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Advertisement Search Now Open Menu * News * Culture * Reviews * Album reviews * Concert reviews * Movies & TV Reviews * Real Estate * Lifestyle * Events Search Open Menu Close Menu * News * Culture * Reviews * Album reviews * Concert reviews * Movies & TV Reviews * Real Estate * Lifestyle * Events -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * About * Masthead * Editorial Mandate * Jobs * Advertise * Contests * Contact * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Youtube * Tiktok Search Now Toronto... Close Search News DAY 3 BRINGS GOLD LUCK FOR TEAM CANADA AT 2024 PARIS OLYMPICS Posted 23 hours agoAnushka Yadav Judoka Christa Deguchi and swimmer Summer McIntosh have secured Canada's gold medals on Day 3 on the Paris Olympics 2024. (Courtesy: Darren Calabrese/COC (left), Leah Hennel/COC (right)/Olympic.ca) * Facebook * Twitter * Reddit * Copy current article link Two Canadians have created history at Day 3 of the Paris Olympics 2024 by securing gold medals for the country. World number one Judo player Christa Deguchi, 28, not only won Team Canada’s first gold medal of the season but also became Canada’s first-ever Olympic judo champion. Deguchi secured the gold in the women’s 57kg judo event after South Korea’s world number three Huh Mimi was disqualified for a false attack, awarding Deguchi the title by default. Read More * The 2024 Paris Olympic Games begin this week, here’s how 2 GTA sprinters are preparing to win big for Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared a video of her win with the caption, “History made.” The second gold medal for Canada was earned by Toronto’s very own 17-year-old swimmer Summer McIntosh. McIntosh dominated the women’s 400m individual medley final with a time of 4:27.71, finishing 5.69 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Katie Grimes of the United States. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow congratulated the swimmer, and said, “Golden Summer! Congratulations to Torontonian Summer McIntosh on her commanding gold medal win in the 400m medley. It’s great to see #TeamCanada on top of the #Olympics podium.” In addition to her gold hardware, McIntosh won silver in the 400m freestyle on Day 1 of the games, marking her first career Olympic medal. With McIntosh’s second win, it marks Canada’s fourth Olympic medal in the women’s 400m individual medley, with the previous medals earned at the Montreal 1976 Olympics by Cheryl Gibson and Becky Smith who won silver and bronze, respectively. To celebrate Canada’s two gold medalists, Toronto’s CN Tower will be lit gold tonight. Read More * ‘Why blood splatter?’ People are hating on Team Canada and lululemon’s official Paris Olympic merch Meanwhile, many athletes representing Canada have made history this year including divers Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray who won bronze, Canada’s first-ever Olympic medal in the men’s synchronized 10m platform event. A 29-year-old fencer from Hamilton, Eleanor Harvey, also wrote one for the books by securing Canada’s first-ever Olympic medal in fencing with a bronze on Day 2 of the games. “I feel like I’m in a dream,” Harvey, who entered the games as 14th in the world rankings, told Olympic Canada. “I still can’t believe it.” Read More * ‘Absolute idiocy,’ Canadians react after 2 Canada Soccer staffers removed from 2024 Paris Olympics following drone spying incident Another player who made history despite not being able to win a medal was 19-year-old skateboarder Cordano Russell who set Canada’s best Olympic result in a skateboard event in his Olympic debut by finishing eighth in men’s street skateboard. So far, Canadian players are bringing home a total of five medals with two gold, one silver and two bronze. Many more could be on the way as the Paris Olympics will be held until Aug. 11. Anushka Yadav Advertisement * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Youtube * Tiktok Follow us @nowtoronto Advertisement WHAT’S TRENDING * Posted 5 days ago Canadian passport moves up in ranking as one of the most powerful passports in the world: report * Posted 4 days ago ‘We have nothing,’ Frustrated Scotiabank customers cannot access deposited checks due to widespread outage * Posted 6 days ago A Brampton rental listing is going viral for its ‘friends with benefits’ payment option. Toronto realtor explains why it’s illegal Advertisement News ‘ONTARIO SLOW TO FINALIZE FUNDING FORMULA,’ NATIONAL SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAM COULD START THIS YEAR DEPENDING ON FORD GOVERNMENT’S COOPERATION Posted 41 mins agoAnushka Yadav The Government of Canada is investing $1 billion in the National School Food Program that will bring free, nutritious meals to children across the country but the onus falls on provincial government to collaborate efficiently with the government. (Courtesy: Ron Ward (left, Chris Young (right)/ THE CANADIAN PRESS) * Facebook * Twitter * Reddit * Copy current article link As the federal government works to roll out a National School Food Program, it says the biggest hurdle lies in coordinating with provincial governments. The federal government is investing $1 billion over five years to implement the program in partnership with provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities, in an effort to ensure children across the country have access to nutritious food. Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jenna Sudds acknowledged to Now Toronto that “raising a family is very expensive” and emphasized that the program is designed to ensure there is food available in schools for hungry children, support their success, and assist families. “The goal is to guarantee every student is going to be able to access free meals but it’s going to take time to get there,” she added, in an interview earlier this month. In a statement shared with Now Toronto, the federal government confirmed that the investment will help expand access to school meals for up to 400,000 additional children annually. Read More * Trudeau pledges $1 billion for national school food program How will it work in provinces like Ontario? The federal government says it will provide funding to provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to run the program. Since provinces and territories have jurisdiction over health and education and already support school food programs, the start date will vary across regions. The program will build on existing school food initiatives in Ontario, like the Student Nutrition Program and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program, the provincial government said. Last school year, Ontario invested an additional $6.15 million to both these programs, bringing the total provincial funding to over $38 million. “Our government was pleased to learn more about the National School Food Program in the recent federal Budget. We look forward to reviewing the specific details as we work to enhance program accessibility and sustainability,” a statement from Ontario’s Ministry of Education shared with Now Toronto reads. Sudds says she has been negotiating with provincial ministers, including Ontario’s newly appointed Minister of Education, Todd Smith, to determine how the program will be implemented locally. “Conversations with him have been positive so far,” she noted, but added that discussions with the Ontario government have not always been smooth. “The provincial government has been slow to finalize the funding formula,” Sudds said, adding that this delay is affecting the stability of child care centres and operators. Read More * ‘Put your unborn child on a wait list now,’ Many Toronto parents are very frustrated over lengthy waitlists for daycare programs When will the program roll out? Sudds hopes to finalize agreements soon, ideally by late summer, so provinces can prepare for implementation as early as the 2024-25 school year. She noted that British Columbia and Prince Edward Island have been particularly cooperative. Now Toronto reached out to the Ontario government on the timing of the rollout of the program but did not receive an answer on the start date. What happens to childcare supports if the Conservatives win the next elections? “This is what keeps me up at night,” Sudds, who is a Liberal Member of Parliament representing Kanata—Carleton, Ontario, said. If Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre wins the next election and follows through on his plan to cut taxes, she worries that critical supports like the Canada Child Benefits, dental benefits, pharmacare, $10-a-day child care, and the National School Food Program could be at risk. Furthermore, she encourages people “to engage with their elected officials” to discuss their needs and advocate for continued support for these programs. Anushka Yadav Advertisement * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Youtube * Tiktok Follow us @nowtoronto Advertisement WHAT’S TRENDING * Posted 5 days ago Canadian passport moves up in ranking as one of the most powerful passports in the world: report * Posted 4 days ago ‘We have nothing,’ Frustrated Scotiabank customers cannot access deposited checks due to widespread outage * Posted 6 days ago A Brampton rental listing is going viral for its ‘friends with benefits’ payment option. Toronto realtor explains why it’s illegal Advertisement News ‘A GIRL FROM THE REZ IS GOING TO REPRESENT ENOCH CREE NATION,’ MISS UNIVERSE CANADA CROWNS FIRST-EVER INDIGENOUS WINNER Posted 2 hours agoRachel Goodman Ashley Callingbull, from the Enoch Cree Nation, near Edmonton, Alberta received the illustrious title of Miss Universe Canada in Windsor on Sunday. (Courtesy: ashleycallingbull/Instagram) * Facebook * Twitter * Reddit * Copy current article link Miss Universe Canada has crowned its first Indigenous title holder. Ashley Callingbull, from the Enoch Cree Nation, near Edmonton, Alberta received the illustrious title of Miss Universe Canada in Windsor on Sunday. Her historic win also makes Callingbull the first First Nations representative from North America to compete at Miss Universe. “This monumental achievement celebrates Canada’s rich cultural diversity and the resilience of Indigenous communities. Ashley’s victory inspires young Indigenous girls everywhere, proving that their heritage is a source of strength and pride on the global stage,” Miss Universe Canada wrote on its Facebook page. According to the organization, at 34, Callingbull is the first woman over 28 and the first married woman to win the title, “breaking barriers and setting new standards in beauty and grace,” its Facebook post continued. Callingbull took to social media to express her gratitude, calling