Good afternoon — Divers stumbled upon a perfectly preserved 1800s shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Ontario, the Dog Fountain’s getting a facelift, and this intersection just logged its seventh sinkhole.

Meanwhile, high-speed trains might be coming, U of T just lost its top ranking, and a major Toronto plaza is at the centre of a neighbourhood battle.

Let’s get into it.

THE DIGEST: 7 Handpicked Stories

⚓️ Divers Uncover Pristine 1800s Shipwreck: A dive team searching for a different wreck near Toronto accidentally discovered a remarkably intact ship that may date to the early 1800s, far older than expected. Found 100 metres deep in Lake Ontario with its masts still standing and rope rigging preserved, the vessel could unlock new clues about an undocumented era of Great Lakes shipbuilding.

🦮 Dog Fountain Restoration: Toronto’s beloved Berczy Park Dog Fountain is getting a full winter refresh, with all 27 dog sculptures (and the lone cat) being removed, repaired, and repainted before returning in the spring. After years of wear, the city is giving the iconic 2017 installation a much-needed touch-up.

🚧 7th Sinkhole: One of Toronto’s busiest intersections, Church and Wellesley, has seen seven sinkholes in just three years, with aging 150-year-old water pipes and sandy soil blamed for the recurring collapses. City staff say they're now exploring a permanent fix.

💰 $94K Salary: A new report shows the average Toronto renter earns over $94,000, the highest among major Canadian cities, yet still remains priced out of home ownership as long-term renting becomes the norm. Despite strong incomes and solid credit, Torontonians now spend about 30% of their earnings on rent.

🥈 U of T Loses Spot: The University of Toronto has been bumped to second place in QS’s 2026 World University Rankings. Canada still dominates the list, with UBC in fifth and McGill jumping to ninth, but U of T narrowly missed holding onto its crown with a near-perfect score of 99.8.

🚄 Canada Fast-Tracks High-Speed Rail: The federal government is accelerating plans for Alto, a 1,000-km high-speed rail line linking Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, with trains expected to hit 300 km/h and cut travel times in half. The project aims to start construction within four years and connect nearly half of Canada’s population.

🏗️ Residents Fight Overhaul: A proposal to demolish Lawrence Plaza and replace it with eight condo buildings, adding nearly 3,000 units, is drawing fierce pushback from Councillor Mike Colle and local residents. They argue the massive redevelopment threatens small businesses and community life, calling the plan “overkill” and demanding a full redesign that protects the plaza’s role as a neighbourhood hub.

MORE YOU NEED TO KNOW

🐒 Toronto Zoo Unveils Relic: A refurbished Scarborough Rapid Transit car is getting a second life at the Toronto Zoo, where guests can access it while waiting for the Zoomobile (the transportation system) starting in early December. The TTC and city officials say the display preserves a key piece of Scarborough’s transit history.

📸 Toronto Pulls All Speed Cameras: Toronto is removing all 150 automated speed cameras by month’s end after Ontario’s Bill 56 banned their use, with remaining devices already inactive and unable to issue tickets.

🍖 Canada’s Best Restaurants: OpenTable’s new Top 100 list names 27 Toronto restaurants among the country’s best, the most of any city, reinforcing the city’s status as a national culinary powerhouse. The rankings are based entirely on diner reviews, offering a crowd-powered snapshot of where Canadians are eating in 2025.

LOST TORONTO:
Equity Chambers Building (Demolished)

The original Equity Chambers building in Toronto was a Gothic Revival office building at the northeast corner of Adelaide and Victoria Streets that was constructed around 1878 and has since been demolished. It is noted as the first building in Toronto to incorporate passenger elevators.

Today, it is an office building at 30 Adelaide St E.

THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO: THE ‘INSIDER’ SCOOP

Editor’s Pick! Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train - All aboard! The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train is making its dazzling return, bringing live music, festive lights, and community spirit to cities across North America—all in support of local food banks. Catch the Toronto stop on Saturday, November 29, where the train will light up the night and feature a free concert from its mobile stage.
November 29 | 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: 750 Runnymede Road

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at ROM - Step into the wild through the lens of the world’s most talented nature photographers. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum showcases breathtaking back-lit images that reveal rare animal moments, fragile ecosystems, and powerful stories from around the globe.
November 8, 2025 – March 29, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Location: Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park

Ship Happens! - Boats built from vintage irons. Sailboats distorted into surreal, moody visions. Ship Happens! at Gallery 1313 isn't your typical maritime art show. through painted photographs on birch plywood and whimsical sculptural reassemblies, this exhibit reimagines tools of domestic labour as leisure vessels, challenging viewers to reconsider the boundaries between effort and escape, order and absurdity.
November 26 – December 7 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Gallery 1313, 1313 Queen Street West

Made By Many: 50 Years of the Textile Museum of Canada - Made By Many is a sweeping celebration of five decades of textile artistry, culture, and community. This retrospective exhibition weaves together past and present through vibrant works, showcasing how the Museum’s collection has grown into a living archive of global stories, identities, and practices. Spanning galleries that trace the Museum’s journey since the 1970s, it’s a deeply layered look at what’s been preserved, questioned, and newly reimagined through thread and time.
Wednesday – Sunday | 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Textile Museum of Canada, 55 Centre Ave

Old Town Toronto Cavalcade Of Lights - Lights. Live Music. Dogs in scarves. Need we say more? Join the whimsical kickoff to the holiday season at Berczy Park—home of Toronto’s most photogenic dog fountain—for an enchanting hour of festive lights, cozy tunes, and heart-melting pup fashion. Presented by local businesses, this one-hour sparkle-fest is free for all and totally Insta-worthy.
November 28 | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Location: Berczy Park, 35 Wellington St E

RECOS: Things you will love for under $40

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🐈 Cats: Why cats prefer this scratcher
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VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Toronto made a huge mistake demolishing this building. Wait until you see what we built in its place…

Here is the link: Click here to watch

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