The Year in Pictures
The Local’s editors pick our favourite images of 2025
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.
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.
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 Fallout From Our AI Freelancer Investigation
A conversation about the future of journalism in a world of “Victoria Goldiees.”
“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.
What Happened to the Campus Me Too Movement?
Eight years after the international movement that created policy changes and a shift in culture around sexual violence, survivors and advocates at Ontario universities say they’re still fighting an uphill battle for justice.
Early-Career Journalism Fellowship
A joint undertaking of The Local and The Philanthropist Journal, the fellowship provides one Black and/or Indigenous journalist an opportunity to write about issues that matter to their community and civil society.
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?
Neethan Shan Wins Scarborough–Rouge Park By-Election
In a crowded field, the longtime local politician was elected back to city council on a call to put Scarborough first.
Live Results From the Scarborough–Rouge Park By-Election
Real-time results from election night, starting at around 9 p.m. on September 29, 2025.
Breakdown at the Racetrack
Once a lucrative gambling business, Ontario's horse racing industry is now heavily subsidized by the government. As gamblers turn to online gaming, and ideas about animal welfare shift, a cluster of fatal horse injuries at Woodbine raises questions about the future of the sport.
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.
In the Scarborough–Rouge Park By-Election, Candidates Promise to Put Scarborough First
In a crowded by-election in Toronto’s most eastern ward, is focusing on hyper-local issues the way into City Hall?
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.
Meet Chloë Ellingson, the Newest Member of The Local
The Toronto photojournalist joins The Local as our first Visuals Editor