Fran’s Restaurant’s
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vs. |
Conklin’s hot ice cream
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| Roger (pictured), Richard and Joon Kim; opened in 1940 and at the CNE since 201 | Owner(s); year established: |
Jim Conklin; 1940 |
| “This year is going to be our second. It’s very historical — same thing as Fran’s. | How many years have you been at the Ex? | “Since 1937. It was part of our [Conklin Shows] carnival, which travelled across Canada.” |
| “Last year the Thanksgiving waffle was a huge hit. We’re selling it again this year along with one of our new items, the deep fried rice pudding. We’ve had the recipe since the beginning of Fran’s.” | Tell us about the food that you’re serving: | “The ice cream waffle is a very peculiar product. The food booth was originally stationed beside the grandstand; people used to grab one as they came out. It has only been successful in Toronto. We tried it elsewhere, but it hasn’t worked.” |
| “It took us a long time — probably a year — to come up with the perfect recipe. Labour intensive!” | What’s the key to getting the waffles just so? |
“We are still using the original irons; we just restored them recently. It’s a lot easier today ’cause we can now coat the irons with Teflon.” |
| “The Thanksgiving waffle is Thanksgiving in your mouth. When you’re over at your parents’, you have a bit of everything. This is all in one. | Can you let us know more about the waffle filling? |
“We just use the one flavour of ice cream: vanilla. This is it! Why mess with it? Everybody likes it.” |
| “I’m all about the classics! I head to the Polar Express for a quick spin. It always brings out the kid in me. | Favourite ride at the CNE — past or present? | “It would have been the Flyer — a permanent wooden roller-coaster on the grounds at the time. It was the noise that got to you more than the thrill!” |
| “We will be launching our book, Since 1940, celebrating 75 years of the restaurant!” | Doing anything special at the Ex this year? | “It’s the 75th anniversary of our ice cream waffle, so yes, we’ll be doing something special….” |
| www.fransrestaurant.com | www.conklinshows.com |
Too Close to Call: CNE waffle warriors
Another island at the mouth of Don? Yes, please.
When visitors ask Torontonians where to spend a day, many would tell them to eschew the tried-and-true tourist hot spots and take the ferry over to the Toronto Islands to bask in some seriously idyllic splendour. It’s our go-to spot to escape the grinding, grinning, hand-wringing stresses of life at the centre of the universe.
So, when a fancy-schmancy waterfront revitalization plan designed to mitigate potential flooding of nearby residential areas included the creation of 600-acre Villiers Island at the mouth of the Don River, we took notice. Although there are more studies needed to confirm feasibility, with Mayor John Tory’s support, there is a good chance of creating another island in the city’s near(ish) future.
The Toronto Islands were created by an act of nature but reinforced by clever locals who recognized the area for what it could become. In the 19th century, a peninsula was created by deposits from the erosion of the Scarborough Bluffs.
After a couple of violent storms, an opening in the peninsula was created, between the mainland and the islands, called the Eastern Gap. To the west of it, the Toronto Islands were created, to the east, Fisherman’s Island, now known as Cherry Beach. And with the subsequent creation of the Leslie Street Spit, no further sediment was added. Engineering, some landfill where the airport now sits and further dredging around the islands made the situation somewhat permanent.
In the past, the Toronto Islands — in addition to being the preferred picnicking spot for generations of families — were home to an original amusement park (with a diving horse!) at Hanlan’s, a baseball diamond where Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run, a roller rink and a hotel.
Currently, the Toronto Islands boast the city’s only nudie beach, a haunted lighthouse and, if you ask the right people, a bootlegger or two. It’s also got the cleanest beaches for swimming in the city; a tiny, perfect amusement park complete with historic ferris wheel and carousel; and the best disc golf course going. Who wouldn’t want more of that?
Real Estate: Is housing in the Beach out of reach?
The Beach was first settled by the Ashbridge family in 1793 and the neighbourhood has been many things to many people over the years, as well as a home to cottages and amusement parks. And it’s had its share of seedy periods in its history. But that’s all changed, and the neighbourhood by the lake is now one of the most desirable locales to raise a family in the city.
