NOW Magazine
Socializing is essential. Here are 11 creative ways to have fun remotely
From virtual dinner parties to book clubs, these activities will lift your spirits during lockdown By Kelsey Adams, Julia Mastroianni, Kevin Ritchie, Glenn Sumi and Richard Trapunski
Jan 21, 2021
It’s gonna be a long winter.
Toronto is in lockdown again and at the worst possible time: the grey doldrums of January. With public health officials urging us all to stay home except for essential reasons, we’re left with few ways to safely connect with others outside our own households. While getting exercise, de-stressing and self-care are all important ways to improve mental health under lockdown, so is seeing other people.
The plight of queer bars in Toronto during COVID-19
The plight of queer bars in Toronto during COVID-19
With so few queer spaces left in the city, these bars have been forced to close after facing astronomical rent and growing debt By Julia Mastroianni
Michael Nedelko
Former The Beaver employee, satanic sex clown Pickles Lavey, photographed within the bar after it officially closed.
When the pandemic hit in March, Adam Cowan, co-manager of Toronto queer bar The Beaver, says the decision to shut down was pretty inevitable and immediate.
“It was already a labour of love more than something profitable and we knew it would turn into a money pit at that point,” he says.