3 h. ago If trustees are no longer in charge of the Thames Valley school board, who is?

Ontario education minister Paul Calandra has put the Thames Valley District school board – home to 84,000 students – under Queen’s Park supervision following a controversial three-day Toronto retreat by top officials last summer that cost $38,000. Investigators, auditing the board’s books, found a lack of financial oversight in the budgeting process led to a […]

Society

22 h. ago Toronto's foremost cherry blossom expert is getting honoured by Japan

Toronto's most iconic cherry blossom expert is getting his well-deserved flowers as he receives a special honour from Matsunaga Takeshi, Consul-General of Japan.It's almost impossible to discuss Toronto's breathtaking High Park cherry blossoms without the city's resident sakura expert, who fittingly goes by the name Sakura Steve online, entering the discourse.Steven Joniak, the man behind Sakura in High Park, has been Toronto's (and blogTO's) source for cherry blossom updates ever since he launched his website in 2012, supplementing his journey with extensive research on the trees.To date, Steve is the foremost authority for Toronto residents keen to catch the peak bloom every year, providing weekly updates and, at times, braving less-than-ideal conditions from March to May as the trees progress.While Steve has certainly earned his fair share of recognition over the years, he's now about to receive an official honour for all of his contributions...

Other

22 h. ago Ontario Place megaspa company fires back after making international headlines

It's been nearly four years since residents first learned of the major players tapped to redevelop Ontario Place, the expansive lakeshore green space that for many years served as the best amusement park in Toronto, if not the entire province.That also means it's been just as many years of drama surrounding the overhaul, as the public quickly became aware of how much of the space it would be losing to private entities, and at what cost — to taxpayers, the environment, and more.There had been propositions to build everything from a casino and condos to a landmark Ferris wheel and public gardens on the 155-acre property, some of these ideas being understandably less popular than others.In the end, the key brand that the provincial government selected to take over the coveted lands was Therme Group, an Austria-based spa company that will build a wellness facility that ...

Society

3 d. ago Toronto neighbourhood wants their garbage day changed so people can party more

One Toronto neighbourhood is appealing to the City for a change in garbage day, arguing that the presence of loaded bins is hindering the vibes for its end-of-week party crowd.If any neighbourhood in the city could possibly get away with fighting for a change in garbage day to better support partying, it would be Ossington, and, according to a motion set to go before City Council later this week, that's exactly what they're doing."As we approach the patio season, the busiest evenings for hospitality and retail services in the west-end areas of Ossington, Queen West, and College Promenade are Thursday through Saturday," the agenda item opens.Currently, however, the neighbourhood's garbage day coincides with the peak period on Thursday evenings, "which has been identified as a less-than-ideal time for both residents and businesses," it goes on to say.A letter from Meg Marshall, the manager of the Ossington BIA, argues that not only do garbage ...

Culture

5 d. ago The history of Queen's Park's chaotic opening day in Ontario

Today, Queen's Park is the nerve centre of Ontario's provincial government and a familiar landmark in Toronto. The impressive Romanesque Revival building, which is made of pink Credit Valley sandstone, has been home to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1893.It also houses the Lieutenant Governor's suite and offices for Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), but what you might not know is that its opening day was quite a bit…quirky.In 1859, the City leased the area from King's College, and the following year, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) opened up a park in honour of his mother, Queen Victoria. The park was long considered a location for new parliament buildings, and between 1879 and 1880, their construction was officially authorized by the Ontario Legislature and city council.Queen's Park circa 1893. Photo: Toronto Public Library Archives.Ultimately, the commission was awarded to Richard Waite of Buffalo in 1886, a choice that sparked q...

Other

1 week ago Toronto’s ‘cherry blossom watch’ says it’s almost time for popular spring pilgrimage

Toronto's largest public park says its famous cherry blossom trees are showing their first signs of impending bloom.

Other

2 w. ago Rebel News sues Crown corporation for allegedly trying to stop Donald Trump Jr. event

The 2024 event went ahead without a hitch at Toronto's Downsview Park, but the lawsuit claims it happened despite a campaign by Canada Lands Company Ltd. to stop it

Other

3 w. ago Here's when you could see Toronto's cherry blossoms in full bloom for 2025

After a few false starts, there's no denying now that spring has officially sprung in Toronto, and with it comes the return of one of the city's most spectacular sights: the annual cherry blossom bloom in High Park.It's been a rollercoaster few weeks for Toronto, weather-wise, after blustry lows, an ice storm, biblical levels of rain fall and, to cap it all off, a summerlike Thursday with temperatures reaching 20 degrees Celsius. Not that I'm complaining — not about that last part, at least — but I couldn't help wondering how the dramatic temperature swings would affect the city's most-anticipated plant life.But according to the latest update from Toronto's resident cherry blossom expert, Sakura Steve, High Park's cherry blossoms appear to be utterly unfazed by the unpredictable weather.Steve says that, even in spite of nearly every type of weather imaginable being unleashed on the city within a seven-day span, the buds are continuing to grow, and have off...

