Franco Mirabelli's blog: Just shoot me

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9:36 am

We just put to bed the photos to our latest advertising campaign for the Spring/Summer 2010 Collection. It seems like Spring 2010 is so far away but it’s only six months from being delivered to the stores.

I always try to shoot our campaigns here in Toronto. When it comes to choosing a fashion photographer, a hair and makeup artist, stylists, I really believe in the quality of our local talent.

However, shooting in the city can sometimes be a challenge as I want locations that are special and not over-used or over-exposed.

This season, we were lucky enough to use the home of two of my best friends, Mary Garofalo (host of the wildly popular 16 x 9 television show on Global TV) and her husband, Angelo MacDonald (uber-trial lawyer from New York City). They own the old gate house to the Eaton family estate, in the Casa Loma area of town. The house is about 100 years old and just feels grand. I love homes with old-world character, they exude charm and warmth.

I assembled the key people that will work on the campaign: photographer David Hou, makeup and hair artist Jackie Gideon, and my wife, Nancy. We then begin the search for a fresh face that will help convey the contemporary modern feel of the clothes I design.

This season we used Leanne Proctor, an Elmer Olsen model. Olsen is the model agent credited with discovering supermodel, Daria Werbowy. We think that Leanne is going to be the next great one, so it’s a coup if we can use her now before she leaves for New York or Paris and explodes by launching the next great photo campaign for a large multinational company.

The shoot was a success. The weather worked in our favour and we were very lucky to turn an early autumn day into perfect summer light. Hope you like it.

With three corporate stores in Toronto, Franco Mirabelli continues to distinguish himself as one of Canada’s strongest fashion talents. Keep up with him by following his weekly blog at PostCity.com or by visiting mirabelli.com.

Mark McEwan's blog: A little space to call my own

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8:39 am

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“Last year when I was overseeing the layout and design for McEwan Fine Foods it occurred to me that with 20,000 square feet on hand I could probably spare a few for myself. And so it came to be that this spring, after nineteen years in the cramped basement of North 44, I got my first office with a window on the open sky. I like that — but what I like most about my new h.q. up on the second floor of my store is that whenever I have a spare moment I can take a walk through my kitchen next door, and around the aisles of the shop below, and check in on how things are coming along. So far as I can tell they are coming along pretty nicely.

McEwan Fine Foods has been a huge project and it will always continue to be. But whenever I take a walk-about, one of my tours of inspection, I try and focus on the original idea, on what got me started on this course. As you might suspect it’s not laundry detergent or cat litter brands that get me excited — it’s our food offerings, and above all else our prepared foods. This is the product category in which I always thought Torontonians were badly underserviced. And this is where I thought that our restaurant and catering experience would help us excel, and set us far apart from the crowd.

Other supermarkets sell sliced “home-style” roast beef; we roast the finest USDA Prime Black Angus beef we know how to source, season it the same we do at any of our award restaurants and slice it to order. You fancy a curry for lunch and you’ll find a half-dozen varieties stewed that morning in our kitchen upstairs.

Our take on the panini-on-the-go is a crisp sandwich stuffed full of our succulent veal-and-beef meatloaf dressed up with melted cheddar, caramelised onion and our rich barbecue sauce. And if you want something a little more elevated our “Restaurant Meal Replacements” — or “RMRs” as we call them around here — run the gamut from a rustic roast chicken to a spring lamb stew executed with the lightness and precision you might well expect from a group of chefs who also do time at the kitchens of One, Bymark and North 44.

McEwan is a work in progress. There is a lot more to come. But as long as I’m having lunch here every day — and sometimes breakfast, and even dinner too — we’re going to keep building on this great base really fast.

Celebrity chef Mark McEwan is the force behind some of Toronto’s finest restaurants, including Bymark, North 44 and One Restaurant. His latest venture, McEwan, is a gourmet food market at the Shops at Don Mills.

Brad Lamb's blog: East end is where the action is

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8:19 am

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Toronto’s real estate market is on fire. Every single neighbourhood in the central core is witnessing severe shortages of supply and consequently significant price increases. Is relief in sight, perhaps a double dip?

I don’t see it. It is likely that our economy and that of the world will continue to recover for the better. Real estate prices are leading indicators, meaning they foretell the future of the economy. It will likely get more expensive everywhere for several more years.

Where are this city’s bargains? My pick is the area east of Sherbourne, south of Queen, west of Leslie, and north of Front. In simple terms, the east end is where the action is.

