Alright, so you’ve opted to take the leap and move to a new country. After thinking long and hard about it you’ve settled on the land of snow and maple syrup.

People move to Canada for all kinds of reasons. It has shown it has a resilient economy, it is hospitable toward foreign investment, and it has a stable government and banking system. If you’re keen on planting roots in your new country, buying a home is a great first investment but there are a number of regulatory hurdles and obstacles that could present a problem.

THINK IT THROUGH

There are a number of considerations one should take into account when thinking about buying a home:

• What kind of home do you want? Would a condominium suit all your needs or do you need more space?
• How much can you afford? There are additional expenses beyond the price of the property. Heating, property taxes, home maintenance, and renovation costs should all be considered.
• Where do you want to live? Canada is a diverse country, and that’s reflected in its communities. Big cities like Toronto or Vancouver have vibrant cultural hubs, China Towns, Little Italys, etc. Do you want to be near people with similar cultural backgrounds or would you prefer something different?

Once all of these questions are answered, it’s time to start looking. There are a number of resources available on the Internet for homeowners. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers advice in eight different languages; Realtor.ca offers property listings across the country.

“My first piece of advice would be, get yourself a very knowledgeable realtor,” says David Smith, mortgage broker, Oriana Financial. “Who are you working with, because you’re new in the country? What were the references for that realtor? What neighbourhoods are you looking at? What’s the long term plan for the property?”

SECURING A MORTGAGE

Most new Canadians interested in buying a home hail from Britain or America, but an increasing number of homebuyers are coming from China and other East Asian countries. Where you’re from, though, is less important than how much planning you’ve done before you arrive.

“It depends on not so much [where they’re from], but as to the status they have when they get here,” says Smith. “For example, if they have a work permit, that allows for much better financing opportunities than if they don’t.”

If you have a job lined up in Canada or are transferring with your company it will make the process exponentially easier, says Smith.

“[If] they’ve been given that kind of status it’s possible to do as much as 95 per cent of the value of a property up to a million dollars for them.”

If you don’t have a job lined up, the obstacles to obtaining a mortgage can be more strenuous. For many brokers you must have landed immigrant status and at least three months of full-time employment in Canada. Anyone transferred under a corporate relocation program is exempt.

“[Mortgage lenders] are also friendlier towards any immigrant that comes from a country with income taxes so that you then have a very reliable means of establishing how well they can support the burden of the mortgage,” says Smith.

Many companies offer special packages for new Canadians and immigrants hoping to get a loan to buy a home and a trained realtor will help guide you through the process.

It’s a good idea to get pre-approval for a mortgage. Pre-approval means that your lender commits to giving you a mortgage up to a specified amount, at certain terms and conditions, including the interest rate. Sit down with a lender or broker to discuss your needs. The commitment will be valid for a specific period, usually up to 90 days.

Pre-approval doesn’t mean you’re locked into a mortgage. You’re still free to look at other arrangements but it can take some of the stress out of planning since you’ll know how much you can spend on a property.

The CMHC has a list of banks, trust companies, credit unions, and other financial institutions approved to give loans by the corporation.

BUILD CREDIT

When you’re looking to get a mortgage, credit and work history are very important. This can present problems for newcomers to Canada as they may have a credit history that’s inaccessible to Canadian lenders.

It’s important to start building a new credit history as soon as you can. Any bank will be happy to help you plan how to build credit. A regularly used bank account will go a long way. Remember to pay your bills consistently and on time. That includes rent, utilities, cable, and insurance premiums. Look at applying for small loans from your bank so you can prove you can pay them on time and apply for a credit card. Staying with the same employer for an extended period of time will also encourage confidence.

GET INSURANCE

New buyers should also consider getting mortgage loan insurance. If you don’t have the 20 per cent down payment required by most banks, these programs can help you buy a home.

According to the Government of Canada, “This type of insurance protects lenders and helps people to buy a home with as little as a five per cent down payment.”

