u/toronto_star

From the story:

Crime is down in Toronto — homicides at a 50-year low, shootings and robberies falling — yet most Torontonians believe the opposite is true, and that disconnect has become a flashpoint in the mayoral race. As candidates trade accusations over policing and public safety, criminologists say the gap between data and fear isn’t new, but it’s proving especially potent this municipal election season.

There have been spikes in certain crimes that may be contributing to public sentiment. Police have released terrifying surveillance videos of home invasions and arsons, which are on the rise. While robberies might be down, fraud and scams are up and police across the GTA have warned distraction and retail theft is increasing.

The Star takes a closer look at the data, and the perception, across the city and beyond.

Read the full story via this gift link.

• The member of Parliament for Parry Sound—Muskoka is preparing to leave federal politics, becoming the eighth MP to leave Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s caucus since the 2025 election.
• “I feel very much like last year was especially draining because I found myself constantly saying, you know, ‘Let’s stay focused,’ you know, ‘Let’s stay positive,’ and I did that with a lot of folks,” he says in his Parliament Hill office. "Fundamentally, I’m still a believer in the movement.”
• Read the full article for free with this gift link, no subscription necessary.

Olivia Chow and her main rival, Brad Bradford, have been making regular stops in Scarborough — sometimes at the same time, just blocks away from one another — since the campaign got underway.

The former municipality, whose residents often feel forgotten by city hall, is set to play a potentially crucial role in the mayor’s race, with some predicting the contest will be decided by whichever candidate performs the best in Scarborough’s half-dozen wards. While residents there say the candidates’ attention helps shine a light on issues they care about, some worry that politicians’ desire to engage with them will fade once the ballots are counted, and that the election-season focus won’t translate into lasting support for Scarborough.

Read the full story for free with this gift link. You won't hit the paywall.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs take to the ice for their 110th season this week, a landmark of one of the most controversial — and never dull — owners in their storied history has just been razed in Etobicoke.

Heavy machinery, which came on the heels of workers in haz-mat suits, has demolished the longtime home of former Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard, who died in 1990. The house at Montgomery Road and Bloor Street in The Kingsway played a key role in sending Ballard to prison for fraud and theft more than 50 years ago, not long after the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup.

Woodycrest — as Ballard named it — and surrounding lands are slated to become a Tridel residential and retail development. 

Read the full story with this gift link for free. You won't hit the paywall.

From the story:

>Brett Bateman made his debut with the Blue Jays in Philadelphia in August and hit a double off the very first pitch he saw.
At the time, he was a little-known outfield prospect acquired from the Chicago Cubs in a trade for fan favourite Kevin Gausman. A month later, it’s not just Toronto paying attention. 
Since emerging as the Jays’ everyday leadoff man, the rookie outfielder keeps getting asked one question: Will he represent Korea at the World Baseball Classic?
Over the last month, Bateman has emerged as a revelation for the Jays in their chase for an American League wild-card spot.
The 24-year-old had 46 hits, 23 runs and 11 RBIs in his first 34 games with the Jays. Heading into Friday’s game against the Rangers in Texas, he was hitting .333 with a .828 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
His rise in popularity has caught the attention of Korean communities in Toronto and South Korea, with fans on both sides of the ocean rallying behind him.

Read the full story via this gift link & bypass the Star's paywall.

I'm May Warren, a reporter at the Toronto Star. I'm looking to speak to people in the GTA around 40 who recently bought their first home or are considering it. It's for story on how first-time homebuyers are getting older, mostly because of how hard it is to afford a home. If you're up for chatting please reach out to reporter May Warren, mwarren@star.ca Thank you!