On Oct. 1, the Toronto District School Board became the latest high-profile North American educational institution to sever ties with the Confucius Institutes, a Chinese government-funded language and culture program. 

The wait is over and the WorldPride parade is underway in downtown Toronto.  Toronto has had an annual Pride parade for more than three decades, but this year, it’s an even bigger party than usual due to the fact that the city is hosting World Pride for the first time.

The 24/7 Olympic news cycle is consumed right now, and understandably, with security issues for the forthcoming Winter Games in Sochi. Then, too, there are the construction woes over the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, where the International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, is paying a visit this week.

The city’s economic development committee has decided not to consider putting together a bid to host the Olympics in 2024, but left the door open for the 2025 World Expo. According to a staff report, the cost of a competitive Expo bid will be at least $10 million and it will cost at least $1 million to get through some of the initial pre-bid preparation work.

Past prominence of course does not guarantee continued success. Metro areas as diverse as Detroit, Manchester, and Rome have all become less globalized compared to their previous peak. Equally, others are proving that it is never too late to take advantage of changing dynamics. Metro areas that seize the historical moment can achieve lasting benefits. Toronto is an example of a metro that responded purposefully to a convergence of unique circumstances between 1945 and 1970.