GET IT WHILE ITS HOT

The Canadian housing market continues to heat up. The average price for a detached home in Toronto recently shot above $1 million and sales climbed 11.3 per cent in February of 2015 from the same period the previous year. It’s a similar story elsewhere in the country. Homes in Vancouver continue to fetch high prices.

The sinking loonie will only help encourage foreign investment here. People with their money stowed in greenbacks or with a currency pegged to the U.S. dollar continue to show interest in Canadian properties.

Canada is a wonderful country with options to fit everyone’s tastes. Financing a home may seem like an arduous process, but it’s hard to put a price tag on stability and comfort. The important thing is to do your research, take things slowly, and consider all your options.

Title photo by: davebloggs007

Just recently, I went to price a home that had a large hedge in front of the house that the owner had been growing for years, hoping to get privacy from the neighbours. That plan was successful, but at the same time, the house started to look unwelcoming and an interested party could no longer see the large windows on the main floor. I suggested that before we list the home, we bite the bullet and cut down some of the hedge growth to possibly 6 feet (it was at least 12 feet high at the time).

Looking for an in-depth guide on how to maximize your Toronto home’s curb appeal? Click here.

The first impression is a strong decisive factor not only for people who are on a first date or on a job interview but also when it comes to selling homes. The curb appeal of your home can either make potential buyers fall in love with the home or reject it before they even open the front door. As Luanne Kanevra, founder and principal designer of Katu Design, pointed out,

I have helped homeowners in the past solely with the outside of their home. One client had done thousands of dollars in renos on the inside and then decided to sell. After six months on the market they called my company. I couldn’t believe the outside of their house when I drove up. They told me they had done so much inside they felt it didn’t matter what the outside looked like! Even after six months on the market it took a while to convince them buyers were just driving by and we had to make some changes.

Many home seekers do an initial drive-by before scheduling a showing and narrow down their prospects to the homes that made a good impression on them. So, if you are selling your home, focusing on the way it looks from the street is the first step towards getting a good deal. Even though this might require more than trimming the hedges and planting a few flowers, improving the curb appeal of your home will improve your position as a seller.

Exterior Facelift

The first rule of improving curb appeal is to remove and fix everything outdated or dilapidated. If the paint on your home is faded or chipping off, you should give it a fresh new look. The same goes for doors, siding, and windows. Luanne recommended,

One of the most common things I have my homeowners do is paint the front door a bold colour. Quite often I find the front door is drab or the same colour as the surrounding trim. You want the door to attract positive attention, to draw the buyer’s eye and be a focal point.

You can combine colours of walls, doors, siding, and windows to create a bright welcoming look. When choosing the colour, try to go for a modern look like tan trim on a red brick house rather than white. Do not forget about the windows because, as they say, they are the eyes to the house. Clean them, give the frames a fresh new layer of paint, and install new window boxes with flowers that match your home’s architectural style.

You might also want to add a few new interesting features such as a new door knob, house number, or mailbox. These features provide subtle enhancements that help to improve the home’s overall look. As Luanne advised,

Buy a new door mat. The largest that will fit your space and not the cheapest one, one that suits the value of the home. It’s a welcome mat, make sure it is welcoming.

Of course, everything should be in pristine condition. Ensure that there are not any cracks or rotting material. Repair and clean gutters, check that the roof is in good condition without any loose or missing shingles. If you have a patio on the front side of your house, you might consider investing in new furniture and decorations. A potential buyer should be able to picture himself or herself sitting on the porch, having a morning coffee or relaxing with the family. Ensure that porch railings are in good condition because shabby railings are dangerous and might discourage potential buyers.

According to a 2014 survey conducted by Remodelling Magazine in conjunction with the U.S. National Association of Realtors, seven of the top ten home improvements with the highest return on investment were exterior replacements. A new steel entry door will return almost 97 percent of its cost and a new wooden deck will recoup approximately 87 percent of the expenses.

