Toronto Police say hate crime has almost doubled in the City and officers are now responding to about 10 cases a week.

Chief Myron Demkiw said since last October the force and his Hate Crime Unit have investigated about 157 hate crimes calls for service every month.

“This year, there have been 304 hate crime calls for service attended,” the Chief said at a Police Services Board meeting on March 18. “This is an increase of 225 calls from the same time last year.”

He noted there have been 84 confirmed hate crimes this year, which is a ‘notable increase’ compared to this time last year. It represents an 83 per cent rise.

“Anti-semitism accounts for more hate crimes than any other bias category this year and in years prior,” Demkiw said. “This year there has been 47 anti-semitic hate crimes.”

The second highest bias category this year were 2SLGBTQI+ hate crimes, of which there have been 11 incidents this year, compared to six at this time last year.

That is followed by five cases of hate against anti-Black, and anti-Muslim/Arab/Palestine groups.

“It has been 163 days since the Middle East crisis began, and the impact of the geopolitical unrest abroad continues to affect people worldwide, including in Canada and right here in Toronto,” the Chief explained. “We are laser focused on the task at hand: keeping the city safe.”

He said since last October hate crimes rose 93 per cent compared to the same period last year. The Service has attended 989 hate crime calls for service during this time.

“While we saw a reduction in calls for service for hate crimes in December and January, we have seen a significant increase in February, with a 67 per cent rise in calls,” the Chief said. “Of the 84 hate crimes so far in 2024, 56 per cent are anti-semitic. Last month saw the highest number of anti-semitic occurrences in the last three years.”

The Service has made 24 protest-related arrests and laid 30 charges since last October.

“While under reporting of all forms of hate crimes is a concern, I know from talking to people in the community that Islamophobia is a significant concern, and given our statistics I am concerned about significant under-reporting in this regard.”

He said while attending an event in the Muslim community recently a female student told him of hate-related incidents she has undergone using public transit ‘and those incidents are under-reported.’

Since last October there have been 69 arrests and 173 charges related to hate crime occurrences.

Of the charges laid, 25 per cent were mischief related, 17 percent for uttering threats and 16 per cent were assault-related, he said.

Demkiw said there was a peak in hate-related graffiti last month, which followed spikes last October and November.

Another piece of Toronto history is in danger of being lost.

High Park lovers say business has dropped about 80 per cent at the Grenadier Café located centrally in the park due to a car ban and it is in danger of shutting down.

Almost 13,000 residents have signed a petition calling for Toronto City Council to open the park again for vehicles.

Council last August approved full road closures of High Park to private visitor vehicles on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays as some roads are being converted to one-way traffic.

Vehicles are no longer able to enter High Park from Bloor Street and have to enter off Parkside Drive at High Park Blvd. The roadway will lead you either left to the zoo or right towards the Grenadier Café and the Bloor Street exit.

Area residents have taken to social media to express fears that their beloved Café might be forced to close due to a lack of people from the restriction of cars in the area.

“We learned that they lost 80% of their business since cars have been banned on the weekends,” one park user wrote on social media. “If the City shuts the park completely to cars as planned, how could it (Café) survive as costs to keep it open exceeds profit.”

The Café and other park attractions hope to attract some business as nature lovers flock to see the cherry blossom season this year.

They said the car ban has led to a drop of attendance at other High Park attractions including visitors to Grenadier Pond, Nature Centre, High Park Zoo, Children’s Garden, Colborne Lodge Museum, Adventure Playground, Dog Hill, swimming pool and splash pad.

The Café was opened in 1958 and can seat 300 patrons in its dining room and coffee shop. It offers visitors a choice to sit and relax with a coffee or meal as they hike or tour the massive park, that was deeded to the City.

Toronto architect John George Howard and his wife donated the 165-acre property to the City in 1873 on the condition that the park remain ‘for the free use, benefit and enjoyment of the citizens of Toronto and it be called High Park’.

“I think this is ill-advised planning and ask to stop the full closure which will further damage park use,” the nature lover wrote.

She said High Park is a ‘perfect spot to walk through one of our most beautiful City parks and its zoo in any season.’

A local group called High Park Movement Strategy said the City is estimated to lose up to $15 million over four years due to a lack of visitors and to convert some roads to one-way traffic.

The park is still accessible every day by foot but many parents say it is difficult with young children or for the elderly or those with mobility issues.

A police manhunt is underway to find a suspect accused of setting a Humber Bay Shores chicken restaurant on fire that demolished the eatery.

Officers from 22 Division said the suspect was reported to be on fire as he scampered from Mero’s Hot Chicken, on the ground floor of a condo at 2183 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Marine Parade Drive.

