Summer in the GTA is all about enjoying outdoor events and activities. From al fresco patios and window shopping to biking trails and evening strolls, the warm weather prompts us to move outside for three or four months each year.

Is it any wonder that the GTA is home to such a wide assortment of open-air events, festivals and activities? Let take a look at some:

Lights, Camera, Action – You don’t need to be a movie nerd to enjoy these celebrations dedicated to cinema. The Open Roof festival runs each Wednesday until August 22 and celebrates independent film and music. Located at Castlepoint Numa on Stirling Road in the Lower Junction, tickets are $15.

The Christie Pits Film Festival goes until August 19 and showcases unusual depictions of cities and their residents from around the world. Screenings begin at sundown and a suggested donation of $10 is requested. Films will be shown on August 5, 12, 18 & 19.

The Mulan International Film Festival runs from August 10 to 17 and showcases Chinese-language films. Tickets are $15 and the films are screened at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Charles St. W.

Have Your Fill – This is a great city if you enjoy food, even greater if you appreciate foods from around the globe. And the food festivals are there to show it. Here goes:

• 3 to 6 is The Toronto Food Truck Festival at Woodbine Park
• 3 to 6 is Scarborough Ribfest at Thomson Memorial Park
• 4 is Taste of the Middle East Food Festival at Yonge-Dundas Square
• 5 is Taste of India Food Festival at Nathan Phillips Square
• 9 to 12 is Grace JerkFest at Centennial Park
• 10 to 12 is Pickering Food Truck Festival at The Esplanade N
• 10 to 12 is Waterfront Night Market, a Pan-Asian food and lifestyle festival at Ontario Place
• 10 to 12 is Taste of the Danforth on Danforth near Pape Ave.
• 10 to 11 is Feast of St. Lawrence at St. Lawrence Market
• 11 to 12 is Toronto Vegandale Food Drink Festival at Garrison Common
• 11 to 12 is Sweetery Toronto Food Festival at David Pecaut Square
• 11 is the Richmond Hill Craft Beer Festival in support of Rotary at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
• 17 to 19 is the Oshawa Rotary Ribfest at Lakeview Park
• 18 to 19 is Richmond Hill Food Truck Festival at Richmond Green
• 18 to 19 is the Markham Craft Beer & Wine Festival at Markham Fairgrounds
• 24 to 25 is The Toronto Cider Festival at Sherbourne Common
• 24 to 26 is Beer, Bourbon & BBQ at Ontario Place
• 25 to 26 is the Panamerican Food & Music Festival at Yonge-Dundas Square
• 25 to 26 is the Japan Festival Canada at Mississauga Celebration Square
• 31 to Sept. 3 is The Mac + Cheese Festival at Woodbine Park
• 31 to Sept. 3 is the Hispanic Fiesta at Mel Lastman Square

Entertainment, Arts & Culture – If music, dance, arts and culture are more your thing there is plenty on tap:

The Toronto Summer Music Festival runs until Aug. 4 at Koerner Hall, while the Toronto International Youth Dance Festival is at Nathan Phillips Square from Aug. 3 to the 4^th. You can soak up Caribbean music at Island Soul at Harbourfront Centre from Aug. 3 to 6. From Aug. 10 to 12^th catch Habari Africa, a festival celebrating the sights and sounds of African culture, at Harbourfront Centre. The TD Markham Jazz Festival goes from Aug. 17 to 19 on Main Street, Unionville in Markham.  Try the Small World Music Festival at Harbourfront Centre from Aug. 17 to 19. How about the Festival of South Asia on Gerrard Street East near Coxwell or the Chinatown Festival, both on Aug. 18 and 19^th? The Korean Harvest Fest is at Mel Lastman Square Aug. 24 to 26, while Tamil Fest is being held in Scarborough on Markham Road on Aug. 25 and 26. Don’t forget the Ashkenaz Festival at Harbourfront Centre Aug. 28 to Sept. 3 or the International Buskerfest for Epilepsy at Woodbine Park on the same dates.

Young families hamstrung by the lack of affordability within the city’s freehold housing market are looking to condos to raise their children in more affordable living spaces.

