Franklin Simon, 21, Ansa Naveed, 22 arrested firearms, ammunition seized from Jane and Sheppard area home

Toronto police have arrested a man and a woman after two firearms and several rounds of ammunition were seized at a North York home.

On Monday, police executed a search warrant in the area of Jane St. and Sheppard Ave. W. and said they seized a 9 mm calibre black Glock 17 handgun, a .45 calibre silver revolver, one magazine for 40 calibre ammunition and several rounds of ammunition in varying sizes.

Franklin Simon, 21, and Ansa Naveed, 22, both of Toronto, each face a number of firearm-related charges.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-3166 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
Please share this

James Sears, Your Ward News editor gets the maximum one year jail

TORONTO — The editor of a Toronto-based publication was handed the maximum one-year jail sentence on Thursday for promoting hatred against women and Jews.

In sentencing James Sears, Ontario court Judge Richard Blouin said he would have handed down a much stiffer sentence had the law allowed.

“It is impossible, in my view, to conclude that Mr. Sears … should receive a sentence of any less than 18 months in jail,” Blouin said.

“Mr. Sears … promoted hate to a vast audience in an era where online exposure to this material inexorably leads to extremism and the potential of mass casualties.”

The sentencing of the editor of Your Ward News, who had sought to reopen his trial, came after Blouin rejected Sears’ arguments that his lawyer had thrown the case.

Sears, 55, who had gone into the courtroom expressing confidence that the case would be again put over, looked stunned at the sudden turn of events and quietly shook his head.

“Don’t worry honey,” he told his wife, who was carrying a child, as officers handcuffed him and led him from the courtroom.

“That’s not right,” one supporter said from the back of the courtroom before leaving in tears.

Blouin had found Sears and Your Ward News publisher LeRoy St. Germaine, 77, guilty in January of two hate counts each.

Evidence was that the free publication was distributed over three years to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in the Toronto area as well as online.

It consistently portrayed women as inferior and as inviting rape.

It also promoted tropes of Jews drinking the blood of Christian children and denied the Holocaust occurred. Those themes continued even after the trial started, Blouin noted.

The Crown had called for the maximum six months on each count for a total one year for Sears.

The judge did deny a prosecution probation request to bar Sears from publishing Your Ward News.

Such a ban would violate the constitutional right to free expression, Blouin said.

“Mr. Sears should be free to publish whatever he wishes, even if unpopular and objectionable, as long as his words do not offend the Criminal Code,” Blouin said.

After sentencing submissions in April, Sears fired his lawyer, Dean Embry, and attempted to have Blouin reopen the trial so he could call expert witnesses in his defence.

Sentencing had been repeatedly delayed as Sears sought to convince Blouin.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, Embry strenuously denied any suggestion he deliberately botched the case, saying he had defended his client to the best of his ability and that his client had accepted his judgments.

“I am proud of the work I did for him,” Embry said.

At the outset of Thursday’s hearing, Sears tried to press his point that Embry had provided ineffective assistance by refusing to call any defence witnesses. Sears said he had gone along with Embry despite his increasing misgivings about the lawyer’s strategy.

“My position is that he’s a lawyer. At the time, I didn’t have the knowledge. I don’t have a God complex,” said Sears, who has repeatedly compared himself to Jesus Christ.

“Is this really just a revisiting of the case?” Blouin asked, saying anyone who loses can blame the lawyer’s tactics.

For its part, the Crown argued in its written submissions that Embry had made a tactical decision that was not now open to the court — or to Sears — to second guess.

Ultimately, Blouin had enough. Sears, he said, had endorsed Embry’s calls.

“Mr. Embry approached the case tactically and professionally,” Blouin said. “This was not incompetence or worse. This was a lawyer doing his job. It just didn’t work.”

Blouin also said he would sentence St. Germaine on Aug. 29. The judge said he had only found out on Wednesday that the publisher was not amenable to a restorative sentencing circle that would have seen him face representatives of his victims.

The Crown wants St. Germaine jailed for a total of six months.

Noah Shack, with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, called Sears’ sentence a moment of justice.

“Those who promote hatred must be held accountable,” Shack said.

“What starts with words can often lead to violence.”

Please share this

Woman in her 20s wounded in daytime Etobicoke shooting

A woman in her 20s was seriously injured in a daytime shooting outside an Etobicoke residential building on Sunday, Toronto police say.

The shooting occurred in the area of Dixon Road and Kipling Avenue. Police were called to the scene at about 1:25 p.m., according to Const. Alex Li, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service.

When officers arrived at about 1:45 p.m., they found the woman suffering from two gunshot wounds.

Paramedics took her to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A black SUV seen in the area is believed to be linked to the shooting. No suspect information was available.

No weapon has been recovered.

Officers are canvassing the area for witnesses and security camera video. An area outside the building has been taped off.

"Obviously, there is an active crime scene investigation that is going on," Li said.
Please share this

Paolo Caputo, 64 of Richmond Hill shot on Roncesvalles Domani Restaurant and Wine Bar in Toronto on Friday

Suspect described as male, approximately 5'11" with skinny build; police believe he fled in white SUV

Toronto police have identified a man who died in what's believed to be a targeted daylight shooting in Roncesvalles Friday as 64-year-old Paolo Caputo of Richmond Hill.

Police were called to the Roncesvalles Avenue and Grenadier Road area just south of Dundas Street West around 4:15 p.m. Friday for reports of multiple gunshots.

Officers arrived to find a man outside the Domani Restaurant and Wine Bar with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene, police say.

Restaurant employee Kumar Kandasamy told CBC News the victim owned the establishment. On its website, Domani Restaurant and Wine Bar lists a Paul Caputo as its owner.

