Toronto Life articles from February 2006

Toronto Life archives from February 2006

The Dominion Club: a private club unlike any other.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2006... The Dominion Club, Toronto's newest Business and Social Club, is located at the southwest corner of Yonge and King. The much anticipated opening early this year is creating a new and revived buzz around the city for private club memberships....

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... My husband and I had difficulty holding back tears as we read "Small Mercies" [December]. It caused us to relive our recent experience at Women's College with our son, Peter, who was born at just 25 weeks. But as much as we admired the story,...

Baby talk.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... I read "Small Mercies" with much interest because I myself am a preemie. My twin brother and I were born in December 1983 at 25 weeks gestation. At birth, I was just 640 grams--the size and weight of a small cellphone. Within a week, I went...

Road rage.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... In a small item in the December issue ["Best & Worst," This City], you chastise those of us who oppose the TTC plan on St. Clair West for being "car-besotted citizens," but you're pointing your finger in the wrong direction. As part of its...

Pointe taken.(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... Katherine Ashenburg's article on the new campus for the National Ballet School ["Great Leap Forward," December] success fully told the story of what it takes to realize a vision of this scale and importance. It also revealed that architecture...

Something's gotta give.(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2006... Suggesting that a quarter of all charities are deactivated each year casts a negative light on Canada's charitable and voluntary sector ["Roundup;' This City, November]. According to the Canadian Revenue Agency's Charities Directorate, the...

Oops!(Letters)(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2006... Two errors appeared in our December restaurant reviews. All of Juniper Grill's desserts are homemade. And Toast Restaurant's phone number is 416-469-8222.

We used to think of guns as an American problem.(This Issue)
February 1, 2006... Now we're not so sure. The recent increase in gun crime has roused fears that our formerly peaceable city is being overrun by murderous gangs. The facts suggest otherwise. As I write, with a couple of weeks remaining in the year, Toronto has...

Good Doc: legendary filmmaker Allan King has chronicled everything from disturbed children to divorce. His latest work takes on the scariest subject yet: aging.(PROFILE)
February 1, 2006... IF YOU WANT SOMEONE TO BLAME for the proliferation of reality TV programs, start with Allan King. The grand old gent of documentary film pioneered what he calls "actuality dramas" back in 1969. A Married Couple was a 96-minute distillation...

The candidate: Michael Ignatieff on politics, baseball and the delights of deep-fried dough.(Q&A)(Interview)
February 1, 2006... He's the guy who came in to the cold. Not just literally--though author, academic and onetime Harvard prof Michael Ignatieff, like every other federal candidate this winter campaign, is doing his door-to-door-ing in frigid weather. He also had...

Mag lights: Maclean's gets a glamour injection to fete its redesign.(MacLean Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Peter C. Newman was served by Conrad Black's lawyers, Natalie MacMaster fiddled, and Kim Cattrall looked foxy, all in celebration of the 100th anniversary and tabloid-esque redesign of Maclean's. A Canadian who's who trod the red carpet at the...

A date with Lara.(TELLING TALES)(Lara Flynn Boyle)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... On my arrival at the 26th floor of the newly minted Cosmopolitan Hotel, Lara Flynn Boyle, who plays Barbara Amiel in Shades of Black, CTV's upcoming biopic about Conrad Black, swept past me, cigarette in hand, without so much as a sidelong...

Wanted: spouse: matrimonial ads and the rules of South Asian engagement.(HERE'S THE THING)
February 1, 2006... This is how the story usually goes: a family thinks their darling, extremely eligible offspring is perfection itself. If only she would marry and start manufacturing babies. All that's missing is an equally ambrosial match--preferably chosen by...

The highs and lows of city life.(BEST & WORST)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... BEST VEHICULAR INFRACTION Following the American lead, Toronto finally got around to introducing car pool-only lanes on the 403 and 404. All you have to do to qualify is find one measly person to ride along (spying a shotgun market for...

Hello kitty, goodbye garbage.(URBAN DECODER)
February 1, 2006... Dear Urban Decoder: I've been hearing a rumour that there are cougars living in Scarborough's Rouge River Valley. Should I be frightened? ELIZABETH KHAN, SCARBOROUGH Cougars were virtually eradicated from our province in the 19th...

Shoe-in.(Puma's spring collection)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Why would nearly 300 scenesters brave a blustery December night to stare at a black and white picture of ET Canada correspondent Rick Campanelli? Perhaps it was because the ex-Much temp was photographed (with his cherubic 18-month-old son)...

