Pirie first came up with the idea as her creative thesis when studying communication design at Ryerson a few years ago. The initial partnership she had with a school friend fell through, but she held onto the idea of making it happen. A mutual acquaintance then introduced her to Boustead about a year ago, who brought a group of people involved with the Dupont and Spadina Corner Collective into the fold, and it all snowballed from there.

Pirie says the group involved in starting up the collective come from an incredibly wide range of backgrounds. Urban farmers, artists, university professors, builders, and many more have been working towards getting the project off the ground. "They're passionate about all the same things we both are," she says.

"Finding the perfect location is a challenge," she adds. "We're very passionate about salvaging an older building. It rips my heart out every time I see another one of those turn-of-the-century brick buildings torn down for some cookie-cutter glass thing. That's part of our whole initiative—making use of old things in new, creative ways."

Right now, they're working with a lawyer to become incorporated as a non-profit business and collaborating with a green real-estate agent to find the perfect spot downtown.

The biggest challenge is still raising enough funds. "It's really overwhelming," says Pirie. Retro-fitting alone could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars; then there are the costs of the laundry machines, the solar-panels, and the café equipment. Because they're adopting the non-profit model, they're not going to attract a whole lot of investors, so they've tried their hand at garnering grants. Their proposal made it to the semi-final round of the Aviva Community Fund competition, which would have given them a share in the $500,000 grant. Now, it's just a matter of continuing to apply for others and developing more fundraising ideas.

If the stars align, this imagined space could inspire the local community and businesses to get serious about environmental issues and sustainable practices. Plus, we here at Torontoist sure would enjoy some java while drying our undies.

"mr. weather," Premium member of DSLreports.com, has had it up to here with Greg Kinnear's shit:

Clement Virgo: It was made during the height of the civil rights movement and the black "hero" was changing on screen. Sidney Poitier was the first black actor to win an Oscar for Lilies of the Field a few years earlier, but his character of Virgil Tibbs was radically different. There's a key scene in that movie where a white man slaps him and Sidney Poitier's character immediately slaps him back. The white man responds, "There was a time I could have had you killed for that." This was a seminal moment because it ushered in the black heroes we saw on screen during the '70s blaxploitation period through characters like Shaft, Superfly, etc. In the Heat of the Night was a transformative film that ushered in a new consciousness and changed things for the black hero on screen.

Were you personally inspired as an artist by the work and career of Sidney Poitier?

For many years Sidney Poitier represented a source of strength and dignity for many blacks. He helped to bring about actors like Denzel Washington, Samuel Jackson, Morgan Freeman, etc. As a black filmmaker growing up, often times Sidney Poitier was the leading Black star and prior to the '70s he was often the only black leading man there was in cinema, so yes, he was an inspiration.

Are there any topics you're eager to bring up during the CFC panel with Lee Daniels and Norman Jewison?

Lee Daniels has a knack for finding stories with strong black female characters; I'm curious to see what draws him to that. Norman Jewison's work has always been socially progressive, and he manages to entertain while intellectually stimulating his audience, so I'm curious to see how he goes about choosing projects.

What are the biggest hurdles facing black filmmakers in Canada today?

Artists as a whole are increasingly competing for the dollars and the attention of their audience. However, being a black artist adds a certain amount of difficulty in terms of trying to tell stories that might not always be perceived as having enough broad audience appeal. But I believe the more specific you are in your storytelling, the more universal you are.

Do you have any advice for young black filmmakers looking to tell their stories with the same success you've had?

First of all, I'm still working on the idea of being a "success." However, I would say, beyond talent, I think filmmakers and all artists have to be persistent and resilient to the disappointment that will inevitably come as you pursue the goal of trying to be a filmmaker. Additionally, I would say an intrinsic love for film is essential and a continual practice. What I mean by that is continuing to read about films, study films, and practice shooting and making films whenever you get the opportunity.

Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night.

Every country has its own unique perspective. Is there something that distinguishes black Canadian filmmakers from black filmmakers making work in other countries?

We have a different history here in Canada. In America, the country itself is shaped by the legacy of slavery, reconstruction, and their civil rights movements. In Canada, the bulk of the black population is made up of immigrants from former British Colonies who came as part of a third wave of immigration in the second half of the twentieth century. So the work of black Canadians has similarities to the work of say British black filmmakers. However, I think one could argue that there is a collective aesthetic within the black diaspora when it comes to visual and media art. Similar to how the drum is a unifying sound within all music of the black diaspora.

What do you think is the most under-appreciated film made by a black director in Canada that people should make sure to track down?

Stephen Williams's Soul Survivor.

Norman Jewison has tackled race in films like A Soldier's Story, In the Heat of the Night, and The Hurricane. What are your thoughts on white directors tackling stories about black history?

I think any artist has a right to tell a story that they are drawn to. As a filmmaker, I feel I have the freedom to tell any story that I want and I wouldn't expect anyone else to behave differently. As far as Norman Jewison goes, I feel his black trilogy has made a strong contribution to black images on screen.

Many think that all doors are open to black directors today but Lee Daniels is only the second black director in history to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Director (the first being John Singleton in 1992 for Boys N the Hood). Is it still difficult for black directors to break into the Hollywood film system?

I think it's difficult for all directors to break into the Hollywood film system. It's hard, for example, for women to break into the Hollywood film system. Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to win the DGA award for The Hurt Locker and she's one of a handful of female directors who have been nominated for an Academy Award. However, I'm proud of the fact that Lee Daniels has made history, becoming one of two black directors to be nominated for an Academy Award.

What is coming down the pipeline for you?

I have recently optioned The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, which won Canada Reads on CBC and the Commonwealth Writer's Prize. As well, I've always wanted to make a western, and there is another script I am really excited about. There's also a story set in New York during the early 1980s that I want to make.

The Canadian Film Centre’s Celebrate the Black Experience in Cinema event with Clement Virgo, Norman Jewison, and Lee Daniels presenting In The Heat of the Night takes place on February 9 at 7 p.m. at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

Matt Thomas is a filmmaker, arts and culture writer, and is currently an associate editor at Fab Magazine.

L-R: Colleen Albiston, chair of the board for the YMCA of Greater Toronto; Mayor David Miller; Councillor Janet Davis; and Joe Pennachetti, Toronto city manager, cutting the ceremonial cake.

