What's on our sidewalks?

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Good afternoon — Robots hit the streets, pools close during a heatwave, and a Toronto park wins global bragging rights.

Also: free TTC rides to this massive concert, a cheese-fuelled Canada Day bash you’ll want to see, and the world’s first retro SMEG café is coming to Yorkville.

Let’s get into it.

Click here for Canada Day events and fireworks!

THE DIGEST

🧀 Say Cheese, Canada: Beloved Etobicoke staple Cheese Boutique is shutting down Ripley Avenue on July 1 for a massive Canada Day street fest with live music, BBQ, food vendors, and fireworks. The free carnival-style bash runs 5–10 p.m. and promises a gouda time for all.

🏊‍♀️ Pool drama: As temperatures soared above 40°C with humidex, Premier Doug Ford blasted Toronto’s decision to close public pools during a heatwave, calling it a “poor excuse” when kids need a place to cool off. His comments follow public backlash after several pools closed due to lifeguard heat safety concerns.

🤖 Robot deliveries: Driverless vehicles are now being tested on Toronto’s streets as part of a city-backed pilot project. While they won’t be whisking you to work just yet, the autonomous shuttles are gathering data on safety, traffic, and pedestrian interactions.

🚉 Free TTC: TTC and GO Transit will offer free post-concert rides from Toronto’s brand new 50,000-seat Rogers Stadium, opening this Sunday with K-pop stars Stray Kids. The temporary Downsview venue, set to host major acts like Coldplay and Oasis, is pushing public transit due to limited parking and a long-term plan to redevelop the site.

❤️ Love Park wins hearts: The city’s heart-shaped Love Park scored a global design win, taking home the People’s Choice Award for Landscape Architecture at the 2025 AZ Awards. Once a Gardiner Expressway offramp, the waterfront green space now charms locals and tourists with its rose-tiled pond.

🚧 Greenway on the way: Construction has officially begun on the long-awaited Davenport Greenway. The new trail will run beneath the Davenport Diamond rail overpass, adding 2.1 km of walking and bike paths, public art, and green space by 2026.

🔌 Toronto short circuits: As Ontario baked under sweltering heat, a major power outage in Toronto left thousands without electricity just when they needed AC the most. The blackout, caused by equipment failure, hit multiple neighbourhoods, adding insult to injury during the city's ongoing heatwave.

🇮🇹 Ciao, Yorkville! Italian appliance brand SMEG is opening its first Canadian flagship — and world’s first SMEG café — this summer at 2 Bloor Street West. The retro-chic showroom will blend high-end kitchen design with Italian espresso culture. See their cool products!

MORE YOU NEED TO KNOW

📸 Down the speed cams: Councillor Anthony Perruzza wants the city’s speed cameras shut off until September, arguing they’re acting more like “speed traps” than safety tools. While the city says the cams protect school zones, Perruzza says they unfairly ticket responsible drivers and is working to reform the program.

🚦 Toronto greenlights sixplexes: City Council voted to allow 6-plexes in just 9 of 25 wards, opting for a partial rollout instead of citywide approval. While critics say it dodges the housing crisis, others remain optimistic more neighbourhoods will opt in as benefits become clearer.

🗑️ Peterborough says no: Toronto’s search for a new garbage solution stalled as Peterborough’s waste committee shelved the idea of taking in the city’s trash. With landfill space running out by 2035 and provincial veto laws making it harder to build new sites, Toronto’s garbage future is looking... messy.

✈️ Delayed flights: A network outage at Toronto Pearson Airport early Thursday caused check-in chaos and baggage delays, with some flights pushed back by hours. The issue is now resolved.

⚖️ Danforth court battle: Ontario’s top court has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit against gunmaker Smith & Wesson by survivors of the 2018 Danforth shooting. While the plaintiffs argue the company failed to include user-restriction tech, critics say blame lies with the person who pulled the trigger, not the tool they used.

TORONTO THEN AND NOW:
The John Abell Factory

Built in 1886 by industrialist John Abell, the red-brick factory at 48 Abell Street once produced engines and machinery near Queen and Dufferin. By the 1980s, it had transformed into a creative hub, housing around 80 artist live/work studios. With its soaring timber beams and historic charm, it became a cornerstone of West Queen West’s artistic identity.

As developers pushed to demolish it for high-density condos, community group fought back, igniting a city-wide debate over heritage, planning, and the power of local residents. Despite public outcry and City Council support, the Ontario Municipal Board sided with developers in 2007. The building was demolished in 2011.

THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO: THE ‘INSIDER’ SCOOP

🇨🇦 Click here for Canada Day events and fireworks!

🦖 Jurassic Weekend at ROM - Step into the age of dinosaurs during Jurassic Weekend at the ROM, a prehistoric adventure packed with fossils, fun facts, and family-friendly excitement—all in celebration of the upcoming release of Jurassic World Rebirth.
Today | 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Location: ROM

🚶 Yonge and St Clair - From The Ground Up Walking Tour - Uncover the layered history of midtown Toronto on the Yonge and St. Clair – From the Ground Up Walking Tour, a guided journey from hidden reservoirs to towering penthouses that explores how rural roots and urban growth have shaped this ever-evolving community.
July 5 | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (arrive 5–10 minutes early)
Location: David Balfour Park Trail Entrance, 20 Avoca Ave

🎾 Editor’s Pick! Squash Fest 2025 - Get in the game at Squash Fest 2025, a fun and inclusive outdoor event where kids, youth, and adults can try squash for free on a Dunlop mini court—no experience or gear needed—complete with hands-on coaching and exciting challenges for all ages.
July 2 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Riverside Common Park, 657 Queen St E

🧐 MOTIVE Crime and Mystery Festival - Delve into the dark and thrilling world of crime fiction at the MOTIVE Crime and Mystery Festival, a three-day literary event at Victoria College featuring forensic science workshops, mystery performances, and panels with top Canadian and international crime writers.
Today | 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location: Victoria College, University of Toronto

🏡 At Home in Toronto - Discover the many meanings of “home” at At Home in Toronto, a moving exhibition at The Market Gallery featuring artifacts, artworks, and personal objects from local artists and residents—each offering a heartfelt glimpse into identity, memory, and belonging in the city.
Every Sunday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: The Market Gallery, 95 Front St E

⚾️ Jays vs. Yankees - June 30 - July 3 (schedule)
⚾️ Jays vs. Angels - July 4 - 6 (schedule)

RECOS: Things you will love
 
🏙️ Toronto: 12,000 Years of Toronto in 160 Pages?
👀 Eyes: Weird Glasses Saved My Eyes
☕️ Coffee: One machine baristas rave about
🛠️ Tools: 18 Tools. One Hand.
☀️ Summer: One Game That Gets People Off Their Phones
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VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Toronto’s lost rivers — was this a mistake?

Here is the link: Click here to watch

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