It was a depressing weekend for hundreds of kids who were eagerly awaiting SMILE, the first of the final three events from the famous all-ages event promotion crew Goodfellaz. The five were forced to cancel an hour before the event because the venue—BLAK (formerly Crosstown)—was not only deemed unsafe for occupancy by the fire marshal, but had its liquor license suspended by the AGCO. Sources within the club tell Torontoist that there is virtually......

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Last time we checked on 178 Bathurst Street, it was just beginning to relive its Bassmint-era techno days with Derrick May at Crosstown, now closed. Since then, things underneath the Queen Street West and Bathurst Street Pizza Pizza have come full circle. Until 1999, Christian "DJ Unabomber" Poulson operated Bassmint, a famous party spot and afterhours that still conjures memories of sleepless nights for......

In June, 200 media professionals, producers, activists and academics packed into a Bathurst Street studio for a party celebrating the launch of a new English-language global news and documentary network, The Real News. If building an international news network from scratch doesn’t sound mind-boggling-ly ambitious to you, consider this: Real News CEO Paul Jay is promising to accomplish this feat without corporate, government or advertising dollars. This makes The Real News the world’s first......

Yesterday saw clear skies above Toronto but thick fog hanging low to the ground. This was taken from the Bathurst Street bridge looking west, with the fog swallowing the condos along Lake Shore Blvd. More images after the jump.......

The flags will be at half-mast Thursday at all civic buildings and an entire city is saddened by the loss of "Honest Ed" Mirvish at the age of 92. The Mirvish family has released public details about the funeral: Friday, July 13 Beth Tzedec Synagogue 1700 Bathurst Street, just south of Eglinton Avenue [map] 11:00 a.m. (a strictly private family Shiva will follow) Donations can be made in lieu of flowers to the Ed......

Nine months into their existence, Porter Airlines chugs along, still under the radar of most. As the Toronto Star recently reported, the young airline is still struggling to find a steady stream of regular business customers. With traffic on the 401 at an all-time high, getting to Pearson during rush hours can potentially take as long as a flight to Montreal. On a weekend getaway, the give-or-take ten hours spent traveling to La Belle......

Have you seen the handsome true-blue posters that proclaim “Love Is” on Queen Street between Spadina and Bathurst, and on Bathurst Street from Queen to College? They've also been spotted in The Annex. Underneath the words, white rectangular boxes invite interaction from passerby. Empty as a “Hello, My Name Is” badge waiting for an identity, the posters are part of an upcoming film's viral marketing campaign. Thanks to Chris Tindal, who spotted the posters,......

This sounds good; if it isn’t, it will at least be fascinating and you can say you were there. Tonight at The Trane Studio, poets Rachel Zolf, Gerry Shikatani, a.rawlings, Jordan Scott, Jenny Sampirisi, Sonnet L’Abbe, and Margaret Christakos will move “onto the raft of music” with musician Tim Posgate and riff off each other's poetries. They call it R))I))F))F))) R))A))F))T))). You might question, “isn’t that the worst poetry cliché ever?” and imagine bereted poets......

It's something that usually only comes up during election time, but in the City of Toronto, wards are designated by numbers. For example, the area bounded by Dovercourt Road to the west, Christie Street and Bathurst Street to the east, the CPR tracks to the north and Lake Ontario to the south is officially known as Ward 19. Nobody really calls area by its numerical name (hey dude, let's party in the 19th tonight!), but......

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law. • An investigation is underway about a man posing as a police officer who is allegedly stealing personal belongings in the Entertainment District. The guy apparently uses imitation police equipment to gain entry into clubs, then steals unattended purses and mobile phones. Real cops are mandated to carry specific identification, which they......

For the last 24 years, Annex Books, located at 1083 Bathurst Street (just south of Dupont), has been a bibliographic treasure-trove and a cherished part of Toronto’s literary landscape. Proprietor Janet Inksetter (pictured) has befriended writers, readers, collectors, and librarians for decades. Due to a volatile marketplace, Annex Books is closing its landmark bookshop but will continue its online business. Saturday is the last day that the shop will open its doors. And tomorrow,......

