Toronto Life’s most popular longform features of 2014
A private school kid gone bad, the night Sammy Yatim died, and how tiny condos became the new family home—here are our most-read features this year
Breaking Brian: portrait of a Bay Street master and suburban drug dealer
Brian Shin was a Bay Street financial whiz with a secret life as a high-volume drug dealer. When he slipped up, he lifted the veil on a powerful criminal underground run by second-generation Asian kids
Gone Girl: I was a private school kid from Rosedale—until I ended up on the street
She had loving parents and all the opportunities and privileges in the world. Then she discovered drugs
Murder in Muskoka: Living and dying on the darker side of cottage country
For three years, Ian Borbely told everyone that his girlfriend, Samantha Collins, had abandoned him and their young son. Then a cottager found a mysterious crate hidden beneath his floorboards
The Killing: What really happened on that Dundas streetcar
The death of Sammy Yatim unleashed a torrent of anti-police outrage. For most Torontonians, the video was the verdict. But what really happened on the Dundas streetcar that night? The untold story of the cop who pulled the trigger—and why
Sin City with Snow: secrets of Toronto’s VIP club scene
When hip-hop and NBA stars want a good time, they call party queen Mona Halem. Inside a decadent world of $700 champagne, secret guest lists and hordes of beautiful women
Stuck in Condoland: How 700 square feet became the new normal
In a city where space is at a premium, tiny condos are the new family home. Learning to survive in 700 square feet
The Man Who Would Be King: inside the ruthless battle for control of the $34-billion Rogers empire
Edward Rogers expected to run the family empire after the death of his father, Ted. But the board squeezed him out
The Bank of Mom and Dad: confessions of a propped up generation
It seems like every 30-something couple has an embarrassing financial secret: their boomer parents are covering their mortgages, child-care costs and other expenses
In Lurv with Lainey: Elaine Lui’s rise to the top of the gossip pantheon
Elaine Lui became one of the world’s most influential celebrity gossips by exhibiting a bratty disregard for the pieties of showbiz. What happens now that she’s nearly as famous as the stars she skewers?
To summarise the summary: it was a year filled with narcissism, entitlement and lowered journalistic standards.