In a weekend jam-packed with marathoning, New Tecumseth, Ont.’s Ana Laura Fray delivered one of the most impressive performances of all the 48-year-old made a powerful statement at the Toronto Marathon blazing to an overall women’s victory in 2:50:40 and proving that age is no barrier to excellence Her win was a standout moment among incredible results from across the country, including the BMO Vancouver Marathon and the Georgina Spring Fling in Ontario “If you had told me 15 years ago when I ran my first half marathon in Toronto, that today I would be the winner of the full distance, I would not have believed you!” Fray wrote on Instagram A post shared by Ana Fray (@analau_77) The 2025 Toronto Marathon marked her 27th time tackling the 42.2-km event; even at 48 her performances sit short of her personal best of 2:46 by a mere four minutes surprised her by entering the race herself and running beside Fray throughout; Setlack took second overall in 2:50:42 “I couldn’t be more grateful for having her running with me and throwing a bunch of positive thoughts my way as I fought throughout the race,” Fray said The outstanding run comes despite Fray’s late start to training due to injury The Toronto Marathon brought its usual slew of road closures–and a showcase of outstanding efforts A post shared by Toronto Marathon (@torontomarathon) Full results here The BMO Vancouver Marathon saw solid performances by Canadian favourites, with 2023 champion Dayna Pidhoresky of Windsor returning to reclaim her title in a brisk 2:35:07 A post shared by Dayna Pidhoresky (@daynapid) Full results here Canada’s road racing star Andrew Davies highlighted Sunday’s half-marathon performances in Vancouver continuing his dominant streak with a 1:04:10 to win by over a minute Full results here A post shared by BMO Vancouver Marathon (@bmovanmarathon) the spring edition of the Georgina Marathon delivered once again along the shores of Lake Simcoe Full results here Get the digital edition of Running for your chosen platform: NewsBugged out: Toronto grapples with swarms of midges as spring progressesBy Aarjavee RaajOpens in new windowPublished: May 03, 2025 at 6:01AM EDT As warmer days approach, the city is seeing a rise in throngs of midges swarming around waterways. The midges are a common occurrence in Toronto in the spring around late April and early May. These pesky little creepy-crawlies can be hard to avoid, but experts say they are the sign of a healthy ecosystem. Midges, despite sharing similarities in appearance to mosquitoes, are harmless, non-biting insects from the family of flies and are primarily known to inhabit the bottoms of ponds and lakes, experts say. Here’s everything you need to know about these tiny insects: There are many different species of midges across Ontario, but the ones that swarm together near water in Toronto are usually of one specific family dubbed the “Chironomidae,” also known as the non-biting midge, Darryl Gwynne, emeritus professor of biology at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus told CTV News. They live at the bottom of water bodies, feeding on organic matter and algae, before they rise to transform from larva into adults, experts say. Douglas Currie, curator of entomology at the Royal Ontario Museum and U of T professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology, told CTV News that they occur in huge numbers in the sediments of lakes, rivers and streams. Like all other flies and species like butterflies, moths and wasps, these insects have four stages to their life cycle – eggs, larva, pupa and adult, Currie says. Their life as adults only lasts a few days at most, he says. Once the midges are ready to emerge as adults, they tend to do so synchronously, during the ice-free period, Currie says. “It’s very important that they come out en masse, so that they can take care of mating,” he says. “They typically will form swarms. The swarms will consist mainly of males and females will fly into these swarms to become mated.” The entire productions of swarms are formed for a singular purpose – mating. These swarms sometimes look like smoke hovering over a tree or a prominent rock, which are the markers adult males use to form their swarms. “The visual perception – the visual sight of a swarm is what attracts the females, like a lot of different animals in nature,” Gwynne says. “Each one is doing a display, and they’ll attract the female. From the female’s perspective, it gives them an opportunity to get into the swarm and perhaps even choose which male they want to mate with.” Each female can produce hundreds of eggs, experts say. However, they disappear as quickly as they appear due to their short-lived lifespan, Currie says. There are dozens of species of midges that reside in Lake Ontario, each with different life histories and characteristics. “What we’re going to be seeing is either different generations of the same species or different species altogether, that have their own characteristics about when they come out,” Currie says. “Midges are really important in ecological communities,” Gwynne says. Currie calls them “a keystone component of the aquatic food web,” explaining that they are one of the most important components because they serve as food for other invertebrates, fishes, birds, and when they emerge, they’re food for things like dragon and damselflies, aerial birds and more. “These are barometers of a healthy ecosystem,” Currie says. “They are very important if you like fishing, or if you like the aquatic birds that we see and so forth.” Some of the species of midges can act as indicators of poor habitat and others can be indicators of good habitats. It depends on the species, Gwynne explains. The only downside for humans is when they run through a swarm or walk near one, they get in your hair, eyes or mouth. “This, to me, is a small price to pay for having a healthy ecosystem,” Currie says. Experts advise keeping your mouth closed if you ever get caught in a swarm, to avoid breathing in or swallowing them. These insects are attracted to light, so keeping a porch light on is an invitation for them. Keeping the windows of your house shut or screening your windows and patio doors is effective in keeping these insects outside your home. Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved TorontoNewsToronto Police-issued equipment stolen from parked car, suspect wantedBy Laura SebbenOpens in new windowPublished: May 03, 2025 at 10:00PM EDT Charge game winning goal scorer in overtime Kateřina Mrázová. “Emily Clark made a good play to bounce the puck, and Ronja Savolainen jumped into the play to make it a two-on-one. It was important (to have another option) but I just shot it. It was an exciting moment. A relief. I wanted to skate all the way back to Gwyneth Philips, but at the same time, the whole group was coming. I’m just so happy for the group. We worked so hard. I’m proud of everyone” Ottawa’s Jocelyne Larocque on the feeling of clinching a playoff berth on the last play of the regular season. “This group is really special. We worked so hard today, and I think we got the outcome that we deserved. So, it feels good and we're looking forward to the playoffs!” Sceptres forward Maggie Connors on the chemistry of her line: “I just think we try to make an impact when we can, and what’s fun about playing with them [Julia Gosling and Emma Woods] is that we try to bring a lot of energy. Whether that’s through the forecheck, shutting plays down–– we just always talk about making the simple play and bringing as much energy as we can.” For the second consecutive season, Ottawa’s playoff fate was determined in Toronto on the final day of the regular season — but this time, the result was reversed. In the inaugural season, the Charge fell 5–2, missing out on a playoff berth. The season series ends tied, 9-9 in points. Ottawa won the inaugural season series against Toronto, 9-6 in points. Kateřina Mrázová scored her third goal of the season — and the first game-winning goal of her PWHL career. It was her first goal since Feb. 1 after missing significant time (11 games) on long-term injured reserve. She has played just four games since that goal, including three since returning to the lineup. Mrázová joins teammate Gabbie Hughes as the only two Ottawa players to secure an overtime goal in team history. The Charge improved to 2–4 in games that have gone to extra time this season and are now 3–10 all-time in such games. Gwyneth Philips recorded her fifth full game allowing one or fewer goals. She finishes the season as the rookie leader in wins (8), shutouts (2), goals-against-average (2.11) and save percentage (.919). Brianne Jenner scored her seventh goal of the season — her first against Toronto. Across her two PWHL seasons, the day Mar. 10 has marked a turning point: she has recorded just four goals in her first 34 games before that date but tallied 12 goals in 18 games after the date, including today’s. The Charge have won 13 of 14 all-time games when their captain scores. Kristen Campbell became the fourth goaltender in PWHL history to reach the 1,000 career saves milestone. The Sceptres goaltender needed 13 saves in today’s match and earned 23, bringing her total to 1,010 across two seasons. Renata Fast recorded her sixteenth assist, the first player in PWHL history to reach that marker in a single season, giving her the league lead in the category. Fast continues to lead defender scoring with 22 points. Shiann Darkangelo recorded an assist and has seven points in the past five games (3G, 4A). The Charge forward made a 16-point jump from her inaugural season, finishing the year with 17 points (8G, 9A) after recording just one assist in her first PWHL campaign. Tereza Vanišová tallied her seventh assist of the season and is now tied for seventh in league scoring with 22 points. Sarah Nurse scored her sixth goal of the season and first since Jan. 28, ending the longest goalless streak of her PWHL career. The Sceptres forward ends the season with six points against Ottawa (2G, 4A), second in scoring within this season series. Emily Clark earned her tenth helper, ending the regular season just one shy of her 24-game inaugural season assist total. Ottawa’s Clark, Vanišová, Mannon McMahon, Danielle Serdachny and Aneta Tejralová were in the lineup for all 30 of the team’s games this season. Toronto’s Fast, Jesse Compher, Maggie Connors, Izzy Daniel, Julia Gosling, Kali Flanagan, Emma Maltais, Allie Munroe, Blayre Turnbull, Daryl Watts and Emma Woods were in the lineup for all 30 of the team’s games this season. Toronto’s 14 shots on goal in today’s game mark the lowest single-game total in team history. Their previous low was 15 shots, recorded in a 2–1 shootout loss to Minnesota on Mar. 9, 2025. Toronto finishes the season with a home record of 7-2-3-3 (.622), tied for top mark in the PWHL, while Ottawa finishes their road record at 7-1-1-6 (.533), second best in the league. With a point for the overtime loss, Toronto extended their home point streak to eight. There have only been two games in this six-game season series that began with a scoreless first period. The other occurrence was their New Year’s Eve matchup at Coca-Cola Coliseum, which also resulted in a 2-1 overtime Charge victory over the Sceptres. 1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Carter Tor (interference), 15:34; Serdachny Ott (interference), 19:57. 2nd Period-1, Toronto, Nurse 6 (Fast), 12:15. 2, Ottawa, Jenner 7 (Darkangelo, Vanišová), 13:08. Penalties-No Penalties 3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Woods Tor (interference), 6:55; Hughes Ott (tripping), 16:14. 1st OT Period-3, Ottawa, Mrázová 3 (Clark), 2:52. Penalties-No Penalties Shots on Goal-Ottawa 5-11-7-2-25. Toronto 4-4-6-0-14. Power Play Opportunities-Ottawa 0 / 2; Toronto 0 / 2. Goalies-Ottawa, Philips 8-5-1-0 (14 shots-13 saves). Toronto, Campbell 9-8-3-1 (25 shots-23 saves). 1. Kateřina Mrázová (OTT) OTW2. Brianne Jenner (OTT) 1G3. Maggie Connors (TOR) Toronto (12-3-6-9) – 47 PTS – 2nd PlaceOttawa (12-2-4-12) - 44 PTS – 3rd Place Toronto: Wednesday, May 7 vs. TBD at 7 p.m. ETOttawa: Wednesday, May 7 at Toronto or Thursday, May 8 at Montréal Top-seeded Montreal chose to play third-seeded Ottawa leaving the Frost and Sceptres in the other first-round series The Frost will open their PWHL title defense as Walter Cup champions with a game at Toronto at 6 p.m Game 2 will be Friday in Toronto before the series shifts to Xcel Energy Center for Game 3 on Sunday; the time for that game was not announced A decisive Game 5 would be May 17 in Toronto The Frost won four of six meetings with the Sceptres this season most recently 5-2 at Xcel Energy Center on March 30 The Frost, Ottawa and Boston tied for third place in the six-team league with 44 points but Ottawa and the Frost won tiebreakers because of their victories in regulation time Boston joined New York as the two teams that will miss the playoffs Top-seeded Montreal chose who it would play in the first round and opted to play third-seeded Ottawa That series will begin Thursday in Montreal Jerry Zgoda covers Minnesota United FC and Major League Soccer for the Minnesota Star Tribune. Frost Minnesota clinched the final berth for the postseason with a 8-1 victory at Boston MontrealToronto, Montreal to open PWHL playoffs next week; opponents TBABy The Canadian PressPublished: May 03, 2025 at 4:53PM EDT The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs features eight teams in four best-of-7 series NHL.com previews the Eastern Conference Second Round between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers occupied first place in the Atlantic Division for 174 of 178 game days during the 2024-25 season so it stands to reason that the two teams would be facing off in the Eastern Conference Second Round After the Panthers dispatched the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games and the Maple Leafs outlasted the Ottawa Senators in the first round the two teams will match up in the second round for the second time in three years a five-game victory for the Panthers as they made it to their first of two consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances “I feel excited, definitely,” Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said it’s probably one of the best atmospheres to play in It’s going to be a good challenge for us and all of us are excited.” The Maple Leafs come in with some high-powered offense though the Panthers have the defense to match it They limited the Lightning to 12 goals in five games including going 2-for-18 on the power play It will be up to Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares to find ways to solve the pressure and aggressiveness of the Florida defense “It’s going to be another tough series,” Matthews said We’ve got to reset and do our homework and rest up go in there with