benefit of a recession because of the extremely low interest rates without the cost of a recession.…We have never seen anything like that.

Usually, when interest rates go down, it is because of the fact that the unemployment rate goes up and everybody is impacted. But most homebuyers and potential homebuyers, their job was there. They were Zooming.

Their income was there because it was asymmetrical. We all know the story. So this is something that will disappear the minute interest rates go up, and therefore, we borrowed a lot of activity from the future. We have to realize that. People accelerated front-loaded activity. It's happening now, as well as people starting to realize that interest rates are rising, and we see this nonlinear relationship between interest rates and activity. It's happening now as we talk. That will come to an end in the second half of the year. So a lot of activity is being borrowed from the future.

That's why I believe that this market will slow down in the second half of the year, and that will be a very, very good thing. We need to slow down.

POST: Thanks. Hilary?

HILARY FARR: I think I'm probably

the least informed in how the financial machinations turn away behind the scenes. It's just not my area, but.…

So, as a financial layman, I have to ask a question that may sound idiotic. But why, when prices are so temptingly high for homeowners that could completely change a life by selling now at the top of the market, why is the supply so low and has been so consistently low?

they're shocked when they see the condominium is the same price as their house. And they're like, "Why am I giving up my house for this?" And then people aren't upgrading because the cost to go to the next level is so significant. They'd rather renovate the house and just stay where they are because it used to be, if you had a house for $1 million, if you went to $1.3 million, it was a significantly different house. Now, if you have a house for $1 million, you have to go to a $2 million house to make a significant difference. So people are saying, "I'm not going. I'm just going to stay where I am and renovate the house." So we're seeing a lot of people just stalled where they are and saying, "I'm just staying put because I don't have that many options." And then that just compounds, I think, this whole supply issue.

POST: Our next question is about what the government could be doing to create more affordable housing. Brad Lamb couldn't join us this year, but I interviewed him and he suggested the answer is deregulation coupled with increased density. Jennifer?

JENNIFER: Well, it's kind of an ironic comment because, you know, we've actually built a significant amount of housing over the course of the past 10 years, and prices have gone nowhere

but up. There's no example in the world where affordable housing has been secured simply by building more housing. It's only ever secured by having very specific programs and policies in place that result in the specific building of affordable housing. The example I'd love to use is New York City because we think of New York City as this great bastion of capitalism, which I guess it is. But New York City works because there's so many rent-controlled apartments in New York

“But why when prices are so temptingly high for homeowners that could completely change a life by selling now at the top of —HILARY FARR the market, why is the supply so low?”

City. There's a tremendous amount of affordable housing in New York City that has been either built as affordable housing or secured as affordable housing. So it's been delinked from whatever is happening in the market. So I would say, you know, we've been through this process, really, since 1970, when we stopped building any kind of social housing and we stopped building co-ops. That kind of ended more toward the middle of the '80s, and we really assumed that all housing needs would be captured through market home ownership. That was really the assumption. Whereas prior to that, we were

SOLD OVER ASKING

From a stone cottage estate to a modern custom build, you won’t believe how much these home sold over asking in these Toronto neighbourhoods!

By Zakiya Kassam

JEANHY SHIM: Yeah. I mean, we

you have to live somewhere.

HILARY: But people do downsize. I under-

stand that.

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

move elsewhere. And they actually do that.

The numbers are big, but at the same time, people believe the prices will continue to rise.

So why do it now if you can do it a year from now. At the same time, most people don't want to downsize. So that's the reason. But I believe that supply will rise over the next year or so as people start realizing that maybe this trajectory of prices will not continue.

POST: It's a great question and we're gonna come back to talk more about supply later in the discussion. Brian?

BRIAN GLUCKSTEIN: Well, I was in line

with Hilary's question where we find … when talking about supply, we find that people aren't moving and the cost to move laterally or down is as much as the house they live in. So they have this incredible house, 24 and then they look at a condominium, and

agree with Benjamin's comment that this is the first time that we actually have all levels of government talking about the importance of more housing supply that's significant. But there's another piece to layer on to that, which is we also need to be building housing that is affordable and that will stay affordable in perpetuity. You know, kind of like all of our favourite characters on Friends. You know, they were living the life in New York City because of a rent-controlled apartment.

That's not a new idea, that there needs to be housing that is separated from the market for young people, for newcomers, for people who are in sectors where they're never going to make a wage that's going to be able to respond to a tremendous market demand for housing, which typically exists in cities. So, you know, it's not a hard thing to fix really.

You need public policy that will drive forward affordable housing in the development process and it can easily be delivered in partnership with private sector partners.

POST: We can go to Jeanhy and then Brian.

BENJAMIN: Well, the answer is that because

BENJAMIN: Some people do that and they

building a much broader band of types of housing. We had affordable rental housing, we had market rental housing, we had co-operatives, we had community land trust. It was really a diverse suite of different housing types that appealed to different income levels and people who had different needs at different stages of their life.

We sort of stopped that, and we only built housing for a really significant period of time.

And now, we're backpedalling. You know, I

L-R: 7 Rosedale Rd. and 75 Macpherson Ave. both recently sold for well over asking

Summerhill — Out of a storybook The home at 75 Macpherson Ave. is Annex adjacent and packed with designer details.

It was listed for $2.695 million on Feb. 9, 2022, and sold a week later for $3,702,075.

That's just over $1 million over asking.

Rosedale — Country cottage charm This quaint stone home at 7 Rosedale Rd. has curb appeal in spades. It was listed for $4.5 million on Sept. 27, 2021, and was sold for $6.6 million a week later.

That's $2.1 million over asking.

York Mills — Modern showstopper 12 Pembury Ave. W. is brand-new, customdesigned and ultra modern. The home was listed for $3.898 million on Feb. 23, 2022, and sold six days later for $4.77 million — $872,000 over asking.

Forest Hill — Backyard with potential 33 Hawarden Cres. sat on the market for two months, but it was worth the wait. It was listed on Dec. 6, 2021, for $2.998 million and sold on Feb. 4, 2022, for $5 million — more than $2 million over asking.

Vaughan — Luxury estate 150 Israel Zilber Dr. sold in just 10 days. The luxury property was listed for $1.699 million on Feb. 5, 2022, and sold for $2.52 million on Feb. 15. That's $821,000 over asking.

Lawrence Park North — Sun-kissed semi This extra-wide semi-detached at 50 Bedford Park Ave. was listed at $1.699 million on Feb. 28, 2022, and sold for $2.51 million on March 7. That's $811,000 over asking.

know decades ago, as Jennifer said, the government used to supply all the affordable housing needs. It was then downloaded onto the private sector and provincial governments and municipal governments. And I think what we're seeing here is that, you know, it's not capturing all of the affordable housing needs. We have to always ask ourselves, when we say the words “affordable housing,” it's who's affordability are we talking about?

And the private sector and the private development community, and that's the world I come from, has a role to play. And the government has seized on that and there's inclusionary zoning and other kinds of tools and carrots and sticks that they're using to incentivize and to compel the private sector to deliver affordable housing, but we have to remember that it's only kind of a certain segment.

It's kind of what I call the least affordable definition of affordable housing, according to the CMHC definitions. So we can't forget that the affordable housing crisis is much broader. That's a legitimate need and the private sector will kind of fill that end of the

2022 REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE

BRIAN: Well, a lot of what we've seen over the last number of years, and we've been involved in some of the largest developments in the GTA, is that we're building enormous amounts of units, but they're not family-oriented units. They’re small units. You know, it satisfies a market that can afford them and that wants to live in 500 square feet or 600 square feet, and some of them are even two bedrooms at 600 square feet. That is not a family residence.

Also, it's not secure living. It's not secure housing because, you know, with the prices going up, the owner might say, you know what, I'm going to cash out. I'm just going to sell this. So you don't have secure rental stock in that. And everybody says, well, we're building all these condos and they're all rentals. You know, all these buildings are rentals so that's not really secure housing.

But we worked on a project that was launched as a condominium. It stopped and it was relaunched as a rental building. The building is almost finished. And if it’s purpose-built rentals, small units, some larger units, but the rents are so high that it's very specific by a renter, and is not going to help housing.

I mean, purpose-built rentals now are luxury rentals. They are not affordable rentals, and they are not big rentals. Even their biggest units are not big units. So could you fit a family in? Maybe, but it would not be great living.

JENNIFER: It's happening. It's happening.

BARRY: OK, great. Good, good, good. And

so maybe, you know…

JENNIFER: On the waterfront.

BARRY: There you go. Good. So maybe with

these office towers that are vacant, maybe there'll be some conversions into residential platforms and things like that.

POST: Benjamin?

arrived from Canada because they were in Canada already. There were students, They were non-permanent residents. For them, it was a change in status, not a change of address.

So that's something that we have to realize, and the goal is to keep this ratio of people arriving to Canada from Canada relatively high. And that's actually something that will increase their employability because they're young, they are students, they're ed-

ucated, they speak the language, they have the job experience, all this business. So it's actually positive for the housing market.

But one thing is, if you look at how many people arrive, 400,000, how many of them are in construction? How many of them are trade? Zero. So we have to fine-tune the skillset of new immigrants, not to be just computer engineers, but also construction workers and trades, because we desperately need them. By the way, it's also the case for nurses. We need nurses like oxygen. We got zero new nurses from 400,000 new immigrants. Another point.

TORONTO VS. EVERYBODY

Think Toronto’s market is bad? See how we compare up against some of the biggest cities worldwide, based on the average home price in each. Averages are based on the most recent housing data available in each city (converted to Canadian dollars).

TORONTO $1,334,544

SAN FRANCISCO $1,870,066.32

SYDNEY $1,509,571.20

VANCOUVER $1,313,400

LONDON $1,103,086.40

NEW YORK $1,074,534.07

MICHAEL K.: One thing we should

BARRY: I don't know if it was Jennifer years

ago who talked about condos, maybe dedicating a level floor to a school, you know, so you can bring families into these condos,

LOS ANGELES $999,128.17

there were rate hikes that were supposed to be coming this quarter and next quarter. I think, given the recent news

—BRIAN GLUCKSTEIN

POST: Let's move on to Michael Kalles, and then we can go to Barry.

focus on is that in the city of Toronto, there was 9.8 billion worth of land sales in 2021, a record, and there's 272,000 units built in the GTA. And by the way, the 10-year average is around 215,000, so things are moving in the right direction.

The problem is it's not moving fast enough.

With immigration numbers, people are shocked to hear that Canada had over 400,000 new immigrants during the pandemic in 2021, again, driving up the demand.

MICHELE ROMANOW: I think that

“You can drive through neighbourhoods and you would be shocked at the percentage of [empty] homes and condos of people that are at their cottage, people that are in Florida.”

BENJAMIN: Two points. First of all, regard-

ing supply: So yes, we know that we have to build more if it's a public, private or PPP. One issue that we have with supply, and it's becoming a major issue, is labour. We simply cannot find people. Good luck finding a plumber.

Speak to any developer, they will tell you we cannot find people. So it's not just completion. It's how long it takes to complete a project. It takes much longer because we don't have the people. Brings me to immigration: Yes, we got 400,000 new immigrants, but 70 per cent of them came from where? Where did they come from? From Canada. Seventy percent of new Canadians

POST: With such an active market, what does the federal government need to do, particularly in terms of interest rates to cool off the market? Michele, what do you think?

MONTREAL $550,000

CHICAGO $420,872

about Ukraine and Russia, that might be held off another quarter. I think Canada often follows the U.S., and it looks like the feds are going to hold the rates again for another quarter in the U.S., or at least that's the rumours right now. I can't see another way to cool down this market.

I think people made some really good points around, I mean, if Canada was the most locked-down place, you really only had your home to be in. And so, the idea of trading down or actually trading at all or leaving your home during a period where you literally couldn't go to a restaurant in January of this year, it was just, I'm not sure that was realistic. And so I think this is going to be a combination of seeing how Canada is going to treat COVID regulations going forward.

I think rate hikes will certainly cool down the market. They're going to move very slowly.

So they probably won't do very much.

And then I'm surprised that we are still seeing the level of price increases in the low supply, even though we have seen two behaviors that I think I've seen in the tech industry.

The first is that many people have moved.

They've moved out of Toronto, they've moved to other places, they've moved into suburbs, they've moved into other countries.

I literally now have … I had a team that was 100 per cent based in Toronto and many of those people have left.

And the second factor that is going to be here is this idea of the great resignation.

Many people have resigned from their jobs, but they didn't stop working. They actually became [business] founders. And so, it will be interesting to see where they end up going because they will largely have control over where they live versus an employer historically dictating them. But I think on the rates issue, I think we might have another quarter or two to see this, and then I think it will still be slow.

POST: I'm curious about the great resignation you bring up, as we still see the Toronto market booming. How can we understand that?

MICHELE: So you think when people resign,

APRIL 2022

POST: Brian, please go ahead.

right? Was that right, Jennifer? I think so, but I never saw that happen.

| POST |

spectrum, but we can't forget about, especially on the renting side. And that's where I find that, in the affordable housing discussion, there's a lot of focus on affordable ownership and for, you know, people who can afford kind of slightly higher affordable rents. But the real crisis that we have yet to tackle is the deep affordable side, which no one has really cracked that, not yet.

I know with myself and our team, we're kind of not satisfied with the current solutions. They're just not enough. And that's where we're looking forward. I think there's a lot of opportunities, but the private sector still certainly has a role to play.

COVER STORY

they don't wanna live in a city anymore? Is that kind of the assumption?

25

Real Estate Tips: Nicola Wealth Shares its Rewarding Approach to Real Estate Investing Nicola Wealth clients enjoy the benefits of investing in real estate without some of the stress and headaches They seem to be doing something right at Nicola Wealth. The firm’s dedicated real estate division, Nicola Wealth Real Estate (NWRE), led by Mark Hannah, Managing Director, has seen some positive performance from their real estate portfolio regardless of the volatility of the pandemic. Their in-house acquisition and asset-management specialists attribute this success to the diversity of their portfolio, their ability to keep their finger on the pulse, and ultimately being able to act quickly on opportunities in major markets.

Taking an entrepreneurial approach to investing in real estate through which their team of more than 50 professionals employs; NWRE monitors industry trends and acts quickly. Preferring off-market opportunities, they use a creative lens to find opportunities to add value instead of just buying existing real estate to clip a rental coupon. The firm has applied this strategy for years; boasting 19 acquisitions over in 2021 alone, adding to their Canadian income properties, US income properties, and value-add/development opportunities.

While almost everyone can agree that real estate is an attractive investment these days, the team at Nicola Wealth has a few words of advice to help avoid common mistakes that can have significant impacts on your outcome.

For example, Alex Messina, Director of Acquisitions at NWRE, warns against treating real estate as anything less than an active business.

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

“It’s not as simple as clicking a button to buy a property and letting a property manager take it from there,” he says.

“There is a lot of work that goes into underwriting good investment opportunities, completing due diligence and

26

closing. From there, the real work begins where you need to understand mortgage financing, asset management, and leasing to maximize value. We have a team with specialists in all of these disciplines.”

It appears that diversity is key.

Avoid putting all of your real estate “eggs in one basket,” opting instead for variety by asset class and geography, and watching for opportunities that are open-ended, which essentially equates to liquidity.

Preparing for volatility in the market means conservative underwriting—don’t get trapped into thinking that prices will just keep going up; make sure the numbers work based on today’s value.

“It also means investors need to be disciplined in their approach to acquisitions,” Messina says. “We take the view that if we can’t get a deal at the right price, there is always another bus coming. We also look for multiple ways out of the room.”

For example, if you buy raw land and the development is delayed or stalled, you’re stuck. But if there are existing buildings with holding cash flow income, you can continue to lease those buildings. “We like to have back-up plans,” Messina says.

From a leasing perspective, NWRE always looks at buildings with good leasing appeal that will attract a wide variety of tenants. Remember that when markets turn, premier locations will typically offer more flexibility from leasing, sales, and liquidity standpoints.

“We can’t control if lease rates in the market soften, but we want to make sure that we have properties that will attract strong interest from tenants so we can ensure cash flow,” Messina says.

Finally, investors need to be prepared for the inevitable rise in interest rates.

NWRE has been proactive at locking in mortgage rates for the company’s long-term leased assets to hedge against higher interest rates in the midterm. “This also impacts our acquisition strategy as we look for assets where we can increase rents in the future to offset rising interest rate costs, instead of acquiring assets that are leased longterm at fixed rents,” Messina says.

While investing in hard-asset real estate can reap rewards and tips from professionals can help you on your way; remember, it requires significant time,

capital, expertise, and good ol’ hard work. It might be best to leave it to the experts – and that’s where Nicola Wealth comes in. Messina says. “Our end goal is to relieve our clients of the burden of sourcing and managing properties, while striving for the best possible returns.”

This material contains the current opinions of the author and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material is distributed for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein are based upon proprietary research and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. All investments contain risk and may gain or lose value. Nicola Wealth is registered as a Portfolio Manager, Exempt Market Dealer and Investment Fund Manager with the required provincial securities commissions.

2022 REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE

business of people fleeing Toronto, the Toronto refugees, I think it's much ado about nothing quite frankly. I think that, if you look at the numbers, only five per cent of the activity was actually more than 200 kilometers away from Toronto. So this is not really a big story, and it's starting to reverse because all those people that moved, they realize that, you know what, their employers actually want them two or three days a week in the office. The IT sector is an exception, but the whole economy is not just IT. It's much more than that.

Now, second, interest rates. Very exciting.

Of course, it is exciting. So let's talk about interest rates. And I think that the Bank of Canada will move. They will move next week. They will move in, you know, early March because they have no choice. They have no choice because inflation is way too high, and they cannot not do something about it. Even with Ukraine and what's happening with Russia, they're going to raise interest rates. The only question is how quickly they will raise interest rates because they have to protect their reputation.

And remember, at the end of the day, because people are talking about inflation of 10 per cent, 15 per cent, and this is very important for people who care about mortgage rates, this is not about inflation. This is about the cost that it'll take to bring inflation back to two per cent in terms of higher interest rates. For 50 years, the Bank of Canada and the feds were building their reputation, their capability as inflation fighters. They're not going to toss it away. They will do whatever it takes. The hope is that it'll not take too much in a way that we will derail the housing market. That's where we are.

JEANHY: I wonder how much im-

pact this interest rate increase is going to have. Normally, it does, obviously. You know, we're going to have the rush of people who want to get in before rates go up, but, to Benjamin's point, I mean, it's not going to go up a point overnight. It should go slowly, but you kind of wonder, it may take a bit of froth off the top of the market, but if you think about kind of who has been buying, what's been driving this, certainly on the condo market pre-construction investors, there's a lot of money out there, people who perhaps saved money because they couldn't travel and spend money during COVID. And Benjamin and CIBC did that great study on the gifting. And it's incredible the percentage of people who are buying, first-time buyers and move-up buyers, and the size of the gifts that they're getting from their parents who are anxious for them to get in.

And perhaps even if rates go up, like I said, that always impacts affordability, but, you know, if you've got your parents who are kind of baby boomers who are saying, "I remember paying 18 per cent interest. So whether it's three per cent or four per cent, it's still relatively affordable." And there is that perception that prices are just going to continue

to increase. So it'll be interesting to see the impact.

Certainly, there will be. And I think that governments here. I mean, they're kind of limited in their tools. They can impose foreign buyer taxes, and they always seem to focus on the demand side. But a lot of the demand is driven by demographics. You know, we are all aging, kids want to move out of their parent's homes. Never mind immigration and people moving in. So there are a lot of reasons why demand is always going to be there because people need to be housed.

So I think the government should really focus more.

You asked a question about regulations, I really focus on the supply side. What can they do to unblock supply? In Ontario, we had the task force come up with a bunch of suggestions, and I would just add on there that, how can we stimulate more of the affordable rental housing construction as well.

But yeah, I guess it'll be an interesting year to see what happens.

BENJAMIN: If I can just say one thing on

that, because that's important, for just one second. You're absolutely right. If interest rates go up slowly, the market can take it. It will not be 20 per cent a year. It will go down to something normal, stable because this market is extremely strong when it comes to the fundamentals. However, if you have a

monetary policy error and you raise interest rates way too quickly, you cause a recession, and the recession can lead to some pressure in the housing market because of the unemployment rate. So that's more or less where we are. But you are absolutely right: if interests go up very, very slowly, even if they go up 200, 300 business points, the market can take it, and that would be a good thing.

