1 Love TO

Experience Downtown Yonge Street like never before!

Starting today, Friday August 17 – September 16, Celebrate Yonge will transform Yonge Street, between Queen & Gerrard, with a series of brand new public spaces dedicated for people. With the new licensed patios and outdoor cafes, you’ll be able to enjoy food, drinks and entertainment right on Yonge Street. Beautiful planters, decorated by landscapers from across Ontario for the Livegreen Planter Box Challenge will serve as the temporary barriers separating vehicles from pedestrians. There will also be 11 themed areas for visitors to explore, including activities for kids, featured artist projects, shopping and live entertainment.

FULL LIST OF EVENT AREAS

1 LOVE T.O. is proud to be the official t-shirt for the Celebrate Yonge Festival hosted by the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area (BIA). You can get your t-shirt at the Celebrate Yonge kiosk, located at Yonge & Dundas (in front of H&M). We’ll be there every weekend!

Friday: 4-9PM
Saturday: 12-6PM
Sunday: 12-5PM

For more info: celebrateyonge.com

Photo by JW Vraets

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1 LOVE T.O. in partnership with M5V Realty is excited to host a scavenger hunt in support of the Jays Care Foundation on Saturday, September 15, 2012. If you’re unfamiliar with the Jays Care Foundation, they create opportunities for children and youth in need by providing access to programs that promote regular physical activity, encourage the pursuit of higher education and impart fundamental life skills.

Register your team or join an existing team today! A registration fee of $75 will be applied to each participant. Once you register, encourage your co-workers, friends and family to show their support by sponsoring your efforts. There will be prizing for the top fundraiser, top fundraising team, and of course the team who wins the scavenger hunt!

REGISTER HERE

Follow @M5VRealtyInc @1LOVETO @JaysCare #TheHunt

CLICK HERE For more info.

On Saturday, Aug 4th, 1 LOVE T.O. paraded down Lakeshore Blvd as part of this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival (also know as Caribana). We started off our day by taking a ‘class photo’, with over 300 people rocking their Roots Canada and 1 LOVE T.O. flag/heart t-shirts standing in front of our float. We looked great and it was only a matter of time before other people started following us on the road. The heat was absolutely draining, but thanks to Nandos chicken and the good people at Red Bull and Appleton’s, we were able to withstand the heat and whine all day.

Mr. International aka Kardinal Offishall made a special guest appearance, jumping on the mic to get the crowd hype!

We also had a live performance from Trinidad’s own Kes (Kes The Band). He jumped on top of our float and performed some of his latest hits, including “Wotless”.

Toronto Raptors player Amir Johnson joined us as our official US ambassador for 1 LOVE T.O.

We had an incredible first year in the parade, with a diverse band that truly exemplified the meaning of 1 LOVE T.O. Our band members for 2012 represented Canada, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, Grenada, Barbados, St. Kitts, Philippines, and the USA.

We can’t wait until next year… #ShowYourRoots

Big thanks to our partners: Roots Canada, Amir Johnson, Nando’s, Flow935 and Appleton’s.

Check out more photos here: FACEBOOK GALLERY

Photos by Taha & Will.

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This past Friday, August 3rd, we took over the top floor of the Roots store (Eaton Centre location) for another installment of our “Show Your Roots” Pop-Up Shop. We released limited edition t-shirts in celebration of Jamaica and Trinidad’s 50th Anniversary of Independence. The t-shirts were originally supposed to be available in 3 Roots store locations (Yorkdale Mall, Bloor St, and Eaton Centre), but after the first 15 minutes, we were all SOLD OUT!

If you didn’t get a t-shirt, but still want one… tweet @RootsCanada #ShowYourRoots

Trinidad’s very own Kes (Kes The Band) was on site in support of our “Show Your Roots” campaign.

Toronto Raptors player Amir Johnson stopped by to showcase his new 1 LOVE T.O. USA Flag/Heart shirt.

Check out more photos here: FACEBOOK GALLERY

Photos by Taha.

