Wency Leung
@wencyleung.bsky.social
Reporter at The Local @thelocal.to Pronounced "wen-see," she/her.
Great to see @prarthanapathak.bsky.social's story on the Brampton incinerator republished by our friends @thenarwhal.ca.
The Narwhal@thenarwhal.ca · 6d agoThe country's biggest garbage incinerator is coming to Brampton, Ontario. Locals are worried about the impact on the environment and community health, and they wonder if their largely immigrant community is seen as a "sacrifice zone." Originally published by @thelocal.to.
Punjabi farmers in Peel have thriving organic farms - and TikToks. "The farming tradition once passed primarily through generation to generation can now reach thousands through a phone. Those screens are, perhaps surprisingly, bringing people back onto the land ...." thenarwhal.ca/ontario-bram...
Brampton farms offer Punjabi families a taste of home | The Narwhal
Farmers are amassing TikTok followers and real-life visitors, bringing their knowledge from India to Canadian farmland
thenarwhal.ca
You'd think a story about public consultation on a subway station exit would be dullsville. But no, friends, no. This is @alisonmotluk.bsky.social. 🔥
The Local Magazine@thelocal.to · 2w ago@alisonmotluk.bsky.social spent a year helping the TTC rethink a subway exit. That was seven years ago. What the hyper-local story of an unfinished TTC exit tells us about the purpose of public consultation. thelocal.to/second-exit-...
The number of candidates running for trustee at the Peel District School Board is down 35 percent from the 2022 election. At the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the drop is steeper at nearly 40 percent. thelocal.to/peel-school-...
Fewer Candidates for Peel School Trustee Following Changes by the Ford Government | The Local
This municipal election there’s a steep decline in candidates for trustee at the Peel District School Board and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
thelocal.to
A total of 71 candidates are running for the TDSB’s 12 trustee positions this year. In 2022, there were 136 candidates across 22 wards. We examined who’s running and why. thelocal.to/tdsb-catholi...
Who Wants to Be a Toronto School Trustee? | The Local
The Ford government has cut their pay, disempowered them, and taken over the board. But some candidates say vying to represent their community’s education concerns is more important than ever.
thelocal.to
📢 We’re thrilled to introduce the 2026 Local Fellows: Jessica Kim, Nic Hotchkiss, Victoria Hincapie Gomez, and Gabrielle McMann! thelocal.to/introducing-...
Introducing the 2026 Local Fellows | The Local
We’re excited to welcome Victoria Hincapie Gomez, Nic Hotchkiss, Jessica Kim, and Gabrielle McMann.
thelocal.to
"Reporters in B.C. are often shocked when they call officials in Alaska or Washington for comment and mid-level government employees freely speak on the record." This is so true and so bizarre. In the U.S., public employees - scientists, program directors, analysts - actually talk to reporters 😱
B.C. disables employee directory, leaving public in the dark about who works for gov't - Today in BC
Public can no longer look up who works in the B.C. government, or access internal contact information
todayinbc.com
My first feature for The Local looks at the proposed expansion of Emerald EFW in Brampton, a project that has environmental groups, public health officials, and residents asking: Why here? This story examines what happens when a project with lasting consequences unfolds largely outside public view
The Local Magazine@thelocal.to · 3w ago“It’s a sacrifice zone.” With the province’s approval of the Emerald EFW expansion, bringing Canada’s largest waste incinerator to Brampton, locals are wondering if anyone’s looking out for their health. thelocal.to/brampton-eme...
No mention of the cause, though? 😭 A summer season of fire, smoke, ashes and fear - The Globe and Mail share.google/gUC6ldbAdeY4...
Globe editorial: A summer season of fire, smoke, ashes and fear
The carefree feeling of summers past has been incinerated as wildfires rage across the country
share.google
Many summer camps in the GTA don’t accommodate kids with special needs. The financial, social, and developmental consequences are enormous. thelocal.to/autism-speci...
For Kids With Special Needs, Summer Camp Is Out of Reach | The Local
Few camps in the GTA serve children with developmental disorders or disabilities, forcing parents to take time off work to stay home and depriving kids of the chance to explore, play, and interact wit...
thelocal.to
New from The Local: Most parents are familiar with the challenges of finding childcare during the summer. But for parents of kids with special needs, it can be close to impossible, Gabrielle McMann writes. thelocal.to/autism-speci...