This past Thursday morning, Mayor David Miller was on hand to cut the ribbon (or more accurately, the cake) at the training facility, which opened along with the new Metro Hall Employment Services Centre and the Y Café. The café is a grab-and-go breakfast/lunch spot that will sell items made by the Basic Culinary Skills students with proceeds going back into the program to cover operating costs, supplies, and rent.

The program's director, chef Kelvin Ramjattan, said the move has been in the works for well over a year and was prompted by the desire to make the training even more effective. "The new place gives us the ability to teach them more, show them more, and get them better prepared for the industry," he explained. "What we are looking for is better retention. We’re looking for them to have better skills so they can retain their jobs longer. That’s where the café and catering will help."

L-R: Chef instructors Dan Prewer, Adam Lariviere, and Kelvin Ramjattan (director), happy to be in the new location.

The café will not only offer cold items like sandwiches and salads, but also hot "à la minute" entrées that students will prepare as orders come in, just like in a restaurant. The students will also fill catering requests for events and business meetings in Metro Hall, as well as prepare meals for YMCA daycares and Second Harvest as they have been for many years.

Coinciding with the move is the addition of ten more spots per year to the enrollment, thanks to the Boston Pizza Foundation. After much brainstorming, Boston Pizza and the Y decided the best way for the foundation to help was to make it possible for young, unemployed people who do not benefit from social assistance to enter the program. "We get a lot of people coming in that can’t afford training," Ramjattan told us. "They’re not on any system...they have no money, so how do we train them?" Most the of the program's participants are supported by Ontario Works, so they are able to attend for forty hours per week for eighteen weeks. Others without assistance could not afford the time until now. In addition, Boston Pizza also wants to hire graduating students as cooks, and later groom them for management positions. This fantastic partnership will increase the number of yearly graduates from seventy to eighty, as well as provide Boston Pizza with first crack at the well-trained talent exiting the program.

Mayor David Miller with graduate and small business owner Nicole Minerve.

After all the celebratory speeches, we were fortunate to speak with several graduates who were on hand preparing and serving food to the opening's guests. Each and every one had an inspiring story to tell.

Nicole Minerve, who grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, graduated in 2008 and eventually went on to attend the YMCA's Self Employment Program, a course geared to help people start their own businesses. After completing her studies in December 2009, she immediately opened her own catering company, Apanaki Caribbean Gourmet. "I can definitely say that the YMCA has been really essential in helping me get off the ground," Minerve said, smiling. "I'm a single mother of three. It was challenging at first doing the program, but I have to say that Kelvin, Dan, and Adam supported me so much. I graduated and I’m very proud of myself."

Top: Graduate Peter Asaad, making coffee caviar with vanilla cream. Bottom: Peter's molecular gastronomy creation.

Melody Madziro is ecstatic to be part of an enormous kitchen brigade at the Hilton's airport location. She told us she always dreamt of working in a five-star hotel, but never thought it was possible until she began the program. "I was thinking, 'Could I? Could I?'" she told us. "I talked to the instructors and they said I could. So, I had it in my head and kept going toward that goal. I’ll always be grateful for this."

Adam Taylor and Peter Asaad landed jobs at two of the most high-profile restaurants in Toronto. Asaad, who completed his training two years ago, has been working for the past six months at Mark McEwan's One Restaurant in Yorkville, and Taylor was hired—even before he graduated—at Grace Restaurant, whose kitchen is led by Dustin Gallagher, a longtime protégé of Susur Lee.

The first crop of students to use the new facility will not begin their studies until March 29, but the Y Café is slated to open this coming Wednesday. If you live or work in the Entertainment District, drop by, have some lunch, and lend your support to one of the most hopeful initiatives to ever happen in our city.

All photos by Stephen Michalowicz/Torontoist.

Hey, are you filled with Olympic fever? Are you totally stoked for such events as biathlon and luge? Have you replaced your daily masturbatory fantasy object with that comely Olympic athlete you saw in the advertisement for Petro-Canada, except that they're also wearing a medal while you do it? Then CBC has you covered with Vancouver Welcomes The World on CBC. Except for that last one. The CBC does not help with that sort of thing. (9 p.m.)

New episode of Hoarders, the reality show that is surprisingly successful given that every show is pretty much the same thing: people who compulsively hoard stuff watch their lives fall apart because hoarding is symptomatic of larger mental and emotional disorders, and also because it's gross and visibly weird to everybody else. It was interesting the first time we watched it. Why it's a series, we dunno. (A&E, 10 p.m.)

Tuesday

Past Life scrapes the bottom of the procedural barrel by being a series about a doctor working at a behavioural health centre who solves crimes and other problems based on people's past lives. No, seriously, that's really what the show is about. Her partner is of course a retired NYPD homicide detective, because when you retire from the police force the first thing you do is go work at a behavioural health centre. The only thing this show has going for it is Richard Schiff showing up as the doctor's mentor, which is all right because although it doesn't make the show not crap, Richard Schiff is always deserving of a paycheque. Maybe when this one tanks he can go on another Fox series about people who solve crimes with homeopathy or something. (A-Channel, 9 p.m.)

Tonight on Nova: extreme cave diving. What is extreme cave diving? How is it more extreme than regular cave diving? Because regular cave diving is pretty psychotic already, you know? Maybe in extreme cave diving the cave is rigged to explode if you don't make it through in time, or something like that. (PBS, 8 p.m.)

Wednesday

A Charlie Brown Valentine isn't the original Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (the one where Charlie Brown doesn't get any valentines and is crushed), but instead a relatively mediocre special produced after Charles Schulz's death about Charlie Brown wanting to ask out the little red-haired girl while Peppermint Patty and Marcie want to ask him out. Not really worth your time. (ABC, 8 p.m.)

The Simpsons rerun of the week: "Homer Alone," wherein Marge freaks out and has to have a vacation at Rancho Relaxo (no, not that one) while Homer takes care of the kids as well as he can, which is not that well. "Hello, room service? I'd like a banana fudge sundae. With whipped cream. And some chocolate chip cheesecake! And a bottle of tequila!" (Comedy Network, 9 p.m.)

Thursday

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains is the twentieth edition of Survivor, and with such a significant number it's another "all-stars" season. This time around, the two beginning tribes are the "Heroes" and the "Villains." The Heroes are mostly fan favourites like Rupert from Survivor: Pearl Islands, Colby from Survivor: Australia, and Sugar from Survivor: Gabon, but the Villains are a little more eclectic in that there are genuinely popular-but-devious players like "Boston Rob" Mariano and Sandra from Pearl Islands combined with completely hateful douchebags like Randy from Gabon and Coach from Survivor: Tocantins. All of that aside: the all-star seasons are frequently the most entertaining seasons of Survivor because there's never anybody boring and everybody knows what they're doing, so high hopes for this time out. (Global, 8 p.m.)

