Leashless park gets year-long trial run in Ward 4

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10:57 am

Richmond Hill’s first off-leash dog park recently opened to the joy of two- and four-legged residents alike.

“It was well received, well attended, everyone was excited,” said Anna Nair, founder of the Richmond Hill K9 Klub, of the park’s opening day.

Since 2007, Nair and group have worked to create the facility, situated just north of Gamble Road on Yonge Street in a previously unused space behind Canadian Tire.

In addition to double-door-barrier access to the fenced area, the $80,000 park also features seperate zones for small and large dogs. The park is currently being operated on a one-year trial period.

“The K9 Klub has to work very hard with the town to make sure that the park is [well] kept and that rules and regulations are followed,” Nair said. “We’re still not out of the woods yet.”

Creation of the park faced opposition. The first application to create the space was turned down by council.

“I must tell you honestly, I had push back from members of council, saying, in the grand scheme of things, it just wasn’t important enough,” said Coun. Lynn Foster, who has fought for the park. Foster said the efforts of Nair and the community were vital to the park’s creation.

“Without their help, I’m not sure I could have convinced members of council,” she said.

Both Nair and Foster agree that the benefits of the park extend to more than just the dogs.

“It is good for the community to have a place to come together, network and talk together,” Nair said. “It creates a sense of belonging.”

“This is about building your community,” Foster said. “The dogs are important, but what’s more important is that people are now meeting their neighbours, and that I think at the end of the day makes for a strong community.”

Rick Knight, owner of nearby Global Pet Foods, said the response from customers has been positive.

“Everybody thinks it’s a great thing,” Knight said. “There had been no place to go, so the community is really excited to have it.”

For Nair, the park is proof of what community efforts can do.

“Every time I go there, I almost cry because I never thought it would happen,” Nair said. “The community always comes together for a good cause. It’s a little hard work, but it can be achieved with the proper support and help.”

Girls’ hockey faceoff

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10:54 am

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It’s a bogus accusation of inequity, say the North Toronto Hockey Association (NTHA) and the North Toronto Arena, that is neither fair nor accurate.

On Nov. 11 it was widely reported that the Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey League (TLGHL) was accusing the City of Toronto and local rinks of discrimination over ice access. The 900-member league threatened to launch a human rights complaint in a letter to Mayor David Miller, who agreed that girls are not getting enough ice time at North Toronto, Forest Hill and Leaside rinks.

Ron Baker, president of the TLGHL, has 210 female youth players that live in North Toronto and says that they have been shut out of its arena.

“What’s interesting about the North Toronto Arena board is how they understand their mandate,” said Ron Baker, president of the TLGHL. “They believe they are serving their community by working with two established user groups: hockey and figure skating. But anyone who wants to play girls-only hockey can’t play there.”

Gord Thompson, chair of the North Toronto Arena board vehemently disagrees.

“Overall, what we’re doing is fair and equitable,” he said.“The bottom line is that ice is really short and Leaside is trying to displace our figure skaters. North Toronto is getting 30 per cent of their ice from us. They just want their girls to be closer to home, whereas our boys go all over the city.”

The debate spun the media into a gender equality frenzy and the NTHA, North Toronto Arena and Coun. Karen Stintz responded by issuing press releases on their websites.

“This is not a gender issue, ” Stintz said. “It was really crazy and not necessary, the fact that the issue became so inflammatory.”

Stintz said it comes down to space and that the City should play on the same team as arena boards to solve this problem.

Comedienne not so funny in her biggest role as mummy

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10:50 am

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Jessica Holmes is best known for her hilarious, spot-on impressions of pop icons, performed so seamlessly on Royal Canadian Air Farce.
But when Holmes and I recently chatted for an hour in between her rehearsals for the new Ross Petty family musical Robin Hood, it was clear that her passion for funny has been tempered by motherhood.

The irony of Holmes’s obsession with her two kids is that just four years ago she had zero interest in children. When her husband actor Scott Yaphe asked her to promise him they would have kids, her dry reply was, “I’m more than my womb.” Two years later, Holmes awoke and “had to have a kid that day. My biological clock kicked in, and my husband had to lie there while I made babies on him.”

