TIFF (September 7 to 17)

The eagerly anticipated 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is poised to grace screens from September 7 to 17, 2023. In an exciting revelation, TIFF has unveiled its decision to rebrand the acclaimed Contemporary World Cinema stream as “Centrepiece.”

Taste of The Kingsway (September 8-10)

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Kingsway BIA with an even bigger and more spectacular Taste of The Kingsway. From September 8-10, enjoy three unforgettable days of food, music, family entertainment, contests, and shows.

Toronto Ukrainian Festival (September 15 – 17)

The Bloor West Village Toronto Ukrainian Festival welcomes you to come and enjoy everything the Ukrainian culture has to offer. Discover Ukrainian culture in Canada and share the Ukrainian spirit at North America’s largest Ukrainian Street Festival.

Toronto Waterfront Festival (September 16-17)

The Toronto Waterfront Festival is back with the World’s Largest Rubber Duck from September 16-17. Don’t miss the 6-story, 30,000-pound Mama Duck at 7 Queens Quay East. Enjoy on-land and on-water activities, cultural experiences, giveaways, and local food trucks from 11am to 8pm each day at the Billy Bishop Airport Picnic Lounge.

Roncesvalles Polish Festival (September 16 & 17)

Come celebrate Roncesvalles Village, and the unique heritage of this neighbourhood, at our weekend Roncesvalles Polish Festival. Coming this September 16 & 17, 2023, and building on the long history of the Roncesvalles Polish Festival, which include fan favourites, like Polka and pierogi, in conjunction with a fresh focus to celebrate a broader range of local artists, musicians and, of course, food.

AsialiciousTO 2023 ( September 16 — October 1)

AsialiciousTO is Toronto’s premier Asian food campaign program, showcasing diverse and delicious cuisines of Asia. Organized by the Federation of Asian Canadians Toronto (FACT), this program seeks to promote cross-cultural understanding and community engagement, while support the growth of Toronto’s thriving Asian food scene.

Just For Laughs Toronto (September 21 -30)

Get set to laugh out loud as Just For Laughs showcases top comedy stars on some of Toronto’s biggest stages!

Halloween Haunt returns to Canada’s Wonderland (September 22 to October 29)

Queen West Art Crawl Festival (September 23-24)

The Queen West Art Crawl Festival is a yearly event spanning 2 days in person and 7 days online. It celebrates Queen Street West by spotlighting the artists, artisans, craftspeople, community groups, and residents who form the vibrant essence of this unique Toronto neighborhood. This year, they are reintroducing the online exhibit within their Virtual Park for artists, artisans, patrons, and performers. Additionally, they’re excited to resume the live festival at Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Ever since this article came out in the Star, I’ve been thinking about my clients who are investors.

In a nutshell, the article explains that more and more real estate investors are leaving Toronto’s market due to rising interest rates resulting in an increase of new listings. Investors who purchased properties from 2020 to 2022 at low variable interest rates are now selling due to tripled mortgage rates. Even those who bought with fixed rates and are renewing their mortgages may be considering getting out of the market. This trend is expected to continue over the next year as interest rates remain high, leading to more investor exits from the market and impacting rental stock and property availability.

It’s true that there are more condos coming onto the market, but I for one am certainly NOT concerned that the market is going to get flooded in the very near future. Many recent investors will have opted for a fixed-rate mortgage, which means their payments won’t be affected until their mortgage comes up for renewal any time between 2025 and 2027, and who knows where interest rates will be then?

But for those who opted for a variable-rate mortgage, how do you deal with the increased payments?

It depends on the situation. Sometimes you have to accept short term pain for long term gain, and in some cases it may be worth losing money each month knowing that the value of the unit will continue to increase. While there are no guarantees that the market is going to grow in the future, history has always shown that it does.

I ask questions of clients considering selling to make sure they’re not panicking.

• What plans do they have for the money that they’re going to be getting from the sale? Do they need that money or is the decision solely based on monthly output?
• Have they spoken with their accountant to discuss the capital gains implications?
• Its important to consider what they paid for the unit and give them an estimate of what it would sell for. It’s important to also discuss if they can imagine feeling regret over selling it. Sometimes selling is the right decision if it would just alleviate an immense amount of stress…. if the stress is short term and there are other options to make up for the shortfall then maybe it’s not the right decision to sell.
• And finally, I ask about who’s living there now and whether they have considered the risks associated with selling a tenanted property.

The last question is key – a landlord can legally terminate a tenancy if they, or a family member, are moving into the unit, or they are selling the unit and the buyer will be moving in, but there are risks involved with this scenario.

