After hearing explosions in a Toronto building, a three alarm fire eventually broke out and destroyed a commercial building on Queen street on October 30. The building contains a few apartment units and Roots store.Individuals in the Greater Toronto area should look into document storage in the area, as facilities are available to house sensitive documents and keep them safe from incidents like this one.Toronto fire Captain David Eckerman told the Toronto Star that although the fire might have been fueled by the high winds Superstorm Sandy sweeping through North America, it was ruled out as the primary cause to the fire.“There might be some electrical problem that was made worse by the weather but you can’t blame it just…

Heavy rain caused more than $200,000 in damage to a Variety Village in Scarborough, Ontario. The damage is having subsequent consequences including that several fundraising events may not be able to be held, as a rainstorm in July caused the drainage system to be overwhelmed, leading to catastrophic damage.Toronto storage solutions are available to support businesses struck with damage, providing containers for salvageable items.“The damage is mostly limited to the roof area near the weight room and the entire taekwondo studio and its equipment in the basement,” said John Willson, CEO of Variety Village. “Much of the cost to repair the damage will be covered by insurance, but we are still facing a bill totaling over $50,000 for restoration work…

The Toronto Film Festival features the best Canadian and International cinema and attracts film fans from across the globe. The festival began September 6 and will run for the next 10 days offering screenings, lectures, discussions, festivals, workshops, industry support and the chance to meet celebrities and filmmakers.It was Twilight star Kristen Stewart who stole the red carpet and drew a large audience on the opening day of the festival. Stewart's four Twilight films experienced much success throughout the world.With so many new successful movies, film fans need to continually clear out their old movie collection. Toronto self storage is available in the meantime and climate control offerings will ensure their safety for later viewing.This was Stewart's first appearance since…

Spring cleaning is not solely about breaking out the mops and brooms – it also means going through all of your stuff and choosing what to keep and what to throw away. Whether it's a garage, attic or closet, nearly every homeowner has that one area of the house that is filling up with junk. It can be beneficial to sort through these old items and decide what's worth keeping.People hang on to old items for a variety of reasons, reports The Globe and Mail, and sorting through objects can bring up numerous psychological issues. For example, many people feel guilty throwing away birthday and Christmas cards, so they hang on to them. Other items may have sentimental value, or…

With the arrival of December, GTA residents are shifting from fall into winter mode, particularly when it comes to staying safe on the roadways. To help motorists get to their destinations in safety all season long, the Canadian Automobile Association of South Central Ontario is providing drivers with tips of what they should get out of their storage units and put in their cars.Because vehicle breakdowns can occur at any time, CAA SCO says you can never be too prepared. Thus, an ice scraper, snow brush, booster cables, blankets, extra clothing, footwear, a flashlight and first-aid kit are just some of the things that should be packed into cars, even on short-distance trips.If these items were taken out of individuals'…

As cold temperatures and treacherous driving conditions near, the Canadian Automobile Association is advising motorists to make use of their vehicle maintenance supplies they keep in storage so they can get their cars ready for winter.One of the most important things to retrieve from storage closets are winter tires. Korey Kennedy, manager of public and government affairs for CAA North and East Ontario, describes it, says winter tires provide the added traction drivers need to traverse their way through slippery conditions that snow and ice tend to cause.While making use of winter tires is crucial, Kennedy says other maintenance tips should be carried out as well. This includes having the car battery's life checked, as cold weather can often prevent vehicles from…

When the temperatures go down, roadside emergency calls go up – and significantly, a new survey indicates. According to a study conducted by Canadian Tire, when temperatures dip to temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius or less, roadside assistance services' call volumes skyrocket 529 percent compared to days when temperatures aren't as cold. When calls relating to specific car problems were taken into account, such as requiring a jump due to a dead battery, those volumes rose 1,400 percent, the survey confirmed. Despite Canadians' knowledge that car problems frequently occur in winter, just 43 percent said they plan on installing winter tires on their vehicles. In addition to having quality winter tires installed – ones that are stamped with the Rubber…