Police said they responded to a one-alarm call on March 14 at 11:12 p.m. to fight a fire in the Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Park Lawn Road area.

The suspect is alleged to have illegally entered the business at 11:07 p.m. and soon after an explosion occurred and the business was engulfed by fire.

The man was seen dashing from the store and witnesses said he was on fire.

The explosion shattered large windows with glass ending up on the road. The powerful blast also damaged two adjoining stores.

Mero’s restaurant had been operating in the area for about two years and had been on sale for about four months.

Investigators believe there may have been witnesses who may have dashcam or video footage of the incident.

Investigators are asking any witnesses, or anyone with video of the offence, to contact police at 416-808-2200

Investigators are urging the suspect to seek immediate medical attention for their injuries, seek legal advice, and turn themselves in to 22 Division.

 

Added security systems are being installed to protect Toronto’s second largest water treatment plant following concerns from the community.

A major security upgrade has begun to tighten up systems at the Humber Waste Treatment Plan (HWWTP) , at 130 The Queensway.

An almost $4 million contract was awarded by the City in March 2024 to Black & McDonald Ltd., to  install and upgrade security cameras, closed circuit television services, security access control systems, safety or security systems as smart cards and security chains or accessories.

Also being installed are smart door locks, smart card readers, supporting equipment along with electrical, mechanical and civil infrastructure.

“The City is embarking on a project to upgrade the security system at the plant,” according to documents filed.

The plant was built in 1960 and is Toronto’s second-largest wastewater treatment plant. There are four in Toronto to process our waste water.

There has been concerns from the community about easy access to the plant, which treats millions of gallons of water for residents in Etobicoke, York and North York.

The sprawling facility is located at the mouth of the Humber River and serves more than 680,000 residents in the GTA.

Over the years the plant has undergone extensive upgrades to improve air quality and odour issues.

Are residents have repeatedly complained of the odour arising from the plant, which has about 60 employees.

”The Humber Waste Water Plant works to treat used water that residents and businesses deposit down the drains every day,” according to City information. “Flushing toilets, taking a shower and running a washing machine, for example, produces wastewater.”

The water travels through a sanitary sewer system, though a network of underground pipes, to treatment facilities. The sludge removed is piped to Ashridges Bay.

The scope of work for this project includes all engineering services related to preliminary design, detailed design, construction consultant services including construction site inspection and post-construction engineering services.

As of December 2022, there was 17 health and safety incidents, and 29 lost time days due to work related injuries.

Three odour complaints were received in 2022. All complaints were investigated and not attributed to any cause after the entire process was checked by operational staff in each case.

The plant is operated by Toronto Water, which is one of the largest municipal water, wastewater and storm water utilities in North America.

As part of Toronto’s large-scale Capital Improvements Program (CIP), the Humber Treatment Plant required upgrades to address aging infrastructure and buildings, optimize operational performance, and address community concerns.

There were concerns that the plant required security upgrades to stand the test of time.

The other Toronto treatment facilities includes the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, Island Water Treatment Plant the F.J.Horgan Water Treatment Plant and the R.L. Clark plant in Long Branch.

Many people are doing a double take as a massive Canadian flag that welcomed people to Humber Bay Shores has gone missing.

Some area residents are mystified and wondering what happened to their large flag that was for years installed on a tall flagpole at Marine Parade Drive, near the cycling trail.

The huge flag was an iconic greeter and landmark that welcomed thousands of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists as they entered the area.

“It is gone,” one man lamented. “It was a huge Canadian flag that just went missing.”

Some residents are left asking if the lovely flag was blown away in a recent wind and rain storm.

“Residents are concerned,” another resident said. “We would like to see it back on the flagpole.”

It is believed the huge flag and pole was erected in 2015 to mark the 50^th anniversary of the Canadian flag.

Between 2005 and 2020 more than a dozen condos were built in the Humber Bay Shores area, ranging from 10 storeys to towers more than 60 storeys high.

The area, with a population of more than 30,000, has evolved from a small tourist motel strip to a large waterfront condo community, with an abundance of green space and views you can’t find in the City.

 

 

The Ontario Fire Marshal is investigating a blaze that destroyed a popular fried chicken restaurant that was up for sale at Humber Bay Shores.

Residents said it sounded like an explosion on March 14 around 11 p.m. that blew out the glass windows of Mero’s Hot Chicken on the ground floor of a condo building at 2183 Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Marine Parade Drive.

“It was a powerful blast and people were picking up shattered glass on Lake Shore Blvd.,” a nearby business owner said. “There appears to be structural damage inside the store from the explosion and fire.”

Shattered glass could be seen on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Toronto Fire said there were reports of an explosion.