Police say they believe it was a drive-by shooting and are canvassing the neighbourhood hoping anyone who may have seen the incident or who may have surveillance video will come forward.

Investigators say a light-skinned male, about 5'11" with a skinny build is believed to be behind the shooting. They believe he got into a waiting white Mercedes v300 that was reportedly seen fleeing the area westbound.

Police believe another person was driving the vehicle.

The homicide unit has taken over the case.

Roncesvalles Avenue is closed in both directions from Grenadier Road to Constance Street for the investigation.

Caputo's death marks the city's 38th homicide of the year. 
Please share this

Huge insurance premium hikes 'another nail in the coffin for us,' Toronto taxi drivers warn

Some Toronto taxi drivers are considering parking their cabs for good after getting hit with insurance premium hikes they say they can't afford.

Thomas Tuah, 75, has been driving taxis since 1973, but over the past few years he says he's found it more and more difficult to make a living.

"Not anymore. But I'm stuck in it. Have nowhere to go. Who is going to employ me at my age?" Tuah said.

His expenses, which include licensing fees, permits, equipment required by the city and car maintenance, all eat away at what he takes home at the end of the day.

"I maybe make about $80 a day," he said. "I have a family. I have a home to pay for."

Now, he's been given notice that his commercial vehicle insurance fees are going up by $3,000.

"Maybe I'll make more money collecting welfare than even driving a taxi," Tuah told CBC Toronto, saying the steep hikes have him thinking he should quit.

And he certainly isn't alone.

Gary Khan says he got a notice indicating his renewal would cost $7,411 just for liability and will shoot up to almost $12,000 for comprehensive or all-perils coverage.

"I was paying like $5,200 for all perils. How will I pay this? So many guys are thinking of giving up their plates," he said, adding he's been driving taxis for 45 years and doesn't have any recent claims, tickets or fines.

Khan says huge premium hikes put cabbies at a big disadvantage as they compete with drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft, who are covered by the companies' insurance policies when they are picking up fares using the ride hailing apps.

Khan says it's unfair that commercial insurance is another expense that ride sharing drivers who just download an app don't have to pay.

"Go for courses, pay the $700 and go for courses. Pay everything and be just like me. I don't care if there are 100,000 Uber drivers. We want accountability and we want them to be in the same playing field as we are in," he said.

In a written statement, City of Toronto spokesperson Lyne Kyle says there have been no changes to the city's insurance requirements for Vehicle-for-Hire drivers that may have led to the drastic spike in costs.

She says the Insurance requirements remain the same for taxicabs, limousines and private transportation companies — all are required to have $2 million in coverage.

Philomena Comerford,  president and chief executive officer of Baird MacGregor Insurance Brokers LP, says insurance companies have no alternative but to raise premiums on cab drivers.  due to a high number of claims this year and rising costs.

"Taxis have always been a difficult class of business," she said in an interview.

"They would be considered high risk. And unfortunately, because they're driving in downtown conditions and a lot of congestion, there are a lot of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists," she added.

On top of being the highest risk and most expensive to insure, she says taxis are bearing the brunt of what Ontario auto insurers are calling a very challenging year, due to a high number of claims and rising costs.

"Results have not been good in Ontario auto and when results in Ontario auto are bad, it's like they sneeze and everybody else gets a cold," said Comerford, adding rate hikes have also hit tow truck operators.

"So we've got kind of a perfect storm going on right now in the industry."

Sam Moini, of HPM Taxi Ltd, operates about 30 cabs and is a spokesman for the Toronto Taxi Alliance. He is worried about what the increase in insurance costs will do to the industry.

"The taxi industry has suffered a significant amount in the last five years. And insurance is right now is their biggest expense," he said. "So it's another nail in the coffin for us.

Moini echoes Khan's concerns about drivers for ride sharing apps who are not required to purchase any supplementary insurance, but are still allowed to take paying passengers.

"Why do we have to pay $10,000 premiums when they get off scot-free. The playing field is completely unbalanced."
Please share this

Metrolinx of Greater Toronto Area pushing suicide prevention plan after 14 deaths this year

Suicide is a difficult topic to talk about, but it's one Metrolinx wants to bring to the forefront after deaths along its tracks have already surpassed yearly levels.

The GTA's regional transit agency wants everyone to know that it has a system in place to help those in distress.

So far, there have been 14 deaths by suicide across Metrolinx's 500 kilometres of track. Usually, in any given year there are 12 to 15.

"This of course is very concerning for all of us," said Anne Marie Aikins, Metrolinx's senior manager of media and issues.

"We've been stepping up our efforts for a long time. One thing is education."

Officers trained to spot a person in distress
Metrolinx's special constables go through extensive training to spot GO train users who could be in distress. Some of the things they look for are unusual behaviour, such as pacing on the platform or loitering. When something seems off, the officers approach the person.

"They engage in conversation," said Bill Grodzinski, the director of transit safety. "They ask the question, 'Are you okay?' and an extension of that question is, 'Are you thinking about committing suicide?'"

Grodzinski says every week his officers tell him that they were able to prevent someone from trying to kill themselves. But most of the fatalities happen along the tracks were there are no special constables, so instead there are signs with a helpline number.

The line, run by Connex Ontario, is province-wide and accessible 24 hours a day. Anne Counter, Connex Ontario's director of information, says the organization provides everything from information on where to find the best mental health or addiction treatment in the province to over the phone crisis counselling.

The organization, funded by Ontario's Ministry of Health, says it gets about 300 to 400 calls a day.

