Thornhill Post September 2026

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PECAN CRANBERRY

OLD SCHOOL APPLE LEMON MERINGUE

B EST OF

SPICED PUMPKIN

SOUR CHERRY

OUR ANNUAL GUIDE TO T.O.’S FINEST, PLUS WE POLLED OUR 890K INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS FOR THEIR FAVES

T.O.’S ULTIMATE CITY GUIDE SEPTEMBER 2026 • VOLUME 32 • ISSUE 5

HEAD OF THE CLASS THE CITY’S LARGEST PRIVATE EDUCATION GUIDE INSIDE

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Kids Post Check out Toronto's largest private schools and extracurricular programs guide, pages 37–49

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Contents

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Welcome to the September 2026 issue of the Post. Sit back and enjoy!

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21 A novel approach to dressing Jeanne Beker pulled together outfits inspired by the city’s most literary to create your new fall uniform

New Heated Rivalry cast member Sabrina Jalees had her own rom-com moment meeting her wife, Shauna McCann

27 This September, it’s hi p to be square We tapped chef Anthony Rose and Pizzeria Libretto’s Rocco Agostino in our search for the city’s top Detroit-style pizzas

31 Toronto's Best of 2026: The people, places and things that make our city shine Our annual guide to T.O.’s finest, plus we polled our 890,000 Instagram followers for their faves

| SEPTEMBER 2026

23 T.O. comedian on how her love life got heated

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Toronto is a great city, not a drive-through I’ve interviewed a lot of people, many of whom are from Toronto and have gone on to do great things here and globally. Without fail, after people leave and are asked about the city, they swoon. They talk about it in the context of the great cities of the world and how Toronto ranks near the top.

It bothers me when we hear some right-wing pundits or certain mayoral candidates describing our city as a crime-riddled dystopia with cars piled up for miles around run by misguided pinkos who don’t know what’s good for them.

This Toronto love-in happened again ahead of this issue when I was interviewing Stephan James. He’s one of the stars of I Played Rocky, showing at TIFF this month. And he’s a very proud Torontonian. It happens whenever I ride my bicycle through the ravines, stop at the farmers market at the Brick Works or St. Lawrence Market, maybe have a coffee on a patio along the way or brunch at Bonjour Brioche. I notice things, people, their smiles, the community.

It’s like there are two different cities. One, seen by people who drive through it on the way to work. The other, seen by people who live here. The problem is that, sadly, the people who drive through seem to be making more and more decisions for those of us who live here.

For the past 37 years — yes, happy anniversary to us — we have been talking about our great communities, our neighbourhoods, our people. We’ve been celebrating this city because we agree with Stephan James. It is great.

Is it perfect? Of course not. But the only way to make it better is to do so together through community building, civic engagement and, really, just living and enjoying what we have.

September is my favourite month in the city. Toronto is alive and well, so don’t just drive through. Embrace it. Fight for it.

RON JOHNSON is the editorial director of Post City Magazines.

T.O.’S ULTIMATE CITY GUIDES

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| SEPTEMBER 2026

PUBLISHER Lorne London ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER-IT Jarrod Daley GENERAL MANAGER Laurie McGillivray CONTROLLER Tina Trevellin OFFICE/CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER Lance Garvey DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Lynne London MEDIA ADVISORS Jo-Anne Craine Lauren Shipton Clara Strebel SENIOR SALES LEAD Carly Roebuck ACCOUNT CO-ORDINATOR George Redak

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FAST FACTS NAME:

Stephan James BORN:

Toronto, Ont. BIG BREAK:

Starred in ‘Degrassi’ for two years COMMUNITY:

Founded with his brother Shamier Anderson non-profit B.L.A.C.K. Canada (Building a Legacy in Acting, Cinema + Knowledge)

© Tayo Kuku Jr.

POST INTERVIEW

STREETS OF TORONTO

Actor Stephan James

Up close and personal with the Toronto actor co-starring in TIFF’s hottest film ‘I Play Rocky’ Carl Weathers (Rocky’s Apollo Creed) is such an iconic figure. What did you discover about him that surprised you while preparing for this role?

I think there were a few things. Obviously, just brushing up on my knowledge of his background as an athlete and how he became an actor. I think the film lends itself to some of the other revelations that a lot of people may not know about Carl, and so I won't spoil that. But yeah, there was a world of information I could grab from and a little bit of creative liberty that I was able to take in sort of creating who this guy was behind the scenes.

What was the biggest challenge for you in playing a real person who is no longer here to learn from?

I mean, I can't hear from him, so I'm having to rely on material, whether it be footage of him, the research that I've done, what I know of him and speaking to people that were in and around during that era. So I think that's the toughest part, playing somebody who obviously is such a gigantic figure, not only in the lore of Rocky, but just as a leading Black man himself in cinema. So I just felt there's a lot of responsibility there to do justice.

What was it like for an actor from Toronto playing a legendary American actor in a movie about one of the most famous American movies of all time?

I played Jesse Owens. I played John Lewis. So it's not that new to me. I think more so than anything, you just welcome the opportunity, understand the responsibility that comes with it, and thankfully, I've had experience beforehand to know what it means to take on a figure like this.

What was the dynamic like between you and Anthony Ippolito?

“ANYTHING SCARBOROUGH IS LOVE.”

It was great. I love Anthony. We ate a lot together. We were training at Gleason's, the worldfamous boxing gym in Brooklyn, and so we were down there almost every day for a couple of months, just working out, really getting to know each other, practising our sequences. I was blown away by him and just his transformation and what he was able to bring to it. And I think he's really special. I'm excited for people to see what he does in this film.

CITY HACKS Barbershop collabs are all the rage in T.O. Style and sip

At Studio CPB on the Danforth, getting your hair done comes with an unexpected bonus: a sommelier-curated natural wine bar and bottle shop, because apparently a great balayage is even better with a glass of biodynamic vino in hand.

Garage couture

Forget the boring barber chair. At Grease Monkey Barber Shop, your haircut comes with a full-on 1950s garage fantasy, complete with red leather seats, retro decor, TVs, tunes and even a Red Bull fridge.

Cuts and coffee

Good Company TO takes the humble haircut and turns it into a full-blown Queen West hangout, combining a barbershop, café and bar under one roof. Come for the fresh fade, stay for a coffee or cocktail.

How much does Toronto still feel like home to you?

It’s the best city in the world. I've been to a lot of places, and, you know, I think, truth be told — and I may sound biased when I say it — but I don't think a lot compare. It’s just a world-class I think that it's about art; it's about soul. It really shows you that it city for art or culture, for fashion, for life and livelihood — and doesn't matter where you come from, that the sky is the limit if yeah, a place I happen to be born and raised in, so a special place you are determined enough. I mean, I know it's kind of meta to in my heart. have to be making a movie about the making of a movie, but I really do feel like the first time I read this script, it really brought Do you still have favourite Toronto neighbourhoods me back to all the feelings I felt watching Rocky for the first time or restaurants or places you can go when you're — just feeling inspired, feeling hopeful, feeling motivated, deter- back in town?

Scarborough and the Scarborough fam. Anything Scarborough mined to push through by any means. is love.

—Ron Johnson

| SEPTEMBER 2026

What do you think makes that story still resonate almost 50 years later?

Studio CPB 5

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OPINION

TRENDING T.O.

NEWS

What is making news and who is making us snooze in the headlines this month

Last resort

© O’Leary Ventures

Ontario’s governing party was in the news for allegedly spying on former Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie at a resort in Jamaica. You can’t make this stuff up, folks.

Muskoka mania

Taking a strip off of Yonge Street?

A fire broke out at iconic downtown adult entertainment club Zanzibar last month. This after the recent closure of strip club Filmores has left many a T.O. tassel displaced.

Pro hooper has had it with Rogers Wi-Fi

Marina Mabrey, welcome to the city. The star of the Toronto Tempo went off on Rogers and its poor Wi-Fi service, like it is somehow a new thing. She is one of us.

We’re number 17!

The Toronto Maple Leafs are tied for first in the NHL, at least until the season opener on Sept. 29. And, they have the 17th best odds to win the Stanley Cup! Go Leafs!

L-R: Kevin O’Leary, massive data centres come with massive environmental footprints

Stopping Kevin O’Leary and the AI juggernaut DAVID SUZUKI with contributions from Ian Hanington

We’ve been lulled into believing that all technological advancement is good — or at least inevitable.

Many of us remember pre-internet times.

It was supposed to speed things up, to make life easier for everyone. But most people are working the same number of hours as before and spending more of those hours glued to screens.

Now we’re being told to accept the inevitability of artificial intelligence, or AI — computer technology that performs tasks once requiring human intelligence. Like the

internet, it will ostensibly make life easier, speeding up access to information and reducing the routine work required to create “content” and accomplish other tasks.

Will that lead to reduced work hours or better quality of life for a majority of people?

If the rapid development of the internet is anything to go by, probably not.

As for environmental issues, the massive data centres being built to facilitate it require enormous amounts of energy and water. In a world already reeling from the consequences of fossil-fuelled overheating, that should give us pause.

A proposed $70 billion, nine-gigawatt facility covering 65 square kilometres in

drought-stricken Alberta faces opposition from First Nations and locals.

Utah State University physicist Robert Davies warns it would be “one of the largest single-site heat sources on the planet.” He wrote that the project, led by celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary, would layer “an enormous new thermal, acoustic, air-emissions, and water demand on top of an environment already fragmented by resource extraction — across territory in which the Cree Nation exercises Treaty and harvesting rights.”

There may be no stopping the AI juggernaut, but we must at least demand regulations and oversight to reduce its environmental and social impacts.

Don’t just sit there and complain: vote From the minute you get out of bed in the morning, you use city services: the lights, brushing your teeth, using a sidewalk, road or public transit. During the day, you might walk through a park or take out a library book. At night, you might watch TV after making dinner. The city is responsible for making sure all these things can happen. When a city is working well, we hardly notice, but when a city is not working, it can impact our quality of life.

If the snow is not cleared, the parks are not maintained, it is a sign that city hall is not making these things a priority. The adage that “you can’t fight city hall” starts to creep into our collective consciousness. When things aren’t working, we shrug and move on because we have busy lives. It is also a very uncertain world right now, which can lead to complacency because things seem out of our control.

While some things may be out of our control, the one thing that we can all do is vote in the next municipal election, but only 38.5 per cent of eligible voters bothered in 2023 and less than 30 per cent

in 2022. The next election is on Oct. 26. It’s a chance for people to vote for the city that they want. Typically, incumbents are elected because voters recognize their name. When the city is working well, incumbents can get elected repeatedly without much effort. Some city councillors have been on council for over three decades.

However, if you want something different or think that the city can work better, then you have a chance to vote for change. This next election should be exciting because it is shaping up to be a choice between two mayoral candidates, although there will be 45 names on the ballot: Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford. Without a crowded field, people can better engage in the candidate’s respective platforms and consider the future of the city.

KAREN STINTZ is a former Toronto city councillor and the author of the new book Beyond Good Enough: Toronto and the Crisis of Urban Complacency.

| SEPTEMBER 2026

Elle Rubin and her Sterling Point co-stars are making Muskoka the hottest destination on earth. Gird yourselves cottagers, it is about to get really crowded.

SECTION

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NEWS

Queen West is getting a new park with a giant ‘Q’

| SEPTEMBER 2026

Groundbreaking new park for Queen West

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The fenced gravel lot at Queen pattern will also incorporate a Street West and Augusta Avenue turtle (representing Turtle Isis set to become a new gathering land), an idea that emerged place filled with shaded seating through engagement with Inand playful design details in- digenous community members.

Other elements will be intespired by the neighbourhood.

The 820-square-metre park is grated into the park to create opplanned for 464-470 Queen St. portunities for “storytelling and W. in Alexandra Park. The site discovery,” including strategically currently consists of an empty lot placed large stones and a decand a neighbouring building that orative trench drain designed to will be demolished to make way express the movement of water. for the new public space. The A pathway winding through the transformation will turn a largely planting area will connect the underused corner into a per- park to 15 Denison Ave., creating manent piece of public infras- a quieter entrance surrounded by tructure, adding new greenery large stones and layered vegetaand places to sit within the tion. This secondary connection will provide another way into the Queen West streetscape.

According to the City of To- park and create a more intimate ronto, the park will give visitors a transition from the surrounding “much-needed break from the streets into the landscaped space.

Community members prehustle and bustle of the city.”

At its centre will be a circular viously said they wanted the park gathering space, anchored by a to feel “green,” peaceful and wellarge feature tree, with a shaded coming, so this final layout grove and layered planting beds brings together all these elethat will wrap around the open ments in one compact urban rearea. Visitors can also expect treat. The design uses planting, benches and bistro-style tables seating, pathways and storytelland chairs to sit and relax or meet ing elements to create a space with its own identity. up with friends.

We still have a bit more time But some of the park’s most distinctive details will be right before the park comes to life: under your feet. Decorative pav- construction is scheduled to ing extending from the Queen begin in summer 2027, with and Augusta intersection will Queen West’s new park expected form a “Q” in reference to the to open in summer 2028. park’s Queen West location. The —Nisean Lorde

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NEWS

Hotel has broken ground at Thornhill mall site

Liberty Group partners on 11-storey hotel in mall parking lot A new hotel is officially under and Simon Serruya opened their construction at Promenade mall, first Yogen Früz store inside and it’s been a long time coming. Promenade in 1986, before It’s hard to picture now, but eventually turning the frozen yowhen Promenade Shopping gurt brand into an international Centre first opened its doors at business!

Bathurst and Centre streets in The early vision for the prop1986, that part of Thornhill erty was ambitious: a design looked a whole lot different from competition won by WZMH the busy development it has be- Architects produced plans for come today. The mall sat amid 30- and 35-storey residential open land and single-family towers on the site of Promehomes. Forty years later, the mall nade’s former Sears store, as well is surrounded by condo towers as a 23-storey hotel and office and getting there no longer tower, a public plaza and retail means you have to drive. People buildings. can walk over from nearby residences or take transit to the “ YRT Promenade Terminal right Early vision on the property. for the property And now, another major piece was ambitious.” of Promenade’s transformation is finally getting underway: a new hotel.

