2017 Toronto Magazine

COMPLIMENTARY / INSIDE i VIBRANT NEIGHBOURHOODS | LOCAL FOOD | CANADIAN DESIGN | SPORTS SCENE | CANADA TURNS 150

#SEETORONTONOW

URBAN ADVENTURES

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TORONTO 2017

EXPERIENCE: CULINARY BREAKTHROUGHS, FASHION ESCAPADES AND FAMILY FUN! MORE TO EXPLORE: MISSISSAUGA, BRAMPTON & NIAGARA www.SeeTorontoNow.com

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

EAT, PLAY, EXPLORE IN CANADA’S DOWNTOWN

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WELCOME

What’s online Visit SeeTorontoNow.com for more information, resources and news you can use to make the most of your Toronto visit.

Plus!

v Check out behind-the-scenes video of our exciting cover shoot portaging a canoe through the Theatre District!

v Here with the whole family?

Discover the city with the kids at Yo-Toronto.com. v Search our calendar for hot events and cool happenings taking place during your visit. v Find bonus content from this year’s magazine, including conversations with the city’s cultural luminaries and a DIY festival guide.

Welcome to Toronto!

We are delighted to welcome you to our city and to showcase the region’s best in the 2017 edition of Toronto magazine. We hope you’ll find lots of inspiration and information to help you make the most of your time in Toronto.

Toronto is a vibrant, dynamic city where fun and eclectic events and activities take place around every corner—especially in 2017, as “Canada’s Downtown” celebrates the nation’s 150th birthday with a year’s worth of special events and programming.

Whether you’re enjoying a friends’ getaway, couple’s weekend, business trip or family vacation, we’ve got you covered with lots to eat, see and explore.

We also cover the basics of transportation, and getting around the city with ease, to help make your trip to the Toronto region a seamless experience.

We’ve packed this issue of the magazine full of ideas so you can plan your visit down to the hour… or just pick a neighbourhood and start wandering.

Either way, you’ll find classic Canadian experiences and history, and modernity in all its cultural and ethnic diversity. Explore it all by walking, cycling, public transit—or even by paddling, if you choose.

As a gateway to a vast region that includes the world-famous Niagara Falls, the lakes and forests of Muskoka and the Kawarthas, and the nation’s capital region, Toronto is an ideal base for a day trip or overnight stay. Right next door are the cities of Mississauga and Brampton, both with their own compelling heritage and big-city amenities like shopping, arts and dining.

More than 315,000 dedicated individuals are working in tourism and hospitality, and we’re all here to make your visit one you’ll remember for a long time to come. WELCOME!

v Check out our 150th anniversary mini magazine!

All Canadian, All in Toronto at SeeTorontoNow.com/ 150BigThings.

Eleanor McMahon

Johanne R. Bélanger

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

President and CEO, Tourism Toronto

Share your Toronto

CONNECT WITH US experience!

Get social here:

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2017 TORONTO

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Contents DEPARTMENTS 03 WELCOME 08 CONTRIBUTORS 12 NEW IN 2017 Here’s what everyone’s excited about this year.

92 FINDING YOUR FEET

How to get around town.

98 VIEWFINDER Director and photographer Michael Lawrence partnered with Tourism Toronto to shoot a video introducing Canada’s Downtown to the world.

UPFRONT 11 FOOD, ARTS, CULTURE, & MORE From cultural must-sees and niche galleries to urban updates and Toronto sports by the numbers, find out where to go and what to see in 2017.

CITY CONFIDENTIAL 28 HOT TICKETS

Ten of 2017’s must-attend events.

43 GREEN CITY Five ways Toronto leads in sustainability.

30 CULTURAL RENAISSANCE Change is in the air as a new crop of leaders take the helms of five key cultural institutions.

46 CANADA’S TEAMS Two of Toronto’s major-league teams carry an entire country’s sports ambitions.

35 FASHION CENTRAL From local labels to Canada’s top brands, here’s the fashion hound’s guide to Toronto.

48 IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK A musical history of Toronto’s hottest performance spaces.

50 FESTIVAL DIY Catch your fave bands at an epic music fest, or simply build your own.

Here’s how.

52 YO TORONTO Test your knowledge with this fun true-or-false quiz about a city filled with kid-friendly surprises.

54 OUR HOLIDAY BEST Cozy up to the most wonderful time of the year—indoors and out.

ON THE COVER Shot on location outside Roy Thomson Hall, in the theatre district. Turn to page 33 to learn more about this premier music venue.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RAINA + WILSON

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TORONTO 2017

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

COVER AND THIS PAGE, ST YLIST: SK YE KELTON (PLUTINO); HAIR & MAKEUP: HEATHER HOLLETT FRENCH; CANOE COURTESY OF MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP

96 2017 EVENTS

TORONTO IS WAITING. WE’LL TAKE YOU THERE. Air Canada offers the most non-stop flights to Toronto.

Experience our award-winning service and Canadian hospitality from over 200 destinations around the globe.

Book now at aircanada.com

Contents

58

70 FOOD & DRINK

COMPASS

58 EAT THE CITY Four of Toronto’s leading chefs give us the lowdown on what makes our culinary culture sizzle.

70 NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH Explore our city the way locals do: as a collection of dynamic neighbourhoods, each with its own distinctive character.

62 PUB GRUB Say cheers to microbreweries where the menus are as well crafted as the beer.

90

64 OVER THE TOP Dig into more-is-more dishes that tempt your appetite for excess.

These over­achievers give you a little bit of everything, all in one order.

66 DRINK LOCALLY Toast the terroir at these neighbourhood bars, restaurants, wineries and more.

82 BRAMPTON, WHERE CULTURE COMES ALIVE Experience a multicultural mosaic in Flower City.

85 MISSISSAUGA, THE CITY OF VILLAGES Where big-city flavour meets old-world charm.

88 WONDER-FALLS Explore Niagara’s many dimensions, from its food and wine scene to the excitement of the Falls.

90 ROAD TRIPS Hit the highway to discover Ontario’s best getaways.

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TORONTO 2017

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIAM MOGAN (OVER THE TOP); JENNIFER ROBERTS (EAT THE CIT Y); ONTARIO TOURISM (ROAD TRIPS); DANIEL LIEBESKIND (NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH)

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Fly to the airport.

Downtown Toronto to Pearson Airport in 25 minutes, every 15 minutes.

With trains leaving every 15 minutes, it’s a short 25-minute ride from downtown Toronto to Toronto Pearson International Airport. On the train, UP Express has complimentary Wi-Fi courtesy of CIBC, comfortable seating with table trays, power outlets, luggage racks, infotainment as well as flight information. Whether you’re heading out or heading home, we can’t wait to welcome you.

Get on board.

Purchase tickets at UPexpress.com

CONTRIBUTORS Suresh Doss WRITER, “EAT THE CITY” (PAGE 58) Doss is a writer and videographer whose publication credits include Toronto Life, the Globe and Mail and Foodism (where he is an editor).

FAVE WEEKEND ACTIVITY: “I love spending Saturday mornings at Toronto farmers’ markets (the Evergreen Brick Works and the St. Lawrence Market are regular hits). It’s a great way to keep on top of seasonality and to draw inspiration for cooking.”

Jaime Hogge PHOTOGRAPHER, “CULTURAL RENAISSANCE” (PAGE 30) Hogge is an award-winning editorial photographer whose work has appeared in the pages of Maclean’s, The Walrus, Canadian Business and others.

FAVE WEEKEND ACTIVITY: “Hitting up the Junction Farmers Market on Saturday morning with my wife, followed by coffee and taking our dog for an afternoon romp in High Park.”

Nikki Ormerod

TOURISM TORONTO Chair of the Board Peter Doyle

Operations Production Director Joelle Irvine

President & CEO Johanne R. Bélanger

Production Manager Felipe Batista Nunes

Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Weir

Ad Production Manager Mary Shaw

Editorial Director: Director, Brand Content Paula Port Managing Editor: Content Manager Cathy Riches Member Care Director Denise Belgrove BOOKMARK CONTENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

WRITER, “DRINK LOCAL” (PAGE 66) Tancock writes for various publications, including the Globe and Mail, WestJet Magazine and Best Health, and is co-founder of Tavanberg, a custom content agency.

FAVE WEEKEND ACTIVITY: “A yoga-Pilates fusion class at MISFITSTUDIO with a good friend, followed by a made-to-order smoothie at Greenhouse Juice Co.”

Tara Nolan WRITER, “GREEN CITY” (PAGE 43) Nolan’s byline has appeared in the Guardian, the Toronto Star and Canadian Cycling. She is the author of Raised Bed Revolution and a co-founder of savvygardening.com.

FAVE WEEKEND ACTIVITY: “When I lived close to the Don Valley, I loved morning rides on the mountainbike trails that end at the Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market.”

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TORONTO 2017

Proofreaders Jennifer Krissilas, Nicole Gottselig, Jacob Sheen Sales Media Director Laura Maurice National Sales Manager Tracy Miller

Editorial Executive Editor Amanda Eaton

Sales Account Representative Natalie Hope

Deputy Editor Yuki Hayashi

Account Management Account Coordinator, Luxury & Lifestyle Brands Marc Tavas

Art Art Director Adam Cholewa Photo Editor Kayla Chobotiuk Contributing Designer Jennifer Spinner

Chairman, Spafax Group Niall McBain CEO, Americas Raymond Girard Executive Vice President, Content Marketing Nino DiCara

PHOTOGRAPHER, “STREET STYLE” (PAGE 37) Ormerod has shot award-winning photography for major global brands, while her editorial work has appeared in Toronto Life, enRoute and Maclean’s.

FAVE WEEKEND ACTIVITY: “I’ve lived in Toronto for 13 years and have always enjoyed taking the ferry to the Toronto Islands. We go with a cooler and towels and just spend the whole day and night on the beach. It’s the best!”

Kat Tancock

Ad Production Coordinator Joanna Forbes

Membership enquiries: 647-202-3042 Ad sales (Spafax Canada): 416-350-2425 Circulation: 250,000 Published by Tourism Toronto Queen’s Quay Terminal, Suite 405, 207 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5J 1A7 Tel: 416-203-2600 Fax: 416-203-6753 Printed in Canada Toronto Magazine © 2017. All rights reserved.

Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

All information is current as of press time.

The publisher cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy of all information and will not be responsible for errors, changes or omissions.

This publication is printed on stock FSC® certified and is 100% recyclable.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

Celebrate with us!

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UPFRONT “Toronto is a baseball city.

But Toronto isn’t just a baseball city. Let’s face it: Hockey is No. 1 in Canada.

So Toronto is a hockey city.

It’s also a basketball city.

Then you got Drake, Bieber, The Weeknd—so it’s also a music city. It’s a fashion city.

A food city. And across all these industries, everybody shows love. They just rep The 6ix. And if you also rep The 6ix, they got your back.

Nothin’ but love. That’s why Toronto is my favourite city.”

PHOTO: LODOE LAURA

—Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays

Source: The Players’ Tribune

UPFRONT

NEWS

WHAT’S NEW AND NOTABLE FOR 2017.

BY SARAH B. HOOD

MUST-SEES Biomechanics: The Machine Inside Ontario Science Centre February 4 to May 7, 2017 Take a fascinating look at the marvels of natural engineering in a highly interactive, specimen-rich experience that brings the science of biomechanics to life.

ONTARIOSCIENCECENTRE.CA Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians Aga Khan Museum February 4 to June 4, 2017 Twenty-five years of post-Revolutionary art and intrigue is on display, with an exhibit of painting, sculpture, photography and video installation that veers between humour, spirituality and subversion.

AGAKHANMUSEUM.ORG Janet Macpherson: A Canadian Bestiary Gardiner Museum February 14 to May 21, 2017 This Canada 150 exhibit of porcelain animals by a noted Canadian ceramic artist is presented in an immersive multimedia environment. GARDINERMUSEUM.COM

Invictus Games

THE BIG GAMES

v From September 24 to 30, 2017, more than 600 competitors from 16 nations will compete at the third edition of the Invictus Games, founded by Prince Harry—brother of Prince William and grandson of Queen Elizabeth—to showcase the heroism and athletic accomplishments of wounded service members and veterans. INVICTUSGAMES2017.COM v From July 16 to 23, 2017, the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) comes to Central Canada for the first time in its 27-year history, hosted by the Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games Host Society. The NAIG offers 14 sport categories for indigenous youth from Canada and the U.S., along with a cultural component that throws the spotlight on local and North American indigenous arts, culture, language and entertainment. NAIG2017.TO

MAPLE LEAFS CENTENNIAL SEASON The 2016–17 National Hockey League season marks the 100th anniversary of Toronto’s beloved Maple Leafs. This year will be full of special moments commemorating great plays and players of the past, leading up to the club’s 100th birthday on December 19, 2017. The Hockey Hall of Fame presents the Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial Exhibit (ending March 6, 2017), which features unique memorabilia like Bill Barilko’s 1951 Stanley Cup–winning puck as well as the NHL Centennial Exhibit (opens March 11, 2017), an immersive tribute to a century of the most iconic moments and players in NHL history. MAPLELEAFS.COM, HHOF.COM

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TORONTO 2017

Mrs Henderson Presents Mirvish Productions March 11 to April 23 The Royal Alexandra Theatre hosts the North American première of the London musical about the widow who made a name for herself in 1937 by producing a risqué stage show. MIRVISH.COM Out of the Depths: The Blue Whale Story Royal Ontario Museum March 11 to September 4, 2017 In 2014, a small team from the Royal Ontario Museum travelled to Newfoundland to salvage a blue whale that had washed ashore, enabling the ROM to turn a sad event into a rare opportunity to study an endangered species.

The preserved and reassembled skeleton will be unveiled as an exhibit in 2017. ROM.CA Georgia O’Keeffe Art Gallery of Ontario April 22 to July 30, 2017 In partnership with London’s Tate Modern, the Art Gallery of Ontario presents more than 100 paintings by the pioneering American painter in this major retrospective. AGO.NET Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Mirvish Productions June 27 to August 20, 2017 Follow the remarkable stage story of singer-songwriter Carole King at the Ed Mirvish Theatre.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

v The West Don Lands, home to the Pan Am Athletes’ Village during the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, has been transformed into a dynamic mixed-use neighbourhood with lakefront parks just a stone’s throw from The Distillery Historic District.

Ontario Place

Urban updates Breathtaking changes are sweeping the city as landmarks and neighbourhoods sprout improvements designed to promote public access and enjoyment.

Expect new parks, markets, art and other urban perks, plus improved access between major attractions. Here’s what’s new or on the horizon.

v Ontario Place, adjacent to Exhibition Place, is being redeveloped with space for cultural and learning activities, water features and an open-air celebration area.

The first stage of the project, a new urban park and waterfront trail, is opening in 2017. v Farther north, the Royal Ontario Museum’s Welcome Project is an ambitious $4-million project that adds an expansive—and inviting—indoor/outdoor element to the landmark’s entrance and lobby areas. A new performance space and outdoor gallery will boost awareness of the museum programming and lure more visitors inside.

Guild Inn

v The landmark Bentway project

ALAMY (INVICTUS GAMES); GARDINER MUSEUM; B CHRISTOPHER/ALAMY (GEORGIA O’KEEFFE); ALAMY (CAROLE KING); MLSE (MAPLE LEAFS); ONTARIO PLACE; GUILD INN

transforms a 1.75 km (1.09 mile) stretch beneath the Gardiner Expressway between Strachan and Spadina avenues into a pedestrian passageway with street art and markets, linking key destinations like BMO Field, Harbourfront Centre and the CN Tower.

v Historic Grange Park, behind the Art Gallery of Ontario, is also upgrading its visitor experience. Bring the family to take advantage of a revamped kids’ area with an arts-themed playground, a new splash pad that’s illuminated at night, an off-leash dog area and the iconic Henry Moore sculpture Large Two Forms (formerly located at the southwest corner of McCaul and Dundas).

BY HELEN RACANELLI

#

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BBC Radio recently determined that Toronto is the world’s most diverse city

5.5 MILLION

POPULATION OF THE GREATER TORONTO AREA

2.8 MILLION

POPULATION OF TORONTO

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Percentage of Torontonians born outside of Canada

140+ v And in the east end, at a magnificent Scarborough Bluffs location overlooking Lake Ontario, the Guild Inn is undergoing a $20-million restoration. The vintage building is set in a unique park that includes architectural ornaments and statuary gathered from several heritage buildings.

—Sarah B. Hood

Since September 2016, Greater Toronto Airways has been offering a unique service: two daily scheduled f lights, Monday to Friday, between Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport and the Niagara District Airport in Niagara-on-the-Lake. From there, visitors can explore wine country, take in a play at the Shaw Festival, shop along the charming Victorian main street or rent a bike and ride the gently sloping Niagara Parkway toward Niagara Falls. Flights are on eight-seaters for that charter-flight vibe and take just 12 minutes from airport to airport. One-way fares are $85 (including all airport taxes and fees). FLYGTA.COM @SeeTorontoNow

Toronto is renowned for multiculturalism.

Here are the numbers that back up the claim.

Number of nationalities represented in Toronto

TORONTO TO NIAGARA IN UNDER 15 MINUTES

@SeeTorontoNow

DIVERSE CITY

230 Languages and dialects spoken

420,000 &

195,000 Number of Chinese and Italian speakers (the top mother tongues other than English and French)

SCARBOROUGH The world’s unofficial best burb for ethnic food, according to noted author Tyler Cowen

2017 TORONTO

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Canada’s big birthday!

2017

marks the 150th year of Canadian Confederation— and the country is planning a blowout year of birthday festivities. Come celebrate with us in Toronto! From big-city spectacle to rustic Canadiana, Ontario’s capital is the place to discover all the best our nation has to offer, and to learn more about what makes Canada Canada.

HERE’S A SAMPLING OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN TORONTO

v Canada on Screen, a free year-long program that showcases the best in Canadian cinema at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. TIFF.NET v Sounds of Home, Harbourfront Centre’s sesquicentennial-themed summer music program. HARBOURFRONTCENTRE.COM v Canada Mosaic, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s celebration of Canadian music, from rock to classical, with performances and collaborations throughout the year. TSO.CA v Canada 150: Discovery Way, the Ontario Science Centre’s year-long installation about the stories behind transformational Canadian inventions and innovations, from the lightbulb to the flight recorder. ONTARIOSCIENCECENTRE.CA v Shining Stars: Celebrating Canada’s

HERITAGE

TORONTO TIMELINE

150 YEARS OF CITY HISTORY AT A GLANCE. BY HELEN RACANELLI

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TORONTO 2017

Walk of Fame (May 18 to December 31, 2017), a Bata Shoe Museum exhibit featuring the famous footwear of Canada’s Walk of Fame inductees. BATASHOEMUSEUM.CA v New Canadian Global Music Orchestra, a Royal Conservatory of Music project (in partnership with Aga Khan Museum and others) bringing together musicians from different traditions who now live in Canada—culminating in a concert of new music on June 02, 2017. RCMUSIC.CA v A Canadiana–themed celebration, with nautical programs, live music, food and more, during the Redpath Waterfront Festival (July 1 to July 3, 2017).

TOWATERFRONTFEST.COM

v The inaugural edition of EDIT (September 28 to October 8, 2017), a biennial expo exploring how design, innovation and technology can address today’s global issues. EDITDX.COM With new events being added all the time, visit SeeTorontoNow.com for the most recent listings. For more info on how to experience 150 Canadian things in Toronto, download our All Canadian, All in Toronto magazine at SeeTorontoNow.com/150BigThings.

1867

Toronto becomes the capital city of Ontario.

1873

The Toronto Argonauts (Argos) Football Club kicks off its first season.

v Two Canada-themed exhibits in the Market Gallery of the historic St. Lawrence Market: Becoming Canadian in Toronto: Snapshots Through Time (March to July, 2017) and Maple Leaf Forever: Toronto’s Take on a National Symbol (July to November, 2017). v Cultural Hotspot (May to October, 2017), an East York arts and culture initiative that includes My City My Six (beginning January 2017), a city-wide partici­patory public art project. v National Aboriginal Day ( June 21, 2017) festivities, including musical and cultural programming, at Fort York National Historic Site. v A four-day Canada Day ( July 1, 2017) celebration showcasing musical performers—representing each province and territory. v A special edition of the Cavalcade of Lights (November 25, 2017), the festive annual holiday kickoff at Nathan Phillips Square.

For more events visit Toronto.ca/canada150

1879

The inaugural Canadian National Exhibition (then called the Toronto Industrial Exhibition) promotes agriculture, industry and the arts. The Ex remains a summer fave to this day.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

SAM JAVANROUH (CAVALCADE OF LIGHTS); KHRISTEL STECHER (CNE)

HERITAGE

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

Cavalcade of Lights

The City of Toronto is celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday with a year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions, such as the following:

UPFRONT HERITAGE

CN Tower

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

BORIS SPREMO/TORONTO STAR/GETT Y IMAGES (MAN ON CN TOWER); DICK LOEK /TORONTO STAR/GETT Y IMAGES (AERIAL); CIT Y OF TORONTO ARCHIVES

BY JAMIE BRADBURN

The tallest free-standing structure in the western hemisphere, the CN Tower provides awe-inspiring views of the region and serves 16 radio and television stations. Constructed over 40 months, it opened to the public on June 26, 1976.

Its builders believed the tower would demonstrate the strength of Canadian industry, but it soon symbolized Toronto’s role as the cultural and financial powerhouse of the country.

1904

The Great Toronto Fire levels almost 100 buildings and 20 acres of land.

@SeeTorontoNow

1905

The first Santa Claus Parade comes to Toronto: a one-man show whereby Santa arrives by train.

@SeeTorontoNow

1911

Construction begins on Casa Loma, financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt’s private castle.

1912

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is created by an act of legislature.

2017 TORONTO

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UPFRONT CULTURE

10 niche galleries and museums Music and dance performances, plus theatre, lectures, workshops and film screenings, coexist with the permanent collection at this museum dedicated to the history of Islamic civilizations.

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CRAFT ONTARIO

AGAKHANMUSEUM.ORG

The province’s memberbased crafters’ organization hosts public exhibitions of artisan works, including furniture and textile sculptures, in its airy gallery. It’s also home to the Craft Ontario Shop and Inuit & Native Gallery. CRAFTONTARIO.COM

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GARDINER MUSEUM

The ceramic arts are celebrated in the Gardiner’s permanent collection and intriguing exhibitions. Try a drop-in open-studio clay class.

GARDINERMUSEUM.ON.CA

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BATA SHOE MUSEUM

Shoeaholics will delight in this staggering display of footwear, housed in a striking, shoebox-shaped building.

Ancient Egyptian sandals, chestnut-crushing clogs and 20th-century celebrity shoes are all here!

BATASHOEMUSEUM.CA

4

CBC MUSEUM

Take a #museumselfie with a microphone from 1910, on the main floor of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Toronto Broadcasting Centre, or tune in to interactive TV exhibits, plus cool archival materials from as far back as the 1930s.

CBC.CA/MUSEUM

1913

Mary M. Minty and Maria J. Levitt become the city’s first policewomen.

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TORONTO 2017

1913

2 7

TEXTILE MUSEUM OF CANADA

Mirroring Toronto’s diversity, over 200 global regions are represented in this downtown museum’s more than 13,000-piece collection, which includes rare religious artifacts.

9 3

TEXTILEMUSEUM.CA

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ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA

Canadian art is the focus at this gallery, where you might spot iconic works and contemporary digital photographic artwork. Check online for events like paywhat-you-can drop-in yoga.

ARTGALLERYOF­ MISSISSAUGA.COM

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PEEL ART GALLERY, MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES

Brampton’s PAMA programming runs the gamut, from regional military history to contemporary graphic novels. The gallery’s permanent art collection boasts

The highest number of immigrants yet recorded (400,000) come to Canada. About 1,000 Chinese immigrants already live in Toronto at this time, and grow to be one of the city’s largest immigrant groups.

