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Global News meteorologist Anthony Farnell’s love story had a few bumps in the road

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lindsaylow
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anthony farnell
The couple at their wedding in Vermont

When Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell took off for a ski trip with his buddies, he didn’t know he would be one of the first COVID-19 cases in Ontario on his return. Farnell and his wife Samantha Guedes began isolating in their home and had daily phone calls with Toronto Public Health. Now Farnell is thankfully virus-free and feeling great. He’s still working at home delivering weather reports to Torontonians, and Samantha and their dog, Storm, have been helping out and directing his weekly weather lessons on YouTube. Here’s how the pair met.

How they met

Samantha and I actually met at a bar. For those that don’t know, it’s this place where people used to go to meet new people before dating apps became super popular. I was out with my friends, and this gorgeous woman came up to say hi to me. The moment didn’t last long, and I later found out she had been semi-stalking me from TV.

The first date

Our first date was at a restaurant back in 2010. The place was on King Street, but it doesn’t exist anymore. As goes any love story, after the date, I told her I didn’t see things working out but asked if we could stay friends (oops)! Luckily we did, and almost a year later I regained the courage to ask her out and invited her to my family cottage in Vermont for Thanksgiving. Sam was dating someone at the time but (thankfully) she broke it off, and we travelled to Vermont together to meet the fam. By the end of the weekend we were “going steady.”

Memorable moments

A tricky bit with the whole “courtship” was that I’m not very romantic! It’s something I’m still working on today, but it helps that Sam is amazing and has been incredibly understanding about it. Overall we dated for about six months before moving in together and then we were engaged six months after that.

The proposal

It didn’t exactly work out as I would have liked. We were back in Vermont, and I had ordered a ring to the cottage, but it was late arriving. We therefore had to stay an extra night, and I had to make up an excuse to visit the post office to pick up the ring on our way back to Toronto the next day. I really wanted to propose in Vermont, where we already had so many great memories together, but my time was running out. I stopped the car on the side of the road right before the border. I asked Sam if she wanted to feed the cows and ended up pulling out the ring right as a cow was licking her hand. I probably should have had a better speech prepared, and maybe not kneeling in cow manure would have made it more romantic, but either way she said yes.

The wedding

We got married three years after our engagement and did it back at that same cottage where it all began. We had 80 friends and family from both Montreal and Toronto along with many of Sam’s relatives from Portugal. The ceremony took place in front of our century-old barn. The day was amazing.

The honeymoon

Our honeymoon was right after at an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. That was actually the last all-inclusive we ever went to since we now much prefer more adventurous, off-the-beaten-path vacations.

Balancing careers and marriage

I have been working at Global News for almost 15 years now, but a couple of years ago my schedule switched to working an earlier shift. Not working until midnight every night really helped our personal lives. Sam was a realtor but found the stress of selling overpriced homes in Toronto to be too much. She is now a part-time nanny for a couple of families in our neighbourhood.

Secret of success

Life is a work-in-progress, and we do our best to try and listen to each other and help each other out every day.

Acclaimed Toronto bistro reopens for takeout in Harbord Village

By
Jessica Huras
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Dreyfus restaurant

Another much-missed Toronto restaurant, Dreyfus, has reopened for takeout, as the hospitality industry continues to adapt to the new normal amid the pandemic. 

The homey French bistro helmed by an alumnus of Montreal’s famed Joe Beef restaurant had been widely praised since opening in the spring of 2019.

The restaurant initially opted not to pivot to takeout in response to Ontario’s extended dining room closures, leaving it temporarily shut down since mid-March of this year.

On the heels of the one-year anniversary of its original opening, however, Dreyfus returned with a new takeout program.

 

 

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According to the restaurant’s Instagram post, their debut takeout menu was inspired by the owners’ past trips to Israel, as well as Ontario’s summer produce.

The menu focused on shareable dishes and sides, featuring items like Parallel Brothers tahini with tomatoes and garlic; asparagus with pea tendrils and apple cider vinegar; and black lentils with caramelized onions and roasted marinated beets.

