Tour these luxury homes through interactive 3D walk-throughs or a virtual viewing via Zoom from the comfort of your own home.
$4.299 million for an elegant mansion in North York
The five-bedroom home at 33 Cotswold Cres. boasts more than 7,000 square feet of space with elegant finishes around every corner. Take the virtual tour by Trang Nguyen with Royal LePage Signature Realty.
$3.6 million for a two-storey build in South Hill
The feng shui–certified home at 19 Clarendon Ave. offers three bedrooms, four bathrooms and unbridled luxury in its wood-panelled backyard. Find a 3D tour with Jonathan Schwarz at Revolution Realty Inc.
$3.998 million for four bedrooms in Forest Hill
The sophisticated stunner at 316 Warren Rd. has a massive gourmet kitchen, six bathrooms, a media room and wine cellar. Find an online video of the home with Zeljko Kecojevic of Remax Ultimate Realty Inc.
$5.98 million for a gated estate in Thornhill
The palatial five-bedroom home at 21 Hammok Cres. boasts a whopping 10,000 square feet of space with top-of-the-line features and finishes. Check out the virtual tour with Franz Wu of Homelife Landmark Realty Inc.
As many of us find ourselves cooking at home instead of dining out, we’re sharing recipes from some of Toronto’s top chefs and restaurants.
“Japanese curry is a comforting staple; it’s hearty with balanced flavours,” says chef Kazuya Matsuoka of Aburi Restaurants, which includes Toronto restaurants Miku and Tora. “Easy preparation and approachable ingredients make this dish a classic go-to in many Japanese households.”
Home-style Japanese curry
Makes 6-8 servings
DASHI BROTH
4 cups water
45g katsuobushi dashi powder
Chef’s note: Katsuobushi dashi has a wonderful aroma and umami, creating a fantastic base for this curry
CURRY
1 box Japanese curry roux
1/2 lb ground pork
1-2 carrots
1-2 onions
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 apple, peeled and grated
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp curry powder
½ tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
30 g unsalted butter, melted
touch of cream
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
TO MAKE DASHI BROTH
Heat water in a pot over medium heat until boiling
Add katsuobushi dashi powder, stir well and set aside
TO MAKE CURRY
Finely dice carrot and onion
In a pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat
Add ginger, garlic, curry powder and cumin
Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent
Add ground pork and cook until pork is well done
Add diced carrots
Add dashi brothand cook until boiling, skimming any scum from surface of broth
Add apple and honey and simmer for additional 15-20 minutes, stirring periodically
Add curry roux by breaking into blocks and slowly dissolve with chopsticks
Add soy sauce, ketchup, and tonkatsu sauce
Chef’s tip: Soy sauce adds a sharpness to the curry’s flavour
Finish by stirring in melted unsalted butter and cream
Serve with rice and garnish with aonori (optional)
After being closed for nearly two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, retail stores across the province have been given the green light to reopen for curbside pickup next week.
Premier Doug Ford made the announcement on Wednesday, but noted that only stores with a street entrance could qualify. And while Toronto shoppers eagerly anticipate the reopening of their favourite stores, and some small return to normalcy, safety concerns are top of mind.
Contactless payment options, temporary street parking, physical distancing in lineups and other safety protocols will be put into place to continue to help flatten the curve.
But for most retailers, getting things back up and running will be no easy feat. Brick and mortar stores have been closed since the province-wide shutdown of all non-essential businesses on Mar. 24. The significant drop in revenue during that time, paired with a lack of rent relief and heightened concerns over public safety has resulted in staffing shortages for many. Inventories have been pushed online and Toronto’s main streets have quieted. But despite these obstacles, store owners are pushing forward and getting creative.
We spoke with some of Toronto’s independent retailers to find out how they plan to roll out curbside pickup starting Monday, May 11.
Black Goat Cashmere
In Yorkville, Black Goat Cashmere will be taking orders over the phone for customers in the GTA. Men and women can stop by the Bloor Street location for their Mongolian-made cashmere sweaters, dresses, and pants between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
“We’ll discuss a time that works best for the customer,” says Dana Walde, the company’s operations manager. “Our store is glass, so what we’re doing is, once we see the customer approaching, we’ll put the shopping bags in front of the door and then we’ll see them retrieve it, so there is social distancing and safety in mind.”
The store will also be following strict public health guidelines.
“We’ll be using gloves of course, to pack everything up and then put it outside, just so you know, there is no contamination there,” Walde adds.