Brad is recognized as one of this country’s most influential real estate professionals. To date, he has been involved in over 13,000 condo sales for over $3.5 billion dollars. For more information on Brad J. Lamb Realty Inc. click here.

Biana Zorich and Marc Thuet's blog: Ex-cons to gospel choirs

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2:45 pm

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September is here and the stage is set for an exciting fall season. The kids are back in school and we’re busy catering parties for TIFF. At the restaurant on King, it’s back to business after taking time this summer to launch our second location of Petite Thuet at King and Yonge, creating a new cookbook and enjoying our annual end-of-summer tradition of pickling and preserving. This year’s standout batches include: peaches, apricots, beans, and new cucumber jam (very tasty!).

This month also marks the debut of our new TV show, Conviction Kitchen, airing on Sunday nights on City TV at 10PM.

Filmed last spring, the show follows us (literally…for months we couldn’t turn around without bumping into a camera) as we hire, fire and train a staff of recently released ex-convicts in search of a second chance. We were really inspired by the thought of helping people turn a new chapter in their lives. So, like in everything we do, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. At times, tempers flared. In the kitchen, flames flared. And sometimes, we lost our cool. But judging by the overwhelmingly positive reaction of our family and friends who gathered together the other night to watch the first episode, I can now say it was all worth it, and mean it.

We took a gamble and put the reputation of our business on the line. We weren’t so worried about our personal reputations. Sure, there’s no shortage of swearing but at the end of the day I knew we were in this for the right reasons and I was hopeful that this would come across in the series. But business is business and this business is our lives. The prospect of turning over our kitchen and dining room to a cast of ex-cons who had never dined in a restaurant such as ours, let alone work in one, was a daunting challenge to say the least. However, the dedication of everyone involved pushed us through the obstacles. Now as viewers and guests of the restaurant will see, we truly are one big, extended family.

It was a slightly surreal experience watching the show in the same space where we spent so many months being filmed. There were times both of us were surprised by what we saw or about something we said in the heat of the moment. But because it’s a documentary, there were no retakes (or hair and make-up people for that matter!). It’s true what they say, “what you see is what you get." The show is an honest look at the often times hectic but always exciting life in the restaurant industry. Here’s a clip.

We are excited to share our thoughts and experiences with you through this blog. We’ll be sure to update it regularly and promise to share some of our most-requested recipes of the season in this space as well as more on our adventures and culinary pursuits. We’ve got a delicious fall menu in the works for Conviction featuring traditional faves like Cassoulet de Toulouse, the chef’s famous choucroute, short ribs and much more. Also back by popular demand is Gospel Sundays, our unique brunch experience featuring the soul-stirring sounds of a gospel choir. Join us and book your reservation by calling 416-603-2777.

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for more to come.

World-renowned executive chef, Marc Thuet, and his wife and business partner, Biana Zorich, will be blogging weekly for PostCity.com about their new show and restaurant.

Olympian Josée Chouinard on getting your kids on the ice

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12:06 pm

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When filling those after-school hours, sports programs are a great option, but even experts have trouble deciding on the best fit for their kids.

“I’m right in there … thinking about that for my own kids, ” says Chouinard from her car on the road home from Quebec where she attended a competition with young members of Toronto’s exclusive Granite Club.

Chouinard has four-year-old twins and says deciding what sports to put them into takes serious thought. At the same time, she believes there are some that are primarily important.

“It’s like, if you’re Canadian,” she says, “you kind of have to know how to skate and you kind of have to know how to swim for safety reasons.” Her own kids have been on the ice and in the water already, but she’s keeping it casual. “It really is recreational at this point,” she says. “It’s just fun for them to know some different sports. I was thinking of putting them into soccer this summer, but I think that can wait until next year.”

Chouinard says she’s still trying to get a sense of who her kids will ultimately be. “Like, do they like individual sports? Are they more team sport oriented? They did gymnastics, too, even before skating.”

In fact, Chouinard put her children into a tot-mom gymnastics program before their second birthday and certainly before she laced them into their first skates.

“It teaches them to listen to a teacher, to take instruction from someone other than their mum. And it also teaches them agility and coordination in a fun, play environment,” she explains. “In some ways, it’s very similar to if they go to play in a park, climb and slide and all that.… Plus, it’s a warm environment.”

