Toronto

Nothing says Toronto like a ferry ride to the Islands on a warm summer's day. Never mind the waiting and the overcrowded terminal, every trip across the Toronto Harbour repeats a historic journey that first took place more than 180 years ago. The original Toronto Island ferry, powered by a pair of horses walking on a treadmill, first entered commercial service in 1833, several years before the Islands were first separated from the mainland. At the time, it was still possible to reach the lighthouse and other early buildings on foot by way of the marshes at the mouth of the Don. The ferry service, it turns out, is actually older than the Island. The first ever Toronto Island ferry was a simple wooden contraption that slowly paddled from the Steam Boat Wharfs at the foot of Church Street to a slip near Michael O'Connor's hotel, named The Retreat, directly across the water. The boat was the first regularly scheduled vessel to service the Islands, even if they weren't actually separate from the mainland at the time. The basic machine was powered by a pair of horses walking on separate treadmills connected by a series of gears to two large paddles. A single crew member, likely O'Connor, controlled the steering at the rear while passengers rode up front on an open deck. O'Connor, a former steward on the steam ship Canada, marketed The Retreat to "sportsmen, parties of pleasure," and those that wished to "inhale the Lake breeze." In 1833 he charged 7 1/2 pence for adults, 3 3/4 for kids. His boat ran every two or four hours every week day and Sundays. Though it was certainly convenient, the ferry wasn't entirely necessary. Before the middle of the 19th century, it was possible to simply walk to the Islands via a narrow sand isthmus from the marshes at the mouth of the Don, as the map above illustrates. The Eastern Gap, the 300-metre shipping passage between Ward's Island and the Port Lands, was created entirely naturally during a violent gale one spring night in 1858. Interestingly, the area was often called an island by the town's early inhabitants prior to the storm, though it was still technically a lengthy sandbar. Shortly after O'Connor started his hotel business, manufacturer Benjamin Knott moved his starch and soap factory to the property next door from the waterfront at Sherbourne Street. Shortly after his arrival on the Islands, Knott bought O'Connor's hotel and upgraded the ferry to a faster, four-horse vessel and slashed fares. The second ferry, the Sir John of the Peninsula, named for Sir John Moore, a British army officer who had lead O'Connor in battle during the Napoleonic wars, was powered by a team of horses coaxed in a circular motion on a single, large turntable. Needless to say the journey would have taken considerably longer than it does today - the Islands used to be further away (infill has actually moved the city almost half a kilometre closer in places) and horse powered vessels tended to move quite slowly. Knott's ownership of the hotel didn't last long. He sold up to another group of entrepreneurs, Anderton and Palin, who switched the name to the Peninsula Hotel. They fitted the place out with "neat and comfortable furniture ... a larder stocked with game, etc., in season, and choice wines." The pair purchased the city's first steam-powered Island ferry, aptly naming it the Toronto. It was 19-metres long with a "commodious deck cabin" and harnessed a boiler capable of producing fourteen horsepower. For reason that aren't clear, the Toronto didn't stay on the water long. As Mike Filey notes in his history of the Island ferries, the vessel was removed from service and auctioned that same year, sending travel to the idyllic outpost back to animal power. By this time the Toronto Islands were becoming a popular destination for day-trippers. As a result, the city had established a toll of between four and six pence for each horse-drawn buggy that wished to use the trail

