Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Toronto Life

CREATED FOR Dear Incoming Family, When you first walk through these doors, your world might feel like it’s falling apart. I know, because mine did. When my five-year-old son, Hendrix, relapsed with cancer, everything we knew—home, work, school, routine—disappeared overnight. Our lives suddenly revolved around hospital walls and waiting rooms. For nine months, Ronald McDonald House Toronto became our safe place. It was our home when everything else felt lost. After long days at the hospital, I could come here, cook a warm meal and feel a tiny piece of normal again. Hendrix could play, laugh and just be a kid, even while fighting the hardest battle of his life. His bone marrow transplant meant 42 long days in isolation, and we spent the first 21 inside a 10 x…

“We deserve to have a gay show that is sexy and horny and fun”—JACOB TIERNEY, P. 20 BILLY BISHOP’S EXISTENCE has always been contentious, with advocates touting the economic benefits and critics condemning the environmental harms. But, last year, the municipal and federal governments sided with the former camp when they agreed to extend the airport’s lease until 2045. Now, another coup for the aerodrome. In October, Air Canada announced that it would be dramatically expanding its service on the Toronto Islands beginning next spring. That means new routes to New York, Chicago, Boston and Washington and increased flights to Ottawa and Montreal. It also means long-term financial security for Billy Bishop. It’s good news for time-strapped Torontonians and tourists but bad news for islanders and condo dwellers suffering from…

IT MAY HAVE taken Donald Trump’s 51st-state rhetoric to stoke our national pride, but we kept the fire burning bright with subtle and not-so-subtle acts of patriotism all our own. In 2025, Mike Myers simultaneously trolled Americans and rallied Canadians on SNL; the heads of UHN and U of T welcomed world-class scientists and academics leaving the US; and Sheridan-trained animator Maggie Kang forced Netflix to revisit its entire business model with her unstoppable KPop Demon Hunters. The Jays united a city and a country eager for a resounding win against America’s top team, and while they didn’t end up with the trophy, they won the hearts of sports fans old and new. But 2025’s true MVP? Prime Minister Mark Carney, who, along with fellow inductees Doug Ford and Anita…

PREMIER OF ONTARIO For being the irritant Trump can’t ignore AFTER YEARS of cosplaying as Canada’s answer to Trump, Ford repositioned himself as the guy most capable of pushing POTUS’s buttons. What first felt like a gimmick (the baseball-hat slogans, the Fox News appearances) now lands like expert-calibre trolling. Ford’s recent Reagan ad—archival footage of the Republican president railing against tariffs, which aired during the first two World Series games and got roughly 12 billion impressions—led Trump to suspend trade talks and slap an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canada. But it also has American voters contemplating the crushing economic impact of Trump’s vendetta. Combined with Carney’s genteel geopolitics, Ford’s brand of brash may actually move the needle. UP NEXT: Having signed a road construction partnership with the Webequie…

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, AND PRESIDENT AND CEO, OF ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS Because they rule Toronto sports and telecoms THE JAYS playoff run was a triple play for the company that owns not only the team but also the stadium and the broadcasting rights. Even before October, Rogers’ newly acquired 75 per cent stake in MLSE prompted a $5-billion third-quarter profit gain and installed Edward Rogers as the monarch of Canadian sportsdom. You can also thank the company for your Real Housewives binge (Rogers acquired Bravo, HGTV and Food Network), the emails you sent on your commute (Rogers expanded 5G service to TTC riders) and that time you spotted Dua Lipa at Giulietta (Rogers is TIFF’s lead sponsor for another three years). As CEO, Staffieri has kept shareholders happy with a 17 per…

ROMANCE WRITER Because her steamy beach reads are unabashedly Canadian FORGET QUEEN VICTORIA—the month of May belongs to Fortune. Since 2022, the romance writer has released a new novel in the fifth month of every year, with each of them topping national and international bestseller lists. (Her work is now published in 30 languages.) Fortune’s most recent offering, One Golden Summer, gave millions of fans what they’d been clamouring for with a return to Barry’s Bay to revisit the charismatic troublemaking brother from her blockbuster first book, Every Summer After. An Amazon Prime Video series, based on that debut and retitled Every Year After, wrapped filming in BC earlier this fall. UP NEXT: Fortune’s fifth book, the upcoming Our Perfect Storm, is a friends-to-lovers story set in the rainforests…

