Photos by mishkaoutofcontrol from the Torontoist Flickr Pool. Except to its frequent clientele, Toronto's legendary Matador Club is best known as the setting to Leonard Cohen's "Closing Time," which laments a place that "got wrecked by the winds of change." The Matador's been around since 1914. Built as a dance hall for WWI soldiers, it then became home to a bowling alley, and finally ended up as a quirky, late-night hangout with strong country......

Civil engineers say that Ontario bridges are at risk. Short, short version: we're not in as bad shape as the Americans on this front, but we need more strenuous testing of existing bridges since most of ours were built in the 1960s and have expected design lives of about fifty years, so we're entering the beginnings of a replacement cycle. Ontario to distribute HPV vaccines to girls in grade 8 beginning this fall. Small-c conservative......

When the February blahs inevitably morph into the March mehs, what one needs is a solid dose of music that forces you to pull up your bootstraps, literally and figuratively. In the last several years, country music has increased in popularity: biopics of its more notable innovators are almost always hits, and judging from a cursory glance at how much cowboy boots fetch at vintage shops, the tipping point has already happened. Some might attribute......

David Suzuki, Green Avenger and Captain of Awesome, says that Torontonians have the right to know what pollutants are in the air we're breathing. 75% of the industrial pollution in our urban air is not being disclosed to the public! Save us, Suzuki! Air Canada is no longer flying to India, a move which business leaders around the city say will harm Indo-Canadian business relationships. Services to India were cancelled to boost service to......

Torontoist knows that some of our readers like a little bit more twang in their music. Heck we know that some of you won't go to a show unless you're dressed in cowboy boots, the biggest belt buckle you can find and shirts with faux-pearl buttons. If this is you, then we urge you to check out the CD release party for Live Country Music tomorrow down by the Canadian Corps Association Legion Hall (201......

We think we've figured out the secret to Tyler Clark Burke's success. Cram as many party ideas into one event as possible. Case in point is her new old country, '70s rock social Lang Thang in the backroom of the Sparrow (92 Ossington) on Wednesday night. The event includes a food drive ($4 cover or free with canned/non perishable food donation), DJ Download & Repeat playing an ecletic mix of '70s rock and country......

Indie comic artist Shannon Gerard is launching issue 2 of her moving and gorgeously illustrated comic Hung tonight at Rancho Relaxo. You can see samples of her work on her site but what intrigues us even more is the promised session(s) of Hipster Bingo at her event. Also, the aptly named Live Country Music will also be providing entertainment. The event is at Rancho Relaxo, doors 8pm, $6 includes comic.......

The weather is lovely and it's probably best for you to be spending your time walking or biking or sipping coffee outdoors. If you have a portable radio machine, bring it along on today’s adventures so that you can tune into CIUT 89.5FM at 6:00pm. Alternately, tune in to the radio station at home or in your vehicle (although we imagine that you opt for a car-free lifestyle). If you listen to CIUT on Thursday......

A relatively light upcoming week in shows still has some fine musical happenings to help you kill time while waiting for the apocalypse. And curiously, all on the waterfront. Harbourfront's excellent summer festival schedule continues Friday through Sunday with T.O. Twang, billed as "Toronto's first and only alt.country festival". In addition to musical performances from such excellent acts as The Sadies, Carolyn Mark, Billy Joe Shaver, Elliot Brood, Luther Wright & the Wrongs and The......