Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2024 i Toronto Life

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“I keep my gold medal in my sock drawer” —Sarah Nurse, p. 26 THE BIG PICTURE True Crime Cyber bandits are targeting Toronto’s public institutions It happened in the night: cyber criminals infiltrated the Toronto Public Library in late October, stealing staff SINs, home addresses and other data, threatening to make it public. The attack also laid waste to the TPL’s digital infrastructure, rendering services like its free computers useless. The library is the latest in a long line of recent victims—SickKids, Indigo, the TTC and Michael Garron Hospital have all been hit—which means that every Torontonian is at risk. Though the TPL didn’t pay the ransom, most victims see it as the only way to avoid bad publicity and get back to business. Real solutions are elusive. While companies…

There’s nothing quite like the rush of being in the know. Having a line on a hidden beach, a late-night dim sum spot, a phenomenal shoe-repair shop or a members-only speakeasy (and debating whether to share it) can be an exhilarating kind of currency. For our inaugural roundup of the city’s secret treasures, we canvassed prominent Torontonians for intel on the hush-hush venues, one-of-a-kind treats and insider tricks they leverage to get the most out of life in the GTA—and we’re divulging dozens of our own, too. Downhill ski lessons within city limits Future ski bunnies can save time and money by staying local until they get their bearings. The two hills at Earl Bales Park, at Bathurst and Sheppard, may be small, but they’re big enough for a tow…

A Nordic-inspired family getaway WHO | Mark Muia, a sprinkler and fire technician; Katherine Cott, a media and communications consultant; their kids, Ethan, 14, and Ella, 17; and their beagle, Leo WHERE | The Haliburton Highlands Katherine Cott grew up visiting her Finnish grandparents’ Thunder Bay cabin and dreamed of having a retreat of her own. But it wasn’t until the pandemic that her family took action. “We felt like it was time to step back from the hustle and bustle and find a place where we could take the kids to escape,” says Katherine. They wanted to purchase a plot of land where they could build a cabin in stages. Being near a ski hill was a must: the family goes to Blue Mountain and Horseshoe Resort several times…

On November 16, Toronto Life hosted its annual celebration of the city’s most influential people at Canopy by Hilton Toronto Yorkville Hotel. The night began with a cocktail hour to celebrate the 25 up-and-comers on our Rising Stars list. Then the party moved upstairs to Dia Restaurant and Lounge, where AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton and Mayor Olivia Chow joined other powerhouses from politics, tech, media, sports, culture and real estate. FOR FULL PARTY COVERAGE, VISIT torontolife.com/city/most-influential-party-2023 THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT PARTNERS…

VODKOW COFFEE CREAM LIQUEUR Simply open and pour this lactose-free vodka-spiked coffee cream infused with single-origin Equator coffee into your Saturday-morning joe, shake it into cold brew or enjoy it on the rocks. $34.95, vodkow.com MANN’S DIRTY CHAI LIQUEUR This Brantford micro-distillery makes its own liqueur out of beans from Altitude Coffee Roasters and cocoa nibs, then steeps chai spices in it. $24.95, mannsdistillery.com SPRING MILL DISTILLERY JOHN SLEEMAN NO. 2 COFFEE LIQUEUR For Irish coffees or espresso martinis, this Guelph distiller grinds Colombian coffee beans and spikes the blend with a neutral spirit, vanilla and cocoa. $29.95, springmilldistillery.com…

Opens Jan. 20 | AGO JUNE CLARK IS HAVING A MOMENT. After working as an artist for more than five decades, the Harlem-born, Toronto-based photographer, sculptor and collage artist is being featured in exhibitions at the AGO this month and the Power Plant in May. Now in her 80s, Clark welcomes the retrospective. Her work deals with memory: Unrequited Love at the AGO explores Clark’s self-imposed exile from the US as a young adult through re-imaginings of the American flag. Meanwhile, in her solo exhibition at the Power Plant, Clark delves into her ancestry through creative stagings of family heirlooms. Here, she tells us about returning to her childhood home, her love of rusty objects and how her ancestors speak to her through art. DIRGE 2003 Oxidized metal on canvas,…

Sarah Nurse has won gold, inspired her own Barbie doll and earned a fan in Drake. Now, she faces her biggest test: bringing glory to the Professional Women’s Hockey League You tallied a whopping five goals and 13 assists en route to winning gold at the 2022 Olympics. What were those two weeks like? Beijing brought up mixed emotions. It was during the pandemic, and I was coming off a knee injury, so being able to hit the ice was exciting. I just wanted to play and be free. Where’s that gold medal now? I bring it out when I’m meeting kids or if I’m with family who haven’t seen it yet. Otherwise, it’s in my sock drawer. You’re now the face of the new PWHL. Any reason to think…

