A beginner's guide to Toronto vinyl, CD and cassette tape collecting

Why not find a new retail therapy outlet?

By: Grace Moloy

(Sama Nemat Allah/CanCulture)

Toronto has a wide variety of shops to choose from when you want to buy vinyl, CDs and cassette tapes. So, to save you the hassle, I visited seven record stores across the city — all with their own unique reasons to go there to help build your collection.

But it’s really the people behind the counters who make the shops as eclectically appealing as they are, so while visiting these places, I asked each cashier for their essential album(s) upon meeting them at the counter.

Sonic Boom - 215 Spadina Ave.

Sonic Boom is open from 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. 364 days a year. (Grace Moloy/CanCulture)

Employee’s Essential Choice: Nocturne by Wild Nothing

Located in the Spadina area, Sonic Boom holds a wide genre selection spanning from jazz to punk and beyond. The store sells CDs, vinyl, cassette tapes, posters, music accessories and more.  With an amazing atmosphere, great music playing and some friendly staff, it’s a lovely place to spend the day. I’ve found so many amazing albums here, including my most recent pick, Tidal by Fiona Apple.

 Invisible City Record Shop - 222 Spadina Ave. Unit C4

Invisible City Record Shop is located in the lower courtyard of the Chinatown Centre complex. (Grace Moloy/CanCulture)

Employee’s Essential Choices: Aja by Steely Dan, Promise by Sade (really anything from Sade, she said) and Nightclubbing by Grace Jones

This spot is a vinyl collector's dream, featuring a wide selection of records that span the decades and a small curated selection of cassette tapes. The staff is very friendly and the place seems like a popular spot for DJs searching for tracks to accompany their next set. They sell all kinds of vinyl from Afrobeat to Dubstep. Invisible City has a great atmosphere with helpful staff, $5 vinyl bins and comfy chairs to listen to potential new pickups. You definitely should check this place out on a day trip!

Kops Records - 395 Queen St. W. and 209 Danforth Ave.

Kops has been buying and selling records since 1976. (Grace Moloy/CanCulture)

Employee’s Essential Choice: Tago Mago by Can

Kops has two Downtown Toronto locations, as well as one in Oshawa, Ont. When I first walked into the 395 Queen St. W. location, I was amazed at the range of selection — I spotted newer albums like And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow by Weyes Blood and vintage records like Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. This location has a basement stocked with seven-inch single records and even more vintage vinyl. If you're searching to build the foundation for your vinyl collection, I’d recommend you start here.

Cosmos Records - 607a Queen St. W. and 652 Queen St. W.

Cosmos is ranked #056 on Vinyl Factory’s world’s best record shops list. (Grace Moloy/CanCulture)

Employee’s Essential Choice: Low by David Bowie 

Also found at the heart of Toronto’s Queen St. West strip, this cute spot is a staple for music lovers and collectors. The layout of the area, along with the really friendly staff, really made my experience here top-notch. There was an upstairs section where you can look out over the entire store, which included a DJ setup. There are so many genres to skim through — I even spotted a ‘Japanese Hip-Hop’ section. Cosmos sells mostly vinyl, with the exception of a tiny CD rack in one corner of the store. This is a great spot for DJs looking for tracks and music lovers fiending for another ‘70s deep cut.

Shortstack Records - 1006 Dundas St. W.

Shortstack Records won NOW: Toronto’s Best Record Store in 2021. (Grace Moloy/CanCulture)

Employee’s Essential Choice: Marquee Moon by Television

Shortstack Records is a tiny shop with a great selection just outside of Trinity Bellwoods Park. One of my favourite parts of their collection is the soundtrack section where I found the Moonrise Kingdom soundtrack and fangirled a bit. This is a smaller shop but is worth the trek out of downtown. Come by and find a gem for yourself!

Dead Dog Records - 1209 Bloor St. W., 568 Church St. and 256A Queen St. W. (inside Black Market Underground)

Dead Dog opened their doors in 2015 and they currently have three locations. (Grace Moloy/CanCulture)

Employee’s Essential Choice: Fun House by The Stooges

Dead Dog’s Church Street location is a place I tend to frequent. They sell apparel, CDs, vinyl, cassette tapes and tote bags featuring classic rock bands. They have a broad selection of vinyl from Avril Lavigne to David Bowie to The White Stripes and everything in between. A personal highlight is their selection of used CDs at amazing prices; I’ve picked up so many gems here!

Paramusic Records - 68 Dundas St. E.

Paramusic has been an independent record store since 1995. (Grace Moloy/CanCulture)

Employee’s Essential Choice: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis

Paramusic Records is a personal favourite of mine. While selling the usual finds in a record store, it’s still a fun, little store to get lost in for the day. I’ve found some of my favourite CDs here (Post by Björk and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles!). They have a great selection and great deals!

While Toronto has so many great music stores to choose from, these are some of my favourites. I will endlessly recommend anyone to start collecting vinyl, CDs or cassette tapes. I think owning physical music is very special, especially if your love for music is as tangible as the records themselves. If you’re in Toronto, I hope you check out one or all of these spots!

Do you believe in fairies? Visit this enchanting exhibit in downtown Toronto

With less than a month left, don’t wait to visit Mischief and Mirth: The Wonderful World of Fairies this February

By: Julia Lawrence

Illustration of fairies and mythical creatures on a grassy hill.

(From In Fairyland: A Series of Pictures from the Elf-World, Richard Doyle)

Discover the origin of fairies and explore their magical history at Mischief and Mirth: The Wonderful World of Fairies until Feb. 26. The exhibit is held at the TD Gallery within the Toronto Reference Library, under the Toronto Public Library (TPL).

The gallery’s exhibit focuses on the myth and magic of fairies within rare books, prints, writing and original artwork from TPL's Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books, Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy and Arthur Conan Doyle Collection.

As it covers the sightings and portrayal of fairies in a detailed storyline from records dating back from the 13th century to the modern-day story, visitors learn the backstory of the multi-faceted creature and how it has been woven into our history.

A main theme throughout the exhibit is its efforts to not only show the “magical pixie dust” face of these characters but also how fairies have been portrayed to be tricksters with not-so-friendly intentions.

One of the gallery texts says this common, protagonistic depiction was largely due to, “an abundance of children’s stories with friendly winged fairies,” being published in the Victorian era.

“Stories from this period emphasized that fairies were good and friendly. At the same time, stories about fairies for adults were turning to darker folkloric roots. A clear division between small, winged fairies and those who were not began to arise,” TPL added.

Mischief and Mirth also share stories about the well-known Tooth Fairy, fairy godmothers, magical realms and fairies played on stage.

For an in-depth visual learning experience, discover more about the land of fairies at TPL’s Mischief and Mirth: The Wonderful World of Fairies this February.

Can’t visit in person? View select exhibit items through TPL’s virtual tour.

Photograph of Mischief and Mirth: The Wonderful World of Fairies exhibit with picture frames, blue illustrations on the walls and glass boxes with books inside

(Julia Lawrence/CanCulture Magazine)

Queer Bookclub Toronto: Diversifying the LGBTQ community with books

How one group of bookworms is changing the queer literary scene in Toronto

By: Hannah Mercanti

(Robert Anasch/Unsplash)

One by one, a small group gathers around an empty bar table, antsy for the insightful discussion to begin. Each of them clutches their own copy of the chosen book-of-the-month in their arms tightly, every one annotated with a personal touch.

At the heart of Queer Bookclub Toronto, since its outset in 2019, is a community formed around reading. Every month, this keen group of bookworms prepares to discuss, interpret and pick apart a new story.

“All the gays, reading all the books,” proudly claims the Instagram bio of the queer-run discussion group whose mission, according to their founder Kate Bullen, is to provide a safe space for LGBTQ and BIPOC readers around the city through discussions of queer literature.

For Bullen, one of the core values is to read diversely, which means something different for every reader. From taking on an unfamiliar genre to reading more from queer and BIPOC authors, anything that broadens a reader's perspective counts.

Since the early pandemic days, Bullen has been on a mission to bring LGBTQ book lovers together in a relaxed, intersectional environment accessible to all.

“I was actually still living in Guelph at the time and was looking to make friends and form a community around books,” said Bullen.

Near the end of 2021, Bullen moved from Guelph to Toronto and brought Queer Bookclub along with her. A couple of months later in March of 2022, Bullen made a post on the Queer Bookclub Instagram announcing that the club would now be based in Toronto and was accepting new members.

“It was still on Zoom, so we had some members in Guelph and Toronto,” said Bullen. As pandemic restrictions loosened and the weather got warmer, meetings transitioned to in-person gatherings and away from virtual calls. Consequently, Guelph membership went down due to the distance, while Toronto membership began to solidify.

As the group grew, Bullen noticed a trend.

“At the beginning, the majority of members were white lesbians,” said Bullen. “Eventually a few people brought it up to me that we didn’t have enough trans members or members of colour.”

In response to this, Bullen has come up with a working solution. For certain months, new members from BIPOC and Transgender communities would be prioritized.

“Basically, it just means that some people have to wait a bit longer to join, which is fine because we want a more diverse group,” said Bullen.

This diversity issue isn’t a unique one. In Toronto, many popular queer spots still remain inaccessible to a diverse range of people, according to Bullen.

This sentiment is echoed by one of Queer Bookclub’s longest-standing members, Emily Bruce.

Bruce knew Bullen in the pre-pandemic days when they both lived in Guelph. She joined when the book club was first starting for the same reason it all began – to find a sense of community.

“I was looking for an environment that wasn’t centred around drinking and that kind of culture,” said Bruce. “And I think for young people, so much of it revolves around that.”

When Queer Bookclub moved to Toronto, Bruce moved around the same time.

“It feels like there are so many [queer spaces] in Toronto, but at the same time, there aren’t enough,” said Bruce. “I know that in terms of ableism, it's harder.”

