The man rebuilding The Bridle Path

8:59 am

Since 2000, Paul Miklas, of Valleymede Homes, has transformed the Bridle Path neighbourhood with his unique and breathtaking custom-built mansions. After 16 completed projects and a 40,000-square-foot home ready for delivery, he has just broken ground on his biggest and the country’s biggest project to date: A mansion that clocks in at a mammoth 50,000 square feet.

“This is going to be the pinnacle for us,” said Miklas.

The home is located on High Point Road, on what the builder said is the most desirable stretch of the city’s most upscale enclave. In addition, Valleymede Homes has two more homes over 30,000 square feet in the works in the same neighbourhood.

Miklas, who starred, along with his wife Holly, in the HGTV series Mansion as well as a web-based version of Dragons’ Den for CBC, started out as a carpenter and then site supervisor for Green Park Homes, Canada’s largest building company. He started Valleymede when he was just 26 and built his first home in The Bridle Path 17 years ago.

Building lots in the area go for upwards of $7 million, with the most coveted locale being the south end of High Point and Park Lane Circle.

The Bridle Path neighbourhood has its share of celebrity inhabitants but received a boost in reputation when it was confirmed that hip-hop icon Drake was building a home, one that Miklas was originally approached to build.

As Miklas explained, most of his clientele are now from Beijing, China, where Valleymede is enjoying a growing reputation thanks in part to his Dragons’ Den series airing there.

For his current 40,000-square-foot home, it is a two-and-a-half-year project from drawing to the final nail. The home is unique for many reasons, perhapsthe most startling being the gigantic 80-foot indoor pool.

“It’s the biggest we’ve ever done,” said Miklas, of the pool housed in a separate wing extending to the south of the main building.

The home also has a cutting-edge mechanical and electrical system including natural gas generators.

“You can run the whole house if the power goes out,” he said.

Miklas’s budget for the project is around $26 million not including the cost of the land. But as he explained, the homes he builds have enjoyed built-in equity. Just like when a condominium unit appreciates during the long construction process, a Valleymede home can as well. In fact, Miklas revealed that another buyer from Beijing offered to buy the 40,000-square-foot home for $40 million outright, but the owners refused.

When finished, the mansion will be home to six residents, including a young child, as well as approximately four staff.

Graduates: From Rio to Tokyo 2020

9:21 am

Olympian Kristina May first played volleyball while attending Havergal College, although she didn’t take it too seriously.

“I wasn’t one of those crazy, sport nut kids who try everything,” she says. “My family was really into mountain biking and cross-country skiing, so I did that.”

After graduating from Havergal, May went to the University of Toronto to study linguistics and played on the varsity volleyball team during that time. Her coach suggested she try beach volleyball in the summer to improve her skills.

“I was definitely a bench warmer, so she told me to go out in the summer and use that time to get better, and I discovered that I just loved beach volleyball,” May says.

Although she had never played the sport before university, she knew she wanted to try her best to make a career out of it. In 2010, she tried out for the national team right after graduating from U of T and made it, but her Olympic dream was still far away.

“To make it to the Olympics, you have to be ranked top 16 in the world,” she says. “You have to prove yourself on an international stage, and only two teams per country can go to the Olympics, so you have to be the top two in Canada.”

And prove herself she did, as she and then partner Jamie Broder were chosen as the second Canadian women’s beach volleyball team to qualify for Rio 2016 in June of last year, though the Olympic qualification process started back in April 2015.

“It was, first of all, a goal that I was even too shy to say out loud at the beginning of my career because I wasn’t that good, and I hoped, like anyone who wants to pursue a sport full-time, that you’re going to make it to the Olympics,” says May of aiming for Rio.

May and Broder placed ninth overall at the Olympics, which is a career highlight for the pair, as was their record 2015 win.

“That was in Fuzhou, China, in 2015, and we won a tournament on the world tour, which had never been done by Canadian women up until that point. That was pretty amazing,” she says.

Now May has a new partner, Taylor Pischke, who she’s building a relationship with.

“After the Olympics, a lot of the teams will break up and try things,” says May of her new partnership.

They’ve been training together since January and have competed in eight tournaments, with their eyes on Tokyo 2020.