confidence and go in there with pushback.” The Maple Leafs won the first three games of their series against the Senators before dropping two potential elimination games to them before emerging with the victory in Game 6 The Panthers had an easier-than-expected series against the Lightning, winning in five games, even though they were missing defenseman Aaron Ekblad for three of the games (all wins). They will be without Ekblad again in Game 1, after he was suspended for two games for elbowing Brandon Hagel in Game 4 against the Lightning One area the Panthers are confident that they have an edge is in experience It’s not surprising after they have been to the Cup Final in each of the past two seasons; the Maple Leafs have not been past the second round since 2002 “Experience is the one aspect of it – we have a lot of guys who went through those series and that year and last year and now this year,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said “We have a lot more experience playing in the playoffs They’ve been playing really well this year All we can do is just concentrate on ourselves and our game and our game plan and go and do it.” Maple Leafs: There are many choices on the stacked offense of the Maple Leafs but Nylander was the team’s leading scorer in the first round against the Ottawa Senators as witnessed in the two goals and assist he had in the deciding Game 6 For the Maple Leafs to get past the punishing Panthers they will need everything that Nylander can give them Gm6: Nylander blasts it in to extend the lead Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk is the ultimate game-breaker and the ultimate game-breaker in the playoffs He kicked off the first-round series against the Lightning by scoring two goals in his first game back after missing the final 25 games of the regular season and the Panthers have increased his minutes in each game since then the type of player seemingly always able to get a crucial goal or throw a big-time hit and one with few equals in the NHL right now The biggest question with Tkachuk is whether he’s finally back to full health two assists) in five games against the Lightning he didn’t seem to be moving quite like himself A short series against Tampa Bay may help him as Florida moves into the next round Maple Leafs: During the regular season, the Maple Leafs split their starts fairly evenly, with Joseph Woll getting 41 starts and Anthony Stolarz getting 33 the Maple Leafs have narrowed their starter to one with Stolarz getting all six starts in the postseason including Game 6 after Toronto dropped Games 4 and 5 He has a 2.21 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in the playoffs after a 2.14 GAA and .926 save percentage in the regular season Woll was 27-14-1 this season with a 2.73 GAA and .909 save percentage who came over earlier this season in a trade; he saw no time in goal in the first round Gm5: Luostarinen's sweet finish puts the Panthers up by 2 “You’ve got to play hard between the whistles I think that's what you’ve got to focus on There's … different scenarios that come up but we want to play hard between the whistles and got to be disciplined.” -- Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube on facing the Panthers Maple Leafs: They can get their power play going Against the Lightning’s power play (25.9 percent in the regular season allowing a single goal in Game 1 and a single goal in Game 5 Toronto’s power play was tied for eighth in the regular season (24.8 percent) and went 6-for-17 against the Senators in the first round it will go a long way against the Panthers Panthers: They stay on the right side of the line. The Panthers are big hitters, a team of players not afraid to intimidate an opponent, to get in their faces. But the Panthers crossed the line in the first round, with defenseman Niko Mikkola earning a game misconduct for boarding in Game 4 and Ekblad earning the two-game suspension for elbowing They’ll need to keep control against the Maple Leafs Matthew Knies -- Auston Matthews -- Mitch Marner Max Pacioretty -- John Tavares -- William Nylander Bobby McMann -- Pontus Holmberg -- Max Domi Calle Jarnkrok -- Scott Laughton -- Steven Lorentz Carter Verhaeghe -- Aleksander Barkov -- Sam Reinhart Mackie Samoskevich -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Brad Marchand Evan Rodrigues -- Nico Sturm -- Jesper Boqvist by virtue of preventing their first-round slide against the Ottawa Senators from turning into a full-on collapse they’re faced with another — and it’s much Waiting for them in the second round are the Florida Panthers who immediately snapped back into defending-champ mode against the Tampa Bay Lightning the Panthers took out Toronto in five games one that calls for a tighter series than many likely anticipated between the defending champions and a team that struggles to control play While the model likes the Leafs a lot more than their expected goal rate thanks to their strong goaltending team defense and having four offensive stars (all things Florida can match Home teams won a lot more than usual this season (56 percent compared to 53 percent the last three years) and that trend carried over to the playoffs where the home side has a staggering 29-15 record Toronto’s best chance in this series comes from taking care of business at home where the Leafs were 27-13-1 during the season while the Panthers were 20-19-2 on the road Florida’s chances would rise to 59 percent The Panthers are the better team, but Toronto’s ability to ‘win ugly’ under Craig Berube could make things tougher than it seems at first glance for Florida A plus-eight Net Rating separates the Panthers and Maple Leafs but there are some differences in the process to get to that point the Panthers have more oomph below the surface Florida was one of the best regular-season teams in the league for a reason; they generated a ton of quality offense and were stingy in their own end created less offense than the Panthers but converted on a higher clip of their chances Toronto’s goaltending also gave them stronger results on the other end of the ice even though their expected goal suppression wasn’t as stout The Leafs amped up their defense against the Senators but containing Florida is a different challenge The Panthers’ defense was tight and took away the Lightning’s space the team will have to pick up the pace from Round 1 The Panthers have more substance to their five-on-five offense Toronto’s five-forward power play unit was dynamic down the stretch and into Round 1 But the Panthers’ penalty kill was a major strength in the regular season and lights out in Round 1.  That brings their Defensive Rating up to a plus-30 But the Maple Leafs’ penalty kill is no pushover it could neutralize the special teams battle and put extra emphasis on five-on-five play It’s tough to imagine Game 6 against the Senators getting off to a better start for the Leafs — or for Auston Matthews A power-play goal near the end of the first period lowered the temperature for Toronto; having to dig their way out of an early deficit after dropping two straight games would have been … less than ideal the Leafs would’ve taken that first goal from anyone He’d been fine in the series until that point on a gentle wrist shot that looked more like a pass than anything else We’ll see whether that opens the floodgates he was playing the Senators to results similar to what we saw from him in the regular season: plenty of expected goals (about three) and not a ton of actual goals (one in Game 3) Not for the average NHL player — but Matthews So it goes when you have elite finishing ability and he hadn’t flashed it in the regular season: he had 34 goals compared to about 40 expected the first time in his career that the former didn’t exceed the latter and coming in particularly stark contrast to 2023-24 (69 actual vs That floor: a 95-point pace with dominant five-on-five play The question is whether “not bad” will be good enough to get Toronto past a team featuring two Selke finalists on its top line Matthews doesn’t just need to create five-on-five chances in this series; he needs to capitalize on them His track record against Aleksander Barkov specifically over the last three regular seasons is strong the Leafs outscored the Panthers 5-1 and controlled 60 percent of the expected goals was almost a literal draw: neither team scored in the 38:35 Barkov and Matthews were on the ice together Sam Reinhart has also grown since that series as both a goal-scorer and a defensive player we’re talking once again about both teams’ top lines canceling each other out it probably won’t be good news for the Leafs making it more necessary than ever that Matthews is playing (and producing) at his standard level of greatness Is Seth Jones finally showing he can be The Guy flush with money to spend after Matthew Tkachuk’s groin injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off where he belongs.” Aaron Ekblad’s 20-game PED suspension threw a wrench in the works pushing Jones back up the lineup for the last chunk of the regular season The results weren’t great; Florida’s numbers with him on the ice at five-on-five fell across the board With Ekblad around for a portion of it — between suspensions at least — to handle a chunk of the toughest minutes alongside Gustav Forsling Jones led the team in average ice time (25:41) and crushed his time at five-on-five Florida won his minutes 4-0 with an expected goal rate of about 55 percent Jones threw in a Game 4 winning goal for good measure and blocked a bunch of shots generally looking the part of a playoff-ready defenseman Getting that sort of production from their second pair (assuming Eblad doesn’t get suspended again) would be huge for the Panthers That’s the guy Florida needs — not the guy Jones was forced to be with Chicago there are a lot of similarities between these two clubs and how they’re built and all-world goaltending to tie a nice bow on it Mitch Marner and William Nylander going head-to-head against Barkov and Tkachuk — a virtual draw by Net Rating Toronto and Florida have some of the absolute best players in the world going head-to-head Matthews and Marner have the offensive edge against Barkov and Reinhart Matthews and Marner are certainly strong defensively in their own right just not to the level of Florida’s Selke finalist duo This is a true heavyweight tilt and it wouldn’t be a shock to see both coaches opt for power vs Those elite two-way duos allow Nylander and Tkachuk to thrive in secondary matchups — and come up clutch when it counts Both Nylander and Tkachuk thrive in the big moments and that showed in the opening round Nylander led the Leafs with nine points in six games including three in Game 6 while Tkachuk dominated Game 1 with three points of his own Where the Leafs could have an edge is in the likelihood that Tkachuk isn’t quite 100 percent He averaged just 14 minutes of ice-time against Tampa Bay and was ninth on Florida’s forward depth chart He was still hyper-efficient in those minutes but may be less of a factor in a tighter-checking series With John Tavares and Matthew Knies rounding out the top six the Leafs also have more secondary weapons after their big three relative to the Panthers That extra firepower was especially present on the team’s five-man power play which was scintillating against Ottawa As good as Carter Verhaeghe and Brad Marchand are they don’t quite move the needle like Tavares and Knies Florida makes up for that edge on the backend with the presence of Forsling but Forsling doesn’t sacrifice any offense to get to a similarly elite height without the puck He provides a boost to the team’s firepower whereas Tanev struggles to help create offense in-zone but when he spends so much time with Toronto’s top line his lack of offensive gifts does play a role in the team’s top forwards lacking their usual pop but also Ekblad and Jones to bolster the attack A lack of offense from the back-end is a problem in general for the Leafs where only Morgan Rielly can be dependably relied on for it The middle of Toronto’s blue line is the strongest it’s ever been and matches up fine with Florida’s — but the lack of a true two-way No This group should be able to handle Florida’s fierce forecheck better than before Toronto’s goaltending could make up for that if the regular season gap between Anthony Stolarz and Sergei Bobrovsky persists But Bobrovsky’s championship pedigree probably makes him the better bet — numbers be damned the two teams come out fairly equal looking at the top five forwards and top four defensemen — especially with the goaltending edge shown here for Toronto being highly debatable Toronto wins some individual battles and Florida wins some others No problem — the team’s “third” line of Anton Lundell Eetu Luostarinen and Marchand were more than ready to dominate All three had five points in five games and tilted the ice heavily in the Panthers’ favor The Panthers also have Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues next to Tkachuk with the former being a real playoff difference-maker and the latter being a strong defensive player That’s an incredibly deep top nine with several guys who truly move the needle at both ends of the ice That’s something the Leafs simply do not have an answer for where there’s a massive drop-off after Knies in forward talent Bobby McMann struggling over the last couple of months only adds to that There’s no reliable secondary source of offense The Core Five did their part in the first round but the team had a hard time finding a fit next to Tavares and Nylander and any line combination with Max Domi was a defensive terror but he also got dominated at five-on-five to the tune of a 37 percent xG rate was a pleasant surprise and did a great job of making sure nothing happened but that’s a double-edged sword that puts more offensive strain on the big guns that was a one-sided matchup which Toronto’s best players were able to thrive in Those stars will have an equal counterpart on the other side it falls to the depth to pick up the pieces that’s a huge concern and puts the Panthers on a likely path to their third straight conference final Stolarz put up sparkling numbers in Florida last year with 21.7 goals saved above expected in 27 games which technically beat Bobrovsky’s 15.8 in 58 games Bobrovsky was The Guy for the Panthers on their way to a Stanley Cup Stolarz got the chance to prove that he could be Their Guy He was an ace in the regular season for the second straight year and that’s why the model gives him the edge here Only Connor Hellebuyck has saved more goals above expected than Stolarz over the past two seasons But thriving in the regular season doesn’t always translate to the playoffs — Bobrovksy had to learn that the hard way Playoff Bob has taken on a new meaning; he is the star the Panthers need when the pressure rises