Seeing the house in a picture makes it easier to be objective – are there overgrown hedges or shrubs that are too large for the space. Is the walk neat, is the porch inviting. The front of the house should always be attended at any time of the year; whether it means mowing the lawn or shovelling snow.

Buyers won’t spot the attractive architecture of your house if all they can see is clutter. Even garbage cans should be in a spot that is not visible from the street. In addition to keeping your front yard clean of personal items, you should also ensure that your pet doesn’t leave any mess. When buyers walk to the front door with good first impressions, they are less likely to notice minor flaws inside.

Landscaping

A well-maintained garden sends a clear message that you take care of the house. Studies in Canada and the U.S. suggest that landscaping can add anywhere from 4 percent to 15 percent to the value of your home. Landscaping helps create a good first impression of your property and might attract potential buyers to your home. Mow the lawn, pull weeds, trim hedges, and cut away large tree branches that might block the view from the street. Remove any dead or discarded foliage and add a fresh layer of mulch. You should also add some colour to your yard and fill empty spaces with new flowers.

Be cautious and keep your front yard simple and easy to maintain so that the buyer is not frightened by a garden that requires hours of demanding maintenance. Luanne noted,

When selling a house one should always stand on the street and take a picture of the front of the house from a couple of angles. This gives a seller a better idea of how a buyer will see their home. When we look at our own homes we overlook some things and look more at the things we like.

Landscaping is also a good way to block unwanted scenery from the neighbourhood. It is always better to look at trees and hedges than tall commercial buildings. Toronto buyers like tall shrubs that accentuate and frame interesting features of the house and yard. On the other hand, overgrown landscaping and unkempt bushes in front of your house will distract buyers and hide the nice features you would like potential buyers to see.

Fence

Installing a new fence or repairing an old one is an effective way to increase your house’s curb appeal. Many people either don’t have or neglect their fence and don’t realize all the benefits that a well-kept fence has, especially in the eyes of potential buyers. You don’t have to build a fortress that hides everything potential buyers would like on your house but rather a small, tasteful boundary between the street and your private space. Not only does this make your house look more secure, but it might also make the front yard seem larger and create an inviting entrance to your property.

Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is another feature that has a huge impact on your home’s curb appeal. You can use it to highlight the ornamental features of your home as well as your garden. A nicely illuminated garden can set a pleasant atmosphere that everyone likes. Furthermore, it provides safety and security, especially in winter. Many Toronto homebuyers drive by in the late afternoon after they return from work and they tend to return to homes that are well-illuminated and make them feel secure.

Driveway

You might have a beautiful new house but an old, cracked driveway full of potholes will make the home look significantly older and even neglected. The driveway is one of those things that potential buyers notice first and that has a huge influence on their overall impression of the house. So, if you want to attract as many buyers as possible and sell your house for a better price, you should definitely add repaving your old driveway to your to-do list.

Plus, you can give your driveway a fresh, attractive look by installing a border alongside it. The edging can be either at the same level as the driveway or elevated, which prevents people from driving onto your lawn. The edging can be made of different materials such as bricks, pavers, or stone and you can add different colours and decorative designs.

One of the major influences in today’s real estate market is the foreign buyer. So buyers and sellers who are buying in Canada or the United States need to know a few things before they make their move. Real estate is a very big investment, but before you move ahead, here are ten things that you need to know.

#1 Multiple Listing Service

Canada and the United States have what is called a Multiple Listings Service. That means that you can work with one agent who can show you all the listings in his office or her office and they can also show you listings that belong to other companies. So there is no need to shop for a number of agents: you can use one agent, and that agent can show you as many properties as you would like to see.

#2 Listing Agent

Sellers enter into a contract to list their properties for sale with one agent, called the listing agent.

#3 Buyer Agency Agreement (Buyer Representation)

Buyers can enter into contracts with what we call a Buyer Agency Agreement (buyer representation). This means that the buyer agent’s fiduciary duty is to you as the buyer. That means that they have to protect your interests, they have to make sure they have all the information, and they are on your side in a number of transactions. So buyer agency and buyer representation are very important in North America.