The road to motherhood was no laughing matter for Holmes. It took eight months to conceive, and soon after she discovered she was pregnant, it appeared she’d had a miscarriage. She was sent for an agonizing ultrasound to confirm that her baby was lost. Two days later her doctor called to say she was, in fact, still pregnant.

When her daughter Alexa was born in 2006, Jessica fell hopelessly in love. Then 13 months ago, she happily welcomed her son Jordy into the world. But like many, she found the non-stop caretaking of newborns exhausting.

“I wish I had stopped breastfeeding at six months and treated myself well. I feel sorry for the woman I was. I was trying to keep up with the supermoms.” Add to that an early end to mat leave, and we have one seriously neurotic mummy.

“I had to commit to jobs before I had the baby. Then baby comes, and I’m a bit crazy when I’m away from her. I would have irrational thoughts that she would forget who I was.” At eight weeks post delivery, Holmes was back making people laugh in her Celine wig on RCAF.

Whenever there was a break in shooting, she’d scurry over to her dressing room where her daughter and mom were waiting for her.
“I felt like I had to power love her, supersize our time together.”

And then the season ended and crazy pace stopped. Holmes had the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom. This drove her nuts in that other kind of way. You know, that “Help I need some time to myself” way.

“Suddenly I’m not fulfilling my creative side. I need to be commuting with a giant audience. It does something for my soul. It completes me.”

Holmes’s biggest obstacle to finding her way through the maze of mummydom was letting other people determine what balance is for her.
“Once I realized no book, no other mom, neighbour or family member had the answer, I found the confidence to decide what kind of mother I was.” Her solutions: spend four-hour chunks of time with her kids.

“Anything more than four hours and my patience starts to wane,” she admits candidly. “And our house looks like a tornado hit a garage sale and that’s OK.”

And what about the funny in the mummy?

“I’m more about having fun with my kids than being funny these days. Most of my humour comes from stories from my moms’ group. It’s more honest humour than doing impressions.” She pauses. “But I’m still funny. I just have a little less energy.”

Post City Magazines’ parenting columnist, Erica Ehm is the voice of yummy mummies with her playful website yummymummyclub.ca. After all, mommies need to play, too.

Newtonbrook students to carry Olympic torch

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10:48 am

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Two Newtonbrook Secondary School students will carry the Olympic torch as it makes its way through Toronto this month.

Andrew Isaacson and Brittany Kolenberg were named among 12 students selected from the Toronto District School Board’s Vision program to act as torchbearers. Eight TDSB Vision program teachers were also named.

“Our students are honoured to be part of something so extraordinary,” said Robin Stewart, specialist teacher of the blind for the Toronto District School Board and one of the selected participant teachers. “These students have dedicated themselves to raising awareness in their school communities and the community at large by educating their peers and teachers about visual impairment, blindness, Braille and their other amazing abilities.”

The TDSB Vision program supports 400 students across the city, with specialized instruction in areas including Braille reading and writing as well as in developing appropriate teaching strategies for visually impaired learners.

“Despite a myriad of logistical obstacles they have come together with the common goal of breaking down the barriers imposed upon them through communication and understanding,” Stewart said. “I am proud and excited to share this experience with them.”

Approximately 12,000 Canadians will carry the torch across the country, travelling 45,000 kilometres over 106 days.

The flame will travel through the Toronto area starting Dec. 17.

The Taste of Tuscany

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10:45 am

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Eureka! I may have found a neighbourhood eatery, in my own neighbourhood, that is worth the walk. Opened only three months ago, by Ned Spahic, after eight successful years as executive chef at Sette Mezzo a few blocks away, Balsamico is the latest addition to the Yonge stroll north of Davisville.

There is nothing revolutionary about this dining room, but, in a way, that is its appeal. A gathering of simple, familiar ingredients are processed in the kitchen’s crucible to produce dishes of uncommon appeal.

The clean, spare lines of the room are saved by a warm glow from some intelligent lighting. Service borders on cloying but manages to stay just this side of jovial. Bruschetta pomodoro is $9.95 for two. We receive a pizza-esque thin crust lavishly topped with tomatoes, fresh basil, excellent olive oil and shaved parmigiano. Fine if it stands in for the appetizer course, but given that we are anticipating a side dish, this is over the top. Zuppa del giorno is a fabulous minestrone.

