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Toronto’s best heated patios for brunch

By
Jessica Huras
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best heated brunch patios Toronto
Brunch at the Marquee at Cabana Waterfront Patio

Bubbles, fire pits, heated patios and personalized chalets are just some of the creative set-ups you can expect from Toronto’s outdoor brunch scene. With indoor dining still on pause, restaurants across the city have transformed their summer brunch patios into cosy winter dining spots. These are the best heated brunch patios in Toronto.

 

Against the Grain

Book your own heated bubble at Against the Grain and enjoy the famed brunches that this spot is known for. Tuck into a traditional breakfast with free-run eggs, peameal and home fries, or lean into the lunch side of brunch with the Tavern burger or loaded nachos. The restaurant’s bubbles book up quickly, so you’ll want to reserve a spot ahead of time.

 

Farmhouse Tavern

 

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Featuring sheepskin blankets, fire pits and a rustic wooden shelter, Farmhouse Tavern‘s new outside barn looks like it’s been pulled straight from the pages of a home design magazine. Book your seat ahead of time to enjoy the restaurant’s seasonally-driven menu, which includes several different kinds of eggs benny.

 

Lapinou Bistro

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If you’re looking for something a bit different, you’ll love Lapinou‘s brunch menu, which is a nod to French flavours with a modern twist. The menu features omelettes, crepes and smoked trout and the covered and cosy patio is perfect for milder winter days. Call ahead to book as the outside area is on the smaller side and fills up quickly.

 

Happy Coffee and Wine

Happy Coffee and Wine has created a welcoming back patio complete with heaters that will keep you warm while sipping coffee and munching on the cafe’s tasty treats. This heated brunch patio is first come, first served, so get there early to grab a seat.

 

The Marquee at Cabana

The Marquee at Cabana‘s splashy Saturday and Sunday brunch service features a menu curated by Oliver & Bonacini that includes buttermilk fried chicken with sourdough french toast and smoked bacon eggs benedict. The restaurant’s 5,400 square feet of tented and heated patio space offers prime views of the city to pair with your brunch.

Historic Parkdale Hall could soon become a new live music venue

By
Ron Johnson
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parkdale hall
Exterior of Parkdale Hall

Alex Chan had no idea what he was getting into when he decided to open a cannabis store at 1605 Queen St. W. Chan expected to find a new space for his project, but he never thought he’d uncover the remnants of a once-famous 1920s theatre after walking into a utility closet.

“I went into what I thought was a supply closet, and I looked up in the closet, and I saw some of the original ceiling and that made me take a step back and think about why the ceiling was there,” he says.

Based on a hunch, Chan decided to knock down the rest of the ceiling to see if he could uncover more of the “golden rosette” motif. He hired a crew to excavate and found that most of the massive ceiling was still intact despite thousands of holes made by drop-ceiling panels.

“I decided to take down the rest of the drop ceiling and patch-up the rest of the original parts, and that’s how Parkdale Hall got started,” he says.

Chan became intrigued by the building’s history and worked with local historian, Jeremy Hopkin, to uncover the rest of the building’s timeline. What he found was that the building was Allen’s Parkdale Theatre from 1920 to 1923 and various other theatres (including Famous Players) until 1977 when it was turned into Eaton’s Bargain Clearance Store.

Throughout the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, the building changed hands, frequently moving from retail locations to TV stations and antique shops. Still, nobody noticed or bothered to uncover the space’s original design until Chan decided it was his fate to do so.

“Someone had to bring this history to the public and show this hidden gem, and why shouldn’t that person be me?” he says.

Swayed by the building’s history, Chan plans to bring the space closer to what it originally intended and devise a live performance venue.

“This could be a place of entertainment for people,” he says, “I may also make the space available for weddings and other events on the side, but my visions for it (after things come back online post-Covid) is a concert hall.”

