Sidewalks, make way

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8:38 am

An advisory committee has asked the City of Markham to give cyclists the green light to ride on sidewalks.

Seeing cyclists on sidewalks is a rare sighting in a city where a 1971 bylaw prohibits it based on wheel size, which can not exceed 60 centimetres. So children on small bikes are exempt from the $2 fine, but it is not even enforced, according to Peter Miasek, vice-chair of the city’s Cycling & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (CPAC).

Miasek said sidewalk bike riding was proposed to the city as a cost-effective interim solution to the lack of connected bike lanes in Markham. “It’s a growing problem that pushes cyclists to turn to major arterial roads,” he said, citing Bayview Avenue, Leslie Street, McCowan Road, Warden Avenue and 16th Avenue as examples of areas with gaps in cycling facilities.

“I am a reasonably avid cyclist, but I still go on the sidewalks sometimes because it’s just too dangerous [not to],” he admitted.

CPAC’s recommendation is limited to areas with a speed limit of 50 km/h or over. However, Coun. Valerie Burke suggested that 40 km/h be considered in some cases, such as John Street in Thornhill, said Miasek.

“We are looking at putting in bike lanes on existing roads if they are wide enough, but that still leaves a lot of areas with no construction planned — or areas that aren’t wide enough, which is where the sidewalk alternative comes in.”

Coun. Don Hamilton, who moved the recommendation, added that the cycling demographic in Markham is changing. “All kinds of older people are biking now,” he said, creating a need for greater cycling infrastructure, such as multi-use pathways.

But Wing Morse, a traffic representative for Ward One South Thornhill Residents Inc., said it would be nicer to enhance the confidence of cyclists by building bike lanes on the right-hand side of streets as opposed to taking up pedestrian space.

“Motorists will then realize that they need to share the roads.”

Posies for Parkinson’s

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8:18 am

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In 2014, North York couple Marg and Don Turner, both over 75 years of age, decided to dress up as superheroes for their venture up Yonge Street in support of Parkinson Society Central & Northern Ontario’s SuperWalk — the walk’s theme: “Everyday Heroes, Extraordinary Hope.”

The SuperWalk is the largest national fundraising event for the disease in Canada. The duo raised $1,875 for the cause last year alone — an endeavour they have embarked on annually since Marg was first diagnosed in 1994.

This April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, where Torontonians sell potted tulips in order to help raise money and awareness for the disease — a campaign Marg and Don actively take part in.

According to Parkinson Society Canada, more than 100,000 Canadians are living with Parkinson’s disease — a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which affects voluntary, controlled movement. Tremors, slowed movements and stiffness or rigidity are often telltale signs of the affliction, for which there is no cure.

When Marg was first diagnosed more than 20 years ago, the neurologist who delivered the diagnosis gave her very little information regarding how to cope with the disease.

“He said, ‘You have Parkinson’s disease,’ and that was it, nothing more,” said Marg, who claims she didn’t even get so much as a pamphlet.

That is why Marg and her husband Don also help teach courses and run information sessions to educate those living with the disease.

“Parkinson’s is one of the lesser-known diseases out there, and anything we can do to raise awareness, we try,” said Marg.

Since Parkinson SuperWalk began in 1990 with just seven walkers, the event has raised more than $28 million for education, support, research and advocacy on behalf of Canadians with Parkinson’s.

Cold hands, warm heart

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3:40 pm

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Canadians have a knack for complaining about the weather, especially when the first day of “spring” has come and gone and we’re still facing sub-zero temperatures. But although many of us have heated houses to curl up in, more than 300 youths are homeless in the York Region according to an annual report by 360°kids, a charity that provides support to at-risk youth and families in the region.

Richmond Hill resident Jadyn Dragasevich wanted to experience first-hand what homelessness felt like. As such, the 16-year-old co-chaired the first-ever 360°Experience Young Leaders Edition, an event that invited students from 20 schools across York Region to spend a night on the streets under the charity’s supervision. Richmond Hill mayor Dave Barrow also took part in the event (see story on page 9). For Dragasevich, the event took raising awareness to a whole other level.

“People are no longer just sitting behind a computer screen in the comfort of their own homes and reading those stats off of their computer screen while there’s food warming up in the kitchen,” he said. “They’re experiencing — you know, on a very micro-level scale — what these kids are actually experiencing every day in their lives.”

