The Toronto Group Chat: What your friends are talking about this week (Feb. 24)

Welcome to the Toronto Group Chat, your weekly rundown of the city’s biggest and hottest updates. You know, the stuff you actually want to share in your group chat. Every week, we’re dishing out five must-know highlights of what’s going on in the city. Maybe people are already talking about it, or maybe you’ll start the conversation? At least you’ll be in the know.

Check out what’s new in Toronto. Let’s get into it!

Did you hear?

Toronto Sceptres Emma Maltais goes viral at the Olympics

The Olympics has its athletes record audio files of themselves pronouncing their own names. These are then shared on the official Olympics website and in the Olympic app. Usually, these recordings have them saying their name twice, the second time slower, so commentators can properly pronounce them during the games. Makes sense, right?

Sometimes these recordings go well, and other times they’re unintentionally funny. At some points, you can even hear the recording team give the athletes directions. It’s just a funny, relatable moment overall. ANYWAY, one of the best recordings was of Canadian hockey star Emma Maltais and the way she pronounced her name. It was giving girlie pop moment. “Emma Maltais? Emma Maltais 💅”

You can see it on Instagram for yourself.

Shamrock Shakes at McDonald’s

Okay, I know we talked about McDonald’s and its OVO collab last week BUT the chain just released its annual green shake.

I don’t know about you, but the Shamrock Shake just makes it feel like spring is right around the corner. And considering our recent weather in Toronto, it gives me hope that the groundhog was right. I’ll take what I can get.

More snow for Toronto

As if we didn’t already get hit with a massive snowstorm, more snow is in the forecast for the GTA. On the bright side, it won’t be as much as last month’s disaster of a snow dump, but we will see some flurries.

According to The Weather Network, we can thank an Alberta clipper set to bring a burst of snow across Ontario through Tuesday. It’ll most likely affect evening commutes in the region that will linger into Wednesday morning.

So don’t put away your Aritzia puffer just yet.

Giraffe Toronto Zoo

On a completely different note, the Toronto Zoo just welcomed the most adorable addition to its Giraffe family.

A Masai giraffe calf was born at 1:26 a.m. on Feb. 22 and, unlike us humans, was already standing about 40 minutes later. Mom and the baby girl are doing well!

“This endangered Masai giraffe calf is an incredible addition to your Toronto Zoo,” says Dolf DeJong, CEO of Your Toronto Zoo. “We announced Mstari’s pregnancy on Mother’s Day last year, and after a 15-month pregnancy, we are thrilled to have a healthy calf in our care, raising the profile of endangered Masai giraffes and inspiring our community to learn more and stand with us as Guardians of Wild.”

I had no idea giraffes experience 15-month pregnancies. Literally, wild.

‘Heated Rivalry’ cottage can be booked for a stay

If you’re still loving everything there is to do with Crave’s hit series, Heated Rivalry, you’re gonna love this.

Super fans are in for a treat as they’ll have the chance to step inside a backdrop that became synonymous with charged exchanges, candid conversations, and unforgettable tension. IYKYK.

The massive retreat, known as Barlochan Cottage, will officially be available to book on Airbnb as of March 3, 2026, at noon ET.

You can live your Heated Rivalry moment here!

That’s all for now, Toronto. Don’t worry, we’re sure we’ll have more to share next week.

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Karen Doradea

Senior Staff Writer, Toronto – Karen is a multimedia journalist based in Toronto. With a strong knowledge of reporting and editing through all forms of media, she has a true passion for storytelling. She carries several years of journalistic experience and has covered the Toronto scene from local stories to national news. When Karen isn’t publishing fire content, you can find her binge-watching sitcoms on Crave, at a must-try restaurant, or scrolling endlessly on TikTok looking for the next best thing – News never sleeps.

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