Ahmed and his wife came to Canada from Bangladesh in 2006 under the Foreign-born professionals program. Both were doctors back home — young, successful and surrounded by family. But like many people who come to Canada seeking a better education for their kids, they now face a harsh reality of long hours and low paid work, high rise living, and the stress of trying to keep it together while struggling with poverty and social isolation.
Two neighbourhoods on Toronto’s East side bear the unfortunate ranking of highest rates of mental health visits in the city: Oakridge & Taylor-Massey. This video portrait is the first in an ongoing series investigating the issue of mental health from the perspective of the communities who live there.
More from this issue
Results From The Local’s Annual Diversity Survey for 2025
Every year The Local conducts a diversity survey among staff and contributors. See how we did in 2025.
The Local Fellowship 2026
Our fellowship program provides training and mentorship to emerging journalists from communities underrepresented in Canadian media. Applications are now open.
Understanding the Eglinton Crosstown in Seven Illustrations
From Shohei Ohtani’s salary to the tunneling rate of a mole—an unorthodox guide to the numbers behind Toronto’s newest transit line.
Meet Gabrielle McMann, Our Yearlong Journalism Fellow
The emerging journalist is our first early-career fellow, in partnership with The Philanthropist Journal
Ontario’s Daycares Are Increasingly Staffed by Underqualified Hires
New data shows Ministry of Education approvals for non-ECEs working in ECE-designated roles jumped more than 1,000 percent over the last five years.
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.