I guess I've been lucky.  My first born is now 8-years old, making this my 7th Halloween going around the neighbourhood taking him trick-or-treating.  I've always taken note of how seasonably warm each of these nights were, and been grateful. They're calling for a high of 7°C tomorrow, but

I know you don't care, but we're hosting the 2015 Pan Am Games. We have also now have a logo. What do you think?

A week ago, while walking Dundas Street during the Junction Arts Festival, a new doggie daycare called Tailwaggers caught the corner of my eye.  I was actually snapping the picture below when I heard a voice say, "Mike... Mike...". That voice was from Cuz A, at least that's what I

I like the Junction.  The Junction, for you out-of-towners, is an artsy neighbourhood in Toronto's west end, near Keele and Dundas.  This weekend is the Junction Arts Festival so we made the short walk to check it out. I was a little out of place in my Hackey Night tee

If you've been reading this blog the past week, you know I've been sharing old tales from my three years working a game booth at the CNE.  This story is about the dumb shit you do as a teenager when you think you're fearless and feel invincible. We called it

You know what I miss about working the CNE?  The concerts at the old CNE Grandstand or Exhibition Stadium. Working at the CNE you could always expect a concert crowd before and after that night's show at Exhibition Stadium.  The concert ticket got you into the Ex for free so

Are you going to the Canadian National Exhibition today?  I'm not, but I do have a CNE story to share. We called him Ardo and we feared him.  Ardo was my boss when I worked a game booth at the Ex from '89-'91 and his persona was thug-like, a tough

The Ex opens tomorrow.  That's a swell excuse to delve into the vault and share my memories of the CNE from when I worked there as a game booth attendant in my teens. I typically closed up the booth at the end of the night.  The park would close, I'd

The Canadian National Exhibition opens Friday.  I used to work The Ex, and I've got many stories about my three years manning a game booth.  This is just one of them... During the height of Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour in 1990, I was working a game with a Madonna-wannabee.  She

The power seems to be out in most of Toronto. I'm told an explosion at a transformer station has caused a widespread power outage affecting large parts of the downtown and west end.

The kids have always enjoyed Lessard Park.  It's a little park in west Toronto on top of the ravine that leads down to Etienne Brule Park by the Humber River near Old Mill.  Now that I think of it, I used to enjoy Lessard Park as a kid as well.

Do you know what I don't write about nearly often enough?  Underground bars in Toronto.  I'm not really a bar or pub guy, and these things are underground.  How am I supposed to know they exist? This entry was written by Samantha.  I just felt you all needed to learn

This video features Joe Wenkoff, a photo journalist who describes his experience following the black block as they rampaged through the streets of Toronto during the G20 Summit. Watch it now, then meet me after the jump. 20,000 police and security officials and a $1 billion security budget were

Let's not forget the other victims of the recent G20 protests and vandalism.  This guy, for example, really wanted to go shopping at the Eaton Centre.

I've been following the very interesting discussion on my entry about the incident at Queen and Spadina Sunday night.  Regular readers have promised never to read this site again.  Some blame those at Queen and Spadina for being there, others feel the police mishandled things, everyone has an opinion. Whether

This video footage of a peaceful G20 protest at Queen and Spadina is jarring. It's clearly a peaceful protest, something we're allowed to do in this city, and the protesters are even united in their singing of O Canada. Then, the police charge.  Watch this. That footage turns my stomach.

I'm watching live footage from the massive downtown G20 protest.  Two police cars are burning at Bay and King and it appears they're simply going to let them burn out.  I've been watching it burn for a while now and there's no sign of firefighters. The police presence in downtown

Hey Toronto, have you heard the G8 and G20 Summits are being held June 24-27 at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, respectively? Major highways such as the 427, 401, QEW, Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway will experience frequent closures. I live west of