Dev Ramsawakh, a queer disabled authour based in Toronto, reports that many disabled and chronically ill members of Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community have been feeling “really bad” watching other LGBTQ+ people gather unsafely and forgo masking despite steady death and infection rates.

Some members even feel that the community is actively excluding immunocompromised and high-risk people. Since unmasked spaces aren’t safe for them to attend, they are being separated from the community as a whole while able-bodied members are encouraged to “return to normal,” they write.

According to Bullen, people who cannot access typical nightlife spaces, especially sober folks, have been very appreciative of the space. In fact, a recent meeting featured both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.

“There’s crossover, of course. There are lots of people I've met at bookclub who I end up going out and doing nightlife things with,” says Bullen, “but it’s just a different environment.”

Stephanie Borowik, another long-term member, felt similarly after relocating to Toronto from Guelph and realized how centred the city is on nightlife.

“I’m 32. I don’t want to go out to the bar, I want to be in bed by nine,” said Borowik. “So it's nice to be able to make connections with like-minded people in a more comfortable environment.”

Toronto bookstores to support this holiday season

Five independent and local bookstores with different genres for all types of readers

By: Allison Baldwin

During the holiday season, you may be asking yourself what the book lover in your life would appreciate as a gift. It can be a challenge to find the right story with innumerable genres and pieces of literature available at hand. Fortunately, with this gift guide that highlights independent and local Toronto bookstores, finding the perfect present for your bookworm doesn't have to be stressful this holiday season.

Acadia Art & Rare Books

Acadia Art & Rare Books is a bookstore specializing in antique, rare and out-of-print books. Located at 232 Queen St. E., this old-timey shop buys and sells antiquarian books with all its material authenticated beforehand. This shop is quintessential for appreciators of the arts and all things vintage — making it a terrific spot to shop for collectors and second-hand shoppers alike.

Bakka-Phoenix Books

Bakka-Phoenix Books is a unique bookstore specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature located at 84 Harbord St. This long-running shop prides itself on being part of the greater community of sci-fi and fantasy fanatics and is known to be Canada’s oldest bookstore of its kind! With so many options to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find something fascinating at this shop.

Little Ghosts

Little Ghosts is an indie bookstore combined with a café located at 930 Dundas St. W. This quaint shop is filled with any horrific tale imaginable, making it the best place to shop for the friend who loves the thrill and chills of a scary story! With the bookshelves constantly refreshed and restocked, horror fanatics can find precisely what they are looking for, whether it be spine-chilling hidden gems or the latest spooky release from their favourite author.

Silver Snail Comics

Silver Snail Comics is a long-running comic book store situated at 809 Queen St. W. after its recent relocation. The store, perfect for comic book enthusiasts, has an embedded history with over 45 years in business. It has everything you need to find the perfect gift, from hidden treasures to mainstream finds. With its broad selection of new releases along with some of the classics, Silver Snail is an excellent place to shop for the comic book fan in your life. 

Queen Books

Queen Books is a community and general-interest bookstore located at 914 Queen St. E. This shop carries a curated selection of mostly contemporary fiction and has something for every type of book lover. In an effort to help customers find what they are looking for, the team has put together a holiday guide of staff picks and bookish ideas every day for the month of December. Each day comes with a different theme, from intricate storytelling in non-fiction and graphic novels to historical fiction and highly anticipated 2022 releases. There is so much to choose from Queen Book’s extensive collection!

Croffles: At the intersection of croissants and waffles

CanCulture visited Fuwa Fuwa and tried the newest addition to their menu: croffles

By: Apurva Bhat

(Sama Nemat Allah/CanCulture)

The wind is cool, my face is numb and my friend and I can’t wait to reach Fuwa Fuwa to try their fluffy-looking croffles. With my university nearby in downtown Toronto’s Dundas Square, the franchise’s Bloor St. W. location is the closest and most accessible to me. When we enter the store, we are welcomed by the warmth and smell of fresh pancakes being cooked.

Known for their Japanese pancakes, Fuwa Fuwa began making croffles that gained immense popularity this summer at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). According to blogTO, they were nearly sold out each day. On Oct. 1, the restaurant announced that the affordable croffles - only $5.99 each (without tax) – would be a permanent addition to their menu.

These croffles come in four flavours - signature, tiramisu, cocoa banana and cookies and cream. We ordered the signature, tiramisu and cookies & cream.

As we were waiting for our food to be made, we could see other orders being freshly prepared - an employee flipping a batch of fluffy Japanese pancakes and another employee whisking batter for more pancakes. The store is clearly popular. Despite coming in an hour before closing, there was lots of traffic and online orders dinging in.

This location was fairly compact, but we didn’t have difficulty finding a seat. After seven minutes, our desserts were brought to our table. The portion was what one would expect for the price - not too huge and not too small. 

Each croffle, as explained by a front staff member, has the same base - a croissant. It is then toasted in a waffle maker and topped with whipped cream.

Depending on the flavour, the ingredients differ. My personal favourite was the cookies and cream which happens to be one of the more popular flavours according to an employee. It was topped with crushed Oreos and was extremely delicious. I especially liked the balance between sweet and savoury.

The cookies & cream croffle is one of Fuwa Fuwa’s more popular flavours.  (Apurva Bhat/CanCulture)

The one thing I didn’t enjoy was that the croffles were slightly undercooked in the middle. I’m someone that appreciates flaky and crispy croissants, but the texture of these was softer. I also couldn’t taste the waffle aspect of the croffles as much - it majorly tasted like a slightly undercooked toasted croissant.

The signature flavour offers customers a simple, uncomplicated flavour for the less adventurous eaters - topped with a handful of strawberries and blueberries, it wasn’t very extraordinary.

Contrary to what a video on Fuwa Fuwa’s Instagram suggests, the signature croffle didn’t have any syrup or powdered sugar on top. Because of this, it wasn’t extremely sweet but was actually refreshing which I appreciated.

The tiramisu flavour was a big no for me. Like the other flavours, the middle was slightly undercooked. Also, the combination of coffee syrup and cocoa powder wasn’t ideal – it left an extremely bitter aftertaste. I also didn’t like the excess overload of cacao powder, but if you love bitter desserts, this might be what you’re craving.

The tiramisu croffle topped with cacao powder and coffee syrup (Apurva Bhat/CanCulture)

The order total was $20.31 with taxes which wasn’t too bad. But as a student living in an expensive city like Toronto, I wouldn’t necessarily purchase all flavours - rather stick with one or two.

The price per croffle is what makes these treats an attractive purchase - only $5.99 a piece! I wouldn’t have the signature or tiramisu flavours again, but I would definitely return for the cookies and cream ones.

Overall, If I were to rate Fuwa Fuwa out of 10 based on the croffle’s flavour, quality, service, ambiance and price, I would give it a six. I would love to try their pancakes and perhaps even the cocoa banana croffle, which happens to be another popular choice for other customers!

How to take advantage of TIFF throughout the entire year

TIFF provides youth under 25 with many discounted and free opportunities to engage in the world of cinema

By: Sarah Grishpul

The TIFF Bell Lightbox in the evening. Pedestrians and bikers pass by the lit-up theatre.

Patrons wait outside Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox theatre on Oct. 29, 2022. Young film fans eagerly discuss Park Chan-Wook’s latest film, Decision to Leave as they leave the matinee screening. (Sarah Grishpul/CanCulture)

That’s a wrap! The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has closed its curtains, the celebrities have flown back to Hollywood and the streets of our city’s entertainment district have returned to their typical hustle and bustle.

Yet TIFF still has so much to offer. The non-profit organization hosts year-round screenings dedicated to highlighting international and Canadian cinema. Although the film circuit has ended, TIFF still curates events, workshops and screenings for local cinephiles to attend during the off-season.

TIFF Under-25 Free Pass

Take it from someone who works at a cinema: going to the movies is expensive.

I’ve been attending TIFF events for around two years now, and the costs have always been the biggest deterrent for how many screenings I attend. Each year is always a vicious battle to snag tickets, as TIFF seats tend to fill up faster than the speed of sound.

While TIFF offers student discounts, those looking to immerse themselves in independent cinema on a budget may be interested in obtaining a subscription instead.

In March, TIFF announced they would be offering young film fans special membership discounts with the Under-25 Free Pass. According to a TIFF media release, the intention was to make the festival and its year-round programming more accessible for Canadian youth.

The pass also grants youth access to member-exclusive ticket pre-sales, where students can save 25 per cent off tickets for year-round TIFF events and screenings. Those who missed out or couldn’t afford tickets to this year’s festivities can now attend screenings of official festival selections such as Decision to Leave, Holy Spider and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Those who sign up will be automatically subscribed to the TIFF Weekly newsletter, where contests and invitations to special events will be made available. Members receive promotional codes and can obtain free or discounted tickets to yearly screenings at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

Under-25 members also receive 15 per cent off concessions and items at the gift shop, as well as gain exclusive access to the Bell Blue Room Members’ Lounge.

TIFF Cinematheque

Aside from scoring discounted movie tickets, Under-25 pass holders can attend free (that’s right, free) TIFF Cinematheque screenings.

Established in 1990, TIFF Cinematheque (previously known as Cinematheque Ontario) is a yearly program committed to sharing the art of film. The organization’s team of programmers curates a selection of contemporary, international and rare archival cinema that is often left untouched by mainstream theatre chains.

With screenings of over 200 films, students can enjoy these underrated gems of film history on the big screen after nearly decades have passed. Often for Cinematheque screenings, TIFF will host reruns of past festival selections, iconic pop culture hits, cult classics and international cinema. Some of the Cinematheque collections this year include To Sidney, With Love, Boosie Fade Film Club, Lost and Beautiful: New Italian Cinema.

Under-25 pass holders can access free tickets to screenings such as a 4K restoration of RoboCop (Director’s Cut), Nordic noirs like Headhunters, cult classics such as B*A*P*S and many more.