especially in a high-volume starter’s role he’s unfamiliar with Four quality starts in a six-game series against Ottawa is a good start but this matchup against his former teammates is the test They shouldn’t after seeing how dangerous the reigning champs are at full strength The Panthers know what it takes this time of year which is why they won the East the last two seasons The Leafs haven’t made it to Round 3 in 23 years and it will be a grind to change that against Florida How these projections work Understanding projection uncertainty  Evolving Hockey Natural Stat Trick Hockey Reference NHL All Three Zones Tracking by Corey Sznajder Toronto is abuzz with excitement after the Maple Leafs pulled off a Game 6 series-clinching win against the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs but bars and restaurants close to the action have extra reason to celebrate According to data from Moneris and those institutions in and around Scotiabank Arena in particular saw a boost in customer spending during the first two games of the series Moneris reports that food and beverage institutions near Scotiabank saw a five per cent increase in business considering the game was played on a holiday Sunday spending for the bars and restaurants in the area saw an even greater increase at six per cent As for the bars and restaurants elsewhere in the city bars and restaurants elsewhere in the city were also affected the bars and restaurants outside of the Scotiabank Arena bubble saw a six per cent decrease from their typical non-gameday traffic perhaps because everyone was congregating closer to the action which just so happened to coincide with Easter Sunday and the last day of Passover That trend didn't seem to continue on for game two on Tuesday, April 22 as Moneris reports a two per cent increase in volume at bars and restaurants across the city paired with the reported six per cent boost near the arena At the time of publication, data for the rest of the series, including away games, is not yet available, but with round two coming in hot the early figures paint a promising picture that Toronto's restaurant industry You've heard of arcade bars, ping pong barsbowling bars and even mini-putt bars but there's a new venture in Toronto that allows you to rally your crew While the majority of the city's curling beer leagues have wrapped up for the season already known for party-fying several other indoor activities is giving Toronto residents and visitors alike to crack open a cold one and try their hand at curling MRG Group, the team behind other Toronto sensations like Par-Tee Putt and Par-Tee Pong has officially launched Par-Tee Curl a first-of-its-kind curling bar experience featuring synthetic ice so that you can take a stab at the quintessentially Canadian pastime year-round Boasting two lanes that can accommodate up to eight players each the new experience is the culmination of a partnership between MRG and Rock Solid Productions is "a leader in the creation of 'iceless' curling," which allows the traditionally winter-exclusive sport to be played anywhere Sure, it may not be the real thing, but who wants to be standing in a chilly arena when it's finally just started to get warm outside A post shared by Par-Tee Curl (@parteecurl) "We know that many people — locals and tourists alike — want to try curling as part of a 'real Canadian experience' but face major hurdles: ice time is expensive hard to book and usually only available far from the downtown core," Michael Moses of the MRG Group says "Par-Tee Curl changes that by bringing the experience right to the heart of downtown Toronto," he says. "Plus but before you go casting stones about the price you should know that it includes a whole lot more than just a round of curling each booking grants you and your crew an hour of curling but it also comes with a pizza for the group to share and a 3 L beer tower to keep the good times rolling "More than just a game, Par-Tee Curl is designed like an arcade, bowling alley or axe-throwing venue: a place to let loose grab a drink and have fun with friends," Michael tells me Par-Tee Curl is currently operating as a pop-up within the Par-Tee Pong space at 26 Duncan Street, but who knows, with Canadian pride surging and Canada-themed businesses and experiences like Grizzly Bar opening up it may prove something Toronto residents want to keep around Par-Tee Curl is open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. You can book your 'ice time' now through the Par-Tee Curl website TORONTO - Gabriel Arias's two-run single was part of a three-run fourth inning as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series The Blue Jays (16-18) replied with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth but their bats then went silent for their second straight loss before 30,641 at Rogers Centre After Daniel Schneemann, who hit the game-winning grand slam on Saturday, doubled in a run, Arias sharply singled to right to score Carlos Santana and Schneeman Arias scored the game's first run in the third inning thanks to an Angel Martinez base hit off starter Bowden Francis (2-5) surrendering four runs on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts Guardians (20-14) starter Tanner Bibee (3-2) departed during his warmup pitches for the sixth inning with leg cramps He yielded two earned runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts After a Jose Ramirez error ignited the Blue Jays' fourth-inning rally, Andres Gimenez delivered the big blow with a two-run single Reliever Brendon Little walked three Guardians in the ninth to lead to a final run. Emmanuel Clase earned his seventh save despite a throwing error and sacrifice fly to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the ninth Guardians: Steven Kwan made a fine running catch in the left-field gap on Bo Bichette with one out and one on to save a run in the third inning Blue Jays: The home side only had two hits in the final five innings in the series finale after being no-hit in the final four innings on Saturday Anthony Santander worked Bibee for a 12-pitch walk to load the bases in the third inning. But George Springer smacked a fly ball to centre field for the third out Kwan belted seven hits and drew a walk in the series The Blue Jays have Monday off before hitting the road for three-game sets against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday and the Seattle Mariners on Friday This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4 TORONTO -- Katerina Mrazova scored 2:52 into overtime to lift the Ottawa Charge to a 2-1 regular-season finale win over the Toronto Sceptres and a playoff berth on Saturday Brianne Jenner also scored for Ottawa (12-2-4-12) The Charge came in needing a win of any kind or a Minnesota loss against Boston later Saturday to secure their first postseason appearance in the PWHL Ottawa lost 5-2 to Toronto in the regular-season finale last season needing a regulation win to secure a playoff spot Ottawa lost 3-0 to Minnesota on Wednesday with a chance to move six or seven points ahead of the Frost -- with either an overtime/shootout win or a regulation win -- and clinch a playoff spot Kristen Campbell made 22 saves while becoming the fourth PWHL goaltender to reach 1,000 career regular-season saves The Sceptres entered the day with a chance to steal first place from Montreal with a win and a New York regulation win over Montreal later Saturday The top-seeded team entering the postseason gets its choice of opponent for the best-of-five semifinal series Both teams' playoff opponents will be determined Sunday The festival runs later this month on May 24 and 25 This years festival will be “sweeter than ever.'  This years festival will be “sweeter than ever.”  Do you like your butter tarts with or without raisins Southern Ontario’s largest butter tart festival — under two hours away from Toronto — is taking place later this month the ninth annual festival will be “sweeter than ever” this year as it brings thousands of butter tarts to 139 Silver Street Paris is picturesque and enchanting, combining the “simplicity” of small-town living with the “sophisticated ambience of a European locale according to its downtown BIA They even call themselves the “prettiest” town in Canada “There’s no place in Ontario, or even Canada, like downtown Paris,” the BIA says “Just like the two rivers that converge in our authentically charming community Paris’s distinctive character comes from contrast and connection,” they add runs later this month on May 24 and 25 from 11 a.m Head inside the Exhibition Centre Upper Grounds when you arrive to be greeted with sweet A post shared by @parisbuttertartfestival Admission to taste the tarts will cost you $6 if you’re over 10 years old and $2 if you’re ages three to nine The Paris Fairgrounds will also run its 167th annual Paris Fair later this summer during Labour Day weekend If you’re unable to get to Paris for this month’s festival, Ontario’s Best Buttertart Festival in Midland Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Sign In Register THUNDER BAY — "This is quite an honour," said Bruce Pynn one of three University of Toronto graduates to receive Alumni of Influence awards this year U of T's faculty of dentistry describes the recipients as having sky-high goals being technically precise and impressively innovative and demonstrating a deep level of care for their patients.  Pynn is chief of dentistry/oral and maxillofacial surgery at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre while also running a private practice and teaching at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.  An online article posted by the U of T outlines a host of accomplishments and contributions and credits him with building "a meaningful career in a community where the needs are palpable," but adds that he remains modest about his work "I came to Thunder Bay from Toronto 30 years ago I'm super glad that I stayed," he says Pynn said he was a little older as a graduate from the U of T because he focused on research in a plastic surgery lab for years before going into dentistry "I came to Thunder Bay for a year to just make some money the oral surgeon.  We were kindred spirits He said the most rewarding aspect of his job is "fixing up" trauma patients "There's up to 10 fractured jaws per week so it's among the busiest services in the province for the fewest number of oral surgeons.  There are 200-plus in the province and only three up here looking after an area the size of France." Pynn said he's received requests to care for patients from as far away as Timmins He called the award "very special" because he puts a lot of effort into treating his patients and sometimes even goes to their homes to do a consultation or post-operative check "That's following in the footsteps of Dr because the next place for big oral surgery in Ontario is Toronto so I take the effort to see people and spend time with people." Pynn also supervises dental students at Confederation College and travels to Toronto monthly to oversee U of T oral surgery students he will take a long flight overseas to deliver a talk about his professional experiences in Thunder Bay at a meeting of the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Singapore This story was made possible by our Community Leaders Program partner Thank you to Waste Connections of Canada for helping to expand local news coverage in Thunder Bay. Learn more Harshitha shine as Sri Lanka record rare win over India Dinara wins second consecutive ITF J30 tournament title Arshdeep’s new-ball spell take Punjab Kings towards playoffs IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders survive last-ball thriller to stay alive in top four race Sugandika Kumari give Sri Lanka rare win over India The page you requested does not exist or has moved You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter Fans line up outside for a PWHL game between the Toronto Sceptres and New York Sirens at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Tuesday Coca-Cola Coliseum will be the new home of the Toronto Tempo People line up for the women’s washroom during an intermission during the Toronto Sceptres game at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Tuesday the Sceptres’ assistant equipment manager is proud that the team has its own locker room at the Ford Performance Centre A view of the arena before the start of the Toronto Sceptres game against the New York Sirens on Tuesdya Coca-Cola Coliseum is known for its great view from the seats The PWHL's Toronto Sceptres play sold out games at the Coca-Cola Coliseum The PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres play sold out games at the Coca-Cola Coliseum When Toronto’s century-old coliseum at Exhibition Place was overhauled to include an NHL-sized arena the crisis of the day was whether it would be finished in time for the Edmonton Oilers’ farm team to start its 2003 season there Women’s professional hockey didn’t even exist Now the PWHL‘s Toronto Sceptres play sold-out games at Coca-Cola Coliseum fans pack the concourse long before the puck drops for a glimpse of the players heading to the ice and it’s Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” anthem for working women that rings out when they win Next year, Canada’s first WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo will make Coca-Cola Coliseum its home court growing the arena’s new lease on life as a hub for professional women’s sport But updating a 20th-century building for the needs of 21st-century sports teams and fans isn’t without some challenges People are quick to applaud the character of the historic building the great view from the seats and the lively atmosphere a full house creates They also point to the long lines to get in the building and for washrooms beverage and merchandise opportunities and other amenities for professional teams that are the hallmark of newer buildings Much of that comes down to space — there just isn’t any more in the “maxed out” building the City of Toronto agency that manages it and other city-owned buildings on the grounds (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has operated the arena since 2005 when its AHL team In Monica Wright Rogers’ opening presser the GM spoke about why she’s excited about Toronto her defence-first mindset and building a contender American WNBA franchises have been upscaling facilities to the point that it’s been called an arms race between teams But Resch calls it “catching up and delivering the spaces that the players have always deserved” now that team values have risen to the point where they’re able to provide them the athletes have been secondary in a lot of their facilities so it’s incredible to see that they get this prioritization,” she said Boyle says it wasn’t easy to carve out the some 10,000 square feet of space