Local Love: Fashion Art Toronto founder Vanja Vasic on what to expect from her multi-sensory event

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12:15 pm

Fashion Art Toronto is where the fashion freaks come out to play. Looking for a place to don your favourite leather harness? Dying to wear that puffed sleeve latex blouse? Seeking some left-of-the-centre style inspiration? This is the place to be.

Now in its 13th year, Fashion Art Toronto — or FAT, as the kids call it — promises to be a rollicking good time, spanning five inspirational days. We spoke to founder Vanja Vasic about what to expect from the cutting-edge event that embraces fashion, art and, yes, Toronto.

How would you describe Fashion Art Toronto to the uninitiated? FAT is a multi-sensory fashion experience that brings art, fashion, music and film together in one, five-day event. There are about eight to nine runway presentations each evening that include fashion shows, performances and short fashion films. There is also a DJ and bar, where guests can mingle, socialize and peruse the art and photography exhibits.

How does FAT compare to the more typical fashion week blueprint? FAT is open to the public; it’s less of a trade show that’s geared to buyers and more of a unique destination that allows guests to experience a multi-arts event.

Why is it important to you to weave fashion together with live performances, photography and art? FAT has a mandate of presenting fashion in a more exploratory, artful form, and using this art to express social, economic, humanistic, modern day issues and/or stories. The festival allows designers to be creative, without the practical limitations of business.

L-R; Collab between designers Mic + Natassia; Amber Groen

This is the 13th edition of FAT — how has the event changed since it debuted? Since its inception from a small event in a downtown club, FAT has grown to be a five-day event, incorporating art installations, fashion film and performances. Many successful fashion designers had their start on the FAT runway — such as Pedram Karimi, Esther Perbandt and Project Runway Canada’s Evan Biddell — and several international designers debuting collections in Canada.

In the early years, most of the attendees were usually in the industry, but now we get so many people of all ages and from all different backgrounds who are looking for something new and exciting to see and do!

What designers are you particularly thrilled to see? For 2018, we’re particularly eager to see new, thought-evoking collections including the opening night designer Najla Rahimi, House of Poplyn, Alexander Kershaw, and the collab between Mic. Carter of L’Uomo Strano and Natalissa DaSilva of Bimbo Radio.

Are there any local designers in particular that you plan on wearing during FAT? I haven’t fully decided yet but hopefully some L’Uomo Strano, Stevie Crowne and Amber Groen!

Fashion Art Toronto, April 17-21 at Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas Street East

Dining Diaries: What director and cat lover Aaron Hancox ate before his film premiered

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10:37 am

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Director and producer Aaron Hancox filled us in on all his eats in the week prior to the Hot Docs cinema screening of his film Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit. You can watch it online here at CBC.ca.

Friday, March 16 —Sound mixing
I order a weekly veggie basket from Mama Earth Organics and I’m dead set against food waste. As a result, I often find myself eating veggies for breakfast. Today it is steamed broccoli with tahini and two hard-boiled organic eggs. For lunch, leftovers: homemade lemon curry chicken and sautéed Swiss chard, eaten while mixing the feature version of Catwalk with my co-director Michael McNamara. Later, out for dinner, Pinky’s Ca Phé, Hanmoto and Bar Isabel all have two-hour waits, so my lovely girlfriend Christina I and grab bar seats at Superpoint. We drink a Paper Plane cocktail and Ace Hill Pilsner and enjoy the standout broccolini, with pecorino cheese, garlic and anchovy. We also split shishito peppers and a delicious rigatoni with smoked pork, pecorino and ’nduja sausage.

Saturday, March 17 — Radio chat
Needing to get rid of my butternut squash, I try a little morning experiment. Coconut squash fritters with nutmeg, with eggs and sautéed lacinato kale. Later, right before jumping on Newstalk 1010 with Michael, I order my favourite at Kanga Aussie Meat Pies: the “Canadian,” served with a surprisingly fresh side salad. At dinner with the Italian (future) in-laws, as always, there’s way too much delicious homemade food — roast beef, roast chicken and, of course, homemade wine. I brought Guinness for St. Paddy’s Day. My favourite is their giardiniera antipasto. I could eat that stuff all day long.

Sunday, March 18 — Day off
Christina and I skip breakfast and grab a coffee at the new Balzac's Powerhouse location while running some errands. After our errands, we explore the Junction triangle and stop in at an old Portuguese favourite — Dupont BBQ Grill House. I have the stickleback, feijao a portuguesa and green beans. Christina has churrasco chicken. Dinner is homemade roast lamb shoulder (from Sanagan’s in Kensington) with mint and garlic, served with a side of roasted double-smoked bacon Brussels sprouts.

Monday, March 17 — Business lunch
I soaked some kippers overnight, to desalinate them, and fry them up for breakfast with a couple of eggs. For lunch, Michael and I head to Bar Raval. We chat over savoury tapas about plans for our upcoming documentary, about the science of salt in our bodies. The kitchen bread is the real showstopper here: white anchovies on crunchy bread with garlic mayo and roasted peppers. We also have house-smoked mackerel and cured beef with pickled root veggies. After a couple of Ace Hills, we finished it all off with Sam James coffee. I make an afternoon coffee stop at Empire Espresso on College, my favourite in the city. For dinner, I try iQ Food Co. and am not disappointed with the power-food offerings.

