Toronto Fringe Festival preview: Shows on boats, improv, and a pair of clowns

1:26 pm

This year's 30th edition of the Toronto Fringe Festival features almost 160 shows over 12 days, extending farther across the city than ever. We dug through the program for suggestions that reflect the incredible variety the Fringe offers, from clown shows and dramas to musicals, kids shows and improv.

Cheri, Al Green Theatre
Sky Gilbert, a prolific playwright over four decades, is debuting a new play based on the novel Chéri. As the aging ex-courtesan Lea, Gilbert has cast Theresa Tova, best known for her extensive TV and film work. She’s had a busy run on Toronto stages in the past year, appearing in Mikvah and The Jazz Singer at the Toronto Centre For The Arts, as well as the Dora-nominated Tough Jews, and the chamber musical Music Music Life Death Music. It’s a reunion for the two artistic creators: Tova’s first professional role in Toronto was in Gilbert’s Torch Song, back in 1980..

The Grass Is Greenest at the Houston Astrodome, Freedom Factory Gallery
Michael Ross Albert has two plays at the Fringe. In The Grass Is Greenest at the Houston Astrodome, a clash of wills erupts when art is vandalized at a gallery. The play received rave reviews at the New York Fringe Festival. His other play is Anywhere, in which an Airbnb guest and her host contend for control.

Morro And Jasp: Save the Date, Tarragon Theatre Mainspace
Clown sisters Morro and Jasp (Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee) have literally grown up at the Toronto Fringe. They started out in the KidsFringe before moving to the main festival with their adolescence-themed shows. For their latest, the award-winning duo is tackling an especially grown-up topic: matrimony.

#KanderAndEbb, The Annex Theatre
Cabaret crackerjack Ryan G. Hinds, the 2018 Stage West-Canadian Actor’s Equity Emerging Artist winner, has had many brushes with fame over his extensive career, which includes stints in Hedweg and The Angry Inch (on stage, and on screen), and a recent turn in We Will Rock You. He’s compiled some of his best celebrity encounter stories in this, his follow-up to the 2015 Fringe hit Starry Notions, organized around his love for prolific Broadway composers John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Entrances And Exits, Factory Theatre Mainspace
There are many improvised shows in the 2018 Fringe program, but the one we’re most excited for is Entrances and Exits. A collaboration between the Howland Company (Punk Rock, Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons) and Bad Dog, it’s noteworthy due to the challenge they’re setting themselves of improvising a “slamming doors” farce (which are notoriously difficult to stage well) and due to their special guest for multiple shows: Colin Mochrie.

Shadow Kingdom, George Ignatieff Theatre
This projection puppet show, by the Mochinosha Puppet Company, uses old-fashioned fairy-tale tropes (young girl in a strange fantasyland) to tackle a 21st century problem: an insomniac tween addicted to her smartphone. The Tokyo-based company previewed this show and its more adult Space Hippo last winter in Toronto, and having seen those, we’re confident they’ll be breakout hits at this year’s Fringe.

Flooded: A Show and Sail Around the Toronto Islands, Pirate Life
This year, the Fringe’s metro Toronto footprint is larger than ever, with site-specific shows from Parkdale to the Danforth. But one show will take audiences even farther. Flooded is a comedic dance piece for 35 passengers at a time, aboard the Pirate Life Boat as it sails the islands.

I, Idiot, Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace
A late editions to the festival, Jem Rolls, the man "who’s done more Fringes than anyone on Earth," was already coming to Toronto to perform a five-show run at the Red Sandcastle Theatre. Now, the storyteller/poet/ranter will be extending the run of his latest show at the Fringe, replacing a show that dropped out. No stranger to hyperbole (you learn how to sell yourself when you travel to Fringes around the world), he’s boasting that he’s created a new genre of performance with this show — “verbal bouffon."

Bikeface, Annex Theatre
Playwright Natalie Frijia has criss-crossed Canada and beyond, travelling solo on her bicycle, and wrote Bikeface about her experiences. Frijia has already performed it herself, but for the Toronto Fringe, she’ll be busy behind the scenes on the Hardy Boys spoof A Kev n’ Cal Mystery and The Circus Shop Of Horrors (both in the same venue as Bikeface), so she’s handed over the role to Clare Blackwood.

The Preposterous Predicament of Polly Peel (Act 1), Tarragon Theatre Mainspace
Winner of the Toronto Fringe’s 2018 Paul O’Sullivan Prize for Musical Theatre, this show features music and lyrics by The Associate Artistic Director of the Musical Stage Company, Kevin Wong (Recurring John); a book by Julie Tepperman, co-creator of the Dora-winning Brantwood; and a starring turn by the young Hannah Levinson, a Toronto Theatre Critics Awards winner (and Dora nominee) for her recent role in the musical Fun Home. Rather than present a condensed version of the whole show at the Fringe, the producers have chosen to present the first act in full — but if it becomes a future hit such as Come From Away, you’ll be able to say you saw the first half first.

Tap, beats and the importance of tradition

8:30 am

Tony Award–winning dancer Savion Glover has been called a virtuoso, a prodigy, a superstar, a living legend and “the Michael Jordan of Tap.” But he says he doesn’t put much stock in labels.

