Toronto Delivers

The Village... conjures images of restaurants, music, lounges, drag queen shows, laughter, fun! As its Pride month, we are reviewing the various activities around the area as well as events happening in the city that shows one's Pride. Want to be reviewed? Email us today.

Have you made your reservation? You can do it now. Summerlicious kicks off on July 6 and runs until July 22. Definitely a World Class programme.

The Fringe: Toronto’s Theatre Festival has broken an all time record with its opening five-day ticket sales. 20,500 tickets were sold in the first five days of the festival from Wednesday, July 4 to Sunday, July 8. Record ticket sales were set five days in a row, showing a 31% increase from 2006. That’s 5000 more tickets sold in the first five days than last year!

The 19th annual festival features an astounding 140 independent theatre companies from around the world performing more than 1100 shows in 28 venues. Located in the Annex neighbourhood and the Fashion District of Toronto this year’s Fringe is better than ever offering theatrical delights for every possible taste.

The Fringe is Toronto’s biggest theatre extravaganza and runs to Sunday, July 15, 2007. Check it out today by calling the Fringe Hotline at 416.966.1062 or click here for the website.

The free hugs campaign is definitely a world class event. As a city becoming truly world class, we need to be conscious and participate in these world initiatives ensuring our space and place in global politics, economics, culture and sports. In surfing YouTube, I found the free hugs campaign reaching Toronto since last year and would be looking forward to more of it. Maybe see it at the upcoming Nuit Blanche event.

One of the last things you would expect from a celebration of fetish culture is predictable. At the very least, a fetish community should embrace innovation and a desire to push boundaries. So why is Folsom Fair North so average?

The fifth FFN took place on Sunday, July 22 at the Allan Gardens Conservatory. The fair consisted of about two dozen booths and two stages. The booths were pretty standard displays of merchandise. Only two offered any incentive for actually stopping by. Steamworks had a pick-up Twister game and an unnamed vendor held bondage demonstrations every two hours or so. [click here for flickr photos of this event]

While the products offered were varied, there wasn’t a lot of variety across vendors themselves. Why buy a leather armband from booth 005 instead of booth 011? It would seem obvious that there has to be something that sets a particular vendor apart and draws in a crowd. That bit of wisdom seems to have completely eluded the vendors at FFN. Listless folks behind unremarkable displays made the least possible effort to sell their wares to what struck me as fairly uninterested attendees.

While we were there, the performances on the stage were even less thoughtful or creative. A drag queen in an evening gown singing Whitney Houston standards and showtunes? Does that strike anyone as particularly relevant to the community, or even the least bit innovative? I’ve been told that later in the evening the music got better. But the fair was not just an evening event.

The irony, of course, is that in a community noted for its creativity and tendency to push the envelope, Folsom Fair North was notable for nothing. Change the leather for dresses and you could have Drag Ball North; change the dresses for nudity and you could have Free Nature North; change the nudity for t-shirts and jeans and you could have Bear Invasion North. And as soon as your event becomes so interchangeable, it stops becoming a celebration of the community it serves and becomes just another place to sell a $20 cock ring. Folsom Fair North rates a Not World Class and an Upgrade Something (or in this case, upgrade everything). ~ robis

Have you seen a 10 foot sunflower? It towers you as it looks like it tries to reach for the sky. It's a definite photo op. On a clear day like today, swing by Jarvis and Wellesley and take a picture. Do you know of places with what seems to be a normal view turn out to be extraordinary? Post their locations here.

