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The Local’s Most-Read Stories of 2025
From features about health care and higher ed, to stories about tracking bunnies, scammers, and worms, these are our most popular stories of the year.
Can the Finch West LRT Keep Up With Its Promises?
After years of delay, Line 6 is now running across a historically isolated part of the city. At its launch, politicians posed, transit enthusiasts assembled, and some locals wondered if it was worth the wait.
On the TTC, With Nowhere to Go
With rising homelessness, decreased mental health support, and fewer public spaces than ever, the TTC and its workers are being asked to fill gaps in a dissolving social safety net.
The Local’s 2025 Year in Review
At this reflective time of year, we gather around the flickering warmth of The Local Slack channel to discuss the year that was.
“It’s Quite Clear They Don’t Listen to Us”
For years, the TDSB's special education advisory committee has pressed for accountability from the board. Since the province's takeover, that's become harder than ever.
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
The Fallout From Our AI Freelancer Investigation
A conversation about the future of journalism in a world of “Victoria Goldiees.”
When Your Landlord is a Frat
Without enough brothers to fill their houses, some fraternities have begun renting rooms to non-students desperate for cheap rent. The results have been messy.
How York University Lost the Trust of Its Community
After program closures, questionable major capital projects, and increasingly fractious labour relations, what is the future of York University?
What Happens to TDSB’s $20 Billion Worth of Land Under Provincial Supervision?
The Toronto District School Board is one of the city’s largest landowners. When the province took over the board, it also took over its subsidiary that manages its properties—and it’s not saying what’s next.
The Future, According to the Class of 2026
We spent our teen years under COVID lockdowns, and now face an uncertain path shaped by climate change, AI, and shifting geopolitics. But my fellow students and I are holding out hope for better days ahead.
When You’re Afraid That Your Classmate Is a Spy
From death threats to surveillance and intimidation by their government, Chinese students at Canadian universities feel the chill of transnational repression.
Ontario’s Post-Secondary Education Crisis in Five Figures
Stagnant provincial funding, a domestic tuition freeze, cuts to international students, and expensive capital projects—the numbers behind the emergency in higher education.
New Data Shows Dramatic Rise in Non-Teachers Filling in at TDSB Schools
Records obtained by The Local reveal the Toronto District School Board’s use of unqualified emergency replacements jumped more than 1,100 percent since COVID.