Dead of Winter in #Toronto

Named for the period in midwinter when Old Man Winter brings a cold snap coupled with some wicked wind chills to create zombie weather or, duh, duh, duh, the Dead of Winter. And I can't say zombies without showing some of the brain eating monsters from the annual Zombie Walk.

This freezing period, usually centered around January 19, is between January 10 and February 10. Pigeons gather around a steam vent to keep warm outside the Eaton Centre, while more fly in to join the party.

Temperatures, without windchill, for the next couple of days from the Weather Network.

With temperatures hitting close to minus 20 degrees Celsius the City of Toronto issued an Extreme Cold Weather Alert and advises homeless people to seek shelter. Call 311 if you see someone that needs outreach assistance, or 911 if it is an emergency. Overnight Tuesday the temperature is supposed to feel like -27 degrees with wind chill.

"The City of Toronto has called an Extreme Cold Weather Alert to make vulnerable homeless people aware of the dangers of staying outside too long in cold weather and to ensure they have safe and warm places to go. The alert is in effect until further notice. An Extreme Cold Weather Alert is called to trigger additional homelessness services. Alerts are typically called in the morning for the coming overnight period so that community agencies have sufficient time to call in extra staff to provide enhanced services."

"During an Extreme Cold Weather Alert, the attention of service providers focuses on helping homeless people to get off the street and into shelter or street respite. It is dangerous for anyone to remain outdoors when the temperature plummets, and if you are homeless, you have fewer options. Outreach workers, drop in centres, and emergency shelters work together to make sure homeless people have warm and safe places to stay. An Extreme Cold Weather Alert is called, typically in the morning, when Environment Canada: Predicts an overnight temperature of -15 degrees Celsius or lower without wind chill for Toronto, issues a wind chill warning for outdoor activity, and/or predicts extreme weather conditions, such as a blizzard, ice storm or sudden drops in temperature."

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Gnomes in the city

Either a Hobbit was in the #Toronto Eaton Centre or it was a bearded gnome wearing a red cone hat. Yup, it's a friendly gnome wearing shades! Travelocity have a contest at the mall with a chance to win a trip to Aruba. I believe you had to search through an enclosure filled with white packing foam and find something, maybe another gnome.

The contest ends on January 20 if you want to enter. You can also play on line at win.travelocity.ca

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Silver Elvis in winter

#Toronto busker Silver Elvis gets his hips in motion at Yonge-Dundas on a winter weekend. His mirrored suit sparkles in the sun as he reacts to donations and springs into action. The street performer makes winter much more bearable in the big smoke during the cold winter blahs.

His real name is Peter Jarvis and he has a number of characters that he portrays - the cube looks really cool, but I have only seen him as Silver Elvis.

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Santa rests, Xmas trees come down

Unlike most homeowners who tend to keep Christmas decorations year round, #Toronto has started to shed some of the trees and other trappings of the jolly season. In Yonge-Dundas Square the Holiday Tree of Balls was dismantled and the bears put away for another year.

The tree in all its glory prior to Christmas

The Eaton Centre's modern version of the Christmas tree was dismantled a little while ago - only the giant reindeer remain.

The tree is now gone

See more after the jump.

Craning away the parts

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Idle No More in the Eaton Centre

Members of the Aboriginal community and their supporters began a demonstration in the lower level of the #Toronto Eaton Centre around the fountain. The December 30, 2012 flash mob started in the early afternoon and was in solidarity of Chief Theresa Spence and her request to meet with Prime Minister Harper.

The Chief has been on a hunger strike since early December and is currently living in a teepee along the Ottawa River. She did meet over the weekend with former Prime Minister Joe Clark.

"Idle No More is a peaceful organization that is working towards profound social, political, and economic change. Our goal is to use education to build consciousness and awareness in all Canadians on the resurgence of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections. We are working on building relationships within our communities as well as across Canada and globally. We also call out to each community to organize teach-ins and peaceful demonstrations – we believe an educated public is the best form of action. Each community has different needs, and we support the various actions that are taking place across Turtle Island, however because of the many decades of colonialism, some community members are seeking stronger forms of action such as blockades. While we need to protect the land from further damage, we hope that this will be used as a last resort to protect Mother Earth, and not as a symbolic act. We are working hard to maintain INM as a positive movement that includes all cultures in a vision for justice for all people and for our earth."

Posted by Joe Hamilton. See more of the peaceful gathering after the jump.

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Joyous Christmas Eve in #Toronto

Happy pre-Christmas! The day before Christmas means all the kids are stirring in hyperdrive as they find it almost impossible to wait for the arrival of Santa Claus and all the presents they have been asking for. Santa's reindeers - Donner and Blitzen, were at Yonge-Dundas Square getting to know the city so that the upcoming nighttime delivery will run smooth as silk. The flying deer were part of the recent Mobilicity Winter Wonderland promotion.

It comes down to the final present purchase and wrapping, getting the food and cheer ready to go so use your time wisely in the last few hours left. The fancy Eaton Centre Christmas Tree and beautiful, giant reindeer are shown above.

Christmas tree at the Toronto Dominion Centre

Posted by Joe and James Hamilton.

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Free Hugs and Buskers

A cheerful group of young people set up shop outside the #Toronto Eaton Centre and offered Free Hugs as a Buskertainment performer on stilts walks through the same area. Posted by Joe Hamilton.

Created by Gloria Beresford-Last "So... We are coming to that time of year again when the days get darker and the weather gets colder, and I know it can often get somewhat depressing for many... :(

So, I have decided that to brighten up people's days, to warm their hearts, and to spread some of that good old holiday cheer that we should give out FREE HUGS TO EVERYONE!!!!!
Anyone and EVERYONE is invited! So please feel free to invite as many people as you'd like! :D
I recommend that for this event to bring warm clothing as it will be taking place OUTDOORS and it will likely be rather cold. For those of you who are up to it, however, we can go grab hot chocolate afterwards!

Hope to see you all there! ~Spread the Love <3 br="br">

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Match Game: Darrin Rose is the blank

Host, @DarrinRose is the Host. I was biking down Yonge Street in #Toronto when I turned to someone who was walking towards the curb and I did a double take - it was Tim. I asked him if he was Tim and he said no, so I said I had to take a picture anyways. I explained that I thought he was one of the Tim bar codes in the Tim Horton's commercial and that he was also in the game show where everything was blank (man my memory is bad), which of course is Match Game. Then he said yes, that was his him and his name was Darrin.

First of all, I love that show (it's even coming on right now on Comedy), second of all, my wife and my brother love the show as well, third, it's Canadian so the big prizes are like $200 (though I did see someone win a couple of grand and I am pretty sure the network had them whacked). Plus, "there are no words you cannot use" on Comedy Network, especially when there are icicles on my blank.

I came home and told my wife I saw Tim. She put up her hands as if to say which Tim, then when I didn't answer she asked if I meant Darrin. I couldn't believe she guessed it, but then she really gets me.

"Hosted by Darrin Rose, Match Game features two competitors and a panel of six celebrities, leading to unlimited homegrown hilarity. The series will put some of Canada’s funniest people in the spotlight, as the competitors have to ‘match’ their answers to fill-in-the-blank questions to those of the panelists  Through three rounds of play, only one competitor is left to go up against three of their chosen celebrities, with each matching answer increasing their winnings. In the final round, competitors spin the Star Wheel and play against the celebrity the wheel lands on."

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