Raymond Helkio TODAY’S TIDBITS Use frozen bread slices to cut your croutons prior to sauteeing – you get a perfect shape. Use a wooden spoon to stir your soups, you can ‘feel’ the consistency much more accurately, you don’t scratch the pan, and the handle don’t get hot Add a pinch of sugar to your mayonnaise and […]
TODAY’S TIDBITS The average restaurant guest takes 10min to eat each course. The average restaurant guest gets antsy if they have to wait more than 7 minutes between courses Woody Allen used to play clarinet at Elaine’s, where they introduced the strawberry Sabayon. Elaine’s wasn’t a great restaurant, but was very popular because of Woody. […]
TODAY’S TIDBITS When skimming stock, swirl from the middle and then skim the edges, you end up removing very little stock and lots of gunk Use a square of spongy drawer liner to hold your cutting board in place A “demi” glace is a stock reduced by half, a “glace” is a stock reduced by […]
TODAY’S TIDBITS No salt in the stocks, the cooks will put that in as needed later Sauté pans have slanted edges so that any steam quickly is out of there, sautoirs have straight edges so that the steam will curl back in If you have a gas burner, buy pots with not only a thick […]
TODAY’S TIDBITS If possible, put an odd number of a vegetable on a plate: it looks more symmetrical but creates a tension Add salt to fried potatoes at the end or the salt starts to interact with the starch Mussels ‘moules’ can be a big money maker, a 15 pound bag will serve 15 people […]
TODAY’S TIDBITS Add salt to a vinaigrette BEFORE the oil, as oil can prevent the salt from dissolving Sweat onions for a while BEFORE adding salt, the salt will dry them out too fast Serve a free canapé, you’ll sell an extra drink (where all the profit is) Endives and white asparagus are made by […]
TODAY’S TIDBITS The pasteurizing of milk can actually make it MORE vulnerable, because often the natural bacteria give it defence. Many cheeses in Europe are un-pasteurized and taste better, they’re not allowed in North America however. Cooking will kill parasites, and bacteria, but not their toxins, not all viruses, not all spores. If you’re going […]
What an incredible first day!!!!! After receiving our kitchen utensil set, and a demo on kitchen safety, sanitation and what to do in case of a cut and fire, we were soon learning the different vegetable preparations. Chef John said to take it slow, and warned us that there had never been a class without […]
It was initiation day at the ICC International Culinary Center. We signed all our forms, got our chef’s outfits and Level 1 course book. We were given various presentations on kitchen rules (e.g. no jewelry, no nail polish, no unkempt facial hair etc…), on attendance (have to have a 90% attendance to pass), on graduating […]
The “Karma Condo” construction workers at 21 Grenville Street are still at it: teasing, name calling, whistling, gawking and tormenting people who live in the neighbourhood. They don’t pick on everyone mind you, just the meek, overtly gay or visibly out. Take Enza Anderson, she’s been directly battling these bullies for over two years and the […]
After a pregnancy of two to four weeks, he gives birth to dozens or even many hundreds of young, depending on the species. This and other fun facts and stats are in the latest Project Seahorse Annual Report, graphic design: Raymond Helkio.
