Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 i Toronto Life

“I never saw myself as the villain”—Vince Carter, p.24 Somebody get the champagne sabre. Bar Pompette, the jaunty little brasserie on College that serves cocktails both classic and avant-garde, was just named one of the world’s best bars, the only Canadian establishment to crack the list. No surprises here. Pompette, along with new spots like Lulu Bar, Project Gigglewater and Doc’s Green Door Lounge, offers next-level libations in a stunning setting. Torontonians are apparently imbibing less these days, but they want quality hooch when they do. These bars are upping our cocktail game, and we’ll drink to that.…

“I pay more for rent but less for gas, so it evens out” ENRIQUE MIGUEL BANIQUED, 26 WHAT HE DOES He’s a filmmaker and the owner of Explorers, a photo and video production company WHAT HE MAKES $150,000 WHERE HE LIVES A two-bedroom condo in the Entertainment District REGULAR EXPENSES RENT: $3,600 a month. “I used to pay $3,000 a month in Markham, but I moved downtown recently, and I love it.” PHONE: $80 a month with Rogers. “It includes US coverage, which is great since I’m expanding my network down there.” CINEMA: $17.50 a month. “I spend $10 on Cineplex’s CineClub and $7.50 for a TIFF membership. I see five movies a month.” SUBSCRIPTIONS: $150 a month. “That covers Letterboxd (Gen Z critics are funny) and Adobe Creative Cloud.”…

THEATRE A show about a Big Tech scandal The Master Plan Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Nov. 26 to Dec. 29 HOW DOES A COLOSSAL bureaucratic boondoggle become a breakout play about the heart and soul of Toronto? Ask Crow’s Theatre artistic director Chris Abraham and playwright Michael Healey. The duo adapted Josh O’Kane’s 2022 book, Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy, about Google’s failed attempt to build a smart city on the waterfront. After selling out at Crow’s last year, The Master Plan is back for another run. We spoke to Abraham, who’s also the show’s director, about turning the Sidewalk Labs fiasco into an award-winning play, what it taught him about the city and how to tell Toronto stories to the world. Sidewalk Labs feels a bit…

Sick and Tired Everyone had an opinion about our cover story on Ontario’s primary health care crisis. We heard from doctors and patients, most of whom were as frustrated as those who told their stories in our October issue, as well as a few senators. “Your timely article touches on one of the major reasons Torontonians are experiencing a primary care crisis. There are too many barriers in place for international medical graduates. These Canadian citizens and permanent residents tend to have clinical experience overseas and have passed Ontario’s licensing criteria to meet the same standards as Canadian-born doctors. However, they are shut out from alleviating our primary care crisis due to a lack of residency positions. We recently published a report recommending that the federal government directly fund the…

$300 Price of general admission (not including Ticketmaster fees and taxes) to see Oasis at Downsview Park’s yet-to-be-built Rogers Stadium. Tickets have already appeared on the resale market for up to $11,000. $1,679 New fee that Toronto Fire will charge commercial and residential complexes when dispatched on account of faulty alarm systems, up $50.49 from last year. $108,000 Damages sought by 10 former students who are suing Markham IT start-up Mark2Win, alleging that it charged exorbitant tuition for vocational programs not approved by the province. $64,000,000 Estimated cost for PortsToronto to extend the runways at Billy Bishop airport. The extension must be completed by July of 2027, as mandated by the federal government. $700,000,000 Amount Therme Canada will spend building its mega spa and water park at Ontario Place. The…

The Olympic helpfuls Adrian Rocca and Moez Kassam Rocca and Kassam donate to multiple pet causes, but this year they focused their largesse on Olympians. Their Great to Gold initiative doled out $1 million to 52 athletes, helping to deliver 10 of Canada’s 27 medals. The mental-health protector Gary Slaight In June, the Slaight Family Foundation started its newest philanthropic arm, donating $30 million toward dementia care. The funds will be split among seven organizations, including Sunnybrook and CAMH. The MRI accelerators Cator family This past January, Cardinal Meats president Brent Cator and his wife, Jodie, donated $10 million to Trillium Health’s diagnostic imaging program—allowing the hospital group to expand services and reduce MRI wait times. The wealth spreaders Barrett Family Foundation The foundation created by husband and wife Bob…

I GREW UP IN A STRICT HOUSEHOLD. My parents were devout Christians who had a lot of rules. As I got older, I realized that I didn’t share their vision for my life. I left home at 16 and eventually moved to England, where I got married. After work, I’d join my father-in-law at the local pub for a beer. I fell in love with the bar’s sense of community. I decided I wanted to open a pub and be my own boss. In 1975, my wife and I moved to Mississauga, and a few years later, I got a bank loan of $50,000 to open the Major Oak pub. We got our liquor licence on St. Patrick’s Day of 1978, 30 minutes before the LLBO office closed, and by…

I’m friends with a wealthy couple who own a gorgeous Victorian in the east end, and they’ve presented me with an offer that’s too sweet to pass up. They plan to spend 2025 travelling the world and want me to house-sit until June. With this year’s reporting deadline for the Vacant Home Tax coming up, I think they’re using me to avoid the levy. The city needs the money, but living rent free is a dream. Should I swallow my ethics and accept? —Artful Lodger, Kennedy Park UD: Six months occupancy is the minimum for property owners who want to avoid the tax, so the timeline of their offer is indeed sus. But the point of the tax is to incentivize owners to increase the housing supply, and they’re not doing…

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 Elle Cuisine dinner series at Bau-Xi Gallery: The third instalment of Elle Cuisine’s dinner series featured a contemporary tasting menu by chef Jonah Mills at Bau-Xi Gallery. Mills spoke about how his culinary style marries the best of the experiences that shaped his career as a chef. The eight-course dinner featured teriyaki watermelon crudo, jerked octopus, zucchini three ways, heritage pork, duck rillette…