"Staff engage in conversation to ascertain what kind of information a person may be looking for, whether it's for themselves or for a family member," said Counter.

If someone is thinking about committing suicide and they're near Metrolinx's tracks, Connex Ontario operators try to ease the person's mind, help them get in contact with the proper authorities and also let Metrolinx know where the person is so the train can stop in time. 

There is also a treatment plan in place for Metrolinx staff if a fatality occurs.

"They are immediately removed from service and and there's mandatory debriefing and counselling that they have to participate in," said Aikins.

Metrolinx isn't the only agency that has suicide prevention measures in place. The Toronto Transit Commission has specially trained officers to spot and de-escalate situations.

This year there have been eight fatalities and many others that were successfully stopped, the TTC says.
Please share this

Lawrence Heights in North York searches for answers at gun crime town hall

8 shootings have happened in the area in the last month primarily from fatherless black youth.

In the midst of increased concern about gun violence in the area, Lawrence Heights residents came together at a town hall meeting Thursday evening to voice their concerns.

There have been hundreds of gun-related incidents in the city this year, with eight shootings in Lawrence Heights in the last month alone.

Louis March, founder of the Zero Gun Violence movement, said the issue is about more than just policing or guns.

"You cannot talk about banning guns if you're not going to talk about banning poverty and all the issues that go along with it," he said. "It's like a puzzle with 10 to 20 pieces.

"The gun piece is one piece of the puzzle."

Any solutions on the issue need to include considerations about mental health, housing, employers and youth, he said.

"Bring them all together and ask them to come up with an action plan … the community knows what's best for them."

The meeting comes the same week as the launch of Toronto police's Project Community Space — a $4.5-million strategy to curb gun violence that will include beefing up the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force.

Police chief Mark Saunders said on CBC Radio's Metro Morning this week that while there is no one solution to gun violence, he would support any initiative that reduces the number of illegal guns on the streets of Toronto.

"If there are less people that are going to have access to guns in any way, shape or form, that's a good day," Saunders said.

But Saunders would not say if he agrees with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, which recently said it would not support a call for a nation-wide ban on handguns.

Toronto Mayor John Tory has lobbied the federal government in favour of a ban, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been coy about whether such a measure will be pursued by Ottawa.

Jennifer Esposito, founder of the organization Walk for Change, said there were "a lot of mixed emotions" inside the meeting.

"No one is born a gangster, you're made into one," she said. "Why? You're seeing your parents not having enough money therefore you hit the streets and start selling."

Esposito said she sees effort from police in terms of putting more officers on the street, but she's skeptical that it will make a real difference.

"I don't believe putting more police officers on the streets is going to help to be honest. Because they've been doing it for how long now? And nothing has changed."
Please share this

Sammy Yatim's mom shocked over James Forcillo's quick parole

The mother of police shooting victim Sammy Yatim was “shocked” that her son’s killer — former Toronto police officer James Forcillo — was granted day parole after serving 21 months of his six-year sentence.

“She is shocked that James Forcillo got day parole so early,” said family spokesman Joseph Nazar on behalf of mother Dr. Sahar Bahadi on Thursday.

“She knew nothing about this parole  hearing and no one from the  Yatim family attended. No one read a victim impact statement,” said Nazar.

“If they attended, the family would have opposed Forcillo’s release.”

The Parole Board decided Forcillo will live at a halfway house with overnight privileges for the next six months.

He was ordered to undergo psychological counselling and was prohibited from contacting the Yatim family.

It was reported that Forcillo took responsibility for his shooting, admitted it was unjustified and apologized in a letter to the Yatim family.

“It’s a self-serving statement to facilitate his release,” said Yatim family lawyer Ed Upenieks in an interview.

“At no stage during the trial or sentencing, did Forcillo express any remorse.

“I doubt very much that he’d be able  to look the Yatim family in the eyes and apologize. It wouldn’t have been sincere,” said Upenieks. “I heard he wrote the family a letter, but if he doesn’t send it, it’s not a letter.”

Upenieks said if the Yatim family had attended, the result “would have been different.

“They were given no notice of  this hearing. They could have expressed exactly how they feel — shocked and disappointed,” said Upenieks.

Forcillo, 36, was acquitted of second-degree murder but convicted of attempted murder in 2016 for the July 2013 shooting of the knife-wielding 18-year-old as he stood alone inside an empty downtown streetcar.

Forcillo has been in custody since November 2017 when he was caught violating his bail conditions by living in an apartment with his fiance, instead of at his ex-in-laws’ home.

Ontario’s top court dismissed Forcillo’s appeal last year, ruling he took “unnecessary and excessive” action during the confrontation

Forcillo fired two separate volleys of shots at Yatim — the first delivering a fatal heart shot.

The Ontario Court of Appeal decided the second volley was “clearly unnecessary and excessive” against the dying teen laying on the streetcar floor.

A coroner’s inquest has been called into the police shooting but no date has yet been set.

Please share this

Canadian Media Fall for Hoax involving Lalya Davidson, 28 of Toronto

Yesterday, blogTO uploaded disturbing footage of a woman standing outside of Toronto City Hall, hurling racist abuse at a filming passerby, now identified as Farhan Rana.

The woman, who was holding a sign which said, “Vote Andrew Scheer,” told Rana to “go the f*ck home” and repeated “this is a place of men, this is a beautiful country” before aggressively approaching and spitting at him.

According to blogTO, the woman was arrested during the day for “assaulting people at Nathan Phillips Square.” CityNews reported she faced one count of assault, and three counts of assaulting a Police Officer.

Her sign, overtly political in nature, caused prominent media figures to actively call conservative figures to issue statements distancing themselves from her views.

