What’s behind Toronto’s ‘staggering’ rise in youth carjackings and pharmacy robberies

Carjackings are up more than 100 per cent in Toronto this year in a string of cases often involving armed youth. Behind the crime wave: organized crime, the opioid epidemic and the promise of “life-changing” money.

$10,000.

That’s how much Toronto police believe a young teen can get for stealing a luxury car at gunpoint and handing it over to adult criminals who then strip the vehicles of any identifiers and, often, ship them overseas.

That astronomical sum — for teens, at least — may help explain why this city is seeing a “staggering” rise in carjackings and other armed robberies involving youth, the head of the force’s hold-up squad said in a rare year-end interview with the Star.

“This year we’ve seen numbers that we haven’t seen in quite a few years,” said Insp. Rich Harris, who’s been busy this year trying to warn the public about how to avoid a carjacking situation and, if so unlucky, how to escape unscathed.

His unit — which handles retail and bank robberies as well as home invasions and carjackings — has seen 164 carjackings this year alone. That’s compared to just 59 in 2021.

Of those arrested, 19 per cent — about one in five — were a young person under the age of 18.

“Those are very concerning numbers,” Harris said.

Experts on youth violence worry ongoing inequalities, highlighted by the pandemic, are contributing to the allure of violent crimes that offer “life-changing” money. Those challenges are not unique to Toronto and are evident in other cities, including across the border.

For young people dealing with these issues, the promise of big money is enticing, said ex-gang leader turned youth advocate Marcell Wilson. And for the older criminals trying to recruit young people into crimes like carjackings, Wilson said, the process is “like putting up a job bulletin.”

Harris agreed: “To put rhyme or reason why specifically we’re seeing so many youths involved, there is some intelligence that would suggest that older persons obviously are facilitating this.”

The trend shows in police bulletins received daily by journalists:

“Four Boys Arrested for Series of Armed Carjackings and Pharmacy Robberies in Toronto & York Region,” read one in October.

The allegations: On multiple occasions a group of four boys stole cars at gunpoint, using a replica firearm, and demanding the drivers’ keys.

Then the group, allegedly using the stolen vehicles to get around, would enter a pharmacy “takeover” style — one pointing a gun at the employees and demanding narcotics and cash before fleeing in the stolen cars.

After being spotted by police getting into one stolen vehicle, they were arrested and charged with multiple offences, including, in the case of the eldest boy, eleven counts of robbery with a firearm.

Their ages: 16, 14, 14 and 14.

There are several different types of crime young people appear to be increasingly involved in.

The first involves luxury vehicles.

When the car is the target

In these cases, police believe adults are alerting younger acquaintances to in-demand models and recruiting the young people to steal them at gunpoint — sometimes arming the youth — and then directing them to a holding location, where the car can “cool off,” meaning have its GPS tracking and other identifying components removed. That’s where the young person’s role ends, relied upon just for the initial robbery that, if arrested, could mean less punitive sentences because their age would see them charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).

When the adults take over, the cars are often moved to a shipping yard in containers where they can be sent overseas, police say, with certain marques in high demand — including Porsche, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Audi.

That demand has come in part because supply has been very low during the pandemic. According to Consumer Reports, auto manufacturers built 1.7 million fewer vehicles in 2021 than in 2019 due to backlogged supply chains for various components.

That supply and demand issue is also apparent in the steady increase in non-violent auto thefts in Toronto, up more than 80 per cent since 2017 to 6,572 cases in 2021.

When it comes to the high-end vehicles, some with push start buttons, Harris said, offenders “will go out of their way to solely target those vehicles” and use “the element of surprise” to take control of that car.

In February, the hold-up squad, working with several other forces and agencies, announced the arrest of seven suspects aged 20 to 23 in a series of “high-end” carjackings in which 19 vehicles were recovered, including Lamborghinis, Bentleys and Porsches.

“Investigators allege that the accused parties would use various distraction methods and then swarm victims as they exited or entered their vehicles,” the press release said. “Once stolen, it is further alleged that the GPS capabilities on the cars were removed before attempts were made — sometimes successfully — to transport the vehicles overseas.”