Also have you seen the beautiful garden along the Discovery Walk in Toronto? Click here for the downloable PDF file of the location. Discovery Walk is a Toronto Parks and Recreation Programme and I think its World Class. The gardens are gorgeous. You should check it out before the end of the summer. ~ gloria

The Downtown Yonge experience card programme - As a product, this is a great idea IF business actually know what the stickers on their doors mean or what the marketing material is about. Do businesses even take the time to check what's lying around their front door? I wonder. I went to Avis at Eaton Centre and they had this Downtown Yonge programme so I asked if I get a discount if I use it. The person at the counter said that you get points if you use this card. I went to register online and there is no place online to register. I called in, left a message, and no one responded - this has been 2 weeks. So the idea is great, the card looks inviting, there are pretty Downtown Yonge signage on Yonge Street but why is the programme not working? Because there is no follow through. What a greatly missed opportunity. Next time you see this card, ask the business you got this from what it's all about, and if they don't know, post your comment here or email us. We'll see how many we collect by year's end. My rating? Upgrade Something - that would be customer service, website update, and training~ gloria

It's been gorgeous days these past couple of weeks (ok maybe a bit hot and humid especially for those without A/Cs in their apartments) so how enjoying the nice weather with live music, unique and exotic food and light shopping?! You don't have to look far, it's closer than you think.... it's right in Toronto's busiest intersection, in the Heart of the City. This is the Yonge-Dundas Square (click here for the map) where there are events almost every week this summer.... and there's the weekend Artisan Market which features vendors of quality and unique hand crafted items. So catch the latest concert, festival and even movies! [Click here for the CityNews coverage]. ~ gloria

Last week, Red Tent Sisters opened up their doors at 810 Danforth. The combination store and clinic is the brainchild of sisters Amy and Kimberley Sedgwick, who saw a need for a place that is “dedicated to serving the reproductive and sexual health needs of women across the life-cycle”. Red Tent Sisters offers a wide array of products and services related to women’s health and well-being, include fertility (and beyond), sexuality, contraception, pregnancy and child-rearing.

Red Tent Sisters is a unique concept, and one whose time has come. In a world where a healthy approach to one’s body and sexuality is increasingly difficult, Red Tent Sisters provides a place where women can find a safe space that inspires them to a healthier outlook.

Red Tent Sisters is located in a storefront just east of Pape on Danforth, with a big red sign that is hard to miss. Women interested in checking it out can find contact information and directions on their website. ~robis

Ever find yourself just sitting around bored, wondering what to do with your day? TTC has the answer. Every couple of months, TTC puts out their See It Your Way guide, filled with ideas and fun activities around the GTA. .

The See It Your Way guide can be found at stations, and in most buses, streetcars and trains. The guide lists events going on, complete with directions for getting there by TTC. A map with corresponding identifiers lets you pinpoint what part of town is hosting the event, and contact information if you need more details. There is also a subway route map and information on TTC’s day pass (always a deal at $8.50 for unlimited travel for up to two adults and four children).

Besides being chock full of information, the guide is also beautifully designed, with bright colours and a format that opens up like a map. Pick one up today at most TTC outlets, or stop by the website and download a PDF version.

The TTC See It Your Way Guide gets a World Class Rating. ~ robis

Queen West has a great gallery and shop that offers designer toys, apparel, books, art and more. Magic Pony at 694 Queen Street West is chock-full of vinyl toys from some of the best designers, plush, clothing (t-shirts made from bamboo—now that’s comfy!), and other odds and ends. The shop is a toy store for adults. In the back, a small gallery serves as an exhibit space for quirky and fun artists. Currently showing is the Mittenfists show, made up of works by Melinda Josie , Jacob Whitley and Andrew Wilson.

The store clerk was both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the artists in the gallery and about the products on sale in the store. She was also warm and approachable, which is not something you always find in a gallery/shop.

Magic Pony is a fun place to spend an hour or so checking out the art in the gallery and browsing through the items for sale (it’s almost a second gallery in itself). They rate a World Class for the sense of fun they inspire in their patrons. ~ robis

Facebook has become one of Toronto's social network of choice. Its easy to navigate and more than 700k Torontonians are members. A clear example of mobilizing a socially aware group is today's OSPCA Supporters of Animal Cruelty Investigator Tre Smith Rally organized on Facebook . The story is recounted in Toronto Humane Society blog.

