Extra, Extra: Time-Lapsed Queen City, A Thief Without Pity

By Meg Campbell

Every weekday’s end, Extra, Extra collects just about everything you ought to care about or ought not miss.

• The above Toronto time-lapse, entitled Queen City in reference to one of our city’s many nicknames, is by James Ogle from New York City. About creating the video, Ogle writes: “I felt comfortable shooting the city because I knew of certain landmarks that would photograph well but I was nervous that I would not be able to capture a city that is not my home […] in such a tight time frame.” We think he did a pretty fine job.
• Who knows how often this happens, but if you’re ever in a new part of the city and need to find a library post-haste, Toronto Libraries might save your day. The free service, which is part of a larger app called Layar, and not officially affiliated with TPL, lets users scan an area using their smartphones to find the nearest TPL branch. Etobicoke residents have the option of activating the “Doug Ford” option, which scans only for Tim Hortons locations.
• Even in the post-Kenk era, bike theft is an ongoing concern in our city. According to the Toronto Police Service, 20,976 bikes were reported stolen since the start of 2005, and less than a quarter of those were recovered. Having your wheels snatched is not only sad and rage-inducing, but it can make you wonder: who did this, and why? For some insight, Vancouver magazine The Dependent spoke to a local “professional thief” about how and why he commits his crimes.
• “If you live in Toronto and give half-a-rip about movies, you’ve been to Suspect Video,” writes John Semley in the introduction to his extensively researched oral history of Suspect Video. The film-geek haven tucked next to Honest Ed’s on Markham Street is celebrating its 20th birthday with a party tonight at The Central.
• Looking to watch some local cinema on the cheap this weekend? Check out Toronto filmmakers Kazik Radwanski and Dan Montgomery‘s short called Green Crayons. It recently won an award at the Melbourne International Film Festival, and you can see it for free on Mubi.com—but only for two more days, so get streamin’.

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