London to Toronto (Blog)

[Savage]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

London to Toronto

[theorique]

But from what I’ve seen, it appears that other than in licensed bars and restaurants, you can only buy liquor for home consumption at certain government-run stores called LCBOs. LCBO = Liquor Control Board of Ontario. I’m guessing there may be some exceptions though.

No, that's pretty much it. There's another government-run store called "The Beer Store", formerly "Brewers Retail", which was renamed to what everyone called it anyway. The LCBO stores are generally nice-looking stores that sell beer, wine and liquor (and are the only legal retailer for liquor). You can also find small wine retailers (independent?) but I'm not sure how they work. I think the wineries in the Niagara region also sell their own product.

First, there’s apparently some law in London that says that no one can park on the streets between 3am and 5am — anywhere in the city. This includes residential streets, so we had to try to squish 3 cars in Karen Bell’s driveway at night or risk getting a parking ticket. Personally I think that’s a bit crazy, and apparently the residents aren’t too fond of this law either. It seems like more of a tax than a law in my view. It might make sense in the winter if the snow plows have to run often, but in the summer? No overnight parking on the streets at all? This law creates problems for residents and visitors alike. What’s the justification for it? Extra money for the city perhaps?

This is also the case with the entire city of Brookline, MA (surrounded on 3 sides by Boston). I think it's a bit of a racket because none of the property owners want to lose any of the property value or rental revenue associated with owning private, off-street parking spaces. Or the Brookline police don't have much to do since it's one of the safest cities in the USA, so this keeps them busy.

Rachelle and I went to a Whole Foods on Avenue Street (Toronto could use a bit more creativity in naming streets, methinks), and the organic produce prices were about 40% higher than what I’m used to in Vegas. Are people really paying $4-5 for one organic cucumber? Maybe that Whole Foods doesn’t have enough competition. Many items had the prices listed as “per 100 grams,” perhaps to make them seem lower. I imagine some people would cringe at seeing tomatoes at $5 per pound.

It's actually called "Avenue Road". Yes, it's still a silly name.

I think that's the only Whole Foods in Toronto (or at least it was the last time I was there). My sense is that it's kind of a novelty in an expensive downtown neighborhood, so they are able to charge premium prices.

What’s up with that? Can anyone explain this? Doesn’t paying homage to another country’s monarch seem a bit loony?

Sigh. Yes.

Can any Toronto locals suggest a good location for a Toronto meet-up, something that would be (1) free, (2) easily accessible via Subway, (3) conducive to mingling and lots of simultaneous of conversations, and (4) ideally within walking distance of Bathurst & Dupont?

I'm not currently in Toronto but I lived there for my first 24 yrs so I consider myself qualified. It looks like Christie Pits park is about the closest significant park to where you are, and it's right by Christie subway on the Bloor-Danforth line. It's not one that I know well so maybe some other Toronto residents could weigh in as to whether it would be suitable.

The large park you mentioned near the University might be Queen's Park? If so, that's pretty central and accessible by a few different subway stations (including the station called "Queen's Park").

Either of those parks would easily have plenty of space for a group of 15-20 people to wander around and meet each other.

The main question I'd have would be about benches or picnic tables. The parks don't necessarily have places for that many people to sit unless people are OK with sitting on the grass.

[Mark Dykeman]

Steve:

The short answer is that Queen Elizabeth II is technically the Queen of Canada and the rest of the British Commonwealth countries, even though, like Great Britain, an elected/appointed Parliament actually makes the laws. Thus, she's a big deal to many of us, though perhaps less so than she used to be.

Until 1980, Canada was still a dominion within the British Commonwealth of Nations - it didn't properly become a country until Queen Elizabeth II signed our Constitution, which formally made Canada an actual country.

HOWEVER, the British Monarchy is still technically the head of state in Canada, like in Australia, where a Governor General acts as her representative.

Much of this is really just ceremonial as Canada's Parliament and Provincial Legislatures effective make all the rules; it's just that technically the British Monarch must approve everything - I can't think of a time when they've intervened in at least thirty year.

[Andrew Brunelle]

Looks like you are enjoying yourself for the most part. I've never been up there, but I hear it's really nice in the summer, except for the humidity of course, but unlike you I'm used to it. Have a great rest of your trip.

