Toronto unveils new $24B plan for 40,000 housing units

Mayor John Tory is throwing his support behind a decade-long action plan that would see all three levels of government spend $23.4 billion to help more than 300,000 people deal with housing issues.

The money would go toward building some 40,000 new affordable and supportive housing options.

Tory told reporters creating that housing is a "social imperative" if Toronto wants to be a healthy city.

"I will be working hard with the other orders of government to ensure the entire HousingTO Action Plan is fully funded," Tory said in a statement. "This has to be a priority — we have to come together to support households who are struggling to pay the rent and keep, or put, a roof over their heads.

"Ensuring that residents in our city have access to housing will benefit our entire city. It gives people the opportunity to meet their full potential and to participate in our city's success."

"This will positively change people's lives," said Coun. Ana Bailao, council's housing advocate.

According to the plan, which the city has dubbed the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan, 341,000 households would be helped by its implementation.

"In particular, high rental and ownership costs have left over 194,000 households (or 17.5% of all private households) paying more that 50% of their income on housing," the city report notes.

"The City's commitment through current and future investments is proposed to be $8.5 billion over 10 years (including operating, capital investment and other financial tools)."

The report also notes that contributions from both non-profit and private sectors will be necessary to achieve its targets.

The city says the plan contains 76 actions to address housing needs, including:

Enhancing measures to prevent evictions and people becoming homeless.
Preserving rental homes that currently exist.
Adopting a new program definition of affordable housing based on income.
Create a multi-sector land bank to support the approval of 40,000 new rental and supportive homes.

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Toronto resident Samuel Opoku 23, feces attacker

The 23-year-old man accused of dumping buckets of liquefied feces on people at two Toronto universities will spend another two weeks behind bars before his bail hearing.

Following a court date for the case Tuesday, the suspect’s attorney Jordan Weisz told reportersthat his client will appear at Old City Hall on Dec. 18 for a special bail hearing, likely to take at least three hours.

“We really wanted to have a bail hearing as soon as possible – all individuals have a right to a reasonable bail,” Weisz said. “We were looking to do this next week; we were looking to do this as soon as possible.”

He said the delay is due to court room availability.

Investigators previously said an unknown man walked into the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library on Nov. 22 and dumped a bucket of “liquefied fecal matter” on two students seated at a table.

Two similar incidents were later reported at the Scott Library at York University’s Keele campus on Nov. 24 and outside a U of T building near College Street and University Avenue a day later.

In total, police said five people were assaulted.

The incidents gripped the city, with students and members of the larger community expressing shock and disgust over the disturbing incidents, including Mayor John Tory, who called the behaviour “inexplicable.”

In an effort to identify the man responsible, investigators released security camera images of a possible suspect.

On Nov. 26, police confirmed that after receiving a number of tips, an arrest had been made in the case.

Police said 23-year-old Toronto resident Samuel Opoku was arrested at around 6 p.m. at a shelter in the area of Queen Street and Spadina Avenue.

Weisz would not comment directly on the allegations against Opoku but strongly suggested he would seek some sort of bail with conditions.

“Jail is not an appropriate place for my client,” he said.

The Crown previously told court they would seek to remand Opoku into custody until his trial.

He then indicated that the nature of the acts his client is accused of, coupled with the fact that none of the victims knew his client, suggests mental health will play a role in the proceedings.


“A person who would do something as terrible as what was alleged to have been done either would have some terrible personal animosity to the victims themselves, but in this case the allegation is the victims are entirely unknown to the suspect,” Weisz said. “So the only other possibility that makes any sense at all to me is that regrettably the person is suffering from a mental illness and regrettably that person isn’t receiving the treatment that he ought to receive.”

He said his client is “definitely fit to stand trial and is aware of everything that’s going on within the court process.”

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Fire shuts down Toronto subway

TORONTO — Nearly 200 commuters were forced to evacuate a train and trudge through a smoky tunnel after a small fire shut down a stretch of Toronto's busy crosstown line for several hours Monday morning.

The blaze broke out on the tracks near the platform at Dundas West Station around 7 a.m., prompting the evacuation of that station and a neighbouring one, the city's fire department and the Toronto Transit Commission said.

A TTC spokesman said the fire started when a wooden cover board contacted the third rail.

"What we don't know yet is what caused the spark," said Stuart Green, who noted that early indications point to the line's electrical system, which is 50 years old.

The commission cut power to the area, which left one train stuck in the tunnel just outside the station, he said. The TTC decided to evacuate the train through the back — away from the fire.