For now, orders can be placed via email but the post indicates that Dreyfus will eventually be offering a more “sophisticated” takeout system.

At the moment, Dreyfus’ takeout menu is only available for pick-up on Saturday afternoons.

After launching on May 30, the restaurant chose not to continue the program last Saturday and instead posted an Instagram story that encouraged followers to support BIPOC-owned restaurants.

Dreyfus seems poised, however, to return once again this weekend (and possibly offer a new menu).

 

 

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Pisces season ? Vivaneau entier

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The City of Toronto released reopening guidelines for restaurants last Friday, advising that eateries can begin preparing to start operating dine-in services again (although an official reopening date has yet to be announced).

Among the guidelines are restrictions that require restaurants to use “no more than 50% of the rated capacity available for use,” and to maintain a minimum of two metres between each edge of every table. 

Dreyfus’ takeout launch comes at a time when many restaurants are preparing for pick-up and delivery to provide the bulk of their revenue for the near future. 

With dining rooms set to operate at a reduced capacity going forward, numerous other delivery holdouts such as Dasha and Giulietta have also recently kicked-off to-go programs; while notable restaurateur Grant van Gameren has revamped the concepts behind most of his Toronto restaurants to make the menus more takeout-friendly.

Province announces new measures to make it easier to open and increase restaurant patios

By
Ron Johnson
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0

There are few things that bring more joy to Toronto residents than the beginning of the patio season. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, foodies have been denied their moment in the, ahem, sun, but with a flurry of guidelines and news published over the last few days, it looks like it is finally happening.

The latest instalment comes from the Ontario government, which has circulated further information this morning regarding a move to temporarily extend outdoor patio spaces to safely accommodate patrons and staff once licensed establishments are permitted to fully reopen for business.

The move, according to a press release, is designed to “help support hospitality sector workers and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.”

The Ontario government, which regulates restaurants through its Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), will allow restaurants to carve out physical distancing space via a patio as long as it is adjacent to the premises, or to increase the size of an existing patio.

“During this difficult period, we are constantly looking for ways to be flexible with the hospitality sector, so when the time is right, they can open with the confidence that they will be able to keep customers and staff safe,” said Jean Major, CEO of the AGCO. ”By extending outdoor patio spaces, we hope it will help our licensed establishments get back on their feet more quickly.”

According to a new media report, the province is also set to announce that restaurants in some areas of Ontario will be allowed to open on Friday, June 12, but those in the Greater Toronto Area will have to wait until at least June 19.

The province is also loosening the rules around what is called “tied houses,” meaning the tap rooms or associated drinking rooms usually located at the site of a craft brewer or winery or distillery. Now, these tied houses can be located anywhere within the same municipal or property address.

These new moves come on the heels of the recently announced CaféTO plan that the city of Toronto announced last week. That plan, amongst other things, will allow restaurants to create temporary patio space on sidewalks, curb lanes, and parkettes.

“The city can act quickly, at lighting speed, as soon as provincial order is lifted,” said Toronto Mayor Joh Tory at a press conference last week. “This is an industry that has been terribly hard hit.”

The CaféTO plan will also make it much easier for existing restaurants to navigate the city’s sometimes arduous application process for Toronto patios. It could also waive associated fees.

Toronto also announced that the city’s restaurants should prepare to reopen right now and not wait for further announcements regarding specific dates.

Premier Doug Ford is poised to announce further details regarding the second phase of reopening at this media briefing on June 8, although it looks like there will be no specific dates yet.

The province is also reporting its lowest number of new COVID-19 cases since mid-March as well as another steady drop in hospitalizations. Two good signs.

How rewilding brought the butterflies back to Toronto

By
lindsaylow
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butterflyway

David SuzukiDavid Suzuki is the host of the CBC’s The Nature of Things and author of more than 30 books on ecology (with files from Ian Hanington).

Rewilding is a concept used to restore an ecosystem to a wilder state by reintroducing species that were driven away or wiped out.

