Category Archives: Urban Affairs

The Stadium Dilemma: Who Pays For It Anyway?

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It’s tough to watch a team relocate, even if they’re not your team. Whenever you see, for example, the San Diego Chargers moving to LA, you wonder, even for a minute, if any of the teams in your city might consider moving. You check on the age of your team facilities, and you listen more closely to team presidents and owners to see if they are hinting at needing a new stadium or making comments about team revenue and attendance. You’ve formed an emotional attachment to your team, and watching a competing team relocate is a reminder of what could happen to you.

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TIFF 16: A Final Touch of the Old Magic

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As always, the Toronto International Film Festival ends abruptly. One minute you’re racing from one theatre to the next, trying to squeeze in as many screenings as you can, and the next moment, just like that… it’s over. Before we collectively hibernate for the next 365 days (or something), let’s sit back and reflect on our time at TIFF. Here are five more reviews of films from the festival’s final three days.

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TIFF 16: Politics, Violence and a Bit of Love

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The rhythms of TIFF by Friday, and the final weekend, are different. Most of the “stars” are gone, King Street is open, and while the films are still being shown day and night, the buzz has quieted down. There are still special presentations and galas, but much of the media has departed and most “normal” people are ready to get back to their everyday lives. But here are more reviews anyway.

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Oh, The Places You’ll Pokémon Go!

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One month and over 30,000,000 downloads since its July 6 release, there’s little left to say about Pokémon Go. The basic premise has been covered exhaustively (wander your city looking for all available Pokémon, compete against other trainers at area gyms); stories of players finding dead bodies or being lured into armed robberies have already passed into urban legend. In the two weeks following its official Canadian rollout (though enterprising players found ways to skirt regional restrictions long before), the sheer volume of players to be found on Toronto’s streets boggled the mind. If you passed someone with their phone out while walking, it was all but a given they were playing this game.

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