Nick Hune-Brown
@nickhunebrown.bsky.social
Toronto magazine writer and executive editor @thelocal.to. Here for smart long-form articles and dumb basketball posts. Email nick@thelocal.to
Must read
The Local Magazine@thelocal.to · 2d agoFormer staff say he drove them to tears. Some colleagues call him a bully. But Brad Bradford is betting that this election day, enough Torontonians will be as angry as he seems to be. New from @royinori.bsky.social, a portrait of the man who really wants to be mayor. thelocal.to/brad-bradfor...
Fantastic local journalism from @wencyleung.bsky.social and photographer @chloeellingson.bsky.social here. There's a heated election (with an OPP investigation hanging over things) in Scarborough SW, but this story is about so much more. thelocal.to/scarborough-...
The Incumbent Is Under OPP Investigation. In Scarborough Southwest, Voters Are Focused on Other Issues | The Local
In a rematch of a close 2023 by-election, incumbent Parthi Kandavel and Kevin Rupasinghe offer very different visions of a growing suburb.
thelocal.to
Nice surprise: My podcast about "Victoria Goldiee," the mysterious AI freelancer who duped publications around the world, is up for a Signal Award for best writing in a podcast. Much thanks to the Question Everything team! vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting...
The Signal Listener's Choice Award needs YOU
I just voted for this finalist to win a Signal Listener's Choice Award. You should too.
vote.signalaward.com
Advanced voting for the 2026 municipal elections begins today! Follow our in-depth coverage of the races in Toronto, Brampton, and Mississauga. thelocal.to/vote-2026/ And sign up for our free newsletter to get the latest news right in your inbox. thelocal.to/subscribe/
Fall 2026
thelocal.to
Love to have Matt Braga writing in The Local again. Here he is on the race in Scarborough North. "As the city changes—as it grows, ages, densifies, evolves—how much should a ward like Scarborough North change with it?"
The Local Magazine@thelocal.to · 6d agoLast year, Scarborough North became the first suburban ward to legalize the construction of sixplexes. Matt Braga writes about how it’s defining the election. thelocal.to/scarborough-...
For @thelocal.to, I wrote a profile of Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish—a veteran politician known for fighting. Perhaps because of this, no one wanted to go on the record for this story Who leads Mississauga next matters as the city tries to evolve into an urban centre thelocal.to/carolyn-parr...
Carolyn Parrish Loves a Fight—Now She’s Up Against Her Fiercest Opponent
thelocal.to
Tell your friends in Peel. Amazing work from the candidate tracker team.
The Local Magazine@thelocal.to · last wk.📢 We’re not just tracking candidates in Toronto anymore. Today we launched Candidate Tracker Mississauga thelocal.to/candidate-tr... and Candidate Tracker Brampton thelocal.to/candidate-tr... —fact-checked biographies of every single candidate for mayor, city councillor, and regional councillor.
I’m at Word on the Street at @thelocal.to booth all day, and talking AI on this panel at 11:30. Come say hi! toronto.thewordonthestreet.ca/events/the-h...
toronto.thewordonthestreet.ca
The Candidate Tracker team has been in the trenches reporting and fact-checking bios and platform summaries for EVERY SINGLE CANDIDATE in the 2026 Toronto election. No AI, no campaign talking points. Bookmark it, send it to a friend, we'll update until election day. thelocal.to/candidate-tr...
Candidate Tracker: Toronto Election 2026 | The Local
The only place to find reported, fact-checked biographies and platform summaries for every candidate running in the 2026 Toronto municipal election.
thelocal.to
Nicki Ward wants to be Toronto’s first openly trans councillor. But even in Toronto Centre, the most LGBTQ2S+ friendly area of the city, municipal politics can be ruthless, writes Local fellow Victoria Hincapie Gomez. thelocal.to/toronto-cent...
Is Toronto Ready for Its First Openly Trans Councillor? | The Local
Toronto has a history of dismissing trans politicians as fringe candidates. In Toronto Centre, Nicki Ward is fighting for a fair shot.
thelocal.to
This is so cool. My sister wrote a kids book about my grandmother's journey to Canada from China as a teenage opera singer. It's a wild story, and beautifully illustrated. Check it out!