“I don’t necessarily pay attention to those adjectives, if you will,” he says.

Glover will be performing alongside exciting young drummer Marcus Gilmore on June 26 at Koerner Hall as part of the Toronto Jazz Festival. The two engaging and energetic artists play off one another, creating an instrumental dialogue that is beyond compare.

Glover, who has breathed new life into the art of tap dancing with his modern style, first learned of his passion for music and rhythm through drumming lessons as a child growing up in Newark, N. J.

“I started off as a drummer. I got into drumming when I was like five years old. My mother signed me up for local music school. We all went there for lessons or theory or to study some type of instrument, and that’s where that started,” he says.

He later ventured into tap dancing. At first, Glover thought of tap as just another recreational pastime, but he soon learned that his love for the art form went much deeper than he had ever anticipated.

“At first, I guess it was just something to do,” he says. “It wasn’t until I met the masters, as they’re referred to, Jimmy Slyde, Gregory Hines, these people sort of changed my life. Not sort of, but changed my life and gave me a why and a reason to tap dance. I guess that was the turning point, when I met these men.”

Glover’s career as an artist began with a starring role in the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid when he was just 11. But he is perhaps best known for the 1996 Tony Award–nominated musical Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk, which really introduced Glover to the world.

He also appeared in the film Tap, starring two other tap legends — Hines and Sammy Davis Jr.

As a former protege himself, Glover says passing the tradition of dance on to younger generations is one of his main priorities as an artist.

He founded the Savion Glover School of Dance and hopes to encourage young artists just as he was encouraged.

“It’s very important to me because this is what was taught and given to me,” he says. “We strengthen the mind and encourage the spirit. This is how I was raised and this is what I continue to do through the school.”

Amy Foster on her journey from songwriter to author

8:58 am

When Amy Foster, now a successful songwriter and novelist, looks back on her high school years, she describes herself as a terrible student.

After attending Branksome Hall, she decided to transfer to two other schools in her Grade 12 year to get all the credits she needed to graduate early, and finished high school at Northern Secondary.

Foster wanted to be an actor at the time; although, what followed in her years after high school was in her own words, “A litany of stupid decisions.”
After a brief stint in Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, the young artiste decided to head to community college for a year to boost her grades,

proving to her doubting father, Canadian music legend David Foster, that investing in her education was a safe bet.

“My whole family is supportive, but they were not an academic family. My dad never went to university, and he was very successful. In their eyes, school was a way to get out of work,” says Foster.

Once her grades were hoisted, she went off to Washington, D.C., to study international business relations.

And although her career as a diplomat never really took off, during her time at American University she did discover a deep love of the written word and a talent for writing.

“I had to figure out what I loved. I loved writing and I loved music. And by 25, I was making a full-time living as a songwriter,” Foster says of the “eureka” moment in her career.

She would also become pregnant with her first child at the age of 25.

“Being an artist and a mom is a hard thing to be,” she says. “You go through life starring in your own movie, then you have a kid and you’re relegated to girl-on-street.”

Regardless of the difficulty of juggling her career and motherhood, Foster made a name for herself in songwriting circles all over Canada, Nashville and L.A., writing on many of Michael Bublé’s most enduring hits, such as “Home,” “Everything,” “Just Haven’t Met You Yet” and “Hold On.”

She’s also worked with other chart-topping musicians, including Blake Shelton, Josh Groban and Beyoncé.

“The songs I’ve written with Michael [Bublé], are like real estate. I will always make money off of them,” she says. “And it’s amazing to hear tens of thousands of people singing your words.”

Foster’s love of the written word went beyond music and she published her first novel When Autumn Leaves in 2009.

The novel describes the challenges faced by a small town witch as she searches for her own replacement.

Foster would later publish a science fiction trilogy called The Rift Uprising Trilogy (2016–2018), which has garnered attention from critics, readers and movie producers alike.

“Writing songs makes me a better writer. You have to tell an entire story in one line,” says Foster, who vows to always write both songs and fiction. “Prose writing allows me to understand language. Language is our currency: the more we use it, the more we understand it.”

We can keep our eyes peeled for many more of Foster’s exciting additions to the pop culture cannon, including a possible collaboration between her and her esteemed father and a Broadway adaptation of the novel Lucky Us by Amy Bloom.

Who the heck is Andrea Horwath?

1:31 pm

In the final days leading up to the election, if there is one storyline that was unexpected, it is the rise of the New Democratic Party led by Hamilton native Andrea Horwath. The single mom has never wavered from her game plan and has finally broken through with voters as the clear choice for progressives. In a way, she’s managing to unite the left, and if she can somehow appeal to the mushy-middle, anti–Doug Ford vote, she’s got a real chance to become the next premier of Ontario on June 7. Let’s see what makes her tick:

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Oh my gosh, these days it’s a bubble bath and a glass of wine.

What is your greatest fear?
I’m a mom, so my greatest fear is something going wrong with my son.

Name one thing you would like to change about yourself.
Oh, you know, my sweet tooth.

What is the one trait you most deplore in others?
I don’t like the BS, you know. I like people to be straight and not full of baloney.

Which living person do you most admire?
That’s a hard one only because I get my inspiration from so many different people and not necessarily famous people, just everyday working folks who try to make a good life for themselves and their families. People struggle, and for me those are the heroes.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Probably getting my nails and toenails done on a regular basis.