Other

3 w. ago Two beloved neighbourhood institutions in Toronto to be replaced with new tenants

Two long-standing local businesses in a Toronto neighbourhood are about to get taken over by some exciting tenants.It's never easy to see cherished local businesses — especially those that have been fixtures for years — close down, and even less so to see someone else move in; especially when it all too frequently ends up being the fifth cannabis dispensary in a 2-kilometre radius, or a new location of a chain no one really asked for.In the case of Leslieville, though, it just so happens that two beloved businesses that have closed their doors in the past year or so have both been scooped up by new tenants, and they're both small, local businesses.As a one-time east side resident for many years, when Reliable Fish and Chips shut down after nearly 100 years, I was absolutely shattered. Did I eat there frequently? No, but something about the loss of such a lengthy history really struck me deep.Months after the closure was officially announced, though, some deeply exciting ...

Other

3 w. ago Iconic red canoe overlooking the Gardiner destroyed in suspected arson

Toronto Police are investigating a suspected arson after the iconic red canoe at Canoe Landing Park in downtown Toronto was destroyed in a fire early Wednesday morning. A police spokesperson says cops and fire were called to the scene near Fort York Boulevard and Dan Leckie Way around 2:42 a.m. on Wednesday for a reports […]

Other

3 w. ago Iconic red canoe in downtown Toronto park destroyed by overnight fire

Officials say the iconic red canoe at Canoe Landing Park in downtown Toronto has been destroyed by an overnight fire.

Events

3 w. ago ‘Means the world’: Tiny home removed from Toronto park after resident given full time housing

After years of experiencing homelessness, a Toronto man is celebrating a fresh start as he moves into permanent housing with the help of Tiny Tiny Homes.

Other

3 w. ago Ontario residents will get payments from the government next week

Good news for people living in Ontario: your monthly Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) payment will arrive soon.Many residents will see an OTB deposit in their accounts in just over a week, on April 10.This benefit is usually paid out on the 10th of each month unless there's a bank holiday or weekend, in which case, payments are issued on the last working day before the 10th.Ontario Trillium Benefit: Are you eligible?The OTB is a tax-free mix of three payments: the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, and the Ontario Sales Tax Credit.You should be eligible for at least one of the three of the aforementioned credits to receive money.For the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, you could get a maximum of $1,248 if you are between 18 and 64 years old, $1,421 if you are 65 or older, $277 if you live on a reserve or in a public long-term care home, and $25 for the time you lived in a designated college, university, or private school residence in 202...

Politics

3 w. ago These were the best April Fools' Day pranks in Ontario this year

If you haven't caught on yet, it's officially April Fools' Day 2025 in Toronto, and as anticipated, many local attractions, businesses, and restaurants are taking to social media in hopes of pranking their followers and customers.From unrealistic moves to head-scratching and custom-made drinks for your four-legged friends, here are our picks for the best April Fools' Day pranks that tricked people in Toronto this year.Canada's Wonderland relocationDid you hear? Canada's Wonderland is relocating! Well, not actually, but plenty of people fell for this prank posted by the amusement park's social team this morning.    View this post on Instagram           A post shared by Canada's Wonderland (@canadaswonderland)The team joked that the park will be relocating to Wonder Island in 2031, a custom-built island located right by downtown Toronto. One person even asked if the amusement park would be providing a...

Other

3 w. ago The history of the Selby Hotel in Toronto and its connection to Ernest Hemingway

The Selby Hotel, once located at 592 Sherbourne St., is a Victorian mansion with a history that spans over 140 years and boasts an interesting connection to writer Ernest Hemingway.Originally built for Henry Falwell Gooderham, a member of the influential Gooderham family, the mansion was designed by renowned architect David Roberts Jr. between 1882 and 1883.Roberts Jr. also designed many buildings in Toronto's Distillery District, and is perhaps most known for his iconic Gooderham Flatiron Building at 49 Wellington St.The Selby Hotel in 1940. Photo by City of Toronto Archives.The red brick mansion's Queen Anne Revival style pays homage to the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, and was constructed during a residential boom in Toronto.During the time it was built, the St. James Town neighbourhood was home to several of the city's most affluent families, and many grand Victorian homes sat on Sherbourne Street. However, only a few of these original mansions remain int...

Other

4 w. ago Downtown Toronto park to be renovated for second time in just a few years

A Toronto park that was just refurbished in 2019 is set to once again be ripped up for a second beautification project just a few years later — but, residents need not worry about any misallocation of public funds, as the revamp is being funded by the local billionaire family behind the Loblaws empire.The Westons, among the richest families in the country, have just offered up a whopping $50 million through their philanthropic arms toward improving Queen's Park North, the top half of the central downtown green space frequented by tourists, U of T students, TTC riders and more.The park sits a stone's throw away from, among other notable sites, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), which the Westons have also supported with their wealth over the years. It also lies right outside the doors of the Ontario Legislative Building, where former Lieutenant Governor (and wife to Loblaws heir Galen Weston Jr.) Hilary Weston used to work — apparently something that...

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