Tuesday, March 21 — Hosting talent
It’s a hectic day, and on my way to finish the colour grading for Catwalk, I whip back into Dark Horse on John Street to fuel up. Michael, Beau (my cat) and I wrap up an interview at Sirius XM in Liberty Village, and I grab a chicken shawarma wrap at my local Ghazale on College. My visit includes a complimentary ginger tea (they are the nicest). That night, I drive to Pearson to pick up the stars of Catwalk, Bobby (cat) and Kim Langille (owner), who have just arrived from Moncton, N.B. Kim needs a pit stop at the hotel to use her anti-static product on Bobby, then we grab dinner down the street at La Bettola di Terroni. Michael and Catwalk producer Judy Holm had snagged us a table. We quickly get caught up and order some pizzas to share. Late night drinks at Soho House finish up the day: two vodka sodas with Tito’s vodka.

Dr. Jess on Sex: Making everyday interactions erotic

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Andrew Mannsbach

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9:43 am

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If you’re happy in your relationship and enjoy the company of your partner but find that the erotic connection has faded with time, consider these simple strategies to make your daily interactions more erotic — even within the context of a hectic lifestyle:

1. Send playful “drip-texts” and riddles.
Throughout the day, send your partner incomplete messages, following up every hour or so. Send the first few words of a sentence in the morning, then one word per hour until your sexy text starts to make sense.

One of my clients suggests using song lyrics as inspiration. Alternatively, you can send riddles your partner has to answer in order to receive a prize, like a treasure hunt that ends in bed. Or hide a new pair of underwear in the trunk of your partner’s car and send hints about where to find it. Tell your partner to ditch the old pair before coming home.

2. Sext photos … of other people.
You’re hot, but you’re not the only one, and couples who have more frequent and satisfying sex acknowledge that other people are attractive too. Use Google to find erotic photos, GIFs or short clips (that are legally and consensually in the public domain) that you know your partner will like and add teasing commentary such as, “I would wear this for you.” As Danforth resident Lance tells his wife Sharma, “I don’t care where you get your appetite, as long as you eat at home.”

3. Cut the complaining.
I know. The weather sucks. Traffic is brutal. And Sam from accounting is the worst. But your partner doesn’t need to hear about it all. Complaining is boring, and it’s the antithesis of sexy. Whittle your complaints down to two minutes at the end of the workday and then call each other out if you slip into complaint mode later on. I’m not suggesting that you bottle up all complaints, as some issues require conversation, but simply that you cut out the mundane chatter about your First World problems that do nothing to enhance your relationship. Life is good. Right?

4. Upgrade your greetings and goodbyes.
How do you greet your partner? Do you make eye contact, smile and purposefully relish your partner’s presence? Or do you barely glance up from your phone? When you say goodbye, do you take a moment to kiss or embrace as you would if your partner were leaving on a flight?

If these positive descriptions sound cheesy or unrealistic, it’s an indication that you’d benefit from adjusting your behaviour. My best advice to guide your change is to act like a dog. Gaze at your partner longingly as you part and rush to be close when you meet. You’ll find that just 60 seconds invested in your hellos and goodbyes will shift the tone of your relationship.

Research suggests that 20 seconds of hugging or 30 seconds of eye contact can result in an oxytocin boost, which is associated with enhanced feelings of safety, trust, love and connection — all of which increase the likelihood of getting it on.

These are just a few simple hacks to eroticize your daily interactions. You can also try sleeping naked, leaving love notes in the car, grooming in private (a partner doesn’t need to watch you pluck!), talking about your big dreams and hottest fantasies, holding hands under the table (on the bus or in the car), staring at your partner’s best physical assets, playing light pranks and hugging from behind.

You can make change or make excuses. The choice is yours.

Under a Hundred: A surprisingly filling meal of spaghettini and sea bream at Joso's

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10:10 am

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For the past four decades, Joso’s (202 Davenport Road) has been wooing guests — everyone from David Cronenberg to Drake — with its fish and bacchanalian artwork. And at 41 years young, the place is ever perky.

Upon walking in, you are seduced by the voluptuous sculptures, and you can’t help but get in the mood … to dine, of course. So, armed with our Sir Robert Borden, we trotted upstairs and settled in a cosy nook, ready to feast on Dalmatian fare.

The sips
This time, there was to be wine. After having eschewed wine for all the carbs last month at Buca Yorkville, we knew the error in our ways. Unfortunately, only one glass of Riesling was ordered — costing a reasonable $11 — and it was relished by Karolyne, who, unlike Caroline, hadn’t been recently struck down by that ubiquitous flu.

The picks
Gleefully mopping up olive oil with bread, plentiful (and free!) in the table’s basket, we perused the menu with the remainder of the hundo. Two things were a must: something done up in cuttlefish ink and seafood from the grill. With two sepia options available — the giant risotto and the far more manageable spaghettini — it was clear that the $28 pick was ours (the risotto would’ve gobbled half the budget!).

After we inquired about the fish of the day, the server sauntered over with a silver tray heavy with today’s varietals. There were oysters, squid, octopus and a myriad of fish from various seas. Rather than embarrassingly asking the price of each fish, we opted for the orata (sea bream). We threw in some swiss chard for good measure and good health. With those three items, our money was swiftly eaten up.