Inside the mall, ideas included Construction has officially begun on an 11-storey hotel and a larger food hall, a glass dome office building at the centre. As and a new “High Street” running of late July, part of the parking along the front of the building, lot near Entrance 1, on the with safer, more walkable conBathurst Street side of the mall, nections between Promenade has been fenced off as work be- and the condos.

Some of that early vision did gins. In 2017, the mall was sold

by Cadillac Fairview to Prome- eventually become reality. The nade General Partner Inc., an 30- and 35-storey residential ownership group formed by the towers moved ahead as PromeSerruya family and Liberty De- nade Park Towers and were velopment Corporation. There’s completed in 2024, but the hotel a bit of a full-circle story here, and office component kept too. Brothers Michael, Aaron evolving.

By the time the proposal reached a City of Vaughan public hearing in January 2019, documents outlined a 26-storey, mixed-use tower, including 10 storeys of office space, 14 storeys of hotel space with 221 rooms and two storeys of retail.

That version didn’t last either.

In 2023, Vaughan approved zoning for a six-storey office building with ground-floor retail on this part of the site, dropping the hotel entirely. By 2025, the plans had changed once again, growing to 11 storeys and bringing the hotel back into the picture.

But this time, the project moved forward.

According to ZO1, the architectural firm designing the office-and-hotel project, plans for the 11-storey building include a six-storey hotel with amenities, four storeys of office space and ground-floor retail. The firm’s plans also show a two-storey underground garage and a proposed underground pedestrian tunnel connecting to the mall.

There’s no word yet on which hotel brand will move in, but with Promenade celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, there’s still lots to come, with more upgrades as well as residential and commercial development planned for the site.

—Nisean Lorde

| SEPTEMBER 2026

nt ‘Q’

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NEWS

CENTRE STREET DELI Wishes Everyone A Happy, Prosperous & Healthy New Year Ahead!

905-731-8037 1136 Centre Street, Thornhill, Please visit us at www.centrestreetdeli.com Rendering of condo perched over Bathurst Street Methodist Church

Cantilevered condos suspended over church

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A 41-storey rental apartment Macdonald. Although the tower is being proposed at building is listed on Toronto’s Bathurst and Lennox streets, Heritage Register, it is not curwith a unique design that would rently designated under the see the new building cantilever Ontario Heritage Act. The development would conover a historic church.

The proposal from Mod De- tain no car parking but would velopments and Montez Cor- provide 454 bicycle spaces.

Randolph College was poration would replace most of the former Bathurst Street founded in Toronto in 1992 and Methodist Church’s 1910 Sun- was the country’s first post-secday School addition while pre- ondary institution to offer mulserving and restoring the tidisciplinary “triple threat” original 1888 church building. training, preparing performers The site is currently home to to work across acting, singing Randolph College of Perform- and dance. Its alumni include actor and comedian Veronika ing Arts and its theatre.

Designed by Diamond Slowikowska, who joined the Schmitt Architects, the tower cast of Saturday Night Live, and would stand about 143 metres Lisa Berry, a Canadian actor tall and contain 386 purpose- and singer.

The proposal would add conbuilt rental apartments. The project would also include about siderable height to a stretch of 1,300 square metres of cultural Bathurst that is already changand commercial space at street ing rapidly.

Nearby Mirvish Village inlevel.

The heritage church would cludes several new rental apartremain in place, with its sanctu- ment towers as well as a new ary restored and adapted for park and retail and community public or community use. spaces, and additional highrise Above it, the tower would use a projects are proposed or under series of stepped cantilevers, construction further south creating the distinctive appear- along Bloor Street West.

The application still needs to ance of the highrise hovering go through the City of Toover the historic structure.

The church is a longtime ronto’s planning process before Bathurst Street landmark. Its construction could begin.

—Ron Johnson cornerstone was laid by former prime minister Sir John A.

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CRIME

BREAK-INS BY NEIGHBOURHOOD Last month the highest percentage of break-ins occurred between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. (60%). The majority of incidents occurred on weekdays (60%). The day of the week with the most incidents was Saturday (30%).

ANNEX & QUEEN WEST AUG. 1

SPADINA AVE. AND SUSSEX AVE.

12 A.M.

AUG. 1

VANKOUGHNET ST. AND LIPPINCOTT ST.

3 A.M.

AUG. 6

CAMERON ST. AND QUEEN ST. W.

4 A.M.

AUG. 7

BLOOR ST. W. AND CLINTON ST.

4 A.M.

AUG. 9

BORDEN ST. AND HARBORD ST.

10 P.M.

AUG. 11

HARBORD ST. AND BRUNSWICK AVE.

12 A.M.

AUG. 11

BATHURST ST. AND FOLLIS AVE.

2 A.M.

AUG. 11

BLOOR ST. W. AND BORDEN ST.

5 A.M.

AUG. 11

SAINT GEORGE ST. AND ADMIRAL RD.

5 A.M.

AUG. 14

LOWTHER AVE. AND BEDFORD RD.

4 A.M.

MIDTOWN & YORKVILLE AUG. 2

YORKVILLE AVE. AND BAY ST.

5 A.M.

AUG. 3

SCOLLARD ST. AND HAZELTON AVE.

9 P.M.

AUG. 6

EASTBOURNE AVE. AND TRANMER AVE.

3 P.M.

AUG. 7

SPADINA RD. AND ORMSBY CRES.

9 P.M.

AUG. 12

TRANBY AVE. AND AVENUE RD.

12 A.M.

AUG. 12

YONGE ST. AND FRICHOT AVE.

6 P.M.

AUG. 1

WENTWORTH AVE. AND MYLESVIEW PL.

12 A.M.

AUG. 1

IVOR RD. AND COLE MILLWAY

8 P.M.

AUG. 1

DUDLEY AVE. AND PRINCESS AVE.

11 P.M.

NORTH YORK & BAYVIEW

ADDINGTON AVE. AND ADDINGTON PL.

5 P.M.

WILFRED AVE. AND BYNG AVE.

6 A.M.

AUG. 6

LAWRENCE AVE. W. AND GLEN RUSH BLVD.

2 A.M.

AUG. 8

YONGE ST. AND LORD SEATON RD.

3 A.M.

AUG. 8

BYNG AVE. AND DUDLEY AVE.

3 A.M.

AUG. 8

BAYVIEW AVE. AND THE BRIDLE PATH

10 P.M.

AUG. 10

SHEPPARD AVE. W. AND GODDARD ST.

12 A.M.

AUG. 12

NEWTON DR. AND CASWELL DR.

12 P.M.

AUG. 13

FISHERVILLE RD. AND CARPENTER RD.

10 P.M.

AUG. 14

ALONZO RD. AND PARK HOME RD.

1 P.M.

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THORNHILL AUG. 11

CHARLES ST. AND ARNOLD AVE.

4 A.M.

AUG. 15

THORNRIDGE DR. AND CLARKE HAVEN ST.

6 A.M.

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| SEPTEMBER 2026

AUG. 2 AUG. 3

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BRAD LAMB

President, Brad J. Lamb Realty and Lamb Development Corp.

BENJAMIN TAL

Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC World Markets Inc.

BRIAN GLUCKSTEIN Principal, Gluckstein Design; Author

BARRY COHEN

ODEEN ECCLESTON WILTSHIRE

#1 REMAX luxury agent worldwide

SEBASTIAN CLOVIS

Founder and Head of Construction, Hohm Studio Inc.

JENNIFER KEESMAAT President and CEO, Collecdev Markee

MICHAEL KALLES

President, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Brokerage

Co-founder, Wiltshire Eccleston Developments

FALL REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE

Our all-star panel weighs in on what they see for the final months of 2026 in our mid-year discussion by Ron Johnson

| SEPTEMBER 2026

POST: Give me an elevator pitch on why anyone would want to buy a condo in Toronto right now.

JENNIFER KEESMAAT: It’s a twosided argument. People who have wanted to buy a condo for a long time and who are confident about the type of condo they want and where they want to buy it should absolutely consider buying now because the market is at a significant dip. On the other hand, anyone who is uncertain or is buying for a short-term hold probably shouldn’t buy. We still don’t know how far prices could fall, whether they’re going to start going up, what the market will look like or the extent to which condos will continue to hold their value. It’s possible we’re not at the bottom. So it really depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a home you’re going to live in for a very long time, that mitigates the risk. But if it’s an investment or a short-term hold, I would argue there’s significant risk.

SEBASTIAN CLOVIS: Toronto is dealing with an unusual scenario: a short-term abundance of condos and a potential long-term 12

shortage of new ones. If you’re looking to buy a condo as a home, I think this is one of the more interesting buying opportunities we’ve seen in a while. Current buyers have a healthy selection of units to choose from, leverage to negotiate with and time to make a good decision. My advice would be to scrutinize the building as much as the unit. The condo fees and issues with the building can turn an affordable unit into a very expensive one quite quickly.

BRAD LAMB: The real estate market is likely at, or close to, the bottom. The best time to buy real estate is at or near the bottom. I think the fact that there’s a bunch of vulture funds looking for bargains more or less proves this out.

ODEEN ECCLESTON WILTSHIRE: For the first time in years, Toronto condo buyers have real choice, negotiating power and time to make a thoughtful decision. Prices have adjusted, inventory is elevated, and buyers can now compare properties, negotiate conditions and focus on longterm value rather than rushing into bidding wars. Not every condo is a good investment, but well-managed buildings in strong locations can offer excellent

value. For first-time buyers, downsizers and families seeking a more attainable way to remain in the city, this could be one of the best purchasing windows we have seen in years.

MICHAEL KALLES: Buyers have an advantage now in a way they haven’t in years.

They can push on price, they can push on terms. And if you’re buying built inventory from a developer, the HST rebate is meaningful. It’s open to everyone, not just first-time buyers, and you get a full Tarion warranty. And some of these newer buildings have tremendous amenities, elevated service, and many are located right on major arteries with all that Toronto has to offer at their doorsteps. If you’re buying a home to live in, it’s hard to imagine a better time to be looking.

POST: For condo owners today who are holding onto a unit, what would you recommend?

BENJAMIN TAL: I think that’s a very difficult question because it really depends on the person.

But let me describe the way I see the market at this point. I want to say that

cated 2023 peop of [tw and Orig that.

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cated 2023 peop of [t and Orig that.

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KEESM KEES tion tion the market is in a price-searching mode, enou mode, enou basically trying to find the price that will proje t will proje clear the market. We are not there yet. theef yet. the f Now, I believe that if you are in a two-, of ho wo-, of h three- or four-bedroom condo, we are there e are there basically there, but we are not there at sidere at side the micro level. Those prices will con- Th con- T tinue to go down, and everything has a what has a wha price, and there will be a price that will andt twill and clear the market. But for the micro unit, was unit, was explo expl we are not there. mark mark POST: What lessons should business and COV s and COV governments take from the condo crisis? anyos? anyo that that BRIAN GLUCKSTEIN: Build units impa units impa that people want to live in for An n for A the long term, not just for inves- buye nves- buye tors. The government needs to work aroun work arou with developers to look at the soft costs capit costs capi (fees, taxes) to lower the cost of building, eignding, eign but the developers also need to pass sectopass secto those savings along to the purchasers. a bigrs. a big there ther TAL: I think I’ve been saying for a long really long reall time that, in many ways, the housing cri- andgwcri- and sis that we are in is really a planning cri- open g cri- open sis, and I think that the number one Thone T factor impacting the market is obviously beyo ously beyo demographic — I mean, demand. And TheAnd The we had a situation in which, as I indi- twinndi- twin

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REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE cated in a previous conversation, in 2023–2024, we got basically 1.5 million people into this country over the course of [two years]. This was way too rapid and not part of the original planning.

Original planning did not account for that. That was a change in policy.

Therefore, you cannot blame municipalities for not planning for something that was not in the plan, and that’s the source of the issue that led to a huge increase in rent and therefore led to a huge increase in the appetite for investors that believed that they would be able to maintain and sustain this rent for [the long term].

That was a big mistake in terms of planning population growth. It was not communicated.

So the lesson is that there must be much better co-ordination between the plan and policy. You cannot surprise the market at this scale, and I think that the government is not getting it. But there must be basically very clear communication between policymakers and planners.

Something that was not in our case, and that was the origin of this issue.

KEESM KEESMAAT: It’s such a complicated question tion because I don’t think we talk ode, enou mode, enough about the fact that planners can will proje t will project and forecast until they’re blue in yet. theef yet. the face. They can try to align the types wo-, of ho wo-, of homes being built with demand, but e are there e are there are factors that are completely outre at sidere at side their control. con- Th con- There were really three key drivers of has a what has a what happened in our housing market will andt twill and the high costs we’re seeing. The first unit, was unit, was international student immigration explo exploding. The second was a bunch of mark market oddities that arose because of and COV s and COVID. Again, that wasn’t something s? anyos? anyone had planned for or knew how that that type of catastrophe would actually units impa units impact the housing market. n for An n for And the third was the ban on foreign ves- buye nves- buyers. Our government is now running work aroun work around the country trying to get foreign costs capit costs capital into every industry. We want fording, eignding, eign capital in steel, mining and other pass sectopass sectors. Foreign capital has always been rs. a bigrs. a big part of the Canadian economy, but there there’s a widespread belief now that it long really long really screwed up our housing market, cri- andgwcri- and we haven’t quite figured out how to cri- open g cri- open up those taps again. one Thone Those are three variables that go way usly beyo ously beyond real estate. They’re geopolitical.

And TheAnd The housing market is completely interndi- twinndi- twined with larger geopolitical factors,

which makes it challenging to plan.