It comes in many forms and is something almost anyone can become involved in. One example is the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway Project — a simple, successful effort to reintroduce native plants that support a range of pollinators, including monarch and other butterflies. The project popped up all over the GTA in communities such as Markham and the Cedarvale area of Toronto. The intent is to create a habitat network that can support critters as they feed, breed, and migrate.

Whether it’s conservation or rewilding, we know that, when we give nature a chance, it bounces back. Because we’re part of nature and rely on everything it provides, that’s to our benefit.

We can’t change the planet back to a wild paradise, but we can take steps to reverse some of the damage we’ve done. As the Butterflyway Project shows, efforts can start small, on your block, or in your neighbourhood. But don’t be surprised if people want to join in. (Keep in mind physical distancing and other health rules.) The idea has been spreading as fast as milkweed in southern Ontario!

A growing number of economists, ecologists, scientists and planners is recognizing the value of “natural assets” — the many services and functions nature provides that often cost less and are more efficient than built infrastructure.

Research by the David Suzuki Foundation and the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative, in collaboration with a number of towns and cities in B.C., New Brunswick and Ontario, found protecting or restoring ecosystems offers immense value in terms of water purity, flood control, storm protection and more — without the expensive maintenance and limited shelf life of built infrastructure that provides similar services.

Beyond their local benefits, healthy, intact ecosystems do so much, from sequestering carbon to providing food. They can even prevent or at least reduce the number of deadly diseases that jump from animals to humans — 60 per cent of new or re-emerging diseases since 1940, including HIV, Ebola, Zika and a number of coronaviruses, came from animals, wild and domestic, in part because of forest and habitat destruction.

We know when we give nature a chance to recover, it will, and when we work to restore it, amazing things can happen. We’re showing now that we’re capable of doing what’s needed to keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy.

How this local student is creating summer jobs for his peers

By
lindsaylow
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0
canadian face masks

When the province was shutting down in its response to COVID-19, second-year Queen’s University student Joshua Sofer was catching up with his high school friend Matthew Danics. The York School graduates were discussing the importance of face masks and how difficult it had been to find affordable ones.

“Reading about how important face masks were in slowing the spread and flattening the curve, we determined that we should try and solve it,” Sofer says. “We had a lot of time on our hands, and we really wanted the challenge, so we said, ‘Why not?’ ”

Sofer and Danics had so much time on their hands because school had transitioned to an online model and, like many university students, Danics’ summer internship had been cancelled. This was, Sofer says, a major motivation behind the decision to start Canadian Face Masks.

The company offers a range of cotton face masks in different colours starting at $8.95. The organic mask is $11.95. Sofer says that, in their research, they found most masks were being sold at $12 to $95 each. They also donate one mask for every 10 organic masks sold to local volunteer organizations helping the COVID-19 efforts. So far, they’ve sold over 9,100 masks.

Sofer attributes the company’s success to its team. He mentions their head of educational materials, who is a health science student with experience working in hospitals, and a whole host of students managing marketing, sales and logistics.

For Sofer, finding an apparel company willing to produce the masks at the price point and level of quality they needed was the most challenging part, especially because he and Danics weren’t familiar with the industry.

“We had to learn all these terms, everything from Pantone colours to different textiles and textures,” he says. “I would say that was a steep learning curve because if you’re not able to talk to people, at least in this industry, it’s very prohibitive.”

After several days of searching, the pair found a Toronto-based manufacturer that was able to meet their needs. Sofer says they were in a unique position with Canadian Face Masks because of the demand they immediately faced once they got the company off the ground.

“We’ve hit this sort of high-growth segment that most businesses don’t tend to see, at least in their first year of operation,” he says.

Sofer also notes that being young students offers its perks.

“We’re all university students, we have a roof over our heads, we’re supported at this time, and so that’s allowed us to have this flexibility,” he says.

Now that short-term rentals can reopen in the province, here are three to book now

By
Nikki Gill
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short-term rentals
Bob's Lake in Godfrey, Ont.

As of Friday, June 5, short-term rentals in Ontario are allowed to reopen, meaning those summer stay-cations can come to fruition after all. The announcement was made on Twitter by the minister of economic development, job creation and trade, Victor Fedeli.