The restaurant had been opened for about two years and was quite busy at first, the business owner said.

He said the business had been up for sale for about four months, but there wasn’t that much interest from potential buyers.

The businessman said many of the condo owners in the area at this time of the year purchase their food using Uber or other food delivery services so they won’t have to leave their units.

There are no reports of injuries from the fire. Fire officials said the building sprinklers activated and prevented the spread of the fire. Crews were able to go in and extinguish the remaining fire.

Residents said a next door dental office, that was slated to open in days, was also damaged from the fire. Other businesses were also affected.

It is not known if the condo building underwent any structural damage.

Toronto Fire said it was a one-alarm fire, and there is no word on the estimated cost of damage.

There is no word on cause but the fire is being treated as suspicious.

Mero’s Chicken prided itself on its locally sourced chicken that was marinated from the night before and freshly cooked.

“We wake up early to hand-bread and fry our signature chicken,” according to its advertising.

GO Train commuters are being warned they will have to use TTC buses or other transportation as the Long Branch GO Station will be closed for four days due to construction.

The station will be closed from Friday March 22 to Monday March 25 as Metrolinx upgrades the rail network that will also shut Port Credit, Mimico and Exhibition GO Stations for ‘more frequent and fully accessible service.’

“This includes accessibility and amenity improvements to Toronto’s Long Branch GO Station located at 20 Brow Drive in Etobicoke,” according to a Metrolinx Construction Notice.

The company said Metrolinx’s GO Expansion program is delivering more GO service across the network, including trains every 15-minutes or better on the Lakeshore West Rail Corridor.

“To support GO Expansion, we are upgrading the rail network and our GO stations to enable more frequent and fully accessible service,” Metrolinx said.

It said during the Long Branch closure Track 3 will be realigned and the south-west platform will be widened. Access to the station from Edgeware Drive will be closed.

They said construction activities to realign the track will be continuous during day and night. Station parking will be closed and platforms will be inaccessible.

“Residents should expect some noise, vibration and dust,” the company said. “Our construction teams will take reasonable measures to minimize disturbances to residents.”

A range of heavy equipment will be used for the construction work and lights will be pointed away from residential windows, the company said, adding construction noise and vibration will be monitored and street sweeping will take place.

Residents can also expect an increase in deliveries to the worksite in advance of the construction activities.

Metrolinx said micro-piling will take place at the station at the beginning of March, which will entail 12 micro-piles being drilled, with a steel bar placed inside the hole and filled with concrete for the installation of temporary rail bridges to maintain rail service during construction.

It said from March 22 for three days the tracks will be aligned for the construction of new east platforms and the temporary rail bridges will be installed on April 15 and is slated to take two months. Most work will take place from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

For more information contact 416-202-6911 or email TorontoWest@metrolinx.com.

Vocal South Etobicoke residents made the most calls to the City for service requests last year, according to a Toronto Customer Experience report.

Residents of Ward 3 Etobicoke Lakeshore made almost 30,000 calls for service to the City, according to a March 8 report from the Customer Experience Director to a Service Excellence Committee.

Toronto Rosedale was second with 25,596 calls for service and Toronto-Danforth was third with 25,428 calls, according to the Customer Service Division.

Etobicoke Centre was number eight with 22,735 calls and Etobicoke North placed 18^th with 15,333 calls for service.

So far in 2024 there has been more than 22,700 service requests made in Etobicoke Centre to 311, and the top requests last month were for pot holes, with 54; followed by 51 for garbage bin lid damaged; 43 to pick up dead wildlife; 38 for sewer line issues and 31 calls for injured wildlife.

There were 65 calls made to 311 relating to unsafe construction sites; 119 for untidy construction sites; 630 for leaking water hydrants; 663 for pollution spills; 661 for sewer odour; 308 for discoloured water and 1,064 for low water pressure, according to Toronto Water.

City officials said it takes from two to 10 days for City workers to respond to a call depending on the urgency.

Customer Service Representatives at 311 responded to some 848,000 general inquiries by phone, e-mail, twitter and other contacts last year, with property tax billing and vacant home tax being the most popular topics. Some 44,000 people made inquiries at the counters.

The Service Committee said 80 per cent of their phone calls were answered in 75 seconds.

It said there were spikes of 28,180 calls made during snowstorms, which were handled on an average of just over three minutes for each call. Another spike occurred during the 2023 mayor by-election in which 311 received 6,321 inquiries from residents asking about election jobs, voting cards or polling station locations.

“The Complaints & Compliments project aims to create a more customer-centric, consistent, and scalable complaints and compliments process for Toronto’s residents, businesses and visitors,” according to the report.

