Some Canadian cattle will now be allowed into the United States following a 4-year ban in the wake of several cases of "mad cow" disease. American Homeland Security regulations will still require that any bovines wishing to cross the border carry a valid passport. The latest UN report on climate change says that global disaster is a safe bet if we don't change our carbon-emitting ways by 2012. It's all good for Canadians though, as......

Oh man! What a pickle. This week we have the release of one of our favourite films in ages, This is England, and one of our favourite films of all time, Blade Runner, in its super-special, Ridley Scott-approved final cut. So, what do we lead with? It’s an impossible situation! If Torontoist was some kind of a 1960s robot, we’d be wobbling back and forth, smoke spouting out of our metal brain holes, yelling,......

Each week, Torontoist shows off the most interesting, creative, and cool submissions to our Torontoist Flickr Pool. We're especially partial to photos that show our city in a new light, highlight a recent event, and remind us why we live here. Join the Flickr pool and show us what you've got. TreaTzBY STILLSINFLUX Cream Fog SkylineBY + PHOTENDO + Morning SunriseBY NEWS46 Pump House ReflectedBY MICGORMIT dooby doooBY HARALD BENZ AbyssBY DIPP Be SilentBY MICGORMIT......

You've traced your roots through to great-grandma Edna back to the early 1900s, but that's when the trail suddenly goes cold. Who were her parents? And their parents? Has a seemingly futile search left you wanting to beat your pretty head against a brick wall? If this scenario sounds familiar—or interesting—help is on the way. Before you give up the hunt, make sure you leave no stone unturned (particularly Nana’s headstone!). Information collected from gravestones,......

The Belt Line Railway opened in July 1892 to service the new neighbourhoods of Rosedale, Moore Park, Forest Hill and Swansea. A recession and competing rail services led to the railway’s closure only 28 months later. Parts of the railway were purchased and used by other companies over the years, but much of the old Belt Line sat abandoned for many years. In 1972, the city purchased a stretch of the railway east of......

Operating a public transit system is a difficult job, continually plagued by budget cuts, aging infrastructure and rampant customer dissatisfaction. We've always been fans of GO Transit, however, which has generally proven to be clean and reliable despite being operated by the Government of Ontario (hence, the acronym "GO"). When the 2005-06 provincial budget was announced and included more than $300 million in funding for GO's operating and capital costs, transit enthusiasts were ecstatic.......

It's been almost four years since Firefly was cancelled and nearly two since the release of Serenity, but the series' following is still as strong as ever. "Browncoats" (what fans call themselves) around the world are uniting in spirit to celebrate series creator Joss Whedon's birthday this weekend by organizing screenings of Serenity for the fan community. All proceeds from the screenings will be going to Whedon's favourite charity, Equality Now, a group that......

Our title this week of course refers to Catch and Release, a film which has been so endlessly trailered on TV (and we don’t even watch that much) that Torontoist feels like we could recite the whole bloody film right now. “The man I was going to marry is dead! I’m sitting wearing my wedding dress and moping – it’s a girl thing! Kevin Smith is fat and talentless, but friends with Ben Affleck......

Elected municipal officials across Toronto now have four-year terms thanks to Queen's Park. Citing the increased complexity of municipal affairs the province rushed through a bill lengthening municipal government terms. The reform divided council and raised criticism from local activists like former mayor John Sewell. Anti-poverty groups are peeved at Jane Pitfield and want her off the city's homeless advisory committee. They're angry over her desire for a by-law that bans panhandling. Residents near the......

If you don’t bring home the love tonight, you are so screwed. Here’s Torontoist’s romance Rolodex. Downtowners, head straight to chocolatier JS Bonbons, either the midtown or downtown location. Get the Big Box of Love (about $35) and fill it with handmade chocolates and truffles in unusual flavour pairings –like ginger cardamom caramel or tarragon and black pepper. Cheaper still, a chunk of square Callebaut dark chocolate embossed with -aaaw- a big heart (about......