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Weekly Reading List: top stories from our sister sites, including centrepieces and budget squeezes

Weekly Reading List: top stories from our sister sites, including centrepieces and budget squeezes

Every weekend we round up the highlights from the other websites in the St. Joseph Media family (that’s the company that owns...

Five things we learned about credit mills (not including what a credit mill actually is), thanks to the Toronto Star

The investigative reporters at the Toronto Star have changed the way we think about a lot of things. They’ve made us wary of...

Rob Ford dips into the provincial politics water—but we were hoping he’d make a bigger splash

Rob Ford dips into the provincial politics water—but we were hoping he’d make a bigger splash

The Globe and Mail is reporting that Mayor Rob Ford has “waded into the provincial election campaign”—although we think...

Apparently, 13,000 Torontonians are the victims of union bullying

After this week’s news regarding the mayor’s plummeting support, Rob Ford told reporters the only poll that matters is the one...

Urban Diplomat: What’s the dress code for meetings when they take place on Skype?

Urban Diplomat: What’s the dress code for meetings when they take place on Skype?

Dear Urban Diplomat, I run a tech company, and a lot of my meetings take place via Skype with programmers and designers who work...

Inside the Latest Issue

The July issue of Toronto Life features the monster cottages of Muskoka versus the resistance. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.

Rob Ford’s anti-gravy strategist is now riding firefighting gravy boat

Looks like the man who helped Rob Ford ride the phrase “Stop the gravy train” all the way to the mayor’s office is now...

Apparently, executive committee member Jaye Robinson doesn’t like mega-malls, Ferris wheels or monorails

Mayor Rob Ford ’ s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week continued today, as a member of his executive...

Urban Diplomat: Taking a free coffee shop newspaper into the bathroom is not cool, right?

Urban Diplomat: Taking a free coffee shop newspaper into the bathroom is not cool, right?

Dear Urban Diplomat, I regularly read in a coffee shop that’s well stocked with free newspapers. Last Sunday, a fellow café...

Is Rob Ford’s dismal approval rating bad news for Tim Hudak (and good news for Dalton McGuinty)?

Is Rob Ford’s dismal approval rating bad news for Tim Hudak (and good news for Dalton McGuinty)?

Dalton McGuinty says Ontario voters can expect cuts in the style of those proposed by the Rob Ford and co. at city hall if Tim...

Urban Diplomat: Can we tell our neighbours to stop smoking—for the sake of our baby?

Urban Diplomat: Can we tell our neighbours to stop smoking—for the sake of our baby?

Dear Urban Diplomat, My husband and I have detected the smell of cigarette smoke coming through the shared wall of our...

How a chronic insomniac found a radically simple cure for her sleepless nights

How a chronic insomniac found a radically simple cure for her sleepless nights

I was living in a co-op on the edge of Regent Park, next to a playground that was invaded by screeching junkies every...

Libraries win out over lower taxes—at least, according to the relative popularity of Toronto’s duelling essay contests

If the city’s competing essay competitions are any indication, there may just be a new kind of barometer for public opinion on...

City politicians ask: how were we supposed to know how a city works?

Budget chief Mike Del Grande stopped by the CBC’s Metro Morning yesterday and had to answer for the bevy of proposed cuts to...

Apparently, Rob Ford’s proposed budget cuts are about as popular as a civic workers’ strike

A poll released today reveals that Rob Ford’ s approval ratings are dropping—fast—which, really, shouldn’t be much of a...

Exodus to the burbs: why diehard downtowners are giving up on the city

Exodus to the burbs: why diehard downtowners are giving up on the city

The reasons to abandon the overcrowded, overpriced, not-so-livable city are beginning to outnumber the reasons to stay. More and...

Reduced police force could be final chapter in the slow death of Rob Ford’s half-baked campaign promise

Reduced police force could be final chapter in the slow death of Rob Ford’s half-baked campaign promise

Last week, news broke that the Toronto police plan to offer severance packages to hundreds of police officers (which police chief...

Alleged G20 conspirators to appear in court, but, once again, we learn nothing

The judicial wheels are in motion to determine whether or not there is enough evidence to put 17 alleged G20 conspirators on...

Garth Drabinsky heading to prison (hopefully freeing up Edward Greenspan to do something more interesting)

Garth Drabinsky is going back to the slammer—albeit for only five years rather than his original sentence of seven years. The...

Bieber slips into something a little more comfortable: women’s jeans

Bieber slips into something a little more comfortable: women’s jeans

Justin Bieber let it slip today that he wears women’s jeans, and we all know what that means: one more thing his cult of female...