Dragasevich’s involvement with the charity began last year when his civics class took part in the Youth Philanthropy Initiative, which provides secondary school students with the skills to assess the needs in their community. Choosing to raise awareness for 360°kids through a 15-minute documentary, he earned the charity $5,000 and has stayed involved ever since.

Dragasevich said, “360°kids is, in my mind, the best charity in York Region for the reason that it really focuses on the issues that I think lead to a better future for tomorrow,” the St. Andrew’s College student said. “If we really try to focus on the youths, we can accomplish so much more,” .

Brittany Wilson, resource development associate of 360°kids, hand-picked Dragasevich to co-chair the event. “He was such a go-getter,” said Wilson. “He went and booked the interviews with [mayor of Richmond Hill] Dave Barrow.… He’s totally into it and he’ll do great things for the community now and when he’s older.”

Students have rights too

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3:34 pm

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In a precedent-setting decision, an Ontario judge ruled in favour of two high school students who argued that their principal’s plan to implement compulsory breathalyzer testing at their senior prom was unconstitutional.

Before the event in May of last year, Ron Felsen, principal of Northern Secondary School, notified students that the school would impose mandatory breathalyzer tests on all attendees prior to entry at the Eglinton Grand venue in Toronto.

Offended by the decision, Brett Gorski and Simon Gillies, former president and vice-president of the student council respectively, began to conduct research on how it might infringe on their constitutional rights and contacted the Canadian Civil Liberties Association for guidance.

Representatives referred Gorski and Gillies to Toronto lawyer Jonathan Lisus, who offered his services to the two pro bono.

In early March, five months after the initial hearing in September, Justice Susan Himmel ruled that the testing would infringe on the student body’s right to be free from unreasonable search or seizure, as protected under Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Ian Matthews, co-counsel for Lisus, noted that it appears to be the first case where a judge has concretely determined that the charter does in fact apply to school authorities and off-site school-sponsored activities.

“It is an important confirmation from the court, and it will give a lot of guidance to school authorities and students about the applicability of the charter of rights to their actions,” said Matthews.

"The blanket nature of the test assumes the student has done something wrong and treats them as though they’re guilty before being proven innocent,” said Matthews.

In the absence of a ruling in May, the school chose not to enforce mass testing at the 2014 prom. Gorski and Gillies attended their prom without the use of breathalyzers and graduated from Northern Secondary School in June.

“It’s been a tremendous learning experience,” said Gorski, now 18, studying management at McGill University. “It’s amazing how much students have to learn, including myself, about their rights.”

Matthews commended both students. “That is exactly the type of behaviour we want to foster and encourage in our young adults,” he said.

Principal Felsen also applauded the two and added that the process was certainly a great civics lesson.

Sheppard Centre project causes safety concerns

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Andrew Mannsbach

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3:24 pm

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The Sheppard Centre, a 39-storey mixed-use building at the corner of Yonge and Sheppard, first proposed in July 2013, is still causing a stir throughout the neighbourhood.

Although local councillor John Filion had previously expressed hesitation regarding the height and density of the proposal, the focus has now shifted to how it will affect the public realm and the safety of students at the nearby Cardinal Carter Academy of the Arts. Filion has opposed the building’s height, which staff initially found to be inappropriate, since 2013. Now, he said, City of Toronto, City Planning staff have changed their tune.

“Now that planning staff has recommended [the application], the game has changed considerably,” said Filion.

However, he tabled a motion at a late February meeting of the North York Community Council (NYCC) to defer a vote on the final report for the development until the April or May meeting. He said it will now buy some time for the applicant to address issues of public space.

“We want to at least try to negotiate significant community benefits,” he said.

The concerns regarding the nearby high school are some of the most pressing.

“[I don’t want to be] in a position to have to call a parent [to say] that their child is injured,” said principal Anne Bellissimo, who was in attendance at the meeting.

“We want to at least try to negotiate significant community benefits.”

Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts is situated across Greenfield Avenue from the development site, and due to its split campus, students are required to cross the road between class periods. Bellissimo was concerned that the increased traffic volume would create a hazard for students.

Steven O’Melia, representing Toronto Catholic District School Board, added some context to those concerns. “Approximately 350 to 400 students cross Greenfield Avenue and Doris Avenue between the Catholic Education Centre and the main campus of the school every 75 minutes on weekdays,” he said. “There have been a number of safety incidents at this intersection, including at least one serious injury within the last three years.”

