City Life Magazine — April/May 2015

32

VAUGHAN’S ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS GET THE GRADE

54

TORONTO MEN’S FASHION WEEK CRANKS UP THE HEAT

58

ONTARIO’S SKY-HIGH CAR INSURANCE RATES REVEALED

76

CAN A NEW PLAN GET THE SUBWAY EXTENSION BACK ON TRACK?

SINCE 2003

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Plus PROFESSIONAL GOLFING TIPS, HIGH-TECH CYCLING ACCESSORIES AND THE TRUCKS OF 2015

April/May 2015 $8.00

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43

HIT THE BEACH WITH OUR MUST-HAVES OF THE SUMMER

62

MAKE THIS MOTHER’S DAY ONE SHE’LL NEVER FORGET

66

HEAD COACH JASON BENT KICKS OFF TFC II’S FIRST SEASON

80

TWO TORONTO CHEFS RECREATE ITALIAN CUISINE IN THE CITY

SINCE SINC N E 220 2003 0033

& Mike’s AN ORGANIC JOURNEY

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IT’S OK TO DREAM. IF ANYONE UNDERSTANDS, WE DO.

We’re proud members of a family business who are very thankful to our parents for taking the chance to IXOƓOO WKHLU GUHDPV Founded 36 years ago by three brothers, the Policaro Automotive Family has grown into a community-based business in two of the region’s most dynamic markets and we proudly accept the opportunity to build on WKHLU VXFFHVV Employing four-hundred staff and hiring more in preparation for the arrival of BMW Brampton this fall, ZHōUH DV H[FLWHG DV HYHU IRU D YHU\ EULJKW IXWXUH From our family to yours, keep dreaming.

The Policaro Automotive Family

www.policaro.ca

VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2 | APRIL/MAY 2015

CONTENTS ON TH THE COVERS COVE

46

THE F FRUITS OF LA LABOUR The rise of Vau Vaughan’s leading men of organic fruits and veggies

36

GETTIN’ SPACEY House of Cards’ cold and calculating star Kevin Spacey discusses the devious new season of his Shakespearean p litical dr po dram amaa political drama

70

Du Tour Residence

FEATURE STORIES 32 MAKING THE GRADE

74

A look at how Vaughan’s schools stack up in the latest Fraser Institute School Report Cards ranking

76 BACK ON TRACK

The subway extension to York Region has been delayed — and delayed! — and is now over budget. We find out how this will affect the city of Vaughan

18

CITY GUIDE

62

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

52 43 SWEET SWEET SUMMER Bikinis and sport boats abound for your next cottage getaway 54 THE RETURN OF TOMFW Highlighting the fashion trends for men that will be dropping this fall 66 MEET THE MAN AT THE HELM OF TFC II One-on-one with player-turned-coach Jason Bent

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April/May 2015

74 2015 TRUCK COMPILATION Buckle up! We haul in three new options for truck enthusiasts More stories inside … www.citylifemagazine.ca

Jewellery as original as the one who wears it!

Original jewellery designs and fine craftsmanship

131 whitmore road, unit 8, vaughan, ont.

by Christopher Valente

| t: 905.851.1266

www.valentejewellers.com @valentejeweller

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Zerillo-Sosa • michelle@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL Simona Panetta • simona@dolce.ca MANAGING EDITOR Michael Hill • michael@dolce.ca

“Let us never negotiate out of fear but let us never fear to negotiate” — John

I

F. Kennedy

never thought I would find myself religiously watching a series on Netflix that dealt with politics and the anti-hero: an unscrupulous, evil politician named Frank Underwood with no limits to what he would do to achieve his selfish goals. But that was before watching Kevin Spacey play this character in House of Cards. At the end of episode six of season one, I guess he had me — along with millions of viewers — at “What are you looking at?” while staring directly at the camera.

This character has a very strategic way of engaging with viewers, almost to the point of making us all feel a bit of an accomplice to his scheming plots of self ambition. It’s a little scary when you think that the appeal of the show stems from watching what some would call “all that is wrong with our society.” Not sure if we are all in agreement, but what attracts me the most is Underwood’s ability to negotiate his way out of every situation. Our admiration for his ability to lead and motivate people and build a following is something we all share and can agree upon. But so are those momentary tugs at our conscience, when we think among ourselves: ‘Hey, we are not supposed to like this guy … he is the bad guy.”

In business as in politics, we are constantly being tested and challenged by situations and our relationships with people. It’s how we decide to negotiate with these events and later navigate through our choices that will dictate the outcome in our business success. Our local magazine cover is a testament of two business entrepreneurs, Mike & Mike, who understand what it means to be mindful of the challenges a business owner has to face in order to be the best. To reach their level of success as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies means to have mastered the art of negotiation. Being great leaders is not just about being the boss of a company; it’s only possible when people wish to follow you and stand by you.

That’s true leadership. So as you hold this latest copy of City life Magazine, reflect upon how sometimes leading a company and leading a country is not so different.

This is the logic behind having two front covers open up our April/May issue — it resonates with publishing news that is for everything Vaughan and beyond.

We hope you enjoy this issue of City Life Magazine.

Until next time, happy negotiating!

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

@dolcetweets

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City Life Magazine

April/May 2015

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca ART D E PARTM E NT CO-FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Zerillo • fernando@dolce.ca WEB PROJECT MANAGER Steve Bruno SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Christina Ban, Luay Saig WEB DESIGNER Yena Yoo E D ITO R IAL D E PARTM E NT FASHION & HOME DECOR EDITOR Michelle Zerillo-Sosa BEAUTY & TRAVEL EDITOR Angela Palmieri-Zerillo COPY EDITOR Simona Panetta PROOFREADERS Nina Hoeschele, Simona Panetta WRITERS Michael Hill, Amanda Storey CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Richard Aldhous, Justin Mastine-Frost, Ollen Stephens CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Chan, Daniel A. Cooper, Shayne Gray, John Packman, George Pimentel, JB Valiquette VI D E O D E PARTM E NT VIDEOGRAPHER Daniel A. Cooper PUBLISHER

ADVERTISING T: 905-264-6789 info@citylifemagazine.ca DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Susan Bhatia SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Mario Balaceanu OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Alessandra Micieli FRONT COVERS Kevin Spacey / Photo: Dolce Media Group Mike Fronte and Mike Dattoli / Photo By John Packman City Life Magazine • Volume 13 • Issue 2 • APRIL/MAY 2015 City Life Magazine is published bimonthly by Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont. L4H 3H9 T: 905-264-6789 • F: 905-264-3787 info@citylifemagazine.ca • www.dolcemedia.ca Subscribe online at www.citylifemagazine.ca or by calling 905-264-6789. City Life Magazine’s yearly subscription fee is $24.00.

We accept Visa, MC & AMEX. Send cheque or money order to Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd. #30, Vaughan, Ont. L4H 3H9.

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DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION City Life Magazine reaches 342,342 readers per issue through household distribution, newsstand sales and event partnerships across Canada. City Life is also available to over 100 million digital consumers of Magzter Inc. and Issuu.

Inquiries about where City Life Magazine is available for sale should be directed to Dolce Media Group: info@dolce.ca or 905-264-6789.

ISSN 1206-1778 Next Issue: June/July 2015 The opinions expressed in City Life Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or advertisers. Dolce Media Group does not assume liability for content.

The material in this magazine is intended for information purposes only and is in no way intended to supersede professional advice. We are proud to be a Canadian company that has successfully published magazines for the past 19 years without any government funding or financial assistance of programs to cover editorial costs. It has all been possible thanks to the wonderful support of our readers and advertisers. ©2015 Dolce Media Group • www.dolcemedia.ca • Printed in Canada @citylifetoronto www.facebook.com/citylifemagazinevaughan

@citylifemag

Life isn’t Black and White. Enjoy Every Colour.

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D E C O R AT I N G F R I E N D LY

editor’s note

Ah,

spring. My second-favourite time of year.

(Fall is just the best, am I right?) The warm weather is creeping in, the Jays are gearing up for a new season and, if you’re lucky, you just might spot a Leaf or two teeing off at a golf course.

While it’s always nice to look ahead, it’s also a time to pause and reflect on where you are right now. (I mean, we survived another winter. That’s pretty awesome, right?) Did you know that, right now, Vaughan and Woodbridge have the second — second! — highest car insurance rates in the GTA? (Story on page 58.) On a brighter note, the city’s schools rank well above

WALSH & ASSOCIATES Barristers & Solicitors (Formerly Walsh McLuskie Doyle)

Until next time,

Michael Hill Managing Editor

Let us know what you think of this issue by sharing your thoughts on Twitter at @citylifetoronto

Real Estate | Corporate | Estate Planning

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City Life Magazine

April/May 2015

t 905-832-2611

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PHOTO BY JESSE MILNS

Michael Hill, Managing Editor

the provincial average in the latest Fraser Institute School Report Cards. So, way to go, schools! (Story on page 32.)

It’s also a great time to think about how you got to this point. We sat down with the partners from Mike & Mike’s Organics, a Vaughan-based organic food distributor that recently was named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, to find out how they managed to grow from a company of two to a blossoming business that not only hooks up 150 of Ontario’s grocery and health food stores with fresh organic produce, but also one that’s developed their own line of snacks and packaged food. (Story on page 46.)

So as you climb out from a hibernation occupied by dayconsuming marathons of House of Cards (see story on page 36), remember to give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. And if you see Kessel hacking it on the 5th, say “hi” for me.

We hope you enjoy this latest issue of City Life.

FEEDBACK |

A collection of comments made by our readers and advertisers on past issues of City Life Magazine

As the premier magazine in Vaughan, we pride ourselves on the quality stories and original photography we offer the community with each and every issue. And because your feedback is important to us, we welcome you to share your thoughts and opinions to be included in our open forum. Reach us with your comments via Twitter, Facebook, email or telephone and tell us what’s on your mind today! @citylifetoronto | www.facebook.com/citylifemagazinevaughan | info@citylifemagazine.ca “Found on my porch & also online :) MT: @citylifetoronto @davisdusher reignites the creative you … #LetTheElephantsRun.” @GemmaRea1

“@citylifetoronto @strombo such an insightful & inspiring read. I think we all ought to feed the good wolf within us #positivity.” @VintageSaman

VIA TWITTER

VIA SARAH’S DRIVE FOR HOPE FACEBOOK PAGE

VIA TWITTER

▶ See page 28 of this issue

VIA TWITTER

“Thanks for sharing [this] well-written, insightful article about an incredible hero and her courageous family.

God bless you all xx.”

Lynn Stewart

“Thanks SO MUCH for the recipe shout out @citylifetoronto.

Love your mag.” @MikeWardTO ▶ See page 57 of this issue

▶ See page 52 of this issue

▶ See page 36 of this issue

FEB/MARCH 2015 DEC/JAN 2014/15

54

WRAP UP YOUR SHOPPING

WITH OUR EXTENSIVE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

66

WINTER WONDERLAND WHERE TO GO AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

82

YOGA STAR

RACHEL BRATHEN

ON LIVING LIFE IN THE MOMENT

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54

CTV TORONTO’S MICHELLE DUBÉ: DRIVEN FROM THE START

58

STRESSED BY THE BELL: WHY TEENAGE ANGST IS ON THE RISE

46

LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS DECRY HIGHWAY 7 CONSTRUCTION

42

CHASING LIFE WITH THE ZANY & ZEALOUS ITALIA RICCI

AUTHOR SOPHIE KINSELLA TAKES

OCT/NOV 2014

32

TV ACTION STAR SHEMAR MOORE

HER SHOPAHOLIC SERIES TO HOLLYWOOD

P.

68

BOUNCES BACK TO THE BIG SCREEN P.

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A LOCAL PIECE OF PIE: FALL RECIPES TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO P.

78

WILL THE “T-REX OF WINTERS” SEND THE GTA THROUGH ANOTHER ICE AGE? P.

THE PROPERTY BROTHERS LAY DOWN THEIR HOME RENOVATION TIPS

SINCE 2003

Plus

Dec/Jan 2014/15 $4.95 Display in Fashion/Lifestyle until Feb12

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SEASONAL RECIPES, TIPS FOR A RELAXED TRAVEL EXPERIENCE AND PARTY ETIQUETTE 101

“Thanks @citylifetoronto for helping raise awareness.

Your support means so much. #flybulbulfly.” @Bulbul_theFilm VIA TWITTER

▶ See page 64 of this issue

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Super Sarah

David Usher

THE FACE OF A HERO IN THE FIGHT AGAINST

IGNITES THE CREATIVE YOU

Plus

Feb/Mar 2015 $4.95

Display in Fashion/Lifestyle until Apr 12

VIA TWITTER

▶ See page 58 of this issue

CHILDHOOD CANCER

Plus

Oct/Nov 2014 $4.95

Display in Fashion/Lifestyle until Dec16 10

GREG SORBARA’S MEMOIR DETAILS THE INNER WORKINGS OF ONTARIO POLITICS

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FRESH BEAUTY FINDS, ECLECTIC WARES AND A TOUCH OF COOLTURE

“@citylifetoronto #YCDSB brings light to #mentalhealthawareness helps to empower, gives hope and #inspireschange.” @YouthSpeakCAN

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IN THE DEN OF THE GOOD WOLF

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“Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy receiving City Life Magazine. When I see the magazine on my porch I get all excited as I know I have an interesting and good read to look forward to. Not only is it an attractive magazine, I love the fact that many of the articles and ads are Vaughanrelated since I have been a Vaughan resident for many years. Keep up the GREAT WORK!” Lori Monardo

“Great magazine. I love the local content and the features about local businesses. It’s a great way to support local business and to learn about new establishments!”

Jennifer Arduini VIA READERS’ SURVEY

VIA READERS’ SURVEY

“I look forward to receiving every new issue of my City Life Magazine.

It’s full of great information and stories about what is happening in Vaughan and in our world today, and it helps to keep me current on what’s going on around me. Its advertisements help me to find some of Vaughan’s best and most popular businesses for both my personal as well as business use. It’s a magazine that I keep on my coffee table for the whole family to read.”