If you are selling a unit with a tenancy in place and you ask the tenant to leave because the new buyer warrants they will be moving in and in fact the new buyer doesn’t move in, but signs on a new tenant, your current tenant can lodge a complaint. If this happens, you as the landlord can be fined by the government for up to $25,000.

The sale of a tenanted property can get complicated if a tenant refuses to leave, because the agreement of purchase and sale states that the unit will be vacant upon possession. Check out what happened to this couple.

The proper procedure, once an agreement of purchase and sale has been signed, is for the owner to file an N12, giving them 60 days notice from he end of a pay period to leave. One must follow the protocols to provide notice to the tenant exactly as stipulated by the Landlord Tenant Board (LTB).

Most tenants will leave willingly, but not all. If a tenant doesn’t leave, they have to be evicted and this can take months because of the backlog at the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Most lawyers would say, if you’ve got a tenant, pay them what they want to get them out before the property is put up for sale. That’s the lowest risk. You may be eating a couple of months’ rent, but the property will sell faster because you’ve eliminated the complications. If an investor is buying it, they’ll be happy to bring in their own tenant at market rent. One important caveat: if the place you’re selling was completed after November 15, 2018, rent control rules don’t apply.

If it was completed before that date, you can only raise the rent according to the government. But after, the landlord has a right to raise the rent as much as they want.

If you have any questions about investment properties, or anything else real estate related, please get in touch!

Scarborough Rib Fest (August 3rd-7th)

Enjoy delicious ribs, hot dogs, french fries, corn on the cob and more… Midway rides, Creative designs by crafters and vendors, All day beer garden and more!

SummerWorks Performance Festival (August 3rd-13th)

The 2023 SummerWorks Performance Festival will feature an eclectic mix of programming in a multitude of formats, including theatre, dance, and sound/music performances, sensorial experiences, site-responsive activations, and community gatherings. The Festival is presented in both the East and West ends of Toronto at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance, Aki Studio at Daniels Spectrum, and The Theatre Centre from August 3 – August 13, 2023.

Toronto Food Truck Festival (August 4th-7th)

Woodbine Park has never tasted this delicious before. Back for another year, The Toronto Food Truck Festival is serving up some real must-eats! As always, admission is free and there’s something for everyone. Entertain yourself with some of Toronto’s best local talent, participate in our live-eating challenges and enjoy a cold beer!

Taste Of India Food Festival (August 4th-5th)

Taste of India is the largest Indian Food Festival in North America. Witnessing a footfall of whoopin 10,000 + attendees, Taste of India is an yearly event taking place in the month of August.

Boots And Hearts (August 10th-13th)

Boots & Hearts Music Festival is Canada’s largest country music festival, held annually in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds. This year we see headliners such as Tim McGraw, Nickelback and Keith Urban.

Taste of the Danforth (August 11th-13th)

Mark your calendars for August 11-13, and join us for an unforgettable weekend brimming with delectable cuisine and entertainment. Immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of the diverse cultures that thrive along the Danforth, where you can savour a culinary journey unlike any other. From savoury street eats to delicious dessert creations, our festival promises to be a delight for all! 

But Taste of the Danforth isn’t just about food—it’s an experience for the entire family! Join us for a festival that showcases the fusion of flavours and cultures of our beloved Danforth businesses.

The CNE (August 18th-September 4th)

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is Canada’s largest community event and one of the top agricultural fairs in North America. Founded in 1879 as the Toronto Industrial Exhibition, the CNE is a not-for-profit organization that has enjoyed a distinguished history as a showcase of the nation. People came to experience the latest innovations in technology and commercial products, to enjoy the popular entertainers of the time, and to engage in a collective community celebration.

Japan Fest (August 19th-20th)

Japan Festival CANADA has been hosted in one of the multicultural countries in the world, Canada, to introduce and promote genuine Japanese food, culture and technologies.

After holding our Festival virtually in 2020 and 2021, we were thrilled to host a successful return to our in-person festival with Japan Festival CANADA 2022.

We are now once again planning our in-person festival for Japan Festival CANADA 2023.

Please continue to monitor this page and our social media channels for updates regarding programming.

The concept of Japan Festival CANADA is to contribute in further success of establishing Canada and Japan Diplomatic Relations. Since the first year event in 2016, Japan Festival CANADA has been hosted annually in the summer.

Enjoy Some Great Live Music

Summers in Toronto are music season! From Matchbox 20 to Queens of the Stone Age, get your rock on this August.

Escape The Heat With Some Great Movies Coming To Netflix Canada

As the warm weather continues, beat the heat with these great new additions to Netflix Canada in August.