TIFF Next Wave Film Festival

Programmed for teens by teens, the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival offers free (again, free) movie screenings for anyone under 25 years old. This event is open to all youth, regardless of whether they signed up for the Under-25 Pass.

The festival is curated by a group of young film enthusiasts across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) tasked with planning youth-oriented events at TIFF. According to a TIFF media release, the intention behind Next Wave is to make cinema and film discourse accessible to youth and highlight the work of young filmmakers.

During the festival, students can take advantage of a diverse selection of independent movies, attend workshops with emerging creators and industry professionals and engage with a community of fellow young film fans.

Aside from the official festival selections, students can partake in the annual Movie Marathons, Battle of the Scores and Young Creator Co-Labs at an additional discounted cost.

While the lineup and dates for next year’s festival have yet to be announced, this is certainly an event you do not want to miss!

That’s a wrap!

I highly encourage students interested in experiencing films outside of Hollywood to take advantage of these offers, as attending these events is a great way to explore a diverse range of voices and perspectives through cinema. 

With big-budget American blockbusters crowding the marketplace, it’s become difficult for foreign-language and indie films to be widely distributed. These films are free from the restraints of the box office and are driven by artistic inspiration rather than profit. Audiences can become immersed in a culture or a perspective away from a Western lens.

So, I implore you to take advantage of the opportunities to engage with what TIFF has to offer. After all, film deserves to be accessible to all.

Community in vulnerability: Celebrating intergenerational stories in Generation Women Canada launch

Women from across generations share insightful stories about their ever-changing relationship with their bodies

By: Natalie Vilkoff

Speakers and organizers of Generation Women Canada on stage at The Lounge at Live Nation in Toronto. (Courtesy of @generation_women_ca via Instagram)

This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Six women of six different generations shared their stories about their relationships with their bodies in an honest and touching night of performances — the first night of many to come.

‘Flesh and Bone: Stories About the Female Body,’ was the theme of the Oct. 18 launch of Generation Women Canada, a storytelling event that began in New York City, to create a space for women to feel “validated, respected, and seen,” according to the Generation Women Canada website.

“I really wanted to highlight intergenerational storytelling, especially women's voices,” said Jennifer Baxendale, the host and producer of the launch.

Baxendale and her producing partner Kirstin Turnbull saw a Generation Women show in 2020. They were so inspired by it that they signed up to bring it to Canada. She added that she wanted it to be a space where women can connect and learn from one another, despite differences in age and background.

Karen Cleveland, a Toronto-based marketing strategist and writer, was the speaker representing team 40s.

“When you get a group of women together, something special always happens,” said Cleveland. “And that was the appeal for me: being alongside such an interesting group of women that I probably would never otherwise be in the same room with.”

Cleveland added the most valuable thing for her was being able to hear from a collective of diverse women — from their identity to their race to their age, each woman had a story to share that was shaped by their lived experiences.

“That's the real magic of the event: bringing together different voices across different generations and celebrating their experience,” she added.

Mental health advocate and public speaker Ghanwa Shahnawaz, who represented the 20s, said that she felt so nervous she wanted to bolt from the stage — but once she started talking, she was glad to have the space to share her story.

On stage, Shahnawaz shared her experience of sexual assault as a young girl, and how it took her years to figure out what her body meant to her.

“What I hope people will take away from it is not just my relationship with my body, but also to know that you're not in it alone, that there are other survivors out there,” she said.

Shahnawaz added that it was different from sharing stories on her Instagram where she only goes as far as she’s comfortable. “This really required me to be out of my comfort zone. It’s very different when you have everyone sitting in front of you,” she explained.

While preparing her speech, Shahnawaz said that she was thinking of her younger self. She added that she had a picture of herself in elementary school next to her as she was writing.

“I think if Grade 3 Ghanwa was sitting in the audience hearing that, I would have felt a huge burden lifted off my shoulders, and I wouldn’t have blamed myself for years,” she said. “My whole story would be different.” 

Despite the uncertainty she felt about sharing a subject as personal as her body, Shahnawaz said that sharing her story in front of a supportive audience brought her a sense of calm.

“I felt empowered, I felt relieved, and I felt a bit more healed,” she said.

The next Generation Women theme is ‘Promises Made, Promises Broken’ and will take place on Jan. 24. After such a successful launch, Baxendale said she plans to keep the show running in Toronto and hopes to take it to other major Canadian cities.

7 places to get spooky tattoos this Halloween

Local Toronto tattoo parlours are offering discounted ink for thrill seekers this October

By: Amany Abubaker

A person in the process of being tattooed (Cottonbro via Pexels)

For some, tattoos and Halloween exist synonymously in the fall season. Getting tattooed is a popular activity during this time of year, as local parlours often offer special discounts on tattoos, allowing customers to choose from exclusive Halloween-themed flash sheets — small-scale pre-sketched designs. As a fun way to spice up this Halloween’s “spooktivites” in Toronto, take advantage of the Halloween deals at one of the tattoo shops listed below and get a permanent reminder of the spooky season!

Storm Horse Tattoo

Storm Horse Tattoo has an annual Halloween flash sale that you don’t want to miss. It runs throughout the whole month of October and with a plethora of designs to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find what you like. To celebrate the big holiday, they’re offering all-flash designs completely tax-free, from candy corn to skeletons. The studio is located at 847 Dundas St. W. and their designs start at just $80.

Abstract Arts

New Tribe is holding their annual Halloween flash sale from Oct. 27 to Oct. 31 and are offering flash tattoos starting at just $100. Both appointments and walk-ins are available for pre-sized flash tattoos, which can all be found on their website. New Tribe Tattoo and Piercing is located at 232 Queen St. W.

Finest Ink by Los Pintados

For the month of October, Finest Ink is having its Halloween Flash sale on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at just $60. Opening daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m, they are located at 7191 Yonge St., and are only accepting walk-ins for this promotion. They have all of their flash tattoo options listed on their Instagram so don’t forget to check that out!

Playhouse Tattoos

Playhouse Tattoos, located at 900 Rathburn Rd W. Unit D7 in Mississauga, will be having a Halloween flash sale from Oct. 28 to Oct. 31. You can get 50 per cent off any of their Halloween flash tattoos during their weekend sale. From small ghost tattoos to other spooky creatures, you can see their full list of flash tattoos here. Also in an upcoming giveaway, a lucky winner will get a free tattoo from their flash sheets.

Taunton Tattoo Co.

One of Toronto’s most anticipated flash events is Taunton Tattoo Co's official Halloween Flash Day! On Oct. 31, they will be offering walk-in and by-appointment flash tattoos. Located at 50 Taunton Rd E., Taunton Tattoo Co.’s has seven artists participating in this flash event and each will have their own pieces available for preview!

Wild Ink Oshawa

On Oct. 31 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wild Ink Oshawa will be hosting their flash sale where they will be having special pricing on Halloween-themed flash tattoos starting at $150. For this promotion, they will be accepting walk-ins only on a first come first serve basis. The shop is located at 375 Bond St. W. and their design previews are available on their Instagram.

No matter the tattoo you choose, you now have some amazing spooky options to select from, scattered all throughout the haunted hollows of Toronto. It's time to spice things up to celebrate the most unique and artistic Halloween ever!

Toronto Dragon Festival made a grand return after a two-year pandemic pause

Despite a shortage of time and funding this year, the Toronto Dragon Festival team pulled together a massive success in promoting Chinese culture

By: Meilin Ma

The 12-metre-long, 5-metre-tall dragon lantern at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto City Hall, is the hallmark of the Toronto Dragon Festival. (Courtesy of XINHUA News)

The 2022 Toronto Dragon Festival (TDF), one of the largest Chinese festivals in North America, was successfully held at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto from Sept. 2-4., after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic.

A total of 90 booths were set up at the site, consisting of cultural, small merchandise and food categories.

Another major part of this festival was the non-stop live performances, spread out in three areas: the open square space, the water show stage and the main stage. Live concerts, folk dancing, Beijing Opera, culture and arts display, Kung Fu and martial arts showcase, and fashion on the water, appeared on the three stages one by one.

But surprise to everyone’s eyes came the highlight of all this year - the breathtaking acrobatic lion dance on high poles attracting crowds of people from all ethnic groups to stop and water.

A large crowd performed Tai Chi, the Chinese kung fu, at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto. (Courtesy of Toronto Dragon Festival)

“Lion Dance is the most iconic performance in Chinese culture,” said David Zhang, the chief director of TDF and the vice president of the Canadian Association of Chinese Performing Arts.  “High Pole Lion Dance is a top-performance form of Lion Dance with high artistic and technical requirements. The performers must be very experienced, because the difficulty and danger coefficient are extremely high, and it requires a high degree of consistency and years of practice.

David Zhang is the key designer who outlined the festival back in 2018. He oversaw all the stage performance activities that took place three days in a row. As the chief director, he tries to add some highlights to every TDF for the audience to experience the amazing Chinese performances each time.

“The High Pole Lion Dance is a breathtaking show for the audience,” said David Zhang, “It embodies the essence of Chinese culture. That is why we invited Eagle Li and his team to join this year’s festival.”

Eagle Li is a Cirque Du Soleil performer and he started to learn lion dance during his childhood in China. After more than 20 years of practicing and touring worldwide, he has become a world-class High Pole Lion Dance coach and performer. Li and his team performed four rounds in this year’s TDF, each time winning endless praise from the packed audience.

"What touched us the most was every time at the end of each performance, many in the audience would come to us and thank us," Li added that he is very delighted to join this year’s TDF, and he hopes to let more people know about High Pole Lion Dance and to know more about the profound Chinese culture.

According to the organizing committee, more than 80 art groups, 140 performances and about 1,500 performers participated. Including all the merchants, staff and volunteers, over 4,000 people were involved with the festival. Approximately 80,000 visitors attended this year's festival, more than 70 per cent of whom were non-Chinese, according to the TDF organizing committee.

