Canadian taxpayers will spend $1 billion for the honour of co-hosting the FIFA World Cup this summer, according to a report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Canada will host just 13 games (seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto), which means each game will be subsidized by about $82 million. The federal government will be on the hook for the largest portion of the cost — mostly for infrastructure and security — while the rest will fall to provincial and municipal governments.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a deal that delays Alberta’s deadline to raise the effective industrial carbon price to $130-a-tonne until 2040. The previously agreed deadline was 2030. Carney also agreed to greenlight the construction of a new pipeline to the Pacific coast, with the aim of breaking ground in 2027. Smith celebrated the deal while Environmental Defence warned it represents “the final nail in Canada’s climate action coffin.”
Three off-duty Toronto police officers vacationing in Barcelona were arrested for allegedly assaulting and sexually assaulting a sex worker, according to Spanish media reports. The officers were identified by Spanish media as constables Evan Glennie, Rich Rand and Caglar Yigit. Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw confirmed the officers are back in Canada and have been suspended with pay.
Toronto City Council voted to turn part of Church Street into a pedestrian-only space this summer as a new pilot project. Residents in The Village neighbourhood are hoping that the move will help local businesses and foster a stronger sense of community. Church Street will be pedestrianized between Wellesley Street East and Alexander Street from June 19 to Aug. 21. Council gave city staff the power to cut the project short if issues arise.
As safe consumption sites run out of provincial funding and close, drug users are being pushed into the streets and onto transit to use. At the same time, the Ontario PCs are planning to empower new special constables to arrest people for using illegal substances on public transit. Advocates warn that this could lead to racial profiling or further criminalization of an already-marginalized group.
Employees at Toronto’s restaurants, bars and hotels rarely have health benefits, let alone union protections. The new Society of Hospitality Workers is trying to change that, with an initial goal of signing up enough workers to negotiate an inexpensive group rate for health benefits. They’ve been throwing events across the city this year, and aim to get 500 workers signed before contacting an insurance provider.
This article appeared in the 2026 Jun/Jul issue.