Good afternoon — The Snowbirds are set to make their final appearance over Toronto before being grounded for years, City Hall is considering noise cameras for loud vehicles, and Ontario is preparing for 4 a.m. last calls during the World Cup.

Meanwhile, a half-marathon bakery crawl has completely sold out, the Ontario Line’s massive bridge over the Don Valley is taking shape, and Pearson Airport is facing serious questions over alleged security vulnerabilities.

Plus: hotels are scrambling to refill cancelled FIFA bookings, the AGO expansion just hit a milestone, and Porter is adding new nonstop flights out of Toronto.

Let’s get into it.

THE DIGEST: 7 Handpicked Stories

💥 Noise Cameras: Toronto City Council is exploring the use of noise cameras to ticket drivers with excessively loud vehicles. Supporters say the technology could help crack down on street racing and modified mufflers, though critics question privacy concerns and whether the system would hold up in court.

✈ Snowbirds Grounded: The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will make their final appearance at Toronto’s CNE Air Show this year before being grounded until at least 2030. The federal government plans to replace the team’s aging jets with new propeller-driven aircraft, a move already drawing criticism from fans online.

🧁 Bakery Run: A new Toronto Bakery Run is turning long-distance running into a carb-filled food tour, with participants stopping at eight west-end bakeries along a half-marathon route. The sold-out event blends fitness, pastries, and local food culture with pit stops featuring croissants, cinnamon buns, and fresh bread from some of the city’s top bakeries.

🍺 Last Call: The Government of Ontario will allow bars and restaurants to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. during the 2026 FIFA World Cup from June 11 to July 19. Officials say the temporary change is meant to boost tourism, support local businesses, and enhance the fan experience across the province.

🥬 Cabbagetown Festival: Cabbagetown is hosting a five-week “Around The World” pop-up series this summer featuring live music, markets, workshops, food tours, comedy shows, and cultural performances. The FIFA-themed event runs from June 11 to July 19 across multiple venues and public spaces in the neighbourhood.

⛔️ Pearson Security Gaps: A major Toronto Pearson International Airport investigation uncovered alleged security weaknesses and organized crime activity involving airport insiders. Former investigators and employees say drug smuggling operations are exploiting gaps in employee screening and baggage handling systems.

🚇 Ontario Line Bridge: The Ontario Line has completed the arch of its new bridge over the Don Valley Parkway and Don River. The massive steel structure will eventually carry nearly 400,000 riders daily as part of the new east-west subway line connecting downtown with the city’s east end and Exhibition Place.

MORE YOU NEED TO KNOW

⚽️ Hotels Face World Cup Vacancy: Hotels across Toronto are scrambling to fill rooms ahead of the FIFA World Cup after thousands of bookings were cancelled by organizers earlier this year. Industry leaders say the weaker-than-expected demand could hurt the tournament’s projected economic impact on the city.

🖼️ AGO Expansion Milestone: Construction crews at the Art Gallery of Ontario have signed the final structural beam for the new Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery expansion. The project will add new gallery space while keeping the AGO fully operational during construction.

🤠 Nonstop Austin Flights: Porter Airlines has launched a new nonstop route between Toronto Pearson and Austin, Texas, with flights operating five times weekly year-round. The expansion strengthens Porter’s growing North American network while boosting business and tourism connections between the two cities.

NEW: The Untold Story of Toronto’s Unbuilt Streets, Squares, & Landmarks
On June 25, we are hosting a public seminar uncovering the Toronto streets that were never paved, the public squares that never opened, and the landmark projects that disappeared before construction even began. Limited seats available, and everyone keeps the full recording plus all maps, plans, and archival designs shared during the lecture.
June 25 | 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM (online)
Reserve your spot here
Only 19 spots remain.

LOST TORONTO:
Monastery of the Precious Blood (Demolished)

This house acted as the convent for the Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood. The prominent brick structure on St. Joseph Street was established as a cloistered monastery in 1906.

In 1966, the convent relocated to a new structure, and the old building was demolished. The vacant lot was then sold to St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto for the construction of their new library building.

THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO: THE ‘INSIDER’ SCOOP

Editor’s Pick! Toronto Streets, Squares, & Landmarks That Were Never Built - A limited-seat online history seminar exploring the ambitious plans that could have radically changed the city’s landscape. The one-hour presentation examines Toronto projects that existed only on paper, from proposed boulevards and public squares to monumental buildings and large-scale urban renewal schemes that were ultimately abandoned.
June 25 | 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Online (Limited spots, only 19 left)

JazzInToronto 2026 - JazzInToronto returns for a citywide weekend celebrating Toronto’s jazz scene with live performances across multiple downtown venues. Building on the success of its inaugural festival, the 2026 Community Celebration will showcase a wide range of styles including swing, soul, and tribute performances while highlighting the depth of local musical talent.
May 29 – 31 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Location: Multiple Venues

Floral Design Class at Style in Liberty - A relaxed, hands-on evening focused on creating your own floral arrangement using seasonal blooms. Led by FlowerNova, the workshop explores the basics of floral composition, including shape, colour, and texture, while encouraging participants to create something personal and unique.
May 27 | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Style in Liberty, 740 Queen St W

Annual Jewish Music Week - Annual Jewish Music Week returns with a citywide festival celebrating the diversity and influence of Jewish music across a wide range of genres and traditions. Taking place at venues throughout the GTA, the week-long event features concerts, recitals, and cultural performances highlighting styles including Klezmer, Cantorial, Sephardic, Yiddish, Middle Eastern, and Israeli music.
May 24 – 31 | 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Location: Multiple Venues

From the Ground Up: The PATH and Pedestrian Toronto - A guided urbanism tour exploring how Toronto’s underground and street-level pedestrian systems shape the daily experience of the city. Led by James Parakh, Urban Design Manager for Toronto & East York, the tour examines the history, design, and evolution of the PATH network and the broader public realm connecting downtown.
May 26 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Meeting point outside Toronto City Hall

International Ceramic Art Fair - The fair returns to the Gardiner Museum for its 2026 edition, bringing together contemporary ceramic artists exploring the relationship between cities, community, and material culture. Running as a biennial exhibition and fair, ICAF highlights new directions in ceramics through installations, objects, and experimental practices from artists working across traditional and emerging techniques.
May 28 – August 16 | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park

RECOS: Things you will love for around $50

🐈 Pets: How to keep their paws clean
🥤 Drinks: Our favourite travel mug
🚙 Car: Clean your car with ease
🧑‍🍳 Kitchen: Add some colour to your kitchen
🌃 Toronto: Explore old houses
InsiderToronto may collect an affiliate fee on these items

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Most people have never heard of Toronto’s famous Half House, a victorian row that refused to sell to developers… so they literally sliced it in half.

Here is the link: Click here to watch

MAP OF THE WEEK

This 1882 map shows how many rivers, creeks, and streams flowed through Toronto. Most of the are underground today.

Here is the link: Click here to see the map

How High Are Art Prices Today? The Latest from Spring Auctions…

$85,800,000 for a Rothko

$98,385,000 for ANOTHER Rothko
$107,585,000 for a Brancusi sculpture
$181,200,000 for a Pollock

Sounds crazy, but those masterpieces were once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the ultra-rich buyers. Postwar contemporary art’s scarcity is largely what’s driven appreciation that’s comparable to even the S&P over the last thirty years.*

Obviously, art investing is out of reach for most people.

But since 2017, Masterworks has taken a data-driven approach to investing in art, making it accessible to individual investors.

Masterworks members can invest in shares of artwork by Rothko, Basquiat, Warhol, and others. When a piece sells, they get a share of the proceeds.

Over $1.2 billion has been deployed across over 500+ artworks. And 29 exits to-date have delivered net annualized returns like 16.5%, 17.6% and 17.8% on pieces held  longer than a year, not including those unsold. 

To see Masterworks track record of sold works and inquire about membership, our subscribers can use this unique link.

^{*According to Masterworks data. Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. See important Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.}

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