The Nutcracker: by the National Ballet of Canada: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. December 4 to 31.

James Kudelka’s The Nutcracker ballet here in Toronto is considered one of the most beautiful productions in the world. This year celebrates 30th anniversary. The iconic tale adapted from E.T.A Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King takes audiences on an enchanted journey from a festive holiday party to the sparkling palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy. It’s a timeless story that is a tradition for men.

The Nutcracker Afternoon Tea: at Shangri-La Toronto until December 28

Whether you’re heading to The Nutcracker Ballet or not, Afternoon Tea at the luxurious Shangri-La Toronto is always an unforgettable treat. In celebration of the National Ballet’s 30th year of production, the chefs here have created an enchanting tea experience that will delight fans. Savour festive bites like Smoked Salmon Croissants, Brûléed Foie Gras, and Wild Mushroom Tartlets, followed by Buche de Noël, Mont Blanc, and Eggnog Ornaments. Paired with fine teas and a sparkling or mocktail, enjoy this magical celebration of holiday joy and artistry. Reservations are required.

The Sound of Music: Princess of Wales Theatre  on tour in Toronto until January 4

This iconic story gets a refresh in this new stage production that brings all the familiar songs to the stage. The story follows a free spirited Sister Maria who is sent to serve as governess for the Von Trapp family of seven children. The widowed father, a navy captain, is void of any emotion and affection since the death of the mother of his children. It’s also a politically charged time in Austria, and he needs to make the right choice for his country and his family. Sister Maria’s optimism breathes life back into Von Trapp’s and teaches them how to sing once again.

That Choir Carols: Church of St. Mary Magadalene, 477 Manning, December 19, 20, 21

Celebrate the season with this warm and enchanting concert of festive favourites, soaring choral classics, and a few joyful surprises — all performed by one of Toronto’s most acclaimed vocal ensembles. That Choir Carols is community based and is quickly becoming an annual tradition. It’s a beautiful way to embrace the spirit of the holidays!

Narnia: Soulpepper Theatre: (Distillery) until December 28

This new musical inspired by C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia comes to life as audiences step inside the magical world. This latest adaptation brought to us by Bad Hats Theatre and the creators of the Dora Award winning Peter Pan, and Alice In Wonderland is a holiday adventure for audiences of all ages. Get there a little earlier! The lobby of the theatre has been transformed into Narnia’s winter wonderland! BTW, Your tickets will also get you into the Distillery Winter Village!

Robin Hood: A Very Merry Family Musical: Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre

Toronto’s most cherished panto returns with an eclectic group of characters to entertain families! This holiday favourite follows the story of Robin Hood (sort of). Robin and her friends on a medieval romp through merry old Torontoshire! Journey through the lush forests of High Park, go head-to-head with the greedy Prince John, and rescue those in need, all while spending quality time with your loved ones. Abandon the rules of a stuffy theatrical experience – the panto is a place to laugh out loud, sing along to pop hits, boo the bad guys, and help out the heroes!

Enlightenment: Knox Presbyterian Church

Take a pause during the holiday season at this beautiful 360º sight and sound experience set in this historical church located downtown Toronto. Inspired by the classical music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and set to choreographed modern day light technology, this 30-minute site specific production brings wonder to the holiday season. Created with visual projection mapping, Enlightenment is a beautiful way to take in the magic of the season. This is the newest addition to other host cities, including Madrid, Munich, Frankfurt, Toulouse, Santiago de Chile, and many more!

City of Craft: The Theatre Centre, December 5th to 7th ($5 entry fee paid at the door)

Featuring over 60 local and Canadian makers from across Ontario and beyond, City of Craft returns with this cherished event. Featuring some familiar and new artisans as well as hobbyist craft artists across many disciplines. The first 100 people to enter the market on Saturday, December 6, will receive a specially designed and screen-printed tote bag (printed by Kid Icarus and designed by Christopher Rouleau) filled with gifts from artists and friends of City of Craft.) Complete list of makers can be found here.