CO-FOUNDERS OF COHERE Because their quest for market domination has hit hyperdrive ENTERPRISE AI company Cohere has had a mind-boggling 12 months. So far in 2025, it opened new offices in Montreal and Paris (with one in the works in Seoul), closed a $500-million funding round, then raked in another $100 million, putting its valuation at $7 billion. Its annualized revenue is also way up, nearly tripling from $35 million in March of 2024 to more than $100 million this past May. Cohere plans to use its cash bump to go head-to-head with American companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic—with an assist from the federal government, which tapped Cohere to figure out how AI can improve public services. Industry minister Mélanie Joly put the feds’ stake in the company more…

RESTAURATEURS Because their brand of hospitality never sleeps SOBERANO and Khabouth, who joined forces to create Ink Entertainment in 1982 and now own more than 20 restaurants, bars and clubs across North America, show no signs of slowing down. In fact, they’re in overdrive: building on the late-2024 launch of Animl—home of the $1,000 surf-and-turf platter and $7,000 cocktail—they unveiled Portland Square on King West in July, a four-level, multi-concept venue featuring old-school Italian, contemporary Chinese, private lounges and—of all things—a country music sports bar. And because even professional party planners need a reset, this fall was all about 30 Hazelton, their three-storey, 4,000-squarefoot spa doling out lasers, injectables and IV drips. UP NEXT: A second country sports bar, this time in Niagara Falls (these boots are made for working),…

GODFATHER OF OZEMPIC For reminding the world that GLP-1 is about more than weight loss DRUCKER WAS ONE of five scientists to accept the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences this past April for their roles in discovering GLP-1, the metabolic hormone that is the active ingredient in Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and others. Before awarding the $3-million prize, presenter Lauren Sánchez Bezos joked that many of the famous people in the room owed these winners a big thank-you. But GLP-1 drugs aren’t just reducing dress sizes—they’re extending lifespans. A study about Wegovy showed a 20 per cent reduction in heart attacks, strokes and death among people with obesity and heart disease. UP NEXT: Drucker’s lab at Mount Sinai will study the potential of GLP-1 to combat dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and…

CHEF Because her micro-restaurant is the hottest ticket in town FOR THE PAST YEAR, Chin has been redefining Asian dining at her 26-seat hidden gem, Yan Dining Room, housed within Chinatown mainstay Hong Shing. Open three nights a week and accessed by pre-paid reservation, the neo-Chinese spot delivers a multi-course tasting menu that puts farm-to-table philosophy ahead of genre—and soul above all else. THE DISHES The menu, which changes monthly, is built around Chin’s relationships with producers, whether that’s West Coast fishmongers, a duck farmer in Elora or a Chinese family in Newmarket raising free-range chickens. There is one constant: every tasting begins with a serving of Chin’s trademark seasonal broth. THE GUEST LIST Although Chin insists that Hong Shing was a popular late-night haunt for entertainers and NBA players…

FILMMAKER For creating irresistible time capsules LEVACK is a testament to the power of writing what you know. The Canadian Film Centre alumna’s first feature, 2022’s I Like Movies, was informed by her time spent behind the counter of a Burlington Blockbuster as a teen; after debuting at TIFF, it scored a raft of awards on the festival circuit. For this year’s Mile End Kicks, Levack drew on her experiences as a plucky music critic navigating the boys’ club of indie rock in the early 2010s. The charm of her films is twofold: Levack has a knack for hyperspecific details (the self-aggrandizing snobbery of video store clerks, a meticulously curated indie rock soundtrack), and she writes characters who are both funny weird and funny ha-ha, with neuroses and questionable behaviour…

DIRECTOR AND SCREENWRITER For being in on the joke THE ROLE that got Polley back in front of the camera for the first time in 17 years? Herself. Or, rather, a heightened, slapstick-y version of herself, one who clashes with Seth Rogen’s buffoonish film studio head on his Emmy-sweeping satire, The Studio. The guest spot was a marked departure from the more serious fare Polley is famous for and a reminder that she is actually very funny. But that’s as Hollywood as Polley will get: in September, while accepting the key to Toronto for her artistic contributions, she waxed eloquent about the city that has shaped every part of her life, one she never plans to leave. She even mooned over the gridlock, hailing it as a good opportunity to…