1917

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4,300 works, with Peel Region landscapes holding pride of place. PAMA.PEELREGION.CA

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T HE POWER PLANT CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY

Part of a working power plant until 1980, Harbourfront’s tall smokestack will lead you to this gallery, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Enjoy sweeping lake views,

The Toronto Maple Leafs join the newly formed National Hockey League.

1921

University of Toronto researchers Dr. Frederick Banting and Charles Best discover insulin, the first treatment for diabetes.

along with thought-provoking exhibitions by leading Canadian and international contemporary artists.

THEPOWERPLANT.ORG

10

SPADINA MUSEUM

If you love period shows like Downton Abbey, Spadina House captures Jazz Age Toronto as experienced by the Austin family, in a manse that’s now a museum. Discover period décor and artifacts, along with six acres of restored 1905 gardens. TORONTO.CA/MUSEUMS —Helen Racanelli

1927

The Prince of Wales cuts the ribbon to open Union Station. A train ticket to Alberta cost $71.20 at the time—approximately $1,184.49 in today’s dollars.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

GARDINER MUSEUM; ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA; K AYLA CHOBOTIUK (POWER PLANT); TEXTILE MUSEUM; K AYLA CHOBOTIUK (BATA SHOE MUSEUM)

AGA KHAN MUSEUM

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

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PRIDE CULTURE

BY THE NUMBERS

The stats that add up to the biggest party of the year.

Years Pride has officially been celebrated in Toronto

Approximate attendees, Toronto’s first Pride march in 1981

1,500

Approximate attendees, 1989

25,000

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

ALAMY (PRIDE, TOP LEFT); TORONTO PRIDE (DRAG QUEENS, PARADE, CIT Y HALL); CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION (STANLEY CUP)

Approximate parade attendees, 2015

1.5 MILLION Estimated total Pride attendees, at 2015’s 10-day-long Pride Week

33

2 MILLION Days in 2016’s official Pride events

100 150

Number of year-round Pride Toronto volunteers

Number of elite athletes representing the You Can Play movement for inclusive sports at World pride 2014

28 Volunteer teams

1,600

Number of volunteers during Pride Weekend

400 Estimated number of marching contingents in the Pride Parade

2

Number of Pride flags raised at City Hall (trans Pride and rainbow Pride flags)

1930

Pablum, a baby cereal, is developed by Frederick Tisdall, Theodore Drake and Alan Brown of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

@SeeTorontoNow

LGBTTIQQ2SA

Pride includes those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, 2 spirited and allies.

1938

The distinctive Red Rocket streetcar takes to the rails.

Today, streetcars carry 250,000 passengers around the city daily.

@SeeTorontoNow

1949

The Toronto Maple Leafs nab a hat trick, winning the Stanley Cup for the third year in a row.

R E CO R BRE AKIND G

73

Number of drag queens and kings who performed at Pride 2016’s DRAG ON!, the new Guinness World Record holder for Largest Drag Artist Stage Show

20 1950

Age, in years, of the Dyke March

William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s 10th prime minister, is buried in Toronto after a state funeral in Ottawa.

8

Age, in years, of the Trans March

1951

The Greater Toronto Area’s population hits the one million mark.

2017 TORONTO

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UPFRONT

CULTURE

Four-season city

FALL v Discover the city’s roots, sample local foods and attend a horse show at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. vS tay up—and out—for Nuit Blanche’s all-night art. vB undle up for a CFL game at the open-air BMO Field. vG et bookish at the International Festival of Authors or The Word On The Street Toronto. v I nstagram the epic autumn colours of the Don Valley or the Rouge National Urban Park. vS avour fall produce at farmers’ markets like the Evergreen Brick Works.

Have a quintessential Toronto experience any time of the year. BY ERNIE OURIQUE

SUMMER v Enjoy a Blue Jays game on a sunny day with the dome open at the Rogers Centre. v Catch a ferry and explore the scenic Toronto Islands by foot, boat, bike or quadricycle. v Chill out at Field Trip or feel hot-hot-hot at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. v Get your Pride on! v Conquer the country’s tallest and fastest roller coaster at Canada’s Wonderland. v T hrill to Canada Day fireworks along the Harbourfront or at Centennial Park.

v Wave to jolly ol’ St. Nick at the Santa Claus Parade. v Wander the cobblestone streets of The Distillery Historic District during the magical Toronto Christmas Market. v Snowshoe a Humber River trail or within High Park. v Embrace the season at the Bloor-Yorkville Icefest. v Skate up a storm at Nathan Phillips Square. v F east on a budget at top restos during Winterlicious. v Ring in the Year of the Rooster in Chinatown.

1954

The Toronto Transit Commission opens Canada’s first subway, with 12 stations along Yonge Street.

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TORONTO 2017

v Be awestruck—and have your camera handy—as High Park’s cherry blossoms hit peak bloom. vS hop local at the One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale. vF ind garden inspiration at Canada Blooms. vD on’t miss top arts and culture draws like the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival and Canadian Music Week. vR un or bike a stretch of the 56 km (35 mile) waterfront Martin Goodman Trail.

1954

Toronto teen Marilyn Bell, 16, is the first person to swim across Lake Ontario.

1965

The new City Hall opens amid controversy over its futuristic style by Viljo Revell, a Finnish architect.

1967

The end of the Leafs’ Golden Era: the final year the hockey team wins the Stanley Cup.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

ILLUSTRATIONS BY STUDIO TIPI; LINDSAY PAIGE (CIT Y HALL); JEFFREY CARLSON (TTC); MLSE (MAPLE LEAFS LOGO)

SPRING

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

WINTER

SPORTS

THE NUMBERS BEHIND OUR FAN NATION

BY JAMIE BRADBURN

1982

2 MILLION 78

Minutes it took for Blue Jays tickets to sell out for the 2015 American League Championship Series

19,825

RAPTORS

19,158

MAPLE LEAFS

Equivalent of one-inch ice cubes in the Air Canada Centre’s ice surface

$ Cost of a birthday or anniversary greeting on the Rogers Centre video board during a Blue Jays game

REUTERS/ALAMY (MAPLE LEAF); TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY/ALAMY (BAUTISTA); MLSE (ACC); FOCUS ON SPORT/GETT Y IMAGES (1977); GREG PANOSIAN (CN TOWER) PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

41,731

Number of team jerseys retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs

BLUE JAYS

17

16,882

Year beer sales were allowed at Exhibition Stadium for Blue Jays and Argonauts games

ARGONAUTS

Number of people who catch a typical home game for

100

$

72,500

Weight, in pounds, of the scoreboard installed at the Air Canada Centre in 2015

$125 MILLION

Number of league championships by sports team

Amount, in U.S. dollars, paid by the Raptors to enter the NBA in 1993

ARGONAUTS: 16 GREY CUPS

BLUE JAYS: 2 WORLD SERIES

MAPLE LEAFS*: 13 STANLEY CUPS

*11 as the Maple Leafs; 1 each under old team names the Arenas and St. Patricks

1976

The CN Tower opens to the public.

At 553 metres (1,815 feet), it’s the world’s tallest free-standing structure for 34 years.

@SeeTorontoNow

1976

Toronto’s Festival of Festivals, later renamed the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), brings the stars to Toronto.

@SeeTorontoNow

1977

Major League Baseball arrives in Toronto: The Blue Jays win their debut game 9-5 over the Chicago White Sox.

4 TO 6

Hours to convert the Air Canada Centre from basketball to hockey

1984

Police raids on gay bathhouses galvanize Toronto’s LGBTQ community into waves of protest, the political precursor to Pride Day (Toronto Pride will eventually evolve into one of the world’s biggest Pride celebrations).

2017 TORONTO

19

WHISKY WINS

Nu Bügel

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye’s surprise 2016 World Whisky of the Year victory prompted a bump in interest in Canadian whiskies. Here are the city’s best-stocked public houses, where you can sample single malts and blends from Canada and abroad.

1987

Toronto cements its reputation for cleanliness when the sanitation department cleans fake litter from a street TV set while the cast is away for lunch.

20

TORONTO 2017

Rosen’s Cinnamon Buns

Fat Pasha FOOD & DRINK

A classic ethnic food enjoys a renaissance.

BY GIZELLE LAU Jewish delis were once commonplace downtown in Kensington Market and the surrounding areas. But as newer waves of immigrants remade the community, Kensington’s neighbouring Spadina strip (now Chinatown) swapped its delis for pho restaurants, dumpling houses and housewares shops from the 1970s onwards. But in recent years, Toronto’s original ethnic food has waged a comeback.

The past five years have seen a whirlwind Jewish food revival. The Annex neighbourhood is home to chefrestaurateur Anthony Rose’s wildly successful Rose and Sons, Big Crow, Fat Pasha and Schmaltz Appetizing

1989

The Blue Jays and Argos move into their new home, SkyDome (renamed Rogers Centre in 2005), groundbreaking for its retractable roof.

Caplansky’s

restos (wilderandrose.com).

Other downtown gems include Caplansky’s (caplanskys.com) for smoked meat and Kensington Market’s Nu Bügel (nubugel.com) for wood-fired bagels.

Why now? “Many of our parents worked hard to become doctors and lawyers.

Now we’re the generation that gets to follow our dreams,” says Amy Rosen, food journalist and cookbook author, who followed her dreams by opening the foodie-approved Rosen’s Cinnamon Buns last fall in Little Portugal.

“It’s also about the memories and food you grew up with, like a proper bagel brunch,” says Rosen. “People know

1992

The Blue Jays win the World Series, a first for a non-U.S. team.

about latkes, blintzes or matzo ball soup. But dishes like Fat Pasha’s chopped liver, served tableside with schmaltz poured on top, are putting a twist on some nostalgic dishes. Normally, you’d have to go to your Jewish friend’s house to try some of these iconic recipes, but Fat Pasha is bringing them to the masses. They’re too good not to share.”

Between artisanal hummus, fancy tabbouleh, next-level falafel and Middle Eastern flavours via Tel Aviv, Jewish food is a food trend story. But on a deeper level, it’s an immigrant success story, as younger generations reinterpret their bubbie’s dishes for today.

1993

The Blue Jays like being World Series champs so much that they do it again.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

WILDER AND ROSE (FAT PASHA, ANTHONY ROSE); NU BAGEL; CAPLANSK Y’S; AMY ROSEN (CINNAMON BUNS); CHAR NO. 5 (COCKTAIL); CARLO ALLEGRI/GETT Y IMAGES (WORLD SERIES)

Jewish revival

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

The Caledonian (856 College St.), a popular Scottish pub, boasts a whisky list of 300-plus malts and blends to go with haggis, neeps and tatties, while The Emmet Ray (924 College St.) offers an equally impressive offering of whiskies from the Highlands and Lowlands. On the east side of town, The Feathers Pub & Single Malt Bar (962 Kingston Rd.) hosts whisky tours to introduce neophytes to the wonders of singlemalt Scotch whiskies.

Even the Irish-pubinspired Allen’s (143 Danforth Ave.) pours more than 100 Scotch malts. Finally, for a fully Canadian experience and Prohibitioninspired cocktails, don’t miss Char No.5 Canadian Whisky Bar (75 Lower Simcoe St.).

—Doug O’Neill

Anthony Rose

3:12PM The moment you arrive at your destination, and suddenly feel on top of the world.

From the top of our roof, to the heart of our rooms, Fairmont Royal York, revitalized.

Book your essential Toronto experience, your gold key to the city at: Fairmont.com/Royal-York-Toronto #RYHMoments

UPFRONT

Five spots to get your Japanese dessert fix.

BY KAREN KWAN Japanese-style desserts are the hottest thing since cronuts, with locals and visitors alike lining up for steamed cheesecakes, matcha soft serve … and so much more! Want to indulge your sweet tooth in Toronto-meets-Tokyo style? Here are five spots we’re sweet on.

1

The sister shop to Millie Creperie in nearby Kensington Market, Millie Patisserie & Creamery (12 Oxley St.) focuses on French-inspired Japanese desserts. Translation? Exquisite yuzu cheesecake tarts, matcha-azuki cheesecake and Mille Crepes cake.

2

For Japanese roll cake, stroll over to Old Town’s Neo Coffee Bar (161 Frederick St.), which specializes in this spongy dessert. Matcha & Aduki is offered year-round, while local fruit makes seasonal appearances, such as in Ichigo Daifuku (which balances the flavours of strawberries, red beans and gyuhi rice cake).

3

In an unassuming Scarborough strip mall, in the city’s east end, foodies eat every last crumb at Le Café Michi (1802 Pharmacy Ave.), where the cakes—including the light-as-air green tea mousse cake, rave-worthy tofu cheesecake and sumptuous chocolate sake cake—have just the right hint of sweetness.

4

Established 24 years ago in Markham’s J-Town complex, Bakery Nakamura (3160 Steeles Ave. E.) bakes everything on the premises, turning out delicate choux aux crème, creamy black sesame tofu cheesecake and azuki doughnuts.

5

In the heart of downtown Toronto, Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake (598 Bay St.) serves up melt-in-your-mouth fluffy cheesecake (its matcha counterpart, which incorporates green tea powder and red beans, is available next door at Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Matcha Café). It’s what gets gourmands salivating.

1994

Greek-food lovers get stuffed on street souvlaki and gyros at the inaugural Taste of the Danforth festival, one of the first of many ethnic festivals.

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TORONTO 2017

FYI

1995

The Toronto Raptors debut as Canada’s first NBA franchise.

INDIE THEATR ES TO WA TCH

Toronto’s theatre scene tends to cluster in central downtown, but two acclaimed independent companies have broken ground in the east end. Founded in 2014, The Coal Mine Theatre (coalminetheatre.com) is an intimate storefront space on Danforth Avenue, near Coxwell subway station. Noted critic Robert Cushman calls it “currently the most exciting house in town.” Meanwhile, the esteemed Crow’s Theatre (crowstheatre.com) launched a newly built multivenue complex at Carlaw and Dundas in early 2017.

Outside of the east end, standouts in the city’s theatre scene include the following venues.

THEATRE PASSE MURAILLE

Canadian playwrights are the focus in the two theatres housed in this redesigned bakery and stables.

WATCH FOR: Sound of the Beast (April 13 to May 7, 2017), Donna-Michelle St. Bernard’s spoken word/hiphop performance about racism, censorship and artistic rebellion. PASSEMURAILLE.CA

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE

The radically vital LGBTQfocused company is a city stalwart. WATCH FOR: A remount of Modern Times Stage Company and Aluna Theatre’s award-winning interpretation of Federico García Lorca’s steamy Blood Weddings (March 4 to 19, 2017).

BUDDIESINBADTIMES.COM

NATIVE EARTH PERFORMING ARTS

The place to discover powerful work by First Nations artists. WATCH FOR: Niimi’iwe (March 30 to April 1, 2017), an indigenous dance double bill. NATIVEEARTH.CA

2003

A neighbourhood of derelict Victorian-era industrial buildings gets revitalized as The Distillery Historic District, an artsy shopping, entertainment and restaurant enclave.

THÉÂTRE FRANÇAIS DE TORONTO

Non-francophones can read an English translation via surtitles at many performances.

WATCH FOR: Dom Juan (May 10 to 28, 2017) by Molière.

THEATREFRANCAIS.COM

THE TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL

Catch 150-plus shows in 30-plus venues at this annual local fave. Averaging 1,100 performances over 10 days, there’s something for everyone. WATCH FOR: FringeKids performances for young fans. (Festival runs July 5 to 16, 2017.)

FRINGETORONTO.COM —Sarah B. Hood

2003

Ontario starts marrying same-sex couples.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

ANNA COSTA (NEO COFFEE BAR + LE CAFÉ MICHI); ARYA DARYANI (BAKERY NAK AMURA); MARC LEMYRE (THÉÂTRE FRANÇAIS DE TORONTO); PA IMAGES/ALAMY (RAPTORS)

Sweet trip

FILM & THEATRE

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

FOOD & DRINK

FAB FILM FESTS Our city is a cinephile paradise, celebrating almost every interest.

TIFF red carpet FILM & THEATRE

Reel life

TIFF’s director of film programs on what makes this the ultimate screen city.

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

GEORGE PIMENTEL (WENTE); EXIMAGES/ALAMY (TIFF); SCOTT CORMAN (PRIDE)

BY SARAH B. HOOD Jesse Wente remembers the movie that got him hooked on film: Star Wars, when it first played in 1977. Today, as the director of film programs at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, he gets to live his passion every day.

That’s especially true each September, during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). “It’s a huge event, and you get to experience something you may never experience again,” he says. “And we now have the TIFF Bell Lightbox, which screens films year-round. You can come any day of the week and be transported by the magic and beauty of the cinema.”

TIFF shares its illustrious digs with a number of other film festivals, including Inside Out, Hot Docs and imagine­ NATIVE. And that’s only part of Toronto’s screen action.

2006

The Beautiful Game gains a toehold in the city: Toronto Football Club launches.

@SeeTorontoNow

2007

“Toronto loves a good festival,” says Wente. “There seems to be a film festival almost every weekend except Christmas and New Year’s. It’s wonderful to be a part of something where you really feel you’re at the edge of new cinema and in the moment. The festival allows you to be among the first to experience a film before it comes to a theatre near you, before there are reviews. You get to bring fresh eyes to a film and usher it into the wider world.”

Does one TIFF moment top all the rest? “I went to see Le Samouraï by Jean-Pierre Melville—almost a perfect movie, and I’ve watched it dozens of times—because Chow Yun-Fat was introducing the screening,” Wente says. “This was at his apex of stardom. He was maybe the biggest star on the planet.

The limo pulled up, and he got out in a full white silk suit.

And it was at that moment I think I understood the idea of a movie star.

Those moments allow even someone who’s spent two decades in the business to get goosebumps—I fall in love with movies all over again.”

The Royal Ontario Museum opens the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, marking the beginning of the ROM’s “Crystal Age.” The same year, Luminato Festival launches, on the heels of the opening of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

@SeeTorontoNow

2013

Toronto overtakes Chicago as North America’s fourth most populous city, after Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles.

i TIFF Kids International Film Festival (APRIL) i Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (APRIL AND MAY) i Toronto Jewish Film Festival (MAY) i Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival (MAY AND JUNE) i Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (AUGUST) i imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (OCTOBER)

i Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival (OCTOBER)

i Toronto After Dark Film Festival (OCTOBER) i Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (NOVEMBER)

2014

Toronto hosts WorldPride, welcoming an estimated 1.2 million attendees.

A rainbow appears at the 10-day festival’s final event, a free concert at Yonge-Dundas Square.

2017 TORONTO

23

UPFRONT SHOPPING

Take home Toronto Ten local shops that rock when it comes to city-centric swag. BY CORINNA VANGERWEN CN TOWER GIFT SHOP

SHOP.CNTOWER.CA, 301 FRONT ST. W.

Canadiana and local souvenirs, at the base of one of the tallest towers in the world.

MUST-BUY: CN Tower Architecture Series mugs, shirts and more

2

JAYS SHOP

JAYSSHOP.CA, THREE LOCATIONS

Home of official merchandise from Canada’s only Major League Baseball team—and 2016 ALDS champions—the Toronto Blue Jays. MUST-BUYS: Toronto vs. Everybody apparel; retro-style caps

3

REAL SPORTS APPAREL

SHOP.REALSPORTS.CA, AIR CANADA CENTRE

Authentic merch from Toronto’s big teams: TFC, Maple Leafs, Raptors and

Marlies. MUST-BUY: Raptors throwback Hardwood Classic Huskies Jerseys

4

TUCK SHOP TRADING CO.

TUCKSHOPCO.COM, 1226 YONGE ST.

Rustic cottage-meets-city vibe, with clothing and accessories designed in Canada. MUSTBUYS: City of Neighbourhoods T-shirts, toques and banners

5

The Hudson’s Bay Company’s iconic four-colour stripes on everything— from the expected (socks and scarves) to the unusual (paddles and a dog collar). MUST-BUY: Multi-stripe Point Blanket

6

HARBOURFRONT CENTRE SHOP

7

DRAKE GENERAL STORE

DRAKEGENERALSTORE.CA, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

The Pan Am and Parapan Am Games come to Toronto— the Parapan Am Games is the largest ever, with 50 gold medals for Canada and almost a quarter of a million visits to venues.

24

TORONTO 2017

Crywolf

THEBAY.COM, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

Artful accessories, ceramics, glassware, jewellery and more

by Canadian and local artists.

MUST-BUY: Handmade pieces from Harbourfront Centre’s artists-in-residence

2015

Tuck Shop Trading Co.

HUDSON’S BAY

HARBOURFRONTCENTRE.COM/ SHOP, 235 QUEENS QUAY W.

Real Sports Apparel

Drake General Store

Trendy and quirky, with house lines of apparel, beauty

2016

9

CRYWOLF

CRYWOLFCLOTHING.COM, 91 OSSINGTON AVE.

products and artisanal foods made in Toronto. MUST-BUYS: YYZ Tyvek set of three luggage tags; Toronto Eats tea towel

A whimsical indie shop, with locally designed and made goods, including limitededition silkscreened T-shirts.

MUST-BUY: Enamel lapel pins, like the chubby blue jay and “trash panda” (the local term of endearment for the humble raccoon)

8

10

BLUE BANANA MARKET

BLUEBANANAMARKET.COM, 250 AUGUSTA AVE.

A marketplace packed to the rafters with dozens of vendors, including many local brands and artisans. MUSTBUYS: Toronto map necklace, earrings and cufflinks

The Ex unveils groundbreaking all-gender bathrooms with a “We Don’t Care” sign. All guests are accommodated and wait times are reduced, too!

SPACING STORE

SPACINGSTORE.CA, 401 RICHMOND ST. W.

A spinoff of urbanist magazine Spacing, with city-themed books, clothing and more.

MUST-BUYS: Prints of vintagestyle TTC posters; Toronto map cutting board

2017

Toronto Caribbean Carnival celebrates its 50th anniversary. One million parade participants and onlookers are expected to revel in the Grand Parade, a yearly summer parade that celebrates the Afro-Caribbean diaspora and is North America’s largest such street festival.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

K AYLA ROCCA (DRAKE); ALAMY (PAN AM)

1

Eat, , p e e l s , y pla

. t a e rep today !

bs u c r u Meet o until 2018.

Here

Major partners of the Giant Panda Experience

1 LITTLE BOOK. 150 BIG THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT CANADA’S DOWNTOWN.

From Drake to bacon, read it all at

SeeTorontoNow.com/150BigThings

“It’s such a progressive place.

I feel like every time I’m here, there’s new cultural activity and beautiful museum exhibits.”

PHOTO: DANIEL TRAN

—Reese Witherspoon

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

Hot tickets

Toronto ’s known fo r its end less entertain m e nt o p tions, but cert ain even ts reach on ce -in -a -l ifetime territory . G e t yo u r tickets e arly so th e re ’s no chance of FOMO !

servicemen and -women during Canada’s 150th anniversary year.

TICKETS: INVICTUSGAMES2017.COM

STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL 3

THE BUZZ: Mirvish Productions presents the sure-to-sell-out, dazzling North American debut of Strictly Ballroom The Musical (April 25 to July 9, 2017).

Based on Baz Luhrmann’s vivid, Golden Globe–nominated 1992 film, the production includes classic songs and new ones from artists such as Sia—all sure to get you up on your feet, dancing!

TICKETS: MIRVISH.COM

Ten of 2017’s must-attend events. BY KAREN KWAN 1

LUMINATO FESTIVAL

THE BUZZ: A bona fide bounty of culture, the cutting-edge Luminato Festival (June 14 to 24, 2017), now in its 11th year, is known for its mixed-media mash-up of art, theatre and music. In 2016, the fest moved to the striking Hearn Generating Station, and each year both homegrown and international artists are spotlighted, such as Rufus Wainwright and Pierre Huyghe. TICKETS: LUMINATOFESTIVAL.COM

2

INVICTUS GAMES

THE BUZZ: This is your chance to get inspired like you’ve never felt before by athletes who’ve served their countries.