Vibe
A small-town, family vibe persists in the Beach. This is a kid-friendly neighbourhood that is extremely safe, if too quiet for some. The Beach could also rank as an area with one of the highest dog-to-home ratios in Toronto, thanks in part to the massive off-leash parks that sit right on Lake Ontario: doggie heaven.
Cost
The housing stock is largely defined by homes built during the ’20s and ’30s, but over the past decade many have been completely renovated or torn down and replaced by modern homes.
• The fully finished coach house at 6 Munro Park Ave. features a modern glass staircase as the centrepiece after a renovation in 2007. The price: $3.589 million.
• At 20 Neville Park Blvd. sits a Hamptons-inspired beach home listed at $5.288 million.
• Hugging the Glen Stewart Ravine, the Arts and Crafts–style house at 2 Balsam Rd. is priced at $3.999 million.
Community
Residents in the Beach tend to live an active lifestyle: some stroll on the boardwalk, others descend on the area’s many parks. Glen Stewart Park has a picturesque ravine and nature trail. Kew Gardens plays host to several community events, such as the long-running annual Beaches Jazz Festival. And Donald Summerville Pool offers something for everyone: an Olympic-sized pool, a diving pool and a children’s pool. The beach volleyball courts at Ashbridges Bay Park have turned out a few Olympic contenders over the years. And, well, there’s a lake filled with standup paddle boards, kayaks and kite surfers on most summer nights. The Fox Theatre, the city’s oldest cinema, is a Beach mainstay.
Grub
The Beach seems to enjoy a good pub. One of the finer Beach watering holes is Castro’s Lounge, a favourite among locals for its big selection of beer. Xola offers authentic, off-the-beaten-path Mexican fare, and Hogtown Smoke is the place to go for barbecue.
Walkability
Homes in the Beach rank in the “very high” range in walkability, thanks to the proximity of local schools, shops, restaurants and public transit. The venerable 501 streetcar is nostalgic despite the dwindling efficiency.
Commute
The many streetcar and bus routes in this central location make it unnecessary to own a car, but the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway are nearby.
Schools
This area is home to a number of well-respected public schools, such as Balmy Beach Community School and Kew Beach Junior High School.
Shops
Teeming with quaint boutiques, Queen Street East is made for the sauntering shopper. The Artisans offers finely curated jewellery, and the Embellished Room is the place for cute summer dresses. There are also a couple of good book stores and, yes, doggie boutiques.
Taste Test: Grant van Gameren picks Toronto’s top hot dog
In a city that loves a classic hot dog, it’s easy to forget the gourmet goodies that are popping up across Toronto. So we invited our resident chef, Grant van Gameren, to taste T.O.’s finest franks. Which wiener wins the race? Find out here.
Grant’s pick: The katsu dog (A)
Let’s Be Frank, 460 Spadina Ave., $6.95
“It’s a cool idea to panko bread and deep-fry the dog,” says van Gameren. “It’s simple and to the point and you get the wasabi. I like this one.”
Lord of the rings (B)
Disgraceland, 965 Bloor St. W., $10
“It’s a super-creative way of serving a hot dog,” says van Gameren. “It’s a lot easier to eat than I thought it would be. The onion rings are fun and it’s well executed.”
East coast sensation (C)
Bite Me Gourmet Hot Dogs, 538 Eglinton Ave. W., $9.99
“Who doesn’t like some buttered lobster? I do,” says van Gameren while eating this seafood-style hot dog.
Chili cheese dog (D)
Real Sports Bar & Grill, 15 York St., $13.50
“It tastes exactly like what they listed it as,” says van Gameren. “It’s almost like you don’t need the wiener in there because all the other flavours are so overpowering.”
Bacon cheese dog (E)
Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 865 York Mills Rd., $6.20
“I actually do really like the flavour of the hot dog, the actual wiener,” says van Gameren, but he says the bacon is overcooked and the cheese should be melted.
Street meat (F)
Willi Dog, Nathan Phillips Square, $3.50
“It’s a traditional street dog,” van Gameren notices right away. “It’s a little bit too sweet for my liking from the corn salsa, but it’s got a nice char on the wiener.”