BARRY: So we keep talking about supply and immigration quotas, but there's this signifi-

cant wealth transference as referenced by the baby boomers. They're passing millions off to their kids, and I think that's what's fuelling the market, right? And even, you know, I talk about somebody who bought their home, a professional plumber bought his home for $35,000 in the '70s, now has a house where $2.5 million can give each child a quarter-million dollars to buy a house. So, I mean, that's fuelling it too.

And you also have to look forward. We've been in quarantine. What about all the people that got … the immigrants that got taken

With home prices on the rise, first-time homebuyers in Toronto have had to get creative with financing their purchases.

$10 BIL

27%

Average down payment gift size in Toronto during the first three quarters of 2021 for first-time homebuyers.

Estimated amount of down payment gifts given in Canada in the past year, which accounts for 10 per cent of total down payments.

Amount of Toronto gen Z adults expecting a financial gift from family to be the primary source of their down payment.

$82,000

$52,000

>30%

Average down payment gift size in Canada in 2021.

Average down payment gift size in Canada in 2015.

Share of first-time homebuyers that received help from family in 2021.

36%

26%

12%

Amount of gen Z Torontonians expecting to purchase their home in the next five years.

POST: Now that we're through the first two years of the pandemic, what is the best way for homeowners to add value to their properties in 2022?

“Over the past 14 years, I've seen the homebuying experience go from sort of generally excitable and this fun experience to now it's —ODEEN ECCLESTON almost foreboding.

GIVING THE GIFT OF A NEW HOME

$130,000

out by that? And now we've lifted the quarantine, that's your next flood of people returning to the market. So we've got to think quick about how to supply this market, and I think it's just happening too slow at all levels.

Amount of gen Z Torontonians expecting to co-own their home with family.

Amount of gen Z Torontonians expecting to co-own their home with friends.

MICHAEL LONDON: I think, over-

all, just to add value to your property is just looking at classic design, neutral timeless, I think just to add impact, a little bit of a wow. You want, when potential purchasers, homebuyers, come to look at your home, that it has to trigger curiosity.

Just things that are different will tend to add value to the space.

What we're doing now with our clients is we're adding minor renovations as well. And I think that minor renovations, when it comes to the impact, all of that as a whole will trigger curiosity and raise the value of your home.

HILARY: I would say that, if you are renovat-

ing to sell, you have to take a very hard look at the home in which you live because the simplest things like grubby grout is enough to put the buyer off. That's a simple little thing. But a non-functioning kitchen, a nonfunctioning bathroom, that you've put up with for the last 12 years, because it's very easy to get used to whatever it is, you will also not be able to get the value out of your home.

And those are major renovations.

Those are the renovations that will take your house from having multiple offers and multiple buyers, potentially, if you have a well-updated kitchen and bathroom, and it will change your life as the people living within those four walls. If you just want to put lipstick on the house, I won't call it a pig, but if you have lived with a house that has become dingy and rundown, you won't fool the average buyer. I just don't think it's the way to go.

I also think that you have to look ahead and embrace what has happened with the way we live in our houses, which we've all touched upon on different levels with COVID. I think that is going to be a specter in our lives that's not going to go away.

POST: Odeen, go ahead.

ODEEN ECCLESTON: To echo Hi-

—From CIBC’s Gifting for a down payment 2021 report & Mustel Group and Sotheby’s International Realty Canada Generation Z Trends Report

APRIL 2022

BENJAMIN: Yes. I think that this

lary's sentiment, I agree, function is key, and then as Michael London mentioned, impact can also improve value.

And then from a practicality and pragmatic 27 | POST |

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

2022 REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE

p standpoint, to increase value right now, buyers, to get into the market, a lot of them are relying on secondary suites. They're relying on income from basements or even some people are even doing loft extensions. Just anything to get whether it be in-laws in to pool their resources or to actually get extra income from a student or from a tenant.

HILARY: Can I just say one more

thing? Right now as.… Oh, I think it was Benjamin who was talking about it, the real problem with finding contractors and people who will actually do the work for you dependably and actually see it, just even see it from beginning to end is so difficult right now.

For example, the danger you can run into is that you will find somebody, and they will probably start the job and they may or may not finish the job, and it may not even be their fault. It may be that the plumber just simply has gone that they were depending on.

BRIAN: I am finding that it's become a

nightmare as far as renovations and building.

It has just become impossible. The stress level on the homeowners, we try to minimize it to sort of hide the disasters behind the scenes, but everything from the trades to the products, everything, you can't get a refrigerator, you can't get fabric, you can't get tile.

You really want to hold on to the relationships you have.

POST: We're going to have to move on to the next question. Odeen, I wanted to ask you about those ideas of housing migration and urban spread. What are you seeing outside of the Toronto area?

it's only five per cent of purchasers moving 200 kilometres outside of Toronto. But within our brokers, we've seen quite a few people just decide, "You know what? The GTA is no longer for me. It's out of my affordability. It's out of what I envisioned my adulthood to look like."

So, they are opting for Prince Edward Island and for Calgary and the other places where they can kind of live that Canadian dream. And a lot of them are able to do that, again, because of remote work. And then actually, as Michele said, because they've decided to just endeavour into their own sort of entrepreneurial endeavours where they can start startups.

So, back to your point: yes, the 905 is a solution for some, but it still isn't sort of the end all, be all for the people who can't afford the 416.

MICHAEL K.: Hey, just a quick

point, and that is that, you know, I spend a big part of my week online with our international affiliates, and the story of Toronto is the story of every city, small and large: low supply, major demand. So, Michele, I liked what you said, and it's so true.

Today, you're hearing about people going to Florida etc., but when things were really locked down and, you know, a car was your really only … your number one form of

transportation, people were going outside of Toronto and working remote.

We actually opened an office in Prince Edward County because of the demand there.

And what's really unique is when you look at prices in Toronto, they're being dwarfed by price increases outside of the city. Just a quick statistic: So I'm speaking to our Chicago affiliate. Guelph is now twice the

“What's really unique is when you look at prices in Toronto, they're being dwarfed by price increases outside of the city. Just a quick statistic, Guelph is now twice the price on average than Chicago.”

—MICHAEL KALLES

price, on average, of Chicago. Guelph. I mean, just … so it's just incredible what's happening around the world. It's not just the city of Toronto. It's all over the world.

JENNIFER: When my parents bought their

first home back in 1970, that home cost two times my dad's salary. Now, my dad at the time was an entry-level blue-collar worker, and he was able to buy a home because his home was two times the annual salary. And his salary was actually an average salary in 1970. Today, it's multiples.

It's getting up to 16 times the average salary to buy a home. Well, it just holds to reason that the average person coming out of

THE GREAT TORONTO EXODUS

ODEEN: Well, I wanted to speak a little bit.

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

I don't think I've heard much of the perspective of first-time homebuyers that don't have the privilege of bank of Mom and Dad. And you know, the purchasers — or wouldn't be purchasers that don't have their foot in the door yet — because I think a lot of them are watching and we need to represent them here.

And what we're seeing is that, although they would love to be in the metropolis closer to where they work, they simply don't have that option. And it's interesting because over the past 14 years, I've seen the homebuying experience go from sort of generally excitable and this fun experience to now it's almost like foreboding. It's almost like we have to prepare.…

But, yeah, so as a result, yes, people are… especially first-time home-buyers, the only solution a lot of them have is to move as far away as they can kind of qualify. But even then, it's been a terrible struggle the past couple of years where, as I said, it went from an excitable process to now it's either kind of, frankly, just like a frustrating process or to the point where some people are giving up.

And they're giving up not only on Toronto.

They're giving up on the GTA and that's …

28 you know, I think Benjamin mentioned that

Brant Street pier in Burlington, Ontario

Once the pandemic began, work-from-home led to reports of Torontonians fleeing the city to enjoy the countryside without having to worry about the commute. But, for many residents, the choice to leave was a question of affordability.

“I would have been really happy to stay in Toronto,” former Toronto resident Kimberly says. “But my marriage ended, and we had to look at where was the best place for our kid.

Our options were a one bedroom plus den condo on my street or a three bedroom townhome in Burlington for the same price.”

Burlington made sense for Kimberly and her child, as it was walkable to the GO station and an hour’s ride into Union Station if a job required her to be in-office. “I bought here knowing I was a 20-minute walk downtown. I can walk to a performing arts centre, a museum. I can pretend I’m in the city,” she says.

“We really love Toronto,” Kimberly says.

“But it is not a place anymore where two sin-

school, moving into this country from another country or even from another province is not going to be able to access housing.

So, we really … when we talk about … you know, I talk a lot about supply — and my work right now is focused on, specifically, building affordable rental supply — but we also have to talk of this challenge of how we've made it very easy to treat housing like

gle-parent families can raise a kid and give them a good quality of life very easily.”

Justin* and his wife moved from Toronto to Simcoe in 2021. The move was prompted by a similar sentiment to Kimberly’s. “It was the realization that we were never going to own anything here,” he says.

Justin, whose workplace’s office is still located in the city, was able to co-ordinate a schedule that often only required one day a week of commuting into Toronto.

“Because [my wife and I] grew up in small towns, we realized that moving back out to small towns wasn't a scary thing,” he says.

Both Kimberly and Justin have experienced comments from residents about Torontonians jacking up prices in their towns, but Kimberly says this is likely the future of Ontario.

“The density I love about Toronto is now going to be a potential feature in some parts of our small and mid-sized suburban cities.” *Readers note, Justin is a pseudonym

a financial tool and a financial asset instead of treating housing as a home.

And if we assume that every home is going to have a family in it — and, you know, a dinner table at night where homework is spread out and kids are eating their dinner and chitchatting — instead of sitting empty, then we need to look at things like capital gains taxes, and we need to look at other ways that, currently, we actually incentivize people to use real estate as a financial tool. And I'll just say, you're crazy not to, in this market, to look at housing in that way because it's proving to be incredibly lucrative. But the fact that it's incredibly lucrative is tied to the fact that so many people cannot even dream of accessing a home. And if I think we go back, and we think back to the vision that we have of our country, I think the vision of our country isn't that two per cent of the population gets stinking rich off housing. I think we're a bit bigger than that. We want to be a country where people can come and work hard and build a life and, you know, be able to meet their needs rather than worrying about shelter. But we've sort of incentivized that by making housing a really powerful financial mechanism for generating wealth instead of treating housing as a home, which is that old, very naive approach that I learned in planning school to how you plan for housing supply.

And in that work, 20 years ago when I was doing my master's in planning, no one was saying, “Well, hold on a minute. People might start parking their money in houses and not even living there.” That wasn't part of the projection process, and that's part of why we have this incredible problem on our hands right now. So I do think we have to really tackle that issue as a country.

POST: Talking about housing as an investment, Brian, which segment of the market do you see as having the best returns right now?

BRIAN: I don't think there's a bad location

anywhere. So you don't have to be a genius to make money in real estate, it appears, today. One of the things I was, you know, I was thinking when Jennifer was speaking is that people would be shocked if they knew how many homes are empty most of the year and condos are empty most of the year. You

2022 REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE

BRIAN: You know, I remember

when I was so excited when the interest rate on my first house went down to nine per cent. I was so excited. It was 11 per cent, it went to nine per cent. I thought I had struck … like, I couldn't believe that it was only nine per cent. Now, that interest rate, it's, like, zero.

So, from that standpoint, I really don't see interest rates slowing anything down. I just think our market is so strong. This city is so strong, and there's this appetite of risk that people are investing probably much more than they should be spending on houses.

They're going into multiple bidding situations bidding much more than they ever should have.

POST: With the run-up in housing prices in the U.S. in ’05–’06, many people said, "maybe my income is uncertain, but it's OK because, if I lose my job, I can sell my home." And that didn't turn out so well.

Benjamin, do you have thoughts on whether there’s a risk of that happening here?

BENJAMIN: The short answer is no, because

the current situation is not even remotely close to the subprime crisis that we have seen in the U.S. Back then it was the creative imagination of American bankers that came up with all those mortgages. Here we have stress test, we have all kinds of other things that clearly are a factor that will protect you from that.

Having said that, I agree with the point that was made about too much investment.

And I'm sensing, I'm sensing that some of the recent increase in investment activity is more speculative than before. I'm starting to sense it from talking to people in the market.

And I worry about it because those people will be the first to sell when interests rise or there is any issue.

We have to remember that the significant segment of investors are doing it not for the money. They are doing it for their kids, really.

We did focus groups and people were telling me, "you know what? I have a 10-year-old. I want him or her to have a chance to live in

POST: Great. Let’s go over to Barry.

BARRY: I agree with Benjamin. You know, it will come to an end, but I think it won't be long-lasting because you have all these forces, lack of supply, and if you can go back to the correction that I think Benjamin referenced, even it was in '89, I think, real estate fell 28 per cent. Who would've thought that, right?

But that was an economical correction.

Everything since then was just intervention, media, Y2K, 2006. We thought things were going to go the other way. We're U.S.'s little sister. The mortgage rules, I was in favour of that. Keeps us safe.

Anyway, onward and on: immigration, what was the foreign buyer tax? But these are, like, just temporary stops. We're still dealing with the supply issues. I mean, look at these investors. When this correction does come as, again, Benjamin talked about, that there's too much speculation. They're buying houses with five per cent and 10 per cent down, and they're not … they don't know what we know: that real estate can fall 28 per cent. You know, that's the stuff that sinks the boat.

So, as long as people are safe investing and not … I don't think we're at the end of this.

As long as you're safely investing, I think real estate is the best game in town.

STORIES FROM A RUNAWAY MARKET

BUYING, THEN SELLING

FROM CONDOIn TO TOWNHOMEBUYING, THENthe SELLING today’s market in Toronto, thought of buying can be daunting.

While numbers can be helpful, sometimes it’s better to hear it straight FROM CONDO TOthe TOWNHOME from the source — the buyers themselves. By Julia Mastroianni

2022 PREDICTIONS POST: We're going to have to move on to our final, crystal ball question. What are your predictions for the year ahead?

BRIAN: I see the market staying extremely strong, the supply very limited because I'm seeing more of our clients are not moving, and they're staying put where they are, and they're working on the homes that they have and the condos that they have. And it's getting harder because they're buying multiple homes. And great for our business, but it's also depleting the inventory in other areas because a lot of these houses are staying empty a lot. But a strong market and the appetite to own a house — one, two or three houses, investment houses like we've never seen — it is just accelerating, and there's no end in sight. So next year and the year after, there's going to be very little change, except for costs going up.

POST: Michael London?

MICHAEL L.: The end to COVID. You heard it here first. That's it.

BRIAN: From your mouth.

MICHAEL L.: From my mouth. I

FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER ON INVESTING IN A FIXER-UPPER

BUYING, THEN SELLING FROM CONDO TO TOWNHOME

Ty, a 25-year-old who lives and works downtown, says the decision to buy wasn’t an easy one. “I definitely made sacrifices,” he says.

For the past three years, Ty was living in a two-bedroom condo with two other roommates, and his bedroom was the living room with a curtain rod — allowing him to pay $550 a month in rent.

Buying a place on his own meant Ty needed to think strategically.

“I needed to have that second room and a roommate,” he says. “All those fees are a lot to take on if you’re not sharing them with a partner, so having a roommate paying rent made it possible for me to buy.”

He ended up purchasing a one-bedroom plus den, at Spadina and Fort York, and smashed out a wall and built another one to turn the den into its own room. “Going for a fixer-upper has so much value to it,” he says.

The unit wasn’t staged, and there were no other bidders for the place, resulting in a price reduction in the end. “I’ve done substantial renovations since then, and now if I wanted to list it, I know I could get a large amount more.”

Steve had been eyeing a new townhome development at St. Clair and Caledonia for him and his husband for years. In March of 2021, the pair saw there were just a few units left and decided to put down a deposit.

“We went in on a Sunday to finalize everything, and the following day, they increased the purchase price on the remaining units. So we sort of lucked out in that sense,” he says.

But, the concern was then having to sell their current Yonge and Eglinton condo after buying. “The nervousness came from the fact that we didn't know what we were actually going to sell this for and could that potentially have an impact on what we would be approved for.”

They listed the unit in March of 2022, and had over 25 showings in the span of a week.

“We ended up in a bit of a bidding war, with eight offers, including one pre-emptive bully offer that came in two days after we listed,” Steve says.

Their place ended up selling for almost $1.25 million. “My husband would have wanted to sell, then buy, but I’m a bit more of a risk taker,” he says. “But in this market, it paid off in the end.”

think, overall, we have a number of projects that are coming up, that are high-end, luxury projects. I think we're going to see a lot more of that happening. I think the market is still strong, as Brian was saying.

I think that, when it comes to, given COVID, those who … in the past, we had our certain needs that we wanted, and the wants were sort of luxuries, and now those luxuries are musthaves. I think that's what we're going to find more of happening. Those must-haves, the luxuries, the must-haves, that's what we're going to see more of in the coming year.

POST: Jennifer, any predictions?

JENNIFER: Well, I always think this

is a dangerous exercise. And I do remember two years ago when you asked us this question, and COVID was just starting to hit, and I think almost all of us had no idea, and in fact, a lot of people were predicting a downturn. Someone had just come out and said, "oh, you know, the market is going to go down by 20 per cent." But I look at the data around supply. I always listen to what Benjamin has to say around where interest rates are going. I think you have to take those two things together. The demand isn't going anywhere, and the supply isn't going to be produced fast enough. I hear what Brian is saying about people holding on to properties.

So I think it's going to continue to be very strong for at least another 12 months. As long as we don't see some really drastic move around interest rates, as long as it's baby steps, there might be … If there is a little bit of cooling, it won't be sustained because over the long term … if you look over a five-year 29 APRIL 2022

POST: Do you think we should start thinking about interest rates going up? Do you see a risk in any segment of the market that might be particularly difficult?

Toronto 10 years from now. I am buying now, although I am in a negative cash flow situation." Many of them are. And that's fine.

And they are right to suggest so because, quite frankly, 10 years from now, Toronto will be less affordable, not more affordable.

Having said that, I'm sensing that there is some speculation. I totally agree that some people are overinvested in too many properties with modest income. I worry about it.

This is not the U.S. in 2007, but it's something that will increase the sensitivity of this market to higher interest rates.

| POST |

can drive through neighbourhoods and you would be shocked at the percentage of homes and condos of people that are at their cottage, people that are in Florida. They may not own in Florida. They may be renting in Florida, but they are not here.

And there is so much inventory that is just sitting here empty. I have three properties. I haven't been to my apartment in New York in two years because of COVID. So that's a big complaint in New York that they're talking about that and how to deal with that. You could throw a dart at a map and you would make money if you held onto it for the next few years. So there's no bad area.

COVER STORY

30

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

2022 REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE

POST: Michele, what about you?

MICHELE: Yeah, I think this is going

to really depend on interest rates. I think what a lot of the panel has said: that it doesn't look like we're solving a supply problem. And I don't think we are going to change the demand problem with the amount of immigrants. I genuinely feel like people are going to be living in very different places and wanting very different things in their homes.

You know, I've now decided I cannot stay in a hotel room with my partner that's not two rooms because you cannot do a call with someone else. Like, this is very new. This was never something I think any of us thought about before: that we need literally enough call rooms for people because you cannot work from home and listen to someone else's Zoom call, that you literally just want to poke your eyeballs out. So I think we're going to change the way we build homes and the things we want in those homes.

And I liked what people said about, you know, people are creating new amenities. But look, I think that the demographic and the tech demographic is going to be working from home for a very long time. They're going to want different things in those homes. I don't know if all those are going to be in Toronto. I still think Toronto is a great city, but we're going to see a lot more people spreading out of here for part of the year, and maybe that will create some interesting opportunities and then a lot more founders. And I hope this version of the great resignation we're seeing is some founders that go into, I think, a lot of the problems we've identified, which is there's got to be ways to create supply that aren't just, you know, regulating that creation of supply, which creates its own series of problems or it could at times.

So I think it's going to be another very interesting year. And I always enjoy this panel because it was my first moment where we were like, "Is COVID going to happen or not?" And it's been interesting to see how both right and wrong a lot of our predictions have been over the years.

POST: Benjamin?