The Office has been having a great season thus far as the final collapse of Dunder Mifflin yielded great comedic impact, but what's even better is that when Dunder Mifflin got bought out by another bigger company, the producers of The Office got Kathy Bates to play the CEO of the new company. This is because Kathy Bates is as awesome as actors get. (NBC, 9 p.m.)

Friday

The Winter Olympics begin with the opening ceremonies! Who doesn't like opening ceremonies? Sure, they'll probably seem relatively minimalistic after the Chinese Olympic ceremonies two years ago, but on the bright side you can be sure that if anything goes wrong, we won't harshly punish anybody for screwing up. (CTV, 7 p.m.)

If you don't care about opening ceremonies, there's always Spider-Man 2, the best of the Spider-flicks. Hey, this movie is only six years old and thanks to massive studio screwups Marvel is already talking about "rebooting" the franchise! Hollywood: where "reboot" is the new "we fucked up." (Global, 8 p.m.)

The Weekend

The weekends are the biggest ratings time for the Olympics, so the schedule is top-loaded this weekend with viewer-friendly sports: freestyle skiing, short-track speed skating, figure skating, and hockey. You will of course have your choice of NBC, TSN, CTV, and the Aboriginal People's Television Network (really!) providing coverage; we strongly recommend avoiding NBC coverage because it is sadly pathetic in its jingoism and disinterest in actually broadcasting sports as opposed to pre-produced video packages about inspirational athletes. (All weekend.)

The Amazing Race kicks off its sixteenth season with brothers who are cowboys, a middle-aged lesbian couple, a pair of detectives, a pair of attorney moms, a father/daughter team, and a grandmother/granddaughter team featuring the Race's oldest contestant ever (71). All of this plus a trip to Chile, skywalking, befriending llamas, and much more as the single best reality show on teevee kicks it up one more time. (A-Channel, 8 p.m.)

Huevos Monty: Black bean refritos and sharp cheddar, baked in flour tortillas with eggs sunny side up and avocado crème fraiche.

It all started with an email blast sent to fans of the restaurant, promoting their Valentine's Day festivities. "Because Valentine’s Day is a Sunday, we wanted to make it a whole weekend kind of a celebration," Gallagher explained. "A lot of people wouldn’t go out on a Sunday...they’re going to go out Saturday or Friday, so we decided we’d call it the 'Weekend of Big Love.'"

It was a standard email blast with hours listed, reservation numbers, and descriptions of little flourishes on offer, like the "message in a bottle"—for twenty dollars a personalized message of love is penned in calligraphy, rolled, and placed in a vessel at your table. In the right margin—in tiny print—was a section entitled "101 Places to Have Sex Before You Die," with the following underneath: "Have you given any thought of moving beyond the bedroom? Check out Mildred's Sexy Bathrooms throughout the weekend of Big Love. You get the picture."

Soon after the blast went out, Pataki contacted Dooher and Gallagher for an interview and photo session. While the couple thought the article would speak to the entire promotion, Pataki zeroed in on the bathroom detail, even going so far as to ask Toronto Public Health to weigh in. The rest, as they say, is internet-meme history. Pataki has since written a short piece about how the story has been misconstrued and inflated against the owners' wishes, while deftly avoiding her role in starting it all.

Top: Black currant scone and buttermilk biscuit with homemade preserves and sweet butter. Bottom: The famous "Mrs. Biederhof's pancakes": Blueberry buttermilk pancakes with Lanark County maple syrup and whipped cream.

Over his decades of working in the restaurant industry, Gallagher has heard of many trysts in restrooms all over the city. "We’ve always thought it was kind of cute," he told us. "It’s so nice to see people showing spontaneous affection."

Spontaneity is something they try to nurture at Mildred's. In the past, they staged short Improv Everywhere–style happenings to entertain diners. On one occasion, they hired male and female opera students to pretend to be a bickering couple before breaking into an aria from Samson and Delilah. "It’s an aria where they start out angry and end up embracing each other," Gallagher told us. On another evening, they brought in a singer with a Billie Holiday–like voice to dress in kitchen whites and serenade an actor dressed as a waiter. While the two were locked in their final embrace, Rory Gallagher (the general manager) prodded them to get back to work.

Gallagher insists this same kind of playfulness was behind the Valentine's email blast. "You like to sort of surprise people," he told us. "Not surprise them, but sort of engage them. And that’s very much the same sort of spirit that this [Weekend of Big Love] is done in."

It's been a difficult week for everyone at Mildred's, receiving angry emails and phone calls related to the debacle. "We thought that people would have more of a sense of humour about it," Gallagher said. "We really did."

Veda's Choice: Poached eggs on croissant with Béarnaise and crispy oven-roasted potatoes.

The real shame in this whole situation is Mildred's Temple Kitchen is one of the city's best restaurants, and Donna Dooher is a world-class chef, but that is completely unknown to most who are parroting Pataki's soundbites. Among Dooher's numerous accomplishments are running the wildly successful Mildred Pierce restaurant (the precursor to Mildred's Temple Kitchen) with Gallagher for seventeen years, establishing The Cookworks cooking studio, and starring in her own Food Network show. Next week, Dooher will be travelling to Vancouver (with Gallagher accompanying as sous chef) as one of six Canadian chefs selected by Agriculture Canada to cook at a pre-Olympic press event for international lifestyle and food journalists.

Despite the unexpected negativity, Gallagher stands by the Weekend of Big Love promotion. "On one hand, I feel badly that we’ve been misunderstood," he said. "But it’s not that I want to apologize because I do think it’s important that people be spontaneous."

Despite rumours to the contrary, bookings are still available for the Weekend of Big Love at Mildred's Temple Kitchen (February 12-15). Reservations can be made on Open Table.

All photos by Ayngelina Brogan/Torontoist.

Toronto City Hall, 1868. Wikimedia Commons.

Read was born on June 13, 1823, in Augusta, Upper Canada of United Empire Loyalist stock. He moved to Toronto in his early teens to study at Upper Canada College, which is where he happened to be when the Rebellion of 1837 broke out. Read later liked to tell friends of his attempt to aid the government forces against William Lyon Mackenzie’s rascals. According to Read’s obituary in the Globe, when the future mayor and several of his classmates offered their assistance to Lieutenant-Governor Sir Francis Bond Head, they received a pat on the head and were told they weren’t needed. This experience might have coloured the pro-government bias he displayed when he wrote The Canadian Rebellion of 1837 sixty years later. Following his time at UCC, Read studied law and was called to the bar in 1845. He rose steadily in his profession, his law career culminating in appointments as a bencher of the law society in 1855 and a Queen’s counsel in 1858.