The main event
The spaghettini arrived first: Strands of the stuff swimming in a black sea. It took about two bites for our faces to be splattered with ink. By the bowl’s end, our napkins had become Rorschach tests. A first date dish this is not (our tongues and gums remained stained well into the next course).

Next was the fish, with golden skin and fork-tender flesh. We divvied up the night’s perfectly grilled star, which looked slightly less glamorous after our botched attempt at deboning. Regardless, it was delicious.

As we prepared to depart, Croatian crooner Oliver Dragojević serenaded us at the end of our (surprisingly) filling meal. It wasn’t quite a trip to Dubrovnik, but for a moment we forgot we were on Davenport.

Minimum wage: A provincial election primer

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Andrew Mannsbach

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9:30 am

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Ontario is poised to increase the minimum wage from $14 to $15 per hour at the end of this year, after a larger increase of almost 30 per cent on Jan. 1, 2018, from $11.60. With Doug Ford threatening to cancel the increase, citing the damage that could be done to small business, which he terms the backbone of the province’s economy, whether or not to follow through on the next increase has become a hot-button election issue.

In January, the jobs numbers in Ontario seemed to prove critics of the increase correct with a net loss of more than 50,000 part-time jobs, the most since 2009; however, full-time jobs actually increased by 8,500.

Anecdotal evidence suggested that small business owners were cutting back hours to try to balance the ledger in the wake of the minimum wage increase. But the jobs market bounced back in February numbers with a rebound of 15,400 net jobs.

So what is the truth behind the electoral bafflegab? The best people to ask are the business owners themselves.

Jonah Creed is the Toronto entrepreneur behind Creed’s Coffee Bar, which just opened a new location on Bayview Avenue in the upscale Leaside neighbourhood. Before January 1, he had already raised his pay rates to match the proposed amount ahead of schedule. And he’s planning to do so again this year before the next increase is scheduled to take effect.

“We raised our minimum wage to $14 an hour in October of 2017 at our current business, so when we opened up on Bayview, we were ready with the current minimum wage,” he said, and he did not reconsider his expansion upon hearing of the increased labour costs.

Another criticism of the policy has been that costs will be passed on to consumers, negating the impact of a rise in wages because everything will simply cost more. And Creed does agree.

“Definitely there has been a pass off, and it was [implemented] very fast, but everybody does deserve a living wage,” he said.

There are 44 somewhat well-known names on a list of restaurants that have recently closed in Toronto. One restaurateur who has closed up shop on a couple of locations is Zane Caplansky of Caplansky’s Deli.

Was the recent minimum wage increase something that impacted his decision to shutter his delis? Apparently not.

“It was a challenge because you’re going to raise your prices, but it is evenly shared across the board,” said Caplansky. “It was the same for everybody and everybody was going to have to raise their prices and that was that. I don’t think it was a major issue.”

One challenge for Caplansky’s business was actually the ability to find great employees, and he thinks the increased minimum wage might just help others in this situation.

“For every help wanted ad there are fewer responses, fewer people that show up for interviews, and the ones that do don’t seem to be as qualified,” he explained. “Toronto is a very expensive city to live in, and if you are earning $11, $12 per hour, it is impossible to survive, so you have to live someplace else. Raising minimum wage from that perspective makes a lot of sense.”

Although he agrees with the minimum wage increases, Caplansky said he’d like to see government do more to promote entrepreneurship.

“The truth is I think Toronto and Ontario are great places to start businesses,” he said. “Even though I’ve closed a couple restaurants, I’m not done. There’s lots more for me to do. I don’t consider this to be a death by regulation kind of environment. It’s almost the opposite. People don’t realize how good we’ve got it here.”

Talking Shop: 6 beloved businesses north of Bloor

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1:50 pm

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We all have a favourite local business that we've been frequenting since the day we moved into our nabe — whether it's a one-of-kind clothing store, an independent grocer's or a spa that makes us feel a million bucks.

But did you ever wonder what goes into the making of these friendly neighbourhood spots that make us want to shop local?

For these St Clair, Bathurst and Dupont business owners, it's a combination of tailored services, loyal customers — and a lot of hard work.

We chatted to six of the area's favourite businesses to find out what makes them so unique.

Urban Fare Food Shop
Paul and Eva Jannetta, Owners
1415 Bathurst Street (just south of St Clair), 416-532-1010

What’s going to be hot this spring? Vacuum-packed marinated meats and fish ready for the BBQ, healthy gluten free salads, and a new gift line from Italy!

Do you have any celebrity customers? We consider all our customers to be celebrities!! Many news anchors, also, NHL and OHL players frequent our shop in the summer for healthy meals, as well as many popular Toronto designers that come to find great unique gifts.

What has been your proudest moment in business? My family has been in business in this neighbourhood for 90 years. I’m very proud to continue our family legacy as a successful entreprenuer in the Hillcrest Area.

Greatest advice you ever received? Keep doing what you love, and don’t cut corners.

What makes your business unique? Our food shop is filled daily with freshly prepared and frozen foods, a remarkable selection of unique house wears, gifts, with a sit-in cafe, take out counter… and full service catering for home and office.

