TORONTO—Welcome to BizBash’s Toronto-based column, where Calvin Barr covers the week’s biggest local news. Got a tip? Get in touch!
Moves and Milestones
Toronto wellness guru Jana Webb is collaborating with West Jet Vacations and Saint Lucia’s Stonefield Villa Resort to host a weeklong fitness retreat in November. A former cast member of the Real Housewives of Toronto, Webb is founder of the JOGA World program, which specializes in stamina and recovery training for athletes. The Jana Webb Fitness Retreat will include a personalized workout program, luxury spa treatments, and health-focused farm-to-table meal options.
Strategy Daily: Klick Health has named Daniel Drexler its new managing director. With more than 15 years of experience in health marketing, he arrives from the Neighborhood, WPP’s Johnson & Johnson-focused agency. The Toronto-based, independent health marketing house reports that Drexler’s role will focus on company growth and client portfolio management.
In Case You Missed It
BizBash released its list of Toronto's Top 100 Events on Tuesday. The events, divided into 11 categories, include world-class gatherings like the Toronto International Film Festival to others vital to the city's arts, culture, and commerce like the Scotiabank Giller Prize Gala and Canadian National Exhibition.
Toronto opened an Ed Sheeran-theme pop-up to celebrate the release of the artist’s new album, No. 6. Dubbed “No. 6 in the 6ix,” the event ran from July 12 to 13, at 277 Queen Street West. Warner Music Canada tweeted Sheeran’s video announcement for the event, which featured the new album on CD and vinyl, as well as limited-edition merchandise. Toronto was one location across more than 20 countries to host the global pop-up, along with New York, Los Angeles, Milan, London, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, and São Paulo.
News
Taglialatella Galleries unveiled its new “Toronto is Beautiful” exhibition by artist Mr. Brainwash on July 11. Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the gallery’s opening in the city, works evoking various street art, pop culture, film, and music-influenced styles took over the gallery’s main indoor spaces. A 70- by seven-foot display appeared outside, above one of the two patios, serving gin, spritz, and elderflower cocktails. “For us, ‘Toronto is Beautiful’ is about the city developing its own cultural identity and feeling proud to share it with the world,” said gallery director Alan Ganev. “Beyond traditional exhibitions, we want to celebrate art by creating pop-up initiatives, a mural festival, and cultural collaborations with spaces like the Bisha Hotel and the Spoke Club.” The exhibit runs through August 12.
The Tav Malhotra Invitational fund-raiser for youth financial literacy will take place July 31. Launched in 2017, the organization's mission is to provide students in and beyond Toronto with the know-how to achieve financial stability and success. The benefit will begin with an invite-only golf tournament at Glen Abbey Golf Club, and move to a casino-theme party atop the Globe and Mail Centre alongside celebrated Torontonian athletes, artists, and business leaders. “The initiative provides kids with practical financial skills they can use every day, but also prepares them for the big financial decisions to come in life,” said event co-organizer Jagneet Malhotra. “The last workshop we did was simulating the first-time home buying experience.” The 2019 fund-raiser aims to raise $100,000 with the goal of helping 10,000 students.
Venue Buzz
Toronto Star: Arguably the most Canadian franchise in existence will be changing up a new location in a big way. Tim Hortons is set to debut a gourmet café experience in the Bay Street district’s Exchange Tower on July 25. A new coffee menu will feature upscale barista creations served as draft lattes and pour-over brews, while the boutique “dream doughnuts” will offer flavors in crème brûlée, maple-bacon, and hibiscus glaze. According to Tim Hortons spokespeople, the new endeavor is meant to bolster product research and development through more direct customer feedback.
A Turn of Events
Those coming into the downtown core for summer events may want to reconsider taking the Go Train. According to CBC, the already perpetually congested Gardiner Expressway will be closing its central Yonge-Bay-York off-ramp until mid-September. The scheduled construction is part of the city’s decade-long $2.3 billion expressway renovation plan.
Overheard
“The initiative provides kids with practical financial skills they can use every day, but also prepares them for the big financial decisions to come in life.”
— Jagneet Malhotra, co-organizer of the Tav Malhotra Invitational fund-raiser for youth financial literacy, which takes place July 31 and includes a golf tournament at Glen Abbey Golf Club and a casino-theme party atop the Globe and Mail Centre.
On The Scene
The annual Honda Indy Toronto, the city’s premiere motorsports festival, took place July 12 to 14 at Exhibition Place.
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What’s Next?
Toronto’s annual Wild Blueberry Festival will take place at Evergreen Brick Works on August 11. Blueberry dishes and drinks from more than 20 chefs, bakers, and vendors will be up for sample and purchase, with Brickworks Cider introducing a new wild blueberry beverage. Celebrity chef and former host of CBC’s Best Recipes Ever Christina Tizzard will present wild blueberry-inspired ideas from her upcoming book, and the venue’s Café Belong will be serving oven-baked treats. The event is produced by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.
The Taste of Middle East will return to Yonge-Dundas Square for its second year on July 27. Modeled after Middle Eastern souk marketplaces, vendors will offer a variety of traditional food, art, and home goods. The space also will feature live cooking demonstrations from experts in Middle Eastern cuisine, a specialty spirits lounge, and a slate of high-energy music and dance performances. The festival is continuing its partnership with the nonprofit Second Harvest, which last year provided nearly 10,000 meals to people in need.
