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Salt Shack's stock tank pools are available in several sizes of round and oval shapes and in various colour options.Handout
Limited options for summer getaways have people such as Jaclyn Kelly getting creative with a sense of escape at home. Earlier this summer, Kelly ordered a stock tank to use as a swimming pool in her Toronto backyard. Originally intended to provide drinking water for livestock, the galvanized metal basins have been repurposed as soaker pools in places such as Joshua Tree in California and Austin, Texas and Kelly had long admired the clever repurposing from afar. “We have the smallest backyard, I never thought I could do anything cool with it,” she says. Spending more time at home during lockdown and a summer heatwave changed her mind, and she and her husband, Morgan, ordered their own.
The reaction from neighbours and friends was so positive that the pair decided to start Salt Shack, a business bringing stock tanks to the city. Available in several sizes of round and oval shapes, their tanks can also be purchased as a package along with accessories including bromine filters, floaties and installation. You can also have them painted a colour such as soft pink, sky blue and sunny yellow.
Since adding a stock tank to her backyard, Kelly says she’s felt more relaxed than she has in a long time and that it’s also been a fun way to spend time with her son. For those longing for their own backyard oasis, she has this to say: “Get your measuring tape out and see what’s possible.”
Salt Shack, saltshackbackyards.com.
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Salt Shack Round Stocktank Pool, from $1,575.
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Salt Shack Oval Stocktank Pool, from $1,275.
Style news
Chanel has opened its first beauty studio in the country. Located on the ground level of Holt Renfrew’s downtown Toronto location (50 Bloor St. W.), it features an illuminated wall of makeup products that appear to resemble pixels on a digital façade. The beauty studio features the complete Chanel makeup range as well as skincare products, which can be explored at the Beauty Creative Table as well as through digital elements integrated throughout the space. For more information, visit chanel.com.
Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood is the home of an upcoming floral installation. Fleurs de Villes is hosting an exhibition throughout the area of floral designs by local florists in partnership with the Bloor-Yorkville BIA from Aug. 5 to 9. A self-guided floral tour of the installations includes stops in Yorkville Village, the Manulife Centre, Yorkville Lane and Hudson’s Bay Centre, and features pop-up exhibitions including Chien, a floral tribute to six dogs. On Aug. 9, a Flower Market will take place in the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada. For more information, visit bloor-yorkville.com/fleursdevilles.
Canadian fashion designers continue to put their own spin on protective face masks. Alberta-based women’s-wear brand Nonie (houseofnonie.com) has added new summer colours to its face mask collection, including light pink, bright pink and a military green. Each mask is made in Canada of 100 per cent upcycled cotton and offers an enhanced barrier protection with an SMS fabric lining. For every mask the label sells, they will donate a mask to an organization in need. Known for her pop art-inspired prints, Toronto designer Hayley Elsaesser has partnered with Dermalogica Canada on a mask and travel bag featuring a custom print that fuses the iconography of both brands. For more information, visit dermalogica.ca.
The Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver has reopened as of Jul. 31. With enhanced safety protocols, the spa will offer a modified menu of treatments and services including massages, facials, and nail services. as well as reopening its retail boutique. To celebrate, the spa is offering guests a summer Spa & Patio Sun experience. For each treatment reserved Monday through Wednesday from Aug. 3 to 31, guests will receive a complimentary lunch or dinner at the outdoor Pac Rim Patio Pop-Up venue. For more information, visit fairmont.com/pacific-rim-vancouver.
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