May 16th, 2008
Who says Toronto isn’t a city where you can kick back and just have some extremely silly fun? I admit that when I first heard about this event from a friend of mine I was a bit skeptical, but as I started doing some checking around I discovered that it’s no joking matter. There actually is going to be a gigantic pillow fight in downtown Toronto at the end of this month and anyone that wants to participate is invited to do so!
Event Details
Event: Pillow Fight Toronto 2008
Location: To be decided. Make sure that you E-Mail the Organizer in order to be notified when the exact location has been determined.
Time: The event is on May 31, 2008 and starts at 7 PM, going until the sun sets.
More Information: You can either e-mail love@newmindspace.com or check out the Facebook profile for the event.
Event Rules
I don’t think anyone can claim to be an expert on gigantic urban pillow fights (I certainly am not), but it seems like there are a number of problems that could crop up during such things. Well, the organizers of the event seem to be thinking along those lines as well, which is why the following rules have been put forward:
- only soft pillows are allowed
- make sure that you are very light on the swinging, because many people will be doing it at once
- only people with pillows and without cameras can be targeted for swinging
- make sure that you remove your glasses before participating in the pillow fight
- a signal to start will be given, before which no swinging is to occur
- make sure that you take your pillow home with you
- by participating in the event, you are agreeing to clean up twice the mess that you made
Those appear to be all of the rules that they currently have in place, although if you e-mail the organizer and get yourself on the list for updates, you’ll be well informed about anything else that comes across the wire. It certainly sounds like a fun event though, so definitely think about going if it sounds appealing to you.
Photo Credit: Flickr
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By Justin -- 2 comments
May 15th, 2008
One of the great things about Toronto is that it has a large number of neighbourhood pubs. These pubs allow you to kick back, relax and have a good time. Not a good time like a tourist, but a good time like a resident of the city, because the people in these pubs are often friendly enough that you’d fit right in within minutes of sitting down at the bar.
One example of such a pub is the Scotland Yard Pub. This pub is located in the heart of the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood and has been around for over twenty-five years. According to their marketing staff, the pub offers “a comfortable and casual place for our guests to come, relax and enjoy themselves.” All indications are that the pub does an excellent job of delivering on this promise.
General Information
The Scotland Yard Pub is located on 56 The Esplanade in the old heart of downtown Toronto. It is open every day of the week from 11:30 AM to 2:00 AM, so you can stay there until last call if you want. It is accessible to people with disabilities and is therefore one of the better pubs to go to for large groups.
The dress code for the pub is casual (i.e. there is no specific dress code) and there is also patio that you can sit on when the weather is warmer as will be the case for the next few months.
Scotland Yard Menu
British pub fare is the general idea of what is offered at Scotland Yard and for the most part they stick to what would be expected of that theme.
Their appetizers consist of Nachos, Veggies n’ Dip, Calamari, Shrimp and Chicken Wings. Prices for these appetizers range from $9 to $22 depending on the size of the appetizers and the options that you choose for it.
If you’re more of a salad person, then Scotland Yard has your choice of Greek Salad, Caesar Salad or Spring Mix Salad, all of which are either $8 or $9. If you’re looking to make your salad into more of a complete meal, then you can add chicken breast for an extra $6 or salmon for an extra $7.
Sandwiches are available from Scotland Yard as well. They offer Beef, Turkey, Pork and Chicken sandwiches, with prices ranging from $11 to $15 depending on the order and the options that you get with it.
Scotland Yard also has various other entrees and pub fare selections that you can make on their menu, including various meals of the day that are different each time you visit the pub. Many of their items are also available as group platters, allowing you to order enough for a large group of people. A menu this diverse is one of the big reasons for the general popularity the pub enjoys.
A full selection of food served can be found in the Scotland Yard Menu.
Scotland Yard Events
No pub in Toronto would be complete without a series of events to go along with the great food and good times. Scotland Yard is no different and while many of their events can be found on the Scotland Yard Calendar of Events, here are some of the regularly occurring events that you can expect to see.
