City council approved the 2013 operating budget just after noon today, and, despite $12-million in last-minute spending additions, this year’s debates weren’t nearly as dramatic as last year’s coup by centrist and left-wing forces. That’s not to say there weren’t shenanigans, the best of which starred habitual headline-grabbers Giorgio Mammoliti and Rob Ford.
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Captain John asks his fans to help bail him out
(Image: shanelkalicharan)
In the latest episode of the ongoing saga of Captain John’s Seafood Restaurant, owner John Letnik has made the increasingly popular move of soliciting donations to save his iconic 42-year-old floating harbourfront restaurant. Letnik got into a dispute over taxes four years ago, and now owes more than $500,000 in back taxes and rent, a sum that led the city to cut off the water to his restaurant this summer, closing it down and effectively shutting off Letnik’s cash flow. In addition to donating, visitors to the Save Captain John! site are asked to sign a petition calling for the city, Waterfront Toronto and the Toronto Port Authority to “Stop the unfair treatment of John Letnik.” Though he’s been trying to sell the business since 2009, as Torontoist reports, buyers for an aging restaurant boat on a month-to-month lease with the city are in short supply. [Torontoist]
Condomonium: $1.3 million for a three-bedroom suite in Chris Bosh’s old building
ADDRESS: 2045 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Unit 3804
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Mimico
AGENT: Irene Goodman, Regency Park Realty
PRICE: $1,299,000
THE PLACE: A 3-bedroom suite in the Palace Pier condos. This tower was built in the 1970s on nine acres of private parkland by the lake. The address has attracted a number of luxury-lovers, including Chris Bosh during his stint with the Toronto Raptors.
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Cottage of the Week: $2.2 million for a vacation property with two libraries
ADDRESS: 245 North Shore Road
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Port Severn, Georgian Bay
AGENT: Armin and AnneMarie Grigaitis, ReMax Baywatch Ltd., Brokerage
PRICE: $2,199,000
THE PLACE: A cottage with a palatial air (for instance, it has a circular staircase and a turreted tower), tucked in its own little cove on Georgian Bay. Read the rest of this entry »
Amsterdam Brewery announces relocation—and a massive new waterfront brewpub
Renderings of the huge new space (Image: Amsterdam)
Following months of rumours in Toronto’s craft beer scene, Amsterdam Brewery finally announced that it’s leaving its Bathurst Street location to set up a new, larger (and retail-friendly) brewery in Leaside. The brewing area at the new space will be featured behind a massive 40-foot-by-10-foot glass wall, and there’ll be a 2,000-square-foot room for casking events, corporate gigs and seminars. The big surprise, however, was Amsterdam’s announcement that it will return to its brewpub roots in grand and ambitious fashion, with a 900-seat hangar-sized restaurant (300 of the seats will be on a waterside patio) at 245 Queens Quay West, near Harbourfront Centre, the CN Tower, Rogers Centre and Steam Whistle Brewery.
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The Long Weekender: Public Enemy, Brazilian Day and six other events on our to-do list
The Lemon Bucket Orkestra performs at the Ashkenaz Festival on Sunday (Image: Ashkenaz Festival)
1. ASHKENAZ FESTIVAL
The Ashkenaz Festival is the largest international festival of Jewish music and culture in North America—so it sort of makes sense that it takes place only every other year. The festivities kicked off earlier this week, but there’s still plenty in store for the weekend: expect performances from the likes of The Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Toronto Jewish Folk Choir, Socalled and Shye Ben Tzur. On Sunday, Toronto’s Sharon Hampson and Bram Morrison (two-thirds of Sharon, Lois and Bram) will be on hand to perform their classic earworm “Skinnamarink” as well as “Oy Vey, Oy Vey” and “I’m a Little Latke” (sadly, no word yet on whether Toronto’s other great Jewish sensation will be in attendance). The festival culminates in a massive parade Monday afternoon (those gifted with musical ability can head to the pre-parade lesson to learn the tunes and take part in the festivities). To September 3. Various prices (some events free). Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W., 416-973-4000, ashkenazfestival.com
2. CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW Read the rest of this entry »
You can probably catch a glimpse of this admittedly noisy but incredibly impressive display of aircraft prowess from afar, but the best views are from the CNE grounds or the VIP ticketed guest enclosures. The show will go on, rain or shine. September 1-September 3. Various prices (free with admission to The Ex). At the waterfront, south of Bandshell Park. cias.org
Cottage of the Week: $6.5 million for an eco-friendly estate on the shore of Georgian Bay
ADDRESS: 201 Little Cove Road, Tobermory
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Georgian Bay
AGENT: Darlene James, RE/MAX Grey Bruce Realty
PRICE: $6,500,000
THE PLACE: This eight-bedroom estate sits on over 98 acres of land on the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. It was originally built as an eco-lodge (which means there are plenty of guest rooms for friends and family).
