TRUMP'S LOSS.TORONTO'S GAIN

They're coming from Big Law, the Ivy League, arts institutes and beyond, brimming with brains and energy and united by a common cause: avoiding the carnage of Donald Trump.

- ALI AMAD, JES MASON, LUC RINALDI, COURTNEY SHEA, HALEY STEINBERG, STÉPHANIE VERGE AND ANDREA YU

TRUE TALES FROM THE BRAIN GAIN

THE EXODUS BEGAN long before the unprecedented cuts and crackdowns of the past few months. Some people made travel plans as far back as 2015, when Trump first became the Republican nominee. Others started packing the moment he won his first term. But most of the departures were set in motion more recently, as Trump began laying waste to key American institutions.

Trump's first 100 days in office have been defined by an obsession with all that allegedly flows into the US across international borders (migrants, fentanyl, under-taxed goods). The president is markedly less concerned about what, and who, is exiting his country.

The scientific journal Nature recently published a survey in which more than 1,200 of 1,608 scientists polled—75 per cent of respondents—said they were considering leaving the US. According to physician recruiters across Canada, hundreds of American doctors, roughly double the number at this time last year, have reached out to explore relocation. And sweeping changes to how universities, museums and anything even tangentially related to DEI are funded are making crossing the border more and more appealing to academics and cultural workers.

Current and future leaders in science, medicine, academia, law, tech and the arts are choosing Toronto as their destination, drawn to its stability, diversity and freedom of discourse. For many of these expats, our city is a perfect perch from which to combat the spread of fascism. What they all share is a deep desire to work in a country that values their contributions. We're lucky to have them.

Bob Ezrin, 76

Music producer and philanthropist

KNOWN FOR:

Collaborating with Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Kiss and K'naan