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“After I was paralyzed, I thought I’d never be a chef. Now, I own a successful restaurant and food truck”

“After I was paralyzed, I thought I’d never be a chef. Now, I own a successful restaurant and food truck”

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

"My band, The Kitchen Party, is known for its revelrous live shows. After a brain aneurysm, I didn't think I'd ever perform again"

“My band, The Kitchen Party, is known for its revelrous live shows. After a brain aneurysm, I didn’t think I’d ever perform again”

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

“I almost died in a fire. It inspired me to pursue my dream of making pizza for a living”

“I almost died in a fire. It inspired me to pursue my dream of making pizza for a living”

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

“I started growing hard-to-find Chinese vegetables in 1950s Toronto and helped shape Chinatown into what it is today”

“I started growing hard-to-find Chinese vegetables in 1950s Toronto and helped shape Chinatown into what it is today”

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

"I was a successful marketing exec in Toronto. I gave it all up to farm hops and open a brewery"

“I was a successful marketing exec in Toronto. I gave it all up to farm hops and open a brewery”

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

"I’ve worked at the Black Bull Tavern for 40 years—and I plan to stay until the very end"

“I’ve worked at the Black Bull Tavern for 40 years—and I plan to stay until the very end”

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

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.

“After I suffered a catastrophic brain injury, doctors told me I may never walk or talk again. Three years later, I finished medical school”

“After I suffered a catastrophic brain injury, doctors told me I may never walk or talk again. Three years later, I finished medical school”

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

“My grandpa was the oldest person to swim across Lake Huron. He inspired me to take on Lake Ontario"

“My grandpa was the oldest person to swim across Lake Huron. He inspired me to take on Lake Ontario”

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

"I spent lots of time in hospitals and realized that nobody knows what to buy for a sick person. So I started making my own hospital kits"

“I spent lots of time in hospitals and realized that nobody knows what to buy for a sick person. So I started making my own hospital kits”

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

"I started my popcorn business from behind bars. It gave me a second chance at life"

“I started my popcorn business from behind bars. It gave me a second chance at life”

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

"I was a teenage political prisoner in war-torn Sri Lanka. Today, I'm one of Canada's top financial executives"

“I was a teenage political prisoner in war-torn Sri Lanka. Today, I’m one of Canada’s top financial executives”

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

"I started Craig's Cookies out of my tiny one-bedroom in Parkdale. A decade later, we have five locations across the city"

“I started Craig’s Cookies out of my tiny one-bedroom in Parkdale. A decade later, we have five locations across the city”

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

"I was in Sudan when the fighting started. This is how my family and I got out"

“I was in Sudan when the fighting started. This is how my family and I got out”

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

"After a vicious school rumour destroyed my confidence, canoe tripping helped me get it back"

“After a vicious school rumour destroyed my confidence, canoe tripping helped me get it back”

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

"I was a troubled teenager when I met the late legendary actor Gordon Pinsent. He changed my life"

“I was a troubled teenager when I met the late legendary actor Gordon Pinsent. He changed my life”

When Lisa Bunting was cast alongside Pinsent in the CBC's A Gift to Last, she didn't know that working with the celebrated Canadian actor would be a highlight of her almost-50-year career—or that he would have a profound influence on her life

"When I left an elite US running group to train in Toronto, I worried I'd made a huge mistake. Then I broke a record"

“When I left an elite US running group to train in Toronto, I worried I’d made a huge mistake. Then I broke a record”

How moving back to her hometown helped track-and-field star Lucia Stafford become the top 1,000-metre runner in North America

"I was a costume designer for film and TV. Now I make beautiful gowns out of other people's trash"

“I was a costume designer for film and TV. Now I make beautiful gowns out of other people’s trash”

Resa McConaghy had a decades-long career designing costumes for stars like Kim Cattrall and Helen Mirren. When the film industry ground to a halt during Covid, she started upcycling old fabric into elaborate couture

"I flew to Syria and Turkey to help save lives after the earthquake. The destruction was beyond imagination"

“I flew to Syria and Turkey to help save lives after the earthquake. The destruction was beyond imagination”

A Syrian Canadian trauma surgeon tells the heartbreaking story of his most recent trip home

