The Doors Open Toronto

An exciting event is awaiting us in the latter half of this month, friends. Once again, the City of Toronto presents the annual Doors Open Toronto. If you are new in Toronto and have never heard of this event, do not worry; this article attempts to give a sufficient explanation. Whether you have participated in the past or not, however, you might be wondering what you can look forward to this year. Read on to find out!

What is the Event About?

Doors Open Toronto was developed as a millennium project in 2000 by the City of Toronto, and its aim is to let citizens and visitors of our city see Toronto as they have never seen it before. To be more specific, more than a hundred buildings of “architectural, historic, cultural and social significance open their doors to the public” every year. Modern structures, heritage landmarks, museums, lighthouses, cemeteries, and much, much more is open to anyone interested. The event is a wonderful chance to freely visit properties that are usually closed to public or charge an entrance fee. Guided tours and various special activities are offered at a number of locations to maximize the positive effect this lovely happening certainly has.

Toronto was actually the very first city in North America to launch its ‘Doors Open’. It is extremely popular and many people are eagerly waiting for the last weekend of May when it takes place every year. Since its start in 2000, it has attracted more than 1.5 million visitors. As every year is different, those who participated in the past keep coming back to explore what their beloved city has to offer. The Ontario Heritage Foundation was so inspired by the event that in 2002, it launched its own Doors Open Ontario.

2012

Theme

As the event always takes place during the last weekend of May, it will probably not surprise you when I say that May 26 and 27 (Saturday and Sunday) are the exact dates this year. In 2012, the main theme of the event is ‘200 Years of Building Our City.’ Toronto commemorates the War of 1812 Bicentennial and thus this year’s edition of the event “looks back over the past 200 years to reveal the fascinating personalities who shaped Toronto’s architecture and history.” On May 24th, the official Toronto Guide will be available in the Toronto Star Newspaper; you might want to get it. For now, I advise you to check out the webpage of the event to satisfy your curiosity about specific buildings opening their doors this year.

What to Expect

Lambton House by Wikimedia Commons

This year, more than 135 buildings are opening their doors for you! Some, such as the Islamic Foundation of Toronto, Scarborough Museum, Toronto Botanical Garden, Fort York National Historic Site, and Lambton House, have participated in the event before and you might have visited them already. There are a number of buildings, including Fool’s Paradise, Gretchen Ross Production Centre for The National Ballet of Canada, Periya Shivan Temple, Atlantis, St. Vincent de Paul Church, Queen City Yacht Club House, and the TIFF Bell Lightbox, for which 2012 is a premiere year.

Doors open Toronto offers an increasingly high number of free walking tours. This year’s program is as rich as ever before. Wear comfy shoes, appropriate clothes, take a bottle of water, and participate! The Harbord Village Neighbourhood tour is ideal for those who would love to see "Victorian buildings surrounded by large mature trees; Faces on Places tour offers something exciting and unique: it aims to showcase the hidden portraits all over Toronto; The Islington Village stroll is awaiting everyone who wants to see amazing building-sized art murals. These are just a tiny fraction of all the fabulous walking tours available this year. I am sure you will not regret taking part in one of them!

Fort York by Vlad Litvinov

Besides all the walking tours, a number of special events is prepared for curious visitors as well! Take a chance and explore Toronto’s financial history with ‘Diaspora Dialogues,’ discover Toronto’s Waterfront (buildings and ships) and very importantly as regards to this year’s main theme of the event, Fort York. It is always lovely to learn about our city and its history. These events are free and will teach you more than any book would.

Modern Technologies

Do you want to learn more and get regular updates? It is very simple. Follow Doors Open Toronto on Twitter or join their fan page on Facebook. Moreover, you might want to download one of the special Mobile apps, or you can to access the Doors Open Data and create an app yourself.

Photo Contest

The photo contest, which only premiered last year, is coming back! With more than 500 entries, the very first 2011 edition of the contest was a huge success. This year, pictures will be judged in four categories:

• Best building exterior at Doors Open Toronto 2012
• Best building interior at Doors Open Toronto 2012
• Best architectural detail at Doors Open Toronto 2012
• Best door at Doors Open Toronto 2012

Best building exterior at Doors Open Toronto 2011
by Dan Cronin

The judges (a professional photojournalist, a representative from Lumix, and a Doors Open Toronto featured architect) will evaluate the shots based on “content, image quality, creativity, uniqueness, relevance to the contest theme and category, and overall visual appeal.” They will select first place in each of four above-mentioned categories and the overall winner of the competition.

A brand new People’s Choice category is introduced this year. The judges will select ten runner-up pictures from the four categories will be posted on BlogTO, which means that we, the people, will be able to decide one of the five winners. I strongly encourage you to post your photos in shots in the official Doors Open Flickr and win one of five LUMIX DMC-GF3X cameras. The winning pictures will furthermore be announced in the Toronto Star and displayed on the City of Toronto Doors Open Toronto website.

If you like photography, go for it! Nearly anyone who is 18 or older and attends the event can participate in the contest. There are a few restrictions for the City of Toronto employees, Councillors/elected officials, and sponsors.