CYCLING ACTIVIST For being the David to Ford’s Goliath THE EXECUTIVE director of Cycle Toronto wasn’t in court the day his organization launched a Charter challenge against Bill 212, legislation that empowered the province to rip up bike lanes along Bloor, University and Yonge. He was in hospital after getting doored in a painted bike lane—a real-life case study of the unprecedented legal argument that removing existing bike lanes violates cyclists’ Charterenshrined rights to life, liberty and security of the person. The premier did his best Big Bad Wolf impression, huffing and puffing about his plan to blow the bike lanes down, but the courts sided with the cyclists. “For anyone who rides a bike in the city, the victory is yours,” Longfield said outside the courthouse following the big…

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A hard-hitting investigation into toxic hockey bros We Breed Lions Out November 5 BOOKS On May 26, 2022, TSN reporter Rick Westhead broke the story that Hockey Canada had settled a $3.55-million lawsuit with a woman known as E. M., who alleged that eight Canadian Hockey League players had sexually assaulted her. Westhead’s report led to mass resignations at Hockey Canada and a national reckoning on the rape culture in Canada’s favourite sport. In 2024, five of the eight men were charged with sexual assault, but they were ultimately acquitted in a deeply controversial verdict. Drawing on his past three years covering the case, Westhead’s new book, We Breed Lions, examines the toxic masculinity at the heart of hockey, asking where it comes from and what can be done to…

As the brain behind shows about dudes drinking beer and telling fart jokes, you’re associated with frat-boy humour. A gay hockey romance feels like a departure, no? Yes. I stepped back from the Letterkenny universe to do something different. I loved working on those shows, but I feel like I’ve put in my dude time. I told my agents, “If you send me any work related to sports, I’m going to kill you!” Then I presented them with Rachel Reid’s gay hockey series, Game Changers. A sincere gay romance is very different from bro comedy. You don’t strike me as the typical romance reader. I discovered Rachel’s books during the pandemic. A friend suggested that I get into smutty gay romances. When I found Game Changers, I was hooked…

THE JOB OF PRIME MINISTER is hard, and it ought to be. But Mark Carney entered office in an unprecedentedly difficult time. Our decades-long partnership with the US has been unilaterally ruptured by a president who keeps treating our national sovereignty like a cat toy. Alberta is threatening to secede if they don’t get what they want. Critical minerals, especially those in the Ring of Fire, position Canada to be a global leader, except Indigenous leaders are in no hurry to mine them, and for good reason. When it comes to AI, Canada must not be left behind—or so far out in front that we’re vulnerable to its perils. And while Carney is popular, his party is decidedly not, and each jobs report, inflationary indicator and Trump mood swing threatens…

THE MANAGER John Schneider Having come up through the organization alongside Vladdy and Bo, he knows how his players tick. His “Start spreading the news, bitches!” ALDS victory howl should be a Canadian Heritage Minute. THE PLAY-BY-PLAY GUYS Buck Martinez and Dan Shulman The fan favourite and the best baritone in baseball, respectively, guided the Jays faithful through a wild season with characteristic smarts, professionalism and a flair for the dramatic. THE ON-FIELD REPORTER Hazel Mae Mae has earned the players’ trust over years spent around the team. Instead of prefab soundbites, they give her real talk, both in her interviews and during Gatorade-soaked post-game dispatches. THE BENCH COACH Don Mattingly An iconic former player and MVP whose experience and wise counsel proved invaluable to Schneider on the bench. His…

ACTOR For raising his elbows—and ours—skyward THIS PAST MARCH, Myers returned to SNL for the first time in a decade to play a chainsaw-wielding Elon Musk in a gloriously unhinged performance that took aim at the Trump presidency. Then, during the show’s closing credits, he opened his vest to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with “Canada Is Not For Sale,” mouthed the words “elbows up” and gave birth to a rallying cry. The phrase—inspired by hockey legend Gordie Howe—soon made its way onto protest signs, baseball caps and, by the end of that month, a campaign ad for Mark Carney. UP NEXT: Shrek 5, in which Myers will once again voice the iconic ogre (famous for facing down a different despot) and win over an entirely new generation.…

