14 h. ago 10 facts we bet you didn't know about this unique Toronto museum turning 30 this year

Toronto is a city of many things, one of them being that it's the home of nearly 60 galleries and museums covering a diverse range of subjects. Now, one of the city's most iconic museums is celebrating a new milestone!Proudly celebrating 30 years of bringing Toronto unique perspectives on historical footwear, the Bata Shoe Museum is fondly reflecting on its past while looking ahead to its bright future.But a 30-year milestone doesn't come without its history-making moments. To celebrate 30 years, take a look at some of the most important celebrations in Bata Shoe Museum's historic run.1946: Her-story is madeBefore we get to the Bata Shoe Museum, we have to go all the way back to 1946, when architect Sonja Bata began collecting footwear while travelling the world on business.Sonja and her husband Thomas Bata, head of the global Bata Shoe Company, often took inspiration from these global shoes, but as the collection grew, they ultimately created a showca...

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17 h. ago Toronto is hosting a huge fan fest during the FIFA World Cup in 2026

Toronto is set to host the FIFA World Cup next year — but you won't necessarily need to spend big to feel part of the action.Today, the City of Toronto announced that there will be a fan festival running throughout the whole of the tournament, located at Fort York and the Bentway on the west side of downtown Toronto.The festival is designed to be a "global celebration of soccer, culture and community, designed for fans," with free live broadcasts of matches throughout the tournament taking place in Canada, Mexico and the United States.In addition to showing games, the festival also plans to have "diverse cultural performances, interactive installations and a variety of local food experiences."The festival will be open from Thursday, June 11 to Sunday, July 19, 2026, with exact details of opening hours and which matches to be shown at a later date."Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway offer the ideal setting for Toronto's FIFA W...

Sport

20 h. ago Defence continues questioning female complainant in world junior sex assault trial

The female complainant in the high-profile sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team continues to be under intense cross-examination.

Events

23 h. ago Toronto city councillor begins testimony in sex assault trial

Michael Thompson, 65, has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

Events

33 h. ago MANDEL: Councillor Michael Thompson takes stand at his sex assault trial

Finally, long-time Toronto Councillor Michael Thompson took the stand to begin his side of the story that has branded him a lecherous man who sexually assaulted two women after luring them to a friend’s Muskoka cottage during the Canada Day long weekend in 2022. Wearing a royal blue suit and tie, Thompson, 65, looked remarkably […]

Events

35 h. ago Former Quebec junior hockey player Noah Corson sentenced to 2 years of jail time in sex

The then-15-year-old victim was assaulted in 2016 during group sex involving two other minors accused in the case. The other two, both 17, pleaded guilty in youth court.

Sport

41 h. ago Toronto needs $18 billion over next 10 years just to keep city running

Toronto needs $18 billion to address its state-of-good-repair infrastructure gap over the next 10 years, which is primarily being driven by transit and City facilities, according to a new report. Toronto's 2025 Corporate Asset Management Plan (AMP), which was released on Monday, outlines how recent actions to invest in infrastructure renewal are expected to reduce the city's extensive infrastructure backlog and improve service reliability for residents using transit, roads, bridges, water assets, shelters, libraries, community centres and emergency facilities. The plan, which is headed to the city's Executive Committee next week, reveals that Toronto has managed to reduce the gap from the $26 billion identified in last year's report to $18 billion, representing an $8 billion reduction. According to the city, the $18 billion infrastructure gap is being driven by transit ($11 billion), Toronto Community Housing ($4 billion), the ...

Economics

41 h. ago This is how you can rent a TTC streetcar for your next party

Well, I learned something new this morning. While scrolling Reddit, I came across a piece of information I needed to do more research on. According to the post, TTC streetcars can be rented out for full-on parties. Yes, you can cruise around the city, listen to tunes, all with Toronto as your backdrop.In the original Reddit post, the user shared, "We rode all around downtown for four hours covering pretty much every inch of track while some DJ friends played a few sets. Non-alcoholic drinks were available on the streetcar, so we stopped at a few places to get drinks." Uhm – fun!From here, I was hooked and needed to know more. Sure enough, it's all outlined on the TTC's website. Under "Chartering TTC Vehicles," all the details you need on renting a car for your squad can be found. If you'd rather, buses can be rented as well.The passenger capacity was pretty surprising to me, with the TTC allowing 70 seats and 181 st...