The original ceiling in Parkdale Hall, which has been completely restored

It’s taken Chan and his crew months to restore the Parkdale Hall ceiling, but there’s still a ways to go before the space is concert-ready. Through research, Chan discovered that the theatre’s original design included an orchestra pit created to accompany the silent films that ruled 1920s screens.

Unfortunately, the orchestra pit wasn’t part of the space when Chan took over, but he is working on setting the hall up for great sound.

“We’re just starting our processes to treat the space for sound. I’ve been talking to sound technicians, specialists, and distributors, to see how we can best treat it for live music. Right now, the hall has lots of hard surfaces, which is not great for sound,” he says.

Right now, Parkdale Hall is home to The Parkdale Antiques and Collectibles Market — another nod of respect and preservation to the area’s history.

“This end of Queen Street was known as an antique-hub. Because of COVID-19, some of the other antique markets had closed down, and vendors were looking for a space to vend, so I thought it’d be perfect to have the market here [at Parkdale Hall], and it bolsters what this side of Queen Street was in the past decade,” he says.

Parkdale Hall is currently at capacity as far as antique vendors go, but Chan plans to keep renovating the space throughout the winter and be ready for post-Covid life.

“Yes, the pandemic is terrible, and we want to make sure everyone’s safe, but this will end at some point,” Chan says.” I want to position my venue [Parkdale Hall] to be in a good spot for when things do open up.”

The Parkdale Hall news comes at a time when the city has lost some of its most treasured live music venues including the Mod Club, Orbit Room and others. Nice to have some good news for a change.

Another downtown restaurant closes its doors

By
Marlene Mendonca
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Montecito

Another Toronto favourite has closed its doors as the city moved into the red zone of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework, forcing indoor dining to remain closed for 28 days.

Montecito Restaurant, owned by Hollywood director Ivan Reitman and chef Jonathan Waxman, seats 400 and is situated just at the foot of the Daniels Cinema Tower behind the TIFF Lightbox. The outpost was an inspiration from its namesake city in California, offering casual Californian elegance fused with smooth sophistication in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District.

“Due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic along with the financial impact that has come with the forced closure on indoor dining, we have made the decision to discontinue our operations at Montecito,” the management team said in a statement released last week.

 

 

The restaurant closed temporarily last month and noted on their Instagram feed that they hoped to reopen by November. Unfortunately, with the extended closure of indoor dining the restaurant made the difficult decision to close permanently after its six-year tenure.

“We would like to offer our thanks and gratitude to all of our customers and staff for the support we have received at our restaurant over the past six plus years. We will miss hosting your corporate events, weddings, and TIFF parties along with your date nights, anniversaries, birthday parties, or just good times.”

While the restaurant will no longer be operating out of their 299 Adelaide St. W. location, the Montecito Bottle Shop will remain open. A list of their current wines available for purchase can be obtained from Heather Santsche at [email protected].

“We can coordinate complimentary pick up or arrange delivery within the city of Toronto, so that you can continue to enjoy our celebrated wines,” the management team said.

Other restaurants that have met with similar fates recently due to the impact of COVID-19 include The Pickle Barrel at Yonge and Dundas, The Walton on College, Wayne Gretzky’s and Ruby Watchco.

As the number of closures continues to rise, the Montecito team encourages everyone “to continue to support other restaurants in our neighbourhood so they can continue to fight against and navigate through these challenging times and restrictions.”

HGTV’s Tiffany Pratt on her favourite DIY project for the holidays

By
Nikki Gill
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tiffany pratt diy wrapping paper
Courtesy HGTV Canada

Tiffany Pratt is a designer, artist, creative director and television personality on HGTV Canada’s Family Home Overhaul. 

Gestures of love, kindness and compassion don’t have to cost a lot of money. They take a little time and thought — but creating something for someone or putting that extra special touch on a project or a gift can really make all the difference in the world.

Even when I’m renovating full houses, it’s always the little, personal touches that we add that the homeowners love the most.