Toronto plays host to the third Invictus Games (September 24 to 30, 2017), the only international adaptive sport event for wounded service people. Be part of this historic opportunity to pay tribute, alongside founder Prince Harry, to more than 600 of the nation’s

4 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (TIFF)

THE BUZZ: One of the world’s pre-eminent film fests, the Toronto International Film Festival (September 7 to 17, 2017) delivers North American and world

1

2

5

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TORONTO 2017

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

LUMINATO FESTIVAL; PAUL HENNESSY (INVICTUS GAMES); GEORGE PIMENTEL/GETT IMAGES (TIFF); ANDREA RAFFIN/ALAMY (COLDPLAY); EPA /ALAMY (ROGERS CUP AND LENA DUNHAM); REUTERS/ALAMY (HOCKEY HALL OF FAME)

premières, plus extravagant, star-studded galas and exclusive after-parties. Star­ gazers wait for hours by the red carpet to score a selfie with celebs such as Michael Fassbender, Naomi Watts and Brad Pitt.

The best part: the fest is open to the public, so if you can snag tickets, you can celebrate with the glitterati. TICKETS: TIFF.NET

CANADA’S WALK OF FAME CELEBRATION EVENT

7

5

THE BUZZ: Celebrating Canadian leaders in their respective industries, the star-studded Canada’s Walk of Fame Celebration Event (October 2017) has in past years paid tribute to Canuck greats like Jason Priestley, Margaret Atwood and Bryan Adams. No ticket to the show?

Nab a spot along the red carpet to watch the pre-show unveiling of the new stars.

TICKETS: CANADASWALKOFFAME.COM 6

COLDPLAY AT ROGERS CENTRE

THE BUZZ: When the biggest musical acts come to town, they accommodate screaming masses of fans at the expansive Rogers Centre. The summer of 2017’s most anticipated show? Coldplay, making a pitstop on their A Head Full of Dreams global tour on August 21, 2017.

TICKETS: TICKETMASTER.CA

ROGERS CUP

THE BUZZ: Top-ranked players Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and the Williams sisters have all swung their racquets at this exclusive tournament. This year, the world’s best women in tennis return to the Aviva Centre to compete in the Rogers Cup (August 5 to 13, 2017).

TICKETS: ROGERSCUP.COM 8

JFL42

THE BUZZ: If laughter is the best medicine, then JFL42 (September 21 to 30, 2017), the 10-day Just for Laughs comedy festival that takes over venues across the city, may be just what the doctor ordered.

Past headliners have included the crowd-pleasing, lineup-worthy Seth Meyers and Lena Dunham. Scoop up tickets or a pass to catch one of the most hilarious lineups to come to Toronto, from the 42 comedy acts to the red-hot headliners. TICKETS: JFL42.COM 9 HOCKEY HALL OF FAME INDUCTION WEEKEND

signings, highly anticipated games, plus an induction ceremony followed by a gala celebration where you can rub shoulders with legends and a who’s who of hockey.

TICKETS: HHOF.COM 10 IHEARTRADIO MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

THE BUZZ: The intersection of John Street and Queen Street West becomes a jam-packed frenzy of fans for the iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards (June 2017). With a superstar roster, the fandemonium grows each year, as those with highly coveted wristbands (which were snapped up in less than a minute last year) get up close to the stages. If you aren’t lucky enough to score a wristband, don’t worry! Get there early and you can still watch your favourite A-list musicians from the street. TICKETS: FOLLOW @MUCH ON TWITTER AND @MUCHMUSIC ON INSTAGRAM FOR UPDATES TO THE WRISTBAND POLICY.

7

THE BUZZ: He shoots, he scores! The legends of Canada’s favourite sport are feted during the Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend (November 10 to 13, 2017), with events that include autograph 6

8 9

@SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

2017 TORONTO

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CITY CONFIDENTIAL

Cultural renaissance Change is in the air as a new crop of leaders take the helm of five key cultural institutions.

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

BY SARAH B. HOOD PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAIME HOGGE

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TORONTO 2017

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

Artistic vision STEPHAN JOST AND

THE ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO Art doesn’t stand still, and sometimes the galleries that house it have trouble keeping pace. But Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has been evolving ever since it was founded in 1900. It’s as recognized for its important collection of work by British sculptor Henry Moore as it is for its fine gathering of significant Canadian work.

Even the building itself keeps changing, most recently with a daring overhaul by Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry.

Charged with leading the gallery forward is Stephan Jost, the AGO’s Michael and Sonja Koerner director and CEO. He arrived in Toronto last year following a five-year tenure as director of the Honolulu Museum of Art. He has also directed Vermont’s Shelburne Museum and the Mills College Art Museum in Oakland, California.

On the agenda: taking the AGO global.

“For our next several exhibitions, we’re partnering with [Paris’s] Musée d’Orsay, [London’s] Tate Modern and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The AGO is a global player,” he says.

Jost’s outlook might surprise those who see galleries as solemn temples of serious art. “I’m a huge populist, so I love the free Wednesday nights. I love the First Thursday events,” he says, referring to the hugely popular nightclub-like parties that bring pop-up events (and bar service) into the galleries.

“If you’re a super-intel lectua l who wants to see conceptual art, you’ll find that here. If you just want eye candy, you’ll find that too. I don’t think everybody has to like everything,” Jost says. “Next year, we have the Georgia O’Keeffe show of a lifetime. And Guillermo del Toro [an exhibit on the filmmaker’s work, subtitled At Home with Monsters]: it’s fantastic and strange and surprising.”

His favourite nook? “The Henry Moore Sculpture Centre,” he says. “It’s still the world-class moment in the museum. You won’t experience great Modernist sculpture in a better way anywhere else in the world. They really got it right 40 years ago.” @SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

llluminating ideas ANTHONY SARGENT AND THE LUMINATO FESTIVAL

The summertime Luminato Festival (June 2017) was created to light up Toronto, illuminating the city with brilliant creative installations. As the festival evolves, the goal is to keep it shining brightly, says CEO Anthony Sargent, a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Sargent arrived last year from England, where he’s led an array of dynamic arts and culture institutions, like Sage Gateshead (a music performance and education centre), London’s Southbank Centre for the arts, Birmingham City Council’s arts programming and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

He joined Luminato for its 10th anniversary season, which threw the

spotlight on the Hearn Generating Station, a cavernous, majestic industrial space that was transformed with innovative arts programming.

“We went to the Hearn three times, in 2014, 2015 and 2016, progressively opening it up to the public more and more each time,” says Sargent. “We were extremely proud of what we did in 2016—it shone a bright light not only on the Hearn but also on the entire Port Lands. It created an experience that was probably our defining statement of that building.”

For its second decade, Luminato will turn the focus to other parts of the city. “The Hearn experience opened doors and windows in our minds about working in other

found spaces in heritage buildings,” he says.

“I think its legacy is going to be a more ambitious approach to other buildings.”

In 2017, Canadian creators will be in the spotlight (although international artists remain part of the festival’s mandate).

“What’s really exciting about Toronto is that there is a constant breathless kind of activity and a real sense of ambition, of people wanting to introduce audiences to new things,” says Sargent.

The best part? The festival never really ends.

“Toronto is exciting the rest of the year [too]— it has that constant, wonderful, youthful jumble and cauldron of energy,” he says.

2017 TORONTO

31

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

Doors open at the ROM JOSH BASSECHES

AT THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM Founded in 1912, the stately Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) was transformed in 2007 by architect Daniel Libeskind’s extraordinary Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, a bracing glass addition loved (and occasionally loathed) for its angular modernity.

Now a new development—the Welcome Project—will broker even more engagement between visitors and the ROM. The project will rethink the way the entrance area and lobby interact with visitors and the streetscape itself. The goal, says ROM CEO Josh Basseches, is “to open the doors of the ROM even wider, to share even more fully our extraordinary exhibitions, collections and programs with Toronto and beyond.”

32

TORONTO 2017

To that end, over the next few years, visitors can expect a street-level café, makeovers for both the original main entrance on Queen’s Park Crescent and the lobby inside the doors of the Crystal, and a new window facing Bloor Street.

Basseches arrived at the ROM in spring 2016, fresh off a stint as deputy director at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

He says his status as a new kid in town gives him added insight into the ROM, seeing it as a newcomer would. He views the ROM as “a North American hot spot that tells the story of the world. Visitors will feel welcome here, as they do in all of Toronto. Their visit to the ROM will leave them wanting to come back to learn more about us—our collections and research—and more about themselves and our world.”

As for those blessed enough to have this anthropological, natural history and art history treasure in their own backyard? “The Welcome Project is an opportunity to build on the institution’s strong foundation and make everyone in the [Greater Toronto Area] feel even more that the ROM is ‘my museum,’” says Basseches.

The lake effect MARAH BRAYE

AND HARBOURFRONT CENTRE Marah Braye didn’t have the warmest of welcomes to Toronto. Arriving for an inter view from balmy Au st r a l i a , she l a nde d on a ch i l ly w i nt er d ay.

Nonetheless, she says, “I was very attracted to Toronto because I felt there was something happening here.”

Braye is the former head of the Biennale of Sydney and boasts a wide-ranging background in fine arts and publishing. She relocated to Toronto in August 2014 to take on the position of CEO at Harbourfront Centre, a 10-acre waterside facility that programs every imaginable type of cultural and recreational activity, from theatre, music, literature and food festivals to skating, canoeing and kids’ activities—most of which are free.

“I was really drawn to the fact that there were crafts and design [at Harbourfront], and we have working artists here all the time,” Braye says. “I saw it for what it was and the potential that it had; I could see the rich and the deep history the Centre had in Toronto and the cultural life of Canada. One of the things that I would like to achieve is to link together the disciplines: we are multidisciplinary, but I want us to be interdisciplinary.”

For 2017, Harbourfront will be introducing what Braye calls “a new music strategy for both the festival program and Harbourfront Centre as a whole,” establishing it as “the place for the contemporary music conversation.” It will also celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with a summer-long music theme: Sounds of Home.

Braye is inspired by the location along the Lake Ontario shoreline. “When I first came here, I couldn’t actually find the waterfront,” she says. “I think that should be one of our major roles—making Torontonians aware of the fact that Toronto is a harbourside city.

We’re central to the waterfront. The thing that’s really nice about Harbourfront Centre is that we’re the city’s cottage.” And an artful one at that. www.SeeTorontoNow.com

Double bill

DEANE CAMERON OF MASSEY

HALL AND ROY THOMSON HALL

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

Deane Cameron has a music lover’s dream job. As president and CEO of the Corp­ oration of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, he oversees what he justly calls “Toronto’s most iconic music halls.”

Cameron would know: he’s worked in the music industry for more than 40 years, including 24 at the helm of EMI Music Ca nada. Now he’s t he stewa rd of a n esteemed historic concert hall and the city’s premier classical music venue.

Massey Hall opened its doors in 1894 as a meeting hall and cultural centre for the city. “It’s revered by artists from around the world, and every Canadian musician aspires to play Massey Hall,” Cameron says.

It has hosted opera stars from Caruso to Pavarotti, Canadian icons like Glenn Gould, Rush and Neil Young, and a session considered by some to be the greatest jazz concert ever, featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gil lespie, Bud Powel l, Cha rles Mingus and Max Roach.

Roy Thomson Hall’s glittering façade opened in 1982 as a home for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO). These days, it also welcomes a diversity of events, including musical concerts, talks by notable speakers, and gala events during the Toronto International Film Festival.

The 2017 season will be special at both halls, with Canada 150 programming and a chance to pull out all the stops at Massey Hall before it closes for two years under its ongoing seven-yea r renovation plan.

“Between now and then, we’re really trying to celebrate a lot of the events that have taken place there,” Cameron says. “We are really trying to have a blockbuster schedule.”

Highlights at Roy Thomson Hall are the TSO’s Canada Mosaic concerts and the free summer patio series. “Each week, we try to explore the different music from around the world,” says Cameron. “When you take a look at the wide variety of programming that takes place here, I like to think that we’re a unique piece of the overall cultural fabric of the city and the cultural neighbourhood that we’re a part of.” @SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

2017 TORONTO

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CITY CITY CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL

When When it comes it comes to Canada’s to Canada’s fashion fashion landscape, landscape, Joseph Joseph Mimran Mimran is oneisof one our ofstyle our style patriarchs—high patriarchs—high and low. and low.

He founded He founded the budgetthe budgetfriendly friendly Joe Fresh Joe Fresh label,label, sold in sold stand-alone in stand-alone stores stores and select and select Loblaws Loblaws and and Real Real Canadian Canadian Superstore Superstore locations. locations.

(Loading (Loading up onup on quinoa? quinoa?

WhyWhy not toss not atoss a shift shift dressdress into your into your grocery grocery cart,cart, too?)too?)

On the On the luxe end, luxe he end, contributes he contributes to Pink to Pink Tartan, Tartan, womenswomenswearwear designed designed by his bywife, his wife, Kimberley Kimberley NewportNewportMimran.

Mimran.

PinkPink Tartan Tartan exudes exudes a chica elegance, chic elegance, with with fans such fans such as Kim as Kim Cattrall, Cattrall, and can andbe can found be found at itsat tony its tony Yorkville Yorkville boutique boutique and in and upscale in upscale department department stores stores Holt Holt Renfrew Renfrew and Hudson’s Bay. Bay. and Hudson’s

Wear Wear the the North North Five covetable Five covetable Canadian Canadian labels labels to discover to discover

BEAUFILLE.COM BEAUFILLE.COM Sisters Sisters ChloéChloé and and ParrisParris Gordon’s Gordon’s line line of ready-to-wear of ready-to-wear and jewellery and jewellery captures captures a modern, a modern, effortless effortless style with style with a tomboy a tomboy vibe. vibe.

SID NEIGUM SID NEIGUM

SIDNEIGUM.COM SIDNEIGUM.COM With plenty With plenty of buzz of buzz in theinpress, the press, Neigum Neigum offersoffers a collection a collection that that fusesfuses experimental experimental silhouettes silhouettes with strong with strong architectural architectural lines.lines.

FASHION FASHION CENTRAL CENTRAL

ROOTS ROOTS

The iconic The iconic Canadian Canadian brand brand is renowned is renowned for its for leather its leather goods, goods, Muskoka-cool Muskoka-cool casual casual wear,wear, and aand damn a damn fine selection fine selection of flannel, of flannel, to boot. to boot.

MAISON MAISON MATTHEW MATTHEW GALLAGHER GALLAGHER

MATTHEWGALLAGHER MATTHEWGALLAGHER STUDIOS.COM STUDIOS.COM Since Since winning winning the the New Labels New Labels 2015 2015 competition, competition, all all eyes have eyes been have been on on Gallagher’s Gallagher’s beautifully beautifully crafted crafted feminine feminine line. line.

Smythe Smythe designers designers Christie Christie Smythe Smythe (left)(left) and Andrea and Andrea Lenczner Lenczner

Blazing Blazingahead ahead Meet Meet the the designers designers behind behind oneone of the of the world’s world’s most most iconic iconic jacket jacket collections—designed collections—designed in Toronto. in Toronto.

WhatWhat do you dolove you the lovemost the most aboutabout livingliving and working and working in Toronto? in Toronto?

AL: Living minutes minutes fromfrom downtown downtown f there’s f there’s one item one item associated associated with withWhat’s What’s a typical a typical workday workday like for likeyou? for you? AL: Living but being surrounded surrounded by parks by parks a chica Toronto chic Toronto woman, woman, it’s the it’s the ANDREA ANDREA LENCZNER: LENCZNER: I liveInear live near Casa Casa but being and ravines and ravines is incredible. is incredible.

Moreover, Moreover, Smythe Smythe blazer. blazer.

The sharply The sharply LomaLoma and walk and walk my dog myin dog SirinWinston Sir Winston the diversity the diversity of people of people and their and their tailored, tailored, menswear-inspired menswear-inspired Churchill Churchill ParkPark and the andravine the ravine system system cultures and the andway thewe way live weand livework and work jacket jacket became became the city’s the city’s closet closet essenessen-that winds that winds through through the area. the area.

When When cultures together in this incity thiscreates city creates a unique a unique tial shortly tial shortly afterafter the brand’s the brand’s launch launch I can,I Ican, head I head to mytogym my at gym Yonge at Yonge and and together energy and spirit and spirit that is that something is something in 2004. in 2004.

In the Inintervening the intervening years, years, Summerhill.

Summerhill.

I thenI then makemake a beeline a beeline to toenergy weinspired are inspired by and byproud and proud of. of.

Smythe Smythe has captured has captured the hearts the hearts of of Mabel’s Mabel’s Bakery Bakery on Queen on Queen Street Street for for we are global global stylestyle icons, icons, including including It Girl Itdu Girl du coffee, coffee, where where I probably I probably run into run into has been has been the proudest the proudest moment moment jour Gigi jourHadid, Gigi Hadid, the forever-cool the forever-cool SarahSarah Christie Christie on the onway theto way our tostudio our studio on on WhatWhat of your of career? your career?

Jessica Jessica Parker Parker and, of and, course, of course, the elethe ele-Gladstone Gladstone in Parkdale. in Parkdale.

CS: proudest Our proudest moments moments are when are when gant Kate gant Kate Middleton, Middleton, in whose in whose honour honour CS: It’s CS:wonderful It’s wonderful to work to work in anin area an area CS: Our we pass a woman a woman on the onstreet the street who’swho’s the brand’s the brand’s Duchess Duchess blazer blazer is named. is named. of theofcity thethat’s city that’s entirely entirely different different we pass wearing wearing Smythe.

Smythe.

She chose She chose that— that— Despite Despite theirtheir international international success, success, fromfrom where where I live.I The live.commute The commute fromfrom she invested she invested in it and in itfeels and feels goodgood in it. in it. the label’s the label’s founders, founders, Andrea Andrea Lenczner Lenczner Yonge Yonge and Summerhill and Summerhill to Parkdale to Parkdale is is It’s honour. an honour. and Christie and Christie Smythe, Smythe, still find stillinspirafind inspiranevernever boring. boring.

There There are new are stores new stores It’s an tion on tion the onstylish the stylish streets streets of Toronto. of Toronto.

II

HAYLEY HAYLEY ELSAESSER ELSAESSER

MIKHAEL MIKHAEL KALEKALE

MIKHAELKALE.COM MIKHAELKALE.COM Counting Counting celebrities celebrities like Beyoncé like Beyoncé and and Jennifer Jennifer LopezLopez as as fans, Kale’s fans, Kale’s line line subscribes subscribes to plenty to plenty of of high-watt high-watt finishes finishes like like leather leather and sequins, and sequins, or cutout or cutout features. features.

CANADA CANADA GOOSE GOOSE

A Canadian A Canadian heritage heritage labellabel proven proven in in somesome of theofcoldest the coldest places places on earth— on earth— fromfrom Antarctica Antarctica to Mount to Mount Everest— Everest— Canada Canada Goose Goose keepskeeps Canucks Canucks toasty toasty throughout throughout winter. winter.

ScoreScore your your own at own at the CF theToronto CF Toronto Eaton Eaton Centre Centre shopping shopping mall mall (Saks(Saks FifthFifth Avenue Avenue and Nordstrom and Nordstrom both both carrycarry the label), the label), where where you can you can take take a gander a gander at artist at artist Michael Michael Snow’s Snow’s permanent permanent installation installation FlightFlight Stop,Stop, a collection a collection of soaring of soaring Canada Canada geese. geese.

@SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow

How has HowToronto has Toronto shaped shaped your your view view of fashion? of fashion?

CHRISTIE CHRISTIE SMYTHE: SMYTHE: We came We came of ageofinage in the 1980s the 1980s and were and were influenced influenced by by local,local, visionary visionary retailers retailers of theoftime. the time.

We have We have memories memories of and ofendless and endless stories stories aboutabout Clotheslines Clotheslines on on Bloor, Bloor, Sublime Sublime on Cumberland on Cumberland and 290 andION 290and IONComrags and Comrags on Queen on Queen West.West.

Comrags Comrags is now is on now Dundas on Dundas West,West, and ION andis ION in Leslieville. is in Leslieville.

LUCIAN LUCIAN MATIS MATIS

The Romanian-born, The Romanian-born, TorontoTorontoeducated educated and -based and -based fashion fashion designer designer hit the hitinternational the international stagestage whenwhen Sophie Sophie Grégoire Grégoire Trudeau Trudeau worewore his creations his creations during during official official visitsvisits to Washington to Washington and Tokyo. and Tokyo.

Find Find your your own Matis own Matis showstopper showstopper at Holt at Holt Renfrew.

Renfrew.

2017 2017 TORONTO TORONTO 41

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SeeTorontoNow.com/shopping SeeTorontoNow.com/shopping

PHOTO: NIKKI ORMEROD

HAYLEYELSAESSER.COM HAYLEYELSAESSER.COM WhenWhen it comes it comes to to Pop Art–inspired Pop Art–inspired prints, prints, a slewa of slew neon of neon colours colours and aand playful a playful sensesense of style, of style, Elsaesser’s Elsaesser’s collection collection is where is where it’s at.it’s at.

@SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow

2017 2017 TORONTO TORONTO 35

and restaurants and restaurants and bars and bars popping popping up up monthly. monthly.

If weIf are weeating are eating clean, clean, we we get lunch get lunch fromfrom the Goods the Goods on Dundas on Dundas near near Dovercourt.

Dovercourt.

Otherwise, Otherwise, we have we have Grand Grand Electric, Electric, Union Union or a burger or a burger at at the Drake the Drake at our atdisposal. our disposal.

BY ANYA

BY ANYA GEORGIJEVIC GEORGIJEVIC

FROM FROM LOCAL LOCAL LABELS LABELS TOTO CANADA’S CANADA’S TOP TOP BRANDS, BRANDS, HERE’S HERE’S THE THE FASHION FASHION HOUND’S HOUND’S GUIDE GUIDE TOTO TORONTO TORONTO

PHOTO: NIKKI ORMEROD

MIREYA ACIERTO/GETT Y IMAGES ( JOSEPH MIMRAN); OLIVIER DOULIERY/GETT Y IMAGES (LUCIAN MATIS); RICHARD LAUTENS/GETT Y IMAGES (CANADA GOOSE); TORONTO SIGN: ST YLIST: SANSYRAE ST. MARTIN/PLUTINO; HAIR & MAKEUP: HEATHER HOLLETT FRENCH; SHOT ON LOCATION AT NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE

MIREYA ACIERTO/GETT Y IMAGES ( JOSEPH MIMRAN); OLIVIER DOULIERY/GETT Y IMAGES (LUCIAN MATIS); RICHARD LAUTENS/GETT Y IMAGES (CANADA GOOSE); TORONTO SIGN: ST YLIST: SANSYRAE ST. MARTIN/PLUTINO; HAIR & MAKEUP: HEATHER HOLLETT FRENCH; SHOT ON LOCATION AT NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE

BEAUFILLE BEAUFILLE

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36 TORONTO TORONTO 2017 2017

CHRISTOPHER WAHL (SMY THE)/ MA X MUMBY/GETT Y IMAGES (K ATE MIDDLETON)

JOSEPH JOSEPH MIMRAN MIMRAN

FIND FINDYOUR YOURSTYLE STYLE ININTORONTO TORONTO

CHRISTOPHER WAHL (SMY THE)/ MA X MUMBY/GETT Y IMAGES (K ATE MIDDLETON)

LABELS LABELSTO TOLOVE LOVE

CITY CITY CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL

STREET STREET STYLE STYLE Toronto Toronto has ahas shopping a shopping neighbourhood neighbourhood for every for every taste,taste, from from superglam superglam and urban and urban casual casual to indie to indie eclectic eclectic and professional and professional powerhouse. powerhouse.

