Latest news with #NoVacancy
CBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CBC
How a new awareness campaign aims to make it safer to have a night out in Toronto
Social Sharing A new campaign is aiming to make Toronto nightlife safer. Sip Safe is an awareness campaign created to address drink tampering, sexual assault, and harassment. The campaign's founder says she wants to ensure that every nightlife venue in Toronto is equipped with the resources and tools to keep patrons and staff safe. "We're trying to teach them about how to watch out for themselves and for the others," said Polly Leung. "From bystander training, consent training, to understanding what it can look or feel like if someone has been drugged and the next steps to [help]." According to Statistics Canada, one in three women feel uncomfortable or unsafe in public because of another person's behaviour, and women living in the core of larger cities are more likely to experience unwanted behaviours in public. On Monday, five Toronto bars will mark the official launch of Sip Safe. The staff from these bars will come together at the cocktail bar No Vacancy for a workshop about nightlife safety. No Vacancy's manager says he is glad issues like drink tampering are being addressed. "It's something that anyone who's worked in this industry has seen happen," said Troy Gilchrist. "I wish we never had to have a conversation about it, but it's something that, as we evolve our levels of hospitality and the quality of our service, is something that is really important for us to be focused on." Taking the onus off potential victims Besides the workshop, Sip Safe will also provide safety tools and resources, including drink covers, custom signage, and information that can be displayed on menus about what people can do if they don't feel safe. Deepa Mattoo, the executive director at Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, which provides counselling and resources to women and gender-diverse survivors of violence, says she applauds the campaign. "To raise awareness about the issue is really, really welcomed by us because it's an issue that we see in our practice quite frequently," said Mattoo "People who feel scared about what happens to them in these spaces get traumatized for the rest of their lives. These are life-altering circumstances and experiences." The campaign is also aiming to remove the onus from potential victims to prevent drink-tampering and harassment themselves, by instead addressing systemic issues that allow these acts of violence to occur. That's an important shift, says Carly Kalishni, the chief executive officer of Victim Services Toronto. "What I love about the Sip Safe campaign is that the onus is removed from the survivor. It shouldn't be women's jobs to constantly be on edge about the nightmare that could happen to them," she said, saying she wants to encourage more bars and restaurants to take part in the program. "It should be people's jobs not to do this, and also for the professionals in bars and nightclubs, and restaurants to look out for this." WATCH | Researchers in British Columbia made a drug-detecting stir stick: Sasha Santos, an anti-violence activist, said a new stir stick that changes colours if it detects drugs in a drink could act like a "seatbelt" for those wanting a safer experience on a night out. Johan Foster, a University of B.C. associate professor who helped develop the Spikeless product, said their goal was to make a product that was cheap and versatile. Kalishni also wants to remind the public that there are resources available for victims of drink tampering or sexual assault. "Victim Services Toronto operates 24 hours a day for any person who self-identifies as a victim or survivor of crime, regardless of whether or not they choose to report to police, so please call us and and seek support if you need it and also know if this has happened to you, you are not alone and we believe you," said Kalishni. She says drink tampering cases are more common among people under the age of 25 and often take place on university and college campuses.