A sea of people came to join the TDF at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto on Sept. 2, 2022. (Johnny F. P. Tam/TDF)

But it was not an easy setup after a two-year pause due to the pandemic; there were some tough challenges in organizing this event.

"We faced tremendous difficulty this year to run such a big event," said John Zhang, the chair of the 2022 Dragon Festival Organizing Committee and the president of the Canadian Association of Chinese Performing Arts. "We only had two months to prepare, which usually takes six months." 

The team of the Third Dragon Festival. From left to right: Anna Bian, Susan Xu, David Zhang, John Zhang, Lunjun Mou, Kitty Chen, Katherine Hou, Timur Zhao, Shengqi Lin, Xin Yue. (Betty Liu/TDF)

John Zhang said the organizing committee was hesitant to start planning for the festival due to the pandemic, but when they decided to kick it off, it was already July.

But time shortage was not the only challenge of holding this grand event.

“The biggest challenge this year was that we didn't have enough funding," said John Zhang. "We received only half of the funding from the government, and we did not get as many sponsors this year as last time." 

In the past two years, many businesses have been set back because of the pandemic; as a result, people have become cautious. John Zhang tried to contact companies and people he knew, hoping to get their support, but in the end very few were able to respond.

John Zhang speaks to the media during the festival at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto. (Betty Liu/TDF)

But there were some businesses that stepped up to support this good cause.

One good example: Manling Jia, the owner of Manling Dance & Art Studio in Toronto, heard about the situation. She contacted John Zhang and said she would like to donate to support this event. While John Zhang was very appreciative, he knew Jia's money was all hard-earned and decided to decline Jia's offer respectfully. But Jia was persistent and did send the money saying it was her wish to support this festival, according to John Zhang.

John Zhang has worked and lived in Canada for decades and has been devoted to planning and holding Chinese community cultural activities. He likes to see Chinese culture integrated into Canada's diversity culture through cultural and art events so that multi-ethnic people in Canada would have a chance to experience the charm of Chinese culture directly. 

One of the traditional Chinese programs at the opening ceremony of the festival: Ansai Waist drum. (Courtesy of Toronto Dragon Festival)

After inaugural success in 2018, this year is the third Toronto Dragon Festival attracting the keen attention of mainstream society in Toronto.

"Every day after the festival is done," said John Zhang, "After the visitors leave, we have to pick up the trash, help guide trucks and load and unload goods. We're always the last ones to leave the scene." 

John Zhang said preparing for this festival is like "fighting a war" for him every time, and every aspect must be considered to ensure the grant event runs smoothly. 

"I'm very grateful that I have a strong team of like-minded people who worked together to make it through despite a lack of time and funding," John Zhang added.

Tonny Louie, the chair of the Toronto Chinatown Business Improvement Area, who has years of experience organizing big outdoor events in Chinatown, said it is very hard to put together a big outdoor event — and teamwork is the key.

“There are many steps to running a big outdoor event, and the team's experience is very important,” said Louie. “Otherwise, there will be issues everywhere. I think the Toronto Dragon Festival was a great success this year."

A traditional Chinese custom performance at the main stage of Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. (Courtesy of Toronto Dragon Festival)

David Zhang, though not related, is John Zhang's best partner.  The two other core team members of the organizing committee of TDF are Susan Xu, the executive director, and Kitty Chen, the deputy chief director. They all have a common goal: to promote Chinese culture and to build understanding between Chinese Canadians and other ethnic groups in Canada.

In the past decade, this strong team has accomplished several major projects in the Chinese community and won a very good reputation for hosting high-end cultural events and performances. They worked together and supported each other in a very cooperative way and succeeded in each mission, including the TDF since 2018.

John Zhang and David Zhang at the opening ceremony of the Toronto Dragon Festival on Sept. 2. (Betty Liu/Toronto Dragon Festival)

"This festival was a success with the collective efforts of every team member," said John Zhang, "But we can’t do everything just by ourselves, especially without enough funding.  We had thousands of volunteers to support us. They are the heroes behind the scenes that must be honoured. We could not have achieved a perfect end without their help and effort.”

Biao Xie, a licensed electrician, was one of the volunteers who had been devoting himself to the TDF for all three years from the very beginning.

"I'm very proud to be part of the Toronto Dragon Festival," said Xie, "because it is a very high-level event aimed at mainstream Canadian society. I will volunteer for the festival again next year, because through the event I can also contribute to promoting Chinese culture overseas."

Xie said his one regret is that he didn't have much time to enjoy everything of this festival during the three days because he was too busy, and he hopes he can have some time to watch the terrific shows and taste some delicious Chinese food next time.

A visitor buying a traditional Chinese snack, grilled squid, at a food booth of the Toronto Dragon Festival. (Courtesy of Toronto Dragon Festival)

According to the organizing committee, about 2,500 volunteers participated in this festival. They were assumed in various positions of the festival and can be seen in every corner of this event.

"I believe all the volunteers, staff and the performers of TDF have the same goal," said David Zhang. “To promote and integrate our Chinese culture into Canadian culture and become a part of it, rather than being regarded as a foreign culture.” 

Shelley Carroll, the Toronto city councilor from Don Valley North, attended the festival personally to show her support.  She was very happy that she could attend this year’s TDF to learn more about Chinese culture, since her riding represents all sorts of Asian communities.

“More than ever, we need to be displaying all that we know about the Asian culture,” said Carroll. “We need to bring people here so they can embrace Chinese culture.”

Carroll also discussed the anti-Asian hate that happened over the last couple of years during the pandemic, stating that it is not acceptable. “We need to remember why we are here today,” said Carroll, “People must support events like this because it is part of Canada's heritage too."

Carroll is not the only politician who came to the festival to show their support for the Chinese community. Shaun Chen, a member of parliament who represents Scarborough North, also attended the opening ceremony of the TDF. He brought a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"I believe it is important for us to have such an event like the Toronto Dragon Festival, where we can share our diversity to promote that understanding," said Chen, who attended this festival's opening ceremony. "That is so critical on that pathway to building a more inclusive society. So, these events are significant, and we should continue working together to build a better country."

The event’s team, consisting of the organizer, cast, crew and volunteers at the end of the 2022 Toronto Dragon Festival at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto on Sept. 4. (Courtesy of Toronto Dragon Festival

After three years of success, the festival has now become a brand that is well known in the Chinese community. The organizing committee has already started to plan for next year's TDF.

“We will continue doing it every year,” said John Zhang. “We hope that more Canadians of diverse cultural and racial background will come to enjoy the TDF and have fun with the fantastic activities. I guarantee that next year’s festival will be even better than this year. “

The fate of Toronto’s iconic convenience store

Kim’s Convenience is up for sale

By: Alisha Shaikh

(JasonParis/Wikimedia Commons)

Kim’s Convenience, the iconic store from the award-winning CBC sitcom of the same name, is up for sale. The real-life store that served as the exterior set for the show can now officially be bought for $200,000.

Kim’s Convenience is a CBC TV sitcom created by Ins Choi and Kevin White, based on a Korean Canadian family. The show first aired in 2016, and quickly became a fan favourite as it tells the funny and heartfelt story of the Kim family running a convenience store in Toronto while dealing with customers, family troubles and the evolving world around them. Co-creator Choi calls Kim's Convenience his "love letter to his parents and to all first-generation immigrants who call Canada their home."

Kim's Convenience is the first Canadian sitcom to feature Asian Canadian family members as lead characters. The cultural representation of the show has helped Canadian media immensely. 

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Media is often heavily dominated by America, but Kim’s Convenience breaks that notion, as it’s a perfect representation of Canada. 

Canada is a country of immigrants, which Kim’s Convenience illustrates perfectly through the Kim family. The Kims are an immigrant family in Toronto making ends meet while battling racism in a middle-class lifestyle which accurately represents the common immigrant Canadian family. This also creates relatable characters and plots for audiences around the world.

Kim's Convenience, with a full Asian-led cast, gave visible minorities representation in mainstream media. Many racial minorities often face the challenge of being represented and engaged by a mainly Caucasian-dominated cast. 

"The show’s diversity and representation have definitely helped Canadian media. Having so many Asian characters allowed viewers to see Asian people as people; layered, flawed, and normal. It was one of the first of its kind and it paved the way in Canadian media for more BIPOC-focused shows," said Lynette George, a fan of the show.

Kim’s Convenience has also given many Canadian actors more recognition and fame, such as Simu Liu, who is now known for playing Marvel’s first-ever Asian superhero, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Andrea Bang, Jean Yoon and more. 

The Kim’s Convenience store is a beloved spot and great for tourism in Toronto. Located at 252 Queen St. E, it’s a prime location that’s right in the heart of the city. Queen Street is known for the city's best restaurants, cafés, independent boutiques, street art and galleries. 

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While many fans are disappointed that the store is for sale, this may not mean the end of the Kim’s Convenience store. 

"It's a Toronto landmark, so it'd be sad if it closed, but I doubt even if it sells, the new owner would change the name or sign considering it’s iconic and wildly famous," said Sam Dubiner, an optimistic Asian Canadian.

After five successful seasons, Kim's Convenience was abruptly cancelled in April 2021 when its’ co-creators decided to move on to pursue other projects. 

Many people were unhappy and dissatisfied hearing about the cancellation.

"Kim’s Convenience was one show which I feel almost all immigrants related to, it was comforting while also showing the struggles of immigrants," said Dubiner. 

Toronto is known for its diversity and multiculturalism, and Kim's Convenience accurately portrayed those aspects of the city.

"I think a large part of why the show did so well was the representation. There is such a rich, expansive Asian community in Canada, and particularly in Toronto, and the show was able to depict that perfectly," said George.

Kim’s Convenience has created a legacy that has impacted Canada and Toronto greatly. The sitcom represented minorities, portrayed the struggle of immigrants, gave rise to Canadian actors and has shown Canadian culture to the world. Although the show has ended and the store is for sale, Kim’s Convenience will never be forgotten.

Review: Turning Red

Pixar’s first Canadian animated film set in Toronto!