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Those who have a sweet tooth will probably agree with me that while chocolate is fantastic, it cannot always satisfy our taste buds. Something a little fancier, like a delicious cake or a cute cupcake, is necessary from time to time. Toronto is, luckily, not short of places where you can go and get unbelievably good cakes and cupcakes. In this article, I want to present a short guide to these heavenly places. I should warn you, however, that you might feel an urgent need to eat something sweet after you are done with reading this article — just as I did when I was writing it!

Origins

Before I start talking about something, I like to explain its history. If I am to speak about the places that offer fantastic cakes and cupcakes, I feel the need to briefly describe how and where these tasty treats originated and developed over the centuries.

Cake

Today, we are familiar with hundreds, if not thousands, of delicious cakes. Everybody has their favourites and the possibilities with baking are endless. It has not always been so, however. For a long time, cakes were considered a symbol of wealth. Amazingly enough, the roots of cakes go back about 2,000 years, but it is difficult to determine the exact date, as it is not quite clear what can actually be classified as a cake. According to archaeologists, cakes in Neolithic villages were similar to the oat or corn cakes we know today. Cakes at those times were made from crushed grains which were then moistened and cooked.

The very first official word for cake (usually made of nuts and honey) was the Greek “plakous,” which meant “flat”. Another larger and heavier type of cake was called “satura” by the Greeks. The term “cake” is of Anglo-Saxon origin and for a long time, it was most likely used for the smaller breads. The crucial ingredient that first made cake as we know them possible was, unsurprisingly, flour. In the 19th century, after the Industrial Revolution, baking ingredients became widely available and thus the popularity of cakes rose noticeably. It was in the 20th century when cakes became more complicated with the ever-widening variety of cake ingredients. The last century also brought a fantastic invention to make baking easier: boxed cake mix. Baking has never been simpler!

Cupcakes

Cupcakes by Frederic Bisson

Cupcakes were a revolutionary development in the world of baking. This type of a cake was born in the U.S. in the 19th century, and its main advantage was the amazing amount of time saved in the actual baking. The time a cake had to be in the oven declined significantly, and no more careful weighing out of ingredients was necessary; everything was now measured out by cups, which was a lot easier.

Cupcakes gained popularity very quickly, but it is not quite clear where their name comes from. It is very possible that before muffin tins were developed, cupcakes were bakes in cups. The reason they are called cupcakes might also come from the fact they are measured out by cups. Nowadays you can easily bake them yourself at home; there are thousands of good recipes. If you do not like baking a number of bakeries offer a huge variety of, and some bakeries even specialize in, these cakes.

Benefits of Eating Cake

Sweets certainly are not part of a healthy lifestyle, according to many. Luckily for those who really cannot imagine their lives without sweets and cakes, the reality is not actually that bad.

Macarons by ShironekoEuro

According to a study conducted by a number of universities, eating cakes and cupcakes for breakfast can actually be beneficial. The research showed that those who start their day with a breakfast high in carbohydrates and protein (including something sweet), were able to stay in shape a lot better than those who preferred low-calorie and low-carb breakfast with no sweets. Eating a cake or a cupcake for breakfast should give us a lot of energy and prevent us from eating too much candy during the day.

Furthermore, it is a well known fact that dark chocolate, if eaten in reasonable amounts, is good for your health. Fruits and nuts cannot do much harm either. Everything depends on the type of a cake you bake or buy. Choose one without too much cream and you should be fine. If you are really health-conscious, you can try cakes made from organic, whole-grain flour and sweetened with honey. Nowadays, healthy versions of many cakes or cupcakes are quite common. One piece of regular cake or a cupcake will not cause any damage to your body, however.

It is not very wise to ignore the signals your body is sending you; if you desperately want a cupcake or a piece of cake, get one. You will feel unhappy and frustrated if you do not satisfy your cravings now and again. Depriving yourself of things you enjoy can very easily contribute to depression. Obviously, you should not eat ten cupcakes a day, but in general, it is perfectly fine to enjoy cakes and cupcakes occasionally.

Get a Cake/Cupcake in Toronto!

For the Love of Cake
171 East Liberty St.

For the Love of Cake

Ladies, and especially gentlemen, you are going to love this place! According to the owners of this magical shop, only the highest quality ingredients are used in their products. Every cake is made individually, and the amount of attention paid to each of them shows. You can get a delicious 9″ round blueberry or strawberry cheesecake for $23.99. Cakes for parties or weddings are also offered. Visit the shop and discuss your ideas with the designer.

Believe it or not, the Love of Cake offers the largest cupcake flavour selection in Toronto. Customers can choose from more than 20 cupcake flavours every day. Relatively classical flavours, including Death by Chocolate, Very Vanilla, and Crazy Carrot, are not going to disappoint anyone, but as this shop is known for not-so-typical flavours, such as S’mores. All cupcakes are typically sold for $2.50.

