5 h. ago Toronto's iconic dog fountain is getting a massive refresh this winter

Toronto's iconic dog fountain is getting a major refresh this winter, as the City prepares to hire a vendor that will repair and repaint the 27 dog sculptures (and the often overlooked but never forgotten, lone cat) that make up the centrepiece of Old Town's Berczy Park.Legendary Canadian landscape architect Claude Cormier (1960-2023) was the mastermind behind the fountain and led the renowned design firm, Claude Cormier + Associés, now known as CCxA, during the overhaul of Berczy Park. The studio is responsible for several major public spaces across Toronto and Montreal, including Sugar Beach and Love Park.Berczy Park's redesign was officially unveiled in June 2017 after extensive consultation with the Old Town Toronto neighbourhood, and quickly became one of Cormier's most recognizable works throughout his illustrious career.However, over time, the sculptures in the park have aged, and the once-vivid four-legged friends that surround the two-t...

Other

7 h. ago Huge crowds descended on Imperial Pub's last call after over 80 years in Toronto

Masses came out to support a Toronto pub on its final weekend in business after 81 years serving up thirsty patrons.It has been a year of heartbreaking restaurant and bar closures in Toronto, but few losses resonated with the public quite like the news that the Imperial Pub's taps would run dry after generations at Dundas St. E. and Victoria in downtown Toronto.Last call for the Imperial finally arrived this past weekend, and throngs of the pub's loyal patrons flooded the bar to celebrate its longevity and get one last pint in before the doors closed for good at the end of a raucous Saturday night.Damn... pic.twitter.com/ZlKG1E8ZWI— Karon Liu (@karonliu) November 14, 2025Long lines snaked around the block.If you're planning to say goodbye to the Imperial Pub today, we suggest going early, these were the scenes last night. pic.twitter.com/bSXQcAjExe— West End Phoenix (@westendphoenix) November 15, 2025The bar and surrounding businesses are destined to be demol...

Other

4 d. ago PETHERBRIDGE: Public engagement isn’t a box to tick, councillor

Toronto Councillor Dianne Saxe has been in the spotlight lately, and not for positive reasons. On several major proposals, she stands accused of limiting or outright bypassing public consultation. It’s a pattern of communication that keeps leaving residents feeling blindsided, even when the city’s formal consultation boxes are ticked. In fact, when Councillor Stephen Holyday […]

Other

6 d. ago Toronto's newest park is now open but don't get too attached to it

Toronto's newest park is officially open, but you might not want to get too attached to the freshly debuted public space at 50 Queens Quay East.Menkes Developments and the City of Toronto unveiled the new 10,000 square-metre park on Monday, Nov. 10, delivered as part of Menkes' Sugar Wharf community. The space introduces a new public amenity to the rapidly evolving eastern waterfront, though, in typical Toronto fashion, this park is set to be ripped up in the not-too-distant future to be replaced by… another park.This temporary nature is reflected in the space's name, "Park in Progress," and its minimalist look from landscape architect O2 Planning and Design.With a permanent replacement a few years down the road, this space was never envisioned to be a masterpiece. A few notches above purely utilitarian, it is intended for community use in the interim while plans are forged for a permanent destination for this site.Park features include vast ex...

Other

7 d. ago Toronto neighbourhood wants to stop cheap homes so they can keep parking spaces

A Toronto neighbourhood is pushing back against plans to replace a well-used public parking lot in the community with a massive new housing development. Residents of Toronto's Fairbank neighbourhood are rallying to save a public parking lot at 9 Shortt St., which sits adjacent to a church and a Dollarama store near Dufferin Street and Eglinton Avenue West.The City-owned lot, which provides over 100 parking spaces, is set to be transformed into a mixed-income, transit-oriented housing development — a decision, some locals argue, could have a devastating impact on nearby small businesses and community institutions. A petition, which has already garnered over 340 signatures as of Monday afternoon, has been launched to push back against the lot's redevelopment. "Many small businesses would be forced to close or relocate due to the loss of parking for their clients and customers. Street parking in the surrounding neighbourhood is already extrem...

Other

1 week ago Ford government supervisors can charge $350K per year to school boards

Several school boards in Ontario, including Toronto public, Toronto Catholic and Ottawa-Carleton, have been under the management of supervisors for months.

Politics

1 week ago Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement spends day after World Series heartbreak at Rochester pub

Infielder spent Sunday at the Pittsford Pub in Rochester watching the Buffalo Bills, just hours after Game 7 heartbreak.

Culture

2 w. ago “Piccini must go”: new poll shows majority want Labour Minister fired for Skills Development Fund corruption

TORONTO — New public opinion research reveals that a majority of Ontarians believe Labour Minister David Piccini should resign or be removed from Doug Ford’s cabinet because of the ongoing stream of scandals surrounding the government’s Skills Development Fund (SDF). In an Abacus Data poll commissioned by CUPE Ontario, 52% of respondents think that Minister […]

Events

2 w. ago Tentative Agreement Reached Between University of Toronto Press and Bookstore and CUPE 3261

TORONTO — After months of negotiations, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3261 has reached a tentative agreement for more than 100 warehouse and retail workers at the University of Toronto Press and Bookstore. The agreement, once ratified by CUPE members and their employer, will avoid a rare strike at Canada’s oldest university publisher, […]

Society

2 w. ago Vaccine records aren’t up to date for more than half of Ottawa, Toronto students assessed: public health

Over half of Toronto and Ottawa students lack up-to-date vaccine records, exposing flaws in Ontario’s outdated reporting system as measles threatens Canada’s elimination status.

