Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2022 i Toronto Life

“I know what it’s like to wait for a bus that never comes”—TTC commissioner Fenton Jagdeo, P. 30 Last year, when it came to light that Egerton Ryerson, the school’s namesake, was the architect behind the residential school system, “X University” became a temporary placeholder. It was kind of cool, the name functioning as an edgy symbol, a stamp of disapproval. The school’s rebranding as the Toronto Metropolitan University—after much hand-wringing and anxious deliberation—has its fans and foes. A little too generic? Maybe, but even a lacklustre name is preferable to something associated with one of the greatest atrocities in Canadian history.…

EMMER Like any good sourdough, this Harbord Street bakery-restaurant was a long time in the making. Three years passed from when baker-owner Philip Haddad started sharing head-turning shots of his test bakes until the doors finally opened–but it was worth the wait. The bread is spectacular, the volleyball-sized country white in particular. But what really stokes the lineups are the patisserie and viennoiserie items, including the out-of-this-world pistachio croissant; and a sensational patty melt on marble rye. 161 Harbord St., emmertoronto.ca DEAR GRAIN Hamilton’s Dear Grain made its big move to Toronto with the opening of a splashy “sourdough studio” on Ossington. The name is apt: this is much more a showroom for high-end carbs than a traditional bakery. Adri Greenspan’s loaves are the main attraction: he’s a true sourdough…

OLYA GROD, community activist OLYA GROD’S PARENTS ARRIVED in Canada in 1949, just before she was born. “My parents were lucky to have the government and other Ukrainian-Canadians, who gave them safe haven when they needed it,” she says. Now, Grod is extending the same welcome to Ukrainians fleeing the war. “Some of the refugees knew nobody in Toronto. They don’t even have someone to pick them up from the airport.” As a member of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Grod has organized relief fundraisers and helped newcomers settle. More than 70 years after her parents arrived, she says, “When I’m doing this work, it feels like things have come full circle.” LILY HORDIENKO, school principal LILY HORDIENKO HOLDS the top job at St. Demetrius, a Ukrainian-language elementary school that has welcomed…

Ksenia Khytsenko: I’m an orphan from Sevastopol, a city in Crimea. As a teenager, I attended a summer camp for orphans run by a Ukrainian-Canadian charity called Help Us Help. That was where I met Mykola, an orphan from northeast Ukraine. Mykola Khytsenko: We kept running into each other over the years. Help Us Help got us both scholarships to attend the same university near Kyiv, so we saw each other around campus. Gradually, we fell in love. Alla Galych: I started Help Us Help’s scholarship program, and I first met Ksenia and Mykola when they were applying for university. They were both driven and hard-working, and they shared a desire to build successful careers and a strong family. As they got older, they volunteered with Help Us Help, assisting…

I REMEMBER THE DAY I realized how serious this pandemic was going to be. It was March 12, 2020, and Doug Ford was on the news talking about closing schools and restaurants. That mattered a lot for me. I own and run a restaurant and inn in Port Perry. St. Patrick’s Day was around the corner, and I’d just ordered $5,000 worth of food. My husband, eight-year-old son and I live upstairs, so we closed the inn, even though we weren’t required to. My family owns the building—my grandfather purchased three adjoining Victorian structures back in 1972—so thankfully there was no rent to pay. But with the inn and restaurant shut down, we had no revenue coming in, except from the tax company that rented out commercial space from us.…

Future Perfect Our feature on the post-pandemic work-place profiled organizations offering shorter work weeks, wellness stipends, company-wide quiet time, tricked-out onboarding kits and other perks—all in an effort to keep their staff happily productive. Readers responded, for the most part, with envy. “Curious to see how companies are spicing up the workplace post-pandemic for employees? Check out this article in Toronto Life!” —@ryleighebron, Twitter “If we want hybrid to work, it’s going to look different for everyone. Research shows flexibility is key for most Canadian employees. Interesting feature from Toronto Life on different ways local companies are changing their workplaces.” —@shanvan10, Twitter “This is incredible! Workers have had to balance so much over the past two years. Quiet time is a fabulous concept that increases productivity. Those caring for toddlers,…

STEVEN SALZ Co-founder and CEO RIVALRY First thing you do in the morning: “Make breakfast for my two kids.” If you could have one superpower: “Unlimited energy and focus.” Secret to success: “Discipline.” Favourite book: “The Present Age: On the Death of Rebellion by Søren Kierkegaard.” Coolest thing in your office: “An English landscape painting by Alfred de Breanski, which I got from my wife’s grandfather. Celebrity doppelganger: “Novak Djokovic, the tennis player.” Guilty pleasure: “The rugelach from Grodzinski bakery in Thornhill.” Favourite thing about Toronto: “The energy—it’s great for people trying to build things.” Next big trip: “Hopefully to Lake Como in the summer with my family.” Role model: “Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of Singapore. He built the city-state like a scrappy start-up.” Best gambling advice: “Don’t…

PEPPER’S FOOD & DRINK This west-end gem is the closest thing Toronto has to an American roadside stop–and we mean that in the best way. It’s a variety store that sells hard-to-find snacks like Dunkaroos. It’s a bottle shop stocked with local beer, VQA wine and sake. But it’s also a lunch counter cooking up Hawaiian, Filipino and Japanese comfort food: chili cheese dogs, fried chicken with mac salad, and daily specials–beef kaldereta with lumpia, picadillo with tostones–that highlight the chefs’ backgrounds and specialities. 189 Wallace Ave., @peppers.189 SUNNYSIDE PROVISIONS A trip to Roncy’s new general store is a romp. Stop in for some milk or butter and just try to leave without imported candy bars, frozen house-made meals, tubs of soft serve or a bottle of orange wine. There’s…