For the Love of Cake also offers two specialties. The first one is a so-called Mancake, which all the men are going to appreciate. The idea behind a mancake is simple: cupcakes are very girly, so it would be perfect to make something from man-worthy ingredients. Guinness Chocolate (with Guinness beer and Irish whiskey) or Maple Bacon (yes, with maple and bacon) cupcakes, each for $3, would please almost any guy, I think. The second unique offer of this shop is the four-dimensional cupcake. Are you wondering what the four dimensions are? They are the cake, the filling, the topping, and the garnish. Pure heaven.

Bobette & Belle
1121 Queen St. East

Gianduja Cake by Bobbette & Belle

The first thought of anyone walking into Bobbette & Belle’s Toronto-based pastry shop must be, “This is huge!” I would bet that, “I love it,” is the second. Thanks to using only the highest quality ingredients (such as Lindt chocolate, Boiron fruit purées imported from France, and Nielsen-Massey’s pure Madagascar vanilla) Bobbette & Belle undeniably belongs among the best shops selling fancy cakes and cupcakes in Toronto.

The variety of cakes and cupcakes at Bobbette & Belle’s is amazing. Pastry Shop Cupcakes in typical flavours, including chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, and strawberry will not disappoint. For those who would like something more adventurous, flavours such as mango, cookies and cream, apple spice, or peanut butter are available as well. Pastry Shop Cupcakes are sold for around $2.95 each. For special events, I would suggest you purchase a couple of decorative cupcakes, which are classic cupcakes with handmade sugar decorations of your choice. Their prices range from $1.75 to $5.50, and they sure are worth it!

Bobbette & Belle also offers several types of cakes: you choose the flavour and the size, but make sure to do it in time — at least 24 hours in advance. Might I suggest trying Apple Maple Spice, Salted Caramel, or the Red Velvet Cake. I love the fact that at Bobbette and Belle you can either take your items to go or sit down, have a cup of good coffee or hot chocolate, and slowly enjoy your freshly baked treats. For those who cannot get away from their computers, free Wi-Fi is available.

Bunner’s Bake Shop
3054 Dundas St. West

Chocolate Cake by Bunner's Bake Shop

Let’s not forget about vegans and about those who are gluten intolerant. Luckily enough, in Toronto you can find everything — including delicious gluten-free and vegan cakes and cupcakes. The Bunner’s Bake Shop is the first walk-in retail bakery in our city that offers a fantastic variety of these products. To the great delight of many of Toronto inhabitants, Ashley Wittig and Kevin MacAllister realized they had to open a shop after their baked goodies received enormously positive response at local farmers markets.

All the cakes and cupcakes at Bunner’s Bake Shop are made from “highest integrity, fair-trade, organic and local whenever possible” ingredients. Agave nectar is used as a sweetener, which is good news for those with diabetes. Cupcakes are about $3.50 each, and you can pick from a number of flavours, including the classics such as vanilla and chocolate, refreshing lemon or carrot, as well as interesting varieties such as the French Toast cupcake that will satisfy all the cinnamon and maple syrup lovers.

You can also buy cakes at this lovely little shop, but they must be ordered at least 24 hours before you pick them up. A cake for about ten people will cost you $33.50 and you can get a cake twice as big for $65.00. Choose your favourite flavour: vanilla, chocolate, or red velvet with Bunner’s Bake Shop’s signature vanilla frosting. Lemon and carrot cakes are offered. If you have no time to visit personally, it is not a problem: the shop also provides deliveries across the city for a flat rate of $12.00.

The Cupcake Shoppe
2417 Yonge St.

Cupcake Shoppe

This shop should win a prize for the most original cupcake names. There is a lot more to these sweet treats than just their name, however. Using the freshest and finest ingredients possible, Toronto’s first cupcake bakery offers its customers 17 amazing nut-free cupcake flavours, nine of which are available in-store every single day.

Choose a cupcake based purely on its name and let The Cupcake Shoppe surprise you! Can you imagine what Pink, Yonge n’ Eligible, Sleepless in Toronto, After Ate, or James Brown taste like? You can always ask one of the pleasant staff members, however, each of these cupcakes are delicious, so any surprise will be a good one! Their prices are great too; one cupcake will cost you around $2.65. Cakes are also available; the shop will gladly accomodate your wishes for different sizes and flavours.

Cake Opera Co.
1136 Eglinton Ave. West

Cake Opera Co.

If you are in the mood for a truly lavish cake, there is no better place in Toronto to visit than Cake Opera Co. It was founded in 2007 by an amazing artist and Ontario College of Art and Design graduate, Alexandria Pellegrino. Since then, Pellegrino has been widely praised as “one of the industry’s leading cake designers.” Together with a brilliant pastry chef, Jessica Smith, they are perhaps one of the best duos in the world of cakes and cupcakes.

There is nothing boring about cakes and cupcakes from Cake Opera Co. Every single one of them seems too pretty to eat. You would regret not trying them, however; I can tell you that they taste just as fantastic as they look. These little pieces of heaven are hiding behind names such as The Carmen, The Lady Pompadour, and the Queen of the Night. If I were to summarize this place in one word (the names, the style, the appearance, and the taste), it would definitely be fancy. The cakes and cupcakes here may be a little more costly than elsewhere, but they are 100 per cent worth it. As the website of this fantastic shop states, “Nicole Richie could have hired anyone to make her wedding cake. She chose Toronto’s Cake Opera Co.”