Raising the rental: for $35,000 a month, all this could be yours.(HOT PROPERTY)
February 1, 2006... WHERE: Roxborough Street West BEDROOMS: Three, all ensuite BATHROOMS: Five, not including two outdoor showers poolside and on the third-floor deck SIZE: Approximately 4,000 square feet, plus fully finished basement RENTAL: For...

Keeping tabs: searching for answers in Mount Sinai's microbiology lab.(INSIDE)
February 1, 2006... On the 14th floor of Mount Sinai Hospital, these rows of prosaic metal workstations could be mistaken for countless other office spaces across the city. But the work that's being done in this lab is far from commonplace. Responsible for testing...

Toy story: from staid to sleazy, how Toronto's sex shops stack up.(ROUNDUP)
February 1, 2006... The arrival of "sexual well-being products" at Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws--including a vibrating ring most definitely not meant for your finger--heralds the complete mainstreaming of sexessories. But where does that leave traditional...

Market value: Kensington is an arena of visual extremes: an odd assembly of kilted schoolgirls, profs and crackheads.(Neighbourhoods)
February 1, 2006... IT WAS A GREAT HOUSE--high ceilinged, with wide, open rooms and lots of light. A hideous oatmeal-coloured porch worked in our favour. People took one look at it, got back in their cars and drove away. My wife, Tina, didn't want to buy a house...

No kidding around: Sam Perez has built an empire of cheerful baby products. But can Kushies' mid-range funky duds compete with $200 tyke-sized designer jeans?(Business)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... ONCE UPON A TIME, upscale baby products were restricted to one-of-a-kind novelty items known in the industry as "granny bait," the $310 sterling Tiffany baby rattle being the classic example. But today, the high-end sector is among the fastest...

The new starter home: with property prices in the GTA skyrocketing, 50 per cent of condos are now sold to first-time buyers. How 700 square feet has changed a generation.
February 1, 2006... JOHN DOWNS, A 29-YEAR-OLD REPORTER AT AM640 Toronto Radio, and his girlfriend, Domini Clark, a 26-year-old food editor at The Globe and Mail, met one night in 1999 at Whiskey Saigon while dancing to '80s nostalgia. They became friends, and a...

The great divide: born in rural Zimbabwe, the conjoined twins Tinashe and Tinotenda would have died if they hadn't been airlifted to SickKids to be separated. But after $200,000 worth of care, they were sent home to an uncertain future in an impoverished village. A story about the brilliance of 21st-century medicine and the limitations of philanthropy.(conjoined twins )
February 1, 2006... In the late afternoon of July 20, 2004, the stuffy waiting room of Howard Hospital's maternity ward was overcrowded, and Rachel Spitzer, a 28-year-old medical resident from Toronto, was in a rush. The dozen or so pregnant women there had to be...

The Belinda Stronach defence: betraying her party? She was sticking to her principles. The rumoured tryst with Bill Clinton? They're truly just friends. The fixation on designer clothes? The media are far more obsessed with her wardrobe than she is.
February 1, 2006... ON THE MORNING OF MAY 17, 2005, a black limousine carrying Prime Minister Paul Martin stopped briefly at a side door of Ottawa's Chateau Laurier Hotel, and a slim blonde stepped in. She looked nervous enough that the PM asked, "Are you OK?" ...

Daniel Cook: how the eight-year-old star of TV hit This Is Daniel Cook, which has been nominated for three Geminis, would spend a single perfect day. Toronto on an unlimited budget.
February 1, 2006... I'd rent Casa Loma for the night ($5,218, 1 Austin Terr., 416-923-117]), and I'd wake up there. There's a big spiral staircase. Then I'd have breakfast at Mel's Montreal Delicatessen (440 Bloor St. W., 416-966-8881). My brother, Spencer, and I...

The city' best loot.(SuperShopper)
February 1, 2006... TRENCH DRESSING Babies are the latest celebrity accessory, inspiring designers to create matching duds for morns and tots. This month, Holt Renfrew unveils a new section devoted to pint-sized Dior, Ralph Lauren and Burberry, whose famous...

King east: move over Davenport. This once forlorn strip of dusty machine shops and dingy supply stores has evolved into the city's premier decor drag. The blueprint of a nabe in its prime.(MaZone Home Decor)
February 1, 2006... 1. MaZone Home Decor The luminous boutique has more brightly coloured glass than Notre Dame. Owner Armin Martiros's jubilant collection features shapely technicolour stemware from Leonardo that seems crafted from molten Jolly Ranchers, and...