Peter Herrndorf was a dream publisher, my boss and my friend

Peter Herrndorf was a dream publisher, my boss and my friend

I worked with him at Toronto Life in the late 1980s and early 1990s and marvelled at his passion for arts and media in this country. In his 82 years on the planet, he did more for Canadian culture than probably anyone alive

In 1954, I joined a sit-in for civil rights in small-town Ontario. Seventy years later, I'm still fighting for equality

In 1954, I joined a sit-in for civil rights in small-town Ontario. Seventy years later, I’m still fighting for equality

"One man told us that, until our protest, he couldn't even buy an ice cream in his hometown"

After my husband tried to kill me, I was forced to flee Kenya. Eight years later, I'm still fighting for justice

After my husband tried to kill me, I was forced to flee Kenya. Eight years later, I’m still fighting for justice

Nobody believed that my charming husband was secretly abusive

Losing my voice to throat cancer threatened to end my career as a musician. Instead, it was just the beginning

Losing my voice to throat cancer threatened to end my career as a musician. Instead, it was just the beginning

I realized that, even if I never sang another note, there were other ways to express myself

"I spent five years in a white-power gang": Inside the twisted world of Toronto's white supremacist movement

“I spent five years in a white-power gang”: Inside the twisted world of Toronto’s white supremacist movement

After my dad died, I started repeating racist rhetoric, dressing like a skinhead, picking fights with strangers and committing petty crimes. Then I realized the absurdity of my beliefs

I was addicted to prescription drugs, and I tricked doctors into giving them to me. Now, I help others who are struggling like I have

I was addicted to prescription drugs, and I tricked doctors into giving them to me. Now, I help others who are struggling like I have

After living with a substance use disorder for years, I got sober and now work on the other side of the health care system

Summer Camp Guide

Summer Camp Directory 2026

Summer Camp Directory 2026

Discover our top-rated summer camps for kids of all ages

Wines of the World

Wines of the World: Rediscover your favourites from Toronto Life’s Best Restaurants

Wines of the World: Rediscover your favourites from Toronto Life’s Best Restaurants

From cabernet and merlot to icewine and chardonnay, these wines are primed to pair and delight

Big Stories

Charm Offensive: The cottage country mortgage broker who lost $101 million of his clients’ money

Charm Offensive: The cottage country mortgage broker who lost $101 million of his clients’ money

Sandy Sussman spent decades wooing the upper echelons of Toronto society, becoming their go-to investment guy. He took their money and made a huge bet on cottage country. When the market tanked, he lost it all. Then he did everything in his power to cover it up

The Monster Cottages vs. the Resistance: Inside the ruthless battle for the future of Muskoka

The Monster Cottages vs. the Resistance: Inside the ruthless battle for the future of Muskoka

From Gravenhurst to Port Cockburn, the uber rich and powerful are buying up shoreline for private island compounds and sprawling mega-resorts, radically changing the face of Muskoka and infuriating environmentalists, locals and long-time cottagers

Dead Reckoning: The executor of their estate was supposed to divide it among their friends and family. Instead, he bankrupted it

Dead Reckoning: The executor of their estate was supposed to divide it among their friends and family. Instead, he bankrupted it

When Sami and June Suomalainen died, it fell to the executor of their wills, a lawyer they hardly knew, to sell their million-dollar midtown home and split the proceeds among their inheritors. Seven years and six lawsuits later, the beneficiaries haven’t seen a cent

These are Toronto’s best new restaurants of 2026

These are Toronto’s best new restaurants of 2026

This year’s list includes a 150-square-foot omakase counter, a Parisian brasserie in the Annex, Korean comfort food, Filipino karaoke and a Summerhill seafood spot that’s reinventing the raw bar

Hoop Dreams: Inside the making of the Toronto Tempo, the city’s newly assembled WNBA team

Hoop Dreams: Inside the making of the Toronto Tempo, the city’s newly assembled WNBA team

After years of false starts, months of nail-biting negotiations between the league and the players’ union, and an 11th-hour scramble to build a roster, Toronto finally has its own major-league women’s basketball team. Now it just has to live up to the hype

Live From New York: Inside the slay-or-be-slayed world of Studio 8H with SNL rookie Veronika Slowikowska

Live From New York: Inside the slay-or-be-slayed world of Studio 8H with SNL rookie Veronika Slowikowska

Slowikowska is the first Canadian to join the cast of Saturday Night Live in more than 25 years. She’s also this season’s breakout star. Now all she has to do is keep crushing it

Better Call Deepak: Meet drug lord Ryan Wedding’s self-styled cocaine lawyer

Better Call Deepak: Meet drug lord Ryan Wedding’s self-styled cocaine lawyer

The man who represented the infamous drug lord is unapologetically flashy—he has a Lamborghini and two Maseratis and wears $1,200 Louboutins. But did he become an accomplice to his client’s crimes? Deepak Paradkar says he was just doing his job. The FBI says he crossed a line

The Redemption Tour: The Blue Jays are back. Can they finish what they started?