The 311 service is also looking at expanding support and intake for calls relating to bicycle safety concerns and operation and maintenance of parks and facilities within them.

They are also working with refugee support systems so people can donate or offer accommodations to newcomers. Last year 311 received 73 inquiries, which included offers of housing support and requests for information on ways to support or donate.

The service is working with Toronto Fire Services (TFS) for providing non-emergency information freeing up TFS workers for more pressing calls. Almost 10,000 calls were received last year for non-emergency fire-related information.

Work is also being taken to launch a Housing Data Hub to track the City’s progress towards approving 40,000 affordable rental homes by 2030.

The 311 service is involved in the Alcohol in Parks Project by handling general inquiries regarding park locations, guidelines and by-law enforcement.

The service provides information on Transportation Services and Traffic Systems Operation as it relates to transit signal codes, communication issues and timing requests.

The 311 operators provides residents, businesses and visitors with easy access to non-emergency City services, programs and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The service is integrated with five of the City’s divisions including Municipal Licensing and Standards, Toronto Water, Transportation Services, Solid Waste Management Services and Urban Forestry.

The City is spending more than $1 million to provide new beds so its firefighters can rest.

A contract has been issued to Waterloo Mattresses Ltd., to supply, deliver and install mattresses, box springs, heavy duty bed frames, stow-away beds and posture boards to the City’s 83 fire stations.

There are more than 3,200 firefighters on the job and most work long or varied shifts and often take a nap to refresh as they await calls for service.

The contract was awarded by a City Bid Award Panel and is good for one year and worth about $1,015 million. The contract can be extended for four one-year periods.

“The total potential contract award identified in this report is $1,014,052 including all applicable taxes and charges,” according to City documents.

Firefighters require a nap since Station A on Adelaide Street W., is the busiest in Canada due to its proximity to the heart of downtown Toronto and receives the most number of calls daily.

The station, which opened in 1971, at one time served as headquarters of the Toronto Fire Department until amalgamation in 1998. A pumper truck in Station 332 is the busiest fire truck in Canada, with 4,255 calls in 2014.

The service now receives more than 200,000 calls for service yearly and has more than 179 fire fighting vehicles.

Fire services in Toronto began in 1874 and consisted of volunteer fire companies. Before then fire services were composed of poorly trained volunteer companies in the city. The first company was created in 1826 and hook and ladder in 1831.

Most were able bodied men who were trained to operate pumps to draw water from the lake. A wooden pumper truck presented to Toronto by British America Assurance Company around 1837 is now at Black Creek Pioneer Village.

Waterloo Mattress LTD is a locally owned manufacturing company with over 30 years of experience in the sleep industry. Their product professionals combine healthcare knowledge and industry standards in its mattresses.

A plan to build a 22-storey condo on The West Mall has been rejected since the tower will be too close to the fight path used by aircraft flying in and out of Pearson Airport.

The building proposed for 710 The West Mall, just west of Highway 27, was nixed by the Etobicoke York Community Council for a number of reasons including being close to the busy airport.

An appeal with changes to the plan is underway.

“The site is subject to the Lester B. Pearson International Airport Zoning Regulations, which permit a maximum elevation of 219.46 metres above sea level,” according to a decision by community council.

The council said the proposed development site can accommodate a tall building; however, the proposed 11-storey (34.5 metre) base building is too tall.

“The scale and height of base buildings should fit harmoniously within the existing context and respect the scale of adjacent streets and open spaces.”

The building was planned to accommodate 147 one-bedroom, 105 two-bedroom, and 30 three-bedroom units, for a total of 282 dwelling units.

The proposed development has a total gross floor area of 21,641 square metres, resulting in a density of 3.5 times the lot area, based on a site area of 6,191 square metres.

The building’s developer is H&R Developments, architect Kirkor Architects Planners and Landscape architect STUDIO tla.

“The proposal does not have appropriate and supportable zoning standards, including, the proposed building height, base building height, and tower floorplates, according to council. “ The proposed development does not conform to the City’s Official Plan.”

The condo included 225 parking spaces for vehicles and 215 bicycle parking spots.

Pearson Airport on its website said any development, including buildings, cell towers, antennae, high light masts etc., close to the airport are affected to federal airport zoning regulations.

“Land use compatibility policies must be reviewed as part of municipal site plan review process or prior to starting any construction activities for those developments that are not subject to municipal site plan approval,” according to the website.

The airport is Canada’s largest and busiest with five runways and three passenger terminals as well as facilities for both airport staff and passengers that come through the airport. There are more than 1,300 daily arrivals and departures from the airport that provides service to more than 180 destinations across six continents.

As many as 130,000 passengers use the airport daily.