Downtown Toronto is not in a death spiral, not yet anyway. But the city needs to get its act together right now according to some experts. A study showed that Toronto is lagging behind other major cities in recovering from the pandemic. We checked in with urban theorist Richard Florida and former chief city planner
People have been cracking open tall cans of beer and sitting on the hill to watch a Toronto Maple Leafs (baseball) game for years and years. Now, people won’t be breaking any laws starting today. After years of failed motions and moves, not to mention years of it already happening, Toronto residents will be allowed
Former NDP MP Olivia Chow was elected mayor of Toronto on Monday, beating out 101 other candidates in the race. Chow has become the first person of colour to be named the city’s mayor, and the first woman to be mayor since amalgamation. Chow captured over 37 per cent of the vote on Monday’s election, beating
Toronto Metropolitan University has just purchased two key properties from the city of Toronto that will link the downtown campus to Yonge-Dundas Square. Toronto-owned properties at 277 Victoria St. and 38 Dundas St. E. have been sold by city agency CreateTO to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), according to an agreement announced this morning. This sale
In a city that puts the housing crisis front and centre, former deputy mayor and long-time city councillor Ana Bailão comes well-prepared to tackle the issue head-on having spent years managing Toronto’s housing portfolio and in her role as the city’s housing advocate. Bailão was born in Portugal, and settled in the Davenport area when
Last week, there was an ugly incident in Toronto involving a motorist stopping and threatening a cyclist. It happens a lot. “It felt scary, but also normal. This sort of violence & aggression is something that you face as a cyclist in Toronto, not consistently not every day, but certainly enough to have it always
Toronto is set to head to the polls on June 26 to elect the next mayor of Toronto. Here is everything we know up to this point. The latest Advance voting for Toronto’s 2023 by-election for mayor is set to begin tomorrow, June 8, and will continue for six consecutive days until June 13. This
In a recent decision, the Toronto city council voted in favour of a motion to develop a pilot program that permits personal alcohol consumption in select parks during the upcoming summer season. The only thing left to decide is just where the parks will be located that will include the pilot. The motion, introduced by
City councillor Josh Matlow had been a thorn in the side of former mayor John Tory for a long time. Now, the midtown Toronto politician is vying to take the big chair and replace Tory at city hall come June 26. Matlow was first elected to office as a school board trustee in 2003 before
For the past week, Toronto staff has been gathering public input for a new framework for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues to support strategies to enhance the city’s night economy. This week, the city’s economic and community development committee could take another step by signing on to a global movement called the Nighttime Manifesto. And
The federal government could eliminate one riding from the city of Toronto and current city councillors are raising a red flag over the issue and the repercussions at the local and provincial level. Now, 24 of the 25 members of Toronto city council have jointly signed a letter to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario
The next time you’re out on a walk in the city, you can leave the peanuts and breadcrumbs at home. On April 1, the city officially outlawed the feeding of wildlife in Toronto, much to the dismay of some residents who feel that the new rules are cruel and “mean-spirited.” According to Chapter 349 under
Once again, a city councillor is pushing to allow the drinking of alcohol in Toronto parks. Councillor Shelley Carroll, seconded by Councillor Chris Moise, is moving a motion that recommends two things. One, that the city parks department connect with local councillors to determine which wards will host a pilot project and work with those
A new Toronto Public Health report on people indicated that the city shelter strategy to house people experiencing homelessness in hotel spaces is working. The lease on one of those spaces, the Roehampton Hotel in midtown Toronto could be extended to 2024. Originally, the lease was set to expire this spring, as a development has
According to news release, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) is “modifying its approach to deployment of police officers in the city’s transit system.” Beginning today, March 13, TPS is scaling back the use of additional officers staffed by “callback shifts,” which, according to TPS, were used “to support the TTC in partnership with the City
The nurses, doctors and healthcare workers who have been saving lives against all odds in Toronto are getting the recognition they deserve through a world’s best hospitals ranking that placed three Toronto hospitals in the top 50 and one in the top 10. American publication Newsweek just released their annual World’s Best Hospitals list, ranking
It wasn’t easy for Kaitlin and her husband to find the right couples counsellor. “It took us maybe two-and-a-half years to get in to see somebody,” said the Toronto-based freelance human resources consultant, who asked not to use her last name. Earlier in their search, either prospective therapists didn’t seem compatible with the couple or
As always, it’s a pretty bittersweet time to be a woman. Although there is certainly a spotlight on women’s rights, issues such as gender bias, gender-based violence, the wage gap and other threats to gender equality remain systemic and are threaded through all aspects of women’s lives. International Women’s Day exists to celebrate the achievements
Mayor John Tory has chosen Bell Let’s Talk Day to call for a national summit to address the “mental health crisis” in Toronto and beyond, but many Torontonians aren’t impressed. Tory released a statement on Wednesday pointing to an increased demand for psychological services in Ontario and suggesting that a lack of mental health supports
With temperatures plunging below zero, biting winds ripping through layers of clothing, those experiencing homelessness in the city are at risk like no other time of year. People die. And that begs the question whether or not the city is doing enough to protect them. According to recent Toronto Public Health (TPH) data, there’s been
Move over, “Weird Al” Yankovic, there’s a new parody songwriter on the scene — and he’s a 67-year-old retired healthcare professional from Leaside. “I guess this is my sixth career now — I’m an amateur songwriter,” says Gary Kapelus, who held several positions with hospitals and in academia before retiring back in 2016. Since the
This month marks what could possibly be the most boring and poorly attended election in the city’s history. And I’d like to know why. Let’s start with what we know. We know that many of the city’s most progressive and veteran councillors quit. The list is a long one and includes both deputy mayors, veterans
Many residents of central Toronto who live within a few kilometres of the Don Valley Parkway, Highway 404 and other roadways are all too familiar with the noise. The peace of a quiet evening at the park or at home in bed with the window open is broken by the high decibels emitted by modified
Did you develop a new appreciation for sand sculpture or were you always a fan? I absolutely appreciate sand sculptures. I knew nothing about sand sculptures. Absolutely nothing. And I was enthralled by, you know, the art at the end of the day. What’s the strangest thing that happened? Probably the tide coming in. Like
In a statement released this morning, the city of Toronto is reporting that Mayor John Tory tested positive for COVID-19. “I am thankful that I have been fully vaccinated and have the best protection possible against COVID-19. I know this also gives me the best chance at a quick recovery so I can be back
