Le Sélect Bistro to open under new ownership

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11:39 am

Le Sélect Bistro is saying au revoir, but not goodbye. After 40 years, the beloved restaurant at 432 Wellington Street will be under new ownership by Allied Properties and will reopen with a new management team.

Le Select’s former team outlines the reasons for keeping its door closed in a colourful and heartwarming press release. Amongst the apparent reason, COVID-19, the group notes that they have had property bills, problems with the city, and the ongoing issue of significant construction projects on all sides.

“In short: Le Sélect had been through an earthquake and a tornado, and then Godzilla stomped down Wellington Street. Such was COVID-19,” the release says.

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Allied Properties’ takeover is one that the Le Sélect team welcomes, noting that the real estate group is one aligned with their values.

“Allied is a company with a vision we admire. They build pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods. They believe in preserving heritage buildings, making beautiful designs by leading architects, and meeting Platinum LEED standards to leave the smallest footprint. They are exactly the people we want to do business with,” the release says.

Le Sélect Bistro’s future menu is unknown, but the restaurant will live in its current location. Whether or not the restaurant will open during the pandemic remains is unclear, but it will open again, at least.

“We don’t know yet what will happen in the sunny future after COVID-19. It may be the Le Sélect that you remember. It may change a little or a lot,” the release says, “but we think our legacy is in good hands.”

A popular Toronto wine bar might be getting a new outpost

By

Jessica Huras

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3:04 pm

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Although the pandemic has seen the unfortunate closure of many Toronto restaurants, and dramatic business model pivots from many others, one of the city’s most popular wine bars appears to be on the verge of an expansion.

Records from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario show that Paris Paris recently applied for a liquor licence for the space at 146 Ossington Ave.

First opened in 2018, the Dundas West wine bar is known for its hip line-up of natural, biodynamic wines made by small producers. Like many restaurants and bars with strong drink programs, Paris Paris changed its game amid the ongoing dining room closures and transformed into a bottle shop. The restaurant now offers thoughtfully curated bottles and small snacks, like charcuterie and chips, for takeout.

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The space at 146 Ossington Ave. is a 5,000-square-foot warehouse-style space that’s frequently used for pop-ups and events. Its location on the Ossington strip is within spitting distance of other spots by Paris Paris restaurateurs Jesse Fader and Jonathan Poon, including pizza joint Superpoint and Thai BBQ restaurant Favorites.

The restaurant did not immediately respond to our request for comment, so we’ll have to wait to find out the exact details of their plans for the space.

Eleven Toronto gyms are teaming up for the ultimate virtual fitness competition

By

Nikki Gill

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10:45 am

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As Toronto’s fitness scene continues to be hit hard financially by the pandemic, local gyms are coming together to keep the community alive and engaged amidst the lockdowns. Despite the restrictions preventing fitness lovers from gathering in person, the owners of 416 Fitness Club, CrossFit YKV, Tidal Fitness and 6S Fitness+ have made it their mission to help people stay motivated, healthy and encouraged with a three-week virtual fitness competition called the Toronto Throwdown At-Home Series.

With 11 of Toronto’s most frequented fitness clubs on board including Academy of Lions, Lift Corktown and Delta Train Liberty Village, the competition includes three CrossFit-style, functional workouts over three weeks and is open to people of all ages, abilities and fitness levels. There is both a bodyweight and limited equipment option, and at the end of the three-week series, the winning woman and man in each division will be gifted with prizes.

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Owner and CEO of 416 Fitness Club Dan Vientin created the event not only to help replicate the sense of camaraderie gym-goers are missing due to social distancing restrictions, but also to celebrate and give thanks to the community members who have supported them every step of the way.

“We’re closing in on our tenth month of full closure,” Vientin says. “This has impacted not only the gym owners and staff but also the loyal members of each gym who have been forced to take their fitness routine to their homes. We as a community have been hanging on by a thread, and our gym members have been right there with us. The Toronto Throwdown is a way to celebrate what we have overcome as an industry and community.”

