After a night running around in Toronto last weekend, I was feeling tired but more than a little proud of my adopted city and home country: what better way to celebrate this sudden patriotism than to take in that most Canadian of sports – ice hockey?

Hockey runs in the blood of all Canadians: they live and breathe it. Many of them would sell their own souls for a ticket to a National Hockey League game, and for the price of them you’d think they’d have to! However, the next best thing to a NHL game is watching an affiliate, so this weekend I headed for the Ricoh Coliseum to watch the Toronto Marlies take on the American Grand Rapid Griffins team.

We arrived at the stadium among hundreds of other fans dressed in their blue Marlies jerseys, carrying flags, pointers, clappers and even drum sets (though thankfully no vuvuzelas) to show their support for the team. The vibe in the crowd was incredible – everyone was in high spirits and there were a huge number of families there which gave it a really inclusive feeling.

While waiting outside for my other friends to arrive, we missed being in the stadium for the national anthems, but the noise from inside was immense enough that we could hear everything perfectly clearly anyway!

Once my friends arrived we rushed inside to take our seats, finding that our affordable $20 tickets had actually bought us great seats. From the moment we sat down, the next three hours seemed almost a blur as we watched the hockey players shoot to and fro at terrifying speeds!

The first score was made by the home team and the crowd’s reaction was incredible. Every Marlies’ fan in the place seemed to be trying to make as much noise as possible: banging the ground, jumping up and screaming, playing their drums and chanting. The speed of the game means you have to keep your eyes on the puck at pretty much all times which meant I became quite oblivious to my surroundings – all I could hear was the chantings of the crowd around me: “Let’s go Marlies”, as they clapped in unison.

Throughout the whole game I was so gripped by the action I felt like I was about to fall off my seat: my knuckles were white from gripping the chair and my heart was pounding in my chest. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life and I knew the fans around me felt the same – with the cheerleaders busting out their routine with every score and the crowd holding their breath at every attempt at the goal, I knew in that moment that hockey was a sport I could really follow!

Once in a while a team member would be slammed against the thick protection glass wall, causing arguments and from time to time this would escalate into a full blown fight. This wound the crowd up even more, though I hope some of the kids in the audience covered their eyes!

Come half time, the Marlies mascot made his way out onto the ice, entertaining anyone and everyone who was willing to give him attention. He did little dances, pulling in dancing partners from the crowd and banging drums to keep the vibe going, while the Marlies cheerleaders kept spirits up.

In between the three 20 minute playing sections, there was a 15 minute rest time during which the kids could interact with the mascot and take part in fun activities, such as the ice cart race and dance off, while the adults stretched their legs and headed for the food court. We grabbed a hotdog with the works (ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut etc.), and two Canadian Poutines, one an original and one with pulled pork, which were both extremely filling indeed. The smell of this Canuck favoured dish all around me really added to the truly Canadian experience of it all!

By the end of the game the Toronto Marlies was on “thin ice”: it was a tie! The game continued to overtime, with no results, followed by shoot-outs when, sadly for the Marlies, the Grand Rapid Griffins took home the victory.

All in all it was a great game and definitely a great Canadian experience!

Where: Ricoh Coliseum (for this event, other events may vary location)
When: 3pm
Cost: $10-$45
Website: Marlies website
Public Transport : Streetcar 511 (depending on location)

Photo courtesy of ekai on Flickr.

It’s been a while since I last wrote a blog about all the other wonderful Canadian travel bloggers out there bringing attention to our wonderful country and I have to say I’ve been missing the swathes of recommendations for other blogs to read that I usually get after posting these round-ups. With that in mind, I thought it was high time to send some shout-outs to my fellow Canucks!

The Beer Geek – Chris and Meredith
While not strictly a Canadian travel blog, the BeerGeek(s) Chris and Meredith have been winding their way around the country trying out our tipples this year and that’s definitely worthy of a mention! Their last day in Vancouver is a particularly great read that’s sure to wet your whistle.

Correr Es Mi Destino – Juliette aka Zhu
French-born Zhu moved to Canada in 2004 and has been blogging about her experiences as a French speaker in an English speaking province ever since. Writing about her adventures in Ottawa and around the country, as well as what it was like to immigrate there, Zhu’s blog provides a fascinating insight on what it’s like to be a stranger in a foreign land making it their own – something I can totally sympathize with! I particularly loved her Canadian List of Ten series.