A passenger near the front opened a side door, he said, which caused further stress because the train filled with smoke.

"It complicated an already stressful situation for passengers," Green said.

Videos posted on social media show passengers walking single-file through the tunnel with the help of subway workers. No one was injured, he said.

Service on the line resumed around 10 a.m.

Green said there are two simple pieces of advice to follow if passengers find themselves in the same situation: stay calm and listen to TTC staff.

"It's easy to say and more difficult to do in the moment, but we have practised evacuations like this many times," he said.

The TTC is currently undergoing an infrastructure audit on that line, he said. In early November, old cabling on the same line had corroded and shorted out the power, causing a loss of service.

He said it's unclear if they are demanding too much power of the system by running upwards of 45 trains on that line during rush hour. But that is another avenue that is being investigated.

Green said crews will go in to examine the area when trains aren't running early Tuesday morning to try to figure out what went wrong.

Toronto Fire district chief Stephan Powell said the fire was extinguished quickly, using a combination of carbon dioxide and dry chemical.

The incident contributed to a chaotic Monday morning commute, leaving some stations packed and many riders venting their frustrations on social media.

"It's a mess down here!" Jason Lascelle wrote on Twitter. "Find another way to your destination."

Waldman said there were several emergency alarms activated on board other trains, which made the commute worse.

"It definitely causes a bit of backlog — one small issue is compounded by a second small issue, on top of the fire situation," Waldman said.

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Money-losing Now Magazine sold for up to $2 million, new owner plans to keep print edition

Today Now, tomorrow North America.

Now Magazine, the 38-year-old alternative news weekly, has been bought by a Toronto-based company with visions of putting alternative papers across North America under one corporate roof.

Brian Kalish, CEO of Media Central Corp., said readers shouldn’t expect any big editorial changes in what he called an “iconic” publication.

“We want to keep the voice alive. The minute you start messing with the voice is where you have issues,” said Kalish, in a nod to the recent and widely derided takeovers of Sports Illustrated and Deadspin.

Media Central’s only other media property is CannCentral.com, a cannabis-based news website launched earlier this year.

Now publisher Alice Klein, who will be staying on as Chief Editorial Strategist, thanked the magazine’s readers in an open letter.

“I am so pleased that the new owner, NOW Central Communications Inc., is a young, ambitious, tech-savvy media company who want to continue to extend Now’s iconoclastic voice and commitment to serving, delighting and empowering those who question the status quo,” said Klein.

The takeover values the company at up to $2 million, with half of that paid up front and the other half contingent on Now meeting certain performance targets over the next year.

With the media industry struggling with a falling advertising market, and publishers putting up paywalls or draw in more revenue via subscription, Kalish said he inked the deal because Now — and other papers he’d like to take over — still have sizable audiences. That makes him confident he’ll succeed where others, including the backers of the now all-but-defunct Village Voice, have failed.

Kalish said he hopes to drive revenue through a mix of advertising and eventually, some form of subscription, possibly just for special online sections or features. In a press release, his company stated that it plans to add new content verticals and integrate Now into CannCentral.com.

There are no plans to eliminate the print edition, Kalish said.

“There are probably 100 million readers in North America who want that creative, alternative take on what’s happening in their city,” said Kalish, adding that new purchases would be financed through a mixture of debt and equity.

But he tried to allay concerns that the company would be racking up unsustainable amounts of debt that couldn’t be supported by its publications. “In the grand scheme of things, these are very small transactions. We’re talking about a few hundred thousand dollars, or a million,” said Kalish.

Online and in print, Now currently reaches 2.14 million readers per month, according to Vividata research cited by Kalish. It prints 252,000 copies per month.

There are currently 40 full- and part-time employees, Kalish said, and there are no plans to change staffing levels.

While he wouldn’t name potential new takeover targets, Kalish said there are plenty of motivated sellers in the current business climate.

“They’re motivated for different reasons. There might be succession issues, there might be business reasons. But none of them wants to just see their dream die,” said Kalish.

In 2018, Now lost $834,352 before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. In the first three quarters of 2019, the company lost $706,486 before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Kalish wouldn’t speculate whether Now would have stayed in business without the takeover, but acknowledged it had cost Klein, Now’s co-founder, substantial amounts of money to keep the publication afloat.

“Alice has been carrying this herself for a while. Are we white knights? I don’t know. But I believe in the vision,” said Kalish.

There are four people listed on Media Central’s board of directors, including Kalish. None have significant levels of media experience, something Kalish acknowledged will need to change.

