From the stoop of a corner store in Parkdale to the platform of Kipling Station, Toronto speaks in many voices. But beneath the noise and the pace, there’s something deeper: a sense of place, identity, and belonging.
For the first edition of Voices from the Six, we asked people across the city—newcomers and lifers, artists and workers—one simple question:
What does Toronto mean to you?
“It’s where I found my voice,” says Trisha W., a spoken word artist from Scarborough. “When I came here at 15 from Guyana, I didn’t know who I was. Toronto gave me that.”
“To me, it’s survival,” shares Abdul M., who has run a food cart at Nathan Phillips Square for over two decades. “I raised three kids here. I came with nothing. This city—this country—gave me everything.”
“Toronto is contradiction,” laughs Eli K., a graffiti artist from Kensington. “It’s freezing cold and crazy expensive, but it’s still the dopest city in the world. I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
Whether it’s the corner barber who knows everyone by name or the newcomer learning to navigate streetcars and slang, Toronto has a way of shaping people—and being shaped by them.
It’s a city of hustle and heart.
A mosaic of stories told in a hundred languages.
A place where struggle meets opportunity.
A place where, despite everything, people choose to stay.
And for every person we spoke to, the answer wasn’t always easy—but it was always real.
As we launch Voices from the Six, we aim to bring you the raw, unfiltered stories of those who breathe life into this city. Because the soul of Toronto isn’t found in glass towers or government slogans—it’s in the voices of the people.
🗓️ Next Week:
Street Stories: What TTC Riders Say About Transit in the City
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Voices from the Six is GTA Weekly’s Sunday editorial series spotlighting the lived experiences of people across the Greater Toronto Area—one story at a time.
Follow us @GTAWeeklyNews for more. #GTAWeekly #VoicesFromTheSix #GTAToday
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