For example, in a now-deleted tweet, David Akin, the Chief Political Correspondent for Global News, actively called on Scheer to distance himself from Davidson.

In a matter of hours, Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer tweeted that there was “no place” in both the Conservative Party and Canada for “her hateful language.”

I don’t know who this woman is, but there is no place in our party or our country for her hateful language. I condemn her behaviour and racist comments. https://t.co/khSV7hAWO4

— Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) August 12, 2019

Calgary-Nose Hill MP, Michelle Rempel, while voicing some skepticism at the authenticity of the footage, decried the woman’s opinions and actions as “garbage racist crap.”

First reaction: this is staged. But if it’s not, to this woman - for the love of all that’s holy, we don’t want your vote. We fight against your actions. There’s no home for this type of garbage racist crap in my party, in Canada, or anywhere. I hope you seek help and find peace. https://t.co/QIUuprsaVd

— Michelle Rempel Garner (@MichelleRempel) August 12, 2019

The identity of the woman is now known to be 28-year-old South African-born Talya (Talia) Davidson, and the details emerging about her call into question the authenticity of both her message and her intentions.

According to a listing published by blogTo, “Talia Davidson is a writer based in Toronto, Canada. She was born in South Africa and studied archaeology at the University of Guelph and British Colombia. She was a journalist in Guadalajara, a weed trimmer in California, a wildlife worker in the Yukon, and owned a Venezuelan restaurant in Toronto. She now lives in Leslieville with her tortoiseshell cat, Chula.”

The Post Millennial was also able to recover a cache of Davidson’s short story blog, where she wrote about her appreciation for other cultures. For someone screaming anti-immigrant pejoratives, Davidson’s writing reveals a young woman captivated by other nations, travel, and diversity.

According to her Facebook, Talya is an individual who appears to believe that a vote for Scheer is a vote for “patriarchy” and by extension a vote for “good vs evil.”

Davidson’s Facebook profile intro calls upon people to “Vote for the Patriarchy,” the public page only having eleven posts total, the first made on August 11th at 8:04 am.

Important to note is that Davidson’s Facebook is not just two days old, but years old, dating back to 2015. Content from before August 11th has seemingly been attempted to be erased, but The Post Millennial was able to recover some content.

Davidson’s sentiments on her Facebook profile are very different from those The Post Millennial was able to uncover.

It would seem that Davidson had a rather long history of left-leaning views and pro-diversity views while only 24 hours of bizarre bigotry, racism, and “support” for the Conservative Party.

Among her uncovered history included a comment on a Now Toronto article decrying Islamophobia and comparing bras to hijabs, as well as a recent event planned in an Ethiopian restaurant, planned by comedian and former McGuinty speech writer Carolyn Bennett.

In 2018, Davidson also put out a call for applicants in which she encouraged immigrants to apply for a position at an upscale restaurant she managed.

Looking deeper, we also found on the home-share site Couchsurfing where Davidson had a profile, she claimed she was a member of the Anarcho-Syndicalism / Anarchism / Libertarian Socialism group.

Couchsurfing allows users to create and join groups to find like-minded users for discussion and community. A cached version of the site was used in order to access the account information.

A Conservative Party source has also confirmed to The Post Millennial that Davidson has never been a member, nor had she provided any historical support to the party.

A recently unearthed Facebook comment discovered by The Post Millennial confirms that Davidson is no fan of the Conservative party. On an August 11th post welcoming Terence Young as a 2019 candidate for the Conservative Party, and encouraging Facebook users to share the news, Davidson responded with a simple “No.”

The identity of the woman is now known to be 28-year-old South African-born Talya (Talia) Davidson, and the details emerging about her call into question the authenticity of both her message and her intentions.

For now, with the story continuing to develop, it appears that Davidson is a troll and that this was a staged event.

The arrest was very much real though, as were the events surrounding the arrest. Many questions remain.
Please share this

326 People Accused Of Gun Crimes Are Roaming Around Toronto Right Now

It seems like each new day brings a new incident of gun violence in Toronto. And on Friday, the city's chief of police revealed that more than 300 people who are facing Toronto gun charges are currently out on bail in the city. Yes, you read that number right.

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters today that 326 people who have been charged with gun crimes are out on bail right now. In a news conference at Toronto Police Headquarters, Saunders addressed the recent string of gun violence in the city.

"I've said in the past if the expectations are that we are going to arrest ourselves out of this, we simply are not," said Saunders.

That's clearly a worrying statement, particularly from the city's top cop.

"What we're hoping to do is establish a stronger relationship with our courts," Saunders added.
  Saunders went on to add that the number of people being granted bail after being charged with at least one gun offence is being monitored by Toronto Police.

Unsurprisingly, that assurance doesn't seem to have put people at ease.

Saunders' comments come after a violent 10 days in the city which has seen more than 20 shootings. Fourteen of those incidents occurred over the long weekend with 17 people being injured.

Toronto Mayor John Tory agreed with the chief and urged the court system to fully comprehend the impact gun violence is having in Toronto right now.

In the statement, Tory also reiterated his stance on strict gun control but also pointed out there needs to be more done.

"It is also high time we saw some further co-operation from within the justice system," said Tory.

Saunders did note that making adjustments to bail is not the only way to combat gun violence and significantly decrease or stop shootings from happening, though he was not forthcoming with alternative options.

Meanwhile, at another press conference in Kitchener on Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked about a possible hand gun ban.

"That's not the solution," Ford said.

Please share this

Toronto Star stealth edits claim that lawful gun owners are “effective” killers, Wendy Cukier

The Toronto Star edited a story to make a pro-gun control lobbyist seem less crazy and less bigoted towards lawful Canadian gun owners.



