blogTO | Posts by Derek

Saturday Brew: Toronto's Human Egg Market, York University BRT Opens, Cameron House for Sale, Leaf Request, ROM Crystal Among Ugliest Buildings

Derek — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:44:05 PST

Photo: "Fuzzy Memory" by PJMixer, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

This week's entry in what appears to be an ongoing investigative journalism feature in the Saturday Star examines Toronto's black market in human eggs. Unlike the States, Canada has banned the sale of such eggs, leaving would-be parents with fertility problems to rely on the limited supply provided by altruistic donors. Or Craigslist. There is, of course, a host of problems associated with the unregulated sale of of such a sensitive "product" (which can cost up to $10 000), but those desperate to conceive have few other options within the current system.

Yesterday saw the opening of the York University BRT, which uses the hydro corridor north of Finch to shuttle passengers between Dufferin and Keele streets away from traffic. Although it's estimated that the BRT, which also uses dedicated lanes on campus and a special exit ramp from Downsview station, will shave up to 14 minutes off the previous trip time, I'm pretty sure this'll only be true during the height of rush hour. Having had a chance to ride it yesterday, I have to say that at 3 p.m. it wasn't more than a couple of minutes faster than normal. Maybe it was my bus driver, who was plodding along at a painful pace.

The Cameron House, a staple of the Queen West arts scene, is up for sale. Owners Cindy Matthews, Paul Sannella and Anne-Marie Ferraro hope they can find a buyer sympathetic to the role the Cameron has played in helping local artists and musicians gain both a sense of community and exposure. As their listing reads, "the hippest neighbourhood in the city awaits your style and imagination." That sounds a lot like a condo ad, and I have my suspicions that that's exactly what might eventually replace the arts hub.

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Metro Cover Featuring Cartoon Editorial on TTC Fare Hike Sparks Controversy

Derek — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:53:03 PST

An editorial cartoon by Michael De Adder on the cover of the November 18th issue of the Metro has got the head of the Toronto transit workers union all hot and bothered. According to Bob Kinnear, the cartoon, which depicts a streetcar operator picking the pocket of a pedestrian bystander, places the blame for the recently announced fare increase on front line TTC workers rather than the commission's management or insufficient government funding.

Kinnear is thus worried that it threatens the safety of his local 113 members, who already suffer increased instances of physical abuse in the wake of fare hike announcements. "It will provoke active animosity in some unbalanced passengers and lead to more assaults. We've been down this road too many times before to let this pass," he reasons.

But is it really that bad? And does it actually lay the blame for the fare increase on the TTC's streetcar operators and other highly visible staff?

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Circuit Brings the Online Gallery to Toronto (and Beyond)

Derek — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:57:38 PST

Circuit Gallery is a web-based project co-founded by Claire Sykes and Susana Reisman. Modelled after Jen Bekman's highly successful 20x200 concept, it takes advantage of the internet's wide reach and the affordability of digital reproduction to offer editions of contemporary art at wonderfully low prices.

Here's how it works: the art sold through the gallery comes in standard sizes -- like 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 -- and in limited but large editions (usually around 500). These two factors are then taken into consideration in determining the price of each piece. The smaller the size and the larger the edition, the less expensive the work is -- and, of course, vice versa.

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Who the Hell is Gord Smith? The Most Important Canadian Artist You've Never Heard Of

Derek — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:01:34 PST

Gord Smith was at the top of the Canadian art world in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. A Montreal-born sculptor who originally learned to weld with a torch his older brother used to rebuild old cars, Smith's rise to prominence was a rapid one. By the time he reached his early thirties, he had already built up an impressive list of public and private commissions, collaborated with architects like Arthur Erickson, and exhibited with such international heavyweights as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth.

Of the many sculptures Smith produced during this period, the most significant was surely the Canada Screen, which was commissioned by the Canadian government for its pavilion at Expo '67. A $65 000 project at the time, the finished product was a massive 110'x12' Cor-Ten steel sculpture that weighed approximately 13 tons.

By the late 1970s, however, Smith's life and work was in ruins. The Canada Screen lay in pieces in a gravel pit outside of Montreal -- removed from the Expo grounds by the same government that commissioned it -- and its creator was in the process of drinking himself to death.

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The Leonids Meteor Shower 2009: Are You Ready?

Derek — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:30:23 PST

The 2009 edition of the Leonids meteor shower is set to grace the overnight sky, and if predications are accurate, those willing to escape the light pollution of downtown Toronto should be in for a pretty good show.