needed but nobody wanted to miss the opportunity to get the Tempo in the building As the scale and scope of events increases other long-standing arena users such as the Royal Winter Fair and concert acts also benefit adding that upgrades to the kitchen facilities are planned to provide more varied and elevated food offerings for suites there’s hope the nearby Food Building can become a pre-game hub offering dinner and drinks and a place to meet with friends it’s the top attraction for the 18 days of the Canadian National Exhibition but shuttered as storage for the rest of the year That lease is up for renegotiation in 2027 and given the growth of nearby Liberty Village — and over 2,000 entertainment sports and convention events held last year at Exhibition Place — “consideration for the Food Building to be a year-round offering is on the table,” he said Resch is thrilled with the atmosphere she’s witnessed as a Sceptres season-ticket holder and what she thinks they’ll be able to deliver for Tempo fans next year “We think we can build an incredible hub for sport there especially with the Sceptres being a neighbour … a roommate,” she said so it has a ton of character and also has some infrastructure things that come with it but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it an incredible place to play Wrigley Field is still one of the best places to play baseball,” she said of the Chicago Cubs ballpark that has a few years on the 1921 coliseum The challenge is providing the expansive food and beverage services merchandise sales and premium spaces found in newer buildings Those spaces just didn’t exist when the coliseum was built “so some of those things are never going to be there but that’s also part of the uniqueness and the quality of this facility that is kind of charming.” In one of many renovations over the years at Exhibition Place one entrance was attached to the Enercare Centre convention complex That shared entry is not available when other events are booked leading to long lines — especially for the capacity crowds the Sceptres have attracted and the Tempo expect That attached but unavailable space also draws the ire of fans when it comes to washrooms That issue of overly long lines was raised by Sceptres fans this time last year when playoff games were held at Coca-Cola Coliseum At the Sceptres’ penultimate regular-season game this week who was waiting in line to buy a Sarah Nurse jersey summed up that sentiment: “the lines are too long … for the merch getting in.” Season-ticket holder Barb Balls added: “The one later will be for bathrooms.” Boyle knows all about that particular fan frustration aren’t related to the building’s age and are “not something that you can build your way out of.” “It’s really about prime time, right. You don’t want to tell people when to go, but the same thing happens at Scotiabank,” he said of the arena where the Maple Leafs and Raptors play you go to the washroom and come right back there’s a lineup down the hall — and that’s for the men’s washroom.” MLSE holds a long-term lease to run and operate Coca-Cola Coliseum and is responsible for upgrades It has previously acknowledged that venue access with capacity crowds can be difficult but declined to discuss any changes planned to better accommodate Sceptres and Tempo fans For all the niggling annoyance of the lines long-time women’s hockey fan Balls says the PWHL “blew expectations out of the water when it came here,” delivering a big second-season upgrade after just one year in the much smaller Mattamy Athletic Centre executive vice-president of business operations said the quality of facilities for fans and players was a key element in those decisions the Vancouver team will be the primary tenant — a first for the league — and will get more control over scheduling branding and the opportunity to rebuild locker rooms for players Dedicated locker rooms at practice venues is already standard in the league support offices and lounge at the Ford Performance Centre is a sea of blue and yellow Though they don’t have a similar permanent space at Cola-Cola Coliseum That means arriving with a 24-foot box truck at 7 a.m on game day full of equipment to set up player stalls and transform the AHL visitors room We have signs that say Sceptres on them — coaches room it’s like they’re walking into their home.” “You walk in and get to relive that you’re here playing pro hockey and living the dream It just sets the stage to get you going for the game ahead.” having their own venue dressing room would be “awesome” but “given the growth already you don’t get too greedy because it’s really exciting for what we do have.” Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account LocalNewsToronto man charged after allegedly defrauding victims of more than $600,000 in romance scamBy Joanna LavoieOpens in new windowPublished: May 02, 2025 at 1:24PM EDT The Toronto Blue Jays are adding reinforcements to their pitching staff Toronto is bringing in both Spencer Turnbull and Jose Urena on MLB deals according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post The Blue Jays have been without a fifth starter following the injury to Max Scherzer and the demotion of Easton Lucas to Triple-A General manager Ross Atkins told reporters Friday that the team would consider “external alternatives” for starting rotation depth and added they had a “couple of things in the works.” Turnbull, who had gone unsigned into the season, was limited to just 17 outings last year with the Philadelphia Phillies He made six starts the first month of the season and shifted to the bullpen in May but did not pitch past June 26 due to a lat strain that eventually ended his season The 32-year-old was impressive in limited action turning in a 2.65 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched Prior to his time with the Phillies, Turnbull spent the first six seasons of his career with the Detroit Tigers pitching out of the rotation for the bulk of his tenure Turnbull owns a 4.26 big-league ERA in six active MLB seasons Urena, 33, is a veteran of 11 MLB seasons spent with seven different teams. He began 2025 with the New York Mets but elected free agency earlier this week after being designated for assignment allowing five earned runs in 3.0 innings pitched A native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Urena got into 33 games with the Texas Rangers last season pitching primarily out of the bullpen and turned in a 3.80 ERA.  He has a career big-league ERA of 4.80 in 233 MLB outings The NHL today announced additional schedule information for the 2025 Eastern Conference Second Round series between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs The complete Second Round schedule will be confirmed following Sunday's Game 7 of the First Round series between the St In addition to national television broadcasts all Panthers playoff games can be heard across the Florida Panthers Radio Network on AM 560 Sports WQAM SiriusXM satellite radio and channel 931 on the SiriusXM Mobile App To stay up to date on all things playoffs, visit FloridaPanthers.com/PlayoffCentral For tickets, visit FloridaPanthers.com/TicketCentral Fans interested in Season Ticket Memberships for the 2025-26 season are encouraged to join the waitlist by clicking here, visiting FloridaPanthers.com/tickets or by calling PUCK line (954.835.PUCK) The official watch party for Game 1 will be at Funky Buddha in Oakland Park For more information, visit FloridaPanthers.com/CatsOnTap. 0);width:1px;height:1px;margin:-1px;padding:0px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap;position:absolute;}Loading....css-1kym0z8{padding-top:var(--chakra-space-4);border-top-style:solid;border-top-width:1px;border-top-color:var(--components-article-header-hero-divider-border-color 0.15));}@media screen and (min-width: 80em){.css-1kym0z8{padding-top:var(--chakra-space-6);}}.css-1kym0z8 time{color:var(--semantics-text-paragraph-primary-color #494a4e);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-xs);font-weight:700;}@media screen and (min-width: 80em){.css-1kym0z8 time{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-lg);}}May 3 [href^="www"]):not(.jrte-img)::after,.css-7mka76 a[data-hover]:is([target="_blank"] [href^="www"]):not(.jrte-img)::after,.css-7mka76 a[data-active]:is([target="_blank"] 0);border:0;}.css-7mka76 tr{margin:0 0 1rem 0;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(0 WATCH LIVE: TSN 1/3, TSN.ca, TSN App, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S / International)Kenzie Lalonde (Play-by-Play) OTTAWA CHARGE        12-1-4-12 | 42 PTS | 4TH PLACETop Scorer: Tereza Vanišová – 29 GP, 15-6-21 PTSLast Game: 3-0 L vs. MIN on Apr. 30 TORONTO SCEPTRES                                              12-3-5-9 | 47 PTS | 2ND PLACETop Scorer: Daryl Watts – 29 GP, 12-15-27 PTSLast Game: 2-1 SOW vs. NY on Apr. 29 The first game of the only tripleheader in the PWHL schedule this season has playoff implications for both teams. Ottawa can clinch their first-ever playoff spot with a win of any kind, or a loss of any kind by Minnesota against Boston. If the Charge lose in OT/SO, their path to playoffs relies on the Frost not beating the Fleet in regulation. Toronto can finish in first place with a regulation win combined with a New York regulation win over Montréal. This is the second straight season Ottawa can secure a playoff berth with a win in Toronto in their final game. Last season at Mattamy Athletic Centre on May 5, 2024, Ottawa needed a regulation win to clinch but suffered a 5-2 loss to Toronto. Ottawa’s 3-0 loss on Wednesday to Minnesota snapped a three-game winning streak and marked the ninth time the Charge have lost by multiple goals this season, tied with New York for most in the league. However, the Charge have won in regulation in the game following each of their last four such losses. Ottawa scored regulation wins in their first two meetings with Toronto this season (Dec. 3 & 31) but has just one point in the three games since then, an overtime loss on Feb. 16. The Sceptres have gone 6-for-19 (31.6%) on the power play against Ottawa this season, and the Charge have been the most penalized team in the league (8:14 of PIM per game). Kateřina Mrázová, two games removed from LTIR, leads the Charge with four points (1G, 3A) in three games against the Sceptres. Mannon McMahon has three goals in the season series and defender Jincy Roese has scored in both of the team’s wins – including the game-winner in this building on New Year’s Eve with 1:10 left in regulation. Roese (1G, 3A) and Shiann Darkangelo (3G, 2A) have points in three straight road games. Tereza Vanišová leads Ottawa with 15 goals this season, six more than any other player on the Charge (Emily Clark, 9). That six-goal gap is tied for the largest among any team’s goal leader and second place (Marie-Philip Poulin 17, Laura Stacey 11). Since the February break, the Charge are 7-1-2-4 (.595), the league’s second-best record behind Toronto (7-3-1-3, .667). The Ottawa offense has been leading the way in that span averaging 3.00 goals per game. The Charge have three games with at least five goals in that span – the other five PWHL teams have combined for six such games, with none having more than two. Ottawa averaged 1.80 goals per game prior to Feb. 11, fewest in the league. Toronto holds the best home record in the PWHL at 7-2-2-3 (.643), while Ottawa is tied for the best road record at 7-0-1-6 (.524). Carly ‘CJ’ Jackson made their PWHL debut on Wednesday, delivering 25 saves while allowing just one goal in a shootout win. It was the fourth time in PWHL history a goaltender made 25+ saves while allowing no more than one goal in a shootout victory, joining Ann-Renée Desbiens (this season) and Kristen Campbell & Aerin Frankel (last season). Toronto’s 35 shots on goal in their shootout win over New York were the Sceptres’ most in a game since having 40 against Montréal on Jan. 30. Toronto leads the league in SOG per game this season at 28.9 but since the beginning of February that average is just 26.4. Campbell is 13 saves away from becoming the fourth goaltender to reach 1,000 career regular season saves. Hannah Miller leads the season series with seven points (2G, 5A), followed by Sarah Nurse (1G, 4A) despite missing the last meeting in Edmonton. Captain Blayre Turnbull has scored three of her season’s five goals in the series. Miller also leads the team in plus/minus at +14 with the next-highest rating by any Toronto skater being +4 (Julia Gosling). The next-largest gap between a team leader and second in a season in PWHL history is five (New York this season). Renata Fast has filled up the statsheet for Toronto this season. She leads defenders in scoring with 21 points, is tied for first among all skaters with 15 assists, leads the league in average time on ice at 24:59, leads the league in hits with 62, and is tied for third with 48 blocked shots. Daryl Watts has a four-game home point streak and is the only player in PWHL history to notch multiple goals against each of the league’s six teams, including two against her former team Ottawa. Eleven Sceptres are poised to play in all 30 of the team’s games this season, including seven players who also played in all 24 of Toronto’s inaugural season games (Fast, Turnbull, Jesse Compher, Maggie Connors, Kali Flanagan, Emma Maltais, Allie Munroe). Of the Charge’s five players to appear in all 29 of the team’s games to date, only Clark played every game for Ottawa last season. “We have our own ticket in our hands still. That hasn't changed since the last game. We just need to recognize that we have our backs against the wall now. We must get excited to win a hockey game, versus the fear of losing a hockey game. It’s all about our mentality. So, we’ve got to make sure we're excited to go win a hockey game on Saturday.” – Charge Head Coach Carla MacLeod. “At the end of the day, we want to win a hockey game, so we have to execute a game plan that’s going to help us do that. We want to win a hockey game because we want to give ourselves the opportunity to finish in first place – why wouldn’t you want to do that? We’re competitors, we want to finish in first place and set us up for the best possible playoff run.” - Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse. SATURDAY’S GAME: The Sceptres will celebrate Fan Appreciation presented by MILK, against their provincial rivals. Fans can expect some familiar activations including the Canadian Tire ‘My Team My Sign’, Scotiabank’s ‘Make It Merch’, the Royale ‘Kitten Toss’ and more from Hilberg and Berk, and e.l.f. The Brampton Canadettes will take to the ice in the first intermission, and the Sceptres will welcome some Season Ticket Members to the ice post-game for a special giveaway. TORONTO - Another loss for Toronto FC. And yet another injury. The pain is mounting for Toronto (1-6-4), which continues its search for a first home win of the Major League Soccer season after a 2-0 loss to the resurgent New England Revolution on Saturday.  