“Does this board need a shakeup, to get more diversity in? Absolutely. Not just diversity in corporate background, but in life experience,” said Kalish.

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Media Central buys Toronto weekly Now Magazine

TORONTO – Media Central Corp. Inc. says it has agreed to buy Toronto weekly Now Magazine for as much as $2 million in the first step of a plan to consolidate the alternative publication landscape.

The startup media company said Monday that the magazine will provide it with millions of annual readers through its 500,000 weekly readers and a website that sees more than 729,000 unique visits a month.

Media Central CEO Brian Kalish, whose recent experience is in the speciality finance and health care industries, said Now Magazine is just the first of many alternative publications the company plans to buy in Canada and the U.S. over the next five years as it looks to unite high-quality publications with data-driven advertising.

“I’m confident that we have the ability and we have the plan to go out there and over the next five years, see ourselves controlling at least 60 per cent of that alt market.”

Now Magazine co-founder Alice Klein says it’s exciting for the magazine to enter the next stage of its evolution with a young and ambitious media company that is committed to maintaining its independent voice while realizing its potential for growth.

Klein founded the magazine with Michael Hollett in 1981 with a stated vision around social transformation, with special commitments to economic, personal and ecological well-being based on sharing and empowerment for all.

The publication is the second for Toronto-based Media Central, which was founded earlier this year and launched the cannabis-focused online site CannCentral in September.

Kalish said there are no immediate plans to change the Now brand or editorial team, and that they don’t want to affect the voice and tone of the publication, but that it plans to add new content categories and integrate the publication with CannCentral.

The cash deal for Now Magazine includes a $1-million payment contingent on Now achieving some metrics within a year of the deal closing. In Now’s most recent fiscal year, it reported a loss of $834,352 before deductions on revenue of $4.15 million.

Kalish said he expects to bring Now Magazine, combined with CannCentral, to profitability by the latter half of next year, in part by making better use of the magazine’s apparent reader demographics that lean towards “highly creative, upwardly-mobile, socially conscious people.”

“This is a very targeted audience, this is a very concentrated audience,” he said. “It’s not like we’re a national newspaper trying to be all things to all people.”
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Toronto home prices projected to go up 6%

Housing prices in Toronto are projected to increase by 6% next year, according to a report released by real estate company ReMax.

According to RE/MAX’s 2020 Housing Market Outlook Report, the trend of a strong housing market will continue. It’s a trend that definitely favours property sellers.

The report noted the average sale price of residential properties in 2019 was $880,841. Next year, the amount is expected to increase to $933,691.

“We really saw some momentum in the second half of this year seeing sales trends going up strongly,” said Jason Mercer, Chief Market Analyst for the Toronto Real Estate Board.

“On the price side, we’ve also seen market conditions tighten up with sales representing a higher share of listings on the market,” he said. “There’s a competition with would-be buyers and that tends to exert upward pressure on prices, as well.”

The report noted the 6% increase is a result of demand in the detached home market, growth in the economy and better employment rates.

ReMax predicts that move-up buyers — those looking to upgrade their current living situation — as those who will drive up demand in 2020.

Mercer said a steady rate in population growth also drives growth in demand for housing ownership — whether it’s in the new or re-sell market.

“There is an acceleration in population growth and a lot of that is on the back of immigration,” Mercer said. “They’re attracted to Canada and a lot of people settle in the GTA because we offer a lot of different job opportunities across different sectors. We also have cultural diversity to go along with that.

“As the population continues to grow, a lot of them choose to purchase housing, whether it be single-detached homes or condos.”

The ReMax report predicts west Scarborough and Durham Region will be areas of high demand next year thanks to the affordability of properties, closeness to public transit and easy access to  jobs in downtown Toronto.

In 2019, 76,413 properties were purchased in Toronto, according to the report. That’s an increase of 12% from the previous year when buyers snapped up 68,064 properties.

The sale of high-end luxury homes also experienced an 8.5% increase in 2019 and the growth is expected to continue next year.
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Tororto Police investigating after shots fired in city's Fashion District

Police say two males are in custody after shots were fired in the city’s Fashion District overnight.

Officers from 14 Division were called to the area of Portland and Queen streets for reports of shots fired.

When police arrived, shell casings were found on scene but no injuries were reported.

Police say three males were spotted running away from the scene and after a brief foot pursuit, two males were subsequently arrested by officers.

The firearm has been recovered, police say.

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4 suspects sought in 2 Scarborough Town Centre robberies

Toronto police are searching for four suspects wanted in connection with two robberies at Scarborough Town Centre last month.

