Toronto Life articles from August 2005

Toronto Life archives from August 2005

Letters.(response to Brett Grainger's Huntsville article)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... When you think of cottage country, images of affluent families in wooden boats come to mind. Or sock hops and regattas. But rarely do we hear about the "homesteaders" who literally paved the way for all of us cottagers to make sure we get to...

Ordinary people.(Letters)(response to Brett Grainger's Huntsville article)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... This letter may come as a big surprise--since I'm a "hillbilly" or "redneck" or whatever derogatory term your magazine used to describe those of us who live on Britannia Road in Huntsville--but we do know how to read. In fact, a lot of us read...

Both sides now.(Letters)(responses to "The Heather and Gerry Show," June edition)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... We were greatly offended by both the tone of the story about Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz ["The Heather and Gerry Show," June] and its mean-spirited approach. How is it that Marci McDonald spoke at length to Heather's brother (who is...

Classy dame.(Letters)(Donna William's response)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... Unlike Victoria Jackman ["A Fine Romance," June], who speaks Limoges, my dialect is pure Johnson Brothers. Must be the non-cerulean blood of my ancestors. And here I thought Canada was a classless society. Go figure. By the way, Bronte heroines...

Oops!(June and July editions)(wrongly named chef)(wrong phone number)(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2005... In our July item on ribs ["Rack Attack," Restaurants], the chef at Xacutti was misidentified; it should have been Brad Moore. In our June Dining column ["The Fifth Sense"], the phone number for The Fifth should have been listed as...

Margaret Atwood used to scare the hell out of me.(This Issue)
August 1, 2005... I met her for the first time at a birthday party Barry Callaghan gave for his father, Morley, in 1983. She was already the country's most acclaimed writer, and has since become one of its most prolific. At last count, she's written 11 novels,...

Combat rock: in his evolving career as a lawyer, political strategist and consultant, one thing has remained constant: the ever-fiery Warren Kinsella is a rebel at heart.(PROFILE)(Interview)
August 1, 2005... WARREN KINSELLA IS A POLITICAL BOMB THROWER. This much we know. He wrote a book about campaigning titled Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics. He's credited with having helped run Stockwell Day out of power on a rail, thus solidifying his...

Auto pilots: this year marks the Molson Indy's 20th anniversary, but nearly a century ago, a very different driver got behind the wheel at the CNE.(FOUND)(Canadian National Exhibition)(auto polo)(playing polo matches from stock cars)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... SURE, THE RACERS ON PARADE at the Molson Indy are crazy brave, but when it comes to sheer recklessness, you've got to hand it to the mallet men of yore. Making its debut in 1913, auto polo was the first ever motorsport at the CNE, a bizarre...

Groove tube: this month, 200 musicians will compete for a ticket to ride the TTC's revolving underground stage.(REALITY CHECK)(Toronto Transit Commission)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... ON AUGUST 19, THE TTC hosts its annual busker auditions at the CNE. Seventy-four licences are up for grabs; the chosen pay a $150 fee and draw a "home station" from among 25 stops (though most veterans play where they want). Who are these...

Too cool for school.(TELLING TALES)(People for Education fund raising event)(parent advocacy group)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Annie Kidder is arguably the most effective advocate for kids' education in Ontario since Egerton Ryerson. In early June, the parent advocacy group she fronts, People for Education, threw a fundraising bash at the Berkeley Street Theatre....

School night: OCAD opens its doors to some city's biggest art patrons.(CAMERA)(Ontario College of Art and Design)(first annual Night of the Unboring fundraiser)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The celebrated Sharp Centre was the setting for the art college's first annual Night of the Unboring fundraiser. Guests assembled early in anticipation of the Experience Auction, featuring packages ranging from a...

The highs and lows of city life.(BEST & WORST)(Winner's new Bloor Street locatation)(smog alerts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BEST RETAIL INVASION Located as it was in one of the highest-rent districts in the and with the Manulife Centre Indigo merely a block away, it was only a matter of time before the 40,O00-square-foot Chapters...

Sister acts and voice mail attacks.(URBAN DECODER)(historic building)(voice mail spam)
August 1, 2005... Dear Urban Decoder: On Augusta just north of Queen, there's a beautiful Victorian house amid all the surrounding grunge. What's the story? ERICA BERMAN, ANNEX The house was built in 1876 by Edward Leadlay, a local industrialist who...