LAMB: There are really no lessons for businesses to learn from this current situation. This is entirely caused by government stupidity. The COVID crisis created a situation where the government wrongly shut down all the businesses and industries. They sent people home and forced distance. Then when they reopened the economy, it overheated. Inflation rose to untenable levels as a result, and interest rates rose dramatically to cool inflation. Rising interest rates will always crush a real estate market. There’s no foresight into this.

There’s no ability to predict the future with this. The overreaction the government created caused all of this. This is a lesson for the government to learn from.

POST: Is there an opportunity for contractors when it comes to rehabilitating these shoebox condos?

CLOVIS: I think there’s an opportunity as

ECCLESTON WILTSHIRE: I expect the fall condo market to be active but highly selective. Buyers have considerable inventory to choose from and will not rush into overpriced or poorly designed units. The properties that sell will be properly priced, professionally presented and easy to understand from a value perspective.

Functional layouts, parking, outdoor space, good views, reasonable maintenance fees and strong building management will continue to matter greatly.

Units with high fees, weak layouts or building concerns will require more aggressive pricing. I remain optimistic about Toronto real estate, but the market is returning to fundamentals: location, quality, functionality, affordability and long-term value.

TAL: I think we see more of the same. I think that the low-rise angle of the market will do fine. Larger units in the condo space will do fine. I think that the speed at which micro unit prices will be

“WHEN THE SHORTAGE IS OBVIOUS, PRICES WILL SPIKE 50 PER CENT.” constraints can often spawn interesting design solutions. In a shoebox condo every square inch matters, so instead of buying four pieces of furniture, a skilled contractor or millworker can design one integrated piece that performs several jobs. I can imagine a build company developing repeatable small-space retrofit packages for 400- to 700- square-foot units so that they don’t have to approach each unit with a bespoke solution.

On the other hand, if the condo regulations allowed for it, perhaps purchasers could buy adjoining units, whether side-by-side or above/below, and add doors or staircases to open them up. This would allow for the creation of some very unique spaces that would instantly become more intriguing to a large swath of people.

POST: What happens next this fall and winter?

falling is going to slow down, but they will still continue to fall. I think that the speed at which prices have been falling may reach a peak, but the direction is still negative.

We are starting to see more and more interest coming from institutional investors buying the bulk of the condos, believing that they will be able to rent them for a while, and they are right because, again, we are building deep now.

We are building nothing, which means that two or three years from now, we will have a situation in which prices will have to start going up because we simply don’t have new supply, and the demand will be utilized by then.

So I think that, again, over the next year, if you ask, I would say that the lowrise segments will do fine, larger units will do fine, and the rate at which prices at the micro level will be going down will slow down. And I’m not saying the prices will rise, but the rate at which they’re falling will slow down.

BARRY COHEN: We are seeing the condo market starting to show increased activity. As mentioned, the sizable units are generating a lot of interest, sales and are increasing in value.

I expect that to continue. My clients are expressing a growing need for security and not wanting to have the concerns that go along with having an empty house while travelling. I have someone ask me every week to find them a bungalow. They don’t exist! And if they do, they will be torn down to build a monster house. Condos are the answer for those buyers. I believe we have a strong market ahead.

KALLES: I think we will see more of the same. Buyers will keep exploring their options and getting more comfortable with the HST rebate, with builders and resellers adjusting their asking price until they’re on the same page as the buyers. One thing that I think is worth watching: the HST rebate expires at the end of March 2027, and that deadline could accelerate activity throughout the winter.

KEESMAAT: I don’t know. I feel like it’s impossible to know. The bond market went crazy this morning because of Iran making waves. So how can we know? I just don’t know how we can know. There are too many variables that impact consumer confidence.

LAMB: What happens in the future is never easy to predict. We have gone through four years of interest rates rising and grinding. The real estate correction — so there are no new starts in the condominium business with very few in the single-family business. There are some purpose-built apartments being built, but it is a drop in the bucket. The problem really is a future shortage, which is hard to see now. For four years very little condominium housing was started.

When the shortage is obvious, pricing will spike 50 per cent over a short period.

The market was altered by a bad government policy to COVID, which created inflation and then high interest rates.

We are now recovering from a high-interest-rate environment. It will take some time to get back to a seller’s market. Today, the inventory of condos for rent and for sale has fallen 20 per cent year-over-year. This will continue until a shortage appears.

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| SEPTEMBER 2026

cated 2023 peop of [tw and Orig that.

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ARTS

arts Q&a Toronto’s own Laysla De Oliveira is back on our TV screens for another season of breakout spy thriller series Lioness. Written by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, De Oliveira says of the show that we can expect a totally different new season, calling it, “raw, explosive, intense and personal.” We asked the on-screen CIA operative about what to expect and her Canadian upbringing.

that depressed every single day. I think when you're done working, you take some of that with you, and that was quite challenging for me because it was also my first experience with that. So what I've had to navigate is learning a lot about endurance, physical and emotional endurance, and learning things that I have to do on set to protect myself. This season, it’s been easier for me to take the Cruz jacket off and be Laysla. The thing I’ve kept with me from Cruz is the haircut!

That’s not going anywhere.

You’ve now been working with Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña for three seasons.

Has the star power worn off?

We’re definitely moving more as a machine now; we all know each other and there’s that comfort.

But at the same time, it’s them. So they’re always going to have that aura. At the premiere, when Nicole was holding my hand, it was surreal. So you’ll always have that!

Your character deals with both intense physical challenges and mental ones. Do you tackle them differently?

They're both challenging in different ways, and you explore endurance in different ways. You know, the physical, you just do the work, you show up, and you trust that they're going to make

We get a lot of exposure to Hollywood, being in Canada, so I feel so lucky to have grown up here. But what excites me the most now is seeing local talent, fresh young faces on shows shooting here in Toronto, like The Testaments and Wayward. Everyone’s so great on those shows, and I’m recognizing some girlies who haven’t even made the move to America. And they don’t have to, because there are so many opportunities now. Canada has a pretty good rep of having great artists like Rachel McAHave you noticed any overlap between you dams. I just love being a part of that legacy. and Cruz over time?

—Julia Mastroianni It is really challenging to play someone who is

you look cool. Those days are hard, especially when me and Zoe were in the trenches [in the show]. But I feel like my character Cruz’s relationship with Joe [Saldaña] is the crux of her whole arc. So the emotional stuff, for me, that is the stuff that I love. So I always tackle it with a full heart and gratitude that that I get to do that and just try to dive in as deep as possible.

SECTION

A reel escape to the real-life Sterling Point

A marina fit for late-night confessions

A marina owned by love interest Ellis’ family was the backdrop to many a dramatic Sterling Point scene — and you can visit it! In real life, Mortimer's Marina in Muskoka is more than just a place to rent a boat, offering a coffee, smoothie and ice cream bar, shopping pop-ups and even yoga and pilates on the dock. 1930 Mortimers Point Rd., Muskoka Lakes

A cottage community built for scenic backdrops Much of Sterling Point was filmed in Port Carling,

located between Lake Muskoka and Rosseau. This charming community is certainly worth a trip: filled with plenty of upscale boutiques, three beaches and some picturesque hiking trails. There’s even a spa (Beginnings Spa), because we know love triangles and secret sisters can take a toll.

A lake made for the small screen Sparrow Lake Camp is an actual, working summer

| SEPTEMBER 2026

© @sparrowlakecamp/ Instagram

The comfort show of summer was set and filmed in Muskoka; three must-sees

© Courtesy Amazon Prime

daytrpr

Laysla De Oliveira plays Cruz in ‘Lioness’

How did growing up in Canada influence your career as an actor?

CURRENTS

T.O. star on sharing the screen with Nicole Kidman

camp used as a filming location for a few scenes in the show. Although the camp is not open to visitors who aren’t actual campers, the lake itself is beautiful and perfect for a lakefront cottage stay (check out Sparrow Lake Cottages for some available rentals).

1437 United Church Camp Ln., Severn 17

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EVE

© Charli XCX/stubhub.ca

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EVENTS

Like this? Find more eVents At

streetsoFtoronto.Com

HELL’S KITCHEN HITS T.O. & SO MUCH MORE Plus, the biggest and best events this month, from Charli XCX and Lyle Lovett to Melissa Auf der Maur, Word on the Street and BuskerFest! by Ron Johnson

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LYLE LOVETT

BUSKERFEST

FELTFACE

HELL’S KITCHEN

WORD ON THE STREET

The British pop star brings her Music, Fashion, Film Tour to Toronto on Sept. 21 at Scotiabank Arena. Charli XCX, known for her boundary-pushing electro-pop sound and hits including “Boom Clap” and “360” will make her only scheduled Canadian stop on the tour.

Lyle Lovett and his Small Large Band bring a blend of country, folk, jazz and blues to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Sept. 30. A four-time Grammy Award winner, music icon Lovett has built a reputation on his distinctive voice and incredible songwriting.

One of North America’s largest gatherings of street performers, the Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy returns to Woodbine Park from Sept. 4 to 7 with four days of fun circus artistry, daredevil stunts, comedy, music and incredible street performances to the Beaches.

Viral comedy sensation Randy Feltface brings his new show Gimmick to Toronto at the historic Winter Garden Theatre on Sept. 26, for an evening of sharp standup, absurdist humour and his signature manic energy.

The Alicia Keys hit musical Hell’s Kitchen makes its Canadian premiere at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre from Sept.

23 to Oct. 25. Inspired by her life, music and New York community, the coming-ofage story of 17-year-old Ali is backed by Keys’ greatest hits and new songs.

Toronto’s fave book fest returns to David Pecaut Square Sept. 26–27. Word On The Street offers a free literary festival with authors, readers, publishers and booksellers together in the heart of downtown Toronto with readings, workshops, performances and more.

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A FINE BALANCE

MELISSA AUF DER MAUR

KATHLEEN EDWARDS

RHEOSTATICS

PROPHETESS

Rohinton Mistry’s acclaimed novel A Fine Balance makes its world theatre premiere at Crow’s Theatre’s Guloien Theatre from Aug. 25 to Oct. 11. Adapted by Anosh Irani and directed by Chris Abraham, the drama is set during India’s 1975 Emergency.

Melissa Auf der Maur’s My ’90s Rock Photographs opens at the AGO on Sept. 2.

This intimate look at the decade she spent touring with Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins features more than 200 photographs, videos, ephemera and new music.

Canadian alt-country singersongwriter Kathleen Edwards returns to Massey Hall on Sept. 18 with special guest Ken Yates. Edwards is touring behind her acclaimed sixth album, Billionaire, produced

by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson.

One of Toronto’s most beloved bands, Rheostatics, brings its acclaimed double album The Great Lakes Suite to the Paradise Theatre on Sept. 12. The one-of-a-kind concert will feature the band’s music alongside stunning Great Lakes visuals.

Prophetess runs Sept. 29 to

CABBAGETOWN FESTIVAL

Cabbagetown’s biggestever street festival takes over Parliament and Carlton streets Sept. 12–13 with more than 250 vendors, live music, DJs, food, family activities, a new Rainbow Market and more.

Oct. 25 at Tarragon Theatre.

Written by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) and directed by Mike Payette, this world premiere follows an English professor whose nightmare about spiders spills into a surreal battle of words.

| SEPTEMBER 2026

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FASHION

A NOVEL APPROACH TO FALL

Back to school, back to work and back to business — but who says workwear has to be boring? Jeanne Beker pulled together outfits inspired by the city’s most literary for a fall style uniform fit for the classroom and the office.

A. Globe and Mailer

B. Reference library chic

C. Indie bookseller uniform

D. U of T professor perfection

A. VEST, Simons, $49, 260 Yonge St. PANTS, Erietta Boutique, $195, 320 Danforth Ave. BAG, Roots, $448, 80 Bloor St. W. LOAFERS, Get Outside, $289.99, 437 Queen St. W. B. TOP, Homebody Studio, $218, 1575 Bayview Ave. SKIRT, Freda’s, $169, 45 Elm St. BOOTS, Heel Boy, $748, 773 Queen St. W. GLASSES, Warby Parker, $150, 3401 Dufferin St. C. TIE SHIRT Hilary MacMillan, SALE $120, hilarymacmillan.com JEANS, Over the Rainbow, $365, 55 Bloor St. W. FLATS, Gravity Pope, SALE $299.99, 1010 Queen St. W. TOTE, Type Books, $30, 427 Spadina Rd. D. V-NECK Andrews, $415, 2901 Bayview Ave. PANTS, Freda’s, $310, 45 Elm St. BOOK CHARM, Marmalade, $32, 9 Davies Ave. BROGUES, La Canadienne, $475, 138 Cumberland St.

F. BLAZER, $895, and TOP, $350, Smythe, 1116 Yonge St. SKIRT, Holt Renfrew, $598, 50 Bloor St. W., SHOES, Maguire, $265, 750 Queen St. W.,

E. The Margaret Atwood

F. Midtown poetry throwdown

Jeanne Beker | One of Canada’s most trusted authorities on fashion, now watch her on TSC or tune in to her podcast Beyond Style Matters.

| SEPTEMBER 2026

E. CARDIGAN Gravity Pope, $535, 1010 Queen ST. W. SKIRT, Maje, $445, 3401 Dufferin St. HEELS, Maguire, SALE $215, 750 Queen St. W. PINS Hopeless Romantic Books, $25,1080 Queen St. W.

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CURRENTS ADVICE

My kid is trying to ‘parent trap’ me with her teacher Dear Sangita: My kid is trying to "parent trap" me with her new teacher whom she loves. She found out who her teacher is for school this year, and he’s coached her before at school. She’s insistent that the two of us are meant to be! She’s been bringing him up a lot and seems to be planning ways to get us together. I’ve been single a long time, and I know she’s just doing it out of love, but I also don’t want to get her hopes up — even if I do think he’s kind of cute!

— Not for teacher

Dear NFT: Straight up: no.

