Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Paris…

Ontario.

My answer usually seems to get people all excited thinking I’m exotic or cultured or …whatever people think Parisians are, only to disappoint with that last part.

What brought you here? 

A handful of years ago one of my favourite people had a cheap summer sublet to share with me, and I kind of lucked into a job at a craft gallery, so it all seemed impossible to resist.

I had a fun summer, so I stayed and I keep on staying.

What do you do for a living?

I make two textile-based accessory lines- one is Be Proud, a series of handmade merit badges, and the other is EAU CLAIRE, a collection of hand embroidered accessories using reclaimed suede. I also have a little sideline administrative job working for a group of psychologists.

How did you get started?

I started sewing at a pretty young age, and took private sewing lessons later in high school so that I could make my own (very hideous and confusing) clothing. After a few post-secondary missteps, I ended up in a Craft program and felt like I’d finally discovered something that made sense- I needed to use my hands or I’d feel completely lost.

What’s your favourite thing about your neighbourhood?

That no matter which direction I walk, I can end up in a park in about 10 minutes. North is Christie Pitts, East is Bickford, South is Bellwoods, and West is Dufferin Grove. Park nexus!

What’s the last treasure you found?

I gave in and bought a Sodastream a little while ago, which must have probably led to the collapse of the entire mineral water market, since I’m pretty sure I was keeping them all in business before.

If you were going to eat your last meal in Toronto, where and what would you eat?

I would go to El Asador to have breakfast for dinner and crispy tacos, and then either across the street to P.A.T. Central for a bunch of Korean popsicles, or down to Bakerbots for ice cream sandwiches.

If you could have a sleepover with anyone who has ever existed, who would it be?

My answer has probably been the same since high school- Kathleen Hanna.

If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?

This is my favourite question, I think about this all of the time!

Either Redhead Walking by Beat Happening, or Modern Girl by Sleater Kinney would be pretty perfect.

 What does Toronto need that it doesn’t have now?

Fewer assholes, more public gardens.

Visit Lee’s website.

Where did you grow up?

Chelsea, a small community in the Gatineaus, about twenty minutes drive from Ottawa.

What brought you to Toronto? (If you aren’t from here)

School. And I was so ready to try out big city life.

What do you do for a living?

I work full-time as an illustrator and I paint.  Editorial, album covers, kids books..kind of all over the place. I’ll try whatever stretches my brain in a fun direction.

How did you get started?

I had just finished a degree at Ryerson for photography and my photo work was drifting towards collage and drawing, so I kind of just embraced it. I needed to get messier and painting and illustration felt right…Did lots of small group shows, free magazine work…hustled to get my art in front of people in any way I could..eventually I started getting approached to do illustration jobs  and I’ve  been building on that every since. I feel incredibly lucky!

What’s your favourite thing about your neighbourhood?

So many favourite things. Dufferin grove park is just up the street. Bonfire pits, a community woodfire oven, and their farmers market on Thursdays. The Common, an amazing coffee shop is twenty feet from my front door. The young, creative community that lives around me.

What’s the last treasure you found?

I found a 60′s reprinting of the 1930′s Norwegian folktale Ola: by Ingri and edgar Parin d’Aulaire. My mother has the original edition, which she read to me growing up, so it has a lot of sentimental value.

If you were going to eat your last meal in Toronto, where and what would you eat?

Picnic style BBQ dinner and beers with my favourite peoples, anywhere on Toronto Island.

If you could have a sleepover with anyone who has ever existed, who would it be?

Emily Carr. we would stay up late sketching, gossiping, and drinking whisky. Then we’d sleep in her studio trailer in the BC interior alongside her dogs, cats, birds and monkey, Woo.

If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?

Highway Steam, by Hooded Fang.

What does Toronto need that it doesn’t have now?

More eye contact!

Visit Juliana’s portfolio and Tumblr.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Montreal but moved around a bit before I came here to go to school and I’ve been here ever since.

What brought you to Toronto?

I wanted to go to art school and I was living in downtown Hamilton at the time, which wasn’t as exciting for a teen in the late 90′s as I hear it is now.

What do you do for a living?

I work as a screen printer and I make drawings and prints that I mostly show at Magic Pony.

How did you get started?

I went to school for illustration but got a little more into printmaking through my job and then I eventually started showing my work in galleries and selling prints as opposed to doing the freelance illustration thing.

What’s your favourite thing about your neighbourhood?

My neighbours…there’s not much else around here. I live down the hall from the guys in Team Macho and upstairs are the guys from Fake Injury Party, so it’s fun here.

What’s the last treasure you found?

These Slurricane comics by this guy Will Laren are really really funny. I found them on the internet.

If you were going to eat your last meal in Toronto, where and what would you eat?

I don’t eat out much. I like Menchie’s and Cinnabon, stuff like that. Sweet stuff.

If you could have a sleepover with anyone who has ever existed, who would it be?

