With its refresh, starting Thursday, Toronto.com says it’s offering opportunities for advertisers as it shifts from a local news hub to a hyper-local lifestyle site.

Amid continued declines in ad sales for news publishers, the reimagined platform, owned by Torstar subsidiary Metroland Media Group, promises “no hard news, no politics and no clickbait,” just curated lifestyle content. Tapping into the ad inventory of the Torstar network, ad formats will include digital display, pre-roll, programmatic, newsletter and sponsored content.

Brandon Grosvenor, chief revenue officer for Torstar, tells MiC the move is “a strategic shift” for the Canadian media platform, which started out as a local entertainment and events directory in the late 1990s, but later became the home of Metroland’s dozens of community newspapers when the print publications moved to digital-only.

New features like “T.O. Do,” Food & Drink, Travel and Life are aimed at 25- to 55-year-old Torontonians and visitors to the city. There will also be two annual printed guides, a daily newsletter and a weekly newsletter. 

There will also be experiential opportunities via a street team, two annual themed printed guides and custom sponsorships, such as a summer scavenger hunt content with inaugural lead sponsor Niagara Parks, a newsletter sponsorship with City Cruises Toronto and a patio guide sponsorship with Corona Canada.

“Toronto.com offers advertisers the advantage of a highly focused lifestyle environment that aligns with audience interests and buying intent,” Grosvenor says. “This alignment creates stronger relevance, higher engagement and more meaningful brand connections.”