Innehållsförteckning för November 2025 från Toronto Life

A journalist’s inbox is a bramble of news tips, requests, screeds and, most of all, pitches. So many pitches. Lately, I can’t help but notice how many companies describe their vaunted new gizmo or service as being “AI-powered.” Among the slew of examples are providers of AI therapy, which aim to supplant old-school, turtle-necked, chin-stroking shrinks with generative-AI chatbots that can listen, soothe and churn out empathetic, medically informed advice. What’s so wrong with that? To the millions of customers who have already signed up for AI therapy, not a thing. Nor does anything seem off to the eager hive of investors, who see in the current $1.3-billion market the potential for exponential growth. Yet we know from experience that a lot of buzzy, newfangled things don’t deserve the hype.…

CREATED BY Imagine living with a debilitating neurological disorder that affects every aspect of your daily life. For more than 10 million Canadians living with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, chronic pain, depression and other diseases and disorders of the brain, this is a harsh reality. Globally, the total burden of these conditions is more than that of cancer and heart disease combined. Enter the team at Canada’s largest research hospital, University Health Network (UHN). At UHN’s Krembil Brain Institute, one of North America’s largest neuroscience units, experts are driving innovations in neurosurgery to treat brain diseases. One area is neuromodulation—more specifically, deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS involves a specialized team of neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuroradiologists, technologists and nurses who undertake a complex task: implanting tiny electrodes deep into the brain…

“I view this moment as the beginning of our next long Raptors run”—BOBBY WEBSTER, P. 15 IT WASN’T so long ago that Toronto’s transit system was the envy of North America, with sparkling new subway stations popping up on the regular throughout the 1960s and ’70s. Then came a generation of inertia—then another—resulting in the city’s current subway system, world-famous for being excruciatingly slow and brutally overloaded. But now, something of a miracle: six new downtown Ontario Line stations are barrelling toward completion, including the mammoth cavern beneath Queen and Spadina, pictured here. It’s taken decades of dreaming and a traffic apocalypse, but in a few years, commuting across the core will no longer feel like torture.…

The Buyers: Stella Melo, 30, a business analyst at a bank, and Brian Melo, 33, an automotive refinisher, with their schnauzer mix, Stewart. The Story: In 2020, Stella and Brian purchased a one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo in Oakville’s Glen Abbey for $448,000. After four years, they were ready for something bigger and closer to Stella’s job downtown. They also wanted two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a precious amenity in Toronto: two parking spots. In October of 2024, they set their budget at $850,000 and began their search. 1 Adelaide Street East near Parliament Listed at $899,900 Unsold THE FIRST PLACE Stella and Brian saw was this two-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse condo in Moss Park. The location was within walking distance of Stella’s office, but that was the only selling point. Its layout was…

The first time I landed on a therapist’s couch, I was 26, a junior editor at this magazine and an inveterate insomniac, deep in the quicksand of depression. I remember dressing for my session as if it were a first date, trying to appear as though I had it all together (which is to say, totally unlike the person I actually was). While my therapist, Dr. J, learned about my sleep disorder, I inadvertently learned about hers. One day, roughly six months into our relationship—as I carried on about how just the thought of bedtime roused in me an unholy dread, how sleep had become both a skill and privilege reserved for the more fortunate, like golf or slalom skiing—her eyes lost focus, assuming an untenanted expression. My insomnia fatigued…

AT 12 YEARS OLD, Suresh Doss emigrated with his family from Colombo, Sri Lanka, putting down roots in Scarborough to be close to its Tamil community. In 2019, after a stint downtown, he and his wife, Esther, found out they were pregnant with their son, Nolan, and decided to buy a home in Birchcliffe-Cliffside to be closer to family. Doss has built a career championing overlooked neighbourhoods and mom-and-pop kitchens, and he’s happiest when introducing his son to new ingredients. This fall, he brings his love of cuisine to CBC Gem for his Bourdain-esque series, Locals Welcome. Here, he takes us on a tour of his favourite east-end haunts. For the spice of life FOC FOODS “Toronto has become a real hot sauce nation in the past 15 years. Today,…

