17 h. ago Doug Ford and Mark Carney have first meeting over breakfast at Toronto diner

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney came together for their first face-to-face meeting on Wednesday morning, ahead of Ford's upcoming trip to Washington D.C. to address the ongoing trade issues with the U.S. The breakfast meeting was held at Wally's Grill in Etobicoke, located at 123 Rexdale Blvd., and was a chance for the two leaders to strategize on how to approach U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration regarding tariffs and free trade concerns. "This morning, I met with Mark Carney, Canada's incoming prime minister for a positive and productive discussion," Ford wrote in a statement posted to X.The premier emphasized the importance of holding ground against U.S. tariffs, writing that he and Carney agreed "on the need to stand firm and strong in the face of President Trump's threats, including additional retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, which will raise costs for American businesses and...

Transport

40 h. ago These identical house designs could soon appear all over Ontario

After more than a year of planning and consultation, the Government of Canada has released today the final details of its Housing Design Catalogue — dozens of standardized templates to help achieve housing affordability for low-density infill developments.In preparation for the full rollout of the catalogue, the federal government is providing final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building design details to provide builders with a head start to consider using these templates and begin planning.The intention is to reduce design and construction costs and simplify and accelerate housing approvals and construction for builders who choose to use these templates. As well, these templates help estimate construction costs."These standardized designs will help smaller homebuilders cut through the complexity, speeding up the time between concept and construction and lowering costs of building," said Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, the federal minister of housing, infrastruct...

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6 d. ago Toronto college campus known from TV hit Degrassi is shutting down

The iconic East York campus of Toronto's Centennial College — which is perhaps best known for once starring as the backdrop for the popular Degrassi High TV series — will soon start to wind down operations as it prepares to shut its doors in the coming year.Debuting in 1994 as the school's Story Arts Centre, the facility at the corner of Carlaw and Mortimer avenues has welcomed more than 1,000 of Centennial's full-time communications, media, arts and design students annually, after originally having served as an Ontario Teachers College and then a filming site for many years.But, as is the case with an array of post-secondary institutions in Ontario lately, Centennial has been facing financial stresses, driven in large part by the sudden erosion of the international student body following amendments to Canada's student visa and immigration programs. So, it is making some additional cutbacks, after already announcing in January that it was di...

Culture

7 d. ago Ontario fears tariff reprieve for automakers is designed to move jobs to U.S.

Speaking at Queen's Park, Doug Ford said he and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were aligned in their demand that tariffs be scrapped, not reduced or delayed.

Economics

8 d. ago Free festival in Toronto will bring Ontario Place back to life

A breathtaking free arts festival will soon be taking over Toronto's Trillium Park, bringing life — and light — back to Ontario Place.Returning for its 6th year, the annual Lumiere Festival is gearing up for their brightest year yet, decorating Trillium Park with 14 original works by Ontario-based artists and designers.While news surrounding Ontario Place and Trillium Park is all too frequently disappointing, given the provincial government's plans to redevelop the public space into a luxury spa with an enormous parking lot, Lumiere marks a rare bit of positivity surrounding the waterfront property.Running from March 10 to April 4, you'll be able to explore over a dozen inventive, illumuminated works, ranging from illustrations to sculptures, and more than a few interactive works that defy categorization.    View this post on Instagram           A post shared by Ontario Place (@ontarioplace)T...

Culture

2 w. ago Ontario Chuck E. Cheese's rumoured to be headed for rare international designation

You don't need to have ever stepped foot in a Chuck E. Cheese's in your life to know what the iconic business is all about, or that it has been revived since its parent company, CEC Entertainment, filed for bankruptcy over the pandemic.The chain of mechanical rat pizza and child casinos, in the words of online jokesters, is actually doing quite phenomenally, all things considered: it saw a $288 million jump in revenue from 2019 to 2023, remains a common subject of cultural reference 48 years after its founding, and still boasts a whopping 482 locations across the U.S. and Canada.Even though only 11 of these are north of the border, one local outpost of the kids' party place is allegedly on track to achieve legendary status, reserved for only a handful of Chuck E. Cheeses in the world. (Whether the restaurant still technically has or doesn't have an apostrophe 's' at the end of its name is up for debate.)There are what CEC Entert...

Society

3 w. ago The history of 'The Forum' one of Toronto's greatest outdoor concert venues

There was always something so magical about spending a summer evening at the Ontario Place Forum. With the warm breeze and the lake glistening in the background, concertgoers would lounge around on the surrounding hills while their favourite artists took the stage. From classic rock legends to jazz icons, there wasn't a bad seat in the house, and for many, The Forum was one of the best concert venues the city ever had. Although it was demolished in 1994, its 23-year history remains a treasured part of Toronto's musical legacy. Following the success of Montreal's Expo 67, Toronto decided it was time to revitalize its waterfront. As a result, the Toronto Harbour Commission developed a plan to transform the 155-acre stretch of land along the city's lakefront, the product of which was Ontario Place.Victor Feldbrill and the Toronto Symphony at the Ontario Place Forum. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.Designed by German-Canadian architect Eberhard Zeidler and ...

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