Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Toronto Life

REIGNING CHAMPS Three GTA mayors discuss inflation, affordable housing and why they deserve to be back in power JOHN TORY Mayor of Toronto Celebrity doppelgänger: “People say I look like Robert Redford, but I think it’s because he was in The Candidate.” Non-political mentor: “My father. Until he passed away, in 2011, I always looked to him for advice.” Dream job as a kid: “I wanted to be a hockey player. I don’t just say that because I’m the mayor. I’m a long-standing Leafs fan, and I used to idolize Tim Horton.” Something every aspiring politician should know: “Treat everyone with respect. Listen to everyone, no matter who they are, where they come from or what party they represent.” The key to winning an election is… “For people to like…

SOARING PRICES OUT-OF-CONTROL BIDDING WARS SHRINKING SQUARE FOOTAGE GREEDY LANDLORDS AND IT’S ONLY GETTING WORSE DISPATCHES FROM THE HOUSING CRISIS “Apartment hunting was like a part-time job. We couldn’t book a showing anywhere” STELLA LI, 24, software engineer CIARA CHUTE, 23, assistant controller at a recruiting company STELLA AND I MET IN 2020. We clicked immediately and kept dating when she left Toronto to finish her master’s degree at the University of Southern California. I stayed to complete my postgraduate program at U of T. We made it work, but we both looked forward to Stella moving back to Ontario—and to moving in together. Last spring, we finally started looking for our first place. Every other time I’ve rented in the city, it’s taken me about a week to find…

It’s a frustrating, infuriating, terrifying time to be a renter in Toronto. Agreed? We have a volatile rental market. People are being priced out of renting, and the inventory remains low. Ending vacancy decontrol, the policy that allows landlords to raise rent as much as they want between tenants, would be one way to help—and would play a part in deterring renovictions. That’s a big ship to turn. Can the city do anything to help renters in the meantime? The city doesn’t have great data on the frequency and magnitude of renovictions, but we know that they are ubiquitous. Many renters have shared stories with us, but we can’t rely only on anecdotes. Sure, but renters are desperate. Has there been any attempt to collect that data? Yes, that’s happening…

MUSIC A raucous, thrilling take on the everyday DRY CLEANING Jan. 11 | The Phoenix Concert Theatre THE BAND DRY CLEANING has quickly made a name for itself thanks to the stark contrast between Florence Shaw’s wryly spoken witticisms and the group’s pulsing instrumentation. The 4AD signees are part of a thrilling post-punk revival taking place in the UK—but without the highbrow posturing. Instead, their slice-of-life jams celebrate the humour, chaos and wonder of everyday life. In their album Stumpwork, the quartet showcases the mesmerizing expansiveness of their sound, making each deadpan observation feel revelatory. A long-overdue dinner date FESTIVAL Winterlicious Jan. 27 to Feb.9 | Various locations WINTERLICIOUS MAKES its tasty, triumphant return to Toronto in 2023 after a two-year hiatus—and participating restaurants promise to rise to the occasion.…

Happy Returns Our November cover story mapped the trajectories of Torontonians who left the city during the pandemic but decided, for various reasons, to reverse course. Reader response was divided—mainly between people who would never contemplate such a move and those who already left and never looked back. “Kudos to the prodigal Torontonians who were able to get back on the Toronto property ladder. The longer, sadder twin article would have the headline ‘They left, they regretted it, they’re stuck.’” —Luke Jackson “Somebody needs to break it to these families that Schitt’s Creek is fiction—and even the Roses got out of Dodge.” —Sue Gunther, Facebook “I am always stunned by these stories of naïve people who left the city for remote communities during the pandemic, thinking they could work from…

“I had a rough financial patch in my 20s, so I’m trying to save” CHRISTINE WOLFL, 32 WHAT SHE DOES Freelance copywriting and marketing WHAT SHE MAKES $115,000 to $150,000 WHERE SHE LIVES A one-bedroom condo in Humber Bay Shores REGULAR EXPENSES RENT: $2,050 a month. “My goal is to buy, but my current condo is great for now.” HAIR: $450 every two months. “I’m not a natural blonde, so I need to maintain.” BOTOX: $200 every three months. “A little poke here and there is a girl’s best friend.” PHONE: $115 a month. “I’m stuck with Bell, and it’s a little pricier than I’d like.” GROCERIES: $500 a month. SELF-CARE: $200 a month. “H2 OM is a godsend for biocharging and acupuncture.” DEBT PAYMENTS: $400 a month. “I went…

Recently, I promised to host a wedding shower for one of my best friends. A week before the party, I caught Covid, but I was still up for hosting. The day of, after I had spent tons on fancy cheese and drinks, she told me over the phone that I sounded too sick to host. I ended up home alone, imagining all of my friends partying in some undisclosed location. It’s been weeks, and quite honestly, I’m still seething. What should I do? —Cry If I Want To, Rathnelly UD: In the absence of a masking edict from Queen’s Park, people are left to devise their own Covid policies. Even if you were honest about your illness well before the day of the event, it’s not unreasonable for your friend to…

