Opa! It’s almost time for one of Toronto’s favourite summertime food festivals – the Taste of the Danforth. Now in its 16^th delicious year, a large part of the Danforth will be closed to traffic from August 7 – August 9 so that we can all be out and about eating, drinking, dancing, and shopping.

Taste of the Danforth days, dates, and hours:

• Friday, August 7^th from 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM
• Saturday, August 8^th from Noon – 11:00 PM
• Sunday, August 9^th from Noon – 8:00 PM

Greektown is the largest Hellenic business community in North America and the third largest in the world after Greece and Melbourne, Australia. The Taste of the Danforth is the largest Greek festival in the world outside of Greece. Over 1 million people – locals, national, and international guests - flock to the Taste of the Danforth. Why? The food of course – mouth watering authentic Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. Over 50 restaurants in the area will be participating. In addition to dining in or on one of the many fantastic patios, there will be food samples sold on the street so that you can walk from restaurant to restaurant sampling their wares. It’s a great opportunity to revisit your old stand-bys or discover a new favourite. In addition to fabulous food there will be live music, lots of great deals from local retailers, and even children’s activities.

With the Danforth closed to cars, please leave yours at home and use the TTC. Take the Bloor-Danforth Subway Line and exit at Chester, Pape, or Donlands.

Tim Hortons has launched in New York City. My question is why? New York City is certainly not lacking coffee shops; therefore Tim’s is certainly not filling a void. They may be a Canadian institution, for reasons that I have yet to figure out, but that rarely translates to our friends to the south.

Here are some Tim Hortons facts:

• There are almost 3,500 locations in North America
• There are approximately 500 locations currently operating in the U.S.
• They sell about two billion cups of coffee annually

All of the 13 Tim Hortons locations were originally Dunkin’ Donuts stores that have been converted. Nine of the ten locations in Manhattan are now open and they are in great locations in the heart of the city including Penn Plaza, Broadway, and Madison Square Garden. Two locations will open in Brooklyn. Here is the complete list of Tim Hortons locations in New York City. The company plans to open three other locations in Manhattan next month in existing Cold Stone Creamery outlets as part of a co-branding test of up to 100 U.S. stores.

The unanswered question is how will Tim’s market to New Yorkers and how effective will that marketing be? The one thing that can be guaranteed is that Canadian tourists will undoubtedly flock to Tim Hortons when they see one, but what about New Yorkers? They are a sophisticated bunch with an abundance of coffee shops to choose from. What is so special about Tim Hortons that will make them switch from their regular place? There is no doubt that Tim Horton had a strong connection to the U.S. while he played hockey for the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres. However, he passed away in 1974, so I don’t know if that is going to be much of an enticement to try his coffee. Tim Hortons opened its first U.S. store in Tonawanda, New York in 1984 and the company’s coffee bean roasting plant is based in Rochester, New York, but Tonawanda and Rochester are well beyond the scope of interest of Manhattanites.

It will be interesting to see how they do. Do you think that Tim Hortons will be a New York City success story? If you were in New York would you go into Tim Hortons for a coffee?

The Beaches International Jazz Festival from July 17 – 26, is now it its 21^st year. What began as a small, local event featuring an afternoon of jazz in the park has become one of Toronto’s favourite summertime festivals. Staying true to its roots, The Beaches International Jazz festival is FREE.

Featured Events:

• The Festival Kick-off July 17 – 19 at Woodbine Park located at Lake Shore and Coxwell.
• Streetfest July 23 – 25 from 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM on Queen Street East features 50 jazz bands along a 2 km stretch of Queen St. E. Over 1 million people are expected to attend.
• Main Stage July 25 – 26 11:30 AM – 6:30 PM at Kew Gardens features free concerts.
• Workshops & Lecture Series July 20 – 25 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at the Mennonite New Life Center located at 1774 Queen St. East (Queen and Lark Streets, just west of Woodbine).
• Marathon/Walk July 26 – 20k at 8:30 AM, 10k at 9:30 AM, and 5k at 10:00 AM starting at the foot of Kew Gardens, out and back on the Martin Goodman Trail to Ashbridges Bay and Tommy Thompson Park.

Come early to stake out a place at the Main Stage concerts or to find a place at Streetfest. Bring along a chair or blanket and make your self comfortable. The Beaches will be teeming with people so please leave your car at home and take the TTC

• Take 92 Woodbine South Bus from Woodbine Subway Station
• Take 22 Coxwell Bus from Coxwell Station.
• Take the 501 Queen St Streetcar east from Queen or Osgoode Subway Stations

Counterfeiting continues to be a big problem for the TTC . Last year the TTC eliminated paper tickets and the tokens were changed to bi-metal in order to make counterfeiting more difficult, but I wonder how effective the new tokens really are. Considering that the TTC has $2 million in fraud-related losses each year, it doesn’t seem likely that it did the trick. Now it appears that fake Metropasses are the hot issue.

