We’re in the final weeks of peak apple-picking season here in Ontario, and if you haven’t yet made a day of this classic fall ritual, now is the time to pencil it in! There are several farms within an hour of the city with abundant orchards where you can PYO, so a day trip is totally sufficient. Choose your location and head out to stock up on the freshest, tastiest local fruits and enjoy some quality time with your family or friends.
Here’s where to go apple picking around Toronto.
Downey’s Strawberry & Apple Farm
This 206-acre family farm is just 40 minutes north of the city of Caledon. Currently, Jonagold, Mutsu, Northern Spy, Red Fuji, and Empire are in season and ripe for picking until November 5th. Guests can choose a 10 lb bag for $26, or a 20 lb bag for $42. There’s no admission for the farm, but an $8.50 minimum pick per person is required.
The Apple Orchard
The Apple Orchard is just outside of Hamilton and boasts over 10,000 apple trees and a 5-acre pumpkin patch. Braeburn, Fuji, Red Jonagold, Northern Spy, and Golden Delicious are ripe for picking until mid-late October. Admission to the farm is $10.20, which includes wagon rides, a corn maze, and access to the walking trails. PYO apples are $2.25 per pound.
Albion Orchards Apple Farm & Country Market
Take a weekend drive out to Albion Orchards in scenic Caledon for a day of apple and/or pumpkin picking. Choose from Ida Red, Macintosh, Cortland, Northern Spy, Granny Smith, and more. Get a 10 lb bag for $25, or a 20 lb bag for $45.
Applewood Farm
One of the first pick-your-own strawberry and apple farms in Stouffville now includes 32 acres of apples and strawberries. Take a 45-minute drive from Toronto and spend a day browsing the orchard aisles for Ambrosia, Spartan, Spencer, Red Delicious, and more. Admission is $15 per person for ages 3 and up, and apples are $20 for a small bag and $35 for a large bag.
Organics Farm
Since 2004, this certified organic farm just outside of Markham has been growing crops entirely free of pesticides and herbicides. Ambrosia, Honey Gold, Liberty, and Crimson Crisp, are all ready to pick around mid-October. Admission to the farm is $15 per person 3 years old and up, which includes a 5 lb bag of pick-your-own apples, but you can pay more if you want to take more than the entry bag.
Watson Farms
This family farm in Bowmanville just east of Oshawa has been offering PYO apples since 1970. McIntosh, Gala, Snowflake, Cortland, Honeycrisp, and more are ripe for picking currently, and apples are $2.75 per pound. Admission to the farm is $5 for adults and $3 for children, which includes the petting zoo, wagon rides, and access to the fields.
Luna Farms
This fruit farm in the scenic Niagara Escarpment in Stoney Creek offers over 5,000 apple trees. U-pick is available on the weekends, and the farm is currently picking Honeycrisp, Imperial Gala, Jona Gold, Regal Gala, Jona Star, and Cortland apples.
Chudleighs
Chudleighs in Halton Hills is open for your apple-picking pleasure! The farm grows over 18 varieties of apples that are available to be picked across its 47,500 trees and 60-acre orchard. Weekends tend to sell out during October, so be sure to buy your tickets in advance here.
Pine Farms Orchard
Just a few minutes away from Canada’s Wonderland, you’ll find Pine Farms Orchard! The farm has a variety of apples to pick at $2.35 a pound, along with its $7 per-person admission fee. They even have “kid-sized” trees, so any age can enjoy picking their own apples. Be sure to visit its cafe before you leave!
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Pride month is officially here, and so are a ton of exciting pride-inspired collections in support of the LGBTQIA+ community! Every year, we look forward to repping the colourful Pride-themed merchandise, but most importantly, supporting the brands that are actually giving back to the community. We’ve rounded up our favourite Pride collections and products for you to shop, from brands that are supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
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If you’ve been chomping at the bit to get your hands on a new phone, iPad, or laptop during quarantine, you’re not the only one. And thankfully, Apple stores are starting to reopen for all of our techy needs, including service repairs from the Genius Bar.
Apple closed its stores outside of China in mid-March and the retailer is reopening its GTA stores next week.
According to Daily Hive, Apple is reopening its GTA stores on June 29 and it’s taking some serious safety precautions when it does.
A letter posted to the Apple website reads, “In every store, we’re focused on limiting occupancy and giving everybody lots of room, and renewing our focus on one‑on‑one, personalized service at the Genius Bar and throughout the store.”
