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The most read stories of 2015 on nowtoronto.com

I spend an awful lot of time on the internet and social media, and let me tell you: when I reflect on experiencing 2015 through that lens, I see police brutality, mass shootings, Donald Trump and hoverboards that don’t even hover. 

But nowtoronto.com’s most popular stories, for the most part, are positive. From local teenage feminists rising up to reclaim ownership of their bodies to Torontonians posing nude as an expression of self-love – this city has so much going for it, I just may delay my plan to close all of my social media accounts and move to the woods.

Here are the most read stories from each section of nowtoronto.com: 

News

Okay, so you really wanted to know what the new TTC map is going to look like in 2021, when real hoverboards will exist and the Eglinton Crosstown is complete. This goes to show that a) the TTC continues to infuriate the masses and b) we’re still optimistic that service will improve. We’re adorable!

Feminism also fuelled a lot of page views this year, which both warmed my heart and, after reading the reader comments, didn’t feel good. Students at Etobicoke School of the Arts defied their school’s dress code policy by sporting crop tops en masse, arguing that their bodies aren’t distracting – it’s the reaction to bodies that’s the problem. 

And we wouldn’t want to forget the charming men who were called out at a Toronto FC game for interrupting a live news broadcast to yell terrifying, threatening words at a female reporter last May. If you don’t know what #FHRITP stands for, you’re really lucky and maybe you’ll never have to.

Oh, and men’s rights activists? We’re going to keep watching you in 2016.

Don’t miss: The top 10 news stories that defined 2015

Lifestyle

It’s New Year’s, so you know every other fashion and beauty writer out there is diligently filing stories about dieting, toning up and dropping pounds. In 2015, we tried to change that conversation with our Love your Body issue. Instead of kicking off the year filled with self-loathing, why not meditate on our evolving relationships with our diverse, glorious physical selves?

Annanda DeSilva

Tanja-Tiziana

In fact, we were so excited to share the love that Facebook froze our page for 24 hours to punish us for absentmindedly trying to free Annanda DeSilva’s (pictured above) nipples. It was awesome.

Honourable mention: H&M and OCAD contest exploits students and check out the top fashion hits and misses of 2015.

Food + Drink

Look, I’ll be honest: Toronto mouths are so hungry for food news, our readers get pretty excited about any openings or closures. But that didn’t prepare us for an international onslaught of Harry Potter fans who drooled over The Lockhart, a very low key Potter-themed bar on Dundas West that tests your in-depth knowledge of the books with subtle references sprinkled thoughout the decor and menu. 

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Natalia Manzocco

Behind the bar is a neon sign that nods to the final scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Honourable mentions: Toronto’s best restaurants, pizza, patios, cheap eats, hidden gems and more

Music

NOW’s music editor Carla Gillis already did a fine job of crystallizing our most-read stories in the music section: the Action Bronson petition, fruitless efforts to persuade Viet Cong to change their name and efforts to battle sex assault in the punk community with the cancelled Casualties show.

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RIP: Drummer Vassil Mester

But let’s also take a moment for our local music community: the incredible drummer Vassil Mester died far too young vinyl is here to stay and wow, do we ever feel connected to the live venues of the past (Velvet Underground, we can’t wait to see the next phase of your evolution!).

Movies

TIFF is truly an all-hands-on-deck kind of scenario, with every department implicated on some level or another by Toronto’s massive film festival. Some of this year’s most-read moments? Our cover story with Brooklyn’s Oscar-worthy star Saoirse Ronan, Helen Mirren’s shoeless walk down King St. and spotting Benicio Del Toro getting stoned at the Thompson. 

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Goddess Helen Mirren does not require shoes.

Don’t miss our roundup of our favourite films of the year, plus our guide to this year’s reviews and where to watch every film.

Stage

This was an absolutely fabulous year for Toronto theatre, with an astounding number of artists and shows knocking the socks off our critics. But our Fringe Festival coverage, which reaches far beyond the usual theatre-going community, continues to be our most read content in the section. Aside from our recommendations for best bets, reviews for productions of Summerland, The Philanderess and People Suck were the most popular reads.

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Mike Ford

Ashley Comeau and Connor Thompson show that People Suck.

Honourable mentions: Network Notes, SummerWorks

Art + Books

Is Dupont the next Ossington? It seems ludicrous to imagine the inhospitable thoroughfare as a destination for anything besides getting your car fixed. But it wasn’t that long ago that we thought the same thing about Ossington, which was once described in very similar terms. Now, there’s been a mass exodus of galleries from Queen and Dundas West to Dupont, signalling more gentrification to come.

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Tanja-Tiziana

The Galleria Mall

Honourable mentions: Nuit Blanche, Chip Zdarsky and Roxane Gay.

Not so bad, right? Happy New Year and see you in 2016!

kater@nowtoronto.com | @katernow

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