Here’sHere’s where where real Torontonians real Torontonians go to go find tothe findhottest the hottest looks.looks.

2 2

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY

BY NIKKI

BY ORMEROD NIKKI ORMEROD

THE CATWALKER THE CATWALKER

Stef Sanjati, Stef Sanjati, YouTuber YouTuber (beauty,(beauty, lifelifestyle and style trans and issues) trans issues) PERSONALPERSONAL STYLE STYLE “Fashion, “Fashion, to me, has to me, has to be emotionally to be emotionally comfortable comfortable before it’s before it’s physically physically comfortable. comfortable.

Clothes Clothes that express that express something something are veryare very important important to me.” to me.”

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TORONTO 37 TORONTO 2017 2017

www.SeeTorontoNow.com www.SeeTorontoNow.com

4 4

ECLECTICECLECTIC INDIE INDIE

3 3

CITY CASUAL CITY CASUAL

Omii Thompson, Omii Thompson, filmmaker filmmaker PERSONALPERSONAL STYLE STYLE “Militant“Militant Steve Urkel.”

Steve Urkel.”

@SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow

2017 TORONTO 2017 TORONTO 38

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PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

POPCORN POPCORN PURSE, PURSE, PEARLS & POCKETS. H PEARLS & POCKETS. H PROJECTPROJECT STAR BRACELET, STAR BRACELET, HOLT RENFREW. HOLT RENFREW.

SHOP THESHOP LOOKTHE LOOK Destination Destination malls offer malls offer all-in-one all-in-one convenience convenience and bargains and bargains to boot! to boot!

Venture Venture just north just ofnorth the of the city to Vaughan city to Vaughan Mills, Mills, Canada’sCanada’s premierpremier outlet outlet mall, which mall,boasts which boasts discountdiscount designerdesigner stores stores like Michael like Michael Kors, Kors, LacosteLacoste Outlet, Outlet, Calvin Calvin Klein, BCBGMAXAZRIA Klein, BCBGMAXAZRIA and hr2,and Holthr2, Renfrew’s Holt Renfrew’s discountdiscount store. Find store. Find more steals more and steals deals and deals at Bayview at Bayview Village Village (bayviewvillageshops.com), (bayviewvillageshops.com), CF Sherway CF Sherway GardensGardens (cfsherwaygardens.com) (cfsherwaygardens.com) or, just west or, just of the west city, of the city, Mississauga’s Mississauga’s Square Square One Shopping One Shopping Centre Centre (shopsquareone.com) (shopsquareone.com) and Brampton’s and Brampton’s Bramalea Bramalea City Centre.

City Centre.

CLOUD HAT, CLOUD CRYWOLF HAT, CRYWOLF

@SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow

Steve Kwok, Steve Kwok, hairstylist hairstylist and musician and musician PERSONALPERSONAL STYLE STYLE “Equal parts “Equal vintage parts and vintage and modernmodern practical.” practical.”

STYLE ICONS STYLE ICONS “The Goonies, “The Goonies, Short Short Round from Round Indiana from Indiana Jones and Jones the Temple and theof Temple of Doom and Doom Christian and Christian Slater inSlater True Romance.” in True Romance.”

SHOP THESHOP LOOKTHE LOOK Forge your Forge own your path own path with vintage with finds, vintage indefinds, independentpendent designers designers and and green/eco green/eco labels. Check labels. Check out Kensington out Kensington Market Market standouts standouts CourageCourage My My Love and Love Exile. and Hit Exile. the Hit the Queen Street QueenWest Street strip West strip and the and Vogue-approved the Vogue-approved stretch of stretch West of Queen West Queen West, where West,you’ll where you’ll find vintage find vendor vintage vendor Philistine Philistine and Theand The Future of Future Frances of Frances Watson,Watson, which carries which carries Cheap Monday Cheap Monday denim denim and the and locally themade, locally made, retro-styled retro-styled Fortnight Fortnight Lingerie.Lingerie.

At Queen AtWest Queen West and Ossington and Ossington Avenue,Avenue, you’ll find you’ll street-style find street-style faves at faves gravitypope at gravitypope and Tiger and ofTiger of Sweden.

Sweden.

PRINTEDPRINTED T-SHIRT, T-SHIRT, CBC CBC

2017 TORONTO 2017 TORONTO 39

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SHOP THESHOP LOOKTHE LOOK Glam it up Glam by shopping it up by shopping the city’sthe swankiest city’s swankiest hoods. hoods.

Visit Bloor-Yorkville Visit Bloor-Yorkville (bloor-yorkville.com), (bloor-yorkville.com), home ofhome Mink of Mile, Mink Mile, the stretch the of stretch Bloor of Bloor Street West Street from West Yonge from Yonge Street toStreet Avenue to Road, Avenue Road, where you’ll where find you’ll Holtfind Holt Renfrew, Renfrew, Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton, Hermès,Hermès, Prada and Prada and Tiffany & Tiffany Co. Tony & Co. indoor Tony indoor mall Yorkville mall Yorkville Village Village (yorkvillevillage.com) (yorkvillevillage.com) boasts luxe boasts womenswear luxe womenswear retailer Andrews retailer Andrews and and trendy TNT trendy Man/Woman, TNT Man/Woman, both of which both ofcarry which carry designers. top-tier top-tier designers.

For thede crème de la For the crème la crème, go crème, downtown go downtown to to Hudson’s Bay’s fabled Hudson’s Bay’s fabled Thefor Room for Balmain, The Room Balmain, Erdem, Proenza Erdem, Proenza Schouler and more, Schouler and more, plus a shoe plusstudio a shoe studio boastingboasting the likesthe of likes of Nicholas Kirkwood, Nicholas Kirkwood, Sophia Webster Sophia Webster and B Brian and B Atwood.

Brian Atwood.

You’ll also You’ll findalso an onsite find an onsite Saks Fifth Avenue to Saks Fifth Avenue to round out yourout options. round your options.

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

SHOP THESHOP LOOKTHE LOOK For sharp For career sharpwear, career wear, head to head Holt Renfrew to Holt Renfrew for designer for designer fashion,fashion, accessories accessories and shoes and shoes from thefrom likesthe of Max likes of Max Mara, Céline, Mara, Gucci, Céline, Gucci, Tom Ford Tom and Ford more. and more.

Besides Besides Holts’ midtown Holts’ midtown flagship flagship at Bloor at and Bloor and Bay, you’ll Bay, find you’ll the find the upscale upscale department department store at store Yorkdale at Yorkdale Shopping Shopping Centre Centre (yorkdale.com), (yorkdale.com), alongside alongside career-oriented career-oriented retailersretailers like Banana Republic like Banana Republic and Club Monaco.

The and Club Monaco.

The CF Toronto CF Toronto Eaton Eaton Centre (cftorontoeaton Centre (cftorontoeaton centre.com) centre.com) boasts boasts Nordstrom, as well as Nordstrom, as well as gentlemen’s gentlemen’s retailer retailer Harryand Rosen Harry Rosen the and the of Hudson’s flagship flagship of Hudson’s Bay. In the Financial Bay. In the Financial Garrison District, District, Garrison Bespoke a full Bespoke carries acarries full of custom-made range ofrange custom-made suits, shirts and formal suits, shirts and formal wear.in Finally, in wear. Finally, The Distillery The Distillery HistoricHistoric (thedistillery DistrictDistrict (thedistillery district.com), shop nightdistrict.com), shop nightout at Gotstyle. out looks at looks Gotstyle.

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

PERSONALPERSONAL STYLE STYLE “Edgy sophisticated “Edgy sophisticated and and always with always a blazer with aorblazer or a suit fora asuit power for alook, power look, which I need whichif II’m need dealing if I’m dealing with men with all day!” men all day!”

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

MelissaMelissa Austria,Austria, founderfounder of menswear of menswear boutique boutique GotstyleGotstyle

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

1 1

PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL

@SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow @SeeTorontoNow

2017 TORONTO 2017 TORONTO 40

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Julia Restoin Roitfeld, as photographed by Sophie Elgort

EXQUISITE. EXCEPTIONAL. ONE DESTINATION. shopSQUAREONE.com | @shopSQUAREONE

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

Canary District

Cyclists

City Hall podium green roof

CIT Y OF TORONTO (CIT Y HALL GREEN ROOF); ANNA COSTA (CANARY DISTRICT)

GREEN

CITY T

oronto is frequently voted one of the world’s most livable cities for a number of reasons, including its commitment to the environment.

Out-of-use spaces have become sources of civic pride, while a slew of forward-thinking initiatives have put Toronto on the map as a leader in sustainable growth and urban development.

“Toronto is a leader in environmental initiatives,” says Jennifer Keesmaat, chief planner and executive

Five ways Toronto leads in sustainability.

BY TARA NOLAN

director of the City of Toronto. “Our policies are emulated by jurisdictions around the world, such as requiring green roofs, bird-friendly development guidelines and sustainable performance measures for new development, protection of ravines and the environmentally significant areas within them.”

Here are five ways Toronto is adding to an important environmental legacy that will have a profound effect on various communities for years to come. ➜ 2017 TORONTO

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CITY CONFIDENTIAL

Corktown Common Park

1 SMART CITY PLANNING

Keesmaat says the environment and sustainability figure into the strategy of every major project that the city undertakes through the official plan policies, the Toronto Green Standard and long-range planning. This includes where and how the city will grow and projecting the potential impacts of climate change. In fact, Toronto was recently named to the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities network, whose mandate is to help “cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century.”

Everything from preparing for more e x t r e m e w e at h e r e v e nt s — c r e at i n g bioswales and improving stormwater retention—to coming up with a plan to balance protection of ravines and natural areas with increased use is on the table.

“Toronto is already an international leader in developing effective and innovative approaches to protecting the environment and developing in a sustainable manner,” explains Keesmaat. “We need to continue this trajectory by raising the bar and continuing to promote innovative and effective solutions that result in a cleaner, greener and healthier city that will continue to attract people to live, work and invest in the city.”

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TORONTO 2017

Evergreen Brick Works

URBAN 2 COOL REVITALIZATION PROJECTS

The city has become adept at transforming underutilized former industrial settings into thriving community spaces—some residential and some public. Here are a few examples. ➜ Evergreen Brick Works: It’s hard to believe this eco Shangri-La in the leafy Don Valley was the site of a brick factory from 1889 to 1984. After a major overhaul, it was reborn as the Evergreen Brick Works in 2010 and features a farmers’ market; celeb chef Brad Long’s Cafe Belong, with its emphasis on sustainable, ethically sourced food; space for non-profits and socially conscious private enterprises; hiking trails; a winter skating rink and much more. ➜ Hearn Generating Station: This former power plant served as a powerful backdrop (pun intended) for 2016’s Luminato Festival, Toronto’s 10-day arts and creativity celebration. A $2.5-million transformation

turned the isolated shell in the Port Lands into theatre and gallery space. ➜ Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA): This fall, MOCA will officially open the doors of its new home in the stalwart Tower Automotive Building.

Located in the Lower Junction, it will be an integral facet of a new mixed-use community conceived by development company Castlepoint Numa. ➜ The Distillery Historic District: A collection of neglected Victorian buildings in a historic, film-worthy setting were transformed into a charming neighbourhood in 2003. Both locals and tourists enjoy the ambience at the restaurants and patios, galleries and studios, and unique shops, not to mention the a nnua l bustl ing, European-inspired Christmas market. ➜ Canary District: This area east of The Distillery Historic District has played host to a variety of businesses over the years, but until fairly recently it was a forgotten www.SeeTorontoNow.com

Ryerson University

Hearn Generating Station

pocket of the city. The 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games changed all that when a neighbourhood was conjured up to house the athletes with a plan for permanent residents to move in once the Games were over. Now the area features condos, a park, restaurants, a YMCA and more.

ANNA COSTA (CORKTOWN COMMON); LODOE LAURA (BRICKWORKS); LUMINATO FESTIVAL (HEARN GENERATING STATION); RYERSON UNIVERSIT Y

3 GREEN ROOFS

Toronto is the f irst city in North America to pass a green roof bylaw that requires new commercial, institutional and residential developments that have a minimum gross f loor area of 2,000 square metres (21, 528 square feet) to include a green roof in their construction. To prove the city practises what it preaches, Toronto City Hall installed one of the first, the publicly accessible City Hall podium green roof.

Now about 500 green roofs dot the city.

Toronto can boast that it has 196,000 square metres (2.1 million square feet) of green roof area and that about 60 new green roofs are created per year. Notable examples sit atop Ryerson University and the Toronto Central YMCA, which includes a running track and space for outdoor yoga classes.

4

A WALKABLE AND BIKEABLE CITY

The city has devised its Complete Streets Guidelines to ensure that any new @SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

street design and construction projects will aim to be safe and harmoniously accommodate a variety of users, from pedestrians and cyclists to transit and cars.

Car-free days organized by Open Streets TO, an organization that encourages replacing car traffic with people traffic to improve their overall health, is gaining traction. And last year was a pivotal one for cyclists, as the city launched a pilot bike lane project on Bloor Street West to make this busy thoroughfare safer for those on two wheels. Furthermore, the Bike Share Toronto program doubled its fleet.

Perhaps the most major announcement in 2016 was the Rail Deck Park plan, which will connect five neighbourhoods in the downtown core. As more and more families choose to stay in cities rather than escape to the burbs, large-scale initiatives like this will encourage urban living. The 21-acre project will see the major rail corridor spanning from Bathurst to Blue Jays Way turned into one massive park, linking destinations in a way both residents and tourists will like.

5 GROUNDBREAKING TECH

S i n c e 2 0 0 4 , To r o n t o h a s b e e n exploiting its proximity to Lake Ontario— in a positive way. That year, it partnered with Enwave, a company committed to

Bike Share Toronto

sustainable energy solutions, to bring deep-lake-water cooling to more than 30 major buildings downtown, such as the A i r C a n a d a C ent r e , S t e a m W h i s t le Brewing and The Ritz-Carlton Toronto.

Basically, rather than using traditional air conditioning units, a pumping station pumps cold lake water through a series of pipes that is used to cool buildings.

Keesmaat says deep lake water cooling could be a game changer for Toronto’s low-carbon future and lists other sustainable energy projects worth noting: a collabor at ion b e t we en t he Gr e en M a rke t Acceleration Program and Hydrostor Inc. to implement an underwater compressed-air energy storage system; developing lowc a r b o n d i s t r i c t e n e r g y s y s t e m s at Exhibition Place and the Westwood Theatre Lands in Etobicoke; guidelines to make the Port Lands, the home of Hollywood North, one of the world’s largest net-zero districts and more.

Despite an increasingly dense urban population—Toronto is expected to grow by one and a half percent this year—the city has established itself as a beacon of green innovation via multiple thoughtful initiatives with many more on the horizon.

2017 TORONTO

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CITY CONFIDENTIAL

Two of Toronto’s major-league teams carry an entire country’s sports ambitions.

BY JAMIE BRADBURN

TORONTO’S MAJOR-LEAGUE TEAMS Beyond the Blue Jays and Raptors, Toronto offers plenty of choice for sports fans.

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TORONTO 2017

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

With a new Centennial Anniversary logo that hearkens back to the glory days of the 1960s, the Maple Leafs hit the ice at the Air Canada Centre for their NHL regular-season games between October and April.

MAPLELEAFS.COM

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

The city’s oldest professional sports franchise (founded in 1873), the Argos take to the gridiron at their home at BMO Field during the Canadian Football League’s regular season, which runs June through November.

ARGONAUTS.CA

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

HARRY HOW/GETT Y IMAGES (MAIN IMAGE); NBA /GETT Y IMAGES (WE THE NORTH); VAUGHN RIDLEY/GETT Y IMAGES (DRAKE); ALAMY (BLUE JAYS); RON TURENNE/GETT Y IMAGES (RAPTORS); CNW GROUP (WOLFPACK); MARTIN DELAND (TORONTO ROCK); TOURISM TORONTO (FC); REUTERS/ALAMY (ARGOS); ZUMA PRESS/ALAMY (MAPLE LEAFS)

Drake cheers on the Toronto Raptors

I

t was a simple, brilliant phrase: “We the North.” Created as a marketing campaign for the Toronto Raptors (raptors.com) as the team approached its 20th anniversary, it represented the rising passion and soaring pride the city and the country felt toward its only NBA franchise. The ads captured Toronto’s genuine grassroots basketba l l cu lture a nd expressed our pride as outsiders in an American sports league. The campaign’s timing was perfect, as the Raptors’ transformation into a legitimate contender brought the nation to its feet.

It doesn’t hurt that the Raptors have Drake in their corner. Since 2013, the singer has served as their official global ambassador, boosting the cool factor for the team and for Toronto overall. His presence drew new fans, increased merchandise sales, livened up the team bench and created an aura around the Raptors that attracts free agents. “As a result,” GQ magazine observes, “when Drake sits courtside, he has a certain investment in the team that most famous fans don’t have.”

As the Raptors’ fortunes rose, so did MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays (bluejays.com).

While their steady rise from expansion team to back-to-back World Series champions generated excitement during the

TORONTO FC

TORONTO ROCK

Cheered on by supporter groups such as the Red Patch Boys, U-Sector and Kings in the North, Toronto FC take on their Major League Soccer opponents at BMO Field.

The regular season runs from March through October.

TORONTOFC.CA

@SeeTorontoNow

Jays’ first two decades, the 21st century wasn’t so kind. Ten years ago, attendance was near the bottom of the pack, and it seemed that the Blue Jays were condemned to permanent playoff exile. Even becoming Canada’s lone MLB team after the Montreal Expos departed in 2004 lifted few spirits.

But there’s nothing like an exciting pennant race to revive interest. The 2015 squad, whose offensive power was boosted by late-season trades, reawakened the city’s passion for baseball. Ticket sales and television ratings skyrocketed, raising attendance to third in the majors. Blue Jays

Showcasing Canada’s national summer sport, the Rock battle their National Lacrosse League opponents at the Air Canada Centre from January through April.

TORONTOROCK.COM

@SeeTorontoNow

hats and shirts became hip fashion accessories. The team’s Twitter following passed one million, placing them atop all pro teams in Canada as fans embraced hashtags like #ComeTogether and #OurMoment.

This passion has overcome traditional regional rivalries, uniting sports fans from coast to coast—a national poll found that over 78 percent of respondents named the Blue Jays their favourite baseball team.

TORONTO WOLFPACK

Debuting in 2017, the Wolfpack are Canada’s first professional rugby league team and claim to be the world’s first major trans­atlantic pro sports squad.

Part of the English Rugby Football League’s Kingstone Press League 1, the team will play at Lamport Stadium.

The regular season runs from spring through summer.

TORONTOWOLFPACK.COM

2017 TORONTO

47

The Cameron House Rivoli

Get in tun e with To ronto ’s rich music histor y . Re a d on for the ins ide s co o p on the cit y ’s most ic onic co n ce r t ve n u e s .

If these walls could talk A history of Toronto’s legendary music spaces. BY ELIO IANNACCI

v THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL

This former movie theatre—built in 1919, converted into a musical arena in the late ’70s and reincarnated via a 2011 reno— was the venue that Rihanna famously brought her 777 tour to in 2012, playing a top-secret, free concert for fans. It’s also where homegrown idols Alessia Cara and Justin Bieber tested out new material.

Aside from the star wattage, the best thing about the D-Hall is its sloped floors, an architectural feature that gives all audience members Instagram-ready sightlines. THEDANFORTH.COM 48

TORONTO 2017

v THE ORBIT ROOM

Owned by Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, this intimate Little Italy haunt has hosted such artists as Drake, The Rolling Stones, Radiohead, the B-52s’ Fred Schneider and James Brown’s band. Ricky Tillo (Lady Gaga’s guitarist), Drake and The Weeknd play this stage whenever they can. Part of The Orbit Room’s appeal is its status as a musician’s music venue: Juno-winning singer Ivana Santilli calls it a second home for some of the best artists in Canada and a place that has served as a comfort zone, hiding place and celebration

Rihanna at The Danforth Music Hall (inset, Justin Bieber)

destination, as well as a spot that musicians use to keep their chops up.

ORBITROOM.CA

v RIVOLI

Queen West’s legendary Rivoli is where Canadian icons Blue Rodeo made their 1985 debut. It’s also where Dave Grohl jammed with Iggy Pop, and acts ranging from Adele to Feist (who worked here as a waitress) have perfected their sound. Folk singer Martha Wainwright describes the venue as so intimate, it’s like being in someone’s living room, except you have to pay for the beer. RIVOLI.CA

v MASSEY HALL

In the midst of an ambitious seven-year, $135-million renovation, this 122-year-old concert hall is a Toronto landmark, tucked just off busy Yonge Street. The acoustics and art deco vibe of the space make musicians nostalgic. During a 2014 www.SeeTorontoNow.com

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

LODOE LAURA (CAMERON HOUSE); ZUMA PRESS (RHIANNA AND JUSTIN BIEBER); ONTARIO TOURISM (RIVOLI AND LEE’S PALACE); ALAMY (MASSEY HALL); WENN/ALAMY (NEIL YOUNG)

concert, Neil Young implored his audience: Don’t let them change this place.

Reassuringly, the reno project’s motto is Change nothing but improve everything.

After all, who’d want to mess with a venue so acoustically blessed that it was chosen to host a jam session known as the greatest jazz concert ever? The 1953 performance was the only time jazz’s biggest modern musicians—Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach—took the stage together for a live recording Jazz at Massey Hall, now considered one of the most important jazz albums of all time. MASSEYHALL.COM

v THE CAMERON HOUSE

The Cameron House has been known as the headquarters for up-and-coming songsmiths ever since it opened its doors in 1981. Folks such as Molly Johnson, Jane Siberry and the Leslie Spit Treeo jump-started their careers here, as did Ron Sexsmith and the Barenaked Ladies.

Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo summed up this legendary Queen West institution when he said, It felt like an audition for the scene. If you were liked in the Cameron, you could [perform for] the rest of Toronto with confidence. THECAMERON.COM

v BUDWEISER STAGE

Torontonians have enjoyed listening to music while lounging on the lawns lakeside for 50 years. Bryan Adams performed for the grand opening of the venue in 1995 after a massive renovation, and the big names haven’t stopped coming.

With its idyllic location on the edge of Lake Ontario and grassy hills surrounding the covered seating area, it’s a favourite summertime concert venue. In recent years it’s hosted a dizzying mix of performers, including Selena Gomez, the Beach Boys, the Black Keys, Peter Gabriel, One Direction and Drake’s annual homecoming bash OVO Fest.

LIVENATION.COM

v LEE’S PALACE

The place where ’90s rock acts Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Oasis made their Canadian debuts, Lee’s Palace is recognized as the city’s (proudly) dive-iest, dirtiest and least conventional live music club. But DJ, music producer and photographer Violca Yryku says the alternative/ rock mecca is more than just a celebrated hole in the wall—it’s also an LGBTQ cultural hub. When artist and activist Will Munro started to host events like Vazaleen, Lee’s began to unite so many cultural circles together, she says.

People who are queer, straight, trans and questioning have spent years finding their identities here. Peaches, The Hidden Cameras and Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew (who filmed his video for “Lucky Ones” here) frequent Lee’s and perform here regularly. LEESPALACE.COM

v HORSESHOE TAVERN

The Tragically Hip fans know that this is the bar in the band’s much-loved song “Bobcaygeon.” The lyric “That night in Toronto / With its checkerboard floors” is a direct nod to this mythical music venue, where The Hip played their most mournful, exuberant and poetic tracks back in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Known for its eclecticism, the Horseshoe is one of the only places in Toronto where you can go from seeing an impromptu Pixies gig to a brand-new band testing out its chops to Canadian darling Joel Plaskett playing six nights in a row, says music photographer and documentarian Vanessa Heins.