What is interesting here is not just the rally but the reiteration of the power of social media. Are you an animal lover? Do you need to save a tree? Is there a historic building that is up for demolition? Do you have a cause? Do you have a non-profit that you volunteer at? Just like The Shift Movie, the shift occurs because of participation, by you! We, TorontoDelivers.com, do not take a political stand on any issue but will provide a forum (like this post) if we're provided the information in advance. These events will not be rated. ~ richard

Event Info Name: Animal Cruelty Investigator Tre Smith (SUPPORT RALLY)
Tagline: OSPCA Supporters of Animal Cruelty Investigator Tre Smith
Host: Supporters of Animal Cruelty Investigator Tre Smith
Time and Place Date: Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Time: 11:00am - 3:30pm
City/Town: Toronto, ON
Location: We will meet then all go to the T.H.S. to say hi to Tre then DRIVE THE 404 TO OSPCA

Absent being filthy rich, or a famous celebrity if you want to get your photo in the Toronto mags you need to be either totally gorgeous or totally outrageous. At least that's what the guy taking the pictures at the Leather Ball said. This was confirmed by another photographer at the Church Street Festival today said. So who did he take a picture of? The chained collared man and his master, the full rubber pants and rubber shirt wearing Asian, the big mohawked guy, the buffed naked muscle men who looked like they were plucked directly from a muscle magazine, those who were practically naked, and two ladies kissing. These are photos that sell. Is it world class to glorify buffed, beautiful people or their extreme opposites only? No so much. A well balanced spread would be more appealing, I think ~ gloria

On August 18 and 19 The Toronto Comics Arts Festival (also known affectionately as TCAF) celebrated the best that Small Press comics has to offer, including quite a few Toronto-based artists and writers. Of course, as with every show, the three biggest names—Seth, Chester Brown and Joe Matt—were there to sign their books. But many lesser-known (and in my opinion, more talented) artists were also on hand.

The first of these is Jim Munroe, who many book lovers may know as the Toronto native behind No Media Kings. Mr. Munroe has been self-publishing novels for a long time, but now has tried writing a comic book with great success. His book (with artist Salgood Sam) is called “Therefore Repent” and is a love story set in the period after the Rapture occurs.

Bobby Chiu and Kei Acedera from Imaginism Studios create the kinds of work that you should simultaneously use to entertain children and also keep away from their impressionable little minds. It’s lush and rich work that delves into some quirky areas, but I promise you, you will never be bored.

Brian Maclachlan’s new book, “No Dead Time” is a pretty amazing book. It is a love story set in a world where the characters that inhabit it reflect on the outside the way they are on the inside. While the love story is nice, it is that conceit that makes the book. Watching a customer in a record store slowly evolve into a caveman as his pathetic tastes in music are revealed is just simply genius.

Michael Noonan’s latest work is called “The Luxury of Living” an autobiographical book that gives us a look at his life as it relates to his daughter and his struggles to keep her in his life. While the book is great, it is maybe just a little bit too sparse. It could easily be twice as long.

And speaking of autobiographical works, I would be remiss to overlook Steve MacIsaac’s excellent second installment of “Shirtlifter” which chronicles his experiences coming out and coming to terms with his sexuality. “Shirtlifter” is sexually frank and graphic, so visit his site or pick up the book at your own discretion.

Click any of the photos above. We have a whole line of WORLD CLASS short and long sleeve shirts for men, women, children and your dogs! Deep discounts and the cotton material is made in North America! Check it out today.

It's Wednesday. Have you checked out the Farmer's Market at Nathan Phillips (aka City Hall)? They have a wide selection of fresh organic choices from veggies to fruits to even cakes and pastries. I like the idea of a Farmer's Market because it gets the people out and provide a place for local growers to showcase their produce. This concept therefore is World Class BUT the choices can sometimes be a bit thin so I would rate that as Need to Upgrade Something. World Class Farmer's Markets have clean surroundings (indoors or out) and presentation standards are impeccable. Here at Nathan Philips? Not yet there. World Class Farmer's Markets have clear signage and clear solution to a potentially conjested traffic. Here at Nathan Philips? Not yet there. World Class Farmer's Markets have a multitude of choices not just a few selections of fruits and veggies. Here at Nathan Phillips? Not yet there.