THE ARTIST Who: Valeriy Kostyuk, an associate producer at Lighthouse Immersive Why he helped: Before the war, Kostyuk, who grew up in Odessa, Ukraine, was in the process of creating an exhibition showcasing the painting and poetry of Ukrainian artist Taras Shevchenko. When Russia attacked, he accelerated his plan and turned the show into a fundraiser. What he did: To fast-track the show, Kostyuk and a team of 500 across six countries worked around the clock for weeks. They donated their proceeds to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and National Bank of Ukraine Fund. What he raised: $200,000, through selling more than 6,000 tickets at shows across North America. The exhibition’s two-week run in Toronto was entirely sold out. THE GAMER Who: Daniel Kajouie, founder and CEO of the mobile game developer…

How did you end up heading to the front? In 2014, I founded an app called Feed it Forward, which helps people in need find free food. Because of that work, chef José Andrés’s non-profit, World Central Kitchen, asked me to speak at the premiere of his documentary, We Feed People, at Hot Docs this year. They’re active in Ukraine, so I offered my services and told them how my app could help Ukrainians. By April 10, I was at the border. Did you bring any cooking equipment with you? I brought all my spices. Basically, I’m lugging around 30 pounds of clothes, 42 pounds of bulletproof gear and 50 pounds of spices and toys to give away. What was it like at the border? Thousands upon thousands of women…

“We’d like to buy a house in the next two to three years” MARIO EPAMINONDAS, ALINA SCHWARZ and their three-year-old daughter, AMAIA WHAT THEY DO He’s an e-commerce merchandise manager and stock investor, she’s a full-time mom WHAT THEY MAKE $105,000 a year WHERE THEY LIVE A two-bedroom condo downtown REGULAR EXPENSES MORTGAGE $2,300 a month. CELL PHONE $200 a month, for unlimited talk and text, with Telus. CABLE AND INTERNET $100 a month, with Bell. CAR $200 a month: $100 for gas and $100 for insurance. “Gas was $50 a month, but with prices rising and us taking more trips to North York with Amaia to see my parents, it has doubled,” says Mario. GROCERIES $950 a month. “We shop organic and vegan, mainly from Loblaws. Ever since Amaia…

I recently found out that my roommate, who’s originally from Russia, supports Putin. Up until then, we got along great, but I can’t get past this. His position seems unjustifiable, especially for someone living beyond the reach of the Russian propaganda machine, yet he’s steadfast in his devotion. I’m seriously considering moving out. What should I do? —Seeing Red, Waterfront UD: In any domestic situation, each party needs to maintain a certain level of tolerance, putting up with all sorts of unseemly behaviour, like laundry left in the dryer and dirty dishes in the sink. That type of stuff is inevitable, and a little give and take is necessary to keep the peace. But, when your roomie supports a dictatorial war criminal, the relationship is beyond repair. Start searching for alternate…

PIZZERIA BADIALI Anyone living on Dovercourt already had Bernhardt’s and, more recently, its sister sandwich shop down the street, Vilda’s, to brag about. Now they also have what could be the city’s most beautiful pizzeria. Housed in a gorgeous corner-lot Victorian, it’s where Ryan Baddeley serves up whole New York–style pies made with two-day-fermented dough. For the classic experience, and some excellent people-watching, take your salty slice of pepperoni and a cold bottle of Brio to the patio. 181 Dovercourt Rd., pizzeriabadiali.com SLOWHAND SOURDOUGH PIZZA In 2020, Toronto pals Dan Ewing and Brett Feeley launched a pizza business out of their home kitchens. Two years later, they finally have a permanent place for their eye-catching creations, which synthesize Roman-style slabs and super-cheesy Detroit-style pan pies, with a deceptively light sourdough…

ODESSA IS THE ONLY home I know. I was born there in 1956, and as a young man, I worked as a design engineer. But when the Soviet Union collapsed, everything shut down and I needed to find new work. A friend helped me get a job managing a bookstore, where I stayed for the next 25 years. During that time, I married Liana, a half-Georgian, half-Russian architect, and we had two sons, both of whom eventually moved to Toronto. We missed them, but we decided to stay in our beloved hometown, where we lived in a beautiful apartment not far from the beach. In late February, we heard the sounds of bombs and anti-aircraft missiles in the distance, and I knew we had to leave. It was painful for…

ONCE UPON A TIME, summer music festivals were a convenient way to get day-drunk, work on your sunburn and listen to your favourite band while waiting in an endless line for the porta-potties. But after two pandemic-plagued years that forced clubs to shut down and kept us all cooped up at home, outdoor concerts have become evermore essential to staying sane. And we’re happy to report that Toronto’s festival calendar is stacked once again, with many of the city’s flagship events returning alongside some new gatherings that we hope become annual traditions. For big tunes and even bigger drops Veld Music Festival WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT: This all-ages festival has become Canada’s largest annual EDM gathering, drawing daily crowds of 30,000-plus revellers. For its post-lockdown return, expect a mix of…