 

 

With this good news, we decided to look back at our favourite cabin getaways and picked our top three to book right now. With so many Torontonians mourning the loss of their summer vacation plans, dates from June through to August are filling up fast.

A tiny cabin in the woods

Image: Lee Mann

Komoka | 2 hours

­Fernwood Hills is a family-run operation by Lee Mann and his parents Ron and Celia. The cabin was first created for day use as it doesn’t have a washroom — guests use the washroom in the facility just up the lane — but then guests started asking the Mann family to stay the night. Perfect for singles or couples, the cabin is just the right place to breathe, think and relax. For those looking for a romantic getaway, the Manns know how to turn up the heat. The team will string the cabin with little lights and have a grazing platter waiting when you arrive, using their own farm fresh eggs and food from their market garden. Even the charcuterie boards themselves are made by Lee using fallen trees on the property. The family will even put together a dinner for two to be enjoyed inside this secluded retreat. For those looking for more comforts of home, the larger studio loft with additional amenities can also be rented. Just a perfect cabin for two.

An architect-designed gem

short-term rentals
Image: Joe Magrath @thebearstand

Highlands East | 2.5 hours

Joe Magrath spent his summers on Contau Lake in the Haliburton Highlands for as long as he could remember. When he and his wife, Sharon Leece, had the opportunity to scoop up a 99-acre woodland in the area, they jumped. Next, they partnered with international award-winning architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to create the Bear Stand. The name comes from the hunting legacy of the area — original hunting stands used by generations past can still be found in the woods of the property. This vacation cabin offers 1,300 feet of lakeside shoreline and more than five kilometres of hiking trails and wetland boardwalks, but it’s what’s inside that really ups the wow factor: a sumptuous master suite with all the luxuries: a sauna, three fireplaces, a six-person lakeside tub and spa-like amenities from the rain showers to the Egyptian cotton towels. Magrath and Leece say they wanted to create an indoors-outdoors vacation home in the heart of nature that fused their passion for contemporary design with a pristine natural environment. They did just that.

Escape to a secluded lake

short-term rentals

Godfrey | 3 hours

Marla Isaacs discovered Bob’s Lake when her eldest child was four years old — he is now 42. They rented a property on the lake for a decade before deciding to buy their own. Now they own five cottages and have created a lakeside retreat like no other. The Great House is perfect for a family getaway with six bedrooms. The town of Westport is just a 20-minute drive away, and there you’ll find a craft brewery, and just 10 minutes further is the Kilborn’s store and restaurant. Babysitting services are also available if you want to leave the little ones in the cottage while the adults go explore. What else? The staff will even prepare meals and baked goods if you put in the request.

North York junior chef makes it to the finale of new Food Network series

By
Nikki Gill
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junior chef showdown
Patrick Nicholson (Image: Mike Ford)

Food Network Canada’s new series highlighting the best and brightest young chefs across the country has a homegrown star. Ten-year-old Patrick Nicholson is showcasing his chef skills on Junior Chef Showdown and has made it all the way to the finale which airs on Sunday, June 7 at 9 p.m.

The Owen Public School student who grew up in North York says he’s been cooking since he could walk and has always been more interested in kitchen appliances than toys. A love of food runs in the family as his grandmother taught him how to bake and his parents taught him how to cook. He also has taken many kitchen tips from his older brothers.

Nicholson’s kitchen specialty is his tagliatelle alla bolognese, and his favourite food is macarons. When he’s not in the kitchen, he likes to play judo, or spend time reading, drawing and singing.

The show’s three-judge panel includes Jordan Andino, a Toronto native known for his popular New York City restaurant Flip Sigi. He judges the junior chefs alongside pastry chef Anna Olson and Lynn Crawford, known for her Ruby Watchco restaurant on Queen Street East as well as her many other television appearances in shows such as Top Chef Canada, Chopped Canada and Iron Chef Canada.

This new Food Network Canada series started with 14 junior chefs between the ages of nine and 13 from all across the country and has been whittled down to just three chefs remaining in this Sunday’s finale. The winner of the competition will walk away with a cash prize of $25,000 and a family vacation courtesy of Air Transat.

