2 h. ago That time a lone rogue 'demon' cow caused mayhem in Toronto streets

From narrowly escaping fate as an expressway to being home to an iconic location of a beloved fast-food chain, Toronto's Spadina Avenue is rife with fascinating history.But one of its quirkiest and wildest moments was when a loose cow, possessed by what some at the time called "some strange demon," went on a rampage through this busy street.A cow on Spadina may seem weird, but in the early days of Toronto, there were a number of pet cow owners in the city — and some of the results of that were utterly chaotic.Toronto's cattle crackdownIn the 1830s, as the incorporation of Toronto was being solidified, the city was doing all it could to regulate domestic animals.In fact, one of the first nuisance by-laws, enacted in May 1834, helped regulate domestic animals — with stipulations like "no swine shall be permitted to run or be at large in any of the streets or any of the sidewalks of this city."But there are reports that residents didn't find ...

Other

2 h. ago That time a ghostly Toronto apartment building sat abandoned for decades

An abandoned building known as the Bayview Ghost once haunted the Toronto skyline for more than twenty years. It sat unfinished and unlived in — a stark reminder of what could've been. Standing atop a hill overlooking the Don Valley, just above the north end of the Bayview Extension, the ghostly structure's stalled construction and eventual demise were delayed for decades due to drawn-out political battles and behind-the-scenes redevelopment drama. The Bayview Ghost's story began in 1953 when doctors Morris Freedman and Harry Frimerman purchased the 27.9-acre plot of land.Their plan? To build a structure called the Hampton Park apartments, a 12-storey, two-tower solution to the city's then-emerging housing dilemma. It would have 880 units and overlook the lush greenery of the Don Valley. However, things didn't exactly pan out as planned.After blueprints for the enormous building were drawn up, developers applied ...

Society

2 h. ago Toronto house with visible holes in roof still expected to fetch $700,000

A Toronto home at 37 Allister Ave. has been in rough shape since 2018, when it sold for $777,000 — sight basically unseen.Back then, potential buyers weren't even allowed inside. The listing stated that viewings were limited to "walking the lot" with the agent, and that's probably what the buyers did since they never managed to do anything with the derelict three-bedroom, three-bathroom home.Eventually, they gave up on the house and sold it at a loss in 2024 for $750,000.The front of the house. Now, a year later, the property is in even worse condition. The roof is collapsing, gaping holes expose the interior to the elements, windows are boarded up with plywood, and the backyard has been swallowed by weeds.It's more haunted house than fixer-upper at this point.But it's back on the market—this time asking just $688,000, which is a full 30 per cent less than last month's hopeful $999,990 price tag. Clearly, that d...

Economics

6 h. ago B.C., Saskatchewan among provinces where contaminated salami was sold

Health officials are adding Saskatchewan and British Columbia to the list of provinces where salami and cacciatore products connected to a salmonella outbreak were distributed. The Public Health Agency of Canada says 87 people have now gotten sick after eating contaminated lunch meat, with nine of those people landing in the hospital. The federal health […]

Other

7 h. ago FBI agent found guilty of raping 3 clients in his secret tattoo parlours

Enticed by the offer of a free tattoo, the 18-year-old arrived at a tiny studio run by “Lalo Brown” hidden inside a strip mall in suburban Maryland. Later, a 20-year-old and a 21-year-old were drawn into Brown’s operation by tattoos and promises of modeling photo shoots. What none of the women knew was that Lalo […]

Other

7 h. ago Family adopts a shelter dog — then learns he’s the father of their late dog

Jillian Reiff and her husband had an ongoing debate about their new rescue dog, Ziggy. Ziggy’s appearance and personality are similar to those of their late dog, Rufus, who died a few days before they brought Ziggy home in early April. Reiff thought Ziggy was the same breed mix as Rufus – rat terrier Chihuahua […]

Other

8 h. ago Blue Jays’ bottom of the order comes up big in comeback win over Giants

From top to bottom, the Blue Jays’ lineup has generally been good as evidenced by the club’s excellent record and first-place standing in the AL East. The team’s big boys tend to reside in the top of the order, but this season, if anything, has shown that even the alleged unknowns are more than capable […]

Other

8 h. ago Usyk KOs Dubois to become undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time