BENJAMIN: Yes, intercessory-wise. And this

means that the housing market should slow down a little bit. And that's good because I don't want to see another 20 per cent increase in the average house price next year. I really don't want that. So we need to put it under

POST: Barry, go ahead.

BARRY: Yeah. So tight inventory levels ex-

pected to characterize 2022, prices will rise.

There will be a small correction as interest rates rise but it will be temporary. I don't think it's going to bring on a full boom correction because there's been too much money coming into Canada and not enough supply. What we're going to see is … the domestic buyer fueled this market of '20 and '21, and now we're going to see the foreign buyer come back. And I think that's going to sustain the price escalations that we're seeing. Thank you.

POST: Let's go to Michael and then Odeen.

MICHAEL K.: Firstly, I'm flattered to be in-

cluded again on the panel. So, thank you.

You know, it's funny, I did a small study years ago and found out that anyone who bought and held real estate for seven years, made money, and that's for over half a century. So if you think about it for a moment, when you walk by homes or condominiums and you think to yourself, "Where are your regrets?" It's not for what you bought. It's for what you didn't buy. And that's really where I see everyone wanting to get into the real estate market at last.…

ODEEN: I hope that with the inter-

est rising a little bit, it'll cool, but I don't think that it'll be significant, but at least it won't be the unsustainable growth that we saw in this past year. But I think unless we can somehow do something to incentivize sellers to sell instead of just really collecting properties — which, I mean, a lot of us are guilty of because, again, it just makes sense — but I think with the increased sort of information being wide-

7 GOLDEN RULES FOR CONDO BUYING AVOID CONDOS WITH INDOOR POOLS

All pools leak eventually. It’s far more costly to manage an indoor pool than any other amenity. Security and elevators also mean high maintenance costs; all of that can add up quickly.

IDEAL SQUARE FOOTAGE

Ideal investor units are 450 to 650 square feet based on their saleability, and they earn the most rent per square foot. Another tip: buy in the middle. You’ll pay substantially less.

WHEN TO BUY

I only buy from floor plans in new developments at the earliest opportunity. If you wait until it’s built there’s no ideal age, but keep in mind that consumer design tastes greatly change over a 10-year period.

WHEN TO SELL

Two years after a building is completed is generally the point of the highest rate of return based on appreciation, assuming you bought from floor plans four years prior to completion.

GET THE LOCKER

Lockers for apartment spaces are good, smart and useful buys because they eventually sell out. In large cities, parking is a dying part of the housing complex, and more and more buildings will have less and less parking. Always buy the locker.

The parking space? That’s up to you.

We are mindful that the pandemic has severely impacted many people across our city. With that in mind, a donation has been made to our sponsor, The RE/MAX Collection’s charity of choice,the Children's Miracle Network. Post City Magazines and

Brad Lamb 25 YEARS IS THE MAGIC NUMBER

Generally speaking, whether you buy it in a downturn, an upturn or flat market, hold the property for at least 25 years. The returns on invested capital will be 15 to 25 per cent a year.

PICK YOUR EXPOSURE CAREFULLY

People often want south exposure, but south exposure can be hot year round.

West is the worst exposure because the sun bakes you six hours a day. For me, the best is northern exposure, because you get reflected light and brightness.

—Brad Lamb, developer and founder of Brad J. Lamb Realty

the Rotman School of Management have also donated a further amount raised from ticket sales to The Centre for Women and Trans People at the University of Toronto on behalf of our panellists and you, our incredible readers.

spread about the advantages of owning multiple properties, people are going to be hardpressed to sell, and then that's like a fundamental part of the inventory issue that we're going to continue to have.

POST: Let's go to Hilary and then we'll finish with Jeanhy.

HILARY: Well, I have really been astounded

by the fact that we have all of these extraordinary buildings downtown that are now empty commercial buildings. And I'm wondering at what stage — when we're talking about a lack of supply, and Jennifer is talking about the New York model of rentals where the majority of people in New York actually don't have an expectation of ownership — [people] have a hope for a good apartment at an affordable rent, knowing that they do have protections, which are there for the tenant without completely being one-sided and making it not work for the landlord.

I think if we can get to that mentality in Toronto, I think it would solve an enormous amount of the housing issues, if we can get the mindset to change from there being a sense of entitlement to ownership of properties within what is a major city. It isn't like that in most major cities. It just isn't. People rent. And there are all these magnificent buildings in the core of our city just sitting there empty. And will they or will they not ever be populated the way they were before?

Will it make sense to bring people back simply because the buildings exist? Can those buildings be evaluated in what it would take to turn them from commercial into residential? I just think it's a massive possibility of solving a lot of issues. No idea what really is going to happen. Nobody does. COVID will end. Will that bring everybody back to the office in droves? I'm not so sure.

POST: And Jeanhy, the final word.

JEANHY: Well, I think I agree with

my fellow panellists. I think though we have a tale of two markets here, I think on the private sector side or the ownership side. I agree with what everyone has said. But I'm optimistic. My prediction is optimistic that perhaps we're at a tipping point this year, where, finally, we are going to see people more open to new ideas on how to increase affordable housing, rental supply in particular. Perhaps we're at that tipping point. COVID exacerbated a lot of the issues that were already there. So that's my optimistic prediction for the upcoming year: is that financial institutions, investors, private investors, philanthropists perhaps will be a bit more open to some new ideas and new approaches to tackling some of the other affordable housing issues in our city.

Download and listen to the Roundtable podcast on iTunes

APRIL 2022

period, we will continue to be a wonderful place to live, and we will continue to have a shortage of supply, and we simply cannot build fast enough. No matter what happens, we won't be keeping up with demand. Although interest rates are a really big variable.

control. And I think that the higher interest rate is growing slowly will slow the market.

But I agree with Jennifer, the market is so undersupplied that the fundamentals are so strong. So you're not going to see a decline in prices, but you're going to see them moderating. And that would be a very good thing.

| POST |

PREDICTIONS CONTINUED

COVER STORY

31

2022

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRY

T.O.’S TOP PROFESSIONALS

STEP INTO SPRING

Mary Anne Shaw, B.A., LL.B.

BIO Mary Anne Shaw is an established lawyer whose law practice focuses on Wills and Estates, Residential Real Estate and Family Law. Mary Anne Shaw is very active in the community, and has served on many boards and foundations in the not-for-profit arts and health sectors. She provides personal service and practical solutions.

If you still haven’t considered making your Will and Powers of Attorney, please do so because if you don’t you are not doing your beneficiaries or yourself any favours! If you neglect to organize your personal affairs the costs to your estate or yourself personally may be significant.

To refresh your memory, a Will is your way to ensure that your property is distributed to the individuals and charities you would like to benefit on your death. The Will comes into force the day you die. If you don’t have a Will in place when you die, your estate will be distributed in accordance with the provisions of the Succession Law Reform Act, with the result that your assets could go to people you may not intend to benefit, and people you want to leave to benefit your assets to may miss out. Don’t let that happen.

To be valid, a Will must be in writing and signed by yourself in the presence of two witnesses. There must be three people at the table to see each other sign. Sounds straightforward, but these formalities must be followed, otherwise the Will may not be valid. Your witnesses should not be persons also named in your Will to receive a gift, nor should either witness be the spouse of a person named to receive a gift in your Will.

There have been recent additions to executing

Wills as a result of Covid-19, which are of a technological nature and you should discuss those options with your lawyer.

No time for the formalities of a proper Will? In a pinch, you may make a Holograph Will. This is a less formal document, entirely handwritten by you, signed and dated by you at the end of the document.

If all these particulars are followed, it may be valid.

It may be dangerous to do a Holograph Will if you don’t know what you are doing and certainly if you have assets of any size. Not only do you have to follow the formalities highlighted here, but you have to word the document correctly so that everyone understands it. Furthermore, if you type your Will out on the computer, then print, date and sign it, this Will may not be recognized as a valid Holograph will as it is not in your own handwriting. Then your estate is back at square one and your property will be distributed in accordance with the Succession Law Reform Act. Don’t forget Powers of Attorney, a real must for both Property and Personal Care. An experienced Wills and Estates lawyer can streamline the process and ensure you don’t trip into any pitfalls.

If you have a Will & Powers of Attorney in place, review these because they may be out of date for your present needs.

CONTACT Mary Anne Shaw - Barrister and Solicitor 1366 Yonge Street, Suite 308

Toronto, Ontario, M4T 3A7 Tel: 416-968-0096

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

DENTAL IMPLANTS ONE VISIT PORCELAIN CROWNS

32

Dr. Edwin Lewandowski, Dr. Elvira (Ella) Mostyn, Dr. Haley Frydrych

BIO Dr. Lewandowski is a graduate of New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry. He has worked as an instructor at the NYU Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry as well as in a hospital based dental clinic. Dr. Mostyn obtained her dental degree from The Faculty of Dentistry at James Cook University, Australia. Dr. Haley Frydrych received her dental degree from the University of Toronto.

• Do you wear dentures? Many people over the age of 65 use some form of removable denture. While the majority of dentures fit well, some always move, lift and cause discomfort. These people may choose not to wear them. This may lead to difficulty chewing and lack of confidence in social interactions. There is also a strong link between overall good health and proper oral care.

• Dental implants can help. Dental implants can restore comfort and confidence and help people love their dentures again. A dental implant has two parts: a metal root that is secured to the jaw bone and an abutment. The abutment is a specifically-made part that will securely anchor your denture in place preventing movement. Implants are so versatile that they can replace a single tooth or a bridge, eliminate the need for a removable partial denture or even secure complete full-mouth dentures. Implants are safe and have a proven track record for long-term success. When using implants to replace a single tooth, neighbouring teeth do not need to be used as anchors for the replacement making it a very conservative choice in many cases.

Dental implants do not require any special care other than routine dental visits. Age is not a factor in the success of dental implants. Most people in good

health are excellent candidates.

• Do you have broken or missing teeth? One Visit Porcelain Crowns may be right for you. A full or partial crown is used to replace or strengthen a broken tooth. When a tooth is filled multiple times throughout a patient’s life, the critical tooth structure necessary for the tooth to be strong and function well may be lost. Many of these teeth break and require restoring. Options usually include very large fillings or crowns. Fillings fit inside the tooth and require original tooth structure to hold it all together.

If part or all of the original tooth has been lost, then a full coverage crown may be a better option. There are many different materials and methods that may be used to make full coverage crowns. With digital technology, we can make a direct 3D image of the broken tooth from the patient’s mouth, design the new tooth (crown) on the computer chairside and have the new tooth made in the office. These crowns are beautiful, strong and functional and are permanently placed in the patient’s mouth in one visit.

Amazing technology!

Thornhill Dental

CONTACT Dr. Edwin Lewandowski and Associates 1200 Centre St., Suite 101 Thornhill, ON

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REAL ESTATE

NEWS

YORK MILLS MILLION-DOLLAR MANSION

If you want a chance to buy this 24,000-square-foot residence at 30 Fifeshire Rd., now you’d have to shell out at least $17.888 million. But in 2008, the land sold for a slightly more affordable $1.602 million. That’s a 1,017 per cent increase! The owner built this mansion over five years, turning it into a property that has more than 25 film credits to its name, including Schitt’s Creek. The nine bedroom, 16 bathroom manor is listed now with Homelife/Vision Realty.

15-YEAR CHALLENGE Curious how Toronto’s real estate market is faring? Look no further than these three stunning homes on the market and what they sold for 15 years ago. From a shocking price jump for a now stately mansion to a poolside manor that sold well under asking, it’s been an unbelievable decade and a half for this city!

RETREAT BY THE RAVINE

This four-bedroom, five-bathroom home at 15 Castle Frank Cres. was already a Toronto jewel when it sold for $1.55 million 15 years ago. It’s listed now for $4.989 million with JDL Realty — an increase of 221 per cent.

The home at 82 Elgin St. sold under asking for $1.975 million in 2008. Now, the five-bedroom, eight-bathroom home is on the market with a listing price of $5.58 million – a 185 per cent jump.

It is listed with Roland Kogan of Alan Newton Real Estate Ltd.

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THORNHILL

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2022

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRY

T.O.’S TOP PROFESSIONALS

REAL ESTATE IN FAMILY LAW – MATRIMONIAL HOMES

Cheryl Goldhart – Expert Family Law Lawyer, Mediator and Arbitrator

BIO Cheryl Goldhart is a certified specialist in Family Law with over 30 years of experience practicing exclusively in the field. She specializes in complex, high conflict and high net worth cases. She is an accomplished lawyer, OAFM accredited family law mediator and a certified family law arbitrator by the ADR Institute of Ontario.

The matrimonial home is often a family’s most significant asset and can become one of the most contentious issues upon the breakdown of a marriage. A matrimonial home is the home ordinarily occupied by spouses as their family residence at the date of separation. You can have more than one matrimonial home (ex: a house and a cottage). The law has unique rules for a matrimonial home, which apply only to married parties. These include (a) both spouses have an equal right to possession of the residence (i.e. neither spouse can change the locks without giving the other a key); and (b) neither spouse has the right to sell or mortgage the residence without the consent of the other.

However, if the parties lived in the same house on the date of marriage and date of separation, then the homeowning spouse will not be able to deduct the value of the residence from their net family property.

There is a very common misconception that each spouse is automatically entitled to 50% of the value of the matrimonial home, which is incorrect.

The law provides for an equal right of possession, not ownership. The ownership of the matrimonial home is determined by which spouse holds title.

To avoid unexpected results on separation, many homeowners opt to enter into a Marriage Contract to modify the legislated property regime and ensure that the matrimonial home is dealt with as the spouses intend upon a separation.

Another common issue arises when spouses use a gift or inheritance from a 3rd party to buy a matrimonial home or pay down the mortgage.

Typically, gifts and inheritances from 3rd parties to a spouse are excluded from sharing with a spouse on separation, however, if the gifted or inherited money is put into a matrimonial home, the exclusion is lost.

Generally, upon separation, spouses are entitled to deduct the value of their assets on the date of marriage from the value of their assets on the date of separation to decrease their net family property.

CONTACT Goldhart & Associates 20 Eglinton Ave. W. Suite 1305

416-967-6111 www.goldhartlaw.com

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TREATMENT OF TONGUE AND LIP TIES FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN

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Dr. Deborah Aber and Dr. Vandna Sharma

BIO Dr. Deborah Aber and Dr. Vandna Sharma are co-owners of Little Pearls Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Aber received her dental degree from New York University College of Dentistry and her specialty training at St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, New York. Dr. Vandna Sharma received her dental degree from the University of Saskatchewan and her specialty training and Masters Degree from the University of Toronto.

Q: What are tongue and lip ties?

A: Tongue and lip ties are membranous tissue (frenums) restricting the movement and function of the tongue and lip. All children have frenums, but only some restrict movement and function, thereby requiring release. Up to 20% of newborns have tongue ties.

Q: Why is it important to know if my baby or child has a tongue/lip tie?

A: Muscular restrictions caused by ties can create disruption in nursing, feeding, dental development, speech, sleep, and breathing.

Q: How are tongue and lip ties diagnosed?

A: Taking a detailed history about nursing, bottle feeding, eating, sleep, and speech habits. Performing a thorough head and neck exam.

Q: What are the signs and symptoms of tongue and lip ties?

A: Infants may exhibit: noisy suckling, popping on and off the breast/bottle, leaking on the sides of the mouth during feeds, poor weight gain, frustration at breast/bottle, frequent or prolonged feeds, coughing or gagging during feeds, lip blisters, gas pain, reflux or colic symptoms.

Children may exhibit: poor weight gain, gagging on food, picky eating, slow eating, pouching food in cheeks, speech delay, difficulty with certain sounds,

lack of speech clarity, mouth breathing, restless sleeping, snoring.

Mothers may experience: painful nursing, flattened nipples after breastfeeding, nipple pain and damage, prolonged feeds, poor breast drainage, decreased milk production, need for a nipple shield Q: What is the treatment for tongue and lip ties?

A: The removal of a tongue or lip tie is called a frenectomy. In some instances, frenectomies can help improve feeding, speech, digestion, hygiene, and/or tooth alignment. Frenectomies can be done with scissors, a scalpel, or a laser. The advantages of performing frenectomies with the LightScalpel CO2 laser include reduction in treatment time, minimal discomfort, minimal bleeding, faster healing when compared with other lasers or using scissors or scalpel.

Q: What is the treatment outcome managed?

A: Stretching exercises performed at home help the healing process. In addition, paediatric dentists work closely with lactation consultants, speech therapists, myofunctional speech therapists, body workers to coordinate the best possible outcomes for patients.

CONTACT Little Pearls Pediatric Dentistry 81 Billy Bishop Way Unit D2, North York

416-960-4422 www.littlepearls.ca • info@littlepearls.ca

REAL ESTATE

NEWS

CASA LOMA DOUBLED-UP SUITE

At G1-1 Benvenuto Pl. this is as rare as they come in the Toronto market. Located on its own entire private floor in a prestigious luxury residence building, this 2,440-square-foot property is a recently renovated double unit. That becomes clear once you step inside and take a look at the sprawling layout, complete with a wall-to-wall kitchen, panoramic city views and two stunning terrace balconies. It’s listed for $4.2875 million with Forest Hill Real Estate Inc.

SPACE, THE FINAL FRONTIER What is the promise of private space worth to you? In a condo market where tiny cookie-cutter units are the norm, you might be willing to go the extra mile for these units with a little extra seclusion built in. From a rare double unit occupying its own floor to an over 1,000-square-foot private courtyard, you can’t put a price on this kind of peace and quiet.

VACATION-READY TERRACE

This lower penthouse condo at 1122-7905 Bayview Ave. covers 3,169 square feet alongside a 550-square-foot terrace and includes three bedrooms and four bathrooms. It’s listed for $2.199 million with RE/MAX Crossroad Realty.

The three-level property at 3-78 Lowther Ave. was converted from an original Eaton coach house and features a garden terrace that spans a whopping 1,132 square feet. It’s listed for $4.295 million with Sotheby’s International Realty.

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COACH HOUSE COURTYARD

APRIL 2022

ANNEX

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MORE MORE T THAN HAN $1 100 00 M MILLION ILLION IN IN SALES SALES IN IN 2 2021 021 SOLD! SOLD!

SOLD! SOLD!

$11,995,000 Lake Muskoka***

SOLD! SOLD!

SOLD! SOLD!

$10,985,000 Lake Rosseau*

$7,395,000 Lake Joseph*

SOLD! SOLD!

$4,995,000 Lake Muskoka**

$5,995,000 Lake Joseph**

SOLD! SOLD!

SOLD! SOLD!

$4,295,000 Lake Muskoka*

SOLD! SOLD!

$3,999,900 Lake of Bays**

SOLD! SOLD!

$3,495,000 Lake Joseph*

$2,695,000 Mary Lake*

*Represented Seller, **Represented Buyer, ***Represented Seller and Buyer

Considering Considering Selling?

Selling? Contact Us Us.. | POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

GORD WAITES TEAM

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Luxury Muskoka Properties

705-765-1555 705-765-1555

Gord Gor d Waites W Wait aites

T Tracy racy T Tennant en ennant

Krista Krista Hilt Hilton on

Julie Schnurr

Kris Kristyn tyn K Kennedy ennedy

Don Evans Evans

Sales Representative Representative

Sales Representative Representative

Sales Representative Representative

Sales R Representative epresentative

Sales Representative Representative

Sales Representative Representative

E XCEP T IONA L PROPERT I ES R EQU I R E E XCEP T IONA L R EPR ESEN TAT ION.

UPPER LAKE MUSKOKA OPPORTUNITY

NEW LISTING

Incredible property on coveted Acton Island, minutes by car from Port Carling shopping, golf and the HWY 400. 190’ of SW frontage and wide-open sunset views. Enjoy deep water off the dock and miles of incredible boating on Muskoka, Joe and Rosseau. The setting is exceptionally private. The property contains a 1500 sq ft family cottage with 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a large Muskoka Room and laundry. There’s also a detached 3 car garage with finished space above, a 1 bedroom bunkie with a sitting room and 2 pc bath, and a boathouse with a large upper entertainment deck. Many options for buyers: use the cottage this summer, renovate or start planning your perfect architectural vision. One of the best locations in Muskoka!