Ayurveda Rituals
Andrea Olivera, Owner
1081 Bathurst Street, 416-504-6049

What's going to be hot for spring? Ayurveda Abhyanga bodywork with Indian Head massage and Shirodhara, known as the drip of peace. Warmed herbal oils continuously pouring over your third eye for the ultimate meditative state. I personally offer these treatments and am known as the Ayurveda Red Carpet Facial experience of Toronto by my celebrity clients.

Do you have any celebrity clients? Lately I have been servicing the cast from Designated Survivor & Taken. Maggie Q & Jennifer Beals have experienced my Goddess Ayurveda Rejuvenation Spa Day. In the past: John Taylor of Duran Duran, Tom Selleck, Dylan McDermott, Marcia Gay Harden, Joseph Fiennes and many others.

What makes your business unique? Creating rituals that address each persons needs. From Love attracting to forgiveness healing ceremonies for the Soul.

Describe your team: Each person has their special healing gift. Our Ayurveda doctors bring ancient wisdom to a modern world.

Graduates from my Ayurveda Spa Specialist program offer relaxing nurturing experiences that leave you feeling like you spent a day on a beach! Counseling and guidance from our homeopath brings emotional support and care. My team are caring individuals who love what they do!

Forest Hill Ordothontics
Dr. B. Vendittelli and Dr. T. Hendler
72 St Clair Avenue West, 416-921-6772

What’s going to be hot this spring? Straight teeth are always in style! Nothing says summer selfie like a beautiful smile 🙂

Do you have any celebrity customers? We can't say for confidentiality reasons… but there are some sports players in the city whose teeth are getting straighter as they score points for our teams!

Greatest advice you ever received? Be true to yourself.

What makes your business unique? Our practice has been a part of the community for over 60 years! We have two board certified orthodontic specialists who use all orthodontic appliances — outside braces, inside braces and clear aligners — for children and adults.

Who is your inspiration/role model? Bill and Melinda Gates — they use their position of influence to help so many people with their Foundation.

Describe your team: We have the best team! Our team is energetic, friendly and hard working. They put our patients at ease. We are so thankful for them every day, and couldn't do what we do without them.

Catherine Curtis & Studio
Catherine Curtis, Owner
940 Bathurst Street, 416-979-9244

What's going to be hot this spring? Our ready to wear statement style for spring is chic tailored dresses in limited edition linen prints from Italy. Crisp collars, ruffled cuffs and penciled to the knee. Vintage inspired with modern clean proportions. We are still showing our signature jersey print day dresses and our special occasion dresses.

What has been your proudest moment in business? We are most proud when our styles are coveted from teens to seniors. When you love your dress you keep them for a long time and with great quality fabrics your able to. We have resized some of our garments that are up to 10 years old. It’s really nice to see that they still love them, wear them and they still look great.

Greatest advice you ever received? The best advice I was given was to be yourself, do your best and never give up.

What makes your business unique? Not only are our styles unique, but our shop is unique in that you can have one of our styles made up special for you. We also do our own alterations and fittings. There are not many stores who produce in Toronto and offer these services in this fast fashion and mass produced world we live in now. I love having a dress that no one else has and that fits perfectly.

Tosho Knife Arts
Olivia Go, Owner
934 Bathurst Street, 647-722-6329

What's going to be hot this spring? We have a collection of rare lines coming from Konosuke Sakai that haven't yet released. These include knives that my business partner Ivan has created with famous blacksmiths and sharpeners from Japan. It's been about three years in development for a couple of these new lines.

Do you have any celebrity customers? Anthony Bourdain has brought us many of our customers. He featured us on The Layover in Toronto a few years ago. Susur Lee's son Levi bought a knife from us, and Susur had us rehandle one of his knives. Matty Matheson is a personal friend. We have a lot of chef friends who are celebri- ties on their own.

Greatest advice you ever received? "Enjoy every moment." That’s what I was told when my son was born. And it wasn't easy at first, but enjoying every moment has become a well-earned life lesson. The other great advice I received was to treat a business partnership like a marriage. It's never going to be 50/50 amongst business partners, the way you hoped it would be at the beginning. We've managed to pull through a lot of different challenges together and have grown together and, like a good marriage, we're now able to communicate and express what we need in the business.

Smilesolvers
Dr. Gary Klein
1268 St Clair Avenue West, # 200, 416-658-8885

What sets your practice apart? My team and I have made it our mission to eliminate fears of going to the dentist.

How can you achieve this? Trust. Where there is trust, fear can’t sustain itself. Which is why we pride ourselves on building strong relationships with all of our patients. Every consultation begins with a lengthy discussion so the patient can share his or her concerns. We believe the first step to alleviating these fears is ensuring the patient feels heard. With this information, we then customize a treatment plan and provide them with multiple options best suited to their needs. It is pivotal that the patient knows they’re in full control of how we move forward. Also, our chairs have back massages… our patients love that.

What’s been an important development in your career? We realized that when people felt comfortable at our practice, they wanted to maintain their relationship with us beyond General, Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry. That’s when we knew it was time to expand our offerings; so we brought on a Orthodontist and Gum Specialist. As the needs of our patients change, we choose to grow with them.