CEO OF SHOPIFY Because he heads up the country’s most valuable company THIS YEAR, the e-commerce giant didn’t just rule over Canada’s tech and digital-retail scenes—it dominated the country’s entire business sector. Shopify barely blinked at the ongoing trade and tariff troubles; if anything, its revenue growth sped up in North America, Europe and Asia. In August, Shopify edged out RBC as Canada’s most valuable company by market cap, flying high on second-quarter revenue that had climbed year-over-year to $3.7 billion. Making good on its strategy to land larger merchants, the company also snagged Starbucks and Canada Goose, partnerships that are predicted to drive growth for all parties. UP NEXT: Lütke recently announced a soon-to-launch partnership with OpenAI that will allow the company’s merchants to sell directly in ChatGPT, so…

BLUE JAYS PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER For being the architects of postseason magic EARLIER THIS YEAR, nobody had much good to say about the Jays bosses. Then came the postseason, and it got a lot harder to kvetch about Vladdy’s half-billion-dollar contract extension (the largest in franchise history), the locking in of catcher Alejandro Kirk and the propelling of rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage through the minors. Atkins maintains that there was always a method to their madness and that this World Series run was inevitable. Well, no, but their vision made it a reality. UP NEXT: Negotiating with star shortstop Bo Bichette, who is now a free agent.…

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT For championing Toronto’s cultural sovereignty TWO YEARS ago, this Crow’s Theatre duo proved that Torontonians will flock to local stories brought to life onstage. Under Abraham’s guidance, Healey transformed a book about Google’s Sidewalk Labs boondoggle into The Master Plan, a wry satire of corporate blunders, backroom dealings and false prophets. Implausibly, it became such a smash hit that the company remounted the show a year after its initial mega-extended run. The two are following that up with December’s Rogers v. Rogers, a Succession-esque opus based on Canada’s reigning telecom dynasty. The play’s run was sold out, save one show, more than a month before opening night, so the unlucky will have to wait for a remount. UP NEXT: A three-year pilot partnership with Soulpepper and…

PRESIDENT OF MUSIC AT LIVE NATION CANADA For turning Toronto into Music City IN EARLY 2024, the city’s live music scene was at a crossroads: stadium-filling bands wanted to bring their shows to Toronto, but there was no venue large enough to accommodate them on their available dates. Hoffman was the guy who said, If we build it, they will come—and in less than a year and a half, the 50,000-capacity Rogers Stadium was in business. Live Nation Canada hosted a record 25 stadium shows in Toronto this past summer, more than triple the previous record—putting to rest the question of whether the city can sustain multiple large-scale venues. UP NEXT: Live Nation will transform Budweiser Stage (rechristened the RBC Ampitheatre) into a year-round space set to launch in 2030.…

CHARLOTTE GEEVES Executive director of the National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet’s artistic director, Hope Muir, has a new partner in Geeves, formerly of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. Co-CEOs, the two will collaborate on operational, financial and artistic fronts. TERESA M. CHAN Founding dean of TMU’s medical school Chan heads up Ontario’s newest training ground for future doctors, an ambitious undertaking meant to address the shortage of primary care physicians. The inaugural class of 176 students started school in September at TMU’s Brampton campus. PAOLO SANTALUCIA Artistic director of Soulpepper Theatre With Soulpepper’s appointment of Santalucia as AD, the company is building on its legacy of fostering talent and promoting from within. Most recently an associate artistic director at Crow’s Theatre, he came up through Soulpepper’s 26-week academy.…

PHYSICIAN AND SOCIAL MEDICINE PIONEER For proving that housing and health care are inextricably linked FOR YEARS, Boozary has been arguing that housing is health care: a winwin approach that combats homelessness and reduces ballooning costs caused by return visits to the city’s emergency departments. Now, with the resounding success of Dunn House, a 51-unit modular apartment building in Parkdale that provides not just shelter but access to health care and other supports, the director of UHN’s Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine has the numbers to prove it. A year into the initiative—the first of its kind in Canada—there has been a 52 per cent reduction in the residents’ hospital stays and a 79 per cent drop in their length of stays. All told, local hospitals saved $1.66 million—a powerful…