$3,499,000

STUNNING MORRISON LAKE RETREAT

NEW LISTING

This breathtaking Muskoka cottage rests on the northern shores of beautiful Morrison Lake, only 1 hr 40 min from Toronto. 214 ft of frontage & 1.4 acres of waterfront bliss with 4,000 square feet of luxurious interior space.

A spectacularly landscaped south facing lot with all day sun. You will be wowed by the bespoke styling, meticulous detailing, and quality finishes. In total, the property offers 4 bedrooms + den and 5 bathrooms between the cottage and guest house for family and guests to enjoy all year round. It is a must see property and could be yours for the summer

Luxury Muskoka Properties

Contact: Gord Waites

GORDWAITES.COM

Sales Representative

705-765-1555

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GORD WAITES TEAM

APRIL 2022

$4,495,000

of 2022.

37

Outdoor Education is the

and

way to learn.

We focus on situational-based learning to help students make daily connections with nature. Our coupling of strong academics with a unique environment makes it the ideal private school for your child to learn and prosper. It is through these techniques that we develop confidence and self-esteem; the true meaning behind a successful learner. Visit us at for more information.

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

Find your dream home with one of Canada's award winning Top 1% Realtors.

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SOLD*

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD*

SOLD

Avenue Rd / Lawrence

Kilgour Estates

2772 Keele St #501

28 William Carson Cres

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms 1885 sq ft

Armour Heights/ Cricket Club 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 40' x 110'

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Fabulous outdoor Terrace

1 bedroom, 1 bathroom Balcony

2 + 1 bedrooms, 2 bathroomOutdoor Terrace, 2 car parking

Listed $2,705,000 *Provided the Buyer

Listed $2,049,000 SOLD

Listed $1,639,000 SOLD

Listed $559,000 *Provided the Buyer

Listed $1,089,000 SOLD

Mary Cifuentes Sales Representative

416-887-8107 | marycifuentes1@gmail.com

Realtron Realty Inc.., Brokerage

CURRENTS

The city is thriving again, and with it comes the glorious resurgence of Toronto’s drag scene. Tynomi Banks, arguably the city’s most well-known drag performer, is set to kick off her tour across Ontario and California on April 14 for MLSE Pride Night. Banks has put Toronto on the map during her decades-long career, and all eyes are on her after signing with international talent agency APA,

making her the first Canadian drag performer to be signed by a major agency in Canada. Get your own taste of drag in Toronto at Drag on the Esplanade on April 5 at Bar Cathedral, grab tickets for a famous Crews & Tangos drag show from Wednesdays to Sundays, try drag brunch at Lula Lounge on April 10 or catch RuPaul Drag Race’s Mo Heart at the Opera House on April 20.

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Toronto is a real drag

APRIL 2022

Photography: Quinton Cruickshanks Creative Direction: Marc Andrew Smith

SECTION

39

SPRING SHOPPING GUIDE

Spring is here at Drop by to see J, FD favorites from uar, en Charlie B, R bal Parkhurst, Tri and more…

The New SPRING Fashions are AMAZING

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SPRING HOURS - Tues. Wed. Fri. Sat. 11 a.m. til 4 p.m. Thurs. 11 a.m. til 7 p.m.

EASTER HOURS - Fri. Apr. 15th Noon til 4 Sat. Apr. 16th 11 til 4 Sun. Apr. 17th Noon til 4

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FASHION

CURRENTS

SHOE TRENDS TO KICK OFF SPRING @TSC

Spring is here, and there’s nothing better than a new pair of shoes to get ready for the warmer weather.

Whether it’s heels, clogs or a fresh pair of sneakers that you’re looking for, Jeanne Beker has affordable and luxury options for them all.

SPLURGE CHANEL $1,250 “This block heel pump is to die for. It's gorgeous. It looks incredibly comfortable, very practical, very timeless. This shoe is very feminine and delicate and just classic Chanel.” Chanel.com

Sling-ba s

SAVE

BANDOLINO $110 “It’s so great to see that Heel Boy has this style at a fraction of the price. It’s faux leather with a little kitten heel, which is very on trend. It looks very rich, elegant and high fashion.” Heelboy.com

SPLURGE WANT LES ESSENTIELS $425 “These have a great platform of a sole. They’re very sporty, but also very artful with the detailing on the side. These shoes are built for comfort as well as style.” Wantlesessentiels.com

Sneakers SAVE CALL IT SPRING $44.99 “The mesh here is really stylish and on trend, and will make for a more lightweight shoe. I love the styling of the arched platform here as well.”

Callitspring.com

Clogs MIU MIU $1,250 SPLURGE “You're looking at a big fashion statement with these. They’re very trendy with the big, bulky chain on the front and the studs.”

RUN PONY PONY $280 “I like the modernity and the minimalism of the very sleek upper on these go-anywhere clogs, and they’re handmade to order in Toronto so you’re getting a really exclusive look.” Runponypony.com

Jeanne Beker | One of Canada’s most trusted authorities on fashion, Jeanne has covered the industry for more than 30 years.

Now watch her on TSC’s Style Matters with Jeanne Beker or tune into her new podcast Beyond Style Matters.

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SAVE

APRIL 2022

Ssense.com

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SPRING SHOPPING GUIDE

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info@workspacegroup.ca

FASHION NEWS

CURRENTS

The least expensive items at T.O.’s most expensive shops Looking for a high-end wardrobe that doesn’t break the bank? These are the least expensive finds at some of the top luxury clothing stores across Toronto.

Hermès

You’re looking at a price range from $300 to $10,000 at this high-end store at 100 Bloor St. W. The new collection features a swimsuit top for $335 or a Tshirt for $395. However, if you’re in the market for a more classic Hermès item, the nano scarves (perfect as a wrist or bag accessory) sell for a cool $145.

I Miss You Vintage L-R: Out This World owner Julian Artjukow, the brand’s new Yorkville location

Vintage sneaker shop opens next to Prada You’ll find sneakers over $8,000 at this consignment sneaker store by Julia Mastroianni There’s a thriving streetwear culture in Toronto, and sneakerheads certainly lead the way. The resale sneaker industry has strong roots in the city, and Out This World (OTW) is one of the most popular stores for fashion lovers looking for a pristine pair of Jordan 1s. With locations in Scarborough, Montreal, Brampton and now Yorkville right next door to some of the biggest luxury brands on the Mink Mile, owner Julian Artjukow talks starting out on eBay and blending streetwear with designer wear.

Why did you start Out This World?

In the mid to late 2000s, I used to purchase and curate what I thought was “hype” at local stores and I would resell on eBay. With that experience on hand, I decided to open up OTW in the heart of Mississauga in 2018, as I realized there was a demand for hype sneakers and streetwear. I started with roughly 50 pairs of sneakers, and within a few months, we had over 1,000 pairs as we started to do consignment. At the time, I had a mo-

nopoly on the west end market and had no competition, which helped me grow so quickly.

You recently opened a new location in Yorkville. How did you decide on that spot?

As fashion trends constantly change, I noticed many people starting to blend designer and streetwear together. I was offered a unit in between Prada, Coach and Dior, which was a no-brainer! Many of our customers will stop by to match their outfit with a pair of sneakers. Even though COVID has been a difficult time for business, it was a blessing in disguise in terms of looking for locations as there are many more options. Yorkville is one of the prime locations in Canada for fashion, and I always wanted to have a store within the area.

Where do you source your items from?

We have several consignors who bring in pairs of shoes as well as clothing and, when

the items are sold, we charge a standard 20 per cent fee. We have connections that we have built up over time with others in the city and the country who continue to sell us sneakers. We also have several of our clients sell us their personal collections, from $160 to $8,500 finds.

How has the streetwear world grown in Toronto since you started OTW?

As people express their styles through clothing and sneakers, curated fashion is becoming more popular. Many people like to feel unique and express it through that special pair or piece of clothing. The streetwear world has become generational. When I first started there were only male teenagers entering my store. Now we have teenagers, parents and even grandparents that shop with us. It is amazing to see how quickly it has grown.

Something special in the sneaker/streetwear community is how it brings people together, no matter what background or heritage they are from.

This luxury consignment store sells brands like Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Canada Goose. Located at 63 Ossington Ave., the price range here is $200 to $2,000. Some of your affordable options include a Moschino jacket, which might have cost up to $2,000 at full price, but you can snag it for $160.

Versace

The price range at Versace at 106 Yorkville Ave. has a little more range, from $75 to $8,000. As is typical of high-end retail, your most affordable option is luxury underwear. Fancy a pair of Versace logo briefs for $75 or a logo sports bra for $100? After that you’re looking at socks, tights, swimwear and then eventually athletic staples like a Versace tank for $500.

Fashionably Yours

This designer consignment store at 707 Queen St. W. sells brands like Givenchy, Jimmy Choo, Valentino and Gucci alongside some more affordable brands. Prices range from $100 to $5,500. Some cheaper options are a Marc Jacobs top for $30 and a Louis Vuitton luggage handle strip for $45.

- Emma Johnston-Wheeler

There’s a brand new Ed’s in town online, she began hosting them virtually instead. The studio became the perfect place to keep all of Tatyana’s pieces and a quiet place from which Terri could continue teaching. Eventually, the opportunity presented itself to open their 605 Bloor brick-and-mortar location.

“We’re very open with each other, good or bad,” Terri says of working with family.

It’s this closeness that permeates the warm atmosphere they’ve built, allowing Ed’s Mercantile to quickly become a permanent home for the vintage community.

“We’ve tried to choose people that are unique. We don’t really want to pit vendors against each other, competition-wise,” Terri says. Currently, Ed’s houses 35 other vendors apart from the work the family displays. Tatyana and Terri are also eager to host workshops led by vendors in the coming months.

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© Lindsay Rosset

New vintage and home goods store Ed’s Mercantile is a true reflection of owners Terri Passaretti, her daughter Tatyana and husband Rob’s passions. Ed’s, named after Terri’s father, opened its first location at 605 Bloor St. W. on March 1. The 1,000-square-foot space is well lit and inviting, complete with a small kitchenette near the back.

“So we can do tea and cookies and things when people start visiting,” Terri says of the kitchenette.

When the pandemic began and everyone was shuttered inside with nowhere to go, Tatyana was unable to continue working as a makeup artist and pivoted to selling vintage clothes online. This venture was immensely successful—so successful, in fact, that she had to rent a studio to house all her merchandise. Meanwhile, Terri had long been running knitting workshops and, when everything jumped

APRIL 2022

Ed’s Mercantile arrived in Toronto with a community focus by Alexa Margorian

A Hermès nano scarf sells for $145

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CURRENTS

PROFILE

Forest Hill Village 417 Spadina Road, Suite 210 (437) 688-5755 | dr.staggolis@esmclinics.com Dr. Angelo Staggolis is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of injury and chronic conditions that impede access to a full, healthy, boundlessly active life.

From evaluation to treatment to maintenance, Dr. Staggolis employs his training in Functional Integrated Therapy™, including Acupuncture and Active Release Technique (A.R.T®), to address soft tissue and joint bio-mechanics in tandem with the nervous system to heal injury, improve mobility and enhance performance.

Welcoming new patients sidelined by injury, both in elite competition and everyday function.

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Rookie of the year?

Toronto’s Michael Bunting on playing for the Leafs, making the cut off for the Calder and growing up in the GTA

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by Erica Commisso

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It seems as if the stars have aligned for Michael Bunting.

The 26-year old GTA native (born in Scarborough) is living the dream most young hockey players can only long for: suiting up in the blue and white jersey of his childhood heroes, gliding onto the ice underneath flashing lights and the sounds of screaming fans across North America.

There’s playing, and then there’s having the kind of Cinderella season Bunting is enjoying. He’s been so impressive, even among the top in the league in rookie scoring, that he’s being seriously considered for the Calder Trophy, the award given to the NHL’s most outstanding rookie. His consideration, too, seems like a lucky bounce. Just like scoring a nice goal in front of the net, he was on the right path to be in the right place at the right time.

He’s come a long way from Arizona, where he started his NHL career by playing a handful of games with the Coyotes. Over the summer, he had the opportunity to play for his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he knew he couldn’t pass up the chance.

Skating on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner, he’s been given the chance of a lifetime, and that’s not something Bunting takes for granted.

“When free agency came around this summer, and Kyle

[Dubas, the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager] reached out to my agent, it was kind of a no brainer,” he says. “For me, it was kind of an opportunity that I couldn't pass up because you never know if it would ever pop up again to play for your home city and play for the team that you grew up cheering for.”

Bunting grew up in Toronto living the kind of life that many Torontonians might relate to — completely immersed in hockey.

He attended Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic school and spent evenings and weekends playing and practicing, playing double-A hockey with the Toronto East Enders, then later the Scarborough Young Bruins. In between the games, Bunting says his go-to spots to eat and hang out with friends were the Old Stone Cottage Pub and Wimpy’s Diner at Kennedy Rd. and St. Clair Ave. He was the kind of kid who played a little bit of every sport, including soccer and softball as a child and baseball, badminton, tennis and volleyball in high school. But hockey was always number one.

“Every Saturday night my family would be around the TV watching the Leafs,” he says.

So getting the call to play for his favourite team was a true storybook moment.

“Everyone’s thrilled, my whole family, even my buddies. I

PROFILE

CURRENTS

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Now Open from 4 pm - 9pm Monday - Saturday

© Shane Wright / Maple Leafs

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Michael Bunting (left) made it just under the wire by two days to be eligible for the Calder Trophy

just kind of stick to my game. I feel like if I start worrying about that kind of stuff too much, it'll distract me from the main goal, which is winning and, hopefully, going far in the playoffs.”

But there are some people who think that Bunting may be too close to call. They believe voting for him as rookie of the year would be offside, and his eligibility shouldn’t count. The play call, they think, should be reversed.

voting time. It could be the thing that undermines his impressive performance, effectively erasing the fact that Bunting scored a hat trick against Seider and Raymond in a Jan. 29 contest against the Red Wings.

No matter how it plays out, Bunting is just happy to be playing where he is, playing for the team that was home to some of his favourite players of all time growing up.

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The Detroit Red Wings’ Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, the Florida Panthers’ Anton Lundell, and the Anaheim Ducks’ Trevor Zegras, they argue, are the more traditional candidates who should be considered and voted for. It’s them, not Bunting, who deserve their name on the score sheet.

Sports website The Score lists Zegras as the prime rookie of the year candidate. They list his showstopping highlights and impressive point-per-game pace on a team far less talented than the Maple Leafs as reasons for the 21year old forward’s superiority.

The website slots Bunting into third place in the Calder Trophy race, noting that his age could be a major detractor when it comes to

“I grew up liking Darcy Tucker.

It was that era of him and Tie Domi; they were so fun to watch.

Tucker was a really gritty kind of guy, and so was Domi,” he says.

“And then obviously Mats Sundin; he was one of the best players in Toronto, maybe in history.”

So Bunting is especially honoured by the comparisons he’s been getting to Tucker so early in his career.

“Darcy was a big part of the organization for a long time. He wore his heart on his sleeve every single night,” he says. “He wasn't afraid to get into the other team’s faces. He would contribute offensively. So yeah, that's fine by me.”

APRIL 2022

“Everyone wants individual success, but I try not to think about it as much.”

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remember when I signed the contract and they announced it.

All my buddies were freaking out for a little bit,” Bunting says. “A lot of them texted me just not really believing it because they've always been Leafs fans, and now one of their close buddies is going to be playing there every single night.”

If the novelty of getting to play for his dream team has worn off, it’s probably been renewed by the news that he’s in the running for the NHL’s rookie of the year award. To be eligible for the Calder Trophy, a player must not be older than 26 years old on Sept.

15, 2022. Bunting’s 27th birthday is two days later on Sept. 17.

Eligibility rules also require the player to have appeared in less than 25 games in a single preceding season or six or more games in any two preceding NHL seasons. His time with the Coyotes saw Bunting appear in 21 games last season (where he scored 16 points), and five games two seasons ago. But heading into this season, individual success wasn’t something on Bunting’s mind.

“To be honest, coming into this season, I had no idea. And then everything came out in the media.

So then I started learning that I am eligible. And, obviously, that would be something cool,” Bunting says. “Everyone wants individual success, but I try not to think about it as much, so I try to

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CURRENTS

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The fossil fuel industry’s own scientists have warned against pipelines

Undermining science in defence of Canadian oil The Ukraine war is not an opportunity to tout fossil fuel misinformation It’s a tragic truth that some people are willing to inflict unfathomable suffering and death for the sake of power and wealth. From Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to the push for continued climate-altering fossil fuel expansion, selfish gain means more to some than the health and well-being of our children and grandchildren and those yet to be born.

Take the decades-spanning efforts to downplay and deny the evidence of human-caused climate disruption — efforts that have accelerated in recent days, as the fossil fuel industry and its political and media allies cynically use the Russia-Ukraine crisis to advocate for increased development and expansion of the products and infrastructure they tout.

Alberta’s premier tweeted, “Now if Canada really wants to help defang Putin, then let’s get some pipelines built.” He fails to acknowledge that the pipes are largely being made by a company 60 per cent owned by Russian oligarchs — one with close ties to Putin — and that the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) owns half a million shares of a Russian investment fund the largest holdings of which are in Russian fossil fuel companies Gazprom, Sberbank and Lukoil.

He did halt Russian alcohol

sales, though (which is mostly just Russian Standard vodka, not really popular in Alberta).

AIMCo has also committed to divesting its Russian holdings.

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, explains the dangers of deception: “Rhetoric and misinformation on climate change and the deliberate undermining of science have contributed to misperceptions of the scientific consensus, uncertainty, disregarded risk and urgency, and dissent.”

It adds that “strong party affiliation and partisan opinion polarization contribute to delayed mitigation and adaptation action, most notably in the U.S. but with similar patterns in Canada” and that “vested economic and political interests have organized and financed misinformation and ‘contrarian’ climate change communication.”

It’s not that everyone who denies or downplays climate science is uncaring or, worse, sociopathic. Those with power often exploit the uneducated and uninformed to further their own ends — and in many cases work to degrade education systems to prevent people from acquiring critical thinking and logic skills.

The excuse that the world will need fossil fuels for years to come

so it’s better to support our own industries wasn’t a great argument even 34 years ago when the IPCC was established — and fossil fuel development and use have accelerated since then.

The fossil fuel industry’s own scientists accurately warned about the climate consequences of profligate fossil fuel burning 45 years ago. Most opinion writers who sow doubt, confusion and misinformation about climate disruption aren’t ignorant enough to outright reject mountains of accumulating evidence — including what people everywhere are plainly experiencing!

So why do they so strenuously oppose what is clearly necessary?

Part of it may be fear — fear of change, of losing illusory power and wealth, of having to think differently. Much of it’s rooted in selfishness, of taking what they can while they can, under the assumption that negative consequences won’t affect them, either because their wealth and power will insulate them or because impacts won’t kick in until after they’re gone. Some of it is ego. It’s been surmised that Putin is only wreaking such horrible destruction because he wants to cement his imaginary legacy as a great leader who helped restore a failing empire to its former glory.

It’s profoundly sad that we’re being led by so many shortsighted, narrow-minded people.

It’s sad that children have to march in the streets and protest for something as basic as survivable conditions. It’s sad that young people are being sacrificed — sent to kill and be killed to protect billionaires’ interests.

It’s time for a radical shift.

Interested in learning more about David Suzuki? Toronto author Elizabeth MacLeod recently published Meet David Suzuki, a Scholastic Canada Biography appropriate for readers ages 6 to 10.

The book details his experiences as a young boy in British Columbia, his education and his work to bring attention to climate change. You can find it at your local bookstore!

DAVID SUZUKI

David Suzuki is the host of the CBC’s The Nature of Things and author of more than 30 books on ecology (with contributions from senior editor and writer Ian Hanington).

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Please call the school

Long Point’s wilderness suites offer a sustainable glamping experience

4 eco-resorts to celebrate Earth Day Take a walk on Ontario’s wild side this spring

Located in a little valley amongst the rolling hills of beautiful OroMedonte, Glen Oro Farm offers a stunning eco-retreat that allows you to sleep under the stars in a bubble dome.

