Return of the topless summer news cycle

Can’t stop the nipple freedom talk

Aug 1, 2019

The Toronto Caribbean Carnival, already known for its risqué costumes, will include topless dancers for the first time in history.

bit.lyA first for Caribbean Carnival: Topless dancers | CBC NewsThe annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival, long known for the risqué costumes worn by its revellers, will be taking that tradition a step further during this Saturday’s parade. For the first time in the event’s 52 year history, some of the dancers will be topless.

Yvonne Stanley, the artist behind the Boob Book Project, plans to use the event formerly known as Caribana as a stage to explore body-image issues. The rights of Ontario women to be topless in public also factored in a policy change at Calypso water parks.

The flying circus of snakes

Global News Toronto @globalnewsto

On Tuesday, officials thought they were reuniting a ball python found in a Toronto sewer with its family. But after a night in another snake's digs, it was quickly determined the python was an impostor.

globalnews.ca‘Miss-snaken identity’: Python found in Toronto sewer returned to animal servicesOn Tuesday, officials thought they were reuniting a ball python found in a sewer with its family. But after a night in another snake’s digs, it was quickly determined the python was an impostor.

Monty the Python was the subject of a heartwarming reunion story, which had a plot twist that led to a question: “How many pythons are loose in the sewers of Toronto?”

A fight over a federally owned Toronto parking lot. Canada Lands Company wants to sell 200 Queens Quay West, which led to grappling over whether some of it could be secured for affordable housing. Councillor Joe Cressy has declared victory on the issue.

Green gains are in the air

Donations to the federal Green party have recently eclipsed NDP fundraising. Meanwhile, the Ontario Green party’s sole elected member is calling for some reforms at Queen’s Park:

Mike Schreiner @MikeSchreiner

I sincerely believe sunlight is the best disinfectant. And to prevent another cronyism scandal like the one rocking the Ford government, we need to make the appointment process more transparent. My full recommendations: bit.ly/2K7USID #onpoli

Hal Prince dead at 91. The career of the Broadway musical legend included work with producer Garth Drabinsky—the pinnacle of which was Prince overseeing a revival of Show Boat, whose 1993 premiere in North York stirred controversy around its content.

Finally, TIFF is getting Frank

Frank D’Angelo, whose own film output has slowed since the death of his financial backer Barry Sherman, has a cameo in The Last Porno Show, which will be one of the Canadian premieres at TIFF. The role might be minor, but D’Angelo appears first in the preview: