City Life Magazine Dec/Jan 2019/20

18

YORKDALE’S SWEET SPOT IS THE NEW KITKAT STORE

36

CRAZY ABOUT TUSCANY & TUTTI MATTI RESTAURANT

54

WISHING ON A MIRACLE: BABY EVA’S STORY

62

SURVEY SAYS: FAMILY FEUD CANADA IS A HIT!

Publication Mail Agreement 40026675

SINCE 2003

y r h e G k n F ra THE GENIUS BEHIND THE ARCHITECTURAL EXCELLENCE OF OUR TIME p. 44

D/J 14

Dec/Jan 2019/20 $8.00 12

0

74470 94927

5

Immerse yourself in luxury

MATCHLESS DESIGN AND IMPECCABLE FINISHES. THIS IS LUXURY AT ITS FINEST, ALL DETACHED AND NESTLED IN A LUSH SETTING ON THE EDGE OF A MAGNIFICENT RAVINE BY PRESTIGIOUS KLEINBURG.

EXECUTIVE DETACHED BUNGALOW & 2-STOREY HOMES STARTING FROM THE UPPER $1.3M’s 2,500 SQ.FT. TO 4,500 SQ.FT.

REGISTER FOR YOUR EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE APPOINTMENT

GOLDPARKHOMES.COM

#GOLDPARK

Rendering is artist's concept. Prices and specifications subject to change without notice. See sales representative for details. E.&.O.E

2

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

WHEN YOU CAN’T COME TO US ... WE WILL COME TO YOU! Paint and Decor ideas are just a click away VISIT OUR BRAND NEW WEBSITE

For all your paint and decorating needs, visit our 20,000 square foot superstore.

Consultations available in-store or in-home. Call for details. www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20 CITY LIFE MAGAZINE 4190 Steeles Ave. W., Woodbridge, Ont. | 905-850-4040 | www.steelespaint.com

3

4

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

FURNITURE | ACCESSORIES

| WALL

ARTERIORS

LIGHTING |

Shop now at primalighting.ca 255 Bass Pro Mills Drive l Vaughan, Ont. l 905 851 1188 www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

5

VOLUME 17 ISSUE 6 | DEC/JAN 2019/20

18

CONTENTS 28

COVER STORY

44

FRANK GEHRY: A look inside one of the most creative minds of our times, shaper of skylines and cities, and creator of some of the world’s most distinctive buildings

46 36 10

10 DESIGNER’S WALK: Covering the full

spectrum of everything you need to know about this season in design

18 THE CHOCOLATE RUNS THROUGH IT: The GTA’s sweet tooth gets a major boost with the opening of North America’s first Chocolatory

28 CENTRE OF LIFE: For 40 years, Nima Kitchens has created the finest in innovation and design at the centre of everyday living

36 TUSCAN ADVENTURES: Alida Solomon’s Tutti Matti is a hit for those who seek the authentic approach to Tuscan food

38

32 SPIRITS OF THE SEASON:

How a local distillery has turned itself into the go-to destination in Toronto’s Distillery District

38 EDITOR’S PICKS: Spark your imagination and creative side by thinking outside the box when it comes to gifts for the holidays

58 THERAPY FOR THE SOUL:

How one organization can make such a difference in the lives of a family facing autism

66 INS AND OUTS OF

HAPPINESS: A personal trainer’s holistic approach to life and fitness begins at the body’s centre

More stories inside …

6

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

VOTED BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL IN KING

#

GR ADES 4-12 CO-ED • KING CITY, ON

You’re Invited!

JOIN US FOR ONE OF OUR UPCOMING WINTER OPEN HOUSES: JANUARY 17 - 9:30AM • JANUARY 31 - 9:30AM Please register at www.villanovacollege.org or call 905-833-1909 • Grades 4-12 Co-Ed • STEM & AP Programs • www.mycitylife.ca University Preparatory

• Catholic Tradition of Academic Excellence

• Tuition Assistance • Entrance Scholarships Available Dec/Jan 2019/20 CITY LIFE MAGAZINE 7

PUBLISHER’S NOTE PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Believe In a world that is fast becoming soulless Be challenged to find your own soul Then make it selfless.

When the television portrays only tragedy Be challenged to turn it off Spend your time working on your own humility.

If you’re surrounded by people who are envious Be challenged to cull the herd around you Fill your life with those who bring joyousness.

During the times you feel utterly hopeless Be challenged to claw your way out Understand that genuine happiness is timeless.

Find your soul. Believe in yourself. Trust in your God. Love your family. Share your plenty. Lean when you need. Live out loud.

Love heartily. Grow your humanity.

Infect the worldZerillo with your faith.

Fernando

Co-Founder/Creative Director — from The Wife by Iris Imeneo

natural disasters and extreme weather conditions, one could ask the same question now. In De Lio’s case, where was God when deadly bacteria infected his body, nearly taking his life and Every great dream begins with aresulting dreamer.

Always remember, in the amputation of both of his legs?

In that article years ago, one the questioned you have within you the strength, the patience and theofpassion to religious leaders replied that God was in the firemen going up the stairs to rescue reach for the stars tothe change the world people in the towers. It’s a response that to this date gives me Michelle Zerillo-Sosa, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief comfort. Likewise, now, God is in the rescue workers bringing relief to Puerto Rico, Mexico and Florida. And God was in the doctors who fought to save Paul De Lio. He was with the family and friends who prayed for De Lio’s life and later, for his recovery.

Today, just a few months after his ordeal, De Lio is filled with positivity and gratitude. He is ready to help others find ways to live with motivation. Dare I say, then, God also resides in De Lio’s heart. See his story on page 32. s we approach the end of another year, it’s natural to reflect you’re only one who believes that my has thoughts gotten them Of the course, it’s possible you in doyour notideas agree—with and takeell, stock.

Striving to begin the new year with an where they are today.

Architect Frank Gehry is one of these individuals. in the case of Yolanda Gampp, this could be on the whereabouts of God. We all know that one should not open heart and open mind, we consider the things we’ d His buildings are a testament to his childhood dream of wanting to a real possibility. If you’re not yet familiar with speak casually of politics or religion, for these are sensitive like to change, the relationships we’d like to improve and create emotionally move people asanymore, much as he her work, she is a multi-millionaire YouTube topicsbuildings (althoughthat thecould weather isn’t exactly a safe topic the knowledge we’d like to grow order tosubscribers, become better moved at perhaps the age ofyou fourwill by abe 500 BC photoinofour a Greek baker (3.3 in million thatversions is) … of all was either).

But interested storycharioteer. about ourselves. anticipate not only the good things to come, but also witha people is one life’s greatest all have thanksWe to her incredible imagination. theConnecting Bahá’Í Faith, relatively newofreligion with 5gifts. to 7We million This is awewoman who up cakes a living not the adherents practising globally.

If you believe the betterment of the challenges face. After all,dreams meaningful changefor rarely comes—from power to reach someone, whether throughinarchitecture or a smile traditional tieredzone. shapes flavours, butchallenge cakes that look like the aworld, in unity, love and service, find yourasplace within one’s comfort Weand must, therefore, ourselves to and kind word.

It doesn’t matter howyou youmight communicate, long as hot new dogs,paths, hugenew candy apples, Bahá’Í’s believe of season, all sexes, explore places and watermelons, new practices.in flavours like the ithere. comes from the heart.inThequality is holiday weraces hope and you ficreeds, nd some ultimate redLife, velvet chocolate … You the idea. and in the for harmony science religion.

Story page 74. be Here at City oneand of our greatestcake privileges as get publishers is inspiration how toof shape yourand upcoming year.

Juston remember: In this day be and age, to webecome could all moreand unity, love and faith, Sweet mother of God, this lady theonpower to tempt even getting to meet inspiring subjects.

We has thrive these interviews and kind, never afraid theuse change continue to dream. regardless of what form it takes.

May you enjoy this edition the strongest-willed person with her cakes!

Her belief is that features, and take seriously our responsibility to bring you these stories.

Wishing you blessings, love and light this holiday season. of anything is possible, and with the love and support of family City Life Magazine. It, like life, is yours to experience and do We often toy with the idea of one day publishing a book about these and friends, the highest levels of success are attainable.

Read with what you will. incredible people, shining a light on those whose life’s calling is to her story on page 38. make a difference in this world. Such a project would promise to be a Speaking of belief, we all pray that our faith need never be huge one, though; there are so many good people out there working tested the way Paul De Lio’s is. Many of us go through life to make things better. So until that day, we will continue to bring you without ever having to question why tragedies strike our lives or the stories of these individuals in City Life magazine.

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Zerillo-Sosa Fernando Zerillo the lives of others in the world. A few years back, we published Michelle Th editionabout is no exception, profiling peopleI who know how to take Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Co-Founder/Creative Director anisarticle the definition of God. remember asking the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief riskswriter and are not content to settle.

It’s their curiosity, hard work and to pose this question to various religious leaders: “Where @citylifemag / @amorebagstoronto / @fernandozerillo @dolcetweets @amorebagstoronto stubbornness sometimessuch it takes stubbornness to persevere when was God — in moments as 9/11?”

Given the recent state of

CAN YOU HAVE Making YOUR CAKE ANDa difference EAT IT TOO?

A W

8

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Zerillo-Sosa • michelle@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca ART D E PARTM E NT CO-FOUNDER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Zerillo • fernando@dolce.ca SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christina Ban SENIOR UI/UX DESIGNER Yena Yoo WEB DEVELOPER Jordan Carter JUNIOR UI/UX DESIGNER Maria Korolenko E D ITO R IAL D E PARTM E NT FASHION & HOME DÉCOR EDITOR Michelle Zerillo-Sosa BEAUTY & WELLNESS EDITOR Angela Palmieri-Zerillo CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nickolas Lombardi, Rick Muller, Donna Paris, Cece M. Scott, Josh Walker COPY EDITORS AND PROOFREADERS Catharine Chen, Jennifer D. Foster, Nina Hoeschele, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Boyer, Geoff Fitzgerald, Carlos A. Pinto, Christian De Santana, Christopher Sturman SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS Jessica Spera, Cassandra Giammarco VI D E O D E PARTM E NT VIDEOGRAPHER Carlos A. Pinto PUBLISHER

ADVERTISING T: 905-264-6789 info@mycitylife.ca DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Susan Bhatia SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Mario Balaceanu OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Maria DiRico FRONT COVER Photo by Spencer Lowell

City Life Magazine • Volume 17 • Issue 6 • Dec/Jan 2019/20 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@mycitylife.ca • www.dolcemedia.ca Subscribe online at www.mycitylife.ca or by calling 905-264-6789. City Life Magazine’s yearly subscription fee is $24.

We accept Visa, MC & AMEX. Send cheque or money order to Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont., L4H 3H9 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40026675 All rights reserved. Any reproduction is strictly prohibited without written consent from the publishers.

DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION City Life Magazine reaches 294,810 readers per issue through household distribution 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: Mar/Apr 2020 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 23 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. ©2019 Dolce Media Group • www.dolcemedia.ca • Printed in Canada

@citylifetoronto

www.facebook.com/citylifemagazinevaughan

@citylifemag

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

9

DESIGN NEWS

Covering interior and exterior, traditional and contemporary, we give you the designers and products you need to know this season WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

Deco-Echo − Toronto-based Deco-Echo offers a range of vinyl wall coverings brimming with exquisite patterns, such as this one from Roberto Cavalli. www.deco-echo.com

Francis Kéré − On Jan. 17, 2020, IDS20 will be hosting internationally acclaimed architect Francis Kéré. Kéré is known for his pioneering approach to design and commitment to sustainable materials and methods.

AZURE − Available in chrome and poised to sit between functionality and design, the AZURE kitchen faucet creates a one-jet pull-down spray.

www.interiordesignshow.com

www.riobel.ca

4046 Excava − Designed to reflect the authenticity of industrial materials, Caeserstone’s Metropolitan Collection aims to capture the true depth and movement that make each slab of material unique.

Bauhaus − Specializing in doors and windows, Bauhaus offers a range of designs that span traditional and contemporary looks, guaranteed to suit your desired style. www.bauhausdoors.com

www.caesarstone.ca

10

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

At Zilli Home, we travel the globe searching for the latest in home furnishings. Allow our team of expert Design Consultants to curate customized furniture and accessories that reflect your personal style.

Begin your design journey today - visit us in store or online.

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

11

DESIGN NEWS

Summerhill − With a tagline of “renovations done responsibly,” Greening Homes is committed to making homes healthy and energy efficient. One such project was the renovation of this classic Victorian home, Summerhill. www.greeninghomes.com

Crate and Barrel − From dual citrus squeezers to five-blade herb scissors, Crate and Barrel has everything you need to ensure your kitchen can keep up with your cooking. www.crateandbarrel.com

S108 − Designed by Montrealbased Kastella, this four-dresser drawer adds a classic staple to your living space and is available in walnut, maple, cherry or white oak. www.kastella.ca

INSERIRE Stool − This stool, produced by Toronto-based designer of Italian descent Anthony Mattacchione, has been designed to exaggerate the moment steel meets wood.