Super bowls: in the depths of winter, nothing gives solace and sustenance like an exceptional soup. 2005 was a banner year for stock options.(Dining)
February 1, 2006... WITH A MURMURED "CRAB BISQUE," the waiter sets the bowl before my wife. Magical words, but in this case a shamefully inadequate description. First there are the solids morsels of cooked potato under a mound of crabmeat, the tender, glistening...

State of choc: with single varietals, chocolatiers are raising the bar.(Food)
February 1, 2006... FOR HEDONISTS, ANTICIPATION is half the fun. The wine world has long understood this, teasing with lavish descriptions of bouquets and finishes. That same language is now being applied to another one of life's great pleasures: chocolate. These...

New leaf.(Food)
February 1, 2006... "White tea" used to mean orange pekoe with milk; these days, it refers to tea leaves that are picked young and fermented less than green and black blends. Pai Mu Tan is a mild, sweet cup heavy on antioxidants and light on caffeine. $13.95 per...

Square dance.(Food)
February 1, 2006... It's Mardi Gras every weekend at Cajun Corner. Stop in for chicory-tinged coffee, boogie-woogie and sugar-dusted Cafe du Monde beignets ($3.50 a dozen), which must be eaten hot to fully conjure up the French Quarter. Ask about CC's chartered...

Something seedy.(Food)
February 1, 2006... Pumpkin seed oil broke out of Mitteleuropa a few years ago, appearing on high-end menus; now pumpkin seed bread is following suit. Epi Breads does a crusty sourdough version ($4.25); toasting slices gives the seeds a more roasted flavour. 1526...

Olympic reds: sipping with the B-team in Torino.(Drink)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... PITY OUR WINTER OLYMPIANS: billeted in one of the world's great wine regions, yet most of them constrained to a glass or two a day, if that. You can bet their fans will get from Turin to the nearby Langhe Hills to sample the barolo, barbaresco...

Bersano 2003 Costalunga Barbera d'Asti.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2006... Bersano 2003 Costalunga Barbera d'Asti *** 1/2 $11.90 | Piedmont, Italy Not a dramatic red, but the authenticity and complexity captured at this price make it an instructive first-time experience of Piemontese character, with suppleness...

New releases.(wine)(Buyers Guide)
February 1, 2006... WHITE Conundrum 2003 **** 1/2 $33.95 | California The prototype of an expanding genre of boffo whites blended from several grapes--usually including gewurztraminer or muscat--aged in oak. The 2003 reins in the fudgy sweetness of...

Rice and shine: a charming new Kensington bar goes with the grain.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... For years, Brock Shepherd's Azul was one of the city's approved alternative cocktail hangs. He renamed it Canteena, helped open Chelsea Lounge, then, last summer, divested himself of both, "for the first time in my life learning to get bored."...

Restaurants.(Buyers Guide)
February 1, 2006... A LA MODE (new) LURE *** A lick of colour and some modern floral oil paintings have wiped away the Mediterranean kitsch of the building's previous life as Adriatico restaurant. The high ceilings and tiled floor remain. The real...

Garden variety: inside Boba's stuffed piquillo bouquet.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... It's almost cutesy, Boba chef Bob Bermann admits, "but the peppers look like tulips!" The dish evolved organically: years before tapas became the it food, Bermann and his life and business partner, Barbara Gordon, travelled to Spain and fell...

Swiss solution: when the going gets cold, the cold order fondue.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Fondue---from fondre, French for "melt"--may be Switzerland's single greatest contribution to the culinary arts. You've got to hand it to a country that can toss some assertive local cheeses into a pot with splashes of white wine and kitsch,...

Wrap stars: a heat-seeking search for the city's best burritos.(Big Fat Burrito, Bar Burrito)
February 1, 2006... The culinary evolution of all cities has certain defining moments: the discovery of cilantro, the rise and fall of tall food, the first $40 entree. Toronto has attained each of these and is now entering a more carefree burrito phase. With...

Wild child: Black Betty smokes.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Meet Black Betty, The Fifth's younger, wilder sister (perhaps, now, the easy one)--who likes to smoke. A lot. When The Fifth underwent renovations last year, an adjacent (but functionally separate) space was designed as a refuge for frostbitten...

