Founder feature
After graduating into a difficult job market, the creative from Hong Kong turned her energy toward building a clothing business and began finding a new purpose in the process.
Toronto election 2026
Who won the Toronto mayoral election in 2026? CP24–CTV projects Olivia Chow’s re-election. Here is the election-night result and where to check official updates.
Founder feature
Maha Ali and Behroz Saadat set out to make pet care more affordable. They’re building a Canadian marketplace shaped by feedback from pet parents and sitters across Toronto and the GTA, with a focus on fair fees and transparent pricing.
Founder feature
After discovering painting during the pandemic, the founder of Tote and Paint began bringing brushes, colour and a chance to slow down into workplaces and community spaces.
THE TORONTO BRIEF / OCTOBER 28, 2026
Curated and checked October 28, 2026. A selection of recent reporting and official updates, with original dates retained. External stories open at their publishers. Events and availability can change.
Toronto ideas, local teams and the next chapter of Canadian technology.
Toronto / FintechToronto’s Wealthsimple has agreed to financing of up to $425 million at a $13.8 billion valuation. BetaKit reports that the package includes $300 million in new equity and $125 million in purchases of employee shares.
Illustrative photo · Dillan Payne / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized & cropped
Toronto / EntrepreneurshipFinni Health, Chexy and BorderPass take the top three places in Deloitte’s technology growth ranking. BetaKit reports that companies led by women occupy five of the top ten spots, highlighting a strong showing for women founders.
Illustrative photo · Dillan Payne / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized & cropped
Health + technologySickKids says its new partnership with Microsoft Canada will expand its cloud infrastructure and explore AI and analytics tools, alongside staff training. The hospital outlines its plans to connect systems and support care teams.
Editorial illustration · Motivation Toronto
Independent shops, GTA companies and the decisions shaping work in the city.
Downtown / RetailA new LEGO store opened at CF Toronto Eaton Centre on October 23. Retail Insider reports that the downtown opening is part of a three store GTA expansion, with a Square One location scheduled to follow on November 6.
Editorial illustration · Motivation Toronto
Distillery District / Small businessThe Distillery Winter Village is adding retail space for independent Canadian businesses, with Quince joining as title sponsor. Retail Insider reports that the seasonal event is scheduled to run November 12 through January 3, excluding Christmas Day.
Illustrative photo · Dillan Payne / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized & cropped
GTA / HousingSTOREYS reports that just 129 new high-rise homes sold across the GTA in September, the lowest September total on record. Its coverage of BILD and Altus Group data also records 820 new low-rise home sales.
Illustrative photo · John Vetterli / CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized & cropped
From the waterfront to North York: public space, culture and community life.
Citywide / ElectionBeach Metro reports that Olivia Chow has won another term as Toronto mayor following the October 26 election. Its coverage cites the City’s unofficial results and notes that formal certification rests with the City Clerk.
Illustrative photo · Flaviohmg / CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized & cropped
Citywide / Civic lifeThe City says election signs on public and private property must be removed by Thursday, October 29. Its announcement explains how to separate materials and take signs and supports to City depots for recycling or disposal.
Illustrative photo · Flaviohmg / CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized & cropped
Citywide / Green spacesThe sugar maple has been chosen as Toronto’s 2027 Tree of the Year after a children’s vote. The City says more than 10,000 ballots were cast and plans a ceremonial planting at Elm Park on November 3.
Editorial illustration · Motivation Toronto
The Beach / CommunityThe Beach BIA’s October 31 celebration begins at Ivan Forrest Gardens at 1:30 p.m., with the parade leaving around 1:45 p.m. Beach Metro lists free activities at Kew Gardens from 2 to 4 p.m. and trick or treating at participating local shops.
Editorial illustration · Motivation Toronto
University district / BooksThe Toronto International Festival of Authors runs October 28–November 1 at Victoria University. The organizer’s program includes more than 100 events, with author conversations, workshops and opportunities to discover something new to read.
Editorial illustration · Motivation Toronto
Downtown / ArtArt Toronto brings more than 100 galleries to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s North Building. The fair opens October 29 and runs through November 1, with opening-night proceeds benefiting the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.
Editorial illustration · Motivation Toronto
Conversations that bring Toronto founders, builders and creative people into the same room.
Motivation Toronto founder Abrham Bisrat moderated a Toronto panel with Angella Fajardo on building a startup in the age of AI. Hosted by Ella Events, the conversation featured Litespace co-founders Jack Lau and Zeeshan Shahid sharing practical lessons on HRTech, entrepreneurship and building through a fast-moving technology cycle.
The room brought together professionals, artists and entrepreneurs for an evening of thoughtful conversation and new connections. Stay tuned for the next Motivation Toronto event.
Honest conversations with the people turning ideas into companies, communities and momentum.
VISIT THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL ↗
04:12A founder conversation from Startupfest about the idea, the mission and what it takes to bring a new platform into the world.