The final whistle was greeted by a chorus of boos from the announced crowd of 19,690 at BMO Field. Carles Gil and Leo Campana scored for New England (5-4-1), which came into the game with just seven goals in its previous nine matches. The Revs could have added significantly more to that total had it not been for Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson. Toronto coach Robin Fraser saw no silver linings on the day, seeing a regression in his team that came into the game having lost just one of its last five league outings (1-1-3), a 1-0 defeat at the hands of New York City FC last Saturday. Fraser has not been helped by an ever-growing injury list. Toronto' was missing captain Jonathan Osorio, backup goalkeeper Luka Gavran, defenders Richie Laryea, Zane Monlouis and Henry Wingo, midfielder Markus Cimermancic, midfielder/forward Derick Etienne Jr. and forward Deandre Kerr. Add Nicksoen Gomis to the list after the defender went down in the 63rd minute in the Toronto penalty box with a non-contact injury. He had to be helped off the field, unable to put weight on his left leg. Fraser, while yet to receive an official prognosis, said the injury seemed "quite bad." Defender Sigurd Rosted had to come off at halftime, as did forward Ola Brynhildsen whose minutes are being limited after coming back from injury. And veteran defender Kevin Long remained on the bench, not ready to see action. Toronto finished with Kosi Thompson, a midfielder converted to fullback, playing centre back alongside 18-year-old Lazar Stefanovic. "I don't want to make it sound like a pity party," said Fraser. "It is what it is and we are where we are and we still have an obligation to compete. That certainly won't change. "I was disappointed today because I think in the last six weeks or so this group — win, lose, draw — I've been really really proud of their level of engagement. And I thought today was a bit of a lapse." After a 1-4-1 start to the season, New England has won four straight by blanking Atlanta, New York City FC, Charlotte FC and now Toronto. The Revs, having switched to a back three, extended their shutout streak to 385 minutes in front of Slovenian goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. In contrast, Toronto has not scored in league play at home in 439 minutes, dating back to Deandre Kerr's goal April 5 in a 2-1 loss to Chicago. TFC is 0-3-2 at BMO Field this season with its last home win Sept. 14, a 2-1 decision over Austin FC. While Toronto had plenty of the ball in the first half, it was New England that took advantage of its chances. Gil put the Revs ahead in the 11th minute with their first shot on goal. After a Thompson giveaway, wingback Ilay Feingold sent in a cross that Gomis got his head to, only to see the ball go straight to Gil who acrobatically volleyed it home from just inside the penalty box. "That is a really really quality goal by a quality player," said Fraser. "But it never should have been there. So the turnovers really did us in. Injuries as well. "It feels like we've made more forced substitutions this year than I can remember in a long time." Campana made it 2-0 in the 27th minute, capping a rapid-fire counterattack with a low shot that beat Johnson. The play began deep in the New England end when Federico Bernardeschi lost the ball. Six passes later it was in the Toronto goal. Johnson made several big saves in the first half, including a spectacular one-handed stop on Ignatius Ganago in injury time, to limit the damage to two goals as the visitors began to find gaps in the Toronto defence. Some in the supporters section in the south stand walked out during the first half in an apparent protest. A banner reading "This Badge Don't Belong To You!!!" was unfurled at one point. Another banner read "Accept Existence or Expect Resistance." New England outshot Toronto 13-8 (6-2 in shots on target) in the first half. The final count was 18-18 with the Revs having a 6-4 edge on shots on target. Saturday's contest was the first of seven in May for Toronto, with six at home. Coach Robin Fraser made seven changes to the mid-week team that lost a penalty shootout to CF Montreal in Telus Canadian Championship play. Bernardeschi moved up front at halftime to lead the attack. Fellow Italian Lorenzo Insigne entered the game to a mixed reception in the 57th minute. New England: Visits Rhode Island in U.S. Open Cup play on Wednesday. Toronto: Hosts D.C. United on Saturday, May 10. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2025. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem Two men were arrested on Friday in connection with an alleged assault inside High Park the victim was operating a food cart when he was approached by two men at approximately 3:30 p.m It is alleged that a verbal dispute took place and later ended with the two men assaulting the food cart vendor Officers say the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries Police arrested 57-year-old Christopher Caragianakos of Toronto and 65-year-old Steven Caragianakos of Huntsville Both men were charged with one count of assault Monday is calling for rain and thunderstorms Stella Acquisto has the long-range forecast Could we see another indefinite pause on postal service in the country Negotiations are underway again as Canada Post and the workers’ union try to cut a deal to avoid a lockout or strike later this month Rain showers and thunderstorms are on the way Weather specialist Michelle Mackey has the long-range forecast Rhianne Campbell speaks to one epidemiologist who is calling on public health officials to do more to battle misinformation Toronto and the GTA will see some wet conditions over the weekend and into the start of the week before sunny skies return on Thursday listen to NewsRadio Toronto live anytime and get up-to-the-minute breaking-news alerts weather and video from CityNews Toronto anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices Chris Watson ran the Toronto Marathon in a Star Wars costume The event has raised more than $8 million for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation since 1995 Spectators and runners cheered as runners made their way through underpass park Runners made their way down Rosedale Valley Road Thousands ran from North York to downtown in the Toronto Marathon and Half-marathon that has raised more than $8 million for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation since 1995 Runners make their way down Rosedale Valley Road Thousands run from North York to downtown in the Toronto Marathon and Half-marathon that has raised more than $8 million for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation since 1995 Marathoners took over Yonge Street and parts of the western waterfront Sunday morning for the Toronto Marathon which featured a half marathon (21.1 km) and full marathon (42.2 km) race What started as a health kick and soon became a passion led to the top female spot for a Canadian on the Toronto Marathon podium crossed the line at two hours and 50 minutes to capture the women’s event while Phil White from the U.S had the best men’s time at two hours and 23 minutes Thousands gathered along the western waterfront and much of Yonge Street on Sunday morning to cheer on the 13,000 runners The event also featured a half marathon (21.1 kilometres) as well as 5K and 10K events in Exhibition Place who ran her first half marathon 15 years ago wrote in an Instagram post that if someone asked her at the time if she would win the full distance run describing the event as a “special and incredible experience.” A post shared by Ana Fray (@analau_77) Fray grew up in Mexico and moved to Canada 25 years ago and has lived in Toronto and the GTA for more than a decade She has completed 27 marathons and took up running in her midthirties as a way to keep herself healthy but soon “fell in love with it” and “I haven’t looked back.”  “It comes down to being very consistent and determined,” Fray says of her success “I work very hard in training and it’s awesome to see my work pay off.” According to the running podcast, “Inspired Soles,” Fray first broke through the three-hour race wall at 41 and by 44 had clocked a personal best of two hours and 46 minutes Fray’s coach Emily Setlack surprised her by obtaining a last-minute entry in the race to help Fray “stay focused and relaxed.”  “I couldn’t be more grateful for having her running with me side-by-side,” Fray said “and throwing a bunch of positive thoughts my way as I fought throughout the race.”  And the weather cooperated with mild weather and no rain — ideal for running Thousands cheered on runners with colourful signs: “Pain is temporary posting on Strava is forever,” read one a nod to the social media fitness app that tracks exercise Anto Run!” flicking at the famous “Forest Gump” phrase The behind-the-scenes race started well before runners showed up with a small army of volunteers keeping things moving Toronto’s Linda Kessler Shapiro has volunteered for several years and was stationed just south of the Sporting Life on Yonge Street where like dozens of other volunteers along the route handed out Powerade to exhausted runners as they passed “There really is a lot of co-ordination and working together,” said Shapiro “It really is like a bit of a marathon for us.” Shapiro said she’s thinking of walking in next year’s event after witnessing the “fantastic energy” and community “We’re out supporting a really good cause,” she says “and the community is standing together side by side she celebrated with a few cold beverages and a large pizza but beyond that and then I’ll likely start training again to tackle another marathon in the fall.”  Between 5 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. more than 30 routes were diverted due to widespread road closures across the city accommodating the event, which goes from Willowdale south to Exhibition Place, with the marathon runners looping out to Humber Bay Shores.  The race has raised more than $8 million for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation since 1995. Runners made their way down Rosedale Valley Road. Thousands ran from North York to downtown in the Toronto Marathon and Half-marathon that has raised more than $8 million for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation since 1995. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. As the Toronto Maple Leafs advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) says it is adjusting its maintenance schedule and adding more service to accommodate hockey fans travelling to and from Scotiabank arena this week. On Sunday, the city’s transport agency announced that subway service between Sheppard-Yonge and College stations will be extended until midnight on Monday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 7, during the Leafs’ home games. The TTC will delay scheduled track work “to ensure fans leaving Leafs games and celebrations have a seamless subway service,” officials said in a press release. “For those travelling after midnight, the TTC will be running a frequent shuttle bus service stopping at all stations along the route.” The TTC says it is anticipating a high volume of fans in the downtown core and advises customers about street closures that could cause potential route diversions. Extra subway trains will be running on Line 1 Yonge-University during game days and additional TTC staff will be present at Union Station to assist commuters and manage crowds. “With Union Station just steps away from Scotiabank Arena, taking the TTC is the fastest and most eco-friendly way to travel,” officials added. In addition to subway service, the TTC is reminding customers about alternate ways to get to Scotiabank Arena, including TTC bus and street car routes, like the 510 Spadina, 19 Bay, 114 Queens Quay East and 121 Esplanade-River. Track work is slated to continue on Tuesday and Thursday, which means service between Sheppard-Yonge and College stations will end at 11:00 p.m. Monday is calling for rain and thunderstorms. Stella Acquisto has the long-range forecast. Could we see another indefinite pause on postal service in the country? Negotiations are underway again as Canada Post and the workers’ union try to cut a deal to avoid a lockout or strike later this month. Afua Baah reports. Rain showers and thunderstorms are on the way. Weather specialist Michelle Mackey has the long-range forecast. Rhianne Campbell speaks to one epidemiologist who is calling on public health officials to do more to battle misinformation. Toronto and the GTA will see some wet conditions over the weekend and into the start of the week before sunny skies return on Thursday. Now New and Improved! Watch CityNews, listen to NewsRadio Toronto live anytime and get up-to-the-minute breaking-news alerts, traffic, weather and video from CityNews Toronto anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices. Between 5 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. more than 30 routes were diverted due to widespread road closures across the city accommodating the event which goes from Willowdale south to Exhibition Place with the marathon runners looping out to Humber Bay Shores The race has raised more than $8 million for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation since 1995 Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs will host the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal on Monday night The Panthers won three of four meetings against the Leafs in the regular season Given the Leafs earned home-ice advantage by winning the Atlantic Division the first two games will be played at Scotiabank Arena The series then shifts to Florida for Games 3 and 4 — Friday and Sunday respectively — with start times still to be determined “It’s going to be another hard series,” captain Auston Matthews said after the Leafs eliminated Ottawa in six games “They’re obviously the defending champs do what we can and go in there with confidence and go in there with some pushback.” John Tavares led the Leafs in the season series with three goals and Mitch Marner had two goals and an assist The Leafs signed three players off the Cup-winning Panthers roster in the off-season: goalie Anthony Stolarz forward Steven Lorentz and defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson “It’s going to be hard,” Stolarz said We’re down to the final bit of teams here so teams are going to lay it on the line.” Every Reading Rhythms party follows the same format: quiet reading time mixed with time to chat Malcolm Duncan founded Actual Book Club in 2023 as an act of resistance against social media’s obsession with books as esthetic objects “Reading in the presence of other people is just as fun as other hobbies,” said