Security camera footage released by police in one instance shows a light-coloured Lamborghini SUV pulling into a driveway near Yonge St. and Finch Ave. as another car, police allege with three men inside, can be seen pulling up to the foot of the drive. The Lamborghini disappears from view into what appears to be a garage as two people, allegedly brandishing a knife, can be seen getting out of the second car and running up the driveway. Police said they demanded the victim’s keys and cellphone. The second car blocks the driveway as an altercation takes place between what appears to be one of the suspects and a victim. Then, one person returns to the vehicle at the end of the driveway as the Lamborghini backs out.

From there, police said York Regional Police Service helped track the car using GPS and a helicopter, leading the men to abandon the luxury SUV, which can retail at a base cost of around $250,000.

Footage from a police chopper shows an ongoing pursuit before police eventually caught up with the suspects. A total of four men were arrested and charged with robbery, trafficking of property obtained by crime and other offences.

The draw for stealing these higher-end cars is evident in the payoff.

“It’s a very lucrative business for the younger persons,” said Harris.

“The higher-end vehicles, there’s some intelligence that suggests those at, we’ll call it, Stage 1 where the carjacking takes place and the high-end vehicle is obtained, they’re getting in excess of $10,000 per vehicle.”

He called that a “life-changing” amount of money for these young people.

But, he said it’s clear the youngest people involved in the crimes aren’t the masterminds of the operation.

“The evidence would suggest that there’s no way the younger persons are 100 per cent behind the whole planning and execution,” he said, noting that police continue to work with Canada Border Services Agency and others to target overseas trafficking.

When the car is a tool in ‘hybrid’ crimes

The second type of carjacking young people are engaging in is quite different.

Less expensive cars are being targeted to be used as getaway vehicles in other crimes, including shootings, Harris said. But one of the most common uses for a getaway car in 2022 has been in armed robberies of pharmacies, a crime in which 45 per cent of those arrested this year have been youth.

Pharmacy robberies have increased 131 per cent this year, to 113 from 49 in 2021.

Harris calls those “hybrid” crimes — both aspects, the carjacking and the pharmacy robbery, involve his unit.

When it comes to pharmacy robberies, the money in the register is only a bonus, Harris said.

“They are targeting, without doubt, the safes where the narcotics are kept.”

Investigators’ working understanding, based on the amount of narcotics being taken, is that stolen opioids are headed for illegal street sales in a city living through an ongoing overdose epidemic.

“With the demand, you gotta get the supply,” Harris said. “The amounts that are taken would suggest that there’s no way someone’s just using that for recreational use.”

In all cases, Harris noted these crimes are not victimless and often the trauma of having a weapon — replica or not — pointed or shown at a driver or store clerk is long-lasting.

“It’s one of those trends that we want to see curbed immediately, because the lasting effects that it has on the victims of these crimes, you can’t measure.”

He said the force’s engagement unit is working with pharmacists to be on alert for signs of possible robbery and how to protect themselves, including making sure their shop has clear sightlines to the street by removing signs and other window coverings.

Meanwhile, the Ontario College of Pharmacists voted on Dec. 12 to begin the process of requiring all community pharmacies to use time-delayed safes and signage promoting their use to passersby. The move will mean staff won’t be able to open safes for would-be robbers without a delay of several minutes, a delay that should discourage many robberies. Final approval is still required at a meeting in March 2023.

In a statement, the college said they are “monitoring the concerning rise in pharmacy robberies across Ontario” and said, “the safety and security of pharmacy teams and patients is a significant priority.”

“This type of crime puts people’s physical and mental health at risk, and stolen medications can contribute to the province’s illicit drug supply.”

As carjackings have ramped up, police have created a task force to deal with the crimes and continue to broadcast public advice: comply immediately, give up your car, get somewhere safe and call police.

Police have also warned drivers to be aware of their surroundings and not to sit in their cars with the doors unlocked or idle in isolated areas. Further, car owners can invest in anti-theft devices and try to park in well-lit, high-traffic areas.

What’s happening with Toronto youth

Each case of armed youth crime tells its own story, Harris said.

“To get to the root cause as to what would cause a young person to get involved in this, each one is different,” he said.

In 2022, four teens under the age of 18 have been killed to date in shootings, including one fatally shot in a school parking lot, a rate on par with the previous four years. An 18-year-old boy was also killed in the hallway of his Scarborough high school.

Beyond fatal incidents, advocates remain worried about the level of violence among teenagers, playing out both inside and outside of schools.