Distillery Winter Village: until December 31 

Toronto has our very own twinkly outdoor Christmas market experience right in the Distillery District, and it’s become a heart-warming tradition for locals and visitors alike. The history and the cobblestone laneways brings all the charm this season with makers, vendors, and even some of the city’s most adored chefs are here to bring holiday cheer! Yes, it’s very popular (for good reason) so plan accordingly. Best times to visit are weekdays off-peak hours and before 4 pm (free entry but see details on the site). Dress accordingly! Hours and ticket details here.

Also, save the date for A Very Merry Mirvish Holiday Concert at The Distillery Winter Village on Sunday, December 7th  at 7 pm. This year’s one-night-only and free performance features cast members from four Mirvish musicals: &Juliet, The Sound of Music, We Will Rock You, and Shucked (opening in Toronto in 2026). They’ll perform hit numbers from their shows along with a selection of holiday classics. Arrive early for this standing room only outdoor concert around the iconic Christmas Tree!

Some other festive finds to look for at The Distillery? Visit Narnia at the Soulpepper Theatre, the Jellycats boutique at Bergo, visit the Stranger Things living room set, check out all the TikTok viral foods, fuel up with a delicious protein hot chocolate at Balzac’s, pick up a one of a kind jewellery piece made by Canadian designer Julie Greco, grab the best Advent Calendar from SOMA Chocolatier before they sell out! And don’t forget a little gift for your pooch from Sniffany’s.

One of a Kind Christmas Show: Enercare Centre (Exhibition Place) until December 7

Toronto’s largest maker and artisan show celebrates its 50th year! Visit hundreds of local and national Canadian artists, designers, makers, and food purveyors. Get hands on with DIY workshops. Explore the Main Stage happenings. Sample treats in the always popular Flavours district. Meet emerging and established makers at this truly inspiring Christmas marketplace. More details here.

The post 10 Unforgettable Experiences this Holiday Season in Toronto appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

That was Osheaga 2023 where, among other things, I met a guy called Alan in the street who gave me a beer, Billie Eilish jumped up and down in front of a million mobile phones, and I risked my freedom by sneaking a jumbo bag of Miss Vickies (Spicy Dill Pickle flavour) down my man-knickers.

This time would be different no doubt, but I was hoping for Even. More. Drama.

Project Nowhere is a multi-venue music festival in Toronto’s West End showcasing a diverse range of talent, from psych rock, to punk, to electronic, plus a bunch of other places in-between, culminating in what they call “nowhere”.

Celebrating its third year, Project Nowhere takes place around Dundas West, a road whose name will surely one day be changed, because who wants one of the main streets in their city named after a Scottish politician who thought slavery was cool?

Anyway, let’s park that there for now because this isn’t a politician piece, or a lesson in history… it’s a god damn music festival review! But still, it’s important not to brush things under the rug.

So the music festival, Project Nowhere, ran from a Thursday to Saturday in October. Armed with an old digital camera, a single lens, a hip flask filled with moonshine, and a wrist band giving me three-day access, I was ready to spread my wings and fly.

When attending a music festival, I would normally always pack some ear protection for safety. But this time I decided to “raw dog” it, and I also didn’t wear my glasses, which I’m legally required to when driving.

Why? Sometimes it’s better to hear everything but not see too much…

First thing’s first, I headed to St. Anne’s Hall, where Kat Duma performed solo on a big stage, lit in wondrous technicolor by The Oscillitarium – Toronto’s premiere liquid light show crew! It was dazzling and Kat had a nice voice.

Jump on the Free Car – a handy Toronto service that runs down College and Dundas at all hour’s day and night – and just a few minutes later I was at a tucked away venue, known as Nineteen Seventy Eight.

Gus Englehorn, an Alaskan born musician, performed a great set of quirky tunes for a buoyed crowd. The two-piece with guitar and drums was engaging and entertaining, with a simplicity and a freshness.

From there I headed to The Garrison, which is where I had earlier that day picked up my weekend pass for Project Nowhere. In sporting terms, The Garrison is the home venue for the music festival, and it’s a place you can always rely on for a 4am last call if you’re the type that just will not go to bed.

At The Garrison I saw Noble Rot, a project made up of members of local legends Metz and Holy Fuck, who make some of the most cutting-edge music coming out of Toronto. They combined well and it was a great spectacle.