Theatre.(This Month)
February 1, 2006... OPENING I AM MY OWN WIFE. Gay, Bible belt-bred writer Doug Wright's play about German transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf (a.k.a. Lothar Berfelde)--who miraculously survived (and sometimes thrived) under the Nazis and the Communists by...

Classical.(This month)
February 1, 2006... CHAMBER MUSIC ASSOCIATES OF THE TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA features violinists Carol Lynn Fujino and Virginia Chen-Wells, violist Daniel Blackman and cellist Kirk Worthington. The program kicks off with Robert Schumann's String Quartet no. 3 in...

Tackling Tolkien: he stole The Producers with adorable. He bowled over Broadway with cute. But can he ditch the doe-eyed shtick for Gollum?(ONSTAGE)
February 1, 2006... Michael Therriault is cute. For the five-foot-seven-inch dimple-faced 32-year-old actor, that's been both a blessing and a curse. Cute helped him land the role of Leo Bloom, the schlemiel accountant, in the 2003 Toronto staging of The...

Girls gone mild: the slow-burn sensuality of Torchy Taboo's burlesque offers an antidote to the Paris Hilton--inspired smut parade.(Interview)
February 1, 2006... Blame the on-camera antics of scandal-hungry celebrities and 10 million other Internet amateurs. Sex is everywhere these days, though it's anything but sexy. With sumptuous costumes and titillating striptease, burlesque dancing revives the...

The replacements: INXS and Queen prove death need not stand in the way of pop chart dominance.(IN CONCERT)
February 1, 2006... Picture this: you're in a massively successful international rock band and your lead singer croaks. How to avoid being relegated to the annals of pop obscurity (or, worse, becoming a Trivial Pursuit question)? Get a new front man. Last year's...

Troubled waters: video artist Fiona Tan's digital deluge.(IN THE GALLERIES)
February 1, 2006... (free) A serene grotto provides respite from crashing waves. A lone man on a rock gazes thoughtfully down at the water roiling at his feet. Fishing boats bob gently on a placid harbour that becomes gradually storm tossed. Then, as tragedy...

Pop.(This Month)
February 1, 2006... ANIMAL COLLECTIVE. Formed in 2000 in New York, this quartet has released six cryptic albums that boast equal parts eerie folk, languid psychedelia and freaky noise. At their mildest and most entrancing, their songs recall the neo-hippie...

Jazz.(This Month)
February 1, 2006... CONCERTS LET IT SLIDE: A TRIBUTE TO THE TROMBONE. This varied collection of trombonists features the forceful hard hop of Russ Little to the refined high-register melodies of Alastair Kay. There's also the thoughtful bluster of Dave...

Art.(This Month)
February 1, 2006... (free) BARBARA ASTMAN. Her three-part installation is a shrine to loss and survival. Cameosized archival shots of Jews from the 1930s and '40s are printed onto acetate and appended to strings of festive lights, rotating disco balls and...

Dance.(This Month)
February 1, 2006... ARABESQUE DANCE COMPANY. This new concert initiative showcases a rich mosaic of multicultural and fusion dance forms created by the company's dancers. All perform Middle Eastern dance with Arabesque, and many are also members of the Brazilian...

Kids.(This Month)
February 1, 2006... ALOUD AGAIN: A CELEBRATION FOR YOUNG READERS. Find the cure for Harry Potter fatigue at this second annual reading festival, which gathers acclaimed Canadian and international young adult authors under one roof. Such book-related distractions...

Diversions.(This Month)
February 1, 2006... THE BLACK WATCH AND THE BAND OF THE WELSH GUARDS. Clad in red coats and busbies, the Welsh Guards enliven the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace with their pomp and circumstance. Tonight, the band's 44 musicians join the kilt-clad...

Toronto Life calendar: the scoop on this month's events and promotions from advertisers.(ADVERTISING & PROMOTION EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES)(Advertisement)(Calendar)
February 1, 2006... THE INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW Browse and shop for the latest in furniture, lighting, kitchens and bath. Be inspired by great exhibits, trends from Lynda Reeves, Brian Gluckstein and others, and features by Karim Rashid and II BY lV Design....

GTAers complain a lot, but 53 per cent of us actually love or like Toronto winters.(The Toronto Pool)(Brief article)
February 1, 2006... WE COMPLAIN ABOUT IT ALL. About the idiots who refuse to buy snow tires and turn the Bayview Extension into a demolition derby. About the salt that eats through our shoes and creeps up our pant legs. About the indignity of tuques and galoshes,...