Good afternoon — Toronto's first-ever waterfront public library is officially moving ahead, Ontario just recorded its hottest temperature since 1936 during this week's brutal heat wave, and part of Spadina Station is set to be demolished and rebuilt as part of a major redevelopment.

Meanwhile, Toronto just opened one of its biggest outdoor pickleball hubs, the Beaches Jazz Festival is about to take over Queen Street East, and the city is exploring whether some nightlife districts should stay open until 6 a.m.

There's a version of Toronto hiding behind the one you think you know… and once you see it, you can't unsee it.
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Let’s get into it.

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📚 Waterfront library: Toronto's first-ever waterfront public library is coming to Quayside after receiving city approval. The new branch will serve the growing waterfront community, with public consultations beginning in 2028 and a second library already planned for nearby Ookwemin Minising.

🔥 Heat Wave: Ontario's heat wave has produced the province's hottest temperature since 1936, with Armstrong reaching a scorching 40.7°C. Toronto also matched its hottest day of 2026 at 36°C, with humidex values making it feel as hot as 45°C.

🚇 Spadina Station: Part of Spadina Station will be demolished and rebuilt as part of a proposed 35-storey development at Bloor and Spadina. The project will add a new fully accessible entrance and station upgrades, with construction expected to begin in 2028.

🌃 CN Tower: The CN Tower dimmed its lights in tribute to the victims of the deadly Salsa on St. Clair festival shooting that claimed two lives and injured four others.

🚒 Fire Response Times: Toronto firefighters are taking longer to reach emergencies as traffic congestion, rising call volumes, and limited crew availability continue to strain the city's emergency response system. Average travel times have climbed to more than six minutes, while the service is meeting its response time target less often than in previous years.

🎶 Beaches Jazz Festival: Queen Street East will close between Woodbine and Beech avenues from July 23 to 25 as the Beaches Jazz StreetFest returns with 36 live bands, local vendors, and free nightly performances. The popular festival transforms the street into a pedestrian-only music hub from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. each evening.

💨 Air Quality: Toronto's air quality ranked among the worst in the world this week as extreme heat trapped pollutants close to the ground due to wildfire smoke.

MORE YOU NEED TO KNOW

📍 Pickleball Hub: Toronto has opened one of its largest outdoor pickleball facilities, featuring 16 accessible courts at Main Sewage Treatment Playground near Eastern and Coxwell. The new complex is part of a $1.05 million investment to expand recreation across the city, which now offers more than 300 outdoor pickleball courts.

🕹️ Capybara Game: A new Toronto-inspired video game, Capy Castaway, launches on August 6 and draws inspiration from the famous High Park Zoo capybara escape. The cozy adventure also features Canadian references, including Toronto landmarks, Tim Hortons, and other local Easter eggs.

🥂 Night Out: Toronto is considering designated nightlife hubs where select bars and venues could stay open until 6 a.m. during approved events. City staff have been asked to study Montreal's model and report on potential impacts, including transit, noise, and public safety, before any decision is made.

LOST TORONTO:
Vimy Circle (Never Built)

The proposed Vimy Circle was a monumental traffic circle envisioned by the Advisory City Planning Commission in 1929. Planned for Richmond Street and University Avenue, it was intended to mask the street's alignment shift, feature a WWI war dead memorial, and act as a ceremonial focal point. The idea was ultimately shelved due to the Great Depression.

The project was essentially the crowning jewel of the city's grand 1929 street improvement plan. Vimy Circle was not meant to be a standard roundabout. It was imagined as a massive, formal, and symmetrical civic space. University Avenue would have terminated there before continuing south on a slightly different alignment.

Several major routes, including the proposed Paschendaele Road and Cambrai Avenue, would have radiated outward from the circle, drastically rewriting the downtown grid south of Queen Street.

Following the October 1929 stock market crash, voters rejected the financing for Vimy Circle, viewing it as an unnecessary extravagance. While the planned extension of University Avenue eventually moved forward, it was built in a more utilitarian format without the monumental circle.

There's a version of Toronto hiding behind the one you think you know.. and once you see it, you can't unsee it.

Dear Fellow Torontonian,

I want to tell you about the moment I stopped seeing Toronto as "just a city" and started seeing it as a story I happened to be living inside of.

It was a building I'd walked past probably four hundred times. Nothing special, I'd never once looked up.

Then someone told me what actually happened there. And the next time I walked by, I stopped dead on the sidewalk.

Same building. Completely different city.

That's what this is. That's the whole thing.

Every month, we send you one forgotten piece of Toronto's past... turned into a beautifully designed keepsake newspaper, mailed straight to your door.

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THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO: THE ‘INSIDER’ SCOOP

Editor’s Pick! Beaches Jazz Festival - The Beaches International Jazz Festival returns this summer with nearly a month of free live music, making it one of Canada's largest jazz festivals. Held throughout Toronto's Beaches neighbourhood, the festival features internationally acclaimed performers alongside emerging Canadian artists across multiple stages, parks, and public spaces.
July 3 – 26 | 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: Multiple Venues Across The Beaches

OssFest 2026 - OssFest returns to Ossington Avenue for a full day of food, music, shopping, and community celebrations along one of Toronto's most vibrant streets. The festival transforms the Ossington Strip into a pedestrian-friendly destination, with participating restaurants, bars, cafés, and local businesses extending onto expanded CaféTO patios.
July 25 | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Location: Ossington Ave between Queen St West and Dundas St West

Dream Wheels on Eglinton 2026 - Dream Wheels on Eglinton returns with a full day celebrating classic cars, motorcycles, and vintage automotive culture in support of SickKids Foundation. The festival showcases pre-1989 hot rods, muscle cars, race cars, and motorcycles along Eglinton Avenue West, bringing together enthusiasts from across the region.
July 25 | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: 533 Eglinton Ave W

The Gem Expo & The Meta Expo - The Gem Expo & The Meta Expo return to Toronto for a weekend celebrating gemstones, jewellery, wellness, and metaphysical practices. More than 75 exhibitors will showcase ethically sourced crystals, rare minerals, handcrafted jewellery, wellness products, and spiritual services under one roof.
July 24 | 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
July 25 | 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
July 26 | 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: Hyatt Regency Toronto, 370 King St W

Kensington Market 'Taste the World' Food Tour 2026 - The Kensington Market "Taste the World" Food Tour offers a guided culinary journey through one of Toronto's most diverse neighbourhoods. Led by local guides, the tour visits family-run businesses and hidden food spots, introducing participants to the flavours and cultures that have shaped Kensington Market over generations.
Various dates throughout 2026 (Read more here for the full article!)
Location: Kensington Market

Toronto Chinatown Festival 2026 - The Toronto Chinatown Festival returns to Spadina Avenue for its 26th year, celebrating the neighbourhood's rich cultural heritage with two days of live entertainment, food, and community festivities. One of Toronto's largest cultural festivals, the event showcases traditional performances alongside contemporary entertainment, bringing thousands of visitors to the heart of Chinatown.
July 25 | 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
July 26 | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Location: Spadina Avenue

RECOS: Things you will love for around $50

📸 Nostalgia: Capture moments like it’s the 90s
🦫 Toronto History Club: The only TO history mailer
🦮 Dogs: Be seen at night
🧑‍🍳 Kitchen: Add some colour to your kitchen
🐈 Pets: No more dirty paws
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VIDEO OF THE WEEK

I trusted a 150 year old map and found this incredible historic site!

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MAP OF THE WEEK

One of Toronto's earliest maps wasn't made by a surveyor... it was created by a 13-year-old.

Here is the link: Click here to see the map

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