Chouinard says keeping little ones warm is key if you want them to enjoy their early days in sports. Being cold isn’t fun and can negatively influence children, causing them to dislike various sports without giving those activities a real chance. Chouinard herself remembers her early days in an outdoor swimming pool and on the ice, and how feeling cold kept her from loving the experiences completely.

Though she became a beloved Canadian champion, Chouinard got into skating relatively late. Beginning when she was seven, she didn’t transition from recreational to competitive until she was nearly ten years old. It was her recreational instructor who noticed her talent and approached her parents to suggest that they get her a more advanced teacher, though at the time there were no guarantees.

“I was doing ballet, and I was doing swimming, and I was playing volleyball at the same time. I was very athletic,” she says. “So it’s hard to say what would have happened. I was very athletic at a young age, and I can see that in my kids, too. It’s hard to know if your kids are just athletic or if there’s something more.”

All that said, Chouinard says there are definite benefits to getting your kids on the ice early.

“I think figure skating is the best way to learn the basics of skating,” she says. “Wherever you take it — to speed skating, to hockey or to more figure skating — it is a great way to start.”

She suggests that little boys learn to skate on blades with toe picks. “It’s a little bit easier to go from figure skates to hockey skates than it is to go from hockey to figure skates,” she explains. Skating is also a good start on the road to skiing. For one thing, “it’s a lot easier to go to a rink than it is to go to a ski hill.” And the balance and stability they learn will help them on the mountain.

If it happens that your kids do have exceptional talent, desire and determination, you should feel free to test competitive waters, but Chouinard warns parents to be careful: “A coach can be replaced,” she says, “but not a parent.” Be supportive, but remember your role. “Stay a parent,” she says.

East Coast sensation ready for national acclaim

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11:48 am

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Amelia Curran is destined to become the next great breakout artist from the East Coast. Her latest CD, and first label effort, Hunter Hunter, is her finest to date and should be enough to propel her career to the national level.

Born and raised in St. John’s, Nfld., Curran picked up the guitar and started writing songs when she was 1, and took to busking on Water Street at 18.

“Music is tricky. It wasn’t like a lightning bolt struck or anything,” says Curran, of her decision to pursue music. “I was busking on the street in St. John’s when I was young, and it was just a natural flow — open mics, then hosting open mics, then I moved to Nova Scotia in 1999.”

While in Nova Scotia, Curran recorded four albums she released independently, the latest of which, War Brides, was re-released on Six Shooter Records last year. She has been nominated for a number of East Coast Music Awards and has garnered quite a following in the local scene. But her talent is far beyond that of a regional artist.

Curran gravitated to the legendary lyrics of crooner Leonard Cohen during her formative years. “That man can really paint a picture. I admire that in all his writing,” says Curran. “He’s inspiring, his writing is just second to none.”

Though not easily comparable, Curran’s emotional lyrics and ability to evoke strong images demands attention. Throw in the throaty growl and barroom philosophy of Tom Waits and the folk stylings of artists such as Kathleen Edwards, and one begins to get a clear idea of Curran’s talent.

“I don’t mind saying I’m a pretty sensitive and emotional person,” says Curran, of her moving lyrics. “I could write a sad song about spilt milk if I had to.”

But Curran adds a generous serving of booze and blues and darkness to balance the musical equation. “It is very pointed and a little bit dark,” says Curran of the new album. “You have to search for the light. It is there, the positivity is there, but I’m not going to make it easy. You have to trudge through it for a while.”

She says she tends to write in themes rather than day-to-day subject matter. With Hunter, Hunter, Curran writes of self, memory, forgiveness and desire.

“There is a reason matters of the heart have been the subject for artists for centuries,” says Curran. “It is uncontrollable and owns us. Even to give up on love is to break one’s own heart, which in itself is a precious part of love.”

Although Curran’s fifth album (The first and second are no longer available, so don’t look), this is her first release on a “bona fide” record label: Toronto’s Six Shooter Records. Martin Tielli, her label mate and former member of seminal rock band the Rheostatics, designed the artwork for the cover.

“It is intimidating at first to make,” says Curran of her first foray into making music with a record label behind her. “I’ve never had to report to anyone, but everyone has been so great.”

T.O. area fastest growing region in North America

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11:30 am

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According to author and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, the world is flat. By this, he means the planet has effectively become seamless as a result of globalization and the interconnections brought about by email, cheap transcontinental flights, and the easy flow of goods and services across borders.