In addition, face coverings are mandatory for all team members and customers and Apple will be providing them if someone doesn’t have one. Temperature checks will be conducted at the door, and posted health questions will screen for those with symptoms.
Stores will also undergo enhanced deep cleanings that place special emphasis on all surfaces, display products, and highly trafficked areas.
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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many retailers are stepping up and taking preventative measures to put the safety of its workers and consumers first.
For a number of retailers, this means temporarily closing its stores — and in some cases, company-wide operations — to prevent the spread of Coronavirus across North America.
Here is a list of retailers who have chosen to temporarily close stores in response to COVID-19.
Note: This article will be updated as more stores and brands announce temporary COVID-19 store closures.
Apple
Apple was amongst the first retailers to make the call on COVID-19 store closures. While shoppers can still visit the online store and the Apple Store app, all retail locations will be closed until March 27.
Patagonia
Patagonia was also amongst the first retailers to announce the temporary closure of stores. The outdoor retailer temporarily closed its stores, offices, and other operations on March 13. At the time of writing, the retailer’s online store is closed as well and Patagonia plans on reassessing the situation on March 27.
Nike
With the well being of teammates and shoppers at top priority, Nike made the decision to close stores in multiple countries including Canada and the U.S. to help limit the spread of the Coronavirus. The closures came into effect on March 16 and will run until March 27, though you can still shop online and through Nike apps.
Urban Outfitters
Another retailer taking precautions in light of COVID-19 is Urban Outfitters. In a statement to the UO community, the company announced that it would be temporarily closing stores globally. Urban Outfitters noted that stores will not reopen until at least March 28 and all team members will continue being paid during this time. The online store and app are still open to shop.
Anthropologie
Urban Outfitter’s sister store Anthropologie will also be temporarily closing stores. In a statement released on Instagram on March 15, the retailer announced that stores will be closed until at least March 28. The online store and app will still be accessible to shoppers during this time.
Free People
Another retailer in the Urban Outfitters family that announced COVID-19 store closures is Free People. The retailer announced via Instagram that effective March 15, all stores will be closed until March 28. The online store and app will remain open.
lululemon
On March 15, lululemon announced that it will be temporarily closing stores across North America and Europe from March 16 to 27. In the statement, the athleticwear company noted that all employees will still receive pay for all hours scheduled to work and will have access to lululemon’s Global Pay Relief plan.
Reformation
Reformation announced that it will be taking precautions and close stores until further notice. The statement, which was released on March 14, did not specify when stores will reopen but did reassure that retail staff will be receiving paid leave and that the online store will remain open.
Lush
In a statement, Lush let shoppers know that all 258 retail stores across Canada and the U.S. will be closed until March 29. The company also noted that due to its made fresh by hand operations, that it will be significantly scaling down its manufacturing and distribution. For the time being, Lush’s online store will continue to run, though shoppers should expect digital orders to take extra time.
Abercrombie & Fitch
In a statement, Abercrombie & Fitch announced that it will be closing all of its stores outside the Asia-Pacific region as of March 15. This includes abercrombie kids. Its online stores will remain open and the company will be extending its return policy to cover the period of store closures. There is no set reopen date for its physical locations as of yet.
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., which is apart of the Abercrombie & Fitch family of stores, will also be closing all of its stores outside of the Asia-Pacific region as of March 15. Like Abercrombie & Fitch, its online store will remain open with an extended return policy.
Aritzia
On March 15, Aritzia released a statement on Instagram that noted all retail locations will be closed until further notice. In order to support its employees during this time, the Vancouver-based retailer set up a Community Relief Fund, stating that “all of Aritzia’s profits while we get through this challenging time, will go to the Aritzia Community Relief Fund to support our people and their families.” Aritzia.com is still accessible for those looking to shop.
Under Armour
In a statement to Business Insider, Under Armour confirmed that it will be temporarily closing stores in North America. The stores will be closed until March 28, and all employees will be compensated during this time. The online store and its online outlet continue to stay open.
UNIQLO
UNIQLO announced store closures in a letter to its community. All retail locations across Canada are closed until March 30, effective May 17. Shoppers are still able to shop online in the meantime.
Levi’s
Another retailer that’s made the decision to close is Levi’s. The denim retailer has temporarily closed Levi’s and Levi’s Outlet stores across North America and plans to reopen on March 27. All staff are being compensated during this time and the online store is still open to shop.
Nordstrom & Nordstrom Rack
As of March 17, Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores in the U.S. and Canada will temporarily close for two weeks. All of the store employees will be provided with pay and benefits during this time.
