In The News

The National Post features Toronto artist Shary Boyl--her successful career, why she loves Toronto and why she doesn't think she needs to leave the country to be recognized internationally. Boyle's newest show, Flesh and Blood, opens this week at the Art Gallery of Ontario and features over 30 recent works ranging from painting to large-scale installation.

"[Boyle] moves effortlessly between mediums; her work has appeared in comic book anthology Kramers Egot, The Believer, and Francis Ford Coppola's literary journal, Zoetrope. She's collaborated with several musicians, including Peaches, Feist, Jens Lekman and Will Oldham. She's twice been a finalist for the Sobey Art Award (2007and 2009) and last year she won the $25,000 Gershon Iskowitz Prize."

"The exhibition is the brainchild of Louise Dery, Galerie de l'UQAM's director, who has long wished to mount an exhibition of Boyle's work; after she won the Iskowitz, Dery approached AGO about co-hosting."

"After a three-month stint at the AGO, Flesh and Blood will travel to the Galerie de l'UQAM and the Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery next year. And though Dery would like to see it tour internationally, it is not scheduled at the present time. Even though she's travelled, lived and performed around the world, her (growing) acclaim in Canada doesn't seem to transcend borders, something Boyle wonders openly about: "I do feel a little ghettoized in Canada. I have a hard time getting out of Canada, or even Toronto-specific."

"Boyle thinks her lack of an international breakthrough might be "because I'm so insistent on always branding my own path," refusing to take any of the art world's established routes for making connections, such as through moving to New York, Berlin, or London, or going to any graduate school."

"Boyle prefers to stay in Toronto, where she has a house in the Bloor and Dufferin area and a studio in the Junction. Whether or not living in Toronto and opening up a dialogue internationally are mutually exclusive remains to be seen."

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original source National Post

2thinknow, the Melbourne-based innovation research company, had released its 2010 rankings of world's top innovative cities. Toronto ranked 10th out of 100 cities, making it the highest-ranking Canadian city.

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original source Innovation Cities Program

In light of Toronto's upcoming 2010 International Film Festival (TIFF), Avon News writes on the many reasons why a visit to Toronto is worth the trip. Besides taking part in the thrill of TIFF ("the Cannes of North America"), the feature encourages tourists to visit the city's "magnificent" museums, to experience its diverse culinary scene and to take a walk through the PATH.

"There are so many reasons to visit Toronto, the capitol of Ontario, and largest city in Canada. Sitting on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario, it's the home of magnificent museums (The Royal Ontario Museum, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art), gorgeous gardens (Toronto Botanical Garden, Colborne Lodge), and spectacular sights (the CN Tower, the Toronto Zoo, the Toronto Islands).Shopping and dining choices are endless and easily accessible via subway, bus, and streetcar.There's a Little Italy, a Little Portugal, an India Bazaar, and five Chinatowns."
    
"It's a great place to vacation year-round, but every September, Toronto finds itself under Hollywood's spell as the annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), sets up shop Sept. 9-19.The festival will feature close to 300 new movies, making it a true playground for cinema lovers who aren't afraid to see movies that haven't yet been reviewed."

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original source Avon News

The Telegraph UK has included Toronto in its "World's Best Places to Live" series. The feature celebrates Toronto's ethnic diversity, vibrant neighbourhoods and sought after real-estate.

"Toronto-the biggest city in the world's second largest country - is the most ethnically diverse conurbation on earth, according to the United Nations. Multicultural and multinational, Toronto takes pride in its open-door policy and reputation for tolerance�Toronto nowadays is a progressive and welcoming city with a thriving economy, flourishing arts scene and renowned cuisine. Its education and healthcare provision are among the best in the world.The city has more than 240 neighbourhoods - including ethnic enclaves - with an architectural blend of modern and Victorian�"

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original source Telegraph UK

The Globe and Mail's Marcus Gee writes on how Toronto "has become cool" and why Torontonians are embracing city life like never-before.

"It's hard to say when it happened exactly, but in the past decade or so, a new breed of hip young people has populated the downtown."

"You see them all over the place, cruising the streets on two wheels: the woman in strappy sandals riding her vintage ladies bike with a high-fashion bag slung over her shoulder; the guy with rolled up jeans on his fixed-gear bike, U-lock tucked strategically in his back pocket."

