The ever-popular Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market is set to open this weekend, June 13, with new safety protocols as well as a pre-ordering option for those looking to pick up.
The return of the farmers market is part of a safe, gradual reopening of the entire Evergreen Brick Works site, located in the Don Valley on Bayview Avenue near Pottery Road. The hours will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shoppers will have access to 45 farmers and producers on-site for same-day purchases as well as online ordering for quick pick-up.
“We look forward to meeting outdoors and sharing the weekly market day ritual once again with our community and farmers,” said Orit Sarfaty, Evergreen’s chief program officer. “Connecting to and supporting local farmers and food systems remains an integral role in creating healthy, flourishing cities. We have been working closely with our farmers, the city, and health officials to ensure that we can provide a safe and enjoyable market experience.”
New safety procedures including the mandatory wearing of masks, which shoppers are asked to bring with them, although there will be a limited quantity available by donation. Other measures now in place include a modified outdoor layout, a one-way system, and a maximum capacity of 50 visitors. Given how popular the farmers market has been in the past, we would suggest getting there early to avoid line-ups. Additional hand sanitizing facilities are also available.
Other farmers’ markets in the city have been unable to open due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but many, such as the Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market, have adopted an online model that links local farms and food producers with residents. The St. Lawrence Market has remained open throughout the pandemic, and its Saturday Farmers Market continues to operate every Saturday from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Mark Rason is an expert DIY’er and self-taught woodworker and carpenter who frequently shares his tips and tricks on building high-quality, hand-crafted products on social media. He is also the project manager for Scott McGillivray’s Youtube series called Scott’s House Call. Follow him at @remarkableworks to discover new ideas and inspiration.
Stuck at home this weekend (again)? Why not tackle your own DIY planter! From green thumbs to first-time gardeners, building your own planter is straightforward and can even be a fun project for the whole family. I just finished building a planter for my young daughter this month, and now she can’t wait to start seeing her flowers grow this summer. Ready to start your own? Here are some things to keep in mind.
Location
Before you start building, think about where your planter will live. Of course, plants need sunlight to grow, but too much sunlight can be damaging. Keep in mind that sunlight in the morning isn’t as intense and harmful as the sunlight in the afternoon. So, if you are buying plants that require full sun (like lavender), then ideally, they need eight to 10 hours of sunlight per day. On the other hand, partial shade or partial sun plants (such as begonias) only need three to six hours of sunlight per day.
Size
A common misconception is that raised planters need to be large. But in fact, you can design any type of planter to fit your space, from a condo balcony to your front porch. Make it work for what you have. One important factor that determines size is the type of plants you want to grow. For example, annuals require much less soil than perennials do. And, don’t forget to create enough depth to allow for healthy root growth. As a general rule of thumb, small plants require 10 inches of depth. Give larger plants or vegetables a comfortable 15 inches of depth.
Rason’s geometric-shaped planter
Shape
The two most popular planter shapes are rectangles and squares, however, the design possibilities are endless and can absolutely be left to personal preferences. I created a geometric-shaped planter, which has turned into a great conversation piece with my neighbours as it sits on my front porch. Get creative with it. Some planters have legs, some do not. Some are hung, while some are in the ground. There are no major pros or cons to any style!
Materials
Planters can be built with either plastic or wood, but I always recommend using wood. Aside from affordability, wood is incredibly versatile, retains water very well, and can match any design style, whether you want a rustic or urban look. My personal favourite material is MicroPro Sienna. This eco-friendly pressure treated wood is completely safe to build planters with and very affordable as well (at about half the price of cedar). Remember to use fasteners that have been coated and recommended for exterior use.
Drainage
Lastly, the most important thing to remember is proper drainage! Ensure that you have designed adequate holes or at least created a space that allows for drainage. Too much moisture that accumulates at the bottom will damage roots and prevent your plants from growing. Even if the soil surface appears dry, the soil at the bottom of the planter may still be very wet. Drainage holes can simply be created with a drill, and generally speaking, should be smaller than a quarter-inch. Anything larger than a quarter-inch could cause too much soil to escape.
