Think driving to Algonquin Park or Muskoka is the only way to get a wildlife fix? Think again. From the waterfront to the ravines, the city is filled with unexpected and incredible wildlife—some of it rare, some of it a bit weird, and all of it thriving in the unlikeliest places. Here’s a look at a few wild residents proving you don’t need to leave the city to experience nature up close.
River Otter Once believed to be extinct in Toronto, river otters have made an impressive comeback. These sleek, playful mammals have been spotted in the marshes of Tommy Thompson Park, where the city’s investment in wetland restoration is clearly paying off. Their return is more than just charming—it’s a sign that the aquatic ecosystems of Toronto are becoming cleaner and healthier, supporting species that haven’t been seen in decades. They’ve also been spotted in High Park around Grenadier Pond.
Bald Eagles In a thrilling development for birdwatchers, Toronto welcomed its first known bald eagle nest last spring, producing two healthy eaglets. Once nearly wiped out due to pesticides and habitat loss, bald eagles are trying to reestablish themselves across Ontario. Their appearance in the city last year is a testament to ongoing conservation success stories—and they join a growing list of spectacular urban birds, including peregrine falcons that nest on high-rises and red-tailed hawks circling the downtown core. Looking to spot some rare birds of prey in the city, check out the bluffs, Toronto Islands, Rouge Park, Tommy Thompson Park and the Don Valley.
The eagle has landed. Nesting for the first known time in the city of Toronto. It’s a very hopeful sign for the future. https://t.co/QJBRZhCJH3
The Don Blob Not all wildlife is photogenic. Case in point: the “Don Blob,” a colony of gelatinous bryozoans discovered near the mouth of the newly naturalized Don River. These bizarre, ancient invertebrates are bioindicators of improving water quality, quietly filtering and cleaning the water. Their presence signals that Toronto’s ambitious river revitalization projects are having a real ecological impact—one squishy blob at a time.
Beaver Toronto’s most industrious new urbanites, beavers have been seen in surprising spots—from Evergreen Brick Works to the shores of Grenadier Pond in High Park. In one unforgettable moment, a beaver even wandered into a TTC subway station, charming commuters and baffling transit staff. As wetland spaces are reintroduced across the city, beavers are returning to build dams and lodges in areas that once excluded them. Their ability to reshape landscapes and improve biodiversity makes them unlikely but important allies in urban ecological resilience.
Coyote Coyotes have become a permanent presence throughout Toronto, adapting with remarkable ease to the urban environment. Once rare, they’re now regularly seen in ravines, parks, and most recently in Liberty Village—likely displaced from former habitat by the Ontario government’s recent deforestation of Ontario Place. While their presence can spark concern, coyotes play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by controlling rodent populations. Coexisting with them is part of Toronto’s evolving relationship with urban wildlife.
Toronto’s first-ever Cake Picnic is a true testament to the idea that you really can have your cake and eat it too.
On Saturday, May 24, frosting fanatics from all over the city will gather along the West Toronto Railpath for an afternoon filled with cake, sunshine (fingers crossed) and good company. The event is sold out, but if you didn’t snag a ticket, don’t worry, there may be more dates to come!
@cakepicnictour/Instagram
Originally dreamed up by San Francisco baker Elisa Sunga, the Cake Picnic is all about bringing people together to share the love of cake. Elisa’s vision started as an intimate gathering of friends, each bringing a unique cake to the picnic, and it has since exploded into a global celebration of the sweet stuff. At the last cake picnic, more than 1,300 cakes were devoured. Now, Toronto gets its very own edition, whipped up by Le Dolci Culinary Classroom.
The concept is simple but sweet: Guests are encouraged to bring their own cakes — whether a towering layer cake, a cool vegan treat, or something in between — and show off their creations with fun name tags. Once the cake bell rings, it’s a free-for-all, with everyone eagerly filling their boxes with as many mouthwatering pieces as they can carry.
@cakepicnic/Instagram
The Cake Picnic is all about celebrating every kind of cake — chiffon, upside-down, multi-tiered, cupcakes, meringues and even cake loaves. No matter your taste or dietary needs, there’s something for everyone, and every bite is a sweet reminder of how food brings people together.
