It's the most numerical time of the year, and OpenFile Toronto isn't sitting out on all the list-making fun. It's been a big year for OpenFile, from launching in new cities, to redesigning our website, to reporting on the stories that matter to you. In this, another in our Best of 2011 lists, we present the 10 most-read files of the year.
1) The Baby File: OpenFile alum Patrick Cain started the year with one of our most popular projects to date: mapping the city by baby names. We learned that names can have a geography, too: how Tibetan immigration has affected name patterns in Parkdale, why the name Gurleen rules in Malton and what makes a name suburban versus downtown. Additional reporting by Steve Kupferman and Suzannah Showler.
2) The Poppy File: In November 2010, Patrick Cain mapped out the names and addresses of 3,324 Torontonians killed in World War II. This year, Jane Armstrong returned to the file with an update on the lives of four people deeply affected by the war. For the second Remembrance Day in a row, the multimedia package proved hugely compelling.
3) Why your great neighbourhood has terrible restaurants: "There is no Ojibwa burial ground underneath Bloor Street responsible for cursing the Annex with shameful sushi restaurants," writes Corey Mintz. "It’s about real estate." He outlines what happens when trailblazing restaurants spark hype in previously overlooked neighbourhoods, and the cautionary tale that is the Ossington strip.
4) Toronto Roller Derby cries foul on Lingerie Football League: When Lingerie Football expanded into Canada, the Toronto Roller Derby wasn't impressed. "We don't call it Hot Pants Derby," one skater told Stephen Michalowicz, who reported on concerns by members of the long-running league that the LFL was more about objectification than about women in sport—and that they'd get lumped into the category.
5) The Byron Sonne trial: Denise Balkissoon's reporting on the trial of the Toronto man charged with harbouring explosives and plotting against the G20 summit, started with Toronto Life and continued with us. Her updates on the trial have been among the most consistent, in-depth and widely shared. The trial resumes March 19.
6) #BeerEh: Where to get the cheapest beer in Toronto: In a partnership with Huffington Post Canada, OpenFile cities told you about the cost of beer across the country. From the cheap stuff to the good stuff, we looked at what affects beer prices in Ontario, and scouted for some of the best bar deals in the city (including $7 pitchers!).
7) At Idomo furniture, a pitchman's final sale: "Unlike so many of Toronto’s more abrasive hucksters—from 'Bad Boy' Mel Lastman and his obnoxious bellows of 'Noooooobody!' to costumed stunts by Russell Oliver’s (a.k.a. 'Cash Man,' a.k.a. 'The Loan Arranger')—Gerrit de Boer exhibited a distinctive warmth and humility," writes John Semley on the retirement of one of the city's top furniture moguls.
8) New Broadview House Hotel stands its ground: Four-storey flophouse or a bastion of local east-end heritage? John Semley looks at the story of the building at Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue, known both for its connections to one of the country's most successful oil tycoons and for Jilly's, its infamous ground-floor strip club.
9) Meet the voices of the TTC: "Who is that charming woman who announces the stops for every single bus/streetcar/subway stop in the city?" a reader asked. Reporter Kelli Korducki found out, and introduced Cheryl Bome and Susan Bigioni. Sadly, we later learned that Bigioni's voice isn't being used on the new trains on the Yonge-University-Spadina line.
10) Abandoned Parkdale factory still waits its turn to shine: Amidst all the industrial redevelopment success stories in this city, from the Distillery District to the Don Valley Brickworks, are a couple of stragglers. The Canada Linseed Oil Company's building, which shut its doors in north Parkdale over 40 years ago, is one of the unlucky ones. Eric Veillette takes a look at why.
It's been a great year here at OpenFile. Thanks for reading, and even more thanks for suggesting stories for us to investigate! Take a look at our lists of most popular blog entries, best suggested stories, and what we talked about in Toronto in the year 2011.