Sufragette Statues in Ottawa by Mark Stephenson

Seeing one of the recently most discussed movies, The Iron Lady, with the Oscar-winning Meryl Streep, made me think about how hard it used to be (and still is) for a woman to succeed in a world led by men. Nonetheless, there are many prominent ladies who worked hard and influenced their countries or even the whole world. This article will be devoted to well known women of the 20th century, all of whom deserve our respect and admiration!

Let us just look at female leaders today. A female president or a prime minister is not as unusual as it used to be. In the period between 1945 and 1995, the percentage of women Members of Parliaments in the world has increased four-fold. Furthermore, according to the research conducted by a renowned U.S. Institution, Pew Research Center, the majority (69 per cent of Americans) share the opinion that men and women make equally good leaders. Something like that would be unimaginable a few decades ago, when only men used to get prestige in society.

In spite of inequalities between men and women, there were a couple of ladies in the last century who succeeded and caught the attention of the whole world. Maybe it is also thanks to them that women started to be taken more seriously. Here is a short selection:

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher by Wikimedia Commons

Who is better to begin this list with than the Iron Lady herself? The first and only female Prime Minister of Great Britain, Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on October 13th, 1925 in Grantham, Lincolnshire. She studied chemistry at the renowned University of Oxford and became a research chemist after her studies. In 1951, she married Denis Thatcher, a wealthy businessman, and the pair had two children, twins Carole and Mark, a few years later.

Thatcher’s first attempt to become an MP was unsuccessful, but she did not give up and became a Conservative MP for Finchley in north London several years later in 1959. At first she worked as a junior minister for pensions in Harold Macmillan’s government, and in 1974, when Edward Heath became Prime Minister, she was appointed Secretary for Education. When the support for the Conservative Party seemed to have been declining, Thatcher decided to challenge Heath’s leadership and, quite surprisingly, became the new leader of the Conservatives.

One of her famous quotes on men and women in politics is as follows: “In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman.” She stayed true to these words and sure did get something done. When her party won the 1979 election, she became Prime Minister and stayed in the office for three consecutive terms, until 1990. She is mainly remembered as a strong, independent lady who sought the privatization of state-owned industries and the reform of trade unions, opposed deep European integration, and won the Falkland war. She is also well known for a good relationship with Ronald Reagan, and it was partly thanks to these two that communism in Europe ended.

Thatcher’s career as Prime Minister did not end terribly well; she lacked the support of her own government and resigned in 1990. When she left the House of Commons in 1992, she was appointed a peeress in the House of Lords with the title of Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. Due to health problems, she was forced to leave from the public spotlight in 2002. Nowadays, she is only rarely seen outside, but there is no doubt in my mind that she will always be remembered as one of the most remarkable Prime Ministers in the history of the United Kingdom.

To learn more about this unbelievable lady, you can read some of the books written about her, such as The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, from Grocer’s Daughter to Prime Minister by John Campbell and David Freeman, There Is No Alternative: Why Margaret Thatcher Matters by Claire Berlinski, Margaret Thatcher: A Tribute in Words and Pictures by Iain Dale, or even read the story from her point of view Downing Street Years, Margaret Thatcher In Her Own Words by Margaret Thatcher and Iain Dale.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa by Wikimedia Commons

The world-famous missionary Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on August 26th, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. Ever since she was a little girl, she had been helping those who needed it most. At the age of twelve, Agnes felt the call of God and was determined to spread his word and love. She spent a huge part of her life in India when she was at first a teacher and later became the Mother Teresa that we remember, living and working for the least fortunate. In 1950, she received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, The Missionaries of Charity, the aim of which was to take care of the sick, the poor, and all those who are left alone. Luckily for those in need, the Missionaries have spread all over the world.

Mother Teresa devoted her life to helping others, which was not left unnoticed. She received a number of awards, including the Nobel Peace prize in 1979, the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international peace and understanding in 1972. As wonderful and admirable as Mother Teresa was, the progressive part of society may not like that she was openly against abortion, contraception, and divorce. Intriguingly, despite the life that she led, her “letters indicate that she did not feel God’s presence in her soul during the last 50 years of her life.”

Mother Teresa died in 1997, and unusually shortly after her death (within two years), the process to declare her a saint was begun. She was beatified on October 19th, 2003, “reaching the ranks of the blessed in the shortest time in the history of the church.” She truly was an admirable woman. If you want to find out more about who she was and how she lived, I suggest you read Mother Teresa of Calcutta: A Personal Portrait by Fr. Leo Maasburg or Mother Teresa’s very own No Greater Love or Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others.

Anne Frank

Anne Frank Statue by Wikimedia Commons

The story of Anne Frank is unbelievable; it is so wonderful and so very sad at the same time. Anne Frank was born on June 12th, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany, to the Jewish faith. Of course, nowadays Judaism is widely accepted, but sadly, at the time of Anne’s life, Jews from all over Europe were persecuted. By the end of World War II, approximately six million Jews were killed just because of their religion.

