Memoir

Elana Milman was adopted into a family in Israel after the Second World War and spent decades working to solve the mystery of her identity

Nigara Shaheen was harassed for training with men and fighting without a headscarf, but she never gave up on her sport

Nancy Dutra found refuge in local libraries, self-teaching her way to a GED, a bachelor’s degree and now graduate school

As a university student, Chris Dupuis fell for a friend and was crushed when his feelings went unrequited. Then he encountered Winter Kept Us Warm, the first gay-themed feature film shot in Canada

Julie Nolke spent almost a decade fruitlessly auditioning for acting gigs. She worked as a customer service rep, a bartender and at a private equity association while making comedy videos on the side. Then she got her big break

When competitive hockey player Tyler McGregor found out his leg would have to be amputated, he thought it spelled the end of his career. A decade later, he’s leading Canada’s national para hockey team

Jamal Burger used his childhood love of shoes as a launching pad for a successful photography career. Then he built Kickback, an organization that has distributed over 8,000 free pairs of sneakers to youth around the world

Following his premature birth, Dino’s childhood was marked by developmental delays—until his mother discovered his uncanny talents. Here, she shares how it helped them both overcome a family tragedy

Shaunt Raffi co-owns Tapestry with his brother, Raz Tchakmak. They’re about to host their biggest performance yet

Including the story behind Craig’s Cookies, a shocking DNA test and a fertility tale with a joyful ending

Aleem Syed worked with top-tier restaurateurs like Susur Lee, Matty Matheson and Didier Leroy before he was shot and paralyzed from the waist down. He thought his career was over—until he opened The Holy Grill food truck

Freeman Dre, a long-time Toronto musician, performed solo and with his folk band at venues across the city. After he collapsed in his apartment one afternoon, his community rallied to help him get back on his feet

Adam Ward and his fiancée narrowly survived the fire that destroyed their apartment. Ward was despairing until he remembered the one thing that always brought him joy: pizza

When Wing Fung Chong came to Toronto from China as a young man, Chinese produce was scarce. So he saved up, bought a farm and started importing and cultivating fruits and vegetables to supply the city’s growing Chinese population

Graydon Lau had a decades-long career in the marketing industry, working for big-name alcohol brands. When his best friend approached him with a business idea, he left his job and dove in. Then, just as everything was coming together, tragedy struck

The Black Bull is up for sale. Here, bartender Sheldon Chow recalls some of his wildest encounters and considers a future Queen West where the bar may be no more

Matthew Galati was 23 and in his second year of medical school when a car accident left him with a devastating traumatic brain injury. Instead of accepting his grim prognosis, he made a full recovery—and now helps others who are suffering from similar injuries

Seeking a new challenge, Jason Kloss took up his grandfather's old hobby: open-water swimming. Last week, Kloss raised over $55,000 for CAMH by attempting a 51-kilometre swim across Lake Ontario

Geoff Church had cancer twice, which involved major surgeries and chemotherapy. For his second go-around, he packed a bag of items to make his recovery more comfortable—and then launched his own brand of customized kits

When Emily O'Brien was 26, she was convicted of drug smuggling. While serving a four-year sentence at a Hamilton prison, she came up with the idea for a new business. Her mission: to show people that everyone deserves a second chance

After surviving imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Sri Lankan army and losing his father to the war, Roy Ratnavel was determined to make a name for himself in Toronto

Craig Pike used to bake cookies by the dozen in his home oven, delivering orders around the city on his bike. Now, he's running a cookie empire—and fostering an inclusive workplace for queer and trans employees

Nisrin Elamin took her three-year-old daughter to Khartoum to celebrate Ramadan. When the conflict began, they found themselves with no food, water or power and were forced to risk a harrowing journey out of the country

A long-running rumour at her Toronto private school convinced Hannah Griffin that she was a bad kid, so she started acting like one. Then a wilderness portage trip—and an unexpected encounter along the way—changed that