HORSESHOETAVERN.COM

Lee’s Palace

Massey Hall (inset, Neil Young)

@SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

2017 TORONTO

49

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

DIY

Catch your fave bands at an epic music fest, or simply build your own.

Here’s how. BY YUKI HAYASHI

i BUILD YOUR OWN

ALT & ROOTS FESTIVAL

The Queen West strip remains the best place to catch indie bands. Try these venues.

• The Garrison garrisontoronto.com • Hugh’s Room hughsroom.com • Horseshoe Tavern horseshoetavern.com • Drake Underground thedrakehotel.ca • The Cameron House thecameron.com

T

ALT & ROOTS ANNUAL FESTIVALS Field Trip JUNE 2017, FIELDTRIPLIFE.COM Toronto Urban Roots Fest SEPTEMBER 2017, TORONTOURBANROOTSFEST.COM Bestival JUNE 2017, BESTIVAL.CA Camp Wavelength AUGUST 18 TO 20, 2017, WAVELENGTHTORONTO.COM

TONE: Catch the hottest alt, roots and indie acts like past performers Alabama Shakes, My Morning Jacket and Arkells at Field Trip, which takes over the historic grassy field of Fort York National Historic Site. It’s fun for the whole music-loving family, with food trucks and a kids’ camp, where small fry can play, create art or catch shows on the kids’ stage. Also located at Fort York’s Garrison Common, Toronto Urban Roots Fest (TURF) features an eclectic mix of indie, folk, soul and roots acts, plus a kids’ area with musical arts and crafts, games and an acoustic stage. Bestival is another outdoorsy fest, where acts like Florence and the Machine, Nas and Wavves have performed for costumed fans and some “newlyweds” (via the Bestival Inflatable Church). Camp Wavelength offers a similarly alfresco, bohemian vibe— overnight camping optional.

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TORONTO 2017

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

BESTIVAL; DOUG BROWN (CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL); TD TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL

Festival

oronto is a heavy hitter on the festival and live music circuit, luring performers and fans from far and wide.

But what if—gulp!—your travel dates don’t sync with your dream festival? Don’t panic! With all the great venues and shows year-round, you can program your own private music fest. Here’s what’s headlining and where.

WORLD BEAT ANNUAL FESTIVALS TD Salsa in Toronto Festival JULY 3 TO 23, 2017, SALSAINTORONTO.COM Small World Music Festival SEPTEMBER 14 TO 24, 2017, SMALLWORLDMUSIC.COM Toronto Caribbean Carnival JULY 4 TO AUGUST 7, 2017, TORONTOCARIBBEANCARNIVAL.COM i BUILD YOUR OWN

WORLD BEAT FESTIVAL

Feel the beat and kick up your heels at these salsa, Latin and worldbeat music venues.

•L ula Lounge lula.ca •H arbourfront Centre summers only, harbourfrontcentre.com •S mall World Music Centre smallworldmusic.com •E l Convento Rico elconventorico.com

JAZZ ANNUAL FESTIVALS TD Toronto Jazz Festival JUNE 23 TO JULY 2, 2017, TORONTOJAZZ.COM Beaches International Jazz Festival JULY 7 TO 30, 2017, BEACHESJAZZ.COM

TONE: After nearly three decades of legendary shows from the likes of Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis and Diana Krall, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival is the elder (hepcat) statesman of Toronto’s festival scene.

Catch shows at Nathan Phillips Square and other venues across town. The Beaches International Jazz Festival takes a more lifestyle approach, with visual art, a street festival and a charity run to enhance its eclectic lineup of jazz, blues, African, Caribbean and R&B performances.

TONE: The TD Salsa in Toronto Festival brings mucho Latino-themed cultural events—including dance and art exhibits, salsa cruise nights, concerts and dance parties—to various venues throughout the city. The highlight is the weekend-long TD Salsa on St. Clair Street Festival, which features live music, dancing (including salsa lessons), a kids’ zone and plenty of food trucks and booths. The Small World Music Festival presents a multicultural mix of international and Canadian artists at venues across the city. Look for on-site animation, ­vendors, food and a family-friendly vibe. Toronto Caribbean Carnival, a month-long celebration of Caribbean music, cuisine and revelry, is a don’t-miss event, and 2017 marks its 50th anniversary. Highlights include reggae, soca, steel drum and calypso performances, as well as the Carnival Ball (featuring a costume runway show), the king and queen of the carnival competition, and the Grand Parade, which attracts more than a million spectators and participants each year.

i BUILD YOUR OWN

JAZZ FESTIVAL

Catch live perfor­ mances at the city’s top jazz lounges.

• The Rex Hotel therex.ca • Poetry Jazz Café poetryjazzcafe.com • The Reservoir Lounge reservoirlounge.com • Jazz Bistro jazzbistro.ca

VISIT

SeeToronto N for more ge ow.com nres (indie, clas sical an d EDM / digi tal) an d to build your ow n festiv al if you’ ve mis sed the “official ” on e.

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

ROGERS CENTRE

Test your knowledge with this fun true or false quiz about a city filled with surprises. ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLAYTON HANMER

TRUE! You can catch Blue Jays home games in comfort, rain or shine!

TRUE OR FALSE The Bata Shoe Museum is shaped like a giant shoe.

FALSE, but not by much: it’s actually shaped like a ginormous shoebox.

You can find shoes from around the world in this unique museum.

TRUE OR FALSE You can’t get hands-on with art at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

FALSE: While you can’t touch any of the gallery’s masterpieces, you can definitely get hands-on—and messy!— creating your own art during a workshop.

ED MIRVISH THEATRE

PLAYDIUM

TRUE OR FALSE Kids love Playdium for its awesome, quiet nap pods!

FALSE: Playdium rocks (loudly!) thanks to its epic arcade games, Laser Maze and go-kart track.

TRUE OR FALSE Rush the stage if you want to get your fave performer’s autograph during an Ed Mirvish Theatre production.

FALSE: Line up at the stage door after the show for your best chance of snagging a selfie or an autograph.

LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTRE

TRUE OR FALSE If you visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, they’ll share the secret of how LEGO blocks are built.

TRUE! Take the interactive LEGO Factory Tour and then have fun playing with more LEGO blocks than you’ve ever seen in one place.

TORONTO ZOO

TRUE OR FALSE The Toronto Zoo is one of the world’s largest zoos.

TRUE! The Toronto Zoo is one of the world’s largest zoos, with over 5,000 animals from 450-plus species. It is also a leading conservation centre.

TORONTO ISLANDS

FORT YORK NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

TRUE OR FALSE Fort York National Historic Site was created to defend Toronto against invaders.

TRUE! Fort York was the site of an 1813 battle, in the ongoing War of 1812.

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TORONTO 2017

TRUE OR FALSE The only way to reach the remote Toronto Islands is to swim over. Better start practising now!

FALSE: Passenger ferries bring visitors to the nearby Islands, where beaches, parks and Centreville Theme Park await.

CN TOWER

TRUE OR FALSE The CN Tower has 1,001 steps—you have to climb them all if you want to check out that view!

FALSE: There are actually 1,776 steps! (But don’t panic: there are six glass-front elevators—three of which have glass floors, too.)

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

PHOTO: CARLSON JEFFREY TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK (ROGERS CENTRE); DOUG BROWN (AGO); LEGOLAND; K AYLA CHOBOTIUK (PLAYDIUM)

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO BATA SHOE MUSEUM

TRUE OR FALSE The domed roof of the Rogers Centre can open and close.

TRUE OR FALSE A tornado once touched down at the Ontario Science Centre.

TRUE! It’s still there: you can touch a mini-twister any time you visit!

(Conduct electricity with a plasma ball the next time you’re there, too.)

TRUE OR FALSE Canada’s Wonderland is home to Canada’s third-fastest and tallest roller coaster.

FALSE: Wonderland’s Leviathan is actually Canada’s fastest roller coaster—it reaches speeds of 148 km/hour (92 miles/hour). It’s also the tallest, at 93.27 metres (306 feet) high.

TRUE OR FALSE Casa Loma was built as a medieval-style stadium to host jousting matches.

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE; KHRISTEL STECHER (RIPLEYS AQUARIUM); FRANCISCO PARDO (ACC); DOUG BROWN (BMO FIELD)

TRUE OR FALSE The main thing to do at Harbourfront Centre is watch ships go by.

FALSE: Sure, you can spy sailboats, ferries and even the occasional tall ship, but Harbourfront is also known for festivals, free concerts and lots of yummy food, too!

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM

TRUE OR FALSE The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has the skeleton of a giant chef.

FALSE: The ROM lobby is home to a Futalognkosaurus (“giant chief lizard”) skeleton—one of the largest in the world.

CASA LOMA

FALSE: Toronto’s original mansion was built to be a private residence.

It has a secret underground tunnel leading to its stables, but no jousting ring.

AIR CANADA CENTRE (ACC)

TRUE OR FALSE The ACC is another name for Toronto Pearson International Airport.

FALSE: The ACC is home to the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, not to mention great music concerts, too.

FANTASY FAIR AT WOODBINE CENTRE TRUE OR FALSE Fantasy Fair has the world’s biggest homework zone.

FALSE, but it does have indoor rock climbing, bumper cars and a train!

@SeeTorontoNow

HARBOURFRONT CENTRE

CANADA’S WONDERLAND

ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE

@SeeTorontoNow

TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM

TRUE OR FALSE Some kid got arrested for riding a model train at the Toronto Railway Museum.

FALSE: You are more than welcome to have a blast riding the mini-train around the museum grounds.

RIPLEY’S AQUARIUM OF CANADA

TRUE OR FALSE You can pet a stingray or watch a piranha feeding frenzy at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.

HOCKEY HALL OF FAME

TRUE OR FALSE You can test out your goal-scoring skills at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

TRUE! Cool simulation games let you shoot against hockey’s best goalies or defend your net against top scorers.

BMO FIELD

TRUE OR FALSE BMO Field, home to Toronto’s pro soccer and football teams (TFC and Argonauts) can hold 3,000 fans.

FALSE: BMO Field can pack in 30,000 fans: that’s enough for a literal fan nation!

TRUE! Check out glowing jellyfish, sharks and a giant octopus while you’re there, too!

TREETOP TREKKING

TRUE OR FALSE Treetop Trekking is a lumberjack theme park where you chop down virtual reality trees, then carry them to a lumber mill.

FALSE: Treetop Trekking is a forest theme park, complete with zip lines, bridges, nets and swings through the tree canopy.

P S S S S T!

Check ou t Yo -Toronto .com for more To ronto secret s, pl us cool videos , ga lleries and jokes!

53

CITY CONFIDENTIAL

Our holiday best

Cozy up to the most wonderful time of the year—indoors and out.

L

54

TORONTO 2017

GAERTNER / ALAMY

ights twinkle, merrymakers mingle and the city truly shines when the holidays arrive each year. You can make the most of the season, whether you bundle up and explore the city’s winter wonderland or you enjoy an active hibernation indoors.

Many locals and visitors love to embrace the chill, so you’ll find the public ice rinks filled with revellers, and rosy-cheeked thrill-seekers cross-country ski or snowshoe along park trails.

There are once-a-year lures like the Santa Claus Parade, and outdoor Christmas markets offer artisanal gifts, hot apple cider and checked-off shopping lists!

Indoors, it’s the ideal time of year to window shop, as retailers go all out to capture imaginations.

The holidays are also the perfect time to enjoy the best of Toronto’s arts and culture scene.

For fairy-tale experiences, consider catching a performance of The National Ballet of Canada’s annual The Nutcracker (December 9 to 30, 2017) or visiting the majestic Casa Loma in December.

Ross Petty Productions’ annual pantomime and Soulpepper’s packed Christmas concert and theatre lineup are other holiday traditions.

Museums and galleries offer seasonal programming, enhancing the festive mood that takes hold of the city each winter.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

@SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

2017 TORONTO

55

AWARD-WINNING LANDMARK TOURIST DESTINATION CASA LOMA

TOP MUSEUM/ART GALLERY/HISTORIC SITE

canada’s majestic castle PREMIER DINING ESTABLISHMENTS

SPICE ROUTE

CIBO WINE BAR

KING W | YONGE | YORKVILLE

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

ROSEWATER

TOP 100 RESTAURANTS FOR GROUPS IN CANADA

Additional Liberty Group Venues TORONTO MIAMI

Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex | Rosewater Room Cibo Wine Bar Coral Gables | South Beach | Ft. Lauderdale Coral Gables Country Club | Coral Gables Athletic Club | Liberty Caffé

25 British Columbia Road, Toronto / 416.542.3789

Libertygroup.com

ONTARIO TOURISM

FOOD & DRINK

“It is a city of surprises.

The fact that over 50 percent of the residents of Toronto are not from Canada, that is always a good thing, creatively, and for food especially. That is easily a city’s biggest strength and it is Toronto’s unique strength.”

—Anthony Bourdain, chef and TV personality

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

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TORONTO 2017

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

FOOD & DRINK Four of Toronto’s leading chefs give us the lowdown on what makes our culinary culture sizzle.

David Lee

BY SURESH DOSS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER ROBERTS ver the last decade, chef David Lee has been credited with putting Toronto on the culinary map. His oeuvre ranges from fine dining (Splendido) to the contemporary and distinctly anti-white-tablecloth Nota Bene, which he opened in 2008. He’s shifting gears once again with his latest project, Planta, an upscale plant-based restaurant in Yorkville.

Toronto’s T ha i food obsession ha s matured during the past 10 years, thanks mainly to Nuit Regular. The executive chef and co-owner of Sukhothai, Pai and Sabai Sabai moved to Canada 11 years ago and has been fervently converting the masses to the wonders of traditional Thai cooking pr ac t ic a l ly e ver s i nc e. R e g u l a r h a s ­single-handedly expanded Toronto’s palate beyond pad Thai.

Donna Dooher, chef and co-owner of Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, is largely credited for kick-starting Toronto’s brunch craze nearly three decades ago. Dooher put her 30-plus years of expertise to good use authoring two cookbooks, the bestselling Market to Table and the award-winning Out to Brunch with Mildred Pierce.

A former pastry chef, Elia Herrera has had a culinary career that has placed her in some of Toronto’s most revered kitche n s , i n c lu d i n g t h o s e o f C a n o e a n d Mistura. Today, she’s executive chef at Los Colibris (Mexican f ine dining) and El Caballito (Mexican casual). Part chef, part ambassador, Herrera focuses on introducing pa lates to authentic regiona l Mexican cuisine.

Though distinct in their respective approaches, Lee, Regular, Dooher and Herrera have all raised the bar on the city’s dining scene, making names for themselves in the process. We sat down with the four chefs to get the lowdown on what makes our chefs tick and our foodies talk.

You’ve all been cooking in Toronto for many years. How have you seen the city evolve?

DAVID LEE: Ten years ago, restaurants were fairly generic. They were all wearing one @SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

Nuit Regular

hat, and no one was really focusing on things like charcuterie or plant-based food. Now there are specific restaurants— chefs are narrowing the type of food they want to serve.

ELIA HERRERA: People are adventurous now, compared with a decade ago. We go out to eat for fun, and we go out often. I notice that my diners are willing to spend more money for the full experience.

NUIT REGULAR: When I first moved here, I found that people didn’t really know about authentic Thai food. When I started cooking, people would question it because they didn’t believe me that it was authentic Thai! It was a struggle to show people how traditional dishes were made. Over the years, people started to get more and more educated about international food.

What defines Toronto’s food culture?

NR: Toronto’s strength is its diversity.

When I moved to Canada 11 years ago, I got the chance to try so many different types of foods, from Ethiopian to Indian.

Everywhere you go, there are so many different cultures represented in food.

DONNA DOOHER: The diversity of the city, for sure. Our country’s open arms welcome new cultures that bring wonderful flavours to the nation’s table.

DL: It’s the story of migration and of people moving from place to place and bringing something along with them. Especially young chefs: they travel a lot and bring back a lot of inspiration with them. It’s also the nature of genetics in Toronto: there are a lot of people cooking what they were taught—what their grandmothers cook.

Donna Dooher

Elia Herrera

2017 TORONTO

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FOOD & DRINK

Mildred’s Temple Kitchen

Los Colibris

Pai

Is there a “Toronto flavour”?

D L : Our f lavour keeps cha ng ing. It’s changed a lot in the last 10 years and continues to change. But I think multiculturalism is at the core.

NR: Toronto’s food scene is reflective of the people who live here and who want to share their culture. There are a lot of Asian communities, so there’s so much Asian food!

We have so many different foods, it just shows us how diverse Toronto is.

EH: People are definitely more educated about food now than they were a few years ago. So I would say that there is no specific flavour, but there is a mix of flavours from various backgrounds.

Where do chefs and restaurant types gather after their shifts end?

DL: We [Lee and staff] go out a few times a 60

TORONTO 2017

year, usually to Chinatown. Peoples Eatery has great cocktails. My staff love it. I’m also a big fan of pho, so I go to Pho Tien Thanh, at Ossington.

NR: We [Regular and staff ] love to go to places on Dundas West near Ossington. We go to Hanmoto a lot for snacks and drinks.

Kensington Market reminds me of home, so I love it there as well. And we also like the Entertainment District, because it’s walking distance from Pai, and at the end of the night, we enjoy getting drinks and snacks while hanging out with our staff.

DD: When I first came to Toronto in 1984, the booze cans were popular with the after-hours scene and Liberty Village was not what we know today. The Orbit Room was always a favourite, as was the Bovine Sex Club. Now I go home to bed. [Laughs.]

What are Toronto’s best foodie-pleasing neighbourhoods?

EH: Kensington Market! It’s so amazing: it’s become Little Mexico.

DL: I’m fascinated with the casual, cool feel of the west end, from Bar Raval westward [West Queen West, The Junction, etc.]. The food scene has developed so much there. We are living in the age of independent restaurants, and the west end is the breeding ground for a lot of little hipster restaurants.

DD: I’ve always lived in the west end. Before Roncesvalles was hip, it was chockablock with eastern-European restaurants, food shops and bakeries. Many have moved along, but a few of the good ones still offer great borscht and cabbage rolls.

Where do you eat with your family?

NR: I am lucky that my kids like to be adventurous with food. They want to try different things. We go to Little India for family mea ls, or sometimes we w ill go to Chinatown.

DD: Our kids have grown up in the restaurant business, so they know and love great food. We’re always trying out new places. From diners to white tablecloths, we love it all.

What’s next for Toronto?

DL: Plant-based eating is going to take off— not to be trendy, but rather that people will realize that it’s inevitable that we are conscious of what we eat. I think full-service restaurants will start to come back as well: restaurants that have good acoustics, where you can hear yourself having a conversation.

NR: We’ll see more micro-regionalization of food. People don’t want a country’s food anymore—they want food from a specific city or village. People also want to see refined international food, not just street food.

EH: We’re going to see more fusion-style food, with cultures mixing and inventing new styles here in Toronto. This is especially so with the young chefs, who are learning and cooking with one another.

DD: Toronto is an incubator for hospitality innovation. Toronto, as well as the rest of the country, is a food and agriculture mecca. We grow, process and cook some of the very best. www.SeeTorontoNow.com

IT’S THE OPPOSITE OF A COOKBOOK.

Find 100s of delicious places to dine out in Canada’s Downtown at

SeeTorontoNow.com/FoodandDrink

FOOD & DRINK Batch

BANDIT BREWERY 2125 DUNDAS ST. W.

MUST-TRY PINT: Cone Ranger, an Americanstyle, Toronto-made IPA with medium bitterness, and orange and pine hop notes.

MENU: Elevated bar snacks and charcuterie.

ORDER UP: American Pale Ale– battered cheese curds.

BONUS! A brand-spankingnew front patio that can seat 97 people.

THE BEERHALL AT MILL STREET BREW PUB

21 TANK HOUSE LANE

Pub grub

IM P R OV

E D!

Say cheers to microbreweries where the menus are as well crafted as the beer. BY CRYSTAL LUXMORE Toronto’s local beer scene is booming, spoiling beer lovers with endless “hoppy hour” choices. To make it easy, we say: follow your gut!

Here are six hops-spots that offer fantastic regional beer and stellar meals.

INDIE ALE HOUSE 2876 DUNDAS ST. W.

MUST-TRY PINT: Iconoclast, an IPA fermented with unique Brettanomyces yeast and spiced with experimental hops—it’s Toronto-brewed, fruity, funky and food friendly.

MENU: Pizzas, burgers and salads.

ORDER UP: The mammothsized Bison & Belly Burger.

BONUS! You’re in The Junction, 62

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one of the city’s most exciting upand-coming neighbourhoods.

FOLLY BREWPUB 928 COLLEGE ST.

MUST-TRY PINT: Flemish Cap, a clean and crisp Belgian farmhouse-style ale with notes of lemon and white pepper.

MENU: Mediterraneaninspired comfort food.

ORDER UP: Pan-seared skate wing, with a side of grilled carrots and served with peas and whipped goat cheese.

BONUS! Scope out Toronto’s tiniest brewing system, a cutesy, glass-encased nanobrewery at the back of the pub, where it runs throughout the day.

MUST-TRY PINT: West Coast Style IPA, a hoppy pineapple bomb, thanks to its Hallertau Blanc hops.

MENU: Old world meets new.

ORDER UP: Crispy Confit Duck Wings—chicken wings are scrawny by comparison!

BONUS! Stunning courtyard patio in the heart of The Distillery Historic District.

RADICAL ROAD BREWING CO.

AMSTERDAM BREWHOUSE

245 QUEENS QUAY W.

MUST-TRY PINT: Adventure Brew—made on site, these experimental brews are tough to get anywhere else.

MENU: Seasonal, featuring an in-house smoker.

ORDER UP: Buffalo Cauliflower and the Amsterdam Pretzel.

BONUS! Cottage-country vibe, thanks to the sprawling lakefront patio— heaters keep the patio toasty well into fall.

BATCH

75 VICTORIA ST.

MUST-TRY PINT: Porter, with toasted nut and cocoa notes—it’s the perfect Canadian brunch beer.

MENU: Hearty dishes, local ingredients.

ORDER UP: Stuffed French Toast (loaded with goat cheese and basil).

BONUS! Beer brunch!

They open at 11 a.m. every day.

Amsterdam BrewHouse

1177 QUEEN ST. E.

MUST-TRY PINT: Slingshot California Common, the young local brewery’s flagship tipple.

MENU: Global cuisine, local ingredients.

ORDER UP: BBQ beef braised in beef stock and Coca-Cola, served with mac and cheese, collard greens and corn bread.

BONUS! Walk to nearby Left Field Brewery for one more pint after dinner.

Bandit Brewery

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FOOD & DRINK

BOOYAH INC.

16 Vaughan Rd., booyah-inc.com Start with an ice cream waffle taco, then add the stuff of childhood dreams: SKOR bits, brownies, s’mores, crushed M&M’S or Smarties, French Toast Crunch cereal bits, Oreo crumbs, whipped cream and chocolate, caramel or strawberry sauce.

Dig into more-is-more dishes that tempt your appetite for excess.

These over­achievers give you a little bit of everything, all in one order.

BY SIMONE OLIVERO PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIAM MOGAN

LEE

601 King St. W., susur.com Chef Susur Lee’s trademark salad starts as a tower of 19 ingredients, including rice vermicelli, taro root, pickled ginger, and julienned daikon, jicama and carrots, plus edible flower petals. Tossed at the table, it’s a one-of-a-kind flavour bomb of fresh, crunchy deliciousness.

LOADED PIEROGI

1044 Gerrard St. E., loadedpierogi.ca When sour cream and green onions don’t cut it, try Atlantic lobster and crab, marinated steak, cherry tomatoes and wasabi sauce. These aren’t your baba’s perogies.

COME AND GET IT

676 Queen St. W., comeandgetit.ca The Québécois staple gets a dose of island flavour with jerk-rubbed grilled chicken, sweet shredded limed mango, creamy jerk mayo and crispy plantain chips.

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FOOD ST YLING: ANDREW BULLIS/JUDY INC.

