Of course one can’t forget the the food! There will be specials and anniversary features to sample so don’t miss it. All the more reason to check out the St Lawrence Market.

St. Lawrence Market 205th Anniversary
Friday, November 6, 6 p.m., and Saturday November 7, 2009, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 18, 2009 is Record Store Day! What is Record Store Day? It was originally conceived by Chris Brown, and founded in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding independently owned record stores. A day meant to celebrate the few, true local record stores. The one’s that don’t merely pander to the payola and fickle tastes of corporate types “trying to move units”. These are the stores which promote local shows (even host them), sell a variety of great music vinyl as well as CD, and are types of businesses that enhance to the community (both the music community and the ones they inhabit).

Several venues in Toronto are part of the action including Soundscapes, Sonic Boom, Penguin Music and Criminal Records. You can expect the usual greatness from these epic Toronto independent record stores as usual. Tomorrow there will be some treats too. Sale items? Live performances? Local musician apparences? Special Limited Editions up for grabs? Perhaps all the above!

Record Store Day
April 18, 2009
Many participating Independent Stores Internationally and Toronto including…

Soundscapes
572 College Street

It’s easy to get caught up in winter’s blahs and take for granted what we have. The St. Lawrence Market, Pedestrian Sundays, Kensington Market, High Park, The Beach, Cabbagetown, to name but a few and there are many other reminders.

Spacing’s contributing city photographers have donated 175 photographs to the City of Toronto’s Archives and Spacing has created some great historical buttons. Toronto Star Columnist Christopher Hume has a great interactive map of Toronto architecture. You should pick up Toronto’s Visual Legacy Official City Photography from 1856 to the Present by Steve MacKinnon & Karen Teeple & Michele Dale as it’s a fascinating book. It details Toronto’s progress from the building of The Bloor Street Viaduct, old and new city hall, to street life through the eras.

You’ve come a long way Toronto. Hoping we can continue to build a better city together.

Dancing to a different beat thanks to White Whale Records sale. It’s been on since December 19th or something but it was a welcome find this weekend. Pay what you can digital downloads! Pick up Toronto’s Tusks!

I’ve long loved Zunior as an alternative to iTunes but recording label direct buying often leads to finding other listening gems. Culture Reject and The Mohawk Lodge are a pair on White Whale Records that deserve a preview. Would have loved have seen Culture Reject live in Toronto earlier this month but have to be glad to hear them in my playlist now. I’ll save the mindless big ticket buying to the masses. Relaxing at home and cuddling up with some great music is comfort enough.

With plenty of amazing farm land in Ontario is crazy to see mega grocery stores still buying produce and fruit from the USA and Mexico when local produce is available. Shopping today at my local independent I came across Local Food Plus. Local Food Plus is a non-profit organization matching environmentally and socially responsible farmed goods to consumers. Local Food Plus have goods inspected by third parties and then label and certify goods. These goods arrive at your grocery store and can carry the LFP logo.

So far it seems that food price inflation has been lessened by Canadian grocery stores keeping prices down to fend off the likes of WalMart. Canadian stores may have some short term advantages especially when dealing with their neighbours (local farmers). Loblaws advertising campaign regarding Canadian produce appears to voice that. The Loblaws ads have the potential to pay off, if only in transport and fuel prices. In the end if local farmers benefit and so do the people that eat fresher locally grown food. After all farmers feed this city.

Moody Motorcycle - new CD on Secret City Records.

Human Highway’s CD came out about a week ago. Happy to see that iTunes has already featured one of their singles for free this week. I’ve always liked Jim Gutherie’s projects and Human Highway doesn’t dissapoint.

I saw this massive skateboard pic of Dave Nolan near Yonge and Dundas.  While the shop posting this massive ad doesn’t even sell skateboards at least it’s by a Toronto photographer (Harry Gils) and is shot here in Toronto.