By: Mariana Schuetze

Turning Red’s title card.

Pixar’s newest animated film might be one of its best yet. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Domee Shi, Turning Red brings its viewers into an animated version of Toronto and into the life of an Asian Canadian teen, Mei Lee, living in the city. 

Turning Red is the coming-of-age story of Mei, a humourous, captivating, and fun 13-year-old girl. From the beginning of the movie, she is incredibly confident and even says things like: “I wear what I want and say what I want,” as she narrates her day-to-day life while getting on the TTC.

At its core, this movie is about growing up and learning to embrace yourself, which Mei goes through as she has to face her “magical puberty,” which turns her into a red panda whenever she gets too emotional. While being a giant panda sounds like a lot of fun, it certainly brings some turbulence into Mei’s life as she has to learn how to manage her relationship with her mom and friends — all while growing up. 

The film is also the first time Toronto has been animated in a Disney/Pixar motion picture, the first Pixar film to be solely directed by a woman, and only the second to have an Asian lead (after Up, 2009) out of the studio’s now 25 feature films. 

Shi pitched this film to Pixar in 2017 after making the Academy Award winning short film, Bao. Soon, the film was in production, eventually being released on March 11 exclusively on Disney+. 

Besides the movie being directed by a Canadian, its main cast of voice actors is also made up of a bunch of Canadians! Canadian Emmy Award nominee Sandra Oh lends her voice to Mei’s mother, Ming Lee. Mississauga, Ont.-born actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, best known for her role in Never Have I Ever, plays one of Mei's best friends, Priya Mangal. Hyein Park, Korean Canadian story artist at Pixar, voices another one of Mei's best friends, Abby Park. Another of Mei's best friends is Miriam, played by American actress Ava Morse. And finally, 13-year-old Asian American Rosalie Chiang is the star of the film, playing the lead role — for the first time in her career — of Meilin "Mei" Lee. 

Turning Red is set in the early 2000s in Toronto, and it ends up being really nostalgic. Not only in the fashion of the characters and their use of Tamagotchis, but also in Mei and her friends’ obsession with an adorable boy band. For this film, Shi and producer Lindsey Collins reached out to artists Billie Eilish and FINNEAS to help them work out the music for the band. Together, they created the songs  4*Town sings in the movie, and FINNEAS also lends his voice to one of its members. 

It is honestly so fun to see Toronto portrayed like this in an animated movie. When were you expecting to see the CN Tower in all its glory in the background of a cute Pixar film? I certainly wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon. 

To make Turning Red, Shi was inspired by her own experiences growing up in Toronto in a Chinese Canadian family. Specifically for Shi, this movie is about her own relationship with her mother. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the director talked about how much of what Ming does in the film and her relationship with her daughter Mei came from her own life. “Yes. My mom definitely did follow me on my first day of middle school,” she told Vanity Fair when asked about which “crazy moments” in the film were based in real life. 

Besides looking at her own life in Toronto to create the plot of this movie, Shi was also inspired by her admiration of anime to develop the animation style of Turning Red. Because of that, Shi was faced with translating a 2D-style animation into a 3D one. In an interview with IndieWire, Shi talked about her challenges on the animation front. “We were never going to replicate 2D exactly in 3D,” said Shi. “But how do we use these powerful tools that we have today to stylize the look of the movie in 3D space?" she added. 

To achieve the final looks of Turning Red, Shi and her all-women-led team of producers, cinematographers and animators studied the language of anime and worked out how they could bring that to a Pixar film. In the end, the movie turned out to be quite colourful and highly detailed, which clearly reflects their inspiration for anime and certainly makes the film even more enjoyable to watch. 

I really enjoyed how women-centred this film is and how it highlights all the meaningful female relationships in Mei’s life. Mei is a strong, confident and brave young woman who not only relies on but is supported by a bunch of equally impressive women in her life, such as her mom and her friends. The way Turning Red explores those relationships and what they mean to Mei (and consequently, to any young woman watching) by making them the centre of the story, is incredibly refreshing to see on screen. Especially when we are used to seeing so many stories with barely any women in focus. 

And what makes Turning Red even more groundbreaking and inspiring is that it is a Pixar film with a 13-year-old Asian girl as a protagonist. How often do we get to see assertive young Asian women like this on screen? It certainly made me feel like I could do anything. 

With Mei, Turning Red takes us right into middle school and, consequently, talks about all the end-of-the-world problems that come with being a 13-year-old. She experiences that feeling of embarrassment and hopelessness you have when you are younger and thinks that every single little thing is the worst thing that’s ever happened to you. Like many of us, Mei goes through changes in her body and life. Her parents, like Shi’s and probably yours too, don’t understand that she’s growing up and has different hobbies, tastes and ideas. In the film, Mei goes through all of that, of course, in her own way. Turning Red becomes incredibly relatable by being highly personal in narrating these experiences.

This is what director Domee Shi wanted to accomplish with this film. “Turning Red’ was inspired by this universal struggle of growing up and figuring out how to handle honouring your parents and staying true to yourself. And, for Mei Lee, the red panda is that magical spark that sets off this internal conflict within herself,” she told IndieWire.

As a 21-year-old Latin-American woman, watching Turning Red and following the story of this incredibly relatable 13-year-old Asian Canadian girl was a fantastic experience. I come out of this film feeling stronger and unstoppable, and I believe many of you might feel the same way after watching this. 

In telling the particular story of a 13-year-old Asian girl who can turn into a giant red panda, Turning Red makes us laugh, cry, smile, sing, think way too hard about our lives, and feel better about ourselves. Like many of us, Mei believes she has her life figured out, but what she finds out throughout the film and what we learn in life is that she does not. Yet, she embraces her mess and becomes a better version of herself — a lesson hopefully we can all learn from watching Turning Red.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Retro review: Enemy — When your worst nightmare looks like you

The epitome of suspense with a Canadian touch

By: Atiya Malik

Toronto’s skyline in Enemy

The use of spiders in a mystery or thriller film isn’t new, but in Enemy, renowned director Denis Villeneuve leaves his viewers disoriented long after they’ve seen the film. 

Denis Villeneuve is a French Canadian filmmaker who’s best known for directing Dune, one of the most anticipated films of 2021. He has also directed successful science-fiction films such as Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Arrival (2016). Villeneuve is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award for Achievement in Direction, including a win in 2014 for his spine-chilling film Enemy. 

Based on the novel The Double by José Saramago, this film begins with the line “Chaos is order yet undeciphered,” which couldn’t be a more straightforward way to foreshadow the film’s confusing and head-scratching nature. Notably, one of the first scenes displays a woman stepping on a spider with a black heel. This is the first time the audience sees a spider and it becomes evident that this insect will hold symbolic significance throughout the film.

Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a history professor who feels trapped in his repetitive and meaningless lifestyle and decides to watch a movie one night to cheer himself up. In the movie, he notices an actor in the background that looks freakishly familiar. Anthony Claire, the actor in the film, doesn’t just resemble Adam in the way that siblings often do. This man is the exact same person physically, down to every scar, hair and even the sound of his voice. The film continues as both men become obsessed with the other and delve into each other’s affairs — but at what cost?

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The cast of Enemy was hand-picked by Villeneuve himself. In an interview with Curzon, he explains how he needed a skilled actor to play the characters of Adam and Anthony because the plot would simply not be believable without the right actor. 

“It’s not about special effects, it’s about acting,” said Villeneuve.

Award-winning actor Jake Gyllenhaal plays Adam and Anthony, two incredibly complicated characters. Gyllenhaal has been in several blockbuster movies, including Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019), The Nightcrawler (2014) and Source Code (2011). In Enemy, Gyllenhaal’s riveting use of facial expressions fully engrosses viewers: the genuine fear, shock and disturbance that he can convey with just his expressions tell a story within itself.

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Mary, Adam's girlfriend, is played by Mélanie Laurent, a well-known French actress, filmmaker and singer. She is best known for her role as Alma in the film Now You See Me (2013). Sarah Gadon, a Canadian actress best known for her work in Dracula Untold (2014), plays Anthony's wife.

The film production does an impeccable job of capturing shots of Toronto from several angles and perspectives that make the city feel lonely and confined, while also displaying iconic shots of Toronto and Mississauga, Ont. city skylines. Residents living in the area might even be able to recognize well-known street names such as Adelaide or Rathburn. 

Toronto’s cityscape captured in Enemy.

Mississauga’s iconic Marilyn Monroe towers pictured in Enemy.

In an interview with VODzilla, Villeneuve talked about carefully selecting Toronto as the film location. “The city had that kind of personality, the paranoid, oppressive feeling and I was looking for that landscape, something with pressure,” he said.

The energy in New York or Chicago is similar to what Villeneuve was seeking. However, he wanted to film in a city that hadn’t been as well-loved by the camera, and what better place than one close to home?

The cinematography in Enemy truly carries the movie. The plot is predominantly told through visuals as the first half of the film has minimal use of voice and conversations. This inevitably forces the viewer to focus on every piece of visual information, including brightness. 

Enemy is a film that is very dark… literally. It’s as if while editing, someone discovered the saturation button and turned it all the way down. This is a strategic choice because the lack of colour itself expresses unsettling feelings of suspense and mystery. The world should not be this grayscale.

The film was also heavily dependent on the use of music, and it did not disappoint. The music selection is eerie and disturbing, making it more likely for the viewer to feel uneasy.

The use of spiders in Enemy was somewhat of a weak point. It was obvious that there was a deeper meaning behind their seemingly random appearances, which was intriguing. However, it’s very unclear as to what that meaning is because it’s left open for interpretation.

One compelling explanation is that the spiders symbolize a fear of commitment because Anthony and Adam both feel trapped and disconnected in their romantic relationships. In a scene with Anthony, his pregnant wife asks him if he’s “seeing her again,” implying that he has been unfaithful in the past. In a scene with Adam and his mom, she accuses him of having trouble with sticking to one woman. The spiders could represent Anthony and Adam’s unfaithful natures and display how it increasingly consumes their lives… right up until the film’s final shot.   

