Community
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Find Your Community: East End Arts
I grew up in India where playing an active role in your community was extremely important. The neighbours knew each other and celebrated festivals together. Whenever my mother ran out of an important ingredient while cooking, she would give me the sacred responsibility of asking my neighbour to lend us some. For me, community was something you could rely on. After moving to Toronto for further education in 2021, I experienced a serious culture shock. For the first time, I was without a community. I felt as if my own skin was missing from my body and the task of building a community from scratch seemed vital. I attended different…
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Top 7 Toronto Thrifting Tips & Tricks
Thrifting is trendy, affordable, and most importantly, sustainable. Shopping second-hand curbs fast fashion, keeping lightly loved clothes out of landfills, and giving them a second life! I’ve been thrifting for almost a decade and still bump into people who stick their nose up to the idea. But I’m convinced thrift shopping is like going on the ultimate treasure hunt. I remember when it started… On our day off as summer camp counsellors, six of us crammed into a minivan and drove to my first thrift store: Talize. I was in shock. We found shoes to share, matching sports jerseys, décor for the cabin. I felt like my third eye was…
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A Day on the Danforth. Local Shopping at Local Businesses
The model has changed. The shopping model, that is. And no, I do not mean the blank staring, ever-looming and bow-legged mannequins that haunt most retail stores (perhaps donning an interestingly fake-looking wig like H&M). I am referring to the trend towards big box shopping. We all take part in it, with the exception of perhaps the most ecologically minded, low stress, and free-time-to-spare citizens of the world. Indeed, the lure of one stop shopping and sweat shop prices have all attracted us at some point. With each ribbon cutting at each new location taking up more and more of the consumer market, the negative impact this can have on…
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4 Cafés to Visit on the Danforth
The Danforth—primarily known as Greektown—has a lot to offer in terms of restaurants, cute little bookstores, vintage shops and local cafes that people visit every day. What’s better than a cup of coffee to start your day? Here are 4 cafés that are a must visit, the next time you find yourself on the Danforth. Tsaa Tea Shop Located at 412 Danforth Ave is Tsaa Tea shop. Although this café specializes in tea, it also offers a wide variety of café drinks, from coffee to bubble tea. Filipino-owned, they also have a separate menu for just Filipino desserts from Halo Halo to Turron! The interior is small and cozy, decorated…
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Loukoumades on the Danforth: Greece’s Oldest and Most Delicious Dessert
When I was younger, the Danforth was Toronto. As a twelve-year-old growing up in Northern Ontario, I didn’t know anything about the city. All I knew was that my childhood best friend, Hannah, lived in Greektown. Every once in a while, I would take a Greyhound bus to the city to visit her. The trip was very stressful for me—the bus station at Bay and Dundas was always packed and disorienting, and the subway map was anything but straightforward. But when I arrived at the Danforth, everything became familiar and comforting. I loved Hannah’s house, which was a tall and skinny building with lots of windows. As a kid who…
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Pink is Back on the Danforth
In February of 2020, life in Toronto was business as usual. Natalie Borch, founder of The Pink Studio in Toronto, was teaching a variety of classes at her studio: dance, yoga, barre, and pilates. On March 17, 2020, Premier Doug Ford issued a state of emergency, and by April 1, 2020, the Government of Ontario sent the entire province into lockdown, plunging businesses into an indefinite closure that would have profound ramifications for the fitness industry. In what would end up being one of the world’s longest lockdowns, the industry would suffer immensely, and for businesses to survive, they would need to innovate quickly, which is exactly what Natalie and…
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8 Holiday Festivals in Toronto this Year
It is holiday festival season in Toronto! From artistic displays to holiday shopping, visiting Christmas markets and holiday festivals is the best way to get into the holiday spirit. Here is a list of some of the holiday festivals in the city this year.
