Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2024 i Toronto Life

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CREATED BY Nestled along the northeast coast of Florida, Amelia Island is a sun-drenched coastal gem that has become the treasured sunshine state destination of choice by Canadians. Exuding Southern charm, the island offers an unforgettable escape that is reminiscent of nostalgic Florida with pristine, uncrowded beaches, unspoiled nature and a welcoming, small-town atmosphere. You’ll feel it the moment you exit I-95 at the northern end of the state and head east. The 20-minute drive from there takes you on a scenic journey with picturesque views of coastal landscapes and charming towns along the way. The island itself is home to 21 kilometres of breathtaking Atlantic Ocean beaches that are perfect 12 months a year for soaking up the Florida sun while shelling and hunting for fossilized shark teeth to…

Your father, Allan Slaight, started in radio, and the two of you grew the empire together. Does that make you a self-made man or a nepo baby? I think that term is hilarious, but I won’t comment on it. What I will say is that I’m proud of the work we’ve done. I was born in Edmonton. We lived above a food store, and we had no money. My dad worked at a radio station and performed magic as a side hustle. After moving to Toronto, he bought a single radio station, and we grew it to over 50 stations. I started working for my dad in 1977, when we launched Q107. What did the long-haired 1977 version of you think you’d be doing today? Oh, I don’t know. I…

$12.75 Price of a pastrami sandwich at the new Costa Rican outpost of Pancer’s, Toronto’s oldest Jewish deli. Semi-retired owner Lorne Pancer says the joint is so popular that he’s plowing through 50 to 70 loaves of rye a day. $102,000 Money raised by centenarian Second World War veteran Ed Marshall, who parachuted 3,810 metres into Cayuga, Ontario, as part of his campaign for SickKids. $911,150 Average projected price of an Ontario home in 2025, a 3.9 per cent jump from 2024, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. $2,000,000 Tax dollars spent to date on an investigation into alleged cronyism, bullying and harassment within the Durham police force. The case has dragged on for five years with no end in sight. $92,000,000 Cost to purchase two new electric ferries…

YEARS ON BOOTH AVENUE: 28 In 2019, the province announced that the Ontario Line would be coming through South Riverdale. Generally, I’m supportive of new public transit—Toronto urgently needs solutions to the overcrowding on the TTC. Then I learned that construction would take place in the existing GO train corridor that cuts through my immediate area, 12 metres from my house. I was concerned about the project from the beginning. I’ve been on disability since 2010 because of severe problems tied to my vision and balance. I spend most of my time at home with my adult son, Liam, and I was worried about how incessant construction, noise and street closures would impact our lives. Metrolinx was saying the Ontario Line would be completed by 2027, but we knew from…

YEARS ON HOPEDALE AVENUE: 24 Eight months ago, Metrolinx took my dream house from me. I knew I wanted to live there the moment I first saw it, in 2000. Perched on a crest of the Don Valley north of Pape, it sat on a cul-de-sac with eight other houses. It was gorgeous, and it had 250 square feet of table land to build a garden on. I bought it for $460,000, $100,000 over asking. I was only the second owner; the first, a doctor who got rich selling “prescriptions” for alcohol during Prohibition, had put his proceeds to good use: the posts were carved in an art deco style, the walls had beautiful wood panelling and there was a huge fireplace. In the years since, I planted a massive…

WHO: Renée Tse, a shopping and social media editor WHERE: Innisfil IN September of 2021, Renée Tse; her sister, Claudia; and their parents were dining on a patio overlooking a canal by Lake Simcoe. The family had driven an hour and a half from Markham, where they’d lived for 28 years, to see how they might like slower-paced Innisfil. Watching the sailboats bob by, they were sold, so they started looking at properties. The family saw this townhouse with double-height ceilings and scooped it up as a quasi-vacation property. They now split their time between Markham and Innisfil. Renée, a voracious reader, was eager to take advantage of the vertical space for her extensive book collection. She and Claudia came up with the idea for the 22-foot custom bookshelf. Their…

Di’s Pizza Pies 115 St. Paul St., no phone, dispizzapies.com THIS PAST SPRING, a cuteness bomb exploded in the form of this vintage-as-heck slice shop. The name is a nod to Diana Sweets, the diner that occupied the spot for most of the last century and was known for cherry sodas and hot-beef sandwiches. The ice-cold retro sodas are back, just the right balance of sweet and tart, but the hot beef has been replaced by New York–style slices, the kind with a crust that’s charred and sturdy yet easily foldable while you’re walking home after a great night out. WHAT TO EAT: The Di-zza, another ode to the diner that was, which combines a gravy reduction, house-made pastrami, mozzarella and slices of potato. It’s tangy, hefty and just greasy…

Every month, TL Insiders enjoy terrific experiences and events across the city. More than 1,000 Torontonians have already 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 Michelin-style fine dining at DaNico: Executive chef Daniele Corona hosted TL Insiders for a fine-dining experience at DaNico, one of Toronto Life’s Best New Restaurants of 2024. At the communal table, members tucked in to a five-course tasting menu with wine pairings, featuring wild red king crab with Mediterranean salad, spaghettoni ai funghi, charcoal-grilled Wagyu tenderloin, strawberry panna cotta, goat’s milk ice cream…

