You'd think it would be common practice these days for everyone to regularly wash their hands, especially if they work in the health-care profession. Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care advises that frequent handwashing is "the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases." (Cooties are the obvious exception here, since they can only be prevented by administering a cootie shot.) Unfortunately, the statistics indicate that health-care workers aren't very diligent......

Photo by aardvark from the Torontoist Flickr Pool. Transit vehicles are being diverted and streets have been closed near Queen and Bathurst as firefighters battle a six-alarm blaze this morning. The fire broke out about 5 a.m. and spread through eight low-rise buildings on the south side of Queen, consisting of fourteen addresses between Bathurst and Portland. The destroyed block contained commercial properties Suspect Video, Duke's Cycle, National Sound, Preloved, the Jupiter head shop,......

Torontoist Environment Editor Chris Tindal is currently engaged in a federal by-election campaign. This weekly column is an attempt to offer a behind the scenes glimpse into what it's like to be that mysterious Other: a politician. Last night was our first public all-candidates debate in this campaign. Hosted by the Bay Corridor Community Association in the Sutton Place Hotel, it was extremely well attended by an engaged audience. For those of us who recognize......

In a minor renovation probably not related to the Toronto Community Foundation, someone has added a new station name along the top of one of Ossington Station's track-level signs: Not Gnosis. So, Ossington does not have "a special knowledge of spiritual mysteries" (according to the OED's definition), which should not really surprise anyone who's ever been to it. Half-inspired, half-lame, the anonymous anagrammatist's work is nonetheless the closest any station's seen to a physical......

Does the image at right strike fear into your soul? You may be in luck, because this weekend local activists The Fat Femme Mafia host Dunk Your Chunk, a fat-positive swim event. The duo, comprised of Chelsey Lichtman and Liz Brockest, have hosted other fat-related events, including dance performances, workshops, and a fat cabaret that featured only performers of size. They've also been known to do some tagging from time to time. The event is......

If you haven't been following the Raptors too closely this season, it's possible that you may have missed one of the greatest stories in professional sports at the moment. Jamario Moon is a 27-year-old rookie who had been kicking around just about every minor league on the continent until he finally got his shot with the Raptors this year. And he's tearing things up. Even though he's years older than a number of Raptor veterans,......

For the last 50 days, Donna Dillman has been on a hunger strike to protest uranium mining in eastern Ontario. Tomorrow (Tuesday), she brings that fight to the steps of Queen's Park, and she'd like you to join her. Donna, a grandmother, is concerned about strong scientific evidence that particles released into the air and water during uranium mining and processing contribute to increased rates of cancer and organ damage, especially in children. The CBC......

The National Post is reporting today that Coyote Ugly––the raunchy, almost-a-strip-club-bar that inspired a Jerry Bruckheimer movie that everyone, including Piper Perabo, forgot about five years ago––will open up its first Canadian "saloon" next year at 220 Adelaide Street West. Coyote Ugly is upfront about its intentions: on their website, the bar explains the "business plan" of its first owner, Lil' Lovell, was "beautiful girls + booze = money." The organization's slogan is "Don't Just......

Toronto councillor Paula Fletcher wants Toronto Public Health to officially categorize bedbugs as a "health hazard," as opposed to their current status, "nuisance,"—that's not a joke; "nuisance" is apparently the official term—after our dear city has seen a recent upsurge in the pests. And for all you folks living in highrises, don't get too smug, because it seems "there is no community that hasn't been affected." Fletcher is also urging officials to implement a bedbug......

Poor OCAP. They can't even complain about the police watching them without the police watching them. At noon on Wednesday, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty held a press conference (not a rally or an action or a march but a press conference) at the northeast corner of Dundas and Sherbourne, and there was about one police officer for each person in attendance (around twenty). As eight or so cops casually observed the conference from......

Knitting: it's not just for grandmas anymore, but you already knew that. It's not just for crafty hipsteristas either. A group of teachers at Highland Heights Junior Public School have started a Knitting Club to help keep inner city kids out of trouble. Many of the students come from public housing, so the school relies heavily on fundraising for a extracurricular activities. When the idea of the Knitting Club was first conceived, the teachers......

Beginning this Thursday, the fifteenth annual Junction Arts Festival will be swarming the streets with an entourage of innovative musicians, performers, and visual artists hailing from Canada, Denmark, Brussels, and the United States. Taking place on the one kilometre stretch between Quebec Avenue and Keele Street on Dundas Street West, the festival will present the works of over fifty visual artists as selected by the 2007 Juried Art Exhibition—and for the first time, will......

All summer long, Toronto has been jam-packed with countless cultural festivities, and as the last weekend of the summer begins to dawn on us—with students gearing up for school and vacations coming to an unfortunate end—why not end the summer with some Ukrainian style? This year, what was formerly known as the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival is being renamed the Toronto Ukrainian Festival and will take place at Harbourfront Centre. From August 31......

On August 22nd, Leonardo Zuniga held a press conference in the Council Chambers of City Hall, where representatives of community organizations including the Toronto Youth Cabinet, No One Is Illegal, and the Metropolitan Community Church urged Minister of Immigration Diane Finley to grant Leo refugee status in Canada, a decision that could potentially save his life. Leo came to Canada in September of 2004 in search of a place to live where he would......