Knowing that he's going to be her teacher for the year, it’s probably not a good idea to get involved with him. If he's just another teacher in the school, maybe that's a different conversation. But in this case, it’s not the right thing for your kid, even though she is excited about it. The only way this will work is if the relationship happens to evolve naturally out-

time and almost never contribute to fundraising efforts. Now they’ve started to talk. A parent was sending me details for her kid’s birthday party a few weeks ago and I saw a text come in on her phone that was clearly about me. Do I confront her?

— Parental peer pressure

side of school: let’s say you run into each other while on a run or something like that. But the idea of meeting each other through school — I just don’t think that’s the right thing. Your daughter comes first; hold back for now. As for your daughter, I think she’s noticed that you’ve been single for a long time and just wants to help.

But I think you just have to say, “He's your teacher, and there's a boundary, and I have to make sure

that boundary is met because this is your education and you have to be taken care of.” If anything gets messy or dirty, you don’t want it to affect her learning experience at all.

Dear Sangita: I'm getting lowkey bullied for being a working mom who doesn't have time for school fundraisers. My kids are at a school where parents are overly involved, all the time. I work full

then that might be a different story, and you might adjust priorities a bit to make it happen. But you definitely don’t need to make it happen just because a few parents think you should! I would call up that mom and ask if she wants to chat and go for a coffee, rather than putting it all in a text where people can read into things. You can tell her candidly that you saw that text, and you’ve been hearing what people have been saying, and you just want to understand where they’re coming from. These might be parents who don’t work, and so they’ve decided to devote their time to school volunteering. You both just come from different perspectives. Talking it out might help.

Dear PPP: When we talk about balance in life, nothing is ever actually balanced. In your case, focusing on your career means you can’t also be doing school volunteering right now. At the end of the day, you’re helping your kids by earning money and showing them how to work hard. You should never feel guilty for that; you’re trying to do as much as you can.

You don’t ever have to be involved in school activities, and being peer Have a relationship or life question pressured by parents is completely for Sangita? Send it to wrong. As long as you’re there for advice@postcity.com. your kids and your kids are happy, there’s nothing anyone can say SANGITA PATEL is our advice and was previously about it. If your kids were asking columnist a host on ET Canada. you to be a part of school activities,

POST CITY X DIAMOND & DIAMOND

Ridesharing and Personal Injury Law Tips from Sandra Zisckind of Diamond & Diamond Lawyers SANDRA ZISCKIND Sandra Zisckind is a lawyer who was called to the Bar in 2003 and practices in the area of Plaintiff personal injury litigation in Toronto

While some of us might prefer Uber and others prefer Lyft, there’s no denying that ridesharing services have become an integral mode of transportation for many Canadians.

Many of us think of Uber as a quick, easy, and generally safe way to get from point A to B. But motor vehicle accidents happen daily, and Uber drivers are not exempt from this risk. What happens when you’re injured as a passenger and customer of a ridesharing service? Diamond and Diamond Partner, Joshua Himel, shares some insight into how personal injury law applies when using ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft.

Are you eligible for compensation if you’re injured in a rideshare accident?

Although these services have grown to be a regular transportation option for many Canadians, far surpassing taxis in popularity, it wasn’t always like this. Uber was only introduced to Canada in 2012, and it

took a while for the law to adapt and catch up to the new service as it grew in popularity.

“It was like the Wild Wild West when Uber first came to Canada.

No one knew how the law applied in rideshare accidents - not passengers, not drivers, not Uber, and not lawyers. We were making up rules as we went until the law finally caught up,” says Joshua Himel, Personal Injury Lawyer at Diamond and Diamond.

At first, there was a lot of confusion around liability for accidents that occurred during rideshare trips, but in 2016, Ontario’s insurance regulator cleared up some of the confusion by approving a blanket fleet policy for private vehicles transporting customers for payment through a ridesharing platform. This change ensured that Uber drivers were covered under the company’s policy for any accidents that might occur while they were actively using the app. If the driver was not using the app, then their own insurance policy

would cover any accident.

“If you’ve been driving for Uber all night, but you turned off the app for 5 minutes to grab a coffee and happened to get into an accident during that time, then Uber’s insurance wouldn’t cover you - your own insurance policy would,” says Joshua Himel.

As a passenger, can you sue your Uber driver if they’re responsible for an accident? Can you sue Uber as a company?

If you’re in an Uber and the car gets rear-ended through no fault of the driver, you would not be able to sue the driver or Uber. In this case, you would sue the other driver who was at fault, like you would in any other motor vehicle accident where you were behind the wheel. However, if the accident is the fault of your driver, then you would file a lawsuit against them.

There are some situations where you might sue both the driver and Uber. In most accidents that take

place during rideshare trips, both the driver and Uber will be named in the lawsuit.

The policy coverage limit is the same regardless of how many passengers are in the vehicle when the accident takes place, meaning that if it is a serious accident, this coverage can be spread thin. In this situation, the injured parties might go after both Uber and the driver to seek full compensation for their injuries.

If you’ve been injured while using a rideshare service and would like to learn what options are available to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to Diamond and Diamond today at 1800-567-HURT to schedule a free consultation.

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LOVE STORIES The wedding

© @sabrinajalees / Instagram

We got married 14 years ago in Warren, Vermont, at the Airbnb of an incredible man named David Sellers. We wrote a bunch of Airbnbs asking if we could hold our wedding at their rental and shockingly only one person was open to it: David. He said he wanted to meet us before he decided though. So we drove nine hours to Warren from Williamsburg, Ontario, and had an incredible evening with him. He ended up speaking at our wedding! It was really incredible, just a perfect evening in the woods.

L–R: Sabrina Jalees, Wolfie and Shauna McCann on vacation; the trio The kids and pets

We have a 13-year-old Frenchie named Cowboy who always looks grumpy unless he's dehydrated, then he looks thrilled. Our son Wolfie is eight and an incredible DJ and brother to our youngest equally floored by. She bought me boy Rowan, who's two. We met a drink. I spilled it on her, sat on our donor when I took a one hour her lap and kissed her all night surf lesson in Mexico; he was my until I had to head to the airport instructor. He's now married with for my 6 a.m. flight. two kids so our guys have a half sister and brother in Mexico. We're The proposal one big modern, international We were in Corfu at my dear pal family, and all our kids know this Mae Martin's family's home and origin story and are really proud of I had hid the ring up in the vines, it. planning to propose in the morn-

T.O. comic on how her love life got heated

The future together

In the morning, I'm playing pickleball, and Shauna's doing yoga and playing with flowers and clothes, and then we're either exploring a new city or town together or slowly lurking behind one of our sons, stalking them, getting away with following their every move while playing it off like we're the cool parents with our own lives.

PROPHETESS

ing. But a strawberry daiquiri sent Shauna into terrible food poisoning. I put the proposal off for a day while she puked, and then the following morning, when she was able to gingerly walk and stomach a small bite of toast, I brought her out to under the grape vines, lowered the ring, which sat on a bundle of grapes, now hovering in mid-air magically, and said “Tada!” She said, "What is happening?" I said, "Will you marry me?" She said, "Are you serious?"

As in: I am still actively between pukes. She said yes and will never not tease me about my timing.

| SEPTEMBER 2026

The first date

The next day we texted, and I immediately called her my wife. She met me after work that night at a bar called Kat Club, and she showed up looking like a whole different other hot lady that I was

gin and tonic, and like a genie delivered her — there was Shauna.”

We're both aware that we're works in progress, ourselves and our relationship. We're proud of what we've accomplished and excited to continue getting better, more empathetic, more loving. We laugh a lot. We have a couples therapist that we both really like and see our bi-monthly check-ins as romantic maintenance sessions. We keep trying new things together and genuinely get excited about surprising each other.

HO KA KEI (JEFF HO) MIKE PAYETTE KAREN ROBINSON SEPT 29 - OCT 25, 2026

We met at a dive bar in San Francisco at a lesbian party called Brownies For My Bitches. Allegedly they were serving brownies before I got there. I looked around and told my friend I was never going to be attracted to anyone.

Ever. Again. I took a sip of my magic gin and tonic, and like a genie delivered her — there was Shauna. Dancing by herself. You have to know two things: she's an incredible dancer and she's also super hot. My cartoon jaw dropped to the floor, and I spent the rest of the night trying to talk to her.

“I drank my magic

­

How they met

The secret to success

COR

Toronto’s Sabrina Jalees has been making Canada laugh as a standup comedian, actor and writer for decades. Now, she’ll be bringing that energy to the new season of Heated Rivalry — as one of the latest additions to the cast — and to new Netflix dark comedy Toxic Moms. Even her meet-cute with her wife, Shauna McCann, can’t help but be a little funny!

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Bite-Sized Q&A Inside the Leo with celebrity chef Alvin Leung as it prepares to open Quirky, candid and famously filter-free, Demon Chef Alvin Leung has spent years winning over TV screens and tastebuds alike with spots such as R&D and aKin. As he launches his new Markham restaurant, the Leo, we caught up with him to talk faking it on television, overrated “super wines” and why Toronto’s food scene is impossible to put in a box.

hours and very tiring. And you may have to sell your soul because in order to create a TV show nothing is as it is in real life. Things are exaggerated, things are changed to create entertainment.

What’s the philosophy behind keeping the menu and wine list focused at the Leo?

What’s your Golden Rule for ambitious young chefs chasing the spotlight?

Don't go for celebrity status without going through the normal. It's hard work. It's backbreaking. But know who you are, know what Chef Alvin Leung at the Leo in Markham you're good at, because if you don't, you're going to fail. If you don't know what your talent is, you're not milking it. You're not effi- diversity together and say just one thing. Tocient. Get the most out of what you have ronto's special. It's impossible to look at this city and associate it with just one element, one because that's all you have. dish.

I think a lot of times it's better to concentrate on your dishes, trying to make them as best you can as best as possible rather than commit to a lot of dishes. I'm also hand-selecting the Canadian wines, the variations. Those pretentious super wines, I don't drink them, and I'm not selling them.

Why emphasize family-style dining at the new spot?

FOOD

ial

EATS OF TORONTO

SECTION

When you share food, you actually get to know each other. I think, in this world, people need to know each other better. In Chinese If you had to pick a single signature dish cuisine, we don't call it sharing food. We call What is the raw reality of working in teleto sum up Toronto, what would it be? it family style. We sit together. We want you It's very difficult because Toronto is very di- vision? to come to our restaurant and share some moverse. It was voted the most diverse city in the The best part is the fun. You get paid to have ments. Once it's on the table, it's yours. world. So I can't really put such a variety, such fun. At times it can be very boring, very long —Erica Commisso

The tasting menu ($780) Even after being demoted to one Michelin star, chef Masaki Saito’s Yorkville Sushi Masaki Saito counter commands Canada's highest per-person entry fee. Guests sit at a 200-year-old Hinoki wood bar for Edomae-style omakase featuring fish flown in directly from Tokyo's Toyosu Market. It is pure, unadulterated sushi theatre. 88 Avenue Rd.

© @jacobssteakhouse / Instagram

© Cheryl Chow / Google Reviews

The bill hits four figures before you can even say haute cuisine at these three T.O. hot spots

FORKCAST

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How to spend $2,177 before your drinks arrive

The steak ($792) À la carte showpiece ($605) A $300 cut suddenly looks like a bargain. At Jacobs This high-energy Mediterranean-Japanese dining & Co., the 22-ounce rib-eye is one of the priciest destination Noyaa serves the ultimate seafood slabs of beef in Toronto. The spot is known for its showpiece. The towering Novaa No Hana centredry-aged program, but this is where things really get piece features a chef's selection of 14 to 24 pieces serious: the steak is A5 Miyazaki wagyu from Miya- of high-end raw luxury — including otoro, yellowtail, zaki Prefecture in Japan, prized for its intense marspot prawn, uni, wagyu, lobster and a full 30-gram bling and buttery texture. 81 Bay St., 4th floor. tin of house caviar. 437 Wellington St. W.

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TASTE TEST

IT’S HIP TO BE SQUARE

WINNER

RUNNER-UP

PIE SOCIETY Renaissance Pizza, 809 Dundas St. W., $22 Anthony loved the crushed tomato and Parmesan, while Rocco was sold on the dough, calling it “really light and crispy.” The sauce had plenty of flavour without taking over, and the crust had exactly the crispness they were looking for.

MOTOR MOUTH 8Mile Detroit Style Pizza, 9 Charles St. W., Detroit Red Top, $22 Both judges were impressed with the nicely browned bottom and those “nice little pockets” in the crust.

The only sticking point was the dried oregano, which Anthony found a touch heavy-handed.

DETROIT BRICK ROCKS HOUSE Descendant Detroit Detroit Pizzeria, 1093 Style Pizza, Bathurst St., $19 1168 Queen St. E., $22 Rocco liked the chew, This pie made a strong but both judges impression with its golden, thought the sauce was beautifully baked bottom playing it a little too and slightly taller crust. safe. “The sauce is really Rocco also liked the flat,” Antony said, height, noting that a wishing for more garlic longer proof (extended and flavour. Still, there rising time) may was something have helped give it undeniably satisfying some lightness. about its heft.

DOUGH RE MI Afro’s Pizza, 107 Mutual St., $18 The pepperoni on this pizza was a bright spot here, with both judges enjoying its flavour. The toppings worked well, but the dough had a distinctive, slightly yeasty quality that stole some of the spotlight.

CHEESE LOUISE McMan Pizza, 2116 Danforth Ave., $19 The thick layer of mozzarella and brick cheese initially had Anthony wondering if the crust was underbaked, before realizing just how much cheese was packed into the slice.

Neither judge found enough balance to push it into the top place.

| SEPTEMBER 2026

With the new Gordie Howe Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit, we used the occasion as an excuse to test Toronto’s take on Motown’s finest export. We tapped chef Anthony Rose and Pizzeria Libretto’s Rocco Agostino to blind taste the city’s top Detroit-style (rectangular pan with a thick, chewy crust) pies and separate the real contenders from the pretenders.