Despite previous meetings with representatives for the applicants, O’Melia said no action plans have been put in place. “Potential mitigating measures have been identified, but the concerns have not yet been addressed.”

Among other measures, the board would like to see a crosswalk and wider sidewalks installed. Filion, stated he’s currently working to bring all issues to the forefront and flesh them out and said, “I am in conversation with the applicants in hopes to get everything resolved that’s resolvable.”

Yonge and Bloor will never be the same

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2:09 pm

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Developer Sam Mizrahi unveiled his vision for the former Stollerys site on the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street on March 11 at the Park Hyatt Hotel. If the 80-storey, mixed-use tower receives the necessary approvals by the City of Toronto, City Planning department and Toronto City Council, it will be the second tallest structure in Canada, at 318 metres tall — just 225 metres short of the CN Tower.

Pritzker Prize–winning architect Norman Foster, responsible for the Gherkin Building in London and the Hearst Tower in New York — and who is currently designing Apple’s new headquarters in California — has been tasked with the design of the new building, alongside Toronto firm Core Architects.

The first eight levels will be reserved for retail and restaurant space, which Mizrahi said will attract international brands and landmark retail.

The building will be wrapped in a steel exoskeleton, what Mizrahi calls “jewellery” — public art with a structural functionality that allows it to be free of any obstructing interior columns. The upper tower will have about 9,000 square feet of condo space on each floor, allowing for 560 custom designed residential units.

“In the grand scheme of Yonge Street develop-ment, he’s got one of the smaller sites.”

The new project, called “the One,” sits on a smaller piece of land than either of its neighbouring developments at 1 Bloor St. E. and 50 Bloor St. W., which will be 75 storeys and 71 storeys in height, respectively.

“There will be obvious concerns about the aggressive height of the building” said Ward 27 councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who cited residents’ concerns as a challenge that can arise “when a developer’s ambitions outweighs the size of their site.”

“In the grand scheme of Yonge Street development, he’s got one of the smaller sites,” said Wong-Tam. “Forty-five to 50 storeys has been largely accepted on Yonge Street … but it is important to note that Bloor Street is animated differently.”

But Mizrahi strongly disagrees. “If there’s ever a place in Canada that can support this type of height, it’s this corner,” said Mizrahi, before calling attention to the 75-storey and 71-storey towers going in nearby.

“There’s a tower cluster [happening] here. You have to look at it in context, and you have to look at the buildings that are coming in the next few years,” he said. “You get one shot to do it right. If you miss this opportunity, you miss it forever.”

A rezoning and site plan application was submitted to the City of Toronto, City Planing department Mar. 16 and is currently under review.

Jeanne Beker: Sexy 70's fashion picks

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12:00 pm

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Suddenly, it’s all about the seventies, so we got Jeanne to suss out some of the decade’s hippest finds for spring 2015.

WINNER (A)
PINK TARTAN,
77 Yorkville Ave., $395
“I just love what Kim has done with Pink Tartan this season. This is a fantastic fabric; you just want to stroke it. Very sexy. A great conversation piece.”

Debonair air (B)
TNT,
Bayview village, $775
“I had many floppy hats reminiscent of this back in the day. This is especially nice because of the tassels and silver beading.”

Sailor’s salute (C)
THE CAT'S MEOW,
180 Avenue Rd., $395
“These are palazzo pants — we saw a lot of these from Gaultier at the start of his career. They have a beautiful crepey fabrication and are very flattering with the high waist.”

Standup suede (D)
MICHAEL KORS at CLEMENTINE'S,
1260 Yonge St., $695
“Suede is all the rage. You could certainly wear a turtleneck under it — that would look great.”

The real deal (E)
YVES SAINT LAURENT at THE CAT'S MEOW,
180 Avenue Rd., $249
“We think of the ’70s, and we think of one of the classic designers of the era: Saint Laurent. This has a bit of a Russian feel with this intricate floral pattern.”

Spring statement (F)
GUCCI at HOLT RENFREW,
Yorkdale Shopping Centre, $625
“I love these platforms! They’re really fun with the rope detailing and the embroidery.”

Geometry class (G)
MARNI at HOLT RENFREW,
50 Bloor St. W., $1,415
“This certainly has that ode to the geometry and to the great graphic feel of the era.”