Tweet Fresh off the heels of a number of illustrious debuts at TCAF as well as nominations for both Eisner and Doug Wright awards, Michael DeForge undeniably inhabits all meaning of unstoppable. And thus, true to form, another release is lined up for this summer, titled THE BOY IN QUESTION, to be released by an additionally noteworthy force, Space Face Books, who previously has put out DeForge’s MOLECULES along with an assemblage of lustworthy mini-comics. DeForge’s newest work is an exposition of  the recurring quasi-documentary style that the Toronto cartoonist is well known for, this time tackling a narrative about an army man and woman who encounter a slumbering mysterious figure in the desert and what follows in the days and years after capturing this alien presence. Beginning in DeForge’s unequivocal rendering, THE BOY IN QUESTION starts off with a duo of uniformed soldiers coming across a peculiar specimen laying in a strange sea of desert sand. Whether this being is alive or dead, human or creature is an enigma, and as the couple’s attempt for backup go unanswered, this sets off the consequent string of events as the story twists and distorts into tales that depict everything from human genesis, the survival diet, extramarital affairs, futuristic scientific probing to incestual colonization. Like many of DeForge’s other works, the story is rich with his familiar dream logic, as time runs awry, often skipping months or even years ahead. Although more recent works have been done in color, THE BOY IN QUESTION is printed in black and white, yet if anything, the dark tonal blacks and greys are utilized in establishing the disturbing and psychedelic universe of the story. However for those yearning for some color, the cover is printed in an eye-catching spectrum of bright luminosity and serve as a nice glimpse at the seraphic figure of the comic. A little larger than the previous pocket size 3×5 format, THE BOY IN QUESTION measures out at 7×10 inches and runs 20 pages in length. Going for the nice price of $7, Space Face Books will be releasing this comic early this summer, but have just started taking pre-orders now. Space Face Books continue to release some of the best mini-comics from a diverse number of young independent cartoonists, and even offer a yearly subscription (although for now is sold out!) that would ensure the delivery 0f comics from the likes of Michael DeForge, Joe Kessler, Patrick Kyle, Simon Hanselmann, and more. Head to the Space Face Books store to get your copy now! #call_to_action h4{padding:0px 5px;} #social-essentials {margin: 0 0 10px 0;}

This edition features The Amazing Racist and Christina Walkinshaw. Can you guess which one got banned from Casino Niagara? SUN MAY 26 / CHICKA BOOM / FREE TIMES CAFE / 320 COLLEGE / 8PM / PWYC On this edition of Chicka Boom, your headliner is none other than Christina Walkinshaw, who made waves recently by announcing that she was banned from doing shows at Casino Niagara because of an incident that transpired the last time she was there. What happened? "About five minutes into my act, they [8-10 drunk men] started to chant: 'Show us your tits! Show us your tits! Show us your tits!' Under normal circumstances, I would shoot them a sassy line, and tell them to shut up. But this club sends us all memos, telling us NOT to talk to the crowd, or engage the staff in our acts. So basically, I have two choices. Keep going, or show them my tits. I decide to just keep going. A few minutes later, they started chanting again: "Show us your bush! Show us your bush! Show us your bush!'" For the full story, Click here. It's a sad day when comics can lose a gig over circumstances like these, so come out and show your support! THURS MAY 30 / ARI SHAFFIR / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 8PM / $20 Ari was my favourite comedian at JFL42 last summer. Why? He was able to extract twenty minutes of material from a shit joke involving MadTV's Bobby Lee. Maybe that's the comedian in me talking, but it finally made me realize what Joe Rogan meant when he called Ari a legitimate headliner. Ari got more than a few London Ontarians upset when it was announced he'd be doing a show out there. In fact, the protesters were so fierce that they got the venue to cancel the show! Civil action works! Well, kind of. They've moved the show to an even bigger venue. PS - I hate to go back to his Amazing Racist work, but the joke at 0:55 is ausome! WED MAY 29 / KYLE AND MARK DO A NEW PLAY / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 8PM / $5 On the Facebook page, the description ends with the location of the event: Comedy Bar Cabaret Space. Toronto. Ontario. Canada. Earth. Milky Way. Gem on a dog's collar. It's these kinds of hilariously quirky antics that thousands grew to love during Mark & Kyle's run on PicnicFace, and it's exactly why the show sells out every week. Click play and revel in all of their glory. PS - clip doesn't include Dooley, but trust me, dude's a monster. FRI MAY 31 / GERRY DEE / YUK YUK'S / 224 RICHMOND W / FRI 8PM SAT 8PM & 1030PM / $39 There's a difference between comedians that only have strong material and comedians that are genuinely funny no matter what scenario you put them in. Watch Gerry Dee long enough, and you'll realize that he's a sincerely hilarious individual. In 2008, he was recognized with a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-Up.  His show on CBC, Mr. D, garnered 1.23M viewers in its first episode.  But what I find most impressive is that he held his own in an interview with Charles Barkley, even to the point of cutting him off on a few occasions, which is no simple feat. SAT JUNE 1 / DOUG BENSON / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 420PM / $20 Remember Super High Me? This is the dude. He's done everything from play an extra in Blade Runner to have bit parts in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Wowzers.  A few Canucks might remember his Red Eye incident where he made a joke about the Canadian military during the a month where casualties hit a peak. (Insert Louis CK's Of Course But Maybe bit here). Anyhoo, dude's been mad consistent over the past few years, recording a comedy album every 4/20 and placing sixth on NBC's Last Comic Standing. Make note of the time! About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, walks you through the up's and down's (they're mostly down's, really) in my quest to become a killer comic in Toronto.