Hecktic Travels – Dalene & Peter Heck
If there’s one thing you can say about Dalene and Peter Heck it’s that they’re exceedingly brave people. The couple abandoned all their possessions in 2009 to focus on travelling the world and experiencing as much as they could. Their insight into the real beauty of the world is fascinating. I particularly love one of their most recent articles where they talk about not taking the time out to appreciate Canada’s natural beauty.

Candice Does the World – Candice Walsh
I love Candice’s blog – not only is it informative, it’s also charming, funny and always 15 minutes well spent. Candice is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and doesn’t write with the aim of sharing profound life lessons or spitting out “top 10″ style posts – all of her writing comes from her experiences of travel and every day life in Canada. I think my favourite post might be this post about her hilariously embarrassing experience of “the ugly stick” in Twillingate!

The Professional Hobo – Nora Dunn
Just like Dalene and Peter, Nora is another nomad. After realizing that she spent most of her time planning to live life rather than actual living it, Nora packed in her job and upped sticks: writing on the road to make ends meet and regaling the world with her tales from the road. Although not restricted to Canada, Nora is a thorough-bred Canadian who has had some truly magnificent adventures through the country – her tale of travelling through Canada by train is quite spectacular, as is her insight into why she prefers to explore the countries this way rather than hopping city to city by plane.

I’m grateful to all these bloggers for their stellar work, but have I missed any? Let me know in the comments – I’m always keen to add to my RSS reader!

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Toronto’s art scene and that I’ll lap up anything that’s a little left of centre, and so when a few years ago a charming French neighbour of mine declared rather proudly one day that Nuit Blanche, a self-styled art, light and sound festival in the city was “the best night out Toronto could offer”, I had to investigate! After attending for the past three years, I knew I was in for a treat at Nuit Blanche 2012, but just like every year it still managed to surprise me. I even took over 50s photos of the night! You can find them all here.

A quick explanation on Nuit Blanche: the festival takes place in the middle of the night and takes over the entire city. Running in the city since 2006, Nuit Blanche transforms Toronto into an all night art canvas with light shows, interactive art displays live performances, city buildings open to the public, soundscapes, floats, closed streets for art displays, craziness, performance art and general tomfoolery.

This year we began our Nuit Blanche experience at an event called Glow in the Park, which our friends told us was “like a universe inside a park”. Intrigued, we set off for the park on our bicycles and arrived to a sea of glowing orbs scattered across an open section of lawn. With the full moon shining brightly over us, it felt like we were an essential part of the art, especially as people were encouraged to interact with the globes. There was a lot of juggling, throwing and kicking going on, while some people chose to spell out words with the bulbs – I think I even saw a couple of people running off with a few of them!

Moving on to Richmond 401, we were invited to have our photo taken at a display called Gallery 44. This was a recreation of Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory including props such as vintage cameras and psychedelic clothing to pick and choose from – you could even transform yourself into Andy Warhol himself or one of his famous Factory Girls! At the basement of Richmond 401 were discovered a string quartet giving a live performance and were followed by an operatic duet!

Riding through downtown along King St proved an adventure in itself, dodging traffic, many a drunken patron and other Nuit Blanche revellers. We then battled crowds on foot (always inevitable on this night) and fled underground to an entire floor of the parking lot under Nathan Philips square which had been curated with light displays, art concepts, and real life office settings with a twist: the whole exhibit is post apocalyptic and scenes play out with zombified actors!

Lastly we topped the night off with “Space Invaders” – inspired by the video game, it was a life sized green critter light display in front of a regular downtown building and that sums up the beauty of the festival. Seeing amazing art displays in the most unusual and unassuming areas of the city makes you realize that art is truly all around us!

After a long night, we headed home on our bikes feeling buzzed and thoroughly satisfied know that when we got home and tucked up in bed our dreams would be filled with lights, sound, magic and wonder inspired by our night at Nuit Blanche.

Event: Nuit Blanche Toronto 2012
Where: Toronto Downtown City
When: Dusk to Dawn
Cost: Free
Website: Nuit Blanche Toronto website
Public Transport : TTC (Toronto Transit Centre) runs throughout the night

Some might say that over the past few months I’ve had more than my fair share of restaurant dinners and sneaky snacks, but I didn’t hear them saying anything about lunch or brunch, and so last weekend I slunk off to the newest location of one of my favourite brunch haunts in the city – the Easy Restaurant.

