Static’s second issue, First Times in Toronto, came out October 20th. So to celebrate, over the month, you’ll get to know the contributors of the issue through some of their first times in Toronto.
Ellyn Diamondhawk, who illustrated Chiara, Anthony and Harley’s stories in the new issue, is a bad-ass.
First time I felt like Toronto was home was when I was depressed and rode the 501 streetcar all the way east from Lansdowne and watched the weather change and how beautiful it was. I actually had that thought “this is where I live, this city is my home”
First job was Coffee Time at Yonge & the 401!!! Hahaha!! It was so sketchy and I was 19.
First favorite book was ‘Idioglossia’ by Eleanor Bailey
First kiss was NOT IN TORONTO! (I don’t care, this story is ridiculous)
I was four years old, I was on a hill in my backyard. It was warm day and the sun was shining on the hill and it was with my little friend Ryan who was also four and he was one of those weird kids from the 90s (I know they exist in other times but they remind me of the 90s) with dark, dark eyebrows and super white bleach blonde hair. I had a BIG crush on him! AND WE KISSED AND GIGGLED!!
First time I went to the islands I was with my friend Matthew Kirkpatrick and we were milling about Toronto (I still lived with my parents in Burlington) and we were downtown and went to request a song at Edge 102.1. The dj opened the door all quickly as if she was going to ask us for a password and whispered “are you the two here for the tickets?” my ears perked up, “Tickets?” I asked. She explained that she was expecting two idiots who hadn’t come to pick up their tickets to a show on the island featuring Feist, Broken Social Scene and Modest Mouse. Since I love all of those bands I made a big fuss and was all “Oh wouldn’t it be SO GREAT to go see all those bands on the island?! I’ve NEVER even been to the island!” So the dj gave us the tickets and was very sweet in directing us how to get there and told us we had to hurry because we’d probably already had missed the first act.
When we arrived we ran to the little pedestrian bridge and as we were getting our tickets checked I heard Broken Social Scene busting out with ‘Ibi Dreams of Pavement’ and I had tears in my eyes and giant smile on my face.
First time I got lost was when I took a wrong turn left off of Dundas near Spadina and ended up in that weird housing complex area between Spadina and Denison that eventually breaks onto Cameron st. and I had a homeless fellow ask me for a smooch…which I said no to.
If I had a last day in Toronto, I would ride my bike to High Park and visit the yaks and buffalo, then bike to Trinity Bellwoods and roll down that giant ass hill (in an ideal world it’d have zero dog poop on it), then ride to Kensington Market and have an organic chai tea latte with honey in it at Moonbeam, then Courage My Love to buy a dress, Last Temptation for lunch (shrimp pad thai) then to the AGO, then the ROM then down to the Leslie Spit to watch the sun go down.