How Ginny & Georgia star Chelsea Clark spends a day off in Toronto

Chelsea Clark, known for her roles as Esme Song in Degrassi: Next Class and Norah in the Netflix hit Ginny & Georgia, is a Toronto girl through and through. The actor, who just wrapped shooting the latest season of G&G, walked us through a chill day off—complete with dessert for breakfast, singing in the shower and, most importantly, time with her dogs.

Morning

I’m a full-on night owl, so my morning really begins in the wee hours. Before I tuck in—usually around 3 a.m.—I’ll put on a Biodance collagen face mask and wear it overnight. By the time I wake up, it’s officially morning for everyone else. I have eczema, so the mask really helps with hydration and has this cooling effect that calms any inflammation.

I’m usually up around 9:30 a.m., which is right when my dogs—a Mexican rescue and a border collie—decide it’s time to get moving. They jump onto my bed, and that’s my cue. I’ll peel off the mask, throw on some clothes and head out the door to take them for a walk.

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My first stop is always coffee. Spirited Tarts is one of my go-tos. It’s run by a couple, Ryan and Joanne—he’s the coffee guy; she’s a trained baker from Hong Kong. My order is a flat white and the tiramisu. Joanne would probably prefer that I go for one of her tarts or tortes, but I can’t help it—I love the tiramisu. No shame.

From there, I’ll walk over to Bickford Park or Christie Pits, let the dogs run and settle in with my balanced breakfast of champions. After we’ve hung out for a bit, I’ll usually take a slow loop around the neighbourhood. Over time, I’ve mapped out all the dog-friendly spots, so they naturally become part of the route.

One place I can’t resist is Wonder Pens. I’m obsessed with stationery to a degree that might raise eyebrows. They do semi-monthly postcards that I pick up every time there’s a new one, then turn into collages at home for wall art. I’d love to say I don’t buy something every visit, but that wouldn’t be true. Sometimes it’s a pen, sometimes a roll of washi tape, occasionally a Japanese notebook.

Once, I even missed a flight home from Japan because I was in the middle of getting a custom notebook made and simply couldn’t pull myself away. The commitment runs deep.

Afternoon

After I bring my dogs home, I take some me time. I love the spa Body Blitz. I often go there with my mom or a friend and just do the water circuit. I have asthma, so the steam room there really helps with my chest tightening. Even if it’s not a spa day, because my work days are so long, chilling and doing things I love are paramount.

I grew up around music and went to arts schools, so I still gravitate toward local music shops whenever I can. Places like Neurotica Records pull me in every time—partly because of the baby dolls hanging from the ceiling but mostly because it feels like a real-deal music store. It’s the kind of place where you can lose track of time flipping through bins and chatting about nothing and everything.

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I recently picked up a refurbished record player, so I’ve been slowly building my vinyl collection. One of the first records I bought was the soundtrack for Star Trek: Lower Decks. It’s such a niche, slightly nerdy choice, but it genuinely means a lot to me—especially because it stars Eugene Cordero, who’s a huge inspiration. There’s something about starting a collection with something that personal. It sets the tone for everything that comes after.

I also love all of Toronto’s libraries—I’ll happily wander into any of them, but I tend to frequent the Wychwood and the Riverdale branches. There’s something about the quiet, the stacks, the feeling that you can stumble onto something unexpected. People-watching on my own is good acting prep, and the library is a great place for it—there are so many different characters, people from all walks of life. As for the books, I have a degree in anthropology, so I’m naturally drawn to non-fiction—especially ethnographies—but I go through phases with fiction too. Being on Ginny & Georgia pulled me back into fairy fantasy in a big way. I had a storyline in season three where I was a fairy cosplayer, and I got completely swept up in it.

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When my tiramisu buzz starts to fade, I’ll head to the Tiny Market Co. pasta shop. If the lasagna is there, I’ll grab it, or the puttanesca is my jam. I’ll either eat there, staring out the window onto Bathurst, or I’ll go to the park and eat under the sun.

I love to cook. Half of my grocery duties are taken over by Odd Bunch, a grocery box service that rescues “imperfect” or surplus produce, but the rest of my shopping I tend to do at Fiesta Farms or Gasparro’s. I have a lot of allergies, so there are many foods I have to stay away from, like nuts and tofu. Meat is a real must in my diet, especially since I’m a Filipina queen.

Evening

For dinner, I usually gravitate toward Filipino food—the stuff I grew up on and still crave. Dishes like bistek, with its citrusy marinade—calamansi if I can get it, lemon if I can’t—plus garlic and pepper, pan-seared and piled with onions. Or kaldereta, rich and hearty, the kind of thing that feels like it’s been simmering all day. And then there’s sinigang, which I love but can’t quite master. It’s deceptively tricky to get that perfect balance of sour and savory. I try, but my mom’s version is still the gold standard—no competition. My boyfriend, Teo, can attest to that.

I like eating at home, but an impromptu friend date when I have extended free time is the best. I just love being out with my friends in the city. We usually hang out at this place called Hole in the Wall in the Junction, walk around, maybe hit a karaoke bar like the 222 on Ossington and then cycle home on a Bike Share Toronto bike.

Downtime for me is kind of chaotic—it takes a while for me to fall asleep. To prepare, I watch a lot of British procedurals and eat a lot of popcorn. After that, I’ll shower, put on an album and sing under the water for like 45 minutes. Lately, Raye has been my go-to, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t also get down to Bad Bunny during the Super Bowl. I take my showers seriously—full body scrubs, multiple masks. It’s a whole situation.

I also get the night-time zoomies, so sometimes I bake. I never really have a plan, but I love making bread—often pandesal, a Filipino sweet bread, or maybe a frittata for my boyfriend to eat in the morning. Sometimes I’ll just freestyle dance in my waffle bathrobe, which was my Christmas gift this year.

When I finally get to a place of exhaustion, I turn on my self-dimming lamp, which gives me an hour to decompress. I’ll read in bed on my Kobo and do a sleep meditation with one of my dogs. I set it for an hour and usually fall asleep halfway through.