Here, I am sharing a very fun and very easy-to-create DIY that will have you creating one-of-a- kind wrapping paper for those you love no matter the occasion.

One of my favourite holiday activities is wrapping the gifts that I give each year. I believe that the gift begins at the wrapping, and when you give something that is extra special, starting with the wrapping paper, there is a different appreciation to what is inside. I like that the gifts that I give stand out from the others under the tree, and I love the creative freedom that comes from doing things in my style all the way through the gifting season.

For this unique wrapping paper project, I’m using chalk paint. It’s perfect because the matte pigments on the paper pop, and you can even use those painted surfaces to write your holiday message.

Here are the materials you’ll need to make DIY chalkboard wrapping paper: plain coloured paper of any kind (craft, table or floor paper), chalk paint in any colour, paint brushes, wallpaper (optional), string and twine. Most of these items you probably already have at home, and chalk paint can be found at most hardware and craft stores in Toronto.

The first step is to cut your wrapping paper to the size you need.

I like to make my DIY gift wrapping in big batches so that I can get a whole bunch of it ready all at once. The best way to do this is to cut off a bunch of long pieces of your solid paper before you begin painting designs all over it. The more prepared you are with cut sheets of paper, the more you can create while your hands are all covered in paint!

Next, it’s time to paint the wrapping paper.

This is where you really get to have fun. Painting DIY holiday wrapping paper with chalk paint is for everyone, of all skill levels, and can be done in a variety of different ways. You can use old wallpaper and colour in the lines. You can splatter, sponge, draw, stripe, stencil, circle or squiggle your paper into a handmade dream! Choose whatever colours of chalk paint that speak to you and remember that it does not need to be perfect to be great. The more imperfect, the better in my opinion!

After setting the paper aside to dry, you can begin wrapping the presents.

Seeing how all of your patterns fall on the boxes and how magical it looks when each custom pattern is pulled together with the right string, twine, card or holiday accent is the most exciting part. Every box will be a work of art that you can give with pride.

Finish off each gift by writing the “To” and “From” with markers or white pencil crayon right on top of the chalk paint. This saves on cards and makes it look very artistic.

Five great new places near Trinity Bellwoods to check out in Queen West

By
Ron Johnson
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queen west

Once named the second coolest neighbourhood in the world by Vogue Magazine, the Queen West area is a source of great pride for Torontonians and the business owners who call it home. With countless experimental restaurants, avant-garde art galleries and some of the hippest shops in the city, the hood is a playground for the chic urbanite looking to satisfy their craving for culture.

Although the pandemic has caused a slowdown of foot traffic in most of the city’s favourite shopping and dining strips, it won’t stop passionate small business owners from making their dreams a reality and starting new ventures — or continuing older ones — despite the current climate. Whether you’re after a cheeseburger, Greek food or an artful scented candle, here are five new (or not-so-new) and noteworthy destinations worth checking out in the Queen West area.

 

Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club

Located on Queen West across from Trinity Bellwoods Park, Matty’s Patty’s opened its doors in October of this year and has been satisfying cheeseburger cravings ever since. Offering seven mouth-watering combos like the double patty cheeseburger with pickled jalapeno mayo sauce, American cheese and a double patty on a sesame bun (with fries, of course), Matty’s Patty’s is a club you’ll want to join.

 

 

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Agora Greek Market

Trip to Greece cancelled because of COVID? Have no fear — Agora Greek Market on Queen West is still serving up all the sweet and savoury Greek food of your dreams in a grab-and-go style market. The word Agora translates to “gathering place” or “assembly,” and while gatherings may be a no-no right now, there’s no reason why you can’t take some delicious snacks like a halloumi pita, a lamb burger or some scrumptious spanakopita to go. Part of the family of restaurants including Mamakas Taverna and Bar Koukla on Ossington, the market has been open since 2017 and is still thriving as a must-visit Queen West destination. 