For Kids With Special Needs, Summer Camp Is Out of Reach | The Local
Few camps in the GTA serve children with developmental disorders or disabilities, forcing parents to take time off work to stay home and depriving kids of the chance to explore, play, and interact wit...
thelocal.to
NEW: Doug Ford railed against his own MPPs for claiming hotel stays in downtown Toronto, telling them they'd all have to pay it back. The thing is, it was actually the government that told them to use the perk in an email last year. #Onpoli globalnews.ca/news/1197496...
Ford government advised its MPPs they could use hotel benefit for night sittings | Globalnews.ca
For more than a week, government MPPs have been facing scrutiny for charging downtown Toronto hotel stays to the taxpayer instead of commuting to and from Queen’s Park.
globalnews.ca
We just wrapped our sports issue at @thelocal.to with this excellent profile of one of Canada's best wheelchair rugby players. This story avoids all the clichés you've heard about para athletes and instead presents you with a complex image of a young man at a crossroads—don't miss it.
Wency Leung@wencyleung.bsky.social · 2mo agoOld dog (me) tries new trick (sports writing!!!😱) Big love to @royinori.bsky.social for all the thought and care she put into editing this story. thelocal.to/wheelchair-r...
We’re 100 days away from the next municipal election. Behind the scenes, things have already kicked into high gear at The Local. thelocal.to/gearing-up-f...
Gearing Up for October’s Municipal Elections | The Local
We are building a civic newsroom unlike any other, with an expanded scope to serve residents of not just Toronto, but also Mississauga and Brampton.
thelocal.to
I was interviewed in @thestar.com about the wildfire smoke today. “The unfortunate reality is that this extreme weather and wildfire smoke is not natural. It is man-made. It is a result of decades of burning natural gas, gasoline, coal, burning garbage… …we need to stop burning things for energy.”
Toronto turns orange under a sky choked by Ontario wildfire smoke: ‘Is this the apocalypse?’
The city had the worst air quality in the world on Wednesday, prompting health warnings and event cancellations. About 200 wildfires are burning in northwestern Ontario where First Nations communities...
thestar.com
Boy, people sure do love sports! May I interest you in parasports? #murderball thelocal.to/wheelchair-r...
Wheelchair Athlete Rio Kanda Kovac Wants to Win | The Local
His thirst for victory has gotten Team Canada's youngest player this far in wheelchair rugby. But in this fast-paced, aggressive, yet remarkably inclusive sport, getting ahead also means learning to p...
thelocal.to
Yesterday it felt like 40+ C in Toronto. Today it's cooler... because smoke from the wildfire that has obliterated Collins First Nation in northern Ontario is blocking the sun. Seems like time to re-up my column from last year on the summertime blues. thenarwhal.ca/seasonal-dep...
I have seasonal depression in the summer now | The Narwhal
Extreme heat, wildfires and pests — fuelled by climate change — threaten to make summer the worst season in Canada. It’s time to talk about it
thenarwhal.ca
Old dog (me) tries new trick (sports writing!!!😱) Big love to @royinori.bsky.social for all the thought and care she put into editing this story. thelocal.to/wheelchair-r...
Wheelchair Athlete Rio Kanda Kovac Wants to Win | The Local
His thirst for victory has gotten Team Canada's youngest player this far in wheelchair rugby. But in this fast-paced, aggressive, yet remarkably inclusive sport, getting ahead also means learning to p...
thelocal.to
I'm calling this one a buried lede. It's not just about linking #heatwaves to #climatechange. As Hawkins says, it's about linking extreme heat and wildfires to oil and gas infrastructure and spending. @edhawkins.org
Most UK media reports on June heatwave failed to mention climate crisis
Exclusive: Analysis of nearly 2,500 articles finds almost three-quarters made no reference to global heating
theguardian.com
Fuelled by waves of South Asian immigration, cricket has become one of Canada's fastest-growing sports, writes Vikram Nijhawan. But overcrowded fields, failing businesses, and allegations of corruption are threatening the game from within. thelocal.to/cricket-popu...