Food Profile: Andreas Antoniou brings foodie finds to the mass market with Assembly Chef’s Hall

By

Andrew Mannsbach

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11:28 am

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“Are you looking to be healthy or indulgent?” asks Andreas Antoniou, a second-generation Toronto food innovator, as we tour his new, fully licensed 24,000-square-foot food emporium, Assembly Chef’s Hall.

“Everything’s possible. That’s the kind of program we built, and that’s the one-of-a-kind program Torontonians deserve. For me, all that matters is food.”

The offerings, created by 17 of the city’s best chefs — some known, some unknown — are like a food court in heaven if God was into fried chicken, sushi and barbecued ribs. Featuring chefs like Vittorio Colacitti (the Good Son), Nick Liu (DaiLo) and Ivana Raca (Ufficio) partnered with Chopped Canada’s Brad Smith, this one-stop shop at 111 Richmond St. W. is meant to appease every manner of craving.

To help a rookie navigate the smorgasbord of Assembly Chef’s Hall options, the charismatic restaurateur and salesperson gives this pro tip: “Why don’t you get a Tromba tequila margarita on draft and poke around?”

Always eager to do our due diligence for the readers of Post City, we follow his advice and, walking past the two DJ booths, two gourmet coffee stations and an outpost of Tokyo Smoke — whose founder Alan Gertner was Antoniou’s classmate at UCC — we get a taste of the food wizard’s pleasure-obsessed vibe.

Part of the concept of the food hall is that the big-name chefs who run the fancy food stands actually appear at their restaurants. In the age of the celebrity chef, this is more novel than you might think.

And for Antoniou, it just makes business sense. His team handles bussing tables, electricity, licensing and all of the ancillary management conundrums that befuddle restaurateurs, leaving them to focus on the food. To hear him tell it, he’s a foodie evangelist, enabling chefs to concentrate solely on cooking while he pursues his mission of improving Toronto’s culinary landscape.

His new shrine — sandwiched between two of his father Bob Antoniou’s old school food haunts, Little Anthony’s and Estiatorio Volos, and importantly beneath the glistening headquarters of Google Canada — won’t just challenge Canadian palates, but Canadian identity, as well.

“We need to stop thinking about good things in Toronto as being ‘like Silicon Valley.’ This is Toronto, and yeah, it could exist in Silicon Valley, and it may, but that’s not our focus. We’re trying to build an incubator space right here for chefs to design and build their own restaurants within our ecosystem,” says Antoniou, a former private equity banker and university football star, who is tall and wears a Blue Jays cap and a five o’clock shadow. He’ll be marrying his fiancée in July. Perhaps no surprise, he was raised in the same area as Assembly — he grew up in a condo at Wellington Street and University Avenue.

“We’re bringing value back to the restaurant business model, and I know this place is great, not just for Toronto, but compared to anything around the world, because I have 17 chefs who share our singular desire: to concentrate solely on the deliciousness of the food.”

To recruit his food co-conspirators to Assembly Chef’s Hall, Antoniou dined out in the city on his own for a year and gained 35 pounds. (Before making his selection, he visited each of his 17 new partners six times.)

The mix of talent was important. But equally essential was a chef’s passion and drive.

He wanted true partners who were ready to work, innovate and add to the unique hive mind. On our tour, Antoniou introduces us to Ness Levy who manages Short & Sweet, a purveyor of handmade baked goods. Showing how the restaurants work together, Ness and his team have a spin on “bottle service” for birthdays, in which a cake is delivered to your table and the whole Assembly Chef’s Hall universe comes together to sing.

“It’s a good idea, and it doesn’t just help Ness. It helps everyone in the ecosystem because guests come here for a celebration that they can’t find anywhere else,” says Antoniou, who greets guests and restaurateurs alike on our tour, often stopping to sample cookies and bites of fried chicken and snapping Instagram-worthy shots of displays like the outrageous Bluenose Lobster stand, which boasts a heaping pile of glistening red crustaceans flown in from Nova Scotia.

“I’m not OK with the status quo, and I don’t accept that things have to be a certain way,” Antoniou says. “I always try and challenge, and I always, always want to make things better.”

To that end, he says the venue will host monthly food events in which the whole space might transform into a theme, such as Midnight in Paris or Full Moon Bangkok Party.

He dreams of expanding and intentionally leaves space open at the front of Assembly Chef’s Hall for a rotating chef.

It’s a community market of which Antoniou says, “There’s no better assemblage of chefs anywhere in North America.”

To hear him tell it, it just might be true. But then again, after choosing indulgent over healthy and enjoying our fresh, spicy afternoon drink, we’re feeling fairly intoxicated by Assembly Chef’s Hall and the confidence of its creator.

“The beauty of the venue is that it’s so flexible,” Antoniou says, with a smile. “The only limit is our imagination.”

Assembly Chef’s Hall, 111 Richmond Street West, 647-557-5993

Daily Planet: Forget global, go local like Oxford County

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Andrew Mannsbach

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10:26 am

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Anishinabe economist and writer Winona LaDuke identifies two types of economies, grounded in different ways of seeing. Speaking in Vancouver recently, she characterized one as an “extreme extractive economy” fed by exploitation of people and nature. The second is a “regenerative economy” based on an understanding of the land and our relationship to it.

