Image credit: Allegra Smith-Herriott As a 22 year old university student living alone, in the midst of a pandemic, life was increasingly getting harder and harder as time went on. So to cope, I decided to get my very own puppy.  For the majority of my life I’ve had a family dog. As an only child, these dogs would instantly become my best friend and sibling. Since moving away from home and not having a constant furry companion by my side, I have been contemplating getting my own dog for a couple of years. Even more so living in isolation […]

Image Credit: “Canadian Tire Center” by caribb is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 The 2020-2021 season is almost here, yet there is still much we don’t know. One of the most highly anticipated decisions is one regarding Canada. With the Covid-19 pandemic limiting travel, there has been plenty of talk surrounding the NHL implementing an all-Canadian division for the 2020-2021 season. This has been met with plenty of excitement and rightfully so.  An all-Canadian division will be one of the most exciting things to occur in the NHL for quite some time. Some of the biggest rivalries in the sport […]

Left to right: Taskmaster Greg Davies, Alex Horne (Image credit: Avalon) About a year ago while drowning in the pressures of school, I fell down a very deep hole of watching British comedy panel shows on YouTube. Yes, that is a hyper-specific genre to get into, but believe me when I say there is plenty to appreciate about it. British humour is generally witty and clever, snappy, and sarcastic — it’s a bit like watching old grandmothers bickering at each other, and how can you not love that? The thing is, Canadian and American humour traditionally tend to lean more […]

Some of the typical fruits and vegetables in my weekly grocery cart are strawberries, bananas, apples, mushrooms, spinach and kale, but I find myself constantly intrigued by the appearance of the other fruits and vegetables that I’m less familiar with.  For this week’s blog, I hit up my local grocery store to explore the tastes, health benefits and cultural origins of the produce I don’t usually grab in hopes to diversify my grocery list and promote healthy eating! Burro Bananas Also known as Orinoco, Bluggoe, Horse, Hog or Largo bananas, Burro Bananas are a shorter and stubbier shape in comparison […]

Photo by Dan Gold via Unsplash With dining in at restaurants not happening in the near future and COVID-19 cases rising, your favourite local restaurants need your support now more than ever. There are many initiatives going on right now in Toronto that aim to help restaurants stay afloat as best they can. One that I think you need to hear about (which is student budget friendly) is Rally for Restaurants.  This campaign is backed by Stella Artois and their parent company: Labatt Breweries of Canada. Rally for Restaurants aims to encourage people to purchase either $25 or $50 gift […]

We are all in a tough situation. Most days, we sit in front of a computer, eat our meals, and sleep. It makes it hard to find time for ourselves and our own wellbeing. A good way to keep up with our health is to move our bodies somehow! Some movement is better than none at all and being active contributes greatly to our health, especially in times like these… along with the healthiest diet you can follow (be sure to treat yourself regularly though, these are tough times and you deserve it). Along with the difficulty of staying active, […]

Back in March when COVID-19 shut school down and all of us who were living in residence found ourselves scrambling to get home, I packed my things and moved 3 hours north to Muskoka. I found myself going from the never ending noise and movement of the city, to the stillness of cottage country. In the new climate of the world I went looking for ways to get out of the house without putting my family or others at risk. And so, when looking for things to do in Muskoka, the most logical thing to do is go looking in […]

2020 has been an eventful year filled with love, hate, empowerment and many more emotions. Not only is Covid-19 taking over 2020 but, the Black Lives Movement protest was a huge part as well. One thing that is helping us through these times is the power of music. Many artists made music specifically to talk about these situations and today I will be mentioning my top 4 songs that cover these topics. #1: I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R Image Credit: Amazon Music H.E.R (Gabriella Wilson) is a mixed African-Ameircan/Filipino singer songwriter from the United States. She wrote an acoustic blues […]

Even as someone with about a dozen rolls of film in my fridge (more on that later), having fun while shooting film clearly and cost-effectively can be difficult. One of my favourite film captures, I snapped the intersection of Finch and Yonge on a Spring night in early 2019. Shot on the (now discontinued) Fuji Superia 800 with the Olympus IS-10. Image Credit: Joe Mastromatteo So, after almost two years since exposing my first roll, I thought I’d prepare three tips for my fellow Toronto photographers, or anyone looking to make the analogue conversion. 1. Find a lab An introduction […]

Image Credit: @anthonygarcia / unsplash We’re full swing into the holiday season now as the weather is turning colder, festive music and movies are on repeat, baked goods are in the oven, and our only attire is our pj’s. However normal that may seem, this holiday season is far from what we’re used to. Everyone has been impacted over the past couple of months in so many different ways, and has taken a toll on our own community here in Toronto. As the holidays are quickly approaching, it’s now important more than ever to reconsider how we are going to […]

Each year I look forward to film festival season. Each year I try to attend festivals such as TIFF, Inside Out, ImagineNATIVE, and Reel Asian in some capacity. However, this year has been vastly different compared to last year. Festivals have moved to digital platforms and so there’s a possibility of piracy issues or technical issues. Despite all that, these films are bringing some light in a somewhat odd and difficult year for many.  Last week I attended Reel Asian 2020. Their entire week of programming was online this year, from Nov. 12th to 19th. Their films were available to […]

Photo: Calgary Flames defenceman T.J. Brodie returned to action on Monday after collapsing 11 days ago at practice. (Derek Leung/Getty Images) The Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the busier teams during the extended offseason. Going into the offseason, the Leafs knew that they had some key holes to fill and they look to have met their goal. Highlighted by the big signing of T.J. Brodie and the news that went viral with Joe Thornton moving to Toronto, Leafs fans have a lot to be excited for.  Aside from signing T.J. Brodie, Toronto did not make any big splashes […]

(Image Credit: ANTI- Records) Shore, the fourth studio-album by Fleet Foxes, is about coming back to land after being chin-deep in heavy water. The first gentle guitar strums that you hear when you press play is the relief in being able to see solid ground and breathe again. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that. And the first thing you hear when listening to this album is really what I think this whole album is about. To Robin Pecknold, singer-songwriter and frontman of the band, Shore is meant to be a “life-preserver in this ocean of bad news.” In […]

We’ve all seen the posts of Black screens on #BlackOutTuesday, the petitions, the protests and the hashtags.  Spreading knowledge and advocating for justice on social media platforms is powerful!  Since the pandemic hit, I’ve personally resorted to advocating for causes close to my heart by educating myself on social issues such as anti-Black racism and posting my findings and feelings on social media.  In doing this, I’ve realized that as much as educating myself and spreading awareness displays my support and care, it doesn’t promote an active or immediate change in the subjects I claim to care about.   How can […]

Image Credit: @timmossholder via:unsplash This holiday season, do your best to shop from local Canadian brands! If you’re looking for some cool gift ideas and want to support small businesses, I’ve got five shops and their creators right here for you. See what products they have in store and also get to know a little bit about their owners while you’re here! All five shops produce handmade items that can be the PERFECT holiday gift for your loved ones this season (and every season really). From soy candles to macarons, I guarantee you’ll find something you love. The Lloyd Brown […]