Last week Downsview Park got a jump on the crazy holiday lights season by unveiling a trail of more than 400,000 light bulbs. They're apparently energy-efficient LED lights so I guess we shouldn't all freak out at the energy consumption happening north of the 401. And the Trail of Lights is sponsored by Tourism Toronto which means this is one of the key things bringing in all those tourists from Chicago.

But, no need to rush. They'll be sparkling until the end of December so there's plenty of time to wander the park and check them all out, plus Canada's largest walk-through, illuminated Holiday Tree.

Photo by Sam

Many people might not realize that Toronto once had a monorail. It wasn't where you'd expect it - at the airport, on the islands or zipping around the Metro Convention Centre. Instead, it was east of the city and part of the Toronto Zoo. It was called the Canadian Domain Ride and opened in 1976 to shuttle visitors to remote areas of the zoo where they could see animals that weren't confined to the typical entrapments.

While some tickets are still left for next weekend's Bills-Dolphins game at the Rogers Centre, entrance to the tailgate party before hand is open to anyone regardless whether they're ponying up for seats or not. The biggest - and official - tailgate is being put on by Budweiser (Facebook event here) and features everything from the Syracuse University marching band (I guess UofT's wasn't available) to 24x24 foot barbecues grilling up bison ribs, burgers and pulled pork sandwiches. Prices for food and drinks will range from $2-$8 - or way cheaper than what it will cost for the crappy food inside the dome.

Things have been a bit slow and wonky around here the past week. Truth is, we're undergoing an upgrade and a modest redesign of the site. Watch out for the new look sometime tomorrow. But until then, please excuse the lower than average number of posts as well as some annoying glitches that are affecting the site's comment functionality.

We promise (or at least hope) it will be worth it though. Stay tuned for a new look and some fun new stuff coming to the site very soon.

There's tea and then there's Crafternoon Tea. This Saturday, Leslieville's Nathalie-Roze & Co is getting its tea and craft on with a charity event that combines crafty fashion market with perfect-for-a-cold-day tea party. It's recession proof shopping with an indie twist. Nothing will be over $50 and there will be lots of eco-friendly stuff (many made by local designers) that is original, quirky and pretty much impossible to find anywhere else.

But it's not just about shopping. It's about creating. There will be DIY workshops all day including 1-inch button making, paper crafts, felting and an earring bonanza. And tea. Lots of tea.

Update: Comments are now working!

We're in the middle of making some changes to the site and are currently experiencing some technical glitches. Thanks to those of you who have contacted us to let us know. We've got our wrenches out and are actively working toward restoring this functionality.

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience, and please watch this space for updates.

Cheers,
The blogTO Team.

Test pattern borrowed from serial consign.