Surrounded by ancient hardwood forest, it’s easy to spend hours wandering the trails and taking in the sights. To further unwind, the property houses a cedar barrel sauna heated by a Finnish wood stove. But the real magic comes at night, when the

Zipping over the trees at Long Point

With the goal of allowing guests to appreciate the natural beauty of Long Point, while also sustaining the ecosystems and habitats that thrive in the region, Long Point Eco Adventures has built out an incredible — and sustainable — glamping experience.

The wilderness suites, cabins and pods allow for a memorable stay amongst the flora, fauna and unique shorelines of the Biosphere Reserve. The pods offer an amazing opportunity for guests to come and stay in groups, sharing a private fire pit and outdoor shower with their cluster, while still having individual units to retire to at night.

With a restaurant overlooking Turkey Point Marsh, a winery just off the property and activities like zip lining and paddle boarding, there’s no shortage of things to do at this retreat. www.lpfun.ca

An off-the-grid tree house camping retreat in Muskoka

Nestled away in Muskoka, Retreet offers rustic cabin experiences that truly allow you to immerse yourself in nature.

With an assortment of lowimpact, self-sustainable ecocabins, this is a nature enthusiast’s paradise.

From off-the-grid tree houses to stunning A-frames, the property extends over 12 acres and is a haven of stunning greenery, a meandering river and plenty of wildlife. To add to the experience, there’s also axe throwing, archery, hiking trails, a sauna and more, all on property. www.retreet.info Hanging out with alpacas and goats in Niagara

Riverside Oasis Farm offers a unique glamping experience where you can stay in a traditional Mongolian yurt and hang out with the alpacas, goats and sheep at the farm.

With an emphasis on respect for the land, for community and for the utilization of local resources, this destination allows you to connect with a more traditional way of life. Whether you’re learning about and feeding the animals or cosying up by the wood-burning stove with a book, the peacefulness of the property is sure to bring you some serenity.

This retreat is perfect for couples or for families with young kids with a passion for nature. www.riversideoasisfarm.ca

South Coast Extraordinaire!

Yr round, fully reno'd beach house on Cedar Bay! Beautifully updated kitchen, main floor that has been reconfigured to feature a potential master w/ ensuite as well as a 2nd floor master that has walk-in closet, ensuite & private balcony overlooking Lake Erie. Fully reno'd basement w/ 2 additional beds & bath. New septic, furnace & C/A & much more. Association fees approx. $400/year. Come see what this rare beauty has to offer.

Where the Forest meets the Lake! Nature enthusiasts will revel in this unique setting amongst the internationally-recognized Carolinian Forest of Point Abino.

As one of the largest lots along the western shore, this property boasts over 7 acres & 400' of frontage on stunning sand beach. Built circa 1930, the dwelling has been meticulously restored by the current owner to blend modern conveniences w/ the charm & character of the original structure. An excellent investment for your family & generations to come!

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APRIL 2022

A stargazer’s delight in a bubble in Oro-Medonte

sun goes down and the moon and stars have their moment to shine.

There’s nothing quite like looking up at the stars on a clear night, when you’re just far enough from the city to escape the light pollution and truly witness the magnificent night sky — and within the comfort of a king-sized bed, all cosied up in the loft of the Stargazer Dome. Well, that’s simply spectacular. Make sure you’re comfortable with heights before booking this loft space! www.glenoro.com

Celebrating 42 years

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The sound of birds singing at dawn. The smell of campfire. The way the stars illuminate the night sky. These are a few of my favourite things.

Our beautiful Earth is filled with so many wonders that are so easy to take for granted as we go about our day-to-day lives.

Reconnecting with nature brings me to a place of peace — and it is within these smaller moments that I feel most serene. Thankfully, Ontario is filled with so many incredible outdoor experiences that allow for just that: reconnecting with nature.

From zipping from tree to tree in Long Point to going off the grid in a tree house in Muskoka, I’ve fallen in love with eco-retreats.

Not only are they incredibly fun and naturally beautiful, but these accommodations focus on sustainability.

In honour of Earth Day this year, I’m rounding up my favourite eco-retreats around Toronto.

by Kaitlin Narciso

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Big Brother Canada’s Arisa Cox on her path to the top The reality TV host has already made an impact as one of the show’s new executive producers by Julia Mastroianni If you’ve tuned into the newest season of Big Brother Canada since it premiered on March 2, you’ve seen Arisa Cox working her magic as the host of the reality show. Cox has been there from the start, 10 years ago, when she began as the host, and has since added executive producer to her title.

But Cox says the path to where she is now was anything but linear.

“I wish I could say I planned every step of the way – but I didn’t!” she says. “As a kid I wanted to be a fashion designer and [U.S. fashion journalist] André Leon Talley’s bestie, obviously.”

As a student in the Claude Watson Arts program at Earl Haig Secondary School since Grade 4, Cox says she was a jack of all trades, enjoying making art, singing, dancing and performing.

“I had a lot of friends that were working actors. I was not! It

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Cox became an executive producer on the show in 2020

wasn't until later in life I began to understand how my collection of talents, interests and knowledge was a strength,” she says.

After high school, Cox entered journalism school at Carleton University. It was there that she fell in love with TV journalism.

Cox’s career after that became

a who’s who of Canadian television’s iconic moments: she ended up a cast member on Canada’s first big reality show U8TV: The Lofters, a host on E! (Canada), an on-air CTV Ottawa reporter and even an actor in Disney’s Camp Rock.

Then, in 2013, she was named

the host of Big Brother Canada ahead of its inaugural season, 13 years after the U.S. original franchise debuted.

“Sometimes, if you surrender to enjoying the moment you're in — really staying present — the future opens up in ways you couldn't have predicted,” Cox says of the opportunity.

That has been true for her role on Big Brother Canada, especially since her new position as executive producer on the show.

“That evolution is the highlight of my career. Hosting the show while also having a big hand in casting and editorial decisions has felt so right,” she says.

Cox has been outspoken about increasing diversity on the show, and her influence has clearly made an impact. This season features 10 of 16 house members who are people of colour, including Jay Northcott of Toronto. (Last season, Toronto’s

Tychon Carter-Newman made history as the first Black winner of the show.)

“The cast this season is incredible and has provided a lot of firsts,” Cox says. “That includes our first Acadian house

“I wish I could say I planned every step of the way — but I didn’t!” guest and our first doctor — our first Afro-Indigenous doctor at that! The range of backgrounds is making for really rich stories.”

Cox’s secret to making this job work?

“A deep sense of curiosity and wonder at the human spirit — If you have that, journalism and its fun little sister reality TV is probably for you.”

POST CITY X DIAMOND & DIAMOND

Keeping safety in mind as spring approaches Tips from Jeremy Diamond and Sandra Zisckind of Diamond & Diamond Lawyers JEREMY DIAMOND

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Jeremy Diamond is a lawyer and member of both Ontario and Florida Bars. Jeremy practices in the area of Plaintiff personal injury litigation.

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As spring nears, there are many things that people need to be mindful of so they do not fall victim to the safety concerns prevalent throughout this season. While everyone is ready for the weather to break, there are a few things that you always need to keep in the back of your mind to protect your personal safety.

One of Canada’s largest personal injury law firms, Diamond & Diamond Lawyers, are no strangers to the perils that can come with the spring thaw. As Managing Partner Sandra Zisckind says, “each year, we see a rapid increase in slip-and-fall accidents as the winter snow and ice starts to melt. Not only are conditions prime for freezing rain, but there are numerous different safety concerns that individuals should be aware of.” Diamond & Diamond’s Senior Partner, Jeremy Diamond, shares some tips to keep in mind for the incoming spring season:

Prepare for freezing rain As spring weather approaches, conditions are prime for freezing rain. March and April showers can cause both driving and walking hazards since people may not be anticipating slippery conditions.

Always keep an eye out for black ice and use caution when walking or driving if you suspect freezing rain.

Be mindful of snow falling from high-rises As the temperatures continue to rise, snow and ice will slowly melt and slide off roofs. As JeremyDiamond says, “It’s important to be mindful of snow and ice falling off of buildings during the spring months. When walking around any city with high rise buildings, be sure to survey your surroundings and adjust your walking path if necessary.” If you see that the sidewalk has been sectioned off in certain areas, don’t cheat by walking through them. Ice and snow

that fall from high heights can be extremely dangerous.

Avoid thin ice Ice fishing is always enjoyable, but as the spring draws near, so too does the time to hang up your ice fishing poles and skates. In particular, you need to watch children around any water because they may misjudge how thin the ice is and can easily fall through.“ At Diamond & Diamond, we recommend making it a firm rule for your family to avoid any bodies of water where ice may be thawing. Furthermore, it’s important to monitor local weather and news outlets for information on the depth of the ice,” says Jeremy Diamond.

Prepare for increased flooding risks Lastly, it’s important to stay alert for the threat of flooding both inside and outside of your home.In particular, this winter has pro-

duced a large amount of snowfall across Canada. “While it’s always a nice sight to watch snow falling from the sky, the reality is that all of the snow will produce large amounts of water as it melts,” says Jeremy Diamond. Consequently, all low-lying bodies of water and rivers will become prone to flooding. Flooding not only leads to safety concerns for those living in areas close to low-lying bodies of water, but it can also cause significant damage to your home.

If you or someone you know has been injured during the spring season, then you may be entitled to compensation. Call us today at 1-800-567-HURT for a free consultation.

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After the trip, we were both sad to see each other go. I was hesitant about starting a long-distance relationship, and after visiting each other back and forth, it became clear that one of us would have to move to keep what we had going.

The pets

L-R: Rodson Garcia and Ross Hull with Instagram’s favourite CanadianBros

Sunny with a chance of love at first date Global News meteorologist shares how an Instagram-famous dog helped him find love For over 20 years, Ross Hull has been delivering to Canadians the weather news they need as a meteorologist for the top news outlets across the country. Since moving to Toronto, Hull has worked at Global News. If his face looks familiar while sharing the chance of precipitation on your TV, there’s a reason. You might recognize him from his starring role in YTV’s 1990s horror anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark? Hull shared the details of his and his partner Rodson Garcia’s serendipitous meeting and how their Instagram-famous dogs reunited the pair.

How they met

We like to believe it was actually Rodson’s first pet ( Jasper the Pomsky) who brought us together!

Rodson travelled with Jasper from Calgary to Toronto in July 2016 for a social media pet influencer event. While he was in the city, we connected online and had a great chat, but by that point, Rodson was already returning to Calgary, and we weren’t able to meet in person.

We remained in contact online, and we both felt there was

something worth exploring . A year later, we finally met in person in Toronto for our first date!

In the end, we like to say it’s the CanadianBros [influencers] who played a key role in bringing us together. By 2018, Rodson not only had Jasper [the pomsky], but he had added Louie [the eskiemute] to his pack, so double trouble! The Bros’ followers on Instagram were on the rise, and Rodson saw new opportunities to expand their brand in Toronto.

That coincided with him looking to make a change in his own personal career as a project manager. So in August of 2018, Rodson decided to make the big move to Toronto! I had met the boys during my visits in Calgary and fell in love with them, but all of us being together in Toronto on a regular basis really cemented my role in the pack as daddy number two. Now it’s hard to imagine life without them — in fact, they’ve even dug into my work life by regularly appearing on Global News in my at-home segments and in-studio. You can learn more about their howling ventures on Instagram @CanadianBros or watch them on Wildlife Wednesdays on Global News.

The first date

Balancing a career and relationship

I had always wanted to do a road trip through the Maritimes, so I booked some time off in 2017 to do just that. After a year of getting to know Rodson virtually, I knew he also wanted to see that part of the country, and he had some friends in Toronto to visit. What

The pandemic certainly brought this relationship challenge to the forefront — Two Men and Two Fur Babies would be the name of the sitcom. Rodson’s work turned fully work from home, while I’ve been on a hybrid schedule with Global. Trying to manage his

“We like to say it’s the dogs who played a key role in bringing us together.” better way to get to know someone than to do something we both enjoy — exploring new places and creating travel adventures. So, I casually asked if he’d be interested to go on the trip with me, leaving from Toronto (fully expecting him to politely decline). Surprisingly, he said yes! So we set off on our nine-day “first date” road trip headed toward our first stop, Quebec City — where we finally were able to have our first real sitdown dinner together.

meetings with my shoots, while also making sure Jasper and Louie’s playtime/walk needs are being met, all in the relatively confined space of a one-bedroom downtown condo, has led to some hilarious yet sometimes stressful behind-the-scenes chaos. For the record, to date we have both never missed a deadline and no wardrobe malfunctions either, except trying to get Jasper into his many outfits when he is growing his fluffy winter coat.

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The Brind Group is pleased to present ‘Bayview Ridge Estate’

$24,500,000 Arguably one of the most iconic estates in Toronto, this French-style chateau sits on a sprawling 3.12 acre, double lot in the prestigious enclave of Bayview Ridge. Designed by the famed Canadian architect Gordon Ridgely, this exquisite property is truly incomparable.

The private grounds have an undeniable sense of European opulence with unobstructed West views of the Rosedale Golf Club.

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TORONTO INDIE THEATRE PRIMER Soulpepper The Canadian premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s moving and critically acclaimed drama Pipeline opens at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts on April 14 and runs until May 8. This drama, nominated for five Lucille Lortel awards, is about community, family and the education system.

Tarragon To kick off its return, the venerable Tarragon Theatre is mounting the world premiere production of Toronto playwright Sean Dixon’s ambitious new work Orphan Song.

The play, which explores family ties in the year 40,027 BCE and utilizes a musical Neanderthal language, runs until April 24.

It’s a circus out there

The Toronto waterfront has a new big top tent on the shores of Lake Ontario in advance of the opening of a new Cirque du Soleil show set to run from April 14 until at least July 17.

Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities, the company’s 35th production, is the first Cirque du Soleil show to launch since the pandemic hit back in 2020. Response to the show has been positive, and the show has already been extended beyond its original engagement.

Cirque du Soleil describes KURIOS as “[Taking place in] an alternate yet familiar past, KURIOS steps inside the mechanical lab of an inventor convinced that there exists a hidden, invisible world – a place where the craziest ideas and the grandest dreams await.

Once the inventor succeeds to unlock the door to this world of wonders, time comes to a complete stop and an uplifted cast of otherworldly characters invades his curio cabinet, bringing his makeshift creations to life one by one. As the visible becomes invisible and perspectives transform, KURIOS bursts into a celebration of the power of the imagination.”

Go to www.cirquedusoleil.com for show information.

released last year. Since then, the release has garnered critical acclaim around the world.

Lorde says that “the album is a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalizing the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors. In times of heartache, grief, deep love, or confusion, I look to the natural world for answers. I’ve learned to breathe out, and tune in. This is what came through.”

For information, go to www.tolive.com.

Aging hipsters unite!

Fabulous Toronto band Broken Social Scene helped define a musical generation, and it is back for more.The indie rock band helped make the city the centre of the musical universe when it burst onto the, ahem, scene back in the very early 2000s.

Helmed by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, the band was, and remains, infamous for its large lineup, featuring some of Toronto’s best, such as Leslie Feist, Emily Haines of Metric, Jason Collett, Amy Milan of Stars and many more. After 20 years, the band is set to play Massey Hall for the first (and second) time on April 20 and 21. These shows will be epic and are not to be missed.

Go to www.masseyhall.com for information.

Good Lorde

Go to your Room!

Grammy Award–winning artist Lorde arrives back in town for a pair of back-to-back shows at Meridian Hall on April 8 and 9.

Lorde surprised many with her latest stripped-down album, Solar Power, when it was

Already an iconic and heart-wrenching Canadian novel and film, now Mirvish Productions is set to unveil a new stage adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s Room.

Room is a story about resilience, the power of

imagination and a mother’s love. The novel, published in 2010, was an international bestseller, won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (regional prize) and was shortlisted for numerous additional literary awards, including the Booker Prize.

This co-production of the Grand Theatre in London, Ont., and U.K.’s Covent Garden Productions arrives following an engagement at the Grand Theatre last month. The stage adaptation was further developed by Emma Donoghue and Cora Bissett in the summer of 2019 at the Grand. The all-Canadian cast of seven is headed up by Stratford Festival favourite Alexis Gordon.

For information, go to www.mirvish.com.

The return of Franken

Former U.S. senator and Saturday Night Live star Al Franken has returned to standup and stops in Toronto on April 16 as part of his The Only Former U.S. Senator Currently on Tour tour. According to a review of the show from the Washington Post, the tour “draws largely from Franken’s years in Congress and the greatest hits from his 2017 memoir Giant of the Senate.” Franken was a writer and performer on the television comedy show Saturday Night Live during the ’70s and ’80s before becoming a political activist and getting elected to the U.S. Senate in 2009. The tour is Franken’s first since retiring from office in 2018.

Go to www.queenelizabeththeatre.ca for show information.

Factory This landmark west end theatre opens its doors for the first time this season with the world premiere production of Among Men. The play, written by Toronto’s David Yee, is described as a poetic and charged portrait of male friendship in uncertain times and a story of how Canadian literature was changed forever. It runs April 23 to May 15.

APRIL 2022

Plus, Cirque du Soleil hits town, music superstar Lorde and more

Kelseey Verzotti stars in Coal Mine Theatre’s ‘The Antipodes’

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The hippest band in the world returns for huge hometown hootenanny

Coal Mine This low-key fantastic east end theatre returns with the Canadian premiere of Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Annie Baker’s The Antipodes. Part satire, part sacred rite, the play asks what value stories have for a world in crisis.

The show, directed by co-founder Ted Dykstra, runs from April 3 to May 15.

© Kristina Ruddick

L-R: Broken Social Scene heads to Massey Hall this month, Lorde set to play two shows at Meridian Hall

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Canadian Bicycle Recycling

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Donate Your Used Bicycles We’ll pick them up for free! canadianbicyclerecycling.ca Be sure to let us know which magazine you saw our ad in!

Knowing which neighbourhoods respond, helps us help others!

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If you or a loved one are experiencing mental health and addiction problems, the team at Muskoka Recovery is here to empower you to live a life filled with long-term success and happiness.

Muskoka Recovery is the only luxury mental health & addiction centre that provides fully personalized, holistic, and family-oriented treatments.

During your stay you will receive unlimited family time, one-onone sessions, daily gourmet meals, full amenities, and personalized programs, all while being on over 100 acres of property in beautiful Muskoka country.

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Recover. Reconnect. Empower. muskokarecovery.ca eva@muskokarecovery.ca 647 946 1061

Olunike Adeliyi stars in ‘Revenge of the Black Best Friend’ on CBC Gem

Amanda Parris’s big tokenism takedown New TV series ‘Revenge of the Black Best Friend’ out now by Ron Johnson In a scathing and comical take on Black tokenism in the entertainment business, Toronto writer, playwright and all-around artistic dynamo Amanda Parris’s latest, Revenge of the Black Best Friend, is set to premiere on CBC Gem. “Revenge of the Black Best Friend came out of my childhood desire to see more stories on screen led by characters who look like me, and is a revenge fantasy in response to what I got instead: one-note, underdeveloped Black characters that I struggled to connect with,” says Parris.

“Revenge of the Black Best Friend is my way of questioning the larger implication and lasting impact of these images. However, it is also about my ongoing curiosity about the challenge of activism today and what happens when social justice issues become someone’s brand.”

Parris is a creative force in the city of Toronto, who hosts three series for CBC, in addition to writing. In 2019, her play Other Side of the Game was awarded the Governor General’s Literary Award for drama.

“I suddenly realized that these were stories I’ve never really seen portrayed anywhere, and I just got really curious about it,” Parris said when the play premiered.

And her interest in telling the stories that aren’t being told elsewhere has only grown. The new show is created, co-written and co-produced by Parris.

The new series, which begins streaming on March 31, stars Oluniké Adeliyi, of The Porter acclaim, as Dr. Toni Shakur, who is an unapologetic fixer for Black onscreen talent.

The series follows Shakur, who is a self-help guru with a mission to cancel the entertainment industry’s reliance on token Black characters. Through the show, Parris tackles the familiar tropes, stereotypes and typecasting that have been forced on Black actors.

The entire six-part series is available on the free CBC Gem streaming service.

BINGE-WORTHY SPRING SHOWS KEVIN CAN F*** HIMSELF Toronto’s Annie Murphy leaves Schitt’s Creek in the rear-view mirror with this dark new comedy on Amazon Prime.

HARDY BOYS The second season of this hit series, filmed in Toronto and starring local actor Alexander Eliot, premieres on StackTV April 4.

SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE The cast of this hot Apple TV series features Toronto’s Rebecca Henderson.

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Toronto musical royalty Blue Rodeo plays two shows at Massey Hall this month

Blue Rodeo releases surprise new album after forced layoff Toronto’s most storied band returns to Massey Hall

TORONTO’S MUSIC LEGENDS

Margo Timmins

COWBOY JUNKIES One of the city’s most beloved bands, Cowboy Junkies, led by the incomparable Margo Timmins, plays Massey Hall on April 7.

For the distinguished doggo...

RON HAWKINS Acclaimed songwriter Ron Hawkins is in residency at the Dakota Tavern with his Do Good Assassins, playing April 7, 14, 21 and 28.

SLOAN The ‘90s indie rock legend plays a long-overdue live show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on April 22.

APRIL 2022

the early ’80s when high school friends Cuddy and Keelor put Blue Rodeo together and played their first show at the Rivoli in 1985, opening for the legendary Handsome Ned — a band that has released 16 studio albums.

That’s not something you can just put away. That’s life.

“That line is what ‘When You Were Wild’ is all about,” Keelor says. “When you meet your moment of reckoning and you feel the f***ery of fate’s wheel careening through your life, it is friends that get you through. A lifetime of friendship is only remembered in the moment.”

Cuddy says that if the pandemic hadn’t forced the band to take time off, it might not have happened at all.

“Had we not had the time off to really concentrate on songwriting, songwriting with purpose, just for the purity of it, I don't know that there would have been a Blue Rodeo record,” he says. “Because it just seemed like it was a little too hard on everybody.”

It’s hard to imagine a Toronto music scene without Blue Rodeo, and, lucky for us, we don’t have to just yet.

For more information on the new album or upcoming shows, go to www.bluerodeo.com.

1198 Yonge Street • 647 330 4209 www.debonairdogsdaycareandgrooming.com

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One of the city’s most iconic and storied bands, Blue Rodeo, was set to rest on its rather sizable laurels. But, the pandemic hit, and the fellas did something they haven’t done in a long time. Rest.

And, like musical magic, the songs started to come. The band’s first new album in five years, Many Miles, was released in 2021 and Blue Rodeo finally checks into Massey Hall this month for a long-awaited pair of shows on April 4 and 5.

“It all sort of goes back to this enforced break that gave Greg [Keelor] a chance to heal,” says Jim Cuddy.

“His ears have always been bad, causes him headaches. It’s tough, very tough. So I think that he felt like making a record was just going to be too risky. But with time, he not only improved, but he also started writing a lot, like a barrage of new tunes.”

What might sum up the essence of the band, as it winds its way forward through the pandemic to reconnect with its Massey Hall faithful, is contained in the lyrics of the album’s first single “When You Were Wild,” when Keelor croons, “on your darkest day, you’ll find your best friends.”

This band has been around since the dawn of Queen West in

by Ron Johnson

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SUMMER CAMPS & PROGRAMS Global Summers Academy “Over my 46 year career, I have witnessed tens of thousands of students travel and study in 35+ countries and accumulate a raft of memories, friendships, and not to mention high school credits. Many students describe it as the best summer of their lives and the top learning experience of their high school years.“ - Founder and Chair, Sam Blyth. Global Summers Academy provides students with the opportunity to travel and discover the world while earning a high school credit, all within a safe, structured and supported framework. Earn a high school credit while enjoying your summer with Global Summers Academy. Programs are available in July or August. Sign-up for a Virtual Information Session to learn more at globalsummersacademy.com

CAMP TYPE: Specialty Camp AGE RANGE: 13 - 20 years AVERAGE CLASS SIZE: 11 students per class CAMPER/STAFF RATIO: 7:1 SESSION LENGTH: 17-24 days per session SESSION COST: Please visit website

HEAD OF SCHOOL/CHAIR: Sam Blyth

CONTACT: 416-357-2621 • 1-844-357-2621 globalsummersacademy.com

Bayview Glen Camp

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Since 1962, we have created unforgettable Summer memories for thousands of children as one of Toronto’s longest-running day camps. Bayview Glen offers enriched age-appropriate programs for campers 4-6, specialty camps for campers 7-12, and a Leadership program for campers 14 & 15. We also offer an inclusion program for campers requiring additional support. 1-Week or Multi-Week registration packages are available to join us on the centrally located, secure, leafy, and air-conditioned campus of Bayview Glen School.

Campers will enjoy sports fields, a theatre, tech/robotics labs, art studios, gymnasiums, outdoor space, and more. Specialty camps include art, basketball, soccer, musical theatre, dance, magic, coding, and robotics. We even offer off-site specialty camps like sailing and lake days! Convenient bus depot pick-up & drop-off points in the GTA ensure seamless arrivals and departures to and from camp each day. Snacks and a hot lunch are provided as part of our camp fees. Join us and make unforgettable Summer memories!

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CAMP TYPE: Day Camp AGE RANGE: 4-13 TOTAL ENROLMENT: N/A CAMPER/STAFF RATIO: 4:1 (average) SESSION LENGTH: Weekly & Multi-Week SESSION COST: Varies

CAMP DIRECTOR: Daniel Garfinkel

CONTACT: 416-449-7746

www.bayviewglencamp.ca

SUMMER CAMPS & PROGRAMS Central Montessori School (CMS)

CAMP TYPE: Specialty and Variety Day Camps AGE RANGE: 3 – 12 years old TOTAL ENROLMENT: Varies CAMPER/STAFF RATIO: 1:12 to 1:20 SESSION LENGTH: 2-week sessions SESSION COST: Varies per location

At CMS we are proud to offer dynamic summer programs at 4 convenient locations throughout Toronto/North York. Our SPECIALTY program (6-12 years old) provides options for exciting 2-week session programs which include Science, Art, Coding/ Robotics, STEM, Drama, Dance, Outdoor Gardening, Indoor & Outdoor Sports to name a few. Our VARIETY program (3 - 6 years old) offers opportunities for participation in a variety of activities such as Drama, Dance, Science, Arts & Crafts, Cooking, Yoga, Outdoor Water Play, and Sports. The FRENCH VARIETY program (3-6 years old) at our Maplehurst Campus provides opportunities for children to build & develop basic French communication skills while participating in an array of activities as offered in our English program. We believe fun and learning go hand in hand as we strive to provide the perfect balance of physical, mental & creative challenges to keep our campers happily engaged! Open House Every Thursday at all locations!

CAMP DIRECTOR: Ms. Roshi Ansari

CONTACT: 647-219-7428,

info@cmschool.net • www.cmschool.net

Power of Words Academy

CAMP TYPE: Day Camp AGE RANGE: 7 - 14 TOTAL ENROLMENT: 250 CAMPER/STAFF RATIO: 6:1 SESSION LENGTH: 1 or 2 weeks SESSION COST: $250 – $450 per week

Developing excellent communication skills is essential to effective leadership. Power of Words Academy is committed in providing the highest quality of written and oral communication training to children in a fun and nurturing environment. Students receive personal attention and ongoing feedback in a small class that is taught by a qualified teacher. Our camps provide an active and engaging week of creativity for kids, building their story writing skills, their confidence in performing for an audience and debate skills. All courses/camps are offered in-person at our North York and Mississauga Campuses and online using the Zoom platform and google classroom.

Courses: Enrichment Writing, Public Speaking, Preparation for High School English, English Prep Course for Entrance Exam [IB, SSAT, UTS, TOPS, MaCS] Camps: Creative Writing, Drama Using Tech and Debate Camps

FOUNDER & CAMPUS DIRECTOR: Hafsa Esmail (2nd from right)

CONTACT: 674-285-4499

powerofwordsacademy.ca

SUMMER DAY CAMP AT CMS The perfect balance of physical, mental & creative challenges!

SPECIALTY PROGRAM (6 - 12 years old) ▪ Coding/Robotics ▪ Science & Art ▪ Dance ▪ Drama ▪ STEM ▪ Indoor & Outdoor Sports (Basketball, Soccer, and more)

VARIETY PROGRAM (3 - 6 years old) ▪ Arts & Crafts ▪ Sports ▪ Drama ▪ Cooking

▪ Science ▪ Yoga

▪ Music & Dance ▪ Montessori Work...and more!

FRENCH VARIETY PROGRAM (3 - 6 years old)

WWW.CMSCHOOL.NET

info@cmschool.net

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APRIL 2022

(At our Maplehurst Campus!)

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SUMMER CAMPS & PROGRAMS

Our guide brings together some of the city’s finest camps and programs.

It’s our hope that the guide will help your children achieve their dreams, make new friends and gain an appreciation of nature.

Prestige School Prestige School’s Summer Camp Program is just the fun, activity-filled, yet educational summer that your children are looking for! Our camp, that offers a wide variety of exciting activities that keep all kids engaged, educated, and entertained, starts on July 4th and ends on August 26th, 2022. Our sports program includes Outdoor Games, Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer. We also offer educational programs such as English and French studies, English as a Second Language, and Logic Boosters. We also provide activities such as Fun Science, Computer Design, Computer Animation and 3D Modelling, Drawing, Painting, Sculpting, and Chess. Campers attend exciting weekly Field Trips throughout the summer and visits to the Swimming Pool twice a week. The camp runs from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Hot lunch is provided daily. Door-to-door transportation is available.

Summer School Credit Courses for grades 9-12 now offered.

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PRESTIGE SCHOOL’S SUMMER CAMP

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2 Convenient Locations Toronto Campus: 21 Eddfield Avenue (Sheppard & Yonge) Richmond Hill Campus: 11 Headdon Gate (Bathurst & Major Mackenzie)

416-250-0648

CAMP TYPE: Day Camp AGE RANGE: 3-19 years TOTAL ENROLMENT: 50-70 CAMPER/STAFF RATIO: Varies SESSION LENGTH: July & August SESSION COST: $400 per wk

CAMP DIRECTOR: Olga Margold

CONTACT: 416-250-0648 prestigeprivateschool.ca

FOOD

Pizza fever is taking over the city, with countless new eateries offering up their takes on the classic dish in the downtown core and beyond. Both downtown and in North York, southern California’s Big Mama’s and Big Papa’s Pizzeria is opening eateries that serve record-breaking, 54-inch pizzas, such as the one eaten by Brad Pitt and Ellen DeGeneres at the 2014 Oscars. And Baldwin Village

is now home to North America’s first Three Kingdoms outpost, which serves up guokui, a kind of massive, stuffed flatbread that’s best described as Chinese street food’s take on pizza. Also in the downtown core, Pizza Wine Disco — part modern pizza restaurant, part nightclub — has opened its doors on King Street West, courtesy of two under-30 Toronto locals and longtime friends.

APRIL 2022

Brad Pitt and Ellen DeGeneres can’t resist T.O.’s latest pizzeria

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© Instagram @bigmamasnpapas

© Instagram @andreasfoodventures

SECTION

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POST CITY X CAPLAN'S APPLIANCES

It’s grilling time with celebrity chefs Rob Rossi and Craig Harding.

L-R Open Fire hosts Chefs Rob Robbi and Craig Harding, Sumac Trout a la Plancha

With Spring around the corner, what better time to fire up the grill with family and friends. A family-run business for over 75 years that is renowned as the destination for delivering dream kitchens—both indoor and outdoors—Caplan’s has sponsored a new cooking series that focuses on cooking simple and delicious recipes outdoors. Hosted by acclaimed chefs Rob Rossi and Craig Harding, Open Fire creates delicious, innovative dishes and one of their favourite recipes is shared here.

This recipe features Sumac spice, which is amazing and is a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Prized for its unique tangy flavour, it pairs exceptionally well with trout as it adds fresh notes of citrus and a wonderful colour from its deep burgundy berries.

Sumac Trout a la Plancha • Source a boneless filet of Rainbow Trout ideally from a sustainable fishery • Lightly season with Salt, Pepper and Sumac (Middle Eastern Spice) • Preheat a grill or griddle pan and once it’s almost smoking turn down to low heat • Cook skin side down for 5-7 minutes until skin is crispy and browned and the flesh is almost cooked through on top.

Keeping a touch of pink is the key to keeping it moist.

• To garnish, add Radicchio, Belgian Endive and Chopped fresh Dill. Season with Olive Oil a splash of Sherry Vinegar and a touch more Salt & Pepper.

Be sure to tune in to Open Fire, airing weekly on TLN, for more recipes.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

The crisp and bitter radicchio goes perfectly with the fattiness of the trout while fresh dill and sherry vinegar bring the whole dish together.

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FOOD

ROLL INTO SPRING With warm weather approaching, we had DaiLo chef Nick Liu, best known for his unique, updated takes on Chinese cuisine, sample spring rolls from across the city. He took a tour across Asian cuisines and flavour profiles to find his favourite, with just the right crunch and spice.

All six spring rolls are available on Uber Eats, Ritual and DoorDash, as well as phone and online delivery and for dine-in.

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What drew Liu to these spring rolls was the shrimp they’re made with. “This is the way I like it,” he says. “These are the things that I love,” he said. The dim sum restaurant, located in York Mills Gardens, crafts modern takes on traditional Chinese cuisine and has garnered high praise for its use of fresh ingredients in every dish.

Three shrimp rolls come in every order, making them the perfect shareable starter for a dim sum experience. The three-piece spring roll appetizer is one of Kwan Dim Sum’s bestselling items, and it’s easy for Liu to see why. He couldn’t get enough of them.

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“It’s really beautiful on the outside, really well rolled. The flavour is amazing.”

“This one is trying to be a vegetarian spring roll, I’m pretty sure. It tastes like tinned mushrooms, not fresh ones.”

“It’s a little on the blander side. It could use more seasoning. But I like that it has a lot of different textures.”

“I like the crispiness.

The flavour is appealing to me, and the balance of seasoning is solid.”

“I like the size. I like the shape. It looks like a good roll. Very simple but kind of nostalgic.”

“The texture is unique, because it’s got glass noodles and woodier mushrooms.

It’s well rolled.”

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RUNNER-UP

WINNER

APRIL 2022

L-R: Kwan Dim Sum's shrimp spring rolls, dim sum options at the North York restaurant, the shrimp spring rolls

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FOOD

PROFILE

RAMIN KHAZE | BROKER

Iron Chef encore Forest Hill Real Estate Inc., Brokerage

How culinary icon Susur Lee and his son have garnered millions of new fans on TikTok

by Ben Kaplan

WHO WE ARE We are the GTA’s most trusted move managers. We’ll coordinate and oversee all your move related logistics...so you don’t have to! Our all-female team of packers is discreet, dependable and will pack your home so you remain organized during this big transition.

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L U X U RY M O V E M A N A G E M E N T. C O M

Chef Susur Lee is amongst the most acclaimed artists to ever don an apron in this country.

Winner of nearly every accolade a chef can earn and the recipient of praise from every esteemed publication that writes about food — one of the first Torontonians to receive international raves for his eclectic, fusion cuisine — Lee, long hair flowing, is a fixture in magazines and on TV. Lee was gracious enough to chat with Post City Magazines, where he’s been a longtime friend, about his recent celebrity turn on TikTok, the youthcentric social media app that’s seen him explode due to his hilarious, mind-blowing remixes of food from Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Panda Express and Starbucks. His son, Jet Bent-Lee, however, was too busy for the interview.

“Jet went to better schools and uses bigger words than my other two boys, and he’s just very … unique,” says Lee with an admiring laugh, adding that his youngest son’s cool is part of the intergenerational appeal of the 2022 TikToking Susur Lee. “He doesn’t like to say too much and I

admire that. Like, even with me, when he told me that the Panda Express video was one of my best, it touched my heart. To get praised by Jet is very cool.”

Lee has been cool since he opened Lotus, his first restaurant in Toronto, in 1987. To own and manage a restaurant group that’s been setting trends in each of the last five decades is an accomplishment that’s nearly unequalled, not just in Canada, but around the world. To speak to Chef — who laughs often and still works the line most nights at Lee, his flagship, upscale King Street restaurant, which aims to bring luxury back to our postCOVID city — is to feel inspired. He’s not exactly humble, but he’s hungry. Watch the TikTok videos he made with Jet, and you can see someone comfortable both in front of the camera and in his own skin.

When, wearing socks, he turns a caramel frappuccino and a cake pop into a gourmet dessert, it’s a marvel of cooking — the reduced sauce, the spontaneous innovation, the exploratory lemon zest and surprise vanilla extract — and a charming glimpse into a warm family life.

PROFILE

FOOD

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Antiques, Decorative Arts, Furniture, Paintings, Silver Fine Jewelry, Lighting, Vintage Clothing & Accessories 65 Dealers from across Ontario & Quebec.

(416) 483-6471 • heritageantiqueshows.com

Next SHOW DATES April 17

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L-R: Kai Bent-Lee, Jet Bent-Lee, chef Susur Lee and Levi Bent-Lee

A TIMELINE OF SUSUR LEE’S SUCCESS 1978 Susur Lee emigrates from Hong Kong to Toronto.

1987 Acclaimed restaurant Lotus opens at 108 Chestnut St. 1997 Susur Lee takes his family to Singapore to consult for TungLok Group.

2000 Chef Lee returns to Toronto and opens the eponymous restaurant Susur.

2004 Lee, Susur’s high-energy sister restaurant, is unveiled.

2014 Luckee opens, Lee’s restaurant with partner Henry Wu. 2015 Lee Kitchen, a bistro-style eatery, opens at Pearson Airport.

Sheena Sharp

Candidate, Don Valley West APRIL 2022

“We’re doing old school, seven-course tastings with wine pairings but really good cooking — reduction of sauces — and the whole restaurant has a buzzy excited vibe,” says Lee, adding that he’s incorporating dishes like roasted oysters and braised beef to a menu already laden with standouts like French and Chinese tong yuen, signature sla, and his infamous cheeseburger spring roll.

“This season, it’s all about bringing Susur back to the old days — decadent, delicious, gourmet food.”

Chef isn’t sure, beyond lowering the average age of his tables, how his popularity on TikTok might impact his business, but he readily admits that his latest dalliance with fame — alongside his celebrity son — is giving everyone an adrenaline jolt just at the exact moment the city is craving some buzz.

“I’m in a happy place and really just want to be creative and focus on the vibe of the city and making things great,” he says. “I want people to get excited and, if the TikToks help do that, I’m happy — cooking, like family, is my life.”

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right now,” Chef tells Jet, who loves good-naturedly ribbing his famous dad. The videos work because Chef is brilliant, the concept is hilarious and Jet brings out his dad’s warmth.

Susur Lee is not involved in the video’s editing and it wasn’t his idea. But to see him play around with his boy in the kitchen is so compelling that the Starbucks clip has been viewed more than 17 million times. Chef sounds dismayed and delighted by its surprise success.

“It’s serious, but funny, and Jet knows how to capture me just right,” says Susur Lee, who also appeared on a little show called Iron Chef, where he battled American celebrities like Bobby Flay. “I think Jet’s going to help bring in a new generation to Susur [restaurant], I told my staff: it’s time to start checking ID.” One thing it’s definitely time for is a return to fine dining in Toronto and, with the warmer weather coming, Lee says that the city is hungry for indulgent fun. He says his focus this spring is on pampering his guests and making sure the room feels vibrant and cool.

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FEATURE

FOOD

$75 noshow fees?

Restaurants are charging huge per-head cancellation fees. Is anyone complaining?

by Erica Commisso

Osteria Giulia is one of several T.O. restaurants that have introduced cancellation fees

the simple pleasures again and feel freedom to dine as they once did with friends and family when they want,” he continues. “The apps we use, like OpenTable, have great reminders and cancellation notifications set up that allow proper notice, so we are easily able to rebook the table. I am confident our clients will rebook again and will appreciate our flexibility.”

Il Covo’s Ryan Campbell is somewhere in the middle, understanding and relating to both sides of the decision.

cited, very real consequence that will affect restaurants and businesses in the city for an extended period of time, even though restaurant restrictions have been virtually lifted.

With food shortages driving up the price of produce and operations costs increasing, Uber Eats still raised its delivery cut back to its pre-pandemic rate, meaning it will take an even bigger cut and drive restaurant profits down again.

“It’s really just an incentive for people to show up. Nobody wants to lose their money. It makes the guest take responsibility for their reservation.”

“It’s a tough one,” he says. “We are in hospitality, offering the best of ourselves to our guests every single day we step up to the plate.

