instagram 2019

10 Instagram posts that went totally viral in Toronto this year

It's been a wild year for Toronto creators of all stripes and mediums, from choreographers with post-production chops to unintentional NBA performance artists to apparent teen anarchist mobs.

Here are the Instagram posts that got people buzzing in Toronto this year.

Plant Guy tries to find Kawhi

The young man who famously carried around a housewarming "kawactus" for Kawhi Leonard after his team won its first ever NBA championship was one of several characters who captivated Toronto this summer during Raptors mania. A Global News clip featuring the elated fan got nearly 7 million views on June 14 after Drake posted it to his personal IG profile.

Dontè Colley's motivational dancing

At the beginning of 2019, Dontè Colley was a 21-year-old retail worker in Toronto. Today, thanks to his first of his many uniquely positive dance videos on Instagram , he's a bonafied social media sensation and performer with credits including Good Morning America and an Ariana Grande music video.

Man rescues cat from Toronto condo balcony

A Liberty Village pet owner was spotted crawling over the railing of a condo balcony to rescue his fluffy feline son, who'd gone "exploring" along a ledge of a high-rise building. Video footage of the act made international headlines and the man was hailed a hero by cat lovers everywhere.

Amber Alert parody video

American YouTuber Mark Phillips tapped into Ontario's collective frustration over how jarring the sound of Amber Alerts are (not to mention the flood of stupid 911 complaints they generate) with a hilarious video that's now been viewed millions of times on Instagram alone.


Mass TTC subway evasion

Footage of what appeared to be dozens of young people running onto a Toronto subway train without paying attracted much attention amidst a mass fare evasion protest in Chile, though it is unclear if the alleged teen fare evaders in Toronto were politically motivated.

Fake Kawhi Leonard rocks Raptors Championship parade

Twenty-year-old Royce Lando became a star in his own right during the NBA Finals in Toronto this year by playing up his resemblance to then-Raptors star Kawhi Leonard. Hundreds of people took photos with and got autographs from "fake Kawhi" on parade day, much to the delight of those watching it all go down via Instagram.

Starbucks employee quits in epic fashion

Former barista Anesti Danelis said goodbye to his manager at the College and Dovercourt Starbucks in song — and, while very funny, it wasn't particularly nice. Choice lyrics from the viral clip shared by Danelis on Instagram include "fuck this place, I quit" and "shove it up your venti butthole."

Toronto cat rides the TTC

Another feline resident of Toronto — a much less naughty one than balcony cat — made waves across the city this year after someone stumbled upon his Instagram account and told the world about how Dwayne the adventure cat is a TTC-riding pro. The three-year-old rescue also likes to chill in pinball bars and is widely considered (at least by me) to be the coolest cat in Canada.

Drake reveals his private jumbo jet

I'd be remiss not to mention anything about Toronto's chosen son showing off his riches on IG, since he did a lot of that this year and it all made headlines. The reveal of Air Drake — Drizzy's personal Boeing 767 — was the Grammy-winning rapper's most impactful post, if only to provide us solid proof that he is, indeed, "here."

Parkdale McDonald's BDSM

Toronto will sadly be moving into 2020 without the notoriously wild McDonald's at Dufferin and King Streets. Fortunately, we got at least one final viral photo via Parkdale Life to cement in our memories how truly weird the things that went on in that 24-hour fast food restaurant were.

RIP, Parkdale McD's.

Lead photo by

@myfrienddwayne


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