For the estimated 13 per cent of Toronto families that often means family-sized or three-bedroom condos. But good luck finding them. Many of today’s newer condos comprise some pretty un-family friendly traits: high carrying costs, meagre layouts and small quarters. As a result, these units end up being rented by students or young professionals who share the costs with their roommates.

According to Bedrooms in the Sky, a 2017 report by Ryerson University and Urbanation, Toronto may be experiencing a condo boom but it is not building enough family-friendly condos to meet demand. Even though condo construction is geared toward one-bedroom units, developers are building fewer two-bedroom units proportionately than ever before. Urbanation, a high-rise condo development tracking consultancy, says only 38 per cent of condos in development in November 2017 were two bedrooms and larger.

That condo developments are enjoying a boom period is without question. Census data shows that 129,000 of Toronto’s families lived in condos in 2016, up 8.9 per cent from 118,000 in 2011, and well above the national average of 8.4 per cent.

But Toronto doesn’t lay claim to the highest number of condo dwellers. In Vancouver more than 30 per cent of the population lives in condos, this, according to the CBC, is far and away the highest percentage in the country. In Calgary, nearly 22 per cent of residents call condos home, followed by Abbotsford-Mission, Kelowna and Toronto, all of which have more than one out of every five households living in a condominium.

The problem, many say, comes down to simple economics. Large, family-sized condos aren’t favoured by developers because it’s difficult to keep them reasonably priced. They also earn more per square foot on smaller condo units.

The report by Ryerson and Urbanation states that there may be some hope for family-friendly condo units of 3+ bedrooms as they are trending upwards, however, these dwellings generally have a resale price of more than $900,000, making them far from affordable.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The report’s authors warn that if these construction trends continue, the number of family-friendly housing units available in neighbourhoods close to transit, school and other services will continue to decrease, likely along with affordability.

Toronto is finally poised to embrace laneway housing.

The move to approve laneway houses across the old City of Toronto has been hard fought and a long time in the making. In 2006, the city rejected laneway housing imposing strict conditions that virtually made it impossible for most homeowners to build a separate dwelling in their back alley.

But the bull real estate market of recent years, which resulted in a housing crisis in terms of affordability, is credited with transforming the thinking on laneway housing and finally opening city planners’ eyes to creative housing alternatives.

Only a handful of examples of these secondary suites exist in the city now. The directive, if approved by council, means about 250 kilometres of Toronto laneways could be used as possible laneway housing projects. Currently, these back lanes are lined mostly with garages but under the new rules, they could be replaced by houses up to two-storeys high.

In early June, the Toronto East York Community Council voted to amend the city’s Official Plan and Zoning By-Law to allow laneway suites in Toronto and East York. The issue must now be considered by the full Toronto council.

A laneway house is a small dwelling at the back of a residential lot that is detached from the main house. Its services such as water, electricity, garbage and mail all come from the front street that the primary house is on, not the laneway. Laneway homes can be used as residences for family members or as rental units. These dwellings cannot be severed and sold separate from the main house, however.

The advantages to laneway housing are numerous: it increases the quality of affordable rental housing, it lets people stay in pretty, well-established and low-rise neighbourhoods, it intensifies neighbourhoods and makes urban lanes more green, liveable and safe, it allows people to live near where they work, shop and play and they provides living space for household members at different age and stages of life.

Since 2009, Vancouver has been home to over 500 laneway homes. Ottawa has recently launched a laneway housing policy and Regina is close to doing so also.

When the days are at their longest, warmest and most sun-drenched, we often feel like taking it easy.

This is the time to sit on the verandah with a tall glass of ice tea, or maybe it’s a good time to putter around your yard, extracting the odd weed and deciding what perennials need to be divided. The heat seems to slow us down a notch and force us to focus on the minutiae of life. If you’re a proponent of meditation, gurus might say it’s an ideal time to live in the moment.

Unfortunately, living in the now is not how most of us buy and sell houses. And while many think summer is a time for chilling, the commerce of everyday life often gets in the way. If you’re thinking of holding off the sale or purchase of a home until the fall, you may want to think again.