In her talk, LaDuke said, “The reality is that the next economy requires relocalization of food and energy systems, because it’s more efficient, it’s more responsible, it employs your people and you eat better.”

Human innovation has made it possible to extract less-accessible fossil fuels, and that’s provided jobs. But environmentally, socially and economically, this extreme behaviour can’t continue.

In Oxford County, Ontario (one and a half hours from Toronto), local farmers, community members, the Six Nations of the Grand River and Prowind Canada launched Gunn’s Hill Wind Farm in 2016. It produces enough electricity to power almost 7,000 homes.

Miranda Fuller, head of the Oxford Community Energy Co-operative, says the project helps connect people with the power they use and gives them a stake in their energy system. Its revenues are helping stabilize rural farm incomes, which helps protect local food systems and the community’s way of life. The project created about 200 jobs through development and construction. Some revenue goes to a community vibrancy fund and to student bursaries aimed at giving young people opportunities.

Oxford County became the second local government in Canada, after Vancouver, to adopt a commitment to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050. Gunn’s Hill makes up 15 per cent of Oxford County’s goal.

Indigenous communities are also innovating and leading on renewables. Chief Patrick Michell, of the Nlaka’pamux Nation in B.C., says meeting energy needs in concert with nature resonates with his nation’s values. Nlaka’pamux is working toward food and energy self-sufficiency. The Kanaka Bar Indian Band, one of 17 bands in the nation, has solar projects and has partnered with Innergex Renewable Energy and others on a run-of-river project to generate power and income.

“What you do to the land, you do to yourself,” Michell says, quoting a traditional saying.

Let’s focus on hope. On climate solutions. On renewable energy led by communities like Oxford County, Kanaka Bar and others rising to the challenge to create a regenerative economy for everyone.

Will Midtown dispensaries disappear after legalization, or just go underground?

By

Andrew Mannsbach

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3:08 pm

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Tania Cyalume, former owner of the once bustling marijuana dispensary on Bloor Street West called Queens of Cannabis, was forced to shut down her storefront in 2017 when she and her partner discovered they had been locked out of the building.

“We were shut down by the landlord. She was afraid of the bylaw officer, so she changed the locks on us,” Cyalume explained.

Although illegal, the dispensary had been in operation for more than a year and, according to Cyalume, had never been raided by police.

Despite this bump in the road, Cyalume is still in the marijuana business, operating under the name Bloom, but has tweaked her business model slightly. Instead of having a bricks and mortar location, she holds pop-up events across the city, such as the High Tea Social Club, where customers can pay $25 to attend, and order medicated tea, marijuana-infused cookies and “maybe smoke a joint.”

This is one solution to the many obstacles facing Toronto’s illegal marijuana dispensaries, which include frequent raids by the Toronto Police Service (TPS) and increased difficulty finding a landlord willing to take on the liability of having them as a tenant.

“A lot of people are doing delivery right now or doing pop-up events or going back underground without any kind of website or storefront,” Cyalume said.

Still others remain fully operational and continue to reopen after every raid or setback, sometimes in a different location.

Later this year, Canada will formally legalize cannabis across the country. In Ontario, the provincial government will have a monopoly on recreational marijuana, selling weed only through the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, a subsidiary of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. Products will be sold at approximately 150 separate retail locations regulated by the government. Forty of those stores could be open by July 2018 in step with legalization, with the remaining opening by 2020.

On March 9, the provincial government pledged $40 million to help municipalities deal with implementation costs related to the legalization of cannabis. Some of that funding will be used to create a Cannabis Intelligence Coordination Centre to shut down illegal storefronts and help fight the illegal supply of cannabis products.

This is a problem for the estimated 60 to 80 privately owned dispensaries in the city, of which a handful are in north Toronto.

According to City of Toronto, Municipal Licensing & Standards, 139 illegal storefronts have been closed since spring 2016, resulting in a total of 611 charges.

How effective the policing has been until now is up for debate. Raids on dispensaries seem to occur on a regular basis, though many reopened weeks later. More than half of the charges brought against those arrested have been thrown out in court.

Kendra Stanyon, a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto, has represented several dispensary employees charged as a result of the sweep of raids carried out by the TPS during Project Claudia.

“I really think almost every employee that has been charged, whether they’re a client of mine or not, has ultimately received a withdrawal of their charges,” said Stanyon, who added that dispensary and “medical compassion club” owners, however, are still very much on the hook.

Stanyon said many of her clients have remained open and will continue to for as long as they can, assuming they have the resources and ability to do so.

“Speaking at least for my strictly medical clients, there is every intention to continue to operate because they see themselves as providing a very necessary, really constitutionally compliant access to affordable medicine for their patients,” Stanyon said.

She argued that many of her clients have built relationships with their patients and are able to provide more affordable or varied strains of marijuana that may not be available through the new provincial program.

Cyalume echoed Stanyon’s point that the underground market is likely to offer more competitive prices, which she anticipates will be a few dollars cheaper than the product sold at the Ontario Cannabis Store.

Also, Cyalume noted some dispensaries are able to make “obscene amounts of cash” by selling to anyone over 19 years old, with or without a medical marijuana card, and will likely have the ability to continue to reopen over and over.