#4 Funds On Shore

Make sure that you have funds transferred into a Canadian or a U.S bank, so you are ready to move ahead with a transaction if you see something you like. You need to make sure that your funds are on shore before you make any sort of deposits or down payment and transactions. Don’t expect that your funds can be transferred within a day or two. They should be in North America and ready for the purchase.

#5 Deposit

You will need a deposit. A deposit is cash or certified funds, and that money has to go into a bank account with the listing brokerage. The deposit is between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of the purchase price and should be fairly accessible from your bank account and to the trust fund of the listing company.

#6 Financing

If you need financing, you will have to be pre-approved by a bank with branches in Canada. There are a lot of foreign banks in Canada and you can use them, but the process will be much easier if a lot of your assets are already transferred into Canadian funds or in a Canadian bank, or in U.S funds in a U.S bank.

#7 Land Transfer Tax

Buying property in Canada and the United States is like buying property in many other places — there are taxes to pay. Here, we have taxes on the property that are paid yearly. There are also taxes that are paid when you actually buy the property. And in Toronto at the moment, there are two taxes to pay. One is a 2 per cent tax on the purchase price that goes to the province and the other is a 2 per cent tax that goes to the City of Toronto. You have to be prepared to pay to these taxes on closing.

#8 Property Tax & Withholding Tax

Owning property in Canada and the United States means that you will have to pay property taxes. Taxes on most properties are a factor of the size of the property and the value of the property. Here, the tax is based on a percentage of the value of the property. And usually, that is 1 per cent of the value of the property you pay in taxes per year. But that is a figure you should keep in mind. When you sell your property, you will be subject to withholding tax, and that withholding tax will be relinquished once the government assesses your tax liability.

#9 Responsibility To The Mortgage

Please remember that when you buy a property in Canada and it’s financed and you have a mortgage, the mortgagee can go after you for all of the value of the mortgage that you’ve borrowed. So you are responsible to the mortgagee to pay that money back.

#10 Agreement of Purchase and Sale

Please note that an accepted Agreement of Purchase and Sale is a binding contract. It’s not something that you can walk away from, nor do I suggest you ever walk away from this. Buying in Canada has been very possible for a lot of people, and Canada is a very safe place to live — a very safe place to put your money. Please note that any time you buy a property in Canada, it comes with strong property rights. It is very hard for someone to take that property away from you unless you do not meet your financial commitment. Canada is a very strong, safe place to invest.

A lot of properties that are sold are listed “as-is.” This usually discourages buyers or at least makes them suspicious. There is nothing wrong about being cautious when buying a home. On the contrary, we highly recommend it. However, a home listed “as-is” is not necessarily in poor condition and there is no reason to ignore all the offers that are made “as-is.” A lot of these offers are interesting and can be advantageous to the buyer.

There are a number of factors that determine whether an “as-is” offer can be advantageous or too dangerous. Here is a list of the five most important things to consider when buying an”as-is” home.

What an “As-Is” Offer Means

When a property is listed “as-is,” it is being sold in its current condition and the seller is not going to make any repairs. Furthermore, the seller is not making guarantees as to the property’s condition, so the buyer gets the home without any warranty. Of course, the seller is required to disclose all the defects (including hidden) of the home that he or she is aware of but not the ones he or she is not aware of. Often times the house is being sold “as is” because the true seller of the house can not vouch for any repair work that has been done….they actually may be the Power of Attorney for someone who has memory issues.

This is when purchasing a property in “as-is” condition might be the norm. Many homes listed “as-is” are part of a foreclosure or an estate sale in which the seller is not familiar with the condition of the property. However, it is wrong to assume that there must be something wrong with all as-is listings. In addition, a home inspection may already exist or the buyer can have a home inspection carried out and decide accordingly. It is all part of a Buyer’s due diligence.

Why “As-Is”?

