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Milk & Bone were on stage in front of a standing room only crowd at First Canadian Place on July 18th, 2018. They performed several songs including the title track from their recently released second LP Deception Bay. People that attended the concert in the park had a chance to WIN a VIP Experience for two to Osheaga. It included two VIP passes to the festival, round trip flights for two to Montreal, and a four night hotel stay at the Alt Montreal. The total prize package was valued at $3600. . Am I the only one that thinks the guy that actually won the VIP package was less than impressed? He's probably going to try to sell it on Ebay. Next weeks performer will be Jason Blaine. He is this years winner of “Single of the Year” and “Male Artist of the Year” from the CCMA and CMA Ontario. The prize up for grabs after Jason's performance will be a Boots and Hearts VIP Experience. That's two VIP festival passes and tent camping.
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Where to start? I'm just going to jump right in. The minute that the names of the two new tenant directors at TCHC were officially released I started doing some research. Nothing heavy. Everything was available online. I started with Amanda Coombs LinkedIn account.  The first thought that came to my mind when I saw her profile was 'if she is doing such great work in the community why does she only have 7 connections?' Yup, that's right … Just seven. Come on now. I'm definitely not everyone's favourite person and I currently have 305 connections on LinkedIn.  K … Maybe the first impression isn't very impressive. So I began to research her qualifications beginning with her education. On her LinkedIn page it indicates that she has been working on her Bachelors Degree in Psychology from 2011 - 2018. That's seven years already.
The York University website states - "This program is well-suited for students wishing to complete a 3-year university degree and then begin a career or pursue a college diploma following graduation." Then on her information page on TCHC's website it states that she is still attending York University for that very same degree. How much longer is that going to take her? No judgements. Just a statement of fact that maybe she doesn't really have the time (or attributes) necessary to devote to the tasks that are mandatory for TCHC Board related matters. I scanned the rest of her LinkedIn resume. Under Volunteer Experience she put Recreational Assistant at CAMH from August 2017 - August 2017. That's right. One month of volunteer experience. Honestly, I would be ashamed to put something that microscopic on my resume. I may have had naps longer than the total amount of time she has volunteered. At this point I am searching in vain for an explanation as to why she would have been a preferred candidate for a tenant seat on the TCHC Board of Directors. Then I saw it. She has eleven certifications! Sounds amazing. Looks amazing on her LinkedIn page. Until you realize that the majority of those certifications can be received for work completed in less time than it has taken me to research and write this article. CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention One-Day Seminar Two-Day Foundation Course TRX FUNCTIONAL TRAINING COURSE 8 hours Conflict Resolution & Training Maximum 6 days Emergency First Aid CPR/AED Level C 5hours CPR A no longer available but likely under the 5 hours required for CPR/AED Level C Provisional MHFA Canada Youth Instructor 14 hours Engaging and Empowering. How to become an Effective Mentor for Vulnerable Youth 30 hours (3 hours a week for 10 weeks) Crisis Intervention Training 2.5 hours Food Handler Training Certificate 6 hours Mental Health First Aid 12 hours Fitness Instructor Specialist 25 hours I have been sitting on this information since May 28th, 2018. I really wanted to give Amanda Coombs the benefit of the doubt. It is only a few months into her term and she is already on a leave of absence. Oddly enough, I don't blame her. I blame everyone that played a role in her appointment to the TCHC Board of Directors. I also blame TCHC for not having a satisfactory mechanism in place for tenants to elect appropriately qualified individuals to represent us in those two token seats. Finally, I blame the City of Toronto (as Toronto Community Housing's sole shareholder) for not doing its due diligence.  The Guns n Roses Pop Up took place over the Canada Day long weekend. As I have said on social media if you were in the Scarborough Town Center, or a die hard fan, you could check it out. If not …. don't worry about it. This was billed as an exclusive event to celebrate the re-release of their remastered and expanded classic debut album - Appetite for Destruction.  Apparently, they thought it would be a tribute to Canada to replace the roses in the Guns n Roses logo with maple leaves in order to sell some merchandise. Well, I don't know about you, but I am not excited to see our national symbol being used to support imagery related to the American gun culture.
