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Courtney Shea

Courtney Shea is a freelance journalist in Toronto. She started her career as an intern at Toronto Life and continues to contribute frequently to the publication, including her 2022 National Magazine Award–winning feature, “The Death Cheaters,” her regular Q&As and her recent investigation into whether Taylor Swift hung out at a Toronto dive bar (she did not). Courtney was a producer and writer on the 2022 documentary The Talented Mr. Rosenberg, based on her 2014 Toronto Life magazine feature “The Yorkville Swindler.”

Latest from Courtney Shea

Reason to Love Toronto: Because Rob Ford’s graffiti crackdown is inspiring works of art

Reason to Love Toronto: Because Rob Ford’s graffiti crackdown is inspiring works of art

It’s said that crisis breeds creativity. Back in the spring, our mayor declared war on graffiti, and faster than you could say...

The Thing: our newfound appreciation for the classic backpack

The Thing: our newfound appreciation for the classic backpack

Backpacks, a natural extension of the scruffy-prep “found-this-in-the-back-of-my-closet” look, are everywhere this summer, and...

50 Reasons to Love Toronto: No.30, There’s a hidden watering hole called Goodnight in an alley at Richmond and Spadina

50 Reasons to Love Toronto: No.30, There’s a hidden watering hole called Goodnight in an alley at Richmond and Spadina

The first rule of Goodnight is: don’t talk about Goodnight. The hidden watering hole, located behind a buzzer-access metal door...

50 Reasons to Love Toronto: No. 24, Rob Stewart is the new Jacques Cousteau

50 Reasons to Love Toronto: No. 24, Rob Stewart is the new Jacques Cousteau

Nine years ago, Rob Stewart, then a 22-year-old Toronto biologist, boarded a plane to Ecuador with his brand new underwater video...

50 Reasons to Love Toronto: No. 17, Malin Akerman is the city’s girl next door

50 Reasons to Love Toronto: No. 17, Malin Akerman is the city’s girl next door

If you don’t know her name, that’s because she’s not desperately shoving it down your throat. She doesn’t spend her...

Why writer Tabatha Southey and artist-architect Philip Beesley are smitten with Toronto

Why writer Tabatha Southey and artist-architect Philip Beesley are smitten with Toronto

The place: C5 at the ROM. The people: writer Tabatha Southey and artist–architect Philip Beesley. The subject: why they’re...

Flavour of the month: three new spots that change the game on sports bars

Flavour of the month: three new spots that change the game on sports bars

Sports bars in Toronto used to mean soggy nachos, face-painted guys named Big Mickey and eau de bleach mixed with stale...

In honour of Kate Middleton’s freshly pressed coat of arms, we design crests for Toronto’s blue blood

In honour of Kate Middleton’s freshly pressed coat of arms, we design crests for Toronto’s blue blood

To give their daughter Kate as much aristocratic heft as possible (and to quiet complaints about a commoner princess ), Michael...

Memory lane: Woody Harrelson carries a giant torch for Toronto. Here’s the photo album to prove it

Memory lane: Woody Harrelson carries a giant torch for Toronto. Here’s the photo album to prove it

Woody Harrelson likes us. He really, really likes us. The American actor and enviro poster boy has been in Toronto since...

Dream-casting The Real Housewives of Toronto: seven ideal stars for the Canada-bound reality show

Dream-casting The Real Housewives of Toronto: seven ideal stars for the Canada-bound reality show

We learned recently that the Real Housewives franchise is officially looking into a Canadian spinoff . No word for sure on which...

Men of action: Ennis Esmer and Kenny Hotz talk about the things they’ll do for a buck

Men of action: Ennis Esmer and Kenny Hotz talk about the things they’ll do for a buck

The place: Dangerous Dan’s Diner on Queen East. The people: Wipeout Canada co-host Ennis Esmer and Triumph of the Will star...

The Thing: The revival of two-digit denim

The Thing: The revival of two-digit denim

Jeans have always been a cultural barometer: the free-flowing bell-bottoms of the ’60s, the ironed-on butt-huggers of the days...

And the Juno for Worst Dressed goes to—oh God, where to begin?

And the Juno for Worst Dressed goes to—oh God, where to begin?

Last night’s awards ceremony was hyped as the cool, hip, young Junos, but apparently many of the celebs in attendance didn’t...

