On the weekend of May 25th and 26th, the City of Toronto will host its annual Doors Open event, presented this year by Great Gulf. This city-wide event encourages residents and tourists to take the walk and discover over 150 structures of either historical, architectural, cultural, or social importance. Doors Open Toronto 2013 highlights buildings that have been redesigned, staying …

With all of the nice weather we’ve been having, it’s time to get outside and participate in some of these upcoming Toronto events: Jane’s Walk  In remembrance of writer/activist Jane Jacbos, this year’s annual walking tour will be held May 5th. The purpose of this event is to show participants the diversity of Toronto’s urban landscape, which in turn will …

This isn’t the first time council members have requested funding for the transformation of the Scarborough Rapid Transit line. It seems now, however, that a group of councillors have not only elected to revive the idea, but have declared an ultimatum with Toronto: Scarborough will support the proposal for new transit taxes in exchange for a subway. In order for …

If you’re planning a major renovation, be sure to consider what it might do to your home insurance premium. Of course, not all home renovations will affect your policy, but many of them will and it is important to disclose such information to your insurer to avoid complication. For large upgrades that add to the aesthetics of a property, the …

The Ontario Legislative Building, the seventh structure to serve the parliament of Ontario, survived another turn of the decade last week. The “Pink Palace”, first completed in 1893, has sat at the core of Toronto for 120 years, boldly occupying the territory of Queen’s Park. Although the land is owned by the University of Toronto, on account of a $1-per-annum …

Every major city has something to be proud of; whether that is a great monument or a historically significant building, the city relishes the fact that people want to come and check it out. Now, there are several treasures in the world that remain undiscovered, lost over the years and forgotten. Similarly, there are places intentionally displaced in the past. …

For the seventh year in a row, the Luminato Festival is coming to Toronto in June — but with change. Internationally renowned Jorn Weisbrodt, a major contributor to last year’s celebration, returns as head-supervisor, bringing along many alterations and improvements. One of the largest transformations Torontonians will discover is the core marketing campaign of the 2013 festival: the poster ads …

Over the last few weeks, the Globe and Mail’s Rob Carrick has written many articles about the increased insurance premiums home owners face year after year. After looking at these articles’ statistics, his argument for government oversight and regulation seems highly agreeable. Currently, Canadians are faced with a 19% increase on home insurance on a year-over-year basis. As Annie Marie …

In the first quarter, the total amount of non-residential real estate investments rose to $12.4-billion, continuing the upward trend as the fifth consecutive quarter. In saying this, only four provinces saw significant increases during this time: Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba. Unfortunately, Ontario was not a part of this list, as institutional investments were down considerably. Of the 34 Census Metropolitan …

We’re at the end of the tax season but the Canada Revenue Agency is looking to audit many Toronto condo sellers, suspecting that there have been large financial gains from “flipping” properties this past year.  Under these suspicions, individuals who have recently profited from the booming condo market  are being investigated. In many instances, the CRA has reduced these profits …