Did you know that estimates peg home sales during summer at somewhere between 30 and 40 per cent?  There are a number of reasons for this. The fact that these reasons all converge in summer is likely why. Let’s take a look:

Mild Weather

Say what you will about the weather but it’s a big factor in how we behave. Warm temperatures generally mean we’re out and about much more, possibly taking holidays or just enjoying the heat from our back patio.

If you’re taking vacation during the summer months, this gives you more time to house hunt or to get your home ready for the real estate market. If your windows need washing and your hallway could use a fresh coat of paint, now is the time to do it. If you can’t take holidays during June, July or August, you can at least take advantage of the long weekends summer offers to get some of these chores out of the way.

Boost curb appeal

Houses and neighbourhoods, in general, look most attractive in summer. Blossoms are in full bloom, trees are lush and full and lawns are green. Make sure you keep shrubs and bushes trimmed, weeds at bay and your windows washed. You might want to place some inviting furniture on your porch or a decorative wreath on your front door. This makes potential buyers feel more welcome and at ease.

Ideal time for moving 

For families with school-age children, summertime is the easiest and most convenient time to move. But it may also be a good time to hunt for a house or to sell one.  While children aren’t the main decision makers in a household, their opinions do count so it stands to reason that they should attend showings and open houses. On the flip side, if selling your house in summer, perhaps your kids can help you get your house ready for showings? Give them age-appropriate jobs like sweeping the walkway or straightening the pillows on the sofa. Remember details count and children can appreciate the finer points.

As our climate heats up every year, the matter of lawns invariably creeps into our consciousness.

As spring approaches, homeowners’ heads fill with questions and concerns about their grass. Is aerating worth the money? Can I keep pests away in a manner that is eco-friendly? How can I find the extra time to maintain my lawn and keep it looking like a lush green emerald carpet? My neighbour paved over his grass. Can I do the same?

Our view toward lawns is changing. Not the ultimate landscape material it once was, grass is less popular compared to its heyday as homeowners now look for ways to save time, money and the environment.

We’re not trying to dump on traditional lawns, but there are clearly some great alternatives available that look attractive and are more environmentally sound than traditional turf grass. Just think of the time and money you’ll have for other pursuits.

Here are some options worth considering:

Fake grass 

It’s green, it’s even, it’s soft. What’s not to like? Artificial turf can easily be mistaken for the real deal. No cutting or weeding required, the turf can last up to 15 years. Your only maintenance is keeping it clean by hosing it down or vacuuming it. Artificial grass is expensive to install but you’re initial investment is rewarded in time and money saved from not having to water or fertilize the lawn or to cut it.

Hardscaping your lawn 

This technique essentially describes the addition of elements to your lawn and garden that consist of paved areas, decks, wood chips, stones or fountains. These dry gardens are further enhanced by adding any combination of native ornamental grasses, plants and shrubs alongside hard elements such as stone chips, pea gravel and larger decorative rocks.

While folks either love or hate the look of a paved-over front lawn, there are plenty of environmental reasons for not turning your grass into a tarmac. And, according to the Toronto Star, the process of getting approvals for paving your front yard is not an easy one.

Garden of Edibles

Talk about eating the fruits of your labour. Installing a garden that yields fruits and vegetables has its own set of benefits, perhaps the foremost being the sense of satisfaction you get from growing your own food.

Native plants and ground covers

The beauty of these species is that they survive, and thrive even, with very little outside help. Ground covers come in a variety of shapes, colours and blooms. Consider Creeping Potentilla, a drought tolerant low-growing plant that produces yellow flowers, Scotch Moss, perfect for growing in the cracks between stones or Thyme, which attracts insects and can withstand moderate foot traffic.

If you prefer taller plants, try indigenous flowers and shrubs. Asters, Coneflower, Milkweed and violets make for a colourful garden that will attract bees and butterflies. For bushes and shrubs and to fill bigger spaces, try Chokeberry, Dogwood, Honeysuckle and Yew.

While the transition may take some getting used to, know that you are free to pursue more enjoyable pastimes than lawn maintenance. Know also that you are doing your part for the environment as half of all residential water usage in summer is due to lawn watering with much of that water lost to evaporation and run-off, according to Environment Canada.