"They have embraced gritty downtown life like no other Toronto generation before them, hopping from caf� to caf�, bar to bar, gallery to gallery; enlivening changing areas like Queen West; revelling in the variety and ceaseless change of urban life."

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original source Globe & Mail

The Toronto Star writes on restaurant green roofs, the growing trend in Toronto's culinary scene. Featuring four celebrated Toronto restaurants -- Beast, Parts and Labour, Vertical and Weezie's -- the article looks at the challenges and the joys of growing your own food. An excerpt on Beast's green roof:

"Beast, 96 Tecumseth St."

"Growers: Rachelle and Scott Vivian, spouses and co-chefs, formerly of Church Street's Wine Bar."

"What they grow: Tomatoes, chili peppers, strawberries, edible calendula and nasturtium flowers, herbs and "corn by accident," said Rachelle. Planted on a whim, the cornstalks quickly shot up, and now the plants are flowering. The duo don't think they'll actually get cobs � but then again, they might."

"Challenges: Raccoons. One ate an entire plant of chili peppers. "I don't feel sorry for him," said Scott, "but I kind of do. Those things were spicy." Cucumbers and coriander just wouldn't grow, despite their best efforts."

"Joys: "Not having to go into the walk-in and open up a bag of herbs," said Scott. "That's definitely the most satisfying part."

"What they grow: Hard-to-find heirloom varieties of tomatoes, eggplant, hot peppers, peas, beans, and Swiss chard. Shehata is particularly proud of the more than 40 varieties of heirloom lettuce."

"How he grows it: McAuley trawls construction sites for leftover wood hoarding, which he builds into bins. The upcycled greenhouse is entirely made from found and salvaged windows and doors."

"Challenges: "This year we went full tilt and failed," said Shehata. "Which is fine." Blasting heat wilted many of the plants, a problem exacerbated by a spongy soil mixture that didn't allow fledgling plants to properly root."

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original source Toronto Star

BlogTO features Passage Tattoo Parlour, the Church Street tattoo shop with a loyal following and a reputation for perfection.

"If you're not looking for it, you will miss it. Nestled in the thick of the Village, firmly planted on Church St., its only storefront is an insignia-plastered door that leads to a narrow hallway. Passing some awards on the wall, you ascend a staircase into the open wilds of Passage Tattoo. One of Toronto's highly-touted tattoo shops."

"�The vast majority of Passage's customer's aren't "first-timers" or walk-ins off the street. (Typically when a first-timer does enter through Passage's hard-to-find front door, it's because they're accompanied with a heavily tattooed friend.) Decator and co.--there are currently four tattoo artists total and an apprentice--are then able to concentrate their efforts on bigger, more complex pieces."

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original source BlogTO

As reported by the National Post the TTC has recently increased service on over 30 individual bus, streetcar and subway routes. The service increases affects some of the city's busiest routes and will make traveling through the Toronto quicker and more reliable.

"The Commission says the service expansions were made to "reduce crowding and enhance reliability."

"The changes, made just in time for the school year, will affect some of the TTC's busiest routes, including the 509 Harbourfront streetcar line, and the Bloor-Danforth subway line, which will see more trains running during weekday morning and afternoon peak periods."

"As ridership growth continues, the TTC will add service to meet demand consistent with the 2003 Ridership Growth Strategy. For example, in 2008, service was added ensuring every bus and streetcar route's hours of service matched subway hours of service, with maximum 30 minute wait times," says a release issued by the Commission."

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original source National Post

The Toronto Star reports on the Ontario College of Art & Design's (OCAD) masters program "of design in strategic foresight and innovation". OCAD is the first school in Canada to offer a "futurist" program--a program that challenges students to research current trends in order to make forecasts for the future.

"A futurist is a professional who fastidiously researches current trends and patterns to identify the driving forces of change. From there, they paint possible scenarios of what the near future holds. They're hired by Fortune 500 companies and governments to act as advisers and consultants, and forecast where technology, security, health care, politics and sustainability are headed."

"Last year, the Ontario College of Art & Design became the first in Canada to offer a master's of design in strategic foresight and innovation � a two-year, part-time course aimed at mid-career professionals. The program challenges students to solve complex problems � be they political, entrepreneurial, environmental or sociological � by examining the present, forecasting outcomes and devising with solutions that stretch the imagination and explore ideas outside the linear-shaped box."