The thing with Project Nowhere is, unlike the sickening corporate shenanigans of many big festivals, this one feels much more tightly curated, much more supportive of local and independent venues, shops and businesses, and much more in tune with what is right in the world.

The city really does hum in downtown Toronto, a swarm of restaurants and bakeries and cafés and ‘vintage stores and it’s ON all the time. It’s bumpin!

Well this year the festival had an app with a customisable schedule that also listed all the local businesses you can get a discount for with your wristband, which was a super cool addition.

Oh and on top of all that, I just remembered seeing on the Free Car that they have posters up announcing, “POP is Required.” It’s amazing to see music being so wholeheartedly embraced by the city.

As coincidentally as is possible, given this is a piece of sculpted writing and not just a line of conscious thought, the next group I caught was called Desire, and they were the poppiest of the day. The TTC will be delighted to hear, I’m sure.

Long. Live. Pop!

And just as fast as that, the first night of the festival was over… well, mostly just cos I wasn’t feeling that well.

I missed Dreamcrusher, whose shows have blown me to the stratosphere and back before, including when I reviewed their 2018 performance at a small experimental music festival in Ontario called Electric Eclectics.

It’s an intense spectacle of noise and energy and the produced material is some of my favourite. Dreamcrusher is well worth checking out, but not if you have a headache and generally sickness like me.

Maybe it was too much moonshine?

It’s been a hard year, what with recovering from all the surgery where they pieced me back together with metal and drills and a nerve block, syringed to the neck, that numbed my complete left arm precisely.

So yeah, physically, I couldn’t quite make it. And while I felt sad, I also had a long sleek black cat at home waiting for me; surprising big and chatty; we call him “Bob” but that’s not his real name.

Cue the next day and, after a short venture to a beer festival for breakfast specialising in cask ale, I returned to the Project Nowhere music festival schedule by catching Orbital Ensemble at St. Anne’s – a super cool Brazilian influenced psychy-funk jazz-fusion group.

It got me going. Great stuff. Tip top. An unstoppable force.

You need different genres and styles of stuff at a music festival like this, because it just binds it all together and means there’s a fantastic array of different vibes on offer.

The way Project Nowhere curate each venue so carefully with a different style… I found myself walking around always feeling refreshed by the options available.

Take BSMT 254 for example – another venue that I’ll get to by the end of this dastardly tale, but with an electronic focus, and always a great space for a DJ party.

This band called The Armed were playing at Nineteen Seventy Five, but unfortunately it had sold out / was at capacity so I decided to divert myself elsewhere.

Something to be aware of for people attending Project Nowhere is that as well as three-day wristbands, there are also individual show tickets on sale and some venues have relatively low capacities. So, if you want to see a certain band with the three-day wristband, it’s always a good idea to get there well in advance, which can make show hopping a little tricky.

However the great thing is, it doesn’t matter if you can’t get in somewhere as there’s always another venue right around the corner and on this occasion, I saw Freak Heat Waves.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Who the fuck are Freak Heat Waves?

Well, they’re Mr. really fuckin’ awesome, that’s who they are! I’m a huge fan, which started with their crazy good album XXXL and has continued with all their releases since.

But hell, the visuals at The Garrison… they really set the scene. Anthony Piazza from Montreal set that all up apparently, and it was the best I’ve ever seen that venue look. So classy.

Freak Heat Waves is a kind of oozey, laidback synth-based music, but with guitars and shuffly beats that wash in and out. This, combined with the singer’s low voice, gives the effect of a band playing far away in the distance, somewhere across the mountains.

The audience was both entranced but also with pockets of conversation, which for a show like Freak Heat Waves, feels super right somehow. It added some chaos, and it doesn’t always feel to me like I want to be staring at them too intently for too long – I mean, I’m sure you can if you want – but more, I like to just bob around and let my mind wander off.

From there I rushed to Teke::Teke, where I caught the final few moments and it was striking.

After, I tried to take the Free Car to Baby G to see Truck Violence, but quite fairly, I was refused entry because the show was visibly at capacity.

From what I could see through the glass, steaming with perspiration, it was quite the ticket.