Culture

59 h. ago A Trump film tariff would send Canadian screen industry into ‘chaos,’ say local producers

When Daniel Bekerman set out to produce “The Apprentice” _ last year’s biopic about U.S. President Donald Trump — he figured some controversy might come from the subject, not the city it was filmed in. But the Toronto-shot film is now an example of the kind of international production that would be hit hardest by […]

Economics

62 h. ago You can watch free outdoor movie screenings under the stars all summer long in Toronto

Toronto's summertime tradition of free, open-air movie screenings is coming back this summer as the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) gears up for its 15th annual season.Could there be anything more magical than spending a summer night congregating in a Toronto park at sunset with hundreds of fellow film lovers to watch a screening of one of your favourite movies under the stars?I may be biased, because I love movies almost as much as I love being outdoors, but I'd say few things come anywhere close.Lucky for all open-air film fanatics, Toronto Outdoor Picture Show, the city's longest and largest outdoor film screening series, is coming back for the season on June 12, bringing 20 nights of free public screenings spread across three months.This year, the festival will be taking over Fort York, Christie Pits and Corktown Commons at various dates over the summer.While the entire schedule has yet to be announced, the organization has already revealed the details ...

Other

62 h. ago You can watch free outdoor movie screenings all summer long in Toronto

Toronto's summertime tradition of free, open-air movie screenings is coming back this summer as the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) gears up for its 15th annual season.Could there be anything more magical than spending a summer night congregating in a Toronto park at sunset with hundreds of fellow film lovers to watch a screening of one of your favourite movies under the stars?I may be biased, because I love movies almost as much as I love being outdoors, but I'd say few things come anywhere close.Lucky for all open-air film fanatics, Toronto Outdoor Picture Show, the city's longest and largest outdoor film screening series, is coming back for the season on June 12, bringing 20 nights of free public screenings spread across three months.This year, the festival will be taking over Fort York, Christie Pits and Corktown Commons at various dates over the summer.While the entire schedule has yet to be announced, the organization has already revealed the details ...

Other

63 h. ago Doors Open Toronto 2025 brings back fan favourites for first time in 6 years

Doors Open Toronto officially kicks off in less than three weeks, and you'll be able to visit two fan-favourite sites for the first time since 2019. On Monday, the City of Toronto unveiled the exciting lineup of buildings, walking tours, and special programming for this year's citywide event, which takes place on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25. For two days only, you'll be able to explore over 150 of Toronto's architectural, historical, cultural, and socially significant buildings completely free of charge, including the Aga Khan Museum, Evergreen Brick Works, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, The ZoomerPlex, and the Archives of Ontario. New additions this year include Ubisoft Toronto, Spin Master Headquarters, St. Lawrence Market North, the YZD Experience Centre, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, to name a few, as well as returning favourites like Old City Hall and the historic Don Jail at Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, both...

Sport

64 h. ago New Toronto ferry terminal promised for years keeps getting more expensive

Toronto residents may know not to hold their breaths for major local infrastructure projects to reach completion in a timely fashion, but with the warmer months quickly approaching, there is one upgrade that is likely top of mind.No T.O. summer is complete without a trip to the Toronto Islands, which in recent years has unfortunately meant braving overcrowding and hours-long lineups for one of our five ferries that are quickly aging out of service.The City has been working to replace the vessels — at times rendered completely out of commission during busy weekend rushes — with a new electric fleet for years now, with the first boat due in late 2026.But, the project has come with the exorbitant cost increases and delays we've sadly come to expect from such proposals, including a staggering $67 million jump in price for the watercraft and millions more for the retrofits on land, i...

Other

64 h. ago Don't freak out if you see a herd of goats roaming around a Toronto park next month

About 50 goats are making their way to a Toronto park in June. No, I'm not kidding. But I promise there's a reason.Did you know that the City of Toronto became the first municipality in the province to introduce "comprehensive goat grazing for ecosystem management"? Yep, it's pretty cool.Also known as prescribed grazing, this eco-friendly method helps maintain Toronto's urban meadow ecosystem, and the best part is you can see the goats in action.    View this post on Instagram           A post shared by TorontoPFR (@torontopfr)For as far back as most can remember, animals that graze, such as horses, camels, deer, bison, and rhinos, have maintained prairie and meadowed ecosystems. "They brought nutrients to the soil through their wastes, reduced woody growth, and enhanced seed germination as their hooves disturbed the surface," shares the City of Toronto.If it work...