Toronto experienced 14 different shootings, leaving 17 different people injured, over the August long weekend. The shootings are overwhelmingly gang related and committed with illegal guns, but that hasn't stopped the Liberals and their buddies in the gun control lobby from blaming the
innocent.

Wendy Cukier, president of the Coalition for Gun Control told the Toronto Star why she thinks trained, responsible, firearms owners are the real problem, even if they never break a law:

“One of the terrible ironies is that when you see the proliferation of guns often associated with gang violence, you have lots of shootings but fewer people are killed, perhaps because they don’t spend hours and hours at the shooting range,” she said.

She wants people to be less trained and less safe, for public safety reasons? That’s insane but it wasn't the only thing she said to the Star that was bizarre - maybe even a little too bizarre for the Star. Maybe Katie Telford made a call.
This paragraph disappeared from the final version of the Star’s story:

“Asked for her thoughts on how Toronto could be experiencing a surge in the number of shootings, but a decline in gun-related deaths, Cukier, the Coalition for Gun Control president, said that legal gun owners tend to be more effective in killing people because they spend time at target practice, or hunting.”

Unreal. Cukier is implying that Canadian RPAL holders are murder machines because they follow the laws and use their guns in the places prescribed under Canadian law for completely legal reasons. Way more deadly than those Toronto gangsters with their illegal handguns tucked into the waistband of their pants!

In today’s video I’ll show you how I caught the Star scrubbing the kooky from Cukier to protect her ability to push new gun control laws the Liberals are promising to campaign on. I’ll also take you through the real data that debunks the lies people like Cukier tell about the firearms community, like the statistical realty that Canadian PAL holders are ⅓ less likely to commit a murder than the rest of society at large.

So dishonest. So in the bag for the Liberals and so predictable.

The Toronto Star receives $115,000 per week in handouts for the Trudeau government. That buys a lot of story rewrites for Liberal allies who say something extremist and stupid to reporters about law abiding Canadians. But, I am glad, if just for a moment, the Star published the truth about how prejudiced the gun control lobby is, in their own words.

We need to know just how dumb they are, how their bad ideas will result in more deaths and how they look at one of the safest demographics in all of Canada as trained killing machines while giving those who don't follow the laws a free pass.

Please share this

Our drug addictions are behind most of the gunfire

Waterloo Region’s surge in gun violence is fuelled by a flourishing drug trade. We can only overcome it if we put a stop to drug addictions here

The Toronto-Waterloo corridor is a wonderful thing, when it refers to a cluster of technology companies and research-intensive universities that have transformed the economy here.

And it's a terrible thing, when it refers to Highway 401 bringing drug dealers, illegal guns and criminal gangs from Toronto.

This week, 20-year-old Kyle Parthe from Cambridge was shot and killed in a suburban plaza near Jamieson Parkway and Franklin Boulevard.

It was the third shooting death this year, and the 15th time guns have been fired here in 2019.
These gunshots can happen anywhere.

Dozens of bullets shattered glass and wounded people at a busy Subway sandwich shop in Waterloo's university neighbourhood on Good Friday. Two days later, more shots were fired in the same student neighbourhood.

Earlier that same week, a grandmother from Cambridge named Helen Schaller was shot and killed in the parking lot of the building where she lived.

At the beginning of the summer, three people were injured when a fight between four men escalated to gunplay outside a restaurant in south Kitchener at dinner time. A frantic bystander ran inside, dripping blood on the carpet. Customers stopped eating and called 911. Traumatized employees closed the restaurant.

Most of these gun attacks are targeted. Most are related to the drug trade.

A few years ago, people might have used knives instead of guns. But now we're seeing an "escalating'' rise in gun violence, says Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin.

He drew a direct link between drug addictions here and the illicit trafficking of drugs, which bring the turf wars, organized crime and "public disorder" that we are now seeing.

Meanwhile, violent crime rates in Waterloo Region increased in 2018 by 18 per cent over 2017.

They now surpass the Ontario average.

We are rapidly having to re-think our image of ourselves as a peaceful cluster of cities where nothing much happens.

It's easy to think of the guns and violence as something brought here by people in Toronto. Nothing to do with us.

The truth is that this conception is both right and wrong.

The drug trade and the gangs who distribute it are based in Toronto.

But they wouldn't have a presence here if we didn't want what they're selling.

If we didn't have so many people who are so desperate for illegal drugs, often laced with toxic fentanyl and carfentanil, the traffickers wouldn't be so bold.

One first responder told the story of answering a 911 call to find a local man whose lips and fingernails had turned blue during a drug overdose.

His girlfriend had called for help. She was afraid that he was dying. But he recovered after life-saving naloxone was administered to him.

And the first thing this man did, when he had enough energy to sit up and speak, was to yell at his girlfriend for interrupting the best part of his "high."

That was more important to him than whether he would live or die.

New figures show we aren't making progress.

In the first seven months of this year, there were 46 suspected opioid overdose deaths in Waterloo Region. By contrast, there were 53 in all of 2018.

The guns, the deaths, the targeted violence we see around us make it seem as if we're in the middle of a war.

But until we figure out how to stop the pain felt by people with addictions, pain that is numbed by these powerful and dangerous drugs, it's a war we are doomed to lose.

Please share this

5 injured after shooting at District 45 lounge on Finch Avenue West in North York

Toronto police are appealing for witnesses after five people were shot in the back of a North York nightclub early Monday morning.

One male victim is now in life-threatening condition. The other four are in non-life-threatening condition.

