I'm a sucker for multi-tools. They colonize my life the way good gear should: a cycling tool in every bike bag, a handful of Swiss Army knives rattling in kitchen drawers, and at least two larger multi-tools permanently stationed in my Land Cruiser – one in the centre console, another tucked into a rear compartment beside a plug-in pump (for inflating river tubes in warmer months) and a heavy-duty tow strap (for hauling neighbours out of snowbanks when winter tightens its grip).
Travel tends to sharpen taste. It introduces new ideas, uncovers unforeseen obsessions, and offers the occasional epiphany – nudging your sense of beauty and your grasp of craftsmanship in new directions. For Ryan LeClair, founder of Makoto Watch Company out of London, Ontario, it was travel – and specifically a trip to Japan – that transformed his infatuation with watch collecting into his initiation of a brand built on craft, restraint, and everyday practicality.
Almost nothing we carry defines us more clearly than the books in our bags: tactile objects filled with ideas and stories – testimonies to time well spent. They tag along with us, mark our days, and shape the rhythm of how we move through the world. In Uptown Waterloo, three long-standing independent bookstores – Carry-On Comics & Books (46 years young), Words Worth Books (42 years), and Old Goat Books (25 years) – offer distinct ways to build this bracket of everyday carry: a nostalgia-driven comic haven built for the thrill of discovery, a curated literary hub grounded in conversation, and a densely-packed used bookstore where the search is part of the reward. Together, these enduring fixtures map a reading life – charting not just what we read, but how we come to find it.
In my line of work – as writer, photographer, editor, regional explorer – EDC isn't a trend. It's infrastructure. Most days I'm in motion: tracing backroads toward a brewhouse, mapping my way to an artist's studio, or sliding into the corner of a coffee shop where I turn field notes into final copy and RAW files into photographs that will pop on paper. My office is wherever I set my bag down. My tools make it possible.
Independent boutiques – the ones tucked just beyond obvious routes, curated with conviction, and run by people who know their stock intimately – often reveal more about a city than its manifest landmarks ever could. They signal the things locals carry, the fabrics they favour, the habits they keep. In London – the Forest City – a trio of retailers quietly imbues this urban narrative with heritage, craftsmanship, and discernment. From heirloom watches to Canadian-made outfitter gear to sharply edited vintage, these three stops reward travellers who prefer discovery over convenience – and product with stories built in.
By Simon Peter K Smith, C.Psych
The items men carry daily often function as symbolic extensions of psychological identity. Beyond utility, Everyday Carry (EDC) reflects...
In the maple-lined countryside just outside the small community of Palmerston, Yungblut Maples is thriving as a small-scale, family-driven syrup operation. Nestled on a...
Regular readers know we've been unapologetic Willibald groupies since day one – following the arc of this inspired operation from its humble beginnings when, nearly a decade ago, brothers Jordan and Nolan van der Heyden, alongside childhood friend Cam Formica, launched a small-batch distillery on a bucolic farm on the outskirts of Ayr.
I think I’m in love. No – I know I’m in love. With a small area of London. An enclave, really. It’s called Wortley Village, and it’s the most wonderful amalgam of independently- owned boutiques and galleries and restaurants and pubs and coffee shops – all set against the backdrop of mature tree-lined streets and historic homes and impeccably-dressed flaneurs (many with matching canine pals) in London’s Old South neighbourhood.
‘It makes little to no sense for a start-up looking to manufacture safety razors, of all things, to commission a specialist machine shop that’s cut its teeth producing satellite bits for the aerospace industry to do it for them,’ Brad remarks as he guides me past a handful of half-million-dollar mills and lathes operating at full steam.
‘I’m so excited for this first bite,’ Cai announces as she slices her spoon through a thick layer of emmental and into the steaming broth below – a wonderful mélange of rich meat stock, gently fried onion, and sourdough crouton. I am not surprised that she’s pumped. After all, I’ve heard Cai wax poetic about french onion soup for years.
A short stroll from the heart of picturesque downtown Paris, the Little Paris Bread Co is tucked into an historic brick building, its striped awning and – weather permitting – its punchy yellow patio sets out front offering a playful nod to European bistros. The warm and comforting vibe of the shop is airy and nostalgic, instantly, I want to say, taking me back to my grandmother’s farmhouse kitchen. Then again, this is definitely not my grandmother’s kitchen.
I’VE HEARD THAT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO HUNDRED DAYS FOR A VISITOR TO APPRECIATE EACH WORK OF ART ON DISPLAY AT THE LOUVRE IN PARIS. AMAZING. I’M BETTING THAT IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST AS MANY DAYS TO ENJOY MEALS AT EVERY ONE OF OUR REGION’S FANTASTIC CULINARY DESTINATIONS. HOW WOULD ONE EVEN BEGIN SUCH A MONUMENTAL (AND FLAVOURFUL) EXPLORATION?
Stratford – and, by extension, Perth County – lends itself to takeaway. A coffee to carry, a sandwich in hand, something sweet tucked alongside – then out into the streets for window shopping, into the theatres for a performance, or down to the riverbank for a nosh.
While Stratford may be famed for its Shakespearean productions, the city's appeal goes well beyond the stage. Candlelit dinners, artisan shops, festive trails, and riverside picnics make the perfect companions to a theatrical performance.