Jodi Emery, activist and business partner behind Cannabis Culture, thinks there’s a better way. She’s fighting for the privatization of some businesses to allow Toronto to become a leader in the recreational marijuana arena, offering customers places like smoking lounges and private boutiques from which they can purchase cannabis and paraphernalia.

“Ontario Liberal documents have shown that they know their model won’t undercut the ‘black market,’ ” said Emery, referencing the increasingly active crackdown on illegal dispensaries. “It will be costly to taxpayers, and they know [their model] won’t make money for years to come. It’s doomed to fail.”

Emery is hoping to lobby around this issue in the next provincial election, scheduled for June 7. New Ontario PC party leader Doug Ford has previously said he is open to the privatization of pot stores. Ford’s offices did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

“We elected Justin Trudeau on this issue,” Emery said of her activism. “We can do it again here.”

TPS spokesperson Mark Pugash isn’t buying the argument that what dispensaries and traffickers are doing is petty crime.

“If you don’t have the authority of the federal government, you are breaking the law,” he said. “If you’re making five and six figures a week every two weeks in cash and you’re breaking the law, you shouldn’t be surprised that we enforce that law.”

Pugash said the force regularly receives complaints from area residents that range from concerns over security to public health.

“We will continue to be responsive to complaints through the community, and we will execute the law in the way that we feel is the most effective,” he said.

First Look: Frankie's Italian brings all-day brunch to Leslieville in Lil' Baci's former spot

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Frankie’s Italian brings fresh pasta and pizza back to Leslieville in the space formerly occupied by neighbourhood Italian standby Lil Bacci, which closed in February after more than ten years of serving hungry eastenders. On Good Friday, the owners of Lil Bacci (as well as Anabelle Pasta Bar and Bob Coffee Bar) opened up the renovated restaurant under its new name.

The cosy interior features exposed brick, cheery pink accents and a bright window looking out onto Queen Street East. Midday regulars are greeted by friendly waitstaff as they roll in for the all-day brunch, fresh sandwiches and Caesars.

Executive Chef Brandyn Koester, who shares his time between Frankie’s and Anabelle, says that the concept for Frankie’s is similar to Annabelle, but with pizza.

(IMAGE: KAREN STEVENS)

“Annabelle’s concept really worked for us and we wanted to change things up with a more dynamic menu,” he says. “It’s exciting for people to come and check what we have on special every day.”

Those daily specials are up on chalkboards around the dining room. Each fresh pasta dish, like the spicy bucatini amatriciana, is made in-house and is only $10. “This forces creativity. Every day you’re challenged to come up with a new menu,” explains Koester.

Along with the fresh pasta, there’s a menu of staples like fried baby octopus ($14), pan fried mortadella ($6), and a parmesan cheese-laden kale and treviso caesar salad ($13), where the bitter greens pair perfectly with the creamy sauce. The menu items are meant to share: Brandyn describes them as “Italian tapas.”

(IMAGE: KAREN STEVENS)

Frankie’s also has a brand new coffee program featuring beans from Halo, which are roasted in Toronto. Ask the staff to whip up a frothy latte to go, or enjoy a hot cocoa (complete with real cocoa and a toasted marshmallow on top).

The renovation is not without a touch of whimsy. The coffee and pasty menu board features a unique item: unicorns, for the bargain price of 906, 780 euros. When asked whether they were organic free-range unicorns, Koester answered, “Of course.”

Frankie's Italian, 892 Queen Street East

(IMAGE: KAREN STEVENS)

4 of T.O.’s favourite Italian restaurants on spring menus, celebrity chefs and the dish that made them famous

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Andrew Mannsbach

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Whether you love lasagna, go weak at the knees for gnocchi or salivate over a slice of ‘za, there’s a very good reason why Italian is one of our favourite foods of all time. With hearty, filling dishes, made with fresh ingredients and love, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Luckily for Torontonians, you don’t have to go far for an amazing Italian dinner. We asked a handful of Toronto’s Italian restaurant owners which of their dishes is their favourite, why they love cooking in their neighbourhood and — most importantly — Tiramisu or Panna Cotta?

Here’s what they had to say:

BLU Ristorante
Alfredo Rodriguez, Owner
17 Yorkville Avenue, 416-921-1472

A true destination for modern Italian food

What dish is your restaurant famous for? Carpaccio.

Have you had any interesting or celeb customers? Yes we’ve had many. I believe it’s because we respect their privacy.

What has been your proudest moment in business? Every time a customer leaves very satisfied and happy.

What’s the secret to your success? Consistency, hard work, and truly caring about the customers’ experience.

Who is your favourite chef in the world? Anthony Bourdain.

How will you be changing up the menu this spring? Incorporating seasonal vegetables.

What makes Toronto such a foodie destination? Countless, talented and creative chefs.

What advice would you give someone looking to open a restaurant? Be ready to work long hours and have enough in the bank to support your family for at least a year.

Tutti Matti
Alida Solomon, Owner
364 Adelaide Street West, 416-597-8839

Celebrating 15 years of fine, fresh Tuscan cuisine

What dish is your restaurant famous for? Costole di Manzo (braised shortribs in Italian beer, orange, honey and rosemary).

