We have our fair share of superheroes here in Toronto, even though some of them might not don a cape or a über cool outfit. These individuals and groups are the ones that make Toronto such a great place to live, a great place to work and a great place to visit.
Check ‘em out, Toronto’s very own heroes.
Jimmy Tobin, Toronto youth worker. An advocate for social justice, Jimmy fights everyday to lower the number of homeless youth in Canada. He became the Horizons for Youth day program coordinator in 2011, and he’s worked hard to create educational and skill-based programs. The program helps youth transition from living and depending on the shelter system to becoming independent and taking ownership of their lives.
Kathleen Byers, ‘dancing crossing guard’. She not only helps children cross the street, but she does it with pizzazz! She’s been doing it for years and is considered a bit of a west-end celeb, but recently she was told by the police to stop her dancing and music-playing. Anyway, she’s a superhero in our books because she brightens everyone’s day and encourages active lifestyles for kids!
Toronto Batman (AKA Alex Brovedani). Toronto has its very own Batman – cape and all! Toronto resident and stand-up comedian Brovedani first became Batman in 2005 for Halloween, and now busks at Yonge and Dundas and sometimes the ACC. Though he isn’t fighting crime in a swanky Batmobile, he is definitely making the town more colourful.
People for Good. This group of individuals can be found anywhere in Canada, so it could even be you. We like this initiative because it’s so effortless, yes so simple and rewarding. Following the Golden Rule of treating others as you would like to be treated, People for Good are trying to bring more good into our cities simply by inspiring you. We love it, and yes there’s an app for that.
SickKids. We can’t have a list talking about the good in Toronto without mentioning at least one of our amazing hospitals and the many, many individuals who play their part in helping others on a regular basis. The Hospital for Sick Children is dedicated to improving the health of children and they do it on an international scale. Patients are flown in from all around the world for the superhero treatment they get at SickKids.
Drake. Hate him or love him, you can’t deny that 27-year-old Toronto hip-hop star Drake brings some great attention to Toronto and we sometimes need it. He recently became MLSE’s global ambassador and played a big part in bringing brought soccer star Jermain Defoe to Toronto FC. Making TFC relevant again? That’s a huge superpower.
We know we missed a few superheroes, so help us out – Leave a comment below and we just may do a part 2 in the future!