For those who missed out this time, don’t worry, Le Dolci has plans to add more dates after the May event. Be sure to keep an eye out for future Cake Picnics and other happenings!
This Sunday, Torontonians will see riders (men, women, children and even dogs) dressed in dapper attire, revving vintage motorcycles throughout the streets of Toronto — and it’s all for a good cause!
For 10 years, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) has united classic and vintage-styled motorcycle riders from all over the world to raise funds for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health, in collaboration with Movember (the world’s leading men’s health charity).
Research shows that, globally, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, with 1.4 million men diagnosed with this disease every year.
According to the DGR, their funding “has enabled Movember to invest in world class biomedical research that leads to new tests and treatments particularly for men with high-risk disease, while Movember’s global clinical quality registries help clinicians improve treatment and reduce harmful side effects.”
To date, over $3.3 million of funds raised have supported 12 men’s health projects throughout the country (seven projects are in the prostate cancer space, and five are in mental health). Both Movember and DGR share the same goal: to bring people together and help change the face of men’s health!
Here’s what to expect for the upcoming ride:
On Sunday, May 18th, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, over 200 dapperly dressed riders will take the streets of Toronto.
At 8:00 am, riders will meet at Cherry St. BBQ (275 Cherry St.), before departing at 9:30 am.
At 10:00 am, the riders will regroup at Humber Bay Park Rd E.
At 11:00 am, a second re-group will take place with a photo opportunity at Princes’ Blvd in front of the Princes’ Gate (at Exhibition Place).
At 12:00 pm, the ride concludes at Cherry St. BBQ.
This year, more than 120 countries globally are participating in the ride, with 33 rides taking place across Canada.
High Park Zoo welcomed an adorable new Highland calf to its zoo last month. After an active naming contest, the park unveiled the cute calf’s official new name: Molly McMoo!
“Many thanks for the more than 550 people who responded. It was a close race, with Molly McMoo getting 43 per cent of votes,” Friends of High Park Zoo said in a statement, adding that “Poppy” came in second place and “Winnie” in third.
“They are all great names, but we think Molly McMoo is perfect”.
Molly was the first baby born at the zoo this season! Her parents, Heather and Fergus, are two long-time residents at the park. According to Friends of High Park Zoo, mating occurs throughout the year for West Highland cattle, with a gestation period of approximately 277–290 days (so up to 9.5 months). Most commonly a single calf is born, but twins can sometimes occur! This is also a long-lived breed (their lifespan can last more than 20 years).
According to the city, Highland cattle are an old breed of domestic beef cattle developed in the Highlands of Scotland. They’re known for their double coat of hair (a downy undercoat and a long outer coat), with a long fringe of hair shielding their eyes from snow, rain, and eye infections spread by insects. Because of their double coat, they don’t put on a thick layer of fat to keep warm like many other animals, so they’re pretty lean.
If you plan to visit High Park this month, perhaps to see the cherry blossoms, make a beeline for the animal display to visit little Molly and the other animals! You’ll see all types of cute animals, including barbary sheep, bison, capybaras, emus, llamas, yaks and even reindeer.
Turns out, world leaders eat just like the rest of us — and according to TasteAtlas, their favourite foods are… mostly exactly what you’d expect. The newly released list is light on surprises, but still offers a peek into the everyday cravings of some of the most powerful people around the globe — including Canada’s own Mark Carney.
Japan’s Prime Minister opted for homestyle comfort with curried rice and ramen, France’s Emmanuel Macron played it safe with cordon bleu (mais oui) and wine and Carney’s picks seem to say less about status and more about late-night cravings.
According to a recent Instagram post, Carney appears to favour the simpler pleasures when it comes to food: his top picks include pizza, ice cream and a classic Cadbury Dairy Milk bar. By contrast, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum leaned into tradition with tacos al pastor, chiles rellenos and chapulines. Russia’s president, meanwhile, went protein-heavy, naming lamb, fish and pistachio ice cream among his favourites.
Others on the list include Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who highlighted mozzarella, pasta and the fish soup of Anzio—a rustic dish made with fish, chickpeas and mixed pasta. The UK’s Prime Minister kept things classic with comfort food staples like pasta bake, tandoori salmon and sandwiches.