The nice thing about a multi-venue festival in the city, is you get to go home each night, can sleep in your own bed, and you can even take a shower.

I’m used to camping festivals, the big ones with 80,000 people, or probably more after you include all the ticket dodgers, fence hoppers and identical twins sharing wristbands.

Not to mention they were all raging teenagers.

At those festivals in the UK, you couldn’t even bring your car onsite (unlike the defunct Way Home (RIP)), it was just tent pitched right up to tent for miles!

Sometimes the whole place would get flooded. If it wasn’t a year for rain, people would build massive fires and explode gas canisters on them. It was more like something from a war movie.

Jesus, what else did I see?

People would somehow get shopping trolleys inside the camping area, and then you’d get two people, one in each trolley to face off… like a Mexican standoff.

Two other people would push a trolley as fast as they could towards one another… faster and faster… until the pushers would let go, and…

Boom!!! (Trollies collide; limbs go flailing).

But no, you don’t have to worry about anything like that for this kinda festival. It’s busy, and the shows are all packed with an energy, but people are generally pretty sensible and just out to enjoy some good music culture in the city.

Anyway, I digress, where were we…

So I then went back to The Garrison to see James K – solo, electronic, mostly to backing tracks with vocals. Some nice production and, despite not knowing any of the material, you could feel that the room did and the vibes were tip top.

Wake up Saturday, the final day.

I went back to Nineteen Seventy Eight and caught Dana, which was super heavy. I could barely see them because the lights were full on in the face, but the photos came out ethereal so I’ll let you imagine what it sounded like ~

I then stayed at that same venue for CDSM, which turned out to be probably my favourite set from the whole weekend because I wasn’t expecting the punch that they packed.

CDSM feature a posse, or maybe that’s not the right word, maybe they’re a collective?

But basically, the band is full of people that are super talented, each with their own distinctive style and the vocals and mood rotated around song by song, meaning it went from heavy to funky to poppy and back again. Fun stuff.

The lights at Nineteen Seventy Eight continued to be pointed in the face of the audience and strobed quite a lot, so I ended up watching about half the performance with my eyes shut, and even then I ended up with a milky way behind my eyelids that took a good hour to die away.

I thought I was savvy ditching the ear protection, but next time I’ll wear sunglasses for sure. Oh, and just a quick update on my lack of earplugs, but I found the volume level to be great across the weekend, which was nice because I don’t need brain damage from listening to live music.

Back to St Anne’s, déjà vu, for Her New Knife, which I enjoyed for a while but honestly felt pretty understated after the bananarama of CDSM.

I enjoyed a few of their tracks, but then they had this one, which went on and on, and I was kinda glad when it finished, but that turned out to be just a dramatic pause and they started playing it again. So I took a moment to check out the church.

Again, not that this is a history piece, but St. Anne’s hall is in front of the church by the same name that burnt down in June 2024, destroying the roof of the building and torching a ceiling that was painted by members of the famous Group of Seven.

I walked back behind the hall to see the bones of the beast, and Jesus, it is pretty sad.

I guess there was a shortage of miracles the day that thing went up, although it’s just been reported this week that the police are now investigating the fire as a likely arson?! I don’t know if miracles can prevent arson, but the big man might want to look at his policies.

The good news is, apparently, three canvases from the Group of Seven were miraculously saved from the ashes. So maybe that’s the miracle after all? Or is it all just a little too convenient?

You could feel the grounds are definitely haunted by the Group of Seven, and then going back inside St. Anne’s hall it was also very hot in there, what with all the human bodies in the room.

At least that’s what I assumed, as I waited for headliner Water From Your Eyes. Unless there was actually a devil in the basement? Best not to go there.

Water From Your Eyes was super fresh sounding and the energy was great. The New York duo – what is it about New York that’s so cool? – well they’ve got what it takes, I think.

And yeah, it’s funny because I see a lot of Canadian bands, and there is an element of Canadians copying the music they think they should be making and just re-purposing it, but it’s something else to be making music in a well-defined genre and yet to somehow make it feel unique and genuine, which Water From Your Eyes achieved. Maybe the Americans just do it better?