The organizers of the event say that although the industry has been decimated by the pandemic, Toronto’s boutique gym community has only been brought closer together by the challenges. Co-founder and head coach at CrossFit YKV Blair Lyon says he’s looking forward to welcoming people back to in-person workouts, and he’s hopeful the fitness community will bounce back swiftly post-pandemic.

“We feel confident that we’ll see an increased interest in fitness when this is all over. People want to get back into shape after staying at home, where it can be difficult to self-motivate,” Lyon says. “We already saw an increase in interest this past summer when we were able to open inside for a few months, so we expect that trend to continue.”

The competition runs Thursday, Feb. 18 to Monday, March 8. It is $25 to register, or $50 to receive a T-shirt and swag bag with registration. Workouts are released Thursdays at 10 a.m. and participants have until 8 p.m. on Monday to post their results. Competitors can workout on their own, or join the daily virtual classes to workout in a group. Sign up at app.throwdowns.com.

A Toronto hospital steps in to support crucial mental health initiative

By

Marlene Mendonca

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5:19 pm

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maddie project — The Maddie Project, 2019

A Toronto hospital is raising awareness about youth struggling with depression and other mental health concerns in association with grassroots organization the Maddie Project through the Push Your Limits challenge.

While real world marathons might be canceled right now, virtual running events are in full swing. If you fancy yourself a runner, you can test your mettle by signing up for the Push Your Limits challenge (a 4x4x48 “Goggins Challenge” run) that will take place on March 5, 2021 via the North York General Hospital.

Competitors will have to run four miles every four hours for a period of 48 hours to complete the challenge (not an easy feat!). Funds raised during the Goggins Challenge will benefit the Maddie Project, a community effort that is sparking discussions and offering support to youth struggling with mental health concerns.

There is no fee to participate in this run, but organizers suggest runners raise $250 before the run. Runners that do raise $250 will receive a Push Your Limits swag bag. In total, runners will be covering 32 miles of virtual ground over the weekend or 16 miles a day. If you aren’t sure you can go the full 48 hours solo, you can also opt to split the challenge with a friend and enter as a relay participant.

Participants that prefer to walk or run/walk can also enter the challenge as long as the mileage is covered within 48 hours. All runners and walkers will get a Maddie’s Project swag bag and a certificate of completion. At the time of this writing, 110 participants from six countries have signed up to participate in the Push Your Limits event.

The Maddie Project supports youth struggling with depression and other mental health challenges. If you want to enter the challenge as a participant or support a runner, email [email protected]. Additional details about the Push Your Limits challenge can be found on the North York General Hospital website.

10 COVID-safe activities for the whole family this long weekend

By

Nikki Gill

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3:35 pm

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Many people are having trouble making Family Day plans during COVID-19, but there are plenty of fabulous virtual or outdoor events available. Here is our top 10 picks for long weekend activities. Some are free, some have a fee, and all of them are sure to put a smile on your little one’s face.

Mabel’s Fables Family Day Virtual Storytime

If you have younger children, City Councillor Josh Matlow is here to help you entertain them this year. At 3 p.m. on Feb. 15, Matlow will be hosting a virtual story hour on Facebook from the Mable’s Fables bookstore, with readings from local authors. The event will also feature music from Sharon, Lois, and Bram’s Skinnamarink with Sharon and her daughter Randi.

Kids Corner Live

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Kids looking to learn about politics should check out Kids Corner Live at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This virtual experience will teach your kids about politics in a fun and exciting way. You can book a time and day that fits right with your family’s schedule.

Tricked Out Magic Show and Family Workshop

Looking for a little magic in your life? DaCosta Magic’s Phil DaCosta will be performing his “Tricked Out” magic show for interested families on Feb. 15. Each virtual show will be followed by a family magic workshop. Shows are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m., and tickets are $30 per family.

Cartooning Party: Drawing Family Caricatures

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On Feb. 13, Winged Canvas will be throwing a virtual cartooning party from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Teachers Fei Lu and Arruniya will teach participants how to draw cartoons of their whole family, although you’ll need to bring your own supplies. You can register for tickets to this event on Eventbrite.

Evergreen Brick Works Ravine Play

If you’re looking for a way to get outside this Family Day weekend but avoid any and all crowds, you can use the ravine play activity book from Evergreen Brick Works to explore all that Toronto’s ravine system has to offer. This guide will help you teach your children about everything that can be found in Toronto’s natural ecosystem in a fun and safe way. It’s free to download and is filled with activities for your little ones to tackle.