Joanne Dice, designer, creative director and portfolio specialist at Haute Couture Academy of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design VIA EMAIL

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“City Life is a publication that goes out to a calibre of readers to which we are proud to be connected as advertisers. The articles and coverage of events represent issues of interest both at the local level and of a broader scope. The staff is also professional and creative, personable and available.”

Ida Massarella, co-founder of Great to Hear Inc. VIA EMAIL

www.citylifemagazine.ca

city guide

3

FOR EVERYTHING VAUGHAN & BEYOND

1

THE STUNNING

arrangements crafted at The Floral Studio burst with colour and artisanship.

They’re the ideal addition to your celebration

2

1. THE FLORAL STUDIO

BY FIORI BEVILACQUA The well-kept secret of many is out as The Floral Studio continues to capture attention through its lush and captivating event work. The designers at The Floral Studio by Fiori Bevilacqua expertly assemble the most beautiful of blooms into stunning bouquets and arrangements that will leave all recipients and your event guests amazed. With only one celebration booked per weekend, your next milestone will bloom to life while receiving the attention it deserves.

Visit our new location!

12994 Keele St., King City 905-833-3148

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4

2. BOBBETTE & BELLE Brides-to-be and sweet-tooth lovers alike continue to flock to Bobbette & Belle, an open-air bakeshop made famous for its airy French macarons, custom luxury wedding cakes, creamy buttercream-filled cupcakes and artisanal pastries. With impressive backgrounds in confectionary arts, founders Sarah Bell and Allyson Bobbitt are the duo behind these sweet creations, which have transformed the level of precision and flavours in the specialty cake industry in Toronto.

3347 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-466-8800 www.bobbetteandbelle.com

3. BLACK ROOSTER DECOR Accessories, seating, lighting, tables, rugs and wall art, oh my! One of the hottest décor stores to hit the Leslieville strip spills with to-die-for household goods and restored vintage and antique pieces. Whether you visit its online boutique or crafty space on Queen Street East, a personal shopper and decorator will guide you toward selecting one of the affordable items plucked from around the world by Black Rooster Décor’s discerning owner.

1025 Queen St. East, Toronto, 416-465-7778 blackroosterdecor.com

4. FBI PIZZA Hungry? Hailed for its quality delivery and doughy pies drizzled with a touch of extravirgin olive oil, FBI Pizza brings a new level to a night in with family. Offering an assortment of steaming, gooey pizzas topped with top-of-the-line ingredients such as fior di latte mozzarella, caramelized onions, porchetta, pancetta, Grana Padano cheese, Calabrese cacciatore sausage and your choice of sauce, your pie will touch the sky from the very first bite.

7700 Pine Valley Dr., Woodbridge, 416-251-0101 www.fbipizza.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

City guide FOR EVERYTHING VAUGHAN & BEYOND

5

GET INSPIRED with a walk through the Dino Gallery at one of North America’s largest museums, the Royal Ontario Museum

6

GRAB SOME personal man time with a relaxing hot-towel shave at the trendy Woodbridge barbershop, the Barber’s Cave

5. ROYAL ONTARIO MUSUEM Culture and history collide in one of North America’s largest museums. Attracting over one million visitors each year, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a haven of exploration for the thinkers in all of us. From stepping back in time with a visit to the Dino Gallery, to exploring the 21st-century condition with the Douglas Coupland: everywhere is anywhere is anything is everything exhibit running until April 26, the ROM is as inspiring as it is informative.

100 Queen’s Park, Toronto 416-586-8000 www.rom.on.ca

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6. BARBER’S CAVE

7. DIRECT INTERIORS

Men’s hair and grooming services now have an exclusive home at the Barber’s Cave.

The trendy Woodbridge barbershop offers standard trims and shaves while upping the ante on the modern man’s needs: luxury hot-towel shaves, deluxe haircuts and straightrazor head shaves that will leave any man, regardless of his age, perfectly polished for an everyday or special occasion look. The best part?

Comfortable barber chairs will keep you relaxed as the shop’s televisions tune into the latest newscast or sports game.

6175 Highway 7, Unit 16, Woodbridge, 905-851-6020 barberscave.ca

From leather and fabric sofas to brand name entertainment centres, bedroom collections and home office furniture, it’s no wonder Direct Interiors has been the GTA’s one-stop resource centre for all things home décor since 1980. While options in furnishings abound in its 50,000-square-foot showroom, Direct Interiors also offers a comprehensive designer service to customers looking for advice while freshening up their homes with colour-coordinated pieces that are as functional as they are fashionable.

2005 Clark Blvd., Brampton 905-791-9660 www.directinteriors.com

8. NEAL BROTHERS FOODS Who knew a success story could start with croutons? In 1988, brothers Peter and Chris Neal started churning out the bite-sized garnishes in their mother’s kitchen in Aurora.

Soon after, they branched out into distribution under the Neal Brothers name. Today, the brothers are proud to deliver natural, organic and fresh ingredients in a multitude of products that range from Organic Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce to Srirachup Kettle Chips, Truffle Mayonnaise and Mango Poppy Seed dressing.

160 Pennsylvania Ave., Unit 8, Concord, 905-738-7955 www.nealbrothersfoods.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

comfort

music shades

AV

security

lighting

HOME CONTROL SIMPLIFIED Total Home Control from Audio One simplifies all the technology in your home, offering the ultimate lifestyle of comfort and convenience. Adjust the lights, temperature, drapes and audio/video from anywhere in your home with an easy-to-use touch panel remote, personalized keypad or even your iPad, iPhone or Android device. Audio One will not only make your life simpler, we will also make it much more entertaining.

Home Theatre | High-Performance Audio/Video | Home Automation | Multi-Room Music | Lighting Control Shading Control | Security Integration | Digital Signage | Commercial Installation | Landscape Lighting

3200 Steeles Avenue West, Vaughan, Ont. (east of HWY 400)

416.665.0749 www.audio-one.ca

City guide FOR EVERYTHING VAUGHAN & BEYOND

7

THE GTA’S one-stop resource centre for all things home décor delivers fashion and functionality

9

10

8

MARTIN DANIEL INTERIORS’ high-end Italian

furniture breathes effortless cool into any space

11

9. MARTIN DANIEL INTERIORS Since 1986, Martin Daniel Interiors has carved its own path in the high-end Italian furniture segment in Toronto.

The family-owned business offers a variety of quality classic and contemporary furnishings that add elegance and luxury to any space. An on-site interior designer and helpful staff members are at your side as you select the colours and fabrics that reflect your unique taste.

Whether it’s for a spring pickme-up or a total remodelling, Martin Daniel Interiors has all you need to make a house a home.

2663 Steeles Ave. West, Toronto, 416-667-0080 martindanielinteriors.com

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SLIP INTO a tranquil oasis at Silver Leaf Day Spa

10. PILLER’S FINE FOODS

11. SILVER LEAF DAY SPA

What began as a small butcher shop in Waterloo in 1957 has now grown into one of North America’s largest producers of European sausages and delicatessen meats. For 50 years, Piller’s Fine Foods’ natural aging, curing and smoking process has elevated its delicious products, setting them apart from the rest.

Sink your teeth into hundreds of pork, beef and poultry products, including its awardwinning Black Forest ham and air-dried salamis, available at select grocery stores such as FreshCo and Zehrs Markets across Vaughan and the GTA. www.pillers.com 1-800-265-2628

Preparing to pamper your senses and quiet the mind this spring? A tranquil oasis awaits you at Silver Leaf Day Spa. Geared toward personal wellbeing, the Markham must-visit offers specialty spa services and amenities for face, body and mind. Popular treatments are all tailored to suit your needs and include the hot stone massage, an intense hydration body wrap, microdermabrasion and oxygen facials that will leave your skin glowing with radiance.

So sit back, relax and let the professional Silver Leaf staff provide the indulgence you deserve.

4261 Highway 7 East, Markham 905-604-7444 www.silverleafdayspa.ca

12. MONTECITO RESTAURANT Searching for a place that doubles up on ambience and great food? Montecito Restaurant is one of the hottest places to be and be seen on the weekend. Located in Toronto’s Entertainment District and just steps away from TIFF Bell Lightbox, the casual yet elegant two-storey dining room and lounge offers a California cuisine whipped up by revered farm-to-table chef Jonathan Waxman, a former contestant on Top Chef Masters. Try the roast chicken with caper salsa verde and Muscovy duck mains.

299 Adelaide St. West, Toronto, 416-599-0299 www.montecitorestaurant.ca

www.citylifemagazine.ca

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3255 Rutherford Road Building H Vaughan, ON L4K 5Y5 *Offers cannot be combined with any other offer. Restrictions may apply. See store for details. Edible , Edible Arrangements April/May , the Fruit Basket City Logo, other www.citylifemagazine.ca 2015 Lifeand Magazine ®

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City guide FOR EVERYTHING VAUGHAN & BEYOND

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12

13

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13. GATES OF NOBLETON

14. PUSATERI’S

Set within the lush, green Oak Ridges Moraine, Gates of Nobleton offers its residents a peaceful and idyllic retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. These massive 50’, 60’ and 70’ detached homes are built with the highest standards and impeccable attention to detail. Exteriors of brick, stone and stucco elements set the mood with a refined introduction, while inside, you’ll find quality features and finishes, including hardwood flooring, granite countertops and optional 10’ ceilings on the main level.

12800 Highway 27, Nobleton 647-633-3500 www.tributecommunities.com

Pusateri’s is set to roll out highly anticipated breakfast, brunch and lunch items this spring at its Bayview Village and Yorkville locations.

Guaranteed to hit the spot are savoury dishes such as pancakes stuffed with lemon ricotta, crispy banana-Nutella waffles, as well as artisan grilled cheeses and egg-white frittata filled with kale, Swiss chard and goat cheese. With a focus on creativity and healthful alternatives to all our greasyspoon favourites, chefs Alan Yuen and Tony Cammalleri’s delivery of elevated comfort is spot on.

2901 Bayview Ave., Toronto 416-785-9100, pusateris.com

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15. KLEINBURG NURSERY Kleinburg Nursery’s Home and Garden Centre abounds with a wide selection of flowers, trees and shrubs, as well as bird baths and pottery accents that will spruce up your landscape. Schedule an appointment with one of Kleinburg Nursery’s dedicated team members, who will see your landscaping project from design to construction. From concrete and interlock to tree, plant and pool installations, your home will win over the neighbourhood with its charming curb appeal.

9450 Highway 27, Kleinburg 905-893-2542 www.kleinburgnursery.com

16. M-1 THAI BOXING Anyone with summer in mind knows how difficult it can be to achieve personal fitness goals.

Enter M-1 Thai Boxing, a local Muay Thai fitness gym that is jam-packed with passion and energy. Led by head coach Alex Ricci, a former Muay Thai champion, and head instructor Dennis Carelli, the son of a professional boxer, M-1 offers men’s and women’s group fitness classes, kids’ Muay Thai and MMA classes, personal training and other classes to whip you up mentally and physically for a lifestyle change that will last.

410 Chrislea Rd., Unit 10, Woodbridge, 905-856-6902 www.teamm1.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

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Visit our Retail Store and Design Centre for all the best pool accessories and chemicals

Meet with our In-House Landscape Designers to Design the backyard of your Dreams!!

VISIT OUR NEW DESIGN STUDIO

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April/May 2015

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25

golf lifestyle SLIGO ASHER SHIRT

COPPER CREEK

This Doug Carrick-designed course is one of the premier high-end courses in the country with a stellar 10-hole stretch between the 2nd and the 11th.

While this shirt’s design may be as aggressive as your approach shot, it isn’t all show and no go. Its antimicrobial material features comforting tech, including heat transfer, UV protection and moisture wicking. store.sligowear.com

TEE UP

PUMA TECH GOLF POLO

A solid polo is a staple of every golfer’s wardrobe, but don’t hold back on colour. This Hawaiian ocean blue looks as cool as you’ll feel wearing it, thanks to Puma’s coolCELL mesh side panels. ca.puma.com

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City Life Magazine

SLIGO PLAID PANTS

When it comes to leg wear, turning to khakis is so easy — and boring.

Add some serious personality to your outfit with a striking-but-classy pair of plaid pants. Don Cherry will be proud. store.sligowear.com

April/May 2015

BUSHNELL NEO XS WATCH

Meet your new best friend on the course.

More than just a sexy accessory, this GPS watch comes preloaded with over 33,000 courses in more than 30 countries and can track up to four hazard distances per hole. www.bushnellgolf.com

SLIGO VIBE AND TOUR BELTS

Not your grandpa’s waist accessories, Sligo’s belts say just as much as your monster drive. These fearless colours scream confidence and are that perfect item to tie your outfit together. store.sligowear.com

PUMA GOLF PRO PERFORMANCE EARPHONES

Thanks to these earphones’ ear-hugging design, you can smash a bucket at the driving range without fear of them slipping off. Just try to keep the tunes down — Jeff’s trying to putt. ca.puma.com

SLIGO PRESTON SHORTS

Yeah, these shorts are red — what of it? Shirts aren’t the go-to centrepieces of outfits anymore, so turn convention on its head with an unabashed pair of shorts that say, “I’m here to play, and I don’t care who knows it.” store.sligowear.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

TEXT BY MICHAEL HILL

Dressing for the links is no longer just about throwing on a black shirt and a pair of khakis. The modern golfer isn’t afraid to show some personality when lining up a drive. So step up your on-course fashion game this season with these bold wears

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Magazine

27

golf tips

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS

How to Overcome the Power of the Ball

by Ollen Stephens and Andrew D. Cohn explores how to get control of the game with simple, effective ideas

Written By Ollen Stephens

PRACTICAL GOLF TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED RIGHT FOR 2015 As spring comes back to life, so too do new hopes for the coming golf season. And you’ll find no shortage of “solutions” for beefing up your game.

