Special Reports

Ryerson Rams practice

Ryerson Rams on verge of unlikely transformation

Canadian basketball was on the cusp of something special back in 2008. Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson – years away from their NBA debuts – silently pioneered a youth movement to one of best prep schools in the U.S., opening the doors for their fellow countrymen. The high school talent was exploding with two basketball titans – Eastern Commerce and Pickering High – taking centre stage and showcasing a record number of future National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Canadian ballers. And an off-season deal for the hotly touted Hedo Turkoglu had the Toronto Raptors’ fanbase delirious for the upcoming season. But in the middle of it all the Ryerson Rams basketball program stood oddly still.


Pilot Coffee Roasters tray

Danforth area cafe crawl

East York residents are starting to appreciate the complexity of high-end quality coffee blends. Typically, Canadians are known for their reputation of consuming cup after cup of Tim Hortons brew. However, the quick convenience of the daily double double is being pushed to the side with the emergence of many artisan cafes throughout the East York community. These cafes provide a quality cup of joe, meticulously brewed specific to the customer’s preferences.



TTC bus

No snow tires on TTC buses: Riders at risk?

Imagine being on your way somewhere and the TTC bus you’re in is not moving, because it can’t get up the hill in the snow. That is exactly what happened to many passengers on Monday February 2, when at least one bus on York Mills Road east of Yonge Street was struggling to get up the hill, due to the 22 centimetres of snow that walloped Southern Ontario overnight Sunday and into the morning commute. The TTC buses do not use snow tires.


Randy Bucao

Toronto’s new council: white, again

First-time candidate Randy Bucao never thought the colour of his olive skin was going to be a problem in his campaign during the recent 2014 Toronto municipal election. A mechanical engineer who moved to Canada in 1994, he’s been heavily involved with the city’s Catholic school board, and his Filipino-Canadian organizations in Toronto. Bucao knew he would face a challenge campaigning for a council seat in a heavily ethnic area, Ward 10, York-Centre, but not blatant racism from some residents.



signs on downtown street

Councillor for life: Toronto’s incumbency problem

Four years ago, Jon Burnside came up just short in his bid to defeat long-time incumbent councillor John Parker in the Toronto municipal election. This fall, Burnside got his revenge. He surged past Parker Oct. 27, and became the only challenger to beat an incumbent.


Leafs fans in Maple Leaf Square

Two decades of misery: A guide to Toronto’s losing generation

In many ways Toronto is a great city. But for all of its merits there is one way Toronto is a cesspool and arguably the worst city in North America: the quality of its professional sports teams. Over the last two decades this town has put on a clinic in sporting ineptitude, leaving an entire generation with no recollection of a major North American championship.



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Providence Healthcare has a drop-off program for Alzheimer’s patients and their families

Though some people diagnosed with dementia may be apprehensive about joining, Elizabeth Davison and her staff employ a variety of techniques to help patients decide to give the program a try. “Sometimes to get them in there we’ll say ‘Why don’t you come for a cup of tea and we’ll see if you like it?’… We really try and promote that club atmosphere”