Blogging Groups Toronto

GrafanaCON Local meetup: Toronto

A taste of [GrafanaCON](https://grafana.com/events/grafanacon/) is coming to **you**! Join your local observability community for an evening of open source inspiration, real-world stories, and meaningful connections - all in a laid-back, meetup-style setting. This event will feature a recap of the GrafanaCON keynote, combined with fresh voices from your own community with an AI twist. There is so much noise these days about AI. Actually, isn’t everything about AI these days? We'll be focusing on actually useful uses of AI in the observability space, and how to add observability in your organization for all things people do with AI. You’ll walk out with best practices that you can apply wherever you work, or for your own use cases, especially since running AI workloads costs so much on many levels. Whether you’re building dashboards, scaling Kubernetes, contributing to open source, or just getting started - this meetup is for you! 🎟 Free to attend 🍕 Pizza + soft drinks provided 🤝 Built for connection 💡 Real talks from real practitioners **Agenda:** Exciting talks about Actually Useful AI *Note that by registering for this event you consent to related event & product communications from Grafana Labs and agree to our [code of conduct](https://grafana.com/events/events-code-of-conduct/).*

Saturday Writing Meetup – near Bloor-Yonge

\*\*NOTE: This meetup currently lacks a regular host. (The current hosts are volunteers for online organizational purposes; they show up in person occasionally.) If you arrive and there is no host, don’t worry. Whoever is the longest-running member (or whoever wants to) can set the timer for the writing session. In this way, the meetup is self-sustaining, and not dependent on any one person. Thanks for your understanding.\*\* Join us for an hour of quiet writing, followed by an hour of (optional) socializing. \*\*SILENT WRITING BEGINS AT 1:15 PM. IF YOU'RE LATE, WELCOME! WE WILL IGNORE YOU (BECAUSE WE'RE BUSY WRITING) UNTIL 2:15 PM.\*\* This meetup is open to everyone, whether you’re writing a novel, blog, class paper, or journal entry—or something completely different. Anyone interested is welcome to attend :) LOCATION: 5 Elements Cafe, basement level RSVP: Please be advised that seating is first-come, first-served, even if you have RSVP'd. Seats are not reserved and we can't control how many other people are in the cafe. We recommend coming down to the basement to grab a spot before you buy anything, just in case. SCHEDULE: 1:00 to 1:15 PM: Arrive and get settled in. 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Write in silence for an hour. \*\*If you arrive after 1:15, please silently find your own place to sit. We'll welcome you to join the group at 2:15.\*\* 2:15 PM: Introduce yourself. We'll go in a circle; just say your name and 1–2 sentences about what you're writing. (E.g., "I'm Rudolph and I'm writing a non-fiction book about reindeer.") 2:20 PM onwards: Chill/leave. Chat, hang out, keep writing if you want, leave whenever.

Photography Meetup - Tommy Thompson Park

Hello everyone, Join us for a relaxed and fun photography meetup at Tommy Thompson Park 📸🌿 With warmer weather finally here, it’s the perfect time to grab your camera, get outside, and connect with fellow photography enthusiasts. We’ll meet at the ***Tommy Thompson Park Pavilion*** at **1:00 PM**, then explore the trails together at an easy pace. Along the way, we’ll stop for photos, take breaks, and enjoy the scenery. This meetup is open to everyone, whether you're a beginner or just love taking photos for fun. **What to bring:** * Camera or smartphone * Comfortable walking shoes * Positive energy and curiosity The plan is to walk toward the end of the park, where the lighthouse is. There is a great view of Toronto’s skyline, perfect for capturing some stunning shots together. For details on directions, park guidelines, and rules, please check: [https://tommythompsonpark.ca/visitor-information/](https://tommythompsonpark.ca/visitor-information/) We hope you can join us for this exciting meetup! **Note:** If the weather doesn’t cooperate (rain, etc.), the meetup may be rescheduled or cancelled. Updates will be shared if anything changes.

