Toronto Life – January 2024

Summary

Carolyn Krebs — alias Carolyn Goodman, alias Marian Linton — may be Toronto's most hated landlord, and Rachel Browne's expose names the system failures that let her operate. Toronto Life January 2024 (Vol. 58 No. 1) packs 71 city-life tips alongside two hard-hitting investigations that tackle housing abuse and police misconduct.

Browne's "The Good Liar" (page 48) documents how Krebs ignores work orders, falsifies documents, and evicts tenants without consequence. Jason McBride's "Brute Force" (page 56) follows officer Firouzeh Zarabi-Majd, who broke the police code of silence after fellow officers harassed her — and lost everything. Between these heavy reads, the "Secret City" package at page 35 delivers 71 insider tricks covering everything from all-night ice skating to the best thrifting meccas and everything-bagel croissant spots.

The "Navigator" section tours three winter chalets designed for weekend escapes, while the "Food & Drink" section includes a ramen primer that zhuzhes up prepackaged noodles and a caffeine-cocktail list. Sarah Nurse, PWHL hockey phenom, sits for a Q&A. A first-person memoir by Adam Ward recounts surviving a fire that destroyed everything he owned.

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Content Guide

▸ Investigations

p.48 · The Good Liar — Carolyn Krebs
Rachel Browne traces the property empire of a landlord who uses multiple aliases to evade scrutiny. Krebs falsifies documents, ignores repair orders, and pushes tenants out without cause. Browne explains the LTB backlog that enables the pattern. If you rent in Toronto, search your building's registered owner on the city's portal before you sign your next lease.

p.56 · Brute Force — Firouzeh Zarabi-Majd
Jason McBride tells the story of a woman who loved policing until her colleagues turned on her. Zarabi-Majd eventually went public with harassment claims — and paid the price in her career and mental health. The piece lays out the institutional barriers that still block genuine police reform. If you work in a uniformed service, the section on internal complaint procedures is a practical guide to what happens after you file.

▸ City Life

p.35 · The Secret City — 71 Insider Tips
A multi-page feature covering cheap eats, hidden parks, free culture, and urban hacks. Teased items include plane-spotting with snacks, all-night ice skating rinks, and hard-to-find Caribbean spice sources. Pick the three tips closest to your neighbourhood and try one this weekend.

p.26 · Q&A — Sarah Nurse
The PWHL star talks about the inaugural season, the business of women's hockey, and what the league needs to survive. Nurse names one rink ritual she will not skip before a game — add it to your own pre-match routine.

▸ Home & Winter Living

p.67 · Great Spaces — Three Swish Chalets
Design-focused winter weekend properties reviewed for layout, views, and rental practicality. Each listing includes approximate square footage and proximity to ski lifts. Use the contact details to inquire about shoulder-season rates before peak prices kick in.

▸ Food & Drink

p.77 · Ramen Primer
A ramen aficionado's method for upgrading instant noodles with shelf-stable toppings — soft egg, scallion oil, nori, and chilli crisp. The ingredient substitutions work for gluten-free and vegan diets too. Keep the suggested kombu-and-shittake broth base in your pantry for a 10-minute lunch.

p.80 · Toronto's Best Caffeine-Fuelled Cocktails
The Drink List covers espresso martinis, coffee old-fashioneds, and cold-brew highballs across the city. Each bar is named with the exact cocktail and price. Use the list as a self-guided crawl route for your next Saturday afternoon.

▸ Memoir

p.90 · I Almost Died in a Fire — Adam Ward
Ward recounts the night a fire destroyed his apartment and everything he owned, and the unexpected silver lining that followed. His account of dealing with insurance adjusters after a total loss is a practical checklist for any renter who does not have a home inventory yet.

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Editor's Take

The Krebs and Zarabi-Majd investigations are the strongest editorial work in this issue — both deserve the feature length they are given. The 71-tip package works as a browseable city primer but sits awkwardly between two heavy reported pieces. Weakness: the "Wanted" and "Chase" real-estate pages read as advertorial filler, and the chalet feature lacks price transparency. Best for engaged Torontonians who follow housing and policing issues; too urban-focused for suburban or GTA readers.

Strengths
• Rachel Browne's Krebs expose with documented aliases and LTB backlog context
• Jason McBride's Zarabi-Majd story — specific internal complaint procedure details
• Sarah Nurse Q&A with actionable rink ritual tip

Weaknesses
• Real-estate "Chase" section reads like a sponsored content placement
• Chalet feature omits rental or purchase price ranges

Verdict: Essential — Buy for the two investigative features; the city tips are a bonus for downtown residents.