Denzil Minnan-Wong sets his sights on the Dundas and Yonge scramble intersection, snubbing Kristyn Wong-Tam (once again)

Denzil Minnan-Wong sets his sights on the Dundas and Yonge scramble intersection, snubbing Kristyn Wong-Tam (once again)

Yesterday afternoon, council announced its latest salvo in the war on the car: Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong is calling for the...

“We now have a plan,” says Rob Ford of the glorious waterfront vision (for which he doesn’t have a plan)

“We now have a plan,” says Rob Ford of the glorious waterfront vision (for which he doesn’t have a plan)

The conversation about Toronto’s Port Lands keeps going around and around, kind of like some mythic, not-yet-built Ferris...

Dalton McGuinty tries to sweet talk supreme ruler and lord of the suburbs, Hazel McCallion

Dalton McGuinty is reaching out to Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion for a bit of suburban support. McCallion hasn’t officially...

Twitter doesn’t like Rob Ford (and we’re guessing he doesn’t love Twitter either)

The Toronto Star is reporting that jabs at Rob Ford on Twitter and other social media sites rose significantly in the wake of his...

Conservative spies are infiltrating the Liberal ranks (or at least the Liberals say they are)

Earlier today, we called for a little muckraking from Queen’s Park reporters to shake up what’s turning out to be a remarkably...

Cost of Living

These North York points enthusiasts earn $370,000 a year. How do they spend it?

These North York points enthusiasts earn $370,000 a year. How do they spend it?

“We try to maximize our rewards by using various credit cards plus PC Optimum”

This 22-year-old venture capitalist is on track to make $180,000 this year. How does he spend it?

This 22-year-old venture capitalist is on track to make $180,000 this year. How does he spend it?

“I love a good bargain, so I shop at No Frills”

This globetrotting couple earns a combined $287,000 a year. How do they spend it?

This globetrotting couple earns a combined $287,000 a year. How do they spend it?

“Groceries are our biggest monthly expense after rent”

This Doctors Without Borders marketer earns $100,000 a year. How does she spend it?

This Doctors Without Borders marketer earns $100,000 a year. How does she spend it?

Manpreet Badyal moved from Delhi to Vancouver to Toronto in search of success

How a Gen Z finance enthusiast in Forest Hill spends her money

How a Gen Z finance enthusiast in Forest Hill spends her money

Business analyst and budding TikTok investment guru Chaeeun Lee hopes to visit 50 countries before she turns 30

This policy analyst and stand-up comedian makes $83,000 a year. How does she spend it?

This policy analyst and stand-up comedian makes $83,000 a year. How does she spend it?

“Investing in mental health is important. I have an unlimited membership at Othership in Yorkville”

This entrepreneur is on track to make $23,000 this year. How does she spend it?

This entrepreneur is on track to make $23,000 this year. How does she spend it?

“It was hard to accept financial aid from my parents, but it actually brought us closer together”

Urban Diplomat

Dear Urban Diplomat: My family takes Mother’s Day more seriously than Father’s Day

Dear Urban Diplomat: My family takes Mother’s Day more seriously than Father’s Day

She gets flowers, gifts and breakfast in bed; I get a lousy grill brush. Am I wrong to feel slighted?

Dear Urban Diplomat: What’s the etiquette for EV charging?

Dear Urban Diplomat: What’s the etiquette for EV charging?

Dear Urban Diplomat , What’s the etiquette for EV charging? A few weeks ago, I finally found a spot in my neighbourhood to juice...

Dear Urban Diplomat: My husband thinks I'm a hoarder, but I'm a collector

Dear Urban Diplomat: My husband thinks I’m a hoarder, but I’m a collector

He’s started quoting Marie Kondo and insisting that I get rid of my “emotional support tchotchkes.” How can I get him to back off?

Dear Urban Diplomat: My condo building has zero tolerance for the slightest noise

Dear Urban Diplomat: My condo building has zero tolerance for the slightest noise

They’ve asked us not to shower after 11 p.m. because of “pipe whistling.” Is this normal?

Dear Urban Diplomat: My husband bought us a pass to skip the line at the ski hill. Why do I feel guilty for using it?

Dear Urban Diplomat: My husband bought us a pass to skip the line at the ski hill. Why do I feel guilty for using it?

I can’t help being embarrassed every time I sheepishly walk past the eye rollers in the regular queue

Dear Urban Diplomat: My brother is lying online about Dry January

Dear Urban Diplomat: My brother is lying online about Dry January

He’s preaching the virtues of sobriety on TikTok but still crushing six-packs every weekend, and the hypocrisy is getting on my nerves. Should I call him out?

Dear Urban Diplomat: My co-workers have forgotten how to behave in an office

Dear Urban Diplomat: My co-workers have forgotten how to behave in an office

I actually don’t mind the return-to-office mandate, but it seems like so much working from home has caused my fellow employees’ self-awareness to atrophy