Golf club manufacturers have sexy ads luring you with the latest gamechanging technology. New irons claim to help tour pros hit more greens even when missing the sweet spot. But is that all you need to improve? Before you drop $1,200 on a new set of clubs, check out these practical tips for developing a process and learn proper technique right from the start.

ALIGN PROPERLY WITH AN ALIGNMENT STICK When you hit a golf shot, you assess whether the shot was on target. If it wasn’t, do you know why? If you “think” you’re lined up properly but miss your target, you search for answers; you make modifications. But what if you were just misaligned? Now you’ve ingrained unnecessary changes that can lead to inconsistency. Alignment sticks are one of the easiest ways to improve your game, and they’re simple to find — any golf or home improvement store 28

City Life Magazine

April/May 2015

will have them. Use one stick for your body line set parallel to your target, and put your feet square to that line. Use a second stick next to the ball for a target line. Square your clubface to these lines to bring your shot more on target.

DO YOUR CLUBS FIT? Start with your putter. How did you select it? Did you get fit for it, or did you pick it up after a bad round, selecting it for reasons you neither remember nor trust? You’ll want to ensure the club is the correct length. You’ll know by putting a mirror down on the ground and taking your athletic stance. If your eyes are over the ball, it might fit. If not, your body will adjust, which leads to inconsistent putting. With that said, my easiest putting tip comes back to grip pressure. Maintain a four out of 10 grip pressure (with 10 being the firmest) throughout your stroke. That will allow you to get the best feel and consistent distance control.

AVOID THE “BRIGHT SHINY LURE” Open any golf magazine and you’ll find some quick fix to suddenly add 20 yards to your drive or a new grip to eliminate

your slice. I call those new ideas “Bright Shiny Lures” — they’ll catch your attention and you’ll be hooked. But while you may be hooked, you may not get any better. You may also get hurt.

Make sure that the new idea answers the fundamental source of the problem you want to solve. Just pursue help that fits your game.

BONUS TIP: IF YOU GET STUCK, GET HELP Life’s too short to play bad golf. Get qualified help from a PGA professional.

You’ll be amazed at the tools the good ones have so that you will improve.

Armed with these ideas, don’t get distracted. Implement them consistently.

You will improve. Then, if you still want the sexy new clubs, go for it!

OLLEN STEPHENS GUEST SPORTS EDITOR Ollen Stephens is a PGAcertified professional of instruction who has offered golf instruction since 1995. Along with golf businessman Andrew D. Cohn, Stephens authored How to Overcome the Power of the Golf Ball. This guide provides practical, proven advice to help everyday players improve their game — and find more enjoyment during their time on the fairway. www.powerofthegolfball.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Exclusively selected furniture and designs that are built to last, and leave a lasting impression.

Fashion-forward F hi f d products d from f across the globe, hand-picked by our lighting design specialists.

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SHOP NOW AT PRIMALIGHTING.CA 255 Bass Pro Mills Drive l Vaughan, Ontaro l Tel. 905 851 1188 l www.citylifemagazine.ca

April/May 2015

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bike essentials

1

STRADA SMART This little genius connects with your smartphone to monitor your ride and alert you when you receive phone calls or messages. While your mobile device is stashed safely in your bag, the Strada Smart is mounted on the handlebars to keep you informed on your ride $99.99, www.cateye.com

2

CARBON DRIVE LITE Compact, lightweight and durable, this performance hand pump easily inflates tires to riding pressure with fewer strokes. It’s equipped with Lezyne’s ABS Flex Hose, which sports a threaded Presta connection with ABS on one side and a threaded Shrader connection on the other $84.99, www.lezyne.com

BREAKING THE CYCLE In light of the recent revitalization n of Toronto’s cycling trend, hit the road fashionably in these fresh, road-friendly picks

5 THE CLIMBER’S 2.0 JERSEY Ultra-light and ultrabreathable, the Climber’s 2.0 Jersey uses specially designed fabrics to control body temperature, wicking away moisture and cooling you down by using the natural occurrence of evaporation $153, www.castelli-cycling.com

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CHAMOIS BUTT’R ORIGINAL Rid your ride of discomfort with this non-greasy skin lubricant. Developed by cyclists for cyclists, it soothes and heals chafed skin to improve your experience on the road. Two additional formulas are available, Chamois Butt’r Her and Chamois Butt’r Eurostyle $27.99, www.chamoisbuttr.com

City Life Magazine

April/May 2015

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7

JAKROO CUSTOM DESIGN Whether you’re gearing up for a race, a marathon or simply a dash through the trails, do it in style with a custom jersey design by Jakroo. With upgraded moisture-wicking fabrics, a body-contouring slim-cut fit style and more, it lets you make every second of your ride count $104 each for two to five, $97 each for six to 24, www.jakroo.ca

8

TRANS E70 HV Cyclists with wider feet can now rejoice: the Trans E70 HV uses the latest materials to create a fit specially for wide or high-volume feet, without sacrificing timeless cycling style. A perforated Evofibre conforms to your foot to make the most out of every stride $315, www.giro.com

ROAD WINDSTOPPER SOFT SHELL TOE PROTECTOR Any Canadian cyclist knows the harshness of unexpected wind while on the road. Keep your toes toasty with the lightweight and elastic Road Windstopper Soft Shell Toe Protector — perfect for the seasonal transition period $42.99, www.goreapparel.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

TEXT BY AMANDA STOREY

4

AIR ATTACK SHIELD HELMET More than a safety feature, this headpiece is a style statement.

Lightweight and compact with an aerodynamic design, the latest Air Attack Shield by Giro slices through air. Featuring a magnetically fastened eye shield, it’s never a hassle to wear this helmet $330, www.giro.com

A DV E R TO R I A L

A DV E R TO R I A L

“Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them.”

— John Ruskin

13th YEAR OF OPERATION

Sisters Santina and Anna, co-owners of Zero 20 Kids, offer higher-end children’s fashions for a fair price

ZERO 20 KIDS

A fixture in Vaughan for 32 years, Zero 20 Kids shines a spotlight on children’s fashion

MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF KLEINBURG (MSK) is an accredited Montessori and ministry-licensed school educating children from 15 months to 12 years of age. Overlooking 13 acres of breathtaking greenery and the Humber River, MSK provides students with an academically rich, scenic and safe environment.

MSK’s students are recognized for being respectful, responsible and resourceful citizens of the community.

We look forward to welcoming your family into ours.

OPEN HOUSE DATES: April 18 & May 23 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Registration now open to new families

D

ressing your kids to the nines has never been as easy — or as affordable — as it is at Zero 20 Kids in Woodbridge.

Co-founded by Santina and her sister Anna, this kids’ fashion boutique has grown up with its clients and the changing city. Now a spacious department shop, Zero 20 prides itself on its vast collection of designer clothing and shoes for babies, kids and tweens of all sizes and styles. Sportswear labels include Canada Goose, Hugo Boss, Diesel, Michael Kors, Lacoste and 7 for All Mankind, allowing for endless options at this go-to boutique that has become a staple for parents in Vaughan.

“We shop the world for what our customers want and ne need.

We listen to all requests and try to fill everyone’s orders,” says Santina. “Our clients also enjoy our in-house seamstress, amstress, who tailors each purchase to fit each child perfectly.”

The busiest departments are baptism, communion, n, flower girl and ring boy, partywear and shoes.

From special events to upscale daily dress, Zero 20 outfits little ones in the latest, most sought-after styles. See forr yourself at their online e-commerce www.zero20kids.com site!

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

7700 Pine Valley Dr., Woodbridge, Ont., 905-851-6041

Montessori School of Kleinburg Quality Educational Standards Overlooking the Humber River Contact Enza Pellegrini, Principal: 10515 HIGHWAY 27, KLEINBURG, ONT. 905.893.0560 • www.msk2002.com Zero 20 Kids’ in-house seamstresses ensure that all pieces fit each child to a tee

www.citylifemagazine.ca

April/May 2015

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research

Michael Cranny Elementary School was the highest-rated school in the Fraser Institute’s annual School Report Cards. It has trended upwards over the past five years, moving from a 7.7 in 2010 to its cityleading 9.5 in 2014

MAKING THE GRADE

How do Vaughan’s elementary schools stack up?

Written By Michael Hill

(MAPLE)

9.5 | 36/3,037

2

Discovery Public School (MAPLE)

8.9 | 84/3,037

April/May 2015

St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy (8.8), St. Padre Pio Catholic Elementary School (8.6), Pierre Berton Public School (8.5), Mackenzie Glen Public School (8.5), Forest Run Public School (8.5), Herbert H. Carnegie Public School (8.4), St. Clement Catholic Elementary School (8.4), and Glen Shields Public School and Blue Willow Public School, which were tied with 8.3.

Overall, Vaughan was right on par with the rest of York Region, matching its average of 7.2 — a rating well above the provincial average.

The top six schools in York Region were all in Markham, with St. Justin Martyr Catholic Elementary School finishing first with a 10, followed

by Randall Public School (9.9), Henderson Avenue Public School (9.7), William Berczy Public School (9.7), Stonebridge Public School (9.6) and Castlemore Public School (9.6).

While over 3,000 schools are rated in the study, a number are not included.

Schools that only have grades from kindergarten to Grade 5 are not rated, as they lack data from the Grade 6 testing. French immersion (FI) schools are often excluded as well, as the EQAO

St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy (WOODBRIDGE)

8.8 | 100/3,037

4

St. Padre Pio Catholic Elementary School (WOODBRIDGE)

8.6 | 125/3,037

5

Pierre Berton Public School (WOODBRIDGE)

8.5 | 149/3,037

5

Mackenzie Glen Public School (MAPLE)

8.5 | 149/3,037

5

Forest Run Public School (WOODBRIDGE)

8.5 | 149/3,037

8

Herbert H. Carnegie Public School (MAPLE)

8.4 | 172/3,037

8

St. Clement Catholic Elementary School (WOODBRIDGE)

8.4 | 172/3037

10

Glen Shields Public School (CONCORD)

8.3 | 204/3,037

10

Blue Willow Public School (WOODBRIDGE)

8.3 | 204/3,037 www.citylifemagazine.ca

PHOTOS BY DANIEL A. COOPER

W

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Michael Cranny Elementary School

3

hen it comes to academics, Vaughan is comfortably above average, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual School Report Cards. The study from the independent public policy think-tank looks at over 3,000 elementary schools across Ontario, rating each from 0 to 10 based on the school’s overall performance on the Education Quality and Accountability Office assessments, the province’s standardized test in reading, writing and math given to students in Grade 3 and Grade 6.

Vaughan’s highest-rated school from 2014 was Michael Cranny Elementary School, which scored an impressive 9.5 out of 10, placing it seventh out of the 234 elementary schools rated in the region and tied for 36th out of the 3,037 schools rated in the province.

The provincial average is always a 6 and each rating is relative to every other school, meaning a rating of 10 suggests that no other schools did better on the tests and, conversely, a zero indicates that no other schools did worse.

After Michael Cranny, the other top 10 rated schools in Vaughan were Discovery Public School (8.9), 32

TOP 10

RATED SCHOOLS IN VAUGHAN

Discovery Public School (left) and St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy (right) rounded out the three top-rated schools in Vaughan, scoring 8.9 and 8.8 respectively

TOP 10 RATED SCHOOLS IN YORK REGION 1

St. Justin Martyr Catholic Elementary School MARKHAM

10 | 1/3,037

2

Randall Public School MARKHAM

9.9 | 14/3,037

3

Henderson Avenue Public School MARKHAM

9.7 | 24/3,037

3

William Berczy Public School MARKHAM

language tests are in English, so FI school principals may opt out their students from all or some of the tests, often reading and writing. Every school must also have at least 10 student results from every test or else they are excluded.

The study, of course, is not without criticism. There are those that say such rankings foster a negative competitive atmosphere, and point out the folly of comparing schools from different socio-economic conditions, how certain schools may have a higher percentage of students with special needs or English as a second language (ESL), and that the rankings only take into consideration results from a handful of tests from two grades.

Indeed, this is only a performancebased evaluation. It doesn’t take into consideration other aspects of education, such as art and extracurricular activities, which paint a fuller, more rounded view of what schools offer. But, as Peter Cowley, director of School Performance Studies at the Fraser Institute, explains, these Report Cards give the public a look at how schools are trending academically in what the province deems the pillars of education: reading, writing and math.

“Probably the most important comparison that can be made within this report is how is a school doing compared with over the last five years,” Cowley explains.

9.7 | 24/3,037

5

FRASER INSTITUTE’S SCHOOL RANKINGS IN ONTARIO

Stonebridge Public School MARKHAM

9.6 | 27/3,037

5

Castlemore Public School

Average Rating of Schools in Richmond Hill

7.9

Markham

7.9

Vaughan

York Region

7.2

Toronto

7.2

6.5

Ontario

6.0

MARKHAM

9.6 | 27/3,037 VAUGHAN SCHOOLS TRENDING UP

7

VAUGHAN SCHOOLS TRENDING DOWN

Michael Cranny Elementary School VAUGHAN

10

10

9.5 | 36/3,037

AVG

8.5

8

9.4 | 45/3,037

AVG

AVG

9.1

7.2

AVG

8

7.4

AVG

8

RATINGS

RICHMOND HILL

RATINGS

Richmond Rose Public School

8 AVG

7.3

7.7

AVG

Sixteenth Avenue Public School

7.7

RICHMOND HILL

9.4 | 45/3,037

10

Silver Stream Public School RICHMOND HILL

9.3 | 51/3,037

www.citylifemagazine.ca

AVG

6

2010 2010

2011 2011

2012 2012

2013 2013

2014 2014

6

7.5

2010

2011

YEAR

Fossil Hill Public School Michael Cranny Elementary School St. Angela Merici Catholic Elementary School Forest Run Elementary School

2012

2013

2014

YEAR

St. Padre Pio Catholic Elementary School St. Peter Catholic Elementary School Bishop Scalabrini Separate School Maple Creek Public School

April/May 2015

City Life Magazine

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34

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April/May 2015

If certain schools are trending down, we can pose the question to educators: Why are students performing worse on these standardized tests over the past five years? Schools in Vaughan that have trended downward in the last half a decade include St. Padre Pio, which despite averaging a 9.1, has slipped gradually to 8.6 from a 9.3 in 2010; St. Peter Catholic Elementary School, which has roller-coastered up and down from 9.0 in 2010 to 6.9 in 2014; and St. Agnes of Assisi Catholic Elementary School, which has slid from a respectable 7.3 in 2010 to a belowaverage 4.6.