Customers can see the entire inventory online before placing their order on the phone. And while parking on Toronto’s Mink Mile has proven more than difficult in the past, Walde says a few minutes shouldn’t be a problem. For residents outside of the GTA, the online store remains active, with delivery options available.
131 Bloor St. W., 416-967-4628
Rewind Couture
Davisville’s Rewind Couture is doing things differently. The luxury consignment shop offers a curated collection of gently-used designer pieces, from labels like Christian Dior, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Yves Saint Laurent. Since each individual item is so unique, the online inventory is ever-changing. So owner Dawn Librach is promoting each piece on the store’s Instagram feed. Shoppers are able to inquire by direct message, pay via e-transfer and pick it up at the store. “They call us when they’re outside and we’ll put the item directly in their trunk, so they don’t have to get out of their car or stand in line or anything,” says Librach. “We’ll make sure it’s in their car within five minutes of arrival.”
This Monday, the store will be offering curbside pickup from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. But the operating hours change day-to-day, with updates posted onto the store’s Instagram. Librach says staff will don gloves and masks when overseeing each transaction both inside and outside of the store.
577 Mount Pleasant Rd., 647-350-8550
LoversLand’s bridal showroom is called Haven
LoversLand
LoversLand, a contemporary bridal boutique on Ossington, will be open for curbside pickup every day between 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Right now, owners Yvonne Reidy and Danielle Gulic are doing it all themselves. In addition to fulfilling orders for the casual apparel and accessories they carry, the two are also hosting virtual bridal appointments.
“We’re still able to show them our offerings, talk about designers, talk about their needs and what their vision is,” says Gulic. “The appointment is 30 minutes and our goal is to create a try-on list, so when things are up and running again, we’ll be able to maximize their time once they are here physically.”
Sadly, Gulic says many brides have had to postpone their wedding because of the pandemic. But some are finding other ways to carry on, albeit not entirely as planned.
“Some are still planning a little elopement in July. Curbside pickup is an option for them. We’ve also been doing virtual bridal try-ons, so they’ll try their dress on at home. It’s really important to us that we walk through the whole experience with each bride,” she adds.
215 Ossington Ave., 416-551-3321
Clementine’s
Meanwhile in Rosedale, the mother-daughter duo behind Clementine’s is doing whatever they can to reconnect with their clients, by way of virtual appointments, online orders or over the phone. Creative director Christina McDowell and her daughter Kelly offer a carefully curated collection of womenswear and home decor, with a personalized touch.
“We miss our clients, we miss our shop, we miss each other,” says McDowell. “I mean Kelly and I are mother and daughter and we’re not together. When we see each other, it really has to be at a distance. We miss all of that. So now it’s about going forward and making it work as best we can for everyone, really.”
The corner shop is preparing to roll out curbside pickup on Gibson Avenue, just off of Yonge Street, between 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
McDowell says they will be taking all the health and safety measures required by Public Health, including wearing masks, gloves, and disinfecting surfaces. Clementine’s will also be producing reusable masks very shortly, that McDowell says will reflect the store’s fashion sensibilities and will have a charitable component as well.
1054 Yonge St., 416-966-2662
Parpar Boutique
On St. Clair West, owner Stephanie Marer runs Parpar Boutique with her brother. The shop carries casual womenswear from brands all over the world, and Marer says they’ll be offering curbside pickup from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. starting Monday.
“Customers can easily pull up to the front of the store, present their order numbers, collect their package and they’re all set while maintaining social distancing,” she says.
Inside the store, she and her brother are wearing gloves, masks and applying plenty of hand sanitizer. And in addition to curbside pickup, the store is also taking online orders and making deliveries.
“We’re so grateful to have been up and running online during this time. We’ve really had so much traction through our web store throughout the closure that I can’t imagine what it’s been like for retailers without an online presence,” says Marer.
649 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-657-3333
Helene Clarkson
Helene Clarkson on Mount Pleasant Rd. offers a selection of designs by Clarkson herself which are “wrinkle free, machine washable and effortlessly elegant.” Clarkson is opening up her shop with new safety precautions, “we are doing everything we can to keep you, our employees and community safe.”
In keeping with new health and safety measures, there will be reduced customers at the store. Only two customers may be inside the store at the same time and are asked to wear a mask upon entering. This ensures social distancing measures are taking place. There are masks available for customers who require one.