And President Trump? According to the post, his go-tos include fast food, steak and Diet Coke — prompting one Instagram user to comment, “Trump eats like a kindergartener.” Reactions to Carney’s modest picks were equally divided. “Love Canada, the only one that is honest,” one user wrote. Another added, “I thought Trump’s was bad—then I saw the Canadian Prime Minister’s choices.”
One small caveat: TasteAtlas doesn’t say where—or how—these “favourite foods” were sourced. So while it’s fun to imagine world leaders debating dinner over Dairy Milk or tacos al pastor, it’s probably best to take the list with a grain of salt… or maybe a side of fries.
Toronto is a city filled with vibrant businesses — stylish shops, cool concept stores, unique food delivery services and so much more. But it’s also worth noting that more than a few of the city’s most innovative companies are headed by mothers and daughters. In honour of Mother’s Day being around the corner, here are five mother-daughter owned businesses that you need to know about.
Amandine Azran and her mom Heather run a Toronto-based skincare company which sets out to eliminate all of bells and whistles of skincare routines, offering customers simplified skincare solutions that just work.
“My mom is the ideal partner because she truly is my best friend — we work through the tough parts together, she motivates me when I feel down or shy, and I also feel 10 times more excited and proud when something great happens because we get to share in that together. We still celebrate every single order and new milestone as if it were the first,” says Amandine.
The pair go way back in the beauty industry — Amandine’s family owns colour-focused hair salon Colour Lab — and they’ve been applying hard earned trade secrets to their very own brand. Amandine and Heather draw inspiration from their farm two hours outside of Toronto in order to by-pass the “overcomplicated and underperforming skincare routines” that dominate the market.
“I had been working on a multi-correctional face oil to make for clients as my daughter was about to leave home for law school. I was sick of having so many single-ingredient skincare products that led to more confusion and waste, so I was on a mission to create the perfect formula that simplified the skincare routine. Having Amandine on board, I knew we could bring it to life on a larger scale,” says Heather.
Amandine recalls visiting the university she was set to go to for law school with her mom and immediately crying when she got there. “My mom was like, ‘You don’t have to do this. If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?'” Amandine says. “I said, ‘I would start a skincare line with you.'”
With such different skin types between the two of them, Amandine and Heather focused on creating skincare “staples” — and they’ve stayed true to that mission, perfecting just two products. They’ve obviously done something right: makeup artists have been using their products on everyone from Pedro Pascal to Simu Liu.
While launching this new brand, their family experienced what Amandine describes as “the hardest thing we’ve ever been through:” her mom was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. But Amandine went through with the launch by herself while her mom was going through treatment and surgeries, and she recalls something her mom recently said to her: “She told me her proudest moment was watching me launch this company and told me I should absolutely feel so proud of myself for putting myself out there and making making these moves despite everything.”
Now, the pair donates a portion of proceeds to St. Joseph’s Health Centre HPB [hepato-pancreato-biliary] service.
This vintage shop has been enthralling customers with its quality garments since 2012. Daughter Mahro Anfield and mother Melo opened the store on Queen Street West as a way to showcase a diverse range of vintage pieces for men and women.
“We couldn’t imagine running a store without each other. I run the shop and the social media while Melo does all the sourcing of the product. I need her and she needs me. We have the same taste in clothing and trends so we are perfect partners,” says Mahro.
Although the duo aren’t always able to spend time together, they still feel connected through the store.
“Running a store has definitely benefited our relationship. Melo lives in Vancouver and does all the sourcing for the product out there,” Mahro says. “Because of the distance, we need to be in constant communication about what’s selling in-store and what’s going to be the next trend. Surprisingly, even with the distance we always seem to be on the same page.”
If you’re in need of a curated luxury experience with a comfortable atmosphere, look no further than Clementine’s. Christina McDowell and her daughter Kelly are the duo behind the operation, and have been selling high street and luxury goods to Torontonians for years now.
“We opened almost nine years ago because we knew we had a unique opportunity to create something we love together. We also felt the community of Rosedale and Summerhill, that we know and love, would enjoy a service-focused, curated retail shop,” says Kelly.