Toronto native Jeremy Taggart and East Coaster Jonathan Torrens have made a decent career out of a weekly phone call. The Taggart and Torrens podcast, which began in 2014, has achieved four-and-a-half million downloads and has produced a hilarious book entitled Canadianity.
Now, six years into this new-fangled podcasting craze, the fellas are going old school with their new comedy album, Bahds, out June 11 on Dine Alone Records.
“It made perfect sense for us to delve into that, and I guess with my past in music and writing songs and stuff, I figured why not try that as well,” says Taggart, who was the drummer for rock band Our Lady Peace.
“Dine Alone Records were awesome enough to give us a deal and basically we just got into the studio and started writing music that was based on the characters in the podcast.”
Torrens is well-known to CBC viewers for his stints on Street Cents and Jonovision as well as his role as J-Roc on Canadian mockumentary Trailer Park Boys.
For those unfamiliar with The Taggart and Torrens podcast, it is very much in the Canadian comedy tradition of Bob and Doug McKenzie as well as Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World.
They joke around with each other, create silly games, and it is all very much off-the-cuff. Butthey’ve also created a slew of hilarious recurring characters.
For example, Commander Donny is the DJ at a strip club in Quebec. He has a techno song on the new album.
“There are so many different characters. Like, there is Andrea from Cape Breton who moved to Toronto in hopes of starting a new life,” says Taggart. “So she has a song called ‘Weekend Bumsies’ and it’s a country song. And there’s a song called ‘The Score,’ which is basically Gordon Lightfoot dissing Bruce Cockburn and that’s kind of a hip hop track.”
What brings the album together is the control room banter from fabled and fictitious music producer Donovan.
“He’s from England and he intros every song to give everybody a heads up on what’s going on, and it gives the vibe of a concept record,” says Taggart.
Taggart first met Torrens following the Our Lady Peace Gravity tour, which had the Trailer Park Boys act as hosts in between acts.
“We hit it off, and we always wanted to do something together,” says Taggart. “I was doing the Jay and Dan pod kind of regularly, and I hear Jonathan on it. And I thought we had similar media interests and kind of grew up around the same time. I was in music. He was on TV. Once we started doing the pod, it all made sense and we hit the ground running.”
In 1998, they won the 2018 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Audio Program.
With the pandemic, they won’t be able to do any live shows to celebrate the release of the album, but they are doing a Side Door Access live stream this month.
When TRNTO.com broke the news on Tuesday that a petition to rename Toronto’s Dundas Street was gaining momentum, there were just over 100 signatures. Now, it has more than 8,000 and Mayor John Tory is considering the initiative and is setting up a task force to look at streets and other public spaces throughout the city.
The person behind the petition is Andrew Lochhead, an amateur Toronto historian. We asked him why he was the right person to begin this movement.
“I really wrestled with this question. I’m still not convinced I was the right person to put this forward,” he says. “However, I did some research first before beginning to making sure that I was not distracting from similar petitions or calls made by Black lead organizations or other groups, and when I found none, I felt it was important to at the very least to start a conversation around renaming.”
Lochhead says the call to rename Dundas Street was inspired by protests in Bristol, UK, where the statue of slaver Edward Colston was pulled down and thrown in the Bristol Harbour.
Toppled statue of English slave trader Edward Colston will be retrieved from the harbor and exhibited in a museum, says Bristol City Council https://t.co/4FA6uwa7w3 ?: Keir Gravil pic.twitter.com/pvboqmI9Ad
Lochhead noticed a few articles mentioned that a similar movement had been afoot in Edinburgh, Scotland regarding Henry Dundas.
“I knew already that, this was the person for whom Dundas, Ontario, and Dundas Street were named for, but I wasn’t aware of the connection to slavery,” he explains.
