The weekend is here

Time for a little reflection

and smell some flowers.

Calgary meets #Toronto

Mid May 2014 saw a lot of cowboys in the big smoke as Calgary Tourism promoted the western Canadian city. 'Hey, you. Yes, you. Have a great day.' They carried a lot of signs and down at the waterfront they had a giant, inflatable cowboy hat that they launched onto the waters of Lake Ontario. I would have liked to see them moving a herd of cows down Bay Street instead.

'Your suit says business, but your heart says adventure. Enjoy the weekend.'

'Some days, you just have to create your own sunshine'

2014 Indianapolis 500 drivers visit #Toronto

@HondaIndy and Verizon IndyCar brought Jacques Villeneuve and Simon Pagenaud to meet with the media at @HuntersLanding after qualifying in the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing'. The two Schmidt Peterson teammates qualified to run in the 98th Indy 500 mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which will take place Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Charlie Johnstone (in red) introduces the drivers to a wall of media

l to r: Simon Pagenaud and Jacques Villeneuve

Quebec race car driver and racing legend Jacques Villeneuve, previous winner of the 1995 Indy 500 race, CART champion, and F1 World Champion qualified 27th in the upcoming Brickyard race while Simon Pagenaud from France, second in the IndyCar series standings and winner of the recent Grand Prix of Indianapolis race qualified 5th. This is Jacques' third Indy 500 race and he noted that it doesn't matter where you qualify - except to your ego. A quick check shows about 22% of the fastest qualifying drivers that take the pole position have ever gone on to win the race. 2014 IndyCar Series have 18 races in North America on superspeedways, ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits (hello Toronto's 1.75 mile run).

Simon says that the Indy 500 is the toughest race in the world and was happy to be with Jacques - who he watched when he was growing up and even now remains humble. Jacques was thrilled to be back in IndyCar and was happy to see the continued momentum of the series grow. The return to open wheel racing at Indianapolis left Jacques feeling like he was going crazy fast and now the excitement level has gone down to where racing becomes very natural for him.

Both drivers took time from their busy schedules to provide interviews and photo opportunities to help promote the '2 in TO' Honda Indy Toronto, back to back IndyCar races in Exhibition Place from July 18-20, 2014 - they even help up a sign saying there was only 58 days left till the Toronto event. The event was hosted by Honda Indy Toronto President Charlie Johnstone.

The drivers gathered to meet students (above) involved with the Formula North 2014 Engineering Design Competition, sponsored by Honda, which helps to raise awareness of practical engineering experience and student innovation. The competitors even build race cars which are measured by important features like acceleration and fuel economy.

Blossoms in Niagara

Wind and rain have taken their toll on the blossoms in High Park so we took a trip to the Niagara area and found plenty of trees in full bloom and many of the orchards coming into peak bloom. We spent some time in the Butterfly Conservatory and the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens.

The trip through wine country was tasty and gave us a chance to see some of the fruit orchards

See more beautiful nature after the jump.

Victoria Day Speedfest 2014 @CTMPOfficial

Racing was fast and furious at the incredible Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the May 24 long weekend. J.R. Fitzpatrick won the Pinty's Clarington 200 in a crash filled finale on Sunday, May 18.

J.R. Fitzpatrick during the driver autograph session

And J.R. winning the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race

See more after the jump.

Biggest and Baddest Importfest in July

Update: See photos of the 2014 on my post here.

@Importfest_2014 Canada's top tuner show comes into town during the heat of summer and it promise to bring more heat with bikini and lingerie shows, dj battles and top automotive exhibitors and manufactures. The show will be at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Saturday, July 26.

The 14th Year Anniversary will feature hundreds of the top tuners from Canada and the US competing for a carload of awards that all start with 'Baddest', like Baddest Honda, or Baddest Car Show Model, and when they say bad, they mean the best.