Sephora
On March 17, Sephora made the difficult decision to close all of its retail locations in Canada and the U.S. All retail workers will be paid during the hiatus. Sephora stores are planned to reopen on April 3, but until then, you can still shop the online store and receive free shipping with the promotion code “FREESHIP”.
Hudson’s Bay
Hudson’s Bay has temporarily closed all stores until the end of March, with store associates receiving pay for all scheduled shifts. At this time, thebay.com is still up and running for shoppers and the Canadian department store has extended its return policy. For online shoppers who have placed a “Buy Online Pick Up In Store” order, the retailer is arranging curbside pick up.
Holt Renfrew
The upscale department store made the decision to temporarily close all of its retail locations on March 17. The retailer did not announce when it planned on reopening. The online store remains open to shop with free shipping and returns.
Harry Rosen
Another upscale department store closing its doors to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is Harry Rosen. On March 17, it announced that all Harry Rosen, Harry Rosen Outlet, and Zegna-branded stores would remain closed until March 31.
Zara
Fast-fashion giant Zara has temporarily closed 3,785 stores globally, including its Canadian locations, though its online store remains open. During this time, Inditex, the company that owns Zara, has made a major push to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus, donating much-needed masks for patients and medical workers in Europe.
IKEA
On March 18, IKEA announced that it would close all of its Canadian stores in order to “support social distancing efforts and based on recommendations from local health authorities.” While the stores are closed, IKEA’s 7,300 store employees across the country will be supported by a “comprehensive benefits package and paid leave policy” and the online store will still be open to shop.
H&M
All H&M retail locations will be temporarily closed until April 2. Employees will continue to receive pay during the two weeks of closures. During the closures, H&M’s online store will still be open and the retailer is offering 90-day returns, free shipping, and free returns.
Aldo Shoes
The Montreal-based footwear and accessories retailer announced that it would close stores across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., France, and Ireland until March 31. The online store is still open to shop and the retailer is offering free standard shipping on all orders and extended returns.
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The simplicity and convenience of online shopping is impossible to ignore. How great is shopping without leaving the comfort of your own home and getting it delivered right to your door?! The only downfall of shopping online is the dreaded shipping charges at checkout. Many retailers have a minimum spend you have to hit in order to receive free shipping, but we don’t think you should have the pressure to spend more of your hard-earned money to get a deal on shipping!
Here are 10 retailers that offer free shipping (within Canada) with no minimum order!
Apple
Let’s face it, Apple products generally aren’t cheap, and if you’re forking up a lot of money for a new gadget, the last thing you want to do is spend even more on shipping. We are pleased to share that Apple offers free shipping on its online orders! Not sure if you’ll be home to receive your tech goodies? You can choose to get your order shipped to your nearest Apple store.
Clinique
We love Clinique not only for its makeup, but also for its skincare! If you go directly to Clinique’s website to shop, you’ll get free shipping! While Clinique is available to shop at a variety of department stores, these shops might not necessarily offer free shipping, so if you want the deals, shop the brands site directly.
Costco
We all know and love Costco, as the store offers pretty much anything you could want and imagine in bulk. What more could we ask for? Free shipping! Costco offers free shipping on most of its inventory. If you can’t bear the thought of going without your Costco essentials, avoid the crowds and long lines by shopping Costco’s online store.
Hunter Boots
It’s officially fall, and that means it’s time to whip out some rain boots! Hunter Boots has you covered with some of the best rain boots around. Plus the brand’s cute and cozy Cuff Socks making its boots practical for winter. If you’re in the market for some rain boots or other apparel options Hunter carries, you won’t be slammed with shipping at checkout!
Lululemon
Lululemon is popularly known for its great work out gear, the brand is also known to be relatively on the pricier side of activewear. The reality is, sometimes you have to shell out for good quality, especially when it comes to amazing athletic wear like Lululemon offers. The good news is, Lululemon doesn’t making you pay for shipping when you shop its online store!
PUMA
While PUMA is well known for its sneakers, the brand has some great athletic apparel on its website that we recommend you take a look at. We love PUMA because the brand has some iconic and cute collabs, including the recent Puma X Maybelline collection. Shop to your hearts content because you can shop the site, and all of its collabs, free of shipping charges!
Smashbox
Smashbox is great mid-priced, cruelty-free brand that’s known for creating quality cosmetics. If you’re in search of some new products, but aren’t in the mood shipping charges, this is a site to check out.