$85 Fine issued to a TTC streetcar operator for inadvertently blocking the intersection of King and York. An officer ordered commuters to vacate the vehicle before issuing the ticket, which caused the intersection to be blocked for even longer. $90,000 Minimum household income required to qualify for a new affordable home ownership program from Habitat for Humanity GTA. The charity says it’s been forced to expand its mandate because of Toronto’s current economic challenges. $1,590,000 Fine paid by Deloitte to CPA Ontario for backdating hundreds of audit working papers—a practice that, according to regulators, undermines the accuracy, timeliness and quality of a given audit. $2,300,000 Amount the City of Toronto has saved by cancelling its leaf-bagging program in Etobicoke, York and Scarborough. Councillor Stephen Holyday has vowed to fight the…

CREATED FOR It’s probably no surprise to learn that the holiday season is one of the most popular times of the year to get engaged—second only to Valentine’s Day. If you put a ring on it during the last few weeks of 2023, you’ll be starting the new year in wedding planning mode, and that means creating a registry to let friends and family fete this big life milestone. If this thought makes you feel instantly overwhelmed, don’t worry—the process of building a registry doesn’t have to be complicated. With help from Amazon Wedding Registry, you’ll be registered in no time. Here are four things to consider as you start your wedding registry. OPT FOR AN ONLINE REGISTRY Once upon a time you had to make an in-store appointment to…

IN 1997, KENNETH MONTAGUE was five years into his dentistry practice when he decided to open a mini art gallery in his Richmond West loft to showcase his personal collection. Montague had been fascinated by art since his childhood in Windsor, when his parents would take him across the border to visit the Detroit Institute of Art. His loft had a narrow wedge-shaped hallway that was perfect for displaying photographs and paintings. He called it the Wedge Gallery and hosted salons where he would exhibit the work of (at the time) lesser-known Black artists like Carrie Mae Weems and Kehinde Wiley. Now, Montague is a major player in the Toronto art scene: his non-profit, Wedge Curatorial Projects, champions emerging Black Canadian artists, and MOCA is hosting an exhibition of portraits…

Clement Leung, better known to his 3.2 million TikTok followers as “Ramen Guy,” is the go-to source for instantnoodle hacks. Last May, the 38-year-old quit his softwaredeveloper job to make carbfocused content full-time under the handle @insta.noodls. Since launching his channel in 2021, Leung has tried just about every viral ramen hack there is. Without prejudice, he eagerly attempts add-ins, even seemingly off-putting ones (ice cream, Nutella, powdered gravy), all in a quest to elevate the student staple. We asked him to level-up six different kinds of instant ramen using standard pantry staples, taking them from depressing desk lunches to affordable, filling feasts. Indomie Mi Goreng + chopped garlic + hot oil + Sprite Indomie is technically a stir-fried Indonesian noodle (as @insta.noodls followers are often quick to point out), but…

CREATED FOR TORONTO LIFE CELEBRATED its list of the city’s 50 Most Influential Torontonians with an exclusive cocktail party at Canopy by Hilton Toronto Yorkville. The VIP guests were treated to expertly shaken and stirred drinks courtesy of World Class Canada, each one highlighting a different premium spirit, including Don Julio Tequila, Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky, Ketel One Vodka and Tanqueray No. Ten Gin. Non-alcoholic sips were made with Seedlip Spirits. The specialty menu was a mix of refreshing, citrus-forward cocktails garnished with lemon, lime, grapefruit, mint and cucumber, each drink a perfect pairing for the evening’s canapés and compelling conversation. Don Julio Paloma Don Julio Blanco Grapefruit juice Lime juice Soda water Garnished with a half grapefruit wheel Johnnie Walker Ginger Highball Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch…

You are obviously known for being one of the best chefs out there, making an impact on people’s dining experiences. What initially made you want to volunteer your time and talent as a chef to Grand Cru, and why do you continue to return year after year? Honestly, my passion for cooking goes hand in hand with my passion for contributing positively to my community. The Grand Cru event is the perfect platform for me to combine these two passions. I initially came on board simply to donate my time and talent as a chef, but every year I am touched by the stories of courage, resilience and hope that I encounter here. The yearning to be a part of something bigger than myself, and to make a difference where…