There can be different reasons why a property is being sold “as-is”. The seller might not have the funds to make repairs if he or she lives on a fixed income or goes through a job loss or divorce. Another scenario might be that he or she just does not want the hassle and inconvenience of doing repairs or does not have time fix the problems in case of minor faults. For example, if something is a bit damaged or worn but works without any problem, the seller might prefer to disclose that there is an issue and leave the buyer to decide whether to fix it or not. Strangely, some sellers feel that they were sold the house with a plugged drain, that they never needed to unplug, so why should they not sell it to the next party as they found it….

Other cases might be that the seller recently inherited the property and is reselling it and he or she has not lived there and is not aware of the issues. He or she might not want any responsibility for fixing problems that might occur after the sale. In addition, bank-owned properties are quite often sold “as-is” because banks are not interested in investing into repairs or in giving warranties. In any case, it is important that a potential buyer acquires as much information about the house and the reasons why it is being sold as possible, but “as is” just means that the Seller is not in a position to give any warranties.

Inspection Clause

“As-is” listings should be as attractive to potential buyers, you must just make sure that you do your research. However, all buyers can use contract law to protect themselves so that they can enjoy the benefits of “as-is” listings. Instead of ignoring and rejecting homes that are listed “as- is,” potential buyers can include an “conditional on inspection” clause in the purchase offer. An inspection condition is part of the buyer’s offer that states that after the seller accepts the purchase offer, the buyer hires a professional inspector and then decides whether he or she wants the property or not based on the outcome of the inspection. This allows the buyer to back off from a deal that would require too much budget for repairs and renovations without penalty.

Choosing the right home inspector is very important, considering that you’re about to make one of the biggest financial decisions in your life based on a single report. Make sure your inspector is licensed and has good recommendations. It is always a plus if the inspector belongs to one of the professional home inspections organizations.

Know Your Options

You don’t have to walk out from the deal with your deposit when a professional inspector finds that the house has some issues that would require costly repairs. If you are truly interested in the home and already planned to do some remodelling, you can negotiate a better price that will cover the costs of fixing the hidden flaws. Especially in markets with an abundance of sellers but a lack of buyers, you might end up purchasing the property for a lower price.

Buying a home “as-is” might be reasonable if you are planning to carry out significant renovations. When you don’t mind that certain parts of the house are in need of renovation because you would change them anyway, you can save significantly if you choose an “as-is” property.

Are You Able to Do the Repairs?

Even though purchasing an “as-is” property might be cheaper than buying a similar property in the neighbourhood, you have to add the costs of repairs and renovations when evaluating the total costs of the purchase. Not only do you have to prepare your budget, but repairs and renovations will also require a lot of time, effort, and nerves.

Buying a house that needs repairs is always a project, and you have to be well educated and thorough when deciding whether the repairs are doable. Another important factor to consider when you decide to purchase a house with challenges is whether there will be any problems obtaining insurance. The whole transaction might turn out to be disadvantageous if you are not able to get insurance or have to pay excessively high premiums. However, most insurance companies will stage the insurance if you guarantee them that work will be down within the first few months of ownership. Banks will also provide finance for renovations and then add those amounts in a staged fashion.

Even though purchasing an as-is home means a certain amount of risk, potential buyers can find some very good deals among the listings. However, it is important that potential buyers understand the risks and are able to protect themselves and be prepared to deal with repairs and renovations. Always move forward with as much information as possible…Reno’s can be fun and creative but always be prepared for surprises that arise.

Eating locally sourced and in-season foods is the best way to guarantee you’re being eco-friendly, helping the sustainable movement, and choosing healthier options than those imported from long distances. You are contributing to the community and encouraging the food movement to continue in this direction. In a search for local food restaurants and suppliers, we are lucky to live in this area of Canada. Between the abundance of the Holland Marsh and the numerous farms in the region, we are spoiled for choice.

Although it is not easy to find restaurant who focus on local food, there are a handful of wonderful restaurants in Toronto that have developed a Canadian-inspired menu with a focus on locally sourced ingredients and buying organically wherever possible. With the following restaurants, you don’t have to break your diet and commitment to eating seasonally when you go out.