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Raymond Helkio Join us for a discussion & debate with representatives of all four major parties on key issues for LGBTQ communities in Canada. The event features representatives from all four major Canadian political parties running candidates in Ontario with the discussion moderated by Brenda Cossman, from the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies. Unlike […]
While waiting for a bus in downtown Toronto, Enza Anderson looked up because two City of Toronto workers in an orange and blue truck were snickering and taunting her. When she didn’t respond they drove their large city-issued truck up along side of her and called out ”Look at the batty bwoy!”. This is pretty terrible behaviour […]
“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it” -Erik Qualman Posting to social media from your website means that your charity gets to keep the counts (likes, shares, retweets), drive traffic back to your website and earn credibility as an information source. It’s not frequency that counts, it’s the brevity of your content. Keep them short, […]
We’ve taken over the third floor space at Glad Day Bookshop, the world’s oldest queer bookstore, to bring you an epic collaboration of artist work including Brad Fraser‘s triptych Cock Therapy, Blue Nude by David Bateman plus legendary photos by Raymond Helkio. Even if you don’t want to buy any art you should come out to our party this Saturday because you’ll get to […]
My heart’s broken. I am a card-carrying homosexual who wears his politics on his sleeve. I do this out of respect to the queers before me who stood up to injustice, fought back and won. These are the people of moral courage and they are responsible for much of the freedoms we enjoy today. How dare you use oppressive […]
The LPSAC logo mimics the complexity of Ledbury Park students while giving a nod to the building’s architecture. Ledbury Park School Advisory Council adopted a new before launching their hugely successful capitol campaign a little over two years ago. Their Believe Campaign has raised over $28,000 and funds resources such as SMART Boards, athletic uniforms, literacy and numeracy resources plus the Brick by Brick fundraising campaign which bridged […]
Every year the KM Hunter Foundation awards six grants of $8000.00 to artists in the areas of Visual Art, Dance, Theatre, Literature, Film and Video and Music. Recipients are recommended for this award by the Ontario Arts Council juries who put names forward from their own individual juries. Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio // KM Hunter Foundation Logo // […]
MAY 21-23, 2015 QUEER CITY CINEMA 12TH INTERNATIONAL QUEER FILM FESTIVAL REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN Directed by Raymond Helkio and Rolyn Chambers Combining footage from the final days of St. Marc’s Spa with interviews from Toronto artists Sky Gilbert, Keith Cole, Brad Fraser, Drasko Bogdanovic & Shane MacKinnon, Death Of A Bathhouse explores the art culture and ultimate demise […]
In June 2014, over 500 activists, academics, lawyers and policymakers from across Canada and around the world came together in Toronto, Ontario for the WorldPride Human Rights Conference which raised the level of awareness of global LGBTI issues in Toronto and Canada and provided a launch pad for the Dignity Initiative. There is currently no framework […]
PrEP or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis is the use of anti-HIV medication (a blue pill by Gilead Sciences called Truvada) which keeps HIV negative people from becoming infected. This is not a smart strategy for STD prevention because it’s is only effective against HIV and so while our community watches HIV rates decline, we are now facing soaring rates of Syphilis and other STDs. Is this […]
This free service is available in the Hamilton area. Please check the Men4Men website for times and locations. Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio
Post by Raymond Helkio.
I started volunteering with the WorldPride Human Rights Conference in 2012 when all we knew was we wanted to put on a human rights conference in conjunction with Pride Toronto and the UofT’s Mark S. Bonham Centre For Sexual Diversity Studies. Over the next few years I got to work with an international queer community of activists and I learnt […]
You read that correctly, as part of the 36TH Annual Rhubarb Festival we’re transforming Buddies in Bad Times Theatre into a bathhouse that Hamlet would be proud of! PLEASE DONATE AND JOIN OUR LOCAL ART REVOLUTION This faggy-feminist production of Hamlet In A Hot Tub combines live theatre, video and drag into the first contemporary […]
This past summer the LGBT Giving Network partnered with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Inclusive Giving program for the 4th annual Philanthropy Conference at The 519 Church Street Community Centre. Just wait until next year! Graphic design: Raymond Helkio
Syphilis rates among the MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) in the Hamilton area haven’t been this high since the 1980’s. Not the comeback we were hoping for. This Public Health initiative is in cooperation with The Hamilton AIDS Network and launches today in Hamilton, Halton, Haldimand, Norfolk & Brant and online through Squirt, Men4MenTalk and Grindr to […]
There continues to be a nationwide crackdown on charities who participate in political activism yet there has been virtually no public outcry. It’s not for lack of interest as much as there a lot fewer organizations that are able say something about it. Charitable organizations have been restricted from spending more than ten percent of their […]
AIDS ACTION NOW!, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre present the video launch of Think Twice this Tuesday November 18, 2014 at 7pm at 12 Alexander Street, Toronto. Poster design: Raymond Helkio, Videos: John Caffery
PWA’s annual report is fun spin on the traditional infographic poster. Concept and copy: Mike Twamley, design: Raymond Helkio
Dr. Amanda Vincent: “The world needs more people committed to marine conservation. In an era marked by the exponential decline of coral reefs and other ecosystems, this is one of the foremost challenges we face, one that Project Seahorse is always trying to address through our work. The question is, how do you do it? How […]
If you missed this year’s LGBT Giving Network Philanthropy Conference, you can catch some of the highlights below. It was an incredible two day learning and development extravaganza! Video by The Reading Salon‘s Raymond Helkio.