Traditionally concocted of any vegetable within arm’s length, this soup tastes of the Tuscan hills. No additional thickening is needed, and the broth is, mercifully, not oversalted. In the frosty months ahead, I can picture wishing for regular injections ($5.95). The gamberi al gusto appetizer brings four black tiger shrimps with cherry tomatoes and bountiful garlic in a white wine lemon sauce. Grilled crostini is a welcome tool for sopping up the savoury dressing, but for $10.95 another shrimp or two might be in order. The list of pastas touches all the bases and evokes the best of Italy with more than a dozen offerings gently priced between $12.95 and $16.95. Linguine con aglio e olio provides a nice balance. The pasta is graced with the same olive oil we have been enjoying all evening, garlic, spicy sausage, baby arugula and cherry tomatoes.

This is an earthy and intriguing juxtaposition of textures and tastes: al dente linguine, crunchy arugula and traditional sausage. I wish for more kick in the sausage and feel the kitchen underestimates the Toronto palate, but the dish works and is served in a portion that does not overwhelm us ($13.95). Petto di pollo agli asparagi is a creative offering that is delicately handled. The chicken breast is sautéd to impressive moistness, but white meat is only as interesting as what is done to it. Chef Spahic has designed a rendition where it is bathed in a light white wine and cream sauce and garnished with emerald asparagus that has retained its crunch and flavour ($18.95). Given that we are only two for dinner this evening, we do not have the opportunity to sample the pizzas priced from $10.95 for the basic margherita to $15.95 for the gamberi (shrimp). Next time.

A quick reading of the brief wine list reveals a consistency of philosophy at Balsamico. The most expensive red wine is $8.95 per glass for a generous pour of Chianti — the perfect foil for this meal. Bravo. Only four desserts are offered, and the waiter strongly recommends the tiramisù. Now, this is a sweet that I have enjoyed over the years but have been confronted by so much sludge that I have started to avoid it. I take one more shot at it and am rewarded with an exemplary rendition. To resolve the question raised at the start of this piece: yes, I have found a place in my neighbourhood to which I would return on a moment’s notice.

Balsamico 2029 Yonge St. 647-348-0337

Dinner for two excluding tax, tip and alcohol: $60

Canadians produce more than their share of great comedians

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10:42 am

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A few years back a publisher approached me about writing a book on the history of the Canadian comedy scene. Funny, I thought, I’ve been doing that very thing in these pages for more than five years now.

But it was to be an audio book no less, well, how could I refuse? I’d already been giving the story of Canadian stand-up a lot of thought; all I would have to do is focus it.

One key issue was the way that Canadian comedy reflects rural and small town life in the beginning (around 1960) and is then challenged by a more urban vision in the mid-70s.

This city-country divide is a tension that continues through the present day with Brent Butt as a key player as he combines the two in Corner Gas, which is rural yet sophisticated at the same time.

Another thread is the way that comedy starts out dominated by middle-aged white men and then explodes into a rainbow of diversity as women, gays, and people of colour become increasingly important.

Parallel to that story, the history of standup is primarily a Toronto phenomenon until the late 1980s and then expands to include every region of the country.

I excluded the province of Quebec in this survey and kept to English language comedy to keep the playing field level.

The entire process brought me back to my roots. I made contact with comics of the era that I hadn’t spoken to in decades, and it brought back a lot of warm and crazy times. A few comics had passed away, and I had more than one session in the studio with moist eyes as I edited the work of late great comics such as Gary David and Paul K. Willis.

And then, with all the material in tow, I entered the studio to record the material. I’ve never been a fan of my own voice; it’s always seemed to be a bit shrill to my ears. So I made sure one of the engineers sat right in front of me, so I could lower my voice to an intimate range. As long as he looked at me with rapt attention, I supposed I was getting it right.

Over the years it’s become well known throughout the world that Canadians produce more than their share of great comedians. But listening to the book in its entirety suggests something even more: that the image of Canadians as a shy, retiring people is false and out of date. The comedians in the book, if any example at all, are eccentric, vibrant, and deliciously mad, and I think the ultimate point of the book is that we are actually a nation of strong personalities.