Chris Rock. Touching allowed.

If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?

Finally by Cece Peniston

What does Toronto need that it doesn’t have now?

More efficient public transit, 24 hour pie diner.

See Jamiyla’s work at jamiyla.blogspot.com and her Tumblr beefbuds.tumblr.com

Where did you grow up?

Blair: Barrie

Johnny: Guelph

What brought you here? 

B: We moved to Barrie from Toronto last July.  I got into school in Orillia and my whole family including a bunch of babies live here.  It’s a welcome change.

J: I moved to Barrie to support Blair while she went back to school and I knew she was looking for an excuse to move closer to her family too.  I’d never been here before I met Blair, but I’ve gotten acquainted with the city’s ample character.  Blair’s family has lots of character too, and I love it all.

What do you do for a living?

B: I am currently going to Teacher’s College.  Hopefully some arts related job with kids soon.

J: I work for Honda building cars, but I am going back to school in September.

How did you get started?

B: I went to Art School and then started doing a lot of work with kids and loved it.  I decided going to Teacher’s College couldn’t hurt.

J: One night I randomly applied to as many jobs in Barrie as I could.  I wasn’t expecting much.  The next day was my birthday, and all the jobs called me back, which was great, but then one of the postings turned out to be sort of a disguised job posting for Honda, which is hands down the best entry level manual labour job around.  Happy birthday to me.

What’s your favourite thing about your neighbourhood?

B: Quiet and proximity to a nice clean lake.

J: It totally reminds me of where I grew up- a small old brick house on a quiet street in an unassuming working class neighbourhood.

What’s the last treasure you found?

B: I’m obsessed with this cookbook “Crazy Water Pickled Lemons” by Diana Henry.

J:  I have yet to surpass my collection of Tintin books which I’ve had since I was a kid.  I’m pretty sure that a childhood of reading those books cover to cover in near darkness is mostly to blame for my current extreme nearsightedness.

If you were going to eat your last meal in Toronto, where and what would you eat?

B: Maybe a picnic in Dufferin Grove on a hot summer night.

J: Borscht at Prague Deli if it was cold.  Sardinha outside if it was warm.

If you could have a sleepover with anyone who has ever existed, who would it be?

B: My Gramma and Papa in the sunroom of their old house.

J: Genghis Khan.

If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?

B: Roller by April Wine

J: Against The Wind by Bob Seger

 What does Toronto need that it doesn’t have now?

B: A tunnel from my house to it.

J: Less smells.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in east Vancouver and came to Toronto in 2008 for school. I’m never going back to that mountain town!

What do you do for a living?

I co-own Mama Loves You Vintage on Queen West with, you guessed it, my mama!

How did you get started?

My mom got me into vintage. Growing up there were rooms dedicated to vintage clothing and clothing was hung like art on the walls. I’ve been thrifting since I could walk.

What’s your favourite thing about your neighbourhood?
Mama Loves You is located at Queen and Augusta. I’ve been working on this stretch of Queen Street for almost 2 years now. The best part is that so many of my friends work on the street and I’m always running into someone I know. For such a busy downtown street it’s got a real community.

What’s the last treasure you found?
This weird horse hair key chain. I keep forgetting it’s on my keys though. I’ve freaked myself out a couple times by blindly searching for stuff in my bag.
If you were going to eat your last meal in Toronto, where and what would you eat?

I would get veggie pad thai from Pho Phuong on Dundas West. It’s across from the street from my apartment and I have an obsession. They ended up giving me a VIP card because I go there so much. I’d get take-out and eat it in bed while watching bad TV. I’m classy like that.

If you could have a sleepover with anyone who has ever existed, who would it be?
My cat Mojo. He’s with my parents in Vancouver and sometime Skyping your cat just doesn’t cut it. I would cuddle him all night long.

If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?
CocoRosie’s Werewolf. It’s my soul in a song.

What does Toronto need that it doesn’t have now?
Cheaper sushi! You can get a california roll in Vancouver for $1. Yes, it may be from a place where duct tape is holding together the seats, but it is possible.

Visit Mama Loves You Vintage online and in person at 541 Queen St. West.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Halifax.

What do you do for a living?

I am an Aromatherapist. I have a small company called Province Apothecary. I make organic skincare + perfumes and  give custom facials in my Toronto studio!

How did you get started?
I moved to Toronto in 2010 to study Aromatherapy and Holistic Health. I spent the first year learning and trying every raw material I could get my hands on. Since then, I have been focusing on finding organic and local, raw materials and using them to heal my skin and my friends’ skin!

What’s your favourite thing about your neighbourhood?
I love all the new restaurants + shops that are popping up! This area has changed so much in the last 2 years!

What’s the last treasure you found?
2 amazing macrame plant hangers my friend Mariel made! I love her stuff.

If you were going to eat your last meal in Toronto, where and what would you eat?
My boyfriend’s house! I would get him to recreate the meal he made for our first date- he makes the most amazing polenta.