The ultimate dog (G)
Uncle Betty’s, 2590 Yonge St., $15
“This is over the top. All the ingredients are well executed, the pulled pork, mac and cheese, nice melted cheddar, but it is very difficult to eat,” says van Gameren.
Frankie goes to Buffalo (H)
Fancy Franks, 326 College St., $7.50
“A nice egg bun,” says van Gameren, adding, “All the chicken wing components are there,” such as carrots, celery and blue cheese dressing.
All about the kids for Toronto's newest Raptor, Demarre Carroll announces new children’s charity and says he’s ready to bring his defensive game
You had a great year with the Atlanta Hawks, one of the top teams in the east. What made you decide to leave?
There was already a winning program, great individuals, all-star guards in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. The organization came in and made me and my family part of the organization. And Toronto fans are some of the best in the world. Basically, those were the key things for me. And they also offered me a bigger role.
Upon your signing with the Raps, you invoked the name of one of the most popular players in team history, Jerome “Junkyard Dog” Williams. Why him?
Yup, that’s my game. It reflects my game. Junkyard, he’s shown me great respect and allowed me to, you know, use that name, Junkyard 2.0. He’s really engaging me, and he understands how hard I play when I step on the court. Having JYD 2.0 just adds a little flavour, and hopefully people can get behind that from the first game.
Have you spent much time in Toronto yet?
I went there for the press conference, and I’m looking for housing for me and my wife. We had a nice group of media. I can only imagine how many fans are going to show up.
Atlanta had some rough years, a lot of empty arenas, and you’re coming to a pretty good basketball town. What’s job number one for you to show the fans you mean business?
First and foremost to do the nitty-gritty things. That’s what the Junkyard do, the little things to protect the junkyard and protect my team on the defensive end.
You had a quiet start to your career and bounced around a bit before Atlanta, and now you’re considered one of the better defensive players in the league. What happened?
I think the NBA is all about opportunity. I didn’t have a lot of opportunity early in my career. I’m a strong believer in making the best of your opportunities.… If you make the best of it, you’ll be successful is always my mindset. When it came knocking at my door, it came knocking in the middle of my career. But I have no regrets. I had a lot of obstacles and that helped me take advantage of the opportunities I got.
Tell me about your own experience with liver disease and your thoughts when first diagnosed.
It was definitely a scary moment.… My family really got involved and helped me understand I still can be successful and can continue to have great life with the disease. It really eased my nerves, and I’m trying to reach out to people in a similar situation and let them know the same thing.
Why did you decide to start a kids’ foundation to raise awareness and funds for research into pediatric liver disease?
Basically, bringing awareness of the disease to individuals is near to my heart. I’m a living witness of the condition, and I understand you can be successful with this type of disease. It’s something dear to my heart.
What do you hope to accomplish?
Reach out to individuals and put a smile on those kids’ faces going through the same thing. Just be a role model.
Who were some of your basketball heroes growing up?
My heroes growing up were more family based. My dad was a big role model to me. My older brother who passed away. My cousin, T. J. Cleveland, who coaches in Arkansas, stepped into my brother’s place, when he passed.
What can you tell us about yourself that we don’t already know from the stat sheets and highlight reels?
Off the court and outside of the arena, I like to bowl. I’m going to get some bowling tournaments going in Toronto for the fans.
Food Crawl: Where to eat while checking out the revitalized Queen’s Quay strip
Between Sugar Beach east of Yonge and the new Queen’s Quay on the west side, Toronto is starting to establish a waterfront that we can be proud of. While the weather is sunny and warm, this is the place we’re drawn to for a Blue Jays game, awe-inducing aquarium visits or leisurely rides along the waterfront bike trail.
Stay well-fed — with both food and excellent beer — at these five harbourfront gems.
Amsterdam Brewhouse
The food at this over 700-seat behemoth is inconsistent, but the trad pretzel and charcuterie are bright spots.