National Ballet School Block Party!

**Let's go to the National Ballet School Block Party!** 🩰 Free dance workshops, performances, live music, snacks, and more! [https://www.nbs-enb.ca/new-now/nbs-block-party/](https://www.nbs-enb.ca/new-now/nbs-block-party/) *It's* *free, but* *you* *have* *to* *register:* [https://www.nbs-enb.ca/new-now/nbs-block-party/#section6344](https://www.nbs-enb.ca/new-now/nbs-block-party/#section6344) 👟 This event is TTC dependent so please check here or in the comments section for updates. Please UPDATE your RSVP by Thursday MAY 28 @ 3 PM \*Those on the waitlist, please monitor the page in case you're moved to attending! \*Cancellations made by attendees less than 24 hours before the event will be considered late-cancellations. \*Those with multiple no-shows/ late-cancellations to my previous events won't be permitted to attend this event.

Plan before you build: Deterministic planning patterns for AI agents

Can your agents scale without bankrupting your API quota or your compute budget? Join this session to explore a production-ready architecture that uses the LLM Council pattern, Google’s Agent Development Kit (ADK) for Java and Spring AI, all deployed on Cloud Run. And discover how replacing probabilistic reason-and-act (ReAct) loops with LLM Council enable goal-oriented action planning (GOAP) creates agents that are not only smarter but also significantly lighter and faster – making them the perfect workload for serverless execution. **About the venue** Free Times Cafe has bistro-style seating and a full food and drink menu. Please consider helping to support the venue by planning to have supper during the talk. **Speaker Bio** Dan Dobrin is an App Architect in Google Cloud, helping customer teams adopt modern AI technologies, cloud-native patterns, practices and technologies in GCP. Dan focuses on building GenAI applications, adopting AI coding assistance tooling with Gemini, Native Java Images, Spring AI, event-driven architectures, production-readiness and performance optimization. Prior to joining Google Cloud, he has built highly scalable, low-latency, frameworks for technology, security and financial services organizations.

OpenClaw Toronto Hackathon

Apply to get in at https://luma.com/2bntw4vd The Vision We’re bringing the OpenClaw and GOAT Network stack to Toronto students for a one-day vibe coding sprint with the support of the CanCode grant program from the Government of Canada. Your mission: Build an AI agent that doesn’t just talk but owns its identity, manages its own wallet and transact with other agents. Leverage Bitcoin’s 99.9% uptime and BitVM2’s mathematical security (viat GOAT) to build agents that handle high-value transactions with zero human oversight. 🏆 The Stakes We aren't giving out stickers and socks. We are giving away Mac Minis to the top-performing teams to power your future AI development. We also are looking for the bright minds to join our team and our partner projects as an interns to continue developing what they started at the hackathon. We also will be mentoring and helping those who would like to develop their hackathon projects further as their own startups. 🚀 The Challenge Deploy a "vibe-coded" autonomous agent using: OpenClaw: The brain and framework. ERC-8004: On-chain identity (Give your agent a soul). x402: Agent-native payments (Let your agent get paid). GOAT Network: The infrastructure for the agent economy. 📅 Event Details When: May 26 2026 during the Toronto Tech Week Where: Toronto Metropolitan University (exact address will be posted). Who: University students Perks: Fuel provided (Pizza, snacks, and drinks) + On-site technical mentorship. 🏆Prizes Mac Mini + internship opportunities + entrepreneurship opportunities 🍕 Food & drinks are on us — snacks and drinks will be served throughout the event. 11:00 AM — 🚀 Doors close. Hacking begins! 11:00 – 11:15 AM — Welcome & Kickoff 🔧 Workshop Track 11:15 – 11:45 AM | Why we are building this 11:50 AM – 12:10 PM | ClawUp + Messengers (Telegram, Slack) 12:10 – 13:20 PM | Build on GOAT Network mainnet — Deploy an 8004 & x402 Go from zero to a live, AI-powered transaction on GOAT mainnet fully vibe-coded. Getting started: Register on 8004 — link and instructions in the onboarding checklist Confirm your registration on the https://goat-hackathon-2026.vercel.app/ Use the Telegram Bot Onboarder to set up your x402 merchant payment Watch live demos and join the idea brainstorming session 🛟 Support You're never stuck. Here's who to reach out to: GOAT support team is available in person and across both Telegram channels throughout the event 🔨 13:20 – 6:30 PM | Build Time Heads down. Ship something real. Prizes announced mid-session — stay tuned. 🏁 6:30 PM | Submissions Close 🎤 6:40 PM | Demo Time Each team gets 3 minutes to present. Everyone who wants to demo gets a slot — just keep it sharp! After demos, judges have 15 minutes to deliberate, then prizes are announced live. 🏆 Physical prizes handed out on-site. 🎉 Socials We'll wrap up with open hang time — meet the builders, the GOAT team, and the community. Stick around!