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© @billcoulterto / Instagram

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FOOD

L-R: Creator Fred Bkayleh, a mouth-watering dessert from Linny’s

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T.O.’s top TikTok foodie ranks Ossington’s best Ossington may be Toronto’s hottest food strip, but staying power is another story. We asked food creator Fred Bkayleh to rank his tried-and-true favourites — the spots he keeps coming back to, no matter what’s new.

3. Cocktails after dark

Prequel is Frankie Solarik’s follow-up to BarChef, the bar that helped kick off Toronto’s cocktail scene in 2008. The room feels like a turn-of-the-century apothecary, with drinks made in front of you using pestles and mortars. It’s not a restaurant, but 5. Date night it’s exactly how I’d end a night La Banane is where I go when on Ossington. 1036 Queen St. W. the night actually matters. The room runs on deep colours and 2. Under the radar loud music, while the menu Hanmoto is tucked into an old goes all in on wagyu, truffle outbuilding just off Ossington, and foie gras. Everyone talks with mismatched furniture and about the raw bar, fairly, but the plants hanging from the rafters. roasted maitake is what I order It comes from Leemo Han, every time. Rich, meaty and who’s also behind Odd Seoul. completely unlike what you ex- The katsu bun is my order every pect from a mushroom. 227 time, though the stuffed chicken Ossington Ave. wings are what everyone talks about first. Go late. It’s that kind 4. Best bite of place. 2 Lakeview Ave. Linny's comes from David Schwartz, the same person be- 1. Wine and Dine hind Mimi Chinese and Sun- Côte de Bœuf is a butcher shop nys Chinese, and it's named and wine bar sharing one small after his mother. The room is room. Meat hangs drying in mid-century and golden-lit, the front window, so you know with banquettes and white exactly what you’re in for betablecloths. Steak may be the fore you’re through the door. main event, but I’m here for the Beef is broken down by handchicken liver toast — smooth saw at the back. Grab a seat at mousse on dark rye with the zinc bar or a barrel table chopped egg and fried onion. and order the tartare au cou176 Ossington Ave. teau. 130 Ossington Ave.

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L-R: Maylin and her son, Seon Holmes; Maylin’s Jerk is new to the 905

Family passion drives new 905 resto Foodies in the 905 have something delicious to celebrate in September: Maylin’s Jerk has officially opened, serving up authentic Jamaican cuisine in Vaughan.

The venture is the latest project from local entrepreneur Seon Holmes, owner of the neighbouring Holmes Elite Health and Fitness. Built as a tribute to his mother — the restaurant’s namesake and head chef — Maylin’s brings her decades of culinary expertise and Caribbean heritage to the dining experience.

“Cooking is her passion. She always loved cooking and she always wanted to own her own restaurant,” says Holmes. “I said why

not take a leap of faith.”

After working as a chef in Jamaica, Maylin came to Canada in 2006 and has since been catering and leading private events, including hosting an annual fish fry that has become well-known and loved in the neighbourhood.

The intimate 20-seat restaurant fully immerses guests in vibrant Jamaican culture, featuring authentic artwork along the walls and a backdrop of classic reggae rhythms to complement the dining experience.

Maylin’s day-to-night menu pairs with Holmes’ gym next door, offering espressos and specialty coffees before a workout, protein

shakes after and macro-friendly options like jerk chicken power bowls, baked chicken fit bowls and grilled escovitch snapper.

If you’re not into counting calories, the rest of the menu will be exactly as you’d expect — jerk and fried chicken, ox tail, curry goat, beef patties and other authentic bites that can be paired with drinks made from Jamaican flavours and spirits.

“My mom says she is going to make it with love — that’s the best thing about it,” Holmes says.

“I can’t wait for everyone to try it.”

Maylin’s Jerk is located at 8575 Keele St., Vaughan.

— Megan Gallant

An Italian ‘kiss’ lands in midtown After more than 25 years of perfecting traditional pastries, gelato and panettone in Alba, Italy, and at their original King East pasticceria, the Dacasto family has expanded their Toronto footprint uptown.

Recently, they opened La Baciata at 2393 Yonge St., a dedicated sandwich spot bringing authentic northern Italian quality to the Yonge and Eglinton lunch crowd.

The heart of the menu is the signature baciata bread — meaning "kissed" in Italian, referring to how the sourdough is folded together as it bakes.

Fermented for over 56 hours using a traditional starter, the dough is hand kneaded and baked fresh daily in-store, yielding a crust that is shatteringly crisp on the outside and airy inside. For diners with specific dietary needs, the staff notes that all chicken, veal and turkey options are 100 per cent halal.

The menu features generous, high-end Italian fillings assembled directly in front of you. An early favourite is the Parma 30, layered with 30-month-aged Prosciutto di Parma, torn burrata, wild arugula and fragrant basil pesto. For something brighter, the Mortazza pairs imported Mortadella Bologna IGP with creamy stracciatella, crushed pistachios and a touch of Sicilian lemon zest. If you prefer a warmer, richer sandwich, the Piemonte combines tender roast beef, sauteed mushrooms, silky stracciatella and a decadent truffle cream, and hot classics, like the house-made chicken parm featuring crispy cutlets smothered in rich tomato sauce and melted fior di latte.

Grab a seat or take your sandwich to go, but be sure to save room for a container of their scratchmade tiramisù on the way out. — Jennifer Schembri

2048 Avenue Road • www.karbouzi.com

Now Open from 4 pm - 9 pm Monday - Saturday Casual Greek Dining • Second Floor Bar

Catering and Group Reservations

For Special Events and Holiday Parties!

For reservations call Jim at 416.483.3846

| SEPTEMBER 2026

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© Seon Holmes / Google Reviews

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FOOD NEWS

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© Sotto Sotto

© @sottosotto / Instagram

New Annex hot spot from Maven team

L-R: Sotto Sotto’s upscale interior, lamb chops

Yorkville’s Sotto Sotto is moving to… Yorkville?

Yorkville’s dining scene is getting a major high-society shakeup, and if you love a good celebrity spot accompanied by incredible Roman pasta, you will definitely want to get this news on your radar.

Blu Ristorante, a Yorkville favourite for 17 years, recently packed up its iconic grand chandelier and made the leap down to King Street West. While Blu is settling into its sleek, contemporary new space in the bustling Financial District, its exit left behind a prime piece of Yorkville real estate — and another Toronto heavyweight is set to take over the address.

Ristorante Sotto Sotto, the ultimate star-studded clubhouse of Toronto, is officially slated to move into the former Blu space. However, you do not need to worry about changing your weekend reservation strategy just yet. A chat with a Sotto Sotto

employee revealed that although the move is definitely happening, they are not packing up their wine cellar tomorrow — the big relocation is expected "in about two years."

That two year wait gives you plenty of opportunity to enjoy the current spot at 120 Avenue Rd., which has been its home since a devastating fire destroyed the original venue on Christmas Day back in 2014. If you have ever dined at Sotto Sotto, you know the vibe is pure old school glamour mixed with irresistible Italian comfort food. It is universally legendary for its iconic "Wall of Fame," which is packed with candid photos of elite regular guests, ranging from Hollywood legends like Brad Pitt, Elton John and Oprah to music royalty.

Then, of course, there is Drake. The

hometown hero practically treats Sotto Sotto as his personal living room, calling it his "second home" and famously shouting it out on tracks such as “5AM in Toronto” and “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2”. He even had the restaurant opened up late night just to host DJ Khaled, proving it truly is the absolute epicentre of Toronto’s VIP dining scene.

So while Blu transitions to a busier, high-energy crowd downtown, Sotto Sotto is taking a measured approach before making its own grand entrance into Blu’s former neighbourhood home. Until then, you can keep sipping fine wine, indulging in wood-grilled dishes and spotting famous faces at 120 Avenue Rd., knowing the iconic Roman spot is staying right where it is for the foreseeable future.

— Jennifer Schembri

The past decade of food culture has been defined by virality and exclusivity, but Toronto’s newest openings reflect a shift toward slower, more intentional ways of eating.

Toronto’s newest opening, Rose’s Pantry, reflects this change.

The spot, at 141 Robert St., comes from chef Shauna Godfrey, whose Harbord village restaurant Maven is a homage to her family’s Jewish and eastern European food traditions.

Named after both of Godfrey’s bubbies, Rose’s Pantry was inspired by memories of one Bubby Rose proudly showing her a basement pantry stocked to feed an entire family. The space channels that warmth with oak shelving, vintage glassware, ceramics, stained glass and pantry staples.

The menu follows suit, with prepared meals, fresh breads, nostalgic sweets, high-end tinned goods, soft serve and grab-and-go sandwiches. Highlights include a herby egg salad sandwich on Maven’s challah Pullman loaf, smoked sprouts and albacore tuna salad, pesto farfalle and blueberry buns.

“I think people are craving comfort, nourishment and routine after a long day,” Godfrey says. “We’re kind of going back to this handmade, personal touch kind of thing. People want that kind of connection.”

— Lauren DiBenedetto

B

OUR PLUS FOLL

| SEPTEMBER 2026

Toronto’s Greek restaurant scene has always had plenty of old school tavernas, but the newer crop of restaurants has been moving in a different direction. Alongside the neighbourhood staples, you’ll now find polished meze bars where natural wine flows and a dinner for two can hit three figures before you’ve even ordered a skewer.

Enter Esquire Restaurant. Newly opened at 566 Queen St. W., it goes in a completely different direction. This isn’t a new downtown concept dreamed up for the moment. Leo Mgrdichian and his three siblings are carrying on a family business that dates back to 1981. For more than 40 years, their family has built a loyal following from their Victoria Park Avenue location in Scarborough.

The Greek restaurant keeps things simple: souvlaki, gyros, 30 grilled meats and all the familiar sides, served quickly and without

pretense and at an affordable price. It’s also open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday — unusually late for Toronto.

The menu is focused on Greek staples, with the kitchen turning out hand-wrapped pitas loaded with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki and a generous hit of lemon sauce. Chicken, pork and shaved gyros all come wrapped in pita, and souvlaki skewers and garlic bread are available for those who want to skip the extra bread.

The late-night crowd gets plenty to work with, including the house Greek fries, piled high with feta, tzatziki, lemon sauce and meat. For a sit-down meal, there are falafel plates and pork platters served with roasted potatoes and rice, followed by baklava for dessert.

— JS

© @rosespantryto / Instagram

40-year-old Greek icon hits Queen West

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FOOD BEST OF 26 ’

OUR ANNUAL GUIDE TO T.O.’S FINEST, PLUS WE POLLED OUR 890K INSTA FOLLOWERS FOR THEIR FAVES

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@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST BÁNH MÌ Located in Chinatown, BÁNH MÌ HUY-KY turns out paper-thin, airy baguettes baked in-house daily. Orders get stuffed with hot charred pork, fresh jalapeños and pâté. You get a traditional, well-balanced Vietnamese sandwich for a fraction of what most downtown lunch spots charge.

BEST BAGELS

BEST SOFT SERVE

The line at BAGEL WORLD moves fast. Both the North York and Thornhill spots stick to the old school routine — hand-rolling and deck-baking bagels until they're dense, and coated in seeds. Beyond the classics, people flock here for massive braided twisters and thick-cut smoked whitefish salad.

TOM’S DAIRY FREEZE has been run out of its Queensway drive-in since 1969. The kitchen pumps high-butterfat soft serve into classic dip cones and sundaes, drawing massive lines that spill across the parking lot until midnight every single night all summer long.

BEST WINGS

BEST BUBBLE TEA CHICHA SAN CHEN brews single-origin Taiwanese teas to order using patented Lion espresso machines that extract leaf flavours under high pressure. Customers customize milk bases and toppings like fresh taro or chewy tapioca pearls cooked in small batches throughout the day.

DUFF’S FAMOUS WINGS 37% CROWN & DRAGON 23% THE ELMWOOD 22% BISTRO ON AVENUE 19%

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BEST BAGUETTE

The secret at THORBORS is its Parisian pedigree, which gives the baguettes a slight sourdough tang and airy, open crumb. The crust crackles the second you slice into it, making a simple ham-and-butter sandwich taste like something you bought along the Canal Saint-Martin.

Clockwise from left: Duff’s Famous wings, the Elmwood, Bistro on Avenue

INSTAGRAM POLL WINNER Twin brothers Hy and Rob Erlich brought the authentic Buffalo recipe north to DUFF’S, serving up crispy wings tossed in that classic vinegar-cayenne sauce.

BEST CROISSANTS

BEST SMOKED MEAT SANDWICH

BEST DIM SUM

TASSO draws weekend crowds that line up around the block long before the doors even open. This tiny operation bakes hyper-limited batches of flaky, multi-layered croissants and savoury pastries, selling out of its golden, buttery creations within a few hours every single morning.

CENTRE STREET DELI sets the gold standard for GTA smoked meat from its classic Thornhill strip mall location. Master cutters carve steam-tender brisket directly in front of the line, piling spice-rubbed, handsliced beef high on seedless rye with a smear of yellow mustard.

Yorkville's go-to spot for elegant dim sum, PEARL Yorkville turns weekday lunches and weekend brunches into a sleek dining event. Fashionable locals crowd the Bellair Street dining room for baskets of steaming har gow and golden pan-fried dumplings served piping hot.

BEST DOUGHNUTS

BEST CAKES

BETTER DAYS bakes old school yeast and cake doughnuts from its retro counter on Dundas Street West. The menu drops heavy toppings for traditional recipes, frying up golden-edged apple fritters, honeyglazed crullers and delicious cherry cake sticks alongside fresh coffee.

West end favourite BAKERBOTS BAKING has been turning out speciality cakes with a ton of flavour. Treat yourself to a slice of their signature carrot cake or chocolate mayonnaise cake (it’s called double moist for a reason). And the chiffon cakes come out ultra-soft and bouncy every time.

BEST OLD SCHOOL CHINESE HOUSE OF GOURMET has anchored Spadina Avenue since 2005, serving a massive menu of traditional Cantonese dishes until late into the night. Hanging roasted ducks line the front window, drawing steady crowds for steaming noodle soups, congee and family-style rice plates.