Lawvin Hadisi co-founder of the Curious Company Reading Club Actual Book Club and Melanin Silent Reading Club are creating quiet communities across the city Toronto the Better is an ambitious optimistic and constructive series exploring how we can improve the quality of life in this city an unusual phenomenon takes place in the back corner of the Bampot tea house on Harbord Street The titles they’re absorbed in — a plastic-covered library hardback of “Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials” by Marion Gibson; “The Paradise Problem” by Christina Lauren on Kindle; a well-thumbed paperback of Madeline Miller’s “The Song of Achilles” — are as diverse as the readers This is a meeting of the Curious Company Reading Club started by friends Lawvin Hadisi and Marilyn Kehl “We were constantly messaging each other.” One day last spring they had a brainstorm: What if they read together rather than alone beside partners who didn’t understand why they couldn’t put that book down “Reading has been seen as an isolating hobby that you would do on your own,” Hadasi said “Our reading club and others are reinventing that Reading in the presence of other people is just as fun as other hobbies so you’re getting the best of both worlds.” Their first meeting was on a Thursday evening last June at Trinity Bellwoods Park. Nearly a year later it’s become a regular monthly event where time is split between reading and chatting Some attendees are dedicated bookworms plowing through multiple books a week; others are looking to get their reading mojo back after hitting a slump “We’ve had some people who purely want to focus on reading; some people want to engage and there’s no right or wrong answer to the approach,” Kehl said “The whole point of it is to build a bit of community.” Literature as a communal activity has usually taken the form of a book club where members read the same book and then get together to talk about it A new wave of reading clubs — or clubs about books that are not book clubs — are offering the city’s bibliophiles a different way to share their love founding Actual Book Club in 2023 was an act of resistance against social media’s obsession with books as esthetic objects “I thought it would be a good idea to get ahead of the inevitable commodification I wanted to create a space for people who read without the financial obligation associated with this type of resurgence or the social pressure of traditional book clubs,” said Duncan “Actual Book Club takes a meta perspective — rethinking what a book club is and what it can be.” that encompasses a meeting at Parkdale’s Osprey Cafe once a month and hosting the occasional book swap or zine launch “Being a ‘club about books’ rather than a ‘club about a book’ gives our members the autonomy to read what they like on their own schedule,” Duncan said “Since we’re not all reading the same book at the same time our meetings often include more generalized book discussions recommendations and present opportunities for peer-to-peer lending.” the club has raised more than $2,000 for charities like the literacy program Parkdale Project Read “My favourite moments are the ones that bring me closer to people,” said Duncan who describes the monthly meetups as “very chill The “third space” element — the idea that humans need a place that’s not home or work to connect with others — is key to the appeal of this growing global trend It’s not dissimilar to a long-standing behaviour that the bookstore chain has embraced for decades she said — “that someone would come and sit in a stuffed chair in the window of a downtown street and read publicly as a gift to themselves “There’s something about occupying that space that must scratch some kind of itch in terms of a soft social need that we have.” Citing Alberto Manguel’s “A History of Reading,” Gauthier added that the first libraries were not silent places anyway since reading was done by sounding out letters aloud that idea that there is something about recognizing a fellow reader seeing and understanding what they’re experiencing.” She also connects it to a dissatisfaction with our screen-centric lives This does feel like a low-risk way to put yourself out there,” Gauthier said “There’s something really meaningful about having that book in your hands ‘I know the people who are there are going to enjoy talking about books and that’s going to give us a place to begin.’” That’s exactly why Monique Findlayter started the Melanin Silent Reading Club designed to be a “safe space for BIPOC women to come together,” in February 2024 She had been reading Will Smith’s memoir in which he writes about going on a silent retreat An avid reader who got into Bookstagram “because none of my friends or family care about what I read,” Findlayter wondered if there might be a getaway centred around books “It’s just the thought of being in a space where nobody is talking and then adding books to that,” said the 43-year-old Findlayter “where I can be in a space with other women and just read Her initial search revealed options in the U.S. After two years and two failed attempts to get a retreat off the ground an acquaintance sent her a Facebook post about a silent reading club “I did run a traditional book club 10 years ago that lasted about a year not everybody wants to read the book that’s chosen; it feels like it’s school having to finish by a certain date,” Findlayter said I want to try this silent book club — but everybody can bring their own book.’” “Everybody bought their own book or a Kindle or listened to an audiobook and spent a portion of our time together reading.” The Melanin Silent Reading Club has been meeting regularly ever since — and they were finally able to go on that silent reading retreat “Six of us went to Muskoka for the weekend but it was exactly what we needed,” Findlayter said it’s just hard finding meaningful friendships out there Finlayter also hosts a monthly “reading sprint” on Zoom where everyone reads together virtually for an hour and a half on a Saturday morning The atmosphere when they are all silently reading together this is my only social gathering for the month so I don’t really have a lot of options to say watch my daughter.’ I make sure that once a month I find a babysitter which boasts 1,500 chapters in 54 countries (including Canada) bookstores and libraries to read together quietly The Toronto chapter had their very first event in March, a gathering at the Annex’s Duke of York pub, whose $20 tickets quickly sold out. “Their approach is to have a trained host to facilitate a curated experience for readers and hold readers accountable to come and read their book, but also connect with a community of readers,” said Jackie DaSilva, a 39-year-old campaign strategist and the Toronto chapter lead. “It’s that juxtaposition of ‘reading’ and ‘party,’ the introvert and the extrovert.” Every party follows the same format honed by the original New York chapter started in 2023: quiet reading time mixed with time to chat. “It’s giving people permission to talk to strangers,” DaSilva said. “In Toronto … I don’t think people are casually talking to people they don’t know. We’ve become a lot more guarded and skeptical.” Reading Rhythms uses books as that opening conversational gambit: You might be encouraged to go up to someone who’s reading a book you’re intrigued by, or join a group revolving around a theme you gravitate to and begin chatting. One of DaSilva’s favourite moments from the first event was seeing the pub basement fill up with people who didn’t know one another, many of whom came alone.  “It was almost instantaneous that people started talking to each other,” she said, adding that at the end of that night, she was elated. “I felt like it was the start of something really great.” When Brad Treliving was hired by the Maple Leafs just 19 days after they were eliminated in the playoffs by the Florida Panthers one of the first things he did as general manager was this: He re-watched the five games the Leafs played Florida Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Don't have an account? Create Account His conclusion at the time: The series wasn’t as one-sided as so many assumed even with the Leafs being eliminated in five games A playoff rematch between the Stanley Cup-champion Panthers and the Maple Leafs begins Monday night He drafted Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett in Calgary and somehow traded them individually to Florida extended the team’s depth up front and brought a more methodical style of play to deal with teams such as the Panthers Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Florida won the Cup last year and played for it the year before The Panthers have won eight playoff series in just more than two playoff seasons have won eight playoff series in the past 26 years When the Leafs were eliminated by the Panthers in 2023 but the final three games all went to overtime Sergei Bobrovsky was superb in goal for Florida allowing just 10 goals on 174 shots for a .943 save percentage might end up the Leafs’ largest challenge in the series Two enormous mistakes: An illogical coach’s challenge by former Leafs assistant Jim Hiller and the failure to dump a puck over the blueline from a foot or so away the Kings couldn’t find themselves … When the Leafs lost to Florida two years ago in the playoffs an interesting question was posed to me: If you have one game to win Bennett is currently paid $5 million a year or less than half of Marner’s $10.9 million Still not sure in what direction Marner is heading no Canadian player was nominated for the Hart Trophy as most valuable player in the NHL The three finalists are Russia’s Nikita Kucherov had MacKinnon in the final three for the Ted Lindsay Award along with teammate Cale Makar and Kucherov Interesting that the players had a defenceman in their top three but not a goaltender … The three non-Canadian nominees for the Hart in 1994 were Sergei Fedorov Dominik Hasek and John Vanbiesbrouck … No defenceman has been nominated for the Hart in 25 years which takes you back to the most recent defenceman to win MVP Ray Bourque and Mark Howe were each nominated twice Bobby Orr won the Hart three straight years in Boston which was sandwiched between him being nominated four other times he finished sixth in the Hart voting … The Panthers third line has to be a concern for the Maple Leafs Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen produced 15 points against Tampa Bay in Round 1 the struggling Bobby McMann and name your left winger contributed three or four points against Ottawa … How did Winnipeg’s Adam Lowry not get selected as a finalist for the Selke Trophy a suggestion from numerous NHL coaches I quizzed Pierre-Luc Dubois of Washington and Jack Eichel of Vegas The same coach who told me to vote for Lowry told me not to vote for perennial winner “He’s not having his usual great year,” said the coach The pure emotion and thoughtful words surrounding news that Gregg Popovich had coached his last NBA game spoke volumes about the way in which he is perceived from within the game Popovich coached 29 seasons in San Antonio He won five championships and Olympic gold along the way Bowman coached 30 seasons with five different teams Pittsburgh and Detroit and made the final three times in St Bowman and Popovich are on the Mount Rushmore of coaches from our lifetime and Bill Belichick would probably be alongside them so long as he gets permission from his girlfriend to be included … There is no consensus as to who the Raptors should pick in the NBA draft without knowing what number they will be selecting from 6-foot-10 Derik Queen from Maryland will be available at their pick The Raptors needs some size … What’s in a name 3 in the NBA draft … Saturday night in Colorado: Avalanche versus Dallas Stars in Game 7 of their first-round series Kawhi Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of the NBA playoffs … Many believe Giannis Antetokounmpo has played his last game with the Milwaukee Bucks … I like the choice of Gord Herbert as head coach of Canada’s national basketball team He did a fine job coaching Germany in the 2024 Olympic Games Herbert used to be an assistant with the Raptors … Why is it the fault of the Atlanta Falcons that the son of one of their assistant coaches got access to his phone list and prank-called Shedeur Sanders that was Fred VanVleet matching Steph Curry shot-for-shot Friday night both ending up with 29 points in the game between Houston and Golden State transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account A participant in the 2024 Toronto Pride parade marches beneath a rainbow flag It is unclear if the companies are withdrawing funding because of anti-diversity Pride Toronto has confirmed the loss of two high-profile corporate sponsors under the cloud of an anti-diversity a situation that has the head of the 2SLGBTQI+ festival concerned two other sponsors have significantly reduced their contributions to the well-known event that draws millions to the city every year in unveiling the theme and sponsor list of Pride 2025 this week confirmed that apparel and footwear maker Adidas declined to renew its sponsorship Earlier this year, Nissan Canada pulled its funding because of a “re-evaluation” of its marketing and media initiatives “We’re committed to our program lineup so we are ready to go,” Modeste said “We know there is going to be a shortfall and I’m working with the board to address those pieces.” Several American companies, including Meta, Google and Walmart, have been pulling back DEI efforts aimed at reducing barriers for marginalized groups. The movement has been growing since January, when U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning such programs in the U.S Pride Toronto has also lost two “gold” sponsors resulting in a significant drop in sponsorship revenue Sponsors at the gold level commit to contributing at least $150,000 in cash and in-kind goods but instead stepped its support down from a gold-level sponsor to a lower sponsorship category Modeste declined to comment on whether The Abnormal Beauty Company lowered its funding due to the anti-DEI backlash but said “I’m grateful that they’re still supporting us.” Neither Adidas nor The Abnormal Beauty Company, which is now owned by Estée Lauder responded to several requests for comment by the Star It remains unclear whether their decisions were related to the anti-DEI movement south of the border Pride Toronto’s 2025 Pride Guide shows that Tim Hortons also lowered its contribution amount It went from being a “gold” sponsor to a “bronze” sponsor this year The coffee and doughnut chain did not immediately respond to the Star’s request for comment “We believe that a lot of what we saw in the U.S “But we know that Canadian values are way more than that and we believe that Canadian values will stand and will prevail.”  