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The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com
After what seems like a million pages (it’s actually 310), Conrad Black has finally been indicted. Boosted by testimony from David Radler (whom Black calls “the nasty gnome from Chicago”), the U.S. government is seeking a 95-year prison sentence. Plot-wise, we expected things to pick up around now—but instead Black just returns to his favourite topics: being poor, being persecuted by the media, and being friends with Elton John.
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When it comes to auctions, there’s almost nothing more titillating to bidders than a giant, multi-million-dollar, Kardashian-sized diamond (except perhaps for Justin Bieber’s Johnson). Yesterday, the newly revived Ritchie’s auction house offered such an item at the ROM. Normally, such bling-filled bidding happens in more glamorous locales like London or New York (or, you know, in Bond films), but thanks to the soft American and European economies, the seller—an anonymous, presumably cash-strapped Belgian hotelier—decided to offload the rock in the relatively strong Canadian market. We’re not sure how well that strategy worked, however, as the 50-karat jewel sold for less than a third of its $10-million value at a mere $2.7 million. On the one hand, we now wonder if Toronto is the Walmart of international jewellery sales; on the other, it’s also reportedly the richest diamond sale in Canadian history. Naturally, the anonymous buyer has only been described as “mysterious” and “international”—just like that nameless foreign condo buyer—but given the sale price, we feel the need to add “bargain hunter” to the list. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »
Back in October, we made note of the murder of a millionaire jeweller. The juicier details of the case involve Michael Costa, who police suspected might be involved with the murder, and his brother Daniel, a Toronto cop charged with perjury for allegedly misleading police regarding his brother’s whereabouts. Now, the plot thickens. The Toronto Star reported on Monday that the murder victim, Alexander Kucovic, led a double life: the Yorkville jeweller was also a west coast gangster, and a participant in the witness protection program. Oh, and he was a “suspected hit man and police snitch,” too. We figured the Star’s tenacity on the police beat would deliver the salacious details of this case, and so far they haven’t disappointed. We just hope they keep it up—we haven’t been this intrigued by a witness protection program commotion since Sister Act. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »
The largest diamond to ever be sold in Canada is set to be auctioned off at the Royal Ontario Museum on November 13, and the National Post has a few interesting numbers on the rock. The $10-million stone is 50.24 carats; it’s 23 millimetres wide; it has 58 sides (which means it’ll reflect a lot of light). There are loads of other interesting nuggets, too, including that the diamond owner’s identity is a mystery—we only know that he is “a Belgian hotelier” looking to make a quick buck—and that the sale marks the return of Ritchies Auctioneers. Also, for its part, the Toronto Star reports the auction-style sale means the diamond is available to the “public.” To which we say, really? Read the entire story [National Post]»
Earlier this month, the cash-for-gold skirmish between Jack Berkovits and Harold “the Jewellery Buyer” Gerstel went international, with a lengthy feature in the New Yorker on the ongoing feud. This week, hostilities were renewed once again with Berkovits taking legal action against the Jewellery Buyer, alleging that Gerstel has been encroaching on his territory and snatching up his customers—sometimes literally. The Toronto Star reports that court documents claim employees of Gerstel grabbed customers to drag them away from Berkovits’ business. Of course, this is just the latest chapter in the long, sordid story of the pair of sworn enemies. For our part, we can’t help but think Russell Oliver, he of spandex suits and cowboy hats, is somehow ultimately to blame—you know, for cheapening the cash-for-gold profession and all. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »
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Over the past year, the heated cash-for-gold feud between Harold Gerstel (a former protege of Cashman Russell Oliver) and Jack Berkovits has been a Toronto media sensation (see Rob Hough’s trip down the rabbit hole from our December issue). Turns out the Canadian press aren’t the only ones baffled by the death threats, public arguments and underhanded advertising that have turned the pair’s neighbouring jewellery stores, at Bathurst and Glencairn, into a war zone (Gerstel’s shop was mysteriously fire-bombed last December). In the current issue of the New Yorker, Calvin Trillin (he of the great poutine debate) has a feature story on the tumult. And while we’re always chuffed when our southern neighbours take an interest in our humble affairs, things often come out just a little bit funny. Here, five things we learned from the New Yorker about Toronto’s cash-for-gold brouhaha.
Yonge Street’s poshest stretch, from Ramsden Park up to the Summerhill LCBO, has two strong suits: food and decor. Locals from the tree-lined side streets keep the shops going during the week, while the weekend brings floods of shoppers from further afield. Here, our list of 23 essential restaurants, food shops, furniture stores, clothing boutiques and beauty parlours along tony Toronto’s main drag.