Officer Stacey Davis of the Toronto Police Service said multiple calls came in just after 2 a.m. from the District 45 lounge on Finch Avenue West.

Davis said there was an altercation near the back of the club when shots began to ring out.


"The club was completely full," she said, adding later that it was "fortunate there's five victims only."

Two of the victims left the club before police arrived and took themselves to the hospital. The three others, including the male victim found in life-threatening condition, were located at the scene.

Of the five victims, two were female. 

Davis says that after the shooting, patrons streamed out of the nightclub, many in emotional distress.

She says police believe the suspects took off before they arrived, and that police are appealing to any witnesses to come forward. 

"It's very concerning," she said of the shooting. "Like I said, the club was packed with patrons."
 

Please share this

Seven wounded in two overnight shootings in Toronto

Seven people were shot in two separate incidents early Monday in Toronto.

Two men and three women were wounded – one with life-threatening injuries – at a night club called District 45 on Finch Ave., near Keele St., at about 2:25 a.m.

“We received several calls of sounds of gunshots at a late-night establishment where there were about 100 people,” Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook said.

The shooting occurred in the back of the club and police say multiple shell casings were found.

There is no suspect information and police are asking witnesses to come forward and are checking video surveillance in the club and area.

About two hours later, two men were shot in the Church and Adelaide Sts. area at about 4:20 a.m.

“This was another call for shots fired and when police arrived, they located a man lying on the sidewalk with serious injuries,” Douglas-Cook said.

“There was another victim located who was also taken to hospital, and at the scene there was a vehicle with bullet holes.”

There was no suspect information.

Please share this

Shooting terrifies fed-up Bridle Path residents in Toronto

This was a shooting in the good part of town.

The best part of town actually — it doesn’t get any more posh than the Bridle Path.

But it seems for the past two years, the gated mansion located at 37 The Bridle Path has been a haven for party after party after party.

This one, taking place on the Sunday of the long weekend that saw a lot of people in town for Caribana and Drake’s OVO fest, ended in early-morning gunfire.

That was followed by an ambulance and scores of 33 Division police officers.

“In 56 years of living on this street and in this area, I have never seen a shooting or a major crime,” said Richard Hogarth, 88.

Then the owners across the street started renting out their house on AirBnB for $2,000 a night.

Suddenly the quiet neighbourhood, which boasts being home to many of Canada’s wealthiest people and just a few hundred metres away from Drake’s nearly finished mansion, became a hotspot for transient socializing.

“I have seen Lamborghinis there,” said Hogarth.

“They make a hell of a racket.”

Other neighbours talk of the constant pounding of speakers all hours of the morning, and people coming and going day and night.

In this case, the shots rang out at 6 a.m.

Police say 20 to 30 people were in the house, but neighbours put the number closer to 100 — including many scantily-clad young women waiting rides for several hours after the shooting.

Toronto Police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante told the Sun’s Bryan Passifiume it is believed the man was shot outside the home, sustaining wounds to his upper body.

“I heard the gunshots,” said Raha Ghafouri, 14.

“It was scary.”

She then heard people “screaming” as partygoers poured out of the house for the street.

It may be the highest of high-end streets in Toronto, but the front yard looked more like the aftermath of a concert — beer and liquor bottles, as well as cups and food wrappers, were strewn all over the place.

Raha’s father, Dr. Ali Ghafouri, has been worried about something like this happening for a while.

“I have talked to the owner, who lives out of the country, about it,” he said.

“There is always so much noise and so many people there.”

But now that gunshots have gone off within steps of his family, enough is enough.

“Maybe it’s time there are no more rentals there,” he said.

Neighbours are hopeful, but say they will believe it when they see it.

“We have complained to both Councillor Jaye Robinson and Mayor John Tory about this extensively and there has been no change at all,” said one neighbour who was ‘furious’ The Bridle Path has become like so many other streets in the city.

And it’s not like it wasn’t predicted.

One neighbour showed me correspondence they’d sent to the city which started with: “Will a shooting next time at our homes be enough for you take action?”

It looks like action is being taken.

The first thing was AirBnB removing this rental from their site.

“The reported behaviour is abhorrent. This listing is no longer on Airbnb’s platform and we’ve suspended the booking guest as we urgently investigate,” said company spokesman Benjamin Brett.

And Mayor Tory weighed in as well.

“We have passed a law which will crack down on what they rightly complain,” he said.

But there is a wrinkle.

“That law is facing a legal challenge which is delaying its implementation,” said Tory.

“I actually have been out to visit another neighborhood to see other instances in which people buy a house, don’t live in it and Airbnb it. It is very disruptive and in fact motivated me to move on the new by law which would prohibit that.”

Maybe a shooting in a place not accustomed to such violence will help push through some city-wide remedy?

The new law is well-meaning.

But the problem lies in the fact criminals rarely follow the law  — whether it’s in the poorest part of town, or the richest.


Please share this

Somali moms grieve as teen gunned down near Jane and Falstaff highrise stairwell

A day after scores of Somali mothers pleaded for help stopping gun violence, a 16-year-old Somali boy was gunned down in a notoriously rough North York neighbourhood.

Toronto Police were called around 1 a.m. Thursday to a Toronto Community Housing Corporation highrise on Falstaff Ave., near Jane St. and Hwy. 401, for reports of gunfire.

The boy’s body was found in a stairwell.

The teen, identified by police as Hanad Ali, is the city’s 35th murder victim of the year.

On Wednesday, a group of Somali mothers made a presentation to the Toronto Police Services Board to express their concerns about the number of young men dying from gun violence and the lack of action being taken to stop the killings.

Samsam Hayow was one of the women at the board meeting and lives at the building where Hanad was killed.