Which words do you most overuse?
Because I’m a politician, I think I use the phrase, “in fact” a lot. It’s kind of a rejoinder, especially these days when we are on the campaign trail and there is all kinds of loose information out there.

Who or what is the greatest love of your life?
My son would be my greatest love, and number two would be my dog, Waffle.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I’d like to be able to carry a tune.

What is your favourite television show?
Probably The Blacklist, although I don’t watch it on TV. I watch it on Netflix because, first of all, I didn’t start watching it until recently, and second of all, I don’t have time to tune into anything on time. If there is one other show I try to watch if I have a minute it’s Jeopardy. I still like Alex Trebek. Is that old-fashioned or what.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Probably my commitment to my exercise routine. I need to be a bit more disciplined on exercise.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
What I’m doing right now: being able to be the leader of a political party and show the province of Ontario during this election that things can be done differently.

What is your most treasured possession?
I would have to say, it’s a part of a bigger possession. I have something that was given to me by a First Nations leader in northern Ontario. It’s called a bundle, and it’s actually a turtle shell, and I use it as a receptacle for other treasured items like, for example, baby teeth, a ring my son gave me, coins from different countries, an edelweiss my father gave me. It’s kind of a neat thing.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
I would say Agnes Macphail. She was one of the first female MPPs, and she fought battles that nobody else would fight for people that nobody else really cared about. And I see her as someone I very much admire.

What is your greatest regret?
I try not to focus too much on regrets. They stop you from building your future. You lose a lot of energy from regrets. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

When and where were you happiest?
When I was spending more time with my son, as a mom, when he was young. He’s 25 now, but that was a happy time.

Cemetery land dispute heads to court

4:04 pm

A group of midtown residents, dubbed the Friends of Toronto Public Cemeteries (FTPC), is asking the province to reclaim approximately 1,200 acres of land across the GTA that is governed by a private not-for-profit corporation called the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries (MPGC).

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, a large swath of greenery that stretches from Yonge Street to Bayview Avenue, was opened by MPGC in 1876. The legal battle will decide its fate, along with nine other locations operating under MPGC’s management, including York Cemetery in North York.

Margot Boyd, founder of FTPC, argued that all of MPGC’s land holdings belong to the trustees of the Toronto General Burying Grounds (a public trust) according to an 1849 statute that was never repealed.

Since then, it has evolved, some argue wrongfully, into the private entity MPGC.

According to a statement issued by John Thibodeau, spokesperson for MPGC, the not-for-profit was incorporated by a special act of the Ontario Legislature in 1871 that made MPGC the owner of the land acquired up until that point, and other statutes authorized MPGC to acquire additional cemetery land over the years.

Boyd contested the claim and said the public should be concerned that the management of the land is happening behind closed doors.

“MPGC can do whatever they want with that land. They need to become accountable and transparent,” she said. “I think we need to do an audit because there are extremely large sums of money involved, and we don’t know where they’ve been going.”

In the statement, MPGC insisted its “ownership of the cemetery properties has been clear and beyond dispute for nearly 150 years” and said it would be “ludicrous” to suggest MPGC would ever sell or redevelop the land with 600,000 individuals interred throughout it.

FTPC and MPGC will both plead their cases to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Aug. 20 and 21.

FTPC held a community meeting on May 14 that was attended by councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, of Ward 27 Toronto Centre-Rosedale, who is a co-applicant on the case as a private citizen, and councillor Josh Matlow, of Ward 22 St. Paul’s.

Matlow said he believes the city should declare an interest in the case and asked city staff to report to the government management committee on the matter for June 5.

MPGC has stated the land will remain publicly accessible regardless of the case’s outcome.

Confessions of a Lawrence Park shopping expert

3:20 pm

Bella McFadden, young entrepreneur and business owner, has managed the impossible — she gets to shop for a living.

“When I was a kid, I was so hard on my mom because I always wanted to go shopping. I said to myself, ‘I need to find an industry where I can make money on that.’”

McFadden says she got into thrifting to sustain her own wardrobe early on in high school at Lawrence Park Collegiate, a time when she didn’t have much disposable income. She realized around Grade 11 that people loved the clothes she was wearing.

“They would always ask me where I bought it and if they could buy it from me, so I realized I could capitalize on this,” she says.

It was then that McFadden started her first brand, cheekily titled Worship the Fallen with the initials WTF. She would go shopping in thrift stores, searching for clothes that fit a particular style and would style them and post photos to sell her wares.

Searching her current brand, @internetgirl on both Instagram and Depop (an online app primarily used to buy and sell vintage and used clothes and accessories), her style is certainly distinctive but ultimately hard to pin down.

“I’m definitely inspired by a bunch of different sub-genres and subcultures; a lot of late ’90s cult films and just the late ’90s era, and I like the Y2K era of fashion,” McFadden says of her brand’s style.

But this wasn’t always McFadden’s plan when she started selling clothes in high school. After graduating, she went off to Concordia University and she didn’t have time to be running a business, so it became more of a side job.

However, when taking a mental health break from school in her third year, McFadden ended up never returning, deciding instead to focus on expanding her business on Depop.