So named for the black and yellow bad ass Easy Rider decal emblazoned across the front windows, both of the Easy Restaurant locations feel very rock and roll. I last stepped through the doors of an Easy Restaurant over a year ago at their Queen Street West location, but I had high expectations of the new College Street/Little Italy spot: the minute I walked through the door I knew they were going to be met, as my friends and I were greeted by smiles and ushered to our table.

The food here is the definition of “hearty”, aping the old school American diner but with a side-serving of upmarket illy coffee.

The walls in the Easy Restaurant are plastered with fabulous old movie posters. This might sound tacky, but they are far from being reminiscent of a teenager’s bedroom. These reminders of 50s and 60s Americana made me feel nostalgic for a time I’ve never actually lived through, which is a rather unique sensation!

Our coffees arrived quickly, although they were a little on the pricey side at $4.99 for an almond milk cappuccino. If you’re looking for something a little more affordable, the black coffee comes with free refills to get the heart pumpin’, although don’t expect fancy illy brand beans here – this is typical diner style refill coffee, but it’s the best diner style joe I’ve ever had!

When it came down to the main event – our brunches – we had an extensive menu to peruse and my friend eventually parted with $11.95 for the straight-up grass fed burger,  with bacon, Swiss, and sauteed poblano and red onions on an everything bun and hand cut fries. It was supposed to come with coleslaw, but the kitchen staff seemed to have forgotten it.

I hummed and hawed a bit before going with their self-styled Easy Rider Breakfast for $8.95. This was a fairly standard, but delicious breakfast, with bacon, two eggs in any style, grilled tomato, a toasted baguette and a side of fruit instead of the the salad or fries.

All the food here tastes great: a fantastic explosion of savory flavours that is just perfect for those chilly fall mornings. Like most restaurants in Toronto the patio is open in warmer months, but on this day it was windy and the fall weather had really set in, so we scurried inside.

The Easy Restaurant can get extremely busy at the weekends owing to its popularity and this new branch was no exception. If you’re planning on visiting, be sure to bring your loudest talking voices and be prepared to share elbow space with strangers.

The Easy Restaurant might just be one of the best hangover cures in the city, but it’s also so much more than that, providing a fantastic, chilled time out with reasonable prices, amazing coffee and solid, hardy, high quality food. Whether it’s with a headache or a hope, I’ll definitely be back to the Easy Restaurant in Little Italy soon!

Eat Brunch: Easy Restaurant (2nd Location also known as Easy Rider)
Where: 713 College Street
Cost: Low
Public Transport : 506 Street Car #63 Bus
Website: The Easy Restaurant, Toronto

Toronto isn’t all about food, art and getting down and dirty with metal: it’s also a fantastic city for shopping, whether you’re after the latest gadget, top-of-the-line fashion brands, or beautiful vintage apparel. It’s the latter that I found on my visit to Armed this weekend.

Across from the beautiful Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood lives a vintage shop like no other in Toronto. Armed is a hidden gem of a boutique owned by jewelry designer Desiree Girlato. Not only is there a great mixture of vintage clothing but also an extensive collection of carefully crafted, unique jewelry. Together they give customers the opportunity to get their hands on absolutely individual items to match each individual’s personality.

Desiree’s designs are displayed around the shop beautifully and proudly on their own clothes hangers. The pieces are one of a kind and each design has been inspired from trips to places far and beyond.

I find her collection quite bold but nevertheless quite subtle at the same time. There is a mixture of chunky masculine metals with a touch of femininity through her use of vintage stones and delicate chains. The price range varies from small easy buy earrings and accessories for $10, unique one of a kind necklaces for $60, or a rare find of a perfectly great shape vintage fur coat for $150.

Armed also plays host to an array of beautiful clothes by other designers. Every month Desiree will ask a designer to use some areas of the store for their pop up shop and she then co-ordinates her jewelry to compliment the designer apparels.

But with such delicate creations greeting you everywhere you turn in Armed, why has it got such a bold and military-esque name? Desiree explains that when she would go road tripping across the USA collecting these treasures from flea markets along the way she would recreate her finds and turn them into jewelry or as she calls them, “armour wear”. It was only when I left the shop that I realized how apt the name is – I was more than armed with shopping bags.