In addition to regular sanitization of surfaces throughout the store, the fitting rooms will be sanitized after each use and there will be limited room capacity in order to ensure the safety of all customers. Contactless payment will also implemented.
Clarkson also offers virtual styling appointments for those who can’t make it to the store.
565 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-519-2223 or 416-520-2813.
Looking to add another store to the list? Message us at [email protected].
Mary Anne Shaw is an established lawyer whose law practice focuses on Wills and Estates, Residential Real Estate and Family Law. Mary Anne Shaw is very active in the community, and has served on many boards and foundations in the not-for-profit arts and health sectors. She provides personal service and practical solutions.
Getting a Will done in the present COVID-19 time is a question that many have raised. Since lawyers are deemed to be essential services many lawyers are open for business, even if working remotely. So getting a will done is certainly something that can be done.
Before COVID-19, planning to make a Will often involved at least two meetings with your lawyer. The first to discuss your current assets/liabilities, estate planning and instructions for the administration and distribution of your estate. And the second, where you would sign the document in your lawyer’s office.
The big question is can writing a will be done in the times of self-isolation and social distancing? It sure can and here is how:
If you and your lawyer have an established professional relationship, the first meeting might be handled with a telephone conference.
If you do not have a prior relationship with a lawyer, then the first meeting could be done by a telephone conference or by using any number of different internet-based audio-visual programmes like Skype, FaceTime or Zoom.
Prior to the telephone conference or the audiovisual conference, you would need to provide a list of your assets/liabilities, names of individuals, children and charities you wish to benefit in your Will and then flesh out the details using the mechanisms set out above.
Prior to COVID-19, you needed 3 people in the same room at the same time to execute your Will: you and 2 witnesses at your lawyer’s office. Hot New Tip: On April 7, 2020 an emergency Order in Council was made pursuant to the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act which allows for virtual signing of Wills and Powers of Attorney with your lawyer instead of going to their office now make it easier to do a will remotely.
If all of this is too complicated, and admittedly a little scary, you could make a holograph (home made) Will which in accordance with the Succession Law Reform Act must be wholly in your own handwriting, signed and dated by you without formality and without witnesses. Best practice is still to talk to your lawyer, e-mail the holograph Will to him or her, review potential changes, rewrite and sign it.
With summer around the corner, summer camps would normally be in the middle of preparations for opening day. But camp directors are unsure whether summer camp during COVID-19 will be possible at all, and are waiting patiently for the signal from Public Health Ontario (PHO).
Joanne Kates, director of Camp Arowhon in Algonquin Park, says she has been in contact with other camp owners across the province, and they’re all feeling the same worry about whether they’ll be allowed by the government to operate this summer.
“If so, what stipulations will they impose on us in order to keep our community and their families healthy? And will we be able to meet them?” she says. Kates, whose camp is an overnight one, says that summer camp is a “petri dish” for contagion.
“Hugs are as basic to summer camp as food,” she says, explaining that campers and staff eat in very close quarters and are constantly breathing and coughing on one another due to how close they all are.
Due to the uncertainty, Kates says they haven’t sent out invoices yet to parents even though those normally go out on April 1. Instead, they sent out an email that day, and then again on May 1, letting parents know that they wouldn’t be sending out the invoice until they know if the camp is happening.
“Camp owners are staring down the dark tunnel of possibly having no revenue for a year. But we all still have year-round employees who we have to pay because they have to pay their rent and their mortgages,” she says.
In a regular year, Kates would start reopening procedures for camp around four months before the start of summer, a timeline that has long since passed. But she says that even if they receive the OK from PHO just weeks before camp would normally open, they would make it happen.
“We’ll leap into it and be flexible because we want it so badly,” she says. “People want camps so badly. I feel like our staff would gather with enormous joy and flexibility on short notice as well.”
Howie Grossinger, the media spokesperson for the Ontario Camps Association (OCA) and co-director of Camp Robin Hood in Markham, said in an email that the OCA coronavirus task force has been in conversation with government officials. However, they have not yet received direction from public health officials or the provincial government on required protocols for camps if they are to reopen.
Premier Ford has yet to address summer camps, though on April 21 he mentioned how his own nephew was asking him about whether he’d be able to go to camp this year.
“My brother’s son saying, ‘Uncle Doug, am I going to camp or not?’ And I said, ‘You know, I can’t answer that.’ ‘Well how about in August?’ I said, ‘I can’t answer that,'” he told reporters. “There are thousands of kids that their biggest highlight of the summer was going to camp, and it weighs on their minds,” Ford acknowledged. But he said their most important priority is making sure the health of Ontarians is protected.