Brown Bottle Mondays: All beer that is served in brown bottles is just $3 a bottle.
Wet Wednesdays: Pints of selected beers are just $5, continuing the great deals that you can get when you visit Scotland Yard on Monday.
Thirsty Thursdays: A weekly celebration at Scotland Yard where Martinis are $5 and for three hours each Thursday, oysters are served for just $0.99 per oyster.
Wii Love Sundays: Also a weekly event where a Nintendo Wii is set up on one of the big screens, allowing you to take a free shot at playing bowling, tennis, golf or baseball on the big screen.
Scotland Yard Contact Information
Phone: 647-724-3446
E-Mail: info@scotlandyard.ca
Photo Credit: Flickr
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By Justin -- 0 comments
May 14th, 2008
One of the most enjoyable aspects about writing for The Toronto Traveler has to be getting to be part of the great community of b5media Travel & Culture. Every now and then we do a theme day where the whole channel gets to write posts around a common theme. One of those days is coming up at the end of May and it’s going to be on the letter T. To that end, I give you the following post, entitled T is for Toronto.
T is for The Toronto Traveler, the blog that I’ve been writing for since late last year. I’ve had my ups and downs during that time, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience and hope to go on enjoying it for some time.
T is for Toronto, the largest city in Canada. It’s been my home for the last two decades of my life and I think it’s one of the most welcoming cities around for tourists to visit. There are many excellent tourist attractions here that I’ve already talked about and many more that I’ll be writing about in the coming days, weeks and months.
T is for tourism, one of Toronto’s largest industries. Tourism to such “T” places as Thomson Park, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Toronto Zoo and Toronto Island and the Thousand Islands.
In a city like Toronto, finding things to talk about concerning the letter T is not that difficult. I’m sure you can think of others if you give it some thought. Feel free to post whatever else you come up with in the comments and we can continue our discussion about it ;). Then, on May 29th when the Travel & Culture theme day post goes live, take a look around the other posts in the channel and post your thoughts on them as well.
As the title implies, this post has been brought to you by the letter T.
Photo Credit: Flickr
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By Justin -- 2 comments
May 13th, 2008
One of the big beefs that people tend to have with traveling in and around Toronto is the gas prices that can be found in the city. While Toronto is lucky in the sense that our gas prices are lower than in most other areas (and definitely lower than the national average), gas prices are still going up at a very predictable rate.
While this is definitely true over the long run, over the short run there are definitely differences within the city in the prices that can be found. The Toronto Gas Prices website aims to exploit these differences by assisting people in finding the cheapest gas prices in the city at a current time.
Their stated goal is to force gas stations to charge the cheapest price universally through stimulating market competition and there are many people in Toronto that have saved hundreds of dollars over the course of the last few months strictly by using Toronto Gas Prices to buy gas from the cheapest source in their area.
Site Features
There are many features offered by Toronto Gas Prices to help you find the best tank of gas possible for your specific needs. You can take a look at both the cheapest gas stations in the city as well as the most expensive so that even if you need to buy gas without using the website at some point, you can get a general idea of the current range of gas prices. In addition to that, you can see both lists for regular, mid-grade, premium and diesel products.
The database that powers the website is maintained entirely by volunteers, showing the dedication that people in the city have for ensuring that people get access to the lowest gas prices possible. There is even a form in the top left corner of the website for people to fill out if they would like to report a price. Both good and bad prices can be reported through the use of this simple form, as the website is looking to get as complete a picture of possible of gas prices in Toronto.
The database is also fully searchable, allowing you to find low prices at a particular gas station of your choice or within geographical locations outside the city of Toronto. The main aspects of the database appear to be within the city however, so the most reliable information you get from this website will likely be information you get about the City of Toronto.