Family Day Sweat with Carnival Spice

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What better way to have fun this weekend than dancing with the whole family? Carnival Spice is hosting a Family Day Sweat on Monday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. hosted live on its Instagram page. Kids are welcome and this is the perfect escape for anyone feeling the winter blues.

Go Snowshoeing at Cedarvale Ravine and the Beltline

It’s important to get out into the great outdoors, particularly for kids. While snow is still on the ground, snowshoeing is one option that is accessible across many age ranges. One of the best options for snowshoeing in Toronto is the Beltline Trail, a repurposed rail bed with Cedarvale Ravine Park on one end and Moore Park Ravine and Evergreen Brickworks on the other.

Family Trivia Night

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Families who like to play together should check out Big Spoon Little Spoon U of T’s Family Trivia Night. The event will be held virtually on Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for teams of up to two people, and $25 for teams of up to six people. Registration is open online now.

TSO On Demand: Beethoven Septet Virtual Concert

If you’re missing the joy of a live orchestra performance, you’re in luck this Family Day. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Beethoven Septet will be available to watch online beginning on Feb. 12. If you don’t have time this weekend, the concert will be available for viewing until March 4.

Mysteries of the Universe

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The Astronomy and Space Exploration Society’s symposium this year called “Mysteries of the Universe,” will run from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17. Offerings this year include talks on dark matter, dark energy, and so much more. Tickets are free for students or $5 for everyone else.

Amanda Joy on her road to creating TV series Second Jen

By

Nikki Gill

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1:18 pm

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Local actor and screenwriter Amanda Joy is the co-creator and star of Second Jen. The season three premiere kicks off Sunday, Feb. 14 at 8:30 p.m. on OMNI Television. The series, which features an all-female creative team, follows the friendship of Jennifer ‘Jen’ Wu (played by Samantha Wan) and Jennifer ‘Mo’ Monteloyola (played by Joy). Here we look back at a profile on Joy from 2016 just before she launched the series.

Amanda Joy’s 2016 is off to a busy start with four lead roles in four screenplays that she wrote, not to mention her first foray into directing and producing a television pilot.

The Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts grad has stayed true to her passion for filmmaking in the years following high school.

“I worked really hard at my film and music courses. As a student, in my mind, these constituted my real life education,” says Joy.

She chose not to book any film and television roles throughout high school, even though her career began at age eight.

“I started off as a child model and then as an actor. I was in a film when I was about eight that did really well internationally,” she says. The film, Little Moments, aired at Dublin International Film Festival, Sprockets Film Festival and on CBC.

Her knack for acting came early, but it was her talent in screenwriting that caught her off guard. Throughout high school, she would write scripts because she needed to shoot films for class. After graduating, she attended Ryerson University and majored in arts and contemporary studies, while continuing to audition.

“I was on set for a pilot, and they asked me to do some improv, and I have a background in improv as well. Then they asked me if I could send them some scripts, and it had never hit me consciously that I had written so much,” says Joy.

This year, her writing credits will include a television pilot, Quota, and a short film, The Magpie Bridge.

Along with her Quota co-creator, Jacob Duarte-Spiel, Joy has launched an Indiegogo campaign for the pilot. The cast includes standup comedian Ali Hassan, Clara Pasieka from Reign and Maps to the Stars, Allana Reoch of the Sketchersons and Gemini Award–winner Shawn Lawrence.

Quota is a workplace sitcom that follows a half-Jewish Caucasian man who ends up supervising an affirmative action department. The series shows how the marginalized staff members navigate office politics together and how they all learn what life is like from each other’s perspectives.

“I think the job of comedy is to criticize society in a way to inform people on how others’ experiences are affected by the institutions that currently exist,” says Joy.

Being an Asian-Canadian actor, she says she pulled from a lot of her own experiences.

“In the last couple years, we’ve seen really big strides in terms of [filmmakers] creating opportunities for actors of colour,” she says about how the film industry has evolved throughout her career.