the win “surreal.” “A girl from the Rez is going to represent Enoch Cree Nation, Treaty 6, Indigenous peoples and all Canadians on the Miss Universe stage,” she wrote on Instagram. Fans wasted no time wishing her congratulations. “It’s time for the rest of the universe to see what Indigenous brilliance is made of,” one Instagram user wrote. “So proud of you Ashley!!! Continue to knock down barriers and make dreams come true,” another person commented. “Congratulations, making history in Canada,” someone else said. Callingbull has received multiple awards for her activism including the Youth First Nations Award from Indspire for outstanding achievement across Turtle Island, and being inducted into the Circle of Honour at the Esquao Awards for her role as an Indigenous female leader and activist. She has also been recognized for her community service by the United Nations with the Role Model Award on Global Dignity Day, held annually on the third Wednesday of October. On Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, Callingbull was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal for her dedication to public service to family, community and her country. The Miss Universe 2024 pageant will be held in Mexico in November, where the current Miss Universe, Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua, will crown her successor. Rachel Goodman Writer / Reporter Advertisement * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Youtube * Tiktok Follow us @nowtoronto Advertisement WHAT’S TRENDING * Posted 5 days ago Canadian passport moves up in ranking as one of the most powerful passports in the world: report * Posted 4 days ago ‘We have nothing,’ Frustrated Scotiabank customers cannot access deposited checks due to widespread outage * Posted 6 days ago A Brampton rental listing is going viral for its ‘friends with benefits’ payment option. Toronto realtor explains why it’s illegal Advertisement News VIDEO: FIREFIGHTERS FROM SOUTH AFRICA BRING THEIR POSITIVE ENERGY TO BATTLE ALBERTA WILDFIRES Posted 5 hours agoAnushka Yadav 200 firefighters from South Africa arrived in Edmonton, Alberta on Monday to help Canadian crews fight wildfires in the province. They were seen dancing and singing with infectious smiles and energy at the Edmonton International Airport. (Courtesy: FlyYEG/X) * Facebook * Twitter * Reddit * Copy current article link Firefighting crews from South Africa arrived in Canada on Monday bringing some much needed joy and positivity to a challenging time in Alberta as the province continues to battle wildfires. In a video shared by Alberta Wildfire on X, South African firefighters in bright yellow shirts can be seen dancing and singing with big smiles on their faces. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reshared the video on Monday, and extended gratitude to the team. “Canadians are thankful for each and every one of you. 🇨🇦🇿🇦,” he posted on X. This week, additional firefighters from Australia and Mexico have arrived to join Canadian crews in tackling the wildfires. Trudeau announced that more firefighters from New Zealand and Australia are also on their way. “There’s no better act of friendship between nations. We’re forever grateful. 🇦🇺🇲🇽🇳🇿🇿🇦,” he added. In response to the video, a user on X commented, “Love the energy with this positivity, the fires don’t stand a chance. Thank you to South Africa and all other nations that have come to our assistance.” “Their songs and spirits are so heartwarming. Thank you for coming!,” added another X user. While many people are calling them “heroes,” they are also hoping that the firefighters are being compensated fairly, and have been provided health coverage for coming all the way, and lending a hand. Meanwhile, firefighters from Ontario have also travelled to Alberta to support the efforts. As of Monday afternoon, the wildfire in Jasper National Park remains active and is classified as out of control, as per the municipality of Jasper. The park remains closed to the public and under evacuation order. Parks Canada estimates that 30 per cent of Jasper’s structures have been damaged, with 358 of the town’s 1,113 structures destroyed. Jasper has released a high-resolution map and a list of affected properties, detailing the damage over the past week. Additionally, the Canadian Red Cross has launched a provincewide bottle drive as part of their Alberta Day of Caring initiative. Albertans wishing to contribute can label their donations “these are for Jasper” when dropping off bottles at any Bottle Depot on Wednesday, July 31. The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta will match every dollar donated to the Canadian Red Cross 2024 Alberta Fires Appeal, effectively tripling the impact of each contribution. “Incident management staff sincerely appreciate the immense goodwill and kind words shared by Jasperites and park visitors from Alberta, Canada, and from around the world. Just know, your love and encouragement are much appreciated by the folks who continue to respond to this wildfire,” a Jasper municipality statement said. Anushka Yadav Advertisement * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Youtube * Tiktok Follow us @nowtoronto Advertisement WHAT’S TRENDING * Posted 5 days ago Canadian passport moves up in ranking as one of the most powerful passports in the world: report * Posted 