This is something that has been on Adam Buchnea’s mind, who is the director of Rouge Camps in Markham, Richmond Hill, and Vaughan. Even if public health officials mandate that camps can reopen, Buchnea says the camp will decide whether or not they feel they can run the camp effectively following the presumed protocols that will be in place.
“The social distance measures are going to have an impact,” he says. “We’re going to have to decide if it is safe to go back and public health officials feel that it’s safe, is the socialization worth the potentially reduced measures?”
Buchnea says they’ve offered parents who already registered and sent in payments a 100 per cent refund, though he notes that many parents have decided against the refund so far and are in “waiting mode” as well.
“We don’t want to open up if we can’t follow through in a meaningful way on recommendations,” Buchnea says. As a day camp, he says that if they’re allowed to reopen, they would create a COVID-19 waiver, explaining to parents that, amongst other things, they should not be sending their child to camp if they have been in contact with anyone with the virus or have travelled outside of the province recently.
He also says they would use infrared thermometers to measure the temperature of campers at curbside pickup and dropoff. If social distancing measures are still in place, they would put tape on the ground in order to remind campers how far apart they should be and would encourage hourly hand-washing.
Though Buchnea knows all of these changes may be challenging, he says they would likely reduce the number of campers and increase the staff-to-camper ratio in order to follow through on these guidelines. “Camp is just going to look different,” he says.
Kates feels a similar responsibility to ensure they can reopen in a way that is safe for all campers and the community.
“We’re responsible for thinking about if there is a child in a cabin who is either asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic and they infect others who may also be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. If they go home after camp and infect their grandparents or their immunocompromised aunt, uncle, or sibling, at that point, we have blood on our hands,” she says.
Buchnea wants parents to weigh the pros and cons before deciding on whether to send their child to camp.
“What camp can offer is a structured program that allows for physical activity and some socialization and personal growth,” he says. “I think that parents need to weigh those benefits against potentially a slight increase in risk over self-isolating at home. There will be a trade-off.”
Kates agrees that the pros and cons need to be examined by parents and camp owners.
“I hope parents understand that and we would not want to do anything to endanger anyone in the community, and it’s our job as community leaders to keep people safe,” Kates says. “For me personally, my going into debt and suffering financially and emotionally because we have no cash, it’s nothing measured against a life.”
Toronto’s beloved restaurant scene is starting to crumble before our eyes, and if something isn’t done soon, it will soon be unrecognizable. The latest closure since the COVID-19 pandemic is one of Grant van Gameren’s establishments — one of the city’s most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs.
A photo of a notice of distress on the window of the restaurant and bar Pretty Ugly was found on the Toronto page of the website Reddit.com. It indicates that van Gameren has been locked out by the building landlord.
The Notice was addressed to Grant van Gameren, 2484491 Ontario Ltd. O/A Pretty Ugly, 1237 Queen Street West. The standard notice indicates that there is rent in arrears and costs that must be paid before access to the premises is granted.
The notice posted on the bar warned owner Grant Van Gameren that items from the bar will be removed and used towards paying off the rent if the arrears are not paid by Sunday.https://t.co/SXuX4JfsvJ
— Miriam social distancin’ Lafontaine (@MiriLafontaine) May 8, 2020
Van Gameren opened the popular establishment in 2016 alongside a number of partners listed on the directory chefdb.com.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants have been among the hardest hit with numerous organizations and groups such as SaveHospitalityCA and Restaurants Canada lobbying the government for some sort of rent relief and other funding that never materialized in any meaningful way. And since then, there has been a steady stream of closures.
Restaurants, which are non-essential businesses, have been forced to shut down since mid-March. Although many have taken to offering delivery and takeout options, there are many more that cannot or have not. There are few business models that can survive without revenue for weeks on end, restaurants, which already operate on thin margins, are especially vulnerable.
Van Gameren operates many other restaurants in the city including one of Toronto’s best in Little Italy’s Bar Isabel as well as Bar Raval, Tennessee Tavern, and El Rey. He is also offering food delivery from his Harry’s Charbroiled brand.
According to an article in the Toronto Star, van Gameren said he has had some success negotiating deals at most of their locations, but this particular one has proven problematic.
Weeks ago, Van Gameren posted to his own Instagram account regarding landlords looking to evict restaurants.
