In The News

The Globe & Mail writes on Tiffinday, a new Toronto business that a offers lunchtime-only meal delivery service. Entrepreneur Seema Pabari launched her business in June 2010, delivering home cooked Indian lunches to busy Toronto office workers, she now works with two chefs and serves over 100 customers daily.

"My typical customer, which blew me away, is the young, white male working in IT, law and finance," Ms. Pabari said. "They just want good, healthy food delivered to them."

"While it speaks to the growing diversity of Canadian tastes, Tiffinday is also an example of an opportunity for entrepreneurs � businesses inspired by foreign traditions, products or services that could flourish if adapted and launched here."

"Ms. Pabari's inspiration for Tiffinday was rooted in Mumbai, where the tiffin tradition is a mainstay of that city's busy office culture. The service is known for its affordability, reusable packaging, and the dabbawalahs who deliver the meals and retrieve the tiffin boxes afterward."

"The North American palate is more diverse today than ever, said Dr. Dahl, which helps companies like Ms. Pabari's. "[Tiffinday] is going to hit a number of sweet spots. It's not surprising that it's taken off; you can import the concept that works over in India and because there are similar conditions it works over here, too," he said."

read full story here
original source Globe & Mail

The Toronto Star features Ella's Botanicals, a Toronto-based business which manufacturers a line of handmade soaps and lotions. Launched by Torontonian Ella Nunes in 2006, Ella's Botanicals has built a loyal following for its commitment locally produced, eco-friendly and all-natural skin care products.

"The company's top seller is the Lavender Rose soap bar, which counts essential oils of lavender and geranium among its ingredients. Another standout is the Chai Latte soap bar, which includes cinnamon, vanilla and goat's milk.The products are luxurious and eco-friendly, and range in price from $5.50 for a bar of soap to $20 for a 500-ml bottle of lotion."

"Much like her soap bars, which can take a month to make, Nunes has built her business slowly but steadily. She launched Ella's Botanical's in 2006 with a single product: soap bars. To pay for the essential oils and other materials needed to produce samples, the trained herbalist and aromatherapist worked part-time as a cashier at Mountain Equipment Co-op."

read full story here
original source Toronto Star

The Cool Hunter recently featured Toronto's Integral House, the stunning Toronto residence of millionaire Math professor Dr. James Stewart. Designed by architectectural firm Shim Sutcliffe, Stewart's 18,000-square-foot home--located in Toronto's Rosedale neighbourhood--boasts  "a multitude of seductive curves, massive amounts of floor to ceiling glass, a spectacular staircase" and 150-seat concert hall.

"The house exudes a patina, a classic semi-Scandinavian simplicity that makes it seem older, more established and mature than a brash, brand-new house. There's a lovely sense of dynamism as well, as if the building were in motion, rolling along ever so slowly, or perhaps just coming to stillness after a long architectural journey."

"The fantastic staircase is really a commissioned work of art, a collaboration between the architects, glass artist Mimi Gellman, and structural engineer David Bowick. It is constructed of hand-blown blue glass rectangles that are supported by cast bronze clips and stainless steel cables."

"The house has already been on the Architectural Digest annual Toronto tour and it has become a part of the city's must-see architecture. In a Wall Street Journal article, Glenn D. Lowry, director of New York's Museum of Modern Art, was quoted as saying: "I think it's one of the most important private houses built in North America in a long time."

read full story here
original source The Cool Hunter
 

Urban Toronto looks back at the most notable new buildings of 2010. One Bloor, the Queen Richmond Centre West, and the Bisha Hotel & Residences are among the buildings that transformed Toronto's architectural landscape over the past year.

read full list and descriptions here
original source Urban Toronto

The National Post provides a list of Toronto's best winter entertainment. In addition to the always popular ice skating (for which city is well-equipped), Toronto institutions such as the Kort�right Centre and the Ontario Science Centre offer winter-themed programming to help Torontonians make the most of the season.

"Winter in Toronto doesn't have to be a miserable, freezing, slushy affair. Well, it doesn't have to be miserable. Look close enough and you'll find that the city offers a veritable winter wonderland of chilly activities."

read full story here
original source National Post

The Toronto Star features Kidscentral Supply, Toronto-based company that specializes in wholesaling children's products. Launched in 2001 by Toronto couple Boris and Tammy Zilberberg, the company now boasts a staff of 12, five sales representatives and annual sales of about $4 million.

"Boris says Kidcentral has prospered, to a great extent, because retailing of children's products in Canada is still a Mom and Pop business, with none of the dominant national chains or category killers that control other lines of merchandise."

"That means retailers rely on wholesalers like Kidcentral to identify, source and supply them with the latest and greatest kids' stuff. It helps that the Zilberbergs have a background as storekeepers and have the desire to find the next great product by attending trade shows around the world. What sets Kidcentral apart from its competitors is the attention to detail, the quality of merchandise and customer service, says Terry Leahy, owner of Safety Superstore, a three-store chain of children's products in the GTA. "They keep us informed of anything new, keep track of their clients' inventory and conduct in-store training of staff."

read full story here
original source Toronto Star

The National Post writes on 4D Cityscape Time Puzzles, a series of city maquettes designed by Toronto entrepreneur Shaun Sakdinan. Sakdinan's launched his puzzles series--scale replicas of cities around the world--early this year and are already being carried by more than 3,000 stores internationally. New York, the first city designed was unveiled last October, quickly followed by Chicago, Las Vegas, Washington and Toronto.

