Toronto has been the scene of 10,000 high-end car thefts and 200 of the 300 carjackings this year that occurred in the GTA, according to police.

Car thieves have been busy in South Etobicoke and the Rexdale area, with more than 3,000 vehicles stolen this year, according to police.

Police in an undercover operation, called Project Stallion, targeting car thefts said 9,800 vehicles were stole in our city last year and one third from 23 Division and 22 Division in South Etobicoke.

A joint police task force has been put together to stem the incidents of violence related to auto crimes occurring in Ontario, which has increased over the last several years.

In South Etobicoke, some 13 vehicles were reported stolen in Etobicoke West Mall in 2022. About 96 were stolen in Islington-City Centre West that same year, with 41 swiped in Mimico, 10 in New Toronto, 30 in Long Branch and 40 in Alderwood in 2022.

On October 18 two youths were arrested for stealing a 2023 Hyundai Elantra in Rexdale. The suspects bumped the vehicle from behind and when it stopped one youth pulled out a gun and stole the vehicle.

Police said the stolen vehicles are used to carry out other crimes or are shipped overseas for resale. The vehicle identification numbers (VINs) are altered and the vehicles are sold domestically.

“Carjackings are a serious public safety issue, which have resulted in assault and even homicides,” said OPP Supt. Paul Mackey, of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB). “To evade police, thieves may drive dangerously, putting the lives of pedestrians, other motorists and police in danger.”

The newly-created Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) will involve Toronto Police and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

It also involves police services from across the GTA, including York Regional Police, Halton Regional Police Service, Durham Regional Police Service, Peel Regional Police and other agencies, including Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario.

“The violence associated with auto thefts in Toronto and across the GTA is a concerning trend, and can be incredibly traumatic for victims and their loved ones,” said OECB Supt. Steve Watts.

The officers will address the rising incidents of violence related to auto crimes across the city.

“Whether it be a carjacking, a home invasion, an assault, or other form of intimidation, the level of violence being used in the commission of these offences represents a new and evolving threat to public safety,” according to a police.

The purpose of the PCJTF is to disrupt the networks responsible for high-risk auto thefts, which increasingly involve violence, firearms and other weapons.

“Members of the task force will work to maximize enforcement efforts against criminal organizations involved in violent vehicle crimes who are operating within the GTA,” police said.

The PCJTF will be notified of violent auto crime occurrences taking place in each jurisdiction, which will then be investigated by the respective service and task force.

Anyone with information about auto thefts in their community is encouraged to call police at 1-800-222-TIPS (6477) or visit ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

Police are warning car owners to place their keys away from windows or front doors, install lighting, security cameras or tracking devices or bars to lock their steering wheel so thieves will have a harder time stealing their vehicles.

 

Mimico residents are fighting a plan to redevelop a prime strip of Lake Shore Blvd. W., to include a new road, a 33-storey condo tower and other buildings.

Letters have been sent to the City by the Mimico Residents Association (MRA) and Mimico Lakeshore Community Network (MLCN) opposing the megaproject planned for 2405-2411 and 2417 Lake Shore
Blvd. W.

Etobicoke York District Community Planning officials are also against the project as it is now and an appeal of the application will be heard by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) from July 8 to 19 next year.

Etobicoke York Planning officials said in July 2022 an Official Plan Amendment, a Zoning By-law Amendment and Draft Plan of subdivision applications were deemed complete.

Proposed are the construction of a mixed-use 33-storey, 10-storey mid-rise building, and eight-storey base building including a mezzanine floor for the area.

The buildings will contain a total of 471 residential apartments, including 22 rental replacement units in various sizes.

An east-west road is planned behind Mimico Square and will run to Superior Ave. Further plans propose more towers south of the roadway facing the lake front.

The City said the owner has secured an acceptable Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan addressing the right for tenants to return to a replacement rental unit or dwelling room.

A holding provision is included in the Zoning By-law Amendment and is not to be lifted until the owner has made satisfactory arrangements, including entering into agreements with the City for the design and construction of any improvements and the provision of financial securities, city officials said.

The MLCN wrote the proposal will see the demolition of properties, including some small businesses and affordable housing.

“The development proposal far exceeds and is contrary to the secondary plan,” the MLCN said in its letter. “A major issue for us is not just the size of the development but the fact it is directly adjacent to, and intrudes on Amos Waites Park.”

The park abuts the popular Waterfront Trail, and features two playgrounds, a splash pad, an outdoor pool and a centre for seniors and the disabled, the group said.

They are concerned by plans by the developer to build an access road through the park, ‘as well as having a temporary construction road right beside the community square.’