BEST BUTTER TARTS CIRCLES & SQUARES earned top honours at the Ontario Butter Tart Festival in Midland for its signature recipe. The bakery uses real butter to yield flaky, golden crusts packed with a thick, caramelized brown sugar centre, supplying fresh batches to cafés across the city every morning.

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST ICE CREAM ED’S REAL SCOOP 34% DUTCH DREAMS 31% SUMMER’S ICE CREAM 22% RU RU BAKED 12%

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Best of 2026

FOOD BEST CONTEMPORARY FILIPINO RESTAURANT MINERAL shakes up Filipino food on Yonge Street with a nine-course tasting menu built around grilled Ibérico pork collar and fresh seafood loaded with citrusy hits of calamansi. Every dish remixes classic island flavours into clever, high-end plates paired with natural wines.

T.O.’S PIE SPECTACULAR

BEST FISH AND CHIPS

BEST

Toronto BOEUF steak f the dis beef, se with du their sp

OLDE YORKE nails the ultimate fish and chips in Leaside, serving up wild-caught halibut that’s impossibly flaky on the inside. The kitchen wraps every piece in a light, crispy batter with a crispy crunch that never goes soggy, alongside thick-cut chips and plenty of malt vinegar.

BEST KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Housed inside downtown's historic 1929 John Street Roundhouse, Cineplex’s sprawling 40,000-square-foot REC ROOM pairs nearly 100 redemption arcade games and virtual reality with an elevated pub menu, serving prosciutto and pear pizzas, giant pretzels and steak frites.

BEST PECAN CRANBERRY PHIPPS BAKERY

BEST CLASSIC APPLE SWEETIE PIE

BEST GELATO

BEST FRIED CHICKEN

BEST

MIZZICA puts real-deal Sicilian technique front and centre across its Toronto locations. Founders Paolo Di Lallo and Denise Pisani build their award-winning gelato around premiere Italian imports, spinning batches with Bronte pistachios and Piemonte hazelnuts.

Named after founders Matt and Carolyn Pelechaty’s late yellow lab, CHICA’S CHICKEN brings serious heat to the Junction. The shop dry brines its halal poultry for two full days and even earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its crunch-heavy Nashville hot chicken.

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BEST LEMON MERINGUE THE ROLLING PIN

BEST SPICED PUMPKIN CHARMAINE SWEETS

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

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BEST SMASH BURGER ROSIE’S 37% JABS 28% MATTY’S PATTY’S 24%

| SEPTEMBER 2026

FRESH BURGER 11%

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BEST ITALIAN SANDWICH

BEST SOUR CHERRY WANDA’S PIE IN THE SKY

LA SALUMERIA keeps things classic, with owner Carlo Celebre slicing imported meats to order behind the counter. Sandwich lovers flock here for the signature build — a massive crusty loaf loaded with savoury prosciutto, salami, fresh mozzarella and a sweet splash of fig jam.

BEST FRENCH BAKERY

BEST YOU HAVEN’T TRIED YET

BEST FISHMONGER

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT

BEST FRESH PASTA

BEST

GOÛTER brings authentic French baking straight to Toronto under the direction of pastry chef Rodney Alléguède. The bakeshop showcases a full display of handmade goods, turning out classic sourdough loaves and buttery kouign-amann baked fresh daily.

LAKE INEZ brings a distinctly eclectic vibe to the city, illuminated by soft candlelight and a glowing Kate Bush stained glass feature. The high-energy kitchen turns out imaginative, flavour-packed small plates designed for sharing, perfectly matched with hard-to-find natural wines.

PISCES has been a neighbourhood staple on the Summerhill-Rosedale border for more than two decades. Operating out of the iconic Scrivener Square retail block, they source wild-caught catches from trusted Canadian suppliers and process every fish in-house for peak freshness.

DIL SE holds down a Michelin-recommended spot under chef-owner Mani Panwar. The menu takes classic northern Indian flavours in a modern direction, highlighting rich paneer lababdar simmered in cashew gravy alongside fragrant lamb seekh kebabs hot off the tandoor.

OCCHIOLINO brings a dual-concept setup to Bathurst Street, anchoring its dining bar with a fully stocked fresh pasta shop next door. The kitchen rolls pappardelle by hand and extrudes saffron lumache daily, pairing each shape with house-made sauces for eating in or cooking at home.

DALDO the he dard fo mium built-in of bub

Best of 2026

FOOD BEST STEAK FRITES

BEST PAD THAI

Toronto diners frequently name CÔTE DE BOEUF as the undisputed king of local steak frites. The Ossington favourite builds the dish around 30-day dry-aged Ontario beef, searing every cut to order and paired with duck fat frites. Now you can try it at their spacious new Annex location.

Chef Nuit Regular brings northern Thai street food to downtown’s Duncan Street and to uptown’s Yonge with PAI. The kitchen stays busy wok frying chewy rice noodles in a tart palm sugar tamarind glaze, creating an iconic Toronto dish that regularly draws visiting celebrities.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Geary Avenue lost an absolute heavyweight when Famiglia Baldassarre closed its doors in August. The iconic lunch counter built its massive reputation around rapid-fire midday service, turning out unmatched bowls of handmade pasta to lucky daytime diners.

BEST PASTRAMI

BEST LOBSTER ROLL

Operating on Bathurst Street for four generations, PANCER’S ORIGINAL DELI cures its meat using decades-old family techniques.

The classic Jewish deli piles its signature house-spiced pastrami high, serving every sandwich alongside crisp half-sour pickles and fresh house fries.

Strolling through St. Lawrence Market calls for a visit to BUSTERS SEA COVE for its seriously impressive lobster roll. Piled high on a toasted bun drenched in warm butter, this market staple is rich, messy and gloriously buttery, with every bite dripping down your hands in the best way.

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST GO-TO SUSHI J SAN SUSHI BAR 30% YUZUKI JAPANESE 27% OROSHI FISH CO. 24% SUSHI KAJI 19%

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST TACOS TAQUERIA EL PASTORCITO 34% PLAYA CABANA 32% CAMPECHANO 20% ITACATE 14%

BEST GOURMET COOKIE

Clockwise from top: J San Sushi, Oroshi Fish Co., Yuzuki Japanese

Queen and Spadina staple LE GOURMAND has spent over two decades perfecting Toronto’s definitive chocolate chip cookie.

Baked fresh throughout the day, these giant treats land on the counter soft-baked and overflowing with thick pools of rich molten chocolate.

INSTAGRAM POLL WINNER J SAN SUSHI BAR is a budget game changer, serving ultra-fresh sashimi, torched aburi nigiri and generous bento boxes without breaking the bank.

BEST KOREAN BBQ

BEST TABLESIDE CAESAR SALAD

BEST REGIONAL ITALIAN

BEST PIZZA DELIVERY

BEST CHINESE DELIVERY

DALDONGNAE recreates 1970s Seoul right in the heart of Koreatown, setting the standard for traditional table barbecue. Premium cuts of pork belly sizzle directly on built-in tabletop grills, encircled by moats of bubbling egg and corn cheese.

THE OCTAGON delivers pure retro dining theatre with a tableside caesar salad that has set the local standard for over five decades. The classic steak house skips premade dressings entirely, whipping raw egg, garlic and anchovies into a rich emulsion right in front of your eyes.

Rob Rossi’s Michelin-starred OSTERIA GIULIA delivers pristine northern Italian seafood and delicate pastas. Across town, 7 NUMBERS brings southern Italian warmth through family-style recipes, and ENOTECA SOCIALE focuses its energy on Roman pasta traditions like carbonara and cacio e pepe.

Founded in 2012 by Josh Spatz and Alex Potter, NORTH OF BROOKLYN sets the benchmark for high-end delivery pizza.

The chain crafts light, sheet-thin crusts dipped in sesame seeds, finishing each pie with clever toppings like pickled red onions, and sweet honey drizzle.

Midtown local favourite C’EST BON has perfected the logistics of Chinese delivery. The Chen family’s kitchen balances fiery Sichuan flavours with Cantonese staples, packaging each order carefully so everything arrives piping hot without losing its texture.

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Best of 2026

SHOP BEST FLORIST

BEST TOY STORE

Every bouquet at APRICOT FLOWERS is a true work of art — and that’s no surprise, considering owner Cathy Kim’s fine arts background. Event flowers and floral displays are done to perfection here. Don’t forget the greenery; adorable succulents and terrariums fill the space.

Bringing childhood joy to the neighbourhood for over seven decades, the funky TOYTOWN storefront beckons from afar.

Bring the kids to the shop and let them be entertained by walls of fun while you browse for the perfect gift.

BEST DENIM Family-owned boutique OVER THE RAINBOW boasts brands like Rag & Bone, Les Deux and Patrick Assaraf, but it’s the massive wall of denim, featuring every wash and style imaginable, that makes it a 51years-strong standout.

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST PET SHOP BEST WOMEN’S DEPARTMENT STORE Loyal customers return to long-standing family business ANDREWS year after year for a reason. Shop top brands like Staud, Roberto Cavalli and Dôen in a setting reminiscent of a classic New York department store.

BEST MENSWEAR

DOGFATHER & CO. 33%

Looking for something specific? LOST & FOUND has got it. No idea what you want and just want to browse a staggering collection of incredible and unique pieces?

They’ve got that too. Quality is the game here; trust that a piece you find here will stay in your wardrobe for years to come.

WOOFTOWN 28% THE DOG BOWL 28% PET MAMA 11%

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST BOOK STORE BMV 46% QUEEN BOOKS 22% FLYING BOOKS 21%

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BEN MCNALLY BOOKS 11%

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BEST ANTIQUES OF THINGS PAST is a treasure trove worth travelling for. Unique to this shop is an auction-style pricing system, where the cost keeps dropping as time passes. Every antique purchase ends up feeling discounted — as long as you snag your coveted piece before someone else does!

Clockwise from top: Dogfather & Co., Wooftown, the Dog Bowl

INSTAGRAM POLL WINNER The broad selection at DOGFATHER & CO. is what your furry friend’s dreams are made of. And being greeted by a rotating cast of dogs at the door is always fun!

BEST SHOE REPAIR

BEST OLD SCHOOL BARBER

BEST LASH AND BROW FIX

BEST NAIL SALON

BEST HAIR COLOURING

Fans of KANER’S will say the work this Yorkville shop does is magic: sole replacements, emergency repairs and even total shoe restorations are easy work for the team here. Once you’re impressed by your fresh footwear, hand over your most battered handbag — they’ll fix that, too.

Classically trained in Scotland, owner Farid Alavi of BENCH BARBERSHOP is kind, friendly and knows everything there is to know about hair. Located kitty-corner to Four Seasons Hotel, this is a one-man barbershop with style.

With an impeccably clean and elevated studio, HBFACE is an eyebrow bar with style. Efficient, professional and extremely talented, the team here turn grooming into an art. Prepare to have your brows complimented all day long!

ANNA’S HEAVENLY NAILS makes sure getting a mani-pedi is as much a relaxing experience as a trip to the spa. The spot counts Jeanne Beker and our own publisher amongst her clients — they have even been known to visit together!

Trusting a salon to get your exact hair colour right can be tricky, but the talented father-son duo at COLOUR LAB are the unmatched experts. They’ll match your current shade or craft the new one of your dreams.

Best of 2026

SHOP BEST GIFT SHOP

BEST CONSIGNMENT

PUTTI FINE FURNISHINGS is a ton of fun, filled wall to wall with trinkets and home decor. The shop is also kind enough to offer seniors a chance to visit on their own after-hours, opening up the space so you can browse without the crowds.

Whether you’re buying or selling, you’ll still find yourself browsing for hours at VSP CONSIGNMENT. Shoes organized by size are a nice touch, and with regular flash sales, you’ll get discounts on top of designer discounts — 70 per cent off Prada, anyone?

BEST KIDS’ BOOKS A new location, all the same fun: MABEL’S FABLES is the kind of shop every kid dreams of visiting. Full of colour, books galore, puzzles, fidget toys and even a namesake pet cat, Mabel herself, it’s one of the most magical little corners of the city.

BEST KIDS’ CLOTHES

BEST EYEWEAR

Knowledgeable staff will help lead the way to the most adorable little outfits for your niece, nephew or child at ZERO 20 KIDS — especially for special occasions. Countless flower girls and ring boys have been dressed by this boutique over the four decades since it opened!

The frame selection at SQUINT EYEWEAR is top notch, as is the customer service: frame repairs, adjustments and eye exams are done efficiently and professionally.

Staff takes the time to walk even the most indecisive shopper through their options until they’ve landed on the perfect pair.

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST TATTOO PARLOUR OKEY DOKE TATTOO SHOP 30% BLACK WIDOW TATTOO 26% SPEAKEASY TATTOO 23% PEARL HARBOUR GIFT SHOP 22%

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST VINTAGE COURAGE MY LOVE 33% MAMA LOVES YOU 30% RAGDOLL VINTAGE 21% SIBERIA VINTAGE 16%

BEST VINTAGE WATCHES

Clockwise from top: Okey Doke Tattoo Shop, Speakeasy Tattoo, Black Widow Tattoo

VAN RIJK has possibly the largest selection of vintage Rolexes and watches not just in Toronto or Canada, but in North America.

Honest, fair and total experts in the jewelry game, the team here will make buying or selling your dream watch or ring easy.

INSTAGRAM POLL WINNER The team at OKEY DOKE are patient and communicative, turn the vaguest idea into a masterpiece. Try the “get what you get” vending machine for a tattoo surprise!

BEST DRY CLEANER

BEST TAILOR

BEST PET GROOMING

BEST APPLIANCE REPAIR

BEST LIGHTING STORE

The best dry cleaners are pretty much miracle workers, and that’s exactly what ASHFORD CLEANERS does. Nasty stains and mystery spills are no match for the team here. Got a couture dress you’re too nervous to wash? They’ve got you covered.

