Fuel, Food and Inflation

Stacey Unsworth, a 36-year-old actor and independent contractor, is squeegeeing the windows of his Dodge Caravan at a gas station on Highway 7 in Vaughan. The cleanliness of his car is something he still has control over; the soaring cost to get from A to B however, seems inexorable these days. What once cost him around $50 for a fill-up is costing him nearly $75 today. “I live in the suburbs and commute, which millions of people do every day. Unfortunately as much as I would like to throw my hands up and start biking, like a lot of Torontonians or people in the GTA, we’re held captive by the oil companies. We have no choice but to drive,” says Unsworth. Though he’s bitter about the spike, Unsworth knows that he’s not the only one suffering from what’s been referred to as ‘pain at the pump.’ “I feel that oil prices are grossly inflated for no real reason at all, but I think that’s the general consensus of a lot of people,” Read more

In the Garden

Give your green thumb a workout with these gardening must-haves.

1 Zensations
With vibrant colours complementing the hues of spring blossoms, these traditional Buddha heads fuse Zen with a hint of modern design into your space. www.homesense.ca

2 Home Made
Carmine strawberries and leafy green asparagus by Harvest Collection will up the ante when harvesting season favourites. www.homedepot.ca

3 Green Bay
Stripe your grass as you mow with a system that can be easily attached to your walk-behind mower. The end-result is a Read more

City Search

A few additional treasures to make your city life just a little bit sweeter.

Lulu de Kwiatkowski vibrant style results in an eclectic collection of stunning fabrics, wallpapers and designs. www.luludk.com

For a distinctly modern layout, Camrost’s 30 years of interior decoration brings the art gallery out in your living spaces. www.camrost.com

Complete the look with playful, contemporary designs like these silver-stained fish or white-weaved baskets. Your outdoor space is immediately transformed into Miami’s pristine Delano Hotel. Read more

Chef Michael Smith, The Three Chimneys Restaurant

Acclaimed head chef Michael Smith of Scotland’s The Three Chimneys restaurant serves City Life Magazine one of his sumptuous recipes for success.

Three Salmom Kedgeree

Ingredients: (Enough for 6/8 breakfast portions)
2 cups Basmati Rice
450 g organic Scottish salmon fillet
3 lemon slices
2 onion slices
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of parsley with stalks
1 sprig of fennel with stalk
1 tbsp white peppercorns Read more

Acheson’s Gifts & Decorative Accents

The royal wedding may be unfolding across the pond, but Orangeville, Ont. is closer to Britain than you think. You can thank Dianne Acheson for that.

Her eponymous boutique will lavish guests with all-day tea, finger sandwiches and scones as it broadcasts the elaborate nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton in the wee hours of April 29.

Not on the guest list? Watch history unfold at the Orangeville location of Acheson’s Gifts & Decorative Accents as it hosts a royal wedding get-together on April 29, starting at 5 a.m.

The perfect setting for a momentous union, Acheson’s Gifts & Decorative Accents is replete with British-inspired vignettes and Union Jack home décor; seafaring pictures and Read more

Son of a Chef Catering

Cruise down Highway 7, head north on Edgeley Boulevard and follow your nose to Applewood Crescent, where you’ll find a joyous shop of decadent delights all served with good humour and a smile. That’s Son of a Chef Catering, where they’re serious about food, but not about themselves – and who could be with a name like that?

“People get a kick out of our name,” says owner Fabio Fantauzzi. “The name branched out from what most people think [laughs], but my mom was a chef, so we played around with it, and Son of a Chef was born.”

Catering all occasions, from small to big, Son of a Chef has the culinary creations ideal for any birthday, wedding or simple intimate gathering – it doesn’t matter. Son of a Chef will cater for a two-person dinner or an event with hundreds of people. Read more

motionball: A Golden Movement

When three men are throwing back beers in downtown Toronto, you might not expect to hear them discussing ways to enhance Canada’s Special Olympics. If you walked past the Etherington brothers as they gathered at Bier Market in the fall of 2001, you probably wouldn’t have believed your ears – because that is exactly what they deliberated over drinks that evening.

Shortly thereafter, Mark, Sean and Paul Etherington breathed life into a non-profit organization benefitting Special Olympics Canada. Motionball, designed to integrate supporters and the athletes they support in a social setting, was founded in hopes of getting the ball rolling with the next generation of philanthropists.

This year’s Motionball Toronto gala, named Decadence, celebrated a decade of advocacy and raised $250,000 for Read more

Vivian Risi: Aiming Higher

Inside every individual lies the hope to soar to new heights and fulfill unrealized potential. With arms outstretched, we anticipate the strength to conquer the obstacles that cloud our vision and welcome the materialization of our aspirations. While there are pinnacles that may seem beyond our reach, there are those who can turn the impossible into possible.

Society’s most vulnerable now have a second chance at redemption because of Vivian Risi, owner and founder of real estate firm Royal LePage – Your Community Realty. As chair of Yellow Brick House (YBH)’s Second Shelter, Second Chances capital campaign, Risi’s tireless efforts to house abused women and children have finally paved the way to a much-needed second shelter in York Region, where up until now, there have been no services Read more

Healthy Eating

Add these items to your grocery list if you know what’s good for you.

CHEESE, PLEASE: There are hundreds of cheddar cheese makers out there, but none are as bold in taste as Balderson Cheese. No wonder they market their product as the “World’s Finest Cheddar Cheese.” www.cheese.ca

GOING WITH THE GRAIN: This is the renaissance of grocery shopping. Organics Delivered offers 100 per cent organic fruits and vegetables delivered from the farm to your door for less than what you’ll pay at the grocery store. www.organicsdelivered.com

EAT ME-AT: Skip the hassle of indoor barbequeing this winter. Taste the cornerstone of American culture with a gourmet twist at m:brgr Restaurant – home of the infamous 100-dollar Read more

U-Box-It Waste Management

“While most entrepreneurs are thinking inside and outside of the box, I focused my efforts on the box itself,” says Antonio Mammone, founder of the revolutionary waste management company U-Box-It. An industry veteran and creator at heart, Mammone’s 100 per cent recyclable concept has been hailed by Bloomberg Businessweek and won bronze at the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards in Washington, D.C. “A mini bin that was recyclable was unheard of. I just knew that there was something there,” he says, of what’s become North America’s first disposable junk bin.

Born into a thriving disposal business, some might say Mammone was destined to follow his father’s entrepreneurial footsteps. “My dad has always been more of an innovator, and I think I took after him … I’ve always tried to think differently, try new things, come up with new ideas,” says Mammone, who invented U-Box-It to fill Read more

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