The duo pride themselves on operating a concept shop with some of the most unique names in fashion. Uma Wang and Helmut Lang remain as some of the more prominent brands at the shop, both in stature and popularity. They also pride themselves on curating the store as a team.
“Working together is pretty great. We each bring a different skill set and perspective, which is necessary in any partnership. We’re lucky that we have so much fun together!”
While fashion is a medium that can brings the masses together, Kelly and Christina find that their expertise furthers their bond with each other.
“We’re very fortunate. We’ve learned and grown within the business and definitely brought us closer together as mother and daughter,” says Kelly.
Sherry Caldwell and her daughter Ashley pride themselves on merging fashion and advocacy with disability-positive online marketplace GoodOnU.ca. The pair started the label just last year as Ashley was in high school.
“We decided to embark on this adventure. You see, Ashley was born with disabilities, but that has never stopped her from dreaming big. She’s a rockstar who uses a wheelchair and AAC [Augmentative and Alternative Communication] to communicate, and I knew she deserved more opportunities. So, we said goodbye to the typical employment hunt and decided to create our destiny!” says Sherry.
The duo have slowly grown the brand over the last year or so. They’ve done so by putting just as much emphasis on the social aspects as they do the fashion.
“Our vision for GoodOnU.ca goes beyond just running a store. We’re on a mission to make some serious waves in society! Through our advocacy work and our one-of-a-kind merchandise, we’re spreading awareness about accessibility, equity and inclusion for individuals with disabilities in a fun and fabulous way,” Sherry says. “We believe in a future where everyone’s voice is heard, and employment barriers are overcome. GoodOnU.ca is not just a business to us but a social enterprise for positive change, and we’re proud to be part of this fantastic journey together.”
Sherry and Ashley are the dream team. The pair have input on all of the garments they release, down to the drawings themselves.
“Sure, we’ve had our fair share of learning curves, but we’ve laughed, we’ve cried and we’ve nailed some seriously cool hats and Ts! Ashley is not just the face of our social media, but she’s also an artist who designed our heart logo for the My Heart collection,” Sherry says. Ashley and I have been long-time advocates for individuals with disabilities, and we wanted to fund our advocacy efforts while spreading positive vibes about disabilities. That’s why every sale at GoodOnU.ca supports our grassroots advocacy initiatives, with a mission to create a world that’s inclusive and accessible for all.”
Hun Young Lee (second from right) and her three daughters
Ai (meaning “children/daughters” in Korean) Toronto Seoul is a Toronto-based, sustainable fashion brand run by Hun Young Lee and her three daughters, Hannah, Joanna and Rebekah. They carefully curate and produce PETA-approved vegan handbags and accessories made in small batches in Seoul, South Korea.
Hannah Kim and her sisters are not only inspired by their mother but also continue to learn from her.
“We adore having the opportunity to work with our mom, and we’re constantly inspired by her creativity and work ethic,” Kim says. “Our mom continues to teach us to be strong and have faith, especially in tough times. She is one of the most robust people we know and we strive to be as strong as she is.”
Working together also showed the family just how much they all think alike.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover that we often don’t have to think twice or question anything we put into motion — there’s an incredible amount of trust between the four of us, and so we’re able to make decisions quickly knowing that there aren’t any personal agendas,” Kim says. “We definitely attribute that to the trust between us as a close-knit family.”
With the weather finally beginning to warm up and Mother’s Day on the horizon, there’s no better time to plan a celebratory picnic in the park to honour the mother figure in your household. A meal al fresco is the perfect way to show you care and spend some meaningful time together.
High Park
Toronto’s largest public park is easily accessible via transit and home to 18 designated picnic sites making this a prime location for an outdoor feast. Not to mention, over one-third of High Park remains in a natural state meaning that either pre- or post-picnic there are numerous options for a nature walk or hike.
Riverdale Park East
@kyomiandasami/Instagram
With an unmatched view of the city skyline you’ll be hard pressed not to find an adequate vantage point for an enjoyable picnic. The 18-hectare park near Danforth Avenue and Broadview Avenue offers plenty of green space for spreading out as well as a naturalized area at the north end of the park with many recreational trails ideal for walking.