GENERAL MANAGER OF THE RAPTORS For being a steadying force in a season of uncertainty WEBSTER’S TITLE hasn’t changed, but his responsibilities have. The dramatic ousting of president Masai Ujiri in June sent the front office out in search of his replacement, but they soon circled back to Toronto—and Webster. After eight years as the Raptors’ second-in command, the GM is now head of basketball operations and the one making the big calls when it comes to roster construction, team culture and overall strategy. UP NEXT: The current team is young but expensive—the Raptors are over the luxury-tax threshold—and has yet to prove itself worth the investment. No one is expecting a 2019-style championship run in 2026, but a spot in the playoffs would be nice.…

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TRICON RESIDENTIAL For transforming the rental landscape AS THE HEAD of Tricon Canada’s multi-family rental business, Joyner is in charge of getting new purpose-built apartments made across the GTA. Since entering the rental field in 2016, Tricon is the busiest builder in its sector. The company has wrapped up five major projects, with another six under construction and three in pre-development—all of which prioritize convenient downtown locations and a commitment to a mix of market-rate and affordable options without sacrificing the fun stuff (on-site cafés, gyms, co-working spaces and more). One recent star property is Maple House at Canary Landing, three towers with 770 units that were developed as a private public partnership with Dream, Kilmer Group and Infrastructure Ontario. In a city where renting for life…

THE LEGAL LEADER Hal Jackman With his $80-million gift to U of T’s faculty of law in September, Jackman brought his total to a cool $100 million, much of which is dedicated to scholarships and student programming. THE MED-STUDENT BENEFACTOR Orlando Corporation Carlo Fidani’s family business extended its wideranging support of GTA health institutions with a $25-million pledge to match community donations to TMU’s new medical school in Brampton. THE INDIGENOUS ALLY Krawczyk Family Foundation Alex Krawczyk donated $11 million to St. Michael’s Hospital and Providence Healthcare to improve the experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis patients within the healh care system. THE CLIMATE WARRIORS Lawson Foundation Brian and Joannah Lawson’s $60-million donation to U of T, announced on Earth Day, helped launch the university’s new Lawson Climate Institute,…

LAWYER AND PHILANTHROPIST For repping athletes and owners big and small AS MANAGING partner of Wildeboer Dellelce, one of Canada’s leading corporate finance law firms, Dellelce acted for MLSE in Rogers’s $4.7-billion acquisition of BCE’s interest in the sports juggernaut. His altruistic athletic pursuits are impressive too. He’s the chair of the Canadian Olympic Foundation, which announced its financial support of five Indigenous athletes and awarded the 50 Team Canada Olympic medallists from Paris a total of $1.75 million. His firm also provides pro bono legal counsel to Canada Basketball and BIPOC-owned businesses within the basketball community. FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES: The head of the Commonwealth. In June, Dellelce was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his philanthropic efforts.…

FOOD WRITER AND TV HOST For championing mom-and-pop kitchens across the country BY THE TIME he was in his teens, Tamil-born, Scarborough-bred Doss was busy exploring the GTA’s vast and diverse food landscape, searching for hidden gems. For more than two decades now, he has shared his discoveries across television, radio, print and digital media. This fall, Doss brought his epic appetite to CBC Gem with Locals Welcome—a new series produced by members of Anthony Bourdain’s former team—which moves beyond Toronto’s borders to highlight the people and rich histories behind some of Canada’s most interesting and unsung plates. UP NEXT: Doss is teaming up with the Waterfront BIA to launch a festival next spring showcasing GTA food culture.…

On August 13, more than 600 guests gathered at Evergreen Brick Works for the 2025 Summer Garden Party—presented by Tricon Residential and Toronto Life—which brought the city’s best food, music and cultural experiences to life under the stars. Guests enjoyed an elevated selection of food and beverage of ferings from across the city’s culinary scene, courtesy of Oliver and Bonacini Catering, Mamakas, Khazana, Good Behaviour Ice Cream, Pelee Island Winery, Steam Whistle, Beau’s, Strongbow, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Chatime. The night’s soundtrack included elegant string covers by the Sonority Sisters, followed by a chill lounge DJ set from Jon Daniels and a powerhouse vocal set by headliner Andye, presented by Universal Music Canada. Guests were treated to various sponsor activations throughout the venue, including a photo booth and trip…