Cricket in the GTA Is Booming. Now Comes the Hard Part. } The Local
Fuelled by waves of South Asian immigration, cricket has become one of Canada's fastest-growing sports. But overcrowded fields, failing businesses, and allegations of corruption are threatening the ga...
thelocal.to
There are so many gems throughout this entire issue @thelocal.to. "The World Cup is a reminder of the massive influence sports can have over a place like Toronto—reshaping our geography, sparking celebration or mourning, and remaking our experience of the city." thelocal.to/summer-2026/
Sports and the City | The Local
How we play sports is tied to policy and politics, culture and business. As the larger-than-life FIFA World Cup kicks off in Toronto, we look at sports from the ground, from minor-league baseball to c...
thelocal.to
Writing spotlight: Gold, NMA Long-Form Feature Writing: 6000+ / @thelocal.to @nickhunebrown.bsky.social Contributors: @chloeellingson.bsky.social , photographer; @wencyleung.bsky.social editor 🔗Learn more about the 2026 NMA winners: zurl.co/2lI5g #NMA26 #CanadianJournalism
Huge kudos to Betsy Powell from @thestar.com for her coverage of this atrocious case. The fact that this nightmare was allowed to happen is damning.
Toronto Star@thestar.com · 2mo agoOn Friday, a mother told an Ontario court how she walked backwards out of a funeral home to not turn away from her 12-year-old son lying in a coffin. That was one of the gut‑wrenching moments as a couple were sentenced to life in prison for the boy's murder. Read more from Betsy Powell:
Womens sports are booming in Canada right now. But without female coaches at the helm, a generation of young athletes may miss out on the opportunity to learn a new way to play, writes @curiouslana.bsky.social. New from our sports issue: thelocal.to/womens-sport...
Where Are All the Female Coaches? | The Local
Canada is in a moment of unprecedented expansion in women’s sports. But structural barriers and unclear pathways into coaching mean that women are being deprived of opportunities to lead the next gene...
thelocal.to
“If you have nothing to hide, what is the problem if your ministry reports are kept public?” More than a decade's worth of reports on long-term care conditions were just taken offline by the government. We've saved 10,000 of them, and we're making them accessible to all. thelocal.to/long-term-ca...
The Ford Government Just Deleted Thousands of Long-Term Care Reports. Here They Are. | The Local
The provincial government has eliminated access to long-term care home inspection reports from before 2023. We have over 10,000 of those reports, and are restoring access to the public.
thelocal.to
Sharing this one again. I wanted to write a how-can-you-not-be-romantic-about-baseball-style story about my beloved Maple Leafs, the professional-ish team that plays in the same playground as my 9-year-old. Then they signed former all-star/convicted criminal Yasiel Puig. thelocal.to/yasiel-puig-...
Yasiel Puig at Christie Pits | The Local
A free Maple Leafs baseball game at my local playground has long been the best community event in the city. Then the team signed a former Major League Baseball star awaiting sentencing.
thelocal.to
The Ford government just deleted every long-term care inspection report from before 2023 from their website, obfuscating a vital public record, especially from the devastating pandemic era. But we have 10,000 of those reports, and we're making them publicly available. thelocal.to/long-term-ca...
The Ford Government Just Deleted Thousands of Long-Term Care Reports. Here They Are. | The Local
The provincial government has eliminated access to long-term care home inspection reports from before 2023. We have over 10,000 of those reports, and are restoring access to the public.
thelocal.to
@nickhunebrown.bsky.social has done it AGAIN! He's written yet another story you can't put down thelocal.to/yasiel-puig-...
"Why was the team they loved signing a guy with sexual assault allegations who could be in jail in just weeks?" I also love to watch the Maple Leafs play at Christie Pits. @nickhunebrown.bsky.social has summed up the fans' dilemma beautifully
Nick Hune-Brown@nickhunebrown.bsky.social · 2mo agoI wrote about my beloved baseball Maple Leafs signing Yasiel Puig. thelocal.to/yasiel-puig-...
I wrote about my beloved baseball Maple Leafs signing Yasiel Puig. thelocal.to/yasiel-puig-...
Yasiel Puig at Christie Pits | The Local
A free Maple Leafs baseball game at my local playground has long been the best community event in the city. Then the team signed a former Major League Baseball star awaiting sentencing.
thelocal.to