city building : In The News

Toronto's legendary Arcadian Court, the restaurant and event space that occupies the Bay's eighth floor, is getting a makeover. The Court, which first opened in 1929 in what was then the Simpsons Department Store, has been a Toronto institution for decades. As reported by the Toronto Star the "new" Arcadian Court, tentatively dubbed "The Loft", will be revamped as a versatile event and meeting space.
 
"Now part of the flagship Bay store, the current owners say they plan to restore the Arcadian Court to its former glory, the next step in breathing life back into the department store chain, a once fading Canadian icon."

"The plan for the Arcadian Court is part of a larger deal the Bay has struck with upscale local restaurateur Oliver & Bonacini and global foodservice firm Compass Group Canada to make over the restaurants in all 24 Bay stores that offer foodservice."

"Upstairs next to the Arcadian Court, the retailer plans to create a new event and meeting space, tentatively called The Loft, which will cater to both business and social occasions of various sizes. Construction is scheduled to begin in April and end 16 months later."

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original source Toronto Star

Toronto's Soulpepper Theater Company is revamping its business model with the goal of producing more quality plays on smaller budget. As reported by the Globe & Mail, Soulpepper's artistic director Albert Schultz has combined the North American and European model of financing nonprofit theater to create the perfect financing hybrid for one of Canada's premier theater companies.

"What's the biggest economic problem with the way non-profit theatres operate in North America? The inflexibility of inventory.

"Soulpepper Theatre Company artistic director Albert Schultz thinks he has the fix, however.

Over the past 12 years, Schultz and his colleagues have built the classical company up from a two-play summer season to a year-round operation with its own Toronto venue. For its 2011 season it's upping its productions to a whopping 17 from last year's 12.
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"But Schultz expects its production costs will only increase by about 14 per cent."

"How is that possible? According to Schultz, it's because the company is no longer using the North American model to manage its inventory."

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original source Globe & Mail

An new Toronto organization is offering would-be entrepreneurs the chance to win $1,000 cash, no strings attached, to turn innovative ideas into reality. There's only one requirement, the idea has to be awesome. The Toronto Star writes on the newly formed Toronto Chapter of the Awesome Foundation.

"It's about turning random flashes of half-baked genius into reality," says Matt Thompson, the Toronto chapter's Trustee of Awesome."

"Yes. That is his official title."

"The money is given up front in cash. No strings attached. No questions asked. And the Awesome Foundation will make no claims to ownership of the idea or the finished product."

"The Trustees of Awesome � 10 for each chapter, give or take � put up $100 of their own money every month to support awesome projects.Make no mistake; they won't peer over your shoulder as you work toward your goal. They open their wallets with hope, trust and blind faith.The Toronto trustees are a mix of artsy folks, entrepreneurs and researchers."

"We're just 10 average schmucks who care about advancing the cause of awesome," says Thompson, who works for a non-profit.

"Applications for the first Toronto grant are due on Feb 15. The Toronto Trustees will get together � probably at a pub, Thompson says � to read over the submissions. They'll pick a winner by consensus."

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original source Toronto Star

As reported by the National Post, the federal government has declared 2011 the "Year of the Entrepreneur". The announcement, made at the Digital Media Zone at Ryerson University, was the result of a combined effort from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business to make entrepreneurship in the coming year a top federal priority.

"In a joint statement, CYBF and CFIB said "Year of the Entrepreneur initiatives will bring together like-minded organizations from across the country to exchange ideas, establish networks and collaborate on partnerships that will help drive sustainable economic growth." Vivian Prokop, chief executive of CYBF, said the designation will help build momentum "to show the world Canada is propelling economic recovery and growth through entrepreneurship." As part of the celebration of entrepreneurs, CYBF plans to launch the entrepreneurial Educator of the Year Award, continue to build on Canada's presence at the G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit, and start new programs for innovation, socialpreneurs and newcomers."

"Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) and Ted Menzies, Minister of State (Finance) were on hand to make the announcement but the message was clear � the Harper Government was passing on the baton of Canada's economic action plan to the private sector."

"As we move into the next phase � Canada's outstanding entrepreneurs and the small and medium-sized business community will play even greater roles in securing our fragile economic recovery. Designating 2011 as the Year of the Entrepreneur marks the symbolic beginning of the new phase of that recovery," Mr. Moore said."

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original source National Post

The Toronto Star writes on the 2011 DiverseCity Fellowship, a year long leadership and networking program for Toronto's future city-builders. This year's fellowship, a joint initiative of the Maytree Foundation and Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, has been offered to 24 notable Torontonians.

"This year's group includes city planners, bankers, health workers, research analysts, accountants and the founder of the Black Daddies Club community organization in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood."

"Now in its third year, the fellowship is a joint initiative of the Maytree Foundation and Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, formerly the Toronto City Summit Alliance."

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original source Toronto Star

A National Post feature looks at Toronto's "unstoppable" condo market. The continued growth of the condo industry--5,500 new units will be built in the downtown core this year--is attributed to a stable Canadian economy, high levels of immigration, and a vibrant downtown.

"Brad Lamb believes Toronto's downtown condominium market is out of this world."

