Stories about Feature
How to Make a Toronto Indie Movie
Kazik Radwanski is part of a cohort of local filmmakers changing Toronto’s cinematic identity. With his latest film, Matt and Mara, he’s trying to reach an international audience.
From International Student to Popstar
Harkirat Sangha came to Canada to study and ended up driving trucks. He’s now finding fame and fortune singing about it.
Why Aren’t Arts Workers Unionized?
Behind every piece of art is a community of underpaid, idealistic gallery installers, box office staff, and technicians. Why arts work needs to be seen as real work.
The Transit Boss Torontonians Love to Hate
When Phil Verster was announced as Metrolinx’s CEO in 2017, there was universal praise. But with an $856,000 salary and a tenure defined by cost overruns and years of delays to projects like the Eglinton LRT, critics want him out. How did it go so wrong?
Death and the Salesmen
As the city runs out of burial space, a series of boardroom and legal battles in the booming bereavement industry could determine the future of death in Toronto.
The Trouble with Home Care
Aging at home is what people want, and what governments have long said is the key to easing pressure on the health care system. So why is home care so broken?
When Seniors Wander
Each year, over 500 seniors are reported missing to the Toronto Police. As the city ages and dementia rates rise, what can we do to ensure older Torontonians get home safe?
After 20 Years, Torontonians Will Have to Wait Even Longer for an Accessible TTC
Until this September, the TTC reported being on-track to meet its 2025 deadline for provincially mandated accessibility improvements. The transit authority had two decades on the clock—where did it go wrong?
Recloseted at 80
Out of fear of discrimination, insensitive care, or even memory loss returning them to an earlier time, some LGBTQ2S+ seniors find themselves hiding their identities as they age.
Promised Childcare Centres Delayed by Provincial Red Tape, says TDSB
Six years after the ministry of education greenlit 28 new childcare centres, construction hasn’t even begun, leaving parents in underserved corners of Toronto struggling to find care.
Behind the Unprecedented Rise in Food Bank Use
Food charities started out as a temporary measure to alleviate hunger. But since COVID, demand has skyrocketed for services that were only ever meant to be a stopgap.
“Canada’s Worst Obstacle Course”
Metrolinx has promised Toronto a more interconnected tomorrow. As it rips up some of the city’s busiest streets, is it paying enough attention to the safety and wellbeing of Torontonians today?
The Crisis After the Crisis
During lockdowns, politicians, journalists, and policy makers suddenly started paying attention to communities along the Finch West corridor. Then they stopped. A panoramic look at Toronto’s northwest after the COVID emergency.
At Jane and Finch, a Fight for Community Space
Metrolinx is building a maintenance shed in the middle of their community. These residents are fighting to make sure they get something in return.
The Slow Fight for Rapid Transit on Finch West
After more than fifty years of talk, northwest Toronto is finally getting an LRT. But as the new line brings higher rents, changing businesses, and on-going construction, residents are demanding a say in how their community will change.
How the Election Looks From the Suburbs
Toronto mayoral elections are often decided far from the downtown core. Here’s what matters to voters in three key suburban wards where the race could be fiercest.
What It Takes to Get Someone Housed
Each day, housing support workers like Madison McElroy are asked to do the near impossible: get clients out of homelessness and onto a lease in the midst of a raging rental crisis.
When a Guest Takes Over
Unit takeovers are a hidden crisis in Toronto social housing, at the intersection of unaffordability, social isolation, and an epidemic of addiction.
Meet Your New Landlord: a Local Non-Profit
The Neighbourhood Land Trust has been snapping up buildings across Toronto, taking them off the market and into the community. Over 200 units later, they say they’re ready to do much more.
The Realities of Renting While Black
Black renters have always faced discrimination in Toronto. The rental crisis makes it worse.