With a run time of 90 minutes, Enemy is a film that holds your attention sporadically. The film, adapted from the novel The Double, has a truly complex and nail-biting plot that you won’t find anywhere else. Are Anthony and Adam long-lost brothers, clones, a figment of one’s imagination or all the above? These unanswered questions serve as both the film’s strength and weakness, leaving you with thoughts that linger on for far longer than expected. However, its execution could have been clearer, particularly regarding those spiders.

The viewer is left wanting more while staring at a black screen wondering, “What on earth did I just watch?”

Rating: 3/5 stars

Dear Toronto venues, stop giving Dave Chappelle a platform

There should be no tolerance for bigoted people in comedy and film

By: John Vo

Dave Chappelle at TIFF 2018 (John Bauld/Wikimedia Commons)

You’ve probably heard at least one person say, “There are no boundaries for comedy,” especially if that person is known for liking or telling jokes founded on offensive stereotypes about minority groups. But there’s a fine line between poking fun at someone’s expense and disrespecting an entire group of people.

There should never be any tolerance for discriminatory events and shows in entertainment spaces, especially in a city that wants to pride itself on diversity and inclusion like Toronto. 

Comedians are notorious for landing themselves in hot water over jokes they’ve made, and famed comedian Dave Chappelle is no exception. After his newest Netflix comedy special The Closer was released on Oct. 5 this year, Chappelle became the center of controversy after making a slew of jokes that targeted the transgender community. These jokes amplified many transphobic stereotypes and ignored scientific knowledge about trans bodies and gender identity. 

At one point during the special, he mentioned how many people called J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (also known as a TERF) for her past tweets invalidating the struggles of transgender women. Chappelle admitted he is now “Team TERF” and defended Rowling’s words. The comedian was known for his jokes that often addressed topical issues in a comedic manner but many think he took it too far this time.

Audiences rightfully criticized Netflix for permitting these jokes to be in the special and Netflix employees even held a walkout, protesting the streaming service’s lack of support for the transgender and non-binary community. A larger issue arose when Netflix had fired the trans employees who expressed their frustrations online about Chappelle’s comedy. Countless celebrities including Dan Levy, Elliot Page and Billy Eichner sent words of encouragement to the employees fighting for change. Netflix co-CEO Tim Sarandos ended up standing by Chappelle and decided against removing the special off the platform.

Most people would think that after the internet slammed Chappelle’s transphobic rhetoric, the comedian would take time to reflect on his jokes. Instead of apologizing, however, he said in an Instagram video: “To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I am not bending to anyone’s demands,” and used the opportunity to advertise the dates for his upcoming tour in November. 

This tour was intended to show a new documentary focusing on his career, Untitled, in movie venues across North America. Toronto was one of the major cities he would visit. The screening, shown at the Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 15, sold out immediately. Kanye West and Toronto rapper Drake were two of the thousands of attendees at the show. The decision stirred mixed reactions among Toronto residents. Some applauded Chappelle’s bravery to dismiss cancel culture.

Others called out the arena for allowing the event to happen. The venue even turned off their comments section under any social media content related to the show.

A spokesperson for the venue’s organization, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), told CTV News Toronto in a statement that the event’s content matter did not reflect the views of the organization. Non-profit organization Pride Toronto addressed their frustration on Twitter, saying the comedian should not have been allowed to screen his documentary at the arena after his transphobic remarks.

Dave Chappelle’s situation makes up only a fraction of the normalized homophobia and transphobia present in media and film on and off-screen. 

In GLAAD’s 2020 report, they found that out of 118 films released from major studios, zero transgender characters were featured in them. This marks the third consecutive year they have been absent from major studio films.

The few times trans people are represented in films are riddled with transmisogyny. Either trans women become the butt of the joke or become the antagonists of the story. In comedies, trans women are mocked for their appearance and generally disliked by the protagonists. The hit sitcom Friends always had issues with queerness but their frequent jokes about a character having a trans mother became excessive. 

The horror genre is riddled with this issue. Movies like Psycho (1960), Silence of the Lambs (1990), and Sleepaway Camp (1983) have a complex history of villanizing characters implied to be transgender or struggling with gender dysphoria. All of these tropes are made to portray transgender people in a negative light and send a harmful message that all trans people are not worthy of respect.

Not only that, celebrities like DaBaby, Kevin Hart, and Eminem have all used slurs and mocked queer people’s existences. Although these instances garnered negative press, they are still continuing to thrive in the industry.

This brings up an important question: why is transphobia persistent in film and media? Just like every facet of our world, transphobia is ingrained in our society and continues to thrive under capitalism. 

This year became the deadliest year for transgender people in the United States, with 45 homicides as of now. What makes matters worse is every time a gender-based hate crime is reported, the same negative things are said.  Some people have the skewed perception that transphobes are permitted to be mad if a trans person does not immediately out themselves. Often, the perpetrators will defend the crime, saying their violence was out of “frustration and shock” of finding out someone is trans. No matter how bad the situation is, somebody will always find a way to blame the victim. 

Transphobia is being swept under the rug because businesses and major film studios see no value in diversifying their spaces and stopping bigoted celebrities. Dave Chappelle is one of the most famous comedians and brings a huge audience to Netflix for his comedy specials. Of course the CEOs would side with him in the name of monetary gain. It’s been proven constantly that as long as money can still be made, the protests of minorities will be unheard.

Back to the lack of representation in film and television — casting in film and capitalism are correlated. Movie studios want to appeal to the broadest audiences. These studios are scared to create diverse roles because it potentially means less success at the box office and outcry by close-minded individuals. Rich people with discriminatory ideals will only continue to thrive in a system built to uplift them.

Every day, trans people are fighting for survival in a world designed to oppress and silence them, and cisgender people may not even realize this. It’s a privilege to never be worried about having your body, health, and existence policed.  It’s a privilege to not worry about using the washroom or walking out in public. It’s a privilege to express yourself without worrying about being assaulted. 

Internet users trying to defend Chappelle for his jokes fail to realize the impactful damage these jokes have. These jokes aren’t solely isolated on the internet but are allowing a climate that normalizes hate speech and violence to continue. 

Not only is it tasteless and unoriginal to joke about the lives of others, but it’s also simply unfunny. It is not groundbreaking to punch down on the lived experiences and struggles you will never have to endure in life. Pandering to the most close-minded and bigoted people makes Chappelle, frankly, a bad comedian.

It is time for us as consumers to start being selective about the celebrities we give platforms to. Let’s stop the idea that opposing the wrongdoings of a celebrity is creating a toxic “cancel culture.” Calling it that does nothing but gaslight and silence the concerns of marginalized communities. Famous people are not godly beings, but regular people who still need to take accountability for their actions. 

Toronto venues need to start actively preventing these bigoted celebrities from performing in the city. The decision to keep doing so reflects a lack of care towards the 2SLGBTQ+ community because actions speak louder than words. 

To Toronto venues, it’s time to step up and do better because people will not stop fighting the disparities and transphobia present in society and it starts with being selective about the celebrities we choose to uplift in our city. Toronto needs to stick to its word about caring for marginalized communities and stop supporting Dave Chappelle’s future shows.

From Artist to Global Infatuation: The Rise of Jack Harlow

As the new superstar visits Toronto this month, CanCulture examines the factors at play behind Harlow’s speedy rise to fame

By: Sania Ali

(thecomeupshow/Creative Commons)

Stars blow up overnight all the time. Whether it’s one-hit wonders or a blowout song that leads to a high-energy career, stardom is routinely unprompted and sudden. Jack Harlow rose to fame after dropping his song “WHATS POPPIN” in early 2020 when his album Thats What They All Say debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200. There was no question about it; he was on track to become another blowout artist.

But it wasn’t just his music that caught the attention of generation Z audiences around the world. Harlow fans caught glimpses of his personality through social media clips which further intrigued them. In his infamous meeting with Saweetie at the 2021 BET awards where he was nominated for Best New Artist, Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and Best Song for his “WHATS POPPIN” remix featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne, his confidence and energy enthralled many. The internet started describing Harlow as the “attractive, funny kid in class.” This was just the beginning of multiple interview clips of Harlow circling the internet.

His chicken shop date with Amelia Dimoldenberg gained over six million views and left the internet completely smitten over the 23-year-old. Many pinned it on his confidence, style, persona and his music. But what has really brought Jack Harlow to this brand new level of fame and infatuation?

Rob Bowman, Grammy winner and associate professor of music at York University, says that when celebrities act, interact and portray themselves online, and then it gains sudden attention, it’s often a result of good branding. 

“It’s a product, it’s a brand, it’s not really a human being,” says Bowman. “Certainly there’s a human being behind it and they may embody some of those attributes. But they may embody a whole lot of other attributes that we don’t see.”

Celebrities aren’t entitled only to sell the product. To really make it big, they have to sell themselves. What better way to do so than have as many people as possible talk about how charismatic they are? 

Bowman compares Harlow’s quick rise to fame to Beyoncé’s, who rose to stardom quickly and has a fanbase who is completely infatuated with her.

“It’s an extremely crowded field. Any tool you can use to distinguish yourself, obviously, people are going to use,” says Bowman.

A distinguishing personality can also make fans feel like they personally know celebrities beyond their work. 

Cheryl Thompson, an assistant professor at The Creative School at X University, teaches her students the concept of parasocial relationships. These relationships are one-sided relationships where an individual extends time, energy and devotion to a person who is unaware of the other’s existence. 

According to Thompson, celebrities put extensive work into their public persona because if the star turns out to be the opposite of that persona, it can be career-ending. 

“That's why we always refer to celebrities as stars. Stars are going to shine so brightly because you got a lot of people supporting those stars,” says Thompson. 