4 days ago ‘We have nothing,’ Frustrated Scotiabank customers cannot access deposited checks due to widespread outage * Posted 6 days ago A Brampton rental listing is going viral for its ‘friends with benefits’ payment option. Toronto realtor explains why it’s illegal Advertisement Featured News ‘A DO-OR-DIE MOMENT,’ THE WORLD’S OLDEST QUEER BOOKSTORE IS IN TROUBLE, AND IT’S CALLING ON TORONTO FOR HELP Posted 5 hours agoDevon Banfield The world’s oldest queer bookstore is in trouble, and it's calling on Toronto for help. (Courtesy: Dev Banfield) * Facebook * Twitter * Reddit * Copy current article link Glad Day Bookshop, recognized as the world’s oldest surviving queer bookstore, is facing a financial crisis, and its team is calling on Toronto to show up during this time of need. Founded in 1970, Toronto’s Glad Day Bookshop started as a means of bridging the gap between 2SLGBTQ+ people and literature that reflected their lived experiences. Tianna Henry, Glad Day’s events and social outreach coordinator, explained that the shop was born when a man named Jearld Moldenhauer responded to the lack of available queer literature by carrying materials around the city in a backpack and sharing them with community members. “The store began as a combined mail order service (with a small catalogue) and as a bookseller’s table at various gay meetings,” Moldenhauer’s website reads. “I simply carried the books around from one meeting space to the next in a knapsack.” The shop eventually found a physical space in Kensington Market, before bouncing around multiple locations and landing at the iconic Yonge and Wellesley shop, where it remained from 1981 to 2016, before reopening at its current location in The Village. “I get people coming in all the time who tell me that Glad Day saved their lives at a time when they didn’t know there were people like them,” Henry told Queer & Now. Glad Day book table in 1988 during Pride. (Courtesy: JeraldMoldenhauer.com) She explained that the shop has served as a physical location for activists to gather in the fight for queer liberation, including during the response to the Toronto Bathhouse Raids. Additionally, Glad Day also faced police raids, had shipments of books searched and seized, and even had employees charged for selling “obscene” materials, and relied on community support to cover legal fees, Henry shared. “I would say Glad Day has always been at the pulse of queer Toronto history, and very much on the frontlines of our liberation movements here.” From hosting singles events and drag brunches to exclusively selling books and art created by 2SLGBTQ+ community members, and providing queer people with a safe space to gather, Glad Day has stayed constant in the value it has offered 2SLGBTQ+ people for the last 50-plus years. “Glad Day is a pivotal queer space in the city. It carries with it a legacy of queer history, activism, organizing and the dissemination of queer materials,” Henry said. She explained that while the majority of booksellers feature a 2SLGBTQ+ section, Glad Day only carries titles by queer authors. “It’s important to have a space that centres our voices, and our events, and our interests.” Tianna Henry, Glad Day Bookshop’s events and social outreach coordinator. (Courtesy: Dev Banfield) As a bookshop, gathering space and bar, there really is nowhere like Glad Day, and patrons who attended a fundraiser on Monday night emphasized the shop’s relevance to the community. “It’s important for queer people to have spaces to gather, spaces to be in community,” Kate told Queer & Now. “It’s important to have historically queer spaces so that we can come here and acknowledge the people who’ve come before us,” Brianna shared. “It’s nice to have a space that’s been here throughout history, lots of different things have happened (at Glad Day) at different times.” “Glad Day is important to me because I’ve been able to come here and show up as who I am. I think it’s important to have queer spaces because queer people deserve and have the right to show up safely and be celebrated at the same time,” Britta added. “It holds so much culture and history and it’s important that we keep this space alive.” Henry added that people from around the world, and across Canada, come to Glad Day and find themselves spellbound to be in a space filled with materials, merchandise and art that reflect their own lived experiences as queer people — something that is rare for many 2SLGBTQ+ people. GLAD DAY IN CRISIS While the bookstore is no doubt a crucial space for queer people and an iconic piece of global queer history, Henry shared that it has never “thrived financially.” Henry explained that post-lockdown, Glad Day never saw its levels of patronship return to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think it’s indicative of a lot of our community members [not having] the resources that they had before. A lot of our community members have been rent evicted and have been pushed out of Toronto so they’re no longer around, so there are a lot of factors that have contributed to the change and the loss.” “So many queer businesses have closed in the city… and it’s so important to preserve these spaces.” However, it became apparent that the Church and Wellesley shop was in danger when Glad Day posted a call for help on its social media in May, alerting the public that it was at