A good article in the Toronto Red Star in which 25 things to add to the city are suggested:
The question is: what stuff? Music? Theatre? Art? We have plenty of those already. The answer has to be something intangibly missing from the fabric of the city, yet that robs us of assuming a complete identity. During its greatest festivals — TIFF, Doors Open, Caribana, Nuit Blanche, etc. — something unusual happens to Toronto. It loosens up, becomes more self-confident, boisterous, friendly even. Like the shy cousin who feels “more herself” after a couple of drinks, for a few days scattered across the calendar, Toronto becomes the city it wants to be.
The trouble is many are not cultural at all, just services. Bus services? Ferry services? How about a popularization of the local history? I like the establishment of a local dish but "dish" implies restaurant. How about taking pride in Ontario food? For that matter, how about a little pride in running the frikking country? Oh, sorry - you gave up on that. Your are happy to let hamlets in the hinterland take care of that. Enjoy your movie museum.
Comments
Ben (The Tiger) - August 12, 2010 11:26 AM
How about a later last call, and a slashing of the regulations that prevent people from opening up street food stands.
The city and province don't need to come up with these great cultural ideas -- they just need to stop kneecapping those who do have them.
What Toronto lacks is authenticity. That you cannot create. But there's plenty of local history that can be "rediscovered". Alexander Muir's giant maple tree. The 1837 rebellion. (Actually, there's a neat restaurant/pub in Rosedale that takes off on 1837. Good local beer, too.)
Hell, why not a Camp X/Station M pub? X was in Oshawa, sure, but M was in Toronto. That's where Heydrich's assassination was coordinated and passports forged for Tito. Have some neat/bloodthirsty dish names.
Hans - August 12, 2010 3:51 PM
Without doubt
The drabbest place
In the world
With not a trace
Of shame or grace-
fulness: Toronto.