Did You Know?: Black Squirrels

One of the first things I noticed when we moved to Toronto were the squirrels.  I'm used to squirrels, but all of the squirrels I'd ever seen were gray with maybe a bit of white.  So when all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large, black, furry, rodent running on the side of our deck - I was pretty freaked out.  It took me a bit to figure out what it was - just a harmless squirrel, but black in color!  While you'll also see some gray squirrels in TO, the majority that I see are black.  Really, they are pretty cute once you get used to them but they still scare the bejeezus out of me every once and a while.

Celebrating Easter, The Canadian Way

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!  In Canada it is hard not to since it is a long weekend for most, and we lucked out with fabulously warm weather Saturday (and everything is finally starting to bloom).  Since Good Friday is not typically a day off in the US, I was surprised to learn that it is one of five nationwide statutory holidays in Canada.  On top of that, many people also have Easter Monday off as well (statutory for federal employees only though some other businesses take the extra day as well) making it a nice, long four-day weekend.  I've come to find out that most things are closed Friday and Sunday with the exception of some restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries.  Luckily for those like me who haven't finished preparing for Easter, virtually all of the service industries in Toronto are open on Saturday (stores, restaurants, gym, dry cleaner, etc).

TO Restaurants: Tati Bistro

Tati is a great French bistro on Harbord Street.  The interior is very quaint, and they have the best patio I've been to yet in Toronto as well as sidewalk seating in the front when the weather allows.  The food and wine are always good, and I enjoy the warm European feel.  The service, though friendly, is very slow.  And, it can be a bit spendy.  When you're in the mood for French food, check it out - and call ahead to reserve the back patio if it is warm enough!  Check out my review on Yelp from the link on the lower, left-hand side of the screen.

Can-Con

I guess it shouldn't be surprising with the small audience base here in Canada that it could be difficult to fund many great TV or music productions, and that people would turn to the US or other countries for more selection.  I recently learned about can-con requirements for radio and TV stations - which basically means a certain percentage of the content they air must be Canadian.  I find the whole concept very interesting, and apparently other countries have similar requirements. In Canada, these requirements are set by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).  Here is how it breaks down:

Driving in Toronto is Difficult

One-way changes direction

Downtown Toronto can be difficult to navigate while driving.  Here are a few things to be aware of.  First, Toronto is full of one-way streets and while this isn't novel for a big city, I've never seen a city full of so many one-way streets that change direction every block or so.  As soon as you get to an intersection in our neighborhood, you have to turn right or left because the street you are driving on changes to a one-way in the opposite direction - see the picture to the right.  I guess they do this so people can't overload the side streets with traffic.  Luckily, Google Maps is up-to-date with all of this information so your directions should be up-to-date.

Where to Shop TO: The Healthy Butcher

I don't eat meat, but my husband does so when we buy meat I try to be sure it is at least organic, free of hormones and antibiotics.  When possible, we buy meat from animals raised on their natural diet (chickens/pigs that are pasture raised, cows that are grass fed,etc).  So, we looked throughout Toronto for a butcher shop that meets our ideals for sourcing meat.  

The first place we found that we tried out is called The Healthy Butcher.  They have three locations - one on Queen just West of Spadina, one on Eglinton at Avenue, and one in Kitchener.  They say that their priority is local and organic meat, but they also offer some groceries and prepared foods like soups.  I really like their philosophy.  They have a quote in their store that says something to the effect of  - we should eat half as much meat at twice the price.  I completely believe that this is the way our society should focus on eating - much less meat of a much better quality.

Architecture in Toronto

Right in center of city - on Queen St.

Outside City Hall with modern skyscraper behind

Who thought this was a good idea?

ROM - mix of modern & historic

Melting pot - I think that is the best description of the architecture in Toronto.  Here you'll find many beautiful historical buildings, most of which are in fantastic shape, stashed throughout the city.  Then you'll also find slugs of concrete, evidence of the boom of growth in Toronto of the 60s and 70s.  City Hall and the library at U of T are perfect examples of this.  They don't look so bad on a sunny day, but man are they dreary on a gray winter day!  Of course there is also your fair share of new and modern buildings especially skyscrapers and condos!  But most uniquely, you'll find a hybrid of historical buildings mixed with a modern flare - in a way I've never seen before.  They literally build modern parts coming out of or around the old structure.  Take a look at the photo of the Royal Ontario Museum, I think this is the best example of the type of hybrid architecture but there are examples of it elsewhere like at U of T.  I appreciate that they aren't demolishing the historical buildings and have come up with a unique way to modernize the city, though this style takes a bit of getting used to.  

There is no one way to classify the architecture here so you're in for a treat when you start exploring!