It was bungling of the law that led to Read’s assumption of office. Until the late 1850s, city council was responsible for appointing police officers, which led to constables who gained their position through political connections rather than ability. Samuel Sherwood, who served as chief of police from 1852 to 1859, epitomized the downfalls of this approach. A tavern owner, Sherwood’s family had close ties with the conservative “Family Compact” that reigned in the city and province—his brother Henry had served as Toronto’s mayor for a spell in the 1840s. As described by Conyngham Crawford Taylor in Toronto Called Back From 1892 to 1847, Sherwood was “a quiet, good-natured man, who did not insist on any strict regulations as to the dress or discipline of the men. They wore a uniform, but without uniformity, except in one respect—they were universally slovenly.” This sloppiness translated into inept handling of high-profile incidents, especially during several riots in the 1840s and 1850s—most of the force were members of the Orange Lodge and didn’t mind assisting fellow Orangemen in beating up anyone in a melee who didn’t belong. Favours to friends were the norm, which sometimes meant overlooking small details like participation in a bank theft.

When Sherwood let a prime suspect in the robbery of the Bank of Upper Canada go free without question in October 1858, Mayor William Henry Boulton blew his top. An inquiry was called, with which Sherwood did not fully cooperate. When the police commissioners filed a report that let Sherwood off lightly, Boulton noted his dissent and planned to have the matter discussed further at city council. Sherwood sent a letter to local newspapers, printed on October 27, in which he claimed he was unable to provide evidence and tarred Boulton for taking a “star chamber” approach to decision making. This infuriated Boulton, whose rebuttal was published the following day. Boulton proposed to council that Sherwood and the deputy chief of police should be suspended or dismissed. One of the seediest objections to Boulton’s call came from Councilman James Smith, who urged Sherwood to resign so that the police chief could still receive another government job that was promised to him. Subsequent council meetings broke down into accusations over who said what in the affair. When the matter came to a vote, council voted fourteen to ten in favour of Sherwood. Disgusted and humiliated by what he saw as a miscarriage of justice, Boulton handed in his official resignation on November 8, though he remained a candidate for high office in the upcoming municipal election, which would be the first where the general public would directly elect the mayor. As for Sherwood, provincial legislation mandated that cities were required to establish independent police boards by 1859, which soon led to the dismissal of Sherwood and his entire force in favour of better trained, better disciplined officers.

David Breakenridge Read. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1267, Series 1397, Item 91.

When council met on November 11 to nominate a fill-in for the rest of Boulton’s term, Councilman William Ramsay urged Boulton to take back his resignation; the former mayor refused. Read’s name was put forward and approved by a vote of fourteen to eleven. Read had missed most of the battle, having skipped council meetings due to other pressing matters. He had only served one term as an alderman for St. Patrick Ward (whose boundaries were present-day Queen, Bathurst, Bloor, and University) and had decided not to return for another go-round, which probably made him an ideal candidate. Read hoped that he could restore harmony to council, work for the public good, and, as the Leader noted, “maintain the dignity of the chair.”

Since Read was a caretaker, little of consequence was decided during his brief term. Among the items published in newspaper summaries of council business were debates on home drainage systems, the acceptance of a petition to build a sidewalk on Jarvis Street, intense discussions on whether to sell land earmarked for an industrial farm to be located next to the new jail on the east side of the Don River, the necessity of buying new capes and shoes for the police, and the receipt of a “fine map” of Troy, New York.

After his term ended, Read carried on in the legal profession until his retirement in 1881. His attention drifted towards writing, especially sketches of early judges in Upper Canada, records of whom were on the verge of disappearing forever. The subjects of the five historical tomes he wrote between 1888 and 1900 included Sir John Graves Simcoe, Sir Isaac Brock, and the lieutenant-governors of Ontario. Read also stayed busy as a warden of St. Matthias’s Church, a member of several historical societies and the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, an active alumni member of UCC, a devoted supporter of the Conservative party, and the honourary president of the Caer Howell Bowling Club. Friends found him a warm, witty companion—an editorial in the Globe upon his death noted “he had a fund of anecdotes of the stirring period in his early manhood which served to enliven his conversation when he was in a reminiscent mood. All trace of partisan aggressiveness passed away from him long ago, and during his later years some of his most intimate friends were his former opponents.”

Read’s activities were curtailed after a stroke in November 1902 left him bedridden. He died surrounded by family on May 11, 1904, at his home on Breadalbane Street (a site now occupied by the Metro Central YMCA) and was buried in St. James Cemetery.

Additional material from Mayors of Toronto Volume 1 1834-1899 by Victor L. Russell (Erin: The Boston Mills Press, 1982); Toronto Called Back From 1892 to 1847 by Conyngham Crawford Taylor (Toronto: William Briggs, 1892); the May 12, 1904, edition of the Globe; the October 26, 1858, October 28, 1858, November 9, 1858, November 12, 1858, November 23, 1858, and December 31, 1858 editions of the Leader; and the October 23, 1982, edition of the Toronto Star.

As some of you may know, I hurt my back last week. Everyone who leads an active lifestyle knows what it's like to pull a muscle at the gym—it can be pretty painful.

My back is better now, but today I want to let you know about an unrelated health matter.

This year, more than 25,000 Canadian men will be diagnosed with treatable prostate cancer and I have recently learned that I’m one of them.

It’s the same kind of prostate cancer that my father was diagnosed with 17 years ago.

He, like the overwhelming majority of Canadian men with prostate cancer, fought it and won.

His treatments were successful, and I intend to tackle this with the same determination that he did.

Like my dad, I am a fighter. And I will beat this.

My treatment plan is now underway and everything is on track. In the coming weeks, the schedule of my treatment regime means I may have a bit more time to catch the Olympics.

The hard work and drive of our Canadian athletes will be an inspiration.

I want to assure my constituents and the Canadian public that this will in not impede my ability to serve as either the Member of Parliament for Toronto Danforth or as leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.

I have an amazing team, great friends and a loving, supportive family.

And my wife Olivia knows a thing or two about taking on cancer, having been diagnosed with thyroid cancer just a few years ago.