Saturday June 21, 9PM | as soon as it gets dark outside of The 519. Free and dirty! A queer pop-up piano lounge celebrating free speech and all that is fierce. This event is free. Pulp Lounge @Nuit Rose from Raymond Helkio on Vimeo.
IN YOUR POCKET explores the immediacy and intimacy offered by smartphone technology. Curated by RT Collective in association with Inside Out film festival featuring work by: Drew Lint, Tera Mallette, Tawiah Ben-Eben M’Carthy, Drew Danielle Belsky, Vika Kirchenbauer, Brendan Healy, Alejandro Santiago, Drasko Bogdanovic, Mikiki Mikiki, Raymond Helkio, Amy Pearl, Apathy Club, Coral Short, Sam […]
For more than a decade, Mirvish Productions operated La Cage theatre in downtown Toronto. As the resident performers at La Cage, The Impostors have earned rave reviews. But it’s the shows final number that gets them the standing ovations. And tonight The Impostors are getting ready to bring their high-glam drag spectacle to the small […]
In 30 days, 40 senior creatives from around the globe crafted this spectacular issue of W|A magazine. For team 3: Sarah Allworth, Rick Duncan, Chris Elkerton and Raymond Helkio (pages 14-17). Read the article by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers. For the online version or to download a PDF copy.
LGBT Giving Netwok Philanthropy Conference from Raymond Helkio on Vimeo.
Latest HIV testing campaign targeted at gay men 40+ from The Hamilton AIDS Network. Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio, Concept & Copy: Dane Griffiths, PosterVirus graphics: AIDS Action Now!
Hosted by Andrea Houston and Roy Mitchell (ROYNATION), Queer Russian Cabaret put on an amazing event at videofag in show of support for our LGBT brothers and sisters in Russia. If you missed our Pride House Cabaret: A Five Ring Circus you can check out the performances here. Video: Raymond Helkio
Join us for a gay old time as we show our support for our LGBT Russian family. videofag, Toronto | February 1, 2014 In this video: andrea houston, roy mitchell, donnarama, brock hessel, david bateman, amy lester, elle chronique with video by raymond helkio ? music: the whole she bang, velvet goldmine + noctune opus […]
Innovative, African Solutions for Africa’s Health Problems “AMREF has shown that indigenous solutions based on international science can address the toughest problems in the world, and serve as a beacon for Africa and for the world.” Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio AMREF Case for Support (PDF)
Guest authoring for PositiveLite.com, Raymond Helkio says that despite Toronto’s awful mayor Rob Ford, the city now has a chance to redeem itself in the global LGBT rights dialogue that is WorldPride 2014. How many saints, martyrs and human rights activists do we have locked up in Canada right now? More importantly how many of […]
Submit your small act of courage on facebook.
This is a chance for the LGBT community to come together to discuss the issues that matter to us and to further our human rights around the globe. Your support will help provide opportunities for important dialogue between grassroots leaders and contribute to this growing international movement. We need your help to cover the costs […]
In 30 days, 40 senior creatives from around the globe crafted the spectacular November issue of Wayward Arts Magazine and we did more than just write about the future of collaboration, we are brought it to you: have a look or read the article by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers. Raymond Helkio, Team 3, […]
Read the report. Join the conversation on facebook.
Project Seahorse’s latest annual report, graphic design by Raymond Helkio. Download the full report here.
This year the LGBT communities major donor thank you reception is being held at the Integral House – one of Canada’s most fascinating and beautiful private homes. Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio. For more information, visit the LGBT Giving Network’s website.
“This Will Go Viral!” Is A Disease Of The Ego How does a video go viral? There are a lot of techniques that will help boost your YouTube views but the definition of “viral” is to reach epidemic proportions, quickly. Is that one million views in two days? Fifteen million in a week? Five hundred […]
Altus Dynamics is a trusted adviser and technology leader providing innovative business solutions for the not-for-profit, government and education sectors. Together for the greater good. Design package: Raymond Helkio.