BARQUE SMOKEHOUSE

299 Roncesvalles Ave., barque.ca A southern take on a classic benny, this breakfast staple is served on housemade corn bread topped with 12-hourslow-cooked beef brisket, perfectly runny poached eggs and BBQ-spiked hollandaise sauce.

ORIGIN

107–109 King St E., origintoronto.com Chef Claudio Aprile loads his doughy French toast with crispy duck confit, sesame brittle, blueberries, hoisin sauce and a smear of sour cream.

It’s everything you didn’t realize you wanted in brunch, packed into one epic dish.

BANNOCK

401 Bay St., bannockrestaurant.com Like most dishes at Bannock, pizza gets the Canadian comfort food treatment. It’s a carb overload with crispy fries, caramelized onions, roast duck and fresh cheese curds, garnished with green onion and rosemary and piled high over a crispy flatbread crust.

SWEET JESUS

130 Eglinton Ave. E., sweetjesus4life.com Named after The Simpsons’ cynical clown, Krusty the Cone comes topped with tufts of sugary cotton candy “hair,” sprinkles and neon pink cotton candy sauce.

LET’S BE FRANK

460 Spadina Ave., lets-be-frank.ca Can’t choose between a Nathan’s famous grilled beef frank or creamy mac ’n’ cheese?

Get both! The Mac Daddy combines the two with a sprinkling of bacon bits and a drizzle of southern-style BBQ sauce.

FOOD & DRINK

Antler

Woodlot

Drink locally

Toast the terroir at these neighbourhood bars, restaurants, wineries and more. BY KAT TANCOCK

BARS & RESTAURANTS

Just about every establishment worth visiting has at least some local presence on its drinks list—craft gin from Niagara-based Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers, perhaps, or fruity, off-dry Cave Spring Riesling. But there are a few spots that truly stand out.

For the best view in town, head to 360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower (301 Front St. W.), whose wine “cellar” is the highest in the world, located 351 metres (1151 feet) above 66

TORONTO 2017

street level. Each dish comes with a wine pairing recommendation, many from Ontario wine regions like Niagara and Prince Edward County.

Closer to the ground, two west-end restaurants put the focus on natural, organic and biodynamic wines, including some more offbeat local offerings, like a sparkling rosé/ saison from nearby Burdock Brewery: Actinolite (971 Ossington Ave.), known for its ultra-seasonal and foraged ingredients, and the vegetarian-friendly yet omnivorous Woodlot (293 Palmerston Ave.).

At the Evergreen Brick Works, Cafe Belong (550 Bayview Ave.) offers a wine list that’s entirely local, alongside cocktails and sodas containing housemade syrups in flavours like lavender and hibiscus. And at the

Her Father’s Cider Bar + Kitchen

regionally obsessive Antler (1454 Dundas St. W.), cocktails are forest to table, using ingredients like tree bark and berries for infusions and syrups.

BEYOND WINE & SPIRITS

In The Distillery Historic District, sign up for a tour and tasting at the Ontario Spring Water Sake Company (51 Gristmill Lane), which sells its traditionally made Izumi sake on the premises and in local liquor stores.

Thanks to southern Ontario’s rich apple-growing heritage, on-trend cider is booming in Toronto as well. Look for local labels like Toronto’s own Brickworks, Hamilton’s West Avenue and Niagara’s Tawse on menus across the city. Or for a true cider-focused experience, visit Her Father’s Cider Bar + Kitchen (119 Harbord St.), which houses an ever-growing selection in bottles and on tap.

Tasting palettes of three Ontario ciders let you compare the variety of flavours—sweet, dry, or infused with fruits and spices—that can be coaxed from the humble apple. www.SeeTorontoNow.com

CARLOS OSORIO/TORONTO STAR/GETT Y IMAGES (WOODLOT); ANTLER; HER FATHER’S CIDER BAR; ONTARIO SPRING WATER SAKE COMPANY

Toronto’s urban nature belies its rich agricultural surroundings—and its bountiful regional terroir.

Luckily, you’ll never run out of Ontario-produced beverages to try, whether your tastes run to wine, cocktails or the latest trend, cider. Here are a few establishments that make local a priority.

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“I was always not only proud but just fascinated with this city.… My Toronto, the one I grew up in, was always what I wanted to put on the forefront if I ever got the chance.”

PHOTO: HUBERT K ANG/CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION

—Drake, musician

COMPASS

12 THERE’S MORE TO BRAMPTON

13 11

8

MISSISSAUGA HAS MORE TO OFFER

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH Explore our city the way locals do: as a collection of dynamic neighbourhoods, each with its own distinctive character. Some predate the modern city of Toronto, while others are so new their paint has barely dried.

What they all have in common is a welcoming vibe, plus plenty to offer the curious and hungry traveller.

So hop onto public transit, hail a cab, rent a bike or lace up your walking shoes—there’s a lot to discover!

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www.SeeTorontoNow.com

MORE SCARBOROUGH THIS WAY

TORONTO IS TALLER THAN YOU THINK

9

10

7 2

4 1 6 3

9 UPTOWN

5

Explore Toronto’s heritage and green space, not far from cultural attractions and food.

10 SCARBOROUGH The east end is filled with surprises, from the exciting zoo to the best ethnic food!

1 CITY CENTRE The central business district heats up the urban core with its busy, buzzy vibe.

2 MIDTOWN Leafy streets and cultural attractions beckon in the area surrounding the University of Toronto.

3 OLD TOWN The roots of modern Toronto start here, in the city’s historic heart. @SeeTorontoNow

4 WESTSIDE Trendy, dynamic and open late, this is where locals head to have a good time!

5 WATERFRONT & ISLANDS Arts, culture and milliondollar views mingle along the beautiful Lake Ontario waterfront.

@SeeTorontoNow

6 EASTSIDE

11 ETOBICOKE

Ethnic enclaves, delicious food and a hip vibe can be found in Toronto’s east end.

The quiet, park-filled region shines with natural attractions and restaurants.

7 DON VALLEY

12 BRAMPTON

Head north to uncover Toronto’s hidden natural attractions and cultural gems.

Explore, discover and savour this exciting and growing city.

8 HIGH PARK

13 MISSISSAUGA

Go west for family-friendly restaurants, shopping and parks galore.

This up-and-coming region offers trendy shopping and stellar dining options.

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COMPASS

City Centre

Energetic. Occasionally frenetic.

The pace of City Centre appeals to people on the go who want to enjoy their urban getaway to the max.

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

The TIFF Bell Lightbox (home of our internationally acclaimed Toronto International Film Festival), Roy Thomson Hall (primarily for symphony and orchestra performances), Princess of Wales Theatre (big-ticket musicals and stage theatre) and Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (for performances by the Canadian Opera Company and The National Ballet of Canada) are within walking distance of one another—and numerous restaurants—on King Street west of University Avenue.

CN Tower

Yonge-Dundas Square, and people-watch along buzzing Yonge Street. Then hit the shops. The CF Toronto Eaton Centre (with more than 250 stores, restaurants and services) has just welcomed Nordstrom. One major block south is the iconic Hudson’s Bay, which shares space with Saks Fifth Avenue, another shopaholic favourite.

CHURCH-WELLESLEY VILLAGE The downtown gaybourhood is the centre of Toronto’s LGBTQ community, which comes here to play, dance, flirt, dine and shop.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Skyscrapers, the PATH (Toronto’s 30-km/19-mile subterranean shopping concourse), Instagrammable street art and cool after-work cocktail bars and upscale restaurants are the major draws for this hood.

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Pride Toronto

SOUTH CORE

DOWNTOWN YONGE

Retail therapy—and more!

Catch a movie at the multiplex, grab a bite at a casual restaurant, check out the LED signs (or an outdoor concert) at

The newest stomping grounds for business types and condo dwellers is found south of the train tracks, hence the name.

The financial towers are nearby—as are major attractions such as the CN Tower, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, party-into-the-weehours Entertainment District, and the Air Canada Centre and Rogers Centre, which are the places to be on game nights.

SNAP IT OCAD University’s Sharp Centre for Design is a speckled box on spindly legs. Take your shot from Dundas and McCaul to get the CN Tower in the background.

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KHRISTEL STECHER (CN TOWER); LODOE LAURA (FOUR SEASONS CENTRE); ALAMY (PRIDE); TOM ARBAN (SNAP IT)

Midtown

Queen’s Park

Toronto’s Bloor St. Culture Corridor is here, with heavyweights like the Royal Ontario Museum and Gardiner Museum. Midtown is also where to go for a historic castle, Korean fusion and Yorkville’s designer bling.

QUEEN’S PARK

If grand old buildings are your thing, then the legislature and the surrounding University of Toronto edifices lining Queen’s Park Crescent are worth touring for their architectural and cultural significance.

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM

The stunning Michael LeeChin Crystal, the huge geometric addition that sticks out of the side of Canada’s largest museum, is one of the most photographed design elements in Toronto. Come for the Crystal, but explore for the world-class exhibits, speaker series, workshops and kid-friendly programming.

years. Here’s where you’ll get your fill of kimchi, beef bulgogi, sundubu jjigae tofu stew and ox bone soup.

CASA LOMA

This authentic castle has been a city landmark for romantics and architecture buffs alike. Its escape-room series is a fun way to explore the circa-1914 abode.

Casa Loma

BLOOR-YORKVILLE

Yonge-Dundas Square

This tony neighbourhood is ideal for shopping, fine dining, high-end art and celebritywatching. The stretch of Bloor between Yonge and Avenue Road is known as the Mink Mile thanks to its concentration of luxury designers.

Bloor-Yorkville Royal Ontario Museum

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

KOERNER HALL

The Royal Conservatory of Music is home to one of the best concert venues in Toronto.

Stars previously welcomed to the Koerner stage have included internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, Academy Award winner Meryl Streep and The Count Basie Orchestra.

KOREA TOWN

CF Toronto Eaton Centre

Some of the eateries on Bloor Street West between Bathurst and Christie have been serving up Korean food for 30-plus

NICK JENE/ALAMY (QUEENS PARK); LINDSAY PAIGE (ROM AND CASA LOMA); ALAN NOVELLI/ALAMY (EATONS CENTRE); DOUG BROWN (YONGE-DUNDAS)

2017 TORONTO

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COMPASS

Old Town

Historic Old Town is a wonderful celebration of Toronto’s past, while forwardthinking design shops and an innovative skate park add a contemporary feel.

THE DISTILLERY HISTORIC DISTRICT

The heritage buildings of the former Gooderham & Worts Distillery provide the backdrop for one of the coolest tourist experiences in the city. The Distillery Historic District is all cobblestone streets and Victorian-era St. Lawrence Market

industrial architecture, now home to artisanal bakeries, craft breweries, one-of-a-kind fashions, contemporary art and outdoor concerts and festivals galore.

ST. LAWRENCE MARKET

Deemed to be the world’s best food market by none other than National Geographic, the St. Lawrence Market features 100-plus food producers and vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, prepared foods, seafood and more from a mammoth heritage building. The lower level is ideal for lunch.

FLATIRON NEIGHBOURHOOD

Toronto’s iconic Flatiron Building (a.k.a. the Gooderham

Building) at Church and Front is also one of its most photographed, flanked by bustling restaurants, hip cocktail bars and stellar venues like the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. This is a neighbourhood where a Russian vodka bar meets a Moroccan restaurant that features belly dancing.

KING EAST DESIGN DISTRICT High-end home furnishings and designer establishments surround bustling George Brown College, especially between Jarvis and Berkeley. Think clean-lined Scandinavian sofas and Italian kitchens that marry style with function.

CORKTOWN

Old cozies up to new (or vice versa) in this up-and-coming neighbourhood once inhabited by the working-class Irish who toiled in nearby breweries: an 1800s pub sits across from a custom-furniture shop.

Be sure to stroll down winding, tiny Bright Street for a glimpse into Toronto’s past.

UNDERPASS PARK

It’s the biggest park in Canada to be constructed under an overpass. The innovative space—for skateboarders, b-ballers and street-art enthusiasts—is located under the Eastern Avenue, Richmond and Adelaide overpasses.

It’s also a great place to wander with your takeout latte.

The Distillery Historic District

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HUBERT K ANG/CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION (ST. LAWRENCE MARKET); CLIFTON LI (DISTILLERY DISTRICT); KHRISTEL STECHER (FLATIRON); CONNIE TSANG (DRAKE HOTEL); IAN DAGNALL/ALAMY (KENSINGTON MARKET)

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

Flatiron Building

Drake Hotel

Little Italy

Queen West

Chinatown

Westside

Hipsters, artists and young professionals form the main demographic of Westside. Trendy eateries, cafés and live music venues are plentiful—big-box stores are not.

Kensington Market

CHINATOWN

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

The neighbourhood that dominates Dundas and Spadina boasts the Art Gallery of Ontario, and is considered Toronto’s major Chinatown.

Mandarin and Cantonese are widely spoken in the restaurants, food markets, street stalls, dry-goods stores and tchotchke shops. In the last several years, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese eateries have sprung up.

KENSINGTON MARKET

are just as lively as the most popular café. Don’t forget to look for the Italian Walk of Fame on College between Grace and Clinton streets.

Adjacent to Chinatown, Kensington Market still has its trademark bohemian vibe.

It’s the go-to hood for vintage clothing, fair-trade coffee, organic restos and some of the best Caribbean and Latin food in Toronto.

QUEEN WEST

WEST QUEEN WEST

Less boho than its sister farther west, Queen West (which spills into the City Centre neighbourhood) channels a lively vibe with its trendy clothing shops, excellent restaurants and

LITTLE ITALY

The Italian neighbourhood on College Street is all about socializing, whether it’s in a family-owned trattoria, a hipster bar or an upscale restaurant. The front porches on the side streets of Little Italy

rich mix of live music venues.

Catch a set at the venerable Cameron House, the Horseshoe Tavern and The Rex.

High on culture and low on big brand names.

That’s West Queen West.

Independent shops, sassy clothiers and one-of-a-kind boutique hotels draw the artsy, hip and design-savvy crowd.

SNAP IT Graffiti Alley, a.k.a. Rush Lane, is steps from Spadina and Queen. Expect sociopolitical commentary with a humorous twist. Opt for a wide-angle lens.

TOURISM TORONTO (QUEEN ST. W); LODOE LAURA (LITTLE ITALY); TORONTONIAN/ALAMY (CHINATOWN); EDEN BREITZ/ALAMY (QUEEN WEST); K AYLA CHOBOTIUK (GRAFFITI ALLEY)

2017 TORONTO

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COMPASS Toronto Music Garden

Waterfront & Toronto Islands

The Waterfront seduces with its relaxed, laidback ambience—and there’s more to explore, thanks to years of successful urban revitalization efforts. Ditto for the Toronto Islands’ beaches and car-free roads. Harbourfront pairs R&R with a happening vibe, courtesy of its summer concerts and year-round festivals.

Fly in via Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and you’ll land a stone’s throw from all the action.

HARBOURFRONT CENTRE

The lakeside cultural and entertainment centre hosts more than 4,000 events each year. Is it clichéd to say there’s Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) at Exhibition Place

something for everyone?

If you’re keen on music, there’s hip hop, Asian fusion, Caribbean, heavy metal, folk, klezmer and more.

The same range applies to other art forms, be it dance, art, theatre or film. Bonus: Most events are free.

EXHIBITION PLACE

This Toronto landmark is your go-to hub for big annual events such as the Canadian National Exhibition and The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, plus conventions and trade and 76

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Sugar Beach

consumer shows at both the Enercare Centre and the Allstream Centre.

SUGAR BEACH

It used to be a parking lot.

Now it’s a whimsical park with a beachy feel, complete with imported sand, pink umbrellas and candy-striped rock outcroppings. It’s next to the Redpath Sugar refinery, hence the name. It’s a wonderfully quirky perch for an alfresco lunch or quality time with a good book.

TORONTO ISLANDS

Locals refer to “the island,” but it’s actually an archipelago of tiny islands. You want to know about Centre Island, which

has a slightly nostalgic feel (ride the log flume to see what we mean); Hanlan’s Point, famous for its clothingoptional beach; and Ward’s Island, the residential enclave (there’s even a tiny firehall, and a school past the Centre Island pier), whose year-round residents commute to the mainland by ferry (which is how you’ll get there, too).

HTO PARK

This urban beach, con­­ structed just to the west of Harbourfront Centre in 2007, comprises two quays made from infill. Look for the bright yellow umbrellas, iconic Muskoka chairs and white sand beach. www.SeeTorontoNow.com

KHRISTEL STECHER (FERRY); JON BILOUS/ALAMY (MUSIC GARDEN); HUBERT K ANG/CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION (SUGAR BEACH); TOURISM TORONTO (CNE)

Toronto Islands ferry

Photo credit: Gregg (Scooter) Korek

2017

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COMPASS

Eastside

It won’t take long for multicultural Eastside to charm you with its Greek, Indian and even Irish culture, foods and traditions.

GREEKTOWN

Crying opa! in Toronto’s Greek quarter on The Danforth means you love Greek food, an energetic (sometimes boisterous) vibe, crowded patios and the sight of intergenerational families out for their evening stroll. There’s also a smattering of good Irish pubs and Asian restaurants.

offer antiques, vintage finds, collectibles and affordable art pieces. Farther east, the Leslieville neighbourhood, once under the radar for visitors, is now bursting with enough specialty food shops, restaurants, antique stores, gastropubs (some with

QUEEN STREET EAST

The east end has undergone a huge change in the last decade. The Riverside district, just east of the Don River, boasts a bevy of shops that

Gerrard India Bazaar

Aga Khan Museum

The Beaches

live music), LGBTQ-friendly venues and home décor stores to satisfy local condo dwellers and visitors alike.

GERRARD INDIA BAZAAR

Hopping the 506 Carlton streetcar (or a cab) to Gerrard Street East is your passport to Toronto’s Little India, which is like a South Asian bazaar jammed with tikka houses, sari shops, Kashmiri tea stands, jewellery makers, family-run restaurants selling dosas and

hole-in-the-wall venues with their own tandoori ovens.

THE BEACHES

Talk about a small-town feel: bookstores with watering bowls for your dog, cafés where staff are apt to know your name (and brew of choice), streetfront yoga studios, specialty food stores and a circa-1914 cinema that still hosts “cheap nights”—not to mention easy access to the 3.5 km (two mile) boardwalk.

Don Valley

Based around the Don River, this relaxed and outdoorsy region is home to Edwards Gardens and the Toronto Botanical Garden, brunch-y neighbourhoods and family-friendly cultural attractions galore.

This stunning and awardwinning museum complex, surrounded by manicured gardens and reflecting pools, features art and artifacts chronicling 1,000 years of Islamic civilization.

EVERGREEN BRICK WORKS

A former abandoned quarry, this environmental centre offers restaurants, a farmers’ market, educational workshops, family programming and weekend entertainment.

Cabbagetown

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Ramble through its generous parkland, checking out the local wildlife, all within a short drive or transit commute from downtown Toronto.

CABBAGETOWN

This laid-back and leafy hood is perfect for group hangouts.

Think Irish pubs, a Taiwanese snack bar, hip espresso bars, plus quaint Riverdale Farm, where families picnic as they admire the cows and sheep.

ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE

Hands-on scientific discoveries await kids at the interactive Ontario Science Centre, which has its own IMAX theatre and an exploration zone just for preschoolers. www.SeeTorontoNow.com

GARY OTTE (AGA KHAN); NIKREATES/ALAMY (CABBAGETOWN)

AGA KHAN MUSEUM

High Park

Some High Park neighbourhoods are in the midst of heady rejuvenation as others retain their time-honoured identities—the perfect hybrid of trendy and traditional.

THE JUNCTION

The Danforth

SNAP IT The Leuty Lifeguard Station, built in 1920, is just south of The Beaches boardwalk. Use a diffuser to avoid glare during peak sunlight.

This neighbourhood’s transformation from an area dominated by warehouses and factories into the city’s latest hipster hangout has been remarkable. Gastropubs, offbeat clothing shops, cutting-edge design stores and a weekly farmers’ market attract young urban professionals and trendsetters.

HIGH PARK

The sprawling 399-acre park is an all-season destination: it offers cherry blossoms in spring, sledding in winter, a tiny zoo (bison, deer, llamas, peacocks, sheep and highland cattle) that’s open year-round, and Pinterest-perfect fall foliage, along with walking trails and playing fields that are popular all summer long.

SUNNYSIDE PAVILION

After a day of cycling along the lakefront or strolling through High Park, cool off at the iconic Sunnyside Pavilion,

a Toronto landmark (which is now a trendy beachfront café) that dates back to 1922.

RONCESVALLES VILLAGE

For decades, Roncy, a timehonoured nickname that has stuck, has been the Polish neighbourhood. While you can still satisfy your craving for sausages and perogies, you can also find artisanal cheese emporiums, hip cafés, indie fashion shops and eateries that serve up modern takes on poutine. Oh, and there are a few good wine bars, too!

BLOOR WEST VILLAGE

From borscht to brioche, it’s all here. The continuing influence of Toronto’s Ukrainian community is evident in the eateries, store signage and when you eavesdrop in cafés.

Bloor West hosts the annual Ukrainian Festival. Toy stores, kitchenware boutiques, patisseries, fashion boutiques and stroller-friendly cafés also line the street.

Roncesvalles Village

RICK EGLINTON/GETT Y (DANFORTH); BILL BROOKS/ALAMY (SNAP IT); DOUG BROWN (BRICKWORKS); PAIGE LINDSAY (RONCESVALLES)

Evergreen Brick Works Ontario Science Centre

@SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

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Uptown

Urban professionals and families populate the leafy side streets and newly minted condo towers throughout Uptown.

After-work cocktail bars, family-friendly restaurants and fine shopping will appeal to locals and visitors alike.

The building boom that erupted in the mid-2000s and the subsequent influx of condo dwellers have led to a surge in new restaurants, clothing shops, ethnic takeaways, home décor stores and cocktail bars frequented by young professionals and visitors.

KAY GARDNER BELTLINE PARK

The most popular section of this 9 km (5.6 mile) trail runs from Yonge to Allen Road, and it’s easily accessible from the steps on Yonge Street,

just south of Davisville. The trail is popular with urban hikers, cyclists, dog walkers and joggers.

ST. CLAIR WEST

There’s a refreshing mix of one-off clothing stores and affordable restaurants on St. Clair, but the biggest draw these days is Latin inspired, namely Latino cafés and restaurants specializing in Central and South American food. A lively salsa festival commandeers the street each July.

Scarborough

Unleash your inner explorer as you hike Rouge National Urban Park, sample authentic Asian food on Lawrence East or discover exotic animals at the zoo.

Scarborough Bluffs

St. Clair West

YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE

LITTLE JAMAICA

TORONTO ZOO

(295 feet) in places. They’re best viewed from down below at Bluffers Park, which is at the terminus of Brimley Road.

One of the country’s largest— and most upscale—malls (with more than 240 stores) recently added another 300,000 square feet. Visitors can currently shop their way through such stores as Nordstrom, J.Crew, Crate and Barrel, Ted Baker London, Apple and Burberry. Even better, it has its own subway stop.

Noah’s ark had nothing on Toronto’s animal kingdom: more than 5,000 animals representing 500-plus species and four hugely popular giant pandas—mom Er Shun, dad Da Mao and twin cubs Jai Panpan and Jia Yueyue—live on 710 acres at the conservationminded zoo.

SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS AND BLUFFERS PARK

The Scarborough Bluffs (basically packed clay) stretch along the shores of Lake Ontario for 15 km (nine miles), rising as high as 90 metres

Eglinton West between Allen Road and Keele Street is home to Little Jamaica’s mix of shops and restaurants catering to Toronto’s Caribbean (namely Jamaican) and West Indian communities. Be sure to check out Reggae Lane and its namesake mural.