 

 

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Park & Province

Despite the virtual revolution that’s been eclipsing the retail world even more dramatically since the pandemic hit, online shopping fatigue is definitely a thing, and sometimes it pays to visit a real brick and mortar store so you can see, smell, touch and try the clothes on in real time. Park & Province is a Queen West gem specializing in casual, contemporary menswear and essentials. Some of the shop’s new arrivals include a cosy velour crew neck sweatshirt perfect for WFH days, wool accessories for the coming colder temps or a chic bomber hat to keep your ears warm on those daily walks. 

 

 

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Tusk

This bite-sized independent boutique near Trinity Bellwoods embodies all the reasons why the retail experience is still so valuable in the digital era. A plethora of rich fragrance (chic Boy Smells candles), texture (cosy Paloma Wool sweaters) and colour (art-themed jigsaw puzzles) greets you as you enter the shop, and your eye is immediately drawn to the eclectic mix of clothing and accessories on display. You’ll want to bring Tusk’s entire vibe home with you, and luckily you can with the small-but-mighty shop’s robust collection of clothing and trinkets. Some of the brands Tusk carries include Girlfriend Collective, Rolla’s and House of Sunny, just to name a few.

 

 

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Le Swan

Le Swan can be described in three words that will make your heart sing: French diner food. And cheese, lots of cheese. Available for takeout and Uber Eats, Le Swan serves up cosy and comforting French bistro classics like French onion soup, beef bourguignon and rotisserie chicken with fries perfect for a romantic candlelit night in. With an experienced and passionate in-house sommelier, Le Swan also offers an impressive French wine collection which you’ll need because, well, 2020.

Made in Toronto: The vinyl revival continues with Precision Pressing

By
Ron Johnson
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0

Vinyl purists know that a perfectly pressed record is a thing of beauty. Precision Pressing is one of the largest vinyl pressing plants in North America, and the records Precision presses are known for being top-quality.

In 2017, Precision Pressing made 50,000 units per month, but lately, that number has grown to more than 500,000 per month with plans to increase production by 40% shortly. Precision has worked with many major labels and worldwide musicians from The Tragically Hip to Taylor Swift.

Precision was founded by Gerry McGhee, former lead vocalist of Canadian rock band Brighton Rock. McGhee passed away on August 25, 2020. McGhee was also the former president of Isotope Records and had the idea to open a pressing plant more than three years before Precision’s 2016 start date.

Red tape and construction hangups caused a delay in getting Precision off the ground, but McGhee made it happen in 2016 through a partnership with GZ Media, Isotope and a 40-person team. While other pressing plants in Canada closed or were short-lived, Precision made it through the ups and downs and is now a giant in the pressing industry.

Vinyl sales have been increasing due to the current pandemic, with more people at home to listen to music and discover the sound quality of a good vinyl pressing. Worldwide, vinyl albums have something of a cult following, and presses from specific plants are highly sought after.

It takes about eight weeks for Precision to turn around an order of pressed and packed records. This fast pace is possible because all of the records the company presses are cut, plated, pressed, printed and packaged in-house.

Precision’s pressing plant is located in Burlington, Ontario, but its main headquarters and client center department is located on Wade Avenue in Toronto. If you’ve recently recorded a record and need to order some vinyl, Precision is a homegrown pressing company worth contacting.

To see more of our Made in Toronto series, click here. 

How five Toronto neighbourhoods have come together to help residents shop local

By
Marlene Mendonca
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0
bag of toronto

Bag of Toronto is returning this holiday season with a unique shopping option to help out small businesses as COVID-19 cases jump in the city.

After a successful spring launch, Bag of Toronto has partnered with five local BIAs to offer customers “a curated assortment of specialty products from local vendors in five different neighbourhoods delivered right to your doorstep.” That’s right. No waiting in lines. No masking up. No leaving your house.

