Jake MacAndrew

Jake MacAndrew is a multimedia journalist from Toronto with experience in breaking news, investigative, business, technology, politics and wine. He is the previous head of news, business, technology and production at The Eyeopener. As well, he has contributed to various publications including yorkregion.com, OTR Magazine and The Markham Review.

Currently, he is leading on-the-ground operations for TechDay's Canadian tech news network.

My Recent Work

In the "Bat Cave" with Thomas Bachelder

Thomas Bachelder has made wine all over the world. After studying winemaking in Burgundy, vinifying the Lemelson Vineyards in Oregon, as well as work in Chile, he planted his roots in the Niagara Peninsula.You might think you know Niagara wines. But at the LCBO, the selection from this region has long been dominated by the well-known names and handsomely lined pocketbooks of international-domestic blends and celebrity endorsed vineyards. LCBO outlets across the province adorn the big names and b...

Grape Monopoly

In Toronto’s west end, east of Dundas and Dufferin Streets, stands a small storefront filled with wines you probably haven't seen at your local LCBO store. Grape Witches is an importer and seller of wines from the old and new world with an emphasis on natural products that span wider than what is offered by the province’s liquor control board. Ontarians may bat an eye at a small, independent business selling international, region-sourced wines. They may even wonder why it feels like a French Cav...

Cooling the cloud, conserving Canada’s water at data centres

According to the Canada Energy Regulator, out of over 7,000 data centres worldwide, only 239 are in the country. However, this number is on the rise due to Canada's low energy prices in select regions, its renewable resources, and cooler climate.

Last month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted that a ChatGPT query uses 0.000085 gallons of water per query (roughly one-fifteenth of a teaspoon) and eleven times more electricity than a Google search. With the increasing number of data centres storing A...

Importing...

Gander: Canada’s social network takes flight this fall

As Ben Waldman, Founder and CEO of Gander Social, watched the second inauguration of US President Donald Trump, he couldn't help notice a group of tech executives gather behind the president while he took the oath of office. As Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok's Shou Zi Chew stood behind America's leader, who has taunted Canada with threats of annexation, Waldman recognised that unity is growing increasingly important to Canada.

He joined Elbows Up, a non-partisan group supporting Canadi...

Heat, jobs, language: Data centres fueling Indigenous communities

When an Indigenous community sets out to build a data centre on its land, it can reap the economic benefits of job stability and revenue consistency, but it can also save a language from being stolen or power a local swimming pool.

Ross Pambrun, Métis business leader and CEO of the Memphis Group, is an advocate for data centres that are managed and secured by the host nations. He says a data centre is not only a huge opportunity for data sovereignty, but also for managing environmental impact...

Canada's modern tech threat: Cybercrime you can subscribe to

In 2017, a North American casino experienced a data breach. According to Darktrace CEO Nicole Eagan, the hackers gained access by compromising an internet-connected thermostat in the lobby's fish tank.

It can take only one minor security breach to bring an organisation down in a cyber attack; that was the consensus among experts who work to mitigate attacks and those who have experienced them firsthand. Not only does it seem that one slip-up can bring down a network, but today's commercialisa...

AI models help Canadian farmers turn data into decisions

Agriculture accounts for seven per cent of Canada's GDP. As global food demand increases, there is a growing need to expand the industry efficiently and sustainably.

Farhad Maleki is a computer scientist and an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, whose research on AI models to address complex, real-world challenges is guided by his upbringing on a chickpea farm on the mountainous terrain of western Iran.

His research examines the processing of visual information from fields....

Canada lags behind as world leaders move towards stablecoin

In May 2023, there was a buzz when the Bank of Canada announced its intention to research the use of central bank digital currency (CBDC). However, no supplementary news on the digital dollar has emerged from the country's central bank in the years that have followed.

What has gained continuous traction is the rise of stablecoins on the Canadian market. These digital currencies are tied to commodities like gold or a state currency. For example, the USD-pegged Tether fluctuates in value in tan...

Surveillance, AI and the security gaps behind the camera

Last November, a digital ad board in Toronto's PATH went viral after a Reddit user posted a notice sign attached to the screen from Cineplex Digital Media (CDM), the advertiser.

"This media unit runs anonymous software, used to generate statistics about audience counts, gender and approximate age only," read the sign. Adding, no unique data is stored about individuals passing by.

The internet and news media were in a frenzy following the distribution of this image. The Privacy Commissioner...

AI boom accelerates tech, may leave women & interns behind

In February 2025, the Harvard Business Review published an article stating that women are adapting to generative AI at a significantly slower rate than men.

They reported that many women were concerned they would be judged if it seemed they relied on AI to assist their work. Additionally, more men were adapting to these tools and advancing their careers. For this, women's careers may suffer, the HBR said.

This paper lit a spark of curiosity for The Adaptavist Group's (TAG) report on who be...