Economic geographer Richard Florida believes otherwise. In his best-selling book Who’s Your City?, Florida argues that the world is a “spiky place,” characterized by a concentration of economic activity, innovation, and resulting prosperity in a relatively small number of urban hot spots around the planet.

“In terms of both sheer economic horse-power and cutting-edge innovation, today’s global economy is powered by a surprisingly small number of places,” Florida writes. “The tallest spikes — the cities and regions that drive the world economy — are growing ever higher, while the valleys — places that boast little, if any, economic activity — mostly languish.”

This is especially true in Canada. Despite being a vast nation of mountains, forests, and ice, where wilderness and wildlife feature prominently in what Florida calls our “nature-loving, outdoorsy culture,” Canada is an urban society. Close to 80 per cent of Canadians live in cities, and more than half of our country’s economic wealth is generated in five metropolitan areas (Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary and Montreal) while rural and resource-based communities in the nation’s heartland remain economically vulnerable.

Florida believes the concentration of people, and especially newcomers, in these urban areas has generated many desirable benefits, such as scientific advancements; explosions of creativity in art, writing, and music; and thousands of jobs in the emerging green-tech sector.

Although Canadian cities have emerged as centres of human capital, their growth has had a devastating impact on natural capital — ecosystems such as forests, wetlands and rivers that sustain the health and well-being of the very people who live there.

Take the Golden Horseshoe, a large area that encompasses the Niagara Peninsula, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo and the region’s anchor, the Greater Toronto Area.

Nearly a quarter of Canada’s population lives here, in the fastest growing region in North America. Florida heaps praise upon this densely populated corridor, citing its successful high-tech companies, access to venture capital, world-class universities, ethnic diversity and lively arts and culture.

It is a vibrant place. But this mega-region has come together largely in an unplanned mess of urban sprawl. A once diverse mosaic of woodlands, wetlands and towns, productive farmland has been replaced with a seemingly endless expanse of built-up areas, crisscrossed with hydro lines, highways, and trophy homes.

A David Suzuki Foundation report released last year concluded that an alarming 16 per cent of farmland in the Greater Toronto Area was lost to urban encroachment between 1996 and 2001. This represents the loss of thousands of hectares of some of the most fertile soils in all of Canada, something we should all be concerned about if we want to maintain local food security and minimize the environmental costs such as long distance transportation of food.

I spent part of my childhood in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe. And I have fond memories of the place before it became one of the world’s urban mega-regions. I believe that while urban growth and development can foster wealth generation, innovation, science and the achievements that Florida praises, only “smart growth” can enhance our quality of life while preserving the natural environment and our precious agricultural soils.

Post City Magazines’ environmental columnist, David Suzuki, is the host of the CBC’s The Nature of Things. David is also the author of more than 30 books on ecology.

Wendy Woods' blog: The upside of down

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12:56 pm

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Shopgirls Gallery Boutique, located at 1342 Queen Street West, is a gorgeous space filled with fabulous Canadian designs. Stacey Zhang, from Montreal, is one of the newest additions to the Shopgirls roster, and her pieces are flying off the shelves!

My favourite piece this season is a down-filled winter coat, which is a fabulous investment piece for cold Toronto winters. With its cinched waist, this coat is the most figure flattering down coat I have seen – and the dramatic hood adds flair to an otherwise simple garment. Exquisite!

Another piece I love for its versatility is a lacy billowing top. This top can be worn with a sexy skirt for an evening on the town or with jeans and a sweater for brunch with the girls. Whatever you pair it with, it always looks stunning and a little bit flirty!

In a ShopGirls fashion show I recently styled real women and paired 10 of the 15 models with Stacy Zhang pieces– two of whom are pictured above. With each of the women ranging in age, shape, size, and character, the show was a true testament that Stacey Zhang’s designs appeal to women from all walks of life!

Always on the lookout for the next fabulous piece!

As a personal style coach with THE REFINERY, Wendy Woods translates the world of fashion into a personal style that makes her clients shine! A true expert in her field, Wendy has been featured on CosmoTV, SunTV, CTS, Sweetspot, BlogTO, Yummy Mummy, Modern Urban Mom Magazine — amongst others. She holds workshops at boutiques around the GTA, and for students at McMaster University, York University, and Seneca College. Through Wendy’s guidance, her clients discover their own REFINED. sense of style and a new found confidence in themselves.

