Toronto Delivers

Let's see, what to do ... what to do....
I found the Toronto Official City Website . Impressive, until you start calling for services. First link to choose from - how do we get anywhere? - Public Transit. Being ex-Manhattanites, we don't have cars. We hear some Torontoans living in the city are as well: car-less. We've used ZipCar in NYC and are loyalty card carrying members of Dollar and Hertz. Just saw AutoShare having competitive rates with Zipcar and they're two blocks from where we live so that's an option. So I go to my nearest subway station (Wellesley) and asked how much would it cost me to go to Ikea North York and how exactly do I exactly get there? The nice lady's answer? Look at the website. Apparently since they've worked so hard to get the website as complete as possible, how dare I ask a stupid question!

So we've memorized the subway system in one day ... considering we've lived in such a convoluted network of railways, Toronto 4 subway lines are a breeze. I like that they are on time (at least the time we've used it).

Now if only we have HopStop in Toronto then I won't have to ask any stupid questions and the nice person at the counter can continue having her Timbits.

Living in a mostly chilly city doesn't mean that people hibernate until Spring. Build an underground network of tunnels that will interconnect the downtown buildings, restaurants, shopping, and tourist attraction and you have a bustling subterranean metropolis in the middle of a blizzard! Very cool idea.

Shameless plug for the City of Toronto Website on these PATH facts:
~ According to Guinness World Records, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex with 27 km (16 miles) of shopping arcades. It has 371,600 sq. metres (4 million sq. ft) of retail space. Great morning exercise if I may say so... and by the Mayo Clinic... so get your pedometer today!

~ The approximate 1,200 shops and services, such as photocopy shops and shoe repairs, found in PATH, employ about 5,000 people. Once a year, businesses in PATH host the world's largest underground sidewalk sale.

~ Connected by PATH -
More than 50 buildings/office towers
20 parking garages
5 subway stations,
2 major department stores
6 major hotels
Railway terminal

~ Links to some of Toronto's major tourist and entertainment attractions such as: the Hockey Hall of Fame, Roy Thomson Hall, Air Canada Centre, Rogers Centre, and the CN Tower. City Hall and Metro Hall are also connected through PATH.

~ More than 125 grade level access points and 60 decision points where a pedestrian has to decide between turning left or right, or continuing straight on. The average size of a connecting link is 20 metres (66 ft.) long by 6 metres (20 ft.) wide.

~ The building furthest north on the PATH network is the Toronto Coach Terminal at Dundas and Bay Streets. The building furthest south that can be accessed through PATH is the Toronto Convention Centre's Convention South Building. PATH does not follow the grid patterns of the streets above.

~ The first underground path in Toronto originated in 1900 when the T Eaton Co. joined its main store at 178 Yonge St. and its bargain annex by tunnels. By 1917 there were five tunnels in the downtown core. With the opening of Union Station in 1927, an underground tunnel was built to connect it to the Royal York Hotel (now known as the Fairmont Royal York). The real growth of PATH began in the 1970s when a tunnel was built to connect the Richmond-Adelaide and Sheraton Centres.

~ In 1987, City Council adopted the recommendation that the City become the co-ordinating agency of PATH and pay for the system-wide costs of designing a signage program.

~ In 1988, design firms Gottschalk, Ash International, and Keith Muller Ltd. were retained in by the City of Toronto to apply the design concept for PATH.

~ PATH's name and logo are registered to the City of Toronto. The City co-ordinates and facilitates the directional signage, maps and identity markers throughout the system.

~ Each segment of the walkway system is owned and controlled by the owner of the property through which it runs. There are about 35 corporations involved.

~ In the early 1990s, signage for PATH was developed to provide pedestrians with better ease of use and functionality. The signage enhances PATH's visibility and identity, ultimately increasing its use, attracting more people to downtown Toronto, and drawing more businesses there.

~ Each letter in PATH is a different colour, each representing a direction. The P is red and represents south. The orange A directs pedestrians to the west, while the blue T directs them to the north. The H is yellow and points to the east.

~ Signage includes a symbol for people with disabilities whenever there is a flight of stairs ahead.

Definitely WORLD CLASS! Click here for the PATH map

Our Toronto Public Library Rocks! Yup, we admit that this may sound like a nerdy statement to the uninitiated to the written world but it isn't ... again its all about your perspective of what a library is.

The library in its most basic definition is a place of books, right? It's a place to find reference. To us it is also a place to identify the people it serves. For example, in San Francisco, we were part of the unveiling of the James Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center (you can even find our etched name by the front door and no we didn't graffiti it in). With its large LGBT population, this was an appropriate and a welcome addition to their library where it hosts various events and exhibitions serving the community.

In New York, the public library was a place of solice for the tired and the weary... oops, that was the chapel by the library (or the food bank near Port Authority)... actually we used the public library often especially since we were in post-grad school when we lived there; everyone used the NY Public Library Desk Reference. We sat at author lectures, we listened to eclectic music, and viewed work by post-modernist artists BUT you have to pay to get in! (reminds us somehow of Hawkin's explanation on position power between the have's and the have-not's). Much like the SF Library's goal of serving its community, the NYC library serves its arts-culture and quite eclectic communities.

So who does the Toronto Public Library serve? Although the website graphic (on the top right of the webpage) of a bespectacled researcher points to a bit of stereotypeism (although we personally like it since we're researchers at heart), the rest of the webpage immediate identifies the rich demographics that it serves - kids, teens, french speaking, and the multi-cultural general public plus it has recommended readings, book clubs and special collections. We like that; and especially useful for tourists checking out the library facilities and amenities. The New York Library's landing page presumes you know how to navigate it, the San Francisco website is a bit bland.