I knew I had room for a lot of comics, and I vaguely divided the discs into past, present and future, but right from the beginning, I knew I’d get some unhappy calls from comics I had to leave out.

Two years in the making, The Yuk Yuk’s Guide to Canadian Stand-Up is a five-CD audio book spanning 50 years of comedy history.

With more than 40 audio clips by famous and esoteric comics and more than an hour of commentary by yours truly, the book is a great introduction to Canadian comedy.

I would never use this column to suggest that the book makes an excellent gift for the upcoming holidays, so let me just wish my readers a very happy season and best wishes for the new year.

Midday meal as modern art

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10:40 am

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Marc Thuet’s Summerhill experiment, Petite Thuet, dovetails seamlessly into the Rosedale neighbourhood — with its high-end breakfast pastries; lunches of boxed sandwiches, soup and salad; prepared dinner staples for reheating at home; and desserts.

A helpful server mans the glass cases. His thick French accent — France French, not Quebec French — adds authenticity to the ordering and shopping experience. The most worthy visual element of the wood-laden room are the mismatched shelves displaying all things pickled, geléed, jammed, and vinegared — imported 50-year aged balsamic vinegar or house-made pickled Ontario heirloom carrots, wild Quebec sumac and squashberry gelée or fig and port jam. Mental note: a good source of holiday gifts, albeit pricey, for the person who has everything.

Those who don’t mind spending a pretty penny on a breakfast snack line-up to splurge on a sumptuous café au lait and pastry: a buttery, moist croissant, say, or apple Danish. Fibre fans opt for granola with fruit and organic yogourt.

The menu’s soups entice —onion soup, curry sweet potato, and Jerusalem artichoke — but stocks have been depleted.

Roasted cauliflower salad ($4) is a standout. This textural knockout combines crunchy toasted almond slivers, matchstick dried apricot pieces, chewy raisins, crisp romaine lettuce and soft, wee cauliflower florets roasted to perfection. A mild buttermilk [CK] dressing brings flavours together.

Even though it’s just minutes after noon, less than a dozen sandwiches remain: today, three assemblies to choose from.

Pretzel roll, akin to a saltier, shorter, rounder baguette, sandwiches crunchy chopped romaine, moist organic turkey and thin slabs of cool brie ($7.95).

The roll also envelops a spread of lobster salad ($9), but this time, the pretzel is decidedly more yielding and more fresh than the one cozying up around the turkey. Shredded Nova Scotia lobster and crab dominate the generous spread, pulled together with a spiced mayo that complements, not dominates, the flavours of the crustaceans.

A packaged charcuterie offers six distinct flavours in one: prosciuttini, Rose de Lyon, saucisson sec, saucisson Alsacien, Hungarian salami and chorizo. Ideal for those carnivores among us who just can’t decide.

Creative dinners, like venison lasagna and truffled chicken wings, are rounded out by daily specials. All cater to one theme: comfort food made from high-end ingredients in thoughtful combinations that can be heated and served from your kitchen.

Macaroon maniacs trek from far and wide to sink their teeth into Thuet’s inventions ($1.95), in a respectable array of flavours, such as caramel or coconut. Two thin, almond “cookies” sandwich a thin spread of sweet ganache, and in each one the thinnest of outer layers gives way to soft, light brownie-like interior. The perfect finish.

Petite Thuet
1162 Yonge St.
416-924-2777
Lunch for two excluding tax, tip and alcohol:
$25

McLean spins another chart topper

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10:34 am

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The holidays and Stuart McLean and his fictional family from the Vinyl Cafe stories go together like Jerry Seinfeld and Festivus. It hardly seems possible that there wasn’t a time when one existed without the other.

A Toronto native, McLean brings his Vinyl Cafe tour to Convocation Hall, Dec. 11 to 13, in support of his latest book, Extreme Vinyl Cafe, the sixth in the Cafe canon.