Although Premier Doug Ford has made overtures of an opening of the economy, there has been no indication that restaurants will be open for business any time soon.
As restaurants continue to close, local residents are beginning to lose what has been a special part of the culture of Toronto. A city where creative young chefs have driven the food scene of the city to great new heights during the past decade.
Let’s hope there are a few left by the time the government decides to take concrete action.
When Thomas Herring was in kindergarten, he and his classmates were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. Herring, at age five, already had an answer — a robotics engineer.
Now, as a fourth-year engineering student specializing in robotics at Rice University in Texas, Herring is fulfilling his dream as a member of a team working to construct low-cost ventilators for patients with COVID-19.
Herring says the idea for the ventilator came from a design project from two years ago.
“The essential idea of the device is to automate the compression of a bag valve mask that you can use to hand ventilate patients,” he says.
Herring says this device can perform about 80 per cent of the functions of a normal ventilator. This would allow clinicians to put more severe patients on standard ventilators while putting other patients on devices like ours.
“[It] is essentially a robotic device to automate the compression,” he says.
As a Canadian, Herring says it was important to him that this device wasn’t just meant for use in the United States. People can order the parts to make their own devices, and the plans became available for download in early April. Herring says robotics teams or anyone with rapid prototyping tools could build these devices.
Herring is the only student on the Rice University team, along with two faculty and three staff members, and he says this has been different from other robotics work because of the quick turnaround and urgency of the project.
“We’re lucky enough to have some fantastic clinicians who are on the front lines fighting this disease. And hearing their feedback is so invaluable in the sense that they can tell us exactly what problems clinicians are having across the world, trying to fight COVID, and we can take that feedback directly and build the product to try and solve it,” he says.
Although Herring had an early interest in robotics, he credits his time at Crescent School with helping him realize that he could pursue a successful career in engineering. Joining FIRST Robotics, a high school robotics competition, played a role in that.
“I actually gained several years of experience working with my hands, working with practical, real engineering tools before I got the chance to start my undergraduate education,” he says.
Herring says the experience of creating solutions to combat a global pandemic has been a “crazy” experience.
“It’s kind of a four-week turnaround from idea conception to FDA approval, production to deployment, which has been nuts. And it’s made me very conscious of the design decisions you have to make when you build one of these systems.”
Brian McCourt is a trusted contractor, design expert and real estate flipper. Co-host of HGTV Canada’s Backyard Builds, he helps homeowners turn their backyard wastelands into dreamlands, with breath-taking custom builds. Tune-in for new episodes on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV Canada.
It looks like we’ll be spending a lot more time at home this year, and our outdoor spaces are giving us the opportunity to get the vitamin D we so desperately need. While things are slowly opening up and we are entering the new normal, having an exterior space that still fits under the staying at home umbrella is all sorts of appealing. Here are five backyard tips to get the most out of your outdoor space this year.
Keep up with the upkeep
Exterior wood can last more than a century if properly maintained. That said, small problems become big problems when they aren’t dealt with right away. When you see paint cracking or peeling on wood surfaces (windows, doors, railings, posts etc.), it means they no longer have protection against harsh elements. Bare wood is vulnerable to rot and insect damage, which can significantly reduce the life span of your exterior wood surfaces. So use this time to examine all of your exterior wood. If you spot a problem, address it. Keep calm and keep on the upkeep.
Save time and have it delivered
When I was 11, I started my own lawn mowing business by delivering ads to my paper route customers. I was the top earning 11-year-old in our little town at five bucks a lawn! I have vivid memories of the properties I dreaded most — the bumpy, squirrel-dug, mogul-like “lawns” consisting of 99 per cent weeds, one per cent grass and about zero per cent fun to mow. So please, I beg you, don’t let your lawn go into disarray. Levelling out the pot holes in your yard with rich soil and new seed has never been easier with cubic bags of soil delivered right to your home. No more ripped bags of earth to clean up in your car and the best part — no plastic bags.
Weed control
No shocker here — little weeds turn into big weeds in what seems like an instant. Beyond the unattractive, itchy, super growth of weeds, they also take nutrients out of the soil, leaving your plants a bit hangry. The best defence is a good offence, right? Nip them in the bud early in the season, and do a monthly weeding session with a beer, cocktail or some other bevvy to make it seem more fun than it actually is. Landscape filter cloth, mulch, river rock and other ground cover defences can mitigate the frequency of weeds popping up.