SSENSE
SSENSE is a luxury retailer that carries tons of different designer labels. When you’re splurging and treating yourself to some new designer duds, the last thing you want to pay for is the dreaded shipping charge. The good news is that SSENSE has you covered, and has taken the shipping charge off your hands.
Stuart Weitzman
Luxury shoe brand, Stuart Weitzman is known for its quality and stellar product assortment. If you’re looking for a pair of well made shoes, skip shopping in-store and check out the brands online store. How great is it that you can save while you splurge as there’s no shipping charge!
VANS
We all are familiar with VANS, but did you know that you can shop the brands site free of shipping charges? That’s right — with zero shipping charges, you can shop your fave pair of sneakers without having to trudge through the mall.
If you own a MacBook Pro by Apple, you might want to double check your computer. A recent report from Health Canada might involve you!
Apple recently recalled certain models of its 15-inch MacBook Pro laptop.
According to Health Canada, Apple has recalled a number of 15-inch Macbook Pro laptop computers sold between September 2015 and February 2017. The laptops in question have a 15.4 inch (diagonal) display, 2.2-2.5 GHz processors, 256 GB to 1 TB solid-state storage, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, two USB 3 ports, and one HDMI port. The laptops pose a fire hazard as the batteries can overheat, which is obviously not great for you or your computer.
According to Apple, as of June 4, 2019, there has only one report of consumer incident in Canada, with no reports on injuries. However, over in the United States, Apple has received 26 reports of consumer incidents, with five reports of minor burns and one report of smoke inhalation.
Flickr/Aurimas
If your laptop has been affected, don’t fret — Apple is offering free repairs!
If you think your laptop might be apart of the recalls, you should stop using your laptop immediately. Users are able to determine whether or not their laptop computer is affected by visiting Apple Support and inputting their computer’s serial number, which can be found on the underside of the laptop or by choosing “About This Mac” from the menu.
Note that not all MacBook Pro 15-inch model laptops are affected, so you could be in the clear. Apple estimates that there are approximately 26,000 affected in Canada and approximately 432,000 affected in the United States.
To read more about the recall, visit Health Canada for all of the details.
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If you consider yourself a technophobe and only know how to use three apps on your phone, this news is for you.
Apple has recently announced that it will be adding almost 60 new classes to its range of free workshops called Today at Apple.
If you didn’t know, the tech giant holds workshops to help customers learn and take advantage of their Apple products. Some of these workshops will teach you how to take and edit photos and videos, create music, draw or paint using an iPad, and even how to use some design and coding apps on your iMac. These in-store workshops are completely free of charge and are available to anyone.
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This initiative is a part of Apple’s new strategy to turn their stores into learning centres where customers can try the latest products and software, as well as learn something new every day.
“The 60 new sessions fall into three broad categories: skills, walks and labs,” reports DailyHive. “Think of skills classes as the 101 courses in college and university: They’re meant for someone who is either new to Apple, looking to learn basic skills, or coming into a new passion, whether that’s sketching using an Apple pencil, or drumming in GarageBand.”
The “walks” section offers customers to go outside and use Apple devices in real-life conditions (to take photos or even record a video.) All classes are led by Apple experts.
The last category “lab” offers the most advanced sessions created in collaboration with celebrities, such as music producer Swizz Beatz and Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. These sessions are 90-minutes long.
Instagram/ @mirelledutra.santos
Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s vice president of retail and author of these classes, is sure that her idea will help unlock people’s creativity and build a community.
“If it’s the camera, we teach you photography. We have an app store so why shouldn’t we teach you to code – how to create apps – so someday you could have an app [in the] store? Apple Music – why shouldn’t we teach you how to use GarageBand and how so someday you can be a musician, and someday you could be on Apple Music,” said Ahrendts.
Featured image: Instagram/@ricardoballon
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In the wake of store closures and businesses shuttering, there are some retailers that continue strive and grow. Despite a downturn of sales, one retailer that seems to prevail during times of trouble is Apple — and people love to talk about the tech company, too.
Whether it’s whispers about the brand’s newest technology, memes about its products, or rumours of store openings, the public can’t get enough of Apple. And the latest rumour has something to do with the CF Toronto Eaton Centre store.
Some people on the internet are speculating that an Apple megastore could be opening in Toronto, and there are some key pieces of evidence that are leading them to believe so.
Before we dive in, we want to remind you that at this point, Apple and CF Toronto Eaton Centre have not yet confirmed any of the following information, and at this point, it is all speculation.
Here are five pieces of evidence that suggest the next Apple Toronto store could be a megastore.