ROUGE NATIONAL URBAN PARK

The 79.1 sq km (30.5 sq mile) biodiverse treasure (a 30-minute drive from downtown) is Canada’s only designated national urban park, managed by Parks Canada. Visitors can hike, camp overnight (yes, within city limits!) and even canoe and fish (BYO gear). Slightly steep hills make for a great workout, while grassy riverbanks are ideal for relaxing.

SHEPPARD EAST VILLAGE

Toronto Zoo

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Get your fix of Asian and South Asian food along Sheppard Avenue East, from Midland Avenue to Markham Road. Nosh on Indian and Pakistani curries, Chinese dumplings, Filipino specialties and other delicacies at www.SeeTorontoNow.com

TORONTONIAN/ALAMY (ST. CLAIR); BILL BROOKS/ALAMY (BLUFFS); TORONTO ZOO; OLEKSIY MAKSYMENKO/ALAMY (YROKDALE); PORTIS IMAGING/ALAMY (ROUGE); MAXIMIMAGES.COM/ALAMY (HUMBER); KHRISTEL STECHER (WOODBINE)

YONGE AND EGLINTON

Humber River

Yorkdale Shopping Centre

Yonge and Eglinton

Rouge National Urban Park

Etobicoke

Ethnically rich areas (with authentic restaurants) and family-friendly entertainment complexes woo visitors eager for retail therapy and the chance to explore new neighbourhoods.

WOODBINE RACETRACK

family-run restaurants or visit the indoor malls at Midland, Glen Watford or Brimley.

TASTE OF LAWRENCE FESTIVAL

HUMBER RIVER

Head down the Humber River in a rented kayak or canoe and end up at the Humber Bay Arch Bridge, where the river pours into Lake Ontario.

It’s the most Instagrammed bridge in the city.

ALBION ISLINGTON SQUARE

So, you want to shop for bling? You’ve hit gold with this

VILLAGE OF ISLINGTON’S MURALS

Painter John Kuna and other local artists have captured the history of Islington through 26 murals that cover almost 15,000 square feet over a five-block stretch on Dundas West. It’s a unique way to explore Islington.

Woodbine Racetrack

FANTASY FAIR

Middle Eastern fare is popular in the Wexford Heights area (lip-smacking shawarma), but you can also dine on Filipino, Malaysian, Colombian and spicy Caribbean dishes in this neighbourhood along Lawrence East. @SeeTorontoNow

The country’s top thoroughbred and harness racing track, on Rexdale Boulevard, makes for a perfect outing and a chance to meet the horses (and riders) up close. The complex also has electronic table games, more than 3,000 slot machines and several dining options that overlook the racetrack, so you can catch all the action as your fave horse crosses the finish line.

Etobicoke neighbourhood (pun intended), where you’ll find gold (22 and 24 karat) and diamond designers, traditional jewellery makers, textile shops and vendors who specialize in handembroidered apparel.

Affordable eateries serve up authentic South Asian and Caribbean food.

Entertain the children at Ontario’s largest indoor amusement park, where they can choose from more than a dozen rides and attractions, such as the Sweet Fix Bakery, the Rock’N’Climb Challenge or the XD Simulator for some 3-D movie action.

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BRAMPTON, WHERE CULTURE COMES ALIVE Experience a multicultural mosaic in Flower City.

BY SARAH B. HOOD

Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park

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ith more than 200 distinct ethnic backgrounds calling Brampton home, this city to the west is known not only for its diversity but also for its jam-packed roster of theatre, concerts and events. Flower City, as Bramptonians call it, is fast becoming a hotbed for culture and outdoor activities, with plenty of spaces to skate, swim, golf and even ski.

CIT Y OF BRAMPTON

CULTURAL IMMERSION

With an 870-seat horseshoe-shaped mainstage and a 150-seat secondary hall, Rose Theatre Brampton (rosetheatre.ca) programs a full year-round season of live music, comedy and theatre. The 2017 lineup includes an evening performance with Grammy-nominated country music singersongwriter Lee Ann Womack (January), Tribute to the Legends, a dynamic rocumentary celebrating the best of reggae (February), and theatre productions of the Disney classic The Little Mermaid (March and April), along with renowned headliners like the Tartan Terrors, The Tea Pa r ty, Ja r v is Church a nd Div ine Brown, Vienna Boys Choir, Glenn Miller Orchestra and Fred Penner.

The adjacent Garden Square (brampton. ca) has become a bustling, active area of downtown, with movies on the big screen, music, events, markets and more.

Another popular feature of the square is the Brampton’s Arts Walk of Fame (brampton.ca), a tribute to homegrown st a r s l i ke come d i a n Ru s s el l Pet er s , actor-comedian Scott Thompson, novelist R oh i nton Mist r y, si nger-song w r iter Keshia Chanté, actors Michael Cera and Scott Lale, and painter Jack Reid.

On Saturday mornings, Main Street becomes a fa rmers’ ma rket nea r the square. It’s also the epicentre of the annual CeleBRAMPTON and Flower City Parade (June 17, 2017) and Brampton’s own take on the Santa Claus Parade (November 18, 2017), a sparkling nighttime affair.

The nearby Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (pama.peelregion.ca)— better known as PAMA—is a vital and multifaceted space housed in historic buildings that once served as a courthouse, registr y of f ice and jail. PAMA presents contemporary art exhibitions, hosts museum exhibits on topics as wide ranging as geology and fashion, and showcases local history and culture in all its forms. In January 2017, PAMA explores the relationship between water and pigment in the exhibit Water and Pigment: Mysterious Interactions, and issues of self-identity in @SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

the holistic artistic practice of graphic novelist Seth in Heading to Palooka-ville: Seth and the Art of the Graphic Novel.

Bra mpton’s diverse cultura l ma keup—especially its robust South Asian Rose Theatre Brampton

population—brings a wealth of international programming, particularly in the area of cinema.

The city hosts components of the exhilarating combined BMO International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) and BMO Punjabi International Film Festival (PIFF) (April 2017 and May 18 to 22, 2017, pifftoronto.com). The 10-day celebration, which has quickly grown into the largest South Asian film festival in North America, includes international feature film screenings, as well as documentaries and short films, plus a lavish cavalcade of concerts, parties, seminars and workshops across t he Greater Toronto A rea. The Sikh International Film Festival Toronto, a.k.a.

SIFFT (sifft.ca), focuses on the Sikh experience in Canada and around the world.

A dynamic addition to the city’s cultural attractions is MakerSpace, designated creative hubs located at library branches across the city. The MakerSpace is as inviting and as accessible to curious kids and teens as it is to ambitious entrepreneurs hoping to break through with an innovative product (brampton.ca/makerspace).

Garden Square

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COMPASS RINKS AND LINKS

You don’t have to go far afield to enjoy nature in Flower City: just try a local park!

Brampton’s winter wonderland is Gage Park (brampton.ca), located at the southwest corner of Main Street South and Wellington Street West, where visitors and residents make the most of the chilly season by gliding on the picturesque ice trail alongside the trees, delighting in a holiday light show and enjoying a free New Year’s Eve celebration. The park is also the home of annual events such as the Rotary Rib ’n’ Roll (May 26 to 28, 2017, ribnroll.com), a weekend of sizzling BBQ and family entertainment.

Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park, at Central Park Drive and Queen Street East, offers an astonishing array of facilities for active fun: year-round tennis, beach volleyball, mini-putt golf, formal gardens, paddleboats, a petting zoo, a BMX/skateboard park and a snow hill for skiing, snowboarding and inner tubing— just to name a few. Professor’s Lake, a former quarry, is now a spring-fed lake where you can rent canoes, kayaks and other watercraft. It’s a popular haunt for triathletes in training.

Claireville Conservation Area draws birdwatchers and horseback riders, while Eldorado Park is a family favourite for its outdoor swimming pool and picnic areas (it also attracted Laurence Fishburne, Hugh Dancy and Scott Thompson for the filming of the gripping TV crime drama Hannibal).

Golfers have an embarrassment of riches around Brampton. Lionhead Golf Club and Conference Centre (golflionhead.com) has two courses: the tricky Masters and the downright difficult Legends. The clubhouse at Lionhead underwent a $4-million redesign in 2015 that added Iggy’s, a 184-seat restaurant with an outdoor patio.

The 18 holes at Turnberry Golf Club (turnberrygolf.ca), once a gravel quarry, b oa s t u n iquely u ndu l at i n g t er r a i n .

Parkshore Golf Club (parkshoregolf.ca) is Ontario’s longest nine-hole course, with six large ponds and a winding creek. Another nine-hole course is Peel Village Golf Course (brampton.ca), located in a natural wildlife sanctuary.

This year, Tourism Brampton (905-8743601, tourismbrampton.ca) celebrates the city’s unique heritage and diverse heritage sites in the heart of the city, with its recently launched Downtown Heritage Walking Tour, available as a downloadable print file through Tourism Brampton.

CAN’T-MISS BRAMPTON ATTRACTIONS

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Zip lines and treetop climbs are in order at Treetop Trekking (treetop trekking.com) in the lovely Heart Lake Conservation Area.

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A 19th-century farmhouse is preserved as a fascinating museum at Historic Bovaird House (bovairdhouse.ca)—with a haunted nursery! The gift shop offers an enticing selection of handmade craftworks; locals eagerly await the Mother’s Day tea and Victorian Christmas tea and craft sale.

Lionhead Golf Club and Conference Centre

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There’s always time for shopping, and Bramalea City Centre (bramaleacity centre.ca) is one of Canada’s largest malls, with more than 300 shops and services, anchored by Hudson’s Bay. The mall has a free electric vehicle charging station.

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For three days, the city’s diverse communities go all out to impress “passport”-holding visitors at pavilions representing international food, culture, music and dance at Carabram ( July 14 to 16, 2017, carabram.org).

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www.SeeTorontoNow.com

CIT Y OF BRAMPTON (GAGE PARK); TREETOP TREKKING; HISTORIC BOVAIRD HOUSE

Gage Park

MISSISSAUGA, T THE CITY OF VILLAGES Where big-city flavour meets old-world charm. BY JANELLE REED WITH ADDITIONAL RESEARCH BY SARAH B. HOOD & HILARY MARCHILDON

oronto’s big-city neighbour, and Canada’s sixth-largest city, Mississauga offers epic shopping, massive street parties and traditional festivals galore.

Just a stone’s throw from Toronto Pearson International Airport and about 40 minutes west of Union Station by train, the city attracts people looking for lakefront views and leisurely strolls, a plate of pasta at celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s latest outpost and to catch a piece of Canadian pride at the Canada 150 celebrations.

CANADA 150

As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, the City of Mississauga is throwing a yearlong party to remember. Starting January 1, 2017, and running through to New Year’s Eve, the city will be brimming with arts, culture and heritage events to celebrate this milestone. Two big events are the Canada Day (July 1, 2017) and Light Up the Square (November 25, 2017) festivities in Mississauga Celebration Square. With new events being added all the time, please visit the City of Mississauga celebration page for the most recent listings (mississauga.ca/canada150).

CIT Y OF MISSISSAUGA (MAIN IMAGE); TD MOSAIC SOUTH ASIAN FESTIVAL

TD Mosaic South Asian Festival of Mississauga

City Centre

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@SeeTorontoNow

HEART OF THE NEW CITY

Early settlement hugged the la keshore, but today Mississauga is centred at Burnhamthorpe Road East between Hurontario Street and Confederation Parkway, with a cluster of key destinations: the postmodern Mississauga Civic Centre, a performing arts centre, a public square, an art gallery and the massive Square One Shopping Centre, a l l w ithin sight of Absolute World, the eye-catching condos nicknamed the Marilyn Monroe Towers for their curvy forms.

He r e , t he b e aut i f u l l y r e v it a l i z e d 2.7 hectare (6.6 acre) Mississauga Cele­ bration Squa re (m i s s i s s au ga .c a / celebrationsquare) hosts hundreds of free public performances and activities annually. This state-of-the art multimedia 2017 TORONTO

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destination includes an amphitheatre and an interactive water fountain that becomes the city’s largest skating rink each winter.

The multidisciplinary TD Mosaic 2017: South Asian Festival of Mississauga (August 9 to 10, 2017, communityart.ca) brings a glittering roster of ar ts and enter tainment superstars to the city centre and has featured such headliners as soca legend S.W. Storm and India’s high-energy Benny Dayal.

Dance, food, arts, film and music permeate this all-ages celebration of cultural diversity.

T h e A r t G a l l e r y o f M i s s i s s au g a (artgalleryofmississauga.com) is a freeadmission public gallery located across from Mississauga Celebration Square.

Ex hibitions ra nge f rom histor ica l to contemporary art, photography, design and crafts.

The Living Arts Centre (livingarts centre.ca) features performance venues, studio spaces and exhibit display areas. It’s a hub for all things creative, where you might catch Canada’s first lady of musical theatre, Louise Pitre, in From Broadway with Love or the theatrical performance of the classic Alice in Wonderland.

Topping any shopaholic’s must-visit list is Square One Shopping Centre (shopsquare one.com). With more than 300 retailers like Apple, Michael Kors, Zara and Whole Foods Market, it’s Ontario’s biggest mall. After a recent renovation and expansion project, it recently added the first Ontario outlet of Quebec’s La Maison Simons in a lavish two-storey location, a 120,000-square-foot Holt Renfrew and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian restaurant.

Mississauga Waterfront Festival

Celebration Square

STREETSVILLE

For an old-fashioned Ontario main-street e x p er ienc e, s t r ol l t h r ou g h h i s t or ic Streetsville (villageofstreetsville.com), known as The Village in the City, where you can relax in a tea room and browse charming boutiques. Celebrate with family and friends at Streetsville Village Square on Main Street, which provides a pretty promenade and a canopied space for public celebrations.

For more than 40 years, The Streetsville Founders’ Bread and Honey Festival (June 2 to 4, 2017, breadandhoney.ca), named in honour of the local mills and apiaries, has been the community’s benchmark family outing, loved for its petting zoo, musical performances, carnival rides and popular Bread & Honey Parade.

PORT CREDIT

The la kef ront v i l lage of Port Credit (portcredit.com) is a relaxing retreat within the city, a pedestrian-friendly enclave of restaurants, boutiques and a scenic boardwalk. After an afternoon of window shopping and sauntering the strip, refuel over 86

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a chai latte and not-too-sweet pastr y against a background of great music at the Archtop Café. Peruse hundreds of vinyl albums while your chai is frothing at this cozy neighbourhood gem (archtop cafe.com).

The Credit River is known for its excellent catch-and-release ops, for Chinook salmon, plus rainbow, brook and brown trout and more, thanks to the conservation work of local anglers. The stretch of river between Norval and Streetsville is legendary for non-stop steelie strikes during the month of May. Check online for current fishing regulations (craa.on.ca).

At Por t Cred it Memor ia l Pa rk, the annual Mississauga Waterfront Festival (June 16 to 18, 2017, themwf.com) draws more than 65,000 people to Port Credit during the three-day event with live performances by Canadian stars such as Sam Roberts, Jann Arden and Jim Cuddy.

In September, the park hosts the Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle Blues & BBQ Festival (September 8 to 10, 2017, south sideshuff le.com), Port Credit’s weekend blues and BBQ festival, which unites the www.SeeTorontoNow.com

KHRISTEL STECHER (CELEBRATION SQUARE AND WATERFRONT FESTIVAL); KHRISTEL STECHER (PORT CREDIT AND SQUARE ONE); WIL YEUNG (MISSISSAUGA)

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l i ke s of D r. Ho ok , E lv i n Bi shop a nd Mavis Staples on multiple stages. Don’t miss the food trucks, beer gardens or Mississauga’s biggest street party.

BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Mississauga’s lakefront and parkland retreats (mississauga.ca) offer numerous

possibilities for cyclists, birdwatchers and other outdoor aficionados to explore.

La kef ront P romenade Pa rk blend s protected natural areas and spaces for outdoor recreation, including boating at the Mississauga Sailing Club, the Port Credit Yacht Club a nd the La kef ront Promenade Marina.

BraeBen Golf Course, designed in the style of a traditional Scottish High­l ands course, is home to a rich variety of wildlife and is located on the city’s highest point of land. It has a green energy system capable of generating enough renewable energy to power over 5,000 Mississauga homes.

Play 18 holes at the Lakeview Golf Course, twice home of the Canadian Open golf tourney. The parkland-style public course, more than 100 years old, is an official Ontario heritage site.

Square One Shopping Centre

Port Credit Mississauga

BROWSING AND GRAZING

Major international retail brands and farmfresh country fare are all to be found within a single day trip around Mississauga. When the weather isn’t co-operating, a mall like Square One can fill the bill on its own. The busy Erin Mills Town Centre (erinmills.ca) recently completed a $100-million nip and tuck. Between shopping your way through stores like H&M, Indigo and Old Navy, grab some lunch at the spiffy new food court with 26-foot-tall windows overlooking the city. Or when the sun’s out, dine alfresco on the outdoor patio.

Sherway Gardens (sherwaygardens.ca), at Highway 427 and the QEW, is well into its $550-million expansion and makeover, with the 150,000-square-foot Saks Fifth Avenue location, featuring the upscale ­g rocer y store Pusater i’s Fine Foods, recently opening.

Bargain hunters will delight in Dixie Outlet Mall (dixieoutletmall.com), at the QEW and Dixie Road, featuring more than 135 stores, including brand-name outlets such as Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s and Guess.

The summer farmers’-market boom has swept Mississauga. Shop for local fare Wednesday mornings at Mississauga Celebration Square (lionscentral.com); Fridays at CF Sherway Gardens (farm freshmarkets.ca); Saturdays in Port Credit (por t cred it .com /fa r mers-ma rket) Streetsville (streetsvillelionsclub.ca) and Oak v ille (farmf reshmarkets.ca); and Sundays at Square One (lionscentral.com).

TAKE IN THE TOWN

PHOTO: TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTTKTK

Runners of all ages test their mettle at the Mississauga Marathon’s race weekend (May 6 and 7, 2017, mississaugamarathon.com), with events ranging from a 2 km (1.2 mile) fun run/walk to the full 42.2 km (26.2 mile) marathon.

More than 72 different cultures show off their food and traditions at 30 pavilions across Mississauga during Carassauga from May 26 to 28, 2017, carassauga.com), a festival that tips its hat to the area’s ethnic diversity.

Mississauga programs more than 70 free special events highlighting the city’s visual and performing arts talent during the n at io n a l Cu ltu r e Day s c e l e b r at io n (September 29 to October 1, 2017, missis sauga.ca). A highlight is Doors Open (September 30, 2017), which offers an inside view of more than 35 heritage spaces like historic houses, churches and gardens that are generally closed to the public. @SeeTorontoNow

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WONDER-FALLS Explore Niagara’s many dimensions, from its food and wine scene to the excitement of the Falls. BY YUKI HAYASHI

A

bout a 90-minute drive from downtown Toronto, the Niagara Region has epic adventures to suit all travellers. From the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls to the quaint, rustic charm of wine country, there’s so much to see and do on a day trip. Here are our suggestions for three traveller types to go gaga over Niagara.

WINE LOVERS

Blessed with rich soils and unique microcl i m at e s , Ni a ga r a’s w i ne cou nt r y i s Canada’s largest and most prestigious (hello, icewine!). With more than 90 wineries throughout the region, touring by car—or, better yet, bike—is an enjoyable way to pass the day.

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offers a relaxed afternoon wine tour by bike, perfect for meandering along country roads and stopping at wineries for tours and tastings. For wine without the exercise, Niagara Vintage Wine Tours (niagara vintagewinetours.com) provides group and private tours with a driver and a guide.

Rather explore on your own? Vineland Estates Winery (vineland.com) boasts

incredible vineyard views, an acclaimed restaurant and award-winning Riesling and Cabernet Franc. Nearby Niagara-onthe-Lake is home to Trius Winery at Hillebrand (triuswines.com), Top Ontario Winery of the Year at the 2015 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada. Or create your own itinerary with Wine Country Ontario’s Wine Route Planner (winecoun tryontario.ca).

For an unforgettable night of food, wine and music under the stars, visit JacksonTriggs Winery (jacksontriggswinery.com).

Start with dinner in the barrel cellar before sauntering over to the amphitheatre for the summer concert series. Past acts include Stars, the Sam Roberts Band and Arkells. www.SeeTorontoNow.com

CHRISTINE HESS ( JOURNEY BEHIND THE FALLS)

Journey Behind the Falls

Niagara Helicopters

NIAGARA HELICOPTERS; WHIRLPOOL JET BOAT TOURS; ONTARIO TOURISM (SK YWHEEL, MIDWAY AND WINE TOURS)

THRILL-SEEKERS

Ever since Annie Edson Taylor barrelled over Niagara Falls in 1901, thrill-seekers Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours have v isited t he Fa l ls for t hei r ow n white-knuckle adventures. Luckily, several family photo ops. Intrepid kids and parents tour providers offer opportunities galore. will love standing behind the massive Catch an adrenalin rush riding the sheets of water of the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara River’s Class 5 rapids. Whirlpool Journey Behind the Falls. Or becoming Jet Boat Tours (whirlpooljet.com) offers part of the landscape in Niagara’s Fury, an two options: a dry cruise in the Jet Dome immersive multi-sensory infotainment boat and the get-stoked-and-soaked Wet experience on a moving platform.

Jet ride.

Watch the mesmerizing Falls’ Hornblower Niagara Cruises formation, feel water spray and (niagaracruises.com) offers splash, and shiver as snow state-of-the-art catamaran falls (niagaraparks.com). tours, bringing you to the For even more watery fun, heart of the action (with less the Fallsview Indoor Water­ whitewater). An on-board bar park (fallsviewwaterpark.com) opens for nighttime cruises.

Niagara Vintage b e c kon s . It ’s one of Nor t h For a higher, dryer but equally Wine Tours America’s largest indoor water parks breathtaking tour, try a helicopter and resorts, featuring 16 waterslides, a ride. Niagara Helicopters (niagaraheli massive wave pool, a ginormous tipping copters.com) flies passengers close enough bucket and an outdoor rooftop pool. to feel the power of the Falls as more than Although the waterpark has a games 168,000 cubic metres (nearly six million a rcade, wa lk to the Great Canadian cubic feet) of water spill over the edge Midway (cliftonhill.com) and take the every minute. arcade action up a notch with its 300-plus Keep on the air-bound vibe at Niagara games, including a haunted-house ride.

Freefall & Interactive Center (niagara A few steps away, Ripley’s Believe It or freefall.com/freefall). This skydiving Not! Odditorium offers oddball feats, facts experience is simulated in an indoor verand artifacts, such as the world’s rarest egg tical wind tunnel with speeds of about and collection of two-headed animals.

193 km/h (120 mph).

Continue the fun at the nearby Ripley’s For a more vérité experience, Niagara Skydive Centre (niagaraskydive.com)— about half an hour from Niagara Falls —does things the old-fashioned way: from up to 3,810 metres (12,500 feet) in the air.

Moving Theater and Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks (ripleys.com/niagarafalls).

By now, you’ve all probably worked up an appetite. Stay on Clifton Hill and try the kid-fave Rainforest Cafe (niagarafalls rainforestcafe.com) or the Hard Rock Cafe (hardrockcafe.com). Skip dessert and walk over to the famed Hershey’s Chocolate World ( her s he y s c ho c ol at e world n i a garafalls.ca) for some freshly made fudge o r h a n d- d ip p e d c h o c o l at e - c o v e r e d strawberries.

End the day on the Niagara SkyWheel (cliftonhill.com). The climate-controlled, enclosed-gondola Ferris wheel offers a 175-feet-tall vantage point of the Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Niagara River. At dusk, gaze at the twinkling lights of Clifton Hill and the Niagara skyline, and the light displays showcasing the Falls.

FAMILY-FUN FANATICS

For multi-generational family excitement, Niagara Falls can’t be beat. Between the Falls and the adjacent Clifton Hill entertainment district, an action-packed day is guaranteed.

