Best of Toronto in 2015

Toronto’s Best Moments in 2015: A Year’s End Compilation

During the past few days I’m sure we’ve all had moments where we’ve stopped to reflect on the year we’ve just lived and think about what lies ahead. If not, well now is the time to do so. Toronto, you’ve been a very busy city this year, and very sporty might I say (hosting the Pan Am and Parapan Am games and all).

Here is a look back at some of Toronto’s best moments in 2015:

8. Torontonians create memorial for dead raccoon #DeadRacoonTO

This lil guy, dubbed Conrad (photo credit: The Star), was not picked up by animal services by late evening one lovely day in July. After several hours of laying there he had been given his own memorial by Torontonians who left him flowers, cards, tea light candles, a picture frame and a sign in book for people to leave messages. #DeadRaccoonTO was soon trending. Even Twitter Savvy Norm Kelly left remarks for poor Conrad.

7. City Councillor, Norm Kelly’s online presence

Whether or not he writes his own tweets is a debate in itself but no one would argue that a good chuckle results from many of Councillor Norm Kelly’s tweets. From following Drake’s every move to whats hip and poppin’, Norm speaks his mind. Someone let us know if we can get him to co-write for Views Of Toronto!

6. Toronto hosted the Pan Am and Parapan Am games

Apart from the city raging about added traffic jams and selected use of HOV lanes, Torontonians were generally happy to host athletes from across the Americas to compete in their respective sports in many sporting arenas across our city. Athletes, families and tourists alike took photos around our great city and either participated in or watched the several games around Toronto.

5. The TORONTO sign 

Erected for the city’s opening ceremony for the Pan Am games, this sign was such a hit it remained at Nathan Philip’s Square and even became part of an art exhibit (called InsideOutProject) during Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche. If you haven’t taken a photo in front of it yet, well, you still have a few hours left this year to do so!

4. Suicide Squad in Downtown Toronto

We’ve all known for years now that Toronto has become Hollywood North but that didn’t make us any less surprised or less in awe with the scenes that were set along Yonge St for the filming of Suicide Squad. Many amazing photos and sneak peaks at the film’s characters (and actors who pay them) and their means of transportation were caught by Torontonians like yourselves.

3. Fashion Santa

Ho Ho Ho, woah, woah, woah – is Santa …. hot??! I mean, I guess now that beards are in and all…

2. Blue Jay’s in the playoffs and Bautista’s bat flip.

I wrote a whole article about this (click here to read it now), but in short, post season MLB was super exciting for Toronto. The city was a sea of blue white and grey. Foam fingers and blue jay apparel everywhere! I think some people even got the day off work to see the first play off game of the season (or maybe they just called in sick…) anyhow, this was a very exciting time for the city, and alas, although we did not win, we had fun (and thats all that counts right?!).

1. Toronto welcomes Syrian Refugees

I had to end it off with all the feels and the goodies. In December, Toronto opened its arms to hundreds of Syrian refugees. Watching the news reports as they arrived and several youtube & instagram videos of these families welcomed by Canadian family members at Toronto Pearson airport made me remember how great this city really is. Vast, large, daunting, concrete, fast paced, but a great, great city, filled with opportunity and wonderful communities of people.

Happy New Year everyone! May 2016 be great for you and yours!

Catherine Young

Founder of Views Of Toronto

@iCatherineYoung