Toronto is the “biggest opportunity in the world right now” for casino companies
(Image: Ian McKellar)
The Toronto Star recently took a close look at the competition for the GTA casino, squeezing details out of insiders at MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and some of the other mega-companies hoping to secure the contract. And the competition is fierce—one source called a development gambling’s “biggest opportunity in the world right now,” while another, working for one of the big players, estimates his client will have shelled out $2 million by the end of the bidding process (apparently, lobbyists, polls and focus groups are expensive). Interestingly, MGM has reportedly suggested it would help pay for a long-overdue rebuild of Ontario Place if given the go-ahead to build a casino across the bridge at Exhibition Place, and Caesars has expressed interest in a similar plan. Still, before the cash-strapped province can avail itself of that cash, it has to convince Toronto city council of a couple of things: a) that a casino in the city is a good idea; and b) that it should go on the waterfront. And lately, the province has seemed less willing to insist upon either of those points. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »
Toronto now has a park in an underpass (and Rob Ford hopped on a jungle gym to celebrate)
Rob Ford usually makes news for acting belligerent or defensive, so it was nice to see news agencies covering his enthusiastic endorsement of the newly opened Underpass Park. (The mayor even scaled a jungle gym while a group of children chanted, “Go mayor! Go mayor!”) The park is under the Eastern Avenue, Richmond Street and Adelaide Street overpasses between Cherry Street and Bayview Avenue, and the mayor lauded the innovative project for turning that “neglected space into a community hub.” Though Ford didn’t explicitly congratulate Waterfront Toronto, the government agency behind the project, his praise—and his very presence at the opening—seems like a conciliatory gesture. There’s a long history of bad blood between the mayor’s camp and Waterfront Toronto; Doug Ford has called it a “boondoggle” and Ford’s administration battled with the agency over control of the Port Lands revitalization. So, oddly, Ford’s kid-friendly behaviour at the park was somewhat mature. [Toronto Star]
Condo gossip: three towers could be coming to the Toronto Star’s parking lot
Up to three condo towers could soon sprout from the parking lot of the Toronto Star building at Yonge and Queens Quay, according to a number of unnamed sources quoted in the Financial Post. Rumour has it that the Vancouver-based Pinnacle International Realty Group will soon close a deal to build a major project next to the office tower (the paper has a long-term lease for its space so it won’t be turfed out for at least 20 years). Back in 2000, Torstar Corporation sold the building to a holding company controlled by the Thomson family for $40 million, saying it was an opportune time because the real estate market was strong. The market is quite a bit stronger now (though talk of cooling has begun), and the price will be “far north” of $40 million this time, according to a source close to the deal. [Financial Post]
Toronto’s new chief planner thinks Rob Ford is “interesting”
(Image: Twitter)
Jennifer Keesmaat, a principal at Toronto design firm Dialog, is the city’s new chief planner—and she says she wants to focus on the contentious transit issue (along with the waterfront and priority neighbourhoods). There’s already been plenty of speculation on potential friction between Keesmaat, who strongly champions walkable ’hoods, and Rob Ford, who really, really likes cars. However, we wouldn’t count on any big planning showdowns with the mayor’s office in the near future. The new planning chief seems very diplomatic—when asked about Ford, she said he was “interesting” and was glad to hear he always has his door open. [Globe and Mail]
Living right on the waterfront can be “very unpleasant,” apparently
(Image: jethros tale from the Torontolife.com Flickr group)
In a recent Toronto Sun column, the ever-fiesty Sue-Ann Levy takes up the cause of some homeowners near Woodbine Beach who are upset at the “mobs” that descend all summer. The residents say the constant crowds, drawn by hot weather, expanding volleyball courts and special events like the Afrofest, the Beaches Jazz Festival and the Canada Day celebration, make life by the shore noisy and “very unpleasant.” (The demand for parking and bathrooms at peak times yields tales of people peeing on the grass, and drivers stealing tickets from other cars to avoid getting one themselves.) The residents, Levy writes, also must contend with Boardwalk Place restaurateur George Foulidis, who is trying “to establish his ‘proprietary’ control of the Eastern Beach by turning it into a carnival-like venue.” We’re sure Levy’s rancour towards Foulidis has nothing to do with the fact that he banned her from the premises late last year. [Toronto Sun]
Las Vegas Sands joins the competition for Toronto’s (still hypothetical) casino
The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (Image: Enrique Dans)
Despite the fact that city council is a very long way from approving a casino in the city (the first staff report on the idea isn’t due until October), several companies are already plotting how to be the one to build it. The latest to register lobbyists is Las Vegas Sands, which will be competing alongside Vegas heavyweights MGM and Caesars Entertainment, Canadian mega-firms Onex and Oxford Properties and Larry Tanenbaum, the billionaire chair of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Las Vegas Sands senior vice-president Andy Abboud told reporters the resort giant has explored sites all over the GTA, but its main interest is in the downtown core and waterfront. Not surprising, considering the company is known for building mixed-use complexes with convention centres, retail and entertainment. (It’s also known for balancing a massive ship atop three towers in Singapore, but that’s besides the point—we hope.) [Globe and Mail]
The Scotiabank marathon ditches the Gardiner in favour of hitting more downtown neighbourhoods
(Image: Vlad Litvinov)
Toronto’s omnipresent anxiety about being a “world class city” has trickled all the way down to the route of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon this October. In a bid to make the race a destination marathon, director Alan Brookes has cut out the factories and concrete of the the Gardiner Expressway in favour of a route that will now include Church-Wellesley, Bloor-Yorkville, U of T, Kensington Market and Alexandra Park (and will, like last year, also go through St. Lawrence Market, Swansea and the Beach). Brookes says the new route brings the race close to providing a “New York experience,” with larger crowds and a scenic course that shows visiting runners more of the city. Plus, it should thrill anyone who has to drive on the Gardiner. [Toronto Star]
Captain John reluctant to abandon ship as eviction deadline looms
(Image: shanelkalicharan)
Current Grid cover boy John Letnik (a.k.a. Captain John) of longtime waterfront joint Captain John’s Seafood Restaurant said he will be standing his ground (er, water?) today, the deadline given to him by the City of Toronto and the Port Authority to vacate ship. The floating restaurant was ordered to shut down last month after owing the city thousands in unpaid property taxes (Letnik stopped forking over the tax dollars five years ago, telling the Toronto Sun, “no other ship out here has to pay property taxes”). The idea of evading authorities and setting sail was jokingly entertained, but squashed (the boat has no motor), so Letnik may take the next logical step to save his 42-year-old venture: chain himself to his ship. Yipes. [Toronto Sun]