Anne Frank and her family were forced to spend 25 months during World War II in an annex of rooms above her father’s office in Amsterdam to avoid detection by the Nazis. However, they were eventually arrested and deported to Nazi concentration camps. In 1945, Anne Frank died of typhus at Bergen-Belsen. This very mature and brave young lady is best known for her diary, which became one of the most popular books in the whole world, and I am positive you have heard of it before.

The diary, which she received as a 13th birthday gift from her parents, was first published in 1947. Today, Anne Frank’s Diary has been translated into 67 languages. Do not think twice: let yourself be inspired by the amazing story and read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl or one of her biographies, from Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife written by Francine Prose to Who Was Anne Frank? by Ann Abramson.

Simone de Beauvoir

Beauvoir, Sartre & Che Guevara
by Wikimedia Commons

One of the most influential existentialist philosophers of the 20th century, Simone de Beauvoir was born in 1908 in Paris, France as the eldest daughter of a respected bourgeois family. De Beauvoir was educated in high-quality private institutions, and at the age of 21, she started to study philosophy at the Sorbonne. Around that time, she met someone who influenced her work enormously and who she was associated with for the rest of her life, Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre and de Beauvoir were an unbelievable couple, committed to each other on the one hand yet absolutely free on the other. Despite their devotion to one another, for some time de Beauvoir and Sartre formed a love triangle with de Beauvoir’s student, Olga Kosakievicz.

De Beauvoir’s lifestyle was intriguing; due to relative financial independence, she was able to spend a lot of time in the cafes of Paris writing. She based many of her works on real life experiences. A number of them were celebrated by de Beauvoir’s fans but condemned by her critics; she and her writings usually caused controversy and strong reactions. Her female fans might appreciate that she “used existential ethical arguments to call for a liberation of women.” Her life ended in Paris in 1986, and her body was buried in the same grave as Sartre. There is a wide variety of publications about de Beauvoir’s life that you might enjoy reading. The best is to choose a mix of fiction and facts. Have you ever read Beauvoir’s She Came to Stay, or the incredibly famous Second Sex?

Marie Curie

Marie Curie by Wikimedia Commons

Marie Curie Sklodowska is proof that if you want something, through hard work you can get it eventually. She was born in Poland in 1867 and, as advanced study was not possible for women in Poland in the 19th century, her dream was to study at the Sorbonne. Her family could not afford it, however, and she had to wait until the age of 24 to start fulfilling her dream.

In 1894, she met her future husband, Pierre, and the two formed one of the most successful scientific duos in history. Their collaboration was unbelievably prolific. For instance, in 1898, the pair announced their discovery of two new elements, radium and polonium (which was actually named by Marie in honour of Poland).

Their work was very much appreciated: Curie was the first female receiver of the Nobel Prize and the first person to receive it for two categories. She, alongside her husband and scientist Mr. Becquerel, won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their research into radioactivity in 1903. Her second Nobel Prize was in Chemistry for isolating pure radium in 1911.

A few years later, she also helped develop the first x-ray machines. When her husband died, she did not stop working and actually took over his teaching post. She was actually the first female professor at the Sorbonne. Sadly, her long years of work with radioactive elements affected her health negatively and caused her death in 1934. Her life was not long, but it was truly inspirational. If you want to know her story in more detail, consider reading Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie by Barbara Goldsmith or Madame Curie: A Biography by Eve Curie.

Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel by Wikimedia Commons

Everybody who is at least a little bit interested in fashion and really everyone who does not ignore the world around them certainly knows the name Coco Chanel. Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in 1883 in Saumur, France, and her revolutionary ideas helped to change 20th century fashion. Coco, a name that she adopted during a brief career as a cafe and concert singer, opened her first shop in Paris in 1912, and that is where her extremely successful career began.

Comfort and relaxation were her main slogans when creating fashionable pieces for ladies. Her clothing style was in a huge contrast with the corset fashions popular at that period. In 1922, Chanel No. 5 was born. Coco introduced her signature cardigan jacket in 1925, and a year later, her signature “little black dress” was introduced. When Coco Chanel died in 1971, her company remained strong and even after decades, its products do not seem to be going out of fashion. The fact that TIME magazine listed Chanel as one of the top 100 influential people of the century speaks for itself: she will never go out of fashion. Obviously, there is a umber of books devoted to this lady, including Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie and Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney.

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II by Wikimedia Commons

Her Majesty celebrates her 60th jubilee on the throne this year, which makes her the second longest reigning monarch after Queen Victoria. After so many years, it’s very hard for many of us to imagine any other head of state. Elizabeth was born in 1926 in London. At that time, she was actually not supposed to become Queen. The abdication of her uncle David made her father George VI, and she was suddenly the heiress to the throne.

As a young girl, Princess Elizabeth bravely joined the war effort, training as a driver in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service. At the age of 21, she married her distant cousin, the then Prince of Greece and now the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. The pair has four children, three sons a one daughter. When Elizabeth and Philip were in Kenya in 1952, they heard the sad news of King George VI passing. The couple returned to England immediately; Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II and was crowned at Westminster Abbey in June 1953.

