Toronto Life December 2024

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Sick and Tired Everyone had an opinion about our cover story on Ontario’s primary health care crisis. We heard from doctors and patients, most of whom were as frustrated as those who told their stories in our October issue, as well as a few senators. “Your timely article touches on one of the major reasons Torontonians are experiencing a primary care crisis. There are too many barriers in place for international medical graduates. These Canadian citizens and permanent residents tend to have clinical experience overseas and have passed Ontario’s licensing criteria to meet the same standards as Canadian-born doctors. However, they are shut out from alleviating our primary care crisis due to a lack of residency positions. We recently published a report recommending that the federal government directly fund the…

At Toronto Life, our annual debate over the Most Influential list is usually a rip-roaring affair. Our editors, who know Toronto and Torontonians better than anyone, pitch the people they believe belong at the top of the list and then defend their selections like a prime-years Matlock. In this, the year of interest rate–induced angina, Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem (No. 2) rated highly. Mayor Olivia Chow (No. 3) was a contender for her bipartisan leadership, inexhaustible stamina—have you noticed how many events she attends?—and commitment to solving the housing crisis. There were convincing points for telecom kingpin Ed Rogers (No. 4), who keeps racking up victories: over his siblings, over Corus Entertainment, over his MLSE co-owner Bell, at the Competition Bureau and in the courts. And he’s got…

“I never saw myself as the villain”—Vince Carter, p.24 Somebody get the champagne sabre. Bar Pompette, the jaunty little brasserie on College that serves cocktails both classic and avant-garde, was just named one of the world’s best bars, the only Canadian establishment to crack the list. No surprises here. Pompette, along with new spots like Lulu Bar, Project Gigglewater and Doc’s Green Door Lounge, offers next-level libations in a stunning setting. Torontonians are apparently imbibing less these days, but they want quality hooch when they do. These bars are upping our cocktail game, and we’ll drink to that.…

Congratulations: your number, 15, is the first to be raised to the rafters at Scotiabank Arena. How does it feel? I’m still numb. I haven’t even processed entering the Basketball Hall of Fame, which was back in October. These past few months have been a roller coaster. In your Hall of Fame acceptance speech, you thanked like a million people—even the haters. Why? I hope people understand that comment was about fans dating all the way back to my college days, not just Toronto. Getting booed is brutal, but it always motivated me to prove people wrong. Raptors fans are once again in your corner, but after the team traded you to the New Jersey Nets in 2004, you became public enemy number one. Did you enjoy playing the villain?…

IT HAPPENED LAST MONTH: A LOOSE CHRONOLOGY…