Now, her personal brand has become her full-time job, or more than full-time. “I work 24/7 to be honest,” she says.

Throughout the week, McFadden and her assistant will spend all day wrapping packages, shooting new product for Depop, making shipping labels and, recently, shooting YouTube videos on a specific lookbook or style from her products.

Although McFadden isn’t the only one selling curated vintage wear online, she sees her brand as unique because of the relationship she can build with her customers.

“It’s sort of like purchasing off somebody’s Instagram profile. People will message me with any questions they have about my product, and they can talk to me directly.”

McFadden also understands that the point of thrifted goods is the advantage of low prices and reusing items, so she works to keep her prices affordable.

“What I’m doing is sustainable because I’m moving this product instead of it going into landfills.”

She estimates her customers are generally around ages 15 to 24, a group she says doesn’t always have a lot of disposable income, so she works to make her product — what she describes as mostly vintage finds and old mallwear — appealing to her audience. Most of the items on her Depop account range from $10 to $60, depending on the item and the label.

McFadden’s current focus is expanding into manufacturing her own designs.

“I have so many designs and I’m so excited about creating them. I’ve been curating my style based on vintage wear, and now I’ll be able to use my own line.”

Jen Agg announces landmark Toronto restaurant the Black Hoof will close later this summer

9:41 pm

Toronto restaurateur Jen Agg announced the impending closure of her landmark restaurant The Black Hoof on May 17 over social media.

"The Hoof (now in its 10th year) is so special to me—it's where I learned how to do what I do (so often the hard way)—but it's time," she writes. "I've never approved of closing a busy restaurant, (seems crazy, tbh) but we've said all we have to, and ten years in this business is a LONG F—ING TIME."

Looks like the last day of operation will be Aug. 20, and you can bet the long-revered Hoof will be packed until then as foodies from across the land descend on Dundas Street West for one last taste of the creative cuisine that set the city ablaze.

Agg started the operation in 2008 on Dundas, back when there was nothing of note in the area. After The Black Hoof opened up, slowly but surely the area began its transformation to hip foodie destination. A few of the city's more popular culinary trends over the past decade such as charcuterie and bone marrow were first cooked up in the Black Hoof kitchen.

The Hoof is also known for the many chefs that worked there most notably of course Grant van Gameren who helmed the kitchen during its formative years and famously earned rave reviews from none other than British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay among others. In addition to GVG, other chefs of note to ply their trade at the Hoof stove include Colin Tooke who went on to open Grand Electric as well as Brandon Olsen of La Banane.

Jen Agg also continues to operate Rhum Corner, which opened in 2013 and launched another successful restaurant, Grey Gardens, in Kensington Market in 2016.
Oh, and she published a very popular memoir I Hear She's a Real Bitch. So, yes, she's got a lot going on, part of the reason why Post City magazines named her one of the most inspiring Toronto women of 2017.

According to her comments on the closure, it seems as though the space will remain in her hands and unoccupied until inspiration strikes. And we're pretty sure it will. Credit where credit is due, Agg has been one of the driving forces that shook the fine dining establishment out of its stupor and pushed the local food scene to brave, and extremely delicious, new heights. And, it started with the Black Hoof.

Hey guys! Some more personal news from my own personal media outlet (ITS BIG) pic.twitter.com/qbHz8LLiYx

— Jen Agg (@TheBlackHoof) May 17, 2018

Our local royal expert on the royal wedding and more

8:50 am

Carolyn Harris has become a Canadian expert on royal history, from as far back as Magna Carta to the present day royals. For Harris, royalty isn’t just something that becomes interesting around a royal wedding or another royal baby, it’s her job. Harris says she remembers her interest in royalty developing during a trip to England before her last year of high school at University of Toronto Schools.

“We visited some of the great castles, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court and the Tower of London, and I just found these places absolutely fascinating.”

From there, Harris continued to pursue history in university, and at graduate school at Queen’s University, Harris focused her PhD on the role of the queen during the English Civil Wars and the French Revolution.

“One of my professors recommended me for some media interviews, as the media was interested in scholars who could talk about the history of royal weddings in 2011, when Prince William was engaged to Kate Middleton,” Harris says.

Throughout her PhD, Harris says she kept getting requests for media interviews.

After graduating, she kept up with the media interviews and has since written three books as well as for publications such as the Canadian Encyclopedia, BBC News Magazine, and Smithsonian Magazine among others. She also teaches at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. Harris can list off names, dates and locations of royal members and events casually and confidently from her years of research.

Harris says she thinks the interest in the Royal Family for the public, even those in Canada, comes from a sense of royal history being a family saga.

“Many people who watched William and Harry grow up are now fascinated by the fact that Harry is marrying Meghan Markle and William and Catherine are now the parents of three children, as many people remember William and Harry when they were young and mourning their mother.”

After years of studying the Royal Family in particular, Harris’s expertise gives her a unique perspective on the family.

“Sometimes people have a perception that the monarchy is unchanging and deeply traditional … but in the Queen’s reign alone, we’ve seen many examples of the Royal Family changing with the times,” says Harris.

She cites Prince Harry’s engagement to Meghan Markle — in the 1950s, Princess Margaret decided not to marry someone because he was a divorcee, and Markle has been divorced.

