Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2024 i Toronto Life

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Consider the humble cottage. Traditionally, it was the seasonal redoubt of affluent city folk, visited sparsely in spring, occupied throughout summer, abandoned by fall. Until the pandemic arrived and Torontonians—elbows out, chequebooks open—began fleeing downtown for the dock. Then came the volte-face. Toronto opened back up, and the lustre of the lake was eclipsed by bugs, loneliness and bad Wi-Fi. Now for the third act: the federal government’s 17 per cent rate increase to capital gains over $250,000 means anyone who was thinking of offloading their cottage is incentivized to do it pronto. The place to be just 36 months ago is now firmly in sell mode. “Some men are threatened by young women who are funnier than them” —Ally Pankiw, p. 18…

MARINA PORTER, a vintage reseller, has always been drawn to fun and colourful objects. After graduating from Humber College’s fashion arts program in the mid-2010s, she rented an apartment at Kingston Road and Victoria Park from a landlord who let her select her own paint colours. She chose periwinkle and pink, pairing them with tropical wallpaper and vintage rattan furniture. The experience stoked her interest in retro design. “I felt like I could really express myself,” she says. In 2021, Porter launched her Instagram shop, Rainbows and Retro, which sells vintage decor and furniture from Facebook Marketplace, antique shops and auctions. Then, later that year, she found out she had neck cancer. While going through treatment, she realized she wasn’t happy in Toronto. “It was too fast-paced, and it was…

Every month, TL Insiders enjoy terrific experiences and events across the city. More than 1,000 Torontonians have already signed up, and you can too! Members get front-of-the-line access to cultural events and private dining experiences plus exclusive invitations to Toronto Life’s salon-like discussion series. Membership is only $75 a year—so sign up today and rediscover the city as a member. Don’t miss out. Sign up at: members.torontolife.com Tricon Maple House grand opening: TL insiders were invited to celebrate the opening of Maple House at Canary Landing, one of Tricon Residential’s most recent mixed-use developments. The event featured signature cocktails, scrumptious snacks, a live band and loads of photo opportunities. Taste of Ireland Sunday roast: Chef in the House, a bespoke dining experience, hosted a traditional Irish Sunday roast. TL Insiders enjoyed an…

You’ve written and directed for TV series like Schitt’s Creek, Black Mirror and Feel Good. Now your first feature film is set to debut. Was it difficult to transition between forms? Yes and no. I’ve been spoiled with big budgets, so making an indie was a reality check. But TV taught me how to pivot. I’m not sure I would have survived our gruelling schedule and sparse resources without all that experience. When your film premiered at SXSW, did you watch with the audience? Yes, but I prefer not to. Mostly, I’ll intro my work, go have a glass of wine nearby and then come back at the end for a Q&A. Making a film is like raising a kid: you have all these dreams for them, and they do…

SAGE PAUL GREW UP in an Indigenous housing complex in Scarborough, with artist parents who encouraged her creativity. She sewed her own traditional regalia for a powwow at age 11, and she’s been creating art and fashion inspired by her experiences as an urban Indigenous woman ever since. Her work, which has been shown at the AGO and the ROM, includes caribou antlers covered in red beads woven together with a traditional peyote stitch as well as an armour-like vest made of raw cowhide, which explores the idea of protecting one’s body. “For me, fashion is art,” says Paul. In 2018, she co-founded the Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival, where she currently serves as executive and artistic director. This year’s event includes a performance by two-spirit Canada’s Drag Race star Chelazon…

Red Meat and the Return of the Tasting Menu Our search for the best new restaurants doesn’t really begin inasmuch as it never really stops. All year, we crank out stories on every possible platform about the best openings, the most gifted chefs, the most sonically superior listening bars and more. The entire effort is led by Rebecca Fleming, our food and drink editor, who is, in short, on it. Whenever I get a tip about a new opening and send it her way, she invariably responds, “Yep—I’ve already got someone covering it.” Well, fine. I’ll show myself out. This year, I asked her for some intel ahead of our annual Best New Restaurants issue. And it wasn’t just for reservation purposes: something large-scale and fascinating always emerges about what…

DESPITE THIS ERA of inflationary belt-tightening, the city’s leading restaurateurs and brightest chefs have doubled down on luxury. In the past year, we saw the openings of multiple swish steakhouses as well as over-the-top resto-clubs that trade their chef toques for party hats when the clock strikes 9. We saw caviar as a cocktail garnish, a baked-potato topping and a “bump” to be consumed off the back of the hand. And multi-course tasting menus—the ultimate diner indulgence—came back in a big way. In fact, most of the places in this package offer the option to enjoy a procession of superlative small plates. Yet the number-one restaurant bucks the trend toward extravagance. It’s a tiny one-room spot in Bloorcourt run by a husband-and-wife team who serve up petite, perfect Japanese and…

THE BUYERS: Adrian MacEwen, 29, a construction framer, and his wife, Shabahang Pezeshk, 35, a retail manager, with their Cane Corso, Abee. THE STORY: At the end of 2022, following an 18-month sojourn in Burnaby, Adrian returned to the GTA to look for a new home. He kept Shabahang apprised via FaceTime while she stayed in BC to close the sale on their Burnaby place. On their wish list: a townhouse with a large kitchen, lots of closet space and a garage. They liked the idea of buying something brand new, so they decided to look at pre-construction properties in Durham region—quieter and less congested than Toronto yet still close to the city. They set a budget of roughly $850,000 and began their search. OPTION 1 WILLIAM JACKSON ROAD Pickering, near…