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
These Coral Gables spots could get an Art Basel makeover for Miami Art Week
Some Art Basel flair is coming to the Gables. The city plans to transform the inside of Coral Gables hotels and other buildings, such as the public library or City Hall, into works of art during Miami Art Week. The makeovers will be part of a new public art project, 'Intervals,' that will roll out in December during the annual weeklong festivities that draw thousands to Miami and Miami Beach for Art Basel, a world-renowned art fair that showcases thousands of galleries and artists. While Coral Gables has previously commissioned exhibits to align with Miami Art Week, this time around the city is working with Miami galleries that participate in Art Basel to find five professional artists who will incorporate their artistic vision into five public spaces across the city, according to Catherine Cathers, the city's arts and culture coordinator. The concept of 'Intervals' is similar to the 'No Vacancy, Miami Beach' collection that for the past several years has paired local artists with Miami Beach hotels to turn their walls, floors, lobbies and other spaces into temporary art exhibits. 'I think that we'll really be surprised by what the artists come up with,' Cathers told the Miami Herald in a phone interview this week. 'They're problem solvers, they're creatives, so they go into a space and they see things that maybe you or I wouldn't see initially.' Coral Gables commissioners approved up to $110,000 in funding from the city's art fund to support the 'Intervals' public art series, which will run from December through January. A trolley route is also in the works to make it easier for people to tour all of the city's 'Intervals' sites. 'It's an opportunity that will bring many people to the community,' and draw more customers to local businesses, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago said during a recent City Commission meeting. Coral Gables, which is celebrating its centennial this year, has pushed to enhance and promote the city's arts and culture scene through its Art in Public Places program for more than a decade. Sometimes, its Instagrammable art pieces go viral, such as U.K. artist Luke Jerram's traveling 'Museum of the Moon,' which saw a large detailed moon over Ponce Circle Park in 2023, and the colorful Umbrella Sky that drew crowds in 2018 to Giralda Plaza. The city often rolls out new art around Miami Art Week. Some are temporary installations, such as artist Kiki Smith's 'Blue Night,' which featured suspended animal constellations made from transparent blue Plexiglas and included an augmented reality experience. That was commissioned by the city specifically for its 2021 'Illuminate Coral Gables' interactive project that transformed downtown Coral Gables into a free outdoor museum. Other pop-up installations are later purchased by the city to become permanent exhibits and are sometimes officially recognized by Art Basel, such as the speech balloon signs that are spread out across Miracle Mile (when it's not storm season) as part of artist Hank Willis Thomas' 'The Truth Is I Welcome You' installation. While details on the city's new 'Intervals' project are still being ironed out, some names and locations are already being floated. Cathers told commissioners the city could potentially work with Miami galleries David Castillo Gallery, Central Fine, Piero Atchugarry Gallery, Fredric Snitzer Gallery and Spinello Projects. As for locations, the Plaza Coral Gables — home to the Loews Coral Gables Hotel — has expressed interest in hosting a VIP Art Basel event that will give attendees the opportunity to meet and talk with the 'Intervals' artists, according to Cathers. Other locations that could potentially get the Art Basel makeover include the historic Biltmore hotel, City Hall, the Coral Gables Branch Library, Hotel Colonade, Hyatt Regency, Aloft, Courtyard by Marriott and the city's adult activity center. 'Intervals' will be a way to 'highlight Coral Gables as the city of the arts,' said Cathers, and give an opportunity for people 'to be exposed to the arts' in a new way.
CBS News
06-06-2025
- CBS News
New speakeasy bar to debut in Fort Worth's West 7th street, exclusive access for entry
A new hidden speakeasy concept bar is coming to the West 7th Entertainment District in Fort Worth. Located at 2811 Bledsoe St, No Vacancy, is described as an underground, invitation-only bar. To the common eye, this address will simply be a green dumpster in an alley. However, to those in the know, specifically with the right invitation and code, that green dumpster leads the way to a hidden speakeasy. Existing bars on West 7th The concept of a hidden bar is not new to the area, as the Bodega Speakeasy & Grocery is an existing "secret" bar in the district. Bodega exists behind a functioning grocery storefront, where patrons can purchase an item for a code on their receipt. Where a bar like Bodega and No Vacancy differ is the accessibility of entry. Invite-only access To gain access to this hidden bar, patrons must have one of the following invitations: a confirmed bottle service table reservation with the personal entry code, an invite from one the staff at any one of their sister concept bars, a platinum member card or a long-term patron pass. According to No Vacancy's website, once you've booked a reservation, walk up to the scanner with your invitation and scan it and the door will open. Once inside your ID and invitation will be verified. The exclusive bar is open from Friday to Sunday from the hours of 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., including Saturday night after hours from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. with an additional cover fee. Safety and security on West 7th Street Most bars located in the area of Fort Worth's West 7th Street close at 2 a.m., following the general cutoff time for bars in Texas to stop serving alcohol set by the TABC. Police presence in the West 7th area was increased a few years ago after the death of a TCU student in 2023 and the death of a 29-year-old in 2024. Alongside additional police, the installation of security cameras and a ban on open containers in the area was implemented in 2024. Since the new effort to keep West 7th safe, crimes against persons in the area have decreased by 15.3% according to the city's public safety report in April 2024.