[JohnMacIntyre]

2 locations for your meetup come to mind (neither are walking distance to you):

1. Toronto Island (it's beautiful over there, you really should see it, but you need to take the ferry, so it may not be ideal for anybody with less than an afternoon)

2. High Park It's a short subway ride, moderate amount of parking, everybody knows where it is, and if you like parks, you'll like High Park

Have a great time in Toronto, I've lived here for 15 years and love it here.

Also, if you feel like venturing out of the city and you like wilderness, Algonquin park is unbelievably peaceful & beautiful. And it's freakin huge.

[Crystal401]

Hi Steve,

I) Regarding whole foods:
They are known to be on the pricier side, and a lot of
people who do their research go to smaller stores on Bloor st.
There are at least 4 natural food stores on Bloor between
Spadina and Christie.
eg: Qi Natural foods on 710 Bloor St west - their price is usually
better

II) Meeting location suggestion:
I live near Univ of Toronto, so I know the area quite well.

* Queens Park / Christie Pits Park both meet your criteria

* University of Toronto main campus near Kings circle
People play soccer on the main green, and there are
benches surrounding the green. Won't fit all 20 people
though.
If people don't mind sitting on the grass, the main
green is a better choice as it is generally
cleaner than Queens Park and Christie pits park.



FYI: This weekend is Pride week in Toronto.
Queen's park is still 3 blocks away from the main
site, but I believe that you will still hear the music-

Alex

[Brenden Cameron]

Heh.... bad timing strikes again. I'll only be in Toronto till Friday night, after that I'm off camping with my family.

It's unfortunate, I was really looking forward to meeting everyone...
But... I suppose there'll be other opportunities, guess I'll catch you all next time.

Enjoy your stay in Toronto Steve!

[Savage]

We checked out Queens Park this evening. There's a spot near an equestrian statue with several benches that could work well for a meet-up spot. Also checked out some places at Univ of Toronto, but there seems to be mostly grassy spots and less seating.

Will check out Christie Pits Park later, but Queens Park seems suitable even if Christie doesn't work out. It's close to a couple subways stops too.

[enigmania]

From Monarchy of Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :

the sovereign's role as monarch of Canada has been distinct to his or her position as monarch of any other realm, including the United Kingdom,[n 3][28] as reflected in the monarch's unique Canadian title,[29] as well as the use of, where possible, Canadian symbols — including the national flag, Canadian royal symbols, Canadian Forces uniforms,[30][31][32][33] and the like — by the monarch and other members of the Royal Family when acting specifically as representatives of Canada.

See also Governor General of Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for the person who in practice covers most royal duties in Canada.

[Lynn 007]

I think Queen's Park would be perfect and I know exactly where that statue is. I've run by it a number of times on my way to check in to my M-F cubicle sentencing.

If you and Rachelle are available earlier in the day they are hosting "yogapalooza" at 12:30pm. A free yoga class in the park with an attendance expected around 5,000. Just bring a yoga mat and join in.

I will be returning to the city late Sunday afternoon so depending on the meet-up time, confirmed location and traffic back into the city I may be a few minutes late, but I will be there.

See you on Sunday

Lynn

[theorique]

Originally Posted by JohnMacIntyre

2 locations for your meetup come to mind (neither are walking distance to you):

1. Toronto Island (it's beautiful over there, you really should see it, but you need to take the ferry, so it may not be ideal for anybody with less than an afternoon)

2. High Park It's a short subway ride, moderate amount of parking, everybody knows where it is, and if you like parks, you'll like High Park

Have a great time in Toronto, I've lived here for 15 years and love it here.

Also, if you feel like venturing out of the city and you like wilderness, Algonquin park is unbelievably peaceful & beautiful. And it's freakin huge.

I agree with John that the two city parks are great and definitely worth seeing if you have a few hours free and specifically want to spend time in a park. We had high-school cross-country practice and meets contained within High Park (that gives you an idea of its scale), and the Island parks are a great place for picnics and enjoying the summer.

