A hunt to find the smugglers of a family from India found frozen near the U.S. border has led police back to Toronto and Pearson International Airport.

The RCMP have confirmed that the family arrived in Toronto from India on January 12 and left soon after for Emerson, Manitoba.

It takes more than 19 hours to make the 2,120 km trip by car to Emerson in good weather.

“There was no abandoned vehicle located on the Canadian side of the border,” the Manitoba RCMP said in a release. “This indicates that someone drove the family to the border and then left the scene.”

Investigators are going back in time trying to determine how the family travelled from Toronto on January 12 to arrive in Emerson on January 18.

They believe someone may have picked up the family at Pearson and drove them to their deaths.

“With what we know so far of their activities in Canada, along with the arrest that occurred in the United States, we believe this to be a case of human smuggling,” the Mounties said.

They said “the Patel family moved around Canada for a period of time and we are looking for anyone that may have had encounters with them.”

Police autopsies have identified the family members as Jagdishkumar Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben Patel, 37, daughter Vihangi, 11,  and son, Dharmik, 3.

The family, from the Dingucha village in India’s western state of Gujarat, had travelled to Toronto on January 12, the  Mounties said. It is believed the adults had risked their lives for a better opportunity for their children.

Their frozen bodies were found in the snow, just metres from the border on January 19. A man on the U.S. side was arrested and charged with human smuggling and is before the courts.

It is believed the family was being smuggled into the U.S. in a blizzard when they froze. The smuggler took off.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Manitoba has confirmed that the cause of death was due to exposure.

The RCMP has been working closely with RCMP Liaison Officers in New Delhi, India and Washington, D.C., and have been in regular contact with Indian consular officials.

If you have any information on this investigation please call the Manitoba RCMP Major Crime Services at 431-489-8551, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

 

 

A woman was hospitalized after fatally hitting a senior who was walking along The Queensway.

Police said an 84-year-old man was walking eastbound on the north sidewalk of The Queensway towards Islington Avenue on January 28 around 3:06 p.m.

Officers said the driver of a 2013 Kia vehicle was exiting a private driveway from the north side of The Queensway.

“The 31-year-old female driver of the Kia motor vehicle made contact with the pedestrian,” police said in a news release. “The man was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.”’

He succumbed to his injuries, police said.

Members of Traffic Services said the driver of the Kia was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The investigation is ongoing.

Police are asking local residents, business and drivers, who may have security or dash camera footage of the area or incident, to contact investigators.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1900, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on our Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).

 

Two people are under arrest after the RCMP and border agents seized 28 kilograms of the hallucinogenic date rape drug ketamine being smuggled into Canada by air.

The busts stemmed from the seizure of a number of ketamine shipments from France that were bound for Toronto and intercepted in Montreal last August, police said.

The RCMP at the Toronto Airport Detachment said in a release they were advised of the interceptions and began an investigation with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

“Those who traffic in illicit drugs destroy lives, homes and communities.” stated RCMP Inspector Barry Dolan, Officer in Charge of the RCMP Airport Detachment. “I want to thank CBSA for their diligent partnership. Together, we work to keep Canadians safe from the damaging effects of illicit drugs”.

“CBSA officers work alongside the RCMP and our partners in public safety law to stem the flow of illegal commodities into our country,” said CBSA Quebec Regional Director Annie Beauseuour. “Our officers are committed to preserving the safety of Canadians and their communities.”

Pengfai Liang and Ling Yang, original of Toronto, have been charged with four counts each in connection with importing, conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance. They are before the courts.

Police said Ketamine, commonly known as a date rape drug, sells on the street for about $25,000 a kilogram and the seizure was worth almost $1 million.

 

FAMILY LUCKY to be alive.

A young family is lucky to be alive after a harrowing early morning fire at an Eighth Street apartment building that forced them to escape from a second floor window.

A quick thinking Tamara Harris was stuck inside a unit with her young daughter as smoke started filling the hallways of the apartment on Wednesday morning.

Harris managed to break a window to pass her baby to safety. She was treated in hospital for several cuts and bruises to her hand suffered from smashing the window.

There was no fire in her unit but there was smoke in the hallway.

Area resident Christina Murrie, who works nearby, said there were about 10 firetrucks, ambulances and
TTC buses at what turned out to be a two-alarm blaze around 7 a.m. on January 26.

“I didn’t see a fire or smoke but there was a lot of activity,” Murrie said.

Fire officials said at one point flames and heavy smoke were billowing from one of the windows.

Paramedics said a man in his 40s was treated for minor smoke inhalation. Five others were examined at the scene.

No one was in the unit where the fire broke out and it was contained to that apartment. However, smoke spread throughout the building.

The fire was quickly knocked down. It so happened that Toronto Fire Station 435, at 130 Eighth Street, is located across the street from the building.

One witness said it is believed the fire began after someone fell asleep with a cigarette burning.

They said two apartment units were engulfed in flames. One was gutted.

Financial help is on the way to small businesses, says Christine Hogarth.