“Since TPL (Toronto Public Library) is closed, this limited me to online research, visiting The History of Parliament website maintained by the History of Parliament Trust, a website consistently acknowledged for its quality research and also looked to other media sources who have been covering the movement in Scotland, such as the BBC, The Guardian and even our own CTVNews which ran an article two years ago on the subject.”
Although there are some that dispute the importance of the initiative, suggesting there are more important issues facing the city, the overwhelming sentiment expressed on social media has been supportive of the move. Some have even suggested other historical city figures for which the street could be named moving forward.
Rename Dundas Street SHADD STREET after Mary Ann Shad, the first Black woman newspaper publisher in Canada. The Provincial Freeman was published in Toronto from 1854-55. https://t.co/cnj7KIdo3H
“I think people are realizing more and more now that just because something has been called something for a long time doesn’t mean those names shouldn’t be reconsidered as our values as a society change and that these changes can go a long way to symbolically addressing injustices and paving a way forward for healing,” he says.
Canada’s first fully automated restaurant, dubbed Box’d, is set to open at 4 King St. W. in downtown Toronto this month by Paramount Fine Foods.
“We are excited to bring the Box’d experience to Toronto,” says Mohamad Fakih of Box’d by Paramount Fine Foods. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many Torontonians chose to cook their meals at home, but as the restrictions ease and more businesses open people are looking forward to eating out. We understand that people may still be a little wary of public places, so we have created a dining option that is fast, efficient, and safe.”
At Box’d, patrons order in advance with a mobile app or at a digital kiosk at the location. Patrons are made aware of when their food is ready via a digital status board, and are then lead to their pickup location. Digital cubbies and shelves identify orders and create a streamlined experience.
For the Box’d menu, Paramount consulted with well-known Toronto chef Tomer Markovitz to develop both lunch and dinner selections including vegan and vegetarian options. Menu items come with sustainable packaging and there are also express menu options that are even quicker.
On the menu, there are currently four options listed under the Box’d Hot heading all of which include a combination of grain such as couscous or rice and lentils alongside salad and hummus. Each option also includes a protein choice such as chicken, kafta, steak or portobello mushroom.
There is also an entire section of hummus options, salad, wraps and more.
“The state-of-the-art technology used throughout Box’d will revolutionize and transform how consumers experience dining on-the-go and will help our guests feel safe,” says Markovitz. “With one chef per meal, all meals are sealed and delivered to sanitized, individual cubbies which simplifies the process and keeps cleanliness and safety top of mind.”
Over the past few months, everything has changed, we’ve adapted to our new normal, and dating and sex are no exception.
For some, ramping up their dating efforts has come naturally as they find themselves with more time on their hands.
“I’ve never had so much fun with it,” says Naduya, a 42-year-old dater from just north of Toronto. Tinder offers the passport feature, which lets me browse and swipe all over the world. I’m chatting with one guy in Italy, another in Romania, and my favourite one right now is in St. Lucia. He knows how to talk dirty like it’s nobody’s business.”
Part of the allure for folks like Naduya is the thrill of the unknown.
“I may never meet them. Of course, I want to right now, but when this is all over, we may go our separate ways. Who knows? But the hottest part is making plans that we may never keep. I never would have thought of dating long distance, but I think I’ll be way more open to it when things return to normal,” she says.
Others are proceeding with more caution. Newly single Celine says the pressure to meet up in person turned her right off of online dating.
“The number of guys downtown who still want to hook up with strangers in person is pretty frightening. At first, I was blocking them, but now I’ve decided to take a break. It’s just too much stress, and I find myself getting defensive when they put the pressure on. It’s not a great place to be in when you’re trying to make a real connection,” she says.
As a first-time online dater, she says she already feels turned off by the whole experience.
Younger clients are embracing the concept of online meetings and finding them just as fulfilling as in-person dating. It follows that apps are creating more immersive experiences beyond text and video to include live online events.
League Live, for example, allows you to go on three-minute speed dates with users who meet your geographical and dating preferences. In under 10 minutes, you video chat with three potential mates, and the app reports that matches are three times higher via this format versus regular app usage.
