Summer is indeed upon us and it has been a hot one! My favourite way to relax and cool off is to head for Ward’s Island. It’s amazing, in just 10 minutes the ferry boat transports you from the steamy sidewalks of downtown Toronto to the island beach, surrounded by trees, high grasses a totally natural environment. With one dip in the pleasantly cool waters of Lake Ontario you are totally refreshed! Michelle and I did this with a group of friends two weeks ago, it was as though we were miles away from everything.	We enjoyed a pot-luck picnic, everyone brought something different and with a little bit of chilled wine, it was deliciously satisfying. But Ward’s Island has more to offer than just a great beach, you can spend hours wandering through the streets admiring all the renovated cottages everything from the artsy to the quirky to the ultra modern. And the front gardens are a joy. What’s more, NO CARS! You can cycle (available for rent on Centre Island), skateboard, jog, walk and not have to worry about traffic. Add to this, a spectacular view of the cityscape from the north shore of the island and you’ve got a dream vacation right here in the city. It’s so easy to do, I really recommend that you include the island trip in your next Toronto vacation.	We’ll even lend you a fully equipped picnic basket, you can pick up all the tasty treats at the Metro Market a block from the house. September is film festival month in Toronto, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the biggest and most important of its kind in the world. TIFF has just released the title of the opening film, for the first time in the festival’s history it is a documentary. The film, a world premiere, is David Guggenheim’s “From the Sky Down” about the Irish band U2. Also announced, Fernando Meirelle’s “350”, David Croenberg’s “A Dangerous Method” and George Clooney’s “Ides of March”. We still have some room for the festival but we urge you to book soon.