WATCH THE STORY ↗
06:38A conversation recorded in the middle of Toronto’s technology community.
WATCH THE STORY ↗
03:57A practical lesson for founders trying to find customers before momentum runs out.
WATCH THE STORY ↗YOUR WEEK IN TORONTO / OCT 26–NOV 1
Family time, date plans, a catch-up with friends or a little time to yourself. Pick your kind of outing.
8 events · Choose a plan that suits you.
DateOct 28 – Nov 1 · Times vary by session
LocationVictoria University, University of Toronto · University district
Author conversations, readings and workshops across a five-day literary festival.
Details & tickets ↗DateOct 29 – Nov 1 · Check opening hours
LocationMetro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building · Downtown
A gallery fair with national and international exhibitors in downtown Toronto.
Details & tickets ↗
DateNov 1 · Noon–4 p.m.
LocationBata Shoe Museum · Bloor–St. George
Halloween crafts, a museum scavenger hunt and footwear activities for all ages.
Details & tickets ↗
DateOct 30 – Oct 31 · Fri 8 p.m.–midnight · Sat 5 p.m.–midnight
LocationChurch & Maitland streets · Church–Wellesley Village
Costumes, drag performances and a two-night Halloween stage show in the Village. Beer garden: 19+.
Details & tickets ↗
DateOct 31 · From noon · contest noon–4 p.m.
LocationQueen Street West, Bathurst to Gladstone · West Queen West
A neighbourhood Halloween wander with trick-or-treat stops, window displays and costumes.
Details & tickets ↗
DateOct 31 · Noon–5 p.m.
LocationSankofa Square · Yonge–Dundas
A daytime costume outing with Halloween activities and appearances by Bluey, Bingo and the Toronto Ghostbusters.
Details & tickets ↗
DateOct 30 – Nov 1 · During museum hours · check schedule
LocationToronto Railway Museum · Roundhouse Park
Pumpkin-train crafts, a scavenger hunt and Halloween prizes among Toronto’s railway exhibits.
Details & tickets ↗
DateSep 26 – Dec 20 · Nightly at 10 p.m. · ongoing exhibition
LocationSankofa Square screens · Yonge–Dundas
Catch Julien Creuzet’s outdoor digital artwork on the square’s screens during a late-evening city walk.
Details & tickets ↗Try another tag or clear your search.
Tags are our suggestions for your outing. Check the organizer for age restrictions, access and availability.
Explore all events →Festival archive · September 22–24, 2026. What changed, what is driving the conversation, and what remains in progress.
Organizers unveiled the new name at the opening of the Toronto conference. The Canadian Press reports that the nonprofit and annual festival will both use Nrth, with plans for more frequent events beginning in 2027. This is a change in brand and programming mandate, not a sale or change of ownership.
On-site coverage identifies Canadian control of technology, infrastructure, capital, defence and payments as a defining festival theme. Nrth CEO Lisa Zarzeczny says sovereignty now runs across every content track alongside AI.
The announced speaker mix includes leaders from Cohere, Reddit, Coinbase, OpenTable, Bumble, Xanadu and Clio, alongside former Raptor Kyle Lowry and investor Arlene Dickinson. Speaker appearances and schedule changes remain subject to the organizer’s live program.
Six Brampton technology companies are scheduled to pitch on the final afternoon, including travel-planning startup Cotriply. This is a founder showcase; no winner or investment result was public at our cutoff.
Tangerine’s competition accepted pitches from eligible Ontario businesses at the festival on September 22 and 23. Its rules schedule the winner announcement for September 24 at Meridian Hall; we will not name a winner until a result is publicly confirmed.
Coverage note: the festival’s official site now uses the Nrth name. Older event pages and third-party listings may still say Elevate. We use “Elevate / Nrth” where that helps readers follow the transition.
ROOTED IN THE 6IX
Toronto is built in small shops, shared studios, busy workplaces and conversations that turn into something bigger.
Motivation Toronto follows the people behind those stories: local founders, creative communities and the ideas moving the city forward.
Tell us who we should meet next ↗Three formats. One goal: get past the pitch and into how it actually happened.
Long-form dinner conversations with the people building Toronto's next generation of companies.
Quick, unscripted interviews shot in the neighbourhood coffee shops where the real talk happens.
Our weekly newsletter and podcast — one story, one lesson, one person worth knowing about.
If they're solving a real problem, hiring in this city, or lifting up the people around them — we want to hear about it.
Nominate by emailWe read every submission. No spam, no guarantees — just a real look. Prefer email? Reach us at motivationtoronto@gmail.com.
Send us a message and it will be delivered directly to the Motivation Toronto inbox.
News photographs show Toronto-area places and are illustrative, rather than photographs of the companies or events in the linked reports. Images are resized and displayed with a crop. Photo derivatives retain their original Creative Commons licenses.
News illustrations: Motivation Toronto. Founder and workshop photographs are credited within each feature.
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