The Bay: End of an Empire
by Anjo It’s quiet on Queen Street. No more window displays. No more last-minute shoppers trying to catch a “One-Day Sale.” Just silence—and dust-covered signs that read Everything Must Go. Hudson’s Bay is officially closed. But as I stand in front of this iconic building—once the crown jewel of downtown Toronto—I still feel the weight of […]
Our Lady of Lourdes: The Church That Held Us Together
By Anjo | Anjology In the middle of Toronto’s ever-changing skyline, where high-rises compete with the clouds and people rush from subway to shift work, there stands something still. A church. Not just any church, but a home for the tired, the hopeful, and the newly arrived. “Tahanan ng dasal, tagpuan ng luha, sentro ng […]
Kitchie Nadal, 20 Years Later — The Concert That Changed Everything for Us
by Anjo Pallasigui Twenty years ago, we took a leap of faith by producing Kitchie Nadal’s first Canadian concert. Looking back now, it feels like the spark that lit everything we do today. The year was 2005. We were just rookies coming from the local OPM scene, armed with nothing but guts, a love for […]
A Quiet Force, A Loud Impact: How Kababayan Multicultural Centre Helps Filipino Newcomers Thrive in Canada
There are community centres—and then there’s Kababayan. For over 45 years, the Kababayan Multicultural Centre(KMC) in Toronto has quietly been doing the heavy lifting for Filipino immigrants and other newcomers long before immigration became a trending hashtag. This isn’t a feel-good story. This is real support, for real people, with real challenges. In this episode of Thrive in […]
Long Live the Scene: A Love Letter to Toronto’s Vanishing Music Venues
There was a time in Toronto when the heartbeat of the city pulsed through amps and cymbals, not condo drills and construction cranes. Back in the ’90s and early 2000s, you didn’t need a million followers or a Spotify campaign to be heard. You just needed a busted amp, a few chords, and a stage—any […]
From Landfill to Sanctuary: A Walk Through Tommy Thompson Park
If you’ve lived in Toronto long enough, you’ve probably heard of Tommy Thompson Park—a quiet, sprawling strip of nature that juts into Lake Ontario like an arm stretching away from the city. Known for birdwatching, cycling, and peaceful reflection, it feels like an escape, a rare place where the noise of the world fades into wind […]
Breathe Again at Friday Harbour: A Hidden Oasis Near Toronto
In a world that moves too fast, where every second is scheduled and silence is a luxury, we sometimes forget to breathe. That’s exactly what poet and storyteller Anne Wong reminds us of in this soul-soothing episode set in Friday Harbour, a lakeside retreat just an hour from Toronto. Through her verses, she paints a vivid picture of escape—not […]
Layers of the City: Discovering the Soul of Kensington Market
Kensington Market isn’t just a neighborhood—it’s a living mosaic of Toronto’s past and present. In this episode of Tanging Tanawin, Anne Wong takes us on a sensory journey through one of the city’s most storied streets. What was once a horse stable is now a cheese shop with floorboards stamped by time. Jewish tailors, Portuguese bakers, […]
Our Vote, Our Voice: The Rise of the Filipino Voter in Canada
If there’s a place in Toronto that feels like a piece of Manila, it’s right here—Bathurst and Wilson. Little Manila. It’s where the stories of arrival, survival, and new beginnings come together, along with the largest cluster of Filipino-owned businesses in the city. But this time, the question isn’t just about where we’ve gathered—it’s about […]
Spring in Canada: A Lesson in Trusting the Wait
Spring in Canada doesn’t arrive with fanfare. It tiptoes in, like someone who texted “on the way” an hour ago but still hasn’t shown up. The calendar says it’s here—but step outside and the cold air, silent birds, and undecided trees will have you questioning everything. Canadian spring is an exercise in patience. It’s the […]
