Toronto News | Ontario COVID-19

Ontario's COVID-19 hospitalizations decrease to 1,005, ICU admissions at 154

Health officials in Ontario are reporting 1,005 hospitalizations and 154 ICU admissions linked to COVID-19.

A paramedic adjusts his protective mask as he transfers a patient out of an ambulance to the emergency department at Michael Garron Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Monday, January 10, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Downtown Toronto riding to see 75% cut in number of polling stations on election day

A downtown riding will see a 75 per cent cut in the number of polling stations open for voters on election day next week.

A voter enters a poling station to cast their ballot in Toronto's Spadina-Fort York district on Monday September 20 , 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

How will Highway 413 and the gas tax impact Ontario voters this election?

What do voters really think about the proposed Highway 413?

A map of proposed Highway 413 and the ridings it travels through. (Environics Analytics)

Ontario Election

How will Highway 413 and the gas tax impact Ontario voters this election?

What do voters really think about the proposed Highway 413?

Downtown Toronto riding to see 75% cut in number of polling stations on election day

A downtown riding will see a 75 per cent cut in the number of polling stations open for voters on election day next week.

Ontario election 2022 platform guide: What are the parties promising?

CTVNewsToronto.ca has compiled a list of some of the major pledges made by the leaders of the province’s four major parties.

A determined Andrea Horwath takes on her fourth and maybe final fight as NDP leader

Horwath, 59, exudes determination in all aspects of her life, friends and colleagues say.

Ontario political leaders pledge changes to autism program

Three of Ontario's major political parties are proposing changes to the province's autism program, while criticizing a lack of help for families under the Progressive Conservative government.

Which Ontario voters are impacted by the licence plate renewal rebates?

Doug Ford’s The provincial government’s decision to scrap vehicle registration renewal fees in Ontario while premier greatly benefits drivers living in ridings that mostly voted for the Progressive Conservatives in 2018, data suggests.

Ontario Liberal Leader tries to make himself known, says his politics are personal

Weaving in personal touches to speeches is a tried and true political tactic, but the Ontario Liberal leader says his politics come from his personal life.

Schreiner's 'tough yet convivial' persona resonates with Ontario voters and rivals

It's still unclear if Schreiner's growing presence on the campaign trail as a scrappy, sincere underdog will translate into more votes or seats for his party.

Consumer Alert

Was your home damaged by the Ontario storm? Insurance companies say payouts could take weeks to process

The insurance industry says it could take up to six weeks to get an idea of how many hundreds of millions of dollars in pay outs will be required from the weekend storm that brought death and destruction to Ontario and Quebec, but that early estimates are substantial.

Travel insurance sales go up as Canadians feel more confident vacationing overseas

After staying close to home and avoiding travel during the pandemic, many Canadians are anxious to take international trips again and travel insurance companies are seeing that trend reflected in their sales.

The Greek island of Crete is seen in this file photo. (Anna_Jedynak / Istock.com)

More consumers reaching for alcohol-free beer, wines and spirits

Various studies over the past two years have shown that there was a worldwide increase in alcohol consumption during the pandemic. But now, sales statistics show an increase in the popularity of alcohol-free beer, wine and spirits.

Canned beers are poured into a plastic glass at a vending stand at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sunday, October 9, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

CTV News Investigates

INVESTIGATION

INVESTIGATION | Details vanish from Ontario MPP investment property disclosures as their value skyrockets

An unpublished decision by a provincial watchdog has removed many details from view of the real estate investments of dozens of candidates vying for re-election, even as those assets surge in value to more than $36 million, a CTV News investigation has found.

INVESTIGATION

INVESTIGATION | Dozens of MPP investment properties surge to more than $36 million as Ontario housing affordability worsens

Dozens of candidates running for re-election are sitting on investment properties that are surging millions in value as a housing crisis takes hold across Ontario, according to a review of disclosures by CTV News and a new home valuation tool.

INVESTIGATION

INVESTIGATION | Accused in Kensington Market shooting says it was 'not really' difficult to get a gun, court hears

Video obtained by CTV News Investigates of a 2018 Canada Day shooting in Kensington Market that left a 19-year-old man dead and three bystanders injured shows how it escalated from a conversation to deadly violence in seconds.

A jury heard in court the testimony of the man accused of fatally shooting a 19-year-old and injuring three bystanders.

Totally Toronto

Aerial spraying for moth outbreak begins in Toronto this week. Here's where it's happening

The City of Toronto will start aerial spraying this week to combat what they call "outbreak levels" of moths.

A caterpillar of the Gypsy moth is seen on a leaf in Tiny Township, Ont., on Fri., July 10, 2020. (Roger Klein/CTV News)

Visitors get trapped on Wonderland rides after power outage during Ontario storm

A power outage at Wonderland led to a scary situation after guests were trapped on rides for about 30 minutes during the severe Ontario storm this weekend.

Wonderland visitors got stuck on rides during Ontario's storm Saturday, the park says. (Tiktok: @chubbychicken84)

This is what to expect when Toronto's 'urban format' IKEA opens next week

Canada’s first “urban format” IKEA location is set to open in downtown Toronto next week. Here's what to expect.