TORONTO (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles are bashing home runs at an impressive rate right now. View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Toronto Blue Jays News

Former U.S. soccer international Robbie Rogers, who came out as gay and retired from the game in February, is to join Major League Soccer’s L.A. Galaxy, USA Today reported Friday.

Toronto Police sent out a news release Friday noting that the film Fast & Furious 6 débuts this weekend, and: “This movie continues to maintain a following of individuals who believe that the operation of vehicles similar to the way the vehicles are operated in the movie is acceptable and without consequences.” To those drivers, the police warned, “We will be there, and we will stop you.” Kim Brown caught up with Constable Clint Stibbe of Traffic Services for more details. Q: How much influence do you think movies like Fast & Furious have on drivers? A: It’s hard to say. Unfortunately some people make bad decisions and say “if they can do that, I can do that.”  You can watch the movie, you can enjoy the movie, there’s nothing wrong with that. But we just don’t want those actions that you’re seeing on the screen to become an attempt in real life. Q: What actions qualify as stunts? A: Stunt driving really involves any chance you take with a motor vehicle. So if you’re driving a motorcycle and you pop a wheelie – that is a charge of stunt driving. Driving 50 kilometres or more over the posted speed limit is another example. RelatedCars, more cars and one-dimensional characters: A Fast & Furious 6 primerThe Fast and the Furious: On an improbable franchise, and one big continuity questionExpert social media strategist Vin Diesel says Facebook owes him ‘billions’Fast & Furious 6, reviewed: Go for the mythos, stay for the action (or just go for the action) Q: Is stunt driving becoming more of an issue here? A: It’s an ongoing issue. For the month of May last year, we had approximately 350 stunt driving charges laid [in Ontario]. So far, we’re sitting at 308 this year. That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re on a downward trend, that number is still substantial. Q: Who typically is caught stunt driving and what vehicle are they in? A: We’ve caught a range of offenders from as young as 18 to as old as 50. You will see that we don’t always have a car that’s tricked out, but you will generally see that it’s the faster type of vehicle; the SRT8 Chryslers, the BMWs, the higher end vehicles, they’re at a higher disposition to be stopped for that kind of offense because those drivers have the ability to get up to [high] speeds. Q: Are there hot spots in Toronto where people drive more aggressively? A: Yes. Westbound and eastbound Fred Gardiner Expressway, east of the 427. You still get them on the Don Valley Parkway and on city streets, but on the expressways, people misjudge how fast they’re going and they really don’t realize how far above the limit they are. Q: When and where can drivers expect to see an influx of police this weekend? A: It’s going to be throughout the entire weekend. No specific areas will be targeted, but officers will be driving low visibility vehicles. So don’t be surprised if you get pulled over by a car somewhere along the line. It could be anywhere at any time. Q: And approximately how many more police cars will be out on the road this weekend? A: That would be cheating, we’re not going to say how many. But if people make good decisions this weekend, we may not write a single citation. And in the end that is the goal.

Recently our pal Jay Floyd of PhoulBallz.com chatted with New Hampshire Fisher Cats hurler Tyson Brummett. Claimed off waiver by the Blue Jays from the Phillies organization last off-season, the 28-year-old was a veteran addition to the system, but hasn't had much luck this season. Through 10 outings with the Double-A Fisher Cats, Brummett has a 0-3 record with a 5.59 ERA. Here are some highlights from Jay's interview with Tyson... On the differences between the Toronto and Philadelphia organizations- There's always a lot of differences. I was in that organization for a long time. I grew up with a lot of those guys, you know, roommates and people like that, coming up through the ranks. This is my first time in a different organization, obviously there are new people, new faces. At the end of the day, it's still baseball. You've gotta go out there and perform and do all those fun things on the field. On pitching against the Phils' Double-A team in Reading and putting forth his best effort of the season, with six shut out innings- I mean it's always...you get up to face your old organization. I know there's guys that jump around and have played for three or four different organizations. I think there's that kind of connection there. They know you and you know them and things like that, but you always want to go out and put on a show for the team that you used to be with and obviously the team that you're with against your old team. Kind of like giving a message like, "Hey, I can still help a team win." On who has been the biggest help to him with the Blue Jays- I mean, honestly, there's a lot of veteran guys both here, in Double-A and at Triple-A. I think I probably learned the most, it was my first big league (spring training) this year, I had a lot of guys that I played with and Northwoods League and collegiate leagues. Once you've played this game and you move around, it's hard to not run into somebody you've played and vice versa. It's just really good communication over here. Lots of friends. They went out this year and picked up a lot of veteran guys, so it's a lot of guys that have been all over the place, so you feel like you have an instant connection with them, 'cause they're kind of in the same boat you are. I think overall it's pretty welcoming. To read the full interview with Tyson, including details on his time playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, click here.