Harris says Markle and Prince Harry will have an impact on the evolution of the Royal Family in other ways, too, such as commissioning a wedding cake with buttercream icing instead of the traditional fruitcake.

“As well, they’re treating the royal wedding as a personal occasion instead of a political occasion. There is usually a wide array of political figures invited, and that’s something that Prince Harry and Meghan have avoided, where they’re inviting friends and family and people they have met through their charity work,” says Harris.

Harris says she has trouble describing exactly what a day in her job looks like, because it’s always something different. Right now, she’s researching members of the Royal Family who lived in Canada for years at a time, and in the summer she’ll be lecturing on a Baltic cruise to St. Petersburg, Russia. In the fall, Harris will teach a course on the Russian Revolution.

11 Davisville Village & Leaside business owners share their secrets to success and love for the neighbourhood.

3:28 pm

Post City X Davisville Village & Leaside

Davisville village and Leaside are vital lifelines of our community. Their shops are some of Toronto's finest, and their business owners are some of Toronto's most exciting entrepreneurs.

Every year we run a special section dedicated to these local shop owners who are as proud of the service they provide as they are of the community in which they work and live.

Here are their stories…

Avadra Laser Studio
Radha Sehgal, Owner
327 Eglinton Ave. E., 416.505.4592

What is going to be hot this spring? This spring, the trends continue to focus on treatments and skincare that are non-invasive and give a fresh, natural look. We are also seeing younger clientele who seek out preventative skin care regimes, so they can avoid potential issues as they age. Skin protection is always essential and products that are chemical free are always sought after. We have brought in a new sunscreen line that is chemical-free called Alumiere. This line is proving to be a popular one amongst our clients.

Greatest advice you ever received? Do your research! There are hundreds of products and procedures on the market today that claim they are the best. At our studio we only offer ones which we have researched ourselves and have been scientifically proven. This allows us to stand behind all of the procedures and products that we offer to the public.

Who is your inspiration/role model? My mother. She taught me to be honest and hardworking in order to achieve your goals. To always have a passion for what you choose to do, no matter what that may be.

Describe your team: Our team consists of medical professionals who specialize in skin care and a physician that provides injectables.

Dolly Jewellers
Alex & Bev Simmons, Owners
1699 Bayview Ave., 416.247.5436

What has been your proudest moment in business? We are very proud when new customers come into the store based on referrals from their friends and family. This tells us we are doing our job well.

Greatest advice ever received? From Dad, “Always be honest and fair with your customers.”

Describe your team: Our team is simple, ”Mom” Bev, “Pop” Alex, our son Chasen, and of course our two resident pooches, Jessie and Lola.

What’s your favourite thing/place in the area? It’s the community of Leaside. We have met so many wonderful people who have become not only clients, but friends. We are truly humbled by the trust they put in us.

What’s your secret to success? Our success is based on honesty, expert product knowledge, good advice, fair pricing, and in providing exceptional customer service. We strive to provide a great experience.

How long have you been in business? We first opened in May of 1946; exactly 72 years ago. We have been the proud owners of our family business since our parents’ retirement in 1992.

Full Education
Michelle Fullerton, OCT
416.305.3001

What’s going to be hot this spring? Studying! With final exams just around the corner, now's the time to make sure your students know how to prepare.

What has been your proudest moment in business? Any time students graduate it's a proud moment for us. They are like our family, so finding out that they got into a post-secondary
program of their choice is so incredibly special.

Greatest advice you ever received? "Feel the fear and do it anyways." It's my mantra for business and for my students: if we don't push ourselves we will never truly know what we are capable of achieving.

What makes your business unique? We understand the needs of students and their families, and work hard to not only ensure that students are learning in a meaningful way, but to fit the needs of their busy lives as well.

Describe your team: We have the best teachers in the business: they're creative, passionate and knowledgeable about how students learn. They love teaching so much that they choose to teach after school too!

Integracare Inc.
Lee Grunberg, President & CEO
396 Moore Ave., 416.421.4243

What has been your proudest moment in business? The proudest moment that I have had as the President & CEO of Integracare was the day that my grandmother was able to return home at age 95 from Bridgepoint Rehab Hospital. Integracare provided my grandmother personal support services, nursing care and physiotherapy after a fall that she had experienced. With Integracare’s services she was able to recover to full health, return home and celebrate her 96th Birthday with all of her grandchildren.

Greatest advice you ever received? Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” I try to bring passion and enthusiasm to every single thing I do at work or in my personal life. At Integracare, our caregivers share an enthusiasm to provide the highest quality home healthcare possible.

Who is your inspiration/role model? I have two books on my desk. The first book is my grandmother’s life story which I transcribed. It includes her escape from Germany prior to WWII. Her perseverance, integrity, strength and loyalty are all characteristics that I try to emulate. The second book is “Four Seasons, The Story of a Business Philosophy” by Isadore Sharp. The culture at Integracare is based heavily on the principles set out in his book. Despite having never met Mr. Sharp; we owe a great deal of our success to him.

Mabel's Fables Bookstore
Eleanor LeFave & Mabel III, Owner
662 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416.322.0438

Why is there a cat in the owner’s photograph? Eleanor LeFave, has owned the bookstore for the last 30 years, but the real boss is Mabel, the cat. Cat owners are a long tradition in real bookstores.