Other

64 h. ago Stunning cherry blossoms draw massive crowds to High Park in Toronto

Toronto's much-loved High Park cherry blossoms have embarked on their annual bloom for 2025, and eager viewers from across the city and beyond are flocking to the park to get a view.After avidly tracking the progress of the blooms all spring long, with regular updates provided by the city's resident sakura expert, Steven Joniak (better known as Sakura Steve), the city was finally treated to the breathtaking blooms over the weekend.On Wednesday, April 30, the High Park Nature Centre predicted that full bloom, marked by 70 per cent of trees showing their blooms, would begin later that week, but by Thursday, May 1, Sakura Steve had already reported that trees would be reaching 75 per cent open later that day.It was perfect timing, given the proximity to the weekend, for scores of eager blossom-viewers to plan their Saturday and Sunday trips to the park to view the fleeting phenomenon before it was gone.Throngs swarm High Park to see the annual cherry blossom bloom.Gloomy cloud ...

Other

3 d. ago New MP’s Ajax election win follows messy City Hall failures 

Jennifer McKelvie rode a Toronto city council cold streak into Parliament. McKelvie, a deputy mayor and longtime councillor for Scarborough-Rouge Park, won the federal riding of Ajax in last Monday’s election, running as a Liberal. She picked up 56.3% of the vote, ahead of the 39.1% for Conservative Greg Brady. McKelvie’s history in east Scarborough […]

Politics

3 d. ago Toronto tops in Canada for restaurants offering vegan, vegetarian dining

Bad news, everyone. Toronto is not the coolest city in Canada. But take solace in the fact that it might be the most vegan- and vegetarian-friendly place for diners. That is what the folks at Betway discovered when they did a deep dive into the hippest places to live in North America, with Boston taking […]

Other

4 d. ago Toronto is getting a waterfront park with breathtaking views this summer

The epic undertaking to renaturalize Toronto's Port Lands has already created a new serpentine mouth for the Don River, soon to be joined by stunning public spaces — including one standout park scheduled to welcome the public this summer.Waterfront Toronto has released new aerial footage of the renaturalized Don River captured in March, showing off the new human-made waterway that officially started flowing last year.The latest video update on construction in the Port Lands offers a hint at what is in store for the coming months, most notably the gradual opening of new parks and public spaces in the formerly industrial district.One standout of the reimagined Port Lands will be a large public space hugging the Keating Channel and Toronto Harbour on the north side of the river.The space known as Biidaasige Park, (pronounced Bee-daw-sih-geh) is comprised of a future northern section and an upcoming southern section, the latter of which is scheduled to partially open this summ...

Other

4 d. ago Toronto is getting a breathtaking waterfront park this summer

The epic undertaking to renaturalize Toronto's Port Lands has already created a new serpentine mouth for the Don River, soon to be joined by stunning public spaces — including one standout park scheduled to welcome the public this summer.Waterfront Toronto has released new aerial footage of the renaturalized Don River captured in March, showing off the new human-made waterway that officially started flowing last year.The latest video update on construction in the Port Lands offers a hint at what is in store for the coming months, most notably the gradual opening of new parks and public spaces in the formerly industrial district.One standout of the reimagined Port Lands will be a large public parkland to the north and south of the new river and around the whole western edge of the island, known as Biidaasige Park, (pronounced Bee-daw-sih-geh), the Anishinaabemowin translation of the phrase "sunlight shining toward us."Opening in phases, the portion of pa...

Other

5 d. ago Restaurant known for Toronto's best jerk chicken opens second location

A hidden gem Toronto Caribbean restaurant that's gained a reputation for serving the best jerk chicken in the city has finally expanded with a new location.Leslieville's Gerrard Square Shopping Centre is one of those if-you-know-you-know places in Toronto that make the city so unique.For my part, the mall always carried a sort of looming, ominous air. Probably because my parents used to joke that they'd leave me there whenever I behaved badly growing up, but I digress. The mall's inescapable 'Gerrard Scare' and 'Scary Square' nicknames just go to show that I'm not the only one.More recently, though, the mall's been getting a renewed wave of respect — even popularity — as more and more people in the city flock to it for, more or less, one reason: the food.The mall food court has seen several buzzworthy tenants come and go over the past few years, but its main claim to fame, in my opinion at least, has a...

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