 

 

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The five neighbourhoods participating in the initiative are Bloorcourt, Bloordale Village, College Promenade, Ossington Avenue and Queen Street West. According to Bag of Toronto, there are five editions available, each representing one of the five neighbourhoods and includes between five to seven products from an array of local businesses.

This project is as much for consumers as it is for small business owners. “The main goal of the project is to direct revenue to small local businesses,” says Nick Milum, one of the program’s co-founders. “We want to provide an efficient way for customers looking to support local to do so.”

 

 

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Milum has already received glowing reviews from businesses with which he’s partnered. Jimmy Hoang from Field Trip Café called Bag of Toronto a “saving grace,” while Toula Bekiaris from Filosophy Café said that the program has “introduced local businesses to many customers who may not have been familiar with what was being offered in the neighbourhood.”

Not only does the project save you from braving the wind-blasted streets of Toronto this holiday shopping season, it also donates a portion of profits and all tips to five different charities — each of which are hard at work in the community from which you purchased your bag.

 

 

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There are a limited number of bags each week. Each bag costs $60, tax included, with a retail value of $55. The remaining $5 is used to cover delivery and web-hosting.

The Bag of Toronto team will be making deliveries on four weekends: Nov. 21, Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12. All orders must be in by Wednesday at 5 p.m. each week.

New public art project on the TTC raises mental health awareness

By
Nikki Gill
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0
ttc art project
Alexander Robinson's piece

Starting now until Jan. 16, 2021, passengers riding line 1 of the TTC will have a chance to appreciate some art during their commute. Life on the Line is a project wherein works relating to mental health by 10 different artists are being exhibited across 200 posters to raise awareness for mental health and funds for the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Toronto program, Family Outreach & Response.

Alexander Robinson is one of the 10 participating artists and as a fan of last year’s campaign, describes submitting his application as a “no brainer.”

“I’ve had my struggles with mental health and for a while, I’d been trying to figure out a way to use my art and my platform to spark a dialogue and raise awareness around certain issues and this project has given me the perfect opportunity to do that,” says Robinson.

The piece he submitted is a self-portrait titled “The Fatherless Son,” the central theme of which Robinson explains, is perception.

“It is a piece that asks the question, ‘What do you see when you see me?’ In the painting, I am portrayed with a flower pot for a head and this visual can be interpreted in several ways,” he says. “It is meant to replicate my experience as a Black man who has struggled with mental health and how people might not see my struggles and on top of that, they might not see me. This is a piece that rewards the efforts of the viewer and encourages people not to jump to conclusions with appearances.”

When it comes to the cross section of art and mental health, Robinson notes that simply presenting art in a public space puts it in a position to do a lot when it comes to destigmatizing mental health.

“A lot of the time mental health issues can’t be seen, so it’s very easy to feel like you are alone. Art gives us the ability to create a visual representation of many of these issues that are hard to see and through this representation, people can feel less alone and more seen,” he says. “The more we find ways to place artwork in common everyday spaces, the more it has a chance to impact a larger group of people.”

TTC passengers can catch each of the 10 Life on the Line public art works on the TTC until Jan. 21. A limited edition of 50 prints of each poster will also be available for purchase with 75 per cent of sales donated to CMHA Toronto.

Toronto author Gil Adamson shortlisted for Writers’ Trust prize

By
lindsaylow
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0
gil adamson
Gil Adamson

Gil Adamson, author of Writers’ Trust fiction prize shortlisted novel Ridgerunner, wrote her first poem when she was six or seven at the encouragement of her teacher, and that sparked her love of writing.

In high school at Oakwood Collegiate, Adamson says she was on the swim team and did choral music in her school’s “exceptionally good” music department and ended up pursuing music at the University of Toronto.

In university she worked as a summer student at Coach House Press where she met her now husband, poet Kevin Connolly. Connolly was running an independent literary magazine called What!, and when they started dating he asked Adamson whether she was a writer.

