Good afternoon — Giant beaver sculptures have quietly taken over downtown, Toronto’s latest artificial island is taking shape, and Taste of the Danforth is finally making a comeback.

Meanwhile, Canada Post is preparing to phase out door-to-door mail for thousands of households, Pearson Airport has tumbled in a global ranking, and there are growing complaints around Rogers Stadium concerts.

Due to incredible demand, we are releasing 20 “last chance” tickets to our upcoming online lecture: Unbuilt Toronto Streets, Squares, & Landmarks.
Reserve your spot here.

Let’s get into it.

THE DIGEST: 7 Handpicked Stories

🦫 Giant Beavers: More than 50 colourful beaver sculptures have appeared across Old Town Toronto as part of a World Cup-themed public art and scavenger hunt. Each statue celebrates a participating nation or local culture, giving visitors a fun way to explore the city ahead of Toronto’s six FIFA matches.

🇬🇷 Danforth Returns: After a two-year hiatus, Taste of the Danforth is making its long-awaited comeback from August 7 to 9, backed by $400,000 in funding from the province and city. The iconic Greek festival is expected to once again attract around one million visitors with food, music, dancing, and cultural celebrations along Danforth Avenue.

✉️ Door-To-Door Mail: Canada Post will phase out home mail delivery for about 158,000 households across Ontario in 2027, including several postal codes in Ajax, Brampton, Mississauga, and Pickering. Affected residents will instead receive their mail through community mailboxes as part of the corporation’s ongoing service transition.

🌃 CN Tower Honours Officer: The CN Tower dimmed its lights in tribute to Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed while executing a search warrant in northwest Toronto. Hundreds of officers gathered to honour the 43-year-old veteran, whose death has prompted tributes from leaders across the country.

✈️ Pearson Tumbles: Toronto Pearson International Airport fell 61 spots in AirHelp’s 2026 global airport rankings, placing 263rd out of 279 airports worldwide. The drop was driven largely by poor on-time performance scores, though airport officials say many delays are outside Pearson’s control and point to ongoing multi-billion-dollar upgrades aimed at improving the passenger experience.

💥 Noise Complaints: As concert season ramps up, some residents near Rogers Stadium say booming bass, flashing lights and overnight floodlights are still disrupting daily life. Neighbours report hearing concerts from inside their homes and seeing their condos illuminated late into the night, while city officials and Live Nation say new measures are being tested to reduce the impact.

🏝️ New Island: Planning is moving ahead for the first homes on Ookwemin Minising, Toronto’s new artificial island in the Port Lands. The waterfront neighbourhood is expected to include up to 14,000 homes, extensive parks and public spaces, with the first development bringing about 700 units, including affordable housing.

MORE YOU NEED TO KNOW

⚽️ World Cup Hotels: Toronto hotels are bracing for an uneven June as FIFA World Cup bookings fall short of early expectations following large-scale room cancellations by tournament organizers.

💵 Mortgage Warning: A new Bank of Canada report warns that nearly 1 in 10 GTA homeowners could struggle to refinance when their mortgage comes up for renewal. While most borrowers can still renew with their current lender, experts say falling home values, higher payments and job losses are creating growing financial pressure for some households.

🛍️ Hudson’s Bay Store Demolished: The abandoned Hudson’s Bay at Centerpoint Mall is being demolished to make way for the Yonge North Subway Extension. The former department store, which operated for more than 50 years before closing in 2025, will be replaced by infrastructure supporting the TTC’s planned subway expansion north of Finch Station.

June 25 | 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM (online)
Toronto history lovers snapped up nearly every seat of our upcoming online lecture: Unbuilt Toronto Streets, Squares, & Landmarks.

We've opened just 20 last-minute tickets before registration closes for good.

Sign up today before it's too late! Click below:

Reserve your spot here (LAST CHANCE)

LOST TORONTO:
The Hamm and Riley Silk Co Ltd. (Demolished)

The Hamm and Riley Silk Co. Ltd. was a prominent early 20th-century Canadian textile business. It was famously located at the northwest corner of York and Wellington Streets in downtown Toronto, which is now a modern stretch of the Financial District.

The company was known as "The home of the gold seal silks" and served as a major wholesale distributor and silk manufacturer during Toronto's early industrial era.

Around 1915, the firm operated out of a striking eight-storey industrial and commercial building located at the York and Wellington intersection.

THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO: THE ‘INSIDER’ SCOOP

Editor’s Pick! Last Chance For Tickets! Toronto Streets, Squares, & Landmarks That Were Never Built - A limited-seat online history lecture 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 (3 spots left)

Reid's Toronto Cocktail Competition - Reid’s Toronto Cocktail Competition returns for its second edition of 2026, bringing together some of the city’s top bartending talent for an evening of creativity, competition, and craft cocktails. Hosted at Reid’s Distillery, the event invites guests to sample original cocktail creations and help determine the winner.
June 17 | 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Location: Reid’s Distillery, 32 Logan Ave

Alone in the Dark (Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres) - Alone in the Dark is an after-hours paranormal experience inside the historic Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres, widely regarded as one of Toronto’s most haunted buildings. Led in small groups of 12 participants or fewer, the tour grants exclusive access to the empty theatres and ornate heritage spaces after dark.
Multiple dates available
Location: Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres, 189 Yonge St

Luminato Festival 2026 - Luminato Festival returns in June 2026 for a special 20th anniversary edition, marking two decades as one of Toronto’s premier arts and culture festivals. Spanning nearly a month, the festival will feature performances, exhibitions, and creative collaborations with many of the city’s leading arts organizations.
June 3 – 28
Location: Multiple Venues Across Toronto

High Tea for Dads at Boston Pizza - High Tea for Dads returns to Boston Pizza this Father’s Day with a playful twist on the traditional afternoon tea experience. Instead of finger sandwiches and pastries, dads can enjoy a spread featuring Boston Pizza favourites like wings, pizza, and beer served from a teapot.
June 19 – 21 | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Multiple Locations

LCBO Cooler Fest - LCBO Cooler Fest returns as one of Ontario’s biggest celebrations of ready-to-drink beverages, bringing together more than 200 coolers and pre-mixed cocktails for an evening of sampling and discovery. Held at Evergreen Brick Works, the event offers guests the opportunity to explore new releases and popular brands while enjoying the start of summer in a unique indoor-outdoor setting.
June 19 | 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave

RECOS: Things you will love for around $50

📸 Nostalgia: Capture moments like it’s the 90s
🦫 Toronto: Canada’s most famous arena
🦮 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

Toronto built stunning fake castles, buildings, and houses that hide critical city infrastructure. In this popular video, we explore these properties and tell the story behind them.

Here is the link: Click here to watch

MAP OF THE WEEK

This map shows one of the earliest British plans (1788) for a town at Toronto Harbour, designed by military engineer Gother Mann before the city of Toronto existed.

Here is the link: Click here to see the map

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