Ruby Watchco

Led by celebrity Food Network Chef Lynn Crawford, who opened the restaurant in 2010, Ruby Watchco exudes strong philosophies of having food locally grown, harvested, and raised, which Lynn portrays through an always-changing Canadian prix fixe menu for $49. Ruby Watchco has a different selection of items every day, which varies based on what seasonal ingredients are fresh and available. Prepare to be surprised, because you have to make a reservation well in advance and you can only see the menus on their website per week.

On one evening, you may find golden quinoa and Carron Farms’ (Bradford) red beet salad (with gala apples, crispy chicken skin, garden radishes, and cucumbers) and on another Hillside Gardens’ (Schomberg) heirloom carrot and squash salad (with toasted pumpkin seeds and marinated feta). Entrées to look out for would be grilled flank steak, served with local carrots and potatoes, or pan-seared steelhead trout with bacon almond sauce. Even if locally sourced isn’t how you eat daily, Ruby Watchco is a great place to see how delicious Canadian ingredients can taste.

Beast

The Beast Restaurant uses local and sustainable ingredients from Ontario whenever possible, with a list of their suppliers showcased on their website — including Monforte Dairy, Perth Pork Products, 100km Foods, and Augusta Fruit Market. Hidden on a residential street near King Street and Bathurst Street, Beast is a small restaurant in a neighbourhood known for its great food (Pizzeria Libetto, Buca) that is finding its niche as a locally sourced hotspot, with owners using farmers markets in the area as inspiration. Their dinner menu has a Canadian artisanal cheese plate selection, curried sweet potato soup, and the best of fish or meat, like their token “poutine” with fried gnocchi, rabbit ragu, and cheese curds. Prices are reasonable at $6–$17 per dish, with elegant plating and semi-formal décor.

They also offer some of the best brunch options in the city, with a very interesting selection of dishes, like a Labatt 50 Breakfast with your choice of smoked beast bacon, grilled chorizo, or peameal bacon with two eggs, toast, house potatoes, and a bottle of beer. Also try the breakfast sandwich with grilled pork belly or the challah french toast with duck confit.

Canoe

Oliver & Bonacini (whom you may have seen as judges on MasterChef Canada) have created a company that has become a leader in fine dining restaurants across Toronto, and Canoe is the duo’s critically acclaimed opus. Nestled atop the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower on Wellington Street, this restaurant has upscale food with a Canadian menu and the best view of the city. The restaurant is elegant and contemporary, very stylish, and with lavish prices to match the posh diners that pay it a visit.

Their dishes include Canadian specialties cooked to perfection that must have required a lot of trying and exploring to come up with, like Alberta Lamb with preserved ratatouille, Guelph beans and sea buckthorn berries ($47), West Coast Ivory Salmon with curried squash ($38), or pan-seared Quebec foie gras with Nova Scotia seaside blueberries, Ontario peanuts, and toasted bulrush brioche ($28). The chefs here have taken little bits from across Canada, the best of what we harvest, and have melded the flavours into simple yet delicious entrées. This restaurant is one of the best in the city and is worth the price for the view alone.

The View from Canoe

Executive chef John Horne describes his commitment to cooking with local ingredients:

“For veggies and fruits I feel that the fresher the products, the better they taste… I come from a family of farmers so I know the care it takes to grow potatoes, carrots, pigs, chickens, et cetera. There is no calling in sick or waiting until tomorrow; it’s 24 hours a day. It’s their entire life. So to be able to show support and use local farmers ensures we will have them in the years to come.”