"Each puzzle starts on a base of traditional jigsaw pieces, complete with glow-in-the-dark streets; once that's complete, the next layer uses scale-model buildings to create a given city's current skyline. Sakdinan's twist is the addition of what a fourth dimension: time. Architectural landmarks such as islands, bridges, statues and buildings get installed in chronological sequence."

The first 4D Cityscape metropolis, New York, was unveiled last October. "It's the hardest city," Sakdinan said, "and we wanted a challenge!" In addition to the base pieces, the puzzle contains 126 interlocking landmarks that span two centuries. Next came Chicago, Las Vegas, Washington and Toronto, "because we're from Toronto and we had to have Toronto," he said. (Canadians seem to have a knack for puzzles. The original 3-D puzzles, Puzz-3D, were pioneered by Montreal's Paul Gallant and his puzzle company Wrebbit.)

"The idea is when you get the jigsaw puzzle complete, it teaches you the history of the city. After City Hall in 1812 in New York the next building might be 1940, the Chrysler building," he enthused. "You're recreating time. If you wanted to take a rest you could leave it at the skyline in 1970 and experience it how it was at that moment in time."

"The educational puzzles are now carried by more than 3,000 stores internationally � including FAO Schwartz, National Geographic, Toys "R" Us and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Harrods and Hamleys in London (in Canada, the 4-D CityScape Puzzles are $29.99 and available at Sears stores across the country and through Mastermind Toys). It was also named 2010 Gift of the Year by the Gift Association of the U.K."

read full story here
original source National Post

As reported by the Times of India, researchers from Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, have found that "mindfulness-based cognitive therapy" can be as effective as antidepressant medication for preventing relapse among patients suffering from depression. The findings of the innovative study (which followed 160 patients age 18 to 65 over eight months of treatment) were recently reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

"Zindel V. Segal, of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, and colleagues studied 160 patients age 18 to 65.After eight months of treatment, 84 achieved remission. Patients in remission were then randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: 28 continued taking their medication; 30 had their medication slowly replaced by placebo; and 26 tapered their medication and then received mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy."

"In this therapy, patients learn to monitor and observe their thinking patterns when they feel sad, changing automatic reactions associated with depression into opportunities for useful reflection."

"During the 18-month follow-up period, relapse occurred among 38 per cent of those in the cognitive behavioral therapy group, 46 per cent of those in the maintenance medication group and 60 per cent of those in the placebo group, making both medication and behavioral therapy effective at preventing relapse."

"For those unwilling or unable to tolerate maintenance antidepressant treatment, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy offers equal protection from relapse during an 18-month period," wrote the authors."

read full story here
original source Times of India

The Globe & Mail looks into the innovative research of Julie McCarthy, a professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. McCarthy has spent years studying the negative effects of putting employees and potential employees under intense pressure, suggesting that companies looking for the best candidates should seek to minimize anxiety levels at the workplace.

"Some people might argue that we want to hire someone who can handle anxiety and if you can't handle it in a job interview, how can you handle it on the job," she says. And in some cases, that may be true. But, for the most part, the intense pressure that candidates face in job interviews isn't characteristic of the day-to-day performance that's required of them, argues Dr. McCarthy. "Just because someone is anxious in a job interview doesn't mean they aren't going to be a phenomenal employee," she says. "They might actually be superb."

"The research has important implications for companies that want to ensure they use fair and objective hiring and advancement practices and select the best qualified people. "You want to get as accurate a picture as possible of the individual," she says."

"Dr. McCarthy has been studying workplace anxiety since she was a PhD student, when she developed work selection tests for various companies. Friends and colleagues used to turn to her for advice on how to curb their nervousness during job interviews. Her research work now focuses on analyzing the impact of employee anxiety on test and interview performance. She collaborates with numerous employers to gauge the impact of anxiety on an employee's performance in job interviews, annual reviews and promotional exams, and to identify strategies to reduce the negative effects of anxiety. She has worked with police services, retailers, the armed forces, government agencies, and other organizations in Canada and the U.S."

read full story here
original source Globe & Mail

The Toronto Star writes on new local community hub Crescent Town. Located at 3079 Danforth Ave, just east of Victoria Park, Crescent Town has become a gathering place for the community, in particular for newcomers to Toronto, offering a much-needed mix of health, social, youth and community services.

"The services are desperately needed. There has been a dearth of health and social programs for residents � many of them poor and newcomers. For executive director Axelle Janczur, AccessPoint is the realization of a dream. "Community hubs are about bringing a variety of services under one roof to create synergy . . . and provide better access for grassroots community groups and residents � all those who need them," she said."