Dufferin Grove Park
Sitting right across the street from Dufferin Mall, on Dufferin Street just south of Bloor Street West with nearby TTC access, this park has also grown into a vibrant community hub complete with a weekly farmers market and amenities for all ages. The large mature forest canopy provides plenty of shade and there are lots of benches and green space to choose from.
Trillium Park
Previously a parking lot, this scenic park located along the eastern edge of Ontario Place is home to an open-air pavilion and several rocky areas to climb for views of Lake Ontario (or just for fun). But no matter where you choose to unpack your picnic, there are plentiful views of the Toronto skyline to be had. In addition, you’ll find the William G. Davis Trail here, a 1.3-kilometre trail along the lake shore.
Ashbridges Bay
located-southeast-of-the-park
This park on the waterfront in the east end of Toronto is another picturesque place for a picnic. Portions of the Martin Goodman and Waterfront trails pass through the north end of the park if you feel like taking a stroll and Ashbridges Bay is also known for its bird watching opportunities as well as excellent sunset views.
A sign outside the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park has some Redditors confused.
“Anyone know what a Gourdon crossing is?” a Redditor asked in the r/Toronto subreddit on Wednesday, alongside a sign of two characters crossing a path — one looks like he’s holding a fish, and the other is carrying some sort of sack.
Although the sign kind of mimics a pedestrian or wildlife crossing sign, it’s more of a clever guerrilla marketing stunt. One Redditor scanned the sign’s QR code, and it appears to tie into an augmented reality/live-action roleplay (LARP) game for a mobile-based magical combat adventure called Sigil.
As another Redditor explained, in LARPing, the players aren’t acting out a role or playing a specific character in the game. The line between fiction and reality is somewhat blurred, so you might see a sign, a website, a phone number, etc., that seems real but is actually part of a hidden narrative or puzzle in the game.
In this case, Redditors who stumbled upon the sign and scanned the QR code or called the number perhaps became game participants without ever officially signing up!
“It’s kind of like an ongoing game sitting in the background of the real world, and anyone can participate, but there’s no real formal ‘structure’ to it like with LARPing,” the Redditor said.
Other Redditors pointed out similar signs across the city, like this “WARNING! FROG” sign spotted downtown.
Others noted that a variety of these LARP signs were posted throughout 2024, removed, and then posted again — a similar Gourdon crossing sign was seen last year February outside of the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus.
If you’ve eaten your way through Toronto’s west end in the last few years, chances are Carmelina Imola and Zachary Kolomeir have fed you something memorable — and made it look effortlessly cool in the process.
Photo: @graydonherriott
Now, the Montreal expat duo behind Dreyfus, Taverne Bernhardt’s and Vilda’s is getting ready to open a new restaurant: N.L. Ginzburg, slated to debut soon at 548 College Street. And while they’re keeping most details close to the chest, here’s what we know so far.
According to the couple’s recent Instagram post, N.L. Ginzburg will be “a dining room and menu inspired by the simplicity and minimalism of the slow food trattoria, viewed through a diasporic Jewish lens.” Named after Natalia and Leone — iconic figures of European Jewry — the restaurant is their “third child,” and seems poised to carry the same DNA of thoughtful nostalgia, culinary precision and quiet irreverence that’s made their other spots near-instant favourites.
If Dreyfus is a French-ish bistro that riffs off Kolomeir’s Québécois-Jewish roots (think oysters with smoked eel and tiny Cubanos), and Taverne Bernhardt’s turns rotisserie chicken into a craveable art form with golden skin, Blue Goose Farm veggies and gravy you’ll dream about later, then Ginzburg feels like the couple’s most personal venture yet.
@dreyfustoronto/Instagram
At Bernhardt’s, the menu is unpretentious — think coleslaw, fries and freshly baked Brodflour buns. Then there’s Vilda’s — their grab-and-go variety store–meets–deli, which slings matzo ball soup, beet BLTs and the now-famous Caesaroni (a pepperoni-Caesar mashup on a bun) to loyal fans daily.
If the flood of fire emojis and heartfelt Mazel Tovs on their Instagram announcement are any clue, N.L. Ginzburg is already one of the city’s most anticipated openings. “Everything you all touch is gold,” one fan wrote. Another chimed in, calling dibs on becoming the restaurant’s “Chief Fressing Officer.”