It is also available as a side table and coffee table. www.mattacchione.ca

12

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

Tile and Stone

Hardwood Flooring

Carpet and Rugs HARDWOOD & CARPET SHOWROOM

COVERING ALL YOUR FLOORING NEEDS

TILE SHOWROOM

FLOORING

For over 40 years Weston Floor Coverings has been leading the flooring industry while evolving into a large-scale flooring company with 2 state-of-the-art showrooms located in the GTA.

87 Westcreek Dr. Woodbridge, Ont. 416-746-8492

Weston Floor Coverings is committed to quality in products, craftsmanship, style and design, making us the most trusted choice in flooring.

www.mycitylife.ca

www.westonfloorcoverings.com

8111 Jane St. Unit #6 Concord, Ont. 416-746-8492

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

13

DESIGN NEWS

Metalwood Studio − Metalwood Studio, run by an expert team of woodworkers and enthusiasts, has over 50 years of experience and specializes in kiln drying, furniture design and maintenance.

Pure Stainless − Founded on the principles of clean design and quality, Pure Stainless is Canada’s leading stainless-steel pool and spa manufacturer, ready to start building your personal oasis.

www.metalwoodstudio.com

www.purestainlesspools.com

FAINA − Launched by Ukrainian designer Victoria Yakusha in 2014, FAINA is a brand created with minimalism in mind. Her brand introduces a number of pieces that, though simple in form, have a deep philosophy behind them. www.faina.design

Blobula Multi − With over 4,000 designs in production, over 300 awards and projects in over 40 countries, Karim Rashid is a prolific designer whose work is introduced here on customprinted carpets. www.wstudio.ca

14

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

“

Villaggio prides itself on using fresh local ingredients, allowing us to create seasonal menus and new dishes for our clientele to enjoy

“

Antonio Barbiere Owner/Executive Chef

DELICIOUS FOOD, PICTURESQUE SCENERY

VILLAGGIO RISTORANTE IN THE HEART OF KLEINBURG For over 10 years, Villaggio Ristorante’s award-winning Mediterranean-Italian dishes have exceeded guests’ expectations. Featuring only the freshest ingredients coupled with a contemporary fine-dining atmosphere, Villaggio has quickly become one of the top restaurants of Vaughan’s competitive dining scene. Come for the food, stay for the memories. Villaggio Ristorante.

COLOUR

905-893-4888 110 Nashville Rd. Unit 11, Kleinburg, Ont.

www.villaggio-ristorante.ca www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

15

A DV E R TO R I A L

NATALIE’S FAVOURITES Curated just for you. Founder of Zilli Home, Natalie Papia, has hand-picked her favourite home furnishings and accent pieces Natalie Papia, founder of Zilli Home

◀ Metal flower candles, $39 ▲ Double Arch Tray, $349, for serving guests

▲ Naples Chair starts at $1,349 (your choice of fabric, made in Canada). This additional seating makes a statement

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

▲ Taormina Chest, $799, with a finish that adds elegance

◀ Lucky Charm Accent Table, $749, is perfect for a glass of champagne

Z

illi Home is a fashion home furnishings storefront and e-commerce shop inspired by Natalie Papia’s love for incredible interiors.

Zilli Home Interiors is pleased to offer personalized in-home consultations and design services by professional designers to help bring your vision to life. Whether you’re looking for an entire room makeover or just that one finishing touch, Zilli Home is the go-to home furnishings destination.

672 Chrislea Rd., Woodbridge, Ont. 289-268-0020 | www.zillihome.com @zillihome 16

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

▶ Artwork Harvest 36” x 54”, $999

▲ Kamdyn Candles start at $129 − just to set the mood

HOTEL SUITE OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY LIFE’S FINER PLEASURES SALES OFFICE LOCATED INSIDE

CHÂTEAU LE JARDIN EVENT VENUE 8440 HWY 27, WOODBRIDGE ON. L4L 1A5

261 hotel suites • 54 offices • 8,500-sq.-ft. spa & wellness centre • 1,000 private members’ wine club 200-seat five-star event restaurant • 150-seat patio and rooftop pool/lounge 200-seat tented event courtyard • 100-seat café/marché • Nightclub

HOTELVIEWB.COM

|

905.266.2145

MARRIOTT® AND TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO® ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION (THE “LICENSOR”) AND ITS AFFILIATES. NEITHER THE LICENSOR NOR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, ACCOUNTANTS OR ATTORNEYS IS IN ANY WAY PARTICIPATING IN, APPROVING, OR ENDORSING THE OFFERING DESCRIBED HEREIN, ANY OF THE UNDERWRITING OR ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES USED IN THE OFFERING, OR ANY REPRESENTATIONS MADE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH AND NONE OF THEM WILL RECEIVE ANY PROCEEDS FROM THE INVESTMENT DESCRIBED HEREIN AND INVESTORS WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY INTEREST IN THE LICENSOR OR ANY OF SUCH OTHER PERSONS. THE LICENSOR HAS NOT ENDORSED OR APPROVED INVESTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS OFFERING. THE GRANT BY THE LICENSOR OF ANY FRANCHISE OR OTHER RIGHTS TO LONG VALLEY HOSPITALITY INC. (THE “COMPANY”) IS NOT INTENDED, AND SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED, AS AN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED APPROVAL OR ENDORSEMENT OF THE COMPANY OR THE INVESTMENT DESCRIBED HEREIN, OR OF ANY STATEMENT REGARDING ACTUAL OR PROJECTED FINANCIAL OR OTHER PERFORMANCE. NEITHER THE LICENSOR NOR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, ACCOUNTANTS OR ATTORNEYS, WILL IN ANY WAY BE DEEMED AN “ISSUER” OR “UNDERWRITER” OF ANY INVESTMENT DESCRIBED HEREIN. ALL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PROJECTIONS OR OTHER FINANCIAL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT OR SIMILAR WRITTEN OR ORAL COMMUNICATION HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY, AND ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMPANY. NEITHER THE LICENSOR NOR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, ACCOUNTANTS OR ATTORNEYS HAVE ASSUMED, AND NONE WILL HAVE, ANY LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PROJECTIONS OR OTHER FINANCIAL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT OR SIMILAR WRITTEN OR ORAL COMMUNICATION. THE LICENSOR MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO REVIEW AND APPROVE OF THIS DOCUMENT.

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

17

Gastronomy

KITKAT CHOCOLATORY NOW FLOWING AT YORKDALE

North America’s first interactive KitKat Chocolatory brings fun, excitement and whimsy to your own KitKat-making creative experience

W

hen we think of chocolate lovers in the world, we may think of the Swiss or perhaps those living in Germany or Belgium. But how about the Japanese?

With the popularity of the novel KitKat Chocolatory pop-up shop last year in downtown Toronto, KitKat

18

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

was led to establish North America and Canada’s first permanent KitKat Chocolatory in November 2019 at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

When Canadians were introduced to this original concept, and upon learning more about it and searching its background further, many were surprised to learn Japan already has

eight permanent KitKat Chocolatories in urban centres to satisfy the country’s seemingly never-ending sweet tooth.

So, just what is a Chocolatory, anyway?

It’s a clever and highly experiential approach to retail marketing and brand building in support of KitKat by owner Nestle. In these fun-filled and interactive chocolate emporiums www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KITKAT CHOCOLATORY

WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER

The fun and exciting Chocolatory environment is where you can indulge your sweet tooth and watch trained chocolatiers create the magic behind every KitKat bar

in highly desirable retail destinations, guests can create their own personalized KitKat bars.

Originally introduced in Britain in the 1930s by chocolate manufacturer Rowntree, KitKats are now sold in more than 100 countries. They were first exported to Japan in 1973 and became an instant hit, leading Nestle to experiment with its KitKat Chocolatory concept. The concept is popular from Hokkaido to Osaka to Tokyo, including massively popular and extremely large Chocolatories in such high-rent districts as Shinjuku and Ginza in Tokyo. KitKat Chocolatories can also be found in Brazil, Malaysia and Australia.

Now Canada has joined in the fun, and the KitKat Chocolatory at Yorkdale is introducing new features, further www.mycitylife.ca

elevating the chocolate bar–making experience.

The Yorkdale location was carefully chosen to be the home of Canada’s first permanent KitKat Chocolatory.

It is one of Canada’s largest shopping centres, pulls in both locals and tourists, is connected by the TTC and attracts many new Canadians. It is also Canada’s most productive shopping centre in sales per square foot, and it may surpass the $2,000 mark next year.

At Yorkdale, the designers for KitKat Chocolatory have created a bright, fun, loud and immersive 1,200-squarefoot space, which immediately creates excitement and the urge to roll up your sleeves and create your own bar with hands-on customization.

“KitKat Chocolatory is about creative expression and inspiring people

to reimagine the flavour possibilities at their fingertips,” says Ryan Saunders, vice-president of marketing, Nestle Canada. “We are thrilled to be bringing KitKat Chocolatory to North America, where every KitKat becomes a canvas, making a break and something you can take but also create.”

At the Yorkdale location, visitors can explore their inner chocolatier and make their own custom KitKat bar using white, dark or milk chocolate.

There are more than 2,000 different flavour combinations, and visitors can choose from a menu of 16 premium ingredients to customize their bar with a personalized name or message, selecting three ingredients to top their bar. These provide a variety of flavours from choices that include rainbow sprinkles, rose petals, miniDec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

19

With more than 2,000 different flavour combinations and 16 ingredients for toppings, visitors can summon their inner chocolatier in customizing their own KitKat bar

marshmallows and even peanut butter chips or rippled potato chips, among others.

The KitKat Chocolatory puts visitors at the heart of the innovation process, and it may be especially attractive to the younger demographic, who like to put their own personalized stamp on everything for their social media postings.

A customized Create Your Break bar costs $15, which is more than at a supermarket, but the quality, flavour and overall experience are well worth it.

For gifting, KitKat Chocolatory offers gift boxes, gift cards and personalized greeting cards just in time for the holiday season.

This exclusive retail space was the brainchild of designers OneMethod and Model/Ctzn. Both worked closely with Vaughan, Ont.-based Unique Store Fixtures, which was responsible for the production of the millwork, stone countertops, metal and signage.

Everything about the KitKat Chocolatory is full of fun, whimsy and imagination, and its design has many references to the bar itself.

White floor tiles mimic the shape of a KitKat, while the lighting on the ceiling appear to be pieces of a bar. And the dark chocolate wood tones on Unique’s millwork located under tables and on the ceiling reference chocolate. All the 20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

We have no doubt this will be a retail destination within Yorkdale and a magnet for chocolate lovers across the GTA — Ferro Corrente, Chief Operating Officer, Unique Store Fixtures

designers worked closely together, with a highly co-ordinated and synchronized approach, to make the opening deadline.

“Unique was extremely capable of converting our very intricate, highly coordinated design into a functional built form in a very limited timeframe,” says Justin Vinet, senior environmental designer with Model/Ctzn. “Unique gave us faith every step of the process.”

For Unique and its 100 full-time craftspeople, engineers and store display designers, this KitKat Chocolatory adds to its impressive array of leading global clients, such as Tiffany’s, Gucci and Bergdorf Goodman. “We have no doubt this will be a retail destination within Yorkdale and a magnet for

chocolate lovers across the GTA,” says Ferro Corrente, chief operating officer, Unique.

The heart of the Chocolatory is the open kitchen, where visitors can watch their customized KitKat bars being made to order by a team of chocolatiers.

Making its world debut at the Yorkdale location is The Chef ’s Table Experience.

This is a one-of-a-kind interactive component and immersive journey through the making of a KitKat bar, designed especially for the Toronto store and led by head chocolatier Christopher Neamtu, who may have one of the sweetest jobs anywhere.

There is a reason chocolate is the most popular sweet treat in the world.

A small nibble is indeed a break and can make a bad day better. The average British, Swiss or German citizen eats 24 pounds of chocolate per year, the same amount of seafood they eat. And the annual worldwide consumption of chocolate is estimated to be a staggering 7.2 million metric tons, with Asian markets now responsible for 20 per cent of that consumption.

But most don’t consume it like you can at a KitKat Chocolatory, where fun, excitement, creativity and imagination are just as important as the chocolate you choose. www.madewithnestle.ca @KITKATChocolatoryCA www.mycitylife.ca

A DV E R TO R I A L

Dr. Bruce Tasios at Tasios Orthodontics

ALL ABOUT THE SMILE Choosing the right orthodontic clinic is a big deal. If it’s for your child (or even yourself), then you want to make sure you find the right one. You will know you’re in the right place at Tasios Orthodontics as soon as you’re welcomed with a smile

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

C

hoosing to undergo orthodontic treatment is a big decision and a long-term commitment. You want to feel comfortable, with confidence in the level of expertise and care you receive. Most of all, you want amazing results and, at Tasios Orthodontics, the proof is there for everyone to see. “We take great pride in the quality of our work and post hundreds of before-and-after photos on our Instagram page, showcasing patients’ results (@tasiosortho),” says Dr. Bruce Tasios. “Patients love the detail

www.mycitylife.ca

that we put into our work and some even travel two or three hours to come and see us.”