The Magpie Bridge is based on an East Asian legend of star-crossed lovers but is set in the aftermath of the Vietnam War in a Toronto housing project.

“Screenwriting and acting for me are one and the same. They’re quite different, but I consider them storytelling, and that’s what the job is,” says Joy.

Ascari opening new brick-and-mortar location this spring

By

Ron Johnson

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12:42 pm

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Mercatino by Ascari — From Instagram: @mercatinovini

A new storefront from the Ascari Group at 1091 Queen St. E. will be open this spring. Ascari Mercatino e Vini will sell specialty pantry items, have an extensive and exclusive wine list, and serve food to go or to eat (pandemic-permitting) inside while sipping an espresso counter-side.

Co-owner Erik Joyal describes the new spaces as a “boutique, wine store, prepared food store, wine bar, and cafe.” In short, the new shop will be an extension of what the Ascari Enoteca spot is currently.

“Ascari Enoteca, down the street on the other corner, for the past six months has been this little shop with prepared foods and meal kits and lots of great wine and cocktails and a few specialty grocery items,” Joyal says. “But, it’s [Ascari Enoteca] a small little restaurant, so when it reopens we can’t continue to give our clients that retail experience, it won’t work.”

Looking ahead to the restaurant’s eventual reopening, the restaurateurs found an opportunity to pivot creatively and took it.

“We had the opportunity to take over the space that’s just down the street on the other corner, so we did that with the view of continuing that retail experience,” Joyal says.

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The new Ascari concept needs to be flexible to accommodate Ontario COVID measures, and it does just that.

“It will be open during the day, there will be sandwiches and charcuterie and a couple of tables and a patio and a little bar where you can crack open a bottle of wine or have a sandwich or take something out of the fridge. It’s a hybrid wine bar, wine store, food retail space,” Joyal says.

Joyal isn’t sure when the new spot will open but says they’re thinking sometime in April might be a good target.

“There’s no point in opening now, so we’re going to wait until the restrictions are lifted,” Joyal says.

The brick-and-mortar version of Ascari Mercatino e Vini will also be an extension of the existing e-commerce platform by the same name. All of the items available through the store will also be ready for pick-up or next-day delivery through the website at mercatinovini.com.

New streetwear line raises money for virtual reality therapy for the elderly

By

Nikki Gill

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12:23 pm

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Loneliness, anxiety and depression were rampant among seniors long before COVID-19 hit, but the pandemic has exacerbated these issues, which often go unnoticed and unaddressed. Express Service Society is a new initiative dedicated to raising awareness and finding innovative solutions to some of the most pressing issues elderly people face.

As a Toronto-based palliative care physician working during the pandemic, Dr. Ginah Kim has witnessed the struggles of seniors firsthand, and how they have only worsened with the inability to see their families due to visitor restrictions.

Determined to help ease the suffering of the elderly in a unique and creative way, she joined forces with music producer Didier Tovel to form Express Service Society and design a line of unisex streetwear as their first project.

Featuring jackets, shirts, hoodies and fleece-lined tracksuits, the streetwear line is not only stylish and comfortable, it also has a good cause behind it. All proceeds from the collection will be going towards research and funding for personalized virtual reality (VR) therapy for the elderly at Toronto-based hospitals and long-term care homes.

Dr. Kim says virtual reality is a powerful tool for elderly people in their last stages of life who may be grappling with fear or uncertainty, but it’s often underused due to cost and availability issues.

“We believe that the isolation, loneliness and depression experienced by the elderly and palliative care population particularly during the pandemic requires urgent attention,” Dr. Kim says. “As a palliative care physician, I felt there was more that could be done to support these individuals throughout such unprecedented times, and VR therapy programs have incredible potential to address this growing concern.”

Designed with the help of creatives from around the world including the U.S., France, Germany and Canada, the pieces range in price from $35 to $160. Shop the collection now at expressservicesociety.com.