If schools are improving, we can ask why, and: How can comparable schools implement a similar strategy?

Michael Cranny, for example, has steadily progressed over the past five years, moving from 7.7 in 2010 to 9.5 in 2014. Others, such as Forest Run, which moved from 6.8 in 2010 to 8.5 in 2014, and Fossil Hill, which rose from 6.8 in 2010 to 8.1 in 2014, have also shown consistent, positive growth.

“Some of those schools may have implemented programs that have enabled their kids to achieve at higher levels,” Cowley explains. “And we need to analyse what they’ve done and to see if it can be adapted by other schools.”

One other example of a school that seems to be punching above its weight class is Woodbridge Public School.

It has increased its rating from 6.7 in 2010 to 7.9 in 2014, despite an ESL percentage of 43.1 and a special needs percentage of 41.4. The report doesn’t indicate what sort of challenge these numbers pose for students, but considering that the average ESL percentage is 6.3 and special needs percentage is 22.7 for schools in this study, it seems that Woodbridge is doing something right.

For educators in schools that may have similar perceived challenges, examining the steps Woodbridge P.S. has taken to improve their performance in provincewide testing may bear fruit, as there’s plenty to learn from such achievements.

As Cowley adds, “It doesn’t matter where you start. It matters in which direction you’re going.”

For a full listing of Fraser Institute’s ratings visit www.fraserinstitute.org www.citylifemagazine.ca

A DV E R TO R I A L

FREEDOM MEDI-SPA

Free yourself and your skin with the revolutionary treatments at Freedom Medi-Spa

F

Dedicated to professional, comfortable service, each Freedom Medi-Spa client is warmly welcomed in a comfortable and luxurious atmosphere

reedom Medi-Spa is a boutiquestyle med spa offering exceptional skin treatments. Owned and operated by Daniela Hofmann, who has over two decades of experience in the medical esthetics industry, Freedom Medi-Spa is known for its state-of-the-art treatments provided in a welcoming and luxurious atmosphere.

Freedom Medi-Spa utilizes a wide array of medical-grade modalities for each unique treatment, including the revolutionary Intracel technology for skin tightening, which is wildly popular in the U.K. and Asia but has yet to become available in the U.S. In addition to a roster of sought-after, goldstandard equipment, Hofmann ensures that every esthetician has years of experience,

Owner Daniela Hofmann, top left, ensures each medical esthetician on her team has years of experience to meet Freedom Medi-Spa’s high standards

and that she primes them with additional training as soon as they join the Freedom Medi-Spa team.

“We pay attention to every detail of our clients’ experiences and that produces exceptional results,” says Hofmann. “There is nothing more fulfilling than helping someone feel confident and beautiful — and that’s what we get to do every single day.”

www.freedommedispa.com 647-799-0400 7611 Pine Valley Dr., Unit 2, Woodbridge, Ont.

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April/May 2015

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�

Spacey FAN FAVOURITE KEVIN SPACEY TALKS HOLLYWOOD, JACK LEMMON AND THE POWER OF THE LETTER

WRITTEN BY RICHARD ALDHOUS PHOTOGRAPHY BY DOLCE MEDIA GROUP

A

fter two Oscar wins and a string of boxoffice smashes under his belt, Kevin Spacey was a giant in Hollywood with the industry at his feet. The Usual Suspects, American Beauty, L.A. Confidential, Se7en — all instant modern classics and each brandishing breathtaking performances from the enigmatic New Yorker. While at the top of the Tinseltown heap, however, Spacey, 55, found himself in an existential crisis and questioned his next move. “I wanted something new; a new challenge. And that’s when an opportunity with the Old Vic cropped up and it felt right.”

Turning his back on the big screen, Spacey moved to London where he took over as creative director of London’s

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April/May 2015

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey plays the devilishly manipulative Francis Underwood on Netix’s House of Cards

www.citylifemagazine.ca

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It’s very dangerous as an actor to judge the characters I play. It’s dangerous to make a moral judgment of a character because if you do, you’ll wear that on your sleeve

"

— KEVIN SPACEY

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City Life Magazine

April/May 2015

www.citylifemagazine.ca

failing Old Vic Theatre, quickly rejuvenating its fortunes while largely giving up his movie career, though he was fleetingly wooed back with cameo roles in Horrible Bosses and Margin Call and an ill-advised stint as Lex Luthor in Bryan Singer’s critical and commercial bomb, Superman Returns. But after a decade away from the spotlight, he returned to centre stage in House of Cards, a glossy U.S. remake of the ’80s cult BBC series starring Ian Richardson as the iconic Francis Urquhart.

Moving from Downing Street to Capitol Hill, Spacey took over as Francis (Frank) Underwood, a ruthless politico whose covert crimes and dastardly dealings alongside his scheming wife, Claire, played to magnificent aplomb by Robin Wright, have finally helped him achieve his dream of the Oval Office.

But in the third series recently released on Netflix, the cracks are starting to appear in the Underwood unit as the pressures of the presidency weigh heavy. And while most fans were to believe this was the final series of House of Cards, according to Spacey himself — who chats with us in a bright suite at London’s Corinthia Hotel — there’s plenty more to come.

You can play unintention, you can play the reason someone does what they do and you can play the reason someone justifies what they do.

For me, it boxes me in in such a way that I can’t function as an actor. Frank wants to succeed so I have to be on his side.

Q&A

Q Well, it was reported it was the last but please feel free

WITH KEVIN SPACEY Q Frank Underwood is now the president and has achieved his ultimate goal, but what’s next? Or more to the point, what’s left?

A I know, people keep saying that to me and I just think, “really?” It would seem to me that getting to the presidency, and all the obstacles Frank has encountered, is when the real job starts. And then looking at his relationship with Claire: two people who’ve shown they can work brilliantly in the shadows and dark alleys, and how they’re going to have to adjust being in a spotlight that is never off them. It’s going to be an interesting, we hope, evolution to what that means as a couple. There’s a lot of road to hoe. And Frank is a human being. That’s one of the things that I’m learning, and he’s still learning. That’s part of the fun of going to work every day — we get to decide how much of the onion we want to peel and how much we don’t.

Q Where would you place the moral centre of the series?

Frank is obviously the centre, but not the moral centre.

A I don’t know. It’s impossible for me to answer; I just throw the chips in the air and see where they fall.

Q Do you like Frank?

A It’s very dangerous as an actor to judge the characters I play. It’s dangerous to make a moral judgment of a character because if you do, you’ll wear that on your sleeve. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to play with complete and total honesty and let the chips fall where they may. Let an audience or a journalist make that assessment that that character is this or that way. First of all, it’s hard for me to judge a character and say, he’s so evil, he’s so bad. And I go, “Well, those are things that I can’t play.” You can’t play evil; it’s not an active thing.

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Q Would you ever go into politics?

A I wouldn’t want to go into politics; it holds no interest to me at all but I do admire it and admire public service and I do believe people who want to be part of a system where you try to make life better is fantastic. But I would be remarkably frustrated. I like to have a goal and to set a goal, accomplish it and it’s so difficult to get anything done, it would drive me nuts.

Q You’re always asked about your own politics, and the fact that this could be the last series, will that come as a relief?

A Do you know more than I do? Because I don’t know that this is the last series. to enlighten me.

A I don’t know, they haven’t told us this is the end, they haven’t told us we’re doing another.

And to answer your question, I’m a Democrat; I’ve always been a Democrat. I’ve always been very clear about that.

I support my president and people attack me about that. I think when you say anything good or bad about a politician, you’re going to have half the country loving you and half the country hating you. That’s the nature of the beast. The only thing that people attempt to do, they try to draw parallels between fictional politicians and real ones and there are no parallels. He’s not based on anyone. And the people ask, do my politician friends watch what they say around me now?

Let me just say I don’t have many politician friends and none of them are old pals; I don’t hang out with them on a regular basis. I see these people at events, but they’re not my friends.

I have one good friend, [former] president [Bill] Clinton, but he’s not worried about what he says around me.

Q Much of the new season revolves around the simmering problems in Russia. Was that intentional?

A We will begin discussing the arc of a season very early on of issues we want to attack and explore and then it will be written, and filmed. And then a few months later, something very similar occurs in the headlines. And we think, they’re going to think we ripped this from the headlines, when in actuality, it’s the other way around.

But [creator] Beau Willimon’s team has a particular sense on the pulse of what is happening, like [how] we tackled China in the second season. We have the same now in the new season where we’re focusing on the discontent in Russia, which is interesting. From that, you can draw conclusions and parallels with the real world. And maybe we bring a better understanding and spotlight to these issues.

Q You’re back in the Oval Ofce for the lm Elvis & Nixon April/May 2015

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as Nixon himself. Was there any reluctance on your part to take on another presidential role?

MENSWEAR SHOP QUALITY SINCE 1988

A None whatsoever. First of all, it’s a very different president and it’s a Nixon not saddled by Watergate. So this is 1970, before he even started taping in the White House. And it’s a very funny story, it’s really funny. And it’s a true story about how Elvis Presley wanted to meet the president so he could become an undercover agent at large.

Q Nixon’s a very specic historic character to play.

A Yeah, it was great to embody someone like him [that is] so well known. But doing it was just left of Dr. Strangelove. We play it quite serious but it was hysterical.

Q I read that you sent Woody Allen a Netix subscription to make sure he considers you for his next lm.

A Yes, he thanked me for that.

Q Have there been any developments?

A Yes, there have been developments but unfortunately, I’m not available to do a film he wants me to do.

Q Are there any other lmmakers you’ll do the same to because you want to work with them?

A Now, I’m going to write letters to every director and filmmaker I’ve loved in my life because I believe in letters.

They’re incredibly important and I don’t think people write enough letters. I mean this seriously. I wrote Woody Allen a serious letter, and I’ve admired him for so long and he’s never hired me. And I thought, maybe he doesn’t know me.

And then he wrote me this wonderful letter saying, “No no, I’ve seen your work and I’ve seen you do this and theatre and now that you’ve put yourself in front of me again, let’s see what we can do.” So I say to emerging actors [that this is] so so important. I have countless examples. There’s some new interesting actress and you say to the director, “where did you find her?” And they say, “she’s wrote a letter for every play I’ve done for the last six years and I finally decided to bring her in to test and I cast her.” It’s a really valuable thing to do. You can’t presume that everyone knows your work. And particularly for me because I moved to London 11 years ago, and so in terms of Hollywood, you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind. I wasn’t getting offered any movies. I was dedicated to the theatre here. But, sometimes, you have to put yourself in front of someone to remind him or her that you exist. So I just try to do a little, “hi, remember me?” [laughs].

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Q Why did you come to London and quit Hollywood?

A It felt right. I needed to get away and find a new challenge, which came right after the Oscar win for American Beauty in ’99. Shortly afterwards, that’s when I decided to go to the Old Vic. And I missed the stage. I’m a theatre rat. I don’t look like the guys in the movies. I had just spent 12 years seeing if I could build a career as a film actor and it worked out better than I could have hoped. The Oscar meant to me a pinnacle, but then I got scared. It scared me that I was going to keep doing the same thing over and over. I was like, “I don’t want to keep doing this same thing.” And London felt right. www.citylifemagazine.ca

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A Firstly, you are way ahead of the game here. I still have another six months in my role as artistic director. I’ve quite a lot of work to do before I’m done.

Q Is it true that Jack Lemmon made you want to become

YOU

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Q Isn’t your tenure at the Old Vic coming to an end soon?

Are you going to stay here?

Q Did you want to extend?

A No, there was never any chance of that. It’s been an incredible experience but I’ve more work to do, a lot of money to raise so the next director doesn’t have to spend as much time fundraising as I have.

Private

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Q What do you love about London?

A Where do you start? I couldn’t list everything off but the energy, the culture, the vibrancy and the pace. It agrees with me, it’s always agreed with me.

A Yes indeed. At 13 years old I met the great man, someone I had looked up to, when a rather perceptive drama teacher clearly saw that I had some potential, and got me into this workshop run by Jack Lemmon.

And we had to put on some scenes, and at that point, I had no interest in pursuing acting professionally. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was painfully shy. But then again, so are most actors.

But I did the scenes and at the end, Jack walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Son, you are a natural and this is what you’re meant to do in life.”

“Grow up and go to New York and pursue this because you have what it takes.” And his advice literally changed my life. www.citylifemagazine.ca

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fashion & travel CORELLI JERSEY SLUB SHIRT Take a moment to soak it all in — comfortably. The breathable and absorbent fabric of this white linen beach coverup is a must by the pool or while frolicking on a boat upon tranquil waters. www.heidiklein.com

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yelashes are a celebrated element of feminine beauty. Women strive to make their blink the centre of attention: the longer and thicker the lashes, the more doe-eyed the look. Jessica Linardi, the 23-year-old founder of Natural Lash in Woodbridge, understands the significance of lashes and the setbacks that come with using mascara to enhance them. In 2012, she decided to blend her two passions — beauty and business — and created Natural Lash.

“Ever since I was a young girl I’ve had a passion for esthetics,” says Linardi, a Woodbridge native. Offering FDA-approved classic eyelash extensions, volume eyelash

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“The most rewarding part of my job is making people feel good,” says the young entrepreneur, who studies continuously to further perfect her practice. “I love when a client looks in the mirror and is brought to tears because she didn’t know she could look so beautiful.”

With a long list of happy and returning clients, Linardi continues to beautify Vaughan and the GTA with her noninvasive and rewarding services, which enable women to cut down their beauty routine time and give them more freedom to do what they want without disrupting their makeup.