Tasios Orthodontics offers two locations for patients with evening and weekend appointments, doctors who can be contacted 24-7 and interest-free payment plans. “We strive to give patients an unparalleled orthodontic experience in every aspect of orthodontic care,” Dr. Tasios says. In fact, it is an award-winning experience and many people agree: Tasios Orthodontics has been voted the Top Orthodontic Clinic in Vaughan for

five consecutive years. Dr. Tasios credits the team at Tasios Orthodontics for creating an atmosphere where everyone enjoys coming to their appointments. “I am very fortunate to have an amazing team: each member plays an important role in ensuring that patients have an extremely positive experience” he says.

“We all treat patients with passion, care and love.”

In addition to achieving stunning results, Tasios Orthodontics is welcoming, friendly and fun, adding to the patient experience. There is a refreshment area, snack bar, games room, iPad station, and the clinic holds monthly contests and a Smile Rewards Program. “We often hear that siblings always want to come to the office too and want to be part of the experience,” he says. Besides being fun and welcoming, Tasios Orthodontics proudly supports its local community.

“Giving back is something that we take great pride in,” Dr. Tasios continues.

“Supporting local sports teams, schools and attending community events is a big part of what we do outside of the office.”

There are many treatment options available, including metal braces, esthetic/clear braces and clear aligners.

Dr. Tasios has noticed that he is starting to see more adult patients in the office every year due to the advent of more esthetic treatment options. “Adults tend to be especially appreciative of the results. Some of them are moved to tears with their transformation because this is something they have lived with for a long time that has affected their confidence and self-esteem,” he says.

Dr. Tasios comes from a family of dentists. “My dad never pushed me into dentistry, but he always said, ‘Whatever you do, strive to be the best at what you do,’” he says. In the end, he did choose to pursue orthodontics. “And that mindset has always stuck with me.”

3611 Major Mackenzie Dr., Unit 2, Vaughan, Ont. 905-553-7778 2085 Lawrence Ave. E., Unit 6, Toronto, Ont. 416-901-7778 www.tasiosortho.com Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

21

A DV E R TO R I A L

MAYA OPENED ITS DOORS MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO AT THE SAME LOCATION, OFFERING CUSTOMIZED SERVICES TO VAUGHAN CLIENTELE. “AND WE’RE STILL STANDING!” SAYS LIA

ALL UNDER ONE ROOF

Whether you’re looking for head-to-toe spa services, advanced cosmetic medical treatments or the best skincare products to use at home, you can get it all at Maya Advanced Skin & Body Care

I

t’s not just a spa. Sure, you can get manis and pedis here along with laser hair removal, but Maya Advanced Skin and Body Care specializes in medical esthetics, too. And that means everything from non-surgical facial treatments to advanced laser services and a wide range of individualized skincare solutions.

“That’s what makes us different,” says Lia Naccarato, who owns the business

22

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

with her mother Josie. With a medical director and a registered nurse, Mina, on staff, Maya offers all injectables, PRP scalp treatments, laser resurfacing and skincare treatments, including laser and radiofrequency facials, and chemical peels to address every skin type.

Lia has always had a keen eye for beautifying, and she went on to further her education with honours in all esthetics after high school. When Lia’s dream of

having her own place became a reality, her mother pushed her to get involved with every aspect of the industry, saying people would really appreciate having everything available at one facility.

In fact, Lia is a pioneer, offering everything from customized facials to anti-aging treatments – including MPR Toroidal Radio Frequency, one of the newest and best treatments available now. For her, that’s part of the excitement.

“I’m constantly reinventing the place,” she says. The experience doesn’t end when clients walk out the door, either.

Maya carries an array of the best skincare and cosmeceuticals available, including iS CLINICAL, SkinCeuticals and InnoDerma, some of the most highly regarded skincare lines in North America.

Lia isn’t the kind of girl to stand still, and she isn’t the kind of person that’s happy staying home, either. “I’m here all the time, I’m really involved,” she says.

She’s proud of what she’s built, and she has clients that back her up 100 per cent.

That’s because she cares about her clients, stopping at nothing to get them the best that’s available, including going to workshops and seminars regularly.

“Thanks to my medical director and nurse, we get the first invites to view what’s coming into Canada, like the newest and the best technology,” she adds.

That’s a lot of expertise that clients are getting, and they know it. In fact, Maya opened its doors more than 20 years ago at the same location, offering customized services to Vaughan clientele.

“And we’re still standing!” says Lia. And don’t forget to check out her Instagram (@mayaaesthetics) for lots of great photos – from the best in the industry.

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

Lia Naccarato, owner of Maya Advanced Skin & Body Care

10065 Keele St., Maple, Ont. 905-832-2677 www.mayaskinandbodycare.com www.mycitylife.ca

10 YEARS IN A ROW

SELF-CONFIDENCE

FOCUS

DISCIPLINE

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

AT NORTHERN KARATE WE ENSURE CHILDREN ARE PREPARED. TEACHING LIFE SKILLS SINCE 1972.

NORTHERN

KARATE

SCHOOLS

START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT WITH A MEMBERSHIP AT NKS. YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND WILL THANK YOU!

WOODBRIDGE

VAUGHAN

MAPLE

RICHMOND HILL

3883 Rutherford Rd. 905.265.7777

4350 Steeles Ave. W. 905.856.4047

225 McNaughton Rd. E. 905.303.5202

11160 Yonge St. 905.508.5811

www.mycitylife.ca

WWW.NORTHERNKARATESCHOOLS.COMDec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

23

A DV E R TO R I A L

GREAT TO HEAR

From left to right: Kris Romano, Ida Massarella and Clara Russiello

The name speaks for itself – your hearing is a sound investment.

And when you walk through the doors of this award-winning hearing clinic, you’re more than just a client to music, participating in a conversation, hearing a child’s laughter – all these things make our lives better. And we don’t think twice about them until, of course, there’s a problem.

But studies show that 40 per cent of adults have some form of hearing loss, as well as a correlation between the onset of dementia and hearing loss. “Our hearing is our connection with our world, with family, with friends, with the environment,” says Ida Massarella, one of the owners of Great to Hear (greattohear.ca).

The hearing clinic opened seven years ago. It was co-owner Clara Russiello’s dream. “Since my husband has hearing loss, I wanted something different from the regular hearing clinics,” she adds. She wanted a partner, and so she approached Massarella, whom she had known for years and, shortly after that, Kris Romano, a Hearing Instrument Specialist, came into the picture.

So what makes Great to Hear different from other hearing clinics? “I wanted to take away the stigma of hearing loss,” says Russiello. “When you have a problem with your eyesight, you get glasses, and if you have a toothache, you go to the

24

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

dentist and, with your hearing, you go to a hearing specialist,” she adds.

For Romano, it’s all about the hearing instruments themselves. “We have the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment and technology,” he says.

He’s not kidding, either. A video otoscope allows clients to look right into their own ear and see their eardrum. One product that’s offered at the clinic: the Starkey Livio.

This Bluetooth-connected hearing device allows people to answer calls, stream TV, measure heart rate, and even features language translation. And because Great to Hear is an independent clinic, it isn’t tied up with just one manufacturer, so it can offer a wide range of products depending on audiogram results and lifestyle.

But what really sets the clinic apart is that the staff cares passionately about each client. That’s why they provide consultations, hearing tests, product demos and wax removal – all free of charge. “As part of the hearing test and consultation, I like the client to thoroughly understand the test results, whether it shows normal or hearing loss, so they can maintain a healthy lifestyle,” says Romano.

As for Russiello, she stops at nothing to help people, even filling out forms

for government funding, Workers’ Compensation, insurance, Veterans Affairs, Ontario Works and social services, all at no charge.

Great to Hear reaches out to the community, bringing its services via its mobile clinic to 12 retirement homes, including home visits, as well as educating high-school students and people who work in loud environments about hearing loss prevention. And its staff members educate themselves, too, attending global conferences to stay on top of what’s happening. It certainly shows: Great to Hear has won prestigious community and media awards every year that it’s been in business.

The clients at Great to Hear range in ages – “we consider them family,” says Massarella, and the clinic’s multiple 5-star Google reviews would certainly agree that the feeling is mutual.

8787 Weston Rd., Unit 7A, Woodbridge, Ont. 905-850-7997 www.GreatToHear.ca www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

Listening

Special coloured belts to coordinate your outfit

Classy wool coats to keep it business casual Shirts of all colours, shapes and sizes

Comfortable leather shoes to accentuate your look Wax, lotions and more to take care of your hair and skin

MENSWEAR SHOP QUALITY SINCE 1988

A wide assortment of socks in all patterns

Floral ties to highlight your dress shirts

www.mycitylife.ca

DRESS TO IMPRESS

The finest in innovative apparel is and accessories for men, at the forefront of men’s fashion.

With suave suits, trendy ties, belts, stylish shoes and accessories, defines debonair.

THE KEY TO MEN’S FASHION 7600 Weston Road (at HWY 7) Woodbridge, Ont. T 905-851-6500 www.perlui.ca

Suits great for every event Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

25

Charitable Inspiration

CITY MOGULS:

PHOTO PHOTO BY

BY NYB NYB MEDIA MEDIA INC. INC.

FUSING FASHION, PHILANTHROPY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

From left: Victoria Marshman, Dani Kagan, Monica Gold

26

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

support youth with mental health and addiction [issues].

Starting as an annual runway show four years ago, City MOGULS has expanded to become a multi-layered platform focused on connecting and supporting some of Canada’s most innovative young minds WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

F

ounded in 2016, City MOGULS was set up by three entrepreneurs who wanted to not just support and nurture other young, upcoming entrepreneurs, but also raise funds for charity in the process. Here, co-founders Dani Kagan and Victoria Marshman discuss the expansion of City MOGULS, their partnership with Covenant House Toronto — a charity serving youth who are homeless and at risk of being trafficked — and why platforms like City MOGULS are so important for young people.

City Life: First, it would be great to hear about you and City MOGULS in your own words.

Dani Kagan: We started City MOGULS about four years ago, out of a need to have an event we always wanted to attend. There are three co-founders: me, Victoria and Monica Gold, and [with the three of us] having a passion for the arts and entrepreneurship, we wanted to bring those worlds together and shine a light on the young entrepreneurs in our city.

It started with wanting to put on an event to celebrate that and help inspire the next generation to go after their dreams, all for an amazing cause.

Victoria Marshman: The runway show that we started four years ago is our signature event. It’s the event City MOGULS started with, but we’ve grown to do smaller spin-off events

www.mycitylife.ca

throughout the year. We also have a great following on social media and digital platforms, so we’re a platform for education and information on our moguls. We really made the shift, especially this year, [from] being a onetime, signature runway show for charity to a full brand. It’s been a big year for us.

CL: What happens at this signature runway event? What could someone attending expect to see?

DK: The event is really unique. All of our moguls walk the runway in Canadian fashion. We love promoting homegrown [fashion] brands and designers, and giving them a platform.

We’ve incorporated the arts, so we have dance pieces and music pieces in the show, and we have a VIP lounge and open bar that are great for networking.

And, after the show, it turns into an afterparty with surprise performances.

VM: The main focus is celebrating entrepreneurship. All of our moguls are entrepreneurs, starting creative companies that change the way we do business. That’s what we’re highlighting and then there are the layers underneath that. So as well as highlighting Canadian designers, we raise awareness and educate about our charity partner, Covenant House Toronto. Last year, we raised $50,000 for them and educated people about human trafficking in Canada. This year, [we raised more than $80,000, which we] are donating to Covenant House’s program to help

CL: Why do you feel platforms like City MOGULS are so important for young people today?

DK: The three words we focus our whole brand on are: “inspire, motivate and connect.” We want to help inspire people to bring giving back into what they’re doing. Money can’t be the driving force for success these days.

We see the value in being a conscious Canadian. We’ve always done our part in giving back and putting on events, but we really wanted to spread that to giving back through the millennials and young professionals coming up. The second part of that is connecting people face to face. It’s really easy to go about your day and not go to events and not meet people. It’s hard for young people to connect and meet people, so even getting them to events and giving them educational takeaways is really exciting for us. It’s needed. We like to bring good people together.

CL: What would you say to young people on the fence about taking the entrepreneurial leap?

DK: I think what Victoria and I really stick to and are held to, having worked for other people, is that there’s never a good time. If you have a vision and your gut feeling is telling you to go after it, there’s never going to be a perfect time, so you should just do it.

CL: How can people get involved and support what you’re doing?

