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......

If you were a child passing through Toronto since the early 1970s, there's a good chance you may have eaten at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Kitschy antique decor, the pots of whipped garlic butter that arrived with the loaf of bread and a family-friendly atmosphere have kept the crowds coming for nearly four decades. The Old Spaghetti Factory opened its first location in Portland, Oregon in 1969, a period when themed sit-down restaurant chains......

Last Monday was not just the start of the Ontario general election campaign—it was also the beginning of a campaign to change the way we elect our representatives to Queen's Park. On October 10th, Ontarians will vote on a proposal by the Citizens' Assembly (a randomly-selected group of 103 Ontarians) to switch to a Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, similar to that used in some other countries including Germany and New Zealand. A few......

Bluma Appel, philanthropist and patron of the arts, died last night in a Toronto hospital from complications of cancer. She was 86. Her death comes as a sudden blow to the city and to her family; she was diagnosed with lung cancer only two months ago. Appel and her husband celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary last week. Torontonians knew Appel as a passionate advocate for the arts and particularly for the theatre community, where she......

Another day, another forum designed to unpack and solve this environmental crisis we seem to have gotten ourselves into. This one, in particular, is part of the ongoing St. Lawrence Centre Forum series. A panel of developers and architects will attempt to imagine possibilities for Toronto as the "Greenest City in North America" by 2020, hopefully thinking beyond the usual suspects of green roofs and solar PV panels.Thursday May 24, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.......

The mayoral debate at the St. Lawrence Centre last night was a success. 27 out of the 38 candidates showed up including LeDrew, Miller, Pitfield and this guy, who is young enough to be their kid. We stink, or at least our garbage does. It's probably why a Superior Court judge has given the Halton Recycling Plant a big thumbs down and ordered it closed till next year. A lawyer is filing complaints that the......

Dave Meslin, organizer of City Idol and Whorunsthistown.to is partnering up with the St. Lawrence Centre and CityTV to cram all 38 mayoral candidates onto the St. Lawrence Theatre stage tonight from 7:30-9:30. The panel will be moderated by CityTV's Anne Mroczkowski. With 38 candidates and just two hours we anticipate that a lot of mics are going to be cut off and that's fine. Politicians and future politicians should know how to give......

It's pretty clear that Toronto needs to grow upwards and not outwards. Sprawl is causing smog, gridlock, and loss of greenspace. But like Torontoist has asked before, where should these tall buildings go? What should they look like? And just how tall is too tall? Well there's a heavyweight panel tonight that'll be discussing these questions 7:30pm at the St. Lawrence Centre. City councillor and lover of tall buildings judging by his ward, Kyle Rae......

Looking to spruce up your resume? The stage production of "The Vagina Monologues" and V-Day Toronto are spending March seeking Toronto's next Vagina Warrior. Successful candidates must have made a positive contribution to helping create and maintain a violence-free social environment in the GTA. Knowledge of women's issues is not required, but would be considered an asset. The V-Day Toronto campaign is accepting nominations by 6:00pm on March 25, 2005 for all Vagina Warriors. To......