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Urban Planner: January 5, 2010
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].
NATURE: Tuesday looks like it will be a relatively mild winter day, so the Toronto Field Naturalists would like to invite you for a walk around the Ashbridge’s Bay Park area. Walk leader Bob Kortright will take participants on a tour of the area’s tree and bird populations. Interested walkers are asked to bring binoculars and to abide by the club’s stated guidelines for participants (enjoyment being second only to preserving nature). Ashbridge’s Bay Park (Meet at the Woodbine bus loop on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard East and Northern Dancer Boulevard), 10 a.m., FREE.
WORDS: Toronto’s Brockton Village (better known as its composite parts: Dufferin Grove, Little Portugal, and Roncesvalles) boasts a rich pool of artists and writers from which much good work springs. The monthly Brockton Writers Series aims to showcase these local literary talents. This month’s reading features political activist Judy Rebick reading from her non-fiction book Transforming Power: From the Personal to the Political, spoken word from White Noise Machine (Mike Smith), and poetry with themes of magic, nature, childhood, and the environment from Kim Fry. As always, there will be a fifteen-minute open mic at the end of the night, along with plenty of books, refreshments, and time to mingle. Zoots Cafe (1438 Dundas Street West), 7–9 p.m., FREE.
WORDS: After a two-week hiatus, the weekly Art Bar Poetry Series is back tonight with an Audience Appreciation Night. Poets from the Art Bar Team—Valentino Assenza, Rudy Fearon, Rocco de Giacomo, Cynthia Gould, Stephen Humphrey, Francine P. Lewis, Myna Wallin, and a special musical guest—will perform their work for Art Bar regulars and newcomers alike. There will be no open mic and no hat will be passed around for donations. Clinton’s Tavern (693 Bloor Street West), 8 p.m., FREE.
LANGUAGE: New year, new language. At least that’s the thinking behind a free “language taster evening” tonight. The free French and Portuguese lessons—taught by native French and Portuguese teachers—comes courtesy of Cactus, a language training company based out of the U.K. By joining the taster class you will also receive a fifty-dollar voucher for your next course, which is useful because a full ten-week course in Portuguese costs $299. LSI Language Studies International School (1055 Yonge Street), lessons from 6:30–8:30 p.m. (registration starts at 6:15 p.m.), FREE.