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HOW TWO VAUGHAN BUSINESSMEN CONSOLIDATED THE ORGANIC FOOD DISTRIBUTOR BUSINESS IN ONTARIO AND GREW THEIR COMPANY INTO ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST MANAGED WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HILL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN PACKMAN

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Mike Dattoli and Mike Fronte, partners of Mike & Mike’s Organics, Ontario’s only exclusively certified-organic distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables

THE

FRUITS OF LABOUR

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he erratic beeping of passing forklifts doesn’t faze Mike Fronte as he makes his way through the massive warehouse of his organic food distribution company Mike & Mike’s Organics. Over the near-drowning white noise droning from the towering coolers, the company president, clean-cut in a purple gingham dress shirt, outlines the details of a recent expansion of their Vaughan facility. A wall was knocked down to increase what was once 20,000 square feet of space to 43,000 sq. ft. It added room for four new coolers, doubling their storage capacity to meet the demand of customers hungry for a slice of the expanding market, and a wrapping machine for their budding packaged product line. It’s certainly a far cry from the modest roots that Fronte and his partner, vice-president of operations Mike Dattoli, set down a decade ago. “We’ve come a long way,” Fronte says.

To say that the past five years have been a time of growth for Mike & Mike’s is an understatement. As the province’s only www.citylifemagazine.ca

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“

We’re very lucky to be in an industry where people are becoming aware of the food that they’re eating

”

— Mike Fronte, president of Mike & Mike’s Organics

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exclusively certified-organic distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables, Mike & Mike’s has carved out a niche as the go-to guys for organics in southern Ontario. Launched in 2004, the company delivers more than 300 fruits and vegetables from organic farms around the world to 150 retailers, including large-scale chains such as Loblaws, Longo’s, Metro and Whole Foods, as well as numerous health and natural food stores. In each of the last five years its business has grown by 20 per cent, pushing the business well into the multi-milliondollar level.

“We’re very lucky to be in an industry where people are becoming aware of the food that they’re eating,” Fronte explains from across the dark-chocolate hardwood table of the company’s boardroom. “Organic has gone mainstream.”

The organic food industry has certainly made the transition from a mom-and-pop cottage industry to the big leagues of international business. It wasn’t that long ago when grocers struggled to find a reliable supply of organic fruits and vegetables. The conventional produce market has been so well established for so long that grocers and farmers around the world have become tuned to regional growing seasons, rolling from one country to the next, season by season, to ensure there is always a consistent supply of product. Organic, however, was a different story.

“When I started 15 years ago, no one did organic bananas,” Fronte says of his fledgling days in the industry. He recalls a time when he brought in one skid of bananas on a cold truck from California. The bananas were so green they were almost grey and would never turn yellow. “And people would still buy them, because there was no one — no one — doing organic bananas anywhere near me.” oday the industry is far more evolved. Matthew Holmes, executive director of the Canada Organic Trade Association, explains that as of 2014 the organic industry now generates over $4 billion in sales in Canada alone, growing at a rate of at least 10 to 11 per cent annually.

Natural foods and organics trade shows attract tens of thousands of people, including the over 71,000 that attended Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif. this past March. “We’ve seen some companies even now listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange,” Holmes adds.

“In the southern Ontario area there must be three to four containers of organic bananas being sold per week,” Fronte adds. “In Loblaws, it’s now an item. They have it 52 weeks a year.”

At first glance, Fronte and Dattoli could pass as your prototypical partners from a buddy cop movie. Fronte, stocky with a soft, raspy voice and a slight silver gradient creeping up his wellkept bristly hair, has the

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Fronte and Dattoli have carved out a niche as the go-to guys for organic produce in Ontario, supplying 150 stores across the province, including Longo’s, Loblaws and Whole Foods, as well as a number of health and natural food stores

AT A GLANCE: BEST MANAGED COMPANIES

50

Every year, hundreds of companies apply for the prestigious 50 Best Managed title. Here’s a look at some of the companies that currently hold it.

Boston Pizza Canada Goose Canadian Tire Corporation GoodLife Fitness Harry Rosen Holt Renfrew Home Hardware Lasik MD Longo Brothers Fruit Markets McCain Foods Mr. Lube Canada Running Room SiriusXM Canada Steam Whistle Brewing Spence Diamonds

guarded awareness and the let’s-get-the-job-done attitude of a no-nonsense businessman. Dattoli, lean with a Bruce Willis-esque shaved head, beams often with an easy smile and possesses that youthful, salt-of-the-earth approachability that can build bridges between even the most distant parties.

They’re from two different worlds. But sit down with them and it becomes evident why their partnership has (excuse the pun) borne fruit.

“So Mike sells. We both share the procurement. I do more the day-to-day business operations,” Fronte says. “I’m not allowed to sell,” he adds with a smile.

“No, he can’t sell,” Dattoli chimes in with a laugh.

“Those are the rules.”

Their complementing traits compensate for the shortcomings of the other. Fronte, with his business acumen, is the architect while Dattoli, with his engaging personality, is the engineer. And it’s a combination that has worked extraordinarily well.

This past March, Mike & Mike’s was named as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. The annual Canadian www.citylifemagazine.ca

award program recognizes exceptional performance and management and is considered one of the most esteemed business awards in the country. “For me, it was something that I always wanted to do,” Fronte explains. “It was on my mind the day I started my business, that one day I would win that Best Managed. Not for the recognition, not for anything.

It was just something I personally wanted to achieve.” ronte had tried for the award in the past, but always seemed to come up short. Every year hundreds of applicants from across Canada submit their companies to the rigorous vetting process to take their shot at the prestigious designation. Best Managed alumni include many large national and international companies, including GoodLife Fitness, Holt Renfrew and McCain Foods. So when news came down that they’d won, Fronte and Dattoli couldn’t have been more shocked and proud of their team.

When asked what the key is to winning the award, they explain that it’s about building a staff with the right people and leading by example.

“I think it’s a testament to the management style, which is surround yourself with really good people and good things happen,” says Fronte. “This is very much a family-run operation and when you come here you become part of the family. We don’t take that very lightly.”

“When we first started off it was just Mike and I. We haven’t stopped since and we continue to work,” Dattoli adds.

“We’re in the business day-to-day. We tend to lead the team and show by example.”

It’s a trait many of their customers have also come to respect. Matt Lurie is a fourth-generation grocer and president of Organic Garage. When he opened his first store nine years ago, Lurie initially used suppliers out of the Ontario Food Terminal, as he preferred to see product before he purchased. He began turning to Mike & Mike’s to fill shortfalls in orders and over time their relationship solidified.

Lurie appreciates how, despite the growth of their business, Mike & Mike’s hasn’t forgotten about the little guy nor have they taken a backseat. “A lot of the other companies aren’t necessarily owner-operated, whereas Mike & Mike’s has a hands-on approach,” he says. “I know them, I’ve been there, you walk in there and they’re working just like everybody else, and that’s the difference.”

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The seeds for Fronte and Dattoli’s relationship were planted back in 2000 when Fronte launched his first organic distribution company, Simply Organic.

Fronte had recently parted ways with Pro Organics but didn’t want to leave the industry behind. He enjoyed its small and intimate atmosphere and the principles of what organic produce stood for. He approached family friend Gus Bondi, owner of Bondi Produce, for startup cash and warehouse space to get his own business up and running. Bondi obliged. For the first three months, Fronte took on the load himself, working day and night, buying products, picking orders, selling — the stress was high.

At the time, Dattoli was the warehouse manager of Bondi Produce, and Dattoli and Fronte bumped into each other here and there while on the job. Over conversation they even found they had attended the same elementary school. But there was more they discovered. Fronte recognized Dattoli had skills that he lacked. “Where he had strengths I had weaknesses, so that was an easy fit,” Fronte says. When Fronte asked Dattoli to join Simply Organics, Dattoli saw an opportunity to show that he was capable of more.

“I wanted to almost put a name out there for myself, to take a jab at starting something new,” he says. fter three years of building up the business, Simply Organic was bought by SunOpta, a multinational Canadian natural and organic food company. For a year, Fronte worked for SunOpta, but he missed being his own boss. He decided again to go out on his own. But this time he wouldn’t do it alone. Remembering the long days and anxiety that come with running a business solo, Fronte knew he had to find the right people to make it work. And he knew just who to turn to.

“When I did it a second time I knew that I wanted a partner right away and I loved the way Mike and I worked together,” Fronte says.

“In terms of a conversation, there wasn’t one particular conversation that stands out, other than, ‘Failure’s not an option,’” Dattoli adds. “That was our mantra early on.”

When they launched the company in

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2004, they were well aware of the holes and deficiencies of the industry. Growers would often deliver their own product straight to the store and grocers had to deal with a number of different regional farmers if they wanted to get their hands on different organic produce. This too posed a problem for Mike & Mike’s. Dattoli remembers having to orchestrate a single truck on a winding route around California to eight different farms just to mitigate the costs of getting product to Ontario.

“Point A, point B, point C,” he says, tapping his finger across the table along an imaginary map, “just to fill a truck, just to get it here.”

It also meant a lot of travelling to establish relationships with growers and to gain access to top-quality certifiedorganic produce. Fronte still remembers those early trips to the most out-there farms. He describes a trip to Loreto, Mexico, down in the sun-soaked, desert area of Baja California, where a farm was growing melons and onions. “Literally their packing shed was out in the middle of the dirt. It was just in the middle of nowhere,” he says with a nostalgic smile.

“Typically these operations were not very sophisticated and it’s always amazing to see how they produce so much product with so little technology.” Today, they’ll attend two or three trade shows a year. In between, Fronte will still find time to visit farms to keep relationships strong.

Gillian Flies has always appreciated that personal attention of Mike & Mike’s. Flies is an organic farmer and co-owner of The New Farm in Creemore, Ont. She and her husband started organic farming nine years ago, selling product at local farmer’s markets in and around the area. They even

made connections with chefs from Toronto looking for fresh organic produce. As demand for organics grew, larger distributors began to pay attention. Flies describes several poor experiences with a handful of distributors that would try and squeeze her on price. They also refused to incorporate The New Farm’s system of reusable bins. Mike & Mike’s, however, was different.

“Mike and Mike’s has been extremely supportive because they do not push us on price. We agree to what is fair and they sell it for that,” Flies explains. “They also have a Zenlike calm that you wouldn’t expect given the volume of food they are moving.” s the distribution business has blossomed, Mike & Mike’s has continued to evolve. Last year they completed a $1-million rebranding initiative, adopting the tag line “We are all organic.” Their recently added automated flow-wrapping machine has allowed them to intensify production on their new line of packaged fruits and vegetables. And they recently struck a deal that will see their Mike & Mike’s snack line of dried fruits, nuts and seeds sold at a number of retail stores at the Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Looking back, neither Fronte nor Dattoli could have imagined taking the business to this level. But the duo has no plans on slowing down. “The business is very different from the business we envisioned when we started,” Fronte adds.

“But I tell you, it’s a lot of fun, and we’re going to continue doing it because it continues to be fun.” www.mikeandmikesorganics.com

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FALL-WINTER 2015 COLLECTIONS AT WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK

fashion week

HELDER DIEGO

Mikhael Kale’s goal for his brand is to stay new and present — a goal he’s certainly met with his FW15 collection

Designers Helder Aguiar and Diego Fuchs captured the essence of femininity in their FW15 collection, melding hot pinks with blacks, loveliness with edge

MIKHAEL KALE

Helder Diego designs for the cutting-edge, contemporary woman, encapsulating the depth of womanhood with striking visual contrasts that are never harsh

PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CHAN

TEXT BY AMANDA STOREY PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE COLLECTIONS™

He’s Canada’s favourite womenswear designer (the CAFAs say so!), and at this WMCFW he blew our minds with his usual play with textures and a futuristic feel

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A DV E R TO R I A L

LA COUTURE HAIR LOUNGE

Diana Di Biase leads the dynamic team of stylists at La Couture Hair Lounge, which offers an array of hair and esthetic services

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Celebrating its anniversary La Couture this April, RD continues to Hair Lounge lead Vaughan’s hair scene

From colour treatments to blow-dries and updos, La Couture offers unparalleled expertise matched with genuine, friendly care for its clients

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nyone with hair knows that entrusting their locks to a salon isn’t something to be taken lightly. No one understands that more than the team at La Couture Hair Lounge.

Attracting a long list of loyal clientele since it opened its doors in 2012, the mod-chic salon and its professional, upbeat stylists are making serious headway in Vaughan’s hair scene.

Owned and operated by the lively Diana Di Biase, who prides herself on the environment she works in, La Couture boasts a dynamic team with some members having over 20 years of experience each.

The La Couture family brings not only incredible talent to the hairstyling chair, but also a warm and inviting welcome to each and every client that walks through the door. “We are so open and honest with our clients. It’s not just, ‘Oh, what did you do this weekend?’” says Di Biase. “They don’t feel like they’re coming to a hair salon, they feel like they’re coming in and chatting to one of their family members.”

Tucked comfortably and conveniently in the Highway 7 and Weston Road

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“WE ARE SO OPEN AND HONEST WITH OUR CLIENTS. IT’S NOT JUST, ‘OH, WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND?’ … THEY DON’T FEEL LIKE THEY’RE COMING TO A HAIR SALON, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY’RE COMING IN AND CHATTING TO ONE OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS” — Diana Di Biase, Owner

area, La Couture is in the heart of the city’s competitive salon industry. But according to Di Biase, La Couture hasn’t just been sailing by; it’s been experiencing tremendous success — a baffling feat for such a young business.

An added bonus is an esthetics parlour located right inside La Couture, where experienced esthetician Sandra’s 20 years of experience and award-winning work continues to turn heads. Sandra’s Esthetics’ services include manis, pedis, laser hair removal, waxing, makeup, facials, skin tightening and eyelash extensions.

Whether salon-goers are seeking a spring makeover, a colour-and-cut or a blow-out, they’ve fallen hard for La Couture’s unique vibe and above-par service and expertise. “A lot of people come here because they know we are really experienced and we do a great job,” says Di Biase, who is constantly updating

her skill set, as well as her staff’s, as new trends crop up (think ombre, pastels and balayage). “The look of the place and the ambience also makes a difference, too, I think.”