The TTC sells 260,000 Metropasses every month and they seize about 500 bogus passes every month. In reality there are many more fakes out there because they are almost identical to the real ones and many elude detection. This year to date the police have seized about 2,500 fake passes and arrested 500 people in connection with counterfeiting. What is the TTC going to do about this? They will be issuing new Metropasses in July that feature a hologram which is supposed to make them harder to counterfeit. This will cost the TTC approximately $250,000 annually. Considering the rate at which credit cards with holograms are faked, does the TTC have a reasonable expectation that this is a well advised course of action?  In addition when you buy a Metropass it will come with a yellow sticker that you must remove before you can use it. This sounds like the stickers that are on new credit cards that give you the instructions for activating your card. The TTC is clearly trying to emulate the credit card model for enhanced security. How long to you think that it will take before the counterfeiters have developed Metropasses with holograms and yellow stickers? Perhaps if the TTC made purchasing a Metropass cost effective, they wouldn’t have to be spending fortunes on enhanced security measures.

Toronto’s Pride Week, or more accurately, Toronto’s Pride 10 Days, will be taking place from Friday, June 19th to Sunday, June 28th. Proudly, Toronto’s Pride Week is one of the largest pride celebrations in the world, celebrating the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, and Two-Spirited communities. Of course we all know about the Pride Parade , but pride week is much more than that – it is a world class 10-day arts and culture festival that features arts and entertainment, a street fair, Dyke March, Youth Pride, Family Pride, and a Free Zone (a drug and alcohol free zone).

The highlight and the culmination of Pride Week is the Pride Parade which will begin on Sunday, June 28th at 2:00 PM. The theme of this year’s Pride Parade is “CAN’T STOP: WON’T STOP”. The parade will travel west on Bloor St. between Church and Yonge Streets, then south on Yonge St. from Bloor St. to Gerrard St., and then east on Gerrard St. to Church St. This year the International Grand Marshal is Victor Juliet Mukasa and Parade Grand Marshal is El-Farouk Khaki.

The importance of the other Pride Week events is often overshadowed by the Parade, but Pride Week is also a family event. On Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th Family Pride will be set up on the grounds of the Church Street Junior Public School located at 83 Alexander and Church Streets from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM offering inclusive, family-friendly activities and events.

Pride Week is for everyone – learn, experience, and celebrate!

It appears that two enterprising fellows in Montreal have found a way to ease the pain of finding parking in Montreal, so why can’t it be done in Toronto? Philippe Guevremont and Dominic Chartrand founded Ma Place, a website that finds and reserves a parking space for you in downtown Montreal and near Metro Longueuil. It’s a very simple process. You sign up and enter where and when you need a parking space. The computer finds the parking space, reserves it, and takes your payment by credit card. So far approximately 700 people have signed up for the service.

Why don’t we have anything like this in Toronto? The closest is http://www.parkingspots.com/ which doesn’t help in your daily quest to find a parking space. What it does is help you find long term monthly parking, rent out your monthly parking space, and locate event parking.

Ma Place sounds like a great idea that could really work in Toronto. The amount of time wasted looking for a parking space, not to mention the frustration level, continues to escalate. In spite of the fact that the Mayor of Toronto and the current city council would like to see cars banished from our fair city that is not going to happen. Making the parking process more efficient would benefit the drivers, the city, and the environment. There would be much less gridlock and less idling, therefore less pollution. It seems that this type of parking system is a win-win for everyone. Why doesn’t the City of Toronto get behind a project like this and do something useful for a change?

Don’t just get angry, do something about it. The Say No to Parking Fees Petition has been created in response to the Toronto Transit Commission eliminating free Metropass parking as of April 1, 2009. And, unfortunately this is not an April Fool’s Day joke. Instead of free parking, Metropass holders will be charged a daily rate between $3 and $12 per day. This is the same rate as anyone else who parks in the lot. Being a Metropass holder will no longer have its privileges.

It has been estimated that approximately 5% of Metropass users will be affected by this new policy. The question really is whether charging Metropass holders for parking will make public transit costs prohibitive and actually make it more economical for commuters to drive instead, particularly with gas prices down. And if that is the case, will the TTC actually be making any money from charging Metropass holders for parking, or will they lose money in the long run? A TTC report estimated that the new parking policy could cost the TTC between $2.5 million and $3.5 million in lost fare revenue.