“He had just turned 16 and was not in a gang. I know his mother and he grew up in front of me. He died because he lived on Falstaff,” Hayow said.

“Our boys are dying every day. My boys are afraid to go outside. What are they police doing for us? We work. We pay taxes, but what do they do for us?”

One inconsolable woman, who claimed to be the victim’s older sister, had to be restrained by police from attacking media as the coroner removed the victim’s body from the building.

“Why do we have security if they aren’t protecting us? They aren’t protecting black boys,” she shouted.

“My little brother died today. He died by himself … I don’t have the words. The entire community feels it.”

Shamso Elmi, one of the leaders of the Somali Mothers Movement, which represents 200 Somalia mothers who have lost sons to guns, also addressed the TPSB on Wednesday.

“This shows the state of crisis we are in. We aren’t safe, but until my last breath I have hope one day we will be,” Elmi said.

After the mothers spoke at Wednesday’s meeting, Chief Mark Saunders said the board had heard them and “we will work with them.”

Police, who are reviewing security camera footage, say three males were seen fleeing the area in a dark-coloured Honda.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)..

Please share this

Bullets flying in Lawrence Heights in Toronto

They are shooting at will in Lawrence Heights.

And Toronto Police need the public’s help to find out who’s doing it before somebody gets killed.

“Public assistance sought in seven shooting/firearm discharge investigations, Lawrence Heights area,” was the headline of a news release put out Thursday morning by police.

The release reads like a list that could have been accumulated over a year.

Try a couple weeks.

– Monday, July 15, 2019, at 4:47 p.m. at 36 Pengarth Court “suspects exited a (silver SUV) vehicle, approached the victims and fired several shots in the victims direction.”


– Friday, July 26 at 2:38 p.m. at Tundra Lane and Varna Drive area a “construction crew located windows of a home had multiple bullet holes.” Later that day at  7:10 p.m.,” officers responded to a sound of gunshots call at 88 Ridgevale Drive” believed to have come from “a black four-door Hyundai sedan.”


– On Saturday, July 27 at 12:56 a.m. at Lawrence Ave. W. and Varna Dr. suspects in a white SUV shot at some people from the passenger window. Four minutes later at 1 a.m. there was a “shooting call in the area of Bathurst St. and Lawrence Ave. W.”


– Two days after, on July 29 at 11:51 p.m., five gunshots came from a dark-coloured sedan at Celt Ave. and Highland Hill.

– Hours later, on Tuesday July 30 at 2:06 a.m., someone in a dark-coloured truck shot multiple rounds into a vehicle in the Ranee Ave. and Varna Dr. area.


Seven shooting incidents in just two weeks! It’s a shooting gallery.

Toronto woke up this morning to its 35th homicide — a 16-year-old found gunned down in a stairwell in an apartment building on Falstaff Ave. near Jane St.

Those who are boasting that Toronto’s homicide number is far below the same time last year, when it was at 59, should remember an inch here or there and this number could easily be higher. The city is fortunate that each one of the recent Lawrence Heights shootings were not murders or woundings.

Whatever the politics, the people who are raising their kids in Lawrence Heights deserve better. As usual, the police are handcuffed in trying to find these shooters. Silence is not going to help.

That said, no government has ever taken seriously the concept of a funded information line to reward people for handing over the bad guys. If there was a multimillion-dollar reward attached to the Crime Stoppers program, you would be sure more people would drop a dime on the people who are carrying guns and preparing to fire them.

There also needs to be a better witness protection system and stronger bail for those before the courts on alleged crimes with firearms or deadly weapons.

Toronto Police take guns off the street every week and put gang-bangers in jail every day.

The courts release them on bail very soon after, when they can get a new gun that is being shipped in across porous borders from the United States.

If no one is killed, few seem to care.

But I commend Toronto Police for putting out this news release of the seven near-hits because it shows the danger that is imminent.

Seven shootings in Lawrence Heights! Hopefully the eighth doesn’t strike somebody you love.


Please share this

Toronto Police at the scene of a fatal shooting on Falstaff Ave. on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019

It’s sad to say but Thursday’s fatal shooting of a Somali teen in a Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) building on Falstaff Ave. was a tragedy waiting to happen.

Hanad Abdullahi, 16, was found dead in one of the stairwells at 30 Falstaff Ave. around 1 a.m. after police received reports of gunfire. Three males were seen fleeing the scene in a dark-coloured Honda.

Despite the $13 million plunked into community safety measures in this year’s TCHC budget, housing authority officials have been and remain unwilling or incapable of addressing the many security issues in their buildings in a timely or efficient manner.

No matter how many times the rampant epidemic of drugs, gangs and violence is pointed out to TCHC officials, they still appear to be in denial, or worse, simply indifferent about it.

Even the statement TCHC issued Thursday had as much empathy as a stone.

“We are saddened by this senseless act of gun violence and tragic loss of life. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones and the entire Jane Falstaff community,” the statement said, noting local staff are working with the city’s crisis response team to connect tenants to trauma-related supports.

The statement is not attributed to CEO Kevin Marshman or chairman Tim Murphy, as it should be in crises like these.

That said, it’s rather rich to claim “sadness” and so on when in April during Marshman’s first meeting as permanent CEO, senior director of the community safety unit, Bill Anderson, was put on the hot seat about his violence reduction strategy — which included the hiring of 60 community safety unit (CSU) officers to send to 10 buildings determined high-risk.


Security cameras were to be upgraded and lighting and building access systems to be improved.

The report had been asked for by council in July of 2018. The funding for the community safety officers had been approved by the board in February of 2019.