Algonquin is a different entity entirely but a great place to get a taste of "Canadian Wilderness" (tm). I've never spent less than a few days there - a day trip might be tiring with the 3+ hour drive there and back. In any case, you could definitely rent canoes / kayaks and explore the rivers and lakes or go on a hiking trip.

[ricky]

Yep Queen's park seems like a great choice. Easy access via subway and good location overall.
Just let us know the time.
Thanks and hope to c u

[Jake Birkett]

Steve: Do you ever use Twitpic to post to Twitter? It's really easy on my iphone, I just email a picture to twitpic and the subject line is the twitter post. Very handy.

[ericabiz]

If I had come to this blog recently, I wouldn't have subscribed. These updates feel more like a LiveJournal or personal blog than anything about personal development.

I know you don't care, you warned us about this, yada yada. But I wanted to share my perspective regardless.

-Erica

[jtimar]

Originally Posted by ericabiz

If I had come to this blog recently, I wouldn't have subscribed. These updates feel more like a LiveJournal or personal blog than anything about personal development.

I know you don't care, you warned us about this, yada yada. But I wanted to share my perspective regardless.

-Erica

I like them though. Steve's blog is so longstanding that a lot of people just come to read about Steve, and his own personal development.

As for the Queen of England

It is achaic, isn't it? But to clarify she is not the Queen of England as she appears on our currency, but the Queen of Canada. She has official symbols here that are uniqely Canadian, and even an official residence.

It is part of out Heritage as a commonwealth nation, and one that divides Canadians to some degree. Even those who support the monarchy find themselves a bit divided internally about it. It affords us some rights an freedoms in the world, among other commonwealth countries (of which there are MANY) that others do not have (Americans for instance), but on the other hand, I think we really should have a resident head of state.

With that in mind, I think it is highly likely that after Elizabeth's passing, the status of the Monarchy in Canada (and in other commonwealth countires, like Australia) will be re-examined.

[roxyruby]

i thought well maybe vegas can have free parking cause it makes lots of money from casinos? and in that small town steve talked about, they were forced to make money from parking fines since they don't have other ways like casinos? but yeah that rule is really wierd and harsh.

[roxyruby]

Originally Posted by ericabiz

If I had come to this blog recently, I wouldn't have subscribed. These updates feel more like a LiveJournal or personal blog than anything about personal development.

I know you don't care, you warned us about this, yada yada. But I wanted to share my perspective regardless.

-Erica

oh wow is that you? I was recommended to your blog, you have made a million dollars or more in business right? And your blog and tips are really good! A great learning resource Thank you..

[roxyruby]

all of our money notes and coins have a picture of the queen on them too, cause Australia was an expansion or colony of Britain or something.

[Beuford]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

all of our money notes and coins have a picture of the queen on them too, cause Australia was an expansion or colony of Britain or something.

Steve's next blog post will be Toronto to Australia.. I can feel it

[JohnMacIntyre]

Regarding Queens Park, I was going to suggest this, as it's practically down the street from you, but that's where the protests usually take place. I don't know if there are any planned for this weekend, but I didn't want to recommend it taking the chance something was going on ... especially after last weekend.

Regarding my earlier suggestion of Toronto Island, with it being Pride Week, Toronto Island will be packed! ... Packed as in ferry line ups that take hours. Pride and Carribana are especially busy weekends for the island.

I didn't recommend Christie Pits because I thought it's a slightly run down area without any quality coffee shops or anything in the area. (I may be mistaken, it's been a while since I lived there)

I still stand behind my High Park suggestion, it's easy to get to and away from the Pride crowds.

But then again, I can't go, so I offer my input only as suggestions.

Regarding Algonquin Park, like @theorique said, it is far, as I said it's 'outside the city'. It's actually 4hrs from where you're at without traffic. But if you have a couple days ... you might want to check it out. I at least wanted to make you aware of it.

[roxyruby]

Originally Posted by Beuford

Steve's next blog post will be Toronto to Australia.. I can feel it

so can I, I can feel his urge for going to Australia building up! Soon he will not be able to take it anymore and will travel to Australia lol

[Savage]

I like Queen's Park for a meet-up. Checked out Christie Pits park too, but the surrounding neighborhood isn't as nice, and the park seemed a little trashy by comparison. Both parks are easy to get to by subway.