Here “Adventure Series” is code for the “astonishingly high-quality creations by Iain McOustra and his team of brewers — some of the best beers in the city.” They can be sour, barrel-aged or especially hoppy — but they are always top-notch.
Try to arrive at an off-hour to snag a seat on the lakeside patio, offering a surprisingly relaxing view of planes landing at Billy Bishop Airport. 245 Queens Quay W., 416-504-1020
Pearl Harbourfront
“Have dim sum from a cart.” This advice probably makes every short list penned by Torontonians for their foodster friends visiting our city. Combine the rolling service with a knockout view of the harbour, and Pearl is the area’s best bet for this staple.
Keep an eye out for the Pan Fried Hockey Pucks ($6), shrimp and scallion dumplings that taste intensely of green onion. The steamed scallop dumplings ($6) are also a strong suit and are a welcome change from shrimp har gow. 2, 207 Queens Quay W., 416-203-1233
Indian Roti House
This bare-bones lunch counter survived years of construction, based on the strength of its food. The veg or meat rotis are generous portions and well spiced, but a favourite — especially for a multi-stop crawl — is the samosa chaat ($4.95). The crispy pastry of the three triangles balances nicely against the sweet and sour notes from the tamarind sauce and yogurt dressing.
If you’re not taking away, skip this stop if it looks like rain. The patio is an absolute necessity: inside, it’s as hot as Chennai in June. 256 Queens Quay W., 416-260-6666
Harbour 60
The classic steak house is back in style, and this venerable restaurant has long held a reputation as one of the finest in the city. Located in the historic Harbour Commission Building, Harbour 60 serves fine cuts of steak but also a surprisingly vast selection of seafood, both as entrees or as smaller plates for nibbling including halibut ceviche, as well as an iced shellfish and raw bar. 60 Harbour St., 416-777-2111
Jaipur Grille
Long a midtown favourite for South Asian cuisine, Jaipur Grille has recently opened up a second location on Queen’s Quay.
The harbourfront location’s menu includes many Indian favourites, such as chicken makhani and shrimp vindaloo, as well as a wide range of offerings from the tandoor beyond the usual chicken, such as king prawns, grouper and seekh kebabs. Jaipur Grille, 208 Queen’s Quay W., 416-368-7272
Against the Grain
Billed as an urban tavern, Against the Grain offers up a menu filled with comfort food classics as well as a number of interesting sharing plates such as sake beef tartare and beef cheek tacos served at their restaurant inside the Corus building and beside the popular Sugar Beach Park. Against the Grain also has a fine craft beer and wine selection, perfect for whiling away an afternoon on its massive lakeside patio, which includes both table seating and comfortable couches. Against the Grain, 25 Dockside Dr., 647-344-1562
Championing brain health
Before I met Lynn Posluns at Queen’s Park last month, I was unaware that 70 per cent of new Alzheimer’s sufferers will be women. When I repeat this statistic, men and women alike are startled.
Posluns has launched the Women’s Brain Health Initiative to raise awareness about the inequality in brain-aging research funding for women. Medical researchers often assume that men and women only differ in the area below what is termed the “bikini line.” A dynamo who brings her fundraising experience at Baycrest Foundation to this new cause, Posluns is on a mission to raise awareness of gender differences in brain health.
Apart from exercise and a healthy diet, experts warn us to get adequate sleep and improve our stress coping mechanisms. Youth should also be aware that maintaining a healthy lifestyle in their 20s is a significant indicator of future brain health.
York Region residents affected by dementia are fortunate to have local support through the Alzheimer Society of York Region. Executive director Loren Freid visited me at Queen’s Park to raise awareness of the struggles faced by family members caring for loved ones. Joining Freid were two gentlemen from our community — one caring for his wife, the other his mother. We agreed that more could be done to help those who struggle emotionally and often financially while caring for their loved ones. Both men rely on day programming provided by the society’s nine locations in York Region. Although age and genetics — significant risk factors in the onset of Alzheimer’s — can not be altered, we can all do much more to protect our brains.
City OK’s Spadina streetscape study for Forest Hill Village
A report recently approved by Toronto City Council outlining urban design guidelines for Forest Hill Village will help protect the small-town character of the low-rise, mixed-use neighbourhood, said councillor Josh Matlow.