Lockdown Love Stories – Part 4

By

lindsaylow

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9:39 am

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keeping romance alive during pandemic — Craig Wong and Ivy Lam | Image by Ian Brown

The pandemic has been hard on everybody, and it has certainly taken its toll on relationships. Romance takes work, and during a lockdown, it also means getting creative and taking care of the little things like making time for your significant other. In our four-part series on lockdown love stories, we check in with 12 local couples who have previously been featured in our How They Met column to ask them how they are managing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what tips they might offer those who are looking for a little bit of relationship help to weather the storm. We hope you like it.

Craig Wong and Ivy Lam

Craig Wong and Ivy Lam grew up together in Scarborough, fell in love and got married back in 2011. Now, the couple helm Patois, one of the city’s popular Dundas West bistros. It hasn’t been easy for restaurants during the past year, but has that added more stress than the couple can handle? We asked Craig to talk about how he’s kept romance alive during the pandemic.

What has been most challenging for you guys as a couple during this past year?

The hardest thing must be just the whole uncertainty of COVID and the situation that we’re in, I guess, because we work together. It’s also like a double whammy. We see each other at work.

And we’re constantly thinking about work even at home. And restaurants are definitely on the higher end of being impacted by COVID. So constantly working while trying to spend time at home together has probably been the biggest impact on our relationship.

How have you managed to keep the romance alive?

I think it has to be through staying present with each other. Communicating in long sentences, rather than just like blurting out short phrases to each other. And we actually started meditating as well. And we connect first thing in the morning before our sons wake up and before we get started with the day.

What’s your advice to others in terms of navigating the ups and downs of relationships during this time?

I guess I have to say keep in mind that your spouse is your teammate. You know, there’s a lot of bad situations in the world, many of which aren’t in our control. So I remind myself a lot that Ivy is not against me. And if we do end up arguing, then it’s because of external factors. You know, it’s never because it’s her versus me.

Roz Weston and Katherine Holland

Roz Weston, co-host of The Roz & Mocha Show on KiSS 92.5 and senior reporter on Entertainment Tonight Canada, and photographer Katherine Holland met in a crowded nightclub in Toronto at an event hosted by Paris Hilton 15 years ago, and they’ve been together ever since. If they can make it through a night of Paris Hilton, they can make it through anything and keep the romance alive. Or can they? We check in with the couple to see how they are navigating the pandemic.

What have you learned about your relationship and romance during the pandemic?

Katherine: That we’ve got each other’s backs no matter what. I was pretty down all of the time during the first lockdown. I wasn’t working. I was crying all of the time while trying to do online schooling and felt like I was living Groundhog Day. Roz was working like crazy — even more than usual. But somehow we still found time for each other. We always loved hanging out together. Just having him nearby is so levelling for me. We listened to each other talk about the parts of our lives that were different and hard and did what we could to make things easier for the other.

What did you learn about your partner?

Roz: Katherine is very loud when she types, like hammer fingers. It’s incredible. I’ve never heard such a noise coming from someone’s keyboard before.

Katherine: His drive is unlike anything I’ve seen before. He can really take the worst situation and make gold from it. It’s so inspiring and so motivating and more than a little intimidating. He’s absolutely one in a million.

What is your favourite guilty pleasure TV show you’ve discovered together and why?

Roz: We watched it all. Everything. But just when we thought we had got to the end, we discovered Ted Lasso on AppleTV+ and it was the perfect show for quarantine. It was just so nice to watch a show based around optimism and positivity. Ted Lasso is by far the best show I’ve seen all year.

Gill Deacon and Grant Gordon

CBC Radio One’s Gill Deacon first met her spouse, Liberal politician Grant Gordon, when they were kids at her family cottage on the Ottawa River. They met again as adults at a cousin’s wedding and hit it off. Years later, they returned to that Ottawa River cottage to get married. Now, we talk to Deacon about relationship stress and romance during a pandemic. Here’s what she said.

What has been hardest on your relationship during the pandemic?

Just the general stress of these uncertain times.

And what have you learned about your relationship?

My husband and I have gone through some pretty tough stuff together. I’ve had breast cancer twice, and as much as I’d never wish that on anyone, I will say that it prepared us for living with scary and uncomfortable realities. We had to learn how to stay in the moment, to stay focused on the good stuff and to be gentle and kind with one another. All of which has been key to getting through this pandemic.

What is your favourite activity to do at home together?