The worry is that anti-DEI sentiments will continue to make it harder for Pride organizations across North America to secure funding from corporations operating on both sides of the border as some distance themselves from social causes Pride Toronto told the Star it would be reducing the number of events and stages at Pride 2025 following the loss of corporate sponsorships Modeste did not reveal the names of the three sponsors it was losing which was a “gold” sponsor of the festival in 2024 said its decision to withdraw funding was based on a budget evaluation and not on claims by anti-DEI influencer Robby Starbuck who alleged the carmaker had committed to stop funding Pride events The Abnormal Beauty Company was also a “gold” sponsor last year meaning that “there is flexibility on what they can provide,” according to Pride Toronto spokesperson Nipuni Dhanawardana who noted the company is still contributing both cash and in-kind donations this year contributing more than $100,000 in cash and in-kind goods Modeste said that since the news of the sponsorship withdrawals in February, four new Toronto-based organizations and two unions have stepped up as sponsors but the festival is still facing a funding shortfall Pride Toronto is introducing a program this year where festivalgoers can make donations “We’ll continue to seek sponsorship right up until the festival weekend,” added Modeste McKenna Hart channels her improv alter egos in six characters: the mastermind; the diva; the flower child; the librarian; the girl-next-door; and the worm from “Dune: Part 2.” surrounded by members of her improv class at Bad Dog comedy studio in Chinatown I had been telling myself that people would always judge me for being myself Better Friends — part of our Toronto the Better project — is a yearlong series of risk-taking and new adventures a Star staffer tries an activity that pushes them out of their comfort zone and into a group of new people: a swordplay class The goal: Make friends and feel more connected to Toronto Like me, a multimedia journalist at the Star, they signed up for a beginner improv class at Bad Dog comedy studio a small theatre academy in the heart of Chinatown As we waited for our first class to start that Tuesday night eight of us — representing a variety of ages gender expressions and backgrounds — sat wordlessly in a circle of folded chairs in the bright The silence was broken when our instructor Jenn burst into the room with a smile and asked us all to introduce ourselves and share what inspired us to try improv There was a U of T professor from Brazil who wanted to be a better teacher an artist hoping to curb her perimenopause-induced brain fog a 23-year-old computer scientist looking for a new hobby I noticed I was nervously wringing my hands as my heart pounded in my chest they’ll love you!” my mother yelled from the car window as she dropped me off at my new school I’d switched schools before and always managed to make friends the brutal limbo between childhood and adolescence and I was the eccentric new girl from out-of-province wearing a Transformers T-shirt and cargo shorts So badly that within six months I transferred schools again I decided that being accepted was more important than being myself I also vowed to avoid any social situation that would put me at risk for mass rejection ever again Jenn started the class off by sharing the most important “gift” we could give ourselves: to suspend all judgment since we very quickly proceeded to make fools of ourselves We took turns doing rapid-fire word associations and butchering tongue twisters until my face hurt from laughing We ended with a scene in which two classmates and I were accused of straightening all the paper clips in our imaginary middle school “Do you really think I’ve made anything more straight in my life?” retorted Andre Jenn emphasized the importance of connecting with your scene partner: “If you feel lost you can often find the answer in your partner’s eyes.” This was tough for me: I had long struggled to make eye contact even before becoming a social pariah in high school So when Jen introduced a game called “mind meld” where we stared into each other’s eyes and attempted to say the same word at the same time The task seemed as impossible as it did uncomfortable after only a few rounds my partner Shakir and I got it on the second try we were reminded of improv’s golden rule: “yes and,” which challenges actors to accept their partners’ “offerings” — no matter how outlandish — and build on to them to keep the scene afloat let’s!” where one person would propose an activity and the group would enthusiastically agree to act it out “Let’s rob a bank!” rose a voice from the back of the room as we donned imaginary balaclavas and shovelled invisible wads of cash into bags the principle often proved harder to apply in a scene how could you use a VCR to stop a hurricane Or what do you do when someone brings a cat to the Westminster dog show It turns out that it’s often easier to reject an idea than to figure out what to do with it but also that the introduction of the unexpected creates the conditions for stories to emerge and Jenn’s infectious appreciation of the art form I started to understand that improv isn’t just about being funny it’s about building a world with someone I stopped for a solo drink at El Rey in Kensington Market to take notes on the day After my third lesson (and second drink) I worked up the courage to strike up a conversation with the person next to me What would have felt like an impossible feat only a few weeks before suddenly felt easy But what if I was the one judging them by assuming that I had been closing myself off to a different story I invited all of my classmates to join me for a drink I looked around the crowded tables and smiled A month ago all of us were strangers whose lives may have only ever intersected on an overcrowded streetcar car or in adjacent self-checkouts at a Shoppers Drug Mart sharing an evening where tales of terrible roommates and psychedelic frogs in South America flowed as freely as the tequila the collective agreement to remove judgment made that room feel like a sacred space but we didn’t need the classroom to connect; just permission to be ourselves Being vulnerable with strangers is even scarier Taking an improv class forced me to do both but it also showed me what magic can happen when we all agree — even for a few hours — to let go of judgment and be radically receptive isn’t life just one extended improvisation The least you can do is be a good scene partner LocalCourt hears sentencing submissions for teen girl who pleaded guilty in deadly attackBy The Canadian PressPublished: May 02, 2025 at 6:50AM EDT This content has been produced under a Community Partnership. Read more about what this means Things to do in Toronto this week include a huge festival featuring over 100 musicians and comedians, the 110th OCAD University GradEx and an all-you-can-drink wine festival The city's social calendar is finally starting to pick up after a long, dark winter, so there's no shortage of ways to spend your time this week, including visiting the much-anticipated Toronto Flower Market or a massive outdoor market in honour of Asian Heritage Month To view the full listings or find out even more things happening in Toronto this week, be sure to visit our events page Here's our round-up of things to do in Toronto this week This content has been produced under a Community Partnership. Read more about what this means. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account President Donald Trump says it is “highly unlikely” the United States would ever use military force to annex Canada though he maintains he will continue to push to make Canada the 51st state We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentIn a wide-ranging interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press” which aired Sunday Trump said he wouldn’t rule out military force against Greenland but he didn’t see it happening with Canada “I think we’re not going to ever get to that point,” Trump said we need that for national and international security.” “But I think it’s highly unlikely … I don’t see it with Canada Trump’s remarks come as Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to have his first face-to-face meeting with the president this week in Washington in which the countries’ trade war will be the top topic of conversation Trump called Carney “a very nice man” and that he congratulated the prime minister on his election victory during their call last week so that’s going to make things a little bit difficult “But he nevertheless had a victory and he’s a very nice man, I think.” The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, called CUSMA, was negotiated during the first Trump administration. At the time Trump called it the best deal ever, and Canadian officials declared it a victory for Canada. CUSMA is up for review next year, but after Trump’s return to the White House it quickly became clear the president intended to rattle the continental trade pact. Canada and Mexico were hit early with tariffs the president linked to the flow of fentanyl and people across the borders. U.S. government data shows a tiny volume of fentanyl is intercepted at the U.S.-Canada border. Both countries were also hit by Trump’s steel, aluminum and automobile duties. Speaking with reporters in Ottawa on Friday, Carney said he would be working to get the best deal for Canada. Asked by “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker whether Trump will talk to Carney about becoming the 51st state, Trump replied he’ll “always talk about that.” “You know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year,” Trump said. In fact, the United States’ trade deficit with Canada was $63.3 billion in 2024, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The U.S. imported $412.7 billion of Canadian goods in 2024, most of which being energy and minerals. “We don’t need their cars, we don’t need their lumber, we don’t need their energy, we don’t need anything. We do very little business with Canada. They do all of their business practically with us,” Trump said. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. imported more goods from Mexico and China than it did from Canada in 2024. Canada represented 12.6 per cent of all U.S. imports. By contrast, Canada exported 75.9 per cent of its goods to the U.S. “We don’t need their cars. In fact, we don’t want their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t even want their energy. We have more than they do,” Trump said. “We don’t want their lumber. We have great lumber. All they have to do is free it up from the environmental lunatics. We don’t need anything that they have.” When officers responded at about 11:15 p.m on April 15 to a call for the sound of gunshots in the area of Bain and Logan Aves. both of Toronto — who had been gunned down One man was pronounced dead at the scene while the second man was taken to hospital where he later died who cannot be identified under Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder Officers are looking for a suspect after a man on a scooter exposed himself to a 13-year-girl Toronto Police said the teenager was walking on Scarth Road Pathway — in the Mount Pleasant Rd.-Elm Ave A man pulled down his pants and exposed himself to the girl brown braided and was on an electric scooter at the time Police urged anyone with information to call 416-808-5300 A 36-year-old man from Quebec has been charged with theft and other offences after police gear was taken from a parked vehicle in the east end Toronto Police said a male suspect smashed the rear passenger window of a parked vehicle Wednesday in the Queen St area and stole police-issued equipment before fleeing Carl Chateauvert was arrested Friday and charged with mischief under $5,000 theft under $5,000 and failure to comply with a release order Anyone with information can contact police at 416-808-5500 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 or 222tips.com Recommended videoWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoBoy, 8, hurt in Whitby crashAn eight-year-old boy was hospitalized Sunday afternoon after a crash in Whitby. Durham Regional Police said they received a call at about 3:20 p.m. about a vehicle colliding with a boy on Brock St. N., between Palmerston Ave. and Maple St. The boy was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was hurt and the driver remained at the scene, police said. The crash briefly closed Brock, between Palmerston and Maple, but has since reopened. The CapitaSpring building in the business district in Singapore is a 51-storey tower combining residential and office spaces as well as four storeys of open-air garden People walk through the Green Oasis botanical promenade at the CapitaSpring’s skyscraper in Singapore San Francisco’s Legacy Business Program launched in 2015 in an effort to support small businesses with historical and cultural significance to the city Montreal has 11 pedestrianized streets in the summer A development in Vancouver is looking to add indoor courtyards this is how other Canadian and global cities are building vertical communities For decades, it has experienced rapid population growth and is constantly changing with new towers rising to house our growing population experts say the city is doing quite well at managing housing density in a thoughtful way Unlike other growing places like Montreal or New York which means it has to accommodate new density around a design that previously centred single-family homes and suburbanization a professor and associate chair of University of Toronto’s department of geography and planning “To transform those into highly dense places that have some of the kind of small grain character that we like is really hard and there are not a lot of places that have figured out how to do that,” Hess said Out of 40 urban areas around the globe, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat ranks Toronto-Hamilton as second at managing density and livability Its “vertical urbanism index” considers livability through social health; all that combination,” said Javier Quintana de Uña “You guys score incredibly high.” the city has faced challenges as new developments have led small businesses — and residents — to be priced out of communities and some of the charm that once defined certain neighbourhoods has faded When determining how best to incorporate social services and shared spaces into new developments the answer is complicated by the fact that the city is home to people from so many different cultures and backgrounds who may have different needs a professor of urban studies and resources and environmental management at Simon Fraser University “Canada certainly has benefited from high rates of growth historically but it’s