The salon, which is conveniently open on Sundays, will only continue to fill up as the season of baptisms, communions, confirmations, bar and bat mitzvahs and weddings takes over, bringing with it a wave of clients new and old who want Di Biase and her team to beautify their special day. From drastic cuts to colour touch-ups and fancier styles for milestone celebrations, the team at La Couture Hair Lounge has introduced a new experience to salon-goers — one where ease and honesty pair beautifully with trusted expertise and awe-inspiring results.

905-850-0235 8383 Weston Rd. #109, Woodbridge April/May 2015

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men’s fashion week

PHOTO BY SHAYNE GRAY

PHOTO BY SHAYNE GRAY

Stark contrast between darks and lights was a major trend on the TOMFW runways

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PHOTO BY DEANNA FLINN

Pale yellow made a surprising appearance at this year’s TOMFW — a refreshing break from the season’s usual, less lively tones

www.citylifemagazine.ca

TEXT BY AMANDA STOREY

PHOTO BY SHAYNE GRAY PHOTO BY SHAYNE GRAY

Toronto Men’s Fashion Week (TOMFW) returned for its second running this spring, ushering in parades of fresh fall-winter 2015 collections by gents’ designers from near and far. Industry favourites showed off soon-to-be classics while newcomers turned heads with unexpected new takes on style.

TOMFW, which was held at 444 Yonge St. in College Park mere weeks before World MasterCard Fashion Week took over the city, reminded Toronto’s fashion industry that menswear is an iconic element of the industry that’s not to be pushed to the back burner

PHOTO BY MALONEY AGUIRRE

THE RETURN OF TOMFW

PHOTO BY SAMANTHA FALCO PHOTO BY ANDREW LAU

1. A model gets primped while preparing to step out on the runway

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2. Perfectly manicured from head to toe, the TOMFW models did their sleek ensembles proud 3. Local modelling icon Paul Mason receives some ďŹ nishing touches

PHOTO BY JUAN NEIRA

Sporting a series of designers from Toronto and around the world, the diversity among each runway presentation left the audience breathless

BEHIND THE SCENES AT TOMFW

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4. Toronto fashion authority Jay Strut 5. A glimpse at the ordered chaos behind any Fashion Week

3 PHOTO BY MICHAEL LINENNEN

EVER FALL FAVOURITES, PLAIDS AND MOODY-HUED COLOUR BLOCKING WERE REINVENTED IN THE SHOWCASED COLLECTIONS

BACKSTAGE

6. The carefully handcrafted garments are taken care of backstage as thoroughly as the models are www.tomfw.com

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PHOTO BY KATRINA SUNG

PHOTO BY CHRIS BURTON

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PHOTOS BY SHAYNE GRAY

Military-inspired looks marched down the FW15 catwalks

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beauty

Get the Look:

MISS UNIVERSE CANADA, CHANEL BECKENLEHNER

ABOUT RITA STIRPE From educating aspiring makeup artists to hosting her own show, Cosmetic Art, on Rogers TV, Vaughan-based makeup artist Rita Stirpe has been making the world a more beautiful place since the year 2000. In 2014, she was one of the top five finalists for Makeup Artist of the Year at the Contessa Awards, and this year she’s made it to the finalist round for Makeup Artist of the Year at the Canadian Mirror Awards, a prestigious annual awards gala showcasing top talent in the industry. The achievement signifies Rita’s position among the top beauty experts in the country.

Award-winning makeup artist Rita Stirpe has rouged the faces of some of our favourite celebs, including Miss Universe Canada 2014, Chanel Beckenlehner. Here, the glamour guru spills her secrets on how she created this front-cover-worthy springtime look on the Canadian pageant winner

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@makeupartbyrita www.makeupbyritastirpe.com

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HAIR BY ROCKY VITELLI , PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD DUBOIS, CREATIVE DIRECTION BY GIANCARLO INTINI

Define your cheeks with this soft, muted pink blush that leaves a satiny finish | MAC Powder Blush in Cubic, www.maccosmetics.com

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Make what’s left of your dark circles and other impurities disappear with this concealing and correcting palette MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Palette in Medium, www.maccosmetics.com

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Create a matte effect with this powder, which is invisible to HD cameras and to the naked eye — perfect whether you’re heading to a photo shoot or to the mall! | Make Up For Ever HD Powder, www.makeupforever.com

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Next, apply this pretty, highly pigmented shadow all over the lid to create depth and contrast | MAC Eye Shadow in Carbon, www.maccosmetics.com

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Before reaching for your mascara, coat your lashes in this plumping serum to give your blink a boost | Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum, www.dior.com Now, for the lips: for longlasting, smooth colour, line and fill in your bouche with this cherryhued pencil | MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Trust in Red, www.maccosmetics.com

Next, use this foundation for a barely-there, natural-looking (not cakey) finish | Make Up For Ever HD Foundation, www.makeupforever.com

Use this cult favourite contour kit to define your cheekbones, perfect your nose and sculpt your jawline Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit, www.smashbox.com

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Apply this matte eyeshadow all over your crease and lid to create a foundation for the famous smoky eye e effect | MAC Eye Shadow in Brule, www.maccosmetics.com

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First things first: apply this silky and lightweight foundation primer all over your face to visually erase blemishes and create a smooth canvas for the rest of the look | Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, www.smashbox.com

To make sure your look stays put, prep your eyelids with this ingenio ingenious eyeshadow primer, which preven prevents oiliness and creasing | Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, www www.urbandecay.com

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Finish off your look with this setting spray, which cools and hydrates while ensuring your hard work is kept pristine all day long Urban Decay Chill Cooling and Hydrating Makeup Setting Spray, www.urbandecay.com

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You’ll fall hard for this glassy gloss — the delicious-looking red will be like the cherry on top of your whole look! | FitGlow Beauty Good Gloss in Love, www.fitglowbeauty.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

fashion week Pink Tartan designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran steps out at the brand’s WMCFW runway show, which took place during WMCFW in March

FALL-WINTER 2015 COLLECTION AT WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK

THE DARK SIDE OF PINK TARTAN STAYING TRUE TO ITS “CLASSY WITH AN EDGE” SIGNATURE STYLE, PINK TARTAN DEBUTED A MOODY FW15 COLLECTION THAT — DARE WE SAY IT? — HAS US ALREADY ANTICIPATING AUTUMN’S ARRIVAL

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April/May 2015

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auto

THE COST OF DR VING

Buckle up, Vaughan — a new research study reveals just how high our car insurance premiums are Text By Simona Panetta

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ith warmer weather rushing in and gas prices still relatively low, driving to work every day and hitting the highway for a weekend road trip is inevitable. But one should take heed before packing up the kids and preparing snacks to go: new research from Canada’s first online insurance marketplace sees Vaughan and Woodbridge tied for the second spot of a top 10 list showcasing the most expensive car insurance premiums in the Greater Toronto Area.

According to the release of a recent

Kanetix.ca research study, Ontario has the highest auto insurance rates in the country, with premiums varying significantly across the province and noticeably spiking in the Greater Toronto Area. Brampton tops the list at $2,393, followed closely by Woodbridge and Vaughan, where citizens are paying 41 per cent above the provincial average of $1,538 a year in car insurance.

Compare that to Belleville and Kingston, Cobourg and Napanee — Ontario’s more economical cities for car insurance, with the latter two averaging $1,014 per annum — and that bicycle buried deep

in your garage may look more appealing now than ever.

“Insurers set their premiums based on claims and actuarial data from a given region. These areas had the highest incidence of claims so this is reflected in the premiums,” explained Janine White in various news sources upon the release of the study. The vice-president of marketplaces for Kanetix.ca also added that “urban areas tend to have higher insurance rates because there are more cars on the road, higher frequency of accidents and greater severity.” www.kanetix.ca

CAR INSURANCE PREMIUMS IN THE GTA Providing over a million insurance and comparison quotes to consumers every year, online insurance marketplace Kanetix.ca’s recent research study revealed just how costly car insurance premiums are in the GTA

$2,393 +44%

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$2,342 +41%

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$2,342 +41%

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$1,998 +26%

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RICHMOND HILL

$1,718 +11%

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Kanetix.ca’s tips to lower your insurance premium include maintaining a clean driving record and combining auto and home insurance policies to save up to 15 per cent each year

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A DV E R TO R I A L

THE ROAD TO

SELF-IMPROVEMENT How Northern Karate Schools build confidence and prepare students for the challenges of life

J

ust before students of Northern Karate Schools are awarded their black belts, the instructors ask them to write an essay as a way to reflect on their journey to the esteemed rank. What’s amazing for the instructors, says Cos Vona, a director at Northern Karate, is that they learn about all the obstacles the students overcame along the way. Prior to starting karate, some students were bullied or struggled in school; others endured the hardship of illness or death in their family. But what’s often the common thread is how students credit the maturity and mental fortitude fostered through their martial arts training — traits that helped them persevere through the adversity. “It’s incredible the stories we hear,” says Vona.

For the past 43 years, Northern Karate has helped thousands of students develop the confidence, focus and strength to handle all challenges that life throws their way. By focusing on body, mind and spirit, this award-winning and internationally renowned institution has guided young and old with karate’s philosophy and teachings.

“Karate, and martial arts in general, builds confidence and self-respect in students,” 60

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“JUST LIKE LIFE, KARATE IS A JOURNEY” — Cos Vona

says Vona. “It’s about self-improvement as a person.”

Indeed, besides the obvious physical benefit — the great workout that hones strength along with balance and stamina — karate is more of a life skill than a sport or activity. It not only boosts self-esteem, but it also instils determination and a strong work ethic — skills that are easily transferable to everyday life.

“We want to prepare children for when their parents are not around, so that they can have the ability to take care of themselves,” Vona explains. “We approach it with the attitude of, ‘If you work hard, you can achieve your goal.’ If you can change the student’s mindset to think along these lines, then you’re developing an individual with the perseverance and the will to face difficult situations and not give up.”

Part of what makes this training so successful is Northern Karate’s curriculum.

All students, regardless of age, are taught the same lessons. “We don’t teach children differently than we do to adults,” says Vona. “There’s not a kids’ curriculum and an adults’ curriculum. It’s the Northern Karate curriculum.”

And it’s hard to argue with the results.

With 12 locations across the Greater Toronto Area, and recently winning the Top Choice Award for best martial arts school in Vaughan as well as the Vaughan Citizen’s Readers’ Choice Award for the seventh year in a row, Northern Karate is one of the premier martial arts schools in the country, continuously growing and educating students for the challenges of life. “Just like life, karate is a journey,” says Vona. “And we want to prepare our students for the road ahead.”

Northern Karate Schools — Woodbridge Location 905-265-7777 3883 Rutherford Rd., Unit 8 & 9, Woodbridge, Ont. For other school locations, visit www.northernkarate.com

NORTHERN

KARATE SCHOOLS

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April/May 2015

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gift ideas

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5 With presets for the perfect temperature for brewing tea and coffee, Breville’s IQ Kettle Pure is the e smartest kettle out there www.homesense.ca | 6 For the nature-loving mom, this headband strays from typical glam for an earthier accent www.anthropologie.com 7 If you can’t afford to gift her with a trip to paradise, Jo Malone’s fragrances will transport her senses somewhere exotic www.holtrenfrew.com | 8 Give her the gift of stress release (something she probably needs desperately) with a luxurious spa treatment from Freedom Medi-Spa www.freedommedispa.com

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profile

MEET THE MAN AT THE HELM OF TFC II City Life sits down with Jason Bent, head coach of TFC II, Vaughan’s first professional sports team

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TFC II head coach and former footballer Jason Bent brings new meaning to teamwork as he guides the city’s first professional sports team to glory

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n oppressive wind dominates the Downsview Park Sports Centre on a sun-soaked Tuesday morning, but Jason Bent remains calm. The head coach of TFC II is seated in a video room at the Kia Training Ground, only days away from the club’s inaugural season, his first at the reins of a professional soccer team. It was big news when it was announced that TFC II, the USL affiliate of Toronto FC, would play its home games at the new field presently being constructed at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan, and to say expectations are high is an understatement. But despite the pressure, Bent maintains an unflappable cool. City Life sat down with the poised footballer-turned-coach to discuss how he’s been preparing the team for its opening season and what the city can expect from its first professional sports team.

them the answers to everything. So we do a lot of technical training, we do a lot of tactical training — there’s always a physical component within that. We also do the individualized training for small groups or units of the team. For example, central midfielders working together, strikers and wing players working together, fullbacks and the back four working together, the back four with the goalkeeper working together. So, we try to get specific things to their game, not only individually but in units of the team. Video is also a big component of the way we want to help and develop the players, and that’s from the first team straight down into the USL program. Greg Vanney and myself are both of that mind state where we know that video can be very beneficial if used in the right way. So it’s constructive criticism, but also praising them when they do things well and it’s important that they see that.”

Q At the official announcement of the team back in January it was said that a big focus of TFC II is to prepare players for the first team at the MLS level. If that’s a key goal, how would you describe your approach to coaching this team?

Q So you’re working quite close with Greg Vanney, head coach of TFC, then?

A “It’s sort of a guided-discovery approach, where we don’t want to give

A “Yes, I worked under him last season as an assistant coach, so I got to see what his vision for the game was, how he thinks about things, how he wants to train the players. Coupled with my own style, which is not too dissimilar, www.citylifemagazine.ca

PHOTO BY DANIEL A. COOPER

Interview By Michael Hill

we’re trying to train the players and make sure that they understand and get the same message. Also, the first team trains before the USL team on a daily basis, so the majority of the training sessions I’m out there watching the first team and making sure I’m hearing the same message as well to try and make sure that filters to the USL squad.”

Q It’s got to be a great motivator for the younger guys to be able to see the players from the TFC at work. Have you seen that benefit during pre-season training?