What goes up must come down
Nice weather hits and you find yourself extra motivated to get your backyard set up and accessorized for the season — me too! The part that isn’t as fun is packing it all up in the gloomy chill of the fall. It is always a good idea to assess the time you’ll spend winterizing your space before deciding what to purchase and set up in the spring. So before you place those orders for all that new outdoor furniture, determine what you can actually store and what will need to withstand the elements six months from now.
Outdoor DIY
Give it a go. Try a project within your skill level and feel good about staying home to work on it. Turn scrap wood into an outdoor table, turn coffee cans into a vertical garden or make planters out of leftover paving stones. I’m a big fan of upcycling items that would otherwise head to landfill. Use your mind instead of your wallet and get a little more out of your backyard this year. If you don’t know where to start, head to HGTV.ca/diy for some step-by-step videos!
Jen Agg’s restaurants have remained among the few notable holdouts in Toronto that have chosen not to start offering takeout amid the COVID dining room closures.
While it seems like we’ll have to wait a little longer to have Le Swan’s tuna melts and late-night fondue back in our lives, there’s one way to get a small taste of the French diner at home.
Le Swan has teamed up with Niagara’s Tawse Winery to sell its private-label wine directly to customers and donate the profits to a good cause.
Tawse Winery typically produces house wines for Agg’s restaurants, including Grey Gardens’ orange wine, Bar Vendetta’s red, and Le Swan’s rosé.
With the restaurants closed indefinitely, however, Tawse and Le Swan have decided to sell the surplus supply of rosé directly to customers for the first time.
Tawse is offering the rosé at Le Swan’s cost, plus a $5 mark-up. The extra $5 added to the price of each bottle is being donated to Community Food Centres Canada, a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving food access in low-income communities across the country.
The wine is available to order in 12-bottle cases priced at $385.80, which works out to $32.15 per bottle with tax and shipping included.
The wine is described as “a dry and fresh style with bright strawberry fruit characters” that seems ideal for warm-weather sipping as spring sets in.
Le Swan and Agg’s other restaurants are shuttered for now. Agg has been characteristically outspoken about the need for more effective government support for the restaurant industry during this crisis but expressed optimism about the recent rent relief measures.
After today’s rent relief announcement I actually believe (instead of just blindly believe) we have a fighting chance. Thank you @JustinTrudeau@telfordk@fordnation
In the meantime, special portals have been set up for her restaurants that make it easier for customers to purchase gift cards for future use once dining rooms are able to reopen.
If you haven’t placed your Mother’s Day orders just yet, don’t fret. There are a host of excellent local shops offering the type of treats that will put a smile on Mom’s face in time for her big day.
Rahier Patisserie, the French/Belgian pastry shop has an assortment of Mother’s Day treats for this weekend. Choose from their breakfast items, macarons, and cakes. To mark the special occasion, they have a Greek yogurt mousse with lime zest, pineapple crémeux and pain de gêne almond cake for all the moms. Call to order.
The Burger Cellar offers meat-loving moms an array of burger choices, from AAA black angus to turkey to bison. They also offer vegetarian and vegan options. You can now add wine and beer to your order. Orders can be made through Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes.
Satay on the Road offers a great Thai menu for Mother’s Day lunch or dinner. Add a fresh mango salad for a little sweetness. You can order directly from their website for pick up or contactless delivery at 10% off.
C’est Bon offers a variety of dishes for pick up and delivery. Choose from honey garlic ribs, shrimp in lobster sauce or go the traditional route and order their General Tao chicken or beef. To top off your meal, you may want to order a deep fried Mars bar.
The Cupcake Shoppe has the perfect Mother’s Day cupcakes that are made 100 per cent nut free. Choose from a wide selection of flavours including triple chocolate fudge, pink lemonade, strawberries and cream and more. Call or email the shop to place an order.
One of Canada’s most trusted authorities on style and fashion, Jeanne Beker has covered the industry for more than 30 years. Now watch her in her current style editor role on TSC’s Style Matters with Jeanne Beker.
You may be spending a lot of time in pyjamas, but your daily walk around the block is the perfect time to inject some fashion into your day. So we asked Jeanne Beker to pick the most chic sneakers available online.
LIGHTEN UP!