It all began for McLean in 1994, when the Vinyl Cafe radio show first appeared on the CBC in 1994. And for the past 15 years, he has brought the world of Dave, owner of the fictional record shop Dave’s Vinyl Cafe; his wife Morley; and their kids Sam and Stephanie to life on the radio, on his live touring shows and in the pages of his books. It is laugh-out-loud funny, but it allows McLean to explore issues of importance to him on a personal or a national level. For instance, in his latest work McLean addresses the divide between French-speaking Quebec and the rest of Canada by having Dave and Morley visit a cottage in the Laurentians owned by a Quebec veterinarian. What transpires — a donnybrook with a drugged up cockatoo and the partial demolition of a historic cottage by accident — is hysterical, but it is much more than that.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he has any idea as to the reason for their popularity.

“You know, I don’t even have an understanding of it being popular,” McLean explains. “I know in some way people come and see the show, buy the books, but I don’t feel that in any deep way. What’s going on inside my head is how can I make a story better.”

Part of McLean’s success is that he understands the value of a good editor. Whether it be someone on the show or through some input from a member of his live audience, he listens.

“I’m not one of those people who’s precious about your work,” says McLean.

“I do my best and listen to others, including my audience, whose contributions are not insignificant.”

Whatever works, says McLean, whose approach has won him the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour three times.

“I love what I do. I’m a very lucky man,” says McLean. “I guess if I could toss them off, the stories I mean, I wouldn’t find them fulfilling.… But I find them difficult, puzzling, engaging, and I can say things important to me. I get taken up by them.”

New museum rolls into Downsview Park

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10:32 am

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Downsview Park will serve as the new home of the Canadian Motorsport Heritage Museum.

Recently construction began on the $1 million, 13,000-square-foot facility at 39 Carl Hall Rd. The museum previously occupied a 2,500-square-foot space in Halton Hills.

“When you consider that Canada is a very small country and for four months of the year we’re under snow, we have a remarkable list of achievements and a very richheritage in racing,” said Brad Brown, executive director of the Canadian Motorsport Heritage Museum.

The new facility will feature a theatre showing continuous racing footage; a new race experience centre complete with simulators; and a number of new vehicles given to the museum on permanent loan, including Canadian driver Greg Moore’s first race car. A number of events — including those specifically geared toward women — are also planned, Brown said.

The proximity to Highway 401, William R. Allen Road and the Yorkdale Shopping Centre were part of the site’s appeal to house the new museum.

“It’s just far, far more accessible than we’ve ever been,” Brown said.

The future plans for Downsview Park — including residential developments — were also a factor in the museum’s location.

“I think it’s exciting to be there on the ground floor, and we’re looking forward to growing with them,” Brown said.

Downsview Park president and CEO Tony Genco said the partnership represented a good match.

“We thought that this museum, both from the standpoint of its transportation focus as well as from the standpoint of the celebration of Canadian culture, was a perfect fit,” he said.

Genco added that the facility would work alongside the Canadian Air & Space Museum located at the park.

Brown, who has been “overwhelmed” by volunteer offers, said that success of the museum will be based on its ability to engage visitors.

“Our challenge, which I believe we can do very well, is to create enough of a rotation of content to keep the offering consistently fresh and therefore engage people,” he said

The facility is expected to open sometime next spring.

How to cook a perfect 'mess o' crabs'

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10:03 am

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I love the taste of crab in the morning… or evening for that matter. The sweet taste of cooked and chilled fresh crab, picked from the shell, over a glass of Sauvignon Blanc would make anyone feel better after a hard day of work.

I was in Brussels on my honeymoon (September 1991, yes that is a long time ago!) when I first tried the cold crab. On Rue des Bouchers, every seafood joint will put out a seafood display to entice the passersby to come in for supper. Each place tries to out-do the other on the daily ritual of displaying the seafood. Oysters, mussels, lobster, crab and all types of fish were laid out.

We chose one place and ordered the seafood tower and a bottle of crisp white wine. Sitting on the narrow patio and watching the people walk by, sipping and snacking on cold crab was a treat not to be forgotten!

A friend, George Dowdle, told me he could get dome Rock Crab from New London Bay, PEI, so I thought I’s give it a try. Some good, as they say down east. Small in stature, bigger than a blue crab, and the same shape as the dungeness crab, the PEI rocks are as good as they come! Sweet and crabby goodness comes in Monday and Thursday with the Green Gables Oysters, until Mother Nature says they’re done.

