Olivia Bowden

3 weeks ago | thejuggernaut.com | Olivia Bowden

Neeral Sheth and his partner never thought they would be welcoming their new baby into the world through a stranger they met on Zoom. For years, having children felt abstract, and even impossible. The Chicago-based couple married in 2016 after over a decade together. They had often discussed starting a family. But as two gay Indian American men, they weren’t sure how, or if, that dream would ever materialize. Then, they thought of surrogacy. The Sheths aren’t the only ones.

1 month ago | westendphoenix.com | Olivia Bowden

It used to be easier to negotiate with a Toronto landlord if a long-term, typically reliable tenant suddenly fell behind on rent. Lawyer Dania Majid used to see it all the time when a client lost their job or experienced a death or illness in their family. If rent payments were missed, several of her clients’ landlords were open to setting up a reasonable repayment plan so they could get back on their feet. In the landlord’s eyes, the tenant had value. But those days are gone.

1 month ago | thewalrus.ca | Olivia Bowden

Over the course of a 101-minute-long podcast interview released in January, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and his host, Jordan Peterson, lamented the erosion of “traditional values” and the loss of “masculinity” in Canada. It’s possibly the most extensive interview Poilievre has given to date. And it’s revealing.

Feb 28, 2025 | theguardian.com | Olivia Bowden

Tucked away in a former garage space in Toronto’s west end, Gram’s Pizza, is usually packed with diners hankering for anything from a classic pepperoni to vodka and hot hawaiian. Lately, however, owner and chef Graham Palmateer has made some changes to how he makes his pizzas. After Donald Trump threatened to slap a 25% tariff on Canadian goods – and even to annex the whole country – Palmateer decided to banish US ingredients from his restaurant. “I just decided I was done with the US.

Feb 27, 2025 | theguardian.com | Olivia Bowden

Pride Toronto, one of the largest celebrations of LGTBQ+ people in North America, is reeling from the loss of three major sponsors who have pulled funding after Donald Trump’s purge of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes in the US. Kojo Modeste, the executive director of the Canadian event said that the sponsors who also do business in the US are seeking to avoidbeing seen as supporting LGBTQ+ rights.