It's not easy being blue.(TELLING TALES)(protest against Blue Man Group's use of non-union labour)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Across the road from the Blue Man Group premiere at the Panasonic Theatre, a crowd of 300 was gathered to protest the troupe's much-publicized use of non-union labour. Among the Anti-Blue Man Experience ralliers were Leffy first couple Jack...

Cottage Industries: everything you need to know about the great indoors.(ROUNDUP)(owner profiles and corresponding area demographics)(satire)
August 1, 2005... Your choice of cottage country says a lot about you--and your bank account. Whether you prefer few creatures and plenty of comforts (or vice versa), a suitable home away from home awaits. For those interested in curling up in a Muskoka (nee...

Here comes the broom.(TASTE POLICE)(Mayor Miller's Clean and Beautiful campaign)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... SUSPECT: City of Toronto SCENE OF CRIME: Street medians and flower beds CHARGE: Unnecessary clutter of public space EVIDENCE: To trumpet the achievements of Mayor Miller's already high-profile Clean and Beautiful campaign, the...

Fantasy islands: a rocky retreat at the edge of the world.(HOT PROPERTY)(Sans Souci, Georgeon Bay, Ontario)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... WHERE: A group of four outer islands near Sans Souci BEDROOMS: five, plus a bunkie BATHROOMS: two LOT SIZE: 4.3 acres ASKING PRICE: $1.8 million THE SELLERS: John Rounthwaite, a Toronto banker, and his wife, Muriel ...

Rock of ages.(TELLING TALES)(David Johansen )(New York Dolls group)(Interview)
August 1, 2005... Aspiring rock stars searching for inspiration during the North by Northeast Music Festival needn't have looked further than the Regency Room at the Holiday Inn on King. There, at noon on the final day of the event, New York Dolls singer and...

Top cuts: how Cumbrae Meats became a household name among discriminating carnivores.(Business)
August 1, 2005... TRAFFIC SLOWS TO CRUISING SPEED on Church Street, especially on warm summer evenings when the boys are sitting on sidewalk patios or perched on railings and stoops, eyeing each others' tattooed brown arms. But in front of the smart black awning...

Angrily ever after: she lost everything--her home, her Bentley, her savings, her children--and ended up alone and penniless. Portrait of a woman scorned.(Society)
August 1, 2005... IN ITS 86-YEAR HISTORY, Ontario's Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee has never taken a case to the Supreme Court of Canada. But one day last January, senior lawyer Donald Bur attempted to do just that. On behalf of the OPGT, which...

The Art of coking and serving.(SUMMER FICTION)(Short Story)
August 1, 2005... THE SUMMER I was eleven I spent a lot of time knitting. I knitted doggedly, silently, crouched over the balls of wool and the steel needles and the lengthening swath of knitwear in a posture that was far from easy. I'd learned to knit too early...

The soother.(SUMMER FICTION)(Short Story)
August 1, 2005... RMA UNFASTENED THE PLASTIC CLIP on her nursing bra and brought a hard brown nipple to Lucas's mouth. He latched on and sucked greedily. She watched his hands curl into fists. "There," she said, "there, there..." Irma rubbed the centre of his...

Who you love.(SUMMER FICTION)(Short Story)
August 1, 2005... MONDAY Eddie has not called me into his office yet today. I think this is probably a good thing, as I can only imagine that I frustrate him and would add to his troubles with my continual questions and blank expression. Here, look, Sanji,...

Through black spruce.(SUMMER FICTION)(Short Story)
August 1, 2005... MY SISTER, SUZANNE, leaves my mother and me on Christmas morning, climbs on the back of her boyfriend's Ski-Doo. A light snow falls that tickles her face. They drive across the frozen river and into the wilderness. They're running away from us,...

Megan Follows: how the actor, who stars this month in Soulpepper's Fool for Love, would spend a single perfect day. Toronto on an unlimited budget.(24 HOURS WITH)(Directory)
August 1, 2005... I would start with brunch at La Palette (256 Augusta Ave., 416-929-4900)--a fantastic cappuccino ($3) and an omelette ($9). Afterward, my 13-year-old daughter, Lyla, and I would hang out in Kensington. She loves long, colourful skirts, so we'd...

Tie me up, tie me down.(The City's Best Loot)
August 1, 2005... Replace boring, black cardis with this sexy new twist on the longstanding staple. A luxe blend of silk and cashmere, the cropped sweater comes in bright summer shades that will show off your spray-on tan. $85. Banana Republic, Eaton Centre, 220...

