Toronto Life – December 2018

photographs: alam courtesy of subject; richardson by

getty images;

dale courtesy of

toronto star

;

yen and lau by

daniel ehrenworth;

burtynsky by

daniel neuhaus

90 toronto life December 2018

the brain trust behind the amateur fiction

start-up had a smashing 2018, gratifying inves-

tors who’ve poured $147 million into the plat-

form so far. The Kissing Booth, a schlocky Watt-

pad original, was turned into a Netflix special

and peaked as the fourth most-searched title on

IMDB in June. In October, Yuen and Lau, evinc-

ing a do-gooder streak, partnered with National

Geographic and asked writers to submit entries

on the global plastic crisis. up next: Development

of Under Glass, a novel by a Wattpad contributor

named Sam Marsden. The TV and film rights

were just snapped up.

the united nations climate report that’s

got everyone not named Donald Trump or

Doug Ford depressed—the one that says we

have 20 years, give or take, before the world

ends—came at the perfect time for Edward

Burtynsky. Anthropocene, his exhibit at the

AGO and the National Gallery, co-produced

with Nicholas de Pencier and Jennifer Baichwal,

is a terrifying survey of the earth’s plundered

landscapes. It’s a reminder that our most skilled

photographer is also a powerful political force

who makes the seemingly abstract idea of envi-

ronmental collapse feel urgent and all-too close

to home. up next: A European tour starting in

Bologna in spring 2019.

47

Ivan Yuen and

Allen Lau

Founders, wattpad

48

Edward Burtynsky

photographer

as the co-head of the

grassroots organization Con-

cerned Ontario Doctors, Alam

was so effective in challenging

Eric Hoskins’s attempts to

rein in the health budget that

leader of the Ontario Medical

Association was a logical next

step. She’s now the essential

conduit between nearly

40,000 physicians and the

health ministry, led by Chris-

tine Elliott. up next: Trying to

secure a contract for Ontario

doctors. They’ve been without

one for five years.

45

nadia alam

President, Ontario Medical Association

The fif

T

y M

O

s

T

i

nfluen

T

iA

l 2018

when the biggest show

on earth—the World Cup—

comes to town in 2026,

Torontonians can thank Bob

Richardson, a board member

of Canada Soccer and a major

part of the team that worked

on the joint bid (the U.S. and

Mexico will co-host). As the

person in charge of lining up

government support, he got

Trudeau, Wynne and Tory

on the same page, and then arranged a crucial, 30-minute

meeting between the PM and Gianni Infantino, the head of

FIFA, at Davos. friends in high places: Jim Watson, John Baird,

Sheldon Levy and Warren Kinsella.

46

bob richardson

Canada soccer board member

d a n i e l

dale

Washington bureau

chief, the Toronto star

DonalD Trump has always been a liar, but it didn’t much matter until

he became president. Thankfully, Dale, through his indispensible

Twitter feed, tirelessly fact-checks every one of Trump’s half-cocked

speeches, tweets and outbursts. Dale’s 437,000 Twitter followers don’t

compare to POTUS’s 55 million, but they include influential members of

Congress, plus Samantha Power, Susan Rice, Chelsea Clinton and Oma-

rosa, among many others. Journalism professor Jay Rosen, ESPN’s Keith

Olbermann and NPR’s Melissa Block consider him an invaluable resource.

SiDE gigS: in 2018, he appeared on MSNBC, CNN and PBS.

49

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