And all my Canadian buddies, don’t take that too hard because I know a good bunch of you are quite easily upset.

My message to you would be to keep creating without looking over your shoulder or checking the chords of your favourite songs, cos we’re here living in the future, and the past will inevitably impact you, so no need to recreate Pink Floyd.

Let it rest in peace with Syd Barrett. And by all means, bump it in the shower.

So as I promised, I then headed to BSMT 254, where a different member of Holy Fuck was playing in another cool project, and it was a great sign-off. Thank you Cut Cult.

And yeah, I think that’s more than enough ramblings from me.

Thank you, Project Nowhere, for an excellent weekend of music, and I’ll see you all in another dimension. Find out more about the festival on their website.

***
What is Gonzo Journalism?

Popularized by Hunter S. Thompson, it features a first-person narrative, often using exaggeration, sarcasm, and humour to convey the feeling of events rather than just the facts. This approach prioritizes the author’s personal experience and “subjective truth” over traditional objectivity, often resulting in a stream-of-consciousness style with social critique.

The post Going Gonzo at Project Nowhere Music Festival 2025 appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Now celebrating its fortieth anniversary – the series wrapped up on December 26, 1985, with a widely-celebrated reunion special – Tenko remains an extraordinary work of serial fiction, and long overdue for a modern reappreciation.

At a time when the very notion of prestige TV was new – and typically meant miniseries like Shōgun (1980) or Brideshead Revisited (1981) – Tenko stood out.

Centring on the lives of a dozen or so British, Australian, and Dutch POWs in a Japanese-run camp on an Indonesian island (implied to be Sumatra), Tenko, which premiered on October 22, 1981, is the best POW story you’ve never seen. Capturing the claustrophobia, heartbreak, and trauma experienced by female POWs, it rivals the greatest cinematic depictions of WWII – and not only because of its, sadly still unusual, focus on the lives of women and girls.

Wisely, Tenko begins in the days immediately preceding the Japanese invasion of Singapore, affording viewers a glimpse into the lives of its central characters. It’s just enough time to get a feel for these women, their respective milieux – race and class distinctions abound – before their lives are so dramatically upended.

Soon enough – roughly three episodes in – the real story begins, as the prisoners get accustomed (or not) to their new surroundings, the impossible reality of having been ripped from their families, their friends, their lives. Much of Tenko is taken up by the kinds of difficult, dynamic conversations, with no easy answers, captured so adeptly by Sarah Polley in her recent Women Talking. Which is not to suggest that Tenko isn’t dramatic or otherwise riveting: escape plots, illnesses, betrayals, hopes (false and real) ensure that each new episode is worth tuning in to, and impossible to turn away from.

The title, Tenko, comes from the Japanese term for “roll-call”, with recurring shouts of “Tenko!”, requiring the prisoners to dash to the prison yard at a moment’s notice, playing an increasingly important, and deeply fraught, role as the series plays out.

Most of Tenko’s cast is great, though there are clear standouts, including nominal series lead Marion Jefferson (Ann Bell), quietly heroic Dr. Beatrice Mason (Stephanie Cole), and the young Christina Campbell (Emily Bolton), whose half-Chinese/half-British identity is a key component of the story.

Several of the characters are drawn from the colonial “upper crust”: both Marion and Sylvia Ashburton (Renee Asherson) are married to high-ranking British army officials, while Rose Millar (Stephanie Beacham) is a wealthy socialite who believes her husband to be held in a nearby camp. Others, of varying backgrounds and experiences, include good-natured Australian nurse Kate Norris (Claire Oberman), the brash cockney Blanche Simmons (Louise Jameson), and self-interested, if not entirely unsympathetic, Dorothy Bennett (Veronica Roberts), who arrives in camp with a newborn baby.

On the Japanese side, the camp is overseen by Captain Yamauchi (Burt Kwouk), a reluctant soldier who views his role overseeing a women’s camp as a stain on his honour. Yamauchi’s right-hand man, the sadistic Lieutenant Sato (Eiji Kusuhara), is the closest the series gets to a main villain. Most of the prison guards are anonymous background actors, though a young prison guard, Shinya (Takashi Kawahara), eventually establishes a sort of kinship with Dorothy, the member of the group who eventually takes to trading sexual favours for desperately needed supplies – earning Dorothy (and to a lesser extent, Shinya) the opprobrium of their respective communities.