As for life after Junior Chef Showdown, Nicholson says becoming a chef is one of his future career goals, along with becoming a doctor and astronaut. Catch him on Junior Chef Showdown Sundays at 9 p.m. and see how he does.

Camp alternatives to keep kids active this summer

By
Nikki Gill
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0
camp alternatives

With overnight camps cancelled for the summer due to COVID-19, and most day camps going in the same direction due to strict physical distancing protocols still in place, some city programs, camps and grassroots organizations have gotten creative with new ways to deliver a camp-like experience to kids at home. Here is a list of camp alternatives available for families in Toronto that range from virtual camp experiences to mini in-person camps.

Half-day online camp

Judah Batist is the director of Camp Webby, an online summer camp for ages 6 to 10 that started with the intention of providing kids with some kind of camp experience while also providing parents with some help. “They want some relief for the summer, to be relieved of their full-time parenting duties while balancing the workloads they may have,” Batist says. Camp Webby offers three hours of programming daily on Zoom (either mornings or afternoons) for Grades 1 to 4, providing arts and crafts, drama, exercise and social activities for campers.

“We provide a camp-like experience for three hours online because we expect that our campers will want to be outside for part of the day, and we encourage them to do so,” Batist says. “We also wanted to give back to our community in the way of COVID relief, and we figured this would be an opportunity to achieve that,” he says. A portion of proceeds from Camp Webby will be donated to the Sick Kids VS COVID-19 fund.

Batist says their programming covers all types of areas of interest for kids who join. “Our program is both physically and socially stimulating to keep kids thinking and on their toes this summer.”

Online cabins with a dedicated counsellor

The team behind Willowgrove Camp in Stouffville, Ont. has created an online camp experience for campers ages 4 to 13 called Camp@Home. Each camper will get a login code to their online portal, and depending on the camper’s age, they get to be at camp at different times.

“We were trying to think about what is the next best thing about camp if you can’t be there in person, and we decided on the culture of camp. It’s this place to kind of escape the cultural norms of who you are in your day-to-day life and a way of being able to express yourself or discover a new side of yourself,” Johnny Wideman, executive director at Willowgrove, explains. “And so we were really trying to focus on replicating what the cabin experience would be like for the day camp.”

Campers will be put into an online “cabin” run by a dedicated counsellor, and every morning when they log on they’ll get to “hang out” with their cabin as they listen to camp-wide announcements. Campers can then explore the interactive map, modelled after the physical campgrounds, on the online portal, and can click different links for camp-wide games, activities and even private Zoom calls with other campers run by a counsellor. The counsellors provide all of the resources, games, leadership and mentorship that campers typically receive when attending a camp in-person.

“The response has been very positive, there seems to be a lot of appreciation for trying to think outside of the box,” he says. “We’re hoping that that kind of unique, accepting camp community with all of its quirks and fun lovingness can still be present, just at home.”

Virtual camp with all equipment included

Mad Science Toronto‘s virtual camp includes equipment packages that are sent to individual households with all the necessary materials for daily experiments, to be hosted on Zoom. Frank Goldschleger, owner of Mad Science Toronto, says the idea was to take the onus off of families.

“We’re really trying to create experiments and activities that are self-guided, so our angle is limited parent engagement,” he says. They run morning and afternoon sessions for kids ages 4 to 12 and drop off a week’s worth of programming materials at a time. Goldschleger says they’ll be filming the experiments in front of a green screen and have a moderator involved to help field any questions from the kids participating.

“We have two cameras, one on the presenter, one on the activity that is taking place, so that the kids can focus on the table camera,” he says. “The moderator is taking questions and unmuting the kids if, say, they want to share a story about the time they launched a rocket at the park, whatever it might be.”

Drama camp via Zoom

For kids looking for a more artistic camp experience, Great Big Theatre Company (GBTC) is offering online drama camps and classes for ages 6 to 14. Lily Small, artistic director at GBTC, says they’ve focused activities that can be done over Zoom and have made group sizes smaller so that participants can be more involved visually.