SHOP: ARMED
WHERE: 1024 Dundas St. West Toronto, ON M6J 1W7
PUBLIC TRANSPORT : 505 Street Car, BUS #63
WEB: Armed website

After cycling around the city, planting hundreds of trees and eating more than my monthly share of South American delights, it’s fair to say I have worked up a thirst and so I decided to wet my whistle at a very unique eatery on Queen Street West - The Mascot Cafe.

Opened in 2010, The Mascot Cafe is unlike any other cafe in the city. Differentiated by its black painted exterior with huge, sweeping script logo, this amazing cafe has a breath-taking gothic inspired interior. Stepping inside is like walking into the works of Lewis Carroll, with huge ornate wooden furniture and shelves full of fascinating curios and coffee supplies.

What caught my eye almost as soon as I walked in to The Mascot were the mysterious trinkets scattered throughout. Skulls, bones, animal statues and antiques all fight for space and your attention almost everywhere you look and as you sit there sipping at your drink you can’t help but feel the eyes of the various stuffed and stone rabbits and owls watching you. It was creepy an exciting all at the same time.

The seating arrangements were just as imaginative as the rest of the décor. The tables and chairs spread throughout the establishment ranged from antique school desks, to reclaimed timber and there were even some old office chairs knocking around. It looked so manic, but somehow everything still worked well together.

It’s the sort of room and space everyone would love to have at home: a great blend of gentlemen’s library meets modern loft style living, with fresh new school touches like lion’s head coat hangers and exposed brick pillars and façades.

The menu was extensive and the prices were very reasonable. All coffees are handmade in a gold, antique coffee machine and although I can’t prove that this makes them taste better, it definitely added another dimension to my coffee drinking experience! Aside from the very strong, flavoursome coffee The Mascot has on offer, there are also a number of sodas and iced drinks to choose from.

On Sunday’s around lunch time you’ll find a two piece atmospheric jam band in the main room entertaining the coffee lovers. I could have stayed here all day just listening to these two rocking out!

The Mascot is a really eclectic place: a feast for the eyes, ears and the mouth all at once, everything about The Mascot adds up to an amazing experience. For my money it’s clearly one of the best coffee hang outs in the city and I will definitely be back again soon!

Where: 1267 Queen St. West
When: Monday to Friday 7-7 , Saturday 8-7, Sunday 9-7
Cost: Low
Public Transport: 501 Street Car, 39 Bus
Web: The Mascot Cafe Website

I received a rather fascinating email a few weeks ago, inviting me along to what promised to be one of the most cathartic and inspiring experiences of my life. The David Suzuki Foundation has got in touch to ask me and a few others to come together to help replant trees in the Rouge River Watershed, Canada’s first urban national park. Of course I couldn’t pass this opportunity up, so I gathered up a few friends, pulled on my gumboots and got green!

We arrived around 9am and were soon welcomed by the friendly staff of Friends of the Rouge Watershed (FRW), who have partnered with the David Suzuki Foundation on this very special effort.

We were soon all gathered up and asked to pick up a bucket of mulch and shovel each. With tools in hand, a very knowledgeable man named Jim went through the steps of correctly planting a tree so that it would flourish. He told us the name of each tree we were to plant that day, along with details on how large they would eventually grow to be and what animals will eventually call it home. It was fascinating and really made the whole experience feel more personal – it has even made me want to go back and keep an eye on how my trees will progress throughout the years!

Although we all knew we were taking part in something that would be hugely important to the environment and future Canadians, the whole experience was incredibly lighthearted. Everyone was having a great time and enjoying each others’ company as we worked to create a legacy for the land. Before we knew it, we had planted 330 trees: all in the space of just two hours!

None of it felt like work, but it was amazing to know that we were taking part in a much larger reforestation project. The small saplings we were planting will one day make the park leafy and green again, ensuring that there is a beautiful place tucked in the city for future generations to enjoy. We all sat and ate our lunches after a hard job well done and I spent a few minutes imagining the whole area covered in our trees.

Once we’d eaten, we packed up and Jim took us all on a tour of the area. He told us about the different species of tree, from walnut to maple and goldenrods, all around us, going into great detail about their history in the park and the background of the park itself.

We also had the delight of being taken to see a finished project that they undertook 8 years ago, which had once been barren and empty farmland but was now a beautiful wetland that was home to hundreds of Canadian geese.

It was a lovely day: cool enough to work, but warm enough that it didn’t feel like work at all. Spending all day in the midst of nature, breathing in fresh air and enjoying the sun on our backs sounds like a day well spent in itself, but knowing we were giving back to the world and being a part of something big made the day so much more special.