But Peter McClelland, chairman of the Forest Hill Village BIA, said the BIA was largely unrepresented in the planning process.
While McClelland said city planners did speak to him about the study, adequate time was not granted to consult the rest of the membership (tenants and property owners of the strip) and provide feedback.
“There seemed to be a push to have the guidelines adopted at the May council meeting,” said McClelland.
According to Matlow, this was due to an urgent desire to get the final report approved before a nine-storey development proposed for the corner of Montclair and Spadina (390-398 Spadina Rd.) went through.
Matlow became aware of the development (by Armel Corporation) in 2014, which he believed was too tall, and it inspired his motion to initiate the urban design study at city council.
The study area pertains to properties fronting onto Spadina Road, between Montclair Avenue and Thelma Avenue. It outlines the appropriate design, building materials (brick and stone) and height (no more than four storeys) of future developments.
Matlow cited the LCBO building as an example of the kind of design the study aims to discourage.
“Most of the buildings are a yellowish or red brick, and then the LCBO looks like this big silver metal box,” he said. “It just sticks out like a sore thumb.”
The design guidelines will be a useful reference for City of Toronto planners, and Matlow said it will strengthen the city’s position if the need to fight a developer arises at the Ontario Municipal Board.
But McClelland said he still isn’t sure how greatly this will impact current owners on the strip who may want to make changes to their property.
Rise in Toronto bike deaths cause for concern
It happened to 26-year-old Adam Excell when he was biking home one Saturday night in Yorkville. It happened again to a 44-year-old resident in North York. And it happened in Rosedale to 75-year-old Roger du Toit, a Toronto-based architect who played a pivotal role in the design of the CN Tower.
Three cycling fatalities in the first six months of this year — the same number of cyclists that died in all of 2014. And while the conditions that cost the lives of each of these men may vary, one thing can’t be denied: these deaths were preventable.
For Megan Torza, one of these fatalities meant losing a personal friend. A partner at the architecture firm DTAH in Toronto, she was a colleague of Roger du Toit, one of the three founding partners of the studio.
She recalled the memorial bike ride she and her colleagues did before visiting the white “ghost bike” installed by Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists at the site of the accident.
“It was a really nice gesture, I think. And I think a number of people who knew him felt that the exercise of participating in the memorial bike ride was a very helpful thing to do with respect to the process of mourning,” said Torza. “He was an avid cyclist.… And certainly as someone who knew him, [I know] he was very full of life.”
Creating a safe system for cyclists is much needed in a city where 54 per cent of residents are choosing to cycle. And the number of cyclists in our city streets is only expected to go up. After all, between 2001 and 2006 alone, the number of people biking to work went up 30 per cent, according to Canada Census data.
“It’s very concerning to us and to everyone that with the increased cyclists on the road we’re seeing these kinds of terrible tragedies,” said Robert Tarantino, chairperson of the board of directors of Cycle Toronto. “For us, it’s just part of a larger concern to do everything we can and ensure that the city and province are doing everything they can to improve safety for cyclists and everyone.”
Although the City of Toronto made a number of changes to improve cycling safety in 2014 — such as adding cycle tracks, bike lanes and sharrows — many of these changes occurred in the downtown core on streets like Adelaide Street, Simcoe Street and Wellesley Street.
With each of the three cycling fatalities occurring outside of Toronto’s core, the question begs to be asked: Is midtown Toronto simply not equipped to handle our city’s cyclists? Or, were these three fatalities just a coincidence?
According to Tarantino, the lack of cyclists in the midtown area could have been a contributing factor to the fatalities. “In terms of increasing safety, more cyclists on the road is a big help,” said Tarantino. “If there are drivers who aren’t downtown a lot, for example … they might be less used to sharing the road with cyclists.”
To help increase this cycling visibility, Cycle Toronto has been campaigning to ensure the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will include separated cycle tracks along Eglinton Avenue.
“I think that [separated cycle lanes] will be the catalyst to bringing riders out in midtown [and] for drivers seeing them,” said Tarantino. “That’s the crucial piece.”