The Falls are an obvious starting point, offering loads of oohing, aahing and great @SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

Great Canadian Midway

Niagara SkyWheel

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ROAD TRIPS Hit the highway to discover Ontario’s best getaways.

1. MANITOULIN ISLAND

THE DRIVE AND FERRY RIDE: 297 km (185 miles) to Tobermory, plus a two-hour ferry ride to South Baymouth; approximately six and a half hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: With its status as the largest freshwater island in the world, Manitoulin Island attracts adventure enthusiasts yearround for such outdoor fun as hiking and biking in summer and ice f ishing and snowmobiling in winter.

E AT L O C A L : A f lower-bedecked fa r mhouse turned local eatery, Garden’s Gate Restaurant (gardensgate.ca) is known for its creative use of local ingredients.

2. TOBERMORY

THE DRIVE: 297 km (185 miles); approximately four hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: Calling all divers, hikers, kayakers, golfers and art lovers: hike the majestic cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment or scuba dive in Fathom Five National Marine Park.

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EAT LOCAL: Try Georgian Bay whitefish prepared multiple ways at the Grandview Dining Room (grandview-tobermory.com), overlooking the bay. For a more casual atmosphere, follow the locals to The Fish & Chip Place (thefishandchipplace.com).

3. BLUE MOUNTAIN

THE DRIVE: 160 km (99 miles); approximately two hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: Nestled between Georgian Bay and the Niagara Escarpment, Blue Mountain (bluemountain.ca) is a ski and snowboard mega-resort destination. But it also has plenty of green-season sports to keep fitness freaks happy, including a mountain-bike park, mountain tours and an adventure park with a Timber Challenge high-ropes course.

EAT LOCAL: Blue Mountain Village’s Kaytoo (kaytoo.ca) offers representative dishes f rom across Canada A lber ta beef, Saskatoon berry pie, Montreal smoked meat and East Coast lobster. Canadian

campf ire-cooked s’mores end w inter meals on a sweet note.

4. WASAGA BEACH

THE DRIVE: 133 km (83 miles); approximately two hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: With its 14 km (8.7 miles) of white sand, Wasaga Beach has drawn summer visitors to the shores of Nottawasaga Bay for more than a century. Nearby golf courses, bike paths, hiking trails and cross-country skiing and snowmobile routes keep people busy year-round.

EAT LOCAL: Catch 22 Fresh Market Grill (catch22grill.com) is a TripAdvisor favourite. Locally farmed ingredients pepper a menu heavy on populist hits: steak, pasta, seafood and a different lunch burger featured each day. www.SeeTorontoNow.com

BLUE MOUNTAIN; ONTARIO TOURISM (TOBERMORY AND WASAGA BEACH)

BY ALIYAH SHAMSHER, WITH ADDITIONAL RESEARCH BY SARAH B. HOOD

5. MUSKOKA

THE DRIVE: 165 km (103 miles); approximately two hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: National Geographic Traveler editors chose Muskoka as the No. 1 summer destination in the world for its 1,600 lakes, granite cliffs carved out of the Canadian Shield, and artistically gnarled pine trees.

E AT LOC A L : Rub shou lder s w it h such high-profile guests as Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson at The Rosseau Grill at Winder mere House (w i nder 5 merehouse.com).

6. OTTAWA

T H E D R I V E : 4 5 0 k m (2 8 0 miles); approximately four hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: As Canada’s capital, this dynamic city with more than 1.3 million residents is always buzzing. Visit Parliament Hill or one of the many national museums, as well as galleries and theatre companies, or take in the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

EAT LOCAL: The f inest French culinary techniques marry with Canadian ingredients at Le Cordon Bleu’s Signatures Restaurant (signaturesrestaurant.com), located at the North American HQ of the famous cooking academy. Head to the historical ByWard Market district for cafés, restaurants and specialty food shops featuring local ingredients, or explore the Ottawa region’s impressive craft beer scene at a brewpub.

ONTARIO TOURISM (MUSKOK A AND POINT PEELE)

7. PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY

THE DRIVE: 203 km (126 miles); approximately two hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOV E: Ontario’s newest wine region makes for a great excursion, with award-winning wineries and Chowhoundpleasing eateries and artisan food producers. The Globe and Mail newspaper recently named the area the “gastronomic capital” of Ontario.

EAT LOCAL: East & Main Bistro (eastand main.ca), a top choice among Toronto chefs, had the smart idea to combine luxury comfort food with fresh, local ingredients, paired with an outstanding selection of County wines.

River. Then golf, sip and shop your way through what is often referred to as the loveliest town in Ontario.

EAT LOCAL: Executive chef Jason Parsons, who works with winemaker Katie Dickieson to showcase wines in his seasonal menus, leads Zagat winner Peller Estates Winery Restaurant (peller.com).

9. NIAGARA FALLS

THE DRIVE: 128 km (80 miles); approximately two hours from Toronto.

W H AT W E LOV E: Hornblower Niagara Cruises’ Canadian Falls tours—dining on board is now an option! Ride the jet boat, tour at the whirlpool or stroll through Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens.

E AT LOC A L: Casually upscale, newly opened Weinkeller (weinkeller.ca) is Niagara Fa lls’ f irst w inery-restaurant. Sip your way through the offerings and enjoy a glass with fresh oysters. For the best value, it’s tough to beat the $25 Grand Buffet at Fallsview Casino Resort (fallsviewcasinoresort.com).

EAT LOCAL: At Rundles (rundlesrestaurant .com), a favourite pre-theatre spot among locals, choose the River Room for formal dining or the Garden Room to try chef Neil Baxter’s take on casual French haute cuisine. The Chocolate Trail (visitstratford .ca/chocolatetrail)—25 shops offering everything chocolate, from shortbread to chocolate mint tea—provides the ultimate sweet finish.

11. POINT PELEE

THE DRIVE: 360 km (224 miles); approximately four hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: Canada’s southernmost tip, Point Pelee National Park is celebrated for its world-renowned bird sanctuary and has captivated visitors who marvel at the migration of birds and butterflies.

EAT LOCAL: First sip, then dine at nearby Pelee Island Winery (peleeisland.com), known for its Pinot Noir, where an in-depth look at the winemaking process is followed by a tasting.

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10. STRATFORD

THE DRIVE: 149 km (93 miles); approximately two hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: The town’s architecture reflects its Victorian past, but many come for the Justin Bieber hometown tour (visit stratford.ca/justin-biebers-stratford). The Stratford Festival (stratfordfestival.ca) enjoys international acclaim, especially for its Shakespearean productions.

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8. NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE

THE DRIVE: 132 km (82 miles); approximately two hours from Toronto.

WHAT WE LOVE: Take a carriage ride through the Old Town or a boat along the Niagara @SeeTorontoNow

@SeeTorontoNow

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For more great Ontario getaways, visit ontariotravel.net.

2017 TORONTO

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COMPASS

FINDING YOUR FEET NAVIGATE THE CITY LIKE A TRUE TORONTONIAN.

AIRPORT 411

TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CODE YYZ) is the main point of landing for most domestic and international f lights. Toronto Pearson is 27 km (17 miles) west of downtown (about a half-hour drive). To get from the airport to downtown, you can: v TAKE THE UP (UNION PEARSON) EXPRESS

The new dedicated express rail service, which departs every 15 minutes, travels between Union Station and Toronto Pearson in 25 minutes and costs as little as $9 one-way.

v CATCH A SHUTTLE BUS

Many hotels offer airport shuttles, so check whether yours does.

v TAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT

Ride the Toronto Transit Comm­i s­ sion’s 192 Airport Rocket bus to Kipling subway station or take the 52A Lawrence West bus to Lawrence

Toronto Pearson International Airport

TRAVELLING

BY BUS

Toronto Coach Terminal is the main intercity bus depot, located downtown at 610 Bay St. It serves such bus companies as Greyhound, Coach Canada/TrentwayWagar and Ontario Northland.

Union Station Bus Terminal is located at 141 Bay St. (south of Front Street and just east of Union Station).

It is the hub for GO Transit buses servicing inter-region travel in and around the Greater Toronto Area. For more information, call 1-800GET-ON-GO or 416-869-3200 or visit gotransit.com.

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TRAVELLING

BY TRAIN

West subway station. Both TTC stations are on subway lines serving the downtown core. Visit ttc.ca for fare information. v HIRE A TAXI OR AN AIRPORT LIMO

Look for the lineup signs for taxis.

The average cost into the city is about $60.

v RENT A CAR

You’ll find major car-rental outfits at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Most are open daily from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Find detailed directions to the city at torontopearson.com.

BILLY BISHOP TORONTO CITY AIRPORT (CODE YTZ), located on the Toronto Islands, serves domestic, chartered and select U.S. flights. Passengers can walk to or from Billy Bishop via a pedestrian tunnel or take a short ferry ride to Toronto’s Harbourfront district, with taxi and public transit connections from there.

All trains arrive and depart from Union Station (65 Front St. W.). VIA Rail handles most of Canada’s intercity routes and connects to the U.S. via Amtrak.

The Amtrak/VIA Maple Leaf route runs between New York City and Toronto daily and takes about 12 hours, depending on the border wait. For more information: 1-888-VIA-RAIL and viarail.ca; 1-800-USA-RAIL and amtrak.com.

GO Transit services inter-region travel in and around the Greater Toronto Area.

GO’s green-and-white trains also operate from Union Station. For more information, call 1-800-GET-ON-GO or 416-869-3200 or visit gotransit.com.

IMPORTANT FYIs

v Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): All visa-exempt foreign fly-in visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). American citizens and travellers with valid visas are exempt, as are visitors who arrive by land or sea. v The legal drinking age is 19. Licensed establishments serve alcohol between 11 a.m. and 2 a.m. v To get married in Ontario, consenting partners age 18 and older must first obtain a marriage licence.

If you submit the application (available online) with two pieces of valid ID, along with the $140 fee, the licence can generally be processed within a day, after which it’s valid for 90 days. Same-sex marriage has been legal here since 2003. Find more info (including the application form) at settlement.org. v General retail hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with some malls offering extended hours and some smaller boutiques closing earlier. Most shops and malls close earlier on Sundays.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

360 Restaurant is one of Canada’s finest dining destinations, located atop the iconic CN Tower.

Featuring spectacular 360-degree views of the city and an inventive, Canadian-sourced, seasonal menu, 360 is an inspiring gastronomic experience in an unsurpassed setting. 360 boasts an extensive array of wines from Canada and around the world, from its innovative cellar in the sky.

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Queens Quay waterfront

EXPLORING THE CITY

GET INSIDER ADVICE

With four lines and 69 stations, Toronto’s subway system is easy to navigate. Maps are displayed on all subway cars and are available at station ticket booths. Subway stops connect to streetcar or bus routes that weave throughout the city and extend to the Greater Toronto Area. In mid-2017, the TTC is switching from the use of tokens, tickets, transfers and passes to the new PRESTO card, which is also valid on GO Transit, the UP Express and numerous other transit systems throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas (GTHA). Passengers use credit or debit cards to load the cards for multiple fares.

Using PRESTO, single fares are $3.00 (adults), $2.05 (seniors/students) and free for children under 13.

Until the PRESTO card replaces other methods of fare payment, single fare is $3.25 (adults), $2.10 (seniors/students) and free for children under 13. Keep in mind that drivers don’t provide change, and hold on to your paper transfer for free connections. Save money by buying multiple tokens or tickets or a daily, weekly or monthly transit pass. Visit ttc.ca or call 416-393-INFO for more information.

The Toronto Greeters program (TAP into TO!) will send a volunteer to welcome visitors. By pairing guests and greeters with similar interests, the program offers newcomers a chance to connect with Toronto— and Torontonians—on a personal level and to tap into the pulse of the city. Call 416-33TAPTO (338-2786) or email tapto@toronto.ca for more info.

v BY TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION (TTC)

v BY REGIONAL TRANSIT

Visiting Mississauga? Go to the Click n’ Ride route planner on mississauga.ca, type in your origin and destination, and the website will map out your best route. For route information in Brampton, visit Brampton Transit at brampton.ca.

v BY GO TRANSIT

For routes from Toronto to the suburbs and neighbouring regions, check GO Transit bus and train schedules at gotransit.com.

v BY TAXI

Toronto has numerous cab companies, and all charge the same base rate of $3.25 plus $1.75 per kilometre ($1.09 per mile) or 52 cents a minute.

The easiest cab number to remember is 416-TAXICAB, which connects you to all taxi

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and airport-limo companies.

Fares from Toronto Pearson International Airport are regulated by zone and are non-negotiable. For a preapproved flat rate, please ask the driver for a rate sheet. v BY BIKE

Renting a bike is easy. Keep your eyes peeled for automated bike stands throughout the city. Bike rentals are ideal for shorter rides and are a great alternative to taxi jaunts. Grab a bike at one stand and return it to another. Visit toronto.ca for an online Toronto cycling map, or pick up a free paper copy at a civic or community centre, library or bicycle shop.

v BY FOOT

Toronto is a safe and walkable city. Look for trails throughout the parks, gardens and

beaches; routes are outlined at toronto.ca. Explore the PATH, an easy-to-navigate system of underground walkways and shopping arcades that runs beneath the downtown core.

The 30 km (19 mile) PATH connects six subway stations, major hotels and several attractions, including Union Station, Roy Thomson Hall, Air Canada Centre, CN Tower, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Queens Quay (on the waterfront) and City Hall. Maps are available at toronto.ca. v BY WATER

Visit the city’s largest parkland, the Toronto Islands, just minutes from the downtown core. You can board Toronto’s ferries hourly to get to and from the islands. Buy your tickets in person or book online at toronto.ca/ferry.

MORE QUESTIONS? Call 311 Toronto at 416-392-CITY (2489), or dial 311 within city limits, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

TOURIST INFO + SERVICES FIND INFO: Visit the Ontario Travel Information Centre at the west end of Union Station (65 Front St. W.) in the Main Hall, near the Skywalk. Specialists at the Toronto desk can provide information to help you get the most out of your visit to Toronto.

www.SeeTorontoNow.com

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CALENDAR

2017 EVENTS JANUARY TIFF Bell Lightbox’s Canada on Screen January – December, TIFF.NET Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Canada Mosaic January – December TSO.CA Interior Design Show January 19 – 22 INTERIORDESIGNSHOW.COM Toronto International Boat Show January 20 – 29 TORONTOBOATSHOW.COM Winterlicious January 27 – February 10 TORONTO.CA Toronto Light Festival January 27 – March 19 THEDISTILLERYDISTRICT.COM/ EVENTS.HTML

FEBRUARY Janet Macpherson: A Canadian Bestiary February 14 – May 21 GARDINERMUSEUM.COM Canadian International AutoShow February 17 – 26, AUTOSHOW.CA Bloor-Yorkville Icefest February 25 – 26 BLOOR-YORKVILLE.COM

MARCH Beach Village BIA’s Family Sunday in the Beach March, THEBEACHVILLAGE.COM Becoming Canadian in Toronto: Snapshots Through Time Date March – July, TORONTO.CA Canada Blooms: The Flower and Garden Festival March 10 – 19 CANADABLOOMS.COM

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GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon May 7 TORONTOMARATHON.COM

National Home Show March 10 – 19 NATIONALHOMESHOW.COM

Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival May 25 – June 4, INSIDEOUT.CA

Toronto Sportsmen’s Show March 15 – 19 TORONTOSPORTSHOW.CA

Carassauga: Mississauga’s Festival of Cultures May 26 – 28, CARASSAUGA.COM

Toronto Comicon March 17 – 19 COMICONTORONTO.COM

Doors Open Toronto May 27 – 28, TORONTO.CA

St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 19 STPATRICKSTORONTO.COM

Woofstock May 27 – 28, WOOFSTOCK.CA

Taste of Toronto June 15 – 18 TASTEOFTORONTO.COM Mississauga Waterfront Festival June 16 – 18, THEMWF.COM

Bloor-Yorkville Icefest

One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale March 29 – April 2 ONEOFAKINDSHOW.COM

APRIL TIFF Kids International Film Festival April 7 – 23, TIFF.NET Canadian Music Week April 18 – 22, CMW.NET Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival April 27 – May 7 HOTDOCS.CA Creativ Festival April 28 – 29, CSNF.COM

MAY Cultural Hotspot May – October TORONTO.CA/CULTURALHOTSPOT Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival May 1 – 31 SCOTIABANKCONTACT PHOTO.COM

Toronto International Film Festival

JUNE Bestival June, BESTIVAL.CA

The Taste of Little Italy June 16 – 18 TASTEOFLITTLEITALY.CA

The Streetsville Founders’ Bread and Honey Festival June 2 – 4, BREADANDHONEY.COM

Pepsi North America Cup June 17 WOODBINEENTERTAINMENT.COM

CeleBRAMPTON June 10, BRAMPTON.CA

Pride Toronto June PRIDETORONTO.COM

Ontario Craft Beer Week June 10 – 18, OCBWEEK.CA North by Northeast June 12 – 18, NXNE.COM

Toronto Jewish Film Festival May 4 – 14, TJFF.COM

Ideacity June 14 – 16 IDEACITYONLINE.COM

Mississauga Marathon May 6 – 7 MISSISSAUGAMARATHON.COM

Luminato Festival June 14 – 24 LUMINATOFESTIVAL.COM

TD Toronto Jazz Festival June 23 – July 2 TORONTOJAZZ.COM Cavalia June 28 – July 16 CAVALIA.NET

JULY Canada Day Nathan Phillips Square June 30 – July 3, TORONTO.CA www.SeeTorontoNow.com

Bud Light Digital Dreams Music Festival July, DIGITALDREAMSFESTIVAL.CA

Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival October 18 – 22 PLANETINFOCUS.ORG

Harbourfront Centre’s Sounds of Home July – August HARBOURFRONTCENTRE.COM Redpath Waterfront Festival July 1 – July 3 TOWATERFRONTFEST.COM Brampton Chinguacousy Park’s Canada Day July 1, BRAMPTON.CA

DANIEL TRAN (ICEFEST); DOUG BROWN (TIFF); EPA EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY B.V./ALAMY (ROGERS CUP)

Mississauga Celebration Square’s Canada Day July 1, MISSISSAUGA CELEBRATIONSQUARE.CA

International Festival of Authors October 19 – 29, IFOA.ORG

Rogers Cup North American Indigenous Games July 16 – 23, NAIG2017.TO RBC Canadian Open July 24 – 30 RBCCANADIANOPEN.COM Toronto’s Festival of Beer July 28 – 30, BEERFESTIVAL.CA

AUGUST

Queen’s Plate July 2, WOODBINE ENTERTAINMENT.COM

Rogers Cup August 5 – 13, ROGERSCUP.COM

TD Salsa in Toronto Festival July 3 – 27 SALSAINTORONTO.COM

VELD Music Festival August 5 – 6 VELDMUSICFESTIVAL.COM

Toronto Caribbean Carnival July 4 – August 7 TORONTOCARIBBEAN CARNIVAL.COM

TD Mosaic 2017: South Asian Festival of Mississauga August 9 – 10 COMMUNITYART.CA

The Toronto Fringe Festival July 5 – 16 FRINGETORONTO.COM

Krinos Taste of the Danforth August 11 – 13 TASTEOFTHEDANFORTH.COM

Beaches International Jazz Festival July 7 – 30 BEACHESJAZZ.COM

Canadian National Exhibition August 18 – September 4 THEEX.COM Fan Expo Canada August 31 – September 3 FANEXPOCANADA.COM

Summerlicious July 7 – 23, TORONTO.CA

SEPTEMBER

Carabram: Brampton’s Multicultural Festival July 14 – 16 CARABRAM.ORG

Toronto Urban Roots Fest September, TORONTOURBAN ROOTSFEST.COM

Honda Indy Toronto July 14 – 16 HONDAINDYTORONTO.COM Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition July 14 – 16 TORONTOOUTDOORART.ORG @SeeTorontoNow

Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy September 1 – 4 TORONTOBUSKERFEST.COM Toronto International Film Festival September 7 – 17, TIFF.NET

@SeeTorontoNow

Creativ Festival October 26 – 28, CSNF.COM Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle Blues & BBQ Festival September 8 – 10 SOUTHSIDESHUFFLE.COM Toronto Beer Week September 15 – 23 TORONTOBEERWEEK.COM JFL42 September 21 – 30, JFL42.COM

Art Toronto: Toronto International Art Fair October 27 – 30 ARTTORONTO.CA Halloween on Church October 31 CHURCHWELLESLEYVILLAGE.CA

NOVEMBER

Invictus Games September 24 – 30 INVICTUSGAMES2017.COM

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair November 3 – 12 ROYALFAIR.ORG

The Word On The Street Toronto September 24 THEWORDONTHESTREET.CA

Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend November 10 – 13 HHOF.COM

Expo for Design, Innovation + Technology September 28 – October 8 EDITDX.COM

Toronto Christmas Market November 17 – December 22 (closed Mondays) TORONTOCHRISTMAS MARKET.COM

Nuit Blanche Toronto September 30 NUITBLANCHETO.CA

OCTOBER Buffer Festival October, BUFFERFESTIVAL.COM

The Santa Claus Parade November 19 THESANTACLAUSPARADE.CA One of a Kind Show & Sale November 23 – December 3 ONEOFAKINDSHOW.COM

Canada’s Walk of Fame Celebration Event October CANADASWALKOFFAME.COM

Cavalcade of Lights November 25, TORONTO.CA

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 15, TORONTOWATER FRONTMARATHON.COM

New Year’s Eve at Nathan Phillips Square December 31 TORONTO.CA

DECEMBER

PLEASE NOTE

Dates subject to change without notice. Please consult websites. For a complete calendar, visit SeeTorontoNow.com

2017 TORONTO

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VIEWFINDER

Director and photographer Michael Lawrence films a video and sees the city through various lenses, partnering with Tourism Toronto to introduce Canada’s Downtown to the world.

I grew up nearby, so I often visited Toronto with my parents, who came for the cosmopolitan vibe and the arts and culture.

And Toronto is where I met my wife!

It’s been interesting to make this video about Toronto, because it’s a place I know really well—but I’m not from here.

Consequently, I see Toronto from the inside and the outside. Because I already have my foot in the door, I know where to shoot, and that forces me to dig a lot deeper to find what is new, interesting, unseen and inspiring.

Toronto offers so much diversity when it comes to casting. And there’s an interesting visual symmetry about Toronto: the modernism of the rapidly developing skyline balanced by the grit and texture of the city. There are also neighbourhoods that are untouched, that

feel frozen in time. I like that feeling of being transplanted to somewhere else. Toronto offers many different worlds in one city.

What’s your favourite Toronto neighbourhood to shoot in?

I’m fascinated by the light in the downtown Financial District—the way it reflects off the tall buildings, creating weird canyons and valleys of light.

What three adjectives would you choose to describe Toronto?

Energetic. Collaborative. Cosmopolitan.

Your departing flight is delayed, and you’ve suddenly got a half-day to hang out in Toronto. Where do you head?

Trinity Bellwoods Park, hands down! I really like that there’s this big patch of green within the city, where I can decompress.

What are your tips for someone visiting Toronto for the first time?

I’d encourage them to check out Queen West and Ossington for the hidden culinary gems, independent design boutiques and small pop-up operations, and then wander over to Graffiti Alley (near Queen and Spadina). I love the perspective from the top of the CN Tower—it follows you everywhere. Oh, there’s also the amazing design of the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

I’d recommend strolling through Little Portugal, The Annex, Chinatown, Kensington Market—neighbourhoods that have a unique feel and a new type of crowd, ranging from the ultrahip to the ultra-Orthodox.

Toronto’s walkability is a key part of experiencing the city. Wandering is the best thing you can do to stumble across something new and amazing for yourself.

—Doug O’Neill

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAIME HOGGE

Q

Was filming in Toronto different from shooting elsewhere?

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