The MCLN said both roads are planned to cross properties not owned by the developer, and along with safety concerns would result in noise and pollution in the park.

“We understand our community is a prime location for intensification,” the MRA said. “We do not feel the current iteration of this proposal would appropriately address the needs of our community.”

The group said a new public road would take away lands from the park, children’s playground, Amos Waite pool and Mimico Square.

The said building heights do not conform with Mimico By The Lake Secondary Plan and that mature trees will be removed.

Members of both groups said there has been no public consultations with the community to have input into the proposal.

 

Newly elected Ward 3 Councillor and Deputy Mayor Amber Morley says her small office is working hard and explains why there has been delays in getting back to frustrated  Etobicoke Lakeshore constituents.

Many residents have taken to social media to complain that Morley’s office cannot be reached and does not respond to repeated phone calls or e-mails.

“I know there have been delays,” Morley wrote on social media. “I want to emphasize that any delay in our response is not a reflection of our commitment to your concerns but rather a result of the sheer volume of work we’re currently managing.”

Morley in her first-year message said her eight-member staff have been swamped since taking office in November 2022.

“I have been working tirelessly since we first took office under a year ago,” she said. “When we arrived, we received no documentation on prior work done in the office.”

Morley wrote that she and her staff works tirelessly with City of Toronto staff and local residents to ‘get up to speed on hundreds of complex projects and initiatives across the ward.

“My small team receives an average of over 300 inquiries every day on a wide range of topics,” she wrote. “As a new office, we tackle specific questions about issues we are encountering for the first time every day.”

Morley wrote that Etobicoke-Lakeshore is the largest municipal ward in the country, with 142,000 residents, and one of the fastest growing wards in the City.

“We are actively managing hundreds of open capital improvement projects throughout our ward,” the councillor said. “This high volume of inquiries and projects is a testament to the incredible civic engagement in our community.”

Her office, she said, is working on more than 130 active development applications, including the former Mr. Christie site, Cloverdale Mall Redevelopment and 220 Lake Promenade rebuild. There are also hundreds of infrastructure projects ranging from local sewer maintenance projects to new parks.

She also sits on 11 City committees and boards that meet monthly.

“Your concerns are our top priority, and we are working hard to ensure that each one is addressed comprehensively,” according to the Deputy Mayor. ‘’We are constantly exploring ways to improve our processes, streamline our communications, and ensure that your concerns are addressed in a timely manner.’’

She is encouraging those who haven’t received a response to follow up by phone or email.

‘’We are genuinely committed to our role as public servants and to making Etobicoke-Lakeshore a better place for all,’’ she said.

 

It was a tender, touching swan family reunion in Mimico Creek.

The family of swans were separated after chemicals spilled into our waterways following a six-alarm fire at a Rexdale plant.

The dad swan it seems was separated from his cygnets for about 10 days after the chemical spill, according to the Mute Swan Society.

“The family got over the boom and into the lake,” the society wrote on social media. “Dad seems to be sticking around, the cygnets are learning to fly.”

The group said a pair of swan who were attacking the cygnets have moved on.

“This is the best possible news and if things stay this way, means no rescue is necessary,” society officials warned. “The cygnets will stick with dad until they fly off to start their own lives, we can watch them grow up for a little longer.”

The said the dad swan may retain his territory.

The Society said the joyful cygnets are sticking close to their dad ‘chirping and grunting, happy to see him.”

“The family remains in danger because they are behind the clean-up booms in the contaminated area of the creek,” the Society wrote. They are “being kept there by a bonded pair of Mute Swans who will fight them for the territory.”

The group said the birds may have to be evacuated and a rescue plan is being worked on with Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) to get them to safety.  

Cleanup of an Etobicoke creek is expected to be completed by the end of October after the toxic sludge spilled into the water from runoff following a massive industrial August 11 fire.

The sludge entered Mimico Creek after a fire at Brenntag Canada that killed fish, birds and mammals. Spill containment berms are still in the creek.

The TWC said the spill affected 112 birds that were “admitted, bathed and treated for ingested chemicals and cared for while they recovered.” Volunteers drove more than 80 of the birds to London, Ont. to release them safely away from the spill.

The popular Mini-Indy Go Kart track at Centennial Park has seen its last lap.

The Go Karts Toronto Mini-Indy and a number of other amenities, like soccer fields and baseball cages, were ordered to shut down last October 22, which was their last day.

“We are saddened to announce the City has rejected our pleas to Save the Mini Indy,” owner Don Duggan wrote on the Indy’s website. “This is an end to an era, we thank each and every one of you who have supported us over the years.”