Nonetheless, he acknowledged the lack of cycling infrastructure in the area, a sentiment echoed by Yvonne Bambrick, author of The Urban Cycling Survival Guide and executive director of the Forest Hill Business Improvement Area.
“For years, residents in [Rosedale] had been requesting stop signs and a correction to that intersection because they saw it as hazardous,” said Bambrick, referring to Roxborough Street East and Wrentham Place where one of the life-taking collisions took place.
Although the city had approved additional stop signs and signage changes at the intersection in February, such improvements hadn’t been put in place at the time of the accident, said Bambrick.
“The week we put up a memorial, the city finally got the infrastructure in place. That’s a real problem,” she said. “Anything that’s related to safety I think can’t just sit around in a queue of things that needs to be done.”
And yet, according to Jacquelyn Hayward Gulati, manager of City of Toronto, Cycling Infrastructure and Programs, exclusively blaming these deaths on a lack of infrastructure excludes a big part of the picture: human error.
After all, a 22-year-old now faces a slew of charges after the incident in North York, including impaired driving.
“When we look at cases [with an] impaired driver, that’s an enforcement and a driver behaviour issue. That’s not because of the infrastructure there,” said Gulati. “We find that 80 to 90 per cent of collisions are taking place because of human error.… The driver or the cyclist is making an error in judgment by either not following the rules or speeding or not being aware.”
Statistically speaking, she added, these deaths shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Although there are about 55,000 collisions per year in Toronto, approximately 1,200 of those involved cyclists. In other words, cycling collisions only account for two per cent of all accidents.
The number of cycling fatalities has also remained quite stable given the increase in cyclists. Between 1999 and 2009, North York saw 25 per cent more cyclists on the road, said Gulati.
But for Robert Tarantino, three deaths is still “three too many,” which is precisely why Cycle Toronto held a demonstration at city hall on June 19.
“We were calling for what’s called a Vision Zero Policy,” said Tarantino. “It’s a policy that’s geared toward cities aiming to reduce road fatalities to zero — and that could be cyclists or transit users or pedestrians — and to do everything that needs to be done to get to that goal.”
With a similar target in mind, the City of Toronto is creating a 10-year cycling network plan that will provide a road map of what can be built to improve cycling safety, said Gulati.
“It’s got to be safe for a 10-year-old and a 75-year-old to be able to ride on a street, not just a physically fit 30-year-old who’s used to riding,” said Tarantino. “And as long as we keep those in mind and build infrastructure around that idea, then I think it will work for everyone.”
BY THE NUMBERS
31
The percentage of residents in the Netherlands who list the bike as their main mode of transportation.
6
The width, in feet, of a new bike lane cutting through the middle of downtown Los Angeles.
600
The number of kilometres of bike lanes in Montreal, compared to around 400 in Toronto.
1,700
The number of bike share stations in Paris, up from 750 in 2007. Toronto’s bike share has 80 stations.
500,000
The number of New Yorkers who use a bicycle at least once per month.
122
The percentage increase in the number of Calgary residents commuting to work by bicycle.
Sami Sharif is one of Toronto’s advanced care paramedics participating in potentially life-saving study
A few months ago, advanced care paramedic Sami Sharif responded to a distress call not far from his station at Avenue Road and Davenport Road. Upon arriving at the scene, he found a man lying in his backyard with no pulse, and he quickly began attempts to resuscitate him.
Five or six minutes later, he was able to elicit a pulse and raise the man’s blood pressure. Sharif then opened an envelope from his bag, read what was in it and proceeded to cover the man’s body in gel packs, administer chilled saline into his IV and get him to the hospital.
The patient made a full recovery, with no neurological complications — which could all be thanks to what was in that one envelope.
The 27-year-old has been with City of Toronto Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for six years and is one of a number of Toronto paramedics qualified to administer a special experimental treatment.
Stowed away in Sharif’s bag are several unopened envelopes with instructions that read “cool” or “do not cool” for each cardiac arrest patient he encounters. The selection is completely random. It is all part of the trial-based ICE-PACS study being conducted in Toronto by Rescu, an Ontario-based research program.