The idea therefore is great and I support that and an indicator of a world class-to be but there has to be more choices, more vendors, clearer structure of traffic and processes in managing people rather than a mish-mash of tents and tables and ultimately more people will come in in droves more than they do now.

Check out Farmer's Market as well as other events in the City Hall area and surrounding parts of the GTA by clicking here.

Meetups are a great opportunity to hang out with friends, make new ones, network, create business and even find that true love. In Toronto, there are a lot of Meetup Groups and we laud this online service as World Class.

Let's see. Depending on your taste, you can find anywhere from the 500+ members of the Fitness Group and the Kayak Group to the more than 1400+ members of the Photography Group. Toronto has a lot to offer not just being a gorgeous city to be photographed. The "We don't do mainstream" film group, the "Let's Speak Spanish" group and Gay Couples Group can attest to its diversity and culture.

If you're a local, join a Meetup (this is not a sponsored post but we'd love them to ask us) find a group that resonates with your needs, dreams, wants, interests.... and if you're visiting, connect with the organizers, I'm sure they will be more than happy to let you join in their activities. ~ gloria

We like the idea of the Gay and Lesbian Archives. We enjoy its vast resources for our various research. But what we were concerned about was when we discovered how the materials are stored. Old magazines or newspapers are cut and divided up depending on the taste and subjectivity of the reader. The rest is discarded. Basic research methodology especially archival methods require the whole material to be stored because researchers may find some non-descript items or newstories that the original subjective volunteer librarian decided was not important. Thus lose forever the material's integrity and ultimately may skew the information available to the researcher. The reason provided for the select and destroy method is the lack of space. So I asked how about getting a scanner (I was offering to give it them even) and they refused (was it a technical competency issue that I was not privy to that prevented them from agreeing?). So although I laud the valuable contribution of the Gay and Lesbian archives to Queer Literature, I fear that if you are looking for research and not find it there, it was because it was destroyed by a volunteer who thought that information was not relevant. My overall rating for this process is UPGRADE SOMETHING. ~ richard

For the last couple of days, the Guru Energy Drink people have been giving away free samples. We tasted the tangerine and the lemon-lime flavours with excitement of a new drink only to be a bit disappointed. After canvassing 10 friends about their experience with the drink, 1-10 liked the tangerine while the rest was not happy with the lemon lime. We did our own focus group since we happen to be at a local hangout and decided to write about this experience.

So here is the bottom line: This drink taste like flavoured sugar! And being the energy needing people that we are (Tab, Full Throttle, Red Bull, and 8 shots of caffeine per day drinkers so we are the target market), this did not cut it. Maybe go back to the drawing board and think of better ways to present this (a 473 ml can may be good for the thirsty but its too much liquid and quite heavy to carry around) One of our reviewers, Robis, said that if this was in a Red Bull can it will be a solid or jello because its too sugary in taste.

Let's look at the contents:
For 250ml there's 146 calories so your 473 ml can is approx 285 calories
There's 33 grams of sugar in 250ml which means 66 grams for the can OR 14 teaspoons full of sugar!!!! That's quite a bit of sugar people!

So let's get enegy and diabetes all at once and get this drink or maybe head out to your local coffee shop and get 2 shots of caffeine instead and hold the sugar. My overall rating? Upgrade Something ~ gloria

Click the photo for the 2 for 1 discount coupon to the Canadian National Exhibition. This coupon expires Sept 3 so download now and enjoy the show. Thanks to iCoke.ca for this coupon!

Our treat to you these last couple of days of Summer ~

On August 26, Xtra
held the first ever Writing Outside the Margins queer literary festival on Church Street. The day-long event featured readings from various authors, a number of vendor booths and a couple open mic events.

While I was looking forward to this event, I wasn’t expecting very much in the way of any envelope-pushing. A review of the advertising revealed very little in the way of actual alternative writing. In fact, many of the writers seemed to fit only because they were queer and because they wrote literature. For an event called, “Writing Outside the Margins” I would have liked to have seen more actual writing that qualifies as being outside the margins. Jim Bartley, Marusya Bociurkiw, and Michael Rowe might all be great writers and well worth reading, but they aren’t exactly what one would consider literary high risks. Many of the other guests were lesser-known and much more keeping with the theme of the title. But why were the big-names used in the advertising (i.e., James St. James and Patrick Califia) both from the United States? Why not showcase any number of queer Canadian talent that comes to mind?