Local Social Host Sign-Up: Lunches, Drinks & Curated Experiences

**Want to help bring your city’s community together?** We’re looking for local hosts to organize small group lunches, evening drinks, mixers, movie get-togethers and curated experiences. **No experience necessary,** just a friendly attitude, some local knowledge, and a willingness to meet a few new people. After each event, we’ll send a short feedback form so we can improve and support you. The host will also be able to provide feedback so we can learn what worked and what didn't. **[Click here](https://form.questionscout.com/6926c9ab87a828a5c11a79fc)** to apply and get started: if you’re selected, we’ll reach out for a quick screening call.

Toronto Founders and Entrepreneurs Networking at 5 Elements Espresso Bar

Join the Toronto Founders Hub every other Saturday at 3:30pm for our regular meetup at 5 Elements Espresso Bar. Sit down with other entrepreneurs to network and discuss business ideas or strategies. \- Broaden your network \- Get critical feedback \- Socialize in low pressure setting I look forward to seeing you!

[In-person] Curiosity Café – Censorship

The word “censorship” is typically associated with overt exercises of government power, like book burnings, national firewalls, and arrests, which are often defended in the name of protecting public morals (whatever those may be). Today, however, obstacles to the circulation of content and ideas often come in the form of subtler “indirect” restrictions, dictated not by the state but by private platforms and market pressures. In 2022, Disney quietly withheld LGBTQ titles from its streaming catalogue in the Gulf states, with no announcement and no legal obligation to do so. On YouTube, journalists and content creators have described having to alter war coverage or avoid it altogether because the platform’s advertising system can make such reporting financially unsustainable. [A 2024 investigation by The Markup](https://themarkup.org/automated-censorship/2024/02/25/demoted-deleted-and-denied-theres-more-than-just-shadowbanning-on-instagram "https://themarkup.org/automated-censorship/2024/02/25/demoted-deleted-and-denied-theres-more-than-just-shadowbanning-on-instagram") found that, on Instagram, non-graphic images of war were being quietly demoted and users denied any right to appeal (the platform attributed these occurrences to a bug). In each case, no law was passed, no speech or content formally prohibited. Yet critics have argued that these *de facto* restrictions amounted to censorship by other means. Were they right? At our upcoming Curiosity Café, moderated by Yiming Jia and Adrian Ma, we will explore the nature and implications of what we might call “soft” censorship, asking questions such as: * Is censorship still possible in the absence of a *formal* prohibition? * Are the standards of what is and is not acceptable for public consumption being increasingly dictated by private companies? If so, who gets to challenge them? * What is the relationship between censorship and public morals? Where do the morals that censorship ostensibly protects come from? * Is discomfort a legitimate reason to restrict the circulation of speech? Or is discomfort sometimes exactly the point? * Censorship sends a message about what is acceptable and what isn't. To what extent are these messages internalized over time? Join us on Tuesday, May 19th, for a public and moral exploration of these questions and many others! **Space is limited!** **Please obtain a “Pay-What-You-Can” ticket from Curiosity Café at [this link (click here)](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/curiosity-cafe-censorship-tickets-1989275453431) to attend this event. You need a ticket to be admitted.** See the above link for more info about tickets and other options including a limited number of free tickets. Come and hang out with us, grab food, and read through our handout from 6-6:30pm. Our structured discussion will run from 6:30-8:30pm with a 10 minute break in the middle. Hope to see you there! ***__________________________________________________________________*** This event is brought to you by [Being and Becoming](https://beingnbecoming.org/), a Toronto based non-profit. We aim to create community around exploring everyday concepts and experiences so that we may live more intentional, thoughtful, and meaningful lives. We use philosophy as a tool with which we can come to a richer understanding of the world around us. By offering activities, spaces, and other opportunities for conversation and co-exploration, we hope to enable the meeting and fusion of individuals and their ideas. Everyone is welcome, regardless of background: indeed, we believe the journey is best undertaken alongside explorers from a variety of disciplines, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Find out more about Being and Becoming [here](https://beingnbecoming.org/). About the Curiosity Café Series: For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to join us at our Curiosity Cafés and are wondering what they’re all about: every two weeks, we invite members of our community to come out to the Madison Avenue Pub to engage in a collaborative exploration of our chosen topic. Through these events, we aim to build our community of people who like to think deeply about life’s big questions, and provide each other with some philosophical tools to dig deeper into whatever it is we are most curious about.

