It’s harder to afford a home in TORONTO than at any point in the last 25 years, according to a Royal Bank of Canada study released this week. A lack of supply and overwhelming demand is driving the surge.” – Toronto Metro
Art Nouveau stylized maple leaves created by GUSTAV HAHN in 1893 have been uncovered in the ceiling of the Ontario legislative assembly in TORONTO. Hidden from view for more than a century, the four-panel mural was protected by layers of horse hair, canvas and white paint. The orange and green maple leaves look as fresh as if Hahn had painted them last week. <PHOTO – Toronto Star/Metro> The German-born Hahn, who died in 1962 at the age of 96, was an important early TORONTO muralist whose work can be found in many churches and public buildings, including Old City Hall and Spadina House.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand <PHOTO ABOVE> has overtaken TORONTO to become the world’s top destination for luxury housing, according to a survey by Christie’s International Real Estate.
REY, an endangered Grevy’s Zebra is another new baby born at the TORONTO Zoo this summer. Wasting no time, the little one was on its feet 10 minutes after arriving, and is now developing a “strong and confident” personality.
PROPELLER, 30 Abell Street, 20 years old and artist-run, is open again after a month of renovation. Abell Street is a block west of The Theatre Centre/south of the Drake Hotel.
The New York Times & the BBC Announce Plans To Expand To Canada.
The BBC will open a news bureau in TORONTO and launch a Canadian edition of its news website. The New York Times is recruiting journalists in both Australia and Canada, and laying the groundwork for local newsrooms.
Former Prime Minister STEPHEN HARPER has given up his seat in Parliament and resigned from public life. During his second term – a marjority government – he’ll be remembered for disregarding the financial needs of Ontario, the undignified treatment of our premier, under-funding infrastructure, public transit, social housing, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, towns and cities, shutting down Parliament twice, reluctantly accepting the possibility of global warming, and generally acting like ‘the king of Canada’.
Art is where you find it. WEBSITE – 
Some good news on TORONTO’s infrastructure front. Tunnel boring on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line has been finished.
When completed the Crosstown will connect Weston Road to Kennedy Station along Eglinton Avenue. On the line – 3 subway interchanges, links to GO suburban transit, and 54 bus routes. The Crosstown represents TORONTO’s largest transit project in a generation. Travel is predicted to be 60% faster than on the existing bus service.
About 2 hours down Highway 401 from TORONTO (around the corner by Canadian standards), you enter a world unto itself.
For the skeptics among us PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY seemed too good to be true. But after visiting for a couple of days I was totally won over by the rusticity of the countryside, the architecture in its towns and villages, wineries, beaches and views of Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, restaurants, antique stores, art galleries and the locals themselves. <PHOTOS ABOVE & BELOW – Oeno Gallery & Sculpture Garden adjacent to Huff Estates Winery, tours, lunch, patio>
<PHOTO ABOVE – Quaker Meeting House, 1885, WELLINGTON; last one left in The County, now a museum with a cannery exhibition and the history of the Quaker community>
<PHOTO ABOVE – Domaine Darius, 200 year old garden and unique winery run by a couple>
<The County’s Wine Trail features over 20 different wineries>
<Homemade County ice cream and winery tours in BLOOMFIELD>
<The sand dunes at SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK on Lake Ontario>
PICTON is The County’s largest unincorporated community. The town, originally named HALLOWELL, was settled in the 1780’s by Loyalists from America’s Thirteen Colonies.
It was in PICTON that Sir John A. MacDonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, managed a law office for his uncle. Pay your respects to Sir John on Main Street in front of The Armoury.
<Set for ‘HMS Pinafore’, Regent Theatre, PICTON>
PICTON’s CRYSTAL PALACE is a replica of London’s original. Built in 1887 this smaller version in yellow and green is the only one of its kind left in North America. Over six years from 1990-96 this historic and architecturally significant building was carefully restored. <INTERIOR PHOTO by Ross Winter>
PICTON’S restaurants – there are several. One of the finest in Ontario is located just down Highway #49 from the Crystal Palace. The BLUMEN GARDEN INN is outstanding and reservations are recommended at 613-476-0841.