“We’ve created a nice program with lots of improvisation, play writing, radio drama, theatre games and movement games. Even though it’s online, you make sure that the kids are not just sitting in front of a computer, but they’re actually moving within the space that they’re using as well,” Small says. “We deliberately didn’t schedule the whole day, because parents don’t want kids online all day, but we considered within the framework that they will have activities to do the whole day even after our sessions,” she explains. Even though the participants can’t be in the same space while they act, Small says there are other ways to be interactive.

“They hear each other, they see each other, so we can still do a lot of things that are interrelated, you know, in terms of character development and interactive dialogue online,” she says.

Online arts and acting classes

Liana Del Mastro, executive director at Avenue Road Arts School, says they started trying out online art classes on Zoom during their spring sessions after they received a positive response to their Virtual Creative Hub, which gave free access to art lessons.

“We basically tried to take these classes ourselves on Zoom, and we realized it was doable, it was possible,” Del Mastro says. Their biggest challenge has been supporting students in getting their hands on materials, as delivering materials would be too costly for participants.

“So what we decided to do was to create a material list so students can purchase them in a price range they are comfortable with, and we’ve just asked our teachers to be more flexible,” she says. Del Mastro says they’ve also been able to support the arts community through their Zoom arts classes.

“We’re really investing in our teachers and creating work for artists who otherwise have been shut off from working right now. That is really important to us because the arts have been hard hit and will be for a while,” she says.

Private mini camps

Provided physical distancing rules expand a bit by July, True North Sports Camps have plans for modified versions of their regular camp programming. Gabe Diamond, co-founder, says they’ve come up with Mini Camps, which will be groups of no more than five participants gathered in backyards or local parks. There will be a counsellor dedicated to one group with their own bag of equipment to limit sharing of materials.

“There are some programs that you see with that sort of backyard program style to it, whether it’s music or more of a typical daycare format,” Diamond says. “We looked at those that have been around in the past and it seemed like, given the guidelines, we’d be able to have five people together from different households.”

Diamond says it is difficult to run typical camp programs in a group of five, but they are planning to create a multi-sport camp and introduce any typical camp games that they can. He says it will likely be a mixture of basketball, soccer and baseball.

“We’ve created this role called the host family, so it’s going to be up to the host family to put together the group,” he says. “This way, we’re not going to be putting together four to five campers from all from separate households; there might be two siblings and a couple neighbourhood friends in one group.”

Campers will have to fill out a health questionnaire prior to participating, and there will be no sharing of snacks or water, along with daily sanitizing of sports equipment.

More camp alternatives

  • Second City is offering online comedy, improv, acting, stand-up, writing and TV classes and camps for ages 7 to 17
  • STEM Minds is offering virtual STEM camp with online 3D and video design and coding lessons for ages 8 to 14
  • VRTU is offering online Muay Thai classes and fitness classes, similar to kickboxing for ages 4 to 12
  • Glama Gal Kids Spa is offering online beauty, spa and decoration-related workshops
  • DaCosta Magic is offering online magic classes for ages 6 and up
  • Rooks to Cooks is offering a virtual academy with online baking and cooking classes; parental supervision is recommended for kids ages 9 and under

A message to the graduating class of 2020

By
Marlene Mendonca
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0
The York School

It’s June and there are a lot of things outside of our control right now. The future is unpredictable. For the high school graduate who has university waiting on the other side of summer, it can be an especially anxious time. They should be feeling exuberant, but instead they are stepping out of the comfort of routine into the unknown, while the world seems to be set on pause. 

We reached out to our York School alumni to ask them if they had advice for the graduating class of 2020. Here is what they said: 

“We are navigating a really weird time. Over the course of your lifetime, you will experience other unprecedented global events. The goal is to not just prepare for this pandemic, but to develop coping mechanisms and other skills for resilience that will prepare you for whatever comes.”  – Dr. Darcie Dixon, class of 2006, behavioural scientist working in management consulting

You Have the Tools to Survive and Thrive

This intensity is not new, especially to those in the International Baccalaureate programme. The regime of your high school schedule prepared you for this. Routines and structure have been taken away from us, but there are also things we can control.