Kensington’s Old-School Spirit, New-Age Prices

In Toronto’s Kensington Market, dozens of people sit at rows of tables in a large dining room on Augusta Avenue. Exposed white brick walls wrap the space; the Leafs game plays on the TV. Exposed air vents and the remnants of drywall from the Indian restaurant in this space before are barely visible but still present. Conversations are so loud and lively you can’t even tell if there is music playing at all. The red painted sign on the wall reads Trinity Common—a local bar nestled between an eclec...

TMU student elected NDP candidate in upcoming federal election

Hailey Ford, a third-year journalism student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), has been nominated as the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) candidate for the Oakville East riding.

Her candidacy was confirmed on Aug. 24 at an NDP Oakville East meeting according to a press release.

Ford was uncontested in the nomination meeting, NDP National Director Lucy Watson wrote in an emailed statement to The...

BREAKING: Pro-Palestine walkout participants occupy executive floor of Jorgenson Hall

Demonstrators calling for the disclosure of Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) financial holdings stood outside the university’s executive offices on Tuesday during the school’s Board of Governors (BoG) meeting.

Approximately 10 people stood outside the glass entrance to the offices on the 13th floor of Jorgenson Hall where two TMU security officers were positioned. The demonstrators used megaphones to chant calls for action and add...

AI influence at forefront of Toronto’s Elevate tech festival

Pioneers of technology and upcoming stars of innovation gathered for the Elevate Festival at Meridian Hall and the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts from Sept. 26 to 28.

A mix of executives, startup founders, aspirational youth and the general public gathered to hear the latest advancements in the technology sector.

The festival featured exhibition stages, including discussions about content creation, gaming, women in technology, masterclasses and artificial intelligen...

IT Brief Canada

SCALE AI invests $98.6m in 23 Canadian AI projects

SCALE AI, Canada's AI innovation cluster, announced an investment of just under $100 million into new artificial intelligence projects nationwide.

23 projects were named as recipients of this funding. Quebec-based businesses led the pack with this round of funding, the largest since Scale's June 2024 announcement of $96 million distributed amongst 22 Canadian projects.

This year's innovations include advancements in AI for aircraft maintenance, forecasting retail inventory optimisation, an...

Among the Mountains in Mendoza, Argentina

Originally from France, the Malbec grape is known for its full-bodied wines with deep violet colour, medium to high tannins and flavours of dark berries, tobacco, cocoa and sometimes a nice oak finish. Now, Malbec is the prized grape of Argentina—producing fantastic wines in the mountainous region of Mendoza. Here’s my selection of Malbec’s for each wine budget.From the high mountain vines of Lunlunta, El Cepillo and Gualtallary, Catena’s 2022 Malbec is a great budget-friendly option. For someon...

Ubisoft Indie Series winner shares their journey from TMU to the gaming industry

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) journalism alumnus Funké Joseph worked a series of odd writing jobs throughout their undergraduate studies.

They wrote video game news and culture features for publications like IGN, Vice and even worked as an online editor at The Eyeopener. Although they initially pursued a career in journalism, industry hardships and a calling to video games gave them a start in game development—leading to a big industry win at Ubisoft last month....

Philanthropist and former TMU Board of Governors member Helen Vari dies

Former Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Board of Governors member and philanthropist Helen Vari has died according to a news release from the school on Friday afternoon.

Vari was a prominent member of the TMU community and an avid supporter of the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science along with her husband, the late Honourable George W. Vari.

“Helen Vari was a true friend–to our students, to the university, and to me personally,” said pr...

BREAKING: TMU announces location for new school of medicine

Bramalea Civic Centre in Brampton, Ont. will be the home of Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) new school of medicine, the school announced in a press release sent to The Eyeopener.

The school announced the new location at a press conference Friday which featured Lachemi and Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

“The new medical school will strengthen the healthcare system in Brampton,” said Lachemi.

Bramalea Civic Centre, built in 1969, is the f...

New mural at TRSM unveiled during Treaties Recognition Week

A mural titled “Indigenous History of the Land” was unveiled at the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) this month as a part of Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Indigenous Education and Treaties Recognition Week.

The painting by Shawnee, Lakota, Potawatomi, Ojibway and Algonquin artist Philip Cote uses cultural symbols to represent various historical events and Indigenous peoples.

The TRSM website states that the mural’s goal is to recognize the school is “wi...

TMU catalyst to train 100 Ukrainians in Cybersecurity this spring

The Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) announced it will train 100 Ukrainians living in Ukraine to become cybersecurity professionals starting in early 2023, according to a Feb. 10 media release.

Participants will learn foundational cybersecurity training including: operating systems, data storage, logic, programming and networking, according to Charles Finlay, the executive director of the Cybersecure Catalyst. The program will feature t...

Person in hospital after stabbing near Yonge Street on O’Keefe Lane

A 19-year-old man is in hospital following a stabbing between Yonge Street and O’Keefe Lane today.

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) responded to reports of a man who was stabbed in the abdomen this morning, according to a tweet from Toronto Police Service Operations.

O’Keefe Lane is located near the Sheldon and Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre, parallel to Yonge Street.

The victim was transported to hospital and sustained life-threatening injuries.

TPS confirm...

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