Meteor activity will be visible between midnight and dawn on November 17th and in a diminished capacity early tomorrow evening. Of these times, the best bet for increased activity is around 4 a.m. EST. With ideal viewing conditions expected, between 20 and 30 meteors an hour may light up North American skies.

But where exactly should you look?

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Saturday Brew: Portraits of Smitherman, Metropass Discount for University Students, Next Phase of H1N1 Vaccine, the Decline of the East Danforth, and Pedestrian Danger

Derek — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:51:43 PST

Photo: "loss" by yourhandinmine, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

Both the Star and the Globe have prominent features on upcoming mayoral candidate George Smitherman. It's interesting to note the different approaches the writers take in alternately describing Smitherman as a "big bully" and a "tamer, gentler George." Despite these differences, they both paint the man as confident and hard working. It looks like it's going to be one hell of a battle between him and John Tory in next year's election.

University students might just get a break on their transportation costs. Of the proposals to be tabled at the TTC's next meeting, one that's getting some traction is the expansion of the student metropass to apply to university level students in addition to current high school users. Amen. I've thought they should do this for years. After all, it's really only by university that a large number of students are actually paying for their pass anyway.

The next phase of H1N1 vaccinations are set to go for Monday, as Toronto's top medical officer, Dr. Arlene King, reports that school-age children and Seniors are now on the priority list for the flu-shot. That's good news, but I wonder why it's only being made available at vaccination clinics and doctor's offices. Wouldn't it make sense to have nurses administer the vaccine at schools, thereby saving parents loads of time and hassle?

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Seeing the Slabs of Toronto in a New Light

Derek — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:05:01 PST

Despite an overall lack of density, Toronto is nevertheless a city of apartment buildings. Scattered throughout the city, these concrete slabs are a throwback to both the architecture and planning of the 1960s and 70s. Monumental, use-oriented, and almost invariably ugly, they don't tend to inspire aesthetic reflection.

But, strangely, I've always been fascinated by them. Perhaps it's the convergence of so many lives in one place, the grid-like patterns formed by the balconies, or the warm light that emanates from the many windows at dusk, but when looked at from a particular perspective, these structures often reveal a beauty that belies their Brutalist roots.

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Are Micro-Galleries Set to Be the New Trend?

Derek — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:55:28 PST

Located just east of College and Lansdowne, Industtrees operates on the time worn premise that quality should be privileged over quantity. The tiny, white-washed gallery space is also home to a retail shop, which offers an intriguing selection of unique and hard-to-find items.

Read my review of Industtrees in the gallery section.

From a French Bistro to a Canadian Pub to a Wine Bar and Grill, A Roundup of Recently Reviewed Restaurants

Derek — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:11:47 PST

Over the last few weeks, we've checked out a number of restaurants around the city. Claire stopped by Mogette, a charming French bistro located on Mount Pleasant north of Davisville. And Orman headed to Bloor West Village and the Shops at Don Mills to try out My Place -- A Canadian Pub and Glow Fresh Grill and Wine Bar, respectively.

Full reviews of Mogette Bistro, My Place - A Canadian Pub and Glow Fresh Grill and Wine Bar are posted in the restaurants section.

Saturday Brew: Pan Am Games Win, Rebranding Israel in Toronto, TTC Token Limits, Bloor Station Bottlenecks, and the Attack of a Copy Editor

Derek — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:41:13 PST

Photo: "AGO stairs" by septembergurl99, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

Former Canadian Olympian, Marnie McBean summed it up nicely: "Toronto finally won something." Beating out Lima and Bogota on the first ballot, the Pan Am games will come to the city in 2015. Although the bid organizers are ecstatic about the win, public reaction has been ambivalent. As desirable as new sporting facilities and infrastructure are, many are worried about the price tag of an event that's not as prestigious as it used to be.

A Globe article featuring Amir Gissin, Jerusalem's leading PR man and Israel's consul-general for Toronto, explores his project to "rebrand" Israel abroad by using Toronto as a testing ground for the international community at large. Citing the city's overall size, its large Jewish and Muslim communities, and the fact that it's home to some of Israel's harshest critics (the article mentions the United Church and the Canadian Union of Public Employees), Gissin views it as an excellent testing ground for a PR project that aims to change the discourse that surrounds the country.