DK: Obviously, they can come out to our events and be a part of the community that way. Coming out to events has the biggest impact. If they want to just donate to the cause, they can. All of our moguls have fundraising pages, and you can donate directly to Covenant House. People can also join our newsletter, where we provide educational information on our moguls, events and community. www.citymoguls.com Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

27

business

COOKING IN STYLE NIMA Kitchen & Bath offers a diverse selection of Canadian- and Italian-made, state-of-the-art kitchens, which are priced for all budgets WRITTEN BY CECE M. SCOTT

C

ooking an exquisite meal is pleasurable. Cooking an exquisite meal in a stateof-the-art kitchen, the kind in which NIMA Kitchen & Bath specializes, is an extraordinary experience. Established 40 years ago by the husband-and-wife team of Nick and Fiorella Marinelli, NIMA is a family-run business that includes the couple’s three daughters: Tania, the showroom co-ordinator and marketing manager; Monica, the office manager; and Sarah, who does PR work and consults on special projects, as well as Nick’s brother Mario, the sales manager for the past 40 years; Robert, who has been the shop manager for more than 20 years; and the many long-standing employees.

“The important things in our lives have always been family, friends and honesty,” Nick says. “It has always been important for me, for us, to be considerate, and that is what defines our lives.”

With both sets of parents immigrating to Canada from Italy (Nick’s parents immigrated from Molise, and Fiorella’s from Abruzzo), Nick and Fiorella know what hard work is all about. At 11 years old, Nick worked in the grocery store that was downstairs from the family’s apartment on Dundas Street in Toronto. He also shone shoes for some pretty famous people, including Hockey Hall of Famer and Liberal Senator in the Canadian Senate, Frank Mahovlich. When he was in Grade 4, Nick would stay behind at recess in order to get help from the teacher to 28

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

write cheques for the family bills, such as the hydro, phone and mortgage. “I was doing exactly the same,” Fiorella says. “At 10 and 11 years old, we knew how a mortgage worked. And while my parents worked, my siblings and I would do the cooking and cleaning. My mother was a seamstress, so I learned how to make my own clothes; there was no money to buy new ones.”

We believe the kitchen is the centrepiece of every home — Nick Marinelli

Fast forward to the couple, now married and in their early 20s, with both working for Salvarani Kitchens: Fiorella as a bilingual secretary and Nick as a sales manager. “We ran the operation for a year, at which point Salvarani had some financial difficulties and went into receivership,” Nick says.

“The company’s inventory was being sold off, so closed-envelope bids were being tendered. It was a big decision.

We had no money, but we really wanted to buy the assets. We decided we would offer a quarter-million dollars for the inventory, but we only had $10,000 saved. The only way was to get both our parents to put their houses up

for collateral, which they both agreed to do.”

Their bid was successful, and the couple opened their first store on Steeles Avenue West, across from their current location at 2060 Steeles Ave. W., in Concord, Ont. After four to five intensive years of hard work, the loan was paid off. “All of our money was made by saving payroll, by saving on expenses,” Nick says. “The product was a good product. And we also had a lot of assistance. My father helped us — he was like a human assembly line. My brother, Mario, has been with us from Day 1. Fiorella’s father helped us with the building of the current location.

My late brother, Angelo, also helped us a lot.”

Nick’s brother Angelo, who passed away in 1998, was deeply involved in charity work, both local and abroad.

He was an integral part of establishing The Foundation and Hospital for Abandoned Handicapped Children in El Salvador called Hogar Padre Vito Guarato. After Angelo’s passing, NIMA continued to contribute to Angelo’s legacy by hosting a familyrun golf tournament for 20 years. As well, NIMA is and has been involved in building several things that were desperately needed by the hospital, such as a clean water cistern, a covered recreational area and various transport vehicles for supplies and transporting children. In total, more than $600,000 has been raised, with some of the funds supporting charitable causes closer to home, such as SickKids Hospital.

What sets NIMA apart, aside from www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY GEOFF FITZGERALD

Nick Marinelli and his wife, Fiorella, owners of NIMA

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

29

30

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY GEOFF FITZGERALD

NIMA’S 7,000-squarefoot showroom highlights ARAN Cucine, as well as exclusive Italian interior designs

its 7,000-square-foot spectacular highend showroom, is its mix of made-inCanada and made-in-Italy offerings.

As the exclusive Canadian importer of ARAN Cucine (the partnership has been one of NIMA’s biggest business highlights), which is well-known for manufacturing the most-sold Italian cabinetry worldwide, NIMA’s original position in the kitchen arena centres on the exclusive styles of Italian interior design that it provides to homes all over the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and well beyond. “The broad range of designs, including the modern Italian cabinetry imported from ARAN Cucine, and the traditional designs we manufacture on-site make us original,” Nick says. “And with our on-site 20,000-square-foot warehouse and shop, we are also able to customize all of our designs to best suit the needs of our clients.”

Working with a variety of local builders and developers, NIMA is also a key kitchen provider for top condo projects across the GTA and in the United States, including the Olympia Centre in Chicago; Aura at College Park, Toronto, the tallest residential condo tower in Canada, by Canderel; St. Gabriel Village, at Bayview and Sheppard avenues, and The Residence of Avondale at Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue, both by Shane Baghai; and Harbour Plaza – West Tower, by Menkes. NIMA also has a number of ongoing kitchen partnership projects, including Leaside Manor by Shane Baghai and The Diamond by Diamante Development Corporation.

“We believe the kitchen is the centrepiece of every home, and it’s our mission to create a beautiful and inviting gathering place for all of our clients and their family and friends,” Nick says.

“We have kitchens for all budget levels, all providing good quality,” adds Fiorella. “And anything that needs to be customized, we do ourselves. We can satisfy any desire, from modern to the more classical designs, in our warehouse. Service and honesty are at the core of our business; we deliver what we promise.” www.nimakitchens.ca @nimakitchens

ASK THE EXPERTS IN FINANCING

STRESSED ABOUT UNEXPECTED EXPENSES AND RISING DEBT? Mortgage refinancing gives you an opportunity to hit the reset button – get your finances under control – and save you money.

When purchasing a home, we all start off with a pretty good idea of what our monthly mortgage and household expenses will be – and we adapt to meeting our routine debt obligations. But Life Happens… and we may suddenly need to take on more debt. This usually means unsecured debt such as loans or credit cards that come with high interest rates. These debts can be difficult to pay down, and over time we may be paying a great deal of money to servicing the interest and little to reducing the debt. After all, this is what keeps the credit card companies in business. Mortgage Refinancing offers a great opportunity to hit the reset button – by consolidating your high interest debt into a lower interest rate mortgage that will save you a great deal of money.

Debt consolidation is just one of the

many reasons to consider refinancing your mortgage. Other reasons include securing a lower interest rate than your current mortgage rate; to access funds for your children’s education; or, to finance a home renovation.

Whatever the reason, mortgage refinancing is an effective tool that can improve your finances. However, it’s important to assess your specific situation to determine how much you can save, and if it’s worth breaking your mortgage early and paying a penalty or waiting until the end of your mortgage term. If the benefits of refinancing including a possible penalty outweigh the cost of carrying high interest debt for several years – it may be worth doing. Our team of mortgage experts can help you with custom strategies to achieve your goals.

Get InTouch working for you today!

www.mycitylife.ca

19 Coalbrook Court, Vaughan, Ont. | 1 (855) 245-9473 | 905-266-9986 info@intouchmortgagesolutions.com | www.intouchmortgagesolutions.com Dec/Jan 2019/20 FSCO Lic #11789 – InTouch Mortgage Solutions is owned by Centum Finding the Right Mortgage - independently owned and operated - and part of Centum Financial Group.

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

31

MIXOLOGY

At Spirit of York, its premium bottles of gin, vodka, rye whisky and aquavit are all proudly filled and sealed by hand

SPIRIT OF YORK: MIXING WITH THE POPULATION

The Distillery District’s Spirit of York has taken Toronto by storm in producing world-class spirits for a world-class city

T

he 80 per cent of Canadians who live in urban centres may not think about it often, but the close to fourbillion-year-old, eight-million-squarekilometre Canadian Shield is among this country’s most treasured natural assets. Even savvy urban tastemakers can benefit from its unique mix of 32

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

minerals, such as those who frequent Spirit of York Distillery Company, located at 12 Trinity St. in the heart of Toronto’s Distillery District. The company has come to be regarded as Ontario’s premium distiller of Canada’s best-tasting spirits in the just over two years since its opening.

“We forget how privileged we are,” says Gerry Guitor, one of the founders

of Spirit of York. “We are living in one of the most fortunate areas of the world, surrounded by an abundance of riches, with tons of natural resources.

The water and ingredients we can source allow us to make our product as good as anywhere else and they celebrate who we are.”

Guitor is one of the proudest Canadians you may ever meet — he www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN DE SANTANA

WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER

may even bleed maple syrup. He is also passionate about Toronto and says Spirit of York is a reflection of its diversity and its cultural growth.

“I think Toronto is the greatest city in the world,” says Guitor. “As Toronto grew, we all learned from each other’s cultures, which created a sense of adventure, and once you get a taste from that cup, you want more to experience the world. It’s made us that much more culturally aware and translates into wanting to try different things, and our products and flavours represent that broader community.”

Those liquid products were further enhanced this fall with the launch of Spirit of York’s kitchen, which introduced its new menu of elevated bar food to complement its premium spirits, such as gin, vodka, rye whisky and aquavit.

“We don’t want to be a restaurant, as our focus is on our spirits, but when

Since opening in May 2017, Spirit of York has quickly become a destination gathering spot in Toronto’s vibrant Distillery District

people were coming in, they wanted some food pairings with their spirits,” says Guitor. “So we began small seafood platters with our aquavit, chocolates with our whisky and cheeses with our gin and vodka. We created something which enhances our spirits, all sourced from local suppliers to celebrate what’s great about Ontario.”

Spirit of York is recognized for its passion, care and commitment to its time-honoured distillation techniques fused with modern processes. And these are all on display via its entire back wall of floor-to-ceiling glass, part of the culture of transparency that lives within its dedicated staff and its entire manufacturing process, reflected in its logo.

Explains Guitor, “Our logo focuses on three spirits: the spirit of ghosts because we are in the very haunted Distillery District; the spirit to produce products which are world class; and the spirit of our community.”

That spirit of the community has lived deeply from Day 1 at Spirit of York, whose 35 shareholders in the www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

33

AUTHENTIC WOOD BURNING PIZZA IN JUST 2 MINS

REG.

$1,698

Full accessories included

JUST

$1,398

When you use promo code citylifepizza ($300 off regular price) MODERN DESIGN EASY TO CLEAN AFFORDABLE REMOVABLE ASH TRAY THERMOMETER HEAVY GAUGE STAINLESS STEEL

ORDER ONLINE www.ciaobellapizzaovens.com 34

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

info@ciaobellapizzaovens.com

www.mycitylife.ca

www.spiritofyork.com @spiritofyork www.mycitylife.ca

A DV E R TO R I A L

Sweets and Treats for Everyone If someone has a nut allergy, it used to mean taking a pass on cookies, cakes and even ice cream. But this bakeshop creates beautiful and delicious sweets that are not only safe for consumption – but actually irresistible

Rosa Cirillo, owner of Oh So Sweet bakeshop

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

venture all agreed to always give 10 per cent of all profits back to local community groups.

“We support many cultural groups, such as the LGBTQ community, local Jewish and Chinese community groups, the AGO Power Ball, the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet,” says Guitor. “Toronto is the sum total of all of these different social groups, which come together to contribute to the city. We give back to our community to be inclusive.”

Spirit of York is perhaps proudest of only using locally sourced ingredients from farming communities across the province. All of its products are 100 per cent Canadian, from grain to glass.

“We meet with vendors who are likeminded to us,” says Guitor about the care and attention to detail they take in sourcing local suppliers. “For example, our grain comes from southwest Ontario and a very passionate farmer who still uses a stone mill from 1847 in their process. Then we control the entire process on-site here where the rye is collected; we mash it and ferment it and distill it, proof it and it goes into your glass. And each bottle of our spirits is proudly filled and sealed by hand.”

It’s part of the bigger picture at Spirit of York, whose full-time staff of about 20 all share the same pride in their craftsmanship and in following the proper processes. It may take a little longer, but the end product is among some of the finest spirits in the world, which they will proudly put up against any other spirits from any other country.

“We produce a very high-quality product, as our consumers are the judges,” says Guitor in speaking about the immediate success of Spirit of York. “And that’s part of our values, too; [we’re] proud to showcase what Ontario and Canadians can do.”

Toronto has evolved into a worldclass city in the past two decades and is deserving of world-class spirits. Spirit of York’s success story reflects that spirit and will be proud to carry the banner high and forward.

h So Sweet bakes up delicious goods at its 100 per cent peanut-free and tree-nut-free facility – and not just the usual bland offerings, either. “Everything is baked from scratch,” says Rosa Cirillo, who now employs nine people, including professional pastry chefs and cake decorators. “We’re making baked goods that you can’t find anywhere else … some people have told us they’ve never had a piece of apple pie.”

If you or your child have a nut allergy, you need to find a place you can trust.

