19 h. ago Former Toronto steakhouse to finally get new tenant after months sitting vacant

One of Toronto's preeminent downtown steakhouses has closed down permanently, and after sitting dormant for months, it's finally about to get a new tenant.Let's face it: steakhouses in Toronto are a dime a dozen, but that doesn't discredit the very real and good things they're doing for the city's residents, namely ensuring we all get our fair share of Surf and Turf and $25 cocktails when the whim strikes.In the past year or so, the city's steakhouse numbers, both within and beyond the downtown core, seem to have been on a steep increase, with new-ish additions like Animl, Linny's and Blue Bovine earning their fair share of limelight in the past several months.Unfortunately, with such a surge also comes the inevitable loss of some preexisting establishments: it's just the law of the concrete jungle.This past summer, one such casualty was The Shore Club, Toronto's own location of what was once a nationwide chain that has since been reduced to just a sing...

Sport

23 h. ago Toronto FC picks up rare point in scoreless draw with Vancouver Whitecaps

TORONTO — Six games into the Toronto FC season and Robin Fraser’s team finally has something to build on, if not a win yet. It was just a scoreless draw, and it was no thing of beauty, but Toronto (0-4-2) showed grit Saturday against a high-flying Vancouver Whitecaps team that came to BMO Field 11 […]

Other

3 d. ago Toronto may finally do something about all of its vacant storefronts

A number of Toronto thoroughfares once known as lively, walkable streets lined with shops and restaurants have been rendered almost unrecognizable in recent years, largely because of what feels like a never-ending wave of business closures.The stark contrast between arteries like Queen Street in 2019 and 2025 is jarring, to say the least, with the folding of countless small businesses and even large corporate chains begging the question of who can afford to operate in the city anymore.Spreading much like the respiratory disease that ended up spelling the end for so many establishments in the city following months of mandatory forced closures, vacant storefronts have dominated chunks of Queen West, the Beaches, Yonge Street and others, sometimes for years.Compounding the lockdown era that many businesses never recovered from, there was the swift and drastic shift to online shopping during the same period,...

Sport

3 d. ago Former Toronto Blue Jays star to finally graduate college 24 years after he started

For most players who end up making it to the Toronto Blue Jays, academics aren't necessarily always the most important thing in their lives.But former star pitcher Ricky Romero, who played for the team from 2009 to 2013, decided that a few extra years at school after his MLB career couldn't hurt.Leaving Cal State Fullerton in 2005 and eventually being drafted by the Blue Jays, the now 40-year-old father of three is in the finishing stages of his sociology degree at his old school."Bummed I won't be there tomorrow with Jays fans watching opening day at the Rogers Centre. My school got in the way!" Romero wrote on X. "But on a positive note, graduation is only a few weeks away!"Originally picked out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the 37th round, Romero opted to head to college for the first time in hopes of improving his draft stock.Romero was a star in his three seasons of college baseball, eventually getting drafted at sixth overall by Toronto in 2005.On the whole, Romero w...

Sport

7 d. ago Max Scherzer good to go, camp sensation Alan Roden in as Blue Jays finalize opening day roster

The flight plan is in place for the Blue Jays, who were scheduled to jet north to Toronto following Sunday’s Grapefruit League finale in Dunedin, Fla. And now the passenger list is confirmed. Manager John Schneider put the finishing pieces together for his opening day roster – Thursday at the Rogers Centre against the Baltimore […]

Sport

9 d. ago Toronto takes steps to finally protect the city's oldest bar for good

One of the oldest pieces of Toronto history that we've still got left has, at long last, been given the designations it requires to remain a landmark of the city for a long time to come.The Wheatsheaf Tavern, opened all the way back in 1849, has always generally been considered the oldest bar in the city, although it was technically opened after The Black Bull, which debuted under a different original name — thus, some say, disqualifying it from the title — over a decade earlier (The Bull closed last year, anyhow).Aside from a brief scare when it shuttered in 2019, which turned out to be only temporarily and for the purpose of completing a stunning facelift, the Wheatsheaf has been pouring brews at King and Bathurst for nearly two centuries.Which is why the Toronto Preservation Board pushed through a motion to designate the property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act — a recommendation that just passed this week.A threads post about ...