You can keep up with all the exciting updates and sneak peeks ahead of the opening by following their Instagram page.
L-R: Katherine Ryan and Bobby Kootstra in present day, the couple back in high school in Ontario
Katherine Ryan may be a comedic icon across the pond, but she got her start here in Ontario. With a career that has spanned from BBC presenter to star and creator of Netflix series The Duchess, she’s made a return to her roots as the newest Canada’s Got Talent judge (the finale airs on May 13 on CityTV, where one contestant will walk away with the $1 million prize). She’ll also be stopping in Toronto on May 17 for her comedy tour. Now, the comic gives us the scoop on how she reconnected with her husband, Bobby Kootstra, 20 years after dating in high school.
How they met
Katherine: We met at high school in Sarnia, Ontario, in the 10th grade. I had just gotten my braces off and was in the market for a boyfriend and hopefully some eyebrows. I saw Bobby and decided I was going to marry him.
Bobby: I was recovering from a growth spurt so dramatic that it caused episodes of fainting in class. I was finally a man, and the ladies took notice. Katherine had the best bum in the school.
Katherine: We split up at our senior prom (Bobby’s initiative) and lost touch in university. We reunited randomly 20 years later and decided to have a hilarious one-night stand. Things moved quickly; we were married nine months later.
The relationship
Katherine: I was really hesitant to be in a serious relationship because I had a nice life as a single woman. When Bobby landed in London, he invited me to a private champagne experience on the London Eye, and I declined because it sounded too romantic and I didn’t want to get sucked in. Bobby went alone and shared the ride with some random tourist women. They sent photos, and it didn’t give me FOMO because I truly detest the London Eye.
Bobby: I thought Katherine was playing hard to get, but she really hates the London Eye.
The proposal
Katherine: We didn’t have a romantic proposal. We knew we’d have to get married for immigration reasons if we wanted to stay together so Bobby handled the logistics and scheduled a courthouse ceremony in Denmark, for admin reasons that we won’t bore you with. The weekend before, we were biking around Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, and Bobby pretended to tie his shoe. I got off my bike to see why he had stopped and Bobby stood up with a ring and proposed. We’d already booked the flights so it was more of a gesture than an actual proposal.
The wedding and honeymoon
We got married at a courthouse in Copenhagen at 11 a.m. following a brunch in the hotel with our best friend, who flew in from Finland with her husband to act as a witness. Our daughter Violet was there, and afterwards, we pretty much went straight to the airport and flew back to London.
The kids
L-R: Violet, Fenna Grace, Katherine, Fred and Bobby
We have three kids and would always welcome more! We love making people. Violet (15) is Katherine’s daughter from a previous relationship, and since being married, we have Fred (3) and Fenna Grace (2). Basically, we haven’t slept since we met.
Katherine: I work and Bobby mostly stays home with the kids, but lately he’s been roped into the family reality show, At Home With Katherine Ryan, and is fast emerging as the breakout star for his “fun guy/cool guy” persona. He’s got a dry sense of humour, a bit like Scott Disick on The Kardashians. We manage to make time for our children and our relationship by not having any friends. Our social life is non-existent because we spend all our free time at the soft-play or a trampoline park.
The secret to success
We have a very easy shorthand between us because we grew up in the same small town. We have a special kind of grace for one another because we remember each other as kids. We both believe that nothing in life matters very much, and that very little matters at all. We are first and foremost best friends, and all we really care about is the safety and happiness of our children. Also, we’re rich, which helps.
The future together
We hope to be physically fit enough to enjoy our grandchildren and travel on our own, but we keep having kids in our 40s, so that seems less and less likely as they are sucking the youth out of us at an alarming rate. Our five years of marriage were lockdown and pregnancy years, and we feel two decades older coming out of that. We’ll be lucky to be alive by Christmas. We’ve got life insurance, so we imagine the children together one day, bickering over their inheritance over our lifeless corpses. That’ll be nice.