The Redemption Tour: The Blue Jays are back. Can they finish what they started?

We’re not over it, but they are. Six months after that devastating defeat, the Jays take the field once more, bent more than ever on winning the World Series. Dispatches from the dugout

My Life as a True Crime Spectacle: My father’s crimes fractured our family. Then came the press

My Life as a True Crime Spectacle: My father’s crimes fractured our family. Then came the press

My dad was the infamous Rolex Killer. The news of his crimes nearly broke me. And ever since, my family has been hounded by reporters, podcasters and true crime fanatics—a whole new circle of hell

Robby on the Line: Out and about with Robby Hoffman, comedy’s equal opportunity assassin

Robby on the Line: Out and about with Robby Hoffman, comedy’s equal opportunity assassin

Larry David is the indisputable king of brutal honesty. But if anyone comes close, it’s Robby Hoffman, the suddenly everywhere comic from whom no group is safe

Notes on an Academic Scandal: Why did TMU demote a leading advocate of DEI?

Notes on an Academic Scandal: Why did TMU demote a leading advocate of DEI?

Pamela Sugiman, a former arts dean at Toronto Metropolitan University, was a key player in the school’s push for diversity, equity and inclusion. When the backlash against DEI arrived, she was demoted. The school says it was a coincidence. She disagrees

City of Renters: The dream of home ownership isn’t dead. Maybe it should be?

City of Renters: The dream of home ownership isn’t dead. Maybe it should be?

Scenes from the rent-for-life revolution

This generation was pummelled by Covid high school. Now the job market wants to replace them with AI

This generation was pummelled by Covid high school. Now the job market wants to replace them with AI

It’s hard out here for a 20-something

The High Price of Hope: Inside Toronto’s white-hot fertility market

The High Price of Hope: Inside Toronto’s white-hot fertility market

Desperate wannabe parents are betting their life savings on unproven treatments and false promises

Man vs. Machine: ChatGPT caused him to spiral into delusion. Now he’s suing OpenAI

Man vs. Machine: ChatGPT caused him to spiral into delusion. Now he’s suing OpenAI

Last spring, a chatbot convinced Allan Brooks that he had discovered a revolutionary mathematical theory. He says it nearly destroyed him

Smart City: 20 mind-blowing Toronto inventions that are changing the world

Smart City: 20 mind-blowing Toronto inventions that are changing the world

Homegrown innovations that will transform lives for the better

293 Days Without My Son: I gave up everything to rescue my kidnapped child from my abusive husband

293 Days Without My Son: I gave up everything to rescue my kidnapped child from my abusive husband

When Valentino was abducted, I knew three things: he’d been taken by his father, he was somewhere in India and I would not rest until I found him

Just Listed

For Sale: 99 Lake Promenade

For Sale: 99 Lake Promenade

This classic Hamptons-style home by Chatsworth Fine Homes offers an exciting opportunity to customize a new dream home and build instant value - without the long wait of new construction

For Sale: 92 Arjay Crescent

For Sale: 92 Arjay Crescent

As luxury buyers become increasingly focused on wellness, privacy, and long-term livability, a new generation of custom homes is emerging – one defined less by excess and more by thoughtful design

For Sale: 171 Durant Ave

For Sale: 171 Durant Ave

This rare property features 2 houses on 1 lot

For Sale: 50 First Avenue

For Sale: 50 First Avenue

A testament to time presiding over one of Uxbridge's most storied streetscapes, this magnificently preserved circa 1880 residence commands its prominent corner lot with the quiet confidence of a true architectural landmark

For Sale: 7 Bentley Drive

For Sale: 7 Bentley Drive

A commanding architectural statement in prestigious Stonegate–Queensway, this newly completed custom residence by Bali Homes Group presents a refined interpretation of contemporary luxury living