1971: Musk is born in Pretoria, South Africa. 1984: At age 12, he creates his first video game, Blastar. A magazine pays him $500 to publish the source code. 1988: Musk moves to Canada and, in fall 1990, enrols at Queen’s University. 1995: Musk founds his first company, Zip2, in Palo Alto. 1999: Compaq Computer Corporation buys Zip2, and Musk walks away with $22 million. He uses the windfall to found X.com, a precursor to PayPal. 2000: Musk marries one of his Queen’s girlfriends, Justine Wilson, with whom he has twins and triplets. They divorce in 2008. 2002: eBay acquires PayPal, leaving Musk with roughly $180 million. He uses more than half of it to launch SpaceX and invests another $70 million in Tesla, of which he becomes CEO in…

FOR FINE DINER-ING LE SWAN GET COZY in a booth at this frozen-in-time diner-slash-French-bistro on Queen West. Once available only on the late-night menu, Le Swan’s fondue can now be ordered as an early bird supper—because not only night owls should have the pleasure. The addition of mozzarella to the traditional blend of Gruyère and Swiss lends a visually pleasing cheesy pull to the melted mix. Comes with hunks of toasted Pullman loaf for dipping, with the option to add roasted broccoli. Serves four. $50. leswan.ca FOR A VEGAN FON-DUPE AVELO THANKS TO SOME CULINARY alchemy, cashews, Roquefort mould cultures and five weeks in a cheese cave that’s never seen so much as a drop of dairy, chef Fernando Anrango has created a phenomenal faux fondue. Served in a mini…

While wedding registries used to be primarily dedicated to homeware, they’ve now grown way beyond that. Couples are now able to fully personalize their marital wish lists—from decor and modern technology to unique activities and honeymoon funds. And all-in-one services like Amazon Wedding, with the world’s largest selection, have made the process even easier DON’T overcomplicate it A wedding registry is supposed to be fun and simple. Thankfully, services like Amazon Wedding have made it even more streamlined. All you have to do is click “Create Your Registry,” plug in your personal information and start adding your wish-list items to your list. It couldn’t be easier. DO include your partner There’s a reason it’s called a WEdding. Don’t forget to get your partner involved when picking out your items. It’s…

You do business with buyers and renters downtown. What trends are you seeing in Toronto’s rental market? I feel like I’ve seen it all in the past four years. In 2020, the market was very slow. Then, between May and October of 2022, I’d receive messages from three potential rental clients per week. During the hottest time, rentals would go on and off the market within a single day. And what about now? Home prices have stabilized enough to convert some renters into buyers. But I’m still busy. I’ve put in offers a few times only to lose to another renter with the same job and identical credit history. You can have a pristine resumé and still be beat out. Is competition between tenants the biggest challenge you face when…

I live in a basement rental in a small house in Parkdale. Last week, my landlord told me that he intended to sell and that, by law, I needed to be gone by the end of the month. He offered to pay me $1,000, which is nice, but the whole thing seems to be progressing a bit quickly. I’m panicking. Do I really have to leave? It sounds like your landlord is trying to pull a fast one—probably because he believes that getting rid of you will make his house a more attractive sell. But he can’t boot you for that reason. You’re entitled to stay, and your lease would transfer to the buyer, who would become your new landlord. After that, your lease continues normally. One caveat: either landlord…

Every month, TL Insiders enjoy terrific experiences and events across the city. More than 1,000 Torontonians have signed up, and you can too! Members get front-of-the-line access to cultural events and private dining experiences plus exclusive invitations to Toronto Life’s salon-like discussion series. Membership is only $75 a year—so sign up today and rediscover the city as a member. Don’t miss out. Sign up at: members.torontolife.com A WHOLE ROAST LAMB FEAST: Azhar Kitchen and Bar hosted an intimate dining experience starring a succulent whole roast lamb. TL Insiders were treated to a curated selection of low-intervention wine, signature cocktails, and a meze of dips, salads, cheeses, preserves and other bite-size snacks. EVOLUTION OF TALENT STRATEGY: CB and TL Insiders attended a provocative thought-leadership conversation about the evolution of talent management…

THE SORT-OF SECRET: South-Western Bathhouse and Tea Room, a Russian banya (sauna) and restaurant in Mississauga YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF IT IF: You’ve been fortunate enough to have an Eastern European friend or family member introduce you to the tradition BUT YOU PROBABLY HAVEN’T TRIED IT BECAUSE: It’s tucked around the side of a plaza, with only a red canopy over the door to signal its existence A decade after immigrating from southern Russia to Toronto, Valentina and Victor Tourianski were invited to a friend’s makeshift backyard banya. “We had fun, but it wasn’t built properly—it was just a metal stove in a shed,” says Valentina. “Later that night, Victor said, ‘I can build a better banya.’” He did, and it quickly became the place to be for family…

OVER THE PAST 22 YEARS, I’ve run 15 marathons, including the famous Boston race six times. For me, running isn’t just about exhilaration and exercise; it’s about resilience in the face of heartbreak. In 2009, my husband, Bruce, and I lost our 23-year-old son, Daniel, to suicide. Running helped me through the grief. Daniel brought warmth and exuberance to our lives with his big, beautiful smile. He was a great cook despite his severe food allergies, and he loved to tease me. Before he died, I told him I wanted to compete in a triathlon. “But you’re not a swimmer, Mom!” he said. He was right—I loved the water, but I’d panic if I swam too far out into a lake or ocean. After losing Daniel, once I felt emotionally…