The TTC says that it has no plans to reconsider the policy and that the money is needed to maintain the parking lots. New equipment is being installed in the parking lots allowing patrons to pay with credit cards instead of cash only. Free parking will still be available at the TTC’s parking lots after 3:00 PM daily and on weekends and holidays. However, that won’t do anything to help the poor, beleaguered commuter. If you feel strongly about the issue, sign the petition and call your city councilor.

This is North America’s largest home show with over 700 retailers exhibiting at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place located at 100 Princes’ Boulevard. Are you interested in renovating or decorating, indoors or outdoors? Are you looking for a little advice or inspiration for that pet project of yours? Are you looking to update your home without spending an arm and a leg? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then Toronto’s National Home Show is the place for you.

Bring the whole family along. Children under 12 years of age admitted free of charge and there is free childcare during show hours for children between the ages of 2 and 10. And, the Direct Energy centre is wheelchair accessible.

Visit with celebrity guests, take in one of the special theme days, enjoy the live on stage demonstrations, and get advice on trends, décor, eco tips and recipes. Take plenty of time to see all of the exhibitors who have the latest and greatest in home and garden products on display.

-    Furnishings & Accessories
-    Interior Design
-    Kitchens & Bathrooms
-    Appliances
-    Cabinetry
-    Carpet & Flooring
-    Windows & Doors
-    Window Treatments
-    Decks
-    Home Builders
-    Lighting
-    Mirrors
-    Decorative Glass
-    Marble
-    Security Systems
-    Awnings
-    Fencing
-    Paving
-    Landscaping
-    Outdoor Furniture
-    Pools & Spas
-    Greenhouses
-    Lawn care Equipment
-    Pet Products

Toronto’s National Home Show is not just a place for looking. It is also a great place for shopping. And if you love a bargain check out the new warehouse sale area for the best deals in town.

Tickets are available at the box office onsite or online. If you buy tickets online you will save $3.00 off the ticket prices - $15 for adults, $11 for seniors and students 12 to 17 and children under 12 are free of charge.

Leave the car at home and take the TTC or GO Transit. If you do decide to drive there is parking at the Direct Energy Centre - $12 per day or $9 after 6:00 PM.

There is no denying that we can do more to make Toronto’s subway system safer. More police are being deployed to patrol the subways in the hope of stemming an increase in crime in our subway system. However that won’t necessarily stop people from being pushed onto the tracks. Although those incidents are rare, other cities have addressed the issue by installing safety barriers. Tokyo, Paris, London, and Copenhagen already have safety barriers. Could Toronto benefit from safety barriers? YES! Will they be installed any time soon? NO!

The major problem with installing safety barriers in Toronto’s subway system is that safety barriers require an automated system, and right now Toronto’s trains are manually controlled. An automated system is in the works for Toronto, but it won’t be installed for another seven years. Even if we already had an automated system in place, Toronto doesn’t have the money to implement safety barriers which are estimated to cost anywhere between $5 million and $8 million.

Here are some safety tips for riding Toronto’s subway system:

-    Be aware of your surroundings.
-    Move away from anyone who looks suspicious.
-    Stay away from the tracks, well behind the yellow line.
-    If you drop something on the tracks, leave it there. It’s not worth your life. Instead let the person in the collector’s booth know and if possible they will have it retrieved for you by trained personnel.
-    If you see someone fall onto the tracks, don’t go in after them. Instead shut off the power. There are power-off switches at either end of the platform. Inform the person in the collector’s booth and emergency personnel will be dispatched.

Porter Airlines is going full steam ahead with its plans for expansion. While Air Canada, a white elephant that can’t make money in good times, continues to lay off staff and cut routes, Porter Airlines is poised to take delivery of 10 more Bombardier Q-400 turboprops by the end of the year, bringing its total fleet size to 18. The additional aircraft will be used to add more flights to existing routes and be used on new routes that will be added in the next year. Porter could add as many as 5 new destinations this year.

Currently Porter flies from Toronto to Centre Airport to Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Quebec City, Mont Tremblant, New York via Newark’s Liberty International Airport, and Chicago. Boston and Washington D.C. are the next destinations slated for the expansion although no dates for a service launch to these cities has yet been released.

Although in some cases Porter’s prices may be higher than special fares offered by other airlines, the convenience of flying out of the Toronto Island Airport not only saves time but money in expensive cab or limo fares to Pearson International Airport. And, Porter has not been sucked into “no-frills purgatory”. They still offer free drinks in its lounges and onboard meals. Porter’s marketing strategy is based on delivering value, while other airlines duke it out in the price wars. Based on the fact that Porter is taking on 10 new planes and continues with plans for expansion, one can assume that they are doing well. However, there is really no way to know because Porter is privately owned and as such is not required to report on earnings. There is plenty of room in the friendly skies for Porter and I hope that they keep flying.