City of Toronto on the Victoria Day long weekend 2014

Looking for stuff to do in the city? Check out the city's press release and don't forget the blossoms in High Park, fun along Queens Quay with the Circus Festival at Harbourfront and the fireworks that will light up the night.

"The City of Toronto will offer a wide variety of activities for residents on Monday, May 19, including the annual Victoria Day fireworks display at Ashbridges Bay. Many family attractions, including two farms, three historic sites and other facilities described below, will be open. City recreation centres will be closed on Victoria Day and recreation programs will not operate that day.

The Victoria Day fireworks at Ashbridges Bay Park will start at 10 p.m. The show will feature about 2,000 fireworks, with a spectacular finale.

Ashbridges Bay Park is located on Lake Shore Boulevard East at the foot of Coxwell Avenue and is easily accessible by public transit. TTC service will be increased between Queen Street East and Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) on the 22A Coxwell, 64 Main and 92 Woodbine South bus routes. Members of the public are strongly urged to use public transit and leave personal vehicles at home.

City bylaws prohibit members of the public from setting off or selling fireworks in any City park. Enforcement officers will be onsite to help ensure a safe and enjoyable event at Ashbridges Bay.

Golf: Toronto has five municipal golf courses. They are open daily, including on Victoria Day. More information about the City-run golf courses is available at http://www.toronto.ca/golf.

Tennis courts: All public tennis court sites will have nets up and will be available for use throughout the Victoria Day weekend. Public sites are free and available to the general public. Tennis players are asked to share the courts by limiting their play time to half-hour intervals if others are waiting to use the courts.

Splash pads: Most splash pads will open on Saturday, May 17, with some exceptions. Splash pads adjacent to outdoor pools and those under construction will open later in the season. Splash pads operate daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. by push button. Splash pads are not city-supervised water play areas, so caregivers are reminded to supervise their children. More information, including hours of operation and up-to-date information on splash pad locations, is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks or by calling 311.

Riverdale Farm: Riverdale Farm is a family attraction where visitors can see traditional farm animals such as cows, horses and chickens. While there, visit the farm residence and the Cabbagetown Regent Park Museum. Riverdale Farm will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 19. Admission is free. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks/zoo/ or by calling 311.

High Park Zoo: Victoria Day is a great time to see the High Park Zoo's spring babies. The zoo, located on Deer Pen Road, offers domestic and exotic animals. The zoo will be open to visitors from 7 a.m. to dusk. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks/zoo/or by calling 311.

Toronto Island Park: Catch a ferry to Toronto Island Park for a scenic picnic, hike or bike ride. The interactive Franklin Children's Garden is another attraction. Ferry schedule and fares: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm

Greenhouses: A wide variety of flowers are in full bloom at Centennial Park Conservatory (151 Elmcrest Rd.) and Allan Gardens Conservatory (19 Horticultural Ave.) Both conservatories are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Information is available by calling Centennial Park Conservatory at 416-394-8543 and Allan Gardens Conservatory at 416-392-7288 or visit http://bitly.com/QFFu6S.

Discovery Walks: Residents can explore their city on foot. The Discovery Walks program is a series of 11 self-guided walks linking ravines, parks and neighbourhoods. Ranging from 1.5 to 11 kilometres, the walks are designed to showcase Toronto’s outstanding natural features and cultural and historical attractions. Brochures and maps are available.

Historic Sites
The City of Toronto Historic Sites celebrate Victoria Day Monday with fun historical activities for everyone. Details follow.

At Fort York National Historic Site, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be demonstrations of Georgian-era cooking, English country dancing, and kids can participate in a soldiers' drill. Admission: adults $7.96, children $3.76, youth $4.87, seniors $3.81(plus tax). Visitors can also join a free walking tour that explores early British military influences on Toronto's changing urban landscape. Location: 250 Fort York Blvd. Check the website for special directions during construction of a new visitor centre: http://www.toronto.ca/fortyork.