In spite of various scandals that have been surrounding the Royal family, Her Majesty seems to be doing very well even in public opinion polls, and she deserves it. She has dedicated her life to public service, and for sixty years, she has been a marvellous leader of Canada, respected and admired everywhere she goes. She is a very strong woman who is trying to modernize the monarchy and as she is so sensitive to the public, and she has been doing that exceptionally well. If you would like to learn more about our monarch, you will certainly enjoy reading Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith, The Real Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Andrew Marr, or the soon-to-be-released Sixty Glorious Years: Our Queen Elizabeth II – Diamond Jubilee 1952-2012 by Victoria Murphy.

Agnes Campbell Macphail

Agnes Macphail by Library and Archives Canada

Angel Campbell Macphail was born in Preston Township, Grey County, Ontario in 1890. While she might not be world-famous (even though she deserves to be), she is a true groundbreaker in Canada. Are you wondering what she has done? She was the very first woman elected to Canadian parliament when women first had the right to vote in parliamentary elections in 1921. Nowadays, a woman elected to parliament is not such a big deal, but back then, it was a breakthrough.

Besides being the first federal female MP, Macphail was the first woman appointed as a member of the Canadian delegation to the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, which was another amazing achievement. In fact, there is a lot more to admire about this woman. When her career as a federal MP ended in in 1940, Macphail started to concentrate on provincial politics, and she did so very successfully: in 1943 she was one of two women elected to the Ontario Legislative Assembly.

Throughout her life, she was a strong advocate for better conditions of women in prison. Macphail even founded the Elizabeth Fry Society of Canada helping women in need, thanks to which her message lives on even though she passed away more than 50 years ago, in 1954 in Toronto. Her story is also remembered thanks to publications such as Agnes Macphail: Reformer by Doris Pennington and Agnes Macphail and the Politics of Equality by Terry Crowley.

Emily Murphy

Emily Murphy Statue by Wikimedia Commons

Emily Murphy was born in 1868 in Cookstown, Ontario, and like Agnes Macphail, she achieved a few amazing firsts. It is important to say she came from a very prominent family that supported her education very much, and her uncle was a politician. Both these factors influenced Murphy’s (political) activities greatly.

Murphy was the first woman appointed to the Edmonton Hospital Board in 1910. Furthermore, she became the very first woman police magistrate in Alberta and in the British Empire in 1916. Murphy had always believed women were just as good as men and continuously fought for their rights.

Throughout her whole life, she was active in a number of activities in the interests of women and children. She became the president of the new Federation of Women’s Institutes in 1919. Murphy was furthermore a member of the Equal Franchise League and worked with Nellie McClung on the fight for the women’s vote.

Importantly for all women out there, Murphy achieved a change in the status of women in Canada. She and four other Canadian women, the Famous Five, contributed significantly to transforming an old Canadian law that claimed that women ought not to be counted as persons. In 1929, an Act was passed confirming women are indeed persons. Four years after this act was passed, Murphy died. If interested, you can learn a lot more about her life in books; check out Emily Murphy: Revised by Donna James and Emily Murphy: Rebel written by Christine Mander.

Karen Kain

Political activists are not the only ladies who deserve attention. I am pretty sure everyone in Canada, and the whole ballet world, agrees with me when I say Karen Kain is one of the most remarkable Canadian women of all time. She was born in 1951 in Hamilton, Ontario, and her biggest dream had always been to become a ballerina. As we all know, her dream came true, and it was in a big way!

When she was 11, she was accepted into the National Ballet School in Toronto, and she joined the National Ballet Canada seven years later. Very soon after joining the National Ballet, Karen became Principal Dancer and debuted in the role of the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. Her career was very much influenced by the great Soviet-trained dancer Rudolf Nureyev who was enchanted by her style and helped her and her partner become the most popular ballet duo in Canada. Karen was able to dance classical and contemporary works equally breathtakingly, and thanks to her amazing talent, she toured much of the world.

In 1988, Karen Kain was awarded the Order of Canada. In 1996, she became the first Canadian to receive the Cartier Lifetime Achievement. She has also received the Governor General’s Performing Art Award in 2002 and many more. Furthermore, she has received honorary degrees from a number of renowned universities, including Trent, York, and the University of Toronto. Even though she retired as a dancer after 28 years, she remained faithful to the National Ballet of Canada and became its artistic director in 2005.

Read more about Karen’s unbelievable life story in Karen Kain: Lady of Dance written by David Street or in Karen Kain: Movement Never Lies, a book published in collaboration with Kain herself.

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Many of us spend our days sitting at our desks and working, working, working. This lack of movement can contribute to back pain, stiff muscles, stress, and overall poor physical condition. As tiring as it might be after long hours spent at work, we have to start moving! Now that the weather is getting better, it may be good to try some jogging or swimming (inside for now), but how about practicing a sport that makes you move and stretch every single muscle in your body? Yoga is what I am talking about here.

History

People usually associate the word yoga with women doing strange, difficult-looking exercises, which they could never do because nobody can possibly be that flexible. There might be a tiny little truth to this belief, but yoga certainly means a lot more than that. It is important to point out that yoga is not a religion. It does involve spirituality, but it is not an activity for people of a certain religion. There is a wide variety of yoga fans, from many different religious backgrounds. Yoga is actually an ancient Indian discipline, the roots of which go back more than 5,000 years. Actually, some researchers even suggest that yoga is as old as 10,000 years. It may well be the first exercise known to humankind.