She won her battle and so will I.

Recently, the Party marked the 7th anniversary of my becoming leader. Without question we have accomplished much. But we also recognize there is a lot more to do to build a more caring and greener Canada.

And I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves Monday morning and get back at it.

Thank you.

Now’s the time for Meghji to call upon a Toronto-famous self-esteem expert, right? Perhaps consult a counsellor or therapist who can actually, and properly, address the root of Marie’s insecurities? Wrong. Now’s the time for a makeover. That’s right, ladies: the time has come to put on a spangly top, cake on some makeup, treat those follicles to some TLC—and, uh, look good…naked?

Marie is told she’ll feel better about her naked body by covering it up. As we’ve seen with Restaurant Makeover, reality TV formats are rife with quick-fixes: a coat of paint here, a pair of Spanx there—and Bob’s your uncle. No need to spring for sustainable solutions.

Don't get us wrong, though: we actually like Canadian reality TV. Why? Because, like most reality TV fans, we're addicted to the medium's self-reflexiveness; we like to glimpse ourselves in the people we see on our TV screens—even if only for a few, fleeting moments. That's why we'll choose unscripted "reality" over scripted, traditional programming. And that's why, when we look at Mike Holmes from Holmes on Homes, we like to see the quintessential Canadian "dad" of cable TV, and when we tune into Project Runway Canada we look for those twenty- and thirty-something Ryerson grads who pull at their shirts and mumble their words like we do. But when we turned on HTLGNC, that almighty mirror of a flatscreen (correction: a chunky black Sanyo from the late 1990s) failed to show us anyone, or anything, that resembled ourselves or our cultural values.

How To Look Good Naked Canada isn’t unique, of course; modelled on the eponymous British hit series (minus the “Canada” bit, naturally), it seeks to do in Canada what the original version once accomplished in Great Britain. Created in the wake of “invasive” reality shows like Extreme Makeover and The Swan, the original How To Look Good Naked actually seemed a refreshing departure from these botox- and implant-pushing formats. To be clear: we advocate lip gloss over liposuction. But something seems to have gotten lost in translation; we're not sure how HTLGNC's band-aid approach to ladies' low self-esteem can really help women feel better about their nekkid bodies—especially after the cameras have stopped rolling, and after Meghji, dear Meghji, has found another pear-shape to coo at.

True, reality formats seem to lend themselves to being bought and tweaked. Reality shows like Big Brother and Idol have been reformatted for audiences all over the globe—often to great commercial success. There’s something universally appealing/appalling about Big Brother’s Orwellian premise, and there’s nothing like a home-grown talent show to pull on those nationalistic heart-strings. But HTLGN's Canadian counterpart reminds us more of a Babelfish translation of the original, and less of legitimate cultural product that can stand on its own.

To be fair, we can understand why the W Network would want to cash in on the brand equity of HTLGN: the British version was a hit with audiences, and, hey, times are tough, so why take a chance on an original concept? But when a post-makeover Marie, all bouncy hair and red lingerie, struts her stuff on a makeshift runway at Markville Mall, we find ourselves gazing at a cultural appropriation gone awry. We can't see ourselves in Maire—and try as we might, we just can't get behind the show's poorly translated premise.

Electograph Score: 4/10

Can Adam Giambrone leverage his left-wing cred and boy-band good looks into a successful run for the city’s top job? Giambrone is popular in some circles and has strong brand recognition, but his association with the NDP and their union allies could hurt his chances in the wake of last year’s city workers' strike. Moreover, while bitter memories of the Sleepingfarecollectorgate and OperatorATMgate micro-scandals will likely have faded by October, Giambrone’s chairmanship of the much-maligned TTC could also work against him. Giambrone is media-savvy, turning the inevitable announcement of his candidacy into a multi-week extravaganza of press speculation, and using an erroneous outing in NOW Magazine as an opportunity for a sucralose gush about his affiliation with the gay community. Take that Smitherman!

Giorgio Mammoliti

Electograph Score: .5/10

Imagine a city where kids are locked up after dark, the guy handing you a parking ticket is packing a Glock, and horny tourists while away summer evenings in the hooker district. Welcome to Giorgio Mammoliti’s Toronto! Veteran councillor Mammoliti is a long shot by any standard, a one-time NDPer and Liberal who has drifted to the right in recent years and periodically offers up attention-grabbing ideas for Toronto’s future. While a Mammoliti mayoralty is unlikely, he should make the race more interesting.

Joe Pantalone

Electograph Score: 1/10

November 10, 1980: Torontonians were listening to “Lady” by Kenny Rogers while watching Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull in theatres. Down south, President-elect Ronald Reagan was preparing to settle into the White House and a comfortable senescence. And in Toronto’s Ward 19, the fifth time was the charm as young Joe Pantalone was elected councillor, a position he continues to hold today. Pantalone considers his experience and ability to work well with mayors as diverse as Mel Lastman and David Miller to be major assets, although his long and cooperative tenure at City Hall also means he was at the table nodding amiably as the City tipped from budgetary stability into fiscal disaster. His supporters call themselves “Pantaloons” and wear giant multi-coloured bloomers to campaign rallies. Well, they should.

Rocco Rossi

Electograph Score: 3/10

Not a public figure until he declared his interest in being mayor of Toronto, Rocco Rossi shot out of the gate like a shiny-pated greyhound after a mechanical rabbit. First to officially register as a candidate, he gave an early glimpse of his platform in a recent speech at the Empire Club. As former national director of the federal Liberal party, Rossi has never held elected office but knows where to find money and has a wide array of potentially influential supporters. Thus far he looks to be staking out the centre-right position, promising to sell off Toronto Hydro, re-examine Transit City, and impose a pay cut on his future elected self. If he can keep the rational right wing of the political spectrum more or less to himself, Rossi might have a chance, but he’ll need to get past the sound-bite stage.

George Smitherman

Electograph Score: 6.5/10

George Smitherman is currently the candidate to beat, with early polls—even those personally conducted by non-candidate Rob Ford—showing him well ahead of the competition. His political experience (he resigned from high-profile roles as Ontario cabinet minister and Deputy Premier to make his play) works both ways, as opponents are already looking to tar him with the sticky brush of the eHealth scandal, which started its tumble from boon to boondoggle on his watch as Health Minister. Ontario’s first openly gay MPP, Smitherman risks losing the bigot community but has said he doesn’t expect his personal life to be an issue in the election. No detailed policies yet, with his website thus far offering hackneyed Obama-isms like “It’s time for a clear, bold set of ideas to strengthen Toronto. It’s time to imagine a better future.” Smitherman recently received the endorsement of the Carpenters Union, so look for his campaign signs to be top-notch.