And it’s a bonus if you can get delicious cookies, cupcakes, pastries and beautiful Instagrammable cakes of all kinds, with gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free options available, too.

Rosa and her team get a lot of satisfaction from their work. “We try to make things that people can enjoy so

O

they don’t feel left out,” she says. “After a weekend, when we’ve had say 40 cakes go out, it’s amazing to get messages afterward saying things like, ‘Everyone loved the cake – they all want your number!’” she says. “It makes you feel like we’re doing something right … and something great.”

What’s up for the future? “People come from all over the GTA to our place and we try to deliver as much as we can, but I’m actually looking to open up a second location,” says Rosa, to make it even easier for clients to get access to her baked goods.

8099 Weston Rd., Unit 15, Vaughan, Ont. 905-265-9898 www.ohsosweet.ca Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

35

Gastronomy

In 2002, Alida Solomon opened Tutti Matti, a Toronto-based restaurant dedicated to Tuscan cuisine

A TASTE OF

TUSCANY

After years exploring the region of Tuscany, chef Alida Solomon launched Tutti Matti, making her mark on Toronto’s restaurant scene with her authentic approach to Tuscan food

A

lida Solomon’s relationship with food began when she was at university, studying a double major in history and geography. Instead of focusing on her studies, she would spend her time

36

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

cooking from her apartment or, as she likes to call it, “a sort of small, not-forprofit restaurant. Every time my friends would pick up groceries, I would tell them to just bring it to mine.”

After losing one of her friends that

year and dealing with the personal trauma that ensued, she decided it was time to leave university and pursue a career working with what she loved: food. “My dad’s a lawyer, and my mom has a master’s in education, so you can www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

It was the first time I actually realized things come from places. If you grow up in a city like Toronto, you see a steak, but there’s no connection with where it’s come from become a black sheep pretty quickly when you decide you want to cook for a living,” Solomon explains. “I had travelled through the Middle East a lot and spent the summer working in Israel, which is where I found this want to cook, so it wasn’t a total shock. My parents are big on education but, 25 years later, they couldn’t be prouder.”

During the early ’90s Solomon began travelling to Tuscany, Italy, beginning a love affair with the region and its cuisine that would eventually lead to her opening her Toronto-based Tuscan restaurant, Tutti Matti, in 2002. “There was something about the connection between terroir and food,” she says, speaking of her love for the Italian region. “It was the first time I actually realized things come from places. If you grow up in a city like Toronto, you see a steak, but there’s no connection with where it’s come from.”

Today, Tutti Matti has received both local and national awards, and features www.mycitylife.ca

Tutti Matti works with a seasonal menu and local produce to give its visitors a true taste of Tuscany

evolving menus focused on providing an authentic Tuscan experience. “The most important thing for me as a chef is to realize that, if you’re going to choose to focus on a small part of the world, everything you do has to reflect that,” she says. “So our wine list is 99 per cent Tuscan, every product we bring in that isn’t local, like the olive oil, is from Tuscany. We buy from a local farmer in Markham, Ont., who’s Italian. I didn’t want to come back to Toronto and open just another Italian restaurant. I wanted it to be something that was super specific.” Alongside the restaurant’s shifting seasonal menus, it includes five different kinds of handmade pasta and large steak as staples, again traditional to Tuscany.

While both Solomon and her restaurant have seen impressive success, it’s shocking to hear that she is one of only a few female chefs and restaurant owners in the city. “It’s been tough, and it’s something I don’t talk about often

because I didn’t want to be a preacher,” she explains. “Toronto is very accepting of people from all over the world, but the one thing we’re not accepting of is a want for people to have it all when it comes to women in the hospitality sector. It sounds very straightforward, but I always wanted to have kids, and I don’t know how that would have happened.” As a result, she advises young, upcoming female chefs to “find a balance. If you want to have a family, find a way to make it happen, because no one is going to do that for you.”

With Tutti Matti about to head into a new season of dishes, and the chef set to appear as a judge on a new Food Network Canada show, Wall of Chefs, in winter 2020, it seems Solomon’s fascination with flavour is just getting started. www.tuttimatti.com @tutti_matti Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

37

38

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

2

1

3

4

There are many ideal ideas when it comes to holiday gift giving, providing perfect choices and selections to create happy memories WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER

EDITOR’S PICKS

7

5

6

www.primalighting.ca

collection of 2014 Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in a stylish wooden box www.twosistersvineyards.com 5. CANDLES BY LARES: Four delightful fragrances made of all-natural wax and hand-poured to give your home a lovely vibe www.larescandleco.com 6. ALMOST HUMAN: Jane Goodall calls this alternately joyous and heart-breaking, a moving story of Norway’s most famous chimp www.chapters.indigo.ca 7. THE CRESCENT TABLE LAMP: This lamp by Visual Comfort Co. is a beautiful addition to any contemporary space, featuring natural quartz stone with antique gold or silver leaf finishes

www.mediterraneandirect.co.uk 4. TWO SISTERS VINEYARDS COLLECTION: Enjoy this fifth anniversary

Sweeten up the holidays with a luxury citrus fruit and saffron panettone in a Dolce & Gabbana tin

3. TRADITIONAL SICILIAN CAKE:

Fossil’s limited-edition Lyric three-hand, two-tone stainless steel watch, available in 20 colours for any wrist www.fossil.com

2. LYRIC STAINLESS STEEL WATCH:

to impress with a Sequin Sweetheart Gown, finished with a flattering, long silhouette www.lechateau.com

1. SEQUIN SWEETHEART GOWN: Dress

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

39

10

13

14

8. L’OCCITANE EN PROVENCE: L’Occitane en Provence provides the finest in skin care, body care, fragrance and hair care from Provence, France www.yorkdale.com 9. ALDO SHOES: Put your best foot forward in a fashion statement with Lacplesa boots by Aldo Shoes www.aldoshoes.com 10. KIPLING GALLERY: A home to creativity, Kipling Gallery offers the best for the serious art collector or beginner www.kiplinggallery.com 11. YVES SAINT LAURENT MAKEUP: Touche Eclat Blur Perfecto makes itself a makeup essential for at-home preparation or on-the-go www.products.yorkdale.com 12. NUMBERS BY DESIGN: Original and thoughtful, a customized home address sign improves the curb appeal of any home www.numbersbydesign.ca 13. HUROM CITRUS JUICER: This top-quality juicer makes life sweeter and easier at any time of the day www.hurom.com 14. CANADA GOOSE: Nature offers real-life “streaming” services to explore. Get outside and embrace winter with Canada Goose www.canadagoose.com

9

8

11

12

A DV E R TO R I A L

FOR ALL THAT GLITTERS: DAMIANI JEWELLERS Forever” is a word that is synonymous with important times in our lives, moments when a true sense of commitment and loyalty to one another are celebrated.

In fact, forever is the glue that solidifies promises and binds them throughout perpetuity. Damiani Jewellers, the symbol for these special occasions, understands the concept of forever because it has been delivering on that promise for over 60 years. Its stunning 5,000-squarefoot showroom is a veritable one-stop shop for the highest quality jewellery, finest timepieces, and luxury gifts that make special occasions and important milestones even more memorable.

1960

1956 Frank Damiani opened his first store in 1956 on Eglinton Avenue West, and incorporated in 1957 as Frank Damiani Jewellers Ltd.

40

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Frank (Franco) Damiani, who looked more Irish than Italian with his vibrant red hair and hazel-green eyes, immigrated to Canada from Italy in 1953. After working on the railway in Alberta, Frank was tired of being out in the cold, so he moved to Toronto, where he met up with an old friend who was a watchmaker. Always the entrepreneur, Frank used his savings to open a small jewellery and watch repair shop and hired his friend. However, his friend returned to Italy within a month and Frank was left to manage the store on his own.

“Dad was a blacksmith and knew how to solder iron, but soldering gold was a whole different thing,” laughs the couple’s

Dec/Jan 2019/20

In 1960, he married Liliana Salvitti and moved his business a few doors down to a larger location, which remained open until the 1980s

daughter, Anna Damiani-Celi. “One of his friends was a watchmaker, and dad, who had a mechanical mind, was a fast learner who could fix anything.”

After seven years in Canada, Frank, who was now a Canadian citizen, returned to Italy to court his childhood friend, Liliana (Edda). At 25 years old, Edda, a teacher who was happily surrounded by her family, was not particularly keen on immigrating to Canada, where she had neither family nor a command of the English language.

“Frank had to get back to his store in Toronto, so he gave me an ultimatum — either you marry me now or I’m leaving,” Edda says smiling.

19601970s In December 1961, they opened a second jewellery store on St. Clair Avenue West. In the early 1970s, they opened the Keele Street store and moved the St. Clair store to the new Galleria Mall

1984 In December 1984, Anna and Claudio opened the first Woodbridge store in Market Lane

www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAMIANI JEWELLERS LTD.

Damiani Jewellers, a generational family-run business, is a genuine one-stop shop for diamond, watch and exquisite jewellery lovers

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

Three generations of the Damiani family.

From left: Anna, Laura and Edda

1995 In 1995, Frank Damiani Jr. opened Damiani’s flagship store on Jevlan Drive in Woodbridge

www.mycitylife.ca

2017 The 5,000-square-foot Woodbridge store was completely renovated in 2017

Now Frank Damiani Jr. and Anna Damiani-Celi co-own the Damiani Jewellers’s Woodbridge location

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

41

The couple married and returned to Toronto, where with Edda’s help, Frank’s business started to flourish. With $7,000 in savings, the couple had to make a decision: either buy a house or buy a bigger store. Edda told Frank to buy the store because she hoped to make some money and return to Italy. But Edda persevered in her new life. She went to school and learned to speak English, while also completing Grade 13.

The first store opened on Eglinton Avenue West in 1957. The business quickly grew, so the couple moved to a larger 1,500-square-foot store, which boasted brand-new showcases to display their wares. Boosted by his innate charisma and work ethic (Frank often worked long hours in the store, then spent another several hours taking watches apart and fixing them), it wasn’t long before Frank made some solid contacts in the jewellery industry.

In fact, Frank’s drive and passion so deeply impressed the owners of A & A Jewellers that they gave him two trays of jewellery on credit — a situation unheard of at that time.

The location of the second store was another plus for the couple’s business. Situated across the street from St. Thomas Aquinas Church, the Italian congregation recognized the Damiani store sign as being of Italian origin. “There were very few Italians in business at that time,” Edda says. “They would come into our store because they knew we could speak English and they would say, ‘Friend, I need a hair dryer; friend, I need an iron.’ It was more like a bazaar than a jewellery store.”

Eventually, the couple started a family, and with Edda at home, Frank hired Joe Balkovec, a friend with whom he played soccer, to work in the store. It was a relationship that would continue for the next 50 years.

The business expanded again in 1961 with the opening of the St. Clair Avenue West store, which Balkovec managed.

This was followed by the opening of the Downsview store (on Keele Street) in the early 1970s. Once the kids went off to school, Edda returned to work at the Downsview store, working six days a week.

42

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

In the beginning, Anna and her brother, Frank, no taller than the showcases, would spend their weekends at the store. “Even though I was little, I still wanted to serve customers,” Anna reminisces. “I used to have a little stepstool that I would climb up on, so I could talk to the people in the store.”

Fast forward to the teenage years, when Anna worked at the family’s Galleria Mall location on evenings and weekends.

There she met Claudio, who was working in the store at the time. Things evolved, and within two years, Anna and Claudio were married in March 1984. Following

“ WE ARE

HONOURED TO BE A PART OF [OUR COMMUNITY’S] MOST CHERISHED MOMENTS

”

— Laura Damiani

in her parent’s footsteps, Anna, along with Claudio, opened up their own retail location (600 square feet) in Vaughan’s Market Lane in December 1984. “We did the same thing as my mom and dad did,” Anna says laughing. “Instead of buying a house, we used all of our savings to open the Market Lane store. We brought all the solid wood showcases up from the old St. Clair store to our new location. It was actually from this store that our current location was envisioned.”

Anna’s brother, Frank, is a co-owner and President of Damiani Jewellers. After completing a Bachelor of Economics degree at the University of Western, he joined the business and was instrumental in making the Jevlan Drive store in Woodbridge a reality. It was he who purchased the land in Woodbridge and built the plaza where Damiani Jewellers is now located. Frank continues to make the strategic decisions for the company, which includes the most recent renovation of the Jevlan store. His eldest daughter,

Laura Damiani (Frank has three daughters with his wife, Angela) runs the day-to-day business at the store.

Customer service, which includes servicing everything they sell, is key to Damiani Jewellers’ customer relationships. So, too, are its massive selection and exclusive brands. “The families in our community have grown with us over the years, and we are honoured to be a part of their most cherished moments,” says Laura, the third generation to be involved in the family business. (Some of Damiani’s customers are also third-generation buyers.) “We are an Authorized Rolex Retailer, and some of the brands we carry include Amden, ArtCarved, Doves by Doron Paloma, Montblanc, Tag Heuer, Thomas Sabo and William Henry,” she says. “We also carry luxury Swiss timepieces, fine gold and diamond jewellery (bracelets, earrings, necklaces, fashion rings) and loose diamonds and engagement rings.

