Checking out my lotto ticket since I'm in the Lawrence Ave E and Kipling Ave area…read more A friendly small business owner greeted me and processed my request. Hats off to people that put in long hours to make ends meet!

This convenience store is in a small strip plaza. There is an old man running the store. He is very…read morepolite. I came to just buy lottery tickets. The front of the store is stocked. The back of the store doesn't have much on the shelves, and the lights are off. There is no free WiFi. The store is wheelchair accessible. There are no customer washrooms. There is free parking in the mall's parking lot. Review 2023-182

This was on a short list of things we had to visit while in Toronto. I loved the show so much and…read moreforgot it was based in Toronto until my sister added it to our list. We stopped by on a Monday afternoon and got our obligatory pictures. We then went in and got some snacks and while were were checking out the man behind the counter asked if we had seen the show, we said yes and he invited us to take pictures of the staff with cast members and even gave us reusable totes! It was such an awesome little stop and I am so glad we did!

I was in Toronto for a business trip and just happened to drive by Kim's Convenience. I forgot the…read moreshow was based in Toronto! I had to stop in for some pictures to just check the vibes. It's not the nicest part of town outside but that's sort of what you might expect for a random family owned Korean corner convenience store. Who knew Simu Liu would be such a big movie star!

In this busy plaza tucked away in the back off of Lawrence Ave E is the Daily Express Convenience…read morestore. Yes, I does not say Express on the signage but the owner assures me his store is called Daily Express Convenience. It's not a large place but it has essentials such as lotto tickets, an ATM, snacks and drinks, alongside with stamps, and TTC tickets. Heck, if you require Fax and Copy service, he has this too! These small businesses are in a fight to survive mode every day so that's why I stopped in here to make my purchases of a lotto ticket and a snack for the road.

I needed to get my passport renewed. It had been almost a decade since I last got passport photos…read more Back then, I got mine at Costco. They were cheap and good quality. During the pandemic, Costco decided to shut down its photo centre permanently. Bummer. Where should I go? I did a search of a passport photo place that was open after 6 pm on a Saturday. I came across Grace Convenience on McCowan Road, a block south of Finch Avenue East. This store is in a small plaza. I had no problem backing into an available parking spot. There was a man outside smoking. I would soon find out that he owned the store and would end up taking my passport photo. I walked into the store and asked if he did passport photos. He did. It was $14.99 for two hardcopy photos. You can only pay by cash or debit. He has a small section for taking photos. I sat on a stool with a white background and he guided me through the process. He was concerned about my bangs. I said that all my passport photos had bangs in them (I've had them all my life, except for when I was born) and they were never an issue. He nodded. I looked at the first couple of photos. I politely asked if I could get another one taken. Third time was the charm. I looked less like a criminal wanted for some horrible break-and-enter offence. He spent time printing my photos, stamping the back of them, and signing them. He then safely placed them in an envelope and let me know that I didn't need any guarantors to renew my passport. He was thorough and helpful, which I appreciated. While he was preparing my photos, I looked at the cold beverages. I saw a kiwi strawberry AriZona drink that I had never had. Getting my photos done made me thirsty, so I got this drink. At this point, there were three other male customers behind me at the counter. I paid for my photos and drink with a debit card. I tapped and was done. I thanked this man for his help. I walked out of the store and headed to my car. My kiwi strawberry drink was so good. I loved the flavours and it was cold. It hit the spot. My passport photos turned out nicely. A couple of days later, I applied for my passport renewal. I now have my new passport. I like that I wore a green shirt to this photo shoot. It added a cheerful pop of colour to a rather mundane document. If you need a quality passport photo fast, come here. He probably took no longer than ten minutes to have my passport photos ready. I'm pleased with the results. I would come here again in another ten years and hope that it's still around! (118)

Pro Passport Photo available here. Opens on holidays and weekends…read more Check this out if you need passport photos in Toronto & GTA areas, especially when you need them fast: https://www.propassportphoto.com/storelocator/

This small business owner convenience store is located on the North York side of Victoria Park Ave…read more It's in a small strip mall at the intersection facing Surrey Ave across from an Esso gas station. Here, you'll find among other items drinks, lotto, grocery products and snacks. Customer service was friendly and quick.