We’ve been playing a lot of the board game Splendor. I almost never win. Lost Cities is my A-game.

What is your advice to others in terms of navigating the ups and downs of relationships during the pandemic?

I don’t know if I have any advice except to say hold hands ’cause it’s a wild and scary ride.

What is the first thing you plan on doing as a couple once the pandemic is behind us?

A weekend of theatre in New York City sure would be nice!

Toronto’s best new takeout pizza

By

Jessica Huras

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4:47 pm

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best new pizza Toronto — One Night Only Pizza

From smash burgers to fried chicken, comfort food is a pandemic-related dining trend that’s showing no signs of slowing down. With the ongoing demand for belly-warming foods that travel well, it makes sense that new pizzerias have been popping up all over the city in the last few months. Here are our top picks for some of the best new pizza in Toronto.

Mac’s Pizza

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You’ll need to book early to snag one of the in-demand pizzas served by this weekend-only pop-up by Toronto resident Josh McIlwaine. After a brief stint training at North of Brooklyn Pizzeria, McIlwaine launched his own take on New York-style pie. Pre-orders for Saturday pick-up open mid-week and McIlwaine typically sells out well before the weekend. Initially a home-based business, the Mac’s Pizza pop-up recently moved into Century Park Tavern in Davenport Village.

Sohmers Pizza

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Another one-man, Saturday-only pizza pop-up, Sohmers Pizza sees owner Daniel Sohmer making pies out of Junction bakery Saving Mondays each week. The thick, square pizzas come in just three simple flavours — cheese, pepperoni, or half-and-half — and typically sell out for the week as soon as ordering opens on Wednesdays.

Ambassador Pizza Co.

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Ambassador Pizza Co. is bringing Windsor-style pies to Toronto. For those unfamiliar with the Rose City’s signature ’za, it features shredded pepperoni, which allows the meat to be more evenly distributed over the pie, as well as canned mushrooms. Although canned mushrooms may seem controversial, Windsor pizza fans will tell you that they hold their texture better in the high heat of the pizza oven. Located across from Ossington subway station, Ambassador offers five iterations of Windsor pizza.

Victory Pizza

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Fresh on the heels of his successful Victory Burger ghost kitchen, Piano Piano chef-owner Victor Barry has launched another virtual restaurant. Victory Pizza specializes in Sicilian-style square pies. Go for the simple Marinara with tomato sauce, pecorino, chilis and oregano or double up on carbs with the Hot Potato, which features Yukon gold potatoes, bacon, red onion, Australian mozzarella ricotta, rosemary and black pepper.

Ghost Pizza

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West Queen West watering hole Bar Poet, already known for its tasty pies, has pivoted to a pizza-focused operation known as Ghost Pizza. Pies come in 12- or 16-inch sizes and range from a classic Margherita to more inventive toppings like the Shrimp Alfredo, which is layered with tiger shrimp, Alfredo sauce, parmesan, lemon, herbs and chillies. Their dipping sauces go above and beyond the standard garlic, available in flavours like truffle hot sauce and “sri-rancha.”

One Night Only Pizza

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After a wildly successful summer, home-based pizza operation One Night Only Pizza is set to move into a brick-and-mortar location in Riverdale. The classic, thin-crust pizzas come in four varieties: cheese, pepperoni, mushroom and spicy pepperoni with pickled jalapenos. For now, customers need to place orders via email and there’s typically a wait list, but with the storefront set to open in the coming months and a new website on the way, it may soon be easier to get your hands on One Night Only’s pizza any night of the week.

Craig Wong and Mark McEwan pick Toronto’s best treats for Lunar New Year

By

Jessica Huras

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11:18 am

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Lockdown Love Stories – Part 3

By

lindsaylow

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10:38 am

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The pandemic has been hard on everybody, and it has certainly taken its toll on relationships. Romance takes work, and during a lockdown, it also means getting creative and taking care of the little things like making time for your significant other. In our four-part series on lockdown love stories, we check in with 12 local couples who have previously been featured in our How They Met column to ask them how they are managing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what tips they might offer those who are looking for a little bit of relationship help to weather the storm. We hope you like it.