We have thousands of pieces at any given time.”

Committed philanthropists, Damiani Jewellers supports the G. Magnotta Foundation for VectorBorne Diseases, The Vitanova Foundation and the Mackenzie Health Foundation, among others.

“Even when we didn’t have much, we always gave something,” Edda says.

And while diamonds are usually encapsulated by the four Cs, Anna says, “Damiani is different because we recognize a 5th ‘C’: cut, colour, clarity, carat and confidence in us as your jeweller. As a full-service, one-stop shop, my dad’s dreams [Frank died in 2007, at the age of 79] have been realized.”

“And it is my goal to continue on my grandfather’s legacy,” adds Laura.

15 Jevlan Dr., Unit B, Woodbridge, Ont. 905-850-4653 www.damianijewellers.com www.mycitylife.ca

AUTHENTIC RUSTIC ITALIAN FLARE BLENDED WITH A NEW WORLD CHARM

Mario Turco

Owner and Executive Chef

NOW BOOKING HOLIDAY CORPORATE AND FAMILY PARTIES!

Since opening in October 2018, Cento40 has become the hot spot in the vibrant Market Lane neighbourhood of Vaughan.

This Italian trattoria offers a true taste of Italian cuisine, featuring both traditional classics and modern staples, in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. This rustic elegance makes Cento40 ideal for a casual relaxed meal yet sophisticated enough for a special night out.

140 Woodbridge Ave., Vaughan, ON. | 905.605.8775 www.cento40.com

BASEMENT FINISHING & HOME RENOVATIONS

From Concept To Creation Nobody Does It Better Add beauty and equity, while getting the basement or home you’ve always dreamt of.

CONTACT US FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE. Office and Showroom: 830 Rowntree Dairy Road, Unit 23, Woodbridge, ON L4L 5V3 support@capablegroupinc.ca | 905-889-0025

capablegroupinc.ca www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

43

GEHRY:

THE PENULTIMATE VISIONARY Frank Owen Gehry is a Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, an award which embodies significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture

W

hat makes someone a genius? Is there a creative or intelligence gene that is passed down through the hierarchy of generations, one that inspires and gifts the virtuoso with an attitude for inventiveness and a flair that most of us can only dream of ? For Frank Owen Gehry, a Canadian-born architect who’s been living in the United States for seven decades, the moniker of genius centres on the continuum of going beyond, envisioning the extraordinary with a seismic unconventional and revolutionary mindset and approach.

The natural capacity for exceptional excellence, manifested through one or more genres, is definitive of genius status, one with which Gehry (now 90 years old) is clearly gifted.

44

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

Gehry’s foray into brilliance began when he was only four years old.

He was shown a photo of a Greek charioteer that dated back to 500 BC. Its sustainable beauty made him cry, and even at that earliest of ages, the impact was such that the young boy decided then and there what he wanted to do — create buildings that would move people five hundred years out.1 Born in Toronto in 1929, Gehry (who changed his name to Goldberg from Gehry when he moved to the United States), along with his parents, Irving and Thelma, and his sister, Doreen, lived both in Toronto and Timmins, Ont., for much of his childhood and teenage years. He always had a sense of being an outsider, which could be somewhat attributed to his Jewish and Polish heritage and the fact that anti-Semitism in Toronto was then a www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER STURMAN

WRITTEN BY CECE M. SCOTT

Frank Gehry is an architect unequalled for his vision and creativity to his craft

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

45

46

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

The interior of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain

Anita, in 1956), Gehry took on the renovation of his pink-clad old Dutch colonial bungalow in 1978, which was located on a highly visible Santa Monica, Calif., street. Eager to imprint his signature avant-garde stamp on the house, Gehry used a collection of his now-familiar non-traditional building materials, including metal, glass, plywood, corrugated metal and chainlink fencing to reinvent the interior. Of course, he left the outside of the house clad in its cloak of pink. Although the neighbours were not ecstatic with what some considered a design atrocity, Gehry’s street was suddenly awash with students who came to marvel at his work. And while many of Gehry’s business clients were also not impressed with the new direction he was taking, private clients loved the new and bodacious edgy spirit of his work.

The project, however, that brought Gehry (who was then 68 years old)

to international fame, one that is now famously referred to as having the “Bilbao effect,” is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain.

The museum, named one of the most important works completed since 1980 by the 2010 World Architecture Survey (as named by architecture experts), was officially opened in October 1997

by King Juan Carlos I of Spain. The base of the Guggenheim building is limestone, and the building itself is clad in titanium plates (the exterior alone has 33,000 plates).

And while the building houses approximately 250 pieces of contemporary works of art, it is the shapes, the sharp angles, the concave walls and hoods, the flap extensions and Christmas bow-like top that draw the thousands upon thousands of tourists to marvel at the building, as it gleams radiantly under both the bright Spanish www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

prejudice that was quiet but sometimes real. His maternal grandparents, Sam and Leah Caplan, owned a hardware store on Toronto’s Queen Street West, where Gehry would often go to “immerse himself in the wonderland full of screws and bolts and hammers and nails and every household gadget, all of it the stuff of possibility in Frank’s mind.”2 In 1949, when Gehry was 20 years old, he moved with his family to Los Angeles to see if the more temperate climate would help his father’s ill health. After achieving his bachelor of architecture degree from the University of Southern California in 1954, Gehry went on to study at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, which he left before graduating. Gehry’s imagination and creativity were burgeoning and he needed to begin crafting his career, which began with his Easy Edges furniture line (1969–73) that was shaped by the layering of corrugated cardboard material. It was the beginning of the architect’s fascination and love for using prefabricated and unconventional materials to create, which included everything from plywood to titanium.

Gehry’s life direction was set, one that was and is deeply rooted in the forms, shapes and spheres of architectural excellence. Between 1984 and 1986, Gehry designed a collection of fishshaped lamps, which led to large public sculptures, such as Standing Glass Fish (1986) and Fish Sculpture (1989–92).

Along with designing the official World Cup of Hockey trophy, Gehry also collaborated with Tiffany & Co. on a series of jewelry collections. In 1992, he also launched his Bentwood furniture line, with eclectic pieces moulded from wetted and then bent wooden slates, with a provenance that was ensconced in the Indigenous arts and crafts of Pacific Northwest artists.

Inspired to create a home for his second wife, Berta, whom he married in 1975 (Gehry divorced his first wife,

The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas

THE NATURAL CAPACITY FOR EXCEPTIONAL EXCELLENCE, MANIFESTED THROUGH ONE OR MORE GENRES, IS DEFINITIVE OF GENIUS STATUS, ONE WITH WHICH GEHRY (NOW 90 YEARS OLD) IS CLEARLY GIFTED Gehry’s Peix d’Or (Whale Sculpture) on the beach of Barcelona, Spain (also known as the Olympic Fish Pavilion)

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

47

Dancing House (known as Ginger and Fred), Prague

FRANK GEHRY IS A MAESTRO OF MATERIAL MANIPULATION MAGNIFICENCE, A SEER WHOSE LIST OF BILLOWING ACCOMPLISHES LEAVES ARCHITECTS AND CREATORS OF EVERY AGEAWESTRUCK

48

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

sunshine and the benevolent lights of night. In fact, the famed American architect Philip Johnson called the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao “the most important building of our time.”

More grand-scale projects ensued for Gehry, with the jewel in the crown (and certainly viewed as being in the same vaulted sphere as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao) being the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Opened in 2003, it and was initiated by Lillian www.mycitylife.ca

The modern Hotel of Marques de Riscal, Elciego, Spain

Disney, the widow of the seminal and influential creator and visionary Walt Disney. Originally planned with a stone exterior, the concept was changed to clad the building in stainless steel because of the stunning effect it evoked with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

Because of this change, Gehry was able to shape the exterior to reflect the dramatic silver sails that billow and jut out from various angles of the concert hall. The lobby is described as being a “transparent light-filled living room www.mycitylife.ca

for the city,” with seating that breaks down the disembodiment of balconies and instead provides audiences with intimate views of the musicians and conductors, while providing acoustics that are second to none.

Gehry’s appreciation of music is such that he compared his Atlantic Yards project (in Brooklyn, N.Y.) to Bach, a composer and musician that Gehry loved. “I look at it like composing a Brandenburg Concerto, which has a coda but layering. It builds up notes as it goes and then it shifts into another octave. It adds different instruments and changes the character as it unfolds,” Gehry shared with author Barbara Isenberg.3 Indeed, Frank Gehry is a maestro of material manipulation magnificence, a seer whose list of billowing accomplishments leaves architects and creators of every age awestruck.

Collaborating with prestigious institutions, including museums, concert halls and libraries, Gehry has worked all over the United States, Europe and China. In 1999, he built the aluminum-covered Frank O. Gehry business building complex in Dusseldorf, Germany. This was followed

by the Music Experience Project in Seattle, which is a $100-million interactive rock and roll museum. The Dancing House building in Prague is a collaboration with Vlado Milunic (1996).

The vast majority of critics concur that Gehry’s buildings are singular; there is no credible architect on the horizon who considers ideas in the way they are presented, then moves forward with a vision to recreate in a manner that only Gehry can imagine.

That being said, Gehry admits that at the start of each new project, he is filled with a sense of angst. Admittedly, however, after all these years he is able to tap into his deep well of inner confidence.

Some of the projects that illuminate Gehry’s penchant for the unusual (some have even called his designs “weird” or “bizarre”) include the 1991 Chiat/ Day Complex in Venice, Calif., (aptly called the “Binocular building”), where hundreds of Google employees work on optimizing their daily searches. The Olympic Fish Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain, is a shimmering gold and steelmesh fish edifice created by Gehry for Barcelona’s 1992 Olympic Village.

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

49

The Foundation Louis Vuitton Museum, Paris

THERE ARE ONLY A HANDFUL OF ARCHITECTS WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE CELEBRITY STATUS THAT FRANK GEHRY, WINNER OF THE PRESTIGIOUS PRITZKER ARCHITECTURE PRIZE AND A COMPANION OF THE ORDER OF CANADA, HAS GARNERED

The IAC Building, New York City, represents two firsts for Gehry: his first Manhattan building and his first major glass building (2007). Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris (2014) has 12 glass sails on its shiplike exterior. The not-to-bemissed Biomuseo, Panama City (2013) looks like a throwback to Gehry’s childhood fascination, with huge coloured blocks that are magnified in bright red, blue, green and yellow hues. Closer to home, Gehry, as he approached his 80th birthday, renovated Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario building, which was originally built in 1918.

There are only a handful of architects who have attained the celebrity status that Frank Gehry, winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize and a Companion of the Order of Canada, has garnered. One of them is Frank Lloyd Wright, who influenced 50

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

Gehry’s earlier works. But none of this seems to go to Gehry’s head, who famously said that he is not interested in being considered an artist, but instead, a deeply rooted architect. With a dry sense of humour and a deep sense of whimsy, Gehry has played himself on the television series The Simpsons and in ads for Apple. He is the subject of director Sydney Pollack’s 2005

documentary Sketches of Frank Gehry, which focuses on Gehry’s work and legacy.

While Frank Gehry has lived in the United States for several decades, Canada’s love and respect for the Toronto boy who has achieved such extraordinary heights, such extraordinary accomplishments, was celebrated in a November 2019 ceremony, where he was a Canada’s Walk of Fame inductee. Along with the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal Award, Gehry was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2016. www.foga.com

Sources: 1. Fortune magazine, October 2018.

2. Goldberger, Paul. Building Art: The Life and Work of Frank Gehry. New York: Borzoi Book/Alfred A. Knopf, 2015.

3. Ibid. www.mycitylife.ca

NOW REGISTERING FOR WINTER, SPRING & SUMMER PROGRAMMES

“WE NEED TO TALK!” We have seen your marketing We can help with your brand identity

The ONLY SCHOOL in YORK REGION Specializing in Fashion Arts & Portfolio Prep for the Fashion Arts Industry.

COURSES FOR ALL AGES

Marketing | Web Design Video Production | Print Design Branding | Social media Custom Publishing

University / College Portfolio Prep | Sewing (All Levels) Specialty Sewing Courses (Bra Making, Victorian Corsetry, Leather & Much More) Fashion Illustration | Acrylic | Prisma | Water Colour | Gouache | Mixed Media Graphic Design | Figure Drawing | Patternmaking | Makeup & Cosmetics MASTER Class Level - Design Courses | Summer Educational Programmes in ITALY

NEW STUDENTS REGISTER

FOR THREE OR MORE COURSES

RECEIVE $50 OFF

YOUR FIRST COURSE!

www.hcfashionarts.ca

PARTNERED WITH

MEMBER OF THE VAUGHAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.dolcemedia.ca | 905.264.6789

8099 Weston Road, Unit 10, Woodbridge | 905.264.9341

Presents

A Ross Petty PRoduction

Winter Garden Theatre November 29 –January 4

rosspetty.com 416.872.1212 #RossPetty2019

thestar.com

Group Savings (12 or more) 647.438.5559

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

51

A DV E R TO R I A L

PHOTO PHOTO BY

BY CARLOS CARLOS A. A. PINTO PINTO

The entire team at Renditions Design Build is committed to enhancing every client’s home

YOUR BEST HOME Whether you’re compartmentally enhancing your home to better suit your lifestyle, adding size to your home with an addition or completely rebuilding from the ground up, Renditions Design Build and its entire team will lead you through the process from your very first hello

W

e can likely all agree that as we journey through life, our living requirements evolve. Renditions Design Build is skillfully qualified and committed to helping its clients discover how to best adapt to their ever-changing life journey needs.