Happy first year anniversary to The Reading Salon! 100 videos, 25, 000 YouTube views, 5 live shows, 2 gallery and one festival screenings. Thank you for watching!
Special Emergency Issue (Retro), Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio, Art Direction: Rolyn Chambers. Printed in Toronto. Featured in this spread: Lena Love.
Ledbury Park School Advisory Council adopts a new logo reflecting the schools architecture. Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio
RISE UP! Calling all Toronto queer artists, activists, and superstars! We’re making a promotional video for The WorldPride Human Rights Conference 2014 and you can be a part of it! Tell us what global LGBT human rights mean to you and be part of history! Drop us an email or look for us at Toronto […]
My Sex Is Genderless by Raymond Helkio Videofag Monday May 27 + June 2 2013 7PM An intriguing and personal exploration of the immediacy and intimacy offered by the smart phone technology. Based around the ambiguous phrase “What’s Your Sex?”, the screening will present new works by Toronto based artists Julian Calleros, Kiley May, and […]
Combining footage from the final days of St. Marc’s Spa with interviews from Toronto artists Sky Gilbert, Keith Cole, Brad Fraser, Drasko Bogdanovic & Shane MacKinnon, we explore the art culture and ultimate demise of one of Toronto’s longest running bathhouses. Worldwide preview screening Thursday May 30 at 9:30pm | TIFF Bell Lightbox as part […]
So many men, so little time. Thank you so much to all the guys that participated in this landmark survey. The results of the Male Call Canada are out and you can have a peek at one of twenty survey fact sheets or for the more adventurous you can download the full 70 page technical […]
Every year, the Greater Toronto Area design community showcases its ingenuity by creating structures built entirely of canned and packaged food for the benefit of the Daily Bread Food Bank, Toronto. CANstruction demonstrates the commitment of design professionals to local communities by utilizing their skills to alleviate hunger in a unique and creative way. Our […]
Moral courage is the willingness to stand up when others want you to sit down. It is living with integrity. Through this new channel, the Moral Courage Project will inspire people worldwide to question dogmas, speak taboo truths and create honest conversations. Behind these videos is multimedia producer Adam Grannick and if you haven’t heard […]
HIMBO! Sex, Drugs, Celebrity, The Law of Attraction & Other Adventures is a life love letter from a man learning to live authentically without apology. A time capsule of sparkling yet gritty modern life, Shaun’s book debut includes no-holds-barred provocative selections from his many contributions to the likes of The Globe & Mail and Xtra!, […]
Inside page samples from Project Seahorse’s annual report. Design: Raymond Helkio
To criticize Israel, Gaza or Palestinian is not the same as criticizing it’s people. A political system, or lack there of, is worthy of criticism if no other reason than it’s position of power. You see, the person in the position of power is the only one who can truly make peace last. It’s like […]
PositiveLite.com and the OHTN have teamed up to start the smoking cession discussion among AIDS Service Organizations and similar healthcare providers. PHAs (People Living With HIV/AIDS) may face greater challenges to quitting smoking due to a unique set of social, economic, psychiatric, and medical needs that may affect their smoking habits and their ability to […]
In an article titled Henry Comes Knocking: Video discloses absurdity of Court’s HIV non-disclosure rulings AIDS ACTION NOW gives a big thumbs up to The Reading Salon‘s efforts with this work. The criminalization of people living with HIV (or any illness) is an epically wrong way to manage a public health concern and is a […]
What’s Moral Courage? Do I have it? Do you? Moral Courage is the willingness to speak truth to power and risk backlash for a greater good. And now there’s an App we’ve designed that guide you through your moral courage journey. Currently the App can support 17 languages and counting. As Robert F. Kennedy told […]
Architect Theatre As part of winning the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Indie Producers Package (Art Attack), Architect Theatre won a new logo & stationary set in time for their opening season. Architect Theatre is a Resident Company of Theatre Passe Muraille. Logo design: Raymond Helkio
Watch past shows here The Reading Salon is an experimental moving art event that gives voice to the printed word. Every month Toronto artists come together at a TBA location to celebrate the spoken word. One hour later we go live with a 15 minute curated performance of the work. In our first installation From […]