In North York, incidents at York Memorial C.I. and criticism of the administration’s handling of them — some of which stem from other issues like systemic racism — have led to staff refusing to show up to work and students staging protests over an unsafe learning environment.

Meanwhile, the city continues to face a shortage of resources for at-risk youth, while youth workers experience burnout and a lack of confidence the government has the right funding priorities.

Research suggests inequities highlighted by the pandemic could be a factor in the rise in youth crime.

Last year, the University of Chicago posted data on the spike in carjackings in that city during the pandemic.

By tracking where arrested youth lived, the researchers found a trend that overlapped with areas with low internet access and class attendance as well as disproportionately high substance abuse, gun violence and other factors — what the director of the school’s Crime Lab, Jens Ludwig, wrote in the Chicago Tribune was a “pressure cooker of trauma, violence and isolation.”

In Canada, similar conditions exist, and Statistics Canada has noted “widespread concerns about young people’s labour market prospects” since the start of the pandemic.

Before the lockdowns, Canada was experiencing a near-record low in youth unemployment but starting March 2020, the rate increased to 28.8 per cent, higher than during the Great Recession.

Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, associate professor of sociology at the University of Toronto who focuses on race and justice issues, noted that youth unemployment for Black youth is also typically two times higher than the national average.

Combined with poor living conditions, a lack of opportunities and these youth not seeing themselves as having a “full stake in society,” Owusu-Bempah said these factors contribute to being recruited into organized crime.

At the same time, economic disparities continue to grow. The income divide in Toronto has widened, with the affluent, he noted, driving around in luxury vehicles.

“I don’t want to characterize these kids are Robin Hoods,” he cautioned. But “for some it’s probably basic needs,” he said, noting he’s watched the line for the food bank near his home grow over the last couple of years.

And, he said, adults “have often exploited the fact that young people are treated less harshly in the criminal justice system.”

Wilson, the former gang leader who now runs the One By One Movement to help intervene with at-risk youth, agreed organized criminals are not going to risk sacrificing their “good soldiers” to jail time for armed robberies and instead rely on youth who face more lenient YCJA penalties.

But the potential payoff for young people has grown, too.

Wilson explained that in his day new Jeep Cherokees were in particular demand, but the reward was just $1,000 per vehicle. And they weren’t carjacking — instead, they were stealing vacant cars and attracting far less attention.

Harris said there is evidence the teens who are committing armed crimes have access to “community guns” shared among multiple people or that guns are for rent in some neighbourhoods for use in carjackings and other crimes.

Though his unit has not drawn a connection between teens committing armed robberies and ongoing school shootings, Harris said the fact alone young people are armed is concerning.

Harris said the fact alone that young people are being armed raises the spectre of more violent incidents.

“Is it a possibility with kids with firearms? That is a possibility.”

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Francesco Villi 73 of Vaughan, killed 3 men and 2 women with ‘semi-automatic handgun’ before being shot dead by cops at apartment complex after five-year feud with condo board

• Six people were killed, including the gunman, who was shot by police
• Three men and two women died, with one woman, 66, still in a critical condition
• Police were called to the condo in Vaughan, Ontario, before 7.30pm on Sunday 
• Francesco Villi was embroiled in a five-year dispute with building management  
• Mass shootings are rare in Toronto - a city proud of its longstanding safety
  

Police have confirmed that an angry condo resident shot dead three men and two women during his rampage – after a five-year feud with the apartment board.

Francesco Villi, 73, had filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the building's company claiming electromagnetic waves were making him sick.

Officials have confirmed that the five killed were found in three separate units, and cops had an interaction with Villi before he was shot and killed on the third floor.

Authorities say he used an illegal ‘semi-automatic handgun’ in the incident, with cops declining to confirm a motive for the deaths.

A 66-year-old woman was ‘seriously injured’ in the incident, and remains in the hospital in critical condition.

Canadian police say Villi started shooting at the Bellaria Residences complex in Vaughan, Ontario, shortly before 7.30pm on Sunday night.

Authorities have not released the victims' identities but say three were members of the condo board - adding they are still investigating the motive behind the massacre.