It won't be long before snow is in the forecast, and the Ontario Provincial Police wants Canadians to spend the time between now and then to get themselves and their cars ready for winter driving season.Larry Beechey, provincial commander of traffic safety and operational support for the OPP, said that while slippery roads are often responsible for accidents, these crashes can almost always be avoided through better preparation."Most of the collisions we see during winter are preventable, yet far too many people blame these collisions on poor driving conditions," said Beechey. "If all motorists got into the habit of adjusting their driving to the conditions at hand, there would be far fewer collisions on our roads and highways."The most important…

As much of the year 2011 has shown – in North America and many other continents as well – environmental disasters can occur anywhere and at anytime. Thus, it's important to know what items to keep in storage should there be an emergency. To help, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has put together a list of things property owners may want to move to their storage unit so they don't cause serious damage when a storm approaches. For instance, in windy conditions that can result from tornadoes and hurricanes, the source says homeowners should be sure to bring all outdoor furniture, decorations and lawn equipment into a safely sheltered area, as they may become projectiles. In addition to moving things…

Despite being 500 miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake that recently hit Virginia, Toronto felt the 5.8 magnitude temblor, according to reports.The quake reportedly hit Mineral, Virginia, around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 23, and a number of major cities reported feeling the after effects shortly thereafter."It was a shallow earthquake, literally almost right at the surface," said CityNews meteorologist Adam Stiles. "That means the energy is a little more focused. Instead of travelling up and out, the path of the quake just radiates outwards."A resident of Niagara Falls told the news source the tremors from the quake lasted roughly two minutes. Many buildings across the city and in others along the East Coast of the U.S. were…

Fans of sea life in Toronto will get to see a variety of creatures in person, as construction of a new aquarium recently commenced. According to reports, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, located in front of the CN Tower, began construction this month. The $130 million project is expected to create roughly 600 jobs and $50 million in revenues, CityNews reports. Also, more than 13,000 fresh and salt water creatures will reside at the aquarium, which will have roughly 5.7-million litres of water. “There are two things that are good” about the aquarium, Jim Pattison, President of Ripley’s Entertainment, told the source. “It’s a good tourist opportunity, certainly. But I think even more importantly it’s a really nice asset for the…

People may not want to hear it, but it looks as though hurricane season has the potential to be a very active one this year. As a result, Environment Canada’s Canadian Hurricane Centre is urging homeowners to prepare for the worst. “Several international hurricane authorities are predicting that this year will be an active hurricane season in the North Atlantic Ocean,” said Chris Fogarty, program supervisor for the Canadian Hurricane Center. Fogarty went on to say that the country is usually hit with one to two hurricanes directly every year, with two or three more threatening but never making landfall. However, Fogarty said that hurricane totals are meaningless if homeowners don’t know how to prepare for one. For information on…

In the early morning hours on April 29, millions of people in Canada set their alarms to witness the marriage of Prince Edward and Kate Middleton. And in Toronto, many female viewers celebrated the occasion by heading to their storage units or closets, getting their favorite gowns and hats, and watching the rare event from a “royal” hotel. “We’re here to witness a moment in history,” Jenny Andison said in an interview with Postmedia News. Andison was one of nearly 200 people who decked out the King Edward Hotel in the downtown section of the city to watch a wedding that could very well be the most widely-viewed nuptials in history. According to the news service, the 170 people in…

Forty-one years ago on April 22, the world celebrated its very first Earth Day, an environmental holiday that was created in the hopes that people would become more aware of their surroundings and try to become better stewards of the earth. With this in mind, CBC News has come to some conclusions about how Canadians have treated Mother Nature after collecting data on air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption from various organizations. Some of the findings are good, but others may have people wanting to store their cars in their storage unit more often. For instance, the Canadian news service reports that greenhouse gas emissions have risen significantly over the past 20 years. According to figures released by…

Toronto homeowners typically rent out storage units when their possessions are taking up too much room in their living space, but they also use them to protect their valuables. So if local residents’ basements have a history of flooding, they may want to take what’s down there and put it in storage to be on the safe side. That’s because according to data from Aviva Canada, 40 percent of all home insurance claims are related to water damage. And what homeowners spend to repair that damage has been particularly costly in the Toronto area. Data compiled by Aviva reveals that in Ontario alone, the average cost a homeowner incurs due to water damage has risen 182 percent over since 2000,…