Well rounded.(The City's Best Loot)
August 1, 2005... The Fisheye--Lomo's latest special-effects camera--captures a dizzying 170-degree view in one circular image, creating colour contrasts and distortions that make vacation slide shows feel like trippy flashbacks. $69.95. Pikto, 55 Mill St.,...

Smart money.(The City's Best Loot)
August 1, 2005... Jet-setting sophisticates (and those who want to fake it) will love this chic travel wallet and passport holder from Smythson--Her Majesty's fave for leather goods. $445. Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor St. W., 416-922-2333. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sounds good.(The City's Best Loot)
August 1, 2005... Standing tall at 18 inches, this limited-edition speaker by toy artist Jason Siu scores points with basement-dwelling, MP3-obsessed teens. $225. Magic Pony, 785 Queen St. W., 2nd flr., 416-861-1684. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sundance kicks.(The City's Best Loot)
August 1, 2005... Go boho, frontier style, with a pair of hand-stitched cowboy boots--the perfect rustic finish to your flirty gypsy skirt. $895. Western Corral, 1982 Avenue Rd., 416-488-8382. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Greektown: the Danforth has long been a Fisher-Price Athens--a good-time phalanx of souvlaki tavernas, ouzo-friendly patios and retro bridal shops. But the strip is restyling itself. An eight-stop itinerary in a flowering neighbourhood.(On the Block)(Allen's)(Revue Video)(Dash Kitchen)(Lily Lee)(Trapezzi)(Athens Pastries)(Sophia's)(Studio Labiri)(Directory)
August 1, 2005... 1. Allen's The sirloin burger here could make a carnivore out of a PETA activist. Exhaustively dubbed the finest in town (it is!), the patty is divine with sweet-potato frites and one of the pub's gazillion ales on tap. 143 Danforth Ave.,...

East meets west: an eager rookie in the culinary ring, Vancouver is boxing well above its weight. Its restaurants deliver some of the Pacific Rim's best.(Dining)(West)(Go Fish)(Vij's)(Phnom Penh)(Tojo's)(Feenie's)(Sun Sui Wah)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... I HAD PAUSED FOR A NIGHTCAP in the dimly lit bar of the Pacific Palisades Hotel, Vancouver--just a small digestif of some ice-cold distillate to cool the tongue before bedtime--when a stranger caught my eye. He slid in close, glanced furtively...

What's Shakin'? the city's most fashion-forward pourers want to put a little pink in your drink.(Drink)(Martini Club cocktail caterers)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME before the exotic juices and aromatic herbs of the London and New York bar scenes reached Toronto. Drinks travel fast, especially when Michelle Hunt and Laura Panter, of the Martini Club. scour those cities for...

Masi 2003 Passo Doble.(Drink)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... (pick) Masi 2003 Passo Doble **** $14.95 | Tupungato, Argentina Masi innovator Sandro Boscaini has combined Argentina's signature malbec grape with Italy's corvina, the whole berries dried and partially raisined before fermentation. The...

Tawse 2002 beamsville bench reserve chardonnay.(White)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Tawse 2002 Beamsville Bench Reserve Chardonnay **** 1/2 $42 | Niagara Peninsula Chardonnay minimalists will find this opulent one overstated; hedonists will love it. Deborah Paskus's chardonnays have an oxidative, hot cashew and apple pie...

Bodega Norton 2004 chardonnay.(White)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Bodega Norton 2004 Chardonnay **** $10.05 | Mendoza, Argentina So far the best cheap chardonnay of the year. Unheard-of barrel complexity and structure for $10, from a serious, quality-focused winery. Toasty, nutty aromas, with a dollop of...

Jean-Luc Colombo 2003 viognier.(White)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Jean-Luc Colombo 2003 Viognier **** $18.95 | Paysd'Oc, France Build an elegant garden soiree around this floral example of the hottest white grape from southern France. Star fruit, lemon, anise and pine evoke the outdoors. Viscosity and...

Sacred hill 2004 whitecliff sauvignon blanc.(White)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Sacred Hill 2004 Whitecliff Sauvignon Blanc *** 1/2 $13.95 | New Zealand This vibrant yet calm white shows typical Kiwi sauvignon quench and poise at a very fair price. Complex nose blends guava, gooseberry, orange rind, white and green...