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween confirmed that three men and two women had been shot dead in the violent massacre

Canadian police say the unnamed suspect started shooting at the Bellaria Residences complex in Vaughan, Ontario, shortly before 7.30pm on Sunday night

Villi, who lived in a one-bedroom $476,000 apartment on the ground floor of the building, killed five residents dead in different flats - believed to be condo board members - before being shot by police

The incident took place in the suburb of Vaughan, to the north of Toronto in Ontario

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween confirmed that the five victims and shooter lived in the condo and 'multiple search warrants' were issued. 

He added: 'Officers had an interaction with the shooter, he was a 24-year veteran with York Police and he very likely saved lived by his actions last night. ' 

Villi was confirmed in court as having died on Sunday night, with a judge stating that other details about the case had been reported ‘in the media’.

The senior had brought a case against the condominium corporation, claiming that five named defendants caused him ‘torment and torture’ for over five years.

Villi, who lived in a one-bedroom $476,000 ($649,000 CAD) apartment on the ground floor of the building, killed five residents dead in different flats - believed to be condo board members - before being shot by police.

A $6million ($8million CAD) lawsuit seen by DailyMail.com reveals the row had been ongoing for five years, starting when the corporation tried to restrain Villi from ‘threatening, intimidating and harassing’ the board of directors.

Villi posted several rambling videos on his social media in the days before the spree, accusing lawyers of continuing to ‘torture’ him. 

He is also accused of threatening the property management, workers and residents of the condominium. 

But in 2019 Villi launched his own application, claiming that issues from an electrical room beneath his unit were causing him to have severe breathing issues after he was diagnosed with ‘chronic lung disease’.

A judge ordered him to refrain from recording board members, management, residents, or employees of the Corporation.

He was also banned from making social media posts about the proceedings and to only communicate with the Corporation in writing, except in an emergency.

A lawsuit seen by DailyMail.com reveals the row had been ongoing for five years, starting when the corporation tried to restrain Villi from ‘threatening, intimidating and harassing’ the board of directors 

Villi posted several rambling videos on his social media in the days before the spree, accusing lawyers of continuing to ‘torture’ him

York Regional Police tactical officers stand in the lobby of a condominium building in Vaughan, Ontario

However, in September of last year, he was found to be in contempt of the order for communicating with staff, and he posted several videos to his social media.

Five defendants named in the suit moved to dismiss it and sought partial indemnity costs of approximately $7,995 ($10,900 CAD)  all-inclusive based on full indemnity costs of $13184.31 ($17,973.45 CAD).

According to the lawsuit, Villi was opposed to any order of costs but was ordered to pay $1,833 ($2,500 CAD) within 30 days on August 4 of this year.

It is unclear if he made any payments, with a court hearing on December 19 confirming that the case had been closed. 

The lawsuit states: ‘Mr. Villi believes that the electrical room which sits beneath his unit is improperly constructed, resulting in the emission of electromagnetic waves which have caused him significant pain and suffering over the years.

‘Mr. Villi believes that the board members of the Corporation have actively engaged in efforts to intentionally harm him, likely at the behest of the powerful developer who built the condominium.

‘Mr. Villi believes that all the individuals involved have not only conspired to harm him but have also conspired to ensure that the truth of the matter never surfaces.’

Resident John Santoro said he served on the condo board for about a year several years ago, telling reporters that the situation is ‘tragic’.

He added that he heard a ‘commotion’ in the corridor and when he opened the door he saw police with ‘rifles right outside the door in the elevator lobby.’

Resident John Santoro said he served on the condo board for about a year several years ago, telling reporters that the situation is ‘tragic’

Five killed in Toronto shooting: police

York Regional Police say 5 people have been killed in a #shooting tonight at a condo building in Vaughan, Ontario, north of #Toronto #Canada pic.twitter.com/Nqcf0Kz1Ew

— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) December 19, 2022

Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca called the shooting a 'horrific act' and offered condolences to the victims’ families

The horrific incident took place in the suburbs 30km (20 miles) north of downtown Toronto, a city that prides itself on its longstanding safety.

The type of weapon used in the latest incident has not been disclosed by police - the sale of handguns was banned in Canada earlier this year in response to a mass shooting that saw 22 people killed in Nova Scotia in April 2020.

Chief James MacSween, of York Regional Police, said: 'There is no further threat to the community at this point. We offer our sincere condolences to the victims and their families.' 

Police located one woman at the condo who had been shot in the face. She is believed to be one of the deceased, reports City News Toronto.  