“We’re both tall, which is such a big advantage, and some teams are actually doing what we did, taking two taller people who used to play at the net and sort of sharing the responsibility of taking over the whole court. It’s been interesting. It’s been a fun year,” says May.

Although she’s excited for her new partnership with Pischke, May stays in touch with Broder.

“We’re very good friends still.”

Midtown stars speak out about Weinstein encounters

1:34 pm

Last month, Forest Hill actor Mia Kirshner and North York filmmaker Sarah Polley came forward with personal accounts of inappropriate encounters with Harvey Weinstein, one week after the New York Times published a story detailing allegations of decades of sexual harassment against him. Polley, who wrote an op-ed in the New York Times, explained how Weinstein told her she would benefit from having a “close relationship” with him. Polley told him she was not very interested in acting and indicated he was wasting his time. Kirshner, who wrote in the Globe and Mail, chose not to detail her encounter with Weinstein but instead put foward a plan on how unions like ACTRA can help stop this culture of sexual harassment in the industry. The Weinstein scandal also kick-started the #MeToo hashtag across social media to show that nearly every woman has experienced sexual harassment or assault.

Thriving in the shadow of Pusateri's: We talk to six of Avenue Road’s most innovative merchants

1:23 pm

Vitality MD
Dr. Shari Caplan, owner
1769 Avenue Road, 416.792.1100

Year established? Dr. Caplan has been doing Integrative Medicine since 2010.

Why Avenue Road? I live in the neighborhood and have always lived and worked in my community since it is important to me.

What inspires you to keep working in your field? I love what I do. Clients are always coming back and telling me they feel better now than they did 3 months ago, 3 years ago, etc.

How would you describe your team? We have an awesome team of Medical and Holistic providers who are all motivated to bring you the best in services. We all work hard to deliver you care and compassion.

What does your business do best? Special items or services? Integrative Functional Medicine, Bio-Identical Hormones,
Personalized Weight Loss and IV Vitamin Therapy and Genetic testing.

What makes your business unique? We are a “one stop shop” to optimize your health. We offer many different services related to healthcare, fitness and spa. We are an oasis in the city!

Who is your inspiration or role model? My mother is my inspiration. She was a stay-home mom who helped everyone. She was very giving and smart. She died of Breast Cancer at the age of 44, when I was 19. My passion is to find safe solutions to treat hormonal imbalances while modulating genes to reduce the risk of breast cancer and improve vitality.

Karbouzi Restaurant
Jim Kostantakos, owner
2048 Avenue Road, 416.483.3846

Year established? 1970

Why Avenue Rd? My parents started the restaurant. It’s a nice neighbourhood. They wanted to raise our family here.

What’s your fave thing about Avenue Rd? It’s a great community. I’ve lived here my whole life. I live around the corner.

Coolest customer ever? Geddy Lee & Peter Donovan. Frank Mahovlich and other NHL, TFC & Raptors players frequently visit as well- it’s a big sports community!

What inspires you to keep working in your field? Seeing the same faces coming in all the time. It’s nice to know the customers by name and know what they like.

What makes your business unique? We’re the only Greek restaurant on Avenue Rd. We also have a bar on the second floor. It became kind of a local hangout.

How would you describe your team? We’ve had the same staff for years. Everybody gets along. It’s nice, like a little family.

What does your business do best? We try to make everything in house. All the old Greek recipes that I was taught from my mom.

Top selling items? The souvlaki dinners.

Who is your inspiration or role model? My parents. I started working with them when I was younger. They showed me the ropes.

Avenue Interiors
Mindy & Rick Gelman, owners
1900 Avenue Road, 416.781.3005

Year established? May 1, 1986.

Why Avenue Rd? We had a vision that this would be the up-and-coming area of Toronto.

How has the community changed since you opened? As the neighbourhood has become revitalized and younger families are moving in we are now working with third generation clients.

What inspires you to keep working in your field? We enjoy working with people and we derive satisfaction from a job well done.

How would you describe your team? Our team is A1. Truly outstanding. We wouldn’t be able to do without the team behind us.

What makes your business unique? We offer a wide range of products and great customer service.

Coolest customer ever? The Ontario Minister of Finance, Michael Wilson; he invited us for dinner to say thank you!

What does your business do best? We’re known for our timely and professional installations.

