research and innovation : Featured Stories

With its first title released on August 20, Ubisoft Toronto has a lot to celebrate. So does its neighbourhood, the Junction, which has developed progressively since the video game studio moved in back in 2009. 

The Toronto Zoo's new ZooShare partnership is the Province's latest foray into community power. The Zoo will begin construction on a biogas plant this coming spring, turning the zoo's animal waste into energy that will be fed into Ontario's power grid. 

In an attempt to meet the needs of 21st century industries, Toronto universities are looking to the startup world for inspiration. They've launched entrepreneurial programs, incubators and accelerators to ensure graduates learn to think creatively.

Twitter launched its Canadian office last week, and former CBC exec Kirstine Stewart is at the helm. With Marisa Mayer and Sheryl Sandberg making headlines for their work at Silicon Valley tech companies, Yonge Street looks at Stewart and two other women who are leading Toronto's tech industry.

From beekeeping to mad science, a group of Ryerson students are using their entrepreneurial know-how to improve the lives of people in the GTA and around the world. Now, they've won an opportunity to compete internationally. 

Ryan Dyment, co-founder of the Tool Library and soon-to-be-unveiled Toronto Timebank, opens up about the Zeitgeist movement, leaving the rat race, and his vision for a resource-based economy. 

At Komodo OpenLab, it's not just the innovations but the innovators that make the company unique. In partnership with Toronto colleges, software developer Eric Wan helped create a revolutionary product that is allowing people with disabilities--including himself--to control mobile devices through wheelchairs. 

Canada realizes a key to being competitive in the startup world is to attract talented immigrants. Mejuri is one Toronto startup that represents a growing number of new Canadians that are launching companies and impacting the city and beyond. 

Major retailers today are more innovative than they've been since the advent of the shopping mall, but where do independent boutiques fit in? Forget expensive ecommerce sites: Toronto's Shopcaster is helping boutiques expand their business and reach new markets with a simple, attractive platform. 

ideaBOOST is not your traditional accelerator program. The first cohort of digital entertainment companies recently presented pitches to a packed house at the Steam Whistle Brewery. They covered everything from interactive programs to educational ramen noodle dance parties.

Inspired by SARS, Infonaut looks to revolutionize the way hospitals control hygiene by implementing cutting-edge surveillance technology designed to mitigate disease outbreaks.

Joshna Maharaj says hospital food doesn't have to taste bad. She advocates using local ingredients to enhance not only the nutritional value and patient experience, but also to support local agriculture and sustain Ontario's economy. 

From girls-only coding camps to innovation workshops, we round-up a list of march break programs designed to feed a youthful thirst for knowledge while teaching key skills for today's in demand careers. 

A new locally-created web portal offers recipes custom designed to help make the lives of people living with this debilitating disease more manageable -- and also more delicious.

Public policy enthusiast Vasiliki (Vass) Bednar just wrapped up a prestigious fellowship with Action Canada. In this interview, she tells Yonge Street about the "invisible" issue of Young Carers: young people who provide significant care to sick or disabled family members.