not comparable to European cities in that way; it’s more comparable to cities like Singapore or Hong Kong … but it’s still not comparable because Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver and Montreal have such a high rate of social demographic mixing,” she said referring to the Canadian cities’ cultural diversity and growing wealth gap these experts say there are ideas Toronto can borrow from other Canadian and global cities that could make our increasingly vertical lives better While towers in the 1970s and ‘80s used to be more like silos Developments are highly regarded “if they succeed in creating community mixing themselves with infrastructure that are accessible physically and financially,” said Quintana de Uña and mandates developers provide public space residential towers One development that broke the traditional mould in 2021 was CapitaSpring a 51-storey tower combining residential and office spaces as well as four storeys of open-air garden and a cycling path as part of the development In England, another example is the London Sky Garden which Quintana de Uña calls “revolutionary.” The public garden — which also has restaurants and other attractions — is at the top of a tower that is more narrow at the base The challenge with mandating public space in towers is that it could lead to smaller Holden has conducted extensive research into “neighbourliness” — social connections among neighbours in high-density areas According to research she co-authored outdoor amenity spaces are an aspect of design affecting quality of life have the potential to improve residents’ social lives providing seating and inviting people to linger near-zero-emissions project in the works in Vancouver which is collaborating with the province’s public housing provider and where about a quarter of residents live in social housing) It will have 123 rental units upon completion — including 56 family units — around an open-air courtyard “That courtyard provides a sense of intimacy,” Holden said “If you’ve got a balcony and you’re on the fifth floor but you can still stay upstairs and do the laundry or whatever you’re doing and so your kids are more likely to have some independence a single parent is more likely to be able to have sanity in their life One potential way to support small businesses struggling in the face of new developments is to create something like San Francisco’s Legacy Business Program San Francisco launched the program in 2015 in an effort to support small businesses with historical and cultural significance to the city Eligible businesses — which have to have been operating there for more than 30 years — receive marketing Hess said Toronto has had one-off instances of helping business negotiate with landlords but a more standardized approach could present another way forward Montreal has been working on programs to improve public space and pedestrianize streets in the summer to “strengthen” older streets and “keep them vibrant.” The city has 11 pedestrianized streets in summer which Montreal says enhances pedestrian safety and comfort improving quality of life and the city’s vitality while boosting local retailers A “tiny example” of this in Toronto is Market Street next to the St Currently, Toronto is examining how to increase pedestrian space along Yonge Street between College/Carleton streets and Queen Street It’s also gearing up to start construction in Kensington Market to “prioritize pedestrians while accommodating slow speed vehicle access for local residents.” TorontoPolice searching for suspect who allegedly exposed himself to a girl in midtown Toronto, committed an indecent actBy Joanna LavoieOpens in new windowPublished: May 04, 2025 at 2:29PM EDT Toronto police are searching for a male who allegedly exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl and committed an indecent act in midtown Toronto over the weekend. The incident happened on May 3 in the Rosedale-Moore Park neighbourhood, near Mt. Pleasant Road an Elm Avenue, just north of Rosedale Valley Road. Toronto police said they were called to that area at 10 a.m. Investigators say a girl was walking southbound on the Scarth Road Pathway, south of Crescent Road, when a suspect allegedly pulled down his pants, exposed himself to her, and committed an undisclosed indecent act. He is described as a male, in his 20s and five-foot-eight with a thin build and brown braided hair and wearing glasses. The suspect was last seen wearing a black hoodie, grey shorts, black socks, white running shoes, and riding an electric scooter. This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information is asked to contact Toronto police at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously. there is also a risk of more self-diagnoses based on symptoms not aligned with clinical guidelines Hopp's general manager David Riggs says the app has outpaced expectations and is already facilitating tens of thousands of rides a day.  If you have a news tip for the Star, please call us at 1-800-331-8127 or e-mail us at newstips@thestar.ca Visit thestar.com/tips for more ways to send news tips Goaltending is an integral part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs To better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each goaltender the last 100 goals allowed for each goaltender in the regular season and every goal in the playoffs were charted to see what patterns emerge The Eastern Conference Second Round between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers features 2024 Stanley Cup-winning playing partners. Toronto No.1 Anthony Stolarz, the former Panthers backup now excelling as a starter, goes against Florida No. 1 Sergei Bobrovsky who started all 24 games in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs en route to the franchise’s first Cup Stolarz missed almost two months after getting knee surgery on Dec limiting his regular-season sample size to 71 goals but when healthy the 6-foot-6 goalie was one of the NHL’s best finishing with a League-leading .926 save percentage in 34 games Stolarz is a study in contrasts compared to Bobrovsky relying more on size and positioning than speed and skating so it should come as no surprise the scoring trends also look a lot different Rarely out of position: Stolarz moves well and plays with a conservative depth in-zone so it’s not a shock that he excels on the tough side-to-side chances most teams are trying to create more of with just 12 goals (16.9 percent) on plays across the middle of the ice below the top of the face-off circles well below the 22.1 percent tracked average The Ottawa Senators only converted one such lateral play in six games in the first round It also shows up in fewer goals along the ice outside of his pads which is how backdoor tap-ins are recorded Stolarz can cover the shorter lateral distances his depth creates even from a low so don’t expect to score if you don’t get the puck over his pads there is a tendency to slide across on plays other goalies might try to beat on their skates which is a natural tendency from that wider stance so there is exposure in the top corners as well as a vulnerability to shots back the other way which accounted for half those east-west goals positioning and patience to excel behind the chaos many teams try to create around the net in the playoffs He doesn’t chase pucks outside his posts as often as his peers preferring instead to sit back knowing the puck has to come back through him so it’s no surprise his numbers on these types of plays are better than average even if that depth can create additional vulnerability on deflections off the bodies in front Low-high and wait: There is a tendency to push out at shooters from that conservative initial depth and waiting for that forward movement before making another play or pass makes it a lot harder for any goalie to recover laterally even one who is able to push from the extremes of a low Pad rebounds back in front: One of the few downsides of being blessed with a butterfly as wide as Stolarz is that low shots off the pads are more likely to end up back in front of the net rather than being angled into the corners which played a role in several of the nine regular-season rebound goals and one of two in the first round against Ottawa Screens: Stolarz allowed 15 goals (21.1 percent) through traffic slightly above the tracked average of 15 percent and the Senators used screens to create four of their 14 goals in the first round including the overtime winner in Game 4 and the opening goal in Game 5 Getting to the middle of the ice as a shooter makes it harder for Stolarz to easily look over screens in his tall stance and forces him to pick a side from a lower save stance creating additional vulnerability to deflections and second chances if you get him pushing into an initial shot to the other side Paddle down and dead angles: David Perron’s Game 6 tying goal from below the goal line is the exception rather than the rule as Stolarz admittedly got a little overzealous with his use of paddle down in that situation it will have the Panthers looking for similar mistakes with his use of the stick and a couple more regular-season goals over the right shoulder from sharp angles while he was down in a similar RVH post-integration technique make it worth noting Bobrovsky is in his 15th NHL season, has won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie twice and the Stanley Cup last season, so there aren’t a lot of secrets from former teammates, like Stolarz, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forward Steven Lorentz When it comes to his performances the past three postseasons it may not matter how much you think you know about his style anyways because at his best Bobrovsky can sometimes feel impossible to beat That does make it that much more important not to feed into his strengths when the stingy Panthers do give up chances it’s also important to get your shot up high otherwise you risk a momentum-changing save because he excels at building vertical coverage over those pads with his glove and blocker Find spots to make him move further: As well as he moves there are certain tendencies that make it harder to cover off lateral distances Bobrovsky will step outside his posts and square up on plays from the just above the face-off dots which makes it harder for him to rotate and get all way back to the far post so tip options wide of the net can be effective both to score and potentially opening gaps on second chances even if he gets to the first Bobrovsky also squares up his rush retreats towards the boards and into an overlap of the post when plays get to bottom of the circle again making it harder to get across on a lateral play from those sharp angles with 13-of-23 slot line goals below the hash marks Beware active stick: Getting low passes through is harder because of Bobrovsky’s active stick so elevating attempts through the crease might get a few more to their intended target Far side off rush: Those rush retreats are typically short shuffles for Bobrovsky but he doesn’t totally square up until it gets lower in the zone staying more parallel to the goal line with the puck above the hash marks which makes it easier to push across on a pass but can create vulnerability to far side shots especially if the release is timed with a shuffle push Chaos and the five-hole: The numbers weren’t as high this season compared to the previous two but Bobrovsky’s five-hole totals have typically been well above the tracked average for over 8,500 goals since this project started back in 2017 Bobrovsky can still get a little overactive in scrambles and even though it wasn’t as noticeable this season 21 of the tracked goals were scored off broken plays Those lateral pushes in the butterfly require a goalie to lift his knee making quick low shots back into the middle of his coverage an option worth trying in traffic and on rebounds The first of the Reds' home runs that day was hit by current Yankees manager Aaron Boone Here is a closer look at the teams with the most home runs in a single game in MLB history: Blue Jays catcher Ernie Whitt hit three home runs (second inning and seventh inning) and batted in five of Toronto's 18 total runs Rance Mulliniks and George Bell each added two home runs in the win Mulliniks' homers accounted for three runs while both of Bell's blasts came with the bases empty Rob Ducey and designated hitter Fred McGriff accounted for the Blue Jays' remaining three home runs Five of the home runs came off pitcher Nestor Cortes whom the Yankees dealt to the Brewers in the offseason 9 (22-3 win at Philadelphia Phillies on Sept Boone led off Cincinnati's power surge with a three-run blast off Paul Byrd in the second Dmitri Young and Jeffrey Hammonds also tagged Byrd for solo shots Eddie Taubensee had two homers (fifth inning and seventh inning) in the win Brian Johnson and Mark Lewis rounded out the night for the Reds with a home run apiece Vaughn and Lewis each had three-run homers Cincinnati scored nine runs in the fifth inning alone There have been 23 instances in MLB history of a team hitting eight home runs in a single game Check out the ESPN MLB hub page for the latest news, analysis, stats, scores, standings and more ROM acknowledges that this museum sits on the ancestral lands of the Wendat which includes the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Explore the highlights of ROM’s collections across three levels of galleries with the Museum Highlights audio tour © Royal Ontario Museum - An agency of the Government of Ontario Latest Blue Jays injuries & transactionsMay 4th This page will be updated throughout the year with all the latest Blue Jays injury news and transactions OF Injury: Lower back tightnessExpected return: Day to dayStatus: Late scratch prior to series finale against the Guardians but should benefit from off-day on May 5 on the West Coast RHP Injury: Right shoulder inflammationIL date: March 27 (60-day IL retroactive to March 24)Expected return: Potentially JuneStatus: Scheduled to throw another live BP session on May 3 LHP Injury: Tommy John surgery (left elbow)Expected return: Potentially late 2025Status: Throwing on flat ground out to 120 feet in early May The organization hopes Tiedemann will see game action by the end of 2025 RHP Injury: Right lat strainIL date: April 20 (15-day IL)Expected return: Potentially mid-MayStatus: Sandlin had been working through this issue but the Blue Jays wanted to get out ahead of it so he'll shut down from throwing for a few days RHP Injury: Right UCL surgeryExpected return: Midseason 2025Status: Manoah threw off the mound again on March 22 marking the second time since his elbow surgery • More Blue Jays injury news April 28:• RHP signs Minor League contract April 21• LHP recalled from Triple-A Buffalo• LHP optioned to Triple-A Buffalo • Complete Blue Jays transactions