In The News

An overview of Toronto as Canada's largest city

Daily Commercial News Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Toronto's population has grown more than 100,000 in the past year "equivalent of a new city on its own," says an article that ran in Daily Commercial News exploring Canada's six largest cities, the home of one in every two Canadians.

"Toronto has the highest population, 5.9 million, followed by Montreal (4.0 million), Vancouver (2.5 million), Calgary and Ottawa-Gatineau (each 1.3 million) and Edmonton (1.2 million)," the article says.

The two-part series based their findings on population figures from Statistics Canada's census metropolitan areas (CMAS) which including downtown cores and "surrounding highly-integrated suburbs."

The findings reveal some interesting trends. "One in six Canadians lives in the Toronto CMA. Toronto is a 'behemoth' on the national scene," the article says. "Toronto has a strong financial sector, excellent academic institutions, vibrant broadcasting, communications and entertainment companies and ongoing manufacturing activity, with a solid base of auto assembly plants."

The article notes a few things that threaten Toronto on an international level, pointing out potential problems with the adoption of Michigan's "right to work" legislation which may threaten our province's auto industry, the article says. It also notes Mayor Rob Ford's media spectacles and the heavy construction activity in the city.

"The city is gearing up to host the 2015 PanAm Games, which will see the participation of more athletes than gather in one place during the Olympics."

One more interesting thing, according to the Statistics Toronto is a "largely business-oriented" population, compared to the West Coat's chill environmental and "artistic slant on life."

Read the full profiles here and here.

Original source: Daily Commercial News

Corus Quay named one of world's most impressive offices

HUH Magazine Wednesday, August 28, 2013

HUH magazine, a UK-based publication about art and design (among other things), has named Toronto's Corus Quay building one of the top 10 most creative office environments in the world.

Landing alongside impressive establishments such as MTV star Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory in Los Angeles, California as well as Red Bull's office in London, UK, Corus Quay is recognized for its vast space and unique building features.

"Corus Quay in Toronto, Canada - Coming in at a massive 500,000 sq ft, Corus Entertainment had plenty of space to be creative with. To boost the productivity of their 1,100 staff, the building features a five-storey atrium with a three-storey slide, a large lounge area, a vertical garden, and multiple TV studios," the magazine says. The unique interior is the work of Toronto-based Quadrangle Architects.

Corus Quay, the award winning headquarters of Corus Entertainment, is located along the waterfront at Sugar Beach and houses "11 independent Toronto-based operations, including 24 television services, three Toronto radio stations and over 1,100 employees," according to its website. It is also the "anchor project in the revitalization of East Bayfront, bringing life, energy and business opportunities to Toronto's waterfront neighbourhood."

Check out the full list here.

Original source: HUH Magazine

Thumbnail photo by Tyler. Chris Tyler from Toronto, Canada [CC-BY-SA-2.0] via Wikimedia Commons.

Is Toronto Earth's most Google Glass-friendly city?

Techvibes Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The launch of three new apps designed to enhance living in Toronto may position the city to be the most Google Glass-friendly metropolitan in the world, according to an article that appeared on Techvibes late last week.

The apps allows "Glass Explorers in Toronto" to get restaurant suggestions via Yelp's Glass Eats app, check TTC transit times via Stay Glassy TTC, and find bike rentals at nearby BIXI stations via BikeShare. These apps are part of a dream of Tom Emrich, "who has been wearing Glass for about two months now."

"When I first put Glass on, I was overwhelmed with the potential this device has in changing our everyday lives," explains Emrich in a press release that was summarized by Techvibes. "I had a dream to make Toronto as compatible with Glass as possible so that when this thing hits the market, people will really understand why wearable technology is the next step in our technological evolution."

Emrich created the Yelp and TTC Glass apps, "both first-of-their kind in the space. He worked with digital agency, SplitElement to develop the applications using the Mirror API provided by Google to create Glassware for the device," Techvibes writes.

Glass Eats was "originally conceptualized as part of the Canadian Google Glass Hackathon which took place last month." It uses Yelp's APU "to generate its results making this app useful not just for Toronto, but for any location in North America."

"Transit and restaurant recommendations are two must-have features for Glass which were missing before these apps," says Emrich in the article. "It's great to be able to bring these apps to the Explorer community to add to the rapidly growing directory of Glassware for Glass."

"Fellow Canadian Google Glass Explorer and independent game developer, Macy Kuang" created the BIXI app.

"Emrich and Kuang are two of only ten Canadian Google Glass Explorers in Canada," the article states.

Read the full story here.