LAST MINUTE ALTERATIONS travelled from Yorkville to bring some tailoring expertise to Thornhill. The team here will take on seemingly impossible alterations and rush jobs with ease, and the attention to detail and precision is remarkable.

Trust your most nervous and overexcited dogs to WOOFTOWN for all your grooming needs. The team is careful and gentle and, best of all, clearly loves pets. Our office dog won’t settle for anyone other than expert groomer Ryoko!

Family-run business YORK APPLIANCE will take the vacuum or lamp you thought no one could fix and have it like new in no time. And they’ll go above and beyond when it comes to warranties and replacements!

Longtime midtown shop ROYAL LIGHTING is all about customer service. Experts in their craft, staff can guide you to your dream fixtures, and they’re known for price matching and ordering in styles if they’re not available in-store too.

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ir colted e uncurour

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Best of 2026

DO BEST TRIVIA NIGHT

BEST INDIE MOVIEHOUSE

If you’re looking for one of Toronto’s best trivia nights, Hemingway’s in Yorkville is a standout, with a packed lineup of themed events covering everything from movies, to music and pop culture. And, maybe one of the Jonas brothers will stop by again.

FOX CINEMA, the oldest operating movie theatre in the city, is holding it down with an incredible slate of films, a fantastic vibe, craft beers, good wines and tasty popcorn.

Not to mention so mcuh leg room and comfortable seating.

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE THE CONCERT HALL at 888 Yonge St., is back and better than ever. Once the legendary Rock Pile, where Led Zeppelin played its first Canadian gig, has been updated and looks amazing but is still steeped in Toronto music history. What a comeback!

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST PICKLEBALL PICKLEPLEX 39%

BEST NEW TRAIL

BEST ARCADE BAR

The EAST DON TRAIL has been a long time coming, but is worth the wait. It is a stunning place for a ride or walk, gorgeous forests, riverside views and more. The four-level switchback ramp connecting to the ravine floor is a thing of beauty.

TILT, in Queen West, is the spot for classic arcade games. A cover charge unlocks unlimited play on a rotating roster of arcade classics as well as a solid selection of pinball machines, Skee-Ball and good food and drink options.

FAIRGROUNDS 30% THE PICKLR 16% THE JAR 14%

@STREETSOFTORONTO POLL

BEST RECORD STORE SONIC BOOM 47% ROTATE THIS 20% PLAY DE RECORD 18%

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KOPS RECORDS 14%

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BEST COLD PLUNGE Head to Yorkville where cold plunging and all the spa-esque things get a serious glow-up at OTHERSHIP with a nod to its communal and unique experiences. The diversity of classes is what sets this unique facility apart from the crowd.

Clockwise from top: Pickleplex, the Jar, Fairgrounds

INSTAGRAM POLL WINNER PICKLEPLEX takes the crown for its unique and diverse offerings, including a tidy little club tucked beside the York Mills subway station and a large affordable Downsview facility that keeps the city’s pickleball fanatics busy.

BEST PARK

BEST PUBLIC ART

BEST SUNSET VIEW

BEST PLACE TO BUST A MOVE

BIIDAASIGE PARK was already a massive hit. This year, 10 more acres were added along with an incredible lakeside promenade offering stunning skyline views. The new expansion also features plenty of picnic space, play and beach areas and more.

GLOBAL CONVENIENCE, created by artists Trevor Wheatley and Cosmo Dean, wowed the city with its eerily realistic corner store floating in the harbour near the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, creating a surreal, viral sensation.

RIVERDALE PARK EAST has turned sunset into a Toronto social occasion, with crowds gathering nightly on the hill to watch the skyline glow in spectacular colours. Get their early and bring some beverages and a blanket to enjoy the show.

The city’s coolest dance floor might just be hiding inside GROUND CONTROL, a Bowieinspired music bar on Queen West with an eclectic mix of specialty nights and a great vibe. Check out Serious Moonlight on Thursdays with DJ Lazarus. It’s free!

Want more?

Read the full Best Of list online at STREETSOFTORONTO.COM

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Everyone loves our annual parenting guide (even Carlton, Raptor & Ace)

This year’s school guide features everything from class size to tuition cost. We hope it provides parents and kids with everything they need for the first steps in choosing a school. We think we’ve probably included everything except for an apple for the teacher.

If you’re looking for advice on that: we suggest organic!

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Private Schools

SE C TION

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PRIVATE EDUCATION GUIDE

The school with the most votes will win a visit from the Raptor!

POST X SCHOOLS

MASCOT RIVALRY IS BACK THIS FALL WHICH PRIVATE SCHOOL WILL REIGN SUPREME?

Our 37th annual guide features top private schools and extracurricular programs, including student-teacher ratios and real tuition costs.

J. Addison School

Vote for your favourite mascot at StreetsofToronto.com, the online home of Post City.

Voting begins this fall, so stay tuned for the official launch date.

Since its founding in 2002, J. Addison School has been dedicated to cultivating well-rounded individuals.

Grounded in strong values and traditions, we emphasize respect, kindness, and manner, helping students grow into confident, responsible individuals who contribute positively to their communities.

Our Kindergarten - Grade 8 Programs enriches the Ontario Curriculum with

inquiry-based and experiential learning inspired by Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and IB principles. Students benefit from a personalized approach, recognizing that children learn in different ways while maintaining high academic standards. Hands-on exploration, collaboration, and meaningful projects encourage curiosity, independence, and strong learning habits from an early age.

SCHOOL TYPE: Private/Boarding/Day ENROLMENT: 200 YEAR FOUNDED: 2002 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 15:1 GRADES: Kindergarten - Grade 12 TUITION: $18,000 to $25,500

WillowWood School

RESPECT KINDNESS AND MANNER

Founded in 1980, WillowWood has a long tradition of delivering targeted, personal education that considers each student’s needs and strengths. Our staff employ a team-based approach to teaching and conduct regular education strategy meetings to discuss how best to deliver the curriculum to each of our students. We are a full facility featuring a fitness room, gymnasium, music room, art room, science lab, and film

and digital media arts studios. Our location on “School Street”(Scarsdale Road) gives us access to incredible amenities and services that allow us to incorporate swimming, dance, and robotics into our curriculum. Classes are small, the atmosphere is warm, and technology is at the forefront of our teaching methodology.

SCHOOL TYPE: Private School YEAR FOUNDED: 1980 GRADES: SK-12

ENROLMENT: 270 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 8:1 TUITION: $21,700 - $27,400

“To me, there’s no great chef without a great team.” — Daniel Boulud

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PRIVATE EDUCATION GUIDE POST X SCHOOLS

The Habonim Jewish Heritage School

We believe Jewish learning should be engaging, meaningful, and fun. Our Sunday morning program, held from 9:30am to 12:00pm, helps children build friendships, explore Jewish identity, and develop a lasting connection to Jewish life in a warm, welcoming community.

Tikkun Olam, social justice, Torah, Israel, prayers, history, and inspiring Jewish stories. Learning comes to life through creative, age-appropriate activities led by exceptional teachers, with music, drama, arts, and hands-on projects. As a progressive, egalitarian school, we are dedicated to fostering inclusion, Students learn Hebrew through reading, belonging, and a meaningful Jewish writing, and conversation while explor- identity. ing Jewish values, holidays, rituals,

SUNDAY MORNINGS SK - GRADE 6

Learn.

Learn.Connect.

Connect.Belong.

Belong.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Engaging Hebrew learning, Jewish studies, Israeli culture, and hands-on experiences that build lasting friendships and identity.

Questions?

Email Guy Mannheim, the Director of Education, at habonimschool@gmail.com Visit our website: congregationhabonim.org/habonim-jewish-heritage-school.html

NORTHMOUNT T SCHOOL

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 60 YEAR FOUNDED: 1955 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 12:1 GRADES: SK - Grade 6 TUITION: $1,025 - $1,150

of

Northmount School

Northmount School is Toronto’s only independent, JK to Grade 8 Catholic boys’ elementary school. Catholic principles provide the foundation and purpose to our school’s everyday life that lead us to a conscious belief that we have a responsibility to prepare our students to build a better world. Thus, our students learn and grow in a community that places great value on the God-given dignity of each person,

REGISTER NOW FOR 2026/27 SCHOOL YEAR

ow

individuality, self-discovery and kindness, while immersed in a strong academic program. Philosophically, we understand that education alone is not enough. It is education with values that matter. Our creative and stimulating curriculum goes well beyond the standard requirements. Our small class sizes and specialist teachers mean particular strengths are identified and nurtured.

INSPIRE EXPLORE ACHIEVE

www.northmount.com

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 150 YEAR FOUNDED: 1990 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 8:1 GRADES: JK-8 TUITION: $23,900 - $28,700

Power of Words Academy

Every parent wants their child to stand out, think critically, and speak with absolute confidence. At Power of Words Academy, we turn top students into exceptional leaders.

Our specialized school-year enrichment program goes far beyond standard school curriculums, mastering advanced reading comprehension, essay writing, public speaking, and formal debate.

With small class sizes and expert

instruction, your child receives the personalized attention they need to gain a true competitive edge.

We are now enrolling students in grades 1 to 9 for the 2026-27 school year. Join us online or at any of our GTA locations, including our brand-new Forest Hill and North York campuses. Visit powerofwordsacademy.ca to secure your child's spot today.

SCHOOL TYPE: Extracurricular YEAR FOUNDED: 2018 AGE RANGE: 6-15

ENROLMENT: 450 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 6-12/1 TUITION: $240 - $2100

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”

– Sydney J. Harris

Grades 1-9 TURNING TODAY’S LEARNERS INTO TOMORROW’S LEADERS Give your child a distinct competitive edge.

Our premier enrichment programs for grades 1–9 helps students master advanced reading comprehension, essay writing, public speaking, and debate.

Forest Hill | Markham | Mississauga | North York | Virtual powerofwordsacademy.ca | 647 285 4499

At The York School, Leonard Nickel learned to dream without limits.

Today, he soars across the skies as a commercial airline pilot.

The York School • Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences • Pilot

PRIVATE EDUCATION GUIDE POST X SCHOOLS

The York School

A co-ed JK - Grade 12 International Baccalaureate (IB) school located in the heart of the city with subway access, we offer exceptional learning experiences while prioritizing wellbeing, belonging and community. As a forward-thinking urban school with a global outlook, we integrate the richness of the IB curriculum with hands-on experiential learning to empower our students to embrace curiosity and challenge themselves.

This foundation makes The York School’s IB program the ultimate passport for globally-minded students, who go on to pursue higher education with confidence and make a lasting impact in the world. Backed by such a supportive environment, an education here fosters relationships and connections that last a lifetime.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 765 YEAR FOUNDED: 1965 AVERAGE CLASS SIZE: 16-22 GRADES: JK-12 TUITION: $45,065

The Country Day School

Situated on a 100-acre campus north of Toronto among the rolling hills of King Township, The Country Day School is a leading JK-12 co-ed, non-denominational independent school. Since 1972, the dynamic and friendly CDS community has been nurturing student talent and fulfilling promise. Our innovative approach to learning integrates leading-edge technology, sophisticated facilities and exceptional

teaching. Emphasizing education with balance, CDS provides diverse opportunities in academics, athletics, and visual and performing arts. Plus, students of all ages also love to explore our sprawling campus for outdoor education activities. This is a place of possibilities where students unearth their passions and everyone feels known, supported and inspired. Learn more at www.cds.on.ca

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 830 YEAR FOUNDED: 1972 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 8:1 GRADES: JK-12 TUITION: $37,150

Prestige School

Prestige School offers students an accelerated curriculum, close homeschool contact and small class sizes.

Younger students benefit from advanced math & science programs, French lessons from JK, and extensive before and after school care. Additionally, students can look forward to intricate arts and crafts lessons, music and dance classes, and computer studies sessions. Older students experience individualized

learning and 100% university placement.

Our after school program strives to support the needs of children through academic, recreational, and social opportunities that enhance school day learning and build upon individual strengths and interests. Our Richmond Hill campus is in the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate® (IB) World School for IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for grades K-6.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 280 YEAR FOUNDED: 2003 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 8:1 or 18:1 GRADES: PS - 12 TUITION: $16,000 - $20,000

“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”— Stevie Wonder

PRESTIGE SCHOOL Independent Private School • Grades PS to 12 Prestige School Richmond Hill offers strong academic programs for PS to Grade 12.

We are on the path of becoming an International Baccalaureate® (IB)World School and will start offering IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for Grades Kindergarten to 6 in September

Richmond Hill Campus 11 Headdon Gate (Bathurst & Major Mackenzie) Toronto Campus 21 Eddfield Avenue (Yonge & Sheppard) 416-250-0648

www.prestigeprivateschool.ca prestige@prestigeschool.com

EDUCATION GUIDE POST X SCHOOLS

St. Clement’s School

250 Davisville Avenue, Suite 200 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1H2 To Ph ww

Today's world is interconnected, fast-paced, and complicated. To thrive within it, an education is needed that goes beyond the requisite skills - at a school that recognizes students for who they are, teaches them how to solve problems, and encourages them to grow. St. Clement’s School, an independent girls’ day school in midtown Toronto, accomplishes this by fostering a collaborative environment that helps girls feel safe to take risks, try new things, and challenge their learning. At SCS, educational journeys will be marked by academic rigour and a curriculum that continually challenges and assesses the act of learning in an inclusive and safe environment. Complementing these strong academics is a robust selection of co-curriculars and leadership opportunities.

Toronto Prep School

A combined 60 years of teaching experience has prompted Steve and Fouli Tsimikalis to create an environment that promotes learning, develops leadership and awakens social consciousness through the employment of energetic and handpicked experienced faculty and staff.

Toronto Prep offers a rigorous academic curriculum with the opportunity for students to participate in a variety of school clubs and athletics.