Ontario´s Special Investigations Unit, which gets involved when there is a death or serious injury involving police, is investigating. 

Armed police were seen storming the building following the reports of gunfire. 

Emergency services teams then locked off the apartment building while ambulances worked to help surviving victims.

York Regional Police tactical officers work the scene of a fatal shooting in Vaughan, Ontario

A police officer walks with a weapon after a fatal mass shooting at a condominium building in the Toronto suburb of Vaughan

Police said multiple people are dead, including the suspect, after a shooting in an apartment building

An ambulance is parked outside the lobby of a condominium building following a fatal shooting in Vaughn, Ontario

Constable Laura Nicolle, who was at the scene, told CNN it was the 'most terrible call I’ve seen in my entire career'.

She added that it appeared the victims had been found in different apartments in the building.

Cops evacuated the building but MacSween said there is no further threat to the community. He said they hoped to have residents back in their units within hours.

Mass shootings are rare in Canada and Toronto has long prided itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world.

Canadians are nervous about anything that might indicate they are moving closer to U.S. experiences with gun violence.

It has recently experienced an upsurge in gun violence, sparking the introduction of legislation to ban handguns.

In April 2020, a gunman disguised as a policeman killed 22 people in the eastern province of Nova Scotia, Canada's worst mass shooting.

The perpetrator, Gabriel Wortman, 51, a millionaire alcoholic whose denture business was shuttered by coronavirus, was shot dead by police after the 12-hour killing and arson spree.

Police stand in the lobby of a condominium building following the shooting

Authorities said multiple people were shot and killed in a unit of the building in the Toronto suburb and the gunman was killed by police

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween updates the media at the scene of a shooting in Vaughan, Ontario

In July this year three people, including the gunman, were killed in shootings in the City of Langley in British Columbia (BC).

Jordan Goggin, from Surrey, BC, was killed in a shootout with police after targetting homeless people.

In September this year, a man killed 11 people and stabbed 18 others, mainly in an isolated indigenous community in Saskatchewan province.

The horrific killing spree, which sparked a massive four-day manhunt, was ended after the deaths of the brothers Damien and Myles Sanderson, with the latter appearing to commit suicide in police custody.

Firearms-related violent crimes account for less than three percent of all violent crimes in Canada - but since 2009 the per capita rate of guns being fired with intent to kill or wound has increased five-fold.

A 2021 analysis by the University of Washington’s (IHME) said Canada’s rate of firearm homicides is 0.5 per 100,000 people, versus the United States’ rate of 4.12, the New York Post reports.

Canada banned 1,500 types of military-grade or assault-style firearms in May 2020, days after the Nova Scotia shooting.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is yet to comment on the latest mass shooting.

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Properties in GTA greenbelt owned by companies linked to De Gasperis family slated for housing

Seven companies controlled by members of the De Gasperis family, long-time homebuilders based in Vaughan, own 28 properties around this parcel of farmland the Ontario government wants to remove from the Greenbelt in Pickering. (Giuseppe Fiorino/CBC)

Days after reporting a family of prominent Ontario developers are primary owners of protected Greenbelt land that could soon be opened for housing development, CBC Toronto has linked additional properties to the De Gasperis family.

The Ford government is currently consulting the public on a plan to remove approximately 2,995 hectares of land from the Greenbelt, which was created in 2005 to permanently protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area from development. The government says it's needed to build 55,000 homes.

The biggest parcel of land on which the province is proposing to allow housing construction includes around 1,900 hectares of mostly farmland in and around the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve (DRAP) in north Pickering.

CBC previously reported that companies listing brothers Silvio, Carlo and Michael De Gasperis as directors own land in three of the 15 areas proposed for removal in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), including 16 properties in the DRAP.

• Wealthy Ontario developer close to winning long battle to build homes on protected Greenbelt

• Who are the GTA developers set to benefit from Ford government's Greenbelt land swap?

However, following additional research into property and corporate records, CBC has now identified 28 properties in the DRAP, covering a total of 718 hectares, that are owned by seven different holding companies controlled by the De Gasperis brothers.

The 28 lots were bought for more than $21.5 million, and 24 were purchased before the Greenbelt was created.

The four properties bought after the Greenbelt's creation include two purchased together for $1.7 million in 2016 and two others bought separately in 2020 for $7.9 million and $3.5 million each.