Bombshell bells (H)
SECOND YOGA at JEAN MACHINE,
Fairview Mall, $120
“Now, all of a sudden, bell-bottoms — they’re back! This pair has a great stretch to them. Wow!”

Retro romance (I)
LA MENDOLA at DIVINE DECADENCE ORIGINALS,
128 Cumberland St., $1,700
“It’s Italian, pure silk. It’s really pretty fabulous with this very generous gathered skirt and romantic sleeves.”

Boho babe (J)
TNT,
Bayview Village, $1,495
“Fringes have come and gone and come again. This has a real feeling of authenticity. It’s the kind of coat you could throw over anything.”

Classic clogs (K)
GRAVITYPOPE,
1010 Queen St. W., $125
“Oh, how many trays of spaghetti did I used to sling in clogs?! These are great ’cause they have studs. They’re very basic, but they’re cool.”

Flirty fringe (L)
STUART WEITZMAN at HOLT RENFREW,
50 Bloor St. W., $498
“These are as sexy as all get out. It’s a nice soft suede in a beautiful light beige. The fringe really gives them that ’70s vibe.”

Taste Test: Susur Lee helps us pick Toronto’s top ramen

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Andrew Mannsbach

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10:59 am

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Toronto is a veritable mecca of Japanese cuisine and over the years the number of ramen shops has rapidly grown. With ramen comes ramen aficionados, so we invited star chef Susur Lee to taste T.O.’s top bowls.

CHEF SUSUR LEE
When chef Lee goes out for ramen, he looks at how the ingredients are placed in the bowl, as well as the broth and quality of the noodles. Not to mention it must be served piping hot.

Winner (pictured above)
AJISEN RAMEN, 5229 Yonge St., $9.50
“I really love the pork, I have to say. They did a really good job with the pork,” says Lee of this tender pork ramen. “And also they made the effort to poach the egg marinated into the soy broth, so it has a nice little taste every time you bite the egg white.”

Runner-up
TOUHENBOKU RAMEN, 2459 Yonge St., $10.50
“I like that the broth tastes like chicken. It’s a very clean taste,” says Lee. The dish is the original Touhenboku ramen with pork shoulder. “This is a really great broth,” says Lee as he declares this bowl to have the best broth and the best noodles, noting that “the thickness of the noodles is a bit different.”

Tonkotsu black ramen
SANSOTEI RAMEN, 650 Yonge St., $9.85
“The egg is cooked perfectly,” says Lee as he takes his first few bites while also noting that the pork has been burnt with a torch. “I do like the broth, and I have to say the char of the pork is nice because it’s kind of burnt a little bit,” says Lee, which adds a nice flavour.

Oyster miso ramen
INATEI JAPANESE CUISINE, 9021 leslie st., $11.99
“I like the sweetness from the oysters; the umami taste from the oyster is very natural,” says Lee. The chef also adds that the taste of the corn is too powerful and takes away from the oysters.

Miso ramen
KENZO RAMEN, 4860 Yonge St., $7.95
The chef takes a taste of this miso ramen bowl with a special miso tare broth, roasted pork and marinated bamboo shoots. “The braised meat is nice, maybe a bit too salty,” says Lee, adding that he wishes there were more ingredients in the bowl. “There’s only five things on this plate that you can physically see.”

Pork spicy ramen
KINTON RAMEN, 5165 Yonge St., $10.90
“This is raw garlic on top,” says Lee as he gets his first look at the dish. “They are trying to do garlic kimchi noodles with braised pork, and the broth is supposed to have more garlic. You have to put fresh garlic in,” says the chef. He also notes that the pork is too big and that the broth has too much of a kimchi and cabbage taste.

Chicken dark miso ramen
RAMEN RAIJIN, 3 Gerrard St. E., $11.95
“In this one they definitely used dashi,” notes Lee. Dashi is a cooking stock commonly used in Japanese cuisines. In regard to the dark colour of the broth, Lee says, “This is almost like a Korean-style black bean that they used.”

Momofuku could not participate as they were temporarily closed on the day of tasting.

The New Mid-Life: T.O.’s best way to defrost

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Andrew Mannsbach

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9:30 am

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I don’t want to leave my bed, let alone my house. It is one of the coldest days in Toronto. Still, I get in my car (-21.5°C) shivering and wearing three layers of clothing to go to the Hammam Spa.

I have not felt warm in days. Even wearing two pairs of socks can’t keep my toes from tingling from the cold. I’m wearing a hat … in my house.