"There's no other place on the planet where all this [activity] is happening," says the president of Brad J. Lamb Realty, who specializes in downtown condo sales. "We have a large immigration of people coming to Toronto every year. We have a diverse economy that can support a reasonably affluent lifestyle. And we have a very stable Canadian economy. Everyone is recognizing how great Canada is, and Toronto is the centre of Canada."

"According to Urbanation, numbers cruncher to the development industry, 16,000 new condo units are expected to come to the Toronto CMA area this year (5,500 will be in the downtown core), down slightly from last year but still a healthy level. RealNet Canada reports that in the first 11 months of 2010, 36% of new condo units sold in the Greater Toronto Area were situated in the downtown core between Bloor Street and the waterfront. Twenty-two per cent of GTA's new condo sales took place in what RealNet calls Downtown West, between University Avenue and Dufferin Street, which RealNet president George Carras says totalled more than all of Calgary's new condo sales in the same time period. With interest rates low and close to 100,000 new immigrants arriving on Toronto's doorstep every year, 2011 is expected to continue drawing in the masses."

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original source National Post

Concord Cityplace this week unveiled its latest art installations, two massive and highly-detailed murals by Brooklyn-based artist Jose Parla. The Ministry of Artistic Affairs features photos of the stunning pieces (available for public view) and an interview with their creator.

"On January 20, 2011, a gala party was held in downtown Toronto for Jos� Parl� to celebrate the reveal of two massive public art murals he painted as a commission for Concord CityPlace."

"Interwoven into the art and very fabric of his life, travel is something Jos� Parl� does constantly. Born in Miami to Cuban parents, raised in Puerto Rico and now based in Brooklyn, Parl� has spent the last decade journeying with exhibitions of his work around the world. Throughout his years of global wandering, he has developed a highly sophisticated system of calligraphy that reflects, like a mirror, the wear and tear of the urban environments he passes through. Capturing the light in Havana, colors of Istanbul, or the pace of Tokyo, his works are visual meditations on global locations and the people that occupy them. This last point is important because, though abstract, Parl�'s paintings are all about the characters he meets and the friends he makes along the way. With a Clooney-esque degree of charm spun around a warm, Latino spool, Parl� leaves behind a thread of admirers, companions, and connections whenever he departs for his next destination."

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original source The Ministry of Artistic Affairs

The Globe and Mail writes on the growing body of Toronto-centric graphic design, from band posters to detailed maps, that "celebrates the city as artistic muse".

 "Ian Gillies, who owns Telegramme Prints, which has locations in Leslieville and on Ossington, says urban pride has established itself as a design aesthetic for many Toronto residents."

"If it's got a Toronto reference on it, people want it," he said. "We have a bad hockey team and the political culture can be a little bit irritating at times, but I think there's just a lot of people who really like living in the city."

"Among Mr. Gillies's best sellers are the Ork Posters, city maps created by Chicago artist Jenny Beorkrem that depict urban centres, including Toronto and Vancouver, by assembling the names of individual neighbourhoods."

"In Toronto, posters with a local bent have become an accessible entry point to the art scene and a way of demonstrating hometown pride."

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original source Globe & Mail

The New York Times writes on the allure of Toronto's fashion district, "once a hodgepodge of textile factories and auto lots", the old warehouses have been transformed into upscale restaurants, trendy boutiques and sleek glass condos.

"The roughly 17-square-block area where most of the development is taking place is named for its link to the textile industry. Just west of Toronto's downtown and theater district, the fashion district is bisected along King Street by the city's most popular streetcar line. Development has been centered on the diminutive Victoria Memorial Park, which is surrounded by stylish midrise buildings and industrial brick structures given new life with trendy shops and restaurants."

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original source New York Times

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 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."

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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."

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original source Washington 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."

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original source Scotland Herald

The Huffington Post's Marissa Bronfman raves about the Art Gallery of Ontario's latest exhibit, Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts describing  the show as "an opulent celebration of a dazzling period in Indian history." Organized in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Maharaja runs from November 20th until April 3rd and features over 200 objects (including furniture, paintings and jewelry) created for Indian Royalty.

"Every object in Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts is a jewel in its own right but the AGO hopes the exhibit will get beneath the jewelry to tell a captivating story about a fascinating time in history. With more than half of Canada's South Asian community residing in Ontario, the AGO is the perfect home for Maharaja, and it's a home that will be welcoming everyone under the age of 25 to view the exhibit for free, thanks to generous donations from four prominent Canadian companies. Mandhatasinhji says Maharaja "brings to life the beauty and aesthetics of a bygone era," and he couldn't be more right -- one walk through this exhibit will make you feel like Royalty, even if only for a day."

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original source Huffington Post

The 64 organizations selected as the 2011 winners of Mediacaster's fifth annual GTA's Top Employers contest, may vary widely in industry-type and workforce-size, but, as reported by the Globe & Mail, they all share an impressive commitment to employee engagement and fulfillment.

"With so many national and international head offices in or near Toronto, the 2011 winners of the fifth annual GTA's Top Employers contest faced fierce competition. Size didn't matter. Companies making this year's list range from Newmarket's XE.com Inc., in the Internet publishing and broadcasting sector, with a staff of 19, to Ontario Public Service, with 65,234 employees. Employers were compared with others in their field to determine which offers the most progressive and forward-thinking programs."

see full list of winners here
original source Globe & Mail