The very first time the word yoga was mentioned in written word was in ancient sacred texts, the Rig Veda. This is a collection of texts containing songs, mantras, and rituals used by the Vedic priests. The word itself comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ and its meaning is ‘union.’ Yoga therefore typically means union between the mind, body, and spirit. Ancient Yogis were convinced that in order to be in harmony with themselves and their environment, a person needed to integrate the body, the mind and the spirit. In yoga this is done through the three main structures: exercise, breathing, and meditation.

Benefits

Beach Yoga by Flavio

If you are asking how one benefits from yoga and why choose this physical activity instead of running, for example, the answer is simple. Contrary to popular belief, yoga certainly is not just stretching, strange poses, and warm-up exercises. It is very complex, and it significantly helps to “improve circulation, stimulate the abdominal organs, and put pressure on the glandular system of the body”. According to studies, yoga is in fact the only form of physical activity that provides complete exercise to the body, as it massages all the internal organs and glands. All this greatly reduces the risk of a number of illnesses. Yoga is indeed an ideal way to achieve overall good shape, fitness, and health.

Yoga is amazingly popular all around the world. It has not been known in the Western hemisphere for that long, however. In the late 19th and early 20th century, yoga masters began to travel to the West and spread their knowledge about this physical discipline. The popularity of yoga started rising rapidly when Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. In our part of the world, Hatha Yoga is the most popular branch of Yoga; it has a number of different styles, thanks to which yoga classes and yoga schools teaching Hatha Yoga vary greatly. If you want to find out which yoga style is for you, you can even test yourself online. Once you know what you want, or you think you need to personally go to a class to know better, here are a couple of suggestions on where in Toronto to go.

889 Yonge Wellness Spa + Yoga Community

889 Yonge Street

889 Yoga

This popular, eco-conscious Wellness Spa and Yoga Community is ready for your visit! Whether you are a complete beginner who has never attended a class before or you have been practicing yoga for years, the 889 Yonge yoga studio has something to offer to everyone. While “strongly rooted in the Vinyasa Flow tradition,” the community is very well known for a variety of yoga workshops, classes, and styles. Its beginner workshops are famous in the whole city of Toronto and the story does not end there. Fundamental Flow classes are available for slightly advanced yogis, and those who feel confident about their abilities are welcome to attend Detox Flow classes. Relaxing Recharge Restore classes, extremely soothing Yin yoga, as well as Brunch Flow weekend yoga rituals are also an option; the choice is wide and it’s up to you to decide!

Just to briefly let you know about the prices in this studio: for one drop-in-class, you will have to pay $18.58 and a monthly membership will cost you as much as $120. More information about specific prices for workshops and special deals are available on the community’s website. Check it out, visit the place (one of the two 889 studios) in person, and let highly experienced professionals teach you what they know best! I can guarantee you that you will feel like a new person after a couple of classes.

Breathe Yoga Studio

2968 Dundas Street West
2253 Bloor St. West

Breath Yoga

If you only trust studios that have certification to prove their high quality, Breathe Yoga Studio might be just right for you. One of the main goals of this lovely, award-winning place is to provide “excellence in yoga instruction and health-related services,” which is being fulfilled by “assembling a roster of the city’s top instructors”. From what I have seen and heard, I can say this aim has indeed been perfectly achieved. Breathe Yoga Studio concentrates mainly on Ashtanga, Hatha, Flow, and Iyengar yoga, but special hot classes, classes for men, and for pregnant women are also offered. Naturally, these training sessions are for everyone, regardless of their level of yoga proficiency. However, very beginners could be interested in a four-week course called Yoga Basics Workshop, which will teach them everything they need to know about yoga. The course is absolutely perfect for those men and women who feel embarrassed to attend classes with no previous experience. Furthermore, there are drop-in-classes at all levels including beginners; choose what you prefer.

To find out about the prices in this studio, I suggest you visit its website. I can tell you the basic info, though; one drop-in class is $20 and a monthly membership will cost you $125. To find out if your money is worth it, pay a visit, enjoy a few unforgettable yoga classes, and feel an almost immediate boost of energy, lower stress levels, and relaxed muscles. It is an undeniable fact, however, that over more than a decade of its existence, this studio has built a brilliant reputation, and there must be a good reason for that.

The Yoga Sanctuary

2 College Street

Yoga Sanctuary

First impressions matter, and the Yoga Sanctuary is a studio that definitely takes this into consideration. You will be enchanted by this place the minute you walk in. The studio on College Street (there are two Yoga Sanctuaries in Toronto) built in 1891 has even been voted the most beautiful yoga studio in our city by Toronto Life Magazine!

This charming place offers a number of classes and workshops for just about anyone; whether you are a beginner or an experienced yogi, a student or a retiree, you are very welcome to attend some of the classes. If you are new at the studio, you even get a special deal: a 10-day unlimited pass for only $20! Normally, one single class costs $17, and you will pay $375 for three-month unlimited practice. With more than 90 classes every week, the studio tries hard to satisfy all its clients. The choice is unbelievable, come and see it yourself!

