Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2025 i Toronto Life

THE MODERN KITCHEN has evolved in myriad ways over time, with exciting new kitchen-appliance trends popping up every year. Whether it’s to refine your style, innovate functionality or boost efficiency, choosing the right appliances for your kitchen can often turn into a confusing scramble with the plethora of options available to you. The experts at Tasco are ready to help. Locally owned and operated since 1954, Tasco Appliances is renowned for its high-quality, high-end, luxury-appliance brands and recognized expert advice. "We've never lost that personal touch you really only get with an independent retailer," says Tianna, one of Tasco’s skilled experts. "We ask the questions that matter, so we can guide our customers to finding the best appliances for their home and lifestyle. Our sales professionals never stop training because…

My straight friend is insisting on hosting her bachelorette party in the Village, and I’m not feeling it. I’m thrilled that she wants to include me, but I’m gay, and I’ve watched for years as the neighbourhood has turned into a place where straight people go to gawk at my community while they party. I confronted her about it, and she said I was being too sensitive but that I could sit this one out if it made me uncomfortable. Should I plant my flag and boycott her event or go along to get along? —DOWN AND OUT, East Bayfront UD:Boycotting serves two ends: your absence will make a subtle statement, and you’ll escape the torture of watching your friends treat your community like a spectator sport. But you’ll also…

IN FEBRUARY OF 2018, the MeToo movement came for Hedley. On Twitter, stories about inappropriate encounters with the pop-rock band’s young fans began multiplying, including claims of sexual misconduct perpetrated by Jacob Hoggard, the lead singer. They soon numbered in the dozens. The band pushed back against the allegations, saying that, while they had, in the past, lived out what they called “certain rock and roll clichés,” there were lines they would never cross. But the tide had already turned. Within days, Hedley’s music was blacklisted from Canadian radio. Their management dropped them, and by the end of March, the band was on hiatus. Then, in July, police charged Hoggard with three sexual offences involving two women in 2016. One of them alleged that, when she was in her early…

Irina Vukosavic, a senior communications specialist, and Filip Filipovic, a community development professional When: September 7, 2024 Where: Casa Paco and Paradise Grapevine Guests: 24 for the ceremony and dinner; 80 for the reception IRINA AND FILIP met at a Dundas West bar in 2015. Irina was seeing someone else at the time, but they continued to run into each other on nights out. Roughly a year later, Irina’s relationship had ended, and she asked Filip out. They met at Bambi’s in the west end and bonded over their shared back-ground—they’re both Serbian—and family values. By 2019, they had moved into a loft in the Junction. One morning in May of 2022, Filip set up a spread of mimosas and croissants and proposed to Irina at their apartment. That night,…

Anna Copeland, a sustainability coordinator, and Alex Harrison, a woodworker When: August 31, 2024 Where: The couple’s home in Elora Guests: 40 IN 2021, Anna and Alex were set up by their moms, who were close friends. Both animal lovers, they went for a walk with their dogs for their first date. Six months later, they moved into an apartment in Wellington County together. “Everything moved quickly because when you know, you know,” says Anna. “Why waste time?” In early 2023, they bought a mid-century bungalow in Elora. That April, on their shared birthday, Alex proposed in a garden across from the Elora Mill. They decided to have a small wedding on their property and spent a few months planting flowers and primping the backyard. Alex made a wedding arch…

I WAS BORN in 1973 in West Vancouver to a single mom, the second youngest of eight kids. My mother struggled, raising us on social assistance and the generosity of boyfriends. She was a terrible cook; she made “Spanish rice” by mixing Uncle Ben’s with tomato paste. But there were many days we didn’t eat at all. At 14, I got a summer job at the Stanley Park concession stand. My boss was completely checked out and left me in charge. I hired and fired people and cooked. We made everything from scratch, grinding our own meat for burgers and cutting fries by hand. I fed myself with leftovers and used my new skills to cook for my family. It was hard work, but I loved the high I got…

Every September, a powerful wave of purpose and energy arrives in Vaughan as thousands of people lace up their sneakers, grab their sticks and take to the pavement for a day of road hockey—it’s The Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer (RHCC), fuelled by Longo’s. Although it features all the action, teamwork and playful competition you’d expect from Canada’s favourite sport, the event has a much deeper purpose: raising millions to fund life-saving cancer research. Now in its 14th year, RHCC brings together NHL and PWHL stars, celebrities, doctors, corporate teams, cancer survivors and supporters to Carry The Fire for a world free from the fear of cancer. Former Toronto Maple Leafs team captain Wendel Clark is among the celebrity players who return year after year because the cause…

