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Fast Cars and Hot Laps at the Chevrolet Ron Fellows Driving Experience

  • September 5, 2017
  • cars, Experiences
  • Comments Off on Fast Cars and Hot Laps at the Chevrolet Ron Fellows Driving Experience

Helmets on, safety restraints in place, clutch in, in gear, green light, go go go! The excitement and exhilaration of driving a Corvette Z06 on the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Grand Prix track makes for one sweet afternoon.
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VR Zone Opens on Yonge

Step aside escape rooms and board game cafes; virtual reality may just be the “future of entertainment” wherein one can immerse themselves into another world. The arcade, bordering the uptown area of Toronto, combines high quality technology with the social aspect of gaming with friends, which intrigues both avid gamers and newcomers alike. One can take on a variety of games to their heart’s content or have a glimpse of the VR world at booths that are pre-setup by tech connoisseurs.

Located at the “World on Yonge” plaza, “VR Zone” recently opened in June by a joint collaboration between an economics and a computer science graduate. After testing out a handful of VR equipment, Ray and his partner, opted for the HTC Vive for its high calibration and ease of mobility. The smooth performance (featuring a GTX 1080 Ti) creates a realistic visual and acoustic ambiance that allows players to feel as if they have been teleported to a different dimension. Most impressively, VR Zone has Canada’s first ever fully wirelessly controlled game system.

“State of the art custom carbon fibre wire management system – removes wire dragging effect”

 
Currently, the 18 games available at VR Zone are divided into five categories:

1. First Person Shooter
First person shooter is without a doubt a popular pick due to its high-intensity and adrenaline-inducing gun-play. “Mercenary” exercises swift tactile skills for dodging bullets and target accuracy. “Space Pirate Trainer” has a more breath-taking view where you shoot down flying droids on a spaceship horizon to get the highest score.

2. Recreation
You can have your own customizable avatar at “The Rec Room”, a dorm-style lounge that allows you to interact with other real-time users globally, and play various PVP games such as dodgeball, disc golf, and charades. I also enjoyed “Audioshield” where you hold two different-coloured deflectors and shield incoming beats from your song-of-choice.

3. Experience
“The Lab” is a pocket universe which holds a collection of Valve’s experiments and games in varying worlds. “Tilt Brush” brings drawing to a 3D context. The brush allows you to unleash your creativity with a life-sized canvas and animated brush strokes.

4. Strategy
I enjoyed “Vacate the Room” which is a virtual escape room with a definite ending to your puzzle-solving achievements.

5. Horror
For the braver adventure-seekers, “Arizona Sunshine” places you in a survival mode during the zombie apocalypse. “The Brookhaven Experiment” will also be sure to make your skin crawl where monsters pop up from the darkness.

Alongside The Rec Room and Arizona Sunshine, “Battle Dome” and “Raw Data Arcade” are more co-op games where you can team up with your friends, which comes in handy when hosting birthday or bachelor parties.

What makes VR Zone different from other Virtual Reality Arcades is the self-serving aspect. In many other places, the user would require to seek the assistance of the employee in order to manually switch games. Aside from receiving assistance for putting on the headgear and game recommendations from the knowledgeable employees, you decide how long you’d want to play each game for with minimal supervision. Additionally, the projection of blue-grid indicators into the game allows for awareness of the outside world.

VR in action

 
They are in the works of developing more Steam games, such as “Super Hot” into a virtual-reality format, so expect more new games upon your visit. Unsurprisingly, VR Zone’s efficient self-service experience is already receiving franchising proposals to implement their convenient system globally. The owners also hope to expand the use of VR to bring a more educational purpose (ie. biology demonstrations) to future clients.

Photos Courtesy of VR Zone

Book online at: https://www.vrzone.ca/
7181 Yonge St #31
Instagram: @torontovrzone
Facebook: /TorontoVRZone

Diner en Blanc 2017

A secret location; elegance in white; a 29 year old tradition; soiree outdoors – It was an exciting and glamorous evening among good friends and also new acquaintances against the backdrop of Toronto’s beautiful skyline.
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Diwan’s Summer Menu at The Aga Khan Museum

The Aga Khan Museum stands 3 years strong as a prominent landmark in the North York area, comprised of 3 beautifully integrated components: the museum, the park, and Ismaili Centre (a Muslim prayer hall). Aside from their permanent collection in the museum, which features over 1000 artifacts from the 18th to 20th century, Aga Khan opens up temporary exhibits such as the past Syrian Symphony: New Compositions in Light and Sounds, which sheds light on the Syrian culture and brings hope in lieu of recent tragedies.

The Aga Khan Museum at night

 

The Aga Khan museum’s well-orchestrated exhibits allow us to connect on a deeper level, and also a global scale by bringing together collaborators, musicians, artists, and visitors. Individually, the park at Aga Khan appeals to the five senses: touch (gravel), sight (multi-coloured lights), hearing (water), smell (lavender), and taste (berries).