Roots Yoga Studio

1073 Yonge Street

Roots Yoga Studio

Are you a fan of “green” goods and places? If so, you may well fall in love with the Roots Yoga Studio. Everything in the studio is eco-friendly, from the floor (planked bamboo and natural cork), through the walls covered with low-emission paint, the electricity neutralized by a zero-footprint offset program, to the recycled seating fabric. You cannot get much greener than that!

Now back to yoga: the studio offers classes for all age groups and all levels of practice. Customers are welcome to enjoy Classical Hatha, Ashtanga/Vinyasa, Iyengar, Kripalu, as well as Kids and Teen Yoga. What do you say? Visit, take your kids, and let Roots Yoga Studio help you explore the world of yoga!

Yoga 4 Kids/Yogi Dreams™

Yoga 4 Kids

There is no reason why yoga should only be practiced by adults. Kids need exercise too, and a little yoga can do no harm. Sherry LeBlanc, the very experienced and certified director of Yoga 4 Kids, understands children and teenagers should not only sit at home playing videogames, and thus has decided to start teaching them yoga and meditation.

As the classes always take place somewhere else, I advise you to check out the website first. Do not hesitate too much and let your children become more flexible, strong, balanced, and fit. While they might not like the idea at first, many of them will certainly change their minds once they see how rewarding it can be.

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What do you imagine when you hear about today’s architecture? Most people associate it with high-rise buildings made of steel, glass, concrete, and stones. Wood is not exactly the material that comes to mind when you think of all the modern, multi-storey buildings. That could, however, change in the near future — and Canada might well contribute to this shift.

Why Choose Wood?

The 21st century will be built in wood, Andrew Waugh, a well known British architect, has said. While this is a brave prediction, it has the possibilty to come true. It certainly will not be easy, however. Even today, many people do not consider wood a proper material for high-rise buildings because they cannot quite imagine how it would work. We tend to think of log-frame buildings when wood is mentioned as the building material. Wooden high-rise buildings are very, very far from log-frame houses, obviously. Nevertheless, the lack of information and experience still presents an obstacle for wood to be more recognized. The basic facts and positives of this building material should therefore be mentioned first.

It is important to point out that wood is indeed a solid building material. An insightful study that Vancouver architect Michael Green conducted for the Wood Enterprise Coalition shows that laminated wood beams and slabs can go up to 1.2 metres wide, 19.5 metres long, and 18 centimetres thick and their qualities are very similar to concrete and steel. Even 30-storey wood buildings can be built following strict safety regulations, Green claims. Wood buildings are furthermore much lighter compared to other types of buildings and have enviable insulation (thus lower heating costs).

The Costs of the Construction

If you expect these structures to be unbelievably expensive, you are mistaken. A building made from wood can be built for the same price as a concrete building, but in significantly less time. In his report, Green actually proved there would be no large differences in price. For instance, in Vancouver, a 12-storey wood building would cost approximately the same as a 12-storey concrete building, $283 per square foot. A 20-storey wood tower would cost slightly more ($300) than a 20-storey concrete tower ($294), however.

Australia’s very first high-rise building

Wood Skyscrapers Around the World

The tallest wood building in the world is the nine-storey apartment building at 24 Murray Grove in London, England. At first sight, nobody would ever recognize it as a wood building, however. The wood, while forming a significant part of the building, is barely visible from the street. Interestingly, back in 2009, an agency formed to promote Norwegian-Russian cooperation in the North, the Norwegian-Barents Secretariat, promised to build “the tallest wood building in the world,” a 16-to-17-storey tall wood structure in a small town on the Russian-Norwegian border. It has yet to be built and the London building remains the tallest.

Australia’s very first high-rise building of timber is planned to be built in the near future too. The building is predicted to cost $100 million and “will be made from soft-wood panels imported from Europe and fitted together in weeks to make 50 apartments over ten storeys.” The building will be fire-resistant and carbon neutral and have its own gas-fired electrical generator powered by waste wood chips, rainwater, and a grey-water recycling system. While it will be slightly (10-15 per cent) more expensive than an average apartment, its inhabitants “will not pay water or electricity bills and will be quarantined from things like a carbon tax forever,” according to the building’s manager, David Waldren.

Wood and Canada

The Tallest Wood Building in North America

Even with unfavourable rules, British Columbia is planning something huge in the near future! As Jobs Minister Pat Bell recently announced, the tallest wood building in North America, and maybe even in the whole world, is going to be built in the province. The plan is to build a ten-storey Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George, the price of which is expected to be as high as $75 million.

Obviously, a lot needs to be done for the engineered wood building industry to be successful. It certainly needs to “develop the technical expertise, create production capacity, and change outdated building codes.” If wood high-rise buildings will turn out to be a huge success, which I believe they will, they could well boost timber production in Brazil and in general use Brazilian trees more all around the world, according to Green. All I can say is that wood as a building material certainly deserves more recognition!

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