Skins recap, episode 9: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t

Skins recap, episode 9: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t

This week’s episode finally fills us in on the illicit (never mind totally illegal) relationship between Chris and teacher...

Skins recap, episode 8: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t

In this week’s fairly heavy-handed opening sequence of Skins , we learn that Daisy is the member of the gang “who fixes...

Reason to Love Toronto: Because our blades are glorious

Reason to Love Toronto: Because our blades are glorious

Come winter, al fresco activities tend to go into the deep freeze. Heads down, we scurry along grey streets, grimacing as frigid...

Buck 65 and Jully Black talk about awards, ambition and the all-powerful Internet

Buck 65 and Jully Black talk about awards, ambition and the all-powerful Internet

The place: Hub Coffee House and Locavorium on Shaw. The people: hip hopper Buck 65 and R&B singer Jully Black. The subject:...

Photos from the Vanity Fair Oscar party: George Pimentel takes us through his shots of Bieber, Gwyneth and many more

Photos from the Vanity Fair Oscar party: George Pimentel takes us through his shots of Bieber, Gwyneth and many more

Toronto’s top celebrity shutterbug, George Pimentel , spent last week—Oscar week—stargazing in Tinseltown. His tour included...

Skins recap, episode 7: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t

Skins recap, episode 7: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t

We’ve been waiting a while for the Michelle episode. Who is this girl that hosts hot tub parties and lets Tony treat her like...

We try to find five top Canadian Oscar moments from Sunday’s Academy Awards snoozefest

We try to find five top Canadian Oscar moments from Sunday’s Academy Awards snoozefest

Well, there you have it. Awards season is over, but the hangover—or, in the case of The Social Network gang, the lingering...

Oscar watch: 10 questions about the Academy Awards with Canada’s gossip girl Lainey

Oscar watch: 10 questions about the Academy Awards with Canada’s gossip girl Lainey

Elaine Lui is Canada’s gossipmonger extraordinaire, with a master's in Gaga and a black belt in Brangelina. This week, the...

Best Actress Oscar Curse: a U of T study shows there’s some truth to it, but can it predict this Sunday’s winner?

Best Actress Oscar Curse: a U of T study shows there’s some truth to it, but can it predict this Sunday’s winner?

Our ears perked up last month when we heard about a study out of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management that...

Pillars of the Earth recap: dirty, sexy clergy, episode 8

Pillars of the Earth recap: dirty, sexy clergy, episode 8

First off, a correction. We were under the impression that this week was the Pillars finale, because it was episode 8 and the show...

Skins recap, episode 6: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t

Skins recap, episode 6: the show that gets high school right—except when it doesn’t

This week, the Skins kids engage in some northern exposure during an Outward Bound–style wilderness excursion to Canada (the...

Private School Guide

The Private and Independent School Directory Spring 2025

The Private and Independent School Directory Spring 2025

Big Stories

Inside the rise and fall of the Vaulter Bandit, the 21st century’s most notorious bank robber

Inside the rise and fall of the Vaulter Bandit, the 21st century’s most notorious bank robber

To fellow tourists he met around the world, Jeffery Shuman was a semi-retired developer with a bright smile, an even tan and a fat wallet. In truth, he was a legendary bank robber on the run from the Toronto police and the US Marshals

Anchor Man: Fox News host John Roberts on Trump, the trade war and the American psyche

Anchor Man: Fox News host John Roberts on Trump, the trade war and the American psyche

If Fox News seems an unlikely landing spot for a guy who got his start pumping out Platinum Blonde on MuchMusic, you probably haven’t heard his thoughts about joining the notorious network, the Canada–US relationship and what he misses most about Toronto

Trump's Loss, Toronto's Gain: Meet the artists, professors, scientists and other luminaries ditching the US and moving north

Trump’s Loss, Toronto’s Gain: Meet the artists, professors, scientists and other luminaries ditching the US and moving north

They’re coming from Big Law, the Ivy League, arts institutes and beyond, brimming with smarts and energy and united by a common cause: avoiding the carnage of Donald Trump. True tales from the brain gain

Dancing Queens: Patrons, staff and performers share their wildest memories of Crews and Tangos, Toronto’s most storied drag bar

Dancing Queens: Patrons, staff and performers share their wildest memories of Crews and Tangos, Toronto’s most storied drag bar

Crews and Tangos has been enforcing the rules of the Village for more than 30 years: wear what you want, kiss who you want, but don’t forget to tip the drag queens. With a condo development looming, we asked around for tales from the iconic spot

