One less yacht club
Could be a bad summer for boat guys.
Good afternoon everyone.
From now until the end of the summer, this newsletter is intended to be read from the sunny patio of your local coffee shop.
In today’s edition: The New York Times published a Mississauga Dispatch, a development in the controversy around the Humber Yacht Club, and Globe Style editor Odessa Paloma Parker plans to run for mayor.
The New York Times published a Mississauga Dispatch. The piece explores the tension between the popularity of Ridgeway Plaza, which has some 120 mainly Middle Eastern and South Asian food spots, as a gathering hotspot, and the resulting issues around noise, traffic, fights, illegal fireworks, and street racing. Toronto is currently invested in getting more people to hang out at shopping plazas, but is now looking to limit Ridgeway’s growth and rein in large events around national holidays of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Monocle’s Tyler Brûlé interviewed Mark Carney about branding and defence spending in Tokyo. I am deeply invested in this friendship.
I feel like we’re going to be talking a lot about the reinvention of status symbols this year. Two good takes I’ve seen this week: The first of a three-part report from Highsnobiety called “The Status Economy,” and an update from Burson’s brand and consumer lead, Kristy Dilbey. They suggest status is fragmenting, and the bar is rising: fashion alone can no longer make anyone cool, and the signals have migrated to the products in your fridge, a spot on a guest list, the restaurant you got into before anyone else heard of it. It used to be enough to own the right thing. Now you have to know the right thing, and know it first. The most coveted signals aren’t even necessarily expensive.
We have an update on the controversy at the Toronto Humber Yacht Club. The city says it needs more information to shut down the club, which was told its lease would not be renewed because of the impacts on wildlife, and interestingly the “behavioural” issues by its members on jet skis.
Restaurateurs on King Street say they’re struggling to stay open because young people aren’t spending money. So many under-utilized bartenders.
On the bright side, Bar Volo’s Bottega Caffè and Bottega Volo are open.
You might one day take off in a big plane from Billy Bishop Airport.
The Wall Street Journal published two pieces this week about the growing presence of gambling on college campuses. Last week, the Canadian Press wrote about the uptick in young men contacting gambling help lines, and Kyla Scanlon posted an explainer that connects this to a weak job market.
At least $150 million a year is spent on fertility treatments in Ontario.
Globe Style editor Odessa Paloma Parker plans to run for mayor. It’s only been a week since John Tory confirmed he would not run this year, which means a more uncertain and interesting race. I do think Substack will play a meaningful role in campaign coverage, given that some of the country’s most important political voices are now writing on here. Milk Bag is most looking forward to speaking with the front-runners as the election inches closer and following whether any interesting people throw their hats in the ring. One of those people is Odessa Paloma Parker, an art editor at Globe Style, who I rang this morning to ask about what drove her decision.
Your announcement caught my attention this week. Why decide to run?
This is something I’ve thought about for years, but when I saw Michael Ford was potentially going to run, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me because like, this is not feudal England and I don’t understand why it would be appropriate for someone and their nephew to be in charge of everything. That doesn’t seem like progress. Last week, I made a post to test whether people beyond my bubble are interested in the kind of change that someone like me could bring, and there are. I think we all want similar things: to see Toronto as a place that’s thriving, and that has a lot to offer.How will your background in culture reporting influence your campaign?
My job has taken me all over the world, and I think there are a lot of places we can learn from. In New York and London, culture is a part of who they are, and here it’s underfunded and can feel inaccessible. So artists leave. I look at spaces like 401 Richmond and think, this must be protected at all costs. When I look at the other candidates, I don’t see culture as a genuine part of their lives, but it’s important for people to feel excited about what’s going on in their city, while also focusing on livability. I’ll tell you I won’t be on TikTok, but I will have a newsletter and would love to make a zine.
Isabel Sloane interviewed the person behind everyone’s favourite Toronto meme account. My main takeaway: “Any meme about 6ixBuzz is very important to me. I hate 6ixBuzz. I think they’re actually evil, so I love to make fun of 6ixBuzz.”
Travis Dhanraj testified in front of a parliament today about the events that led to his departure from the CBC. You might be aware of his new project, Can’t be Censored, a show where he and his co-host, Karman Wong, have interviewed Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Lara Trump, and Olivia Chow.
TikTok will be allowed to continue operating in Canada, with conditions.
The Roots brand appears to be stronger than the business. The 53-year-old Canadian retailer is preparing to shake up its business to appease its private equity owner Searchlight Capital Partners, which bought a majority stake in the company in 2015 (which means its ten year term is up) and took it public in 2017. The company missed ambitious revenue targets and shares are down by 66% since. Back then, analysts wondered whether Roots could replicate the trajectory of Canada Goose, a breakout brand that would go on to demand on a premium on the global market, but cautioned that brand loyalty and profits don’t always mix. That theme persists today, and I’m probably going to get in trouble for doubling down on it even though this could end up being a good thing. It’s unlikely Roots will offer another update unless they sell.
Who are the finest boys on Bay Street and are they reading this newsletter?
Tyler Brûlé…
Clicked every link! TY for such a great read, every time.