Has this been an action-packed fall?
For a few glorious weeks in October, the Blue Jays turned Toronto upside down with one of the most exciting playoff runs in baseball history. Scrappy underdogs, the team didn’t win the World Series. But they united the city with their never-give-up attitude and an earnest belief in the power of friendship.
That same month, thousands of Torontonians rose up against Premier Doug Ford’s brazen proposal to end indefinite leases for tenants — which would’ve effectively ended rent control — forcing the government to back off. This wasn’t a spontaneous one-off. It was the latest show of force from Toronto’s burgeoning tenants’ movement (here’s another story of tenants fighting back).
South of the border, we watched Zohran Mamdani run a brilliant, fearless grassroots campaign for New York City mayor, overcoming racist smears and schemes by the political establishment. It was the highest voter turnout in New York in 50 years, and Mamdani won decisively.
And over the past 12 months, artists across Canada have organized effective boycott campaigns demanding that arts institutions divest from weapons manufacturers and foundations complicit in Israel’s genocide and apartheid. This of course hasn’t ended the violence or the occupation. But it has pushed a marginal movement onto the mainstream, picking up thousands of new supporters and isolating institutions that are complicit in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
These are small but significant victories. They’re examples of how our collective strength can prevail against incredible odds. They are reminders that it’s the people who ultimately hold the power over corporations and politicians. Everything is way too expensive and the future can seem bleak, but we believe that Torontonians and working people across the country are ready to turn the ship around and steer things in the right direction.
This issue also has our third annual holiday gift guide, featuring over 70 items.
Plus, we’ve complied a special “naughty and nice” list to mark the end of this year.
This article appeared in the 2025 Dec – 2026 Jan issue.