Sport

9 d. ago Brompton Announces the Launch of Canada’s First Split Corp. Class A Share ETF

TORONTO, March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  (TSX: CLSA) Brompton Funds Limited (the “Manager”) is pleased to announce that Brompton Split Corp. Class A Share ETF (“CLSA”) will commence trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) today. A final prospectus dated March 14, 2025 has been filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each […]

Other

1 week ago Here's what the first months of spring weather will look like in Ontario

April showers have come a little early in Southern Ontario as the province celebrates its first day of spring on Thursday under partially cloudy skies and intermittent showers.Now that astronomical winter is behind us — with meteorological winter having concluded with February's end — residents are indeed looking forward to some longer, more temperate days after what was a snowier season than we've seen in some years.But what will spring 2025's weather look like in and around Toronto?The shift from 2023 and 2024's El Niño weather pattern to this year's La Niña has made the last few months feel like a bit of a messy, stormy rollercoaster that has most recently been accompanied by 20 C temperature swings amid bursts of short-lived, summer-like conditions.Wednesday, the final day of winter proper, was Toronto's warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures cracking 21 C before the city was&nb...

Other

1 week ago Toronto subway stations' missing walls finally reappear after almost 8 years

Years-long renovations have turned the once-majestic Queen's Park and St. Patrick Stations on the TTC's Line 1 into literal shells of their former selves, but after years of unsightly upgrades, the stations' missing finishes are finally reappearing.The busy subway stops along University Avenue have been undergoing long-term renovations since November 2017, which have left the tube-shaped platforms partially stripped down to their structural tunnel liners.While some have grown accustomed to this grungy utilitarian look, the years of disrepair appear to finally be drawing to a close as the TTC works to reinstall finishes on the long-barren platform walls — reminding commuters of just how much more impressive these stations were several years ago.St Patrick Station amid the platforms' tile reinstallation in March 2025.However, if you're expecting sparkling-clean stations restored to their former glory any time soon, you might not want to hold your breath.Finishes a...

Sport

1 week ago Leafs’ Mitch Marner made a fine impression on Avs’ Devon Toews with Team Canada

Devon Toews became a big fan of Mitch Marner at the 4 Nations Face-Off. And it wasn’t just because Marner set up Connor McDavid for the winning goal in overtime in the final against the United States. All that Toews — in Toronto with the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday for the team’s lone visit of […]

Culture

1 week ago List of nominations announced by the National Newspaper Awards

TORONTO — Finalists for the National Newspaper Awards include four nominations for the national news agency The Canadian Press/La Presse Canadienne. Here’s look at the categories and contenders: ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT -Richie Assaly, Toronto Star, for his portfolio of stories about musicians Mustafa, John Kameel Farah and Elisapie -Charles-Eric Blais-Poulin et Jean Siag, La Presse, […]

Society

1 week ago ESPN host fires baffling shot at Toronto Raptors and their fanbase

The Toronto Raptors found themselves in the middle of an odd discussion on a recent ESPN show put out this week.On Monday's episode of The Hoop Collective podcast hosted by Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, and Tim MacMahon, the trio was discussing Tony Allen's jersey retirement over the weekend with the Memphis Grizzlies.Allen, who played for the Grizzlies from 2010 to 2017, was the centrepiece of the "Grit and Grind" era in Memphis in which the team was lauded for its strong defensive play and hustle all over the court.And when praising the Grizzlies' connection to their fanbase, MacMahon offered a strange opinion as to where it relates to the Toronto Raptors."They didn't get to the finals, they obviously didn't win a championship, but they were a very good team for a long time that epitomized the culture of the city they're in," MacMahon said. "I think you could almost even make the argument that the 'Grit and Grind' Grizzlies are more beloved in Memphis than the Toronto Raptors tit...

Events

2 w. ago Nobu Hotel Toronto opens bookings and is offering discounts for first guests

After the extremely-hyped grand opening of Nobu's very first Canadian restaurant last summer, the next stage of the upscale hospitality brand's enormous Entertainment District development is now ready to make its equally-anticipated premiere.As of Thursday, the chain — which is synonymous with luxury and known to be frequented by the elite — is finally accepting reservations for its Nobu Hotel Toronto, with the first slots available as early as June 1, 2025.Even better, inaugural guests will be able to enjoy a special opening offer that includes a free room upgrade and other exclusive perks during their stay, as well as a hotel credit of up to $200.The update comes some eight years after the landmark residential, hotel and restaurant complex was first announced for 15-35 Mercer Street, and a whole seven years after construction first started.Locals eagerly looking forward to a taste of Hollywood in T.O. were very pat...