Other than your own, which Midtown restaurant do you love to eat at? Archive wine bar is my home away from home.

What has been your proudest moment in business? Tutti Matti has had many accolades over the years but the best was in 2009 leccio di oro from the Consorzio Di Brunello di Montalcino. Also Chef Alida Solomon has been named chef of the year for 2018 OHI.

What’s the secret to your success? Loving what you do and knowing it is a lifestyle as well as a job.

Who is your favourite chef in the world? I have so many mentors from Italy that I admire but I would have to say that the late Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.

How will you be changing up the menu this spring? As we head into Spring a lot will change on the menu. I change the menu eight times a year. I can’t wait for spring greens, ramps, asparagus and anything that is not squash and kale. I love winter vegetables but this has been a long one.

La Bruschetta
Silvia Piatoni, Chef/Owner
1317 St. Clair Avenue West, 416-656-8622

Family-run Trattoria serving classic Italian dishes

What dish is your restaurant famous for? Gnocchi Gratinati, Ciriole, a hand rolled pasta with homemade pomodoro sauce. A traditional dish of Umbria.

What is your favourite thing about Midtown? You can walk to find everything you need. There are many family owned shops and restaurants as well.

Have you had any interesting or celeb customers? The list is to long, but our favourites are Joe Mantegna and Ryan Gosling.

What has been your proudest moment in business? In business for 39 years and recognized by the neighbourhood, locals and the Italian community.

Who is your favourite chef in the world? My Mom and Lidia Bastianich.

Which of your dishes is your favourite? Parpadelle Tartufate – in a wild mushroom sauce and sauteéd in brandy and garlic, topped with truffle oil.

How will you be changing up the menu this spring? We will be using even more local Ontario ingredients. Adding a variety of polenta and traditional dishes from Umbria.

Cucina di Paisano
865 York Mills Road, 416-222-5487

50 years of delectable Italian cuisine for the family

What dish is your restaurant famous for? Chicken Parmigiana, veal Parmigiana, or eggplant Parmigiana. We might see whole families all order one.

What is your favourite thing about Midtown? Families. It feels as though there are more families in our neighborhood than others.

What has been your proudest moment in business? After over 50 years in North York, getting to watch couples get married, become parents, celebrate birthdays, going off to school and couples coming home to meet the parents.

Which of your dishes is your favourite? Lasagna. Stacked high lots of beef and ricotta. Such a warm satisfying feeling!

How will you be changing up the menu this spring? We are rediscovering arugula this spring. Fresh, sweet and slightly bitter. Lots of fresh ideas.

Who taught you how to cook? For me growing up, food preparation always involved the whole family. If you weren’t pickling, you were skinning tomatoes, peeling apples or boiling maple sap.

Tiramisu or Panna Cotta? Tiramisu means “pick me up, cheer me up or lift me up”. When done right, it is such a mood lifter!

#AfterMeToo report proposes nine recommendations to wipe out sexual assault

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The #AfterMeToo movement has gained significant traction in Toronto, and is still picking up speed. The individuals behind the initiative released a report on March 9 outlining nine recommendations to wipe out sexual assault and abuse within the entertainment industry. Days later, stars took to the red carpet for the Canadian Screen Awards (CSA) sporting pins to show solidarity for the cause.

Mia Kirshner, who hails from the Casa Loma area and has acted in TV shows such as The L Word and Defiance, spearheaded the campaign along with co-founders Aisling Chin-Yee and Freya Ravensbergen.

“The report proposes essential reforms to culture, procedure and policy that the entertainment industry needs to adopt in order to keep workplaces safe,” Kirshner said.

The recommendations came about as a result of a symposium that heard from victims of sexual assault, labour lawyers and other industry professionals on how to end sexual violence in the industry. The report highlights the need for a national body to oversee investigations, a database that not only tracks blacklisting of victims in the industry but keeps a record of all allegations that are brought forward and a safety fund for survivors to cover the cost of legal and mental health counselling.

Kirshner said it also outlines “clear meaningful repercussions” for sexual perpetrators. “An apology letter doesn’t quite cut it,” she added.

Emma Phillips, a human rights and labour lawyer in Toronto, provided legal counsel on the #AfterMeToo report. Phillips has also consulted on independent systemic harassment reviews of both the military and RCMP.

Phillips pointed out two main benefits to introducing a national body to oversee allegations: it would be free of any conflict of interest and could co-ordinate between different stakeholders and across legal jurisdictions.

“It requires real political will from all the stakeholders. Certainly it is an ambitious proposal, but if it’s ever going to be achievable, it’s going to be at this particular moment,” Phillips said. “If we want to have systemic change, then we need to institute some real mechanisms of accountability.”

Kirshner said the next step will be to take the recommendations to the guilds and unions and ask them to make some changes to their policies.

“We have a meeting at the end of April, and we’re beginning to meet with the guilds and unions now. I hope they are receptive to this,” she said.

Until then, Kirshner said the support #AfterMeToo has received — Margaret Atwood and the cast of Schitt’s Creek were just some of the stars who chose to wear pins at the CSA — has been encouraging.

“Leaders in the industry wearing our pin and speaking about the movement shows the need for a change,” she said.

The full report can be viewed online at AfterMeToo.