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The Pocket’s Tiny Forest is Bigger Than It Looks
My favourite jeans—medium-wash and wide-cut with two inches of fabric rolled up and safety-pinned “just until I get them hemmed”—have deep front pockets. As they are a rarity in women’s bottoms, I’ve committed myself to using them. They carry my trusty lip balm, rings discarded while I wash my hands, and the change from my café order with such ease that I often forget they’re there and send them through the wash. It’s a blessing and a curse. What I have yet to make use of, though, is the tiny pocket tucked inside the larger one on my right hip.
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Taking a Walk on Danforth’s Spiritual Side
I’ve been taught not to talk about politics or religion. Naturally, this made both of these topics more interesting. I grew up strictly agnostic (my mom confiscated a cross my grandma bought my brother when we were kids), so religion in particular was fascinating and forbidden. What are these buildings where all these people go? What do they do there? And why?
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Learning, Off the Danforth
The house is quiet in the mornings. Completely silent, save for the low hum of the refrigerator and the creak of my footsteps as I walk across the floor. The only light outside is from the streetlights; dawn is yet to come. As the rest of Victoria lie asleep in their beds, I make my much-needed 5 A.M. matcha before settling in front of my computer. This is the morning routine of a Centennial College student—specifically, one in the online publishing program, tuning in from Vancouver Island.
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Dear Danforth, Leash Your Dogs
As the owner of a grumpy Shih Tzu weighing a whopping fourteen pounds, it is terrifying when an off-leash dog begins to approach him while we’re walking. Whether it be a tiny terrier, a large Labrador, or any breed in between, my dog, Stitch, is not friendly and does not welcome these unrestrained guests very kindly. And then that other dog tends to retaliate to Stitch’s animosity by either barking or biting. In this hostile interaction between domesticated beasts, I’m tethered to my dog by a leash, but where is the other dog’s owner?
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Cameras and Chameleons:
Why Toronto Deserves Recognition in the Film Industry
For over 65 years, Toronto has been a go-to destination for filmmakers. Between its dynamic architecture, scenic neighbourhoods, and diverse green spaces, the city boasts a picturesque spot for the filming of TV shows and movies of all genres. This is shown by Toronto filming locations like Casa Loma, Roy Thomson Hall, and Sherway Gardens being used in shows and films such as X-Men (2000), The Boys (2019), and Mean Girls (2004), respectively. However, the filming contributions of Toronto’s scenic locations are often overlooked. Whether it be the bustling downtown metropolis or smaller surrounding neighbourhoods, like the Danforth, I believe proper credit should be given to the Toronto locations that…
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Getting the Measure of Deric Cahill
Driving east on Danforth Avenue early one evening in October, headed toward Comedy Bar, I could feel the last rivulets of summer dripping away. Sidewalks were crowded, and as shops and cafes decanted, restaurants filled up. Misjudging the location, I didn’t realize how far down one of Toronto’s busiest roads I’d be going. By the time I parked, the hand-holding passersby near Pape Avenue had slowly morphed into small groups of unhoused people near Main Street, huddled, sharing blankets. It felt like I’d travelled through multiple cities all on one street.
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The Luminous Veil
This article contains discussion of suicide. Reader discretion is advised. I spent a lot of time on the bridge commonly known as the Bloor Viaduct. I passed through it twice a day, 5 days a week for 4 years. It has high-wire bars 5 metres tall, preventing anybody from getting close to the edge. It prevents me from getting close to the edge. It arches high above the trees, so that birds can see its span of 494 metres of concrete and steel, 40 metres above the Don Valley. It would be a nice view going down. I think about the exhilaration that would follow the cold wind in my…
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ALL SIGNS POINT TO YES
Have you ever mulled something over for so long that when you finally made a decision, it had nothing to do with the pros or cons, but was instead based off of the result of an arbitrary coin toss?
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Have a Coffee, Put a Record on at the Press Vinyl Cafe
I visited Danforth Avenue for the first time on a mid-November day that could only be described as grey. Grey skies, grey fog, grey cars speeding by in a blur. Imagine my pleasant surprise, then, as I approached the Press Vinyl Cafe, which had a front window awash in the warm glow of string lights. When I entered the shop, I, too, felt a newfound warmth. Vibrant, hand-painted wall murals replaced the cloudy skies outside, and the constant thrum of traffic gave way to the twang of guitars from the loudspeakers.
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Intro
Welcome to On the Danforth’s first-ever digital issue “Dear Danforth.” This issue is all about connection. Mimicking the style of an advice column, each article employs a conversational and intimate style of writing that doesn’t shy away from heavier topics, but rather, approaches them with genuine and thoughtful discussion.