Top selling items? It’s our hardwood flooring and we offer one of the biggest selection of wallpapers in The City of Toronto.

What’s your fave thing about Avenue Road? Being in the heart of the community – we love seeing familiar faces.

Linea Intima
Liliana Mann, owner
1925 Avenue Road, 416.780.1726

What inspired you to specialize in your field? Since I was a young girl I've had a love for lingerie. My mother always taught me that "a lady dresses from the inside out and your undergarments have to be immaculate!"

What is your secret? We specialize in bra fittings and mastectomy fittings, and in our 20 years of business, we have acquired a great reputation due to the selection we offer and our expertise. We have bras and panties from around the world, the best of brands and products also in sleepwear, lounge wear and swimwear (at our Bayview store).

Why Avenue Rd? I love Avenue Rd! It is central but not as crazy as Yonge St. I love the architecture of the houses and the many trees and greenery in the area. It is convenient and easy, with fast access to all our other stores.

What is unique about your business? I have been in the lingerie business for more than 35 years and with my vast knowledge, I am able to pick the best among the best! I can recognize the value in both price, quality and fit and bring it to our customers. Our collection of products is unique and we do not make compromises: we will offer and sell only the right product for you!

How would you describe your customers? We have the best customers! There is no age or size limitation and they know that coming to our stores is like visiting a
trusting friend: you will get an honest yet sensitive opinion!

Kahnert Furs and Outerwear
John & Dan Kahnert, owners
2078 Avenue Road, 416 781 8472

Year established? 1957

Why Avenue Rd? My father opened up here, so I didn’t have to make that decision!

What inspires you to keep working in your field? My wife and kids! It’s a niche business, there aren’t many like it in Toronto now.

What’s your fave thing about Avenue Rd? It’s a very diverse mix of businesses. It’s community oriented and is situated in one the best residential areas in the GTA. It attracts the type of customer and demographic that we require.

What makes your business unique? It’s a four-generation family business. My brother and I have both been here for over 33 years, and my father before us, and then grandfathers and theirs before.

What does your business do best? We have three product categories: furs, shearlings (lambskin), and a Canadian wool coat collection with and without fur trim. These products can be hard to find in a selection like the one we offer.

Top selling items? Shearling jackets, often ¾ length.

Coolest customer ever? Donald Sutherland and his wife came in, looking for a knit-sheared beaver product by Canadian designer Paula Lishman. They knew we carried the product so they came and bought a few things. He was very friendly, normal. Not arrogant or anything like that.

Bistro on Avenue
Louis Nemes, owner
1988 Avenue Road, 416.783.1928

Year established? 1984

Why Avenue Road? One of the best neighbourhoods in the city… diverse, good residential and business area.

What makes your business unique? It was pretty much the original chicken wing restaurant before all the others came on board. We have stuck to our secret recipe for our wings and expanded our menu so that all can enjoy the experience. It is a large space with one half being more of a bar area and the other half a more family friendly dining area.

What inspires you to keep working in your field? My inspiration to keep working both in my business field and charitable endeavours is because it keeps me at a young 79 years of age.. both physically and mentally.

How would you describe your team? Our team has pretty much stuck with me for many years and therefore are very much
like family.

Top selling items? Chicken wings, ribs and chicken fingers.

Most memorable moment in the history of your business? We were located originally for the first 30 years at 1678 Avenue Rd. and last year moved to 1988 Avenue Rd. Our closing party at the old location and our opening party at the new location meant so much to me as all our loyal customers, friends and family attended. The speeches given were quite emotional and I was thrilled we could keep the Bistro legacy going.

Early Days

11:55 am

When it comes to leather goods, sweats and an iconic beaver logo, Roots is the market leader. The company was started in Toronto in 1973 by Forest Hill’s Michael Budman and Rosedaler Don Green, with its first store in Rosedale. Now, Roots is going public so we can all own a piece of this iconic Canadian brand. An IPO (initial public offer) was filed on Sept. 13, and $200 million was raised in its initial share sale. The company’s shares will be sold at about $12 when it hits the Toronto Stock Exchange. The retailer operates 116 stores in Canada, four in the United States and has 136 locations in Asia that are operated by a partner company. Proceeds from the share sale will go to Budman and Green as well as their private equity backer Searchlight Capital Partners.