What is your favourite book? All of them. Even though we have two floors of children’s books and a dynamic adult fiction department, we don’t have room for anything that isn’t excellent.

What is your secret to success? We offer a pleasant reading experience for our loyal customers. Our unique signature baby baskets are a wonderful gift and start to create a great reader for life. And with our bookstore arranged by age, all children can grow up discovering all the best from our age departments. Also, customers can always choose that perfect present and we have fancy (and free) gift wrap.

Describe your team: All the Mabel’s booksellers are equally crazy about reading, books, people and their children, and of course, cats. With such a deep knowledge of the books, they are wonderful to listen to and customers thank them a lot.

Do you have a name? Of course I do, I’m Mabel the III. We are approaching our 30th anniversary and planning a big celebration in September. Everyone will be invited.

Mathnasium of Leaside
Kate Murray,Owner
856 Millwood Rd., 647.924.MATH (6284)

What’s hot this spring? Math is always hot! But in the springtime, we definitely see a rush of students coming in hoping to finish the school year strong and ace their exams. As our families look forward to summer, they’re also making sure they carve out some time at Mathnasium to avoid the summer slide!

What has been your proudest moment in business? A student leaned over to me and whispered, “Kate…I think it’s happening…I think I’m becoming crazy about math!”

What makes your business unique? We are math specialists – that’s what we do! We use math as a tool to help build confidence, inspire learning and develop great study skills that can be applied in all areas of life. We make math make sense!

Describe your team: Our team is, quite simply, awesome! A group of awesome people who love math and love helping kids become crazy about math. They are passionate, inspired, funny, creative, warm and, of course, incredibly smart.

What’s your favourite thing/place in the area? I’m quite partial to my neighbours – Today’s Menu helps me feed my family on busy weeknights, and Avoca helps feed my sweet tooth!

Nurse Next Door
Laura Harris and Kris Aiken,Owners
1213 Bayview Ave., Unit 3, 416.836.0563

Describe your team: Our team of caregivers ensures happiness & happier aging are integrated into each of our client's lives. Our doors never close – our centralized booking centre is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure there is always a real person whenever needed. We have a nursing coordinator available 24/7. Our team consists of Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, Personal Support Workers and Physiotherapists.

What’s your secret to success? One of our core values is a passion for making lives better. We work closely with families to guarantee a perfect caregiver match. We allow daughters to be daughters and sons to be sons. There was a time in my life where running my business, caring for my family as well as my aging parents led to a very hectic life full of struggling to find a work-life balance. My parents needed me full-time and I was overwhelmed with guilt when I couldn’t be with them 24/7, juggling between them and my own family’s needs. Nurse Next Door gave me relief as their experienced caregivers were able to care for all of my parents' needs, allowing me to focus on being their daughter and not their care provider too. Nurse Next Door’s caregivers assisted with hygiene, dressing, meal preparation, housekeeping, and more so I could enjoy quality visits with my parents. My own personal experience allows me to truly understand the needs of our clients.

Pet Valu
Ruthe Schipper, Jerry Rotstein and boss Sophie the Yorkie, Owners
95 Laird Ave., Unit 3, 416.425.7387

What makes your business unique? Our Leaside store boasts over 7,000 products including holistic and premium brand products. We provide pet owners with the best selection of pet care items at competitive prices together with friendly and knowledgeable customer service.

Describe your team: Our wonderful staff understands that your pet is a part of your family because we are pet parents too. In addition, all of our staff are trained in pet care and nutrition and use their knowledge and experience to help all of our customers find the right solutions for their pets.

How long have you been in business? In total, 20 years. After 17 years on the Danforth we decided to spread our wings and we opened our second store in North Toronto back in 2012. Since then, with the help of Sophie, our Yorkie and Harley, our Morkie, we have seen our business successfully grow in the heart of this wonderful community called Leaside.

What has been your proudest moment in business? Both Jerry and I have always tried to give back to the community, in the past we’ve partnered with rescues and charities for in-store pet adoptions and pet food bank products. It’s a chance for us to help out and give back to this great community.

The Ritz Men's Haircut
Eli, Owner
1693A Bayview Ave., 416.551.2129

What has been your proudest moment in business? It happens all the time, but I still always feel proud when I hear the wives of my clients say their husbands have received the “best haircut ever” after coming to see me! I know I’ve done a good job if the wife approves!

What makes your business unique? I think it’s the personalized service I provide. I make sure to take my time with each customer, listen to them, and build a relationship. I want to make sure that everyone who leaves my barber’s chair is happy!

Describe your team: I’m a one man show! I do everything from hot towels, shaves and haircuts.

What’s your favourite thing/place in the area? Do I have to pick just one? The area has so much to offer like Cumbrae's, Olive Oil Emporium and Dolly Jewellers. And Flowers Plus has the most beautiful flowers!

What’s your secret to success? My secret to success is a very simple philosophy: Always be happy, keep healthy, and be nice to people.

How long have you been in business? Over 40 years.