Woodlot

This Little Italy restaurant’s menu isn’t the only thing that is Canadian — the wood it cooks with is too. They go through thousands of pounds of wood per month to fire up the wood-burning oven that cooks their creative comfort food dishes. They have two seasonal menus, one carnivore-based and one vegetarian-inspired. Look out for their famous wood-fired caramelized onion soup with raw gruyere cheese and red fife sourdough ($13), just one of their seven varieties of 100% organic, handmade, and wood oven–fired breads (available for pick-up after 12). Also try the naturally raised flat iron steak with bernaise, black trumpet mushrooms, and winter herbs ($27) or russet potato gnocchi with beer, leeks, mustard seeds, and pretzel crumbs ($23).

They have a list of local suppliers on their website that they support, like Cumbraes Farms, Forbes Wild Foods, and Organics 4 Life. The restaurant’s portions are famously large, and you won’t want to leave without trying dessert.

Toronto definitely offers an impressive amount of pizza joints across the city. From Pizzeria Libretto to Queen Margherita to Piola, the options are endless. But competitors across the city have reason to fear Pizzeria Defina — Roncesvalles’ award-winning pizzeria.

Before even mentioning how delicious the food is at this quaint Roncesvalles space, the atmosphere and décor themselves are worth pointing out. With dark wood flooring, exposed brick, and dim lighting, the restaurant’s current elegance makes it seem impossible that this space was once home to dingy take-out pizza parlour, Cosa. Open since August 2011, the new restaurant’s woodworked tables and iron bar stools are enough to draw you in — on top of the wafting scents from the wood-burning oven.

During the weekend, you’ll be hard-pressed to get a seat as soon as you walk in because this little place fills quickly. But the wait is never too long, and whenever the bar seats are free, you’re more than welcome to wait there.

Be warned, though — once you’ve tasted the pizza here, you’ll never complain about the wait again, nor will you want pizza from anywhere else.

Owner Roksolana Curkowskyj explains that the creative approach to pizza is what really drives the restaurant. She explains,

“The ideas are endless. You can do so much with pizza — each pie can be different. Seasonal ingredients really allow for that creativity too.”

Curkowskyj has ideas for harvest flavours, as well spring and summer tastes, and she always enjoys making something different and exciting. But she also adds that it’s important to her to maintain “respect for the tradition” of pizza making.

She has drawn inspiration from different cuisines and incorporated them into the menu with the help of her pizzaioli. The Roncy ($16), for example, has Polish roots, with pancetta and Yukon gold potatoes true to Roncesvalles’ local heritage.

“My children always loved pizza. Pizza for us was a big thing. Even growing up, when I was a child, pizza was always something to look forward to,”

says Curkowskyj happily. For her, that was a deciding factor in opening a pizzeria that welcomed neighbourhood families — among many other guests.

Sitting at the back of the restaurant, you can watch as the pizzaiolo spins his pies. The back tables are filled with young families and trendy adults who smile as the pizzas fly into the air. Defina has also installed a projector on the back wall and screens movies and shows daily against the white brick. There’s artwork on display throughout the restaurant, often showcasing local artists.

Before filling up on pizza, it’s worth trying one of the small plates found on Defina’s menu. The wild boar meatballs ($10) are a favourite for most regulars at Defina, smothered in great sauce and perfectly seasoned. The mixed greens ($11) include pear, stilton, and roasted pecans with vegetable chips and are reasonably priced given their ingredients.

Most important, of course, are the pizzas. Of the vegetarian options, my favourite for the moment is the bufala ($16) — warm thin-crust pizza in your choice of Napoletana- or Roma-style dough with San Marzano tomato sauce, bufala mozzarella, olives, oregano, and basil. Sometimes simple is best, and this pizza was proof.

For meat lovers, the Pumba ($16) is a local favourite, topped with wild boar meatballs, San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte, mushrooms, grana pandano, and caramelized shallots.

If you’re craving pizza and you’d like a casual atmosphere where you can still feel like you’re out for a nice dinner, this restaurant won’t disappoint. The idea of Pizzeria Defina is to “really create a fulfilling dining experience,” says Curkowskyj. She adds,

“I want people to expect a good-quality pizza, but it’s not just that. It’s the whole experience — watching the pizzas being made and enjoying the whole atmosphere.”

Pizzeria Defina