(CBC News)

Long fight over DRAP

The De Gasperis family founded the Tacc Group of companies, which includes Tacc Developments, Tacc Construction, Arista Homes, Opus Homes and Decast Ltd., among others, and are known for building homes in planned subdivisions across the GTA.

The brothers and their companies have been prolific political contributors to Ontario political parties, with the majority of donations made since 2014 going to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and its politicians, Elections Ontario records show. Tacc companies have also hired lobbyists with tied to the PC government, the lobbyist registry shows, although none of the records indicate they were hired to influence decisions on the Greenbelt.

CBC reached out to Tacc Developments to request an interview but did not immediately receive a response.

Last week, the Ontario Home Builders' Association (OHBA), of which Tacc is a member, issued a statement voicing its support for the government's plan.

"We are in the midst of a housing crisis. When the Greenbelt was created, its boundaries encompassed not just environmentally sensitive lands but also farmland and land that had previously been designated for growth for housing and employment spaces," the OHBA said in an email statement.

"The lands being removed from the Greenbelt are close to, and in some cases adjacent to, existing developments and servicing. The lands will be subject to strict timelines for building to commence, which will enable the timely addition of desperately needed additional supply."

WATCH | Here's what Doug Ford has said about developing Ontario's Greenbelt: 

Here’s what Doug Ford has said over the years about developing Ontario’s Greenbelt

16 days ago

Duration0:40

From pledging to never build on it in 2018 to saying it's part of the solution to Ontario's housing crisis in 2022, here's how the premier's position on the controversial issue has changed.

CBC reported earlier this week on how Silvio De Gasperis started buying up parcels of farmland in the DRAP in 2003 with hopes of one day transforming them into subdivisions. But those plans were dashed when then-Premier Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government included the area in the Greenbelt and later passed a law protecting the land's agricultural status.

De Gasperis undertook a campaign to hinder plans for the Greenbelt, working with Pickering to develop the preserve land anyway, and eventually took the province to court. His efforts failed and the agricultural land has remained protected ever since.

It's unclear what the fate of the preserve lands will be going forward, but if it is removed from the Greenbelt, the Ford government has said it expects landowners to prepare housing plans quickly, with construction to begin no later than 2025.

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How much will developers profit from their lands being removed from Ontario’s Greenbelt?

The provincial opposition is calling for an investigation into how much property owners stand to benefit from the Ontario government’s proposal to open up thousands of acres of environmentally sensitive Greenbelt lands for development.

In a release Friday, NDP MPP Marit Stiles said she wants Ontario’s auditor general to conduct a “value-for-money audit investigating how much wealth would be increased for property owners when their lands are removed from the Greenbelt,” and if “this wealth transfer is in the public interest.”

Stiles also asked the AG to consider “conflicts of interest and sharing of insider information” and “refer any evidence of misconduct to the appropriate authorities.”

In an email, a spokesperson for Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark said the NDP was “opposing homes getting built.”

“We will continue to explore every possible option to get more homes built faster so more Ontarians can find a home that meets their needs and budget,” said Chris Poulos.

The AG’s office confirmed it received the letter but “a decision has not yet been made” on whether it would investigate.

The request comes after a Toronto Star/Narwhal investigation into the Greenbelt lands Premier Doug Ford’s government is proposing to open up for development. Last month, the province announced it would remove a total of 7,400 acres from 15 areas of the Greenbelt, expediting development on those lands to help address the housing shortage.

The Star/Narwhal investigation found that of the 15 areas to be opened for development, eight included properties purchased in the four years since Ford was elected.

The Star/Narwhal investigation also found that nine of the developers who stand to benefit most from Ford’s Greenbelt land swap have donated significant sums to the Ontario Progressive Conservative party, totalling $572,000 since 2014.

In one case, a company associated with developer Michael Rice purchased nearly 700 acres in the Greenbelt in the Township of King for $80 million, just two months before the government announcement.

In her letter, Stiles questions the “suspicious timing of recent purchases of Greenbelt land” by landowners with donor and political ties to the PC Party, and references “powerful” developers Rice and Silvio De Gasperis by name.

Beginning in 2003, companies run by De Gasperis have bought at least 1,300 acres of land in the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve.

De Gasperis — either through his own development company TACC or a consortium — owns land in four of the 15 areas of the Greenbelt slated to be opened for development.

