Toronto Life February 2023

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Under the Influence As always, our list of the 50 most influential Torontonians of the year generated robust debate—a roughly equal mix of “Couldn’t agree more” and “What were you thinking?” plus a sprinkling of “How is deserving candidate A not on here?” and “Why is deserving candidate B not higher up?” “What a city. Full of personalities big and small, all fighting, creating and trying to make a difference. Lots of us here have opposing views, but we make up Tkaronto today. Miigwetch, @torontolife.” —@TanyaTalaga, Twitter “Why is Doug Ford @fordnation even on this list?” —@TappingGoddess, Twitter “Doug Ford, while influential, needs to be investigated for going back on his biggest election promise—leaving the Greenbelt alone. Some big investors are going to profit big time.” —@bigmomma99, Twitter “Ford, Tory,…

These kids were not cool by traditional standards. But it takes gumption to perform extemporaneous make-believe in front of strangers. To expect money in exchange requires a whole other level of swagger. The cast of Second City Toronto, as they became known, were smart, zany and hell-bent on getting their audiences to double over with laughter. They were subversive too, stuffing cultural commentary inside goofball characters to lampoon icons, celebrities and the inner hoser in each of us. In tame 1970s Canada, this was new, and it was revolutionary. Still, for a while, the whole enterprise reeked of flop sweat. The audiences were thin and the financial rewards thinner. The cast, however, was having too much fun to care. As Dave Thomas says in our rollicking oral history (page 32)—which…

Diana Ip and her husband had been trying to conceive for years—first naturally and later through fertility treatments—when she found a lump in her breast in October of 2021. The discovery came at an especially precarious time: she had one embryo left and was six weeks away from her final fertility treatment. At nearly 40 years old, and after years of failed attempts, she and her husband planned to give up if this time was unsuccessful. Like many women, Ip was in the shower when she first felt the small, hard lump just under the skin of her right breast. It didn’t hurt, but she was sure it hadn’t been there the day before. Concerned, she called her doctor and booked an ultrasound. “Initially my doctor told me, ‘You’re young,…

A leaked report drafted by Metrolinx has confirmed the worst: not only is the Eglinton Crosstown LRT $1 billion over budget (and rising), but the transit agency says there’s no “credible plan” to complete the project. It’s enough to make Torontonians sick. The line, which was designed to provide a speedy new way to get across the city and to relieve the entire transit network, was originally scheduled to open in 2020. Metrolinx blames its contractor, Crosslinx Transit Solutions, for underperforming, and city councillors are demanding a public inquiry. But, as bureaucrats bicker and the long, hard investigative process begins, everyday Torontonians are living the disaster—mangled streets, shuttered businesses and some of the longest commute times in North America.…

Congratulations on the new gig. Were you surprised that no one ran against you? I ran a full-on campaign from September to December, the same as if there had been opponents in the race. I was in it to win it and would have welcomed any other MPPs to compete. Some of your critics say that the lack of interest in the leadership position means your party is out of gas. What say you? I say it’s a sign that our party isn’t wasting time. We want to focus on the real race, which is against Doug Ford. The NDP lost nine seats in last year’s election. In retrospect, what should have been done that wasn’t? There was a historically low turnout: about 43 per cent. Which means that none…