The City’s Best Mustard Can Be Found in the St. Lawrence Market

In 2001 I bought a loft North of the St. Lawrence Market – in fact the market itself was a key element in my decision to move into this neighbourhood. Eleven years later we live AND work in the neighbourhood – it has everything we need.

This year National Geographic recognized our market as the number one market in the world and we think a part of what makes it the ‘best’ in the world are the vendors themselves, some of whom have been stationed in the market for years. Even before I moved into the neighbourhood I remember trips to the market on Saturday mornings with my parents and one stall we would often visit was Anton Kozlik’s Canadian Mustard. Now run by Jeremy – and with an expanded product line of award winning mustards – it is easy to understand why with vendors like this, the market is second to none. For anyone who loves food a trip to Kozlik’s Mustard is in itself a very good reason to visit the market.

We hope to see you there.

Edgefest 2012 Headliner – Billy Talent

The headliner at Edgefest this year was Billy Talent, fronted by Ben Kowalewicz. Ben is one of the most animated and intense performers out there – so animated in fact that we decided he deserved his own blog entry.

So here he is: Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent, in all his rockstar glory.

It Was Huge. It Was Dry. Edgefest 2012

For the 5th year in a row (accounting for the hiatus the festival took in 2010) we covered Edgefest at Downsview Park. This particular Edgefest was the biggest one the park has ever hosted, due in large part to the space made available by the changes in landscaping that the park has gone through in the last year to create an event area that is impressively malleable to a range of production types, but is perfect for this type of multi-stage concert set-up.

After several years of cold, rainy, and mud-soaked Edgefests – and the threat earlier in the week of the same this year – we were very happy when Saturday arrived with blue skies and abundant sun.  The concert goers who managed to stay hydrated and layered in sunscreen (you could smell it, thick in the air) evidently had the kind of concert experience they will remember for years to come.

Probably.

Well, MOST of them will remember it…

Above: evidence of the bands, the crowds, the blistering heat of summer – and what happens when it all comes together in one awesome, purpose-built venue.

The Toronto Waterfront is Even Friendlier This Summer

If you happen to visit Toronto’s waterfront this summer chances are you will eventually run into these lively, musical ambassadors.  These singers are part of an initiative by the Waterfront BIA to help make the area lively and welcoming. As well as treating waterfront visitors to acapella versions of Beach Boys hits the group can also offer assistance, directions, and even suggestions on activities or dining options in and around the waterfront area.

We do a lot of work with the Waterfront BIA and so when the time came to plan a photo shoot to launch the program we were excited at the prospect of getting to use the waterfront itself as a backdrop, there are just so many options. In the end we settled on a few locations that brought to life the nautical theme of the waterfront and gave a visual to the Waterfront BIA’s slogan “Its Better By The Water”

We would encourage you to visit the waterfront this summer and discover for yourself just how much better it is. For more information on the initiative, click here.