There’s much to see and do on your way to Prince Edward County. By following Highway #2 you’ll pass through several historic towns and villages – each offering lots of gingerbread architecture, galleries, museums – as well as better-than-average cafes and restaurants. PORT HOPE – the Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street, is one of Canada’s last remaining “atmospheric” theatres. The interior gives the illusion of sitting in a medieval courtyard under twinkling stars and moving clouds. Restored to its original splendour.
COBOURG – the largest town and county seat of Northumberland, founded by United Empire Loyalists in 1798. Standing in the heart of downtown and visible from just about everywhere, is Victoria Hall designed by architect Kivas Tully. Inside you’ll find the fine Art Gallery of Northumberland, the Cobourg Concert Hall and a courtroom now used as the Council chamber.
COBOURG is also home to Dressler House, 212 King Street West. At one time MARIE DRESSLER was the highest paid movie star, even earning more than GRETA GARBO. In 1930 she won an Oscar for Best Actress, and was the first film star to appear on the cover of TIME, August 7, 1933.
COBOURG boasts one of the largest collections of vintage architectural artifacts, hardware, antique lighting and building materials. It’s all for sale. LEGACY is open Thursday to Sunday at 540 Division Street.
COBOURG restaurants – there are many. My favourites were The Butter Milk Cafe for breakfast and lunch & 92King for dinner and sitting on the patio while watching the world go by.
TRENTON is quite large (population 20,000) and is the starting point for the Trent-Severn Waterway. It was an important film production centre around 1917 when a studio was built and a number of movies were made here. It’s home to the RCAF Trenton Air Force base, and Highway #2 passes right by it.
BELLEVILLE is the largest city in the region (population 50,000). It’s located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte. Front Street is being totally rebuilt this year. For aficionados of construction, unobstructed storefronts, and Victorian commercial architecture, this could be a worthwhile stop. Front Street is all about local business – no chain stores here.
A 128-page book – ‘Rise And Fall: The Condominiumization of TORONTO’ – by Dutch art historian Hans Ibelings and TORONTO architecture and design firm PARTISANS is now available on Amazon.
This is the story of the rise and fall of the condo tower in Canada’s largest city. The new buildings, their size, mass, volume and height and the speed by which they’re being built, is totally remarkable. The only thing not remarkable is their architecture. The result – buildings so similar that Hans Ibelings compares them to Soviet-era housing blocks.
PARTISANS website – 
<ANDRE DE GRASSE after running the 100-metre, by Tyler Anderson/Postmedia Network> He placed third, winning a 100-metre bronze, but the future looks golden for Markham’s ANDRE DE GRASSE, 21. The ‘fastest man in the world’ and gold medal winner USAIN BOLT of Jamaica seemed to agree. “He feels like I’m the next one and I’m just trying to live up to it,” De Grasse said about an exchange he had with Bolt after the race. “I feel like I’m capable of doing it.” Andre will next compete in the 200-metre and the 4×100-metre relay.
TORONTO’s Penny Oleksiak has captured four medals in the Rio Olympics – two bronze, one silver and now, a gold in the 100-metre freestyle. Four medals is the most ever won by a Canadian at a single Summer Olympics. Penny now stands alone in Canadian Olympic history.
The John Irwin House, built in 1872-73 on Grenville Street has been saved – chimneys and all – and is now part of a high-rise development. It will soon be bookended by second tower. Queen Victoria would not be amused.
On St. Thomas Street at Sultan, a red brick Victorian row is being enveloped by a new curvy office building. The row is being painstakingly reassembled and when finished it should be quite fine – although it won’t be quite the same.
<The Design Exchange, formerly the TORONTO Stock Exchange, is tucked into a TD Bank building on Bay Street. It’s all there.>
Toronto Savvy 