Visiting the Ontario Tourism Travel Centre
We chat with Kevin Forget at the Ontario Tourism Travel Centre on all the things you can do in the province this long weekend.
News
What’s open & closed in Toronto for the August long weekend
Properly called Simcoe Day, commonly called the August civic holiday, most people in the Greater Toronto Area can call Monday a day off.
Businesses are not required to close Monday under the provincial Retail Business Holidays Act, so they may open at the discretion of the municipality.
The holiday is also observed in most other provinces and territories, although it goes by different names and is often celebrated with different traditions: In Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island the day is known as as Natal Day, while it is Regatta Day in Newfoundland. Even in Ottawa the Civic Holiday goes by a different name, often referred to as Colonel By Day.
Open
- Tourist attractions (ROM, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium)
- Major malls (Eaton Centre, Yorkville, Fairview, Sherway Gardens, Square One, Vaughan Mills)
- Select Beer Store locations (Click here for a full list)
- LCBO (About 370 corporate stores will be open. Click here to check the hours for your location. Authorized LCBO vendors in small towns may open at their own discretion.)
- Movie theaters
Closed
- Tourist attractions (AGO, TIFF Bell Lightbox)
- Banks
- Government offices
- Post offices and mail delivery
- All Toronto Public Library branches
Weekend Events
- Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival
- OVO Fest
- Rogers Cup
- TD Irie Music Festival
Click here for a full list of road closures over the long weekend.
Your fave cold drinks for a HOT day
A hot cup of tea or coffee keeps you warm on cold days, but in the summer it’s a whole different story. What if we told you that you could make your own favourite beverage to keep you cool and refreshed even on the hottest summer days? Here are Pay Chen’s tips and ideas for making delicious cold drinks at home without all the fuss!
ICED TEA
This is super easy to make, cheaper than buying in the store, plus you are able to control the sugar content by adding only natural fruits and flavours!
Pay’s tips:
- Brew your tea stronger than you would drink it hot. Use more tea instead of letting it brew longer (letting it brew longer can make it bitter).
- Add sugar to the tea when it’s hot so that it dissolves – it will be grainy if you try to add sugar when the tea is cold. Or make a simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar) to sweeten your cold tea.
- Use your favourite loose leaf tea or tea bags and enjoy!
TEA SMOOTHIE
Smoothies are a quick go-to breakfast or refreshing drink that are great for kids, too!
Pay’s tips:
- Mix it up by using your favourite green tea or fruity tea.
- Use seasonal fresh fruits, or frozen berries for a quick, frothy drink.
COLD COFFEE
No need to spend $5 on your favourite iced coffee! Save yourself the dough by simply making your own! There are tons of ways to mix it up just the way you like.
Pay’s tips:
- Pour coffee into ice cubes and add that to milk or iced coffee for added flavour.
- Remember to keep your coffee strong because ice will water it down (or use coffee ice cubes!).
For more of Pay’s great tips, check out her video demonstration below!
Click here for more great summer entertaining ideas from Cityline!
Forget camping, go glamping!
Does the thought of camping send shivers down your spine? Sure, we all love the great outdoors, but living out there for days (or even weeks!) could sound like a total nightmare. No phones, no electricity, pesky mosquitoes, and sleeping on a rocky surface — no, thank you! As it turns out, there is an alternative to camping (and no, it doesn’t mean a 5-star hotel).
Let us introduce you to “glamping.” Glamping means luxurious camping. What does that even mean, and how is that even possible? Well, let Shoana Jensen tell you herself! She has provided the essentials to have the perfect glamping trip! Check out her 6 must-haves and get packing!
For more great glamping tips, click here and check out Shoana’s video below:
A behind-the-scenes look at the The Trews soundcheck
Watch as The Trews prepare for their live performance on Breakfast Television.
Thunderstorms pound Toronto, GTA
Rain continues to fall Monday morning after heavy thunderstorms pounded Toronto and the GTA overnight.
Pools of water disrupted the morning commute with crews dispatched to clear roads.
Watch out for ponding/pooling/flooding across the roadways, very slippery! WB QEW west of Erin Mills – crews clearing H20 from 2 left lanes!
— 680News Traffic (@680newstraffic) July 28, 2014
Watching accident on Gardiner EB at Jarvis. My guess, hydroplaning may have played a role. Be careful. pic.twitter.com/fHGOEIVwya
— Kevin Frankish (@KevinFrankish) July 28, 2014
A month’s worth of rain fell in Markham by 1 a.m., with 77.6 mm falling, according to unofficial reports.
Windsor had 46.8 mm while only 10 mm had fallen on Toronto Island.
A section of Highway 404 and Steeles Avenue was flooded Sunday night.
There are unconfirmed reports of tornados touching down Sunday evening in Grand Bend and Millbank, north of Kitchener.
Pictures were posted to social media of a funnel cloud near Millbank, and reports are coming in of heavy damage in Grand Bend, with damage to hydro polls and large trees being knocked over.
Environment Canada is expected to send investigators to the sites later Monday.
About 20 minutes ago in Millbank. #onstorm pic.twitter.com/l4Kaa4JNeg
— Jeremy Brenneman (@jeremybrenneman) July 27, 2014
Environment Canada lifted a severe thunderstorm warning for the area around 11 p.m.
During the height of the warning, hail battered Brampton, Markham and Unionville.
Heavy hail at 404 and Finch! Check this out. @CityNews @680News pic.twitter.com/ruaUOj9UNE
— Richard Southern (@richard680news) July 28, 2014
Hail in Markham #citystorm #citywx pic.twitter.com/ApWhToowgN
— Tracy Tong (@TracyTongCity) July 28, 2014
Week of July 28, 2014
Coming up on Breakfast Television this week:
Kevin Frankish is back from vacation and we’ve got a huge lineup of guests!
He’s one of our faves, Habs superstar PK Subban is coming back and he’s bringing his Dad.
She plays the ruthless–yet loveable–Sue Sylvester on the TV phenomenon Glee. Jane Lynch is in the house for a BT First!
Plus, on Friday, you’ve been nominating hundreds of them–we reveal the first of our favourite Can-Doers.
Be sure to watch BT weekdays 5:30 to 9 a.m. on City, right here at BTtoronto.ca, or on our Breakfast Television mobile app for iOS and Android!
Shark slices through Rob Ford’s chest in ‘Sharknado 2′
A shark attacks Rob Ford, flying right into the mayor’s chest, in Sharknado 2: The Second One.
You read that right.
The clip, released by Space on Thursday, shows an actor portraying Ford at a news conference talking about relief to another shark disaster in New York City.
The TV movie is scheduled for July 30 at 9 p.m. ET on Space.
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