Matchmakers are also getting in on the game to combine their more personalized approach with online events. Toronto-based Carmelia Ray hosts a Singles Quarantine Happy Hour every Tuesday for members of Censio.love, a matchmaking app for relationship-minded singles who are focused on dating one person at a time.
And whereas apps like Zepeel have been emphasizing the value of video in online dating for years, the big names are finally catching on.
Bumble, which launched its video feature last year, has added updates, including a profile badge that indicates that you’re open to virtual video dates, a voice note function and the Question Game, which provides fun and flirty questions to help you to get to know one another online.
Some apps have even emerged in response to the pandemic itself, including Quarantine Together, which is already at its matching capacity. This simple app asks you if you’ve washed your hands and practised physical distancing each day, and if you respond affirmatively, it sends you a match with whom you can text and eventually video chat.
Sex has also changed since the onset of the global pandemic. Online consults for sexual issues have become the norm (in Canada via GetMaple.ca) and sex education webinars (for both kids and adults) have never been so plentiful. Whether you want to learn about how to talk to your kids about porn, decolonize sex education, boost your sexual self-esteem or master the art of dominance, Toronto-based sex educators like Nadine Thornhill and Luna Matatas have you covered.
When it comes to retail, Good For Her on Harbord Street reports that its online business is fuelled by folks looking to connect sexually whether they’re living together or apart (via app-enabled toys).
As Torontonians explore their kinks and digital options for sex, discussion of risk is now par for the course — a change that I hope will help to de-stigmatize conversations around safer sex. If we can talk about hand washing, wearing masks and physical distancing with total strangers, hopefully we’ll continue the conversation with our lovers to discuss STIs, condom use and regular testing — a sexual silver lining that hopefully will outlast the time of the coronavirus.
When the province went into lockdown in March, Nikki Wirthensohn had to unexpectedly close her Narces atelier on Davenport Road. During this time, she was looking for ways to keep her staff employed and decided to begin designing and manufacturing fashionable face masks for consumers and frontline workers.
The pricing of the masks begins at $30 each and goes up to $100 based on the design and materials needed. For each mask sold, the Narces team donates two masks to frontline workers. To date, the company has donated more than 5,000 masks.
Each mask includes a pocket where a filter can be inserted, though the filters are not included. The masks are made with multiple layers of fabric and can be purchased on the Narces website. Local customers can choose to have the masks delivered through Canada Post, or they can email the team to ask about pick-up options.
The team is currently focused on producing masks to keep up with their donations to frontline workers, but new styles and restocks are announced each week on the Narces Instagram page.
In addition to the mask donations to frontline workers, all proceeds of all Narces sales for this week will be donated to the NIA Centre for the Arts. The centre is the first Black arts centre in Toronto and is a not-for-profit organization that supports, showcases and promotes an appreciation of arts from across the African diaspora. Donations can also be made directly here.
There are currently more than 30 styles of face masks available on the Narces website in lace, organza, sequin and more.
A portrait of George Floyd by Paul Glyn-Williams (taken by @tom_ograph)
Dozens of street artists from across Toronto gathered in Graffiti Alley on Saturday in an effort to help end racism and show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The initiative, dubbed “Paint the City Black,” saw roughly 40 artists take over the famous alleyway, located just south of Queen Street between McDougall Lane and Augusta Avenue. Using mainly black and white paint, murals of George Floyd, Martin Luther King Jr. and other prominent Black figures were painted in solidarity with Black Lives Matter Toronto.
Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on May 25 by an officer who had pinned him down and held a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes. His death set off a chain reaction of protests and public outrage in the U.S. and around the world.
“It was great to see something that evolved from a group chat a couple days prior to the event, to over 40 artists painting with no funding, or budget, or schedules,” said Pacho. “It was really an organic, guerrilla-style takeover.”
