Torontoist » “Renaissance Cafe”

A Guide to the 2013 Toronto Jazz Festival

Tracey Nolan — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:45:41 +0000

The 2013 Toronto Jazz Festival features international legends and local favourites. Plus, the first night is free.

The 2013 Toronto Jazz Festival descends on the city this Friday with a huge “free for all” event. That means all of Friday’s programming at every Jazz Festival venue is, yes, completely free of charge. There will be concerts from local favourites Molly Johnson and Mary Margaret O’Hara, plus a show by Smokey Robinson and Martha Reeves, who will be launching the fest from its epicentre, Nathan Phillips Square.

Here’s a rundown of some of the shows worth checking out on Friday—and during the rest of the festival, when you’ll actually have to pay.

Scadding Court’s Swimming Pool is Now a Fishing Hole

Chris Dart — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:45:41 +0000

Each year, Scadding Court Community Centre fills its swimming pool with fish, so urban families can have a taste of the wild.

Folks who are planning on having a swim in the pool at Scadding Court Community Centre over the next few days may find themselves a little disappointed. Those who want to go fishing, however, will probably be ecstatic.

For the rest of the week, the Community Centre will be holding its annual Gone Fishin’ event, meaning its indoor pool will be an indoor fish pond. The pool has been drained, dechlorinated, and refilled with 2,000 rainbow trout, to be caught by local children and families.

Saving The World, One Cat At A Time

Karen Whaley — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 23:01:11 +0000

Meet Charlie. He enjoys olives, ice cubes and having water dumped on his head.
Charlie joined this Torontoist’s household over three years ago when he was adopted from Toronto Cat Rescue; a no-kill, all-volunteer group that fosters kitties until they’re paired with their new families. The TCR has an active website which profiles cats-in-need, and they hold Adopt-a-thons several times a month to find homes for over a hundred cats in their care. An adoption fee of $150 ensures that every cat is neutered/spayed and vaccinated when they find a family.
The hardworking volunteers at TCR are having a fundraiser this Saturday, July 7 at the Renaissance Cafe (1938 Danforth Avenue). Called “Folks for Cats,” the event starts at 9:00 p.m. and features performances from Linda Mercer, Sonny James, Jeff Cottrill, Neil Rhodes, and Julian Scott.
Cover is $5 and all proceeds go to the cats.
Photo by Peter Quinsey.

Blocking Satellite Beams in Style

David J. Widmann — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:00:00 +0000

Forget what “they” told you about the dearth of cheap tinfoil at Dollarama. The truth is much more insidious: now in its third year, Funkless.com is hosting a contest to judge the most innovative mind-control-beam deflecting apparatuses in the city. Hey, who says paranoia has to dampen creativity?
Hostess Cynthia Gould is pleasantly surprised at the success of this and other Funkless.com parties. “The funkless philosophy began when I told a few people about my crazy ideas for parties,” she says. “Instead of asking if I was on crack, they all said, ‘Where? When? I want this to happen!’”
A big part of the “funkless philosophy” revolves around creating parties that aren’t just artsy and fun, but are also free of people wearing heavy perfumes and other chemical scents.
“All Funkless.com events are fragrance-free because I am severely allergic to chemical fragrances,” Cynthia explains. “15% of the population have asthma and other respiratory problems. It’s nice to have just a few evenings a year where we can all breathe freely.”
Think you’ve got what it takes to twist humble tinfoil into a work of head-hugging art? Previous Tinfoil Hat Contests have produced metallic sculptures of Darth Vader, dragons, trees, antlers, aliens, and elaborate suits of armour, among many other creations. This year’s event takes place on Saturday, March 3 at The Renaissance Cafe, 1938 Danforth Avenue. Doors open at 7:30, sculpting starts at 8:00, and judging starts at 9:30. All hats must be created at the event, not before. For full contest rules and details, click here.
After the contest, music will be provided by Tomboyfriend. The wearing of tinfoil hats for the duration of the show is encouraged. After all, you don’t want Major League Baseball to know what brand of beer you’ve been drinking, do you?
Photo by Brian Tao of luxography.ca