The Joy of Sex with Strangers: A Toronto hotwife’s adventures in ethical non-monogamy

The Joy of Sex with Strangers: A Toronto hotwife’s adventures in ethical non-monogamy

Three months ago, I was a suburban mom in a monogamous relationship. Now I’m sleeping with people I meet online—with my husband’s blessing—and we’ve never been happier. Don’t judge us until you’ve read our story

The Scandal, the Firing and the Fallout: Anatomy of a Bay Street fiasco at RBC

The Scandal, the Firing and the Fallout: Anatomy of a Bay Street fiasco at RBC

Nadine Ahn was a high-ranking executive at the bank. Ken Mason, her subordinate, was rapidly promoted. Then someone claimed to see them canoodling at the Royal York, tipped off HR and triggered an inquisition

Edward the Conqueror: The unlikely ascent of Canada’s telecom king

Edward the Conqueror: The unlikely ascent of Canada’s telecom king

Edward Rogers was dismissed as a meddling nepo baby—until he muscled out his siblings, acquired his competitors, cornered the telecom market and became the dominant force in Canadian sports

Lady Parts: Inside Meredith MacNeill and Jennifer Whalen’s new show, Small Achievable Goals

Lady Parts: Inside Meredith MacNeill and Jennifer Whalen’s new show, Small Achievable Goals

The Baroness von Sketch Show alumnae have elevated joking about women’s issues to an art. Their new show takes aim at menopause. How funny is that?

Murder in the Blue Mountains: The story behind the killing of Ashley Schwalm

Murder in the Blue Mountains: The story behind the killing of Ashley Schwalm

Ashley and James Schwalm had what seemed like a fairy tale life—two wonderful children, fulfilling careers and a gorgeous home close to the private ski club where they’d fallen in love. Then Ashley’s remains turned up in a burned-out car at the bottom of a ditch, and all signs pointed to her husband

Dark Horse: Inside the fall of Eric Lamaze, Canada’s most famous equestrian

Dark Horse: Inside the fall of Eric Lamaze, Canada’s most famous equestrian

For years, Lamaze was the world’s top-ranked show jumper, living an enviable life filled with fancy cars, international travel and adoring fans—the kind of life a person might do anything to protect

Dividing Line: How the Bloor Street bike lane turned the city into a battlefield

Dividing Line: How the Bloor Street bike lane turned the city into a battlefield

A few kilometres along Bloor has become Toronto’s most contested strip of concrete, igniting fights over congestion, safety and the future of downtown

The Chosen One: At just 23, Scottie Barnes is the new face of the Raptors—and the team’s best chance of salvation

The Chosen One: At just 23, Scottie Barnes is the new face of the Raptors—and the team’s best chance of salvation

Barnes is shouldering the weight of an impatient, basketball-mad city, a hit-and-miss team, and his own colossal ambitions. Does he look worried?

Almost Famous: Inside the Beaches’ rise to rock stardom

Almost Famous: Inside the Beaches’ rise to rock stardom

A viral earworm about a breakup turned the Beaches into Toronto’s hottest export. Now, the panty-throwing, stage-diving, all-girl rock band is seducing fans around the world

"I was nearly beaten to death by my partner. The case was dismissed because it took too long to get to trial"

“I was nearly beaten to death by my partner. The case was dismissed because it took too long to get to trial”

How an overburdened justice system is failing survivors of intimate partner violence

Buy Canadian

"We felt disconnected from the outdoors before": What St. Lawrence Market North vendors think of their new home

“We felt disconnected from the outdoors before”: What St. Lawrence Market North vendors think of their new home

And what locally made and grown goods they’re selling

Sort-of Secret: Amelia’s Market, a Geary Avenue grocer selling local goods and light lunches

Sort-of Secret: Amelia’s Market, a Geary Avenue grocer selling local goods and light lunches

Like lovely cheese plates paired with glasses of Ontario-made wine

“There’s more attention now on shopping close to home”: How Broadfork Produce is connecting Toronto’s top chefs with Ontario farmers

“There’s more attention now on shopping close to home”: How Broadfork Produce is connecting Toronto’s top chefs with Ontario farmers

And the west-end supplier is opening to the public soon

The US tariffs are coming for your espresso martini

The US tariffs are coming for your espresso martini

With Kahlúa no longer available at the LCBO, Toronto bartenders are getting creative