Our Time and Environment

“You find yourself unexpectedly working from home. This is a lot like doing your homework. Humans need to have routine and structure. Making new decisions for every moment of every day takes too much of a toll on our cognitive energy. Think about when you are most productive, and build your schedule around that. Set up your desk where there is natural light and make sure your schedule signals to your brain and others when it is the time to work, and when it is the time to relax.” – DD, ’06 

Study Hard

“I cannot overemphasize the importance of hard work. There are a few natural geniuses in the world, but hard work trumps smarts when it comes to meeting your goals.” – Evan Silver, class of 2007

“When in class, be in the now. Note taking helps you collect your thoughts and remember important points since information coming in can jumble together when you’re learning on a video call. Also, when working on essays, get feedback from people whose opinion you value to get fresh eyes on what you’re working on,” – Lianne Menkes, class of 2014.

Take Care of Yourself – Stay Active & Sleep 

The Gord Downie Pier on Kingston’s Waterfront might not yet be open for beach volleyball, nor Montreal’s Plateau for bongos in the park, but cycling, walking, exploring neighbourhoods and nature are important and safe ways to activate your mind and body.  

Connect 

“As a social species, we need interaction. Make the time to have meaningful connections with those who make you feel good about yourself, especially since some social media platforms can make you feel sadder.” – DD, ’06

If campus is open: “I think in first year it’s easy to fall into the party lifestyle and indulge a bit. So I think the biggest piece of advice I could give you is remember why you’re there. You have this amazing opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in Canada so just really take advantage of that.” – Jordan Shay, environmental lawyer and class of 2007.

Embrace the Extracurricular 

“I signed up for Queen’s Model Parliament, and through this experience got to participate in the Canadian parliamentary process as ‘minister of national revenue’ even going to the House of Commons. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” – JS, ‘07

“Put yourself out there and take initiative. At The York School I was part of the school paper, and debate, both exceptional experiences.” – Byron Ashley, entrepreneur and class of 2008

The keys to success are still the same. Be true to yourself and do not stray away from your North Star. Remain curious. Be engaged. Get involved. Collaborate with others. Embrace and be open for learning.    

There is no crystal ball that can tell us how this pandemic, or anything else that comes our way, will unfold. What we do know is that resilience and adaptability are essential skills. We also know that learning is made real through experience, and with the right outlook, we can thrive. 

This year’s graduating class has all the tools needed to adapt, problem solve and succeed. Embrace the challenges ahead and you will flourish, however the University of your choosing rolls out their curriculum. 

“Once you leave high school, you start to realize how special a place it was.” – JS, ‘07 

 

A new program will help Toronto restaurants and bars expand their patio spaces

By
Jessica Huras
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0
Toronto restaurant patios
The patio at Bandit Brewery

The City of Toronto has announced a program that will make it easier for restaurants and bars to open new outdoor dining spaces, as well as expand their existing ones.

Mayor John Tory shared the news of CaféTO‘s launch on Thursday morning. The program will allow businesses to temporarily operate in public spaces that are not normally permitted for patio use, like sidewalks, streets and parkettes.

CaféTO aims to offer restaurants and bars more potential space in which to serve their customers, so they can create physical distancing without dramatically decreasing their occupancy.

Dining rooms have been closed for almost three months amid the pandemic, threatening the survival of Toronto’s restaurant industry.

CaféTO hopes to help struggling restaurants and bars boost their revenues by providing extra space to serve as many customers as safely as possible, once dining rooms are allowed to reopen.

Tory has said the new program will also include an expedited application process for businesses seeking to open new patios, as well as the possible waiver of associated fees.

 

 

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Toronto will begin preparing to launch CaféTO, even though an official reopening date for restaurants and bars has yet to be announced.

The news follows another encouraging announcement yesterday that permitted street food vendors, food trucks, and ice cream trucks to reopen.

A news release from the City of Toronto states that these operators will be required to adhere to physical distancing, and customers are asked to keep a two-metre distance between one another when lining up at vendors.

