Province Invests $1.3 Billion in New Schools—Just Not in Toronto
The Tories will fund 45 school building projects across Ontario—and not a single one in the TDSB, the biggest board in the province. Critics say the opaque process puts politics over students.
Doug Ford’s Big Wager on Online Gambling
The province’s three-year-old online casino market, iGaming Ontario, is already bringing in billions of dollars. The Tories are betting the revenues outweigh the human costs.
How the Greenbelt Scandal Is Quietly Shaping Ontario’s 2025 Provincial Election
The controversial and now-reversed plan to build homes on the protected area around Toronto marred the Doug Ford government’s second term—and the saga is far from over.
Doug Ford, City Builder
Unafraid to spend heavily—and break things—Doug Ford is determined to leave his mark on the city that wouldn’t have him as mayor.
Have You Thought About Becoming a Board Member for a Local Organization?
We are looking for motivated and thoughtful individuals to join our volunteer board of directors.
When a Hospital Visit Costs $11,000
Amid changes that make accessing health care for uninsured residents more difficult than ever, midwives have led the charge for universal care.
Caught in a Wave of Anti-Indian Hate
Each cohort of newcomers has faced prejudice in Canada. A new onslaught of hate, this time against residents of Indian ancestry, is unfolding in increasingly unregulated online spaces.
After the International Student Gold Rush
Foreign students were harmed by the policies that brought them here, and they’re being harmed once again by the policies shutting them out.
In Ontario’s Housing Crisis, Immigrants Are the Scapegoat and the Solution
The feds say reducing immigration will alleviate housing demand, but with a chronic worker shortage, the construction sector has increasingly relied on immigrant labour to build new homes.
The Local Journalism Fellowship 2025
Now in its fifth year, the program provides training and mentorship to aspiring and emerging journalists from communities underrepresented in Canadian media. Applications are now open.
The First Business in ‘Little Côte d’Ivoire’?
From Chinatown to Little Italy, every historic ethnic enclave in Toronto began with a single newcomer setting up shop. Can that process still work in 2025?
Ontario Needs Nurses—Many Are Already Here, and Waiting to Practice
In the midst of a labour shortage, nurses who come as caregivers and students remain shut out of their profession, with many working gig economy jobs and contemplating leaving.
The Death of an Asylum Seeker and the Shelter Crisis in Peel
The number of asylum seekers and refugees needing shelter has surged in recent years, leaving officials in suburban municipalities like Peel scrambling to respond.
What do Changes to Immigration Mean In a City of Immigrants?
The last year has seen sharp changes in attitudes and policies around immigration across Canada. Nowhere are those changes felt more than in Toronto.
The Battle Over a 475-Metre Bike Lane on Marlee Avenue
In Toronto, even the most modest bike lane proposal is met with outsized anger and fear.
The Local’s 2024 Year in Review
Gather ‘round the warm glow of The Local Slack channel as we chat through our favourite stories of the year.
A Long-Brewing Crisis in Special Education
Parents and teachers say schools are underfunded and understaffed, kids are being “abandoned” in mainstream classrooms in the name of inclusion, and neither the TDSB nor the province will take responsibility.
The Killing of the Science Centre
The 55-year old museum shuttered without warning one Friday in June. Then devastated staff were given four months to dismantle it. A former employee on the last days of a beloved institution.
Rachel Chernos Lin Wins Don Valley West By-Election
The Toronto District School Board chair beat out former right-wing columnist Anthony Furey in a fiercely partisan battle.
Live Results From the Don Valley West By-Election
Real-time results from election night, starting at 8 p.m. on November 4, 2024.