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We here at 1 LOVE T.O. would like to say a BIG thank you to the Scadding Court Community Centre and to the entire city of Toronto, for making the last year at our store an incredible one. From the very first day we opened, all the way through the freezing cold winter months, we met each and everyone of you with a t-shirt and a smile.

This Sunday, July 29th, we’d like to invite you to come hang out with us, one last time, as we say a final goodbye to our store at 707 Dundas St. West, and say hello to our brand new online store, opening August 1st. That’s right, we’ve decided to make things even easier for you! You’ll now be able to order everything 1 LOVE T.O. at a click of a button.

As a special offer, we’ll be having a GRAND CLOSING SALE on all of our 1 LOVE T.O. Tank Tops. (30% OFF)

GRAND CLOSING
Where: 707 Dundas St. West
Date: Sunday, July 29th
Time: 1-6pm

In the words of Boyz II Men “it’s so hard to say goodbye”…

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“Between The Lines” is a documentary film based on Toronto’s (mainly Rob Ford’s) war on graffiti. The film is currently part of Hot Docs’ Doc Ignite program, and is looking to raise an additional $15,000 to complete production.

For more info: betweenthelinesdoc.com

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We’re proud to announce that Darren Anthony’s play, “Secrets Of A Black Boy”, will be making the transition from the Canadian stage to the US. The original theatrical production from Toronto will now be playing in Brooklyn, NY, as part of the New Voices in Theater 2012 Festival. The play runs from Friday, July 27 – Saturday, August 4, 2012.

About
Secrets of a Black Boy is a theatrical production that takes place in modern day Toronto, ON, Canada. A current and very edgy story about the secrets of 5 black men, Secrets of a Black Boy is set against the back drop of displaced poverty-stricken families in Regent Park. Five friends gather inside a community centre about to be torn down, to say good bye one last time to the place they all called home for so long. The friends reminisce about what the community centre means to them. The play is a forum for urgent commentary about both the disintegration of Regent Park ( a notorious low-income housing complex) and the lives of the young men most affected by it. Secrets of a Black Boy is a gritty, uncensored look at the lives of black men. No subject is taboo, from interracial dating, commitment phobia, gun violence, sexuality, drugs and love. Every stereotype of black men will be critically examined and explored, subsequently giving audiences a fresh, new and authentic experience!

For more info: actnowproduction.org

Previously: Secrets Of A Black Boy – Trailer

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The companion work to “Fresh Eyes” is “Births, Deaths, Arrivals” featured in the Obits section of the Toronto Star. This work showcases not only the need for newcomers within Canada’s shifting demographics, but also seeks to balance out the spectacle of “Fresh Eyes” with individual stories and intimate portraiture. The Arrivals section will start on July 10th, in the Greater Toronto Notices section of the Toronto Star and run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the month of July.

This project is part of the first commission of the Toronto 2015 Arts & Culture Advisory Council.

For more info: arrivals.ca

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On July 10, as part of the 3-year countdown to the Pan Am Games, City Hall was taken over by “Fresh Eyes”, a photography project by the arrivals.ca team, which was commissioned by the Toronto 2015 Arts & Culture Advisory Council. The transparent images can be seen over a 100 meter stretch of windows facing Nathan Phillips Square. The purpose of the project (aside from artistic value) is to allow our city officials to see through the eyes of a new Canadian citizen, while highlighting the value that new and diverse perspectives bring to the decision making process.

To see more photos, CLICK HERE.

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Photo by Ruth Choi

@1LOVETO #HappyCanadaDay

Toronto is home to one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world, with attendance of over 1.2 million people every year and growing. As part of Pride Week 2012 (June 22 – July 1), we got the chance to sit down with our friend Kiana Eastmond to discuss her love for Toronto, Pride, and her advice on Coming Out. Take a few minutes to watch what Kiana has to say.

Video by Nabil Shash

Follow @PrideToronto #PrideTO

Previously: The First Pride Parade

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