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10 stories that broke the internet in Toronto this year

Between the Raptors winning their first-ever NBA Championship, protesters staging near-weekly demonstrations against government policies, and various incidences of people throwing things where they shouldn't be throwing them, 2019 was a big year for news junkies in Toronto.

Here are some of the stories that resonated most among Toronto residents online throughout 2019.

Raptors win the NBA championships

I mean, duh. Toronto not only made it into the NBA Finals for the first last season, we took home the Larry O'B. It was a wild time for sports fans and civic enthusiasts alike. An official celebratory parade through the downtown core attracted an estimated two million people, making for the largest street party in the city's history.

Chick-fil-A comes to Canada

The launch of American fried chicken chain Chick-fil-A's new location at Yonge and Bloor in Toronto this fall sparked a torrent of protests over the company's ties to anti-LGBTQ2 groups. Meanwhile, people are still lined up outside the restaurant nearly every day to get their hands on some greasy waffle fries. It's been divisive, to say the least.


Chair girl

In February, a 19-year-old bottle service girl named Marcella Zoia simultaneously became a wanted criminal and an internet sensation for throwing a chair off the balcony of a high-rise condo building over Toronto's Gardiner Expressway. Everything wild that's happened since could fill a book, and probably will some day.

Peepee Poopoo Man

Speaking of illegal projectiles, 20-year-old Samuel Opoku captured the city's attention in late November for allegedly tossing buckets of liquified feces at five people in three separate incidents at university campuses across the city. Opoku is charged with five counts of assault with a weapon, but no word yet on what motivated the crime.

Bianca Andreescu wins the U.S. Open

Mississauga's very own Bianca Andreescu, 19, was hailed 'Queen of the North' this summer after defeating Serena Williams to become the first Canadian women's singles champion of the U.S. Open. All of Toronto beamed on as the young athlete went on a whirlwind media tour that included a flight aboard Air Drake.

Global Climate Strike Protest

Twenty-nineteen was nothing if not the year of the protest. From demonstrations against OSAP cuts to die-ins for animal rights, in-person rallies blew up as a thing to do in Toronto this year. This was evidenced in spades during the Global Climate Strike in September, where everyone on Instagram got to play activist for a day.

Kawhi Leonard's miraculous shot

The Toronto Raptors couldn't have won the 2019 NBA Finals without Kawhi Leonard's ridiculous, game-winning buzzer beater in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Philadelphia. "The shot," as the moment is now known, has gone down as one of the greatest moments in professional sports history — and for good reason. Just watch it.

Woman goes on racist rant in Nathan Phillips Square

The entire city was shocked in August by video footage of a young woman verbally attacking someone and spitting on him outside Toronto City Hall. Talya Davidson, 28, was arrested and charged with assault, as well as three charges of assaulting a peace officer. Rumours that the racist tirade was a hoax turned out to be false.


Justin Trudeau's blackface scandal

While not specific to Toronto, we'd be remiss not to mention what was probably the most internationally talked-about political scandal from Canada since Rob Ford admitted to smoking crack. The black and brown face photos of Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau that leaked ahead of 2019's federal election didn't stop him from winning, either, which itself raised some eyebrows in the city.

The Drake curse

He may have done a lot for the Raptors franchise, but Drake got no love from fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs this past season. Whether seriously or as a joke, the artist has been blamed all year for crushing the chances of any team or athlete he shows support for with his jersey choice, including several European football clubs, Serena Williams and Conor McGregor.

Lead photo by

Reddit/kobeintheclutch


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