Further, why the sparse festival ground? There were essentially two stages at either end of Church, with a few booths set up between. The effect was a long literary wilderness that does not realistically reflect either queer lit or the lit scene in Toronto or Canada. I can think of any number of groups, shops, publishing collectives, etc., that could have been recruited to set up a booth and fill out the street.

Both of these observations lead me to believe that the organizers missed many opportunities to reach out to a very vibrant literary community in Toronto. Where was Outrights, the writer’s group that meets at the 519 Center? What about any of the dozen or so queer zines I could name that are produced in Toronto?

Sadly, this festival rates as well as most of the Queer festivals I’ve attended: no initative, no imagination and no effort. Safe, safe, safe. There’s a place for safe, but literature is not it. The Writing Outside the Margins Queer Literary Festival rates a Not World Class for remaining in that safe space. --Robis

For four days every August, Toronto closes down Union Street for the annual Scotiabank Buskerfest to benefit Epilepsy Toronto. Buskers (or street performers) from all over the world perform incredible, funny or sometimes just plain zany acts for the crowds that gather. This year’s festival was a wildly successful program, made so not only by the talent that the event drew but also the commitment of the organizers to create an event that was dynamic.

Perhaps the best act was Alakazam, also known as Al Millar, from Australia. Mr. Millar has won the festival’s Best Act prize two years in a row. With his mix of stunts and humour, Alakazam wowed audiences with sword juggling and a trick where he turned his arms around 360 degrees and back again.

My own personal favorite, however, was Clan Ketchoz out of Montreal. The group is a duo made up of a core of Lysanne Richards and Tom Cholot, but includes other performers depending upon the event, plus their son Luca. I can’t give you much background, as their website is in French, and I don’t read French (but take a look; there are some clips and other goodies worth seeing). For the Buskerfest, they set up some trampolines and performed an acrobatic act that was laced with the perfect note of humour and fun.

Grammy award winners Samba Squad performed a number of incredible percussion numbers that just simply blew me away. Their music was full of energy as always, but there’s something special about hearing them play on the street as opposed to on an album or in a music hall. The music becomes part of the air in a way that it doesn’t within the confines of other settings.

Of course, all of the acts were amazing, and I don’t mean to imply that these acts were the only ones worth mentioning. Stop by the Buskerfest website and browse through the performer’s list. You’ll find something you enjoy. The organizers did an excellent job of drawing talent from across the world and creating a festival that is both unique and fun. Coming from the Writing Outside the Margins festival with its flaccid effort, it struck me just how much the success of an event is tied to how well the organizers embrace the theme with which the respective festival springs. The Buskerfest rates a World Class for its dazzle and fun. --Robis

I saw an advertisement in the subway today for this Memorial University so I looked it up. I'm confused. Why is there no email address to a distance education program? Furthermore, I looked into the staff directory and not only do they not have any email addresses included on their website, they don't have any area codes next to their phone numbers either.

This is an advertisement in Toronto, a couple of hundred miles from Newfoundland and Labrador where this university is located. So my thinking is that they should provide email addresses unless they only use the phone as a means of communication in their university. The advertisement is correct as its for a distance programme. But the website needs to be updated so they get an Upgrade Something rating from me. It would be great to be able to learn from the confines of my apartment and in my jammies but if I'm unable to call them (I now have to remember time zones and that's just too much work), then it would be ineffective for me to become a student. ~richard

Here's something that's part of a Government programme that you may not have used yet. TripInfo (416-599-9090) is Toronto's new traveller information phone line providing live traffic information for major Expressways including the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway. The system also provides scheduled road closure information for Ontario Ministry of Transportation highways and other streets within the City of Toronto. TripInfo makes it easy to access the information you need! You can simply say the road name or number that you are interested in. Love the voice activated options. Add this number to your mobile phone today!