To cook a "mess o’ crabs" it is best to get them cold in an ice bath first. This gets them into a hibernate state. Sometimes, if you cook them straight out of the box, the little legs will pop off.

Get a salted stock (water salty enough to taste like the ocean), a few veggies to make a court bouillon, and a bottle of beer and bring it all to a rolling boil. Skim off the veggies and plunk in your crabs and boil for about 15 minutes, or until they start to float to the top. Once they are cooked, either eat them right away, or put them in an ice bath to chill them down quickly.

Shuckingly yours, Paddy

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.

Sip a molecular masterpiece at barchef

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4:12 pm

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Craft breweries are one thing and wine bars another, but if you’re looking for a new adventure in alcohol, take to barchef — part science lab, part lounge and the leader of Toronto’s burgeoning molecular cocktail scene.

Push through the heavy double doors on Queen West (just east of Bathurst), let your eyes adjust to the low light and pull up a stool in front of Frankie Solarik, executive barchef and owner. He’ll be decked out in Queen St. uniform of fedora, vest and skinny tie, chipping from a massive block of glowing ice that sits on the bar, whipping up any of the 30 artfully designed liquid concoctions on the menu.

For the brave of heart (and deep of pocket — the Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan: $45), the Molecular menu will suit your tastes best. For $18, the Fire and Ice cocktail mixes absinthe with bitter almond liqueur, fresh grapefruit and black pepper.

For three bucks more, The BarChef Martini Three Ways combines vodka or gin, classic, rosemary alginate, nicoise snow, rosemary infused, green olive and rosemary air. That we know what only two of those things are makes it taste even better.

And while cocktails are generally more of a Sex and the City thing, barchef isn’t just for the ladies (remember how cool Tom Cruise was in Cocktail?). Penny-pinching patrons can play it safe by sticking to the $8 Classic menu, where the drinks are infinitely more creative and tasty than the rum ‘n’ cokes at the Swiss Chalet around the corner, which cost almost as much.

The "Four Seven Two" mixes bourbon, cola bitters, fresh limes, muddled mint and mint syrup, and will please the straight-laced sipper in the crowd. The "Professor" (Vodka, in-house bitters, lavender essence, mint syrup, fresh lemon) is a more tart alternative.

Each masterpiece can take up to 15 minutes to create, so don’t expect zippy service. But while you wait, munch on some edamame, take in the black-and-white vintage film projected on exposed brick, shoot sideways glances at the beautiful people nestled in on the zebra-print couch in the corner or the handsome couple at the high-top or just zero in on the tunes being spun by the DJ in the back.

Whatever your inclination, you’ll leave barchef feeling noticeably hipper (not to mention more inebriated) than when you entered.

barchef is at 472 Queen St. W
416 868 4800

Get a hot holiday dress at Forest Hill's Kitsch

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3:35 pm

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Whether you’re looking for a dress with a load of frills or a versatile staple, Kitsch is a must see on your hunt for the perfect holiday dress!

Although Kitsch is known in the spring for having beautiful prom gowns, many of the dresses in the Holiday Collection are quite sophisticated and suit a wider age range.

I was especially impressed by the colour options available at Kitsch. So often all we see are black dress options — and they definitely have these — but Kitsch owner Karen Wood has done a great job sourcing colourful options too. I loved all the navy, pops of pink and red, and bright yellow – she’s really covered the whole colour spectrum!

Designers like Nicole Miller, Tracey Reese, and Laundry are the names behind some of my favourite Kitsch cocktail dresses. The clean lines, and interesting details on each of these dresses make them easy-to-wear classics with personality!

While you’re at Kitsch remember to check out the upstairs for more casual clothing options, and their “bargain basement” for discounted pieces from other seasons.

Kitsch Boutique is located at 325 Lonsdale Road in the heart of Forest Hill Village – 416.481.6712

Always exploring Toronto’s best boutiques!

Wendy

As a personal style coach with THE REFINERY, Wendy Woods translates the world of fashion into a personal style that makes her clients shine, while introducing them to Toronto’s unique boutiques.