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Torontoist Week in Review: August 24 to 28
A lot happens in the course of a workweek. Here’s a look back at the top stories from the past five days that you might have missed or might care to revisit.
Image by Corbin Smith
Poutine balls. Coco bites. S’more baos. We tried the latest (and not-so-greatest) food at the CNE so you don’t have to.
From the article:
This is a strange year for food at the Ex; there’s no one item in particular everyone is bonkers over, and no one preparation (though everything is still deep-fried) or ingredient that is dominating the landscape (though we did notice an uptick in the presence of Nutella). We showed up hungry and adventurous, demanded the Ex do its worst to us—and, frankly, we were a little disappointed. We tried a lot of things that we expected to be horrifying that ended up bland, or that we expected to shock us that left us feeling only the littlest bit queasy.
Photo by Michael Ishlove from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
With a week-and-a-half left until school and Toronto’s inevitable cold weather rearing its big ugly head, we compiled a list of things to do to make the most of your summer season.
From the article:
While we’re clocking in at less than a month until the season’s official annual turnover (and are running short on days in which we’re theoretically allowed to wear white) we still have several weeks’ worth of warm afternoons ahead of us. And, while it’s certainly not too late to compile an end-of-summer FOMO list of your very own, we’ve drummed up a few very Torontoist suggestions for how to rediscover the city’s outdoor possibilities.
Photo by DialEleven from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
According to a mid-year operating budget variance report, the City of Toronto is projected to run a $65 million surplus. And while the surplus may sound like a windfall for the City, there’s more that must be understood.
From the article:
A typical trope in municipal budget rhetoric is that whoever is in power might boast that in contrast to the federal and provincial government, Toronto runs an operating surplus. It is true that Toronto runs a surplus, but it’s because the City—like all Ontario municipalities—is legally obligated to do so. Ontario municipalities are not allowed to borrow money for operating needs (annual expenditures like salaries and providing ongoing services), although it can borrow money for long-term capital assets, like purchasing subway cars or building a local library.
Photo of Rubie Magnitude by Setaj Ladd.
Over the past decade, the striptease revival has made its way into performance nights and burlesque bars, especially on the Ossington strip. Beginning tonight, the eighth annual Toronto Burlesque Festival will offer locals the chance to explore the revived art.
From the article:
With flaming red hair, a hula-hoop and a reputation for playing fierce characters onstage as her trademarks, Chantelle Hedden, otherwise known as “Rubie Magnitude,” is part of a community determined to keep burlesque alive in Toronto.
“In modern context, burlesque’s primary association is with striptease and a very showy performance,” says Hedden. Beginning tonight, the 8th annual Toronto Burlesque Festival will offer locals the chance to explore the revived art. But there’s plenty to check out during the rest of the year, too.
Photo by Johann Louw.
On August 14, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre held its first Deliciously Disabled event, Canada’s first fully accessible play party. We explore how two Toronto-based activists and educators expand the intersection between “sexy” and “disabled.”
From the article:
The party was different from the usual hook-up club scene in a number of ways. There were attendants onsite, to help operate Hoyer lifts and move people from wheelchairs to couches or beds and back again. There were volunteers who provided ASL translation. The bathrooms and entryways could accommodate 300-pound motorized wheelchairs. And, for the first time, people living with disabilities were at the centre of a sexual event designed to include them right from the beginning.