3 d. ago CFL in spotlight this week as good TV matchup backstops Grey Cup Festival

Tom Mayenknecht: Sports betting scandals cast cloud over future of prop wagering.

Culture

3 d. ago Toronto's Distillery Winter Village warns of scam as Christmas market opens

Toronto's world-famous Distillery District Winter Village officially kicked off its Christmas countdown on Thursday, bringing lots of festive lights, local food vendors, and the highly anticipated lighting ceremony for its massive Christmas tree to the cobblestone streets of the former Gooderham & Worts distillery.While you may be eager to secure your tickets to the festive end-of-year tradition, there's an online scam that Christmas marketgoers need to be aware of this year.Social media users have flagged a website, "tochristmasmarket.com," which appears to be selling fake tickets to the Winter Village.A Reddit post highlighting the website received more than 305 upvotes and 50 comments before being deleted, with many users urging others to report the site as a phishing attempt to Google.Many flagged that tickets for the Distillery Winter Village are only sold through the official website, with general admission tickets running for $18.65 and express...

Culture

3 d. ago Distillery Winter Village 2025 features foods from some of Canada's top chefs

The 2025 Distillery Winter Village is home to a brand-new concept featuring foods from some of Canada's best chefs.The triumphs — and occasional tribulations — of food at the Distillery District's annual Winter Village have been well documented over the years.From festive favourites like hot chocolate and roasted nuts to more out-of-the-box offerings like Yorkshire Pudding Burritos (which, I'm pleased to report, are back this year), the food is, inarguably, a pinnacle of the market every year.After the market officially opened for the 2025 season on Nov. 13, it's evident that this year will be no different on the food front, and not just because of the bites you can find at vendor stalls around the market.Brand new to the Distillery Winter Village this year, Chef's Alley is the latest and greatest food addition to the market, featuring four specially-crafted dishes from four of Canada's most iconic chefs.While your standard pretzels...

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3 d. ago Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District is now open and here's what it's like

The annual Toronto Christmas market is back at the Distillery District for 2025, marking the official kick-off to the winter holiday season.Thursday marked the Distillery Winter Village opening night, giving early attendees a first glimpse at this year's selection of local vendors, festive lights and, of course, the much-anticipated lighting ceremony for the massive Christmas tree.Check out what this year's Distillery Winter Village looks like in this photo gallery

Culture

4 d. ago Canada’s Most Iconic Christmas Tree Lights Up The 2025 Distillery Winter Village

Toronto’s World-Famous Christmas Market, Presented by L’Oréal Paris, Now Open for the Holiday Season Toronto, ON, Canada, Nov. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On November 13 at Toronto’s Distillery Historic District, thousands of onlookers filled the cobblestone streets to help Santa light the 2025 Christmas Tree, marking the official start of The Distillery Winter Village, […]

Culture

5 d. ago Distillery District, Canada’s Wonderland holiday hot spots open this week

Winter-themed destinations operating until early January to warm spirits of festival-goers

Society

8 d. ago Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander to be key figure during Grey Cup week

The Grey Cup spotlight will be on Davis Alexander this week in Winnipeg. The Montreal quarterback takes an unblemished 13-0 career record as a CFL starter into the Alouettes’ Grey Cup showdown with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Nov. 16. But all eyes will be on the charismatic American leading up to the big game after […]

Culture

1 week ago Toronto's St. Lawrence Market transforming into magical winter destination this month

One of Toronto's most iconic landmarks is transforming into a whimsical winter wonderland just in time for the holidays.The Distillery District Winter Village tends to get all the credit when it comes to Toronto's holiday traditions, and it's not without good reason, but another one of the city's historic landmarks has been quietly climbing up the ranks in terms of holiday cheer, too.For a second year running, St. Lawrence Market is gearing up to unleash whimsical winter magic on the city with the return of its Winter Market.Taking over Market Street for an entire month this holiday season, the market will see the pedestrian street turned into a winter village plucked straight from your most festive fantasies, with a slew of local vendors, live performances, seasonal food and drinks, and maybe even an appearance from Santa Claus or two.    View this post on Instagram           A post...