Premier Ford has said there’s a possibility that restaurant patios may be part of stage two of reopening; however, this is mainly being considered as part of a “regional reopening” strategy.

This would likely mean that the GTA, which has reported a significantly larger number of COVID-19 cases than the rest of the province, will have to wait the longest for restaurant patios to reopen.

According to the City of Toronto website, a registration process will soon be shared that will allow businesses to begin signing up for CaféTO in preparation for reopening.

Where to get cheap and delicious lunch takeout in north Toronto

By
Marlene Mendonca
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As many of us balance near-constant Zoom meetings, the challenges of homeschooling, and trying to survive through the pandemic, things like making a quality lunch are falling by the wayside. Fortunately, there are a host of excellent options in north Toronto for a midday meal that’ll let you take a break from the daily grind and recharge for the afternoon ahead. 

 

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Specializing in Middle Eastern Cuisine, Tabule has long been a hit with locals and makes for the perfect lunch feast. You’ll want to try the Babaganuj, falafel or their juicy skewers. Takeout is available starting at 12:30 p.m.

 

 

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Satay on the Road is currently offering 10 per cent off take-out orders. Between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. you can double down on the savings by ordering from their lunch specials menu, which includes a free spring roll.

 

 

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C’est Bon offers their lunch menu from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every day, which includes rice and noodle dishes and a variety of combo meals that meet everyone’s culinary desires.

 

 

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Tutto Pronto‘s lunch menu includes a wide array of Italian favourites, from antipasti to pizza to pasta, insalate and more. The restaurant opens at 11:00 a.m. for lunch orders.

 

 

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 The Sushi Bar offers a wide range of sushi, sashimi and maki. Rolls are also available upon request. For lunch orders, the restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m.

Buddies in Bad Times theatre is bringing physically-distanced Queer Pride programming to the city all month long

By
Nisean Lorde
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Elvira Kurt will be hosting Queer Pride Inside with CBC Arts

The Queer Pride 2020 Festival will extend beyond the walls of the Buddies in Bad Times theatre at 12 Alexander St. this year. Although there will be limited in-person events (with physical distancing measures in place), this year’s festival will mainly explore performance, art, music, and parties through livestream events.

“In response to the pandemic, which has altered so many realities in such a short time, we have pivoted our annual Queer Pride Festival from a celebration where our communities gather at Buddies to one that brings the Buddies spirit out into our communities,” festival artistic director Evalyn Parry and Metcalf Foundation artistic director intern Daniel Carter said in a statement. “The programming continues our proud tradition of provocative, genre-defying, and boundary-pushing performance, and the artists in this year’s festival have dreamed up new (as well as old-school) ways to forge connection across the distances between us, to celebrate our Queer Pride together this year like never before.”

 

 

On June 24 at 9 p.m., Buddies teams up with CBC Arts to present Queer Pride Inside: A Buddies in Bad Times Cabaret — a live digital cabaret hosted by comic Elvira Kurt, with performances in drag, burlesque, storytelling, and music. The lineup includes performers such as Tawiah M’Carthy, Ivan Coyote, Stewart Legere and Les Femmes Fatales. The presentation will be available on the CBC Gem streaming service.

The month’s digital presentations will be capped off by Good Grief: Queer and Trans Reflections on the Edge of Survival, an emerging creators unit presentation in partnership with b current performing arts. The presentation will be digitally simulcast by Buddies and will include emerging queer voices such as Gabe Maharjan and Merlin Simard.

Offline celebrations will include mail-out projects (such as having colourful, hand-stencilled postcards sent to a loved one to celebrate Pride), pop-up performances outside Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (June 25) and even a Pride pen pal program.

In addition to Queer Pride going digital this year to help curb the spread of COVID-19, Pride Toronto will host a virtual pride parade online on June 28.

The decision was made after the city confirmed the cancellation of all mass participation events and permits for festivals, conferences, events and cultural programs, organized by the city or external groups to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

For the full list of Queer Pride 2020 events, visit the Buddies in Bad Times website and here for Pride Toronto events.

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