A “Yeah, there are guys that take interest in it. They’re not here that early on a daily basis, but when we were down in Florida we made sure that when the first team had games that we went to go watch the games as well. It’s maybe not so commonplace in North America, but in Europe it’s a standard thing.

Academy players or amateur players 100 per cent go and watch the first team play games. It’s all part of the development.”

Q Is there an element of mentorship between the first team and the USL team?

A “One thousand per cent. They were down in Florida eating in the same room and you could see that it wasn’t just the first team players sticking to themselves at their own dinner table. They would mix in. I would see [ Jozy] Altidore sitting with Raheem Edwards, and Manuel Aparicio sitting at the same table and just having conversations. Yes, they look up to them and they’re older, but at the same time they’re human beings and they’re good people, and if you engage them in conversation and ask them certain things then I’m sure they would have a sense of that role that they need to give back as well. And that’s from Altidore to Mark Bloom to Michael Bradley — it doesn’t really matter.”

Q This is obviously the first year for the TFC’s USL team. For a coach, what are the biggest challenges to build from the ground up in this way? www.citylifemagazine.ca

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A “What I just have to say is bringing together a squad. You’ve got players at different ages. You’ve got academy prospects that are coming up through the system. You’ve got draft picks that are slightly older but still forging their first opportunity into professional football. And then you’ve also got players that are younger that have been involved with the first team that are already pros but haven’t really got the match experience yet. So it’s blending those three pods of players into one to get them on the same mentality, the same concepts — that’s probably the biggest challenge, because each of those groups are at a different stage. And as we progress through the season you’re now dealing with college players that have typically dealt with three-month seasons, now going into 10-month seasons, almost pretty much full-time training and playing games and travel, and all these factors can weigh on players. For us, it’s going to be how do we manage that probability to make sure that we have the players operating at an optimum level.”

Q When Clement Simonin was drafted first overall, many thought that pick came from left field.

What are your thoughts on him?

A “For people that weren’t in the know, yes, it came out of left field. Our staff had seen him down in the Las Vegas combine, where there were only two teams there, Seattle and ourselves, so he did quite well, which went a long way in us deciding to draft him. He’s a cultured player. He’s French but he’s got a sort of very confident way about him. He’s got a very, very good left foot. His passing range is pretty good, and something you don’t really see out of the college level. He’s also a leftfooted centre-back, which makes him very appealing in terms of the way we want to play, because we’re trying to build up from the back. If that’s the way you want to play you’ve got to have defenders who can pass the ball, and he’s certainly one of them. We’re just trying to work on other aspects of his game to bring him up to speed. But we see he’s got potential.” www.citylifemagazine.ca

Q You were born and raised in Brampton and now you’re playing a key role in Toronto’s premier soccer franchise. What does that mean to you to be a part of developing the sport in the city?

We Are More Than Just A Boot Camp Now! MEET CLAUDIA Lost almost 100 Lbs!

A “Well, I mean, first and foremost we have to be thankful to MLSE for investing the funds to have this sort of vehicle to test these kids in. For me, it’s something that the development structure’s been crying out for. Hopefully we do it by design now rather than by luck. When I came through the system we had nothing remotely close to this. And a lot of it was by chance, by luck and by situation.

And now we have an opportunity, by design, to set something up that will hopefully — not hopefully, we know — will help not only Toronto’s football club but Canadian footballers and Canadian soccer associations. So I think it’s great.”

Q Soccer is such a massive sport in a community like Vaughan and people are really excited for this season. What can they expect to see this year?

A “We want players to play for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the back of the jersey. A team with passion. A team with a thought process of how they want to play the game, how we want the game to look.

Those are the things that I hope the people of Vaughan can recognize and see the steps which we’re trying to take. It’s all a process. We’re trying to develop the footballer to be thinking like footballers and to improve as players, and we think that’s going to come out. It’s the process that ends up leading to the results in the end. We also want those Vaughan supporters to recognize these players so that when they move on to the first team they can then go and support them at BMO Field and say they were there when they were just forging their way in their career. And that’s hopefully the end result that we’re looking for.” www.torontofc.ca/tfcii www.citylifemagazine.ca

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home decor

TOURING THE DU TOUR RESIDENCE Using clean, contemporary colours to create a soft and comfortable space, Québécois design agency Clairoux proves it’s possible to reimagine an old family home without sacrificing its memory-steeped past Written By Amanda Storey

B

alance is one of the most talked-about elements in the world of interior design. This was even more so the case in the remodelling of this 1950s bungalow in Laval, Que., where the challenge faced by design firm Clairoux was to balance the home’s family-filled history with contemporary design.

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WHILE THE LARGE-SCALE

windows give the newly revitalized bungalow a sense of freedom, the white-based colour scheme allows the space to radiate serenity

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home decor

FURNISHINGS WERE SELECTED in collaboration with the homeowners, leaving room and flexibility for them to add more finishes as time goes on, further personalizing the space

EXPOSED BRICK and a view of the surrounding forest gives character to the home’s mostly colourless décor

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The bungalow had belonged to the same family for decades, and what these residents desired was a reimagining of their longtime home without sacrificing the uniqueness of its structure, and without wiping out the memories that had taken place there. Clairoux, a new design firm headed by industry veterans Julie

Lafontaine and Frédric Clairoux, was more than up for the task.

“Naturally, the house is steeped in memories and, in a sense, is a showcase of family history,” says Frédric Clairoux. “This is a quality we were asked to preserve.”

Working closely with the architects at Open Form, Lafontaine and Clairoux first took on the home’s prairie-style exterior, which they restored by recreating horizontal lines and focusing on bringing out the beauty of the wood. Moving from outside to inside, the designers “exploded” the inside — which had formerly been a “cramped and inward-looking space,” according to Clairoux — to create a sense of space and possibility.

Dubbed the “Du Tour Residence,” Clairoux passed its balancing act with flying colours — or lack thereof.

Cream white douses every room in the house, which at 2,850 square feet feels spacious and bright. The simplistic yet elegant colour scheme allowed the designers to add to the home’s rich history, rather than erase it.

“Our goal was to create an elegant contemporary space by breathing new life into an architectural legacy from the previous century,” says Clairoux. “To pull this off, we relied on subtlety and a clean-canvas approach that focused on lines, volumes and materials.”

In a joint effort with the homeowners, Clairoux interior decorator Patrick Robichaud furnished the bungalow, allowing the space to create a quiet yet powerful statement.

Steeped in serenity, the family home now reflects its past while looking onward in revitalized style. Clairoux, which prides itself on being a noncompromising agency when it comes to putting its clients’ visions to form, is as thrilled as the homeowners with the Du Tour Residence.

“Our customers grant us creative freedom and place their trust in us — and these are the things that spark our gratitude, drive our inspiration and enable us to deliver our best work,” says Clairoux. “We are truly grateful for the opportunity to work on this project. It was a challenge, but we pulled it off.” www.clairoux.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

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auto review

2015 TRUCK COMPILATION

The new Ford F-150’s 3.5-L turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 is capable of towing an impressive 12,200 lbs

With truck enthusiasts being spoiled with a range of new body designs and engine options in every class for 2015, we haul out three prospects and put them to the test Written By Justin Mastine-Frost

If

you haven’t had the opportunity to hop behind the wheel of a new truck in the last five to 10 years, you’re in for a bit of a surprise. Much as the passenger car market has offered more and more cutting-edge technology and convenience in every segment, these three new trucks are a far cry from the utilitarian cargo haulers and barebones work trucks of yesteryear. Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge (now known as Ram in its truck division) have brought some impressive kit to the table to appeal to shoppers looking for both comfort and capability.

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Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Arguably the most rugged-looking of our truck trio, the Ram 1500 goes much further than just winning friends with its charming good looks. For starters, it is the first of the pack to offer a diesel V-6 engine option, giving it significantly improved torque as well as fuel economy. It is also the only model to offer an 8-speed automatic transmission as well as optional air-ride suspension with variable height control.

Not only does its trick suspension system allow for added clearance when roaming through rough terrain, but it also makes daily life a touch easier

when it comes to ingress and egress. www.ramtruck.ca Ford F-150 The F-150 has been one of the bestselling trucks of all time, and after winning this year’s AJAC Canadian Truck of the Year as well as the North American Truck of the Year Award it seems this latest redesign is set to keep its stellar record running. The new F-150 looks a decent amount larger than its predecessor, though thanks to the extensive use of aluminum its engineers have managed to lower its curb weight by up to 700 lbs. www.citylifemagazine.ca

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If towing is a priority, it’s also the best option in its class. When equipped with Ford’s 3.5-Litre turbocharged EcoBoost V-6, the mighty F-150 is capable of towing an impressive 12,200 lbs — power that used to only be possible when at the wheel of a big, fuel-thirsty V-8. www.ford.ca GMC Canyon For the slightly more urban truck buyer, the new GMC Canyon is by far the best option on the block.

Playing to the tech-savvy sect, the Canyon offers great optional onboard technologies including available 4G LTE connectivity and Wi-Fi hot spot capability, an 8-inch touchscreen display, as well Forward Collision and Lane Departure warning systems. Its more compact proportions make it the www.citylifemagazine.ca

3

perfect option for navigating tighter city streets without giving up the ability to pack your ATV or camping gear out into the deepest reaches of the wilderness.

Thanks to its optional V-6 engine, packing just over 300 horsepower, the new Canyon is no slowpoke either. The compact truck segment may be growing thinner by the minute, but this thing is a glorious reminder of why the segment exists in the first place. www.gm.ca

4

1. Despite its sleek, more compact proportions, the new GMC Canyon doesn’t sacrifice power and ability, making it a great choice for the urban truck buyer 2. The 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is the only model to offer an 8-speed automatic transmission and optional air-ride suspension with variable height control for added clearance when venturing off-road 3. The Canyon also caters to tech lovers with a variety of progressive options, including available 4G LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi hot spot capability, 8-inch touchscreen display and Forward Collision and Lane Departure warning systems. 4. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is also the first to offer a diesel V-6, which puts improved torque and fuel economy at drivers’ feet

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transit update Construction C on nstr tructi ucttiion on att th the he Y York orkk U Uni Un University niiive versity rsit rsi ity ty Sta Statio St S Station, tatio tion, ti i n, n Januar Jan Ja January nuar uaryy 2 2015.

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T e Tor Toronto-Y Toront Toronto-York onto-Y o-York York Spadi S Spadina padi din ina Su Sub Subway ub bway wayy Ex Exten Extension’s tensio sion’s i n n’s ’s Yo York York rk Uni Univer University ersity sity ity Station Stat tatio ion n iss th the he most most del delaye delay delayed, aye y d, d, wit w with ho only nly about about a tthi third hird rd of of t e wo the work w rk do done don e thus thus fa far ar © TORONTO TO TORONTO O TRANSIT TR RANSI ANSIT T COMMISSION, COMMISSION COMMIS SION, 2015 2015.

20 15. RE REPR REPRODUC REPRODUCED ODUCED UCED ED WITH WITH THE TH T HE PERMISSI PERM PERMISSION ERM ISSI ISSION SSION ON O OF F THE TH E TORONT TO TORONTO RONTO O TRANSI TR TRANSIT ANSIT T COMMIS CO COMMISSION. MMISS MMISSI SION SION. ON..

BACK ON TRACK The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension is overdue and over budget — will there be light for Vaughan at the end of the tunnel?

A

Written By Simona Panetta, with files from Michael Hill

subway line will soon barrel its way to Vaughan — but don’t hang your car keys up just yet.

A Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) board meeting held on March 26 at Toronto City Hall revealed the latest recommendations surrounding the problem-plagued Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE) to Vaughan that was first announced close to a decade ago. Voted in favour

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by council was additional funding of $150 million and a delay of at least one year, bringing the new completion date to late 2017 — two years longer than beleaguered suburbanites and those pushing for an extension were hoping for.

“Disappointed,” says Josh Colle, Toronto city councillor and TTC chairman, when asked about his reaction to the report. “The first information we got was just that the www.citylifemagazine.ca

www.citylifemagazine.ca

“

I THINK OF ALL THE OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THE ONE THAT [BYFORD] RECOMMENDED IS THE ONE THAT MAKES BEST SENSE AT THIS TIME

”

— BRUCE MACGREGOR, chief administrative officer of York Region

Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station Keele Stre e

t

7

407

Highway 407 Transitway Station

Pioneer Village Station

Steeles Avenue W. Line

Finch West Station

Sheppard Avenue W.

NEW SUBWAY EXTENSION

Sheppard West Station Downsview Park

W. R. Alle n

Keele Stre et

Road

Finch Avenue W.

Dufferin Street

Bradfo rd

York University

CN/GO

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York University Station

Jane Stre e

project was facing troubles. Th en staff was tasked with presenting the Commission with a number of options to consider, and the one we considered for them, the one we selected, was the one I think gets the project back on track.”

The first of four options presented at the board meeting was TTC chief executive Andy Byford’s “reset plan,” which hands over project management control from the TTC to a solesource third-party project manager.

According to news sources, the firm selected to deliver the project by 2017 is Bechtel Corp., the organization that recommended a management change after the TTC recruited experts from the multinational construction company to evaluate the project.

Compared to other options that included opening in 2018 at a cost of $180 million, the “reset” option of retaining a third party to meet an earlier completion date at a lower cost was clearly preferred to expedite the already over-budget and overdue extension project.

“I think of all the options that have been carefully considered the one that [Byford] recommended is the one that makes best sense at this time,” says Bruce Macgregor, chief administrative officer of York Region.

“It captures the momentum of the groups that have been engaged in it to date and continues the forward momentum on the project.”

Ottawa, Toronto, York Region and the Province of Ontario are cumulatively investing $2.6 billion toward funding the TYSSE project.

However, under this new plan, the City of Toronto and York Region are expected to pay the balance of the now $2.78-billion subway, with $90 million to be covered by the City of Toronto, and the remaining cost of $60 million by York Region as per a costsharing agreement.