As the old, unfortunately fitting cliche goes, Curtis Granderson and the New York Yankees can't catch a break when it comes to injuries this season. In Granderson's case, that's because he's found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time on two different occasions, and has been unable to avoid the two stray pitches that immediately sent him to the x-ray table. The first came on Feb, 24 when Granderson was struck on the right forearm by Toronto Blue Jays hurler J.A. Happ. That ended up costing him all of spring training and the first 38 games of the regular season before his return on May 14. Now, just ten short days later, Granderson is headed right back to the disabled list after being hit on the left hand by Cesar Ramos during Friday night's 9-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Much like the first injury, it was pitch from a left-hander that rode in on the lefty swinging Granderson. He committed early, and got clipped right on the bottom side of the hand before he could pull back. The result this time was a broken knuckle on his left pinkie finger that will cost his at least four weeks. That's the early estimation anyway, and that doesn't seem all that likely to come down. It's another rough blow for the Yankees offense to be sure, though we've seen them survive the lack of Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter through nearly two months. It's probably be a tougher blow for Granderson, who spent so much time sitting helplessly on the sideline only to return and suffer a similar type injury. One can only imagine that frustration. And would you believe that wasn't the only injury concern for New York on the evening? Starting pitcher David Phelps, who had been very effective into the eighth inning, was struck on his pitching arm by a Ben Zobrist line drive. X-rays there were negative, and the official diagnosis for Phelps is a bruised right forearm. But goodness, it's one thing after another for New York, and I'm not sure their fans have been after to exhale (despite the success) since spring training began. Looking for more baseball chatter? Follow @bigleaguestew, @Townie813, @AnswerDave and @MikeOz on Twitter Also, check out the BLS Facebook Page

Toronto police have charged a man in a cold-case sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl that occurred over twenty years ago. The assault took place in February 1991, after the accused allegedly approached the victim and her five-year-old sister in the lobby of their apartment near Warden Avenue and Danforth Road. The man then took the two girls in his car. He left the younger sister at a store on Victoria Park Avenue, and drove the victim to a secluded area where he sexually assaulted her, police say. He then dropped off the victim at a restaurant on Danforth Road. Shane Daniel Garry, 45, of Brampton faces eight charges including sexual assault, kidnapping and forcible confinement. The suspect was identified using DNA evidence collected around the time of the incident, said Sex Crimes Unit Detective Ali Ansari. He would not confirm how a match had been made. “I can’t tell you how we caught up with him,” he said. “It’s a solved case now, it’s before the courts.” Ansari said police believe the suspect may have other victims. National Post

More than 400 Ontario Lottery and Gaming employees are poised to walk off the job at the Woodbine Slots if a deal is not reached by 12:01 p.m. Monday. OLG and union representatives from the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have not been at the bargaining table since late April, when union members rejected a tentative agreement for a second time in as many months. However an OLG official said parties will re-enter negotiations over the weekend. A potential strike would only affect the slots facility, not the racetrack. David Lewis, a member of the PSAC negotiating unit, said members are concerned about pay increases and job stability for part-time staff. Union worries also revolve around OLG modernization plan, which includes the  privatization of slot operations at Woodbine and other racetracks. Hours of operation at the slots will be reduced in the event of a strike, OLG has said. RelatedWoodbine Live project — aimed at turning ‘Rexdale into Rosedale’ — stopped after impasse with U.S. partnerCouncil formally kills possibility of a Toronto casino