Tenko is inspired by the true, terrible story of the all-female prison camps run by the Japanese during WWII. Series creator Lavinia Warner conceived of the series after meeting Margot Turner, a British military nurse held prisoner for three-and-a-half years by the Japanese. Warner and her writing team conducted extensive research and interviews, aiming to capture the intricacies of camp life in a non-sensationalist manner. This can occasionally make for tough viewing, but it also gives Tenko a strong sense of authenticity, of fidelity to the real women who chose to share their stories with Warner.

That approach shows in every frame of Tenko: the world looks real, the characters act believably, and there are shades of gray which would be essentially unthinkable in a glossy Hollywood production. Even the Japanese characters (well, some of them anyway) are humanized, afforded the space to establish themselves as people, not mere stereotypes or archetypes.

While it’s the wonderful cast that made fans out of its viewers, the reason Tenko still works for the modern viewer is its perceptive portrayal of the horrors of camp life. The camp in Tenko is crowded. It’s dirty. (You can practically smell the filth.) Bedbugs and lice are so prevalent that probably the most unrealistic aspect of Tenko is the long hair worn by some actresses.

Still, Tenko even handles the aesthetic question well: unlike so many other Hollywoodized productions, there’s a marked absence of fabulous hairstyles, obvious makeup, or perfect teeth. These women look broken and worn down; they look dirty and sick. I love Bridge on the River Kwai; it’s one of my top films of all time, but Alec Guinness looks more glamorous there than any of the women in Tenko.

Tenko is admittedly dated in certain respects, not least of which is its circa-1980s video quality, which occasionally makes the whole affair look like a soap opera. (It’s a problem that also plagues the similarly brilliant I, Claudius, and which, like I, Claudius, can take some getting used to.) Tenko‘s soundtrack can also be melodramatic, with a bad, even silly, tendency to emphasize dramatic moments through over-orchestration.

Notwithstanding the wonderful performances, probably Tenko‘s biggest weakness from a modern perspective is casting. Burt Wouk, who plays prison commandant Major Yamauchi, was born in the UK to Chinese parents and spoke no Japanese (on Tenko, he mostly speaks English with a faux-Japanese accent, though he did learn to recite a few phrases phonetically). Emily Bolton, who is so good as the multiracial Christina Campbell (Christina’s father is British, her mother Chinese), is a Dutch actress of Aruban descent. Neither of these casting choices is a distraction per se, but they almost certainly wouldn’t fly in 2025.

Along the same lines, the series’ laser-focus on the experiences of European and Australian detainees comes at the expense of more diverse perspectives. Aside from Christina and, in season 2, one villainous character (the prison camp interpreter Miss Hasan (Josephine Welcome)), there are effectively no speaking roles for women of colour. It’s not hard to imagine a reboot/remake, along the lines of the recent Shōgun (2024), in which the perspectives and experiences of Tenko’s Asian characters are given more prominence.

It helps, then, that Tenko‘s Christina is one of the best-developed characters across the entire series. Showrunner Lavinia Warner and co-writers Jill Hyem and Anne Valery clearly understood the importance of telling Christina’s story truthfully, without resorting to cheap clichés or moralizing. This means confronting the ugly racism which a woman like Christina would have endured from prisoners and jailers alike, but it also means granting her the agency to be more than a token character or walking symbol. Buoyed by a fantastic performance by Emily Bolton (who retired from acting not longer after Tenko – you probably know her best as one of the Bond Girls in Moonraker), Christina is the secret heart of Tenko, the universal outsider who does not fit easily into any of the worlds in which she finds herself.

Like Bridge on the River Kwai before it, Tenko also must navigate the very fine line between honestly depicting Japanese crimes during WWII (prisoner mistreatment, torture, withholding supplies and medicine, much more), and avoiding lazy stereotypes.