Neither Rice nor De Gasperis responded to questions from the Star about Stiles’ letter by deadline.

Stiles is also asking the auditor general to “investigate the economic and environmental impacts on agricultural and natural systems.”

“The removal of Greenbelt lands also has several significant long-term environmental consequences, including threatening the integrity of interconnected natural and agricultural systems,” said Stiles.

“Environmental experts warn that removing pieces of the Greenbelt threatens all of it.”

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'MASSIVE DISTRACTION': Torstar co-owners say focused on 'quick divorce'

Speaking for the first time publicly since their business relationship soured, Torstar Corp. owners Paul Rivett and Jordan Bitove confirmed there was no reconciliation ahead as their approaches to business were too different.

The two, speaking at the launch of a TVO documentary about the Toronto Star newspaper Thursday evening, were however in agreement that they hope to resolve the split of their partnership as quickly as possible.

Rivett and Bitove are equal partners in Nordstar Capital Inc., an investment company that purchased Torstar in 2020 for $60 million, and controls all of its assets, including the Toronto Star newspaper.
In September, Rivett filed an application to the Ontario Superior Court seeking a court order to wind up the media company, citing “irreparable” damage to his relationship with Bitove, while in October the two agreed to move their dispute to meditation-arbitration.

Bitove, who is publisher of the Toronto Star, emphasized at Thursday’s event the importance of the paper as a civic institution and its adherence to its guiding social principles, while Rivett pushed on the need to diversify revenue streams through experiments like the company’s foray into online gambling because the organization is losing about $1 million a week.
Bitove said the dispute was a “massive distraction” from efforts to turn operations around.

“What kills me inside is we had such great momentum … the best thing is a quick divorce so we can allow our team to move forward,” he said.

Rivett, speaking at a press scrum after the event, said the two were working as fast as they could to get it resolved, with a likely resolution in weeks rather than months.

“Divorces aren’t great, they’re a distraction for sure, and that’s why we’re trying to get it done as quickly as possible. It causes confusion, it causes anxiety.”
He said it was crucial for the company to improve search engine optimization and the delivery of online content, noting that while the New York Times has a margin of around 10 per cent, there are digital content businesses with margins of 80 per cent.

He said that for a news organization like the Star to succeed, there also needs to be more collaboration between the sales and news sides of the business.

“If we want to have advertising on snow tires, we can’t just be constantly writing that we shouldn’t have cars.”

Rivett was previously president at Fairfax Financial, while Bitove was part of the ownership consortium that built the SkyDome, now the Rogers Centre.

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NordStar Capital owners Paul Rivett and Jordan Bitove entered into arbitration Wednesday after mediation talks failed to resolve a fractious dispute between the two former business partners, according to three people familiar with the matter, as the duo seek to divvy up assets that include the Toronto Star newspaper.

Mr. Rivett and Mr. Bitove held two mediation sessions in late October, after Mr. Rivett went to court claiming he and his partner were deadlocked and could no longer work together. He asked the court to dissolve NordStar, a private equity firm in which they are equal partners, and proposed an auction process for splitting up its assets. At a brief hearing on Oct. 3, lawyers on both sides agreed to resolve the matter outside of court and pursue mediation and arbitration, which is conducted privately.

Mr. Rivett and a spokesperson for Mr. Bitove declined to comment.

Even with the assistance of a mediator, the sources say the two owners have so far been unable to agree on how to split up NordStar’s assets, which also include Metroland Media Group and investment stakes in VerticalScope Holdings Inc. FORA-T and Blue Ant Media Inc. The final outcome could now be in the hands of arbitrator J. Douglas Cunningham, a former justice with the Ontario Superior Court.

The Globe and Mail previously reported that Mr. Rivett and Mr. Bitove hoped to resolve the matter by the end of the year. The Globe is not identifying the sources because they are not authorized to speak publicly.

One complicating issue has been the sharp drop in the share price of VerticalScope, a digital media company that operates some 1,200 online communities. NordStar owns a 37-per-cent stake in VerticalScope, which went public last year, and the value of its shareholding hit more than $260-million in September, 2021. It has since fallen to roughly $47-million amid a deep rout for technology stocks.

Mr. Rivett and Mr. Bitove partnered in 2020 to purchase Torstar Corp., the parent firm of the Toronto Star, for $60-million, and pursued new revenue streams to fund journalism, such as launching an online casino and sportsbook when Ontario opened the market to private operators this year.