It was easy for celebrities to have a tight hold on how they portrayed themselves in the past. But in the social media era, it has created a “blurred line between the public and private life” which gives a sense of illusion that fans know celebrities personally, says Thompson.

Photo of paparazzi taking photos (Zeg Young/Unsplash).

Long-time Harlow fan Bana Yirgalem, a second-year journalism student at X University,  says it’s the charisma that draws so many people to the rapper. “The way he knows how to talk to people, the confidence he has is something that draws fans and everyone to him.”

Aside from Harlow’s carefree personality, Yirgalem says his dry humour resonates with generation Z, who often express themselves through absurd jokes and internet posts. Although his looks definitely play a part in the surge of attention he received, Yirgalem adds. 

Embed from Getty Images

Yirgalem has been a fan of the Louisville, Ky. rapper for about two years and her first post-pandemic concert will be Harlow’s Toronto show this month ​​at History, a newly opened 2,500-seat concert venue.

She’s excited to witness his interactive stage presence in person, footage of which goes viral often on TikTok. 

“I’ve been seeing videos of girls meeting him after the concert and I’m like ‘oh my god I could definitely have my main character moment,’” says Yirgalem.

Confidence, style, music and all, Harlow has become an expert on gaining the undivided attention of millions of fans globally so early in his career. This is just the beginning for the young rapper.

Photo Essay: Recognizing Indigenous History in Toronto (Tkaronto)

A look at three spots in the city with rich Indigenous history.

By: Iqraa Khan

Photos by: Ronald Chen

With the recent news of the remains of hundreds of Indigenous children found on the sites of former residential schools, it is important to recognize the land we live on and to remember its history. The Dish With One Spoon is a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share and protect the land. Using this treaty, we must respect and acknowledge that the land we reside on has historical significance. This article will highlight specific areas in Toronto, whose name originates from the Mohawk word Tkaronto, that depict Indigenous history.

1. Spadina and Davenport roads

“Gete-Onigaming,” the Anishinaabe phrase which means “old portage trail,” is included on the sign for Davenport Road. The area was once a trail that ran throughout Toronto, connecting the Don and Humber rivers, and along the north shore of Lake Ontario, from Kingston, Ont. to Hamilton, Ont. and beyond. Spadina Road also means “Ishpadinaa” which refers to a high hill. The street signs pictured above highlight the Anishinaabe language to showcase the area’s significance and Indigenous roots.

2. Lower Don Parkland

The Lower Don Parkland has historical Indigenous significance as it is believed to be where the practice of torchlight salmon spearing would occur. The Anishinaabe name for the area is “Wonscotonach'' which translates to “burning bright point.” It was a seasonal settlement for the Mississaugas of the Credit as they hunted muskrats, deers and ducks, and it connected with several trail systems throughout the city.

3. Rouge National Urban Park

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Rouge National Urban Park was known to be an important connection for Indigenous people in a canoe route all the way to Lake Simcoe and led passage to the upper Great Lakes and Georgian Bay. This route was significantly shorter compared to the long journey through Lake Erie and Niagara River. 

Fashion bloggers: Let’s get down to business

Three fashion bloggers share their experiences with the business behind the job

By Mariah Siddiqui

Allysha Yung, Toronto-based fashion blogger, wakes up at 9 a.m., fixes herself a smoothie or tea, and starts her work for the day. She will check her emails and respond to them, shoot her content around 10:30 a.m. and then it’s time for lunch. After lunch, she’ll edit some of the images from her shoot, answer some more emails, send invoices and follow ups and work on her clients social media platforms as a part of her side business. Then, she moves on to dinner while constantly brainstorming more ideas for her platform.

After a productive day, she allows herself a break from the busy blogger life and sets her alarm for 9 a.m. the next day. Sounds busy, right? It’s just a day in the life of a fashion blogger. 

Titled after her name, Yung established her fashion and beauty blog around 2014. Her hobby and passion turned into something she could eventually call her main job. She is a full-time fashion blogger and consults and manages other people’s social media as a side business. 

“Ever since a young age, I’ve always had a love for fashion. My mother would love to dress me up and pick out my outfits when I was younger,” said Yung. “That was just something that we did, it was like a ritual.” 

Photo: Allysha Yung via Instagram

In high school, she worked in fashion retail and started blogging and sharing her style on Instagram.

Yung also acknowledges that working for yourself can have its own challenges. “There is never an end, whether that be brainstorming ideas, creating content for all social media platforms, or finding new clients,” she said.

Yung thinks it’s definitely important to give yourself a break and take time to sit back, take a deep breath and relax. She has a schedule that helps her organize her time and with the job she has, when things pop up, she adjusts along the way.

Blogging and managing others social media platforms is the main source of her income. She also earns money through sponsorships and brand deals. With a blogging platform, it is common for many brands to reach out to someone through social media to work with them, but not all brands are legitimate and trustworthy. 

“A lot of sponsorships reach out to me by email, [offering] compensation in exchange for posting,” said Yung. “For me personally, I’m selective with the brands I work with as I want to make sure they are aligned with my brand.”

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Cold? Don’t know her 🙃.

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Photo: Allysha Yung via Instagram

Toronto-based fashion blogger, Emily Kaitlyn, feels the same way. A pro tip she stands by: work with the brands that address you by name in their email. She also thinks there’s a huge misconception of bloggers posting ads just for money. 

“Majority of people including myself, we usually don’t just post an ad out there to post an ad. It doesn’t make you look better or worse, it’s nice to be recognized by a brand with a product that you like and think your audience will like as well,” said Kaitlyn. “A lot of work does go into creating a post, I don’t think a lot of people see that. You have to brainstorm the idea and then create it.” 

Often times, it’s frustrating for her when brands offer her 25 per cent off of their products, but ask her to post them on her social media, market it and get her followers to follow their page with no compensation, only a discount.

“That’s not how this works and there’s a lot that goes into it. If I genuinely like your product I’ll buy it and do that,” she said. “I never do an ad or get paid to do something I don’t want to talk about or don’t genuinely enjoy. If things are gifted to me, I always give my full, honest opinion or just don’t talk about it.”

Photo: Emily Kaitlyn via Instagram

Kaitlyn has been blogging since 2018 and uses her marketing skills from another job to constantly grow and evolve her brand. She does not blog full-time yet, although she would love to in the future, and holds several jobs while managing her Youtube, Instagram, her own social media business, and her fashion and lifestyle blog, titled “EmmyKBlogs”.

Throughout her blogging career, she has grown and learned a lot along the way. When Kaitlyn first began to blog, she noticed buying staple wardrobe pieces and practicing minimalism when shopping has saved her quite a bit of money.

“Seeing my finances from when I first started blogging, I’ve seen a huge difference on how much I was spending then, versus now on clothing,” she explained. When she first started out, she fell into the pressure of doing what everyone else was doing, but that can turn out to be a slippery slope to an overflowing closet and an extremely long receipt. 

“I found that I was spending a lot of money, which was definitely a challenge. Falling into the Zara and H&M hauls, and wanting to have what was working for each season,” she said. “I started finding that it was a bit too much financially and space wise, but then a year ago, I transitioned into what I usually wear, which is basic and minimal.”

She realized that she could build a staple wardrobe and wear the same pieces in a variety of ways. Her style matured with her as she picked up tips and tricks from the industry.

Photo: Emily Kaitlyn via Instagram

As a Canadian blogger, Kaitlyn’s biggest challenge might not be much of a surprise. 

“[It’s] definitely the weather. In the winter time, it’s hard to shoot outside as you’re freezing your butt off trying to get that street style shot,” she said with a laugh. She’s also noticed that many other countries have a larger variety of clothing stores and here in Canada, she usually has to order online to get what she wants. There are also many more opportunities to work with larger brands that are based elsewhere. At events, people have assumed she was American at first glance and are often surprised that her blog is Canadian-based.

Shivani Rana, American-Desi fashion blogger, owner of her own clothing brand and influencer coach, has her own hot take on the fashion and blogging industry. She’s noticed that the industry has become more saturated, but she doesn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. 

“When it comes to fashion, most people have different styles and the fashion industry is willing to let everyone in,” said Rana. “The dilution is just allowing people to express themselves through fashion, which is a great thing.” 

Photo: Shivani Rana via Instagram

Rana is a big advocate for diversity, inclusivity and representation and recognizing that these things are important and needed.

“Social media has created a voice for everyone and has helped brands realize that every body type and every colour is beautiful,” she said.

Against those that claim that being an Instagram blogger or model is not a job, Rana argues that a lot of time and effort goes into being a full-time blogger. 

“The amount of work, planning and effort that goes into it is unfathomable. It takes aspects of business, psychology and entrepreneurship to convert sales for other brands,” she explained.

In response to money concerns, with a little laugh she said, “I know for a fact that the paycheck is not bad.” 

Rana started blogging seriously almost two years ago. She explained, “Once I had received my first sponsorship, I started taking blogging seriously. Since then, it’s just been a continuous effort to be better and for constant growth … Even though I am not as big as most bloggers, I consider myself lucky to be able to live out this blogger life.”

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you’re a catch but i’m not a receiver

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Photo: Shivani Rana via Instagram

When asked about which clothing item they’d wear every day for the rest of their life, each blogger stopped in their tracks. If Shivani Rana had to pick, she’d be rocking a pair of mom jeans. 

“Mom jeans are so versatile and I’d have no issue never removing them. I love me a good pair of mom jeans,” she said.

Emily Kaitlyn would have to go with a black turtleneck. “It’s one piece of clothing I wear every day basically, I live in a black turtleneck,” she said. “It’s the easiest day-to-day piece.”

Allysha Yung chose a different path. “One piece? Only one? I want to say sweats, because I think that is something that I realistically wear the most and am most comfortable in. I realized you can actually style it in numerous ways without making it look sloppy,” she said.

Yung stands strong in her stance that fashion blogging isn’t something that every single person will like or understand, but she is just sharing what she loves on her platform. 