Montgomery's Inn at Dundas Street West and Islington Avenue will host its annual Victoria Day Tea from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 plus tax.

Spadina Museum: Historic House and Gardens - Toronto's own Downton Abbey - will take visitors on a tour of the house through the eyes of the prominent Austin family, whose struggles and triumphs were closely tied to those of Toronto as they entered the 20th century. Spadina Museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. and is located at 285 Spadina Rd., next door to Casa Loma. Admission fees: adults $7.96, seniors and youth $5.75, children six and older $4.87. Admission is free for children five and younger.

For those looking for outings on Saturday and Sunday during the long weekend, all of the historic sites are open and offer guests an opportunity to experience Toronto's history in authentic settings. Event information, locations, hours and prices are available athttp://www.toronto.ca/museum-events.

Municipal services
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will operate on its holiday service schedule on Victoria Day, with most routes starting at 6 a.m. For holiday service details, call the TTC's customer information line at 416-393-4636 or visit
http://www3.ttc.ca/Routes/General_Information/Service_Details.jsp.

City of Toronto offices will be closed on the Victoria Day holiday. All City emergency services and 24-hour operations will be provided during the holiday. Residents can call 311, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for more information about City services.

The City of Toronto Archives will be closed on Monday, May 19. More information about the Archives is available athttp://www.toronto.ca/archives."

Cherry Blossoms back in High Park

The long road to summer in #Toronto includes a brief pause to stop and smell the blossoms. And some of the best places to see tree flowers are High Park, in the University of Toronto campus, beside Old City Hall, at Queens Park and along University Avenue.

In High Park, which has the mother-lode of cherry trees, cars and tourists are even more plentiful than the blossoms during the short time when the pretty blossoms are at their peak. Starting within the past few days the trees have begun to fill with growth and the peak is anticipated by this Victoria Day long weekend. For now the blossoms are rather sparse.

Being in nature means you can also take the opportunity to check out the birds sitting on nests full of eggs or looking after tiny, little and oh so cute babies.

Posted by James Hamilton and Joe Hamilton.

@RyersonScience Rendezvous brings the fire and ice

#Toronto @YDSquare felt the heat of exploding hydrogen filled balloons and the chill and of liquid hydrogen as the school of higher learning provided some exciting demonstrations. Starting at 10 am on Saturday, May 10, 2014 and continuing to 4 pm with free interactive displays and activities hosted by Ryerson University during the 7th annual all-day event.

Pretty roses frozen in liquid nitrogen given to Moms, where they slowly crushed the hardened blooms

Posted by Joe Hamilton. See more science after the jump.

#Eristoff wolfpack in #Toronto

The lovely ladies dressed in furry hats with furry ears and furry boots formed a friendly promotional team handing out coupons for a free vodka cooler sample at your local LCBO. The vodka comes from the land of the wolf.

The ladies meet Toronto Batman

"As one of the fastest growing vodka brands in the world, Eristoff, like a rock God of the drinks world, has achieved an incredible global following and is currently a top ten international vodka brand. It's received many prestigious awards for its great quality taste and is currently the number one vodka in Austria, Portugal, Belgium, Chile and the Dominican Republic."

They spent a lot of time posing for pictures

Posted by Joe Hamilton. See more wolfs after the jump.

National Day of Protest Against Tar Sands

May 10, 2014 brought together many environmental protesters at #Toronto City Hall to rally against pipelines, tar sands, fracking and climate change.

The 38 year old oil pipeline running between Sarnia and Montreal, known as Line 9, was forefront in the protest as plans to change the transport of regular oil to tar sands and fraked Bakken crude oil could increase the risk of rupture and put our ecosystems at risk.

Calls for an environmental assessment for the planned changes to Line 9 have led to a 10,000 name petition which continues to grow. Starting at 1pm the rally also included a march to Queen's Park.

Posted by James Hamilton and Joe Hamilton. See more of the rally after the jump.