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Urban Planner: November 10, 2009
Urban Planner is Torontoist’s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to [email protected].
Reginald Cabey, from Montserrat, loading cauliflower, Waterford, Ontario, 1987. Photo by Vincenzo Pietropaolo, courtesy of the Stephen Bulger Gallery.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Vincenzo Pietropaolo is a Canadian photographer who works primarily in black-and-white prints. He’s well-known for creating social documentary photo essays that are steeped in the greatest empathy. Since 1984, Pietropaolo has been documenting the lives of migrant farm workers in Ontario, and tonight, the culmination of that work will come out with the launch of his new book, Harvest Pilgrims: Mexican and Caribbean Migrant Farm Workers in Canada. Pietropaolo will participate in a talk about his work at the launch. Stephen Bulger Gallery (1026 Queen Street West), 7–9 p.m., FREE.
WORKSHOP: The Toronto Public Library’s local music initiative brought you Bruce Peninsula and Timber Timbre this past weekend as part of their Make Some Noise series, and tonight the first workshop in the series will be held at the College/Shaw branch. “The Art of DJing” will be hosted by Winnipeg-based hip-hop group Grand Analog (just in case you missed their show at the library last week). Workshops on documenting the local music scene with Colin Medley from Soundscapes, and getting into the scene with Steve Jordan (founder of the Polaris Music Prize) will follow later this month. Toronto Public Library, College/Shaw Branch (766 College Street), 7 p.m., FREE.
COMEDY: The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival kicks off today with a sampling of things to come for the rest of this week. SketchFest Toronto Sampler #1 (with 100 and 50, The Serious, The Lusty Mannequins, and Big Tease performing) and SketchFest Fifth Anniversary Show and Party (with The Understudies, She Said What, and Falcon Powder) will be at the Theatre Passe Muraille, while The Second City will present Shut up and Show Us Your Tweets, followed by a free improv show with SketchFest performers improvising with The Second City cast. Theatre Passe Muraille (16 Ryerson Avenue), and The Second City (51 Mercer Street); line-up of shows starts at 7 p.m.; $12 per show, $36 for a four-show pass, $50 for a full festival pass.
PARTY: Tonight, the Scotiabank Giller Prize will be awarded, launching one lucky author into Canada’s literary scene spotlight. For those who can’t be at the gala in person, the Giller Prize people have you covered with Scotiabank Giller Light Bash, an annual party hosted during the Giller Prize gala. At the event you can make bets on who will take home the top prize (Torontoist’s money is on The Disappeared) while watching the live broadcast and sharing a cocktail with Canadian publishing big-wigs. This year’s party will be hosted by celebrity blogger Lainey Lui, and proceeds from the party will go to Frontier College Homework Clubs, which helps teach reading and writing skills to students in urban centres. Berkeley Church (315 Queen Street East), 7 p.m.–1 a.m., $25–$100.