Real Estate Sales
Heide Heemsoth
416.571.1901

What’s going to be hot this spring? Davisville is a vibrant neighbourhood with everything you need and more. The house prices remain resilient this spring and condo sales will continue to be "hot." New developments continue to create great opportunities for first time home buyers and empty nesters/downsizers.

Do you have any celebrity customers? My clients' privacy is very important in maintaining trust. I am not only their realtor, I am their confidante. I treat all my clients as if they were "celebrities". Regardless of status, everyone I work with is of equal importance.

What has been your proudest moment in business? I left a company I was with for 24 years to pursue a career in real estate, and one of my first clients wrote me a letter after the sale to tell me how happy they were with the service I provided them, and how I had surpassed their expectations. It was great reassurance!

Greatest advice you ever received? "You must be passionate, you must dedicate yourself, and you must be relentless in the pursuit of your goals. If you do, you will be successful."

Who is your inspiration/role model? My inspiration is my family. They encourage me to be my best self and each one inspires me with their own unique traits.

Sport Swap
Alan Chow, Owner
1541 Bayview Ave., 416.481.7927

What’s going to be hot this spring? The Lower Don Trail reopened after several years of inprovements. The multi-use path connects to downtown, the beach and Lake Ontario.

Do you have any celebrity customers? Over the years we’ve had a few Provincial Premiers shop with us.

What has been your proudest moment in business? A while ago we had a customer drop off her bike for a tune up. She had just been declared cancer free after two years of treatment and the first thing she wanted to do was to go on a bike ride.

Greatest advice you ever received? When dealing with customers you’re building a relationship, not just making a sale.

What makes your business unique? We put the local in local bike shop. We live in the neighbourhood and share the same paths, trails, and roads that our customers and neighbours use.

Who is your inspiration/role model? I have a pretty awesome wife.

Describe your team: We have a great mix of experience and youth. We’re always curious and always willing to learn from our customers’ experiences and needs.

Paul Soles is an epic 90-year-old roommate

10:59 am

Longtime actor Paul Soles was on the ground floor of television in Canada in 1953. He has graced the stages of Toronto and Stratford, Ont., and he’s now starring in CBC’s hilarious web series My 90-Year-Old Roommate.

But back in the 1940s, he attended a now closed Toronto institution called Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute, and it was there that the theatre bug bit him for the very first time.

“There were many great teachers that encouraged me to succeed,” he recalls.

It was around that time that he also began to discover the importance of good scriptwriting.

“If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage.” Soles jokes. “It’s the job of the actor to create a credible human being out of the writing of the author, so it’s hard to make great theatre out of bad writing.”

After high school, Soles went off to university but says all he wanted to do was perform. So he did.

After a few years of performing plays and musicals at the London Little Theatre, London, Ont., Soles got into radio at CFPL where he hosted a daytime current affairs show called Take 30 for 16 years.

There he interviewed Sir Robert Watson Watt, the man who invented radar, and Shorty Bauers, the voice of the American space station in the 1960s.

Finally in 2001 he was able to put the Stratford Festival on his resumé when he landed the iconic role of Shylock in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.

In part, he credits his eventual acceptance to Stratford to his performance in a remount of Macbeth, with Christopher Plummer in its title role.

Soles is now trying his hand at a very interesting web series, with an oddball premise and an equally unpredictable process.

My 90-Year-Old Roommate, features Soles, playing a 90-year-old widower, who takes in his wayward 31-year-old grandson Ethan, played by Ethan Cole.

The show is entirely improvised and navigates modern issues with some very compelling multi-generational viewpoints.

For instance, what would your grandparents think of Tinder, or “ghosting”? And how would mall walking with the elderly be augmented by the presence of a cocky thirtysomething? Needless to say, it’s silly, yet poignant stuff. The binge-worthy second season started streaming on April 26.

Soles has acted in many great roles on the big and small screen, and he’s a noted voice actor and personality, but through it all he sees a thread of continuity.

Regardless of the medium, the method or the particulars, it’s still just telling stories.

“First it was film, then videotape, then digital. Other than that, not much has changed. We’re still trying to prove the honesty of the character, still trying to compel the audience. Regardless of the medium, the stories are the same,” he says.

12 ways to spoil Mom (under $300)

1:41 pm

Shaynee’s Gift Selections carries one of the most extensive collection of Michael Aram in Toronto. The Palm Collection is inspired by the beauty of the palm tree. Each piece is lovingly made using traditional techniques, including the antique gold finishes of this collection. Michael Aram Palm Bowl.
SHAYNEE’S GIFT SELECTIONS 3501 Bathurst St, 416 787 4497; 441 Clark Ave. W, 905-709 0430
Price on request

Founded in 2010 MOTHER denim plays off the idea of duality; nurturing or a cuss. From core fits, to stripes, destruction and everything in-between, we are sure you will fine the fit and style you’re looking for. Prices start at $266/pair.
PAOLA DI 3357 Yonge St, 416 322 0430

Celebrating 35 years of your "support". Dedicating ourselves to educating women about fit, function, & comfort. “Tom” is the Marie Jo L'Aventure classic. For spring this trendy stylish denim tweed is the height of refinement. This Mothers Day, give the gift of great style & support! Marie Jo L'Aventure “Tom” in Denim
LEGS PLUS & BRA BOUTIQUE, 5867 Leslie Street, 416 497 2350
$121