M. J. Shimaka is a 25-year-old surrealist painter and illustrator inspired by Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo. She sells her work through Instagram and a third-party dealer. She’s also a host at a fancy steakhouse in the Financial District, but she plans to set up her own home studio and hopes to be living entirely off her art within the next five years. She makes $40,000 a year in wages, $12,000 a year in tips and roughly $4,000 a year from artistic projects. She lives in a three-bedroom apartment in Forest Hill North, which she shares with two roommates, but she’d like to buy a condo on Toronto’s western waterfront within 10 years. “I share 1,300 square feet with two roommates and pay $1,180 a month” REGULAR EXPENSES Rent: $1,180 a…

Nestled on University Avenue’s prestigious thoroughfare, there’s a striking architectural gem that only an exclusive group of members can truly relish. Welcome to the University Club of Toronto, where old-world charm meets modern hospitality. Legacy of excellence This private club in the heart of downtown has been a distinguished part of the city’s social scene since 1906. As membership thrived and expanded, it occupied a number of sites before moving to its current location, 380 University Avenue, in 1929. Designed by the architects Mathers and Haldenby, the clubhouse is celebrated as one of Canada’s finest neoclassical buildings, earning heritage status in 1978. Predating the First World War and playing host to some of the greatest Canadian minds of the last century, including Bill Withrow, Bobby Laidlaw, Captain Stan Biggs, Conn…

OF THE MANY THINGS happening on the court at Scotiabank Arena on March 20, 2024, among the least interesting was whatever Raptors power forward Jontay Porter was doing. A journeyman bench player, Porter was somehow both physically massive—a six-foot-eleven tangle of limbs—and wholly forgettable. Hisstat line for the year was 4.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.17 assists per game. On the court, he wasn’t much of a force: a half-step slow to the play, middling on defence, unambitious on offence. He was easy to overlook, especially when he was on the court with Scottie Barnes, the dynamic young Raptors forward, and facing off against LA Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard, as he was that day. When the second quarter began and Porter stayed rooted to the bench, few noticed or cared. The…

Brae Rod-Gaudreau, an account executive, and Emily Holland, a content writer When: October 26, 2024 Where: Hotel Ocho Guests: 51 EMILY AND BRAE met on Tinder in the spring of 2017, when they were both university students in Halifax. For their first date, they went to the Middle Spoon, a dessert cocktail bar, and ended up talking for six hours. From that point on, they were rarely apart. In 2019, they moved to Toronto. They started talking about marriage at the end of 2021, and they eventually decided to design a ring together. Brae proposed in March of 2022, on a rainy Saturday morning at Trillium Park. They started planning their wedding that summer and landed on Hotel Ocho for their venue. “We wanted it to feel like an intimate…

Battle Royal Sarah Treleaven’s account of a Bay Street scandal attracted loads of attention from the financial district and beyond. The specifics were compelling enough—two high-ranking employees fired for having what their bosses deemed an “undisclosed close personal relationship” that led to preferential treatment. But the broader story—about workplace surveillance, employee rights and who decides what constitutes a “close” friendship—made it a must-read. “A reminder that TD isn’t the only bank with problems.” —@plutusofcrete89, X “A crazy article. What do you mean you were sending your CFO messages that you wish she was in bed next to you yet your relationship was entirely platonic?” —@t4njiro, X “Interesting article. I can’t help but notice there isn’t a single picture of Mr. Mason yet a prominent one of Ms. Ahn. Maybe the…

Adam Holmes, a producer, and Stephanie Holmes, a server and fashion-and-lifestyle influencer When: June 22, 2024 Where: The Darling Mansion Guests: 50 STEPHANIE AND ADAM met on Twitter in 2013. They were both seeing other people, but they reconnected after they’d each been single for a few months. Following a spontaneous trip to Jamaica and a romantic Valentine’s Day date at the Thompson Hotel, they were officially together. In 2014, the couple moved into an apartment in the east end. When Covid hit and they were suddenly spending all of their time together, it reaffirmed how much they enjoyed each other’s company. They decided to have a baby before getting married, and Stephanie became pregnant with their daughter in the spring of 2022. That June, Adam proposed during Stephanie’s baby…

YOUR $79 ANNUAL membership gives you VIP perks like front-of-the-line entry to cultural events, private dining experiences, and invitations to some of the most compelling thought leadership panels and fireside chats with the city’s most interesting people. Don’t just read about the best of the city—experience it. Pilot Coffee Roasters latte art and palate development workshop: A fun evening of exploration led by the experts at Pilot Coffee Roasters gave attendees a whole new appreciation for coffee. Conrad Li and the Pilot Coffee team guided TL Insiders through a hands-on workshop where members learned the art of creating beautiful lattes and tasted exceptional coffees from the world’s finest growing regions. Elle Cuisine dinner series—a chef’s story: The first dinner of this Elle Cuisine event featured a menu inspired by the…