Tenko largely succeeds on that front as well. The Japanese are more than mere caricatures, and prison commandant Major Yamauchi (Wouk), in particular, is portrayed as a complex, multilayered character. The series is at pains to emphasize Yamauchi’s adherence to a strict moral code, which, though we may not understand it, at least helps to explain his actions. Yamauchi even, over time, grudgingly earns the respect of some of the women, who recognize that he, too is a prisoner of circumstances. Albeit in far better living conditions.

In other respects, Tenko is resolutely modern. Characters curse, but not for cheap effect. Instances of violence or nudity are realistic, and never gratuitous. (One assumes the original North American broadcast contained some unfortunate censorship.) Beloved characters die, in a pattern that wouldn’t become common until Game of Thrones made it a speciality.

Tenko is also not shy about making its heroines suffer, changing them in ways that are painful for the audience to watch. Seeing these characters evolve – how they cope with trauma, and also how they fail to cope – is genuinely moving, and engaging in ways that would likely surprise modern viewers.

Most importantly, Tenko is honest about depicting the harsh realities of camp life. Tenko is ugly and grimy. It’s bleak and depressing and not particularly optimistic, even though we, the viewers, benefit from the knowledge of how history played out. (The show begins in 1942 and, in an intriguing twist, launches its final season with a time jump to August 1945, mere days before the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.)

Following three critically-acclaimed seasons, the series wrapped up with the Tenko Reunion, a two-hour special which aired Boxing Day 1985. Without delving into spoiler territory, the Reunion represents a fascinating cap to the series, as characters grapple with the fallout of what happened during the war and in the camp, and further develop the relationships between each other, and, intriguingly, with the men in their lives, from whom they were separated for so long. Inevitably, the Tenko Reunion also affords its characters, and the audience alongside them, the chance to mourn the many who were lost along the way.

Tenko Reunion was nearly forty years ago, bringing a satisfying close to an intelligent, uncompromising, and altogether original work of small-screen fiction.

You probably won’t recognize any of the actors, and you’ll probably be relieved at the lack of CGI. Most of all, given the opportunity, you’ll be impressed by the sophistication of the storytelling, and devastated by the many twists and turns which take a toll on its wonderful cast of characters.

Tenko is a forgotten masterpiece, and absolutely deserving of your attention.

***
Tenko is available to stream for free on Dailymotion.

The post Tenko: Forty Years Later, a Forgotten Series Remains TV’s Best Depiction of Life as a POW appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

This closure signifies more than the end of a beloved bar; it marks the loss of a piece of Toronto’s history and a pivotal moment in the evolution of the Yonge and Dundas area.

The Legacy of the Imperial Pub

Origins and Early Years

In 1944, Jack Newman, then 30 years old, took over a hotel and beverage business, transforming it into what was first called the Imperial Hotel (ACO Toronto). At that time, Ontario’s liquor laws were more restrictive: establishments needed to maintain lodging to serve alcohol, and men and women were segregated in pubs (Enright Cattle Co.).

Upstairs, there were nine rooms for lodging; downstairs, the drinking area began its long life as a public house. As regulations changed, those upstairs rooms were phased out and converted into more traditional pub space (ACO Toronto).

A Quirky, Beloved Neighbourhood Bar

Through the decades, the Imperial retained a quirky, timeless atmosphere. Its downstairs bar featured a wraparound counter and, famously, a large aquarium (the “Aquarium Bar”) built in the 1970s as liquor laws relaxed (The Bridge News).

Upstairs, the “library” room evolved: leather chairs, bookshelves, a pool table, and cozy nooks. Students from Ryerson (now Toronto Metropolitan University) have long gravitated there, drawn by cheap pints and a space to hang out or study (Great Canadian Pubs).

The pub also functioned as a live music venue, book launch space, and gathering place (Exclaim). Founder Jack Newman passed away in 2008 at age 93, but the pub remained in family hands, carrying on through multiple generations (The Eyeopener).

The Imperial even survived a redevelopment threat in 1998 tied to Yonge-Dundas Square, thanks to public outcry and petitions (Great Canadian Pubs).

The Changing Face of Yonge & Dundas

The area around Yonge & Dundas has arguably seen some of Toronto’s most dramatic transformations.