Visit Matsu for an array of North American handmade jewellery. 20-30% off storewide or buy online 15% off (use coupon code MOTHER2018) May 5-13, 2018. This Isla de la Perla ring is $215.00 (regular price).
MATSU JEWELLERY 9 Castlefield Avenue 416 487 6345

The Ayurvedic Facial and Indian Head Massage is the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenating detoxification. Treat Mom to an inner journey of awareness, full rejuvenation of the mind, and cleansing of the skin customized for Mom’s individual experience, mind and body type. Ayurveda Facial and Indian Head Massage Rejuvenation, $160
AYURVEDA RITUALS 1081 Bathurst Street, 426-504-6049

This beautiful t-shirt nursing bra comes in peony (pictured) and spruce. Available at Evymama in cup sizes B to J. Perfect for the expectant or new Mother. Bella Materna sexy t-shirt nursing bra, $125
EVYMAMA 1345 St. Clair Avenue West 416 465 9991

For women who want to wear a comfortable sandal but still want them to be fashionable, the Luna sandal made by Papillio is for you! This brand is part of the Birkenstock family & shares the same contoured, natural cork and latex footbed design. The Luna sandal features a platform sole is adjustable and beautifully designed. $189.98 plus tax
CIRCLE SHOES 2597 Yonge Street, 416 4894379

What your Mom wants most is to spend a little time with the ones she loves. So, this Mother's Day, dress her up and take her somewhere special! Our comfortable, stylish and Canadian-made Keaton dress takes care of the 'dress her up' part. Now, where are you going to go?! Keaton Shift Dress, $168
MANDALA DESIGN 1024 St. Clair Ave. W, 647 346 6225

Kaneshige's new line of knives, the Kaeai V-Gold, is the perfect gift for mothers who love to cook. With a tsuchime (hammered) stainless steel finish & custom oak & ebony oval handles, choose from the santoku (all-purpose) & the nakiri (vegetable) knife. Kaneshige Keiai V-Gold Santoku or Nakiri $275
TOSHO KNIFE ARTS 934 Bathurst St, 647 722 6329

Give mom the gift of style this Mother’s Day from Blowdry Lounge – Toronto’s premiere 'Blowdry' salon. Designed to maintain healthy and styled hair in between haircuts and colours, treat Mom with our Mother’s Day Gift Package Special – purchase 5 signature blowouts and save $25! Packages starting at: $200
BLOWDRY LOUNGE 3 Locations

Discover a new obsession.. And a perfect gift for Mom. Dana Jordan presents MacKenzie-Childs. For the Love of Home. Fresh, Witty Design. A charming kettle with a steel under- body, covered in an ivory and onyx hand-painted enamel checkerboard. Courtly Check Kettle $209
DANA JORDAN 2901 Bayview Avenue 416-512-2474

This Mothers Day let your mom experience a whole new feeling of renewed skin with The Award Winning HYDRAFACIAL MDTM. Lets treat her to one of our best kept beauty secrets to match how stunning she is inside. Free manicure with the purchase of a HYDRAFACIALTM. From $199
JOLIE BEAUTY BAR 1896 Avenue Rd. 416 782 8897

Editor's note: Toronto will overcome, it’s what we do

12:58 pm

I’m writing this column two days after the tragic, violent attack on Yonge Street that left 10 people dead and many more injured. It’s overwhelming to think about, and impossible to ignore. It will shape us for years to come.

What makes it particularly challenging for me to write about this is that the magazine in which this editorial will run won’t be out for another week. So it’s an interesting exercise to imagine how far we will have come by then. Here is my hope for where we will be.

We will begin the process of healing and reflection and hug the heck out of our loved ones. There was a vigil scheduled for the night of Sunday, April 29, and I expect there was a massive outpouring of support and solidarity.

We may have already begun the important task of memorializing those we lost.

And I hope we will take the time to recognize the amazing amidst the awful. Within moments of the tragic events, along with overwhelming grief, anger and sadness, stories of hope emerged.

We learned of the incredibly brave police officer Ken Lam facing down the suspect as well as the dozens and dozens of first responders on the scene and the people of all shapes, sizes and colours helping other people. Neighbours pulled neighbours out of harm’s way, letting them into their homes to relax and collect themselves, passing out bottled water in the heat and so much more.

It’s what we do.

Along with honouring those we lost, we should take the time to salute the heroes we found.

I hope we will all decide to turn toward each other instead of turning away.

By now, many will have seen a very short news clip of a man who, when asked if his day-to-day life was going to change, responded with warmth and honesty that he “feels the need to be kind to people, to go out of my way not to miss opportunities to do good.”

By the time you read this, maybe you’ll have experienced this rise of Toronto the Good in your own lives and in turn paid that forward. I know I will.
It’s what we do.

I hope the anger does not get the better of us and we don’t lose the opportunity to talk about what we can improve upon. This is an opportunity to talk about the mental health crisis in our city and about how important it is to not leave people behind, to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks. And to talk more seriously about keeping people safe in our public space.
If any city can bounce back from something like this, it’s Toronto and area because we are all in this together. We learned a long time ago that we are stronger when we are united.

It’s what we do.

1 234...433 Page 3 of 433