Where to go, where to invest, and where to get inspired

Now that it’s August, I find that I’ve already accepted that summer’s over. I’m looking forward to fall and the rest of the year, and even further down the road. So I’ve put together a list of where to go, where to invest, and where to get inspired!

Where to go

After nearly three months, it was great to see the Toronto Islands open last week. Island businesses have suffered, some irreparably, since heavy flooding robbed them of the first half of their summer season. The iconic (although I loathe the overuse of the word, I think it fits here) Centreville carousel was one casualty, sold off to a theme park in Carmel, Indiana. It has graced the island since 1966. Centreville Amusement Park reportedly suffered lost revenues in the neighbourhood of $8 million, and the carousel alone about $1 million, according to The Toronto Sun.

All the island beaches are open, although parts of some remain closed. Requests for island event permits are again being entertained and the City is working with those who already have permits to reschedule or relocate their events.

Unfortunately, the cool, wet weather we’ve had on the go for much of the season isn’t likely to help their recovery, but even if it’s not bake and swim weather, the islands still have some great spots to enjoy a waterside cocktail. These businesses need your support if they’re still going to be around next year, when surely we are in for a hot and dry summer.

Where to invest

According to the Conference Board of Canada, Oshawa and Windsor are expected to be the fastest-growing economies in the coming year, from among 15 medium-sizes CMAs the board analyzed in a recently published report.

The report credits health sciences, the “professions,” construction and retail as key to Oshawa’s growth (which isn’t hard to believe if you’ve been to the impressive new Oshawa Centre). The city has seen growth of nearly 30,000 jobs since 2011, including 18,000 in 2016 alone, says the Toronto Star.

In Windsor, the province’s other automotive hub, it’s the manufacturing sector that continues to drive growth. Both cities are expected to see economic growth of 2.5% this year.

Where to get inspired

EDIT: Expo for Design, Innovation and Technology, produced by Design Exchange and the United Nations Development Programme will turn a 150,000 square foot abandoned Toronto factory into an “ultramodern world where design, innovation and technology are the solutions to today’s grand challenges,” according to the show’s website.

“From Sept. 28 to Oct. 8, 2017, step inside a world where crickets can combat global hunger, medical supplies are 3D-printed in outer space, drones deliver blood to remote communities, and shipping containers are the future of farming.” Sounds good to me.

The show will feature speakers and exhibits pertaining to how design can help solve all the world’s problems. Among the all-star speakers in the “Making Change” series are our beloved Dr. David Suzuki, who will deliver a talk on how humans must sustainably coexist with the Earth, and former editor-in-chief of Wired and creator of Netflix’s Chef’s Table and Abstract: The Art of Design, Scott Dadich, who will share his wisdom on the impact of design thinking. The two will kick off the series on Sept. 29; speakers are included with the $15 general admission.

A main floor feature exhibit in what used to be the Unilever Soap Factory (now East Harbour), curated by Bruce Mau, will address the event’s overarching theme of “Prosperity for All.” Other themes include Shelter & Cities, Care, Educate and Nourish, all of which organizers promise to bring to life with participatory experiences, installations and the scheduled talks.