• Food + Drink,  Web Exclusive

    Succulent Memories, Exquisite Changes: Serano Bakery 

    The first time I visited the Danforth, a variety of things caught my attention. Some of them because of their beauty, like an impressive white house with a bright red door, and buildings with beautiful architecture, like the church. Also, because something seemed unique, like signs with an “x” on it for pedestrians on Pape and Aldwych Avenues (I had not seen this in Colombia, the country I’m from). But among them all, one special place caught my attention the most: the Serano Bakery.  This spot reminded me of my country, my family, and my childhood. In Colombia, there are bakeries everywhere, sometimes several on a single block. It was…

  • Photo of Canadian Flag
    Arts + Culture,  Events,  Literature

    Economic Club of Canada: Fighting for the Canadian Economy

    Coming out of Union Station to Front Street West in Toronto, you are greeted by the illustrious Royal York Hotel. Entering the building, you feel the gravity of the building’s history and prestige as a hub not only for travellers, but also the groups, companies, and businesses that choose to use the hotel as a location for their events. No other location could be more fitting for The Economic Club of Canada to host their event, Growing an Economy that Works for Everyone on March 6th, 2020. An event catering towards equality, awareness, and especially the economics of Canadian culture, the arts, and various other industries. The Economic Club of…

  • book covers of cbc canada reads nominated texts
    About,  Arts + Culture,  Entertainment,  Events,  Literature

    Danforth Reads

    At On the Danforth, simply put, we believe in the power of books. Not just to entertain and inspire, but to shed light on some otherwise overlooked issues. That’s why we were delighted to hear the theme of this year’s CBC Canada Reads competition: “one book to bring Canada into focus.” But can one book really hold that much power? We’d like to think so, and what better way to figure it out than by celebrating the format of Canada Reads and arguing amongst ourselves? So we’re hosting a mini Canada Reads debate at onthedanforth.ca: the same five books, a few slightly less famous defenders. Read our arguments, and leave…

  • colourful illustration of people's faces in profile
    Health + Wellness,  Opinion

    Bell Let’s Talk is Cheap

    Bell Let’s Talk is an annual campaign wherein the telecommunications giant, Bell Canada, donates five cents for every text, wireless and long-distance call by customers, and any social media post that includes #BellLetsTalk. On surface level, the campaign is a success–having donated over $100 million to “mental health programs” in Canada over the last nine years. The campaign has also broadened its reach since it first began in 2011; going on to reserve funding specifically for child and youth programming, military family services, and Indigenous mental health initiatives nationally. However, as the campaign has gained esteem, impulsively becoming the pinnacle of a mental health movement in Canada, it has also…

  • old time gramophone, representing the 62nd Grammy Awards
    Arts + Culture,  Entertainment,  Fashion,  Lifestyle,  Literature

    Canada Reads 2020 short list titles as 62nd Grammy Awards fashion

    The best season of the year has arrived: awards season. With the announcement of the Canada Reads 2020 short list on January 22, I thought it would be fun to match each book cover with its celebrity counterpart following the red carpet at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards. The only criteria I had was that the outfit had to compliment the book cover and, without fail, these celebrities delivered. Book: Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles (photo cred: House of Anansi) Celebrity: Tyler the Creator wearing Golf le Fleur. (photo cred: Getty Images) Book: Radicalized by Cory Doctorow (photo cred: Macmillan) Celebrity: Jessie…

  • Spotlight

    “I struggle with the word power”: An Interview with Ann Buller

    Says Ann Buller, President and CEO of Centennial College, on being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Having assumed the presidency of Centennial College in 2004, Ann Buller has proved herself time and again. From Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Governor General of Canada, 2013) to President’s/Chancellor’s Award (North American Council for Staff Program and Organizational Development, 2010), Buller added yet another feather in her overcrowded cap when she was recently named Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network—a title given to her in 2010 as well. Buller has been working in the education sector for the past 25 years. And what does the view…

  • Spotlight

    “A writer, in some ways, lives and dies with the characters”: An Interview with Madeleine Thien

    Says Madeleine Thien, author of the award-winning novel, Do No Say We Have Nothing. I often judge a book by its cover. But when it came to Scotiabank Giller Prize winner Madeleine Thien’s Do Not Say We Have Nothing (the book also received the Governor General’s Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize), history was not bound to repeat itself. I met Thien during a session organized by Pivot Reading Series late November. As I mustered up the courage to speak to the author, I was soon pleasantly surprised by her honesty and genuine interest. When asked how the people closest to her shaped her into the…

  • Arts + Culture

    A Maze of Masterpieces: A Walk Through the AGO

    Walking into the Art Gallery of Ontario last Saturday, I was abuzz with anticipation. The lobby was packed, a winding line of bodies culminating in the shapeless crowd that reached almost all the way to the front doors. Luckily, I had been advised to purchase my ticket ahead of time and so moved forward. “Are you here for Mystical Landscapes?” a smiling AGO employee asked, seeming to already know my answer. “Right this way, up to the second floor.” I followed a line of other art enthusiasts up the museum stairs, guided by large signs that directed me toward my destination. For the last few weeks I had been looking…

  • Archive

    Bookworms Unite With #50BookPledge

    How many books can you get through in a year? By joining the 50 Book Pledge initiative and using the official tag, #50BookPledge, on Twitter, book lovers everywhere can keep track of exactly just how much of a bookworm they are. It all started with the creation of The Savvy Reader, a blog created back in 2006 and hosted by HarperCollins Canada. It was a response to the then-outdated HarperCollins website, which didn’t reflect the values and services the publishing company wanted to give to its readers. Through The Savvy Reader, HarperCollins is able to “connect and engage with readers as readers rather than as publishers and marketers,” says Kaitlyn…