Do you think you can turn your lights off for an hour? The WWF is challenging people around the world to do just that at 8 p.m. local time on March 29. The global event is called Earth Hour, and the goal is to raise awareness of global warming. Last year's inaugural event took place in Sydney, Australia, where more than 2 million people and 2100 businesses turned off their lights. The result was......

It's that time of year again, when punks (and punk wannabes) dust off their Doc Martens, ply up their mohawks, master their moshing, and make their way to Park Place in Barrie for Vans Warped Tour. Saturday's show will see bands such as Bad Religion, New Found Glory, Ill Scarlett, Killswitch Engage, and Toronto's own k-os hitting the stage. This year marks the 13th annual event, which has previously showcased such great acts as......

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, child sexual abuse “occurs when a child is used for sexual purposes by an adult or adolescent.” In Canada, about 8,800 cases of such assaults were reported in 2002. More often than not, victims keep quiet about the abuse they experience usually because they fear retaliation from the abuser, blame themselves for the ill-treatment, or are ashamed of their predicament. So it would be more than......

ARR! Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End hits this week and as the third second sequel to hit this summer it’s got some stiff competition. Nice to see though that they’ve made sure it beats Spider-Man 3 in at least one respect, in that at 2 hours and 47 minutes long, it’s a good half hour longer. It’s nearly as long as Inland Empire (which is finished at the Royal now, so we......

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law. • Shortly after midnight on Sunday, a patron of Flirt Lounge on Adelaide West assaulted another patron, biting the victim's ear and separating a chunk of cartilage. A cell phone camera snapped an obscured image of the suspect during the altercation (pictured at right) and police say that most people in the......

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......

Forget Hockey Night In Canada give us your overwrought German opera any day of the week. CBC Radio 2 will be broadcasting the COC's production of the Ring Cycle this fall. It's the first time Wagner's mammoth opera quartet will be staged in its entirety in Canada. All four operas will take about 15-hours so get comfy before you turn on your radios. But why just radio? With the cancellation of the One we think......

It's like Republicans supporting Ralph Nader during the last two presidential elections in the United States: Keep a party out by supporting an un-electable candidate. There's a huge difference though. In the States, Nader is said to have hurt his own cause after nabbing a slim percentage of Democrat voters, thus giving Republicans a bigger slice of the pie. In Canada, Harper may be hurting his cause because he's driving the traditional roots of his......

Like anyone else, Torontoist can't help but be occasionally overwhelmed by the traumatic events in other areas of the world. This week is obviously one of those occasions. Our thoughts are in Louisiana. DCist has copious links and information on Katrina relief efforts. We'll post a comprehensive list of Ist posts and information shortly. In Canada, efforts are underway across the country to send relief to New Orleans. Celine has donated $1 million to the......

A column in yesterday's Sun brings home the fact that you'll be bringing home less in the new year. But such is life. In Canada. Still, when you read Sun reporter Maryanna Lewyckyj's litany of rising taxes and receding services, you start to hurt for your wallet, be it a duct tape DIY, or of the finest leathers that money can buy. This year marks the inauguration of McGuinty's much-maligned health levy, and if you're......