“I sort of admitted I was. He said, with some trepidation, ‘Can I see some of your writing?’ And that’s a scary situation because what if I’m terrible or what if he doesn’t like it?” she recalls. “But he did like it, thank goodness, and his pushing really changed my mind about things. The encouragement of someone you respect goes a long way.”

Adamson says, before that moment, she was mostly writing for herself.

“I was very serious about it, but it was private,” she says. “Afterwards I thought, this is something I have really always wanted to do but never gave myself permission to do.”

She approached the task of writing as a career by essentially just seeing if she could do it. She wrote a lot of poetry, enough that she eventually selected a collection of them to publish in her first-ever published work, a volume of poetry called Primitive.

When it came to writing her first novel, The Outlander, Adamson says she started with a poem.

“What I did was take a poem out of my second collection of poetry, which is like a point form biography of a woman, and I just used that as an outline. So I really didn’t know until I got, let’s say, about halfway into the book that I really did have a novel here,” says Adamson about how the novel took on a life of its own.

When it came to the sequel, Ridgerunner, she wrote the book sequentially, scene by scene.

“There was always the worry that I had one novel in me, and that was it, and that would have been OK,” she says. “But there was so much enjoyment and it was so enriching for me to write a novel that, of course, I wanted to try again.”

After Adamson did a reading from her first book in Alberta, she overheard a reader commenting on what the main characters would be like as parents.

“I knew exactly what they would be like as parents, but what interested me was what the child would be like,” she says. “And that is where the idea for the second book came from.”

When Adamson found out Ridgerunner was shortlisted for the Writers’ Trust fiction prize, she says she was over the moon.

“It makes me feel like it was worthwhile writing the book, but it’s also good for my publisher. I know how much work goes into a book. They really care about it and they are taking a risk as well.”

The Writers’ Trust prizewinner for this year’s best book of fiction will be announced on Nov. 18 at a digital event and the winner will receive $50,000.

Made in Toronto: The bespoke designs of Candice Kaye

By
Ron Johnson
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0
Candice Kaye
Candice Kaye

Toronto native Candice Kaye returned home to Toronto in 2016 after a stint abroad in Paris and completing a design program as well as working on a few design projects in New York City. Once home, she started Candice Kaye Design, a local design project that produces artisan wallpaper, rugs and embroidered linens. The textile design company specializes in bespoke design features and accents, primarily in the hospitality industry. Kaye’s designs are simultaneously elegant and playful, bringing in bright colours and imaginative patterns. 

Kaye works out of a home studio but says that she really works wherever her laptop is. Her wallpapers are hand-painted, tailored specifically to each client and one-of-a-kind art pieces. Her work can be found decorating the walls of some of Toronto’s most popular restaurants and bars including Planta, Mercatto Cantina, Byblos, Baddies Cafe and Pennies Bar.  

Aside from her custom work for clients, Kaye has created a number of collections readily available for purchase by the panel in her online shop. Outside of the Toronto restaurant industry, she has collaborated with numerous other stylish brands including creating a line of textiles for CB2 and outfitting a bright and colourful pop-up restaurant on Ossington with Bacardi Rum. She also created a set of beautifully designed protective cases for smartphones and laptops.

 Moving forward, Kaye is excited to delve deeper into her brand while continuing to develop new products and services.  She’s also been expanding her reach into more residential projects. Toronto residents interested in seeing one of Candice Kaye’s designs first-hand can spot her bespoke designs at one of the Toronto eateries listed above, check out a collaboration with one of her partners or visit her website to see her unique and colourful portfolio. 

To see more of our Made in Toronto series, click here. 

The Maguire sisters are bringing their Montreal footwear line to Toronto

By
Nikki Gill
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0
maguire
Niamh Barry (All photos)

Named for sisters and founders from Montreal, Romy and Myriam Maguire, Maguire Boutique is a new kid on the footwear block in Toronto. But don’t expect your typical visit to a shoe store — this is a shopping experience with a few unique twists that make the process both easier and more transparent.

