The List: 10 things former CIBC insider and doomsday author Jeff Rubin can’t live without

The List: 10 things former CIBC insider and doomsday author Jeff Rubin can’t live without

1| My ride
It’s a 12-year-old Audi A6 Turbo. I like driving, and I’ve always had a thing for European sport sedans. When they put a stick shift in a hybrid or a Chevy Volt, I’ll buy one.

2| My hockey cards
I have thousands of vintage hockey cards. My most prized are a set of ’61–’62 Maple Leafs, which I remember from when I was a kid. They’re as close as I’m going to get to seeing the Leafs win the Cup again.

3| My anti-cottage
I love going to the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve south of Algonquin Park. A German guy bought it from a paper mill in the ’60s, and now his son leases plots for $3,000 a year. I’ve rented one on Lazure Lake for eight years. There are no motor boats, no power—just an empty campsite.

4| My water guide
A friend gave me HTO, a book about water in Toronto, in 2009, and I refer to it all the time. People don’t realize how many waterways there are in the city because most are hidden under infrastructure.

5| My neighbourhood café
I go to the Rooster on Broadview for my morning cappuccino. It has a great vibe and great coffee. I love how Jay, one of the baristas, makes latte art. He can paint a swan with steamed milk!

6| My workout
I’ve been going to Riverdale Pilates once a week for a few years. I have really bad sciatica, and even sitting can be painful. At one point I had to use a wheelchair to get off an airplane. Pilates has helped.

7| My inspiration
I drink a lot of red wine when I’m writing. I went through a case or two while I was writing my new book. My favourite right now is Osoyoos Larose, which comes from the Okanagan.

8| Salmon fishing
Every year I go salmon fishing in B.C. Last year, I went with my son Jack to Princess Royal Island, a rainforest. I thought: better go now before it’s too late. Sure enough, the Northern Gateway Pipeline is expected to run straight through the area.

9| My Trek bike
When I quit CIBC, a buddy and I decided to explore the city by bike. Eventually we biked the whole Humber River and, later, parts of the Waterfront Trail, which goes halfway around Lake Ontario. We still do it. Almost every weekend in the summer we’ll cover 50 or 60 kilometres.

10| My radio station
I love jazz, especially Miles Davis and John Coltrane. I listen to Jazz FM all the time. I miss Ralph Benmergui, who used to host the morning show, but I still like the station.

(Image: Steele by Liam Mogan)