West Edmonton's Thomas Sabo location (Image: Supplied by Thomas Sabo)
Yorkdale continues its pursuit to become the luxury haven no one asked for. To recap: over the last year, the mall brought in big names like Burberry and Victoria’s Secret, and in January, it announced yet another multimillion-dollar expansion. We thought they might be onto something—that is, until this news reminded us how Yorkdale is the Vegas strip of malls: a Thomas Sabo flagship store is on its way.
For over 30 years as a doctor, Dhun Noria has battled disease. As the newest citizen member of the police board, she’s turning her attention to fighting crime
(Image: Adam Rankin)
You’re the chief of laboratory medicine at the Scarborough Hospital. What do you do, exactly?
Almost every patient who comes into our hospital has an encounter with the lab. Eighty per cent of treatment decisions are made on the basis of lab tests. My specialty is cancer diagnosis.
You studied at U of T?
Yes. I came to Canada from Hyderabad, India, in 1968 to do my fellowship in anatomic pathology.
And you raised a family here, too. Read the rest of this entry »
My husband, Farokh, studied nuclear physics but now makes fashion jewellery. We have a manufacturing plant in India, and my son, Zubin, helps with the business. My daughter, Sabrena, is a surgeon in Columbus, Ohio.
Every craft room in North America has witnessed the creation of some derivation of kitschy jewellery, so it’s refreshing to see Corrine Anestopoulos’s Biko refine the practice by focusing on edited designs with minute, quirky elements. The designer takes found objects—vintage optics, magnifying glasses, kaleidoscopes—and transforms them into functional pendant jewellery. We stumbled upon this working kaleidoscope necklace at Love of Mine, which we liked for the Logan’s Run colour blast and the reminder of a birthday party loot bag. The kaleidoscope necklace is available with a classic rolo-style chain that accommodates extra doodads, baubles and charms. No assembly required. $159.
Love of Mine, 781 Queen St W, 416-368-4999, loveofmineboutique.com.
Lost and Found’s industrial-chic space (Image: Laura Cameron)
The place: Lost and Found, a new clothing boutique and espresso bar, feels right at home in the mixed bag of vintage shops, hair salons and hip restaurants of Little Portugal. Plywood floors and exposed brick walls enclose a space furnished with vintage pieces. Co-owners Zai Rajkotwala and Jonathan Elias offer brands that aren’t available elsewhere in the city. Rajkotwala, a fashion school grad, chooses the women’s clothing and Elias, a former merchandiser for The Gap, buys for men. A third partner, Justin Veiga, handles the coffee side of the business.
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Jewellery, artwork and other valuables of former Wall Street financier and infamous Ponzi scheme perpetrator Bernie Madoff made their Canadian debut at the Oakville Conference Centre for auction on Sunday—or so the event advertised. Both the Toronto Star and the National Post report the privately run auction lacked signs of legitimacy, featuring poorly organized and roughly displayed merchandise, cheesy glamour models advertising jewels and, most troubling of all, promising Madoffian authentication of the valuables only upon purchase. Um, right.
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Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, who turns 90 in a few weeks, just started her 12th (and last) term. Here, 10 things she can’t live without
My daily affirmation
A few years ago, a friend gave me a book called Starting Your Day Right, by Joyce Meyer, which has an inspiring quote for each day of the year. With all of the reports I need to read for work, I don’t have much time for leisure reading, so this is just right. It keeps me upbeat.
My most cherished photograph
It was taken on November 18, 2005, the day I received the Order of Canada. I was surrounded by my children and granddaughter, and it was one of the most memorable days of my life. I keep it in my office.
My Ojibwa bling
The city of Mississauga has always had a special relationship with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. The late chief Maurice LaForme gave me a necklace that I wear to the powwow in Hagersville every year, and also as everyday jewellery. You can’t find this kind of beautiful beadwork anymore.
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My childhood classic
I first read Black Beauty as a little girl, and it stuck with me—probably because I grew up on a farm in Port-Daniel, on the Gaspé Coast in Quebec, and spent a lot of time with horses. It has a permanent place at my bedside even today.
The Thomas Sabo wing ring ($369) is a fantastic little gift to yourself. It’s made of sterling silver, and the stones are cubics, so they almost sparkle like the real thing. This is a statement piece; its wing spans the width of almost two fingers but is comfortable to wear, unlike double-finger rings, which can be uncomfortable unless custom sized by a jeweller. Rock the wing ring over the holidays with a glitzy cocktail dress or wear it year-round to give any outfit a glamorous edge.
European Jewellery, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, 3401 Dufferin St., 416-785-9790.
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