But the relationship quickly unravelled, as detailed in a court application Mr. Rivett filed in September through companies he controls. He claimed he and his partner had agreed on cost-cutting measures, but Mr. Bitove refused to carry out the plans at the Toronto Star, where he also serves as publisher.

Mr. Bitove also allegedly refused to provide financing for some of NordStar’s early-stage ventures, and reneged on an agreement to sell real estate assets to pay down debt.

As the disagreements deepened, Mr. Bitove attempted to sideline his partner by moving to appoint himself to the boards of various subsidiaries in a bid for greater control, according to the court application.

After The Globe reported on the court filing, Mr. Bitove responded with a statement through communications firm Navigator Ltd., saying he would make no apologies for his decisions at the Toronto Star, while implying Mr. Rivett preferred to “cut costs to the bone.”

Despite the apparent animosity between them, the former partners are scheduled to appear on stage together Thursday evening as part of a panel discussion following the screening of a documentary about the Toronto Star. The film, titled Viral News and produced by TVO, follows the newspaper during a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and features interviews with Mr. Rivett and Mr. Bitove before their public split.

https://www.tvo.org/video/documentaries/viral-news

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100+ gang members living in York Region, police say

Some of the 27 firearms seized during Project Monarch, led by YRP. Elizabeth Keith/NewmarketToday

A migration of Toronto gang members into more suburban areas has resulted in more than 100 gang members living in York Region, intelligence from York Regional Police said. 

The migration is a result of gang members accumulating wealth through crime and having the means to buy or rent property in the suburbs, according to a report on Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction. The report was presented by Insp. Ahmad Salhia, Det. Sgt. Rich Gaudet, intelligence analyst Sue Dunlop to the police board at its monthly meeting Nov. 7. 

Intelligence shows more than 100 members of 37 different gangs are living in the region. It also highlights that there have been 32 incidents involving gang members in the region this year alone. 

YRP said there has been a "marked increase in gun and gang violence across the Greater Toronto Area. Gang-related activity transcends regional borders." 

So far in 2022, YRP has made 37 front-line firearm seizures and is on track to seize about 50 by the end of the year. This only accounts for guns seized during traffic stops or interactions with individuals and not through investigations. 

Once a gun is seized, it is traced to determine its origins, the report said. Of the 37 guns seized on the front line, 68 per cent were traced to the U.S. while 32 per cent are unknown, which could mean the serial number was obliterated or it's still being traced. 

On top of seizures, the hold-up unit seized 23 guns, of which 92 per cent were traced to the U.S. The homicide unit seized three, with one traced to the U.S., and the guns, gangs and drug enforcement unit seized 42 with 81 per cent traced to the U.S. 

"Contextualized, out of 107 firearms that you see, 83 of them were successfully traced. Of those 83 guns that were traced, 100 per cent of them were identified as illicit firearms coming in from the United States and into Canada," Salhia said. 

When it comes to enforcement, the report highlights Project Monarch, a multi-jurisdictional joint forces operation led by York Regional Police. It resulted in 400 charges being laid, 22 arrests, and a large number of drugs and guns seized. 

It also identified a possible point of entry for illicit firearms into Canada from the U.S. at Walpole Island, a First Nation community on the St. Clair River, right across from Port Huron, Michigan in the U.S. 

"At its narrowest point there's an 800 metre gap and as you can see, it's very easy for organized crime and other criminals to import illicit contraband into the country," Salhia said. 

He said building partnerships with the Indigenous community there and with other police services in Ontario is key to addressing the flow of illegal firearms.  

The report also touched on Bill C-21, which went into effect Oct. 22 and involves a national freeze on buying, selling and transferring handguns, limits access to firearms for people involved with domestic violence or self-harm, introduces new penalties and investigative measures, as well as some anti-smuggling measures. 

While YRP said it supports any measures to enhance and protect public safety, it added that the bill doesn't go far enough to disrupt the entry of illicit firearms to Canada from the U.S. 

Locally, the report said YRP will continue to combat guns, gangs, and violence through its reduction strategy which includes four pillars: intelligence, suppression, enforcement, and community mobilization.

"Anytime we can seize a gun, we know that we are saving a life," Salhia said. "Our commitment to our community will continue and is unwavering."

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