Lisa Berry and Dion Johnstone

Actors Lisa Berry and Dion Johnstone met on the first day of rehearsals for a Stratford Festival production of To Kill A Mockingbird, but the timing wasn’t right for the two of them. Fast-forward a year when Berry walked into that rehearsal hall determined to meet the man standing across the room only to find out it was Johnstone. Full circle. The two share a love of Shakespeare, acting and comic books. But what did they learn from each other during the pandemic?

How have you kept the romance alive during this time?

Lisa: Well, we have a six-month-old, so we’re in the “reinventing our romance” phase.

Dion: Yes, our son pretty much dominates that part of our brains right now. However, we still recognize the things each of us continue to do to take care of ourselves, and a supportive comment here and there helps us feel recognized and loved. We’ve started having family group hugs, and there’s a kind of romance in discovering each other in our new roles of mom and dad.

What is your advice to others in terms of navigating the ups and downs of relationships during the pandemic?

Lisa: Take care of yourself and what you need first. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Dion: Also, really listen to your partner. Listen not only to what they’re expressing through words, but also what they’re expressing through feeling.

What is your favourite guilty pleasure TV show you’ve discovered together and why?

Lisa: Lovecraft Country. This show spoke right to my spirit and let me see myself and the social justice situations clearer all while elevating my opinion of what is possible. Really empowering show!

Dion: Yeah. Lovecraft Country really rocked our world. Shout out to Karen LeBlanc, (a brilliant Toronto-based actor) who plays a pivotal role in probably the most groundbreaking episode of the entire season. You have to see it to believe it!

Naomi Snieckus and Matt Baram

Comedians Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus met at Second City in Toronto. “Love at first laugh,” as Snieckus says. The epic proposal involved Chinese food takeout, pyjamas and a surprise trip to the Soho Hotel. Now, how is this comedic power couple handling life in a pandemic? Let’s find out.

Are you both at home, and if so, how has that impacted your relationship both positively and negatively?

Naomi: We are both at home, positively, we talk more openly about what’s really going on in our relationship.

Matt: Negatively, we talk more openly about what’s really going on in our relationship.

How have you managed to keep the romance alive?

I think it has to be through staying present with each other. Communicating in long sentences, rather than just like blurting out short phrases to each other. And we actually started meditating as well.

What is your advice to others in terms of navigating the ups and downs of relationships during the pandemic?

Naomi: Sometimes you have to find your own space in the same room.

Matt: If after two years of living in a pandemic bubble with your partner, you can still find something to talk about, you’re in good shape.

Naomi: It’s only been 10 months

Matt: ….Really?

What has been hardest on your relationship during the pandemic?

Naomi: Well, when you’re isolated, you have to be everything for each other.

Matt: I have discovered I am not the strongest dentist.

Pooja Handa and Paul Pathak

CP24 Breakfast co-host Pooja Handa met her now spouse, Paul Pathak, at Toronto’s Spoke Club while attending a mutual friend’s birthday party. They had their first date at Terroni a few days later. The Lytton Park couple is squirrelled away at home like the rest of us. So how is the relationship doing now? Pooja tells their story.

How have you kept the romance alive during this time?

Romance? What is that? Kidding. Romance looks different for everyone. For us, we’ve tried to create rituals so we have something to look forward to. During the pandemic we started doing a wine and cheese night on Fridays to celebrate the end of the week and to kick off the weekend. We also take turns making breakfast for one another on weekends, so it’s always exciting to see what the other comes up with. Plus our air fryer and Instant Pot are finally getting used instead of taking up counter space. That’s romance!

What has been your favourite pandemic date night idea?

We have tried games night, but it got too competitive and doing puzzles caused a lot of back and neck pain! Wow we sound so old. But our favourite date night so far has been taking turns playing DJ on our streaming service. We give one another a theme like “one hit wonder” or “best movie soundtrack” and go back and forth listening to music and sharing stories related to that song, in some cases even uncovering some obscure titles. I still don’t know how “Boris the Spider,” by the Who, is a real song!

What is your favourite activity to do at home together?

Our favourite activity is getting out of the house and going for walks in our neighbourhood. It’s been fun discovering new trails, parks and taking in nature, something we only started doing during the pandemic.