The study aims to prevent brain damage in cardiac arrest patients by lowering body temperatures as soon as medically possible. At the end of the study, researchers will compare patient outcomes, and if positive, the treatment will become protocol for all cardiac arrest patients in Toronto.
“If we can do anything to help benefit the outcome of the patient, we should do it,” Sharif said.
Real Estate: Home theatres, basketball courts and in-ground pools in three estates perfect for entertaining
259 Dunvegan Road
Listed at $6.495 million, this Forest Hill mansion’s amenities include a retractable screen and overheard projector for movie night enthusiasts, an entertainment room with wet bar and wine cellar, billiards room, exercise room with spa and pool. Not to mention the basketball court in the backyard.
53 Highland Crescent
This European-style estate comes with its own gym, wine cellar, fully lit tennis court, in-ground pool, home theatre and spa. What more could you possibly want? Currently on the market for $8.8 million, this Hogg’s Hollow residence is the perfect spot for a party.
21 The Bridle Path
On offer for $7.65 million, this palatial residence is more than 5,000 square feet on a 66 by 299 foot lot. The in-ground pool with waterfall spa is made all the more appealing by the private resort–like feel of the property’s backyard.
Grammy winner Buckwheat Zydeco plays Hugh’s Room this week
Over the past four decades and counting, Stanley Dural Jr., a.k.a. Buckwheat Zydeco, has been playing the accordion and bringing his energetic and joyous style of zydeco music to the masses. He’s won Grammy Awards and has recorded with everyone from Robert Plant to Willie Nelson, but his idea of true happiness is bringing smiles to the faces of those in his audience, the people he calls his “family.” Buckwheat checks into Hugh’s Room in Toronto on July 21.
What was your introduction to zydeco?
As a child growing up, my dad, he played every day. I didn’t really understand it, and as part of the younger generation, I wanted to do other types of music, so I played heavy funk music in the ’70s, and in 1971 I started my first band, Buckwheat and the Hitchhikers. We had, like, 15 musicians on stage, man.
And what brought you back?
I played a show with my daddy’s best friend, Clifton Chenier, “the King of Zydeco,” in ’76. And, jeez, I didn’t know zydeco music was like that. I was supposed to play just that one night, take my organ back and say I’d played zydeco and still don’t like it. But man, I stayed with him over two years. He was very inspirational, you know. I knew my dad was right, and I decided to pick up accordion and start playing it, and I decided to build this band, Buckwheat Zydeco.
Tell me about your show, your music.
I do zydeco music and perform for all generations of people — younger 50 per cent, older 50 per cent. My repertoire’s for everybody, some young, some old. Everybody come out at same time, not to separate. That’s why clientele be like it is, you see.
So what can we expect from your show here in Toronto?
I love Toronto, man. We coming to party. We coming to have some fun, like always. That’s what I’m all about.
Hugh’s Room is a sit-down spot. Can you get people up?
Oh, they’re going to get up. I’m not coming there for people to sit down man. Even if they have to squeeze between chairs and tables, somebody is going to stand up and do something.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
Performing, man, that’s my favourite part of my job, seeing people being happy, you know. That’s what keeps me going. As long as I can do this, I will. If I can’t play, I’ll have something to do with music, that’s for sure. I’m like a music fanatic. That’s what I do.
You’ve made your own reality series, Buckwheat’s World?
Yes, well, what’s going on here, I’m out in front of thousands of people, but with this, I’m trying to let you know, I’m just like everybody else. When I’m at home, I work; on the road I work. I don’t come to play. I come to work, you know what I mean. That’s what it’s about. You can see me on my old tractor. That’s what I do, you know. I got to work when I get home here, you know. Out there, I’m working but having fun, but over here, I’m in bondage.
So you’re not the sit-around-and-rest type of guy?
On my rest time, I might go fishing, something like that, you know. But something need done over here, we got seven acres, and my animals — sheeps, dogs, cats — that keeps me going, too you see, always something to do. And I like working on old cars. I’m what you call a shade tree mechanic.