Queers for Social Justice logo: Raymond Helkio Queers for Social Justice is a coalition of queer community groups, organizations and causes. The group was formed at a community town hall meeting for queers on May 27, 2012. We have come together to bring a unified message of social justice and politics to Pride 2012. Drawing […]
Please join me Thursday May 24th at 10PM (EST) on Blog Talk Radio with host Roy Mitchell for the show ROYNATION. We’ll be talking about The Great Meeting Room, Free Speech, Moral Courage, the Rob Ford: Prove It! campaign and Roy’s trending fashion. It’s going to be lively! Blog Talk Radio is free and you […]
Please join me for this year’s amazing line-up of films at the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival. This year I have sponsored the film August which is showing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on Friday May 18th, 2012 (7:15pm) and I hope you’ll be able to join me for another year of incredible LGBT […]
A real story of a man wrongfully imprisoned and facing possible execution. This video by Hailey does a great job explaining a very unfortunate situation and through her Free Hamid campaign we hope to bring Hamid back to his family. You can help by watching and sharing this video with your friends and colleagues. Thank […]
Dear Rob, I hear you turned down another invitation to show your support for Pride day in Toronto – what a shame. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for spending time with the family but perhaps you haven’t considered the implications of being our mayor. It requires of you to be supportive of a diverse […]
The AIDS Committee of Toronto’s winter/spring newsletter is out. The theme is ACT Gay and this particular issue is dedicated to gay men – you can get your copy here. ACT’s Executive Director says “Our Gay Men’s Community Health Programs have taken this to heart, with a campaign launched at Pride to celebrate the resilience […]
Launched this past September, Male Call is the most comprehensive national survey of men who have had sex with men in Canadian history. For the final few weeks of the campaign, professional soccer player and former Montreal Impact most-valuable-player David Testo is joining us to encourage gay and bisexual men across the country to participate […]
He’s part of the team behind those witty “Fact or Phallusy” sex survey ads you may have seen on Facebook. Or not, depending on if the social media site banned them. Raymond Helkio is our new Man of the Hour, explains Male Call Canada, and then takes our TMI Questionnaire to reveal the accidental boiling […]
Please give generously to the Toronto PWA Foundation’s 5th annual PROUD FM JOY DRIVE. You can help by dropping off non-perishable food items. Details at Proud FM. Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio
Male Call Canada is a national university-community collaboration that surveys men who have had sex with men. Participation goes a long way in helping create effective community health programs. Read the story in xtra! about about our recent facebook ban and then come join our fanpage! Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio
Friends of the Foundation award 2010-2011 Outstanding Volunteer Support: Raymond Helkio Presented by: Murray Jose, Executive Director, Toronto PWA Foundation
Event Graphic Design: Raymond Helkio The AIDS Committee of Toronto is all over the city urging people to get out there and WALK! This ad creative can be seen in newsprint, TTC vehicles, building banners, posters and postcards around Toronto until the event. Click here to register or donate to the Walk.
I’ll be seeing lots of films again this year and hope that you’ve got your picks ready because the 21st annual festival is May 19-29th, 2011. This year I sponsored Harvest which is German with English subtitles so they’ll be some reading along with the queer eye candy. I hope to see you during the […]
The Lambda Study was a survey of 2,438 gay and bisexual men in Toronto and Ottawa that collected information from men in these cities about their sexual and other behaviours, including condom use and HIV status. This community report presents some of the key study findings. You can download the report for free from www.lambda.ca […]
With some help, I captured 29 of the 704 pixel art space invaders installed around Paris. They are made of tiles inspired by the 80s Rubiks Cubes. They have these cool installations in 30+ cities around the globe. Unfortunately, Toronto isn’t one of them, but let’s hope that changes. Also burning in Paris was the […]
The end of space. Well, not really, the end of the double space after a period, I hope. I used to think that the double space was a by-product of the typewriter because on those prehistoric machines I got one font and depending on how hard I tapped the keys, periods and commas were often […]