After a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, North America's largest Caribbean Carnival is back! Formally known as Caribana, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival has many festivities from mid-July culminating in a 4-day of celebration from July 28-31. If you are as much of an enthusiast as I am, you probably can't wait to hear some […]
Many people may be familiar with or at least have heard of Juneteenth, but how many Canadians know about Emancipation Day in Canada? On March 24, 2021, Canada’s House of Commons voted unanimously to officially designate August 1, Emancipation Day, the anniversary of when Britain’s Parliament abolished slavery in the British Empire in 1834. The […]
I read that after the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit there was a run on chess sets … and I hope that's true! This blog celebrates International Chess Day, on July 20th. But it's also a nod to librarian John P., who not only blogged for many years at the Library, but is also a […]
For almost 200 years, Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid has captured the imaginations of readers young and old. The mermaid's story has been told and retold by generations of writers, with each writer putting their own spin on the tale of a mermaid caught between her ocean home and adventures on land. Below is […]
In case you haven't noticed the sudden appearance of a lot of rainbows, June is Pride month. Despite the celebratory atmosphere, Pride can be a difficult time for many members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Sometimes it's because a person is still struggling with their identity or because their situation makes it unsafe to live openly. […]
Did you see the new Spiderman? Black Widow was really well done for an action movie! The Scarlet Witch started out very 1950s but then got better as the film style became part of the storyline. How much Marvel are you familiar with? While stanning ‘who is your favourite character’ please be sure to note […]
As he lay dying in hospital, my father's arm moved back and forth and he quietly moaned. His eyes were closed and he was unconscious with a brain bleed. I leaned down and whispered in his ear how much I loved and respected him and I would protect him. And I did until he died. […]
Whether it's a non-fiction memoir or a classic superhero adventure, comics and graphic novels are a fun and engaging way to experience a story. They are very visual, which can be great for people with certain disabilities and anyone who enjoys an illustrated story. But this also means that comics and graphic novels often aren't […]
On May 11, 2001, beloved author Douglas Adams died suddenly from a heart attack. Two weeks later, his fans around the world marked his passing by carrying towels, a key symbol from Adams's most famous book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. With that, an annual tradition was born. In honour of Towel Day, now […]
Whatever you do, do not look up soil degradation statistics. Let’s not get into why rats are frolicking in the suburban wild of backyards and dumpsters, or why the city seems to be getting hotter and windier. These are big questions that require group efforts. What all of the above means is that being able […]