Each student will receive a MacBook Pro with an extended warranty. Steve and Fouli have determined that it truly takes a village to raise a child. “A faculty working closely with parents/ guardians, smaller classes, supervised extra help before and after school and on Saturdays help students reach their personal potential for success,” notes Fouli. Their passion for teaching is evident.

The Toronto Pre ep School is an independe ent,, co-educational, university preparatory schoo ol for discerning stu udents and parents.

Open Houses: Saturday October e 17, 17 202 26 2 6, Saturday Nov vem mber 14th, h 2026, 2026 + Saturday y February y 6th,, 2027 - 10 0am to 12pm.

Visit our website www.torontoprepschool.com for more e information and be sure to click on the links to our FaceBook and Instagram pages.

Contact: Fouli Tsimikalis, Director of A Admissions at ftsimikalis@torontoprepschool.com

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School YEAR FOUNDED: 1901 GRADES: 1-12 ENROLMENT: 480 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 8:1 TUITION: $41,900

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School YEAR FOUNDED: 2009 GRADES: 7-12 ENROLMENT: 440 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 10:1 TUITION: $38,250 - $39,750

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”

— Dorothy Parker

Crestwood School

Crestwood School practises the traditional art of teaching by challenging young minds to learn and by structuring experiences that make learning possible.

The school’s philosophy is based on triedand-true methods of teaching the basics, thus providing students with a solid foundation in the three Rs. Homework and development of students’ organizational skills and good work/study habits are an integral part of the program. At the same

time, Crestwood School is concerned with the “whole child” — striving to maintain the balance of a child’s physical, social and emotional development. Each teacher is the key. With a well-planned program, a positive rapport with each and every student and a sense of commitment and dedication, Crestwood School’s goals are met! Crestwood is located in the beautiful wooded valley at Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 450 YEAR FOUNDED: 1980 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 15:1 GRADES: JK-Gr.6 TUITION: $25,000-$35,200

Waldorf Academy

Waldorf Academy has been engaging young hearts and minds from Childcare to Grade 8 in the beautiful Casa Loma neighbourhood for decades. Waldorf education balances academic learning with social and emotional growth, fostering intellectual, practical, and artistic excellence. By limiting early use of technology, and promoting a close-knit community grounded in values of respect, cooperation, and

empathy, Waldorf Academy creates a supportive environment where students thrive. Rooted in a nature-centered philosophy, the curriculum prioritizes outdoor experiences and environmental stewardship. With a focus on personalized attention and fostering independence, Waldorf equips students with the confidence and adaptability they need to succeed in all aspects of life into highschool and beyond.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 180 YEAR FOUNDED: 1987 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 12:1 GRADES: Childcare-Gr. 8 TUITION: $23,000-$25,000

Wel e come to Wal a dor f Academy:

Open House Kindergarte en to Grad Grade d 8 Thursday Oct. 15, 1:00pm - 3:30 0pm Waldo a rf Academy is located in the heart of Toronto by Casa C Loma and cultivates an inclusive environment of hands-on learn e ing, outdoor d education d and d creative academics. d M Most impo ortant, our students love coming g to school ever y day!

CHIILDCARE TO GRADE 8

Thhe Schoool by the Castle s

Register for our Open House!

250 Madison A Av ve Call:: 416.962.6447 x 231 Cal E ail Ema il: admissions@waldorfacadeemy.org

We welcome you to book a private tour.

Kindly call the school.

Celebrating 44 years

PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE

Collaborative

d e d n i Open M

l u f e t G ra CONTACT OUR ENROLMENT TEAM TODAY

PRIVATE EDUCATION GUIDE POST X SCHOOLS

Lauremont School

Founded in 1961, Lauremont School is committed to fostering the academic, social and emotional growth of its students through personalized education and an emphasis on development. The school combines the frameworks of the Montessori and International Baccalaureate pedagogies to provide students with the foundation to be future ready and lifelong learners. We are committed to creating an inclusive and engaging learning envi-

ronment where every student is empowered to grow as a compassionate, curious and connected citizen in a complex and changing world. Through a culture of innovation, service and creative inquiry, we inspire each learner to explore their potential and make meaningful contributions to their communities, one student at a time. Our school spans two beautiful campuses in Richmond Hill. For more information, visit us at lauremontschool.ca.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent YEAR FOUNDED: 1961 GRADES: Preschool - Gr.12

ENROLMENT: 880 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 15:1 TUITION: $23,800 - $41,180

TFS - Canada’s International School

TFS students are at the centre of a world-class, bilingual, co-educational experience where international perspectives shape them into confident, future leaders and global citizens. Grounded in the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework, the school fosters curiosity, critical thinking and a lifelong love of learning, starting as early as 20 months.

Our Introductory French program guarantees that every student achieves

full bilingualism by graduation. No prior knowledge of French required.

The school has embarked on its largest ever expansion, with 50,000 sq. ft. of new spaces designed to empower creativity and interdisciplinary learning opportunities that prepare students to thrive today and tomorrow.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 1500+ YEAR FOUNDED: 1962 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: Varies GRADES: 20 months to Grade 12 TUITION: $26,460 - $45,140

Branksome Hall

Branksome Hall is Toronto’s only premier all-years International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for girls, welcoming over 930 students to our historic 13-acre downtown campus. Our unique IB Advantage sparks curiosity, balancing rigorous academic inquiry with a deep commitment to well-being, creativity and global-mindedness.

Branksome girls are prepared to tear down the status quo, especially with the

opening of our brand-new Innovation Centre & Studio Theatre (iCAST). This 34,500-square-foot STEM and arts accelerator equips students with the practical digital skills required to bulldoze the STEM gender gap. Offering a vibrant boarding program, a study abroad with our sister school in South Korea and over $1.6 million in annual financial assistance.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 930 YEAR FOUNDED: 1903 AVERAGE CLASS SIZE: 16-22:1 GRADES: JK to Grade 12 TUITION: $45,140 - $49,210

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”

– Anthony J. D’Angelo

Why we choose to teach French from day one: Because a multilingual brain learns to handle complexity, and is better prepared ffo or whatever comes next.

Visit us at tfs.ca

CO-EDUCAT ATIONAL 20 MONTHS - GRADE 12 TORONTO & MISSISSAUGA

A school you attend A place you belong

different school of thought A

A different school of thought

PRIVATE EDUCATION GUIDE POST X SCHOOLS

Greenwood College School

Greenwood is built on a different school of thought. Our unique perspective on education impacts everything at the school, from our student-centred approach to learning to the way the school day is structured. We’re a co-ed school focused on community, intentional connections and character, where teachers create a high challenge, high support environment that helps students reach their own definition of success.

With an Adviser Program built into the curriculum and countless opportunities to engage with each other, the community, and the outdoor world, there’s no place like Greenwood. And that’s why there’s nothing like a Greenwood student.

Discover more about our school at greenwoodcollege.org

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 510 YEAR FOUNDED: 2002 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 7:1 GRADES: 7-12 TUITION: $49,530

Bannockburn Independent School

The warm spirit of our school community is reflected every day at Bannockburn. Cultivating Curiosity, Nurturing Potential, and Empowering Independence represents the core of our Toddler to Grade 6 program, an integrated curriculum that builds in intentional academic, social, and developmental growth. Cultivating curiosity begins by creating a caring and supportive environment with the encour-

agement to ask questions and make connections. Nurturing potential happens through our enriched curriculum that exceeds provincial standards and promotes a love of learning. Finally, empowering independence occurs with the growth of a sense of purpose in ourselves, our classrooms, and our world.

Our program leads to independent, selfconfident, critical thinkers in our Grade 6 Grads and proud Bannockburn alumni.

SCHOOL TYPE: Montessori YEAR FOUNDED: 1993 GRADES: Toddler to Gr. 6

ENROLMENT: 200 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: Varies TUITION: $19,075 - $30,700

Reingold Tutoring

Reingold Tutoring is an established private tutoring company offering comprehensive tutoring for all subjects and age groups, specializing in math and science. We proudly serve students across Ontario, providing personalized one-one-one tutoring. Our team consists of highly motivated, responsible, and skilled tutors who are dedicated to helping your child achieve their educational goals. Our tutors foster

motivation and confidence, ensuring that your child eagerly anticipates each session. We have a proven track record of success, including students who have learning disabilities. We pride ourselves in being available to students when they need us most. Contact us at 416-919-0221 to discuss your child’s upcoming education needs or visit www.reingoldtutoring.com for more information.

SCHOOL TYPE: Tutoring YEAR FOUNDED: 2000 GRADES: 1-12

ENROLMENT: Varies AVERAGE CLASS SIZE: 1 TUITION: Per hour

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”— Nelson Mandela

We develop students for success!

Private tutoring services • Quality tutoring for every subject • One-on-one virtual tutoring (some in person) • Customized lessons • Highly skilled and experienced tutors • Motivation, study skills, and test prep • Strong results with learning disabled students 50% Discount on first lesson | Flexible Hours & Scheduling Grades 1-12 + University

www.reingoldtutoring.com

EDUCATION GUIDE POST X SCHOOLS

TanenbaumCHAT

TanenbaumCHAT is the GTHA’s only Jewish community high school, and the largest in North America. We provide enriched academic offerings delivered by expert educators in a warm and supportive learning environment. The TanenbaumCHAT experience also features an extensive array of extracurriculars, renowned ruach (spirit), and friendships that last a lifetime. An emphasis on Jewish values and community service informs our programming & strengthens our students’ Jewish identities. Whether you have years of Jewish day school experience, or are new to Jewish learning, TanenbaumCHAT has a curriculum for you. Our successful New Stream program welcomes students from all educational backgrounds, making up one quarter of our Gr. 9 cohort.

Find Yourself at TanenbaumCHAT! tanenbaumchat.org/admissions

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School YEAR FOUNDED: 1961 GRADES: 9-12 ENROLMENT: 1,493 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: Call for Details TUITION: $25,600

Crescent School

Crescent School has been a leader in boys' education since 1913. Our mission, Men of Character from Boys of Promise, enables each boy to reach the full potential of his unique abilities. Character development is at the core of everything we teach in our Lower (Gr. 1–6), Middle (Gr.7–8) and Upper (Gr. 9–12) Schools. We instill values of respect, responsibility, honesty, and compassion while helping boys discover who they are, how they can lead, and the legacy they can leave behind. Our dedicated faculty focus on active, experiential, and relational learning—proven ways that boys learn best. We nurture well-being while cultivating excellence in academics, arts, athletics, business, outreach, and robotics. Our campus features high-tech learning spaces, modern libraries, a professionally-equipped theatre, and superb athletic facilities.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ACCEPTANCE RATE: 1 in 6 GRADES: 1-12 ENROLMENT: 825 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 9:1 TUITION: $46,270

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”

— B.B. King

CGS (Children’s Garden School)

A balanced education is the foundation of our Preschool - Grade 4 program.

Since 1986, CGS has provided a challenging academic curriculum complemented by our exceptional arts, public speaking, French language, music, and physical education specialties. Children thrive in our nurturing environment as we promote a thoughtful awareness of socialemotional development. Our early

phonics and pre-reading programs lead to high levels of literacy, while our emphasis on character and diversity awareness promotes a balanced, valuesbased focus. Although most of our children continue their educational journey at the larger private schools in Toronto, it's our goal to set them up for success regardless of their individual path. Thrive at CGS!

SCHOOL TYPE: Private School YEAR FOUNDED: 1986 GRADES: Preschool to Grade 4

ENROLMENT: 110 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 6:1 to 12:1 TUITION: $13,900 - $28,500

The Bishop Strachan School

The Bishop Strachan School is a leading independent JK - Grade 12 Day and Boarding school for girls. Through our inquiry-based program, students master core academic concepts by applying them to relevant, real-world issues. Our students investigate, experiment, research and reflect. This approach builds deep curiosity and resilience, giving BSS students the confidence to find their voice and lead

others. They graduate with a strong academic foundation and as compassionate changemakers ready to make a difference. Our 7.5-acre campus includes STEAM-focused learning spaces, arts, design and athletics facilities, including a turf field.

For more than 150 years, BSS has inspired students to be fearless and educated them to be leaders.

SCHOOL TYPE: Independent School ENROLMENT: 970 YEAR FOUNDED: 1867 STUDENT/STAFF RATIO: 10:1 GRADES: JK - Grade 12 TUITION: Day School - $43,800

LEARN MORE. ABOUT EVERYTHING.

A LEADING INDEPENDENT

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SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

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Before you go... check out our blow by blow history of Toronto's top pugilists

© Toronto Public Library

© Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage

© Heritage Toronto

SEPTEMBER 2026 EDITION

Clockwise from top: (L–R:) George Chuvalo (left) and Muhammad Ali, Larry Gains (boxer on right) and Len Harvey, Shawn O’Sullivan (right) and Cortez Treadwell

| SEPTEMBER 2026

A history of T.O.'s hardest hitting heavyweights that would make Rocky proud

50

Toronto has always known how to roll with the punches. One of the city’s earliest heavyweight stars was Black Canadian boxer Larry Gains, born in Cabbagetown in 1900. The “Toronto Terror” captured Canadian, British Empire and World Coloured Heavyweight titles in the 1920s and '30s, but racial barriers prevented him from ever challenging for the World Heavyweight crown.

As Gains made a name internationally, Maple Leaf Gardens was emerging as one of Toronto’s biggest stages for boxing. But no night looms larger than March 29, 1966, when hometown hero George Chuvalo faced Muhammad Ali! Chuvalo

accepted on 17 days’ notice and went all 15 rounds, losing by unanimous decision and never hitting the canvas. Ali called him “the toughest guy I ever fought.”

By the 1980s, Toronto-born Shawn O’Sullivan had become another hometown hero after winning silver at the 1984 Olympics.

Decades later, the legacy of these fighters lives on in Toronto’s grassroots boxing culture, from neighbourhood gyms to community programs, where young fighters continue to find their footing, build confidence and carry the city’s storied boxing tradition into a new generation. — Nisean Lorde

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