Original Source: Techvibes

Thumbnail photo by Antonio Zugaldia [GFDL or CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Daniels Spectrum ArtScape's most successful capital fundraising campaign to date

Artscape Wednesday, August 28, 2013

A new report issued by ArtScape states that its $10-million capital fundraising campaign for Daniels Spectrum helped make 2012 the company's most successful fundraising year in its history.

Daniels Spectrum, located in the Regent Park neighbourhood, was a $38-million development, making it a "major catalyst for the $1+ billion revitalization of Regent Park," the report states. Located at 585 Dundas St. East, the 60,000 sq. ft building opened last year to support seven non-profit arts and social-mission organizations as well as to become a central events space in the neighbourhood.

The building helped Artscape, a non-profit that provides affordable studio and housing for artists and their families, increase revenue to more than $2-million, or 33 per cent in one year. The building is built to LEED silver standards.

Beyond Daniels Spectrum, the report highlights the success of its many creative placemaking initiatives. Yonge Street highlighted some of this recently in a profile on creative placemaking, which is the intentional use of the arts to transform a neighbourhood or city.

The report states that Artscape's 1,348 tenants held 1,720 events in Artscape buildings and around the city in 2012.

"We learned that our spaces help to build Artscape tenants’ profiles and allow them to build their practices. Our research into market rents revealed that our 2012 subsidy to our tenants equalled close to $2.5-million. And with more staff and volunteers than ever before, we are better equipped to deliver greater impacts and to create the conditions in which artists can thrive," the report states.

Read the full report here.

Original Source: Artscape

By Tyler. Chris Tyler from Toronto, Canada [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

New Sick Kids research tower designed for collaboration

Global News Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Hospital For Sick Children is set to officially open its new collaborative research centre on September 17 after 10 years of planning and construction.

A report that ran on Global News states the $400-million tower is "intended to be an incubarot or innovative ideas," according to the hospital's head of research, Dr. Janet Rossant.

The 21-story Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning will "bring together the venerable hospitals’ 2,000-plus scientists under one roof after decades of being scattered in five different locations," Global News reports.

Architects worked with the hospital to design a space that prevented researchers from working in silos, instead favouring an approach that inspires collaboration. The hospital features "neighbourhood gathering spots" that are accessible from several floors and encourage meeting and mingling.

"[The architects] have built these mini atria in which people can come out of the lab, come into this space, sit down, have a coffee, talk to friends, have a small meeting," Dr. Rossant told Global on a tour of the new facility. "This is not just the most beautiful part of the building, but it really exemplifies what we wanted to achieve in the building."

The building will feature "state-of-the-art research labs for seven broad disciplines – among them genetics/genome biology and neurosciences/mental health," Global reports.

"We do it, research in the hospital, because we want to implement change. We want to see change that impacts on health," Rossant says.

Read the full story here.

Original Source: Global News

Thumbnail photo by dhammza via photopin cc

First immigrants under Federal Skilled Trades Program welcomed

South Asia Mail Wednesday, August 21, 2013

On Friday, Canada welcomed the first permanent residents to stem from its new Federal Skilled Trades Program. The program is "designed do attract and retain skilled workers," Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander says in an article that ran on South Asia Mail.

Of the new residents is Eric Byrne, originally from Ireland. He received his Ontario trades certificate of qualification last May and "currently works as a plumber for University Plumbing and Heating. He first arrived in Canada through the International Experience Canada program, which provides opportunities for international youth between the ages of 18 and 35 to travel and work in Canada," the article says.

"Canada is a great country and the people here have been exceptionally warm and welcoming," says Byrne in the article. "I am very pleased that I qualified for the Federal Skilled Trades Program as it recognizes the value of my skill set and has allowed me to stay in Canada and integrate seamlessly into my new status as a permanent resident."

The welcoming ceremony was held on August 16. The program was launched in January 2013. So far, successful applicants have come from India, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany and various others.

Read the full story here.

Original source: South Asia Mail

Ryerson, UoT, York to tour India's higher education

Deccan Chronicle Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Representatives from nine Canadian universities including Ryerson University, York University, and the University of Toronto will spend this week touring India and speaking with students about Canada's role in higher education.

The tour is in part designed to teach Indian students about opportunities in Canada, and to encourage them to pursue higher education over here. Specifically, representatives are keen on attracting the attention of students with high academic standing.

"India is a key undergraduate student market for Canadian universities," says Robert Finlayson of Carleton University and tour director, in the article. "Indian students are sought for their academic strength and their rich contribution to student life on Canadian university campuses. Each year we are seeing more Indian students choosing Canada as their first choice for study - as evidenced by the success of this tour. Indian students are drawn to our universities' common attributes of international reputation for academic excellence, state of the art resources, and safe campuses in welcoming locations."

