Toronto News ~ Toronto Focus
Total 581 Posts
Last month, I received a package from a Toronto Mike'd listener named Jim Shedden. The box included four books and a lengthy letter. One of the books was by Jim himself and Rick Prelinger. That book is titled "I AM HERE: Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces". Thank you @jimshedden! pic.
When the timing is right, I'll still flip on Jeopardy at 7:30pm on a weeknight. I've been watching forever, and even though the local station broadcasting the game show has changed a few times, and Alex is no longer with us, I still love yelling out the answers. For
If you listen to Toronto Mike'd, you've heard me speak of Rumble through the years. He was a key figure in the first wave of Toronto hip hop as one-half of Rumble and Strong. A key contemporary of Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee, Get Loose Crew, Simply Majestic and the
Mel Lastman served as the first mayor of the newly amalgamated Toronto from 1998 to 2003. Before that, he served as mayor of North York from 1973 until 1997. He was also the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain.
I often refer to my city as "The Big Smoke". I grew up hearing it nicknamed such and adopted the moniker. Toronto, however, is not the only city with this nickname. In fact, various cities from several countries are sometimes referred to as the big smoke. AustraliaBrisbaneMelbourne, labeled as such
In this 948th episode, Mike chats with Kiera Toffelmire about Toronto Miracle 2021, taking place on December 4, 2021. This episode is exactly 26:43. You can listen to this episode in a variety of ways: Subscribe via Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Google PodcastsSubscribe via SpotifySubscribe via Podcast AddictSubscribe via StitcherSubscribe
Last December, I was a very small part of something extraordinary. We held the first ever Toronto Miracle in aid of our city's food insecure. I even recorded a podcast about it. As the pandemic persists, the need for food access keeps growing. Too many Torontonians struggle to access safe,
On November 1, 1946, 75 years ago, the very first National Basketball Association game was held right here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The New York Knicks and the Toronto Huskies tipped off at Maple Leaf Gardens in front of approximately 7000 people in a time well before online casinos. The
Designed in 1958 by architect Alan Crossley and consulting engineer Laurence Cazaly, The Oculus Pavilion is a fantastical space-age park shelter nestled in a meadow along the Humber River Recreational Trail in the City of Toronto’s South Humber Park. The view from beneathI've biked by the Oculus a thousand
Oscar-winning director Domee Shi’s latest film, “Turning Red,” being released next March by Disney and Pixar, is set in Toronto. Here's the "Turning Red" teaser trailer. Totally rad.
On Saturday I went for a bike ride and noticed some action in Port Credit. A tow truck and several police vehicles were present while a couple of scuba divers were diving into the river to attach hooks to... something. You see, I had no idea what was in that
In this 862nd episode, Mike chats with Brian Bradley about the history, courage, and diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Toronto with a keen focus on Craig Russell and Lori Russell Eadie. This episode is exactly 1:20:57. You can listen to this episode in a variety of ways:
Jerry Howarth was the radio play-by-play voice of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1981 through the 2017 season, and the voice of my summers as a youth alongside Tom Cheek. I was lucky enough to be visited by Jerry a couple of years ago and he patiently answered every one
Until today, it's been a remarkably dry and clear January in Toronto. I have an old beater bike with snow tires and my regular bike, so I judge a winter month by how often I ride the snow bike. I rode it twice this month, in very early January, and
In this 788th episode, Mike is joined by local artist and Galleria Mall expert Shari Kasman for this deep dive into the mall at Dufferin and Dupont that time forgot. This episode is exactly 51:18. You can listen to this episode in a variety of ways: Subscribe in Apple
Sobering fact: Food insecurity affects 18.5% of Toronto households. And that figure is pre-pandemic. I suspect the current situation is even more dire. On December 5th, we're looking to do something BIG to help our fellow Torontonians. On December 5ᵗʰ at 10am, residents of Toronto are invited to leave
Chief Pumpkineer James just sent an update regarding Pumpkins After Dark. Remember, the promo code 'miked' saves you 10% at pumpkinsafterdark.com. Here's the message: We've now sold out 25 of our time slots for this year! It'd be great if you could mention this (that number grows daily too)
This morning I learned Doug Taylor had passed away. Doug covered the history of this city like no other. His blog at tayloronhistory.com was a tremendous resource and he will be sorely missed. Scadding Cabin—Toronto’s oldest surviving structure https://t.co/mCkfmYY6Zt pic.twitter.com/cvfQ95FoUZ —
Lake Shore Boulevard is closed this Victoria Day long weekend between Windermere Avenue and Stadium Road. I took this opportunity to cycle the street both yesterday and today and it was awesome. The Martin Goodman Trial is pretty busy now that the weather has improved, and closing Lake Shore Blvd
Last night I attended the grand opening of the StickerYou sticker museum and sticker exhibition at 677 Queen St. West. I was there with FOTMs Cam Gordon and Humble Howard. If you can handle the nostalgia overload, it's amazing. Here are some pics I took.
Ken Shaw, who has been on the air at CFTO / CTV Toronto for forty years, announced his retirement yesterday. His final newscast will be on January 6th. Why January 6? By working into 2020, Ken Shaw gets to make the claim he was at CTV News for parts of six
Our Toronto Public Library has a new identity. Here's more detail about the project from trajectory. Below is the previous Toronto Public Library logo and the brand spankin' new one, courtesy of BrandNew.
StickerYou is an ecommerce company. Yes, they're headquartered here in Toronto, but when you utilize their services you head over to StickerYou.com. That's where you can create custom stickers for your home or business. If you're a Toronto Mike'd listener, you already know this, because StickerYou are proud sponsors.
I got to know Danny Greaves, lead singer of The Watchmen, when he visited me in June for episode 473 of Toronto Mike'd. Danny wasn't sure what to expect, but dug the vibe. Today, I dropped by the Motel Bar in Parkdale on the 8th anniversary of him taking over
About seven years ago, I started cycling again after a fifteen year pause. I was in my mid-to-late 30s and had never seen a wild deer in the city. Once I started spending a lot of time on the Humber Trail, it wasn't long until I started seeing deer on