Yet at that April 30 meeting, Anderson conceded those CSU officers wouldn’t be fully on board until December and the first 19 ready for training only by mid-May.

There were no targets set either for the installation of cameras or any of the other security measures.

It didn’t escape my attention that none of that would help the peak summer crime season, which we are now in.

That said, TCHC spokesman Bruce Malloch confirmed the Falstaff building is not one of the 10 sites identified for a beefed up security presence under the TCHC’s violence reduction program — whenever it does get off the ground.

He did say — and this is interesting — that the community is patrolled by CSU officers and is the location of the West District CSU office.

If this is the location of a CSU office, should the building not be better protected?

Oh never mind.

Former TCHC tenant board member Catherine Wilkinson, who stated at the April meeting that more “boots on the ground” were sorely needed this summer, said it is a “well-known fact” that crime increases in TCHC buildings in the summer months.

She told me Friday she’s been asking for a long time for “covert cameras” in addition to extra CCTV cameras.

The beauty of covert cameras, she says, are that they are portable, reliable and can be relocated as needed (to such areas as stairwells) to “clean up” high needs buildings and to “capture vandalism and illegal activities before they escalate.”

She adds that such cameras can capture the concrete evidence needed to lay criminal charges and to evict any tenants involved in criminal acts.

“This will go a long way to reducing fear for law-abiding tenants,” she said. “But where there’s no will, there’s no way it’s going to happen.”

Malloch said there will be a community safety meeting Tuesday evening at the Falstaff Community Centre — one that will allow residents to share their concerns and provide input into a community safety plan.

Still, what good is it to share concerns when so little is done?

Please share this

The Toronto Star gets $115,000 a week from Trudeau government

The Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper, has told its shareholders that the Trudeau government’s media bailout has been netting the corporation $115,385 a week so far.

The report, which was first reported on by Blacklock’s Reporter, shows that the media outlet is already valuing the government handouts it has received this year in the millions.

“We recorded an estimated benefit of $3 million for the first half of the year in respect of a new refundable labour tax credit for qualifying journalism organizations,” they wrote.

Torstar Corporation, the company which owns the Toronto Star, is publically traded with thousands of employees. Its flagship newspaper is the largest print newspaper in Canada.

Torstar is haemorrhaging money, losing $31.5 million in 2018, with similar losses projected for this year.

The $595 million media bailout will be given to “government-approved” media outlets over the next five years, though this is not a fixed amount — the amount could increase depending on alleged need.

The bailout, purported to be an aid to the struggling print media industry, has been criticized as a bribe to the media ahead of the federal election.

Media outlets receiving the bailouts and per-employee subsidies will likely depend on the federal government for a considerable portion of their revenue for the foreseeable future.

Those outlets which receive government funds are considered to be “qualified Canadian journalism organizations,” though this term is not clearly defined.

The Trudeau government was criticized for appointing a representative of Unifor to the committee that decides which “qualified Canadian journalism organizations” receive taxpayer dollars. Unifor, the massive labour union, has constantly attacked the Conservative Party and has even proudly called themselves “Andrew Scheer’s worst nightmare”.

With an election beginning in only one month, the media bailout may become a top issue for voters. It is unclear if Conservative leader Andrew Scheer will cancel the media bailout fund if his party forms government.



Please share this

Toronto's property tax rate the lowest in Ontario

Toronto, Ont. may have one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, but homeowners in the city are paying the lowest property tax rate in Ontario.

That’s according to a Zoocasa report released Thursday analyzing the property tax rate in 35 Ontario cities. The real estate company calculated sample property taxes by multiplying sample home assessment values by the residential rates set by various municipalities.

Toronto’s tax rate is the lowest in the province at 0.614770 per cent, meaning that people owning a home valued at $500,000 will pay approximately $3,074 in property taxes.

Meanwhile, homeowners in Windsor, Ont. are saddled with the province’s highest property tax rate of 1.789394 per cent, with taxes on a $500,000 home coming in at $8,947.

The property tax disparity between the two cities shouldn’t be all that surprising, considering the difference in real estate prices from one market to the next. According to recent statistics from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the average price of a home in Greater Toronto in jumped 3.6 per cent year-over-year in June to $798,500. The Windsor-Essex region also saw prices increase, but to a more modest $336,160.

In fact, the five cities that boast the lowest property tax rate in the province are all located within the Greater Toronto Area, where real estate prices have skyrocketed over the last several years.

“Cities with high-valued local real estate and larger populations generally have more leeway on keeping their tax rate low, as the amount collected from individual homeowners is higher to reflect real estate prices and there are more tax payers to contribute to the pot,” Zoocasa’s managing editor Penelope Graham wrote in a post alongside the report.

“In contrast, the cities with the highest tax rates often have the lowest-priced real estate.”

The cities with the lowest property tax rates in Ontario:

    Toronto: 0.614770%

    Markham: 0.659822%

    Milton: 0.685776%

    Richmond Hill: 0.688357%

    Vaughan: 0.696147%

The cities with the highest property tax rate in Ontario:

    Windsor: 1.789394%

    Thunder Bay: 1.598484%

    Sault Ste. Marie: 1.529349%

    North Bay: 1.501246%

    Sudbury: 1.461888%

In the report, Graham urged homeowners to consider property taxes when looking at a potential real estate purchase.

“The amount of property tax a buyer will need to pay is a considerable carrying cost that’s often overlooked, despite it being an ongoing annual financial obligation over the course of the home’s ownership,” Graham wrote.

“The amount of property tax paid should also be of particular note to buyers moving to a new city, as municipal tax rates vary widely across Ontario.”

Please share this