In the Spotlight, October 31

Winter Magic brings the best of the holiday season to Downtown Yonge Neighborhood!

Presented by the Downtown Yonge BIA, this annual festival transforms the heart of downtown into a winter playground with five unique, seasonal events. These events are: Illuminite, a dazzling  tree lighting ceremony;  Ice, Wine and Dine, an outdoor food and wine festival on historic Elm St.; Kidzfest, a full day of free rides, entertainment and meet-and-greets; Buskertainment, featuring weekend street performers; and the Window Wonderland holiday window display competition.

For more information, visit www.wintermagic.ca.

What's on

Thailand gives official approval to Toronto restaurants

Salad King & Bangkok Garden are among 22 Toronto eateries having their pedigrees vouched for with Thai Select Cuisine designation, which identifies restaurants that offer at least 60 per cent authentic Thai foods, employ traditional cooking methods and import ingredients from Thailand. Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce has given them the approval.

The program has quietly been in existence here since 2004. However, the program is relaunching and expanding this month, first in Toronto and then across Canada, with different standards and a more aggressive marketing approach. It also marks the introduction of a Premium “5-star or higher” rating for which Linda Modern Thai, Bankok Garden, Golden Thai and Mengrai Gourmet Thai qualify.

With Toronto diners having an increasingly diverse, well-travelled palate, local Thai lovers can be skeptical. Thai Select restaurants have a displayed certificate and use of the program’s logo. They have to reapply after three years.

More information is available at http://www.thestar.com

City of Toronto launches blog as resource on heritage conservation districts

The City of Toronto has launched a new blog to help Torontonians learn more about the Heritage Conservation District (HCD) studies and plans happening throughout the city. The blog is called Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto.

The City of Toronto is currently studying five potential HCDs, comprising about 2,000 properties. The five areas being studied are:
• Historic Yonge Street: Yonge Street between Davenport Road to the north and Carlton Street to the south, including areas west of Yonge Street on Carlton Street, Wellesley Street, St. Joseph Street, St. Nicholas Street and Irwin Avenue.
• Garden District: from Allan Gardens south to Moss Park between Jarvis and Sherbourne Streets
• St. Lawrence: from Adelaide Street south to the railway corridor, between Yonge  and Parliament Streets
• Queen Street East: Queen Street East from the Don River to DeGrassi Street
• King/Spadina: between University Avenue and Bathurst Street east of Spadina Avenue, the study area runs between Queen and Wellington Streets. West of Spadina Avenue, the study area runs between Adelaide and Front Streets.

More information is available at http://hcdtoronto.wordpress.com. The blog is maintained by Heritage Preservation Services, City Planning Division.

What's New in Downtown Yonge

Senator Restaurant gets refreshed on Victoria St.

Historic Senator Restaurant on Victoria St. gets a subtle makeover. Don't worry, the room still evokes 1948. Inside are high ceilings, a soda fountain and glowing Deco fixtures. It’s a diner but a classy one, not like those aluminum American tubes resembling railway cars.

The Senator remains a touchstone of good taste and comfort. The Senator has been slinging coffee and eggs since 1929, under various names and owners. It connects to a time when sodas were jerked, and jewels, not tomatoes, were heirlooms.

The ground-floor restaurant is as described. Dark vinyl pads the wooden booths. The linoleum floor is weathered but clean. The music is low, the mirrors big and the kitchen doors swing open with a creak. It’s just before curtain time at nearby Ed Mirvish Theatre, and couples are finishing off their old-fashioned sundaes. There are dinner offerings that wouldn’t have existed in 1948, lovely plates such as golden beets showered in pomegranate seeds, julienned radicchio and crunchy pumpkin seeds.

More information is available at http://www.thestar.com

Shaolin Tempe Quanfa Institute

Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute was founded in 1996 by Master Shi Guo Song. It occupies 400mu and has about 1000 students. The institute focuses on the study of Shaolin martial arts and cultural education.

In 2009, Master Shi Guo Song established the first Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute in Markham, Toronto, Canada, and taught Shaolin wushu, Qi Gong, meditation. It manifests the 1500 years Shaolin culture.

Master Shi Guo Song’s disciple, Shi Chang Dao is teaching Shaolin Qi Gong in the downtown area of Toronto, Canada.

While we encourage the teaching of Kung Fu and Qi Gong to strengthen and revitalize one’s body, we also contemplate calm and peaceful meditation. Shaolin studies denounce all violent activities. Our goal is to set up Shaolin cultural and Buddhist centers in every part of the world and to manifest the 1500 years old tradition of Shaolin spirit.

The Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute currently provides traditional Shaolin Kung Fu (Martial arts) and Qi Gong (Soft forms) classes to students from all walks of life, age groups and religious makeup.

Booster Juice Achievements

Booster Juice is pleased to announce that Dale Wishewan, President & CEO of Booster Juice has been named the 2013 Prairies Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and has received the 2013 Business-to-Consumer Products and Services Award for the Prairies Region!

Booster Juice is also honoured to receive the 2013 TECHNOMIC Canadian Chain Restaurant Consumers’ Choice Award. 

Thank you to all of our Franchise Partners for all of your efforts to provide exceptional customer service, store experience and product quality to our loyal patrons.

To Do in Downtown Yonge