Too Close to Call: Dancing for the dead

10:25 am

The Mexican way! Honouring my deceased loved ones, greeting them at the altar with offerings of special food and things that they enjoyed when they were alive.	How will you be spending Day of the Dead on Nov. 2?	I will be tending to my altar at home, as taught by my grandmother. Also, I will be participating in a number of events as an Aztec dancer.
My mother and grandmother.	Who are you remembering this Day of the Dead?	My grandparents, my grand-aunties, grand-uncles, friends, some elders who were my teachers, people who are no longer here but left a special place in my heart.
Tequila!	Do you prefer Tequila or Mezcal?	Mezcal!
Our shows involve a mix of dance, singing, music and theatre, so audiences can appreciate the rich Mexican tradition and culture.	What’s the defining feature of your dance?	It is an Indigenous Mexican dance passed down for generations. Through the dances we give thanks to Mother Earth, and our outfits contain different meanings and symbols.
They have the mistaken idea of confusing the Day of the Dead with Halloween. They are completely different things.	What does Canada get wrong about Day of the Dead?	That Day of the Dead is just a party or that it is like Halloween!
Nov. 5 at Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave.	When can readers catch your act?	Oct. 28 at Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St.

Fashion: I wanna be per-sueded

11:06 am

A) On the fringe
Rewind Couture, 577 Mt. Pleasant Rd., $450
“I love the whipstitching. I love the colour, that neutral dove grey. It’s flirty, sexy, sassy. Looking for a suede statement? This is the way to go.”

B) A hot topic
Andrews, Bayview Village, $950
“MaxMara does such beautiful things. Clean lines, the suede is sumptuous. It looks like a little jacket Audrey Hepburn would have worn.”

C) At first blush
AllSaints, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, $890
“A blush pink moto jacket for fall speaks to a kind of luxury, to girlish femininity but done in an irreverent way. Super modern.”

D) Trompe l’oeil
Cloakroom, 1177 Yonge St., $118
“You’ve gotta love the quality of faux suede that’s coming out now. This looks expensive. It’s a great alternative to real suede.”

E) ’50s vibe
Gypsy Found Objects, 762 St. Clair Ave. W., $185
“How much do we love vintage clothing? When it’s right, it’s so right! This is just a cool tobacco brown that would go with anything.”

F) Made for walkin’
Cloakroom, 1177 Yonge St., $260
“They've got a ’70s vibe to them … a great chunky heel. These boots have an air of elegant ease!”

G) Seeing circles
TNT, 388 Eglinton Ave. W., $795
“This is just great. Such an optimistic colour. There’s something really retro about these handles. You wanna put popcorn in this and take it to the movies!”

H) A strapping choice
Zvelle, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, $535
“Elle from Zvelle is just such a remarkable shoe designer. These have almost an S & M thing going on in a fun way.”

From Parris with Love

2:27 pm

Toronto’s Amanda Parris was in the Don Jail waiting to visit a friend. The experience, the questions she asked herself about the other women in the room and their own lives, led to her writing her first play, Other Side of the Game, premiering on Oct. 18 at the Aki Studio at Daniels Spectrum and running until Nov. 5.

“I suddenly realized that these were stories I’ve never really seen portrayed anywhere, and I just got really curious about it,” Parris says.

At the heart of the play is the hip-hop philosophy of ride or die, a loyalty to something or someone no matter what happens.

“It’s the idea that threads it all together, of women who for whatever reason believe that a part of their purpose is to have an undying loyalty to something other than themselves,” she says.

“What does that require of them? What do they end up growing into? What do they end up sacrificing?”

The play also portrays the idea through the lens of the black civil rights protest movements of both the ’70s and today, but Parris explains that she started working on it before Black Lives Matter even existed.

“When we were talking about the idea, part of our motivation was to wake people up to realize we should still be fighting today because there were a lot of unresolved issues,” she says.

“And then Black Lives Matter came around, and we were like, oh OK, the world did it without us, which is great, but it will be interesting how the play is received today.”

In addition to her play, Parris is also putting the final touches on the third season of her CBC-TV show The Exhibitionists, set to premiere this fall.