Patrick McMurray's blog: Shell-shocked

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3:08 pm

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September is the month of rejuvenation in the food world. Yes, I know that the spring is more fun, awakening from the cold depths of winter’s icy grip, and all of that summer heat to look forward to. The spring treats of fiddleheads, asparagus, maple syrup, and soft shell crab, are lovely and all, but limiting, as the rest of the palate of food buggers off for summer growth and reproduction.

During autumn in the oyster world, which is the place where I reside, the oysters and variety of such fruits of the sea, are just starting to wake up. The waters are cooling down, the summer spawn has ceased, and the oysters are finished rutting in the bays and inlets of the Northern Hemisphere’s coastline. They start to fatten up — filter feeding like mad and storing the glycogen for the winter that’s coming up. What that means for you is that the oyster gets fat, plump, and sweet — perfect little morsels reflecting the tastes and nuances of the waters that have raised them for the past five years.

For me, September brings about Oyster Season.

"Don’t eat oysters in months without an R" — that age old "fish-tale" from the 1500s — ends in September, the first month of the oyster availability calendar. Oyster festivals around the globe focus on celebrating the bivalve’s tasty and bountiful harvest every weekend from Sept. 1 to mid-November, and I have a hard time staying put in Toronto as the invites come in.

Hillsborough, Ireland, Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Galway, Ireland for September alone, means that of the four weekends of September, I’m out visiting growers, speaking at conferences, and shucking at contests. The more I go out to the source of the seafood, however, only ensures that we get the best product available. So even thought I run about a bit in September, the result looks great for the seafood that we will be able to get throughout the year.

We are very fortunate in Toronto. With our population’s diversity, and our general love of food, we get a great variety of seafood in town. You wouldn’t think it, being such a land-locked city, but Toronto hosts one of the widest selections of oysters you can get in the world! Not only do we get oysters from all around North America, we can order from as far away as Ireland, France, New Zealand, and soon Australia. You can’t get that in the States, due to different import regulations, so belly up to the bar and be proud that you live in Toronto — for seafood! Go figure!

I am Patrick McMurray. World Champion Oyster Shucker, owner of Starfish Oyster bed & Grill, and The Ceili Cottage. I’m born and raised in East York, off the banks of the Taylor crick. The love of food and travel comes from my parents. The love of oysters, and ability to shuck them and hold a conversation, comes from years of practice. Luckily, I love my "work" to a point that it does not feel like a job, so I am one of the fortunate ones. I like all food — which makes it hard for me to be critical at times, but will encourage you to try it all — no matter what it is, or where it comes from. I hope you will read on and delve into this oystery restaurant world that i live in — you are most welcome.

I’m just back from Hillsborough, and off to Charlottetown, and will tell stories of those places very soon.

Here comes the Fall. Put on a sweater, the harvest is in. Find out what your local (and not so local) farmer has in store for you.

Patrick McMurray is the owner of Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill and The Ceili Cottage. He is also a World Champion Oyster Shucker. Catch his blog weekly at PostCity.com.

Franco Mirabelli's blog: Hot items for fall

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1:56 pm

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Hello Post City readers and welcome to my first blog for the magazine.

I hope you enjoy my insights into the world of fashion and the day-to-day life of a Canadian clothing designer.

Many of you know me as a Toronto-born designer of women’s wear and as the owner of the Mirabelli boutiques in the city for over 20 years.

What you may not know is that we also sell the Franco Mirabelli collection to stores across Canada and the United States. As a result, my career takes me travelling. And that has introduced me to some of the most engaging people and entertaining social situations.

I was just in Vancouver launching our new Spring/Summer collection for 2010 with my agent to our wholesale customers. It seems funny to be talking about Spring 2010 when Fall 2009 isn’t quite underway. But this is what my life is all about.

I work in three seasons at one time. In the heart of summer 2009, I was planning and designing spring/summer 2010. We are currently shipping Fall/Winter 2009 orders to stores, we’ve started showing the new Spring/Summer 2010 to specialty stores, and I’m in the middle of reviewing fabrics for our Fall/Winter 2010/11.

Take a look at the what we have in store for you this fall at my Mirabelli stores. My passion is fabric and this fall there’s a great emphasis on richly textured knits and great nubbly tweeds and checks.

Next week, I’ll give you a sneak peek at spring.

Ciao for now.