Here are your choices:
Press 1 Public Transit Information
Press 2 Roadway and Traffic Information including Special Event Closures and Winter Services
Press 3 General Info, Pedestrian Information, Watch your speed program, Collision Centre, Parking
Press 4 Help
Press 5 Leave Public comment
Press 6 French

Definitely a world class service. Check it out today!

Have you been to the Amsterdam bridge at the Harbourfront? You may have but not sure what it was as its not clearly labeled. It's this picture. This is not yet world class and need to upgrade something. Why? Not the bridge but because of what it represents. It represents that its a sister city with Amsterdam. There is actually a Toronto bridge called Torontobrug in Amsterdam. Other sister cities of Toronto are on this other picture. What I like about sister cities is not just tourism trade but also other benefits. What I don't like about it here in Toronto is that its not leveraged as much as they would have done in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin. There should be big signs, shared resources, street parties and such. Why do we not have as much of that here? See the Toronto bridge in Amsterdam? It's huge! And don't tell me its expensive because there's a lot of things that can be done without costing much money. And the people of each of the cities would benefit quite a lot from it so in the end, there's actually more money coming to the city if they do a better job at promoting these cities. It not for this site, the Toronto Government site and Wikipedia, where else would you know about the sister cities? ~ richard

Photo by Claudia Hung

The Toronto Film Festival is underway. Didn't get tickets? Will not be going to the show? Want schwags? Just walk around Yonge Street and its a marketer's market. People are getting anywhere from free sodas to little toys and gifts from pretty everyone and everything that a logo can be slapped to. Quick, take a walk before they run out of stuff.

BTW if you want to enjoy a nice jazz show, its what's current on at the Yonge Dundas Square. If you're getting a bit bored, just whip out your internet capable device and the free wireless connection at the square will ease those blues away. Definitely world class. Reminds me of Bryant Park in New York.

The walk was a bit short this year prompting some of our friends to say that its the Aids Hop. We understand that there are individuals who may not be able to go through a longer route so may we suggest next year to have two routes so that both those who want to use this as a means of exercising can go through a longer route and those who want to have a shorter route can participate as well. This is what happens in New York and San Francisco, so why not Toronto? ~ richard

On Sat. Sept. 29, Toronto Public Library, Art Gallery of Ontario, The Bata Shoe Museum, Gardiner Museum and Textile Museum of Canada transform the Reference Library into an interactive arts space, as they each present an original art installation. This ‘art à la carte’ program, taking place from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., is part of this year’s Scotiabank Nuit Blanche festivities.

Guests can interact with original art installations - from a giant Twister board with a twist presented by The Bata Shoe Museum, to the creation of an online exhibit with the AGO, to a glass room that celebrates all things blue by the Textile Museum, to a live potter’s wheel demonstration from the Gardiner Museum.

On the stage, guests can enjoy all-night film screenings from the library’s collection, as well as films inspired by our program. These include a midnight showing of Dirty Dancing, connected to the TD Gallery exhibit, “Stage Struck: 100 Years of the Royal Alex.” The public will also get a rare screening of Alan Zweig’s acclaimed 2000 documentary Vinyl, introduced by Zweig himself.

Outside on Yonge Street, guests can watch art-in-motion at the Arts Café
- from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. - featuring stilt-walkers, contortionists, drummers and living sculptures.

The partner institutions participating in ‘art à la carte’ are also part of the library’s Sun Life Financial Museum and Arts Pass (MAP) program, launched in 24 library branches this past July. The MAP program allows Toronto families, particularly those in 13 priority neighbourhoods as identified by the city, to visit Toronto’s top arts and culture destinations for free. For more information on MAP, visit www.torontopubliclibrary.ca and click on ‘Services.’