Diwan’s Summer Patio at the Aga Khan Museum

 

Speaking of taste, the open-concept restaurant, Diwan, is also quite breath-taking itself, from their inviting patio to the gorgeous interior – complete with intricate wooden panels tracing back from the 18th century. Having their menu curated by the McEwan Group, it is no surprised that this 65-seater space was quite the hotspot for Summerlicious this year.

A new summer-menu was recently launched that highlights Middle Eastern flavours and their respective Silk Route spices. Their dishes range from healthier fare including the Grilled Octopus with Chickpea Salad, to more comforting options like the Advieh Spiced Calamari. Having a preference for any variation of poutine, I would recommend the Masala Spiced Fries, which are generously coated with a heart-warming garlic aioli and tamarind ketchup.

Masala Spiced Fries

 
Many of the dishes have such a complex and indescribable array of flavours that fulfill one’s appetite with content. Either way, these aromatic spices would perfectly pair with their refreshing pulp-filled strawberry guava mocktails.

Strawberry guava mocktails

 
With a few weeks of summer vacation life, the Aga Khan Museum provides activities that would accommodate the family. Experience the museum, take an evening stroll around the beautiful park, or catch an upcomingFilms Under the Stars event.

Photos by Janey Tso

77 Wynford Drive
https://www.agakhanmuseum.org/
Instagram: @agakhanmuseum
Twitter: @AgaKhanMuseum
Facebook: /agakhanmuseumtoronto

What to Expect at CNE 2017

Get ready for the return of Toronto’s most talked about end-of-summer carnival. Ontop of yearly customs (such as junk foods, amusement park rides, and Canadian International Air Shows), 2017 debuts new events and exhibits; The CNE Gaming Garage, MZ Lazer Illusion Experience, and East Coast Kitchen Party to name a few.

One of these new features is located at the Heritage Court of the Enercare Centre. The Unity Pole is commissioned by Ojibway artist, Kris Nahrgang, who took 6 months to carve and paint the 25 foot cedar tree. It majestically stands with symbolism that each represent his personal artistic and spiritual quest for unity. The root of the tree is a turtle, which alludes to Mother Nature and the indigenous creation story. 9 more animals fulfill the rest of the totem pole, with a soaring eagle at the top, indicating an existing connection between the spiritual and mutable worlds.

“Unity Pole commissioned by Ojibway artist Kris Nahrgang

 
My favourite show of CNE last year was the ice-skating show, and the revamped version this year, “Oh Canada! Aerial Acrobatics & Ice Skating Show”, commemorates Canada 150 with iconic red and white costumery. The spectacle is headlined by Olympic Champion Elvis Stojko, who is sure to rock the crowd with his impressive moves and speedy spins. Also, the Ricoh Coliseum is a great place to cool off after a whole day out in the heat!

Olympic Champion Elvis Stojko stars in this year’s Ice Skating Show

 
A highlight of this year’s food festivities will be their new “East Coast Kitchen Party”, where one can watch a world-class oyster shucker or Caesar-building competition, get a taste of the Maritimes, and participate in Newfoundland’s tradition of ‘kiss a cod and get screeched in’. Other recognizable events include French’s Food Truck Frenzy, the Craft Beer Fest, and CNE’s 9th annual Ribfest.

The food is hands-down the talk of the town because the most outrageous culinary combinations come to life. Many of the items from the Food Building are picture-worthy and are sure to satisfy an empty stomach with underlying themes of indulgent fried goods, stacks of sweetness, or daring flavours. These foods range from Strawberry Shortsteak (Philthy Philly’s) to the All-Canadian Red Hot Burger (Bacon Nation) to Sugar Mountain (Cake Shack) – a pile of sweets and dessert.

Sugar Mountain from The Cake Shack

 
The Deep Fried Chicken Feet (Coco Concessions), Deep Fried Frog Legs (Farm to Fryer) and the Cricket Cone (Bug Bistro) are not for the faint of heart. A few of the charcoal trends made an appearance; Black Velvet Funnel Cake as well as the Charcoal Lemonade (both from Bacon Nation).

When it comes to carnival food, food inventions are sure to bring a wow-factor to the crowds at CNE. However, even the simpler food creations such as the Deep Fried Cheese Curds (The Great Canadian), and the Dragon’s Breath Crepe (Eative), deserve an equal amount of recognition for innovation in terms of deliciousness.

Deep Fried Cheese Curds (The Great Canadian)

 
Either way, be prepared for a long day filled with events to “see-and-eat” at CNE. It runs from August 18th to September 4th!

For more information:
210 Princes’ Blvd.
http://www.theex.com/
Instagram: @letsgototheex
Twitter: @letsgototheex
Facebook: /TheEx

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