The University of British Columbia, Carleton, Concordia, Guelph, McGill, and Queens also participated.

Read the full story here.

Original source: Deccan Chronicle

How does the CNE compare to the PNE?

Straight Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Toronto opened the 135th edition of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) this past weekend, prompting one Vancouver reporter to compare the festivities to her hometown's annual Pacific National Exhibition.

Though there are differences, reporter Carolyn Ali says the CNE was "pretty cool" and gives accolades to a few features in particular.

Up first, the overhead Sky Ride, which she calls, "a kind of flat gondola that stretches across the fairgrounds, giving a bird's-eye view of the action. And hey, a view of the CN Tower doesn't hurt for us tourists..."

Up next, the Cat Show. "I've never seen cats as beautiful as these, and many of the owners were happy to show them off to the public as they waited their turn to be judged," Ali writes. "This totally beat the PNE's Superdogs."

Finally: the food. "The CNE has a whole building housing everything from Bacon Nation to waffle and doughnut sandwiches. A whole building, I say! " she says, recalling when the PNE used to have its own food building "many years ago."

Read the full story here.

Original source: Straight

Toronto most popular Labour Day destination

Hotel News Resource Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Toronto has climbed the rankings to be named the number one Labour Day destination, according to Hotwire.com's recent announcement. Hotwire gathered information about hotel bookings made between June 15 and August 6 to map out the top 10 Labour Day picks.

Toronto took the lead, beating out Ottawa and New York City.

"What’s also great about the weekend is the quality of the weather – for instance, in the top-booked destination of Toronto, up three spots from last year, September offers a perfect balance between summer heat and winter chill, offering visitors a cool, comfortable climate. Travelers can head to the CN Tower to take in the view of the city or head to the downtown area to watch the annual Labour Day parade," said an article that appeared in Hotel News Resource.

The full list is as follows:

1) Toronto

2) Ottawa

3) New York City

4) Vancouver

5) Montreal

6) Boston

7) Halifax

8) Chicago

9) Victoria

10) Calgary

Read the full story here.

Original source: Hotel News Resource

Australia encourages students to study abroad in Toronto

Zee News Wednesday, August 14, 2013

An Australian news organization has posted an article encourage university and college students to study abroad in Canada, naming Toronto as one of the most ideal locations.

"Canada has both large and small universities, some at the heart of the country’s biggest and most vibrant urban areas; others are located in small cities with easy access to open spaces and natural beauty. Three Canadian cities – Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary – are among the world's top five most livable cities, according to The Economist 2012 list," the article says.

Zee News interviews a number of education professionals in the story who make cases for their respective cities. Greg Coelho, the associate director, International Centre at George Brown College, speaks to coop opportunities and workplace experience, not to mention Toronto's diverse makeup.

“Toronto offers one of the most vibrant and diverse employment markets in Canada for students to add North American work experience to their resume," he says in the article.

The article continues to discuss on-campus work opportunities and job possibilities. "It is opportunities such as these that make it worth for an international student to invest in a Canadian degree or diploma."

Read the full story here.

Original Source: Zee News

ROM one of the 10 best places to see dinosaurs

USA Today Wednesday, August 14, 2013

USA Today released a list of the top 10 places to see dinosaurs in North America, and Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum made the cut.

The article states:

"Canada's fifth largest museum houses some six million objects, including an extensive collection of fossils and the largest mounted dinosaur in Canada. Plan to spend a full day at this family-friendly attraction in Toronto."

The ROM has been in the news a lot this summer, most notably for the collaborative discovery of a new small dinosaur species. The discovery of Acrotholus audeti was in partnership with the University of Toronto and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History when a team discovered the new species in Alberta.

The ROM also is also expanding its permanent dinosaur exhibit to include a previous new species discovery, the Albertadromeus syntarsus. This species was also discovered in Alberta and is described as a "a quick-footed plant-eater the size of a turkey."

Read the full list here.

Original Source: USA Today

Canada remains the world's most educated country

Wall St. 24/7 Wednesday, August 14, 2013

According to the Education at a Glance 2012 report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Canada maintains its leadership as the world's most educated country. In fact, the percentage of our population with a tertiary education has risen from 40 per cent in 2000 to 51 per cent in 2012. In 2010, when the report was last issued, Canada was the only country with more than half its population having tertiary (post graduate and graduate) education. It remains as such.