Renditions Design Build was founded

by Mike Vito. His childhood passion for carpentry and design led him to a carpenter’s apprenticeship, which then led to large commercial project

52

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

management, followed by a passion and ambition to create his own construction company, now 30 years ago.

With Leslie, his daughter, on the team, they have a winning combination. “We fully respect each other. On a daily basis, we listen to one another and provide each other the freedom to voice our individual opinions on any given matter.

The final consensus is one that carries the wealth of many years of construction experience, teamed with the ongoing new opportunities in an industry that is

constantly innovating and evolving.”

It all begins with a commitment to help their clients reach their Best Home through both form as well as function.

“Any project that is undertaken in our clients’ homes should be truly valuable to them in whichever sense is their priority.

Your Best Home should help you perform your daily routines as effortlessly as possible, while always representing your unique style.”

Their experience, combined with curiosity to learn about evolving

www.mycitylife.ca

technologies and practices, is what lets them guide their clients along a construction journey from concept, through design, to final build. “We help our clients decipher what they are trying to achieve by expertly guiding them through each step of the discovery process.” Their formula can be broken down into simple terms: 1. Work with in-house architectural design to knowledgeably conceptualize spatial form and function.

2. Thoughtful and thorough interior design, ensuring the architectural form remains in correct balance.

3. Perform each site component with meticulous attention to detail and results.

4. Communicate with clients every step of the way so that everyone is working toward the same goal.

“We have clients who purchase an existing home, knowing they are going to peel back the layers, and rebuild to their very specific and unique needs.”

“We have other clients who parcel out their home projects, performing several projects over varying periods of time, to ultimately reach the same goal, but having done so in a manner that better accommodates their current daily life schedules.”

No matter the size of the project, however, their approach is always the same. “We understand this is your home and we understand the amount of respect necessary to become a daily presence

www.mycitylife.ca

in your home. So before any tool gets powered up, and before any demolition gets underway, we meticulously prepare your home to create a professional work zone with very clear parameters,” says Mike. Plastic walls with zippered door entrances, hardcover floor protections and dual-tape safety systems are simply a few of the steps that begin their construction day #1 action list, before any real construction ever gets underway.

When asked about trends and common practices, “We just live differently now,” says Leslie. Mike goes on to explain how older homes were built with many segregated rooms.

But nowadays everyone is looking to have walls removed, creating large, harmonious open living spaces, all the while maintaining thoughtful and innovative function that truly allows people to live in an environment that feels good to come home to.

As most people can agree, either through first-hand experience or word of mouth, a home renovation or construction endeavour can be a truly overwhelming experience.

At Renditions Design Build, beyond their deep-rooted passion for highquality workmanship, they want their clients to enjoy the process.

It is one of the core principles they strive for on a daily basis, “to expertly navigate each one of our clients through the very detailed and nuanced task of any construction endeavour,“ says Leslie.

Mike adds, “of course the work and end result of the product and workmanship

is always the very clear first topic of discussion. However, after having worked with so many clients over the years, I can honestly say that the path we can lead our clients down, our communication with them every step of the way and our extra care toward their homes are all critical elements that set us apart.”

Both Mike and Leslie discuss how they are very proud to be working alongside their very skilled team of coworkers.

The respect they have for each of their team members is what allows them the confidence to work in peoples’ homes every day of the year, year after year. “We can’t both be on-site all day every day, so we need to have the utmost confidence in our team to represent our core values every day, and we absolutely do.”

The projects that they and their team have completed over the years include a range of opportunities such as cottages, condos, landscaping, a professional recording studio and commercial offices.

416-606-9954 www.renditionsdb.com

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

53

A Cry for Help

Jessica and Ricardo Batista are dealing with an extremely difficult diagnosis and doing the best they can to help their newborn daughter, Eva

LIVING ON A PRAYER The Batistas welcomed their adorable baby girl into the world with open arms, filled with joy. But their lives changed dramatically after a medical diagnosis for their newborn child

W

hen Baby Eva was born this summer, it was a beautiful moment for Jessica and Ricardo Batista. “Everything went well. She was moving and passed all of the newborn screenings,” says Jessica. But as the weeks went by, they started to notice the baby was moving less, instead of more. The pediatrician recommended neurological testing — and then came the devastating news.

54

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

When Eva was only seven weeks old, she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare disease that causes muscles to weaken, taking away the ability to walk, eat or breathe. And it can become life-threatening. Eva has SMA Type 1, one of the most severe forms, and is among the youngest known cases. “I had never heard of SMA, and our family has no history,” says Jessica.

“When we starting researching, we truly understood what we were dealing with.”

Here’s the thing: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two medications to treat SMA, and only one, Spinraza, is available in Canada. Spinraza, which helps to stop the progression of the disease, is administered through a spinal tap in six doses the first year, then once every four months for the rest of Eva’s life.

But imagine this: What if a drug existed to cure this muscle-destroying www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

WRITTEN BY DONNA PARIS

Personalized Bomboniere & Gifts ON-SITE ENGRAVING PROFESSIONALS FOR YOUR CUSTOM & CORPORATE ORDERS

BOMBONIERE/FAVOURS • INVITATIONS • GIFT BASKETS ENGRAVED GIFTS • CENTREPIECES • HOUSEWARES CUSTOM CAKE TOPPERS • HELIUM BALLOONS

WWW.I-GIFTS.CA info@i-gifts.ca • 905-850-8926 TOLL FREE: 1-855-544-4387 5731 HWY. 7, UNITS 18/19 TOP BOMBONIERE SHOP OF 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019 IN VAUGHAN WOODBRIDGE, ONT. FOLLOW US!

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

55

But she’s still very alert and very smiley. And just seeing that helps us push through and keep the fight going — for her

Baby Eva was born with SMA, but she is a fighter and a smiley newborn who loves music and diaper changes

— Jessica Batista disease? If ever there were a miracle drug, it would be Zolgensma — a new drug to treat SMA that was approved just this year by the FDA in the United States. Administered as a one-time infusion for infants, the medication targets defective motor neuron cells and alters them permanently, so they can work properly. It’s not a treatment; it’s actually a cure, and the next level in gene therapy. One caveat: time is of the essence, as it has to be administered to the child before they are two years old.

It’s hard to put a price on your child’s head. But the cost is US$1.2 million for the treatment, making it the most

expensive medication in the world. That is why the Batistas are concentrating all their efforts on raising funds. “A lot of people, especially family and friends, have been helping and supporting us, donating whatever they can,” says Ricardo. “We’re having events all around the city to try to raise money.”

Recently, someone put together a car show that raised $30,000. A gala fundraiser is planned, and now they’ve started a GoFundMe page (ForEva Strong). Thus far, they’ve raised an impressive $570,000.

They’re in a race against time to raise not only the funds for the drug, but

also the cost of administering it in the United States. “It’s not just the price of the medication,” explains Ricardo. “We have to have the procedure done in the U.S., so we’re probably looking at close to another million dollars in medical expenses.”

Jessica and Ricardo take it one day at a time. “Eva’s muscles are losing strength, and now she is struggling to breathe,” says Jessica. “But she’s still very alert and very smiley. And just seeing that helps us push through and keep the fight going — for her.” ca.gofundme.com/f/foreva-strong @forevastrong.sma

Your one-stop bakery for all your special occasions

905-832-2987

10040 Keele St., Maple, Ont. www.maplebakery.ca

56

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

www.italchambers.ca

ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF ONTARIO

the primary provider of effective commercial support for trade and business relations between Canada and Italy

Toronto - Milano - Verona - Udine

IC

CO

Since 2011, the Mayor’s Gala & Golf efforts and events have raised more than $70 million.

Proceeds have gone to help more than 200 not-forprofit and community organizations that play a vital role in bringing positive change to peoples lives in the City of Vaughan and beyond.

“I really can’t remember the last time I felt safe and cared for. Before I moved here my life was one of chaos. 3600kids helped me get my life back on track.”

- Hannah A proud beneficiary of the services of 3600kids, a recipient of the Spirit of Generosity

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

57

life story A confident and friendly Victoria

WHAT A PARENT KNOWS

In her heart, Maribel Ronquillo knew something was different about her child Victoria. So when she found out that Victoria was on the autism spectrum, she stopped at nothing to get her girl the help she needed.

And with speech and music therapy made possible with the financial aid of Waves of Changes for Autism, Victoria is a different kid today

A

sk any parent. When you hold your child in your arms for the first time, it’s a forever unforgettable moment. For Maribel Ronquillo and her husband, it was perfect. “We were like any happy couple with their first baby,” says Maribel. Soon after, they had another child, Sofia.

Life settled into a routine, with Maribel and her husband working, and the kids at daycare. “We’d pick them up after work, then get home, then I’d start dinner,” says Maribel. “Then after dinner, the routine would be to get them ready for bed and go again the next day.”

58

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

Originally from Venezuela, Maribel and her husband spoke to the kids in Spanish and English, but they noticed that Victoria wasn’t saying much in either language. “She took too long to speak. Although Sofia was a year younger, she talked more,” says Maribel.

Sofia would look for her parents when they weren’t in the room, and she would play with different toys. But Victoria would not. “Sometimes when we talked to her, she wouldn’t listen or respond to her name and she wouldn’t even make eye contact,” she adds. By then, Victoria was almost three years old.

Then, a mother’s instinct kicked in. “Something kept telling me that

something wasn’t right,” she says. She started to research on the Internet.

“I suspected that perhaps she was on the spectrum,” Maribel says. And the Ronquillos also got a heads-up from the daycare, when they pointed out that Victoria wasn’t doing many of the other things that other children her age were doing, and stressing how important it is to get an official diagnosis and early intervention. “We felt so overwhelmed, all these mixed feelings of guilt, sadness, and the questions: What do we do now?

Where do we start?” she says.

The Ronquillos started at the beginning, by setting up appointments with specialists and filling out forms www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

WRITTEN BY DONNA PARIS

A DV E R TO R I A L

LIVE IN THE PRESENT

D

uring this season of giving, look no further than a gift from Desirée. For corporate gifts, client appreciation or employee recognition, Desireé’s wide selection of only the finest In global luxury brands makes it the perfect solution for any special occasion.

For 30 years the experts at its beautiful Vaughan shop have assisted with their expertise in ensuring expectations are always exceeded.

When it has to be memorable, the artistry and quality of a Desirée gift makes the perfect impression.

3590 Rutherford Rd., Unit 9, Vaughan, Ont. 905-850-2818

www.desiree.ca www.mycitylife.ca

NEECE ELECTROLYSIS

W

hen Angela Martino was 15, a hormone imbalance caused what she describes as “an excessive amount of hair on my face,” which led to embarrassment and low self-esteem. But Martino found a solution that helped her through it. “I started electrolysis treatments, which raised my self-confidence and put me on a journey to help others going through the same difficulty,” she says.

Today, Martino, the founder of Neece Electrolysis, has become a certified laser technician and electrologist. Electrolysis is the only FDA-approved permanent hair removal system that has the ability to target all skin and hair types, delivering effective results for both men and women.

1. Is electrolysis permanent?

Electrolysis is the only permanent method of hair removal recognized and approved by the FDA. 2. How many electrolysis treatments are required to obtain permanent hair removal?

The number of sessions will vary from person to person. Call Angela for a personal consultation to learn more.

3. How do you decide between electrolysis and laser hair removal?

Electrolysis can remove both light and dark hair. Laser hair removal treats dark hair. Angela will meet with you and advise you on what method is best.

Neece Electrolysis 9B-80 Carlauren Rd., Woodbridge, Ont. 905-856-8808 | www.neecelectrolysis.ca @neecelectrolysis Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

59

to get an official diagnosis, which would open doors to access programs for Victoria. “In a way, getting the diagnosis was a relief,” says Maribel.

“You are going through a grieving phase of the vision you had for your kid; it was devastating, but at least we knew then what we were dealing with.”

Maribel believed in her daughter and she knew that with the right help and support, Victoria was capable of many things. “I never gave up on her,” Maribel adds quietly.

One problem, however, is that the waiting list to get an assessment is long.

What else could we do? Maribel asked herself. One of the notes she had been given suggested that Victoria could benefit greatly from speech and music therapy. When a friend of Maribel’s told her about an organization called Waves of Changes for Autism, which offers financial assistance to families, she jumped on it.

