From Corner Store to Cheers – The Story of JC Tambayan
When JC and Karen opened JC Tambayan in Scarborough, they weren’t flush with capital or experience. What they had was a dream: to open a cozy Filipino bar that felt like home. Long before they had wings and loaded fries as bestsellers, they were just friends trying to figure out how to turn a dream […]
Ray Montaniel: From Scarborough Courts to a Nation-Building Mission
Coach Ray Montaniel knows what hunger looks like. Not the kind that skips breakfast — the kind that drives kids in the Philippines to play ball like their lives depend on it. Because for many, it does. Ray grew up in Scarborough, learning the game on local courts, playing for Mother Teresa High and the […]
From Kitchen to Skincare: How H’s Beauty Studio Found Its Glow
When Helen started offering facials from her home, it wasn’t part of some big business plan. It was survival. A mother of three and a former baker, she needed a way to earn income while staying close to her children. What began as a side hustle during maternity leave slowly grew—fueled by late nights, word-of-mouth, […]
Hiraya Battlegrounds: A Historic Night for Filipino Hip Hop in Canada
It wasn’t just another rap battle. It was a movement. A gathering. A declaration. Hiraya Battlegrounds recently brought the fire to Toronto, uniting Filipino battle rappers, performers, and fans from across Canada and the U.S. in a night that felt less like a competition and more like a community reunion. Set against beats, bars, and […]
Cherie Picks: A Library That Feels Like Home
In the heart of Toronto, just steps from the busiest subway hub in the city, stands a quiet sanctuary: the Toronto Reference Library. Cherie walked in not just to borrow books, but to step into possibility. It doesn’t take long to feel the weight of the place—not heavy, but grounding. Designed in the 1970s by […]
Bangku: From Sandwich Struggles to Sisig Stardom
Before Bangku became known for sizzling sisig and hot-off-the-pan silog, its story began far from home—in the back kitchen of a sandwich shop in Australia. “I didn’t even know what Swiss cheese was,” the owner laughs, remembering his first job abroad in 1999. With no culinary background from the Philippines, he started from scratch—literally. From learning the difference between breads […]
Decal Bros: From Struggle to Stickers
Kabuhayan | by Anjo Life in Canada was tough for Anthony Sabala. There were days he couldn’t pay rent. Sometimes, his income would be seized because of debt. “Wala silang pakialam kung may pambayad ka. Kinuha nila,” he says. But in that low point, something sparked. Anthony and his brothers started small. During the pandemic, they bought […]
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 […]
Asia Brown: No Pressure, Just Purpose
Asia Brown doesn’t just teach basketball. She teaches freedom. Her camps aren’t about stats or rankings. They’re about girls falling in love with the game — with no pressure. Because she remembers what it felt like to be the only girl in the program, starting at four years old. It was terrifying. And now, she’s […]