Sport

3 w. ago There's an event series in Toronto that teaches you how to pair pizza with wine

Struggling to pick the perfect pinot noir to pair with your pepperoni slice? There's an event series in Toronto that'll teach you everything you need to know about pairing your pies.If you're the type of person who takes a sip of wine and can only identify notes of, well, wine , on your palate, choosing the perfect bottle to pair with your dinner can be a daunting task, indeed.That's why Freehouse Collective, the hospitality team behind Toronto favourites like Belfast Love and The Walrus, created Cold Pizza Wine Club: an event series that teaches you wine basics while you nibble on pizza. Don't worry: despite the event's name, the pizza actually is served hot. And, really, where better to start learning something new than over a fresh-out-the-oven pizza?The series has held events at the Walrus in the past, but, for their next trick, they're moving things to Freehouse's newest Toronto property, The Ballyhoo Public House, for their f...

Other

3 w. ago New 'landmark' park opening in 2028 could end up being one of Toronto's coolest

New parks in Toronto have a history of lacklustre design, but the City is hoping to put that all in the past with the launch of an international design competition for a forthcoming public space set to open in 2028.The City announced the design competition on Thursday for the municipally-owned site at 34 Hanna Ave. in the Liberty Village neighbourhood. Currently home to a Toronto Parking Authority surface lot and a temporary public space set up ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the park is set to be transformed into what the City hails as a "vibrant green space."Before the parking lot can be converted into a park, the two-stage design competition will call on landscape architecture and design firms from across the globe to forge visions for this mostly barren expanse of asphalt.The competition's first stage will see teams submit their qualifications by Friday, Nov. 28, after which, City officials will comb through the qualifications and work experience of the b...

Other

3 w. ago People in Toronto just won't stop pushing for the SkyDome name to return

Toronto sports fans are rallying to bring back the long-lost SkyDome brand, or rather, the ballpark many stubbornly refuse to call the Rogers Centre. There is a renewed push to reclaim the stadium's original identity amid the Toronto Blue Jays' historic run to the 2025 World Series.Toronto residents have created several petitions over the years, calling for the venue to revert to the SkyDome. Campaigns to reclaim the stadium name seem to pop up every time the Jays are in the spotlight, one example being a 2015 campaign to "Give us back our SkyDome," coinciding with another Jays postseason run.A seemingly widespread desire to return the dome to its roots has even received a major celebrity endorsement.Renowned Scarborough-born singer, Abel Tesfaye, more commonly known by his stage name, The Weeknd, publicly called for the change back in July, when the Toronto Star quoted him as saying, "Can we start a petit...

Other

3 w. ago Toronto’s Finch West LRT on course for public opening on Dec. 7: sources

The news comes as the TTC prepares to take full control of the route from provincial transit agency Metrolinx after the route completed 30 days of operational testing unscathed. 

Other

3 w. ago B.C.’s ‘Cost Recovery’ Act on Vaping, Could Become a Costly Mistake

Canadian Vaping Association Warns Proposed BC Cost Recovery Act Undermines Public Health, Penalizes Harm Reduction, and Threatens Small Business Toronto, ON, Oct. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — British Columbia’s proposed Bill 24, aka the Vaping Products Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act seeks to make the regulated vaping industry financially liable for alleged and future public health costs, sets a dangerous […]

Economics

3 w. ago Rare Books: Workers at University of Toronto Press and Bookstore set scene for a strike in Canada’s book publishing industry

TORONTO, ON — The clock has been set for a potentially historic moment – a possible strike in the book publishing industry. Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3261 who work at the University of Toronto Press and Bookstore requested a “no board” report from the Ontario Labour Relations Board yesterday evening. […]

Society

3 w. ago Allied Gold Announces Filing of Prospectus Supplement in Connection With Previously Announced Overnight Marketed Equity Offering

Prospectus Supplement and Base Shelf Prospectus Accessible on SEDAR+ NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR THE DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION, RELEASE OR PUBLICATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES. TORONTO, Oct. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Allied Gold Corporation (TSX:AAUC) (NYSE: AAUC) (“Allied” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce […]

Other

4 w. ago Military assault boats and hundreds of soldiers to invade Toronto waterfront

Don't freak out if you notice a sudden military presence in downtown Toronto in the coming days, as an "amphibious training exercise" is set to take place in the heart of the city next weekend.A Toronto Army Reserves exercise planned along the city's waterfront will involve 300 Canadian Armed Forces members from across the 32 Canadian Brigade Group simulating a mass-casualty evacuation.Conducted as part of Exercise Steadfast Response, the simulated crisis will take over an area stretching from near Exhibition Place to the Keating Channel.As part of the exercise, the public may witness military assault boats on Toronto Harbour, travelling from HMCS York to the exercise site in the Port Lands, in conjunction with military land vehicles on local roads in the downtown area.A Canadian Forces notice explains that "All measures are being taken to ensure minimum inconvenience in these areas during the exercise dates," and advises the public "to take ext...

Events