"The first phase is horizon scanning," explains Greg Van Alstyne, director of the Strategic Innovation Lab, part of the futurist program. "We're looking for quiet signals of change over the horizon. Foresight is not about predicting the future, but about exploring scenario outcomes . . . The goal is to get beyond personal blind spots and biases."

"Students come from multidisciplinary backgrounds and include health-care industry workers, entrepreneurs and science fiction writers such as Karl Schroeder, who was already working as a consultant for the Canadian government writing future "wild card" scenarios on matters of security and technology."

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original source Toronto Star

The National Post features the MaRS Discovery District, Toronto's "premier innovation hub". Located at 101 College Street across from the provincial legislature MaRS -- Medical and Related Sciences -- serves as an innovation incubator for Ontario science, technology and social entrepreneurs.

"MaRS reports having received $95-million in capital investment from the province, and now receives payment ($8.72-million in 2008) to adminster three innovation programs: the Business Mentorship and Entrepreneurship Program, the Investment Accelerator Fund and the Premier's Summit Award for Medical Research. It remains at arm's length from the province, meanwhile, as a registered charity."

"As well as serving as landlord to companies desiring office and laboratory space in the heart of Toronto's research and development zone, MaRS's services include face-to-face mentoring at no cost to Ontario companies, free "Entrepreneurship 101" seminars on Wednesday nights, and matchmaking events between startups and investors."

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original source National Post

The Energy Report interviews Vikas Ranja, co-founder and Managing Director of Toronto-based research firm, Ubika Research. In the interview Ranja discusses the importance and promise of the cleantech market segment that has a "whole range of technology that will enable humankind to basically conduct life in ways that are more eco-friendly and sustainable." An excerpt from the interview:

"TER: Are you noticing any trends in the [cleantech] market segment?"

"VR: Yes, absolutely. A couple of years ago when you talked about cleantech, the discussion mostly centered on alternative energy with a focus on wind, solar and, to a certain extent, geothermal companies. But in the last three years or so, there's been an acknowledgment that cleantech is much more than renewable power generation. This move toward a broader classification is a really big change."

"Another big change would be the growth of a whole set of companies that focus on very basic problems, for example, methods of providing clean drinking water to the vast majority of the global population, and more efficient technologies for waste management, especially in developing countries."

"We are seeing a growing acceptance of clean technologies in these areas, and you can see increased participation among the governments, especially in the developed world. Governments are actively supporting this sector through various programs and some subsidies."

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original source Energy Report

The Globe & Mail writes on the UofT Scarborough's (UTSC) dramatic makeover in preparation for the 2015 Pan AM Games in Toronto. The renovations plans include an  $170-million aquatic center, a hotel and convention centre, a performing arts centre, new residences and academic buildings and a pedestrian throughfare. As reported by the Globe & Mail, far from only serving the athletic "extravaganza" the new additions have the potential to give UTSC a new identity and "to do for southeast Scarborough what Ryerson is doing for Yonge Street and George Brown College is expected to do for Toronto's waterfront: Improve the neighbourhood."

"When Franco Vaccarino became principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough three years ago, he kept hearing a back-handed compliment about his new campus."

"This place," people would say, "is a hidden gem."

"Shrouded by trees and invisible from the nearest major streets, UTSC is more like a covert campus. In his careful academic way, Prof. Vaccarino concedes the school needs to blow its own cover."

"I like the 'gem' part," Prof. Vaccarino said. "I'm not so sure about the 'hidden' part."

"Now UTSC is on its way to becoming a much more visible treasure, thanks to an international sporting extravaganza bigger than the Winter Olympics.The 2015 Pan Am Games and a new $170-million aquatic centre for UTSC are propelling an extreme campus makeover that could include a hotel and convention centre, a performing arts centre, a new pedestrian thoroughfare lined with restaurants and caf�s, and new residences and academic buildings.By transforming 50 hectares north of the existing campus, the expansion could do for southeast Scarborough what Ryerson is doing for Yonge Street and George Brown College is expected to do for Toronto's waterfront: Improve the neighbourhood. The spillover effect is especially important at UTSC, where the poor � and poorly served � pockets of Kingston-Galloway and Malvern are a few kilometres away."