If you could have a sleepover with anyone who has ever existed, who would it be?
Marguerite Maury, the pioneer of Aromatherapy. I’d be happy if she just gave me one of her legendary aromatherapy massages.

If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?

Whenever I am making products, Jennifer Castle’s opening line from “Remembering” comes to mind- she sings about getting to the garden and picking herbs.

What does Toronto need that it doesn’t have now?
I bike everywhere so I’m going to say bike lanes + bike posts in my area.

Visit Province Apothecary online for beautiful natural products.

Where did you grow up?

Vanessa: I grew up in Toronto.
Karen: I grew up in Etobicoke and moved to Newmarket when I was a teenager.

What do you do for a living?
V: I am a fashion designer. I design Minnow Bathers and have my own lingerie label, Bully Boy.
K: I am a costumer and fashion designer currently studying to be a textile conservator. I design Minnow Bathers with Vanessa.

How did you get started?

V: We both grew up making our own clothes. We started designing clothing together for fun when we first met. Bathers came naturally because we couldn’t find what we wanted to wear in stores.

What’s your favourite thing about your neighbourhood?

K: Bitondo’s is up there for sure… and the park.
V: Being down the street from the beach rules!!

What’s the last treasure you found?

V: Conjurer poster by Stephen Schramm. It’s beautiful and badass.
K: A cast ceramic flask by Jimmy Limit.

If you were going to eat your last meal in Toronto, where and what would you eat?

V: BBQ on my deck with best buds followed by beer pong!
K: I concur.

If you could have a sleepover with anyone who has ever existed, who would it be?

K: I think if we had a hotel party with Chris Farley and Adam Sandler it would be pretty fun!!
V: We would fall and break every table!! Haha…our hotel bill would be mental!

If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?

V: X-Files theme song…duh!! Haha.
K: Hahaha yeah I’m into that.

What does Toronto need that it doesn’t have now?

V: Safer roads for bikes and affordable rent.
K: A better mayor would be nice.

See & shop beautiful Minnow Bathers bathing suits and Bully Boy lingerie online.

Where did you grow up?

Misty: In the outer western suburbs of Melbourne – I’m a Westie. Please Google “Skeleton Creek.”

Violet: I growed up in June 17th.

What do you do for a living?

M: I act in a series called IT GIRL. It’s a comedy so it feeds my need to be hilarious. I work as a make-up and special effects artist, and that feeds my daughter and her puppy.

V: I like playing with my dog.

How did you get started?

M: I was a model at 18 – got scouted at an alcoholic slushee bar called Frostbites. Modeling/acting led to make-up, etc.

V: Well, I got started with being good and listening to my mum.

What’s your favourite thing about your neighbourhood?

M: Can I be honest? It doesn’t suit me and I don’t hang there as a result…I usually head west. If I had to choose an attribute, it would be the convenience.

V: My favourite thing about Toronto is that it’s just a great street and I love Toronto because the noise of the traffic helps me fall asleep. Toronto is peaceful.

What’s the last treasure you found?

M: A beautiful old blue glass bottle from Chief Salvage Co. on Dundas street. I put a couple of flowers in it and keep it on my windowsill.

V: The last treasure I found is my dog because he is so great and I love him so much and I am so sad that he had to go to the vet.

If you were going to eat your last meal in Toronto, where and what would you eat?

M: A burger from Burger’s Priest, and since they don’t have a dine-in atmosphere, I would like to eat it next to the water. God that is a morbid question, haha… Might affect the next few answers. Now I am imagining eating a burger at Lake Ontario before I kicked the bucket! If it was an execution situation, I probably wouldn’t eat because I would fear being killed and my nerves would probably have me ordering a martini.

V: I would eat some risotto and I would also eat some salmon and I would also eat spaghetti and meatballs sometimes.

If you could have a sleepover with anyone who has ever existed, who would it be?

M: I am such a deep sleeper that it wouldn’t really matter who was there.

V: It would be my friend Bodi or my friend Emese because they are so great and the bestest friends I could ever have.

If your life was a TV show, what would be the theme song?

M: Billy Joel – My Life 

V: A song about love, because love is the sweetest thing. And when people love each other, it’s like hugs and kisses, like when you like your mum. Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars because my mum sings it to me.

What does Toronto need that it doesn’t have now?

M: More juice bars. More kids’ shoe stores that sell well-made children’s shoes fit for little growing feet. Another Mexican brunch place that is authentic and central, new lanes specifically for streetcars, bike lanes, a drive-thru organic fast food restaurant, a late-night coffee shop, stricter monkey ownership laws.

V: Toronto needs streets that are not so busy. It needs a bit of noise. It needs a lot of greatness in it because I want Toronto to be the best street ever. I want Toronto to be like New York because that is my favourite country.

See Misty’s portfolio and the trailer for It Girl.