🐐 The city's weirdest workers are back

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Good afternoon and Happy Father’s Day — Goats are back on city duty, traffic on the Gardiner hits new highs, and a brand-new island playground is opening just in time for summer. Also: $15 buses to Montreal, dive-bombing birds, and 47 days of free entertainment.

Let’s get into it!

THE DIGEST

🐐 Goats return to fight: Toronto’s goat squad is back at Don Valley Brick Works Park, grazing on invasive plants like buckthorn and thistle. The city’s chemical-free solution improves soil health, supports biodiversity, and offers a fun way to manage green spaces.

🛣️ Gardiner traffic surges: A new report reveals congestion on Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway has jumped by as much as 230% during peak hours, thanks to ongoing lane closures from a years-long rehab project.

🏝️ Toronto’s New Island Playground: Toronto's new island, Ookwemin Minising, is set to open in phases starting this summer. It’s just 30 minutes from downtown and will feature ziplines, art trails, green spaces, and sweeping skyline views.

🌾 Malting Silos Get New Life: Toronto’s abandoned Canadian Malting silos are being revitalized after years of decay. The project will transform the historic waterfront landmark into a mixed-use hub with public spaces, art, and new development—preserving the silos as a reminder of the city’s industrial past.

🚌 $15 Megabus to Montreal: This summer, Megabus is offering ultra-cheap fares from Toronto to Montreal for just $14.99 one-way. The deal runs from June 24 to August 27, with 10,000 discounted seats—making summer getaways a whole lot easier.

🚑 911 delay under investigation: Toronto Paramedic Services is reviewing a 911 call after a witness reported waiting up to 15 minutes for help following a fatal shooting of a 15-year-old in Mount Dennis. The delay led bystanders to rush the victim to a hospital themselves.

🍲 Taste of Vietnam hits Toronto: A massive three-day Vietnamese street food festival is coming to Nathan Phillips Square from July 24–26. Expect great food, entertainment, and performances—all free to attend.

🛫 Porter adds 2 new summer routes: Porter launched nonstop summer flights to Deer Lake, NL and Charlottetown, PEI, giving travellers easy access to Gros Morne National Park and Canada’s east coast charm.

MORE YOU NEED TO KNOW

💰 $437K shoes: Border officers at Toronto Pearson seized $437K worth of cocaine hidden in multiple pairs of shoes from a traveller arriving from Guyana.

🐣 Dive-bombing birds are back: Red-winged blackbirds are once again swooping at unsuspecting Toronto pedestrians. The fiercely territorial birds are defending nests near trails and parks— watch out!

🚏 Bathurst bus lane backlash grows: Businesses warn they may be forced to close if proposed 24/7 bus lanes on Bathurst eliminate curbside parking. Many say the plan threatens accessibility, deliveries, and foot traffic, urging the city to consider rush-hour-only lanes instead.

🎭 47 Days of Free Performances: Union Station’s Union Summer festival is back from June 25 to August 10, with 47 straight days of free live music, food vendors, DJs, and themed night markets.

TORONTO THEN AND NOW:
Northeast Corner of Yonge and Bloor

In 1972, the northeast corner of Yonge and Bloor was anchored by the Royal Bank of Canada building—its mid-century facade a familiar sight in Yorkville. That all changed in the mid-1970s, when the structure was demolished to make room for the Hudson’s Bay Centre, reshaping the intersection into a modern commercial hub. Vintage cars like the Chevrolet Nova and Dodge Challenger once cruised past this now-vanished corner of Toronto. Today, glass towers dominate where banking history once stood.

THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO: THE ‘INSIDER’ SCOOP

Last Day! Taste of Little Italy - Kick off summer at Taste of Little Italy, Toronto’s beloved street festival featuring 200+ local vendors, a food truck festival, extended patios, live music on every block, and a new main stage with performances, plus a stunning projection art show celebrating the neighbourhood’s history.
June 15 | 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Location: College St (between Bathurst St and Shaw St)

2025 Toronto Jazz Festival - The 2025 Toronto Jazz Festival returns for its 38th year, filling the city with the sounds of world-class jazz through free outdoor performances and ticketed shows, celebrating the rich diversity of the genre and the vibrant cultural heartbeat of Toronto.
June 20 – June 29 | Daily from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Location: Village of Yorkville Park (115 Cumberland St)

Editor’s Pick! Flying with Billy Bishop Walking Tour - ake off on a journey through Toronto’s aviation past with the Flying with Billy Bishop Walking Tour, a guided 1.1 km stroll led by historian Shannon Buskermolen exploring the rich 85+ year legacy of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and its role in shaping the city’s global connections.
June 21, 2025 | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (arrive 5–10 minutes early)
Location: SW corner of Queens Quay West & Eireann Quay (659R Queens Quay W)

Dim Sum Mondays at aKin - Get hands-on in the kitchen at Dim Sum Mondays at aKin, an immersive workshop and dining experience where Chef Eric teaches you to craft favourites like Siu Mai and Har Gow—complete with a welcome drink, three-course dinner, and take-home handmade dim sum.
Mondays from June 6 – July 1 | 9:00 PM – Midnight
Location: aKin Toronto, 51 Colborne St, Toronto, ON

How the Americans Ruined Dinner Walking Tour - Step back into 1813 on the How the Americans Ruined Dinner walking tour, a dramatic retelling of the Battle of York during the War of 1812—led by history podcaster Adam Waiser—where you’ll explore how an unexpected U.S. invasion disrupted daily life and helped shape Toronto’s future.
June 26 | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM (arrive 5–10 minutes early)
Location: Fort Rouillé Monument near Scadding Cabin, Exhibition Place

Original Haunted Walk of Toronto - Uncover Toronto’s shadowy secrets on the Original Haunted Walk of Toronto, a spine-chilling tour filled with ghost stories, haunted landmarks, and eerie history—all beginning at the gates of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Daily June 9 – September 15 | 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM
Location: Hockey Hall of Fame

Jays vs. D-Backs - June 17 - 19 (schedule/tickets)
Jays vs. White Sox - June 20 - 22 (schedule/tickets)

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VIDEO OF THE WEEK

This strange 1865 map shows Toronto’s war plans.

Here is the link: Click here to watch

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