So I am excited to experience a traditional bathing ritual, originating in Turkey and the Middle East. The service I’m getting is called the Hammam Turkish bath treatment. It starts with a few minutes in the steam room, followed by an authentic bath performed in one of their Turkish suites, where I lie down on a white marble table, heated to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (Woot!) surrounded by candles.

Will this treatment keep me from shivering 24/7 at least for an hour? When I fill out a form for “any medical conditions,” I write down, “coldness.” There has been a spike in recent weeks of people going to the Hammam Spa, and I’m not the only one, surprisingly, that has written down “cold” as their “condition.”

First, I step into the steam room, and I feel so warm and comfortable, I don’t want to leave. The warmth envelops me like a great big hug … in Mexico.

Although this treatment’s purpose is to cleanse, relax and purify the body and skin using hot and cool water techniques, with exfoliation. (Thank god. No matter how many times a day I moisturize, I feel like a reptile. Why do I live in Canada, again?)

Michelle, my therapist, tells me that, as you age, it’s very important to exfoliate, as our skin becomes dull, and products won’t work as well on your skin.

The Hammam bath treatment is supposed to clear my mind (of the cold!), my body (of the cold!) and spirit (I have no spirit. We’re in the midst of a cold snap!).

I have never before laid down on a marble table, for a massage or any other procedure. It is nothing short of an amazing experience.

I feel like I’m going through a car wash. There are so many bubbles I can’t help but laugh. Michelle throws hot water on me, over and over, to rinse me off.

After the treatment, I feel squeaky clean and warm, oh, so warm. So, yes, there is ONE reason to leave your homes and get out of your sweatpants and Sorrels. I feel rejuvenated, refreshed and actually happy after my human car wash experience. I wonder if they’d notice if I moved in.

Stintz on Midtown: Mr. Tory, we need a park

By

Andrew Mannsbach

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8:45 am

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When it comes to city issues, there are few that find unanimous agreement. I have found one: the southeast corner of Eglinton and Duplex to Yonge Street is in desperate need of a makeover.

Currently, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates a bus terminal on a portion of the land while another portion looks like a forlorn wasteland of concrete pilings. It has been an eyesore for so long that no one seems to notice anymore.

However, as the construction on the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit is completed and the other corners of Yonge and Eglinton are developed, the blot on the landscape will become increasingly pronounced.

For the next few years, the site will be used as construction storage for the Eglinton Crosstown. Once the Eglinton Crosstown is up and running, there will no longer be a need to operate buses at that location.

If the city wants to develop the area with some condos and office space, it needs to sort out the ownership of the site and consolidate all the pieces.

This might be challenging because the TTC sold a portion of the air rights to a developer. The developer hasn’t done anything but could prevent the site from being put to its best use. The other issue is to determine what that is.

Although everyone agrees something needs to be done, there are varying opinions on what should take the place of the eyesore: condos, commercial space or public space.

The City of Toronto’s planning department conducted an extensive visioning exercise with the community and developed a plan that included high-rise condominiums, wide sidewalks, a new park and a new street to take some of the pressure off Duplex Avenue.

The solution lies with a little bit of residential development, a little bit of commercial development and a park big enough to ease the feeling that we are being crowded out of our neighbourhood.

It is well-known that North Toronto has a shortage of parks and green space, and the area is growing so rapidly that a new park needs to be part of any redevelopment plan.

Eglinton Park is crowded, Toronto District School Board is selling off green space, and land in the area is too expensive for the city to buy in order to make a new park. Given that the city already owns the corner, it is a perfect location.

The city won’t make as much money developing a park, but city building involves more than just trying to make a buck.

I would also confidently say that, if there was a plan to create a beautiful green space, there would be another issue that would find unanimous agreement.

Karen Stintz is a former city councillor, elected in 2003, and was a chair of the TTC. She lives in Ward 16 with her husband and two kids.

Comic Stripped: Bruce McCulloch turns one-man gig into cool new TV show

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Andrew Mannsbach

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12:30 pm

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Of all the Kids in the Hall, I’ve always found Bruce McCulloch the hardest to pin down. So it’s ironic that his one-man shows are so candid about his life and personality.

The first, Two-Headed Roommate, contains one of my favourite lines ever: “No, I’m not tired, this is the way I look now.”