Sarah Thomson

Electograph Score: .5/10

Another dark horse, Thomson is founder and CEO of Women’s Post Media, which publishes a bi-monthly newspaper/magazine with a claimed circulation of over 350,000. The only woman in a race thus far fueled by testosterone, she says she’ll run a grassroots campaign, meaning she probably hasn't got much money or much of a shot at winning. Thomson's website proclaims modestly that she is "not a politician, but a visionary who understands what needs to be done to make Toronto into a great city". Apart from the standard outsider fist-shaking at City Hall, that relatively right-wing vision includes outsourcing city services to save money and the increasingly popular "privatization of stuff" platform plank. However, if Thomson's going to play in Rossi's sandbox, she's going to need a big shovel. You know, to raise funds. It's a metaphor, people.

Candidates' illustrations by Brian McLachlan/Torontoist. Electograph design by Marc Lostracco/Torontoist.

Photo of Mikey (left) and Ainsworth Morgan from production.

On the surface, Davis's previous film was distant from City. Personal, and barefacedly so—the Oscar-nominated Hardwood is the result of a well-documented personal pilgrimage to learn more about his Harlem-Globetrotting father, Mel, and the effect of his father's choices in love and basketball on his family. Told through home movies and intimate interviews, it's as much a discovery process as it is a product, one of healing and reconciliation. Looking closer at Mikey and Kendell, both struggle in their mother-son relationships. Both have sisters, but their father figures are absent—and although Davis is no longer a teenager, it's a situation to which he can relate. "My dad came into my life when I was twelve years old," he says, "I understood the angst of not having this person in your life, trying to figure out what manhood was when both of the closest relationships in your life are to women, to your mom."

Davis stressed that at times, having been through such a similar scenario, it was difficult for him to stay behind the scenes and not involve himself. "You want to step in to say, 'Oh, you shouldn’t be doing that, you should be doing this," he said, "I think that comes across when you’re watching. At the same time, that wasn’t really my place. My role was to observe and give them a voice." And he does—like any great film, the documentary is capable of relating to viewers on a variety of levels. While the audience may not be living in Toronto's ghetto or have spent a night in the confines of social housing, it's a broader emotional, human appeal that sheds light on the real issues facing Regent Park, an appeal Davis refers to as the "human condition."

In the last minutes of the film, a short, powerful quote fades onto the screen: "Irresponsibility is part of my invisibility. But to whom can I be responsible and why should I be when you refuse to see me?"

Taken from Invisible Man (the social commentary, not the sci-fi), the proclamation is echoed by Morgan in the film. "Someone once said every child needs to have someone in their world that they don't want to disappoint.' I'm hoping they still have someone in their lives. There's a lot of seventeen-, eighteen-year-olds out there who aren't connected to anybody, or anything."

Even with the film's completion, the boys aren't out of the woods yet (but are they ever?): it's just the beginning. Davis says they're both still working on their high school degrees. But with exposure set in film, their stories are now forever visible to the city—at least, to those who want to see.

Davis, Morgan, Mikey, and Kendell will be attending the first night of the film's week-long run at The Royal this Friday at 7 p.m., with a full show schedule on the NFB website. Invisible City makes its television debut with a short cut next Wednesday on TVO at 10 p.m. (immediately followed by a live webcast discussion), with the full cut broadcast next Sunday at 10:45 p.m.

All photos courtesy of Industry Pictures/Shine Films/NFB.

We started the Toronto Romanian Arts Group with the intent to offer Toronto a platform from which to showcase contemporary Romanian art and culture. The lack of such organizations within the local Romanian community presented us with the perfect opportunity to take on this project, and we decided that, given Romania’s cinematic success at the time of our inception in May 2007, the film medium offered the perfect gateway for our goals.

While we’ve branched out to other art forms in its events, Romania’s continuing success within international film festivals, as well as its rarely discussed cinematic past is the motivating factor behind our annual ToRo Film Festival.

Can you explain the meaning behind the festival’s tagline, "crisis ’89, then adaptation?"

“Crisis ’89 then adaptation” refers to the 1989 revolution in Romania which started on December 17 and ended with the execution of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu on Christmas Day. The adaptation in question carries a double meaning, with respect to the processes which Romania underwent to negotiate its new history and political, cultural future, and simultaneously to the reconstruction of its film industry, which underwent a decline in production during the 1990s, culminating in the “year-zero” of 2000, where no films were produced at all. Adaptation is the theme of this year’s festival, namely the appearance of the New Wave, and its exploration of individual/social post-traumatic adaptability.

More and more festivals in Toronto are offering free events and screenings as a part of their programming. What does ToRo have to offer this year?

With our third edition, we decided to branch out into providing our audience with a more concise analysis of Romanian cinema, rather than continue on a simple expository note. Through our free screening of the French documentary La Nouvelle Vague du Cinema Roumain, which places the New Wave under a selective microscope, we aim to invite both curious spectators and cinephiles alike to participate in the round-table discussion which will focus precisely on Romania’s global cinematic presence and its contextual political, economic, and cultural roots.

Still from Andrei Dascalescu's Constantin and Elena courtesy of the ToRo Arts Group.

The juggernaut of this year’s festival is certainly the Cannes-debuted Tales From A Golden Age, a feature composed of five short films. What makes it a must-see for audiences?

For starters, it’s Cristian Mungiu’s follow-up to his Cannes Palme d’Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days. Written, produced, edited, and partially directed by him, it is a monumental undertaking that marks the first instance of an omnibus production in Romanian cinema. The communist years of Romania’s ‘80s decade, ironically described by Romanians as their “Golden Age,” carry on widespread tales or myths of surreal, yet realistic anecdotes of the absurd situation citizens find themselves in. The five shorts are the antithesis of the New Wave’s miserabilist style, and will offer audiences a comedic look into the communist past and its eccentricities.

Critical and art house Romanian successes like 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, and recently Police, Adjective have helped usher in what is being called the "Romanian New Wave." What characterizes this movement and why do you think it’s emerging right now?

Rather than being a proper cinematic movement, as it is generally known, the resurrection of Romania’s cinema is primarily due to a new formal and narrative approach, which is in step with current international art/film festival cinemas. Far from being reductive and dismissive, this consideration of the "new wave" speaks toward a more complex situation within the country’s film industry. There has never been a manifesto of the “new wave,” they do not belong to a certain “generation,” and most of the directors work independently of each other.

