The Four Seasons Hotel — or the shell of what once was — is set to sell off every last remnant of its existence. And make no mistake; "every last remnant" is no exaggeration. From its art, to its furniture, right down to the measuring spoons from the kitchen — every little bit will be up for public auction as of May 31.

Anime North was my first convention. I remember being seventeen years old, and going through the doors of a Holiday Inn that had been transformed into a mecca of Japanese pop culture. The initial feeling that washed over me was awe, as though I was standing before a Technicolor Grand Canyon. I soon returned to reality once a seven-foot tall, five-hundred-pound Sailor Jupiter passed me by.

AN (as it is more colloquially known) was my gateway drug--the place that helped me connect with Toronto's geek communities all those years ago. Even though I'm more detached from the Japanese pop culture world than I was in my teen years, I still consider Anime North to be a fun venue--if you know what to look for.

It's been a fixture on West Queen West since 2009. Serving as the exterior facade at 1042 Queen West, the mural of a boy biting into a fish has brought a welcome dose of colour to a slightly tired stretch of the street for the last three years or so. And now it's on the move.

The Grid reported back in March that both the building at which the mural is placed and its neighbour to the east were sold to a single investor who plans on combining the properties. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the mural doesn't factor into the redevelopment scheme. It was, after all, intended primarily to cover up the worn exterior of an old printshop that had sat vacant for years.

I remember enjoying Mike Macdonald's stand-up comedy TV special with my entire family when I was a kid--how many comedians can you do that with nowadays? Now that he needs our help, let's give back...

Say yes to everything. Don't bullshit yourself. Own who you are. Push past your past. These are some of the tidbits heard at the Top Ten Event, run by Stuart Knight Productions last week. Proceeds for this event went to the Stephen Lewis foundation. Speakers were prominent Canadians who took the path less taken, from Hana Gartner to Jully Black to David Miller. The former mayor of Toronto looks pretty spiffy when you have Rob Ford talking about the perils of recyclable bags.

Now that the majority of the CONTACT Festival's exhibits have opened, it's a great time to take stock of what's been shown so far. The fest's theme of "public" has led to some wonderfully diverse interpretations, as artists both local and international explore the significance of surveillance and occupied space. And with work displayed on city billboards, building facades, and TTC video screens, the theme has definitely been driven home. For a slightly more low-key CONTACT experience, the following three shows avoid the "public" and instead present a more intimate and reflective kind of photographic practice.