A one-episode documentary on former Toronto mayor Rob Ford will be released on Netflix this June. “Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem” will chronicle Ford’s tenure as mayor from 2010 to 2014, as well as take a look at the scandals that surrounded his infamous political career.
“Mayor of Mayhem”, directed by Shianne Brown, will be the second installment in Netflix’s eight-episode Trainwreck series. According to the streaming platform, the anthology will revisit some of “the most gripping, bizarre — and sometimes even horrifying — events that once dominated the mainstream media”, everything from tragic festivals (hello, Astroworld), political scandals, and media hoaxes to reality TV disasters.
The Ford saga will air alongside other episodes like “Balloon Boy”, about a 6-year-old trapped in a UFO-like balloon floating over Colorado, and “Poop Cruise”, about toilets overflowing as a stricken ship limps towards a port to Cozumel, Mexico.
Ford served as MPP for Etobicoke North for a decade until he was unexpectedly elected mayor in 2010, securing 47% of the vote.
“Widely dismissed as a joke by other politicians and the media, he defies critics with a shocking victory,” the Netflix episode summary states. “But his administration soon becomes a slow-motion disaster, as an avalanche of scandals and allegations of hard drug use lead to an international media frenzy.”
In 2013, a video surfaced of Ford smoking from a crack cocaine pipe while seemingly intoxicated. Ford eventually said that he had “made mistakes” and admitted to smoking crack cocaine, “probably in one of my drunken stupors”.
He withdrew from the 2014 mayoral race after learning he had a fast-growing cancerous abdominal tumour. After an 18-month battle, Ford passed away at 46 years old. This will all be covered in the 49-minute episode, which will air on Netflix on June 17.
The documentary won’t be the first time Ford’s life is dramatized. A 2019 movie called Run This Townoffered a somewhat fictionalized take on Ford’s personal and work-related controversies during his final year as Toronto’s mayor.
As if opening over 60 restaurants wasn’t enough, chef Hemant Bhagwani is adding another jewel to his crown. Opening May 27, Oro brings bold global flavours and luxe vibes to Trinity Bellwoods.
Opening at 501 College Street, where La Carnita quietly closed earlier this year, Oro marks chef Hemant Bhagwani’s latest move in a neighbourhood he calls “a hub for nice restaurants.” With decades of experience across Toronto, the seasoned restaurateur knows the city — and its cravings — well.
“College has become an incredible street for restaurants, and we’ll be in good company,” he says.
@bombaysnackbar/Instagram
While the celebrity chef — known for Toronto’s Michelin-recommended Bar Goa, with restaurants also in New York and Ottawa — is best recognized for bold Indian flavours, Bhagwani is taking a broader approach at Oro, offering global cuisine still rooted in Indian style.
“I travel extensively and learn from chefs and restaurants around the world,” Bhagwani says. “When you visit places like London or New York and see something amazing, it inspires you to do it your own way. Indian food has gone global — it’s evolved beyond traditional fusion, and I wanted to play with that.”
Bhagwani plans to refresh Oro’s menu each season, treating them like Netflix episodes — kicking off with Season 1, Episode 1 this spring, and rolling out new “episodes” each quarter until Season 2 debuts next summer.
“I just wanted it to be more fun,” he says, noting that each episode will offer seasonal flavours and tastes based on ingredients from local farmers and butchers. “We can also keep track of the menu, and see how many seasons, and how many episodes we’ve done.”
With a focus on smaller share plates, menu highlights at Oro will include truffled burrata tartlet, zucchini flower tempura with eggplant chutney, wagyu scotch egg, yellowtail and black truffles, Burmese lamb leg, a signature smoked tartare (wagyu, tuna, avocado) and, of course, Bhagwani’s legendary lamb chops.
“I get excited about bringing something new to the Indian food scene in Toronto,” says Bhagwani. “We stay ahead, and we want to keep making changes, and keep improving what we’ve been doing for years.”
As for the the beverage menu, Bhagwani says the options for craft cocktails at Oro will “surpass expectations” with the help of mixologists hailing from New York and India to bring global expertise to Toronto.
With “Oro” meaning “gold” in Italian, expect the restaurant to shine with golden accents and luxurious details — though Bhagwani is keeping the rest under wraps until the grand reveal on May 27.