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1 week ago B.C.'s favourite breakfast spot opens in Toronto this week and here's what you need to try

At long last, a hugely popular breakfast chain based in B.C. is gearing up to launch its first-ever Toronto location this November.It's always a thrill when popular chains from our friends in Western Canada finally decide to venture east, and 2025 has been a particularly fruitful one on that front.This year alone, we've gotten high-profile spots like The Lunch Lady, new neighbourhood staples like Central Taps and one-of-a-kind ventures like Saku, but things aren't slowing down any time soon.The latest West Coast venture to put its stamp on the city is Vancouver's Yolks, gearing up to open its first Toronto location in just a few days.Founded in 2012 as a bright blue food truck, Yolks has spent the past 13 years cementing itself as a local staple, expanding to an impressive three locations in B.C., plus one in Ottawa.For Yolks' founder Chef Steve Ewing, a Toronto native who grew up on The Esplanade before heading to Vancouver for culinary school, bringing the...

Other

1 week ago Here are the festive new foods you can find at the Distillery District Winter Village 2025

Can you hear those silver bells, Toronto? Believe it or not, it's almost Christmastime in the city once again, and that means the return of the Distillery District Winter Village.Perhaps Toronto's most cherished (certainly one of its best-attended) holiday season traditions, the annual Winter Village sees the historic Distillery District transformed into a festive European-inspired Christmas market.But you didn't really need me to tell you that, did you? It's all anyone can post about from November to January.Well, the time is almost here once again. The market's pinnacle, an enormous, 55-foot tree bedecked in over 80,000 lights, has been raised and is currently in the process of getting dressed for opening night on Thursday, Nov. 13.The market is packed to the metaphorical rafters (it's outside, of course) with all manner of holiday magic, from carolling elves to festive photo-ops abounding, but, for many, the real draw is the food.Every year, the market spa...

Other

1 week ago Huge tree hoisted at Distillery District to kick off holiday season in Toronto

A huge tree was delivered to Toronto's Distillery District on Monday, an unofficial kick-off to the holiday season in the city as the historic destination prepares to host its annual Distillery Winter Village.The popular holiday market is back again in 2025, set to kick off with a tree-lighting ceremony taking place at 6 p.m. on opening night, Nov. 13, 2025, and running through Jan. 4, 2026. But passersby in the Distillery District in early November are already being treated to a preview of the enormous tree that will serve as the centrepiece of this year's festivities.The 55-foot-tall tree will soon be adorned with 80,000 Christmas lights — but the public will have to wait just a bit longer until the official tree lighting later this month to witness the full display.Check out this photo gallery of the massive new tree at the Distillery District.

Society

2 w. ago Huge fashion event returns with runway shows at secret venues throughout Toronto

The city is set to transform into one big runway as it gears up to host Fashion Art Toronto (FAT) Fall/Winter 1664 Fashion Week, a biannual showcase now in its 20th year, spotlighting emerging and established designers.FAT F/W 25 takes on the theme RE:FORM, exploring how Toronto's fashion landscape can be rebuilt and reimagined, and runs for six days this month.The spectacle kicks off on Nov. 10 at Woodside Square with an opening party and debut show by Suburban Deviant, a brand helmed by Canadian artist Danny Welsch.A series of off-site activations will follow, including a Styling Lounge at Le Germain Hotel, House of Hendo's runway show inside a historic church in West Queen West, and an immersive runway experience in a downtown warehouse presented by Sagradessa and Fashion Presents Mario Fugnitto.FAT is strategically keeping key details under wraps for now, including the exact locations for shows presented by House of Hendo, Sagradessa, and Mario Fugnitto, w...