Other

2 w. ago Toronto's island ferry service set to finally get better this year

This current spring-like weather may have residents of Toronto already dreaming about all of their summer plans, which, for many, will include at least one trip to the islands to enjoy some sand, sun and swimming in one of the city's largest parks and top warm-weather attractions. Unfortunately, the best weekends for heading to the islands are more often than not marred by the onerous task of actually getting to the archipelago — which should actually be easier this summer for multiple reasons.Seemingly every time in recent memory that a beautiful long weekend has come around, sticky, frustrated masses are left lining up for hours to board one of the City's decades-old ferries, which are progressively more prone to mechanical issues and breakdowns.Along with contemplating a potential bridge to get people across the harbour, the City signed on to invest $135 million in new electric watercraft and associated retrofits to our exis...

Sport

2 w. ago It will be 20 degrees in Ontario this weekend but don't celebrate winter's end yet

It may feel as if spring has finally sprung in Toronto, but residents shouldn't let this week's mild conditions fool them, because there are still apparently a few colder days to come before the winter is over.The city has been graced with a few days of sunny skies and double-digit temperatures reminiscent of early patio season, and as of Wednesday afternoon, the short-term forecast shows even balmier weather is on the way this weekend, albeit peppered with rain.Unfortunately for those eager for the changing seasons, though, a chill will return soonafter.While The Weather Network (TWN) says thermometers will hit 16 C at the city's airport on both Saturday and Sunday — with other parts of the province potentially seeing temps as high as 20 C — those out and about are in for a swing of around 20 degrees within mere hours as things drop down to 0 C or colder.TWN is calling for a low of 0 C and a wind chill of -5 C overnight Sunday, and Environment and Climate Chan...

Culture

2 w. ago Toronto's futuristic new $128 million market building is finally about to open

Toronto has waited a quarter-century for the new St. Lawrence Market North Building to open at the corner of Front and Jarvis, and after decades of planning and construction, an opening date has finally been announced for the long-awaited landmark.A notice posted in the window of the new building at 92 Front Street East offers the first public confirmation of an opening date following a never-ending cycle of waiting, planning, construction and even more waiting.The notice informs the public that the opening is now just a few weeks away."We're Moving! Starting April 5, find the Saturday Farmers' Market in the new St. Lawrence Market North Building at 92 Front St. E. Fresh food, local vendors, same great market!"Yay, ! The new St. Lawrence Market north market opens April 5byu/mdk1234567 intorontoThe new five-storey replacement building for the North Market building will provide a permanent space for the Farmer's Market (housed in a temporary tent since 2016) on its ground floor, ...

Economics

3 w. ago ‘NOT SUSTAINABLE’: Toronto City Council staff push for unionization

We’re finally seeing some meaningful unity at Toronto City Council – among the politicians’ staff, anyway. Councillors’ employees have filed to be represented by AMAPCEO, the union that represents workers in Ontario’s public service and a number of workplaces tied to government. On Thursday, AMAPCEO put up a statement saying 60% of council staff had […]

Other

3 w. ago Toronto Sceptres finally break through against the Montreal Victoire

It was a night of firsts for the Toronto Sceptres topped by the home side’s first win this year in five games with the visiting Montreal Victoire. The Victoire had won all four previous games this season between the two teams after Toronto swept the head-to-head battle last season. Toronto got a small measure of […]

Sport

3 w. ago Toronto apartment block about to be torn down for huge condo tower after 60 years

A 14-storey apartment tower in Toronto's Church and Wellesley neighbourhood is on its final days, and will soon be levelled to make way for an enormous new tower that will stand as one of the tallest in the area.Constructed back in 1965, the apartment building at 88 Isabella Street has stood just east of Church Street for six decades, but the recent filing of a demolition permit signals the impending destruction of this typical mid-century residential block.Plans were first proposed back in April 2022 to tear down the current apartment building and redevelop the site with a 62-storey tower housing condos as well as rentals to replace existing units on-site. Capital Developments' plan would redefine the mid-block site with a Diamond Schmitt Architects-designed building soaring almost 200 metres into the neighbourhood skyline.The building will feature almost 750 residences. Condos will make up the majority of this unit count, though all 82 of the rental units housed in the existi...

Society

4 w. ago John Cena turns heel in iconic final segment at Toronto’s Elimination Chamber

“Hey Rock, go f*** yourself.”  With that, Cody Rhodes created yet another epic moment in Toronto’s storied World Wrestling Entertainment history.  Those were the words from the Undisputed WWE Champion to the iconic Final Boss to end Elimination Chamber, igniting a frenzy in the crowd.  But what followed no one saw coming as the legendary […]

Sport