The luxury brand originally began as an online shop and already has a location in Montreal, but the duo decided to open a second location in Toronto when they realized there was likely a market for their offerings here.

“My partner is from Toronto so I started visiting regularly,” notes Myriam Maguire. “I got to know the city and realized there was a place for the type of products I was designing.”

Rather than having shoes on display and then having to ask a salesperson to retrieve your chosen size to try on, the bright, airy shop features a wall-to-wall shoe closet that hides every size and style of shoe in stock allowing shoppers to select shoes themselves.

maguire

Small batch production also means fast turnover, which helps minimize end-of-season overstock waste and ensure products are always fresh. Additionally, by working directly with manufacturers and selling directly to consumers, Maguire is able to cut out agents, distributors and other middlemen who inflate retail pricing.

“We design all our styles and produce in limited quantities, so you can only find them at Maguire,” Myriam explains.

As for what to expect in store, you will find everything from practical yet stylish boots, to heels, flats, sneakers and sandals. Myriam says the store aims to offer high-end footwear that is also accessible.

“Whenever I went shopping, I always happened to prefer the most expensive item in the store, but of course I could never afford it. So I decided to design shoes that were as exciting as the high-end products, but when people saw the price they would be pleasantly surprised,” she says.

maguire boutique

Since the store opened in June, interest has been steadily increasing. “It’s been growing every day and our online sales in Ontario have doubled from before, so we’re enthusiastic,” says Myriam.

It means a lot for the Maguire sisters to be running a female-led business that is also changing the business model for the better.

“Most shoe factories and businesses are owned by men. No wonder shoes are often so uncomfortable! We design shoes for real women who navigate public transit, shovel snow and have to pick up their kids after work,” says Myriam.

Maguire Boutique is located at 1514 Dundas St. W. and is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Made in Toronto: Run Pony Pony’s handmade clogs

By
Ron Johnson
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0
run pony pony clogs

If you shop at Eleven Thirty, you’ve probably seen Alexa Schoorl’s handmade clogs. Her homegrown clog brand, Run Pony Pony, was born from a desire to create, and a course in sandal-making offered by a friend.

“A friend of mine was putting on a workshop to teach stay-at-home moms how to make sandals to give them a skill, and I became super interested in leather. I started making shoes like crazy, which led to handcrafting bags, and then, about a year ago, I began making clogs,” says Schoorl.

Schoorl designs the soles for her clogs and does the finishing work (sanding and varnishing), including the leatherwork. The leather itself is not only an essential part of Schoorl’s clogs; the way it’s sourced and cured is something that she wants buyers to know.

“I use vegetable tanned leather from a tannery in Pennsylvania that uses Canadian cowhides. Most tanneries are overseas, so I’m really excited to be using leather from the states that isn’t coming very far,” she says.

Not only is the leather used to make Run Pony Pony clogs coming from, essentially, a Canadian source, it’s also coming from a tannery that puts working conditions first — an element of design that is important to Schoorl.

“Some leather produced in other countries may not be coming from a place that has good working conditions, so it was important for me to find leather coming from a place with decent conditions,” she says.

Schoorl wants to emphasize that all of her clogs are made in-house to order.

“You can come into the shop and try on the style that you like, and then I make them to order,” she says.

Customers can choose from an array of styles that can be found on the Eleven Thirty website or create a custom leather design. Run Pony Pony clogs are not only unique; they’re also the only handmade wooden clogs you’ll find in the GTA and possibly in Canada.

“I don’t know of anybody else in Canada making wooden clogs, and it’s even hard to find clogs in Toronto,” she says.

Run Pony Pony clogs can be found on the Eleven Thirty website or by stopping by the shop at 1130 College St.

To see more of our Made in Toronto series, click here. 

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