Blame higher rents, fewer readers or sheer exhaustion, but two long-time second-hand bookstores are closing their doors. Bookninja gives us all the intel here: Another victim of the rising rents on Queen Street West, and after 30 years on the street, Abelard Books will be moving shortly. Starting today, Paul Lockwood is having a half-price sale at his premises at 519 Queen Street West. Extended hours - 11-6 seven days a week. Also starting......

It's the story that keeps on giving, folks - the Island Airport! Yesterday, the Toronto Port Authority's shiny new ferry took 30 minutes to traverse the 120-metre gap between Bathurst Street and the airport. It took longer than the expected 90 seconds because the pilot (who the TPA won't name) seems to have driven smack into the dock. The CBC talked to TPA head of operations Ken Lundy who said that the pilot had......

There must be something in the air lately, because it has been a weird few weeks for Torontoist and everyone we know. And a series of vaguely ominous occurrences (which included the spontaneous locking of our oven in the middle of cooking dinner - 36 hours later and we still haven't been able to nudge it open) came to a head on Saturday night when we were innocently heading down Bathurst Street towards pie when......

Just to keep you posted on the mysterious developments inside the as yet unsolved mystery on Bathurst Street, the sign posting the store's hours has been replaced by this lovely dress.......

Amid the chaos of Bathurst Street.......

So you're not TIFFing towards ecstasy, making like conspicuously consuming celebs on Bloor's Mink Mile who spend small fortunes in order to drown out the loneliness of the red carpet (boo hoo). The weekend's stuffed with fashiony goodness that's kinder to the civilian pocketbook, and much more satisfying. Today: Susan Harris Design, queen of urbane recycled clothing, is having an open house at her studio today, and inviting other designer to present their wares: jewellery......

This week Torontoist checked out the popular and long-time Queen Street favourite, the Vienna Home Bakery.  Its 50s décor, red and white checkered floors and laid-back atmosphere – not to mention the smell of baked goodies including ginger muffins, brownies, scones, and homemade pies – make it a must try.  Plus it’s even good for celeb spotting.  TOist was just a seat away from hunky Canadian actor Peter Stebbings, famous for his role on the......

It's not quite a tapas eatery, or a wine bar, or just a cocktail lounge: Canteena is a hybrid lounge. Torontoist would classify it as more of a a drinkery than an eatery, and definitely more of an intimate lounge than a bar --but whatever you call it, it's good. Despite the skeezy corner it rests near (a stone's throw north of Queen on Bathurst), Canteena is more likely to draw a similar crowd to......

Well, it was Toronto’s theatre critics, rather than the city’s theatrical performers, who were in the spotlight last week when Bat Boy: The Musical announced that the show was going to close a month ahead of schedule on March 19. Publicist Carrie Sager spelt out the reason for the early end in a press release:Toronto audiences have embraced the half-bat half-boy creature who leapt from the pages of Weekly World News to the stage of......

Death, sickness and resurrection in today's theatre round-up: -- Canada's theatre community is mourning Tom Patterson, the trade-magazine journalist who founded the Stratford Festival of Canada to save his economically-depressed home town in 1953. Patterson died yesterday after battling a long illness. -- If you're hoping to see Bat Boy: The Musical tonight, better call and check with the box office before swooping over to the Bathurst Street Theatre. Several cast members are reportedly "severely......

The classic tale of the half-boy-half-bat has finally arrived in Toronto, with the Hot Feat production of Bat Boy. The story is familiar enough: Boy grows up in cave, meets family, tries to join society, falls in love, so forth and so on. But the surprise ending combined with much Toronto buzz has made Bat Boy a must-see. WIN TICKETS for BatBoy the Musical by emailing TORONTOIST CONTESTS by this Friday, Feb 18th. Please write......

Guess who's coming to town? Well, yes, Santa Claus. But following St. Nick by a month and a half is Bat Boy of Bat Boy: The Musical. Flying in from runs in New York, London and L.A. (and boy are its wings tired, ha, ha), the cult ironic musical -- billed as "a cross between My Fair Lady and Edward Scissorhands" -- is arriving at the Bathurst Street Theatre in early February. Ripped from the......

On the heels of the Municipal Roads Coalition naming Bathurst Street the third worst street in Ontario, Toronto motorists suffer yet another blow - this time at the hands of Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Released today, CAMH research indicates that Toronto is the road rage capital of the province. After surveying 1,631 people in the city, CAMH found that over half of the respondents have been shouted at, cursed at, or had rude......