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BACKGROUNDER

About ‘art à la carte’

On Sat. Sept. 29, Toronto Public Library, Art Gallery of Ontario, The Bata Shoe Museum, Gardiner Museum and Textile Museum of Canada will transform the Reference Library into an interactive arts space. This ‘art à la carte’ program takes place from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The participants in ‘art à la carte’ are part of the library’s Sun Life Financial Museum and Arts Pass (MAP) program, launched in 24 branches this July. This program allows Toronto families, particularly those in 13 priority neighbourhoods, to visit Toronto’s top arts and culture destinations for free.

Toronto Reference Library - A vital arts and culture destination

The Reference Library is visited by more than one million people each year. Its collection of 4.5 million items - and its diverse programs and services - continue to inspire and support students, researchers, businesses and Canada’s most prominent figures, including Margaret Atwood and the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson.

This fall, Toronto Reference Library is also celebrating its 30th anniversary with a season of original programming and high-profile speakers. Featured guests include Richard Wright, Frances Itani, David Gilmour, John Mighton, Jan Wong, Christie Blatchford, Samantha Nutt and Ian Brown.

During this year’s Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, the library invites Torontonians to see this Raymond Moriyama-designed building in an exciting new light - and to join the city in celebrating the Reference Library’s 30th anniversary.

Original art installations presented during ‘art à la carte’

Stage Struck: 100 Years of the Royal Alex (Toronto Public Library) Toronto Public Library celebrates the 100th birthday of King Street’s theatrical grand dame, the Royal Alexandra Theatre. View photographs, posters, souvenir books, original designs and scripts from our Performing Arts Centre collections.

The Public Trust (Art Gallery of Ontario) Do you have an artwork, photo, keepsake, or memory that you would like to share online? If it can be photographed, scanned or recorded, the Art Gallery of Ontario will accept virtual donations at the Reference Library, to include as part of “The Public Trust,” an interactive online collection created by the public. Then log onto the computers at the library’s Information Commons to view ‘Collection X’
(www.collectionx.museum), the AGO’s new online initiative that features collections of images, audio and video. Create your own exhibition using items donated to the site.

Twist the Night Away: A Global Footwear Fandango (The Bata Shoe
Museum)
Slip off your shoes and limber up! Wriggle, writhe and tie yourself in knots on The Bata Shoe Museum’s Giant Twister Board. The Bata Shoe Museum is the life project of a determined individual who has been scouring the globe for unusual shoes for decades. Catch a glimpse of this unique collection at the Toronto Reference Library, as part of this art installation.

The Gardiner Museum Experience (Gardiner Museum) Home to world-renowned collections of ceramics, the Gardiner Museum will host an interactive session at the Reference Library from 7-10 p.m.
Watch a potter’s wheel demonstration and take part in a hands-on clay workshop. All night long, view a selection of objects from the Gardiner collection and Gardiner Shop and see why people are saying: “Run, don’t walk to the Gardiner Museum.”

The Blue Room (Textile Museum of Canada) Get the blues with Textile Museum of Canada. Explore The Blue Room at the Reference Library and view beautifully dyed indigo garments related to their current exhibition, “The Blues.” Learn how denim jeans, the slave ship Amistad and Japanese haute couture are all connected by blue.
Then groove to the haunting sounds of the blues. Inside The Blue Room, you can also log onto the TMC’s new website, Digital Threads, and access 17 years of contemporary exhibition programming. Explore the new and innovative “idea space“ with projects by Jennifer Angus, Joey Berzowska, Kai Chan, Ruth Scheuing and Samuel Thomas that exist solely in the digital world.

Art-in-motion presented during ‘art à la carte’

At the Arts Café, outside on Yonge Street, guests can watch art-in-motion, inspired by our program.

In the Flesh, 7 p.m.
Strike a pose with living sculptures from Statues Alive.

Walking Art, 8 p.m.
Enjoy SwizzleStick Theatre’s beautiful stilt ensembles and textiles.

Twisted Motion, 9 p.m.
Do the twist with performers from Collective Exchange.

Night Beats, 10 p.m.
Drummers from Exile performers stir the soul with their impassioned rhythm.

Cinematic art presented during ‘art à la carte’

Guests can enjoy all-night documentary and film screening from the Toronto Reference Library film collection - as well as films inspired by our program.