risk of closing after taking on debt every month for two years. The shop then launched a fundraising campaign online, aiming to raise $300,000. Read More * Toronto’s Glad Day Bookshop likely to avoid July eviction, but still in need of support * Toronto’s queer storytellers are coming together to save Glad Day Bookshop * How Toronto’s queer community is fighting to keep The Village alive “We’re certainly at a do-or-die moment and we are asking our community to support us so we can just buy some time to figure out what our next steps are,” Henry explained. “That might look like moving to a smaller space that’s more sustainable. That might mean restructuring how we do things here. But we are relying on mutual aid, which is what queer and trans people have always relied on.” Henry explained that mutual aid is where community members support one another, regardless of how much money individual members have, or what they’ll receive in return, especially within marginalized communities. This can include donating money, or donating services, like grant writing or social media promotion. “In the queer and trans communities’ history, often the state hasn’t helped us, so we’ve had to help each other.” And mutual aid has arrived for Glad Day. The store received a whopping $112,000 in donations from more than 1,900 donors in the first four days of the campaign. These funds allowed the shop to avoid a July eviction by paying a lump sum of $100,00 to its landlord. As of July 15, the campaign has surpassed $160,000 in donations. “It was such a resounding show of solidarity and support. Folks we thought had forgotten about us were reaching out, people were and still are doing offsite fundraising and sending us the money, people are doing their own auctions and their own promotion,” Henry explained. “People are doing so much supportive work.” QUEER TRUE STORIES TOLD LIVE While the immediate crisis has been avoided, the bookshop is still working towards its $300,000 goal. As per the shop’s Instagram page, the additional funds will be used to hire a fundraiser, pay more to artists and authors, increase accessibility and hold community consultations. On Monday, five queer storytellers took centre stage at the shop’s fundraiser, which was hosted by True Stories (Told Live) (TSTL), a show produced by Toronto-based storytelling coach Marsha Shandur, with compelling real life stories shared by community members whom she coaches. Shandur explained that storytelling has always been an important tool. “It’s how we preserved history, not just before we had the internet, but before we had books. It’s how we passed along information.” Shandur explained that the concept of hosting a TSTL show to fundraise for Glad Day was born when Sally, one of the storytellers she coaches, reached out to her with the idea. “Glad Day is a bookstore, right? It’s a whole store full of stories. So, to me, it makes so much sense to have a true storytelling show inside a space that is stuffed full of true stories,” Shandur explained. This is something Sally, who shared a personal story on Monday, echoes when asked about her inspiration for the event. “Storytelling is one of our most ancient practices of community building. If we look back on generations upon generations [of] culture, we keep those things alive by storytelling.” Sally also highlighted a unique perspective on the importance of Glad Day and the value it brings to Toronto. “We talk a lot about mental health and what that means, and the queer community is not shy to the ramifications of poor mental health… Glad Day is a spot for folks to feel comfortable, to connect with each other, so we’re not so isolated.” “I think it’s mental health support, it’s suicide prevention. It’s a place for folks [where] they can intrinsically be themselves and get support. So, I think representation, but also mental health support, is why Glad Day is a super fundamental part of the city,” Sally explained. Monday night’s event was sold out, with dozens of people packed into the space to hear heartfelt accounts from queer storytellers. With 100 per cent of the show’s proceeds donated to Glad Day, Sally shared that several people who didn’t attend the show still purchased tickets to support the store. Glad Day Bookshop at 499 Church St. (Courtesy: Dev Banfield) NEXT STEPS FOR GLAD DAY After raising their initial goal of $100,000, the shop is currently safe from eviction but continuing to raise funds for their other goals. Despite these troubling times, one thing is clear: you can’t get rid of Glad Day. “You can’t rent evict the idea of Glad Day, we will exist in one iteration or another,” Henry explained. “But it’s about having some time to consult with the community and see what their needs are and what we can best do to facilitate those.” Devon Banfield Writer / Editor Advertisement * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Youtube * Tiktok Follow us @nowtoronto Advertisement WHAT’S TRENDING * Posted 5 days ago Canadian passport moves up in ranking as one of the most powerful passports in the world: report * Posted 4 days ago ‘We have nothing,’ Frustrated Scotiabank customers cannot access deposited checks due to widespread outage * Posted 6 days ago A Brampton rental listing is going viral for its ‘friends with benefits’ payment option. 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