YOUR $79 ANNUAL membership gives you VIP perks like front-of-the-line entry to cultural events, private dining experiences, and invitations to some of the most compelling thought leadership panels and fireside chats with the city’s most interesting people. Don’t just read about the best of the city—experience it! A first look at the Playbook Commons, with championship tennis and a curated four-course menu TL Insiders were treated to an exclusive first look at Toronto’s newest dining destination, the Playbook Commons, which blends steakhouse classics with Italian American comfort food in a luxurious sports-inspired setting. Timed with the National Bank Open, the evening paired live tournament coverage with a curated four-course menu by chef Jia Zou, featuring dishes like truffle tagliatelle and swordfish meunière. TL Insider neighbourhood tours, sponsored by Fitzrovia Members…

At Toronto Life, around the time the colours turn, the big themes of the year tend to crystallize. In the past, that’s meant the rise of women’s pro sports, the AI revolution, the heroism of the front-line worker, the Raptors’ winning ways and the advent of medical marijuana. This year’s theme was patriotism, and it emanated not from within but from beyond, provoked by a venal, volatile, expansionist-minded American president. Make all the tired jokes you like about oxymorons, but Canadian pride coloured virtually every storyline this year. Premier Doug Ford, for instance, was a strong candidate for the top spot in our ranking of the city’s most influential people. He styled himself as Captain Canada, donning a “Canada Is Not For Sale” hat and appearing on any network that…

MAYOR OF TORONTO For being more focused on the work than on the optics IF CRIME IS ALWAYS top of mind for voters going into an election year, Chow has nothing to worry about. The incumbent has a solid record to run on: 40 per cent year-over-year reductions in shootings and firearm discharges and a 51 per cent decrease in homicides. Police funding is up, 911 wait times are down and Chow is on to the next challenge. While she still loves to make a statement (who can forget her wrapped up in a yellow feather boa while calling out Home Depot for cutting its funding to Pride), she’s being largely driven by party-agnostic pragmatism. To wit: Chow has secured housing funds from both the feds ($2.55 billion) and the…

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF MAPLE LEAF SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Because he’s transforming the city’s sports landscape IN MAY, Pelley ended the Leafs’ so-called Shanaplan when he opted not to renew president Brendan Shanahan’s contract or hire a replacement. A month later, he terminated Masai Ujiri’s Raptors contract early. (It was status quo for football and soccer, but only because Pelley had already booted Bill Manning, former president of both the Argonauts and the Toronto FC, last July.) The moves seem to be less about money and more about running out of patience: Pelley has, in his own words, been tasked with “the relentless pursuit of championships.” UP NEXT: Developing a partnership with the Buffalo Bills to grow Canada’s football fan base.…

FEDERAL MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Because she’s repping Canada on the international stage THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS portfolio has always been thorny, but in the current geopolitical crapstorm, it’s more like a razor wire. In a speech to the United Nations in September, Anand criticized the erosion in global leadership and confirmed her country’s commitment to filling the void. A month later, she was the first Canadian cabinet minister to visit India after two years of tense relations, and her groundwork scored Carney an invite to New Delhi for talks in the new year. Subsequent outreach in China had a similarly salutary effect, leading to a meeting between the PM and president at the APEC summit. UP NEXT: Anand will welcome foreign dignitaries on home turf for the FIFA World Cup…

FEDERAL MINISTER OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL INNOVATION Because he’s charting Canada’s AI path WHEN Carney released the Liberals’ platform a week out from election day, it called for the sweeping use of artificial intelligence to build the economy of the future and included a new cabinet position—the country’s first ever minister of AI. Solomon, who has been an internet guy since his days editing Shift magazine, was working in the private sector in New York when Carney reached out. Now he’s the MP for Toronto Centre and the person charged with pushing back against American digital dominance by getting Canadian industry and government to adopt AI. In September, Solomon announced a 26-person task force to execute an updated national AI strategy and deliver it two years ahead of schedule.…

