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