Other

2 w. ago Canada's Wonderland fires back at complaints about Halloween Haunt

Canada's Wonderland's annual Halloween Haunt has been a spooky season staple for thrillseekers across the Greater Toronto Area, and while the event remains one of the hottest tickets in town this season, some underwhelmed guests say the Haunt has lost its edge this year.Visitors have taken to social media to express frustration with what they characterize as a downgrade from previous years, including complaints alleging fewer scare actors, an additional $10 fee to enter the mazes, and an overcrowded park filled with younger children.One Reddit user noted, "Wicked Hollow had 3 scare actors in it, and the area was weirdly well-lit. A couple of years ago, it was dark and smoky, and had 6-7 scare actors (and was much better)." Others echoed similar frustrations, with one user writing that "the mazes are the exact same year after year" and that "there were MUCH fewer scare actors in the mazes. We barely saw any act...

Events

2 w. ago Canada's Wonderland will be decked out in 7 million lights this holiday season

Canada's Wonderland is transforming for the holiday season with the return of WinterFest, the sixth edition of the colourful seasonal event that's become a holiday staple at the park.This year's edition of WinterFest — debuting in mid-November — will deck the park in twinkling lights and offer visitors everything from themed attractions to in-park entertainment.Each night kicks off with a tree lighting ceremony on International Street, where two 50-foot Christmas trees will come to life with thousands of lights and ornaments. But the Christmas trees aren't the only things that will light up at the park.WinterFest boasts a total of seven million lights ready to set the park aglow each night of the event.Visitors can enjoy over 40 attractions and experiences, from live shows and skating to festive eats and shopping. This year also brings two new performances: Small Town Snowmance, a love story presented by the Wonderland Player...

Society

3 w. ago Ontario's Blue Mountain Resort adding its own version of a 'fast pass' for skiing

If you're a skier or snowboarder in the GTA, there's nowhere that can really compete with Blue Mountain. Yes, the Collingwood resort is pretty minuscule compared to competitors in B.C.,  Alberta, and elsewhere in the world, but it's the biggest we've got in Ontario, with 43 trails and 147 hectares (364 acres) of skiable terrain.As such, the slopes at Blue can get quite packed during peak times. While this has been somewhat balanced out by options like the 5x7 pass, which doesn't include weekend-day riding, the resort's parent company has turned to more extreme options for the upcoming season: a controversial fast pass of sorts.Employed for years at high-traffic attractions like Canada's Wonderland and, more recently, the CNE, fast passes are both loathed and celebrated, depending on whether you're willing to shell out the extra bucks to skip long lineups after you've already paid a hefty price for admission.Blue ...

Other

3 w. ago Canada's Wonderland turning everything blue and white ahead of World Series

World Series hype has taken over the entire country, and Canada's Wonderland is getting in on the bandwagon by painting two of its landmarks in blue light to support the Toronto Blue Jays' historic postseason run.A bit of a pivot from the spooky seasonal lighting scheme of Wonderland's ongoing Halloween Haunt, the theme park will bathe its iconic Wonder Mountain as well as its Windseeker attraction in blue and white light to cheer on the Toronto Blue Jays.In a Thursday press release, Canada's Wonderland noted that the new blue lighting "is not to be confused with 'Dodgers Blue,' of course!"In addition to Wonder Mountain and Windseeker's temporary blue illumination, Wonderland staff will don Toronto Blue Jays baseball caps on game days for the duration of Halloween Haunt.Wonderland will boast this temporary blue look starting Thursday, Oct. 23, through Sunday, Oct. 26, and will extend next week from Thursday, Oct. 30, to Saturday, Nov. 1, sh...

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3 w. ago Toronto’s Distillery Winter Village Unwraps 2025 Programming Lineup

Returning November 13, 2025 – January 4, 2026, Toronto’s world-famous Christmas market reveals new experiences, culinary collaborations and festive entertainment Toronto, ON, Canada, Oct. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, The Distillery Winter Village presented by L’Oréal Paris, announced its 2025 programming line-up as it prepares to transform Toronto’s Distillery Historic District into an enchanting […]

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