The events page of the three libraries are also quite varied - from a bit boring (SFO), to too many words on a page in NYC to a lot more excitement with the current Keep Toronto Reading page; a definite World Class rating for this programme!

In the coming days, we'll be reviewing the specific events of the Toronto Public Library. Its free, check out the schedule and join us.... and don't forget what Robin's mom always says "a book a month keeps the Alzheimer's away" or something like that...

Our Calendar for February would be ~
The Anime Ball | Emily Carr| Children's books series| Scott Pilgrim | Altered Books

What'll you be doing? Post your experiences at the events here! And if your friends are not in Toronto this month - send them an ecard today. Let's not just keep Toronto Reading this month, but everyday. It'll be one of our guarantees of being a world class city.

We were excited to start our Keep Toronto Reading reviews so first stop, a Children's reading week series at a nearby library. Edward mapblasted the location and boom, we were off.

But it turns out we were in the wrong library. The schedule for the Beaches branch was 2 weeks from today and going to the Malvern branch we'll end up being late (we arrived at 155p for the 2p event) so we decided to review the library itself instead. This location/date faux pas we found out not from the library rep up front (who unfortunately didn't know any of the events - when the programme is right in front of her) but for ourselves after we immediately sifted through the list and realised we were in the wrong branch.

Since there's much history on this particular branch whose home is listed in the Heritage Properties it was important for us to check it out. Since 1914 this library served its Queen Street East neighbourhood and you have to visit and check out its abundant books on local history. We could go on more about it but its actually a good place to stop and check especially to get away from the -15C weather we've been having. The 2nd floor library rep was more informative and even provided us with an events list that goes to the first quarter of the year. Good move. You have to look through the historical photos that pepper the choir's deck (?) and have to sit on the single chair facing the picture windows to the street. Love it!

Our rating for the Toronto Public Library Beaches Branch? World Class. The clientele were engaged and it was busy! Which is a great indicator that people are interested in 'reading' and the other services of this library. What needs to change? Maybe just a tad more consistency in delivery of amenities, events, facilities by the front desk folks - they are the providers of first impressions anyway right? That is easily fixable though so we'd let this one slide.

If you happen to wander out on the street after a nice read at the library, walk towards the water. It is called the beaches for a reason. There is a coastline. Waters have a calming effect on us, maybe to you too. Nice time to relax, unwind and enjoy the breeze... brr... time to get a latte.

PS. We emailed our niece in LA the KidSpace site and she loved it!

The Bloor Yorkville Area has their annual IceFest happening on Feb 23-25.

On Friday, the 23rd is the Kick Off event with a Winter Wonderland from 35k lbs of ice carved by artists. Ice Carving Competition on the 24th with a People's Choice Sculpture at 5:15p in the Village of Yorkville park. You can even join the contest by clicking here for details. If you happen to be in the area next week, come out of the cold and check out the IceFest.

One comment we have with this event? Requires you to get the entry form at the desk with no other location (like online for example?). We wonder why this is the case apart from ensuring there are bodies at the event. Wouldn't you want to get information on other people who may be interested in coming to the event or the location maybe - not necessarily this time but at all other times? Isn't this the perfect marketing opportunity to get further information about the tourists visiting the area? Why be specifically Ontario residents only? Are we afraid of having to pay for an extra tax just to have a better program? Hmmm... I wonder.

You want to get to that game... but looking for a parking spot is a nightmare! That's New York City for you. In Toronto, if you don't find street parking, you can just look for the sign. And there's a parking locator available that's especially useful for those who can't live without their mobile browsers.

Rating? Defintely World Class. Now if only I could reserver parking before I get there, now THAT would be progress!

Being new to the city, its always a good idea to see the public services available to a city's residents. We found 211 at a suggestion of a PhD friend of ours. This site provides information about community, social, health and government services and its available not only in Toronto but also in the Niagara Region and Simcoe County. And its available by dialing 211 on your phone (or checking this site). This reminds us of a similar service in NYC.

211 is available 24-hours-a-day and is a free, confidential service, available in many languages. Your call is directly answered by whom they say is a Certified Information and Referral Specialist* who will assess your situation, help you find answers to your questions, dand provide you with options and appropriate referrals.

As per their website, 29% of Ontario’s population currently have 211 service. Maybe its a good idea to check it now before you check it when you need it and you may not have the service. We called from the Financial District and the lady that answered our call responded politely, courteously and knowledgably to our made up stupid questions. She passed our test.

Overall, we are rating this a World Class public service.

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

Regular readers of Toronto Delivers are aware of my experiences dealing with Extreme Fitness buying out Jump Fitness and closing the location. Interestingly enough, the old Jump location has reopened as Frog’s Gym. There is another location of Frog’s Gym at 11300 Yonge St in Richmond Hill, and I assume that they are the same company.

Well, that’s good, you may say, it gives consumers more choices and a better bargaining chip when it comes to dealing with Extreme. But a search on the Better Business Bureau’s website shows that Frog’s Gym has an unsatisfactory record, with only two of six complaints closed over a 36 month period (the BBB’s normal reporting period). Details of those resolutions can be seen online. Of the four open complaints, all of them were directly or indirectly related to contract issues. This translates into a big BUYER BEWARE for anyone checking out what Frog’s has to offer.

While the Better Business Bureau does not endorse any particular product or service and cannot guarantee the reliability of any claim or complaint, they are the best resource for arming yourself against shady business practices before you get to the stage where you are filing a complaint with the Ministry of Government Services. Before you sign with any health club, check them out. A few minutes of research can save you months of grief.

(And if you’re curious, Extreme Fitness amassed a whopping 66 complaints over the last 36 months. 66!! Riverdale Fitness didn’t have any. ) ~ robis

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