A) Pretty in pink
“These black and pink Pradas have a real ’50s vibe. I love that they’re high-tops.” HoltRenfrew.com, $790
B) Cool and classic
“These Rag & Bone sneakers are really cool. They look very timeless, and I love the green rimming.” SportingLife.ca, $251.98
C) Mint to be
“This shoe has a very simple, elegant styling to it. The colour is fabulous, and it’s very retro ’60s.” LIntervalleShoes.com, $168
Check the website for current promotions such as buy three pairs, get 50 per cent off.
D) Quilted kicks
“I like the quilted theme, and this embossing on the back and the colour is so fabulous.” AldoShoes.com, $69.98
JUNGLE PRINTS
E) Lucky leopard
“Jungle prints are still all the rage. These have a nice, high platform, and they’re seasonless.” StudioDShoes.com, $149
Studio D is also offering 30 to 50 per cent off all shoes on its website.
F) Make it metallic
“Here we have the snakeskin in silver and the studs and turquoise flap. There’s a lot of flash on this sneaker.” LIntervalleShoes.com, $168
Check the website for current promotions such as buy three pairs, get 50 per cent off.
G) A little love
“These Golden Goose sneakers are crazy playful, and I love these patch appliqués.” IntermixOnline.com, $783.85
H) Slithery slip-ons
“I love this slip-on in this snakeskin print, and they’re vegan. You could mix these with just about anything.” CallItSpring.com, $49.99
All women’s footwear is now $29.99 or less on the website, along with other promotions for May.
PATTERNS, STRIPES, CHECK!
I) Seeing red
“These almost look like little oxfords or brogues. I love the red sole. They’re so true to the spirit of John Fluevog.” Fluevog.com, $299
J) Cheeky check
“I love that they’re made of organic recycled cotton. Wonderful colours, and from a distance it looks like a wool check.” GravityPope.com, $250
The website is also offering free shipping on all orders over $100.
K) Strut in stripes
“I really like the upbeat, optimistic feel of this shoe with its tropical stripes.” RonWhiteShoes.com and TSC.ca, $475
L) Laser cut look
“There’s something cool about these black perforated sneakers with this laser cut. They’re really dazzling.” MaskaMode.com, $232.50
Diane Horsman, Accredited Family Mediator and Divorce Consultant at Bold Consulting, offers creative options to assist couples and individuals in designing a separation agreement cost effectively. As a mediator, she empowers couples with a framework to reach resolution. As a consultant, Diane strategically assists individuals by discussing the issues, exploring options and developing solutions.
Divorce and separation are stressful enough without having to deal with a Global Pandemic. COVID-19 is adding anxiety and complexities: co-parenting challenges that include where the children should reside, living with a partner in isolation while separated, lay-offs and struggling businesses to name a few. Along with these disruptions, courts are closed.
Christopher Mamo, Family Lawyer at Niman Mamo LLP, says “We can only hope the court will relax its urgency requirements and begin to hear more cases virtually before physically reopening which may not be until mid-June”. He goes on, “if someone had an existing court case scheduled, that date is cancelled and they will not be rescheduling until they reopen”.
He encourages individuals who are thinking of filing with the court not to wait, as the backlog is growing by the day and suggests it’s best to act now to avoid further delays. While court was chosen in resolving your disputes before COVID-19, another option to consider now is Mediation. This process is more cost effective, will move you towards an agreement more quickly, and can be conducted remotely in keeping with current social distancing requirements.
Mediation is flexible and creative, allowing individuals to voice their needs, goals and concerns together with a neutral third party. The mediator will foster an interest-based discussion and ensure each party’s thoughts are heard while skillfully narrowing gaps on desired outcomes and guiding the couple towards resolution.
The framework allows couples to learn together and develop strategies to resolve issues such as parenting arrangements during COVID-19, create plans for when things normalize, structure or re-structure support obligations, and/or determine how the division of assets and liabilities are calculated. When both parties work together conflict is stabilized allowing you to deal with the current challenges more effectively.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted families and compounded with the anxiety while divorced or separated, can make you feel frozen and helpless. Taking action now will help you feel more in control and grounded, which will offer comfort to you and your family during this challenging time.
*Information provided by Niman Mamo LLP, does not constitute as legal advice
Mary Anne Shaw is an established lawyer whose law practice focuses on Wills and Estates, Residential Real Estate and Family Law. Mary Anne Shaw is very active in the community, and has served on many boards and foundations in the not-for-profit arts and health sectors. She provides personal service and practical solutions.
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Diane Horsman, Accredited Family Mediator and Divorce Consultant at 