And Slumlord of the Decade Goes to… The most notorious address in Toronto is 500 Dawes Road, a 14-storey apartment building in the east end. It’s owned by a woman named Carolyn Krebs, who also goes by Carolyn Goodman, except when she goes by Marian Linton as a way of evading justice. You see, it’s hard to be held responsible for the mistreatment of hundreds of low-income tenants when no one knows your real name or where to find you. And a lot of people wish to find her. While the exterior of 500 Dawes is bleak—peeling paint, rusted-out balconies, broken windows—the interior is heartbreaking. Residents live with bedbugs, roaches and mice. The ceilings leak, and the windows are drafty. When appliances break, repairs take ages if they happen at…

IT HAPPENED LAST MONTH: A LOOSE CHRONOLOGY…

FOR YOUR HONEYMOON Fujifilm Instax Instant Camera Re-spark the joy of a picture you can hold in your hands just minutes after you take it. FOR FINISHING OFF YOUR HOME Bosch Combination Point and Line Laser Level An easy-to-use level is the key to straight frames on the first try. FOR COFFEE IN BED Breville Café Roma Espresso Machine You’ll soon wonder how you ever did without a cup warmer and froth enhancer. FOR WEEKEND ADVENTURES FLYTOP Two-Person Backpacking Double Layer Tent This four-season tent is double walled for extra protection against wind and rain. FOR COZY NIGHTS IN KitchenAid Electric Kettle This sleek and stylish compact kettle is so pretty, you’ll happily sacrifice counter real estate. FOR NIGHTS WITH FRIENDS Bambüsi Cheeseboard and Charcuterie Set This all-in-one set lets…

The first time Firouzeh Zarabi-Majd met a police officer, she was 13 years old. She and a friend had slipped out to a 7-Eleven for Slurpees without telling her mother, Fatima. Firouzeh, known to friends and family as Effy, was Fatima’s baby, the youngest of four kids. The family had moved to Toronto from war-torn Iran just a few years earlier, settling south of Bathurst and Wilson, and Effy’s English still wasn’t great. At school, she was routinely bullied. When, after about an hour, Fatima couldn’t find her, she panicked and called the police, saying her daughter was missing. Effy returned home to find a pair of uniformed constables standing in her living room. They were tall, kind and compassionate, she remembered, and they seemed as relieved to see her…

THE BUYERS: Anna Antropova, 32, a mechanical designer at a mining and minerals firm; her partner, Anastasia Artemova, 33, the founder of MavenMind, a coaching platform for new Canadians; and their cat, Mars. THE STORY: Anna and Anastasia met in Canada in 2020 after both emigrating from Russia. By September 2021, they were renting a two-bedroom apartment together in Regent Park. But they longed for a home with space to garden and a basement where they could jam—Anna plays the keyboard, Anastasia the drums. Last February, when prices stabilized slightly, they set a budget of $800,000 and started searching for something no more than an hour’s drive from Toronto. OPTION 1 Near Harwood Avenue South and Lake Driveway, AJAX Listed at $698,000 Sold for $730,000 Anna and Anastasia liked this three-bedroom,…

LEGEND HAS IT that the espresso martini was invented in the 1980s by Dick Bradsell, a barkeep at Fred’s Club in London, England. The caffeine-kicked cocktail had a good run, then fell out of favour until making a comeback last year. And Robin Goodfellow, managing partner of King West restaurant Vela, is leaning in to it—his current menu includes a few caffeinated cocktails, all with a Toronto twist: a rum-based liqueur made using Sam James beans. For the espresso martini, he mixes that liqueur with a freshly pulled shot and a glug of Grey Goose. For Vela’s riff on a mudslide, that cloyingly sweet adult milkshake, Goodfellow uses 12-year rum, a swirl of sherry-vanilla cream, that house liqueur, espresso dust and a drizzle of Valrhona-chocolate syrup—it’s just the right amount…

Jan. 24 to 27 | CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre IT’S BEEN NEARLY two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With infrastructure ravaged, electricity failing and winter in full swing, the National Ballet of Ukraine is embarking on a cross-Canada tour in support of refugees. Sponsorships and donations will go to the NGO Humanite and the Olena Zelenska Foundation, created by the nation’s first lady to improve the lives of Ukrainians. Leading the ensemble is award-winning dancer Nikita Sukhorukov, who will be performing in productions of Le Corsair and Don Quixote this month in Toronto. We caught up with Sukhorukov to talk about making art during wartime, performing in a bomb shelter and his fans in Japan. Representing a national ballet is a big deal for anyone, let…