FAIRY TALES from two worlds collide in Mukashi, Mukashi: the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood is paired up with Crane from the Japanese fairy tale The Gratitude of Crane. The cross-cultural play, whose title means “Once upon a time” in Japanese, is an original work co-produced by Toronto’s Corpus theatre company and Japan’s Kio Company. It combines Japanese art forms like origami and manga with Western traditions like pantomime and talk show comedy for a unique theatre experience that’s suited for adults and kids alike. If your Japanese is a little rusty, don’t worry: there are English subtitles.…

INTERMEZZO, the fourth novel by Normal People author Sally Rooney, is coming out to high expectations: the Irish novelist has been called one of the most important writers alive, and two of her previous books have been adapted into TV series. Her latest follows brothers Peter and Ivan, who are mourning the recent death of their father while navigating their very different lives: one is a successful lawyer juggling two relationships; the other is an aloof chess whiz who gets mixed up with an older woman. Their stories explore the period of fresh grief in all of its despair and possibility.…

TWENTY-THREE years ago, the population of Gander, Newfoundland, shot up by two-thirds overnight when 38 planes were grounded there following 9/11. The legendary hospitality shown by locals to the stranded passengers was immortalized by Come From Away, the hit musical developed by Toronto husband-and-wife team Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It rapidly became a fan favourite, capturing hearts on and off Broadway and playing for seven years in theatres across Canada. As the show makes its post-Covid return, we talked to Sankoff and Hein about the most staggering moments along the way. DAVID HEIN: In 2001, Irene and I were living in New York. She was getting a master’s at the Actors Studio, and I was working at a recording studio. We lived in a residence for international students when…

CREATED FOR LIMITED TIME OFFER: ONE MONTH FREE AND FIVE-PLUS YEARS OF COMPLIMENTARY WI-FI PARKER BY FITZROVIA is redefining the rental experience. Located at Yonge and Eglinton, this all-inclusive rental community is in the heart of one of the most exciting and dynamic neighbourhoods in Toronto. Hosting a world of best-in-class amenities and award-winning suites, Parker is anything but ordinary. This premium rental community is more than just a place to live; it’s a full-fledged lifestyle destination. Welcome to the suite life Inspired by the world’s most stylish hotels and resorts, Parker’s suites are the epitome of thoughtful design and careful craftsmanship. Its superior floor plans have earned acclaim from the Building Industry and Land Development Association, winning Best Suite Design for its Holland layout and Best Model Suite for…

EGO BOOST START WWE legend John Cena chooses a sold-out Scotiabank Arena to announce his retirement from professional wrestling, drawing both heartbreak and congratulations from the crowd. Torontonians cry poor taste as a fake encampment—allegedly designed for Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent—surfaces in Little Italy’s Bickford Park, just south of Christie Pits. More than two years after closing, Drake’s favourite patty shop, Randy’s, makes its triumphant return to Little Jamaica. Peel police arrest Toronto cop Brian Sukhram for alleged impaired driving and drug possession. After giving chase, multiple cruisers suffer damage in an attempt to stop Sukhram’s errant vehicle. The city issues occupancy permits for 14 of the Eglinton Crosstown’s 15 stations, signalling that maybe, just maybe, our long civic nightmare is coming to an end… …Surprise! Metrolinx reaffirms…

JANUARY 2019: Mayor John Tory touts his vision for the long-planned Downtown Relief Line. Meanwhile, private consultant Michael Schabas pitches his own idea to Metrolinx. APRIL 2019: Premier Doug Ford announces the Ontario Line, slated to open in 2027 at double the length and almost double the cost of the city’s proposed $6-billion relief line. DECEMBER 2020: Metrolinx quietly pushes the opening date back three years, to 2030. MARCH 2022: Ford and Tory attend a groundbreaking ceremony at Exhibition station. NOVEMBER 2022: Contracts are awarded for the line’s trains as well as for stations and tunnels in the southern portion—and the cost nearly doubles to $19 billion. FEBRUARY 2023: After a high-profile court battle, Metrolinx chops dozens of mature trees at Osgoode Hall and Moss Park to prepare for construction.…

WHO: Jane Halverson, an art therapist WHERE: Midtown IN January of 2024, Jane Halverson downsized from her large family home in Rosedale, where she’d lived for more than two decades and raised two sons. With the boys in university, Jane and her mini goldendoodle, Rocco, were starting fresh in a new 1,600-squarefoot, three-bed, three-bath apartment. And she was taking her vast book collection with her. Her home library is made up of 600 to 700 volumes, primarily on art and travel. Jane’s unit has a windowless den by the entranceway. As soon as she saw it, she knew it would be perfect for her books. “Apartments are white cubes. Books are a warm way to enter a space,” she says. Jane enlisted interior designer Colette van den Thillart to create…

FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE, Rui Mateus Amaral wanted to be a performer. After studying dance and theatre in Toronto, he was introduced to the art world by his partner, gallerist Daniel Faria. The pair travelled to art shows and biennials around the world, and after completing a master’s in criticism and curatorial practices at OCAD, Mateus Amaral helped Faria open his eponymous Toronto gallery in 2011. He started guest-curating at MOCA in 2019, displaying a knack for finding boundary-pushing artists, and his career took off from there. This past May, Mateus Amaral became the museum’s new artistic director. He plans to bring even more playfulness and contrast to the contemporary art hub. “There always has to be a mystery to the art,” he says, “Something bizarre or something I…

Large-format cocktails are usually associated with the drink-till-you-drop crowd. (Remember that swerving walk home after the Shameful Tiki Room’s Volcano Bowl? Of course you don’t.) But Toronto bartenders are rethinking big drinks, swapping out college mystery punch for something lighter, slinkier and made for two. At Doc’s Green Door Lounge, a fancified neighbourhood bar in the Junction, the rum punch is a table centrepiece with Lady and the Tramp appeal. It’s made with three types of rum—Appleton Estate, Smith and Cross, and Wray and Nephew—plus pineapple, sorrel, passion fruit and nutmeg, and it’s served with two straws. “It’s fun!” says co-owner Jayson Green. “It’s like the sizzling fajita platter of drinks: when you see one pass your table, you think, I need that.” Surprisingly, it’s been popular with all generations.…

Wellness, the New Religion How do you know if someone has run a marathon? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you. It’s an old chestnut but a good one. And today, it applies to far more than running: humble-bragging seems like a by-product of the entire wellness movement. Just try to navigate social media without encountering some guy boasting about his 4 a.m. wake-up or complex ice-bath regimen. While it’s tempting to dismiss the trend as self-indulgent twaddle, doing so ignores something much bigger going on. Toronto’s new masters of wellness are two siblings named Kate Taylor Martin and Harrison Taylor. She’s the founder of Nutbar, the insanely popular “superfood” café that serves up organic mushroom toast, sea moss gel smoothies and house-made nut milk. He’s the co-founder of Othership, the sauna…

15 Number of proposed stations 15.6 Length of the line in kilometres $27 BILLION Estimated cost of the project as of June 2024 (up from $11 billion in 2019) 90 SECONDS Frequency of trains during rush hour 388,000 Projected ridership per day 30 MINUTES Time required to travel end to end (Exhibition Place to Science Centre station) 40+ Possible connections along the line, including subway stations; GO, streetcar and bus stops; and the (future) Eglinton LRT 28,000 Estimated number of car trips avoided per day by travelling the line 7.2 MILLION Estimated litres of fuel saved per year 22% Reduction in crowding at Bloor-Yonge subway station during rush hour…

YEARS ON GALT AVENUE: 1 I moved to South Riverdale, near Gerrard and Jones, in May of 2023 to open a new location for my flower shop, Fern Toronto. I was beyond happy: it’s a beautiful, spacious studio in a two-storey building nestled in a peaceful neighbourhood. A few months after setting up the shop, I moved into the apartment upstairs. I was aware of the building’s proximity to the GO train corridor, just six metres away, but I guess I didn’t realize how expansive the Ontario Line project was going to be. I got my first inkling this past February, when a crew of workers showed up outside my building unannounced and began tearing down and replacing the fencing along the train tracks. It was obvious that they were…

THE RENTER: Jasmine Boateng, 30, a freelance content creator. THE STORY: In July of 2021, Jasmine, originally from Ghana, was studying marketing at the Toronto School of Management and growing tired of her shared student housing. She figured that, with her part-time income, she could afford $1,600 a month, and she started looking at spots close to transit. But, after months of searching, nothing. By mid-2022, Jasmine’s freelance work had picked up, so she raised her budget to $2,400. She also convinced a friend with a full-time gig to co-sign her lease. Here’s what happened next. OPTION 1 SONIC WAY Near Don Mills and Eglinton Listed at $2,400 Rented for $2,500 Jasmine saw this one-bedroom-plus-den in June of 2022 and loved the views. It had tons of storage and natural…

CANADA’S OLDEST and largest literary festival turns 45 this year. The milestone event will feature readings, interviews and book signings with international and Toronto-based authors including Michael Ondaatje, Anne Michaels, Toshikazu Kawaguchi and Marie Wilson. There will also be workshops and master classes for aspiring writers, plus a new culinary experience called “Bite the Book” that features food writers and chefs. Attendees won’t want to miss the festival’s curated bookshop, where they can browse the stacks for their next great read.…

ENGLISH singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist PJ Harvey is in her fourth decade of a robust solo career. This fall, she’s heading out on the North American leg of her tour for her 10th studio album, 2023’s I Inside the Old Year Dying, which was nominated for best alternative album at this year’s Grammy Awards. Her first release since 2016’s The Hope Six Demolition Project, the record features an ethereal, low-fi sound, with Harvey’s lilting vocals driving the tracks over bare-bones production. The ever-evolving artist is hitting Toronto for two nights this month.…