Toronto’s Big Wins: On the Field and in Our Community

One of my favourite sports writers is Cathal Kelly from The Globe and Mail. On Monday morning before game seven, he wrote the following about the upcoming Jays game:

“Game 7s have not been good to Toronto recently. A six-game series? No problem. That’s doable. But once it gets to the point of finality, this city has a knack for disappointment. The Jays have a chance to rewire that tendency. If they win this one, who knows what else can be won?”

And then they won! Boy, did they ever win! Our Toronto Blue Jays put on two of the most entertaining games in their history when they returned home from Seattle, on the verge of possibly ending their season. Could they possibly rewire our Torontonian penchant for disappointment and defeatism?

It has happened before. When the Jays won back-to-back World Series championships in the early nineties, times were hard in Toronto, and the nation was digging itself out of a fully declared recession. Yet the town was abuzz. We could all talk about sports across party lines, socio-economic lines, and even across historic neighbourhood rivalries. We were all winners.

Other examples of these uplifting and almost unifying moments in our city’s culture include the Raptors’ first NBA Championship in 2019 and the outpouring of jubilation during World Cup wins for Italy. In those moments, we were all winners—part of the larger cultural community claiming the victory together.

Moments like these leave a lasting mark, especially on young people. They have the energy and openness to pour into the streets and celebrate together—and in doing so, they build the memories that shape their sense of belonging to this city. These shared celebrations create powerful human touchpoints. They remind us that, at our best, Toronto is a community capable of coming together in joy and pride. I still can’t drive through the intersection of St. Clair and Dufferin without being transported back to July 11, 1982, when we all headed there after Italy took the World Cup.

Basketball, in many ways, is the young person’s game, and if you ask anyone who was young in the summer of 2019, they’ll tell you that the Raptors’ championship run was one of the defining experiences of their lives. On parade day, the entire city seemed to drop its divisions and unite in celebration. For a moment, we were all winners—and all part of something bigger than ourselves.

So what are the other benefits?

From my office at the back of City Hall, I see an endless parade of visitors rushing by. There’s a little construction detour for pedestrians under my window, and I can always spot the tourists by the way they pause to figure out their route. They don’t seem frustrated; they navigate around the barrier, chatting happily as they head to the Eaton Centre or grab a bite on Dundas Street. Many have paid a lot to stay in the hotels surrounding City Hall, yet they still seem full of joy—often decked out in Jays jerseys.

Events like the Taylor Swift concerts, the World Cup, or an extended  Blue Jays playoff run bring an incredible wave of visitors to Toronto, filling hotels and restaurants across the city. While that activity clearly boosts the economy, the City itself doesn’t directly share in the revenue. The sales taxes collected on meals, hotel stays, and shopping all flow to the provincial and federal governments through the HST. You’ve heard me speak before about why cities should have access to a small portion of that tax—after all, it’s our streets, transit, and policing that make these large-scale events possible.

Still, even without that direct revenue, we can celebrate the win. All this sports-driven tourism fills restaurants, supports local businesses, and creates jobs. With young people facing particularly high unemployment, those extra shifts and extended hours matter. During the recent Blue Jays–Yankees series, Game 1 pushed hotel demand up six per cent year-over-year, adding more than 1,200 booked rooms. Game 2 on October 5 saw demand jump 22 per cent, with over 3,500 extra rooms booked. That’s a clear win for our local economy—and a reminder that when Toronto is energized, everyone feels it.

Just like back in 1993, the economic predictors aren’t great, but the city can still be full of hope. We’ve seen it recently in the budget consultation events. At the most recent one, at North York Civic Centre, Deputy Mayor Colle said, “I’ve never seen such a positive and hopeful budget consultation.”

I’ve been holding these meetings throughout the recent ALCS series, and though the dates were set months ago, not a single one landed on a game night—lucky for us! The enthusiasm in the city was unmistakable, and it showed up in the rooms where residents gathered to share their ideas and priorities.

Don’t get me wrong—participants came with criticisms and advice—but both were shared in congenial and constructive ways. One person put it best: “You’re doing great with some things, keep going. Just fix the unsexy things. We don’t need more brand-new things—just fix the unsexy.” We all had a good laugh, and then there was nothing left to do but agree one hundred percent.

If you weren’t able to attend an in-person consultation, there’s still time to share your feedback. You can join one of two virtual meetings: Monday, October 27, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM, or Wednesday, October 29, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. You can also complete a short survey about the City’s Budget. The survey will remain open until October 31.

We were asking people tough questions—Where should we target investment? Where should we target savings?—knowing we can’t always do it all. Residents have been quick to engage in the discussion and very appreciative as they headed out. I know it’s a mixture of things that creates that energy: they’re seeing improvements in what we’ve invested in over the past few years, they’re grateful to be consulted, and they’re feeling the excitement of a major sports win.

How do we bottle this winning feeling and keep it for our rainy days? We need to have confidence that we’re good at working toward a win—always improving, and sometimes capable of stepping up to seize it. The Jays may or may not win the World Series, but we can decide that we like this feeling—and hold on to it for a while.

If you’re not a sports fan, you can still agree with this other fine quote from Cathal Kelly:

“Like everything to do with sports, it doesn’t matter. But it matters.”

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