1. Abercrombie & Fitch is relocating its CF Toronto Eaton Centre store.
As reported by MacRumors, a relocation of Abercrombie & Fitch is definite. Currently located underneath Apple’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre location, Abercrombie & Fitch has put up a temporary barricade for its new store, which is slated to open in the spring of 2019. If the opening goes as planned, this would give Apple three to five months to take over Abercrombie & Fitch’s current store and begin construction.
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2. Surrounding retailers are rumoured to be moving as well.
MacRumors user ipedro suggests that a two-floor Apple flagship store could be in the works as surrounding stores are allegedly vacating. As we already know, Abercrombie & Fitch is definitely moving locations, but ipedro claims that Scotch & Soda, Baby Gap, and Lululemon are vacating as well. If ipedro’s claims are true, the only thing standing in the way of a two-floor flagship is the Ann Taylor store which currently neighbours Apple.
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3. A study by the Retail Council Of Canada deems CF Toronto Eaton Centre as North America’s busiest shopping centre.
Instagram/@ayazh2009
If Apple were to build a megastore in Toronto, having it at CF Toronto Eaton Centre certainly makes sense. In 2018, a study done by the Retail Council Of Canada found that the downtown mall was North America’s busiest mall — outranking many American and Canadian shopping destinations in foot traffic. According to the report, CF Toronto Eaton Centre had 53.7 million annual visitors in 2018.
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4. A larger store would provide relief to shoppers and employees.
Instagram/@goodnts
Although there is strong evidence that a freestanding location of Apple will open on Bloor St., Apple’s CF Toronto Eaton Centre location is currently the only location in downtown Toronto. The location is consistently busy and a larger store would provide much relief for both shoppers and employees, and give Apple the opportunity to entertain more events and programs like it does at its other flagships.
Apple’s current CF Toronto Eaton Centre location stands at 4,977-square-feet, which is more than two times smaller than Abercrombie & Fitch’s current location that stands at 10,680-square-feet.
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5. Apple flagship stores traditionally have public plazas.
Instagram/@snorkel.pics
While the only Apple stores in Toronto are based in malls, Apple flagships are typically known to have outdoor plazas where community can gather. Take for example Apple Union Square in San Francisco, which is a model for future projects worldwide. The Union Square store features a canopy of shading trees and a tranquil garden with tables and seating (pictured above), as well as an innovative design that blurs the lines of inside and outside.
MacRumors user ipedro suggests that, if a ground floor Apple Toronto store is in the works, it could provide an ideal location for an outdoor space. Abercrombie & Fitch’s current space spans to the western edge of the mall to James St. If Apple is indeed taking over the space, they could be “looking ahead at a time when Old City Hall is redeveloped into the Museum of Toronto and James St is closed to traffic and becomes a pedestrian street or public square.”
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Featured image: Instagram/@ctvnews
According to sources, it’s being reported that Apple is coming out with a streaming service. The new service will host popular Disney content which includes the Marvel and Star Wars universes.
The best part about this reported new service is that It will be free for iOS users. That means people who own an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV will get free access to the service.
If this sounds too good to be true, you’re right. According to CNBC it’s likely that Apple’s service will eventually be turned into a paid service like Netflix after an initial (undefined time) period. It very realistic that they will use the service to draw people in and then charge them once they are hooked.
What’s also noteworthy is that Apple is one of the best in the business at providing partnered content, and it’s rumoured that HBO and Starz are already involved in the project.
Source: CNBC
In a sudden turnaround, Apple will slash prices on its new iPhones up to $300. This major scoop was announced by Ming-Chi Kuo, the world’s most famous Apple Insider. Kuo states the prices for the second gen iPhone X, enlarged iPhone X Plus, and the “budget” iPhone X will cost as low as $800, $900, and $600 respectively. In comparison, last year the first-generation iPhone X started at $1,000. With Apple bundling $100 extra for all its new iPhones, savings total over $300, including tax.
Even though Kuo warns that prices could be $100 higher, Apple users should be pleased with the downward cost trend, especially with the more conservative estimates made in April.
Why exactly is April cutting their prices? Kuo gives three reasons why Apple can be aggressive with their price policy: with the smartphone market maturing, higher prices are a concern, especially since the iPhone X didn’t sell as well as expected; Apple improved their cost structure, so it can better afford the cuts and still have profits; Face ID is essential to promote Apple (their three new iPhone will have it), and Apple’s rivals are way behind in this technology. Kuo notes that Apple’s new prices could spark a sales supercycle one year late.
With Apple’s cost of iPhones spiralling in recent years, this change of policy is long overdue.