Make Friends at a Cafe - Good Chats App BETA

**GoodChats.** . **Newest Way to Make Friends in Toronto!** . Ever walked into a coffee shop and wished you knew the people around you? That’s exactly what GoodChats is for. . Our Coffee Chat events are designed to make meeting new people feel natural — no awkward intros, no swiping, no pressure. Just real conversations with people who already share your interests. **How it works:** . **1) Sign up on iOS or Android** Download the GoodChats app to get started. . Use the code **COFFEE** to sign-up for the invite-only app today! [https://linktr.ee/goodchatsapp](https://linktr.ee/goodchatsapp) . **2) Start a chat about what you like** Talk about anything you’re into — hobbies, ideas, random thoughts. The app builds your profile based on what you actually care about. . **3) Join a Coffee Chat** We match you with a small group of people who share similar interests and invite you to a local coffee shop meetup. That’s it — just show up, grab a drink, and talk. . **What to expect:** * Small groups (so it’s actually easy to connect) * Weekly events at local coffee shops * A relaxed, low-pressure environment * People you’re genuinely likely to vibe with . **Good to know:** * Events are **completely free** * All event details and invites are inside the GoodChats app * We’re currently in **beta**, with new Coffee Chats happening every week Use the code **COFFEE** to sign-up for the invite-only app today! [https://linktr.ee/goodchatsapp](https://linktr.ee/goodchatsapp) . If you’ve ever wanted meeting new people to feel easier (and more real)… this is for you.

TiEQuest Summit 2026 | May 25, 2026

🎟 **This is a paid event. Tickets must be purchased on Luma.** **Get yours: [https://luma.com/tiequest-2026](https://luma.com/tiequest-2026)** **\#\#\#\# TiEQuest Summit 2026 \- Building in Canada for the World** A morning built for founders who are done thinking small - and ready to hear how the best in Canada actually went global. **🧠 What to Expect** Sharp talks and practical insights from founders, operators, and investors who are actually doing the work. No fluff, just the real story of what it takes to scale ambitious companies from Toronto to the world. **🤝 Who's in the Room** Founders at every stage. Operators building something meaningful. Investors looking for what's next. If you're shaping the future of Canadian tech, you belong here. **📍 Where** U of T Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, one of Canada's most exciting hubs for tech and entrepreneurship. **📅 Monday, May 25, 2026** **⏰ 8:30AM – 12:30PM** **📍 108 College St, Toronto, ON**

Cafe Hopping v2☕️ (Midtown)