There are other features available (such as record-keeping) that residents of the city that will be purchasing gas long term can get some use out of, although visitors to the city probably won’t purchase enough gas for them to be useful. Still, take a look over the entire Toronto Gas Prices website and you might be surprised at what else you can find.
Photo Credit: Screen capture of the Toronto Gas Prices website
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By Justin -- 0 comments
May 11th, 2008
Well, when I was walking home yesterday, the thing I immediately noticed is what a beautiful day it was outside. With the snow definitively gone and the weather starting to get a lot nicer, people were coming out of their houses and apartments and starting to enjoy the nice weather. Families were walking around playing with children and pets and tourists were really starting to spill into the city in droves, driving around to take pictures of anything and everything. In a few days I’ll share with you a list of the most photographed spots in the city (one of which I walk by all the time), but for now here’s an activity to keep you healthy and having fun should you visit the City of Toronto during the summer.
Toronto, like many of the other cities, is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of many different pools around the city. Swimming is a great exercise to pursue if you are in the city not only because it is extremely fun for the whole family, but also because swimming is considered one of the best forms of exercise you can do; it works all of the muscles in your body. This combination of fun and fitness makes it the perfect tourist activity and in Toronto during the summer there is no dearth of places for you to go if you’d like to swim. The swimming areas in Toronto are divided into four distinct areas, each with its own set of rules and opportunities.
Some General Rules
Here are some general swimming rules to be followed when you are in one of the city pools:
- Those with serious medical conditions should consult a doctor before swimming and should also have someone with them that understands their condition; they should also notify the lifeguard before entering the pool
- Children seven years of age or older need to use the change room of their own gender, unless special arrangements are made with the pool staff beforehand
- No street shoes are allowed in the shower or in the deck areas and a pre-swim shower is recommended in order to keep the pool clean
- Using devices like cell phones is prohibited anywhere in the change room or washroom
- Children 5 years of age and under must have at least one adult supervising per two children; Children 6-9 years have that ratio at four to one unless they can pass the faculty’s swim test in which case they may swim alone.
Different Pools
There are dozens of different pools across the city (both indoor and outdoor) available to people that are interested in grabbing a swim. The city catalogues their pools through the use of four different regions. The links below will lead you to a listing of pools and special events being put on by each region during the upcoming summer months:
Etobicoke Region
East York Region
Scarborough Region
North York Region
Tags: b5media, the-toronto-traveler, Toronto Swimming Pools, Travel & CultureShare This
By Justin -- 0 comments
May 8th, 2008
Monsoon is a Japanese restaurant located in Toronto. However, their menu is a little bit different as it combines the great Oriental cuisine that we’ve all come to know and love with North American influences in order to create a final taste sensation that is wholly unique.
Location
Monsoon is located at 100 Simcoe Street, which places it very close to the intersection of Adelaide Street West and University Avenue (MAP). It is also just southwest of the Osgoode Subway Station located on the University line at Queen Street West and University Avenue. If you’re traveling there by subway, simply get off at Osgoode Station, walk west along Queen Street until you get to Simcoe and then walk south on Simcoe until you get to number 100.
Interior
The interior of Monsoon is one of the coolest experiences that you can get in the city. The overall restaurant seats 150 people in a subterranean setting with a dark ambiance that is partly the effect of the lighting and partly the effect of the colours used in decoration. If you want to get an up close and personal tour of the restaurant’s interior, simply visit Monsoon’s website and take a look through their gallery of pictures, conveniently presented to you in slide show format.
Food and Drink
The main reason to go to Monsoon is ultimately the quality of the food that they have. They have menus for lunch, dinner, corporate events and weddings. Their lunch menu features such excellent dishes as Asian Salmon Tartar and Indochine Spiced Sirloin Beef, while for dinner you can get entrees like Kobe Beef and Organic Vietnamese Pork Tenderloin. The menu also has wonderful selections for the vegetarian-minded, with vegetarian dishes such as the Butternut Squash Gnocchi clearly marked on the menu. Monsoon also offers a large assortment of wines for you to choose from, allowing you to get the perfect wine to go with your meal.