What to Eat this Minute: An uptown paradise for crème brûlée lovers

10:34 am

There’s something so satisfying about cracking into a pot of crème brûlée. First one must suss out the best entry point, then comes a quick and precise tap of a spoon’s edge and finally — crack! — a swoop into the custardy depths. It’s hard to find a dessert that delivers quite the same panache as the French classic. And it wasn’t until now that Torontonians had a shop devoted to the luscious caramel-topped custard.

From cars to Crème
Daniel Wong wasn’t exactly on the path to opening a crème brûlée café. Originally hailing from Vancouver, Wong built a career for himself painting cars out west. Although he’d always had a deep appreciation for food, his cooking skills were non-existent. But working in an industry known for its homophobia eventually took a toll on Wong, who identifies as gay, and he realized a career change was in order.

“I never knew how to cook, so I decided to study culinary arts,” Wong says. Jumping into a French culinary program, Wong figured that, even if he wasn’t taken with the food industry, the course wouldn’t be in vain. Instead, the budding chef found himself obsessed with crème brûlée. “I was just fascinated by it, and the torching part,” Wong says, drawing parallels between the two lines of work he’s partaken in. “It’s a good canvas to work on. With cars, you customize your own paint, whereas with crème brûlée, you mix the batter and make it into whatever you want.”

Keep it local
A few years and a move to Toronto later, Wong’s shop can be found just off the main stretch of St. Clair West. Inside, the café is laid-back, with high ceilings, custom artwork and plenty of seats. Wong himself can be found behind the counter, darting back and forth between customers, scooping Liège waffle batter into a hot press and, yes, torching crème brûlées to order.

The cornerstone
A menu of the available flavours sits next to the cash. Sweet-toothed patrons can order iterations of the dessert in everything from white chocolate rose to lychee vodka to, of course, a classic vanilla bean.

Although the building blocks of the dessert — cream, eggs and sugar — are simple, the cornerstone really is temperature control. “You can’t rush crème brûlée,” Wong says. “The lower the temperature, the longer the time, the smoother your product is going to be.” With that silky consistency perfected, Wong is able to play with flavours. The Vietnamese coffee version is infused with a very intense French roast and condensed milk, whereas the ube option pairs the purple yam with a coconut milk mixture.

“My customers are usually pretty excited,” Wong says without any airs. “It’s a whole experience.”

“It’s life changing!” pipes up a customer on her way out. And there you have it.

Craque de Crème, 1360 Bathurst St., 647-699-8233

Don’t be so salty: TBH this lexicon is lit AF

9:53 am

“Ugh, she’s so extra!” said my teenage daughter Bridget, 18.

“Extra fun? Extra cool?” I responded in my nerdy mom voice.

“No, extra as in ‘extra.’ ” As in OTT (over the top, ahem), as I would have said back in the day.

I asked Toronto teen Grace, 15, to give me a rundown on all the hip words kids today are using. I’ve provided some helpful tips on how parents might work these words into their own convos.

Bare: To add an exaggeration. As in “That movie was bare good.” Like using the word “very,” but with a “b” and dropping the “y.” In a parental sentence: “Putting together kids’ lunches is bare annoying.”

Dope: Good. “Those sunglasses are dope.” Wait for this one: in 2018, you can say, “This dope law is dope, Justin.”

Lit: Fun or getting hyped. “This concert is lit.” This is a tricky one for parents to use because frankly the things we think are lit are not. “These new tax laws are lit.” Just doesn’t work.

Jam/Mixer: A small party. Add the word “fam,” and you have a “famjam” or a family get together. Personally, I’d like to try dropping this one on my mother-in-law because I have a sneaking suspicion she’s not listening to me anyway. “So, see you at the Thanksgiving famjam. Can I bring some wine?”

Rate/Back: To agree. “I back that.” First of all, I feel like this is an expression you’re unlikely to hear your teen direct to you. But parents might be able to get away with, “I back that!” when the suggestion of a Thursday night glass of wine is made from one to another.

Dry: Acting mad. “Why are you being so dry?” Funnily enough, being dry could cause parents to get mad or be mad. (See “I back that,” above.)

Although Grace was able to provide me with “on the street” advice above on what teens are saying, the Zeitgeist tells me you’ll want to add these to your own internal urban dictionary.

Squad Goals/Goals: Thanks to Taylor Swift, you don’t have a group of friends anymore, you have a squad. If your squad is bare lit and has many jams, you’re hitting a dope goal. I back that.

