If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you might have noticed your feed flooded with content from 2016! The nostalgic wave has us all recalling our fave trends, tracks and looks from a decade ago, so Streets of Toronto decided to jump in. Here are 13 moments from 2016 that basically defined the city’s group chats that year, from sports and pop culture to a little bit of politics.
Toronto hosted NBA All-Star weekend (and made history doing it)
Best Dunk contest. Ever!!!
— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) February 14, 2016
The 65th All-Star Weekend landed at the Air Canada Centre in February 2016! It was the first time the NBA All-Star Game was held outside the U.S., and it ended as the highest-scoring All-Star Game in history. Raptors star DeMar DeRozan summed up the vibe best: “Best Dunk contest. Ever!!!” after Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon’s now-legendary duel.
Drake dropped Views
Drake’s massively successful fourth studio album Views dropped on April 29, 2016, eventually surpassing 10 billion streams on Spotify and becoming one of the Toronto rapper’s most successful albums. But more importantly, that year, “the 6ix” may have already been in Drake’s orbit, but Views (originally teased as Views From the 6) helped cement “the 6ix” as Toronto’s global nickname!
Toronto approved the Bloor Street West bike-lane pilot
OK, so this was genuinely a city-shaping moment: In May 2016, Toronto City Council approved the Bloor Street bike-lane pilot, and cycle tracks were installed by late August from Shaw Street to Avenue Road (cycling volumes on Bloor went way up after installation). As of 2026, the original segment was made permanent, and the corridor has expanded in phases. Now, parts of the network have been caught up in a province-city legal fight, but the lanes remain in place while the appeal plays out.
Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford passed away
Whatever your politics were, Ford’s passing in March 2016 was a defining Toronto news moment that year. The former Toronto mayor, who gained global notoriety after he admitted to smoking crack while in office, died after an 18-month battle with cancer at the age of 46.
TIFF crowned La La Land with the People’s Choice Award
Perhaps TIFF’s 2016 People’s Choice Award doubled as an Oscars crystal ball? In September 2016, it went to La La Land, generating major global buzz. Damien Chazelle’s flick eventually went on to win six awards at the 89th Academy Awards.
Toronto hosted the World Cup of Hockey (and Canada won it at the ACC)
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey took place in Toronto in late September. Canada clinched the title at Air Canada Centre after Brad Marchand scored shorthanded with 44 seconds left in the third period, defeating Team Europe 2-1.
The Blue Jays delivered an all-time Wild Card walk-off
In October 2016, Edwin Encarnación’s three-run 11th-inning homer sent the Jays to a 5-2 victory over the Orioles in the AL Wild Card Game at the Rogers Centre! If nothing else, it became one of those “where were you when” Toronto sports memories. Imagine what fans at that game would think if they saw where the Jays ended up in 2025!
Auston Matthews’ Toronto Maple Leafs debut made history
Also in October 2016: Auston Matthews made history, becoming the first player ever to score four goals in the modern era in his NHL debut!
Toronto FC became the first Canadian team to reach the MLS Cup
Another famous sports moment: Toronto FC made history in 2016 as the first Canadian club to reach the MLS Cup final (and Toronto hosted the final at BMO Field on Dec. 10, 2016!)
Two capybaras caused a frenzy after escaping High Park Zoo
You might have forgotten about this one — but for a time in 2016, it was all anyone could talk about. Two capybaras (animals that happen to look like giant guinea pigs) escaped from High Park Zoo, making international headlines and evading capture for a full month before they were discovered safe and sound, and returned to the zoo. Go Bonnie and Clyde!
Honest Ed’s closed for good
Toronto ended 2016 by saying goodbye to an iconic landmark. Honest Ed’s, the Toronto discount store at Bloor and Bathurst, closed permanently on Dec. 31, ending a 68-year run that helped define the neighbourhood’s neon-lit charm.
Big box stores hit Toronto
It’s strange to think that just 10 years ago, U.S. department stores Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue launched in Toronto. Popular at first, the success didn’t last — Saks Fifth Avenue closed all its Canadian locations in 2025 after its parent company, Hudson’s Bay, began liquidations, and Nordstrom exited Canada in 2023. But there’s one big store opening from 2016 that’s still going strong: Uniqlo! The Japanese clothing brand attracted huge lineups when it opened, and still seems to be thriving in Toronto today.
History-making at the Rio 2016 Olympics
While summer Olympics aren’t always Canada’s thing, Toronto helped make some major moments happen at the Games in Rio in 2016. GTA sprinter Andre de Grasse had an iconic Olympic debut, winning bronze in the 100-metre, just behind Usain Bolt in first place — and the pair shared a viral “bromance” moment in the semi-finals for the 200-metre, smiling at each other as they crossed the finish line almost simultaneously. And of course, we can’t forget Penny Oleksiak‘s historic wins at age 16: she became Canada’s first athlete to win four medals at a single summer Olympic Games and Canada’s youngest ever gold medal winner.