It was reported that on Nov. 14, just after 6 p.m., a 19-year-old man had been shopping with friends and was about to get into a car when he was approached by another man.

The other man reportedly had his hand concealed in his jacked and demanded the victim’s personal items. The victim complied and then fled the area.

A few minutes later a 22-year-old man was standing on the TTC bus platform when he was allegedly approached by two men with the faces covered.


One of the suspects reportedly grabbed the victim, made a threat and then demanded the man’s jacket.

The victim was able to break free and got on the TTC bus.

Police have released following descriptions of the four suspects:

Suspect #1 is described as 19-22 years of age, five foot nine, 130-140 pounds, and clean shaven. He was wearing a black jacket, a black backpack, a black and white scarf covering his face, a black toque, yellow/blue/white sweat pants, and brown boots.

Suspect #2 is described as 19-22 years of age, five foot eight, 130 pounds, clean shaven, and short black hair. He was wearing a black ‘Canada Goose’ winter jacket, black pants, black shoes, and a black backpack.

Suspect #3 is described as a woman, 19-22 years of age, five foot eight, 130 pounds, with long straight black hair tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a black ‘Canada Goose’ jacket, black shirt, green camouflage pants and white shoes.

Suspect #4 is described as male, brown, 19-22 years of age, wearing dark clothing.

Police believe the suspects are armed and dangerous, and should not be approached if seen.
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Female in custody following butcher knife attack in Parkdale

A man has suffered serious, possibly life-threatening injuries following a stabbing in Parkdale.

Police say they were called to the area of King Street West and Wilson Park Road just after 7:30 p.m.

They discovered a man suffering from multiple stab wounds in the backyard of a residence. He was taken to a trauma centre via emergency run.

A female suspect, reportedly armed with a butcher knife, fled the scene, however, police said she was known to them.

Police said the suspect was later located and taken into custody and they were not seeking any other suspects.

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Gavin MacMillan and Enzo De Jesus Carrasco co-accused in College Street Bar gang rape case

A former College St. bar owner wept and his manager appeared stunned as a jury convicted both men of gang sexual assault and administering a stupefying substance to a female customer inside the club.

Gavin MacMillan, 44, wiped away tears after he and co-accused Enzo De Jesus Carrasco, 34, were found guilty of jointly sexually assaulting and drugging the then-24-year-old woman in mid-December 2016.

Carrasco, who was acquitted of a count of sexual assault against the victim, is now in custody. He will face two additional trials involving three other women.

Crown attorney Rick Nathanson asked Justice Michael Dambrot to revoke the bail on both men as they’re now facing significant penitentiary terms and lost the presumption of innocence.

“We are very happy and grateful to the complainant, a survivor who showed tremendous strength and courage throughout all of this,” Nathanson said after the verdict.

“She seemed more motivated out of concern for the community than for herself,” added Nathanson. “She’s aware of the outcome and is relieved by the verdict.

“We’re grateful that the jury worked very hard. They took their task very seriously and they had to work through some very difficult and troubling evidence, which they didn’t expect (hours of bar surveillance video capturing the graphic sexual content),” said Nathanson.

Nathanson also credited the Toronto Police sex crimes unit for their diligent work from the start of the case to the conclusion.

MacMillan remains free on bail but Dambrot placed him under strict house arrest.

The jury couldn’t reach a verdict against Carrasco for another sexual assault on the woman that allegedly took place on the morning of Dec. 15, 2016 at his home. No verdict was reached on charges of unlawful confinement against both men. Both charges were stayed.

Both accused testified they engaged in prolonged BDSM orgy with a willing woman who wanted to be dominated and to play a submissive role. Their lawyers, Sean Robichaud and Uma Kancharla, argued both men should be cleared of sordid allegations.

“We are looking at grounds of appeal and my client maintains his innocence,” said Kancharla, who represented Carrasco.

The woman, who cannot be identified, is an epileptic and takes anti-seizure medication.

She drank some alcoholic beverages and snorted seven or eight lines of cocaine, court heard.

She collapsed in a bar chair and was motionless for 10 minutes. Carrasco texted MacMillan that she appears, “dead, dead, dead.” MacMillan responded Carrasco should put her into a cab and join him at another bar where there were “plenty of fish.”

Carrasco stayed with the victim who staggered to the bar and consumed cocaine. She was involved in sex acts with both men spanning hours.

Carrasco will be back in court on Dec. 12 for a bail  hearing. Sentencing is scheduled on Jan. 29, 2020.
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