I really enjoyed the experience of working with the David Suzuki Foundation and Friends of the Rouge Watershed and fully intend to revisit my trees in a few years to see how big a difference our few hours of work has made to this little corner of the world. I might even bring another lunch!

Event: Tree Planting at The Rouge National Park with the David Suzuki Foundation
Where: The Rouge National Park
When: Spring and Fall (See the Friends of the Rouge Watershed website for schedules)
Cost: Volunteer
Public Transport: Subway to Scarborough Centre, Bus 002A
Web: David Suzuki Foundation
Friends of the Rouge Watershed

Fall is the season of art in Toronto: Art Toronto takes place in just a month’s time and the whole city seems to be abuzz with excitement over the latest and greatest happenings in the art world. After all the fun I had on my Art+Spin experience earlier this month, I was all revved up for another art adventure and I found one in the shape of the Queen West Art Crawl.

The Queen West Art Crawl originated as a one-day event back in 2003, but it has now blossomed into a weekend-long festival that takes place annually and attracts over 250 artists, craftspeople and sculptors to the city to participate in this one of a kind outdoor exhibition.

2012 is the Art Crawl’s 10th anniversary and when I went along festivities were in full-swing. There were food vendors to sample delicious delights from, community booths stocking all sorts of local produce and products, and a special family-friendly Kidz Zone which I could tell was appreciated by the huge number of families out enjoy the city’s art.

Live entertainment from the stage really made the day feel like a celebration of all things beautiful about Toronto’s arts scene. Every artist I spoke to was delighted to interact with the public, answering every question thrown at them and taking the time to explain what had drawn them to create each piece.

I was particularly drawn to Magdolene Dykstra, a sculptor who created unique, female ceramic sculptures.

I also enjoyed browsing through the fabulous jewellery of the Happy Camper Collection from Jenn Luckas. This jewellery was all hand-made using natural stones, geometric shapes and natural materials such as acorns.

It was a delight to get the chance to speak to Ilichna Paz Morasky, who came all the way from Montreal to participate in the crawl. She has been an avid supporter and regular participant at the Queen West Art Crawl for a number of years and her passion for the QWAC was as beautiful as any artwork on display!

Many of the craftspeople at QWAC had Etsy stores of their own, but it was still a surprise to see the giant global online craft community with a stall of their own! They were selling some goods from some of their craftspeople, including designs by Wendy Gardham.

Walking around the stalls put me in a creative mood and thankfully the QWAC had plenty of activities and classes for my to sate my hunger for craft! The D.I.Y flower crowns class was fabulous fun, as were the tie dye and friendship bracelet workshops.

The Queen West Art Crawl was a fantastic experience that both educated and entertained. I came away inspired and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event!

Event: Queen West Art Crawl
Where: Trinity Bellwoods Park and connect Queen West
When: End of summer 11am-6pm Saturday Sunday, see website for next dates
Cost: Free Event
Public Transport: 501 and 505 Street Car
Web: Queen West Art Crawl

It’s no secret that I’m a big of sumptuous South American dishes: in recent posts I’ve sampled the Colombian delights of Los Perros Con Sabor Colombiano and nibbled at the authentic Texmex selection at Maizal Quesadilla Café. My appetite for all things south of the border is ravenous and so, unsurprisingly, my culinary adventures this week took me to yet another South American restaurant, this time in the form of Grand Electric.

It was my best friend’s birthday and she wanted to do something special, so we headed for Grand Electric, a hip downtown restaurant that would be my favourite Mexican eatery in Toronto were it not for the mouthwatering delights on offer at Maizal. Still, the ambiance here is fantastic and we knew it would be a fantastic place to celebrate.

As usual with Grand Electric, we had to wait quite a long time (try an hour and a half!) to be seated. If you don’t arrive the first minute it opens, you’ll be fighting for seats all night long as Grand Electric is a favourite for taco-hungry Torontonians. We weren’t too worried about this, as it allowed us to kill time drinking at the many bars lined up beside the Grand Electric and kick off the birthday celebrations. When we returned, we were seated out the back in their new summer patio area.

I love the decor back here – the vintage patio bar and cinema sign gave it such character. The cinema sign featured highlights from the menu and made me all the more eager to order.

Although our thirst was already quenched after visiting the bars around the restaurant, I found myself spoiled for choice with the drinks menu. There were plenty of soft and alcoholic drinks to be had and a special bourbon drinks menu circulated the table. They even had Mexican Coca Cola!