Second Story Press@secondstory.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe Fall 2026 Preview continues with Poh Poh’s Sword, by Julia Hune-Brown and illustrated by Hayley Lowe! Poh Poh’s Sword is an immigration story about Julie's Chinese Canadian grandmother’s (Poh Poh’s) leaving China to North America. Publishing on September 15, 2026. Available for pre-order now!
The data centre backlash comes to Mississauga. Ahead of this week’s vote on whether to freeze data-centre development for a year city, councillors seeking re-election are suddenly taking a firm stance in response to public outcry. By @prarthanapathak.bsky.social. thelocal.to/mississauga-...
The Data Centre Backlash Has Come to Mississauga—and It’s Swallowing the Municipal Election | The Local
Ahead of this week’s vote on whether to freeze data-centre development for a year, city councillors seeking re-election are suddenly taking a firm stance in response to public outcry
thelocal.to
From @thelocal.to archives, here's the wonderful @alisonmotluk.bsky.social's obit for the Science Centre thelocal.to/ontario-scie...
The Killing of the Science Centre | The Local
The 55-year old museum shuttered without warning one Friday in June. Then devastated staff were given four months to dismantle it. A former employee on the last days of a beloved institution.
thelocal.to
Here's the great @alisonmotluk.bsky.social's impassioned and depressing take on life in a huge, rich, weirdly powerless city. "We are the grown child helping to support the family, who is not allowed out past curfew or even to decorate their own room." thelocal.to/toronto-city...
Doug Ford vs. Toronto | The Local
Good news: your community elected a councillor and even a mayor who share your vision for the city. Then the province steps in.
thelocal.to
This Luc Rinaldi story is so good. The night Olivia Chow was elected, a bunch of conservatives (including Brad Bradford) found themselves at the bar, commiserating and strategizing. The group that emerged, ABC Toronto, is now trying to reshape Toronto politics. thelocal.to/abc-toronto-...
The ‘Shadow Parties’ That Could Swing the Toronto Election | The Local
The rise of ABC Toronto and Progress Toronto marks a new era of behind-the-scenes political organizing at City Hall—and this October's election is their first real test.
thelocal.to
OK, kids are at school and candidates are getting busy, we're launching our 2026 municipal election coverage (not just for Toronto, but Brampton and Mississauga too). Sign up for our newsletter. Tell your civic-minded friends. So much good work coming over the next two months.
The Local Magazine@thelocal.to · last mo.And we’re off! Municipal elections across the GTA are on October 26, and our (growing) team here at The Local is working to bring you the most comprehensive, intelligent coverage of the races and issues that matter. #topoli
some words on Soraya Roberts, the best writer i ever knew
Soraya
I sat on the aisle at a movie the other day.
justatad.xyz
Just heard the awful news of Soraya Roberts’s death. I knew her as a reader, first, admiring her cultural criticism from afar, then as a fellow freelancer bitching/scheming about how to make it in this terrible industry. 1/3 defector.com/soraya-rober...
Soraya Roberts Was A Great Critic And A Great Hang | Defector
A not-insignificant part of my job is fielding phone calls from freelance writers who have questions. The questions can vary—Have you heard of any job openings? Are you interested in this pitch? An ed...
defector.com
@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-...
What the Unfinished Saga of a Still-Not-Built Subway Exit Taught Me About Public Consultation | The Local
One community volunteer traces 20 years of botched communication, unanswered questions, and delays—and asks what public consultation is actually worth.
thelocal.to
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 · 2mo 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...
“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...
The Biggest Incinerator in Canada | The Local
As the Emerald Energy from Waste incinerator moves towards a major expansion, locals are worried about their health, and asking if their working-class, immigrant community is seen as a “sacrifice zone...
thelocal.to
A Canadian lawmaker is facing backlash online after delivering a speech in New Brunswick's Legislative Assembly that seemingly included an AI prompt. "I'm Ron Burgundy?" some commenters reacted on Reddit.
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
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
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
A very lovely piece about topics both complicated (What is Puig doing, anyway?) and uncomplicated (baseball is good, especially when it's played for the people).
Nick Hune-Brown@nickhunebrown.bsky.social · 4mo agoI wrote about my beloved baseball Maple Leafs signing Yasiel Puig. 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 · 4mo agoI wrote about my beloved baseball Maple Leafs signing Yasiel Puig. thelocal.to/yasiel-puig-...