You could hardly call McCulloch a stage hog. His onscreen output has been minimal compared to some of his Kids colleagues.

Even he admits, “I’m really kind of a reluctant performer.”

McCulloch was the only Kid actively pursuing standup while taping the iconic series, which is how I got to know him. He did some great, innovative routines, including a jazz comedian who would snap his fingers and murmur, “Jokes … jokes,” while a tape of bass riffs would play.

I also helped buy him his first good suit. Seems he had an awards show to attend and needed to look the part. Knowing I had sartorial interests, he asked me to help him pick out an outfit. I took him to the nicest men’s shop on Bloor Street and chose a fine navy worsted. I’ll never forget the look on his boho face as he peeled off 11 one-hundred-dollar bills, each one exacting a further grimace.

He looked great in the suit, incidentally.

Beginning in the late ’90s, he directed a series of less than successful flicks and then seemed to disappear. But his one-man shows brought back his visibility, most prominently his latest, Young Drunk Punk, a saga of growing up alienated in Alberta.

The show has been turned into a TV series on Citytv and has Bruce playing his own father.

Calling Dr. Freud!

The title might be a bit misleading. The main character, a pre-college version of McCulloch, is less punk and more new wave — the cuter, less angry version of punk. There’s not a lot of danger here, but you will find a lot of skinny ties, shoulder pads and silly haircuts on these kids.

This unexpected sweetness does not ruin the show but enhances it. The ’80s milieu is funny in itself, an innocent decade ripe for lampooning.

The actor playing the young McCulloch, Tim Carlson, nails his role. The show is suffused with pop colours, and I can’t say enough good things about the period music. I loved when the Diodes’ chestnut “Tired (Of Waking Up Tired)” showed up on the soundtrack and upped the ante on the coolness of the show.

McCulloch is funny enough. He’s playing the straight man but has some good lines. There’s a funny extended sequence of young McCulloch and his best friend Shakey trying to get a job without a high school diploma — that dead-end world has rarely been captured better or funnier. The rest of the plot involves some shenanigans at a house party, but it’s all just an excuse for McCulloch and company to get some shots in at teen alienation, ’80s style — not a cellphone or computer in sight.

Sometimes the show feels like an edgier version of a Disney comedy. I spent some time hoping it would get darker and crazier like the Bruce McCulloch we all know.

A good start — definitely young, a bit drunk. Now let’s have some more punk, please.

Post City Magazines’ humour columnist, Mark Breslin, is the founder of Yuk Yuk’s comedy clubs and the author of several books, including Control Freaked.

Theatre: Molly and mid-life

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Andrew Mannsbach

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12:20 pm

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It’s one of those ridiculously cold days in February, and the first question to Molly Parker is one of timing and her decision to head back to Canada in the middle of winter to take the stage for the first time in 18 years.

“It’s crazy,” she says. “It’s truly shocking after living in California for 15 years. I mean, I’m from the West Coast, so this was never my weather.” But despite the frigid climes, Parker, was compelled to sign on for the new Canadian Stage production of Harper Regan by U.K. playwright Simon Stephens.

When Parker read the script, she couldn’t stop thinking about it for days and agreed to take on the role to find out why.

“That’s basically why I’m here.,” she says, as we chat at the Berkeley Street Theatre before rehearsals. “This woman seemed so unremarkable yet was such a mystery that it seemed like a worthwhile thing to spend a few months discovering.”

The play tells the story of middle-aged Harper Regan who reaches a breaking point and turns her back on her family and her responsibilities and goes on a journey, both literally to visit her dying father and figuratively as a way of finding herself in the process aided by a number of strange encounters along the way.

“This play is deceiving,” Parker explains. “It feels like this woman is on a journey and she discovers herself and all that, but the underpinnings of the story is this sort of Greek tragedy.”

This is all new to Parker. She acted in just one play in Vancouver 18 years ago, when she was first starting out. Instead she made a name for herself with impressive turns in a series of independent films, followed by features and TV work.

Currently, she portrays Jackie Sharp on House of Cards. A role she relishes with obvious glee.

“I love that job. It is so fun,” she says. “That woman is so wonderful to play because she is powerful, sexual, intelligent, strong and yet completely flawed.”

For Parker, Jackie Sharp and Harper Regan are two additional characters in a series of compelling and complex roles that make Parker such a fascinating actor.

Harper Regan runs at the Bluma Appel Theatre, March 1-22.