Certainly no restaurant looks to create distance between themselves and their guests, so when restaurants do charge that no-show fee, it’s because the business cannot sustain the no-show.”

“Wages are higher, ingredients cost way more these days, and rent is no cheaper than it was,” Campbell says.

The implication that these factors offer no post-pandemic relief to restaurants is an often-

“So many restaurants are on there just to be seen and stay relevant, not to make profits,” Campbell says.

With the food industry hit as hard as it was over two years of lockdowns, profits from takeout and delivery operations were not enough to sustain reduced capacities and empty tables. So requiring a credit card to reserve on reservation sites like OpenTable allows restaurant owners to manage expectations and adjust accordingly. It also ensures that they are making — or at least coming close to making — the

profits they need to stay open.

The pandemic and years of lockdowns saw many businesses permanently close their doors, unable to overcome the rising fees and lack of profits as a result of mandated closures.

The cancellation fee model, as Liu argues, incentivizes guests to show up for their reservations, ensuring that more restaurants do not become COVID casualties.

Alternatively, though, Eliopolous argues that it’s an isolating experience for the customers who, like the business owners, often have had their livelihood affected by the pandemic, with reduced hours and temporary layoffs spreading across the city and forcing many into debt.

Restaurant fees have been debated for years, with American news outlets like Slate, Eater and Business Insider publishing pieces on the fees as early as 2013. But in a post-pandemic world, they seem to be on the rise, at least in the city of Toronto. But there is some hope that, as COVID-19 cases slip, the world recovers and whatever version of normalcy cities can endure becomes a sustainable reality, restaurants and businesses can recover — though it may take months or even years — and return to a place where an empty table may not mean a risk of closure.

Until then, some will use fees to make sure the seats are full.

63 APRIL 2022

to lose their money. It makes the guest take responsibility for their reservation,” he says, noting that the 24-hour grace period gives people the opportunity to cancel for pandemic-related reasons.

“Most people that cancelled because of COVID-19 have been within the 24 hours,” he says.

By and large, no one has given Liu and DaiLo any trouble for the $20 cancellation fees.

“For the most part, our guests are understanding. We are pretty understanding that things change, people get sick and life happens.

All we ask for is 24 hours so we can rebook the table,” he says. “In my opinion, the only reason there would be any pushback is if they’re making a reservation with the intention of maybe not showing up.”

Conversely, other restaurants have decided to skip on the cancellation fees entirely. Petros82, for example, has opted against the reservation cancellation fee.

“Everyone has been hit so hard

by COVID-19, and it goes without saying that the hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit; however, we are so grateful for our clients support, so to charge people during these still uncertain times, if they are unable to make a reservation or to secure a reservation, seems simply like another restriction or obstacle we don’t need,” says owner Peter Eliopoulos. “I want people to enjoy

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With the hospitality industry trying to revive itself after nearly two years of pandemic-related closures, restaurants across Toronto have come up with a new way to ensure that people are not skipping out on their reservations.

Cancellation fees have started to pop up across the city, with some restaurants, like Little Italy’s Giulietta and its sister restaurant Osteria Giulia, charging as much as $75 to cancel a reservation. Alo, too, charges $50 cancellation fees.

These fees apply for both noshows and reservations cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled time. But, none of the restaurants’ patrons seem to have any issue with it.

Other restaurants are charging cancellation fees with a smaller price tag.

“We are charging $20 per head with a 24-hour grace period. It’s essential for restaurants right now not to lose tables,” says DaiLo‘s Nick Liu. “Lots of people make multiple reservations at different restaurants, and we just need people to be responsible for noshows. If a table doesn’t show up, that’s a possible $200 loss in income.”

Liu says he settled on $20 as it was enough to make people not want to lose the cash, but not enough to seem greedy or offensive.

“It’s really just an incentive for people to show up. Nobody wants

FOOD

NEWS

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Oretta Midtown’s arancini alla ‘nudja

New Yonge & Eg eatery serves up rustic Italian

Serving the best corned beef and pastrami in the city of Toronto since 1957

Oretta Midtown offers seafood alongside classic southern cuisine by Raquel Farrington

It's time to

Celebrate!

April 23, 2022 is our 65th Anniversary UBEREATS.COM FOR ONLINE ORDERING For more information call (416) 636-1230 or go to www.Pancersoriginaldeli.com SERVING DELICIOUS FOR 65 YEARS

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17 Bayview Ridge, Bayview/York Mills

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$10,800,000. Luxury appointed 11,000 sq. ft. Living Space 7+1 bedroom, 7 bathroom boasting a pool, cabana, sport court, 3 car garage. French Provincial palatial estate overlooking Rosedale Golf Course. Co-Listed with Belinda Lelli, Sales Representative.

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Oretta opened its second location rustic, southern Italian cuisine. on Feb. 3, serving up classic The kitchen is helmed by chef de Italian fare and modern day cuisine Darren Couto, the former classics in the bustling Yonge and Oretta King sous-chef.

The interior vibes are as Eglinton area. The reimagined Oretta Midtown is a seafood immaculate as the menu, with the lover’s paradise with options like same trendy, art deco interior as the branzino alla puttanesca the King West outpost. Awash in (Mediterranean sea bass, caper purple, orange, pink saffron, blue berries, olive, chili and oregano) and olive green, bold geometry or the involtini di pesce and beautiful detailed wall spada (sliced swordfish art will have you roulade, caciocavallo, snapping pics of pine nuts, focaccia more than just your STAR crumble, capers, meal. With large CONNECTION fennel salad and w i n d o w s Former Leaf Tomas salmoriglio). surrounding the Kaberle and his wife For something restaurant, Oretta Julia are Oretta to share as you and Midtown is a investors. your friends sip on brighter, airier space, Gran Paradiso complemented by an cocktails, Oretta has just open-concept kitchen. the thing to transport you to the “Midtown is the perfect fresh air of northwestern Italy’s location due to the upcoming and Piemonte region. Opt for the developing Yonge and Eglinton Grigliate Miste section, with two area,” says a representative from different kinds of grilled meat Oretta Midtown. “We want to boards: the di pesce (a mixture of bring the Oretta experience closer different kinds of seafood) or the to those who live on the outskirts di carne, which includes grilled of the city, and Midtown has veal, lamb and pork. Tons of shown to be vibrant and pizzas and pastas are available welcoming.” too.

Oretta Midtown also offers Oretta Midtown offers a menu brunch every weekend from 10 of pretty, IG-worthy cocktails and a.m. to 3 p.m. Swing by 2131 some of the popular dishes from Yonge St. Monday to Sunday for the King West location, with a seafood and rustic Italian eats. few additional items inspired by

NEWS

FOOD

Passover Gifts Made Deliciously Easy!

Kosher for Passover under COR Gift Baskets, Trays and Platters Chocolate Matzahs and Seder Plates Pareve Chocolates, Bark and Mints www.chocolatecharm.ca (416) 787-4256 Closed Saturdays • Open Sundays Delivery • Visa, MC & Amex 3541 Bathurst Street (Across from Baycrest)

Since 1996

L-R: Chef and owner Ben Slan, a Texas-style platter with all the fixings

When popular jazz bar Alleycatz closed down in the summer of 2020, it left a gaping hole in the Yonge and Eglinton live music scene. But now, a new locally owned restaurant, Benny’s Barbecue, is giving the space some life again.

On Wednesdays through Sundays, the craft smokehouse serves up carefully smoked goodness, from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., or until the restaurant runs out of meat. Menu options include barbecue platters, brisket (both lean and fatty and a combination of the two), pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, ribs and more. And each order comes with a side of pickles, coleslaw and fresh buns, with all Texas barbecue recipes crafted by chef Ben Slan himself, with assistant pitmaster Andrew Golden helping to manage the

barbecue reins.

In May 2021, Benny’s Barbecue started as a catering and delivery business with weekly pickups out of Slan’s parents’ basement. But with success, it has expanded to include a dine-in and a takeout option at the new 2409 Yonge St. space, where the building is tucked into an alley and surrounded by other eateries (of course, this setup is where Alleycatz got the name).

The new space officially opened on March 9 (after a soft launch about a week earlier), and will feature rotating dine-in specials as time goes on.

For savoury sweet treats, Benny’s Barbecue hired a baker, whose expertise brings goods like cheesy jalapeno cornbread and s’mores pie to the Benny’s menu, adding a decadent finish to Texas barbecue.

To turn Alleycatz into Benny’s Barbecue, the space underwent some renovations, including changing the flooring and adding some bright paint colours to the walls to create the feeling of a more open space. But odes to the Mediterranean eatery and live jazz club still remain in the new barbecue restaurant, like the massive wood bar and the stone wall.

Of course, it’s an entirely different life for the former Alleycatz space, with smoky scents and the sounds of sizzling grills wafting from the building instead of jazz tunes and Mediterranean eats. But the local element remains, and the intimate neighbourhood feel of Benny’s Barbecue fits the brand’s come up story. Ben Slan made his dream come true.

—Erica Commisso

Fully loaded Persian subs come to Yonge & Shep Looking for a huge, sub-style sandwich for lunch or dinner? Topol Sandwich has you covered with massive submarines chock full of fresh veggies, assorted meats and tangy sauces. And, Topol is all 100 per cent halal, inspired by the bold flavours of Iran.

Topol Sandwich has been a mainstay in Richmond Hill and, in 2020, opened a new location in North York. Grab a classic sandwich, like chicken, beef or mortadella, or select something from the hot sandwich menu. Try the Zapata, a sub with Angus beef steak, topped with freshly sliced mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, tomato, pickle, parsley, hickory sticks and house-made Topol sauce.

Or opt for the Bandari, a Persian sausage sub with all the fresh veggie fixings.

Topol also offers signature Bomb sandwiches, which are stuffed submarines. Bring a small group

of friends and order the fan-favourite Bomb Lati, a humongous, $23 sandwich that feeds two to three people and comes stuffed with a beef hot dog, shaved chicken, fried sausage and mozzarella cheese, with fresh veggies and hickory sticks for a salty fresh crunch. Wash it all down with Istak, a non-alcoholic malt beverage that comes in peach, lemon and mint flavours. You can also opt for plates and bowls, like Topol’s mexican corn or its sosis plate, piled high with Persian sausage and fries and then smothered in cheese.

The family behind Topol Sandwich runs several restaurants across the GTA with over 15 years of experience and no plans to slow down.

Swing by the 8 Kingsdale Ave. eatery every day from 11:00 a.m. to midnight for takeout, or cosy up inside the intimate indoor dining space.

—Raquel Farrington

If you have furniture and home accessories that you would like to sell on consignment, Of Things Past offers a Home Consultation Service.

Items of interest include well-crafted, brand-name, and designer furniture, sterling silver/silver-plate, mirrors, table and floor lamps, crystal and fine china.

To be considered, items must be in perfect or near-perfect condition.

For inquiries please email: homevisit@ofthingspast.com Toronto’s Largest Consignment Showroom for Luxury Home Furnishings and Décor 185 Bridgeland Avenue (5 minutes from Yorkdale Mall) – 7 days a week – 10-5 pm.

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Benny’s Barbecue took over the former Alleycatz space

| POST |

Midtown’s latest and greatest BBQ spot

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Chef Patrick Kriss is also expanding his Aloette brand this year

Ace Hotel taps Alo’s Patrick Kriss

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Visit volvocars.ca for more information on Canadian models and features. © 2021 Volvo Car Canada Ltd, 9130 Leslie St., Suite 101, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 0B9. Always remember to wear your seat belt.

Lodging group looks to chef’s star power for restaurant and bar by Erica Commisso With Toronto’s own Ace Hotel with an extensive cocktail program opening this spring, the worldwide to match. Kriss will be at the helm hotel group tapped one of the of restaurant Alder, as well as a city’s most iconic chefs to handle currently unnamed rooftop bar and lounge, which will open later the culinary experience.

The hotel restaurant, which will this summer. be called Alder, will be helmed by “For Alder’s menu, we’ve been Patrick Kriss, the Michelin- inspired by the use of earthen and pedigreed chef behind the tactile materials in the design of prestigious modern French Ace Hotel Toronto. In the same restaurant Alo, one of the country’s way, our offerings will be direct — and the world’s — best and elemental,” Kriss said in a restaurants. press release. “Drawing Kriss shot Alo to on elements from the international fame wood-fired grill, we TOP MARKS with its blind, multienvision a little Alo has been Canada’s course tasting menu more olive oil than best restaurant for five and the barroom’s à butter; lightly consecutive years la carte food menu treated seasonal according to The and extensive vegetables; a World’s 50 Best. cocktail program. selection of crudos; Reservations are so hard handmade pastas; and to get that they are booked charcoal-grilled seafood and over a month in advance and in meats.” specific, week-long time frames.

Outside of his new venture with Alo often books up almost the Ace Hotel, Kriss has been busy immediately. of late, expanding Aloette to The Ace Hotel has not revealed midtown and preparing for more much about the restaurant yet, but of the family-style restaurant’s it is the first outpost of the popular openings across the city. The new hotel in Canada (it has editions in Ace Hotel restaurant and New York City, Tokyo, Los bar/lounge space adds to an Angeles, New Orleans and more) already impressive resumé of and is located at 51 Camden St. culinary prowess.

So far, the hotel group has The Ace Hotel is slated to open revealed that the Mediterranean in the early summer, with menu will focus on seasonal reservations for the hotel available ingredients selected at their peak, beginning June 15.

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Korean fried chicken king, Trevor Lui’s latest project by Erica Commisso The team behind JoyBird, which serves up some of Toronto’s best Korean Fried Chicken, is back again, debuting a new project, Superfresh, which is slated to open in early April.

Superfresh is a 4,000-squarefoot night market coming to Bloor Street West, crafted in the style of an alleyway in Asia. It will take over the former Annex Food Hall space, showcasing local Asian-owned businesses and eateries in a unique venue. Food, drinks, artisan markets, live entertainment, a bodega and even secret events involving fashion and live DJs will come together at Superfresh, which is the brainchild of Joybird’s Trevor Lui, Fortune 500 vet James Lee, award-winning creative director Jae Pak and entrepreneur Dave Choi.

“We wanted to create a

community and cultural hub, not just simply a spot to eat,” Lui says in a statement, noting that heritage and community will be at the forefront of the market. “By curating an entirely authentic and fully Asian concept, it allows us to celebrate much of the things we hold near and dear to our hearts in creating a unique and inclusive space for locals and tourists to explore.”

Different geographical regions of Asia, including northern China, Nepal, Taiwan and Korea, will all be showcased at Superfresh, which is named after Toronto’s first 24-hour Koreanowned grocery store, which was once located in the Annex, the same community the market now calls home.

“We are going back to where we started — back to Superfresh and to the culture and food that

we grew up with — to open a venue that will offer some of the most authentic Asian cuisines in a unique space where it's not just about the food, but the story behind the food and beverage, people, culture and how it ties into our city,” says co-founder James Lee. In short, they want to honour Asian culture and its impact on the city of Toronto.

The full list of vendors is available on the Superfresh website, but official vendor offerings include Lui’s BaoBird, Big Beef Bowl, the Good Goods and superette Auntie’s Supply.

The kitchen at Superfresh, located at 384 Bloor St. W., will open at 1 p.m. and run late, and indoor and outdoor seating is available to enjoy all of the programming the night market has planned.

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East York Food Hall.

The smoked jerk chicken and smoked BBQ cola beef are the bestsellers. “But our oxtail and our bourbon brined smoked turkey are also bangers,” McClure says.

Southern Crown makes a spin on a Canadian classic: poutine with jerk gravy alongside more traditional sides like rice and peas, mac and cheese and cornbread.

“I would say our uniqueness is in our BBQ. In Toronto, Texas BBQ carries the flag as far as most offerings — and for good reason, it’s amazing,” says McClure.

But the differentiator for Southern Crown is the Caribbean spin. Melding all forms of BBQ with a mix of Caribbean flavours and South Carolina–style sauces makes for a truly unique, bold and flavourful smokehouse experience.

—Raquel Farrington

| POST |

“Southern Crown is our passion. We try very, very hard and cook with honest love,” says Kyle McClure, one-half of a dynamic kitchen duo with over 45 years of collective experience. Seasoned and classically trained chefs McClure and Barrington Graham have worked in restaurants across the city, including the Millcroft Inn, the Rose Water, Canoe and Oliver’s Café. Now, they are moving ahead with a new project all their own.

Southern Crown Caribbean Smokehouse was born out of the pandemic. The venture was launched

by Graham and McClure in 2021, when the owners of Lob Toronto, a restaurant they both ran, let them use its space for the launch. After two months, they left to serve up food in pop-ups in both Toronto and the Orangeville area.

Now, they have a base at 858 Eglinton Ave. E., serving up Southern and Caribbean comfort food in

APRIL 2022

Former Canoe chef opens Caribbean BBQ spot

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Haven’t you heard? Sustainability is in! Thrifting and shopping second-hand are for more than just clothes. If you’re furnishing a new place or hoping to update an older one, flea and antique markets are the way to do it. With the warmer weather approaching, Toronto is making the most of it with these outdoor markets. Visit the Kensington Flea Market on Saturdays for an eclectic mix of hand-

made designs and vintage finds, the Parkdale Flea on select weekends for goods from local vendors, and the biannual Toronto Antique and Vintage Market (date to be announced) for a unique collection of clothing, decor and furniture you won’t find anywhere else in the city. Design your home to stand out from the crowd while feeling good about keeping these gems out of the landfill!

| POST |

Scouring T.O. for spring’s neatest knick-knacks

APRIL 2022

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HGTV’s resident stylist on the top design trends for spring Try going for vintage vibes and green everything to make your Toronto space trendy has been shown to impact mood, and green is associated with stability, serenity, growth and nature — something we can all likely use a little more of following the last two years!

Tip: Try incorporating plants as a non-committal way to green up your space. And aside from a pop of colour and freshness, plants work wonders for the soul!

What’s in store for spring 2022?

Well, that’s a loaded question, given the events of the last two years. But interestingly, it’s these events that are shaping future trends. Here’s how they are translating into our interiors and some easy styling tips to get the look in your own home.

Vintage vibes

Black accents

Red Barrinuevo says vintage pieces are spring’s hottest trend

My final trend is rooted in the concept of home as a cocoon, and textured fabrics are a great way to create the depth and comfort your space craves. Light, neutral spaces are also a popular look this year, so textured textiles can bring balance to this simple backdrop. Opt for rich textures such as wool, boucle, knits and velvet for your pillows and throws, upholstery, window treatments and area rugs.

This year promises to be actionpacked, and all of the above trends contribute to a home that is a warm and welcoming refuge from the outside world.

Trending hues

The world’s colour authorities have shared their forecasts for trending hues, and there’s a common theme for the 2022 colour of the year — green shades, from forest to sage green. Colour

Versatile spaces

The pandemic led us to acknowledge the importance of our homes. I believe we will continue to see the demand for versatility, where one space can be

Toronto: T oronto: Castlefield Design District

*HZ[SLMPLSK (]L ࠮ *HZ[SLMPLSK (]L ࠮

RED BARRINUEVO Red Barrinuevo is the principal designer at Redesign4More and an award-winning property stylist and interior decorator based in Toronto.

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APRIL 2022

my tip: Combine different types of wood with earth tones and mixed metals such as copper, antique brass and matte gold finishes. This creates a calming, organic ambience, particularly in the living and dining room areas.

A popular home trend we’ll see is black accents — whether it be in art, hardware or decor. It’s a great way to add some edge and depth to more minimalist spaces, using light, neutral colours for the main elements of your space, like paint colours and large sofas and incorporating black accents for contrast.

Textured fabrics

| POST |

For some practical reasons, vintage pieces are making a comeback. If you’ve tried to order anything new recently, you’ll have noticed the lag in delivery time, attributed to material and staffing shortages worldwide. If you place an order, you could wait anywhere from three to six months for furniture or up to a year for appliances and specialty items. For this reason alone, many will be looking to secondhand and antique stores to fill the gap.

Additionally, vintage pieces often come with a lower price tag and have longevity, meaning they won’t quickly get dated. Here’s

transformed and moulded for different activities: a dining table or kitchen island can double as a desk, for example.

