Stay in-the-know on all things Toronto with these highlights from the TorontoToday reporting team this week.
Chinatown tenants begin rent strike against local landlord, citing bed bugs, rats
Citing concerns about bedbugs and rats, a group of seven tenants in a Dundas Street rooming house began a rent strike in December against their landlord, Jenny Jiang, the vice-chair of the cleanliness and standard committee of the Chinatown BIA. TorontoToday reporter Gabe Oatley visited the rooming house to speak with tenants who detailed accounts of alleged mistreatment by the landlord.
Tenants and community members also staged a protest outside Jiang's flower shop and asked passersby to stop shopping there until the small business owner upholds her responsibilities to her residential tenants.
Toronto bike lane removals to start in March at the earliest
The Ford government plans to start its Toronto bike lane removals on or after the first day of spring. TorontoToday reporter Aidan Chamandy obtained a Dec. 12 email from Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General that said, "Ontario does not intend to make any physical changes to the infrastructure in question (the Yonge, Bloor or University bike lanes) before March 20, 2025."
FIFA asks that players, VIPs get priority at hospitals in 2026
Organizers of the FIFA Men's World Cup have asked the province to arrange for "priority access to hospital care for players and VIPs" during the summer 2026 games in Toronto. TorontoToday reporter Patrick Cain detailed the contents of internal Ministry of Health documents, obtained under access to information laws, which called the priortity care a "requirement" of the tournament.
Did Urban Outfitters rip off this Toronto small business owner’s design?
A Toronto small business owner said she was initially “dazzled” when Urban Outfitters reached out to buy a shipment of her popular orange produce bag charms to sell on the retailer’s website. TorontoToday reporter Kathryn Mannie spoke to the business owner, Dina Baxevanakis, who said she was shocked to find Urban Outfitters listed a product for sale that bore a striking resemblance to her design after the deal with the fast fashion brand fell through.
Why these Toronto restaurants don’t require customers to tip
TorontoToday reporter Alex Flood put boots to the ground this week to investigate why some Toronto restaurants don't require their patrons to tip after a meal. The owner of Barque Smokehouse — a long-running barbeque joint on Roncesvalles where customer's don't tip — said larger restaurant chains unfairly benefit from suppressed wages. Removing tipping does come at a cost, however. Barque Smokehouse raised its prices by 30 per cent after making the switch, and the restaurant’s menu alerts customers that tips and labour costs are included in the price of their dining experience.
