Beauty Quest Airdates

Originally uploaded by Pipistrula.

Beauty Quest is a one-hour documentary which follows a female fashion photographer exploring where real beauty can be found. The streets of Toronto and New York are full of women: young and old, fit and phat, women of many cultures. Arline takes their pictures, then must chose "the one" that Dove will send on it's Real Beauty photography tour, exhibiting here in Toronto at the Eaton Centre August 5th to 14th.

Working with the team that put the one-hour together, I was privy to a sneak peak at Camera Bar. Beauty Quest has inspired me, made me question my ideas of beauty and confidence and made me realize, shockingly, that most women out there do not think of themselves as beautiful. I hope everyone can tune in and watch Beauty Quest on one of the dates below, and then tell someone close to them how beautiful you think they are.

On the W Network:
Saturday, July 30 @ 8PM
Sunday, July 31 @ 3PM
Wednesday, August 24th @ 10PM

On The Documentary Channel:
Thursday, August 11 @ 5PM
Friday, August 12 @ 5PM
Saturday, August 13 @ 7PM

Sunnyside Parties

sunnyside arch
Originally uploaded by 416style.

Nothing makes my summer like a Sunnyside party, and the first of this season is tomorrow night (Friday). You can expect great house music all night long and a terrific vibe at the Pavilion, one of Toronto's best venues. Beside the beach, the charming courtyard is sure to fill up with a mix of beautiful people all there to get their boogie on. We can thank Gani of Milk and Natalie of RNB who have teamed up to bring us the best (one night) event of the summer.

Good To The Last Drop

liqoursign
Originally uploaded by lilylord.

Asked my bf to stock up on booze today. A couple 40oz bottles of vodka should do the trick. Tomorrow we find out if the staff at the LCBO (Liqour Control Board of Ontario) are going to strike. If so, it might have worse ramifications on Toronto's tourism and entertainment industries than Sars did. Depending if the strike lasts longer than a couple 40 oz at our house.

LCBO workers are fighting against a clause in their contracts that wasn't going to be renewed, a clause which once protected all employees jobs if the door to privatization of liqour stores were to open.

What strikes me as ridiculous about this is that the LCBO staff, by showing the power they wield over the people of this province, are in fact demonstrating that we should be working toward privatization. I don't need anyone having that much control. The LCBO has come a long way, renovating stores and stocking them with a great variety of liqour, but I'd still rather buy my booze on my terms. Vive le depaneur Quebecois and bring privatization to Ontario.

Escape from Construction City

construction at the ROM
Originally uploaded by gail on the web.

I love Toronto, I really do, but this weekend I must do as most Torontonians long to do all summer...head north...escape the noise of construction, nearly impossible to do in this city.

It begins every morning in front of my house where my neighbor's already perfect yard is being renovated. It wakes me from my slumber and follows me to the bathroom, but then it's a pile driver I can hear working on condos a few blocks away, pounding incesssantly. Then to work, if I can get there through the maze of streets closed for streetcar repair. Outside the window of my 2nd floor office two condo towers are being built. It hasn't stopped since September.

So I've taken a couple days off and I'm trading it all in for the sounds of river rapids, trees blowing in the wind and DJs spinning techno. What DJs? Rewind.

100 of us are hopping on a bus up to our secret woody beach spot to continue a ritual called Boreal. We portage tons of gear and canoe about an hour to find the spot along the river that we call home for three days. DJs play all day Saturday, and Sunday too, as water lovers play with dragonflies and some dilligent people trek up the river with air mattresses strapped to their back, just for kicks.

As much as I love Toronto, there's nothing like a trip into the backwoods of Canada...our True North Strong and Free. See you in a few.

Beats, Breaks and Harbourfront

breaking2
Originally uploaded by RIPope.

Day and night Toronto's got it going on this summer weekend. From tonight until Sunday you can head down to the Harbourfront Centre at Queen's Quay and find your flow at the Electronic music festival named Beats, Breaks and Culture. Check out full DJ listings here. I can vouch for the local talent: Steve Yanko, DJ Chocolate and Adam Marshall all mix some great tracks.

Then, if tonight is one of those nights you truly don't want to end, hop aboard the beautiful tall ship Kajama for some more beats while sailing into the moonrise. Promise and alieninflux host the magical event from 11:30pm to 4 in tha morn. Call Dave for tix: 416-323-0361. Kajama boards at the dock behind the Harbourfront centre stage.

Toronto Outdoor Art

Cool in the Pool
Originally uploaded by 416style.

If you're not heading down to the Molson Indy this weekend, think about checking out the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition at Nathan Philips Square. A friend sent me the link to TOA and I was impressed by the variety of media and design. Worth a look I think.

Toronto the Clean and Green City

toronto winter marina
Originally uploaded by 416style.

Watched "The Mayor" on CityTV last night and was impressed with Toronto Mayor David Miller's clean and green objectives for this city. He wants to double the trees in the city - fantastic! He'd also like to do something about the smog (everyday we've been on smog alert) but I think this is where his power ends. Sure, we have one great wind turbine, and the provincial government has just recently shut down the coal burning plant called Lakeview (the four sisters), but over half of the smog in our city comes from the other side of the border, from the smoggy States. We know they have no plans on curbing the crap they export, but Prime Minister Martin is gonna give it a try anyway. Go Paul! Tell President Bush to shove his coal.... Well, tell him to do something.

I've been home today, came down with a bug, got the chills and I can't swallow. Miller mentionned that this sorta thing happens when there's too much pollution in the air.

A few years ago Toronto didn't really seem to care about the air so much (or pesticides for that matter). Now we're making in roads, and the wind turbine down on Lakeshore has had a big role in this I think. Everytime we pass by we're reminded that there are alternatives to creating energy. So while we won't get far with the States with Bush in power, maybe we can continue to set the example for the citizens of the States. Let's show them how it's done.

Toronto shuts down for fireworks

Toronto
Originally uploaded by AviatorDave.

I had a party to get to, down on Queen's Quay near Bathurst last night. Knowing full well I'd missed the Canada Day fireworks, I doddled when it came to meeting up with friends. By 11pm I was up at Avenue and St. Clair and ready to make my way down. I followed behind my friend's car right down University. He mad a silly turn onto Richmond, but the Entertainment district didn't slow us down too much. When we hit construction on Bathurst (access to Lakeshore closed) we were detoured West on King.
I rang Jeremy on his cell. "Take Strachan south, okay?" We finally got there and the cops were blocking off access to the Lakeshore. Are you kidding me?
Is this how we deal with traffic problems in the City of Toronto? Close down access to major roads so that idiots in cars drive around in circles all night?
We made it west to Jamieson, just barely, and then sat in the Lakeshore East traffic going back in exactly the same direction from which we had come for another 45 minutes.
I have never seen this in Toronto. I think it's ridiculous. The only thing worse than sitting in the car for an hour and a half to drive a usually 15 minute route was seeing the poor people on the bus beside me, packed in like sardines when the bus wasn't moving anywhere fast.
I'm all for leaving cars at home when I can, but my knee is still in recovery, and it's not like a better transit option really exists for most people going down to the Lakeshore.
I think this might be enough to get me to voice my rant to the big boys at City Hall. Gridlock? Air pollution? Is this what we want to become known for in Toronto? World class, my a**.