Other Useful Information
Reservations can be booked online through the Monsoon Restaurant Website, with reservations for normal parties and large groups required. More information on Monsoon Restaurant can be discerned through a visit to their website or alternatively through phoning them at 416-979-7172.
The Monsoon Restaurant, like the recently blogged about Mink Nightclub in Toronto, is one of Toronto’s happening hotspots.
Photo Credits: Flickr, Flickr
Tags: b5media, Japanese Cuisine Toronto, Monsoon Restaurant, Monsoon Restaurant in Toronto, Oriental Cuisine Toronto, the-toronto-traveler, Toronto Fine Dining, Toronto Food, Toronto Restaurants, Travel & CultureShare This
By Justin -- 2 comments
May 7th, 2008
The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art galleries in the world and the current construction that is proceeding on the building will make it even bigger and better. According to their website, when the construction is finished there will be over 110 galleries in the building. While I’m not entirely sure how many were there before the construction started, I know from being there personally that it was nowhere near that amount. The construction has been going on since October 7, 2007 and for the whole time that the construction has been proceeding, the gallery has been closed to visitors. The latest update puts a rough date of opening in the fall of this year, but no firm date has been set. For more information on this, check out the Art Gallery of Ontario Director’s Message.
Art Gallery of Ontario Location
The Art Gallery of Ontario is located at 317 Dundas Street West, which puts the gallery between University Avenue and Spadina Avenue on Dundas, right near Beverley Street and McCaul Street (MAP). You can easily get to the Art Gallery of Ontario from Dundas Subway Station, which is located at the intersection of Dundas and University. From that point it’s only about a three block walk west to get to the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Art Gallery of Ontario Collection
One of the main reasons that the Art Gallery of Ontario is famous is the fact that it has one of the largest collections in the world. Before the renovation started, there were roughly 70,000 pieces of art in the collection and they spanned the course of history from approximately the year 100 AD to the present moment in time. In particular, the Art Gallery of Ontario has focused on promoting Canadian art to people both inside the country and those visiting. This is why two out of every five pieces in the pre-renovation collection were from Canadian artists. Canada has had many famous artistic talents such as the Group of Seven and Emily Carr. There have also been rich artistic traditions amongst Inuit living in Canada and that tradition is displayed proudly within the walls of the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Transformation AGO
Transformation AGO was a project that was envisioned by a new board of directors at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Their aim was to create a bigger and better version of the gallery that so many had come to love. Indeed, looking at the construction over time shows that the physical building appears to be getting larger and that definitely bodes well for the insides which pre-renovation were stuffed full of artistic works. The main goal of the transformation is to add new art, create new collections, add volume to the building and increase the overall exposure that artists can get through having exhibits at the Art Gallery of Ontario. While construction has been long, it is also close to being over and the executives are promising that what you see when it re-opens will be more than worth the wait.
Photo Credits: Personal Collection
Tags: Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, b5media, the-toronto-traveler, Toronto Art Gallery, Toronto Events, toronto-art, toronto-tourism, Transformation AGO, Travel & CultureShare This
By Justin -- 0 comments
May 6th, 2008
Yes, it’s definitely that time again; time for a b5media Travel & Culture theme day! This time, the theme day’s going to be on photos and I took one today that I’m proud to submit as The Toronto Traveler’s contribution. Check it out!
A well-placed ambulance means that text doesn’t even need to be added to this picture; you already know it’s Toronto from the markings on the back of the vehicle ;). The picture is of course of The CN Tower, one of Toronto’s most popular tourist attractions.
