I first noticed the Epoch Times a couple months ago. There was a copy lying around at the Green Mango just south of Bloor. It was thin. There were no ads from major advertisers - just a few from outfits like the Toronto Dancewear Centre and Young Drivers of Canada.

I promptly forgot about it for a while until last week when I saw a bunch of shiny new yellow Epoch Times newspaper boxes lining the sidewalks in the Financial District. But a couple days later, when I went back for a copy, they were gone. Did they pull a 24 Hours and fail to get a proper permit?

I have yet to solve the mystery. If anyone knows, please comment below.

The Epoch Times is an independent newspaper based in New York that publishes a bunch of local editions in Canada, the US and Australia. The most recent issue included thought provoking articles about political prisoners in Nepal, raw food, media censorship in China and the fact that, come 2008, the US will require Canadians to carry passports.

The Times leaves a lot to be desired. But I've got to give them credit for mixing in the type of coverage that the slew of free dailies in this city should aspire to. But somehow rumors about Hayden Christensen being gay take priority.