"The evolution of the hubs began in 2006 when the provincial health ministry announced the need for health services in Toronto's priority neighbourhoods, where services were lacking or non-existent. In 2007, United Way Toronto joined the province to establish community hubs in poor neighbourhoods. Money to open eight hubs became available a year later. The first opened in 2009 in Scarborough."

"The centre is another step toward making Toronto's neighbourhoods stronger, said United Way president and CEO Susan McIsaac."

"We're so delighted to see a project like this one open its doors to the community, bringing renewed energy and spirit to the neighbourhood and providing opportunities for a better life for everyone," she said."

read full story here
original source Toronto Star

The Washington Post discusses Toronto's position as home to "one of the most vibrant South Asian immigrant communities in the world". The article lauds Toronto's abundance of Indian cultural programming--from the Royal Indian Treasures exhibit at the ROM to the sellout run of the "The Merchants of Bollywood", to Indian Film Academy Awards which will film here in June--and the always interesting east-end Gerrard Street Strip, "the largest marketing place of South Asian goods and services in North America".

"It may seem as though Toronto is having an Indian moment. But in fact, this head-spinningly multicultural metropolis has long boasted one of the most vibrant South Asian immigrant communities in the world. Twelve percent of greater Toronto's population is South Asian, a figure expected to double within 20 years, and Punjabi is the fourth most-spoken language in Canada (after English, French and Chinese)."

"And even though the centrifugal pull of the suburbs has thinned the Indian presence in downtown enclaves such as east-end Gerrard Street, an exploration of Toronto's South Asian offerings can spice up a Hogtown weekend even for a longtime visitor like me."

read full story here
original source Washington Post

The National Post showcases Toronto fashion entrepreneur Laura-Jean Bernhard's favourite looks of the season. Bernhard is best known as the founder of Fresh Collective, a curated Toronto boutique that promotes local designers and one-of-kind product.

"Bernhardson started making clothing and jewellery in high school and selling them to her friends, but that didn't seem like a career path from the viewpoint of Saskatoon in 1987. She studied photography at Concordia and moved to Toronto in 1992, where she became known as Laura-Jean the Knitting Queen. Now her Fresh Collective business, with two stores in Toronto and a third coming next spring, sells her own line and the works of more than 30 up-and-coming designers."

read full story here
original source National Post

As reported by the Scotland Herald, the Scottish Government has released the "Canada Plan", a comprehensive plan to bolster its economic links with Canada. As part of the project a "Team Scotland" headquarters will be established in Toronto with the goal of tapping into to Canada's "key sectors" and strengthen ties between the two countries.

"The new "Canada Plan" has taken almost two years to assemble and was preceded by six ministerial visits to that country since the SNP came to power in 2007."

"Scotland's External Affairs Minister, Fiona Hyslop, declined to comment on the timing of the plan, insisting that the strategy remains well-founded. "In a challenging economic climate it's as important as ever that we nurture relationships and forge links with Canada for mutual benefit," she told the Sunday Herald. "Scotland has strong historical links with Canada and Canada is very important to the Scottish economy and offers real opportunities in the key sectors of energy, life sciences, food and drink, tourism and the creative industries."

read full story here
original source Scotland Herald

New research released by a group of University of Toronto scientists suggests that a peptide inhibitor called ZIP could help alleviate certain kinds of chronic pain. As reported by HealthCanal.com the study could prove groundbreaking as chronic pain treatments to date remain insufficient or ineffective for many patients.

"The new research, led by Professor Min Zhuo of the University of Toronto's Department of Physiology and published in the current edition of the journal Science, explores the role that the protein kinase M zeta plays in storing "memories" of pain and therefore enhancing the sensation of pain. Blocking the effect of [the protein] through the use of a selective inhibitor called pseudosubstrate inhibitory peptide - or ZIP -- blocked behavioral sensitization and nerve injury related to chronic pain."

"Normal pain or physiological pain is an important warning signal to avoid potentially dangerous situations or environments. It is brief, and short-lasting. Chronic pain is different, as it persists for weeks, month or years due to spontaneous firing or overexcited pain-related neurons."

"What makes chronic pain difficult to treat is that these painful signals trigger long-term plastic changes in different cortical areas and form permanent bad 'memory'. It explains why the treatment ofchronic pain in areas like the spinal cord is often insufficient or ineffective," said Zhuo, the Canada Research Chair in Pain and Cognition."

read full story here
original source HealthCanal.com

Business Traveller writes on the upcoming opening of the Ritz-Carlton Toronto. Scheduled to open this February, the 53-floor 267-room property caters to locals and tourists, offering hotel suites and private residences.

"Luxury hotel group Ritz-Carlton is to open a 267-room property in Toronto in February."

"Housed in a new 53-floor tower on Wellington Street, between the city's financial and entertainment districts, the hotel will take up the first 20 floors while the remaining levels will be given over to Ritz-Carlton residences."

"Rooms will start from 42 sqm and will be contemporary in d�cor, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing either city or lake views. They will come equipped with 42-inch flatscreen TVs, Bose stereos with an iPod dock, DVD players, and marble bathrooms with a separate tub and rainshower and a TV built into the mirror."

read full story here
original source Business Traveller