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Canada > Central Canada > Ontario > Toronto

STAY, DINE, DO: Find a hotel, restaurant or attraction.

Listings to get the most out of the city: where to dine, what to see, where to shop, and more.

Hot Shopping: Swiss Army’s New Store

A company indelibly tied to Switzerland is spreading its wings in Toronto. Victorinox Swiss Army has opened its first North American store—and only its fourth in the world—in Yorkville. The expansive two-storey space, with oak walls, concrete floors and floor-to-ceiling windows, carries a vast selection of the company’s namesake products, including cutlery, travel gear, fragrance, apparel, and, of course, signature Swiss Army knives. Women’s clothing will be available here for the first time in Canada; much like the men’s line, expect versatile, travel-friendly pieces. Inspired by the New Zealand landscape, this year’s collection is awash in vibrant shades of green, yellow and orange, plus the brand’s trademark red, black and navy.

Whatever the Occasion: Our Spring 2012 Shopping Guide

Whether you’re taking a day to explore the city or spending a night on the town,
Where Toronto has you attired and accessorized from head to toe. Check out the slideshow below for details on more than 80-plus items, then view the full feature in our May issue.

Hot Dining: Uncommonly Good at the County General

photo by Nikki Leigh McKean

There are a lot of fun, lively eateries to be found along Queen Street West. The one that you’ll particularly want to visit on a warm spring day is The County General. Run by the owners of ritzy Splendido, the restaurant offers its predecessor’s thoughtful service and high-quality cooking in a more casual, wallet-friendly package. Here, hip locals fill the bright dining room and street-side patio for lunch, dinner, brunch and late-night nosh including a buttermilk-fried chicken sandwich ($14), pork tacos ($15) and banana bread French toast ($14, brunch only). Choose your drink from the all-Canadian wine list, or go for that Southern vibe with a glass of premium rum or bourbon.

Hot Date: A Well-Earned Encore for Kim’s Convenience

photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

MAY 16 TO JUNE 16 On the surface, Kim’s Convenience is a love letter to the countless Korean corner stores that have fallen victim to Toronto’s ever-in-flux business landscape. But that’s just the backdrop for the private inter-generational and inter-cultural conflicts with with so many Canadians can identify. Written by Ins Choi, the humorous yet poignant tale of a Korean-Canadian family bridging the gap between old traditions and modern life returns to the stage following its wildly successful Soulpepper Theatre Company debut this past January. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, $32 to $68; call 416-866-8666 or visit here for showtimes and to purchase tickets.

Weekend Roundup: May 11 to 13

Friday: The Berkeley Street Theatre hosts the Festival of Ideas and Creation

Friday, May 11
Support the development of the contemporary theatrical arts this weekend as the Canadian Stage Company hosts its 2012 Festival of Ideas and Creation. The focus of this year’s free events, workshops and readings is “Music in Performance”—partake in all the sound and vision at the Berkeley Street Theatre.

Indigenous traditions mix with modern dance when Kaha:wi Dance Theatre brings its latest work, TransMigration, to Harbourfront Centre. Choreographed by Santee Smith, the fusion piece is inspired by the life and paintings of the “Picasso of the North,” Ojibwe artist Norval Morrisseau.

Young filmmakers and movie junkies flock to the TIFF Next Wave Festival, which began yesterday and continues through Saturday. Focused on exposing youth to the cinematic arts, the event showcases films made for and by the next generation of cinephiles. In addition to screenings, there are also special-guest lectures, director Q&A sessions and more. (more…)

Where in Toronto: Dancap Takes a Bow

Jersey Boys was Dancap's biggest hit (photo by Joan Marcus)

Last week Dancap Productions, which brought to Toronto Broadway hits such as Jersey Boys, announced that it would not present any programming for the 2013 season. This suspension of operations marks the end of an era (albeit a relatively short one), where two large theatre companies, Dancap and juggernaut Mirvish Productions, introduced audiences to big-time mainstream musicals and stage dramas. But don’t fret; though the scene just got a little smaller, there are still many exciting opportunities across the city for resident and visiting theatre enthusiasts alike. (more…)

Staff Picks: 5 Types of Walking Tours

Walking tours are a great way to see the city this spring (photo by Sanjay Parekh)

Now that the weather appears to be warming, it’s a great time to get out and explore the city on foot. Whatever your pleasure, there’s likely a gregarious Torontonian offering a walking tour to your taste. Below, we present our favourites providers of five types of tours. (more…)

Hot Date: The Beauty of Cells at the Ontario Science Centre

ON NOW Matters of science have long struck an artistic chord. A great example: the way that specimens under a microscope can look like colourful, hyper-detailed paintings. The Ontario Science Centre stimulates your synapses with its Spark! The Heart of Art and Science exhibition, which examines the unseen beauty of cells and molecular processes—from mice embryos to cancer cells—through artistically rendered images and 3D animated videos. Visitors can also create their own visuals as part of the DIY Body Project, an interactive textile installation where rearranged body parts generate anatomical masterpieces. Free with general admission; call 416-696-1000 or click here for more information.

Hot Date: Semele at the Canadian Opera Company

photo by Karl Forster

MAY 9 TO 26 The Canadian Opera Company brings its 2011-12 season to a dramatic close with Handel’s Semele, the story of a mortal woman who falls in love with the god Jupiter, but in doing so enrages his cunning and powerful wife, Juno. Director Zhang Huan weaves Greco-Roman and Eastern mythology in this visually stunning production featuring ornate and vibrant costumes and grandiose set design, the centrepiece of which is a real, 450-year-old Ming Dynasty temple. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, $12 to $318; call 416-363-8231 or visit here for showtimes and tickets.

Hot Art: Deborah Samuel Gets Down to the Bone

Deborah Samuel's Barred Owl I

TO JULY 2 Science and art converge at the Royal Ontario Museum, which this month offers an intimate look at life and death courtesy of Deborah Samuel. For her Contact Festival feature exhibition, entitled Elegy, the photographic artist scanned the skeletons of birds reptiles and other animals to create poetically minimal, x-ray-like images. Reminiscent of photos in an anatomy textbook, Samuel’s works seem to offer an objective, unmediated look at their subjects. And yet, the pieces transcend simple documentation, inviting the viewer to contemplate each specimen’s fate, and the fragility of our own existence.