"Canada has managed to become a world leader in education without being a leader in education spending, which totaled just 6.1 per cent of GDP in 2009, or less than the 6.3 per cent average for the OECD," said a summary that appeared in Wall St. 24/7.

"A large amount of its spending went towards tertiary education, on which the country spent 2.5 per cent of GDP, trailing only the United States and South Korea. One of the few areas Canada did not perform well in was attracting international students, who made up just 6.6 per cent of all tertiary students — lower than the OECD’s 8 per cent average."

Canada is followed by Israel at 46 per cent, Japan at 45 per cent, and the United States at 42 per cent.

Read the full story here.

Original Source: Wall St. 24/7

Apple acquires Toronto-based location mapping startup

Yahoo Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Apple has acquired Locationary, a "privately held company based in Toronto that specializes in converting and integrating location-based data that can be used in maps," Yahoo reports.

Locationary has received a lot of press since its founder and chief executive, Grant Ritchie, offered Apple Inc. "some unsolicited advice on how to solve its mapping issues" almost one year ago.

Locationary created Saturn, a data management program that rapidly merges location-based data from multiple sources. The acquisition is said to be linked to Apple Inc.'s desire to improve its mapping application, which has faced increased competition due to Android devices, not to mention mapping issues since it launched on the iPhone 5.

The amount paid for the acquisition has not been released.

Read the full story here.

Original Source: Yahoo

South Riverdale unveils North America's first drug users memorial

Rabble Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) unveiled its new memorial this past Friday, a copper structure located at the west side of the building featuring drawings and engravings honouring those who died as a result--direct or otherwise--of drug use, and the staff who worked with them to try to help them through.

The monument is the first of its kind in North America and comes at a time when the continent is mourning the loss of Cory Monteith, a young Canadian actor famous for his role on Glee, who died two weeks ago as a result of mixing heroin and alcohol. It is designed to bring drug use "out of the shadows."

"I like to think of this monument as storing up enough beauty to keep us hopeful in times of calamity and times of despair," said Kate Kenny, a former memorial project coordinator at the SRCHC, in an article that appeared on Rabble. "An amazing symbol of strength and courage which will live on for a very long time in this community."

SRCHC staff and volunteers have been meeting to discuss the creation of the memorial since mid-2010. When the memorial was finally unveiled, it featured 79 names, with many more that have yet to be added.

The original article included some eye-opening stats. "Between 2006 and 2008, there were 2,330 drug-related deaths in Ontario. In 2010, somewhere between 90,000 and 250,000 worldwide."

The memorial was unveiled the day before International Drug User Memorial Day, a day that ensures "those who died of drug overdoses, hepatitis C, HIV, violence and poverty are remembered."

The SRCHC was also one of the recipients of American publication Gawker's recent Indiegogo campaign, which was designed to crowdfund enough money to purchase the infamous tape allegedly showing Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack. When Gawker was unable to track down the tape, the publication agreed to its original plan to give the money to Canadian charities working to help those with substance abuse issues.

South Riverdale, along with three other charities, will receive $46,195.65 U.S. as a result of the campaign.

Read the full story here.

Original Source: Rabble

Rooftop cat playground opens at Toronto Humane Society

Catster Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Toronto Humane Society has jumped on the rooftop bandwagon, opening a new garden playground for its feline residents.

The enclosed rooftop garden actually opened last month as a result of a partnership between cat food company Purina and environmental non-profit Evergreen. It is the first of a variety of planned playgrounds set to open across the country this summer and features an area for fresh air, complete with catnip and other cat-friendly herbs in various containers. It is designed just as much for the cats as it is the shelter's volunteers.

In an article that ran on cat blog Catster, the Humane Society's executive director Barbara Steinhoff said the garden patio's launch was so successful staff members have had to instigate a sign-up sheet to prevent the patio from becoming too crowded. Watching kittens explore the outdoors for the first time has been one of the highlights.

“To see them running and playing is such an incredible experience,” Steinhoff says in the article.

The rooftop features many small trees and produce plants, which volunteers are free to pick produce and herbs from to take home. Evergreen has been instrumental in designing the garden.

"There were very little signs of life there,” Evergreen project manager Joseph Leo says in the article. The patio was originally drenched in sun, making it far too hot. Planting small trees helped provide shade. They are not expected to grow too tall as they age. "We tried to come up with not only what would look nice but also what would be the most functional and sustainable for them."

Though the catnip was expected to be the big hit, it’s the strawberry patch that the cats love most of all.

This playground also got accolades in Jezebel, which championed the playground as "Yet another reason to move to Canada."

Read the full story (and look at the adorable kitten photos) here.

Original Source: Catster

Photo credit: Difusa via photopin.