Lurton 2004 les fumees blanches sauvignon blanc.(White)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Lurton 2004 Les Fumees Blanches Sauvignon Blanc *** $9.95 | Pays d'Oc, France Fine value in fresh, delicate sauvignon. Some sulphur-related flintiness, but aeration reveals green peach fruit, citrus and typical sauvignon grassiness....

Poggio Verrano 2003 dromos.(Red)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Poggio Verrano 2003 Dromos **** 1/2 $73.95 | Tuscany, Italy In 2000, after a buyout by the American company Brown-Forman, Francesco Bolla left his famous family firm in Veneto and headed south, to Tuscany's warm Maremma region, to make a...

Concha y Toro 2003 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon.(Red)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Concha y Toro 2003 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon **** $17.95 | Maipo Valley, Chile The 2002 was our Pick of the Month in January, and the 2003, although from a cooler vintage, is every bit as good. Gentle, ripe cassis swims...

E&J Gallo 2003 two rock pinot noir.(Red)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... E&J Gallo 2003 Two Rock Pinot Noir *** 1/2 $39.95 | Sonoma Coast, California Gallo is new to pinot but serious, sourcing from a cool, maritime vineyard near Petaluma and hiring a winemaker from Tasmania, where pinot also flourishes. Could...

Vallone 2001 vereto salice salentino.(Red)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Vallone 2001 Vereto Salice Salentino *** 1/2 $10.15 | Apulia, Italy Good value in a warm and friendly traditional southern red based on the negroamaro grape prevalent on Italy's heel. Old-style leather, pepperoni, marzipan and sour...

Chateau des Charmes 2000 estate bottled late harvest riesling.(Dessert)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Chateau des Charmes 2000 Estate Bottled Late Harvest Riesling **** 1/2 $17.95/375 mL | Niagara Peninsula As harvest approaches, this complex, maturing, sweet classic riesling will shine beside peach-apricot desserts or stand unflinchingly...

Forest gumption: Michael Stadtlander reinvents the dine-around.(EVENT)(Eigensinn Farm food events)(Czehoski)(Thuet Cuisine)(Cafe Moroc)(Boiler House)(Laide)(Restaurant Review)
August 1, 2005... Ever since he dosed Eigensinn Farm to the public April 30, Michael Stadtlander has been tramping his 100 acres with 15 student chefs, creating sculptures. "Ten altogether," he says. "There's a pig that's really a barbecue, a bake oven like a...

Tray chic: the TD Centre's new food court as dining destination.(HIGH-LOW)(Toronto-Dominion Tower)(Toronto take-outs, bars, restaurants)(Ontario take-outs, bars, restaurants)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... With the odd exception, mall food is bad, bad for you, and served with all the charm of a GM assembly line. But the newly renovated TD Centre Food Hall (Canadian Pacific Tower, 100 Wellington St. W.) offers a beacon of hope. Recent renovations...

The case for Centro: new wine for an old bottle.(IN FLUX)(grill and wine bar)(Brief Article)(Restaurant Review)
August 1, 2005... When Franco Prevedello heard that Centro's latest owners--manager Armando Mano and chef Bruce Woods--had closed the veteran space in March for two months to give it a thorough renovation, he dropped by in April for a look. "He bet me a case of...

The pause that refreshes: before the main event, a little something compliments of the chef.(QUEST)
August 1, 2005... Call it an intermezzo, like the bit of music between major sections of an opera. It's a refreshing dish that arrives unbidden before the main course of a serious dinner. The French tend to call it a "sorbet," for the usual form there. The...

Long knives sheathed: a group of chefs put their toques together.(TABLE TALK)(Toronto By Table tasting program)(Principals of The Fifth)(Via Allegro)(Didier)(Splendido)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... For decades, Toronto's top independent restaurateurs have eyed each other like rival dons. Now four of the most individualistic have found a more collegial approach. Principals of The Fifth, Via Allegro, Didier and Splendido recently sat down...

Too cool: if you haven't heard about The Social, you probably shouldn't Know.(IT SPOT)(Brief Article)(Nightclub Review)
August 1, 2005... A misleading moniker for a place with such an exclusive mentality (that is, of local arty scenesters)--promoting with the motto "Get social or get lost." Once, when the crowd got a little too bridge-and-tunnel, the owners countered by streaming...

Theatre.(This Month)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... OPENINGS ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. Written for Ethel Merman by Irving Berlin, the original Broadway production ran for more than 1,000 performances. Here, another woman with pipes, Louise Pitre (formerly of the ABBA musical in both Toronto and...