Its characteristic linear and narrow temporal narratives, documentary-style/observational film aesthetics have drawn comparisons to the French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, and, more appropriately, the Czech New Wave. However, in spite of all of these similarities and contradictions, it may be said that the emergence of Romanian cinema upon the international cinematic market is due to a new viewpoint, a modernist introspection of the lives of individuals as they maneuver through the country’s collective subconscious, ambivalent to its current problematic political and historical past.

For anyone looking for another taste of authentic Romanian culture in Toronto are there any events, restaurants, or venues you would recommend?

The Royal Ontario Museum's upcoming presentation of Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi, who will be presenting his brand of social commentary through site-specific line drawings during his residence at the museum from February 13 to 22. Additionally, the Cinematheque will screen Cristian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (on February 18), as well as Cristi Puiu’s The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (on February 14) as part of their “Best of the Decade” programme. For authentic, community-based culinary treats, pay a visit to Napoca Restaurant, or any local Eastern European delis, such as ABC Euro Delicatessen.

The Toronto-Romanian Film Festival runs from February 4 to February 7.

Matt Thomas is a filmmaker, arts and culture writer, and currently an associate editor at Fab Magazine.

Trip #1

ROUTE: From Fern and Roncesvalles avenues to Vaughan and Rushton roads, on Friday, February 5 at 7 p.m.

ADVANTAGE: MyTTC.

NOTES: The TTC's trip planner seems to be strongly biased against subways, asking me to take a streetcar just to get to the College car, then ride the College car all the way across downtown from Roncesvalles to University, while MyTTC tells me (and this is what I've been doing) to take the streetcar straight up Roncesvalles to Dundas West and then get both east and north on the subway. Cannot overstate how much the multiple routes option makes MyTTC better, too. Plus, the interface is WAY nicer and easier to deal with. In short, I have no reason to use the TTC's trip planner, and several to stick with MyTTC.

Trip #2

ROUTE: From Avenue Road and Eglinton Avenue West to 22 Enterprise Road, on Friday, February 5 at 7:10 a.m.

ADVANTAGE: MyTTC.

NOTES: The TTC's trip planner tells me that it "could not find any stops with service at the requested time close to the destination (ending point) of [my] trip," which is a load of crap considering that I travel this route every day and know of several buses in service at the exact time I requested.

MyTTC.ca gives three different options, organized by commute time. Option 1 is almost identical to my daily commute, although it fails to suggest the express bus that would shave about four minutes off of travel time.

Trip #3

ROUTE: From 11 Wales Avenue to the Toronto Botanical Gardens at Lawrence Avenue and Leslie Street, on Sunday, February 7 at 12 p.m.

ADVANTAGE: MyTTC.

NOTES: Of the two planners, MyTTC comes closer to the route I actually take, though neither suggested route is identical to my habitual one. Both planners suggest using Dundas Station (MyTTC also suggests St. Patrick), whereas I would usually just bike to Yonge-Bloor. That's no big deal, though, because it's not like either site has an "I have a bike and am not afraid to use it" option.

The weird thing, though, is that of the two planners, only MyTTC shows the bus route I take: the 54A Lawrence East. The official planner recommends the 51 Leslie to Steeles, which apparently also goes past the Toronto Botanical Gardens. But the odd thing is that I've never noticed that route at Eglinton Station. The 54A platform, on the other hand, is right in front of the door to the bus terminal. I'm not a TTC expert, so I don't know what the deal with the disparity is. All I know is that 54A is easier to find at Eglinton Station than 51, and it's slightly odd that MyTTC seems to know this, while the official planner doesn't.

Trip #4

ROUTE: From Annette and Laws streets to Bay and St. Joseph streets, on Thursday, February 4 at 6 p.m.

ADVANTAGE: Draw.

NOTES: In the first two of its three recommended routes, MyTTC suggests taking the 26 Dupont bus, which—for any distance—is usually not a bus whose schedule you can count on. (It also suggests, in its first option, coupling the 26 Dupont bus ride with another transfer to another bus ride at Dundas West and Keele, which lands me at Keele Station, which isn't ideal, either.) Its third recommended route, which requires a bit of a walk west and a trip to Runnymede Station, is an okay alternate route, but it's not the best one.

The TTC's planner does an okay job, suggesting a bit of a walk to take the 30 Lambton, then riding that to High Park Station, and then taking the 97B Yonge Bus south (though, really, you're better off walking from Bay Station, or Yonge Station, or even just going down one subway stop to Wellesley and walking from there).

Neither planner, though, suggests what's almost always the fastest, most reliable, direct way to get downtown quickly from the area at almost any time of day: the 40 Junction bus, which goes directly to Dundas West. Ride it to Bay Station, and walk for five minutes, and that's that.

Trip #5

ROUTE: From 101 Coe Hill Drive to 590 King Street West, on Thursday, February 4 at 7:15 a.m.

ADVANTAGE: MyTTC, barely.

NOTES: MyTTC has a slight edge. MyTTC gave me the option (Option 3) of taking the 508 streetcar, which doesn't come often but is the only option where I don't need to transfer at all. However, MyTTC also told me to travel on the 501 Queen car to Denison (Option 1), but there isn't a stop at Denison; the stop is at Augusta.

The TTC Trip Planner told me to transfer to the Bathurst streetcar and take it one block from Queen to King. That's ridiculous. It's much faster to walk.

Neither planner told me to transfer from the Queen car to the King car at Roncesvalles, which is what I and everyone else does and it is the best option.

Trip #6

ROUTE: From Saybrook and Islington avenues to High Park Station, on Wednesday, February 3 at 7 p.m.

ADVANTAGE: The TTC's own planner.

NOTES: I usually don't take the Islington bus to Islington Station, but I notice that MyTTC.ca almost always suggests walking as opposed to the bus, even though the bus is faster....the TTC's planner definitely has the better results.

Trip #7

ROUTE: From Bathurst and Harbord streets to Union Station, on Thursday, February 4 at 8 a.m.

ADVANTAGE: MyTTC.

NOTES: TTC.ca gives one option: the Wellesley bus to Wellesley Station and southbound to Union. Right. Because that bus comes on time and because there is never ever traffic around Queen's Park. I've never used this route because I am not dumb. Thanks, TTC. No.