The names of Black men and women who lost their lives in 2020 were painted onto the walls for posterity. A mural memorializing Breonna Taylor — a 26-year-old woman who was killed by Kentucky police in March — was put up. While another portrait of Regis Korchinski-Paquet — a 29-year-old woman who recently fell to her death from a balcony in High Park while police were on the scene — can also be found nearby.
Looking back on the event, the group said they couldn’t have asked for a better turnout.
“Graffiti is often associated with negativity, and vandalism and gangs and Saturday’s event really proved the polar opposite of that,” said Pacho. “It’s special in that way.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly transformed the home-based workspace. While sitting on your dining room chair may have seemed like a great idea at the time, by now your lower back is telling you otherwise.
But which home office chair should you choose?
We asked one Toronto’s office top furniture experts Mitchell Cohen, Dealer Principal at WSG (Workspace Group) for his advice. “The best chairs in the world are from Herman Miller,” says Cohen. “The ergonomics, the style and the 12-year warranty make them a wise investment choice.”
“The Aeron Chair is one of the top-selling task chairs in the world,” says Cohen. “From the breathable suspension fabric, fully adjustable arm rests and complete back support, our customers ask for this iconic chair by name.”
The Herman Miller Embody Chair is the first office chair designed with three health benefits in mind: it opens up your chest capacity to bring in more oxygen; the seat has no pressure points to encourage better circulation from your feet to your heart and the built-in Posture Fit support encourages proper spine alignment.
This budget-friendly, locally-sourced option comes with the standard features to help solve those home office blues. Plus, the pop of colour on the back mesh will brighten up any home office.
WSG (Workspace Group) is Toronto’s only independently-owned Herman Miller contract furniture dealer. Located in mid-town Toronto (near Yorkdale) they represent 65+ furniture manufacturers. For more information call 416-222-6200 or email: [email protected].
In the months and years before COVID-19 turned our world upside down, Toronto’s food scene was one for the books. Anyone with a passing interest in the culinary arts would eagerly ladle up news on the most innovative chefs, exciting restaurants and achingly cool wine bars pouring pét-nat for weekend oenophiles. The next chapter in this tale is one we’re all familiar with — cautious contactless takeouts, deliveries, a rally against Uber Eats, and so on. But now that a new normal is visible through our less-than-rosy glasses, what is to happen with some of what were to be 2020’s biggest openings?
Chabrol, Yorkville’s beloved boîte of a restaurant, was on the precipice of welcoming friends and family to their new locale the week of March 16th when the coronavirus hit. For years, chef Doug Penfold’s French restaurant had occupied a teeny tiny nook at the end of an alley: cosy-as-can-be during winter, while summer months allowed the dining room to stretch into a romantic outdoor setting. The new space, found at 156 Cumberland Ave., would allow diners to stretch their gams (and arms, for that matter).
As the epidemic intensified, the Chabrol team veered from thinking it would be weeks of closure, to realizing the gravity of the situation.
The Chabrol team announced they’d be moving to a larger locale in January
“We quickly shifted our focus from preparing for reopening to survival,” Penfold says. “We started talking to our landlords, insurance company and suppliers and concentrated our efforts into Mason’s — our butcher shop and fine foods store — which was already set up for retail of prepared meals and raw ingredients.”
Although the goal is to reopen once the government and health officials flash the green light, a frustrating lack of information pertaining to capacity and seating arrangement restrictions has left Chabrol questioning its exact next move. As of the end of May, takeout prix fixe meals every Friday are available for $45 a person, with a minimum two-person order.
In addition to exploring the pickup menu, the team has made some operational changes: a custom mobile application has replaced the need for paper menus, and their payment system is being integrated into the same app allowing customers to pay using their own phones. Additionally, different seating arrangements have been tested out in the dining room, aiming to balance ease of service with appropriate distancing, and they have explored partitioning the space with glass.
Meanwhile at Av and Dav, David Minicucci and chef Rob Rossi have been working steadily at getting Osteria Giulia (134 Avenue Rd.) ready for her debut. Younger sister to Giulietta (972 College St.), Giulia was stepping into the space that housed L’Unità until the end of 2019. As the coronavirus descended, a major facelift was happening.