Stratford has a way of seducing the senses. This small city on the Avon, best known, of course, for the internationally acclaimed celebration of Shakespearean theatre, is no stranger to performance. But the drama here extends well beyond the stage. It’s found in the details that animate Festival City: in the way spaces are curated, food is plated, cocktails composed, and shop windows styled.
Step inside Wills & Prior — a haven for all things home and design in the heart of Stratford — and it’s as if the world exhales. A calm breeziness infuses everything here: the lofty ceilings and pendant lights draped in oversized fabric shades; the reclaimed wood floors and towering windows that flood the two-storey space with natural light; the fresh floral arrangements and subtle signature scent; the staff — stylish, approachable, and genuinely helpful — gliding quietly through the space.
The Stratford food scene has always stood out for us. To be sure, the restaurants of Festival City are among the finest in the region – and beyond. For lunches. Dinners. And probably breakfasts too (although early in the day the TOQUE team is more of a ‘coffee and run’ crew and so, as a result, has little first-hand experience of distinctive morning feeds).
Friday afternoons in the summertime are made for getting out of town: for leaving work early, hitting the open road, and – several hours later – arriving at some idyllic slice of Canadiana for a weekend of great food, cold drinks and, perhaps most importantly, time in nature with loved ones. In theory, at least. The reality tends to go a bit differently. Taking hours to pack the car. The awful traffic heading north.
‘This sure beats our regular morning ‘zoom’ meetings, eh?,’ I grunt to my TOQUE Partner, Cai Sepulis, as we cycle up the rail trail just past Ariss. She nods in agreement and then, with a determined smile on her face, drops the hammer to catch up with her wife, Sonia, and my fiancée, Liz, who are biking together about fifty yards ahead.
It’s a Tuesday in early June. Just before noon. As our small yet mighty crew rolls into the charming hamlet of Milverton, I am ready to take a load off. ‘Not too much longer,’ remarks Taylor, our ride lead, before adding: ‘Our lunch spot’s just ahead.’ Phew.
You don't need to board a train to Toronto, or take a flight abroad, if you're in search of metropolitan flair. Uptown Waterloo has quietly become a neighbourhood with energy, design, and culture that has demonstrated that it can punch above its weight.
These days a great coffee shop doesn't depend on beans alone. Atmosphere, aesthetics, and a certain ineffable charm matter just as much as a flawless flat white. Across Morriston, Guelph, and Kitchener-Waterloo, a trio of newcomers is proving the point with spaces that feel as thoughtfully devised as the coffee itself: moody, atmospheric, and confidently unique.
This past May, TOQUE partnered with Kitchener's Kultiq Studio & Gallery for 'Birds of a Feather' – a vibrant, month-long pop-up art show in a stunning sunlit space at King and Water Streets in DTK.
‘It’s five o’clock somewhere,’ I chuckle, raising a dram of amber liquid to my lips. The spirit — peaty, smoky, divine — slides down with ease. I glance at the label: Lagavulin Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, aged sixteen years.
Tucked inside a restored nineteenth-century landmark in Uptown Waterloo, Den 1880 is flipping the script on traditional workspaces. More than an assemblage of offices and meeting rooms, this regional destination is a thoughtfully envisioned blend of comfort, creativity, and community.
Uptown Waterloo is home to a string of killer cocktail joints: White Rabbit, Solé Restaurant and Wine Bar, Babylon Sisters, Bodega Rose, and more. There are so many great options, you’d be hard pressed to hit them all in a weekend. So we did it for you — or at least we tried. Here are five Uptown cocktails we managed to capture for posterity.
In a crowded market, Mica and Jill Sadler are attempting to redefine what a real estate experience can be. As principals at Kitchener-based Sadler Real Estate Group, Jill and Mica blend sharp market insight with a data-driven, client-first approach that’s rooted in strategy and trust.
Stratford – and, by extension, Perth County – lends itself to takeaway. A coffee to carry, a sandwich in hand, something sweet tucked alongside – then out into the streets for window shopping, into the theatres for a performance, or down to the riverbank for a nosh.
‘I’m so excited for this first bite,’ Cai announces as she slices her spoon through a thick layer of emmental and into the steaming broth below – a wonderful mélange of rich meat stock, gently fried onion, and sourdough crouton. I am not surprised that she’s pumped. After all, I’ve heard Cai wax poetic about french onion soup for years.
A short stroll from the heart of picturesque downtown Paris, the Little Paris Bread Co is tucked into an historic brick building, its striped awning and – weather permitting – its punchy yellow patio sets out front offering a playful nod to European bistros. The warm and comforting vibe of the shop is airy and nostalgic, instantly, I want to say, taking me back to my grandmother’s farmhouse kitchen. Then again, this is definitely not my grandmother’s kitchen.
I’VE HEARD THAT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO HUNDRED DAYS FOR A VISITOR TO APPRECIATE EACH WORK OF ART ON DISPLAY AT THE LOUVRE IN PARIS. AMAZING. I’M BETTING THAT IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST AS MANY DAYS TO ENJOY MEALS AT EVERY ONE OF OUR REGION’S FANTASTIC CULINARY DESTINATIONS. HOW WOULD ONE EVEN BEGIN SUCH A MONUMENTAL (AND FLAVOURFUL) EXPLORATION?
Stratford – and, by extension, Perth County – lends itself to takeaway. A coffee to carry, a sandwich in hand, something sweet tucked alongside – then out into the streets for window shopping, into the theatres for a performance, or down to the riverbank for a nosh.
