Stars, costumes and all things nerd: Here's what you can expect from this year's Fan Expo
CBC
If you see Jedis, storm troopers or Moon Knights roaming Toronto streets this weekend, that's because Canada's biggest science-fiction, fantasy and horror convention is making its return after being scaled back for the first two years of the pandemic.
Starting Thursday, Fan Expo is back for four days of costumes, workshops and all things nerd.
More than 140 thousand people are set to attend the pop culture extravaganza, including Kala Phelan and her three-year-old son. Grayson, who is dressing up as Monkey D. Luffy from the anime series One Piece.
"He wants to do that the whole time," Phelan said. "I'm like, 'Do you want to do Spiderman or anything?' He said, 'Nope, I want to do Luffy, I'm the king of the pirates.'"
Celebrities including William Shatner, best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series, and Elijah Wood, who played Frodo in The Lord of the Rings films, are set to draw crowds.
Stranger Things stars Finn Wolfhard, Joseph Quinn and Grace Van Dien will also be headlining the event, but many celebrity photo ops are already sold out.
However, don't worry, if you can't catch any of the special guests, Fan Expo HQ vice president Andrew Moyes says there are plenty of other activities to fill your days with.
"There's hours or programming," he told CBC Toronto. "You can learn all about different facets of genres like gaming, sci-fi, anime, comics and horror."
There's also a full roster of workshops and panels. John Reynolds, 52, from Kentucky is hosting four of them Reynolds focuses on making all attendees feel included, which is why he's launching a panel on cosplaying when you're over 40.
"I started seeing a lot of parents, they're walking around with their kids, they're not dressed up. This panel is directed at them," he said.
Returning to Fan Expo this year are hundreds of vendors and exhibitors, community meet-ups and a family zone for kids.
Attendees can also drop by the Comic Creator area and geek out over their amazing work.
And for those who want to wear their fandom on their sleeve (literally), there are artists inking guests in Tattoo Alley.
The pandemic necessitated a fully virtual version of the event in 2020 and a pared-down in-person version last year — without the usual spectacle that sees thousands of fans packed into the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
An Auditor General of Canada report has found that B.C. saw drastically fewer international students than was forecast ever since wide-ranging federal immigration cuts began in 2024.
Six years after e-learning became a mandatory requirement to get an Ontario high school diploma, students don't appear to be taking online school to diversify their course selection as the province had intended, according to a CBC News analysis of provincial enrolment data.
Sarnia City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday morning to respond to social media comments made by Coun. Bill Dennis, who criticized city spending on a new mural by Indigenous artist Kennady Osborne as “virtue signalling by woke politicians” — then made a series of comments in response to a reply from Aamjiwnaang Chief Janelle Nahmabin that some have characterized as unprofessional and aggressive.
While many Albertans continue to feel the pinch at the pump, Premier Danielle Smith says the government is not considering any fuel tax breaks, as it does not believe it will make much of a difference.
WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about gruesome deaths and sexual abuse.
Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) says they will take part in the federal government's buyback program for assault-style rifles this year, but a local member of parliament says she "can't get behind this decision."
The use of American contracts and services is down by nearly half on Prince Edward Island following tariffs and shaky trade relations under the Donald Trump administration.
The first set of deadlines included in the energy and climate deal struck between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are not expected to be met, showing early challenges with the agreement that includes pursuing a new export pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast.
Mayoral-hopeful Coun. Brad Bradford is calling for a host of safety measures across Toronto’s subway system, including a specific focus on platform edge doors, with a motion before city council this week.
When the one-star reviews first began to appear on his restaurant's Google page, owner Damon Ataei swung into action, trying to contact each reviewer.
The Mounties called it the "Native extremism program." Today, it sounds like a spy novel.
A judge is expected to rule in June on a proposed settlement for a class-action lawsuit involving a crash landing of an Air Canada flight in Halifax more than a decade ago.
An inmate who was on the loose after escaping a jail in Shediac has been caught, New Brunswick RCMP said in a press release late Monday afternoon.