Supported by the city of Vaughan, Ont., Waves of Changes for Autism was created to help families in Vaughan deal with the daily struggles of raising a child with autism. It’s run completely by volunteers, and its goal is simple: to financially assist as many families as possible in the community with the many costs incurred for treatment and programs.

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of our sponsors and community supporters, we will continue our important work to raise muchneeded funds to help with the cost of specialized therapies and programs for children affected by autism,” says Ellen Contardi, president of Waves of Changes for Autism. “Our hope as an organization is that this help will make living with autism a little bit more manageable, and the children will move toward their potential.”

As soon as Victoria started working with a speech therapist, she started to say more words and express herself a little. Within a few months, there was a tremendous improvement in Victoria’s vocabulary. As for music therapy, it was a godsend, says Maribel. “Victoria loves singing, and getting the words right for the music helps her with pronunciation and to articulate the words, and the therapy has helped even with 60

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

The Ronquillo family (from left): mom, Maribel; Victoria; sister, Sofia; and dad, Francisco

My daughter is really an inspiration not only for me, but also for everyone who meets her communication and social skills,” says Maribel. “Sometimes the therapists will start a song with something like, ‘I like to eat …,’ and the kids have to finish it, with worlds like apples or bananas.

Then, all the kids start singing along,” laughs Maribel.

Victoria is a different child now. “If you knew Victoria, the way we knew her, it’s amazing. I’m overjoyed,” she adds.

In fact, Maribel calls it a miracle. When Victoria started junior kindergarten, she needed an educational assistant.

But now, three years later, she doesn’t need one. That is the kind of difference that early intervention can make for a child.

“She’s in Grade 2 right now, but her transition to Grade 1 last year was so smooth,” says Maribel. “Other kids were crying in the classroom, but she

was fine. She just let the teacher grab her hand and she asked, ‘Mommy, are you OK?’” Maribel certainly shed a lot of tears when Victoria was first diagnosed. “But in three months, what a difference: she would go to a friend’s house and say, ‘Hello’ or ‘Look at my nails. Mommy painted them with nail polish,’” Maribel says.

In fact, when City Life arrived to photograph the Ronquillos, we found a confident, friendly child, one who was quite affectionate toward her younger sister. Actually, she let us know in no uncertain terms that she really just wanted to get back to playing with her.

“My daughter is really an inspiration not only for me, but also for everyone who meets her,” says Maribel. www.wavesofchanges.ca www.mycitylife.ca

CITY NOTEBOOK MACKENZIE HEALTH FOUNDATION TAKES GALA GUESTS AROUND THE WORLD Described as “an exploration of cultures that make up southwest York Region,” the Mackenzie Health Foundation’s Around the World Gala took place on Nov. 2. Featuring European-inspired cuisine and performances from Asia and Latin America, the event brought together over 1,100 businesses and community leaders from the GTA. Funds raised at the gala were donated to building and equipping Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, as well as enhancing care at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. www.mackenziehealthfoundation.ca

2

PHOTOS BY GEORGE PIMENTEL PHOTOGRAPHY

1

1. The Hon. Maurizio Bevilacqua, mayor of the city of Vaughan and chair of the Ultimate Campaign, with Rina Pillitteri, board chair, Mackenzie Health Foundation 2. From left: Altaf Stationwala, president and CEO, Mackenzie Health; Mark Falbo, board chair, Mackenzie Health; Premier Doug Ford; Karla Ford; Rina Pillitteri, board chair, Mackenzie Health Foundation; Krista Finlay, president and CEO, Mackenzie Health Foundation

1

2

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TORONTO AND REGION CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

LIVING CITY’S ENVIRONMENTAL DINNER: A NIGHT IN SUPPORT OF NATURE

3

On Nov. 7, the annual Living City Dinner took place. Marking the 26th edition since its launch, the initiative strives to create a better quality of life for people in Toronto.

Taking place at the Riviera Event Space, the event helps Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to work toward preserving the health of the city’s waterways, protecting lives and property, and maintaining local green spaces.

4

foundation.trca.ca 1. Jennifer Innis, chair of TRCA’s board of directors, and John MacKenzie, CEO of TRCA 2. Geena Richards (scholarship recipient); Regional Councillor Jack Heath, city of Markham and TRCA board member; Gillia Richards 3. Karen Steinmann and Michael Middleton from CI Investments, winners of the 2019 Business Excellence Award 4. Simone Nicolini; Raymond Nicolini, TRCA board member; Desiree Nicolini

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

61

ENTERTAINMENT

ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE SURVEYED. TOP 5 ANSWERS ON THE BOARD. SURVEY SAYS …

Get ready, everybody: we’re getting our own Family Feud Canada with families coming from across the country — and a Canuck host WRITTEN BY DONNA PARIS

62

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO COURTESY OF CBC

I

t’s a simple format: a TV show featuring two families competing against each other to guess the most popular answers to survey questions for cash and prizes. Now we’re getting our own version of the renowned show, Family Feud Canada, starting Dec. 16. And the host is Canadian actor and comedian Gerry Dee, well known as Mr. D on the sitcom of the same name that he wrote and starred in on CBC Television.

The game show will broadcast four nights a week, airing Monday through Thursday on CBC. “I’m up for the challenge,” says Dee. “I grew up watching Family Feud, going back to the Richard Dawson, Ray Combs and Louie Anderson days. It was one of those shows that was just always on.”

Premiering in 1976, the show has been on the air for more than 40 years. Actually, TV Guide ranked the show third in its list of the 60 greatest game shows of all time. Since Steve Harvey became the host, Family Feud has regularly ranked among the top 10 highest-rated programs in daytime television programming and third among game shows. Board games, interactive films and video game formats of the show have followed.

This past summer, Canadian families hoping to compete in the first season got busy making five-minute videos, with messages like “We’re the Cena family and we’re ready to play

… Family Feud ” Or this message from the Henderson family, who are not an actual family, but a work-family from Cabin Radio NWT in Yellowknife: “Please, please, please, just pick us.”

From these videos, successful families were invited to audition in person, in front of the show’s producers at a city nearby.

Why is it so popular? “Well, you can win money; I think that’s pretty cool,” says Dee. “And it’s something you can watch with your family. I always remember trying to see which family members we would pick to win.” The entire family would get into it, says Dee, talking about who would get left out and who would be good. “It was funny, and the only show like that where the whole family is a team. I think that’s why people can relate,” he adds.

Dee’s hoping to bring his own brand of humour to the show. “Someone said it’s really a comedy show. I believe that and I think that’s a good way of approaching it,” says Dee, adding that it isn’t so much that people care about the answers themselves. “It’s the guy that goes up and gets no points on the money round … so many opportunities to have fun.” Take, for example, the episode in which Steve Harvey once asked a contestant, “Khanh, what do you do for a living?” And the answer: “I’m a recovering vegetarian.”

Really, the host is at the mercy of the families on the show, says Dee. “The families feed you funny stuff, then you can roll with that,” he says. “My job is to take the funny moments and exaggerate them and build on them and not let anything go by — you have to be on your toes.”

One family that won’t be making an appearance as they did in Mr. D is Dee’s own, as the show’s rules prevent that. But he hopes that people get a chance to see their own family on the show. “It’s pretty special for Canadians to have that opportunity,” he says.

Dee is just flattered to be a part of it all. “It’s a great buzz in the country that this game show is going to hit us for the first time ever,” he says. “It’s something that I’m very lucky to host and I just can’t wait to walk in on the first day.” www.cbc.ca www.mycitylife.ca

Happy Holidays platter

Holly Jolly Village

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR MAKE IT EVEN SWEETER WITH OUR FESTIVE HOLIDAY SWEETS

905-738-4100 3255 Rutherford Road, Building H Vaughan, ON L4K 5Y5

edible.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

63

design

A NOVEL APPROACH TO BUYING BOOKS

With a staircase that doubles as a spontaneous meeting point, the Le James Bookstore has been designed as a place to collaborate and connect

D

evised to be a catalyst between McGill University and the city of Montreal comes the new Le James Bookstore. Located outside the university’s formal campus, the store is set across two floors and has become a place where students can exchange conversation and share ideas.

64

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

The project was led by KANVA, a collective of dynamic architects who have designed everything from largescale public art installations to corporate spaces in Montreal and beyond.

Its focus comes with a large central staircase, complete with oversized steps and inspired by the traditional exterior stairs of the neighbouring

university buildings. The staircase also includes a number of charging stations, offering both a technical addition to the centrepiece and an opportunity for an unconventional work environment.

Paired with the expansive natural light that spills into the space, the result is as welcoming to those on the outside as it is comforting to those who are inside. www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY DAVID BOYER

WRITTEN BY CECE M. SCOTT

Due to its durability and environmental aspects, the main material of the bookstore is bamboo, and this played an important part in bringing the project to life. “The use of bamboo, the transparency of railings that highlight the original concrete structure and the platforms encourage connections to make the grand staircase a meeting place conducive of trade,” reads a statement from KANVA. Alongside bamboo, industrial details were consciously added throughout by unveiling concrete, adding vintage lamps and ensuring all electromechanical services were exposed. Using a subtle, neutral colour palette was another way the industrial design was heightened, giving extra attention to the products on sale.

Instead of altering the bookstore’s outside entrance, the design team also decided to add an extra bamboo tier in front, to entice the attention of passersby and move it from a student-centric space to a semi-public domain.

COMPLETE DESIGN • CUSTOM-BUILDS • RESTORATIONS • REPAIRS TUNE-UPS • DIAGNOSTICS • MOTOR WORKS • TROUBLESHOOTING FABRICATIONS • PAINT • BODYWORKS • PICKUP SERVICES

56 Pennsyvannia Ave. #17, Vaughan, Ont.

647-393-3428 www.cycleworx.ca @cycleworx_custom_motorcycles

www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

65

Personal Well-Being

ABI ROMAN IS ACCENTUATING THE POSITIVE Extending fitness beyond the body to mind, heart and soul is trainer Abi Roman’s recipe for a happy life WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER

T

he physical body may be the vessel that carries us through life’s journey, but its engines are the heart, mind and soul, and all elements need to be as fit as possible to make the life experience as enjoyable as it can be. Physical health, mindfulness and your spiritual self, working together at the same level, can give you peace of mind on your personal journey.

No one understands this more than fitness trainer Abi Roman of King, Ont., owner of Abi Roman Fitness, with her personal philosophy to take an all-encompassing, holistic approach to fitness, both externally and internally, to keep strong and healthy from the inside out.

Roman’s personal journey includes being a champion equestrian competitor and training for an Olympics shot, followed by a chance introduction to the world of fitness and body competitions, where she won multiple awards. Now a canfitpro certified Personal Trainer, her website at www.abiannaroman.com is filled with personal testimonials from her clients about how she helped them achieve their fitness and life goals.

66

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

Abi Roman believes a balance of personal fitness, healthy eating and lifestyle can combine to make anyone their best self

“There are people who come into your life and you don’t realize how this person will impact your life,” says Sara Marcello, a client of Roman’s. “When I was referred to Abi, I wasn’t too sure where I wanted my fitness journey to go. What I did know is that I wanted to transform my body and I wanted to see change. How was that going to happen? Abi was a huge part of my transformation. I could not have found a more knowledgeable, hardworking, honest coach anywhere. Abi gave me more than I could imagine in a coach.” She created customized meal plans, customized supplement plans and workouts, and they were just for Marcello. “Abi always makes herself available to answer any questions, [from questions about] an exercise [to] something as simple as I have [asked on] occasion, ‘What can I eat?’ And she

just knows the answer,” says Marcello.

“I am extremely passionate about teaching healthy and sustainable lifestyle habits and how to live a happy and healthy life,” says Roman. She works one-on-one with individuals to achieve their fitness goals, offers nutrition plans, online lifestyle coaching, prepping for competitions and even works with businesses on corporate wellness.

“I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason,” says Roman.

“Having a positive outlook on your life’s journey is so important in order to grow, to be happy and to become your best self.”

A positive outlook is Roman’s mantra, and it is a philosophy worth practising, inside and out. www.abiannaroman.com @abiromanfit www.mycitylife.ca

DESIGNED BY GH3* ARCHITECTS

WINNER OF 2019 CANADIAN INTERIORS BEST OF CANADA AWARDS

www.uniquestoreямБxtures.com www.mycitylife.ca

Dec/Jan 2019/20

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

67

Happy Holidays from the Santa Lucia family!

Since 1963, International Cheese has been offering quality cheeses crafted from 100% Canadian milk.

Today, the tradition continues by producing handcrafted cheeses in our Toronto facility.

The products made daily are Bocconcini, Ricotta, Fior di Latte and Fresh Mozzarella among many others.

Visit today to taste our handmade premium cheese.

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF OUR HANDMADE CHEESES, PLEASE VISIT:

www.InternationalCheese.ca | 416-769-3547 68

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

Dec/Jan 2019/20

www.mycitylife.ca