He said the Mini-Indy will be moving to a new location at 99 Rathburn Road, in Mississauga. The closure has affected about 65 employees.

More than 11,500 people have signed a petition to save the facilities.

The Mini-Indy that sits on 11 acres of the 470-acre Centennial Park was given an eviction notice after 36 years to leave by season’s end to make way for new baseball diamonds.

City council in 2021 approved an updated master plan for Centennial Park based on community consultations with over 1,300 community members.

As party of the master plan, the city is improving soccer and baseball parks, which includes a baseball area on the site of the Mini-Indy.

Under the new plan, the batting cages and beach volleyball courts will be demolished.

The changes will happen in phases and will see the park equipped with new large playground, a new water play area, improvements to pathways, skate trail and skate area, new baseball and soccer hubs and new multi-use sport courts.

The go-kart track, at 2.6 kilometres, is Canada’s longest, while the batting cages are Toronto’s last ones.

”We are an essential part of the community, and the community deserves a say in how their park is used,” Duggan said.

The facilities attracted more than 100,000 customers every year.

 

 

With winter at our doorstep, the province is coughing up more than $26 million to keep refugee claimants from sleeping in the cold.

The Ontario government is handing over $42 million to provide urgent help to cities experiencing a growing number of refugee claimants and at-risk populations.

This investment, made through the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit, will see Toronto receive                         $26,420,000 in 2023-24 to help move more people into housing and free up existing shelter spaces.

“This investment will ease growing pressures on homeless shelters by helping thousands of asylum seekers move into long-term housing,” said Premier Doug Ford.

Ford said “many newcomers searching for a better life are struggling, living in our shelter systems, church basements or, in some cases, out on the streets.”

“That’s just unacceptable,” he said. “We need all levels of government working together to tackle this crisis.”

MPP Christine Hogarth said this year Ontario could receive more than 72,000 refugee claimants, which is nearly twice as many as last year.

“The City of Toronto has experienced the greatest influx of asylum claimants of any municipality of Ontario, and our government is working to ensure that everyone has a suitable place to live,” she said.

She said the province continues to advocate for Ontario municipalities and service managers to ensure they receive their fair share of federal funding to address the ongoing rise in asylum claimants.

“We are committed to working constructively with our municipal partners, but we also firmly believe the federal government has a responsibility to step up as well and support municipalities in dealing with this crisis,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has said the city is broke and has met with Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to obtain funding to provide shelters for the claimants, many who have been temporarily staying in churches.

Asylum claimants are individuals seeking asylum in Canada based on a fear of persecution in their home country. They are ineligible for most federal support programs, such as financial assistance and settlement and language training services.

They are different from persons who arrive in Canada having already been recognized as refugees, whose arrival to Canada as permanent residents allows them to qualify for benefits and a work permit.

 

 

 

 

About 100 people attended a memorial service to remember Canadian veterans and unidentified Indigenous people buried at the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery.

The service took place weeks before Remembrance Day, on November 11, to pay tribute to the thousands of Canadian soldiers who died protecting our country.

Local politicians were among the many attending the October 22 service at the Evans and Horner Avenues cemetery.

“The cemetery holds historical significance as a resting place for individuals who were once patients at the hospital including 24 WW1 veterans and more than 12 Indigenous person,” said event organizer Hark Savinsky.

Those being honoured were at one time patients of the hospital who were buried at the cemetery.

Many or the Indigenous people were unidentified and buried in unmarked graves.

“Sadly, over time, this cemetery has become neglected and lacks proper maintenance,” Savinsky said.

He and his group have launched an online petition, now signed by more than 330 people, to plant trees at the site.

“By allowing the planting of donated trees within its premises, we can transform this forgotten space into a beautiful memorial park that honors both nature and history,” he said.

Those attending the service on a blustery day included Indigenous and faith leaders, MP James Maloney, MPP Christine Hogarth, Ward 3 Councillor Amber Morley and Rt. Rev. Riscylla Shaw.

Some attendees were provided printed lists of the 1,511 people buried at the cemetery.

“By allowing tree planting at the cemetery without unnecessary delays or bureaucratic hurdles, we can make a positive impact on Toronto’s overall green infrastructure,” Savinsky said.

He said the trees will help restore biodiversity within our city, but ‘will also provide a serene and peaceful environment for visitors to reflect upon the past.’

Among those attending were; a senior who wanted to locate her grandfather’s grave, a paraplegic veteran, five LGBTQ refugees from Uganda, a woman whose brother suffered a drug overdose, a senior who had been hospitalized 27 times and several whose ancestors fought in WWI.