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Our inaugural Spring Festival Of Small Breweries on Friday April 15, 2005 was well attended by both the serious and curious. There were thirty-five craft brews from which to choose. With a stellar line up of interesting beer, some of the standard fare was passed over by the crowds intent on sampling the new and untried. The full table of results can be found here. Since the Provincial government announced its intention to pass a Smoke Free Ontario Bill 164 in December we have been attempting to discuss the matter with our M.P.P., the Minister Of Health, George Smitherman. To date, we have not been succesful. Here is our latest letter to the Honourable Member. Mr. Smitherman, I have not received a response to the letter I sent you on April 8 regarding Bill 164 nor was C’est What selected to depute to the committee on this matter. I fear that the Bill will be brought to a vote without meaningful input from my business. C’est What plays a large role in the St. Lawrence community of downtown Toronto and is not insignificant to the health of the local economy. As your constituent, a non-smoker, and the owner of a business that has made a considerable investment to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke, I feel that you owe it to our customers to carefully consider our concerns. Our committed investment of close to a quarter million dollars in a legally approved Designated Smoking Room (DSR) has met all of the criteria set out in Bill 164 to protect children, non-smokers, and employees from ever being exposed to second hand smoke within our establishment. So, there is no public health reason to close our DSR. In fact, DSRs are accepted by the proposed legislation as a legitimate mechanism for ensuring public safety in nursing homes. Bill 164 allows for a DSR in a nursing home, with the following restrictions: Our existing DSR operates in exactly the same manner as a nursing home DSR: DSRs are essential to maintain fair competition between restaurants with patios and restaurants without patios. Losing our DSR will cause C’est What continuing harm from the competitive disadvantage we would be forced to operate under. Smoking is allowed on patios. Restaurants without patios cannot serve smokers. Without our DSR, we will lose our “smoking” business to nearby restaurants with patios. We cannot construct a patio. Bill 164 was intended to impose a “level playing field”, not create unfair competition. There is no need to foster this inadvertently created competitive imbalance. One possible solution to this dilemma is to allow restaurants to have either a DSR or a patio, but not both. This would not lead to a proliferation of DSRs as, wherever possible, an operator will choose the less expensive and more lucrative patio.To meet the public health objectives, simply require all DSRs to be constructed and operated to the “nursing home” standard. A reasonable sunset clause could be implemented for existing DSRs that do meet these standards. I believe that, together, we can protect the health of children, non-smokers, employees, and our business by making these minor adjustments to the proposed legislation. I await your response. Yours, C'est What's Evolution Into Internet Radio What's Next Radio broadcasts over the Internet 24/7 featuring an eclectic mix of local performers' recorded material as well as every show live from our stage. Stay tuned over the next couple of months as we add new shows to the audio stream and fresh content to whatsnext.ca and create a local cultural showcase that extends beyond our stone walls. Does your office coffee compare to Coffee Porter? Is that stale box of donut bits more desirable than Baja Eggrolls? Is your boss nicer than Joan? If you answered no to at least the first two questions you should make a point of spending some quality time at the C'est What virtual office. You can access our WiFi hotspot and be way more productive than under the flourescent lights at work. Last posted April 28, 2005 21 Day Music Calendar | Music Index
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Archives Those with day jobs may be reluctant to check out a show during the week. Not to fear, here at C'est What shows start within fifteen minutes of their advertised time, and most weekday shows wrap up by 11:30. Enjoy! Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Karen Kosowski is one of Toronto's hardest working independent artists. With the experience of 4 independent commercial releases under her belt in 5 years, and modest scattering of tours in Canada and the USA, she is slowly gearing up to announce the release of her most ambitious album to date. Karen began searching for her voice in Winnipeg in 1996 on the local prairie town bar scene. Inspired by the independent music scene, she started her own label, Wildly Moody Music, released a live record and a 5 song EP. She played the clubs, festivals, and coffee shops. Finally in 2001 she had scraped up enough money to leave Winnipeg and move her little label to Toronto. In Toronto, she recorded and released Optimist Party (Wildly Moody Music, Fall 2002), her first fully studio album and a testament to her 3 year personal process from small town to big city to touring. Since Optimist Party, it's been 2 years of unrest, as Karen felt herself changing in style, opinions, and directions. This has resulted in a period of rapid artistic growth and an expansion of her sound and songs. These changes have been reflected in her live show, with her current favourite live setup as a duo with longtime backing musician Marc Rogers on upright acoustic bass and loopstation. Karen handles the duties of lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, piano, and laptop computer. Her lyrical themes reflect a sense of disappointment in the lack of sincerity and honesty in the world today and a darker examination of the human condition. Karen Kosowski has a residency at the club Tuesdays in May. Show time 9:30, Admission $3. Rae Spoon is a 21 year old “new skool folk’ artist. Cowboy-Folk that’s armed to the teeth with punk rock attitude, strong ethical stances and a deep and unabashed respect for the artists our grandparents should have loved, (if they were a little more smitten with outlaws). Continuing in the long-standing tradition of singers who have one hand gripping their guitar, the other hand tugging at heartstrings and their feet planted firmly in the grassroots movement, and with influences such as Tom Waits, Woodie Guthrie and Hank Williams, Rae adds a unique and youthful perspective. Rae Spoon plays C'est What's Next on Wednesday May 11 with Jo Lou & Aaron Booth. Show time 9:30, Admission $8. |
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