The Local, an independent magazine exploring urban health and social issues in Toronto, recently garnered a gold at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards for Best Interactive/Infographic story for Mapping Our Divisions by Tai Huhyn, William Davis, and Tom Weatherburn. The award adds to the list of accolades this Metcalf supported magazine has received. In 2018, it was nominated for four Canadian Online Publishing Awards and won two: Best Photo Journalism and Best Investigative Article.

The most recent issue shines a spotlight on Lawrence Heights, a neighbourhood in the midst of massive change; it is the latest revitalization project the City of Toronto is undertaking. While revitalization will bring much needed updates to the social housing infrastructure, it is also disrupting the tight-knit community that has been cultivated by residents who have lived there for multiple generations. The feature story, How it Feels to Be Revitalized, examines the difficulty in finding a balance between meeting the needs of existing residents while appealing to affluent newcomers.

In Welcome to Lawrence Heights, editor-in-chief Tai Huhyn paints a picture of this inner suburb located on either side of Allen Road just south of the Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and which at a hundred acres, is an area twice the size of Regent Park. Where the Spadina Expressway Didn’t Stop takes a look at how construction of the Allen Expressway divided Lawrence Heights. Photographer Rodrigo Moreno, who has been documenting Lawrence Heights over the last three decades, is profiled in The Picture Man. A local basketball team that’s securing college scholarships for kids is featured in The Toronto Basketball Powerhouse that Nobody’s Ever Heard Of.  Why a Health Centre Started Teaching Algebra outlines how Pathway to  Education’s group of health care professionals believe that the best way to treat a community’s health might be through a tutoring program.

The Local takes a data-driven yet authentically human approach to storytelling on pressing issues facing the city. The Local pushes readers to look beyond the city’s dominant narratives for a fuller picture of what Toronto is, and what it can be, for all who live here.