MyTTC.ca gives three options, the first two being the most logical and consistently reliable: walk to Bathurst Station, which really is key, as no streetcar or bus will get you through a large block faster than you can walk it. Going eastbound to Yonge is the first option given, but that's pointless as the station is claustrophobically herded and crowded, and also, of course, that takes you through extra stops when you could have transferred at St. George first (which is their second option). Third option is workable but is essentially interchangeable with any "southbound on Bathurst to this eastbound streetcar then to the southbound University line" route. Also, it never runs on time. MyTTC.ca's second option is consistently the most reliable.

Conclusions

First, the necessary cautions: while we've tried to make our results and conclusions as accurate as we could—we provided input that was as identical across planners as possible (same start times, same locations to leave from and arrive at)—these were not scientific tests, especially with such a small sample size and without doing what we're sure would be very exciting field testing. There's also an argument to be made that the routes that people think work best are not necessarily the ones that actually do. Different strokes, and that.

What's more, as is clear from our testing, MyTTC has an automatic advantage for any route planned city-wide, because it returns multiple possible routes. We're told the TTC's own planner will do so soon, but it doesn't yet.

That said, from our testing, at least, MyTTC's accuracy seems to trump the TTC's own: of seven trips, we had five wins for MyTTC.ca, one win for the TTC's own trip planner, and one draw. We know the TTC's own planner is in beta, so we have to cut it some slack, but we also know that the MyTTC.ca developers are working away at updating their planner, too, and the one big advantage that the TTC would seem to have—real-time data from their vehicles providing up-to-the-second accurate times—is not yet in the cards. In a lot of ways, it seems like the TTC has a lot of catching up to do.

Collected by David Topping. Route testing and notes by Hamutal Dotan, Kaori Furue, Steve Kupferman, Stephen Michalowicz, Brenda Petroff, David Topping, and Nicole Villeneuve.

The first renter to stake out some collaborative square footage at 283 College is the much-anticipated Toronto New School of Writing. Founded by Jay MillAr and Jenny Sampirisi—also the faces behind the publisher BookThug—the TNSoW picks up in the space between where academic leaves off and marketable begins. Their intriguing first slate of writing and close-reading courses delve into pockets of avant-garde Canadian writing (yeah, it does exist) most often ignored by literary juries and annexed to the academy.

Rovito, who is a doctoral candidate in a joint York-Ryerson program, is also one of the founders of LOT: Experiments in Urban Research, one of the collaborating forces behind last summer’s popular Leona Drive Project. Through his work with LOT, Rovito has also been a co-editor of an issue of the art and culture journal Public, another project that will be sharing the 283 College space.

If you think you’re hearing a lot of "collective" this and "collaboration" that, you’re not wrong. When you start to unpack the machinery behind what's coming at 283 College, you find a tangled web of people regularly working and playing together. We think that's what you a call a community. It's high time they had a space to call their own.

Of Swallows, Their Deeds, & the Winter Below opens its doors March 1. The Toronto New School of Writing's spring courses are currently open for registration.

Speaking of double features, this week also offers twofers from first lady of the French arthouse Claire Denis—Beau Travail and L’Intrus screen Friday—and golden boy of the Taiwanese New Wave Hou Hsiao-Hsien, whose Ozu homage Café Lumière and brooding Millennium Mambo screen on Saturday.

Probably sensitive to the fact that watching two Pedro Costa films back-to-back would be a Herculean labour for even to the critically hailed Portuguese director, the programmers accordingly stagger screenings of Costa’s Colossal Youth and In Vanda’s Room, both of which clock in at almost three hours, over Sunday and the following Monday. Both are fantastic films, abundantly rewarding any viewer whose patience (and bladder) can endure the marathon running times.

As "Best of the Decade: An Alternative View" rolls on throughout February, there’re loads of chances to see all kinds of things that have made the TIFF Cinematheque’s decisive list of the best of the 2000s. There are two from Gus Van Sant, in the form of his “swear-it’s-not-a-Columbine-movie” Elephant (meh) and his tedious Damon and (Casey) Affleck flick Gerry (boo), both screening February 11.

This month also sees many of the programme’s finest features at Jackman Hall. Béla Tarr’s Werckmeister Harmonies is as masterful and intriguing a film as you’re likely to have seen last decade. While its title is reflected in Tarr’s melodious long takes—which Van Sant himself has acknowledged influencing both Gerrry and Elephant—its story of a bizarre carnival (featuring a no-show prince and a gigantic stuffed whale) poisoning a rural Hungarian village with the seeds of fascism betrays a social chaos that somehow works in conjunction with the formal unity of Tarr’s images. It also has one of the saddest and most beautiful opening scenes of any film, released in the 2000s or otherwise.

Screening February 19, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive is, alongside A History of Violence and Malick’s The New World, the closest thing this “Alternative View” comes to commercial cinema. It’s also a exemplary masterpiece from a premier American filmmaker pretty prone to making masterpieces. It may not be as audacious and uncompromising as Lynch’s later opus INLAND EMPIRE, but the tale of the Hollywood Dream Machine churning an eager starlet (Naomi Watts) through its nightmarish mechanisms is top shelf Lynch: alopecia-stricken cowboys and all. It’s also about a thousand times prettier (and more straightforward) than INLAND EMPIRE. (Mulholland Drive was voted the best film of the 2000s by the Reverse/Shot blog. Read Michael Koresky's thoughtful defence of the film here.)

Throw in two films from the Dardennes Brothers, a short and a feature from Winnipeg's Guy Maddin, and gems like Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days and Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Distant, and you've got a Best of the Decade retrospective that ends on some pleasing high notes.

For more info, and a complete schedule, make sure to check out the TIFF Cinematheque website. And if you need a little cinematic comfort food to cleanse your palate of this series’ more self-consciously artful indulgences, there’s always the Great Digital Film Festival, kicking off this Friday at the Scotiabank Theatre.

The property is situated at the intersection of two of Kensington's main shopping and dining drags, which makes it a smart location for a restaurant with trendy inclinations (appropriately, the property was listed for five thousand dollars per month). Two other restaurants—Torito and Waterfalls—already serve tapas further north on Augusta Avenue in the Market. El Barrio will represent the southernmost front in the small-plates invasion.

At least one local Sharpie owner is displeased:

There are still two fruit stores across the street from 234 Augusta, and three more elsewhere in Kensington. But it's true, at least, that this one isn't coming back.

Thanks to Jonathan Goldsbie for the tip.

Photos by Michael Chrisman/Torontoist.