The new downtown Toronto IKEA location. (IKEA)

Toronto Councillor Ana Bailão not seeking re-election in October

After 12 years in office, Toronto City Councillor Ana Bailão will not be seeking re-election in October.

Ontario retiree buys 'cheapest home in the GTA'. This is what she got

A retiree in Ontario has just purchased what is being called the 'cheapest home in the GTA'—a caboose located on a commercially zoned parking lot near Milton.

Renting in Toronto? Be prepared to pay extra: realtor

Renting a home in the Greater Toronto Area is now as competitive as owning and those looking to rent need to be prepared to offer more than what is being asked, according to one Toronto real estate agent.

When the ban on drinking in public parks could lift after council delay

Torontonians hoping to drink alcohol in public parks will have to wait another year.

This Toronto family struggled to buy a home for $2 million. Here's how they did it

Toronto homebuyers are being urged to put their best offer forward first in an effort to avoid disappointment during the bidding process.

Top 10 mispronounced places in Toronto revealed. Which one are you saying incorrectly?

A definitive list of the most mispronounced places in the city, and how to say them properly, has been released.

CRIME & COURTS

Police investigating 4 armed carjackings in Scarborough; all believed to be connected

Toronto police say they are investigating four armed carjackings that happened within the span of two hours in Scarborough overnight and believe they are all connected.

Police tape is pictured in this file photo.

New Toronto investigative unit will probe organized crime, starting with carjackings

Toronto police say that a new investigative unit tapped with addressing organized crime will formally begin operations this week with an initial focus on a rash of violent carjackings which have taken place across the city.

A Toronto Police officer is pictured in this undated photo. (CP24)

Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard denies rape allegations at sex assault trial

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has emphatically denied raping a teenager and a young woman nearly six years ago, testifying Tuesday that both encounters were consensual and "passionate."

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard arrives alongside his wife Rebekah Asselstine, for his sex assault trial at the Toronto courthouse on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

CTVNEWS.CA TOP STORIES

Quebec ready to vaccinate against monkeypox as soon as Friday, with 25 confirmed cases

Quebec is ready to vaccinate people who have come into close contact with monkeypox as soon as Friday.

Tens of thousands in southern Ontario still without power after deadly storm

Tens of thousands of Ontario residents are facing another day without power as restoration efforts continue following last weekend's vicious storm.

Utility workers use bucket lifts to repair lines along Hawthorne Road in Ottawa, on May 24, 2022. (Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

'Horrifying' conspiracy theories swirl around Texas shooting

By now it's as predictable as the calls for thoughts and prayers: A mass shooting leaves many dead, and wild conspiracy theories and misinformation about the carnage soon follow. Within hours of Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, another rash began as internet users spread baseless claims about the man named as the gunman and his possible motives.

Crime scene tape surrounds Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hidden Toronto

HIDDEN TORONTO

HIDDEN TORONTO | Did you know about Sherlock Holmes’ hidden study in Toronto?

It takes some detective work to find Sherlock Holmes’ hidden study in downtown Toronto, but it’s a case certainly worth cracking.

The Arthur Conan Doyle Room at the Toronto Reference Library, which is home to some of the world’s rarest Sherlock Holmes artifacts, is open for public. (Miriam Katawazi/CTV News Toronto)

HIDDEN TORONTO

HIDDEN TORONTO | Did you know about this whimsical Toronto theatre with a hanging garden?

Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre feels like a scene from the pages of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer's Night Dream – a whimsical fairy-like space with hanging gardens.

The Winter Garden Theatre, the last Edwardian double-decker theatre in the world built 1913, can been seen in this recent photo. (Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre/Facebook)

HIDDEN TORONTO

HIDDEN TORONTO | Did you know about this rare and unusual bookshop in Toronto?

The Monkey's Paw, a rare bookshop in Toronto, is home to the unusual "Biblio-Mat,” believed to be the world’s first random book vending machine.

Books can seen lining the shelves of The Monkey's Paw bookstore in downtown Toronto on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Miriam Katawazi/CTV News Toronto)

Table Talk

TABLE TALK

TABLE TALK | Ice cream with a twist on tradition is returning to Toronto

Ice cream was a vehicle for confectioner Ed Wong to explore his identity as the son of Chinese immigrants. After a brief hiatus, his East and Southeast Asian flavours are returning to the city.

TABLE TALK

TABLE TALK | How one of Toronto's most famous chefs turns junk food gourmet with his son

Susur Lee, the Iron Chef and Toronto-based restaurateur, is better known on TikTok as Jet Bent-Lee’s father – the one who turns junk food into gourmet meals.

Chef Susur Lee sits with his son Jet Bent-Lee (Supplied).

TABLE TALK

TABLE TALK | This Armenian pizzeria in Toronto is the home of a nearly century-old recipe

For some, comfort food is a grilled cheese oozing with cheddar plunged into ketchup or a bottomless bowl of steaming hot ramen. For others, it’s lahmajoun.