AF: Teens (and moms) have always tried to find a way to say the F-word without actually saying it. This “AF” means “as f**k.” “My mom was as bare dry AF over my report card.”

Salty: A little bit snarky or snippy. The important thing here is that you will witness/experience this behaviour very, very often with a teen or a tween, but pointing it out is the equivalent of saying to a toddler, “I think you’re tired.” They’re going to get dry.

TBH: To be honest. Teens have the belief that if they add, “I’m just being honest,” they are no longer in trouble for saying something incredibly rude.

Mike Holmes is T.O.’s handiest man and he has a new show on HGTV Canada

9:48 am

Expert contractor, philanthropist and HGTV personality Mike Holmes is once again offering his expertise to families in search of their dream home.

In his latest HGTV show, Holmes: Buy It Right, he helps couples avoid home-buying blunders that come from failing to look at a house’s bones and focusing on cosmetic aspects instead. “We all need to learn how to buy intelligently, and that means knowing what to look for, knowing how to trust your instincts, knowing to see the red flags,” he says.

Holmes cites the roof, siding, grading, windows and doors as the first things to inspect when viewing a house and says, “This show is going to help a lot of people.” Holmes: Buy It Right airs Sunday nights at 9 and 9:30 p.m. on HGTV Canada.

HGTV star Kortney Wilson takes us inside her closet

9:07 am

I never thought my closet would become a place for a champagne toast with my girlfriends. In fact, I designed it to be a fully functioning and practical space and just got caught up in the pretty details of it all. Here’s how I turned my bedroom into my dream closet.

My husband, Dave, and I are used to reworking closets. Storing one’s stilettos and seasonal hats wasn’t really a priority in homes of the early 1900s, so when we renovate houses, we are accustomed to turning smaller bedrooms into much needed 21st-century kind of storage. When I told Dave that I had the idea of turning our master bedroom into my walk-in closet and the office next to our bedroom into our new sleep space, it was a bit of a head scratcher. So much so, that I moved the bedroom one day when he wasn’t home to help him visualize it. Then, we began the process.

I had friends who had spent tens of thousands of dollars on custom closets with beautifully detailed doors and built-in dressers, but I had a different vision. I wanted to be able to walk in and see all of the items at a glance, instead of having to open up drawers and sliding doors. I had our carpenter build open shelving, just as he would for pantries, accommodating items I would hang high, low and fold in between.

Then came the island. I really wanted a glass countertop so I could place all of my jewellery in the top drawers and see everything at a glance. My initial plan was to find two large and identical dressers and put them back to back. The idea was to replace the dresser tops with glass. It proved to be more expensive than to just build what I wanted from scratch, so I had our kitchen cabinet guy, Chris, take a stab at it.

I chose a minty green hue for the body of the island, added a combination of hardware from Anthropologie and some gold feet that are merely decoration, making it look less like kitchen cabinets. I hung a brass-finished chandelier for a little glam and painted the original mantel white.

The pink brick that I uncovered years ago plays nicely against the green and grey accents and gives the room the texture that it needed. The addition of a fuzzy stool and a grey and white–striped chair from West Elm has made it perfect for those champagne toasts with my girlfriends.

I’ve always been hesitant about putting my closet on display. It’s a personal space, and it seems a little over the top to most (heck, to me). It’s not one of those necessities, like say, your kitchen, but I’m proud of the space. After sharing a two-by-four-foot closet for most of my life with my sister and graduating to sharing a slightly larger walk-in closet with Dave, it has been a joy to start my morning off in a space that reflects me.

As a realtor, it’s one of the surprising areas that I find can make or break a deal. If the house is great, but there is no storage, the buyer can be turned off. I dedicate a good amount of time to the closet design in each house. I’ve been known to paint the backs of the built-in shelves, accent with wallpaper, give one of the walls a punch of colour or fancy it up with a really great light fixture or an interesting piece of art.

As a rule of thumb, a little colour, a bit of texture, some simple fabric and dash of pattern mixing all contribute to pulling a room together. The master closet shouldn’t be the exception. A large closet is a luxury. So is cheesecake. If you’ve got the room, go for it.

1...8910...433 Page 9 of 433