D'Arc Angel: Amanda Plummer takes a saintly turn at Stratford.(Interview)
August 1, 2005... She's scoring a family hat trick with her Stratford debut: when Amanda Plummer steps onstage as Joan of Arc in Anouilh's The Lark (see listing on page 119), she'll step onto boards that once warmed to the voices of both her mother and father,...

Cold calling: so you want to be a rock star? How Coldplay went from dodgy pubs to arena glory, in five easy steps.(IN CONCERT)
August 1, 2005... Coldplay isn't content merely to be the most ubiquitous rock act of the moment. As has been stated--ad nauseam--the mild-mannered British quartet is determined to be the world's biggest band. Coldplay singer Chris Martin is unafraid of showing...

It's a draw: A new MOCCA show takes a low-tech medium to new heights.(IN THE GALLERIES)(Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Drawing is the art form most connected to memory, capturing dreams and fantasies that would otherwise drown in a flood of digital images. Curators Kim Moodie and David Merritt--London, Ontario, artists lauded for their own unique...

Classical.(This Month)
August 1, 2005... CHAMBER AND SOLO (free) TORONTO MUSIC GARDEN. The sixth season of free outdoor performances returns to this oasis in the city. In The Art of the Sarangi, Aruna Narayan oversees a concert of classical North Indian music on her 40-stringed...

Big top talent: they float through the air with the greatest of ease. The daring young men (and women) of Cirque du Soleil.(IN PERFORMANCE)(Circus Review)
August 1, 2005... Since Cirque du Soleil's inception in] 984, its audacious performances have garnered international raves, enchanting audiences with a fantastical mix of flash, flesh and daring. Corteo, its 17th production, tells the tale of a dying clown...

Pop.(This Month)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... BEN FOLDS, BEN LEE AND RUFUS WAINWRIGHT are three fellas who know their way around a tune. In the '90s, Folds turned alternarockers onto piano-based pop as the trenchant front man of Ben Folds Five; his second post-Five disc was the charming...

Jazz.(Oshawa Jazz And Blues Festival)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... FESTIVALS OSHAWA JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL opens with Chicago acoustic bluesman Fruteland Jackson. Aug. 8. $12. Holiday Inn, 1011 Bloor St. E., Oshawa. The Jazz Divas is a stellar selection of younger Toronto singers that includes Heather...

Art.(art exhibitions)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... IQQAUMANIVUT (OUR MEMORIES): TEN ETCHINGS FROM BAKER LAKE. In the summer of 2004, Montreal master painter Patti Machnik made the trek north to Baker Lake, Nunavut. Rife with artists, it was once a hotbed for printmakers, but had lately suffered...

Dance.(Canadian Renaissance Concert Series)(Carmen La Gitana!)(Dusk Dances/Driftwood Park)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... CANADIAN RENAISSANCE CONCERT SERIES. Music in Motion integrates interpretive dance, classical guitar and visual art. As the musicians play, the dancers (Terrill Maguire, among others) and visual artists (Camille Lawrence and Gennifer Manolakos)...

Kids.(Franklin Children's Garden's marketing)(Harbourfront Centre)(Kidsummer)(children's amusements' services)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... (free) FRANKLIN CHILDREN'S GARDEN. Inspired by the beloved children's book character, the Toronto Islands' newest park features kid-sized bronze statues of the famous turtle and his friends, as well as a turtle pond, a treehouse, a garden to...

Diversions.(acrobats to perform for Epilepsy Toronto)(Canadian National Exhibition)(Canadian National Expo)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... BUSKERFEST. The anarchic art of street performance gets a temporary home in the streets of old Toronto as acrobats, breakdancers and sword swallowers settle in for a hit of uber-respectable charity work. The annual event is a fundraiser for...

Toronto life calendar.(ADVERTISING & PROMOTION EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES)(FFIDA International Dance Festival)(Links For Women organizes women's golf)(Tennis competitions for women)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... The scoop on this month's events and promotions from advertisers: FFIDA INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL See 75 local, national and international dance companies at the Distillery Historic District. Indoor and outdoor events (from free to...

43 per cent of us drink wine and 35 per cent of us drink beer on a weekly basis.(The Toronto Poll)
August 1, 2005... A NATION OF BEER DRINKERS? Maybe, but not a city. Though beer dominates in terms of total sales, our poll on GTA drinking habits reveals this surprise: in the largest city in a country defined by its beer ads, more people actually drink wine...