CEO OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA For fostering national pride through the printed word FEW HAVE championed Can-Lit as a beacon of shared values and a bulwark against authoritarianism as successfully as Cochrane. This year, PRHC launched the Indigenous children’s imprint Swift Water Books as well as McClelland and Stewart’s paperback series Kanata Classics; reissued Prime Minister Carney’s 2021 tome, Value(s), which became one of the year’s bestsellers; and released Book of Lives, the long-awaited memoir by Margaret Atwood. Buoyed by a wave of patriotic zeal, the publisher also commissioned Elbows Up!, a collection of essays exploring Canada’s relationship with the US that promptly landed on Canadian bestseller  lists. CHARITY CIRCUIT: Cochrane and her team donated more than 300,000 books to support literacy and provide readers across the country with…

HEDGE FUND MANAGER AND PHILANTHROPIST Because his giving takes many (many) forms FORGET SPENDING money to make money—the Anson Funds cofounder makes money to give money. This year, the Moez and Marissa Kassam Equity Fund supported food programs through the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, established a follow-up clinic at SickKids powered by the couple’s recent $15-million gift to the hospital and donated $5 million to TMU’s new medical school. It is unsurprising, perhaps, that Kassam was recently named the 2025 Global Citizen Laureate by the United Nations Association in Canada. UP NEXT: Kassam is growing his Great to Gold program—which invests in underfunded athletes to get them on the Olympic podium—to include winter athletes.…

THE AFTER-DEATH EXPERT Seyed Alireza Rabi In September, Alireza Rabi—a surgeon at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre—and his team completed Canada’s first DCC (donation after circulatory death) heart transplant. The procedure has the potential to save many more lives: DCC is forecasted to expand the heart donor pool by 30 per cent. THE BRAIN-COMPUTER EXPERT Andres Lozano This summer, at Toronto Western Hospital, Lozano led the country’s first Neuralink implant surgeries. His team implanted Elon Musk’s wireless brain-computer interface device in patients with cervical spinal cord injuries to allow them to control external devices using their thoughts. THE ROBOTICS EXPERTS Gianluigi Bisleri and Daniel Burns Bisleri, Burns and their team of cardiac surgeons at St. Michael’s Hospital performed Toronto’s first successful robotic mitral valve repair in April. Compared with traditional…

ENTREPRENEUR Because he wants to make Canada the most prosperous country in the world DEBOW, a serial entrepreneur and an angel investor for Wealthsimple, Clio and SkipTheDishes, kicked off the year with a patriotic clarion call. After quitting his VP job at Shopify, he launched Build Canada, a policy platform for tech entrepreneurs who want to make Canada better. Led by Debow as board chair and CEO Lucy Hargreaves and supported by a who’s who of Canadian tech (including Shopify’s Tobias Lütke, Wealth simple’s Michael Katchen and Cohere’s Ivan Zhang), the organization has published dozens of policy papers and created trackers for government spending, trade barriers and more. In September, Debow jumped at another opportunity to set the agenda when federal AI minister Evan Solomon named him to his 26-person…

ACTOR, SHOWRUNNER Because he’s redefining South Asian representation THE FIRST season of Jasmeet Raina’s semi autobiographical dramedy Late Bloomer radically and hilariously altered audiences’ ideas of whose stories belong on TV. The show became one of Crave’s top 10 Canadian comedy series and earned Raina eight Canadian Screen Award nominations. Season two, which kicked off in April, counters stereotypical storylines with fresh and nuanced takes on identity, immigration and sex. To nail the realities facing international students—his character shares a basement apartment with a growing number of them—Raina spent time with students and temporary foreign workers. For an episode about anti-Sikh racism after 9/11, his directorial debut for the show, he drew on his own childhood experiences. UP NEXT: The third season of Late Bloomer, which has been renewed by…

CREATED BY When James “Scott” Wilson was rushed to the hospital in 2023 with end-stage liver failure, he knew his time was running out. As Scott’s condition worsened, the hardest part was imagining his children growing up without him. For patients living with end-stage organ failure, time is often measured in days or weeks. Scott’s only hope was a transplant, yet the demand for donor organs far exceeds the supply. Across Canada, for every patient who receives a life-saving transplant, many more remain on the waiting list. For those who do receive a donor organ, it represents the possibility of a future once thought out of reach. At University Health Network (UHN), the goal is to close this gap so that more patients can receive a second chance at life.…