With three corporate stores in Toronto, Franco Mirabelli continues to distinguish himself as one of Canada’s strongest fashion talents. Keep up with him by following his weekly blog at PostCity.com or by visiting mirabelli.com.

Liisa Winkler's blog: How to get in his pants

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10:31 am

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Since having my second child, I have been getting up early, throwing my hair in a braid and dressing in what my daughter refers to as my "daytime jammies." This consists of a button down shirt (for easy access) and track pants in a variety of drab colours. But this time, as I walk to the park in my smashing ensemble, I feel that I need my jeans back. This look has gone on long enough.

As I reflect, it has been almost a year since I wore some decently fitting, stylish jeans. Looking around me, I see a virtual fashion show of denim and immediately hone in on what is to become my latest obsession… "boyfriend jeans."

These are essentially the jeans that I wore in high school hanging dangerously low off my bony hips… Just a bit more strategically distressed and ten times more expensive and of course cool. I must find me some.
The Gap has a big sign advertising their "boyfriend jeans", so as soon as the baby is fed, I walk over and give them a try. The fit is OK, but I dont like the obvious "distressing." They seem to be trying too hard for that very relaxed "hope you dont mind if I borrow these old jeans while mine are in the wash" look.

Levis makes an almost perfect pair for $98. The sales lady says that they are "boyfriend jeans" and the label says "501- Straight leg, Buttonfly". Love the light color and the fading and distressing is perfect! But somehow I can’t get excited about the rather stiff and saggy crotch.. guess I am growing a little too fond of my "daytime jammies."

Heading back home empty handed I have three more thoughts…. 1- I could spend $200 and get that perfect pair of "designer boyfriends" 2- I could just swipe a pair of my husbands jeans and he probably would not even notice. 3- Is it ok to call them boyfriend jeans if I have a husband? Is that like cheating?

Turns out I had that perfect pair sitting in the bottom of my closet all along.. may even be leftovers from high school.. I now frequent the park in my cooler than cool jeans and feel happy that not much has changed since high school and what comes around does actually go around.

Liisa Winkler is one of Canada’s biggest supermodels and mother of two beautiful children. Her blog appears bi-monthly at Postcity.com.

So a guy walks into a bar…

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12:00 am

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MISTER MOCKERY

COLIN MOCHRIE

Q: Who would win in an arm wrestle: you or Jeff Foxworthy?

I am highly competitive, have strong forearms and am a big cheater. I would win.

Q: What’s the best recovery technique when a joke bombs?

I personally wouldn’t know. I’ll have to ask Brad Sherwood.

Q: What can we expect of your show at Just For Laughs?

We like to say it’s a live version of Whose Line — without the tall guy, the black guy or the rich guy. Everything starts with the audience, with audience members onstage, totally improvised — then hilarity ensues.

FIGHTIN’ WORDS

DANNY BHOY

Q: What should we know about Scotland?

That actually we invented ice hockey. Wow! Calm down. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Q: How are Canadians and Scots similar?

We both have to tell people that we’re not from where they think we’re from whenever we travel abroad.

Q: How did you get your start as a comedian?

Basically, I spent most of my childhood being thrown out of class for trying to be funny. A more precise answer would be that I got up onstage one night in Edinburgh, when I was drunk in 1999, and told some jokes.

PARLIAMENT PRANKSTER

SHAUN MAJUMDER

Q: If you were prime minister for a day, what would you change?

The length of the term in office.

Q: What’s the latest trend in stand-up?

There’s a solid trend of solid colours with subtle accessories, like funny-sounding parents and a fish-out-of-water story, that can sometimes cause one to feel compassion for the plight of the performer.

MISS MANNERS

DEBRA DIGIOVANNI

Q: With so many star comedians in town, what part of our city are you most proud to show off?

Toronto’s hot guys. Seriously, we are an alarmingly attractive city, and not only are the men cute, they’ll also smile at you!

Q: If you weren’t a comedian, what would you be?

In a mental institution. Or a high school art teacher.

Q: Name a star you want to marry.

Shia LeBeouf. That kid needs to be taught some manners, and I’m the one to do it.

BORN AND CRAZED

JEREMY HOTZ

Q: What do you tell people about your beloved Toronto?

That it’s the capital of Chinatown.

Q: Why are you so damned funny?

Because I can’t dance.

Q: What is the most hilarious reaction someone’s ever had to one of your jokes?

One guy laughed so hard his glass eye popped out and rolled across the stage. It was hilarious until I had to go get it.