Another issue I had was that there was no price tags on anything. It just raises my suspicions when you have to wonder if the sales people on site have more than one price in mind for items. One for friends and fam. Then one for everybody else. As far as I am concerned Guns n Roses can keep their Appetite for Destruction. I'm not really that hungry.  The 1st edition of what will become an annual music and brew series in Toronto will be hosted by Mill Street Brewery and Dine Alone Records. The “Hopped and Confused™ Festival” will take place on Saturday, July 14th from 3 to 11 pm at the Mill Street Brewery located at 125 Bermondsey Rd., Toronto
The music line up includes Sloan, Tokyo Police Club, Mt. Joy, Land of Talk & Taylor Knox. There will be over 15 Mill Street Brews and Brickworks Ciders available for $5 each. (It's not swill that can be sold at "a buck a beer". This is premium craft brews.) Just in case you get hungry there will be some of Toronto's most beloved food trucks on site - Buster's Sea Cove, Feed The Six, Hogtown Smoke, & El Callejon Dell Taco. Hopped & Confused has also partnered up with LYFT to insure everybody has a safe ride to and from the event. Saving you $5 each way using promo code HOPPEDANDCONFUSEDTO in their LYFT app! This is a 19+ event. General Admission tickets are $40 each Plus there are a very limited number of VIP tickets available for $80 each (36 to be exact) which include a brewery tour, beer tasting & meet + greets Tix: www.hoppedandconfused.ca. I was thrilled when I learned that Macy Gray would be performing a free concert as part of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival programming. She was on the OLG sponsored stage in Yorkville for her set on Sunday, June 24th, 2018.
As a crowded street waited for Macy Gray to take to the stage I had to contend with a lady beside me that kept dropping her umbrella in my direction. The first time she dropped it I thought she had stumbled. I immediately turned and asked if she was all right. She nodded. Then pointed out that her umbrella was the culprit. The second time it happened I mentioned to her my experience of being at a Naughty by Nature concert once and the guys behind me dropped a beer bottle hoping I'd give up my prime spot. Dropsies didn't work then. It's certainly not going to work today. . Later on I did happen to accidentally step on her toes as I was shifting my feet to get rid of some cramps. I just leaned in, smiled politely, and said Karma. She nodded and smiled back. Moral of this story. Always take your lawn chair to create a barrier between you and other people('s umbrellas). In addition, your lawn chair will provide you with the appropriate relaxation space until the main act appears on stage.  Don Amero is turning over a new leaf and stepping into the country music genre with brand new material that he considers his strongest yet. For the Winnipeg musician, his sixth album, Evolution—set for release on Aug. 24 (via all digital retailers) is all about embracing the change. The result is a seamless blend of rock-tinged country and roots that speaks to the challenges faced by anyone trying to maintain a balance between work and family while pursuing their dreams. Co-produced by Bart McKay and Murray Pulver, Evolution dwells heavily on the value of finding your place in the world and making peace with it. That message comes through loud and clear on the album’s second single “Live While I’m Alive,” as well as its follow up “Give It To You,” set to hit radio in mid-July.
Amero is an engaging storyteller, singer/songwriter and performer who has been touring, performing and speaking across Canada for the past decade, the three-time JUNO nominee has earned respect and proven himself to be a much sought-after performer who is able to genuinely connect with his audience with an easy and effortless charm. “I realized that I have an opportunity to help change the way people look at and talk about Indigenous people, and to inspire the next generation of Indigenous artists. If I can sing a song that maybe helps people love themselves and others a little better, that’s what I’d like my music remembered for. That’s the bottom line for me.” Every song on Evolution does that in some way; from straight up country tracks like ‘How I Feel,’ ‘Addicted’ and ‘Smoke In My Eyes,’ to Amero’s smoky, stripped down take on the Blue Rodeo classic, ‘Try.’ And while each song showcases Amero’s substantial vocal chops in different ways, none do so with more emotional weight than ‘Head Over Heels’ – a track he wrote specifically for his two-year-old daughter.  The above image was taken at the International Taste Buds event held this past weekend by and for the TCHC tenants at 2180/2190 Ellesmere Road Scarborough. TCHC has become a city-centric organization which is a far cry from it's claim of being tenant-centric. There are twice as many city councillors as tenants on the board of directors. As if that alone isn't enough of an indication of the corporations actual direction the city chose the people to become part of their elite Tenants Last [I mean Tenants First] initiative. Then more recently the City of Toronto decided who the two new tenant board members would be.