A saucy book about the decline of the internet Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It Out October 7 BOOK Remember the early days of Facebook, before all the spam? When Uber was cheap and X was Twitter? According to Toronto-born writer Cory Doctorow, it’s not just nostalgia: the internet really has gotten worse. In his new book, Doctorow explains how and why Big Tech has made the internet suck for everyone but them. He dubs the phenomenon “enshittification” and announces that we’re living in a craptastic new era: the “enshittocene.” However, Doctorow does see a way out. Where did your book title come from? And is it just an excuse to say “shit”? For the past 20 years, I’ve been chained to a rock…

You’ve been the Raptors’ general manager since 2017. After Masai Ujiri’s departure in June, MLSE gave you the keys. What’s the new job like? A lot of it is a continuation of being GM: I’m in charge of the coaching staff, picking players and ensuring we have the resources to be successful: the best physical therapists, shooting coaches, and strength and conditioning coaches. The biggest change for me involves my interactions with Rogers since they became majority owner in July. Does having this level of responsibility take you further away from building a winning team on the court? It does take me a bit away from basketball, but I’m motivated by managing people, finding the best talent and getting the best out of them. In school, I was the captain…

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PEOPLE HAVE BEEN USING computers to disrupt the status quo since the dawn of computers themselves. Back in the early 1960s, an MIT student hacked the punch-card computers at the library, programming them to give out extra screen time for free. Now that practically everything is connected to the internet, a tech-savvy person can wield enormous power. Some use it nefariously: data leaks at social media companies have exposed millions of people to fraud, and ransomware attacks have shut down hospitals, school boards and libraries. In 2016, Russian hackers stole and released tens of thousands of emails in an attempt to sway the outcome of the American presidential election. But others, called hacktivists, argue that hacking can be a potent way to fight systemic oppression and injustice. They’ve committed unsanctioned,…

“I love Scarborough Spot’s nostalgic love of the city”—SURESH DOSS, P. 72 THE HYBRID HANGOUT WHERE: Yorkville WHO: Naram Mehdizadeh, a real estate developer; Rouzhin Mehdizadeh, an anthropology grad student; and their kids, Aristo, 6, Aurelius, 4, Amadeo, 2, and Adelaide, 1 Seven years ago, newlyweds Rouzhin and Naram were renting a two-bedroom condo and planning their next move. They wanted a big family, and in 2018, they found a home for it—a decrepit 5,000-square-foot house in Yorkville. Over the next three years, they gutted the place, retaining only the elegant brick façade, and grew their family. A chic hybrid hangout for all ages—think merlot meets monkey bars—was one of Rouzhin’s must-haves. “I envisioned us parents chilling together, having a cup of coffee while our kids played in a beautiful…

In early September, actors, pop stars, pro athletes and other high-wattage individuals packed the Abrielle restaurant inside the Sutton Place Hotel to wish the Toronto International Film Festival a happy 50th birthday at Toronto Life and Hello! Canada’s Hollywood North party. Attendees included rapper and record producer Kardinal Offishall, tennis star Bianca Andreescu, singers Shawn Desman and Fefe Dobson, and Raptors Alijah Martin and A. J. Lawson. For full party coverage, visit: torontolife.com/hollywood-north THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS…

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! Toronto Life: In Conversation, featuring Amy and Tassie Cameron, executive producers of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent: TL Insiders gathered at the prestigious University Club of Toronto for an evening with powerhouse producers Amy and Tassie Cameron, the sister duo behind Mary Kills People, Pretty Hard Cases and the hit Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. Guests mingled over wine and canapés before enjoying an intimate fireside chat during which the Camerons shared behind-the-scenes stories, career insights and their vision for the future…