Photo Credit: Personal Collection
Tags: b5media, b5media Travel & Culture Theme Day, CN Tower in Toronto, CN Tower Picture, the-toronto-traveler, toronto-pictures, Travel & CultureShare This
By Justin -- 11 comments
May 6th, 2008
One of the things I haven’t talked that much about on The Toronto Traveler is the outdoors in Toronto. Most of the things I mention are either places you can visit or things you can do inside one of the many buildings located in the city, but I have yet to discuss something that you can do outside if you’re just looking for some time to kill or want to get some fresh air. Well, there are many great places that you can walk in Toronto, but one that should definitely get first mention because of its close proximity to many of the main tourism areas in the city is Philosopher’s Walk.
Beautifully crafted thoroughfares like the one shown to the left are commomplace in Philosopher’s Walk, which is a walkway that starts on Bloor Street West between the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Royal Ontario Museum and continues southward to Hoskin Avenue. The walk itself is only a few minutes long, but it gives you a chance to bask in a beautiful walkway and take the pulse of the city in a very real way. It also gives you the chance to encounter a number of people. University students, music performers, city residents that live nearby and tourists walk back and forth through Philosopher’s Walk all day and with the benches that are available for your use you can just sit there and watch them come and go. It is a great place to reflect and a great place to relax.
One final point that is worth mentioning about Philosopher’s Walk is the fact that it allows you to branch off and visit many of the other nearby areas. In addition to being able to visit the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Royal Ontario Museum, you can also go take a look at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Arena and field as well as tourisn some of the nearby campus buildings, most notably the very beautifully constructed Trinity College.
Philosopher’s Walk is also located walking distance from St. George, Bay and Museum Subway Stations; if you check out the subway line map and take a look at many of my past posts, you will notice that these three subway stations form part of the downtown core where most of the action takes place vis-a-vis tourist attractions in Toronto. That is the main reason why Philosopher’s Walk is shorter than normal, but there are other places in Toronto where you can take a really long walk without stopping that I will talk about in later posts.
Photo Credits: Flickr, Flickr, Flickr
Tags: b5media, the-toronto-traveler, Toronto Attractions, Toronto Family Fun, Toronto Museums, Toronto Must See Sights, Toronto People, Toronto Photos, Toronto Walking, toronto-tourism, Travel & Culture, Unwind in TorontoShare This
By Justin -- 3 comments
May 4th, 2008
Believe it or not, there actually is a World Cocktail Week! It’s celebrated by the Museum of American Cocktail in New Orleans and it will be celebrated from May 8th to 13th as the best mixologists around will create their best confections in New Orleans in order to dazzle and tickle the taste buds. Thanks to my excellent associate over at The DC Traveler, b5media’s Travel & Culture Channel will be celebrating this event through a collective blogging effort of which this post is a part.
Toronto actually does have a real cocktail named after it, although apparently it happens to be more popular in the United States than in Toronto. I only heard about it when doing the research for this post, but maybe some of you have come across it before. Here’s what it takes to make a Toronto:
- 2 ounces of rye
- one quarter ounce of Fernet Branca
- one quarter ounce of simple syrup
- two dashes of Angostura bitters
Directions: Place all the materials together with ice, stirring together and then straining into the cocktail glass once stirring is complete before flaming a disc of orange zest into the cocktail, dropping it in afterwards.
Of course, people that know the city well might come up with a different recipe for the quintessential tongue-in-cheek Toronto cocktail and that might look something like this:
The Toronto Toddy
- 1/3 cup of imported tea
- 1/3 cup of bitter tasting beer, flavoured by a disappointed Leafs fan
- 1/3 cup of sweet-sounding promises from local politicians
- a dash of arrogance
- two parts multiculturalism
- two parts envy from the other Canadian cities (wink)
Mix together well, but don’t sweat it if there are still chunks floating around in it when you’re done. There’s always the next one!
Whatever cocktail happens to be your preference, make sure you check out the other blogs in the channel to see what they come up with for World Cocktail Week.
Photo Credit: Flickr
Tags: b5media, The DC Traveler, the-toronto-traveler, Travel & Culture, World Cocktail WeekShare This
By Justin -- 4 comments
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