This weekend there's a huge yoga meet-up in Queen's park and an African music festival. The yoga is only for an hour, so no big deal to work around that, but the music festival goes the whole weekend with 3 stages. We can use a spot at the Univ of Toronto for a backup location if we meet at Queen's Park and our location isn't available for some reason.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by ericabiz

If I had come to this blog recently, I wouldn't have subscribed. These updates feel more like a LiveJournal or personal blog than anything about personal development.

I know you don't care, you warned us about this, yada yada. But I wanted to share my perspective regardless.

-Erica

I tried to care, but it doesn't seem to work.

Seriously though... I understand your perspective. However, this type of feedback isn't actionable by itself unfortunately. Whenever I switch topics, some people love the new topic and demand more; others hate it and demand less; many are mildly curious.

This pattern has been going for as long as I've been blogging. It even spawned this 2005 blog post:
My Favorite Feedback

Your post is basically a shortened version of template #1. No offense intended.

The details vary of course, but in the aggregate, the overall pattern remains the same as it did 5 years ago.

I figure that despite all the changes in direction, I must be doing something right... if only for the simple reason that I'm happy with my life.

[munish]

Originally Posted by ericabiz

If I had come to this blog recently, I wouldn't have subscribed. These updates feel more like a LiveJournal or personal blog than anything about personal development.

I know you don't care, you warned us about this, yada yada. But I wanted to share my perspective regardless.

-Erica

By the way ,Who is Erica Biz?

[ericabiz]

Originally Posted by roxyruby

oh wow is that you? I was recommended to your blog, you have made a million dollars or more in business right? And your blog and tips are really good! A great learning resource Thank you..

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my blog.

[ericabiz]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I tried to care, but it doesn't seem to work.

Seriously though... I understand your perspective. However, this type of feedback isn't actionable by itself unfortunately. Whenever I switch topics, some people love the new topic and demand more; others hate it and demand less; many are mildly curious.

What action you take depends on the type of blog readers you want to attract. If you don't care about attracting new readers, then our discussion is moot; do whatever you want, and your old posts will continue to pull in enough search engine traffic to basically enable you to live whatever lifestyle you'd like.

If you would like to attract new readers, then may I suggest becoming controversial again? Your recent polyamory experiment and susbsequent divorce drove pageviews like no other and spawned epic battles in your forums. This was probably the most interesting you've been in years.

Trips to Canada aren't particularly controversial...at least the way you're writing your posts now.

That's the best advice I can offer, both as your friend and as another popular blogger.

-Erica

[ericabiz]

On a totally different topic, I'm not sure where to post this, but I updated my avatar in this forum and it's not showing up next to my posts, but it IS showing up in my user control panel. Mods?

[ericabiz]

Originally Posted by munish

By the way ,Who is Erica Biz?

Feel free to follow the link in my signature to learn more about me.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by ericabiz

What action you take depends on the type of blog readers you want to attract. If you don't care about attracting new readers, then our discussion is moot; do whatever you want, and your old posts will continue to pull in enough search engine traffic to basically enable you to live whatever lifestyle you'd like.

If you would like to attract new readers, then may I suggest becoming controversial again? Your recent polyamory experiment and susbsequent divorce drove pageviews like no other and spawned epic battles in your forums. This was probably the most interesting you've been in years.

Trips to Canada aren't particularly controversial...at least the way you're writing your posts now.

That's the best advice I can offer, both as your friend and as another popular blogger.

-Erica

My priorities in this matter appear to be rather different than yours. I'm not attached to attracting any quantity of readers or making any particular sum of money or achieving any sort of status. I have no specific goals or objectives in those areas.

When I write about something controversial, that's because other people find it controversial due to their beliefs. For me it's just life. Same goes with the Canada trip.

[Plays With Life]

Originally Posted by ericabiz

On a totally different topic, I'm not sure where to post this, but I updated my avatar in this forum and it's not showing up next to my posts, but it IS showing up in my user control panel. Mods?

I see your avatar photo in your posts! Do you see other people's avatar photos on their posts? I wonder if you have avatar photos disabled.