Toronto Life Noember 2024

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Wellness Check Readers found Olivia Stren’s cover story on the growing appeal of cold plunges, sobriety and superfoods equal parts captivating and creepy. “As a former alcoholic (recovery, baby!), I like the idea of more sober spaces in my city, but my pocket-book could not hang with these people, and I am too grungy and weird for their spaces anyway. I have to confess, though, I was morbidly fascinated by the Nutbar lady’s morning routine. I get that she thinks it’s calming and centring (and for her, perhaps it is), but it feels like a lot.” —Kitteh, MetaFilter “I don’t understand why people always assume that if it costs money—lots of money—it’s good for you and it will make you better, versus just trying to be better, which can be…

The pandemic played a role in the latter two cases, but the truth is that single-family homes are way too expensive, and condos just aren’t being made for families. Even today, only 10 per cent of Toronto condos have three bedrooms or more. The three couples in my circle that left are talented, gainfully employed parents who contribute to their communities in big and small ways. They’re also young and brimming with energy and optimism. In other words, the exact people Toronto needs to stick around. Unfortunately, the dire housing situation pushed them out. Toronto’s loss, times six. My urgent, irritated, increasingly lonely question is this: Why? In a city as vibrant and theoretically ascendant as ours, why is there an affordability crisis? The pieces should all line up: developers…

“The good old days of driving downtown without hassle are over”—Traffic director Roger Browne, p. 24 Negotiations came down to the wire. Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro begged Mayor Olivia Chow to intervene, former mayor John Tory stepped in as a mediator and, in the end, the heroes prevailed. After months of living under the threat of eviction, the Revue Film Society announced in September that it had secured a new five-year lease for its beloved theatre on Roncesvalles. Unlike so many of the city’s fallen movie houses, the Revue has survived and thrived during the streaming era, defiantly serving sold-out crowds a full program of art house, horror, Hollywood blockbusters and delicious schlock. It’s great news for cinephiles and art lovers in general—a welcome twist for a sector that, since…

In the past year or so, Tom Cruise, Will Ferrell and Niall Horan have all complained about Toronto traffic. What are the odds you can fix it before Taylor Swift lands at the Rogers Centre? Six concerts, nine days and a huge influx of people—we’ve spent a lot of time coordinating and have drawn a box around the Rogers Centre. The inside zone will be for ticket holders, the middle for pedestrians and the outside for ride-share vehicles only. The TTC and GO will also be ramping up service. What is it about our city that makes traffic so eye-bleedingly bad? The number-one cause of congestion is construction, but I don’t want to cast the cranes in the sky as villains. We’re a megacity. People want to live and invest…

“I haven’t bought an office lunch in two years” NEVADA HUVENAARS, 24 WHAT SHE DOES She’s a senior accountant at a public accounting firm WHAT SHE MAKES $76,000 a year WHERE SHE LIVES A studio apartment in Moss Park REGULAR EXPENSES RENT: $1,950 a month. “I used to live with a roommate and paid $1,244. But the privacy is worth the extra rent.” INTERNET: $54 a month with Virgin Plus. CELL: $4.50 a month with Freedom Mobile. “My work covers the rest of it.” GROCERIES: $130 a month. “I love shopping at FreshCo and No Frills.” PRESTO CARD: $10 a month. “The TTC is not cheap. I walk whenever I can.” CLOTHING: $85 a month. “I bought a pair of sneaker-style Vans recently, but they were partially covered by my…