So, why is this important? ... Well it has to do with Toronto Community Housing's Fire Life Safety Plan. On TCHC's own website it claims they are wholly owned by the City of Toronto. So if that's the case why are TCHC buildings exempt from the no smoking policies that apply to all other government buildings? Especially when it is taken into consideration with the fact that it has been raised at previous Board meetings that smoking is the second largest contributor to fires on TCHC properties. It's never too late to include a no smoking clause in the lease of incoming tenants. It's never too late to ask current tenants to commit to keeping their units smoke free. If TCHC were a truly tenant-centric organization they would have already identified the increased risks of fire associated with the tenant population which has a higher percentage of people with disabilities and seniors than market rent buildings elsewhere. Also there definitely needs to be an assessment regarding the increased risks of fires with those that smoke while having oxygen tanks in their units and those with a propensity for hoarding. Both these conditions are at an increased risk as people age. This is a glaringly obvious issue that one could only hope the newly designated seniors division will be taking into consideration when determining what type of services they are offering the tenants in seniors buildings. Then we need to keep in mind the fact that way too many fires happen as people flick their cigarette butts off their balconies and into dumpsters. Are those fires included in the stats? ... Or is it just those that occur inside TCHC buildings? As it is, I currently have duct tape over both the vents in my unit (the one in my kitchen above the stove and the one in my bathroom above my toilet) Mind you that's not just to keep out smoke. It keeps out the creepy crawlies too. Anyways, back to the issue at hand, if I could ever figure out how to pull off a class action lawsuit against TCHC my first attempt would be related to issues regarding exposure to second hand smoke. If Toronto Community Housing Corporation is city-centric then their mandate is clearly governed by the city of Toronto's no smoking policy. If this is a tenant-centric organization then I encourage them to consult with tenants regarding the implementation of a no smoking policy. It seems like a much more realistic and practical approach than having June designated as Fire Safety Awareness Month by TCHC and Toronto Fire Services. If, as CEO Kathy Milsom recently indicated, TCHC truly wanted to change the behaviours of tenants related to any fire life safety plan then maybe they should start with changing the rules. No more of this blowing smoke up everyone's ass.  Manifesto Festival of Community & Culture, presented by Vancity Community Investment Bank is pleased to announce this year’s Art Show Programming for the 2018 edition. Curated by Ashley McKenzie Barnes, and hosted by Brienne Yvonne and Nikitha Cornwall, the Manifesto art show will be headlined by Hatecopy (also known as Maria Qamar).
The Canadian pop–artist, Instagram star, and author of “Trust No Aunties”, has been widely received. Paintings have decorated the set of the American comedy television series The Mindy Project. The show will display select pieces of her collections inspired by Desi Diaspora culture, which leverages the dramatic, hyperbolic, maternal and feisty women from Desi soap operas, also known as "aunties" to deliver her message. Taking place at Free Space (68 Claremont St, Toronto) from on August 16- 22, the event will showcase mixed media artists working in 3-dimensional forms with installations, sculpture, lighting pieces, in depth artist talks exploring the creative process and more. For the full list of showcasing artists see below. The Manifesto Arts Market returns, welcoming 30 local vendors presenting a wide range of wares and collections at Nathan Phillips Square on Friday, August 17. Participating artists will receive 100% of all profits. Stay tuned for further announcements. Submissions are now open to musicians and artists for the opportunity to perform on the Nathan Phillips Square main stage joining previously announced headliner Chronixx and his band Zinc Fence Redemption and more. Applications are open here.  One of the most intense and exciting live acts on the planet, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds are currently headlining festivals across Europe, before crossing continents to Latin and North America for 9 dates in October. Starting with Primavera in Barcelona and All Points East in London, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds continue to attract acclaim wherever they perform.
Latin/North America Tour: 2 Oct - Pepsi Center WTC - Mexico City, Mexico 5 Oct - Teatro Caupolicán - Santiago, Chile 8 Oct - Teatro de Verano - Montevideo, Uruguay 10 Oct - Estadio Malvinas Argentinas - Buenos Aires, Argentina 14 Oct - Espaço das Américas - São Paulo, Brazil 21 Oct - The Forum - Los Angeles, CA* 25 Oct - The Anthem - Washington DC* 26 Oct - Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NY 28 Oct - Air Canada Centre - Toronto, Canada* Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ seven-piece touring line-up features Nick Cave (vocals, piano), Warren Ellis (piano, keyboards, violin, tenor guitar), Martyn Casey (bass), Thomas Wydler (drums), Jim Sclavunos (vibraphone, percussion, piano), George Vjestica (guitar) and Larry Mullins (keyboards, piano). *With special guest Cigarettes After Sex. For more information or to purchase tickets - www.nickcave.com |
Hi! My name is Cheryl. All of my work is inspired by my senses. Sometimes my sixth sense comes into play. At other times I'll inject a healthy dose of common sense.
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