“When the shutdown happened in March, it was kind of a silver living in a way because it allowed us to focus all of our energy on the build,” Minicucci says. “It’s a 100 per cent gut job,” he says. “Not one thing remains; we’ve reshaped the building. Now when you walk in, it’s entirely open from the front door to the back.”
Once the renos reached a certain stage, the team was able to focus on Giulietta, which is now offering takeout and delivery. Fortunately, landlords at both locations have been sympathetic to their plight, having experience in the restaurant industry.
So have social distancing measures affected seating plans and the like?
“Rob and I have decided not to react until we know what the actual plan is,” Minicucci says. Mapping out Giulietta at 50 per cent capacity takes 78 diners down to 26. “Who wants to eat at a restaurant with 20 other diners?” poses Minicucci. “The energy, the conviviality, that goes away.”
As for Giulia, things keep progressing. “We’re pushing ahead as if it’s not COVID. There’s no point stopping,” he says. “I’d rather have the restaurant completely built, cleaned and lock the door, and when we can start, we can start. We have to keep going.”
Right before normal was no more, Janet Zuccarini flung open the doors to Gusto 501. However, the Gusto of the east wasn’t her only restaurant opening planned this year. Azhar, dishing out Middle Eastern fare, had been set to open this summer on Ossington.
The Polpette meatballs at Gusto 501 are available for takeout
“It is obviously not ideal to open a restaurant — let alone a new one — amidst a global pandemic, but with Azhar we are already well down the path,” says Juanita Dickson, Gusto 54 Restaurant Group president.
With cash flow at a standstill alongside construction (thanks to the Ontario government’s emergency orders), the team has had time to weigh their options. The goal is to restart construction soon, with midsummer eyed as an optimistic end goal.
“Regulations pending, we will likely open offering takeout and delivery,” notes Dickson, “and evolve to a sit-down restaurant when it is legal to do so.” An understanding landlord has helped. “We believe strongly in the concept,” says Dickson, “and chef Stuart Cameron and the team feel that Azhar is a great offering for the Ossington neighbourhood.”
Over in Parkdale, Stephen Schweighardt has been gearing up to open Larry’s Folly (1462 Queen St. W.), originally thought of as a cafe-slash-bar. Permit and construction delays have put things behind schedule, but for now, Schweighardt is hoping to open shop in late July.
As funds are now tight, certain parts of the build may be rethought, plus he’s assessing how to approach seating arrangements. When it comes to a possible partition at the bar, Schweighardt is exploring funky alternatives. “The whole vibe of the shop is a big tribute to the past … so we’re thinking of old antique windows.”
Although he was none too keen to open doing primarily takeout the last time he spoke to Post City, Schweighardt has had to reconsider.
“Money’s tight for the living side and the business side,” he says. Although a fair situation with the landlord has been worked out, he does need to reach a point where he can bring in money. “I realize I’m one of the lucky ones with a landlord who’s very down-to-earth,” he says. “However, I don’t really have the luxury right now to wait it out until the perfect time.” For now, he’s received plenty of eager feedback and is hoping that the Parkdale community will rally behind the shop once it opens.
Finally, Cucina Buca (2 St. Clair Ave. W.), which got uptowners going gaga the moment it was announced, is still acting as home base for Buca’s delivery and takeout operations.
“Right now, we’re taking it one day at a time and continue to monitor developments so we can map out a solid plan with regard to our opening,” says chef Rob Gentile. Although the team pulled together the new business model in little time, the response has been a positive one. Expanded offerings have included ready-to-cook kits, which Gentile notes “is definitely an area of the business we hope to continue to build on.” For now, Buca’s dine-at-home dishes will do their best to sate those yearning for the days when a night out on the town wasn’t but a dream.
This budget-friendly, locally-sourced option comes with the standard features to help solve those home office blues. Plus, the pop of colour on the back mesh will brighten up any home office.