LONDON — Oleksandr Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round and became the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time on Saturday.  The undefeated southpaw retained his WBA, WBC and WBO belts and regained the IBF belt he relinquished just over a year ago.  The Ukrainian dropped Dubois twice in the fifth […]

Sport

9 h. ago OPP investigating suspicious death in Bonfield, asks residents to stay alert

NORTH BAY — Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a suspicious death in a town north of Algonquin Provincial Park. Police say officers were called to a residence on Trunk Road in Bonfield, Ont., where they found one person dead. Officers say they haven’t confirmed the cause of death. But they are urging the public to […]

Economics

10 h. ago Wet July bad news for landscaping, good news for garden centres

Friday night's rainstorm has been only one of many heavy rainy nights the city has experienced during a month usually known for its sunny days and arid climate.

Other

10 h. ago Reigning champion Colton Herta takes pole at Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Defending champion Colton Herta has earned pole position at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. He did the 11-turn, 2.874-kilometre course around Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto in 59.8320 seconds. IndyCar Series points leader Alex Palou was second, 0.2758 seconds behind Herta. Marcus Armstrong and Will Power were third and fourth respectively. Scott Dixon, a […]

Sport

10 h. ago RCMP in Alberta say driver fatally shot after producing gun during confrontation

GRANDE PRAIRIE — RCMP in northern Alberta say a driver was fatally shot by officers. Police say in a news release that officers with the force’s Grande Prairie detachment located an erratic driver late Friday, and when they attempted to pull him over, he fled. They say he soon got stuck in mud in a […]

Events

10 h. ago Suspects charged nearly three years after remains of two victims found in B.C.

PENTICTON — Police in British Columbia’s Okanagan region say three suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with the murders of two 30-year-olds whose remains were found near Penticton nearly three years ago. A statement from the RCMP says the BC Prosecution Service has approved a charge of first-degree murder against Jilane King in […]

Events

10 h. ago TERRAZZANO: Ignore fearmongering union bosses and cut the bureaucracy 

Now Ottawa’s government union bosses are worried about services? Really? After the government rubber-stamped hundreds of millions in bonuses, added tens of thousands of bureaucrats, dished out pay raises and struggled to meet half of its performance targets, now union bosses are worried about services? Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government says it’s launching a spending […]

Other

11 h. ago Is Mexican Coke really better than the U.S. version? We put it to the test

This week, President Donald Trump delivered an out-of-the-blue announcement: He had spoken with Coca-Cola executives, he said, and they had agreed to start making Coke in the United States with cane sugar, instead of with high-fructose corn syrup. There was much to unpack in this declaration – for starters, whether Coca-Cola was actually on board […]

Other

12 h. ago CHAUDHRI: Coldplay scandal confirms employee private life is a thing of the past

Just days ago, most of us didn’t know who Andy Byron was. The married Astronomer CEO is now a household name after being caught on camera at a Coldplay concert in an embrace with Astronomer’s Chief People Officer. It has been alleged that the two are involved romantically. Several workplace legal issues spring up with […]

Economics

12 h. ago REVIEW: ‘Smurfs’ get surreal, which might be lost on the kids

The biggest surprise about the new “Smurfs” movie was the smattering of applause that bubbled forth in the darkness of a recent, kid-friendly preview screening as the credits began to roll. But the animated film – a complicated portal-hopping adventure set in the (groan) multiverse that also incorporates a smattering of live action, mostly scenery […]

Society

12 h. ago WNBA’s Chicago Sky tries to protect their players on social media. Here’s what that means

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Chicago Sky co-owner Nadia Rawlinson knew security concerns were serious. The Sky have physical security nearly 24 hours a day _ around hotels, outside gyms, by buses and planes — but one of the final frontiers of player safety was the internet. Earlier this month, the Sky teamed up with Moonshot to […]

Other

13 h. ago Air quality warnings issued throughout Manitoba as wildfire smoke envelops province

WINNIPEG — Air quality warnings are in effect for much of Manitoba this weekend as wildfire smoke continues to linger over the region. Environment Canada says much of the province will be dealing with poor conditions, with Winnipeg expected to see an air quality health index rating of over 10 by Saturday night. The agency […]

Events

13 h. ago Environmental lawyers demand action on lead in school drinking water

Three of the school boards overseen by Ontario's Ministry of Education reported the highest number of lead exceedances in 2023-24.

Society