Beyond the month of February, it is not often that Torontonians have a public opportunity to celebrate their city’s black legacy. But they’ll get one this weekend at the 15th annual Marcus Garvey Celebrations. The celebrations, which honour the iconic Jamaican American revolutionary, will this year also pay tribute to Torontonians Lucie and Thornton Blackburn in commemoration of the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in Ontario. The Blackburns were African American......

Got a violin that's collecting dust in your closet? An itch in your throat that can only be satisfied through loud, boisterous singing? Or perhaps you've been wondering if you should integrate your child into the wonderful world of eurhythmics. Whatever the musical-maladie, if nothing but music notes have been bouncing in your head, you might want to consider taking advantage of some free sample classes at the Royal Conservatory of Music Community School. Situated......

From mid-September through year-end, all City Community Centres will be closed on Mondays. Skating rinks won't open until January. Fewer potholes will be repaired. Snow won't be cleared unless there is at least 15 cm of it (the current minimum is 8 cm). New materials from Public Health will only be available in English. Welcome to the new Toronto, where you get what you (and the provincial and federal governments) pay for—or won't get what......

"Honest Ed" Mirvish passed away nearly a month ago, but Toronto is still in mourning. On Sunday, August 12, his family will be hosting a celebration of life outside of the Honest Ed's Emporium (581 Bloor Street West) in lieu of Ed's famous annual birthday party—he would have turned 93 on July 25. With live music and entertainment scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the city is closing down Bloor Street between Bathurst......

The bus platform of Pape station was engulfed in a whirlwind of mops and microphones early yesterday afternoon as workers scrubbed the walls and windows till they sparkled and the media mingled with curious commuters, all of them eager for TTC chair Adam Giambrone to arrive and kick off the Station Modernization Program. This whammy of a project, which will include the restructuring and redesign of nine subway stations, was set into motion at......

Green is the new black. Going green is not just about flicking off or simultaneous international concerts, but being more environmentally conscious about how it creeps into everyday living. Local Food attempts to go beyond the popular concept of healthy organic eating by reducing the distance your food travels to your mouth and exposing what it takes to get that pineapple on your table. Farmers' markets are the most easily recognizable source for Ontario-grown......

Come and join Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market this weekend by celebrating the sun and the recent summer solstice. Join the Guerrilla Gourmet and "Brook the Cook" for a special summer street picnic. Ten dollars buys you a share in their "three course carbon free meal," featuring the season's local organic ingredients all cooked using Brook's amazing "grill," which focuses the sun's rays to heat the cookware (shown above). The picnic begins at 4......

This Sunday is the third annual St. James Town Festival, which begins at 10 a.m. outside of the Wellesley Community Centre at the corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne. At least, it's supposed to. But festival organizers claim that an unexpected and hefty bill from the city has left the event in jeopardy. For those of you unfamiliar with St. James Town, it's home to approximately 19,000 people living in a four-block radius, and is Canada's......

Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington market, more commonly known as P.S.Kensington, kicks off its fourth year this Sunday, May 27th. Several streets will be closed to vehicular traffic, allowing pedestrians to celebrate the community, culture, and ecology of this great neighbourhood. This Sunday’s grand opening celebrates Spring, which will include several food demonstrations, piñatas for the kids, and a maypole for the adults. There will also be a community debate about wi-fi and its effects on......

Toronto rheumatism sufferers, are you ready to receive holy praise on the newest patent cure to hit the streets of our city? This ad follows the formula of many period ads for remedies: an endorsement from a respected figure, extolling the virtues of how the product has helped their family over the years. We can verify the identity of this acid user — Reverend Alexander Gilray (1843-1915) had been minister of the College Street......

The City of Toronto's Community Environment Days combine a number of different worthwhile initiatives into one event. They began last month and continue until the end of September, with each Ward getting their own day. There are four main stuff-related activities to do:Buy stuff like recycling bins, green bins, water efficiency kits, and rain barrels.Get free stuff, like leaf compost and rain gauges. (Actually, that's it for the free stuff. Go leaf compost!)Get rid of......

Tomorrow is the Yorkville Whole Foods Market Community Support Day. In celebration of Earth Week, 5% of their net sales will go to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), whose mission is to ensure that our “Living City” is built upon a natural foundation of healthy rivers and shorelines, greenspace and biodiversity, and sustainable communities. Staff from the TRCA will be on hand tomorrow so you can ask questions, and get informed. Whole Foods......

Every couple of weeks "What's The Frequency, Campus?" will highlight some of the intriguing shows and special programming happening on Toronto's campus and community radio stations. The differences between commercial radio and campus/community radio are vast. While the content is miles apart (you’ll never hear the same song played three times an hour on a community station), the two are also operating on wildly different budgets. Commercial stations are largely owned by huge media empires......

Every two weeks "What's The Frequency, Campus?" will highlight some of the intriguing shows and special programming happening on Toronto's campus and community radio stations. Community radio is known for its championing of emerging Canadian talent, and it was in this spirit that Dig Your Roots was born. An initiative of the National Campus and Community Radio Association, DYR is a series of compilation CDs accompanied by cross-Canada tours. Each set is focused around a......

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......

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law. The strangest thing that police have been dealing with this week was ice falling off buildings, notably the CN Tower. In other news, however: don't check your coat with a gun in the pocket; another day care centre is defrauded; someone sets fire to a Toronto Community Housing facility; Fester meets......