With the beverages out of the way, it was time to get down to the serious business of choosing something to eat. There is plenty on offer at Grand Electric and the price of their tacos are very reasonable, being priced per item rather than as a dish, allowing you to order multiple varieties of taco in one sitting.

Their guacamole and chips starter came with an interesting pork crackling that jutted out of the middle of the place. Not only was this really amazing to look at, it was also a delicious start to a great meal.

The corn supreme was one of the most popular dishes at the table, which was so tasty char grilled with slices of lime and a generous smattering of cheese on top.

We also went with the grilled beef taco, which looked amazing, but I found to be slightly too tough. It went down a treat with the table though, while I was in food heaven with their Baja fish taco: it saved the day as far as I’m concerned!

Grand Electric is a fabulous place to eat, with friendly helpful staff that are more than happy to help you out if you’re stuck for choice with their menu (everything looks so tasty)! The music is brilliant and the vibe is young and trendy, so even if you’re not this is one place will make you feel like one of the crowd.

Where: 1330 Queen Street West
When: 6PM-Late
Cost: Low-mid
Public Transport: 501 Street Car, 39 Bus
Web: Grand Electric Bar

It’s a sad thing to admit, but summer is on its way out and the autumn leaves are beginning to fall. Although this turns Toronto into a swirling mix of beautiful fall colours, it does mean I am waving goodbye to the warm days of summer and so this weekend I decided to make the most of Canada’s great outdoors by getting on my bike and trying Art Spin.

Art Spin is a totally free way to get to know the city, lead by the friendly team at the Art Spin Organisation. Art Spin is a new ‘spin’ on the concept of the bar crawl and involves touring the city by bike while ‘art crawling’ through Toronto’s galleries. You visit some commercial, some public and some artist run art spaces, taking in out-of-this-world art performances, marvelling at elaborate installations and taking a peek into where the magic happens inside the artist’s studios, all spread out through the heart and suburbs of the city.

My adventure started at 6.30 in the evening: the weather had cooled off nicely making it perfect cycling weather. We met at Dufferin Grove – when I say ‘we’, I mean me and the 300 other cyclists who had shown up for the event. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many bicycles in one place! We were welcomed by our expert Art Spin guide Michael Louis Johnson, who explained the importance of sticking together and showed us a trumpet that he would be using to act as an audible guide so every cyclist group would know where the head of the pack was while we were riding.

Setting off, our first stop was at an art performance ‘Under the Tree’ – an interesting installation centered around a tree and a clothes line!

After this, we were back on the bikes to follow Michael for another couple of blocks before we were led to a shared studio space used by artists Nathalie Quagliotto, Laura Paolini, Erika James and Robert Hengeveld. We stayed to view some of their work for a while before Michael blew his trumpet and it was time to move on!

After a quick stop at a dirt mound to watch another art performance by a pair of girls, we moved on to the gallery art space of Arsenal Toronto to watch a show by Montreal galleries Division and René Blouin. This was favourite my part of the evening – the performance of an excerpt from ‘Mortified’ was exceptional. Artists Jenn Goodwin and Camilla Singh acted out the music and movement based performance, which saw them half fighting, half cheerleading in the dark, before a drum performance ended things with a bang!

Our last stop on this magical mystery tour was at 50 Edwin Avenue, a recently reclaimed and raw industrial space which is the new home of the Metropolis Factory. There were a number of art performances to watch, which included artists rather spookily wriggling around under red sheets, some marvelous paintings, captivating films and a number of fascinating sculptures which had all been curated by the Art Spin team. Everything closed with a live band, dancing and delectable drinks at the Metropolis Factory bar.

Just like summer, Art and Spin’s adventures might be over for the year, but keep your eyes peeled for their 2013 Art Spin tour. One of these rides is the experience of a lifetime – when else are you going to get the opportunity to ride around neighbourhood blocks with hundreds of people while expanding your mind with incredible art? It’s certainly going to be an experience that sticks with me for the rest of my life!

Where: Downtown, different locations
When: Last Thursdays of summer months, June – August, meet 6:30pm, leave 7pm.
Cost: Free
Transportation: Bicycle is necessary
Rentals: Mike the Bike, Curbside Cycle,Sweet Pete’s, Amego Electric Vehicles
Website: http://www.artspin.ca