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Give your home a top-to-bottom spring facelift HGTV’s Carolyn Wilibrink on redesigning your space with the warmer seasons in mind and antique, less whimsical and boho.

To brighten a home, a fresh coat of paint in any high-traffic areas always creates a new, clean feel.

Pick an energizing paint colour.

If someone wants to make one big reno, where should it be?

There is a lot of chatter in the interior design world about the grandmillennial trend, and I do love it — to an extent.

Grandmillennial is the opposite of the more minimal feel of midcentury modern: ruffles and upholstered furniture, ornate wood detailing and wallpaper.

Overall, it's an old money, elevated feel.

I would also say that, relatedly, sustainability and creating an ecofriendly home are getting higher on homeowners' priority lists. We are seeing more of this with the

Carolyn Wilibrink and Billy Pearson tackle renos in HGTV’s ‘Farmhouse Facelift’

use of reclaimed woods and upcycling of old furniture. These unique pieces and finishes really add personality to your home.

How can homeowners revitalize their home for spring?

You can change out bedding, throw cushions and throw blankets quite easily. Replace

heavy fabrics and drapery with breathable ones like muslin, sheer curtains, linen and cotton blends.

Adding more plants and greenery really brings a space to life, as well.

Another trend that is making a big comeback is dried bouquets.

We've seen a lot of this with the pampas grass craze, but this time it's different. Think more classic

What do you anticipate coming back into home design with pandemic restrictions lifted?

If you want to update your home to accommodate frequent dinner parties and gatherings, get your interior designer or architect to plan a space that will be transitional. Something that can transform means including a good amount of storage with multifunctional spaces. Don’t leave any wasted space and don’t overwhelm small areas.

What about one small reno?

Whether you're inspired by the current home interior trends or you simply want to update your home on a smaller, more costeffective level — you can do so with architectural details. Accents

CAROLYN WILIBRINK Carolyn Wilibrink is the designer and contractor behind CW Design & Co and co-host on HGTV Canada’s Farmhouse Facelift.

APRIL 2022

What trends are you seeing more of this year?

If you are looking for a big change in your home, I always recommend prioritizing the kitchen. It really is the place where the household gathers and connects. More quality time is spent in the kitchen than in any other room in the home! It's just one room, but remodelling your kitchen changes the look and feel of your whole home. A welcoming, central meeting place makes all the difference.

and details like moulding and panelling, decorative wood trim and casings can have a big impact.

Things like wainscotting and ceiling medallions add a cosy and intricate texture to the walls and ceilings.

| POST |

Interior designer and HGTV host Carolyn Wilibrink knows a thing or two about giving your home a fresh upgrade. As host of HGTV Canada’s Farmhouse Facelift, which returned for season two in March, she’s seen her fair share of spaces in need of an update. These are her tips for giving your home a DIY facelift of its own to prepare for spring.

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Care At Home

HELP WANTED PERSONAL TRAINING

CAMP POSITIONS POSITIONS AVAILABLE: AVAIL A ABLE: Counsellors 1-on-1 Inclusion Counsellors Kinder Art Specialist Kinder Music Specialist Learn to Bike Specialist Nature Specialist Gymnastic Specialist Visual Art Specialist Archery Specialist Afternoon Silly Science Specialist Camp Photographer/Videographer

Visit ba bayviewglencamp.ca/employment yvviewglencamp.ca/employment to fill out an online staff application to be considered for any role.

Canada 9 Award Winning Agency 9 NHI is proud to serve Toronto and the GTA since 1985

s 0ARGING 2EFERRALS !VAILABLE #ALL "RIAN

647-767-0164 BRIANJPARKER

ROGERS COM

WWW PARKERRESTORATIONS COM &ULLY )NSURED ,IC 4

416-754-0700

nhihealthcare.com

Join our lively and congenial daytime conversational French classes for adults.

IS IT LOOSE, WOBBLY, STICKING, CROOKED, LEAKING, CRACKED OR BROKEN? DOES IT NEED REPAIR?

CALL DAVE! @ 416s222s7583

home

SUMMER 2022 2022

IMPROVE YOUR FRENCH!

9 Service in over 70 languages 9 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 9 Accredited by Accreditation

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RENOVATIONS • 35 years experience • Bathroom/Kitchen Renovations • Tiling/Flooring/Carpentry • Wall Repair/Painting • Free Written Estimates Geoffrey 647-342-6804 E-Mail: scgfacl@gmail.com

All levels. Qualified Experienced Teacher For more information, please call

For Minor Household Repairs s (OME 2EPAIRS s 0AINTING s $RYWALL s 3HELVING s /DD *OBS s %LECTRICAL &IXTURES

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

s NO JOB TOO SMALL s AFFORDABLE s FAST s RELIABLE & PROMPT s SENIORS’ DISCOUNT s YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED

416-488-4908 Frustrated Student?

WE CAN

HELP!

HEALTH PROGRAMS

You deserve a great tutor who: t *T RVBMJmFE EFEJDBUFE t "TTFTTFT JNQMFNFOUT B QMBO GPS TVDDFTT t 1SPNPUFT DSJUJDBM UIJOLJOH TUVEZ TLJMMT t 1SPWJEFT FODPVSBHFNFOU HVJEBODF

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HARD TO INSURE? Had Cancer, Heart Attack?

NEW

No Medical Life Insurance.

No Exams or Needles.

Easy Process Non Face to Face.

VISIT TUTORSHIP.CA

SENIOR SERVICES

Educational Services

$ ECKS $ECKS &&ENCES ENCES " ASEMENTS "ASEMENTS ' AZEBOS 'AZEBOS 0 ERGOLAS 0ERGOLAS ETAL 7OOD -ETAL 7OOD &RAMING &RAMING

647-962-3146 GARAGE LEANING?

Shower Restoration of Toronto U ` ,i Û> U À ÕÌ ,i«> À U Ã viVÌÉ ii« i> U ,i« >Vi >Õ } U >ÀL i * Ã } H Àii ÃÌ >ÌiÃH

Ready to fall over?

Garages rebuilt at substantial savings over replacement (single/double)

MIKE 416-602-4622

(416)573-0274 TUTORSHIP

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• No Permit Required • No Tax Reassessment • No Set Back Issues Just a nice garage at a fraction of the cost of replacement

Please Call David

416-787-8084

showerrestorationtoronto.com info@showerrestorationtoronto.com

IRA’S HANDYMAN SERVICES • Picture Hanging • Fixture Installations • Plumbing & Electrical • Deck & Fence Repair • Painting • Furniture Assembly • Interlock Repair • Shingle & Flat Roof Repair

“Small Job Specialist” irathehandyman@hotmail.com

416-274-6942

Of course we also do General Home Renovations

Power of Words Academy is hiring for our Online classes at our North York and Mississauga Campuses.

CURRENT OPENINGS: • Teachers

• Camp Counsellors for Summer

647.285.4499

admin@powerofwordsacademy.ca p o w e ro f w o rd s a c a d e m y. c a

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www.teachersoncall.ca

416-519-8335 905-881-1931

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Peter Topp @

416-460-2250 Serving South of Steeles

416-398-4663 www.seniorhomecarebyangels.com/toronto1 www.seniorhomecarebyangels.com/toronto1

OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN Heating, Air Conditioning, Fireplaces, Hot Water Tanks and Boilers.

Rental Progams also available

Tyton Homes is built on the principle that every customer is a client for life.

Over 25 Years Experience providing a full range of renovation and building solutions FREE KITCHEN DESIGN Renovations • Additions • Basements • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Project Mangement • Design & Permits •

www.t y tonhomes.com

FINLAY TOPP CONTRACTING

CALL: 416 930 5371

647-688-3310

APRIL 2022

WE’RE HIRING!

Up to 24 hour care care Meal Preparation Preparation Errands/Shopping Hygiene Assistance Light Housekeeping Respite Care Care for Families Palliative & Chronic Chronic Care Care Joyful Companionship Alzheimer/Dementia/Parkinson/Diabetes and Cancer Care Care Provider Provider for Veteran Veteran Independent Program Program Weekends/Holidays Weekends/Holidays TTemporary/Long-term eemporary/Long-term Live-in,, Live-out Care Day/Night, Live-in Care FREE in-Home Consultation

Call Peter:

416-554-3517

| POST |

Select Your Your Caregiver Careeggiiver

79

Bathtub Caulking Spring Special Only $125!

IS IT LOOSE, WOBBLY, STICKING, CROOKED, LEAKING, CRACKED OR BROKEN? DOES IT NEED REPAIR?

CALL DAVE! @ 416s222s7583 For Minor Household Repairs s (OME 2EPAIRS s 0AINTING s $RYWALL s 3HELVING s /DD *OBS s %LECTRICAL &IXTURES

Shower & Bath Clean & Grout Tile Repairs Sealing & Caulking Bathroom Remodeling

416-826-0574

BWM

CONSTRUCTION INC. Flagstone & Stone Work Brick Restoration & Masonry Retaining Walls Concrete Work & Steps Rebuild Walk Out Basement Excavating & Addition

Call John: 416-827-8397 bwmconstr@hotmail.com

s NO JOB TOO SMALL s AFFORDABLE s FAST s RELIABLE & PROMPT s SENIORS’ DISCOUNT s YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED

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Peter Topp @

416-460-2250

FINLAY TOPP CONTRACTING

SKYLIGHT PROFESSIONALS

With Dump Truck • Plumbing

• Carpentry • Drywall • Demolition • Painting • Gardening • Disposal • Decks and Fences Yonge / Eglinton LOW RATES

416-819-8888

WILDLIFE EXPERTS Squirrels

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

Raccoons

80

Birds sProfessionally Repaired sRoof Repairs

marqchar.drywall@gmail.com

647-770-5886

PROFESSIONAL

ROOF REPAIRS • Roof Repairs • Roof Maintenance • Missing Shingles • Major/Minor Leaks • Eaves and Downspout Repair • Raccoon Problems • Squirrel and Bird Problems

Free Estimates • Licensed Seniors’ Discount

416-820-3852 Eavestroughing & Siding Experts

Quality Workmanship Guaranteed

5” Seamless Eavestrough Soffit / Fascia & Siding

Free Estimates s Licensed Seniors Discount

Free Estimates Seniors’ Discount Licensed

416-248-0211

416-820-3852

HomeStars best of

2018-2021 Reader’s Choice 2020

MILE’S PAINTING

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0AINTING 0APERING $RYWALL 3TUCCO &AUX

Clean & efficient work done on time.

416-491-1010

Over 20 Years Experience!

Interiors & Exteriors.

Professional, Clean & Timely Work.

Fully Insured References Available.

416-248-0211 Call For a Free Estimate

ELECTRICAL

APPLIANCE REPAIRS Professional repairs of all brands of refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, dryers, washers, heating and air conditioning. Warranty. Credit cards accepted.

Seniors’ discount. Please call Fred 416266-6122.

Repair & Replacement Faucet Sink Toilet Shower Laundry Main Valve Leaking Pipe Backup Drain FULLY LICENSED & INSURED 24HR. SERVICE MET. LIC. # PH23521

416-876-6679 Toronto’s Trusted Plumbers Since 1979 2000+ Reviews 9.7/10

WaterWorks

Plumbing Waterproofing and Drains Drains Fixtures -Waterproofing -Drains -Plumbing 40+ years experience Upfront Pricing Seniors Discount Michael Yuffa Master Plumber

ROOF REPAIR

Lucomm Electric Inc. is a fully licensed and insured electrical company.

As an Electrical Safety Authority Licensed Master Electrician, Przemek Podruczny is ready and able to take care of all your Commercial and Residential electrical needs.

ROOF MAINTENANCE

647-894-1673

416-489-9633

Read Our Clients Clients·· R Reviews eviews on Homestars.com

LICENSED ELECTRICIANS

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ROOF REPAIR EXPERTS

MINOR/MAJOR LEAKS

Repairs to Leaky Skylights New Installations High Quality Workmanship & Excellence

“Thank you for what most painters promise but few deliver.” R.L.

OFFERING:

MISSING SHINGLES

• Renovation • Repair

JOHN BELL PAINTING

•DRYWALL/TAPING •EMERGENCY REPAIRS

Serving South of Steeles

Handy man

• Electrical

PAINTING

EAVES & DOWNSPOUT REPAIR

RACCOON PROBLEMS SQUIRREL & BIRD PROBLEMS FREE ESTIMATES NO JOB TOO SMALL SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT LICENSED

416 820 3852

416-303-3276

Best of 2021 & 2022 Award!

Serving Toronto Since 1989 WSIB & Insured

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416-410-0164

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WaterWorksCanada.com

Plumbing & Drains

Lic. # 7003478

CALL ANTHONY

416-704-4990 alcelectricinc@gmail.com PLUMBER PLUMBING

FULL PLUMBING SERVICES

Burst pipes

Faucet install

Drain snaking

Plugged toilets

Bath/Kitchen Reno

Blocked kitchen sink Camera Inspections Waterproofing

SAVE $50 JOBS OVER $500

Flat rate up front pricing

647-308-6005

Faucets, toilets, sinks, etc. installed. Blocked toilets, backed up drains, basement back ups.

External & internal drain excavating. Complete washroom renovations. "

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24 hr. service LANDSCAPING

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416-427-3367 • www.awtl.ca

DRY TECHNOLOGY DRY EXTRACTION CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING SINCE 1997

Restoration & Repair

Tropical Plant Maintenance/Sales Tropical Consultation, Design & Installation Pruning & Synthetic Plants

FREE ESTIMA AT TES ESTIMATES Bus: 416-422-4707 Fax: 416-422-4701

Specialist in Hazardous Tree Removal & Ornamental Pruning

Restoration of antique & modern furniture. In-home touch-ups of dining room sets, bedroom sets & kitchen cupboards.

Gluing & general repairs.

35 years’ experience

416-654-0518

cti@citytropicals.com 593 Mortimer Ave. Ave. Toronto Toronto M4C 2J6

What does your garden need this year?

Grandma’s Garden Blueprint Design Decorative Planters Landscape Lighting Seasonal Clean-Ups Garden Makeovers & Maintenance

Vision. Design. Build.

Customizing in Small Projects: Landscape P rojects: P erennial Gar dens Perennial Gardens F ences & Deck Fences Deckss Lawn C are & Care Gar den R ejuventation Garden Rejuventation

647-274-2048

grandmasgarden.ca

Please Please Call Call Dar Daron on

Featured Featured On:

from the Professionals you can Trust!

Servicing g North North To Toronto Toronto f 20 Ye Years for Y ears

We are a full service tree care company that promotes tree preservation with an ethical approach to caring for trees.

- Pruning - Removals - Planting - Arborist Reports -

SHASTA

GARDEN DESIGN Design & Installation Planting & Pruning Garden Maintenance Complete Garden Makeovers

416-522-7288

416-462-0007

Free Consultations

www.kellytree.com

shastagardens@hotmail.com

Hendrik Tree Service TREE REMOVAL Tree Trimming DEEP ROOT FERTILIZING Rejuvenate Your Trees SPRAY FOR GYPSY MOTH CONTOL

647-238-2661

Etobicoke Olymporium 590 Rathburn Rathburn Rd., Etobicoke, ON

Area Rugs C l e a n e d i n Yo u r Home/Condo R e p a i r s Av a i l a b l e

COMPUTER AND IT SUPPORT Set-up, Tutoring, virus removal, troubleshooting, networks.

House calls or remote support.

Patient, references available.

Your questions? My answers!

David Block: 416-830-6160; Email: dblock@sympatico.ca.

mollymaid.ca

Dependable Cleaning

855.223.5851

CLEANING LADY AVAILABLE Experienced, insured, honest and hard-working. Attention to detail. maidforyoutorontoltd.com.

Call Tanya at 416-897-6782.

SHINY CLEAN HOUSE An Experienced European cleaning lady will keep your house clean. Our company is fully Insured & Bonded. Call Inna or Inga, 416-929-5777. www.shinycleanhouse.ca.

THOROUGH, METICULOUS

HOUSEKEEPER

Sunny Disposition Quickly Learns Your Preferences Anticipates & Solves Problems

Impeccable References from

10-YEAR CLIENTS

PLEASE PHONE

GILLIAN 416 234-5500

SUNDAY, SUNDA AY, MAY 22, 2022 9AM TO 2:30 PM

416-882-2942

COMPUTER SERVICES

CLEANING

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FOR AN ESTIMATE CALL HENRY CUESTA

w w w. d r y t e c h n o l o g y. c a

services

Welcome Spring!

4An8nual

without the use of water

APPLIANCES APPLIANCE REPAIRS Professional repairs of all brands of refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, dryers, washers, heating & air conditioning. Warranty.

Credit cards accepted. Seniors’ discount. Call Fred 416-266-6122.

marketplace

Living Plants for Public and Private Spaces

GREEN, CLEAN & DRY

TOY TO OYY SHOW & SALE

Show Phone: (519) 580-3751 Show Email: toyboxcoll@gmail.com

WANTED A Collector Trying To Recreate An Old Time General Store is looking for items found in a General Store before 1960. Eg. Tea tins, tobacco tins, post cards, bottles, magazines, old paper items, comic books, signs, toys, advertising, old store stock, etc.

CASH PAID 416-745-4981 or 416-953-6219

COLLECTOR LOOKING FOR Old Tube Hi Fi Components and Speakers. 40 Years or Older.

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Call: 519-853-2157 1-800-947-0393

WANTED! FINE ART & ANTIQUES

Chinese Japanese Asian Porcelain Jade Bronze etc.

Canadian art & fine paintings Inuit sculpture Sterling & jewellery China & porcelain Moorcroft Doulton Art glass

call Andrew Plum

416-669-1716

English Gentleman Buyer

plumsfineart.com

ART & DESIGN

Bespoke Selling Service

Fine Art ࠮ Antiques ࠮ Silver ࠮ Asian ࠮ MCM ࠮ Jewelery …and all things fine.

Complementary Consultation

FOR SALE/WANTED

WANTED

Quality antiques Sterling, Silver Plate Chinese, Japanese,

& Asian wares

Bronze Paintings Old jewellery, watches,

coins & medals

Military items Teak Furniture Fancy cups & saucers Professional & Courteous 30 Years Experience Call David

416-231-9948

POST CITY MAGAZINES NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE

April 20 416-250-7979 x270 classifieds@postcity.com

APRIL 2022

MARCANTONIO FURNITURE

CANADA’S CANADA ’S GREA GREATEST AT TEST COLLECT COLLECTOR’S OR’S

| POST |

INTERIORS & UPHOLSTERY

CITY TROPICALS INC.

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LOOKING BACK Before you go ... take a gander at some of our latest T.O. throwback pics!

Follow along on Post City’s Instagram @streetsoftoronto every Thursday for more.

APRIL 2022 EDITION

1,032 likes

| POST | A P R I L 2 0 2 2

Initially known as A&A Books, the retail chain turned its focus to music in the ’60s, becoming A&A Records, one of the largest distributors of vinyl records in Toronto. Sadly the chain went bankrupt in 1993 after opening 260 franchises.

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1,202 likes Pier 6, pictured in June 1973, is the oldest surviving building on Toronto’s present waterfront. Cut in half and relocated to the York Street slip in 1922, it now resides on Queens Quay with a bright red exterior as a souvenir and sweet treat hub.

763 likes ‘The Flatiron Mural,’ by renowned Canadian artist Derek Michael Besant, was unveiled in 1980. With the use of a technique called ‘trompe l'oeil,’ the wall appears to have more windows than it does, and its edges are 'fluttering' away.

1,116 likes Toronto was bustling in the 1950s as people were moving here from all over the world. This photo, looking north on Bay Street from King Street, shows the modern city that planners had envisioned, before glass and steel facades took over.

2,267 likes The Queens Quay and Spadina streetcar loop provides a lovely view of some major T.O. landmarks. This photo was taken shortly after the crisp, white cladding had been installed on the roof of the SkyDome in 1989.

1,927 likes This photo of Yonge Street looking northbound toward College Street was taken in 1972 by the City of Toronto Planning and Development Department, capturing the busy city streets of the early ’70s.

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COHEN H O M E S & E S TAT E S

® REAL REALTRON TRON B BARRY ARRY C COHEN OHEN HOME HOMES S INC INC., ., BR BROKERAGE OKERAGE | www www.BARRYCOHENHOMES.com . BARRYCOHENHOMES.c o m

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