Vinyl (2000), 8 p.m.
Take a voyeuristic journey into the fascinating world of record collecting. The screening will be introduced by the film’s director, Alan Zweig.

Indigo: A World of Blue (2006), 10:30 p.m.
Shot in Southern India, this film features scholar Jenny Balfour Paul on indigo’s history and lore. Shown with permission from Maiwa Productions.

Dirty Dancing (1987), Midnight
See the classic Patrick Swayze film that set the hearts of a whole generation aflutter - and the source material for this fall’s Royal Alex stage production.

Kinky Boots (2005), 2:30 a.m.
A traditional Northampton shoemaker turns to producing fetish footwear in order to save his ailing family business.

Ghost (1990), 4:30 a.m.
Before Harry Potter, this Academy-Award winning movie cast a spell of another kind with its now iconic and romantic potter wheel scene.

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Toronto Public Library is North America's busiest public library system. Every week more than 329,000 people visit our 99 branches and borrow more than half a million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit our website at www.torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131.

Want to see your photos here? Join our flickr.com group by clicking here. You will find the details on the flickr group website. Looking forward to seeing your photos here.

CityNews reported that due to crime rising in certain areas in the Toronto, the Toronto Police will be installing six more closed circuit security cameras. This time in three spots - Sherbourne and Dundas, Sherbourne and Queen, and George and Gerrard near Dundas - all of these corners are located east of Yonge St. This will come up by Halloween just in time for the mad rush to parties, clubs, nightspots and during the day, shoppers and tourists. Hope this will make the city more safe for locals and visitor's alike. We applaud the installation of these cameras and hope that more will be in place.

Other intersections in the GTA equipped with police cameras are:
1. Pearl Street east of Duncan Street
2. Duncan St/Adelaide Street West
3. Duncan Street/Richmond Street West
4. Richmond Street West/east of Duncan Street
5. Richmond Street West/Widmer Street
6. Richmond Street West/Peter Street
7. Adelaide Street West/Peter Street
8.Richmond Street West/John Street
9. Sewells Road/Brenyon Way
10. Morecambe Gate/Chester Le Blvd
11. south side of Finch Avenue West east of Jane Street
12. two cameras on the west side of Jane Street south of Finch Avenue West

I was stuck for 35 minutes waiting for the person (this one on the picture) to fix the parking lever so that it opens because the machine did not spit out a parking ticket for me. I came in at around 3p the other day at the Parking Garage under the Marriott on Bay between Jarvis and Yonge and there was no ticket after I pressed the button. I called the person and after 5 minutes someone answered and said they will come in to fix it. The person (this one on the picture) came in but did not have paper with him. You'd think he would have it because I told whomever answered my call that there was no paper. Then his key would not work and had to call someone else to assist him. Once he got the key he handed me a ticket (he happened to be carrying one on his pocket - must be his?) and had to hand push the lever because it would not open since there was no transaction that happened at the machine. No inane is this? Quite especially when the process should be in place because these things do happen - the machines run out of paper. So the moral of the story? Allot lots of time when you are planning on parking your car in the city because something like may happen to you and waste 35 minutes of your time. ~ richard

The RAW - Royal Agricultural Winter Fair - starts this week - November 2-11 at the Ricoh Coliseum, Direct Energy Centre Exhibition Place.It's the largest indoor combined agricultural, horticultural, canine and equestrian event in the world. It's the show that puts November on the calendar, Toronto on the map, and Canada on the world stage. It's the one and only Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. It's back for its biggest year ever. And it's all yours. Buy your tickets online by clicking here. A definite World Class event.

Every Friday this November, Toronto Reference Library celebrates four people who have made a difference. These *agents of change* - experts in the fields of humanitarian aid, education, the environment and broadcasting -- will speak about what they*ve accomplished, and what still needs doing. The series is part of the anniversary celebrations for the Toronto Reference Library, highlighting its role as a source of original programming and a venue for the exchange of ideas.

On Friday, November 9, 2007, Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder of nonprofit organization War Child Canada, will speak about her experiences providing humanitarian assistance to war-affected children around th