Mid-20th Century: Local Shops & Theatres

In earlier decades, the Yonge corridor featured bookstores, clothing shops, diners, small theatres, and music venues. The Colonial Tavern, a jazz hotspot, once stood nearby. The strip was a cultural hub of live acts, cinema, and community.

The opening of the Eaton Centre in the 1970s reshaped retail, pulling in national chains and changing foot traffic. As Ryerson expanded, student life intensified around the Imperial.

Early 21st Century: Intensification and Redevelopment

Over time, many low-rise storefronts gave way to mixed-use towers. Small businesses struggled with rising costs, while newer residents brought demand for cafés, tech stores, and condos.

The Imperial Pub remained a rare holdout — a time capsule resisting gentrification in the middle of an ever-denser neighbourhood. But prime land draws developers, and the pub site is now slated for redevelopment.

The Development That Will Replace the Imperial

The pub’s property at 54–74 Dundas Street East has been sold, and City Council has approved a by-law amendment allowing for a 23-storey mixed-use tower with 336 residential units on the site (On The Record). Earlier versions of the plan described a 30-storey condo with 287 units, retail at grade, and shared amenity spaces (GTA Homes). The approved version scales this to 23 storeys, but still signals major change.

The new tower will likely bring modern retail and housing, though it will erase the quirky pub that once anchored the block. The developer behind the project is BAZIS Inc., known for other mixed-use condo projects in Toronto.

Additionally, nearby at 100 Bond Street, BAZIS is constructing another high-rise mixed-use development, just steps from Dundas Station and Ryerson University (Livabl), signalling significant change to this part of downtown Toronto.

Closing Time: November 15, 2025

The Imperial Pub will officially close on November 15, 2025. On its official website, the owners write:

“With great sadness, we must inform you that we will be closing the pub on November 15, 2025. It has been an honour and a delight to serve you.”

Reflection: Loss, Memory, and What Comes Next

The Imperial’s closing marks more than just another redevelopment. For students, locals, and music lovers, it was a meeting place, a hideaway, and a piece of Toronto history.

As glass and steel continue to rise around Yonge and Dundas, one of downtown’s quirkiest landmarks will soon be gone — remembered in stories, pints shared, and generations of nights out.

The post Farewell to a Toronto Institution: The Imperial Pub to Close After 81 Years appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

As symbols of love, identity, and inclusion, rainbows have long stood as beacons of Pride for the 2SLGBTQI+ community. Yet in recent years, these public symbols — from rainbow flags to crosswalks — have faced increasing acts of vandalism, sparking an urgent need for protection and restoration.

This Pride, Skittles is stepping up to help safeguard those symbols through its bold new initiative: Ink The Rainbow — a vibrant, interactive campaign designed to turn self-expression into lasting impact.

From Friday, June 27 at 12:00 PM to Sunday, June 29 at 5:00 PM, Skittles invites Pride-goers to Sankofa Square at Pride Toronto, where the iconic candy brand is hosting a pop-up activation in partnership with Tattour, Canada’s first mobile tattoo studio. Attendees can receive free rainbow-inspired temporary tattoos, symbolising the celebration of Pride and individuality.

But this initiative is about more than skin deep support. For every temporary tattoo distributed, Skittles will donate $1 to help restore rainbow crosswalks across the country, reinforcing the message that Pride should always be visible, vibrant, and protected in our public spaces.

To bring these restoration efforts to life, Skittles has teamed up with Travis Myers, Canada’s leading rainbow expert and the visionary behind the world’s longest rainbow road. Myers will lead the charge in repainting and revitalising rainbow crosswalks in communities that need them most, ensuring each one is filled with purpose and pride.

The Ink The Rainbow campaign also adds a sweet touch to the celebration, with free Skittles® samples available throughout the weekend. Because no rainbow is complete without a little candy.

Whether you’re there to grab some goodies, snap a selfie with your new temporary tattoo, or simply show your support, this is your chance to turn personal expression into public impact.

Don’t Miss It!

The post Skittles Launches “Ink The Rainbow” Campaign to Restore and Protect Pride Symbols Across Canada appeared first on Toronto Guardian.