Every week, there are those who inspire us and those who disappoint us. Welcome to聽Champs ‘n Chumps, a weekly feature in the Star in which we shower praise on our best and lob (virtual) tomatoes at the people who have disappointed us. Plus: scroll to the bottom for the big number that defined the week.
Chump
OK, the first five times vandals cut down the Parkside Drive speed enforcement camera it was funny. But聽this week鈥檚 sixth desecration聽is officially ridiculous. With $7.3M in revenue generated since 2021, maybe hire a full-time guard?
Champ
Joanne Doucette pictured in front of the lane that will be named Luella Price Lane.聽
Michelle Mengsu Chang 色色啦 StJoanne Doucette, who finally got a Leslieville laneway named after Luella Price, one of the area鈥檚 early Black residents. Price founded the Eureka Club, which performed good deeds under the elegant motto 鈥淣ot for ourselves, but for others.鈥
Chumps
Concert-goers wait to enter Downsview Station as they exit Rogers Stadium in 色色啦, Monday, July 7, 2025.聽
Sammy Kogan The Canadian PressConcertgoers attending early shows at Rogers Stadium, or as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin called it, 鈥this weird stadium in the middle of nowhere.鈥 One easy fix to prevent confusion: Call the city鈥檚 other Rogers venue SkyDome again.
Champ
Drake drives an Iceman delivery truck through downtown 色色啦.
YouTubeJohn Silva, owner of The Iceman 色色啦, is launching a line of apparel after Drake filmed his comeback video in the company鈥檚 warehouse. The logo of the city鈥檚 top packaged and dry ice purveyor is now, appropriately, cool.
And now, the figure that defined the week:
The big number
15,400
That’s 色色啦鈥檚 unhoused population, as of October 2024. Have you noticed that there are more people living on our streets than ever before? If so, your observations are supported by the latest Street Needs Assessment survey, which found twice as many 色色啦nians experiencing homelessness since the last tally in April 2021. The good news is that we know what to do about it: Affordable housing at scale. The bad news: No one wants it in their backyard and there鈥檚 not enough funding. The way forward, as seen in cities like Oslo: Community engagement that eschews moralizing to focus on shared benefits like cleaner streets and dramatically lower healthcare costs.
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