The TTC announced yesterday that it'll be limiting the number of tokens purchased at one time to 10 or less. The move is intended to prevent hoarding in the face of a possible (likely!) fare increase in the new year. Was it ever fast, though. The decision on the fare increase won't even take place until Nov. 17th. I also wonder about the effectiveness of such a strategy. If one really wanted to hoard tokens, couldn't he/she just purchase 10 over and over again on separate days? I guess they bank on people not going to the trouble of doing so.

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Architectural Oddities and Loopy Landscaping Around Toronto

Derek — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:15:44 PST

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Toronto is home to some pretty strange houses and front lawns. And living around Dupont and Christie, I've had a chance to take a look at quite a number of them, clustered as they are in this area. I've often wondered, however, where else I could find such quirky architecture and/or laugh-inducing landscaping. Well, by combining the resource (read distraction) that is Google Street View with the recommendations of blogTO's followers on Twitter, my curiosity has been mostly satisfied. I've just taken a virtual tour of some of the weirdest properties in the city, and I thought I'd share the experience.

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Art Agenda: The Leona Drive Project, Toronto International Art Fair, Mark Henson at Meta, Last Chances at 47, Show & Tell and LE Gallery

Derek — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:49:55 PDT

October's been a busy month for the visual arts throughout the city, headlined by the Leona Drive Project and the Toronto International Art Fair. And along with these major (although sadly short-lived) events, there's been plenty of stimulating shows at galleries across the city, many of which are still running, if only for a few more days.

Here's a roundup of the exciting events I've checked out over the last few weeks and some recommendations for upcoming shows.

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In Photos: Fall Colours Brighten Up Toronto

Derek — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:45:10 PDT

With its many parks and trees, Toronto is a city that looks particularly beautiful in the fall. And as the end of October nears, much of this beauty has hit its peak. After a few windy days, what remains of the the bright and saturated foliage will likely hit the ground, leaving us with the prospect of cold grey days and (ugh!) snow. So, to commemorate another season, I thought I'd share some of the excellent photos in the blogTO Flickr pool that depict the various facets of fall.

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Saturday Brew: Toronto School Closures, Municipal Budget Cuts, Dalton Days, Parking Meter Upgrades, Vaughan Crane Crash

Derek — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:02:40 PDT

Photo: "King and Bay" by PJMixer, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

As the Toronto District School Board loses students to Peel Region, York and Durham, new Director of Education, Chris Spence, is proposing to close 35 schools in eight neighbourhoods across the city. According to Spence, the point of the closures isn't only to save money by shedding costly unused space in sometimes run-down schools, but also to keep students in large enough numbers to allow more program choice. But with the price of commuting expected to steadily increase and families potentially migrating back downtown, some trustees think the proposed closures are premature and ill advised.

Also proposing cuts is Toronto's municipal government, which plans on taking a 10 per cent bite out of its operating budget by cutting $343 million over the next two years. Unlike the province, the city can't legally run a deficit, so councillors are being called on to implement immediate spending controls, a possible 3-per-cent hike in user fees, and to avoid any "new initiatives."

Speaking of the province and its deficit (recently announced at $24.7 billion), The Star is reporting that one of the ways the McGuinty government might tackle the shortfall is by bringing back the "Rae Day," or as it would have to be referred to this time around, the "Dalton Day." Doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

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Saturday Brew: Geographic Personality Profiling, Reference Library Reno, Meteorite Found, Bid for World Pride 2014, Revisiting Last Week

Derek — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:51:28 PDT

Photo: "One warm autumn day" by bensonkua, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

According to a survey compiled by the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, citizens can be divided into "psychological subsets" that are linked to the neighbourhoods in which they live. Indeed, the study supports the commonly held notion that there exists some sort of east/west divide in Toronto. Residents living east of Greektown tend to be a worrisome lot, while those living along Queen West appear to be more relaxed. The study is based on a sample of 1347 people, which strikes me as a bit small -- but the results are intriguing all the same.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in town yesterday to announce federal support for a project to improve the Toronto Reference Library, but apparently he and his office didn't know exactly how much the federal government was kicking in. Oh well, at least the library's getting a reno. But do prime ministers normally announce three million dollar funding packages in person and to such acclaim?

The meteorite that I mentioned a few Saturdays ago has been found by a family living in Grimbsy, Ontario. They originally thought that the broken windshield on their truck was the work of vandals, but had reason to reconsider after the University of Western Ontario appealed to residents in their area. Sure enough, the fragments of rock they retrieved from the truck were 4.6 billion years old. If you missed some of the video footage, it can be found here.

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