“Not everyone is going to like it, but it is a niche demographic and audience that you are really trying to target,” she said. “If you are passionate and genuinely love what you do, there is no problem at all. It’s a great way to express yourself and your creativity.”

Mystic Muffin: A Jarvis jewel

Coffee, apple cake and authenticity 

By Brooke Houghton 

Mystic Muffin is your old friend. It's your high school sweetheart. It's your worn-out sweater in the left drawer of your childhood closet. Mystic Muffin is a second home, and in three years, there may no longer be a mat for you to knock off your boots, pull up a chair and order your favourite apple cake.

What we can always count on is the past — the 27 years of good food and good service the Mystic Muffin has given to Toronto. 

On the corner of Jarvis and Richmond streets, Mystic Muffin is old school, both in service and style. When you walk in, the owner Elias Makhoul yells, "Hello," at you from behind the counter. If you've been there before he’ll remember your name and your story. He'll ask about your day and listen and if you don't have money to foot the bill, he'll tell you to pay next time, even if you haven't paid from the time before. 

Mystic Muffin owner Elias Makhoul with his son in at his store in Toronto. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

Mystic Muffin owner Elias Makhoul with his son in at his store in Toronto. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

One Saturday a couple came in, the woman paused at the door and took a second look at the afternoon crowd huddled in clumps around the tables, leaning, talking and sipping. 

"It's busy today!" she said. 

Behind the counter, Elias pointed in my direction. 

"No! She's from Microsoft, she wants to buy me out! She almost changed her mind!" he said.

They laughed, handed over their change and left with a coffee and a smile.

Elias is a simple man; he doesn't own a cellphone, or drink or smoke. He bikes to work and he doesn't have cable. He's managed to shrink his business to fit the rising costs of downtown living for a business owner and a family of four. 

In the earlier days, he used to cater and deliver daily downtown with two full-time employees but now, his old catering cart has retired to the corner of his shop brimmed to the top with newspapers and him and his wife Annie Makhoul run the show alone.

Elias moved to Toronto from Lebanon when he was 21. He worked odd jobs for about three years until one day he saw a property listing in the Toronto Sun — or was it the Toronto Star — he couldn’t quite remember. 

Back then Jarvis Street wasn't the mixed cultural bag it is today with its hipster drip coffee shops, thrift stores and safe injection sites, and as it grew, Elias learned that he couldn't get away with only selling coffee and muffins. So, to compete, he started adding to what now has become a sprawling list of specials and combos stretched along with the chalkboard behind his till and onto the walls of his shop.

A slice of the world-famous apple cake at Mystic Muffin in Toronto. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

A slice of the world-famous apple cake at Mystic Muffin in Toronto. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

The Mystic Muffin is cozy. It's about the size of an average studio apartment with two circle tables in the middle and a row of tables along the far right wall. It has a counter alongside the storefront window and a window sill filled with rocks and Lego building blocks. One wall is dedicated to photos of customers from around the world wearing Mystic Muffin T-shirts. Each photo is marked in uniform with thick, black writing of the year and place. Old articles, family photos and memories are framed along the walls leaving barely an inch of paint to be seen.

In 2003 Elias ran for mayor and lost, but his love for the community and politics didn’t stop there.  Any given day you can talk to Elias about politics, or anything really, and he still cares for his community like an old friend. His regulars are encouraged to bring in their own lunches from home in return for a cookie on the house.

Ross Carter-Windgrove, who has been a regular for 18 years, and his wife Anne-Marie Carter-Windgrove stopped in for one of their semi-annual visits and in between the bites of their lunch they told me a little bit about those 18 years.

"Elias is quite a character as you know and the food is amazing. He makes it every day by himself … We come on the weekends every now and again … You know he's one of a kind,” said Ross. “I hope he always prospers and he’s always here, it would be very strange to not have him in Toronto."

An egg and cheese bagel from the Mystic Muffin menu. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

An egg and cheese bagel from the Mystic Muffin menu. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

“I like the fact he was doing summer camps I mean that was just incredible … I don’t know if it was a workshop but he did something in the summer with children,” said Anne-Marie.

Ross interjected, “And he ran for mayor too once did you hear that?” He paused for a moment before continuing. “He really supports the community too. When people come in from the neighbourhood and they can’t pay, he’ll take care of them.”

Elias has two-and-a-half more years on his lease but he’d like to make it to thirty years in total. After that you might find Elias, Annie and their two children on a train somewhere in Canada seeing the country day by day. But as Elias says, it’s hard to think when you’re working 16 hours a day.

Is saving money by eating in really worth it?

By Chloe Cook

One of my biggest guilty pleasures is eating out or ordering in. Getting to eat great meals without the hassle of cooking or cleaning up — count me in! However, this luxury often comes with a hefty price tag not suitable for my feeble student budget, so I decided to make a resolution in the new year to stop wasting so much money on food that I could make at home. I did a trial week of cooking all my meals at home and compared it to a regular week of eating out. Here’s how that went:

While eating in obviously saves a lot of money in the long run, I found that there were a few challenges with doing so. Firstly, there was a serious lack of variety.

I found myself consuming so much lasagna that I never want to hear the word again — perhaps this is an indication that I need to take some cooking classes. Secondly, there was the social aspect of not being able to go to a restaurant with friends. I found myself cancelling plans in order to eat at home or inviting people over and force feeding them lasagna in an attempt to get rid of it. I think that overall, eating out is great — in moderation.

In 2020, I am going to be a lot more conscious of my spending habits and I will definitely not be eating out nearly as much as I did before. However, I won’t set such strict boundaries on going out with friends in the future. I just need to delete the UberEats app off of my phone and hopefully that will snuff out my desire to order in.

Toronto Light Festival: A little light and winter cheer in the Distillery District

By Serena Lopez

On Jan. 17, the fourth annual Toronto Light Festival began in the streets of the Distillery District.

Those looking for an escape from the cold, dreary winter months can visit this exhibit that encapsulates the pockets of light that art gives the public, all in one space and at no cost.

As soon as sundown hits the alleyways of the district, it becomes lit with enormous light sculptures and over-the-top installation work.

Sydmonauts

The first eye-catching piece, located at the district’s main entrance, is called Sydmonauts and was created by Australian artists Amigo & Amigo, whose work focuses on mostly large scale and complex design pieces.

The Sydmonauts sculptures are the first thing visitors entering from the Distillery District’s main entrance will see as they begin their walk through the fourth annual Toronto Light Festival. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

The Sydmonauts sculptures are the first thing visitors entering from the Distillery District’s main entrance will see as they begin their walk through the fourth annual Toronto Light Festival. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

The nine “Sydmonauts” are intentionally placed in different locations of the Light Festival and are meant to be reflective of the “under-appreciated work of astronauts, mathematicians and space travel.”

Shrooms

The Australian duo has a second installation featured in the exhibit called Shrooms. This piece has its own room showcasing playful and eccentric inflatables of everyone’s favourite fungi. 

Visitors had ample photo opportunities with the oversized mushroom replicas. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

Visitors had ample photo opportunities with the oversized mushroom replicas. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

Shrooms is an interactive piece described by the artists as “being a take on a cultural value that mushrooms are a sign of good luck.” The forest of mushrooms is meant to be a show of signs of good luck for visitors.

Cloud Swing

Another installation of sculptures titled Cloud Swing was brought to life by American artist Lindsay Glatz in partnership with creative designers Curious Form, meant to encapsulate the feelings of wonder.

This artwork first premiered in the United States at the 2019 Burning Man art festival as an official honorarium project, brought to this year’s Toronto Light Festival to encourage engagement with the art from visitors. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

This artwork first premiered in the United States at the 2019 Burning Man art festival as an official honorarium project, brought to this year’s Toronto Light Festival to encourage engagement with the art from visitors. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

Cloud Swing is a piece that exemplifies the childhood nostalgia associated with a swing set. When the swing seats are left unoccupied, the suspended clouds stay lit under a dim white glow and brighten with a colourful radiance once occupied.

The Palace of Winds

The Palace of Winds made its first appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Toronto and borrows its name from the actual Palace of Winds in India. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

The Palace of Winds made its first appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Toronto and borrows its name from the actual Palace of Winds in India. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

Featured next to the Young Centre for Performing Arts, The Palace of Winds is an 8 by 8 piece created by Toronto-based artist Whyishnave Suthagar, who drew inspiration from Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India. The Hawa Mahal, also known as the “The Palace of Winds” is a palace made of red and pink sandstone that opened in 1799. It also references the mandala imagery of a kolam; a form of drawing that is created using rice flour or chalk. The mandala is also an important spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism representing the universe.

The piece is an intricate mix of laminated plywood, fluorescent thread and black light that brings together an elaborate design into practice exploring themes of ancient myths, dreams, memory and the subconscious mind.

“My mom and my aunt would always make kolams,” said Suthagar in a phone interview with CanCulture. “All the older women around me would always like to make kolams for Hindu festivals and weddings, so then the designs that they used — I guess I studied them as a kid just by looking at them.”

When talking about the root of the inspiration for her work, Suthagar said helping her mom with making kolams when she was younger serves in her present work as a testament to her Tamil heritage and Hindustan upbringing in a reimagining of the pieces that she witnessed growing up.

Submergence

A new spin on your traditional Christmas lights, a UK-based group of artists, researchers, technologists and designers brings an immersive, walk-through experience of 5,000 individually controlled points of light that allows visitors to explore an environment that inhabits both real and virtual components, suitably called Submergence.

In this light piece, the installation is slowly lit in stages to entrance visitors in a mesmeric show of bright lights. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

In this light piece, the installation is slowly lit in stages to entrance visitors in a mesmeric show of bright lights. (CanCulture/Samantha Jackson)

This exhibit has something for art appreciators of all ages and is just one of many ways to enjoy the Canadian winter while it lasts.

The Toronto Light Festival runs weekdays from Sunday to Wednesday from sundown to 9pm and Thursday to Saturdays from sundown to 10pm until March 1.