"There's a lot of pride in the area, but there's very few opportunities to express the pride," said Andrew Arifuzzaman, UTSC's chief strategy officer. "I think the Pan Am Games facility actually puts the area on the world stage."

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original source Globe & Mail

The Toronto Star features entrepreneur Daniel Thompson, founder of Toronto cosmetic company Daniel Thompson Beauty. Launched in 2008, the Toronto-based company designs and sells a line of mineral-based cosmetics carried by spas across Canada and in the United States.

"Before starting his makeup line, Thompson worked for several large cosmetics companies including Yves Saint Laurent, L'Or�al and Elizabeth Arden. In 2003, he launched Thompson Consulting, which, among other things, developed cosmetics lines for spas and other clients. Then, in 2008, the recession hit. "My business contracted 80 per cent overnight," Thompson says."

"He met with his business partner and head designer to figure out what to do. They decided that after years developing cosmetics for other companies, it was time Thompson put his name on a product."

"Daniel Thompson Beauty has a refreshing approach to makeup. Unlike other companies that create a look consumers are strongly encouraged to imitate, at Daniel Thompson Beauty "there is no set standard look that we create for women. Everything is highly personalized," the 36-year-old founder says."

"The company's products are unique, thanks to their multipurpose designs. "Our eye shadows make great blushes. Our blushes make great lipsticks. Our lipsticks make great eye shadows."

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original source Toronto Star

The Sam James Coffee Bar, one of Toronoto's most well-loved espresso haunts is celebrating its1 year anniversary. As reported by Torontoist the Harbord Street coffee shop, run by well-known Toronto barista Sam James (winner of the 2009 Eastern Regional Barista Championships), has earned a place "at the top of many minds, hearts, and palates of the Toronto espressorazzi" for its superb espresso and inviting atmosphere.

"For James, quality over quantity isn't just in practice, but fundamental to how he came to do what he loves. Take the infamous siphon brew; James discovered the nineteenth century manual grinder when he learned French press with a Magic Bullet�esque machine. Let's just say that you can't make coffee and guacamole with the same equipment. Instead of getting a nice, consistent grind ("There's only one coarse particle size you need for French press"), he used a sieve to separate the coarse from the fine. Still in search of a better way to brew, he came across the siphon in his research. "This is like the deliciousness of French press coffee, but the hands-on approach of an espresso, where you're involved in the whole process." And if there's one thing he can't stand about the plethora of coffee equipment amidst a coffee industry boom, it's the automated machines. "I think old-school grinders, like manual doser grinders, can produce consistency. I'm not going with the trend of automating my equipment; I swear by my doser grinders."

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original source Torontoist

Ravi Kanagarajah Toronto's "soup king" is expanding his successful soup franchise, Ravi Soups. As reported by Blog TO Kanagarajah, who already operates two busy soup counters--one on Adelaide Street and one on West Queen-- has plans for two new Ravi Soups locations, a cook book and a full service restaurant.

"Toronto soup king Kanagarajah has come a long way since he immigrated to Canada nearly 20 years ago. He grew up working in - and then running - his family's restaurant back in Sri Lanka, but arrived to Canada with very little. On the day he arrived he stopped by Mildred Pierce - where his uncle worked as a dishwasher - to pick up keys to his house where Ravi would be staying until he got settled."

"By the end of next year he plans to have a fourth location at Yonge and Sheppard as well, along with a different, full service restaurant featuring what he promises to be a unique menu of Indian cuisine.It's an ambitious plan for sure, but one he intends to do without the help of investors or franchising. Above all it's a family operation and Kanagarajah wants to keep it that way - lucky for him, he's got an enormous family."

"With 25 first cousins in Canada - all cooks, 21 of which are spread out across the GTA, Kanagarajah has a pretty broad talent pool to draw from. By the time he's done, he'd like to employ all of them. His plans include a location in London, England and New York City in the next few years as well as a total of ten locations across the GTA."

"It's going to be one big family operation," he says. "I want to grow big, bit without being too commercial. It will always keep the same attitude."

"He's already got four cousins operating the Adelaide location, his brother running the Queen West spot and now as his nephews are getting older they're becoming involved too. With the size of his growing family, perhaps his plans aren't ambitious enough."

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original source Blog TO