A show of hands agreed to ask the Province of Ontario — which in 2006 and 2007 had poured a total of $870 million into the Move Ontario Trust to be exclusively used for the TYSSE project — to cover a shortfall of $85 million stemming from an unexpected weak interest growth from the transit

Sheppard West Station

Existing Subway

Planned Station

Existing Station

Planned Subway Line

Existing Subway Line

With a new completion date of December 2017, the planned six-stop Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension will run from Downsview Station and include stops at York University and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. The TTC and funding partners of the project continue to agree that the TYSSE will benefit the region, carrying 30 million riders in its first year and, therefore, have a positive impact on congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and development

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trust due to a shift in the capital market. But the province has said no.

“We recognize that that’s going to cost more money for the City of Toronto and for the City of Vaughan.

I would hope that maybe the province would contribute to that too, but it’s something that we need to get this project more than up and running — we need to get it done,” adds Colle.

Thus far, the York University Station is the most delayed, with only about a third of the work done. Overall, the TTC reports that the TYSSE project is 70 per cent complete.

quickly became a dim glow at the end of a long tunnel of delayed deadlines and a skyrocketing budget.

Originally slated to open in 2015, the TYSSE project has been haunted by holdups since construction began in 2010. Funding issues first delayed construction by 16 months — a detour that took the project’s schedule off track. Last year’s record-breaking winter and tunnelling problemsp under York University only compounded the issue. Then in 2011, a year before the TTC announced its first official delay of the project, the tragic death

The formwork for the bus terminal connection to the concourse level at Pioneer Village Station, January 2015. This station, along with York University and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, has been predominantly problematic due to conflicts between contractors © TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION, 2015. REPRODUCED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION.

In 2008, when news first hit that Vaughan would finally have a subway, a collective sigh of relief could be heard across the city, one of the fastest growing in Canada without a rapid transit system to connect its now 317,889 residents to the downtown core for work or play. Students and professionals were hopeful about an alternative to idling in congested traffic or scrapping for parking at Yorkdale mall, a major subway hub for commuters.

But what began as a $2.5-billion beacon of light — a proposal of six additional stops on the Spadina line from Downsview up to the city’s imminent downtown core at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre — 78

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of 24-year-old construction worker Kyle Knox, who was killed at the York University site, halted work into 2012 to accommodate an investigation into the matter.

Schedule challenges such as contractor performance, late design changes and conflicts between different contractors continued to plague the troubled subway extension. This past March, TTC chief Byford acted on his belief that changed leadership was due when he fired two TTC senior managers who were in charge of the burgeoning budget.

The $60 million York Region needs to fork over to cover their portion of the additional $150 million is to come from development charges, tax

levies and reserves. But for residents who cringe at the idea of a tax hike, Macgregor says that, to some extent, the region will be relying on reserves and that taxpayers likely won’t see an impact.

“At this level of funding we don’t anticipate a major tax levy pressure as a result of this increment of financing,” he says. “The TTC report identifies 2015 as a critical year in determining what the extent of construction claims are and what that value might be.

When we get to the end of 2015 we’ll have a better idea if there’s additional pressures that may or may not bear on the tax levy.

“The only caution I add to that is we’ll see what the TTC’s work does in the coming year in assessing the value of construction claims on that project.”

As much as we all hate to hear that patience is a virtue, Byford’s recommendation, albeit expensive, is the best shot we have at riding the Red Rocket in our city. All we can do for now is wait.

“We’re anxious to see this line open and we’re doing whatever it takes to make sure that it does get open so people can start using it because there’s that cost, too,” says Colle. “What’s the cost of not having this operation to all the residents who are on buses or not using transit because it’s not open? I think it’s important to weigh those costs, too, and that’s part of the impetus for pushing to get this done as soon as possible.”

Elliptical columns supporting the saddle roof and forming for the station platform slab at the Pioneer Village Station, January 2015 © TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION, 2015. REPRODUCED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION.

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April/May 2015

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chef adventure

A traditional Italian recipe from Enoteca Sociale

BUCATINI ALL’AMATRICIANA SERVES 4 TO 6

Ingredients 1 tbsp. olive oil 1/4 lb. guanciale (or pancetta), cut into 1-inch slivers 1/4-inch thick 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. chili flakes 3 cups canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes (about one 28-oz. can) Pinch of salt 1 lb. bucatini 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese (additional for serving) 80

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Method Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add guanciale (or pancetta) and sauté until barely beginning to brown. Add garlic, chili flakes and sauté over medium heat until lightly cooked.

1 2 3

Add tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by roughly half. Season with a pinch of salt and remove from heat.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add bucatini and cook until al dente, about nine minutes. Drain and transfer to the skillet. Gently reheat contents of the skillet, folding pasta and tomato sauce together until they are heated through, making sure pasta is well-coated, about five minutes. Fold in grated pecorino cheese. Check seasoning and serve with more cheese on the side. www.citylifemagazine.ca

PHOTO COURTESY OF RAINA + WILSON STUDIO

PHOTO COURTESY OF RICK O’BRIEN PHOTOGRAPHY

chef adventure

Chefs Rocco Agostino (left) and Kris Schlotzhauer (right) flawlessly recreate Italian cuisine and culture in their two downtown hubs, Pizzeria Libretto and Enoteca Sociale

WHEN IN ROME …

Book a flight and don’t forget your knife and fork — according to two local chefs, globe-trotting is the No. 1 way to find authentic culinary inspiration

W

hen you’re in Toronto and on the hunt for real Italian food, it can be a challenge to find a culinary space that’s as authentic as it promises. But chefs Rocco Agostino and Kris Schlotzhauer of Pizzeria Libretto and Enoteca Sociale have the whole authentic thing down pat. The two, who tripped to Italy in 2013 for a dose of inspiration,, recently ecently returned retur to the motherland to take more notes note and

Written By Amanda Storey

bring home fresh menu items.

Schlotzhauer spent his trip in the beautiful chaos that is Rome, eating traditional Roman cuisine to bring back freshly inspired dishes for Enoteca Sociale’s spring menu. On the chefs’ first trip, Schlotzhauer’s mission had been to discover the holy grail of bucatini all’Amatriciana. When asked what his goal was for his return trip, he says, “I’m looking forward to eating as much [spaghetti] carbonara as I can.

And lots of fried artichokes.”

Agostino had fried artichokes on the brain, too, breaking down his “to-

eat” list for their second adventure as “zucchini flowers, artichokes, anything and everything deep-fried.” Having joined Schlotzhauer in Rome, Agostino eventually made his way to Naples, where he did culinary research for his new Toronto venture with Porchetta & Co., A3 Napoli Pizzeria e Friggitoria, which plans to dish out Neapolitan street food.

Now the packs of devotees who flock to these acclaimed downtown hubs will know what they’re about to put in their mouths is as authentic as it gets. sociale.ca, pizzerialibretto.com

Q & A with Kris Schlotzhauer

After flying to Italy in 2013, Agostino and Schlotzhauer recently returned to the motherland to gather new inspiration for fresh menu items

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Q Favourite thing you ate while in Italy?

A We ate coda alla vaccinara (braised oxtail) at a restaurant called Armando al Pantheon. It was by far the greatest thing we ate on our trip.

Q What inspiration did you find in Italy that you are bringing back to your restaurant and menu?

A Spring is in full bloom in Rome and it was so nice to eat the beautiful artichokes that are

such a staple in Roman cuisine this time of year.

Q What would you say is the most popular item the locals are eating?

A Roman cuisine isn’t very trendy; they have a stable of dishes that just about every cucina Romana restaurant has on their menu and there is little room for creativity. That being said, we had a delicious pasta with pomegranate seeds and asparagus at one of the

restaurants that was a very nice, unexpected combination.

Q Were the spaghetti carbonara and fried artichokes everything you dreamed they would be?

A The fried artichokes were amazing — one of my favourites. The carbonara, for the most part, was great, a couple misses but we had probably seven of them throughout the week. I will gladly put our carbonara up against any in Rome, though.

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People & Places

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A RUNDOWN OF LOCAL EVENTS LIGHTING UP THE CITY THE 9TH ANNUAL A CURE IN THE FUTURE RETRO GALA — VAUGHAN The Bellvue Manor in Vaughan was hopping on Feb. 14, 2015, the night of the ninth annual A Cure in the Future Retro Gala. Held in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, the event treated guests to an exquisite meal and entertainment by Sensation Live Music and Platinum Entertainment Solutions. Special guest emcees Dina Pugliese and Kevin Frankish from Breakfast Television were in attendance, as well as surprise special guest Paul Coffey, retired NHL player. To date, the gala has raised over $500,000 for Princess Margaret Hospital’s research department. www.retrogala.com 1. Kevin Frankish and Dina Pugliese of Breakfast Television 2. Ralph Ciampaglia 3. Paul Coffey, retired NHL player

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PHOTOS BY LUCA VIOREL

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CASTELLO RISTORANTE AND BRANDO’S CLOTHING HOST FUNDRAISER FOR BURN UNIT AT THE HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN — VAUGHAN

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Castello Ristorante and Brando’s Clothing in Woodbridge recently collaborated on a charity fashion show in support of the Joey Conte Foundation, which benefits the Burn Program at the Hospital for Sick Children. The event took place at Castello on March 5, 2015, welcoming over 100 guests to a memorable evening as the latest fashions from Brando’s were showcased on the runway. Thousands of dollars were raised from the event, with proceeds directed to the Burn Unit, which annually treats a large number of burn patients. www.joeycontefoundation.com

PHOTOS BY SAL PASQUA

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1. Fundraiser guests 2. Samantha Balsamo 3. The Fundraising Committee: Josie Giordano, Antonella Zoccoli, Mary Polsinelli, Samantha Balsamo, Patricia Balsamo, Sandra Senatori and Helen Brandao 4. Fundraiser guests 5. Model 6. Castello Antipasto TWEET US YOUR EVENT AT @CITYLIFETORONTO

For sponsorship inquiries, please email events@dolce.ca. For more events, please visit www.citylifemagazine.ca/people_places

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People & Places

BRING OUT THE

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OPENING OF PICCOLI TESORI — VAUGHAN

1. Teresa Raso, Jessica Iammatteo and Cesie Furfaro, co-founders of Piccoli Tesori 2. Piccoli Tesori Bomboniere & Gifts is a new giftware boutique in Vaughan that carries high-quality items such as beautiful crochets 3. A lovely spread was laid out for the many guests that attended the opening of Piccoli Tesori

www.citylifemagazine.ca

My Heart Thanks You …

There is no other place to go when you are looking for something wonderful, beautiful, unique & rare to say Thank You for loving me, for sharing our special day, for being a friend, for being you …

PHOTOS BY DANIEL A. COOPER

Woodbridge has a new giftware boutique, and the unique business is already generating buzz throughout the city. Piccoli Tesori Bomboniere & Gifts was founded by Teresa Raso, Jessica Iammatteo and Cesie Furfaro, Vaughan residents who came together to create high-quality giftware items like the beautiful crochet items they designed themselves. Located in the heart of Woodbridge, this new shop is inspiring customers of all tastes with its unique fare, which ranges from artisan tableware to pillows and journals. www.piccolitesori.ca

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April/May 2015

City Life Magazine

83

People & Places

WINTER PROVISIONS AT THE RICHMOND — TORONTO

Held at The Richmond at King St. and Spadina Ave. in downtown Toronto, the event was a welcome source of warmth in the middle of winter

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LOVE AND BASKETBALL 2015 — TORONTO Leave Out Violence (LOVE) Ontario held its second annual charity basketball tournament on March 14, 2015, bringing together donors, supporters, youth leaders and alumni to raise awareness and funds for LOVE’s youth violence prevention programs. The event, which took place all day at the HoopDome in Toronto, saw 30 teams compete in a three-game, full-court, three-on-three round-robin format, followed by semi-finals and finals. With each player contributing a minimum of $250 for the cause, the event raised over $66,000. www.ontario.leaveoutviolence.org

PHOTO BY ASHLEY CARMICHAEL

Toronto-based catering company Provisions hosted Winter Provisions on Feb. 17, 2015, at hip downtown event joint The Richmond.

At the private seasonal food and drink pop-up, DJ 1UP set the mood as guests lined up for delicious, handcrafted cocktails and were served an array of unique, artisan eats made of local and seasonal ingredients.

The culinary experience awakened eventgoers to the beauty of eating locally and seasonally — the principles on which Provisions is founded. www.provisionscatering.com

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SKECHERS SPRING-SUMMER 2015 COLLECTION PREVIEW — TORONTO COLLECTIO A longtime giant in the footwear industry, Skechers is regaining momentum with its freshest, funkiest collection yet. The brand’s spring-summer 2015 creations follow the current trend of colourful sneakers and running shoes, offering brightly hued selections for customers seeking comfort while they’re on the move.

Skechers debuted these offerings, and the rest of its revamped collection, at an exclusive preview at Elmwood Spa in Toronto on Feb. 26, 2015. www.skechers.com Event-goers ogled at the brand’s colourful springsummer line and were quick to share the unique designs on social media

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City Life Magazine

April/May 2015

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF THE HONOURABLE JULIAN FANTINO

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKECHERS

1. Men and women of all ages came out to support the second annual event 2. Event-goers were encouraged to spread the message of non-violence in their communities and continue to raise support for the cause 3. Considered to be a space of non-violence, respect, creativity, friendship and problem solving for youths, the tournament aimed to strengthen these values in the players 4. Each player was committed to the LOVE cause, raising a minimum of $250 each to support the organization

Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino presents hundreds of local women with mimosa flowers on International Women’s Day

MINISTER JULIAN FANTINO HONOURS WOMEN ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY — VAUGHAN

On International Women’s Day, Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino spent the day meeting with hundreds of women from across Vaughan to honour their commitment to the health, prosperity and security of the city. Minister Fantino personally delivered mimosa flowers — a symbol of the celebrations of Women’s Day in several countries — to women young and old, in recognition of their contribution to families, the economy and the community.

Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8. www.julianfantino.ca

www.citylifemagazine.ca

PHOTOS BY ANNA KEENAN PHOTOGRAPHY

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City Life Magazine

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