The Etobicoke Lakeshore MPP has announced a series of supports for small businesses, workers, and families.

The aid includes a Business Costs Rebate Program, Cash Flow Program, Electricity Rate Relief Program, and a Small Business Relief Grant.

“Small businesses, job creators and the entrepreneurial spirit are the backbone of our local economy. Unfortunately, these businesses have been some of the most impacted by COVID-19, and many continue to struggle,” Hogarth said.

“With these new programs, our government will provide relief for many of our small businesses that create jobs for people in Etobicoke.”

Eligible businesses required to close or reduce capacity due to the current public health measures put in place to blunt the spread of the Omicron variant can apply for the new Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program,” Hogarth said in a statement.

She said under the new program, the government will provide eligible businesses with a rebate payment of up to 100% for property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to these restrictions.

“Eligible businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100% of their cost,” Hogarth said. “Those required to reduce capacity to 50%, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50% of their costs.”

The government is also improving cash flows for Ontario businesses by making up to $7.5 billion available through a six-month interest – and penalty-free period for businesses to make payments for most provincially administered taxes.

This penalty and interest-free period started on January 1. This supports businesses now and provides the flexibility they will need for long-term planning.

The government is providing 21 days of electricity rate relief to support families and workers spending more time at home, as well as small businesses.

To help Ontarians get through this difficult time, electricity rates have been lowered to the lowest price, the off-peak rate of 8.2 cents, 24 hours a day.

This change will happen automatically for anyone who is currently paying regulated rates set by the Ontario Energy Board and gets a bill from a utility, whether they are a Time-of-Use customer or a Tiered rate customer, according to the province.

Also announced was an Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant for small businesses that are subject to closure under the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen. It will provide eligible small businesses with a grant payment of $10,000.

She said businesses will be required to submit proof of costs associated with property tax and energy bills as part of the application process.

All eligible businesses must submit an application to be considered, including those that received previous COVID-19 support payments.

More than $15,000 has been raised in a Go Fund Me page to help with the funeral services of local skateboarder Jordan Carter, who was shot and killed by a 13-year-old in East York.

Members of the South Etobicoke skateboarding community area are asking for the Eighth Street Skatepark to be renamed after Carter, 15, who spent many hours there helping younger children skate.

The arts student from Lakeshore Collegiate Institute was shot dead in an apartment parking garage in the Gamble and Pape Avenues area around 11:30 p.m. on January 19, according to police.

Officers said Carter died of gunshot wounds despite intense life-saving measures by paramedics to save his life. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police say.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, but appeared in court on January 21.

Two firearms and ammunition have been seized in connection with the case, police say.

Carter, who was always seen on a skateboard, had many friends who lit up social media to mourn his loss.

“He was a talented young man who loved skateboarding,” wrote fund organizer, Krista Langille. “He was a beautiful soul who was loved his friends and anyone who ever met him. We are all devastated by this loss.”

Langille said all funds donated will be used for “memorial purposes and given to his grandmother to cover the costs of his funeral.” Funeral details are being finalized.

Dejan Pavlovic said Carter helped her son Quentin to become a better skateboarder.

“He absolutely made a difference in people’s lives and those that were on the receiving end of his warmth will be better, more humble, more loving people simply by being by his side,” Pavlovic wrote. “Jordan is our friend and we miss him and are very sad that we won’t ever see him again.”

She said the Eighth Street Skatepark should be renamed after Jordan Carter in honor of the many kids he has helped.

“I’ll always remember him as the skateboard loving kid who would always share his board or scooter,” recalled Rose Dias.

Adrienne Costantino said she is devastated by the loss.

“Jordan was a bright, sweet kid with incredible talent and a creative soul,” Costantino said. “The news of his loss is absolutely devastating. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

“Will always remember Jordan as a smiling little boy with our pugs on his skateboard,” noted Marina Pacheco. ‘Always filled with love and light. We miss you.”

Donations towards his funeral can be made on Go Fund Me.

 

From poverty to royalty, Lincoln MacCauley Alexander has experienced many firsts in his distinguished life.

His many deeds as we mark Black History Month in February continue to inspire generations of African, Caribbean and Black people across Canada and the world.

It is no surprise that his birthday on January 21 is recognized across Canada as Lincoln Alexander Day.

Alexander was born in Toronto on January 21, 1922. His father was a carpenter by trade but worked as a railway porter for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Back then working as a railway porter was one of the few good jobs for which Blacks were hired. His mother toiled as a maid.

“Linc” as he was commonly called, worked as a machinist in a Hamilton-based factory after the Second World War making anti-aircraft guns for the war effort despite being too young to enlist.

He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 and served as a corporal until 1945 working as a wireless operator in World War II.

Throughout his life and career, Alexander tackled racism and inequity often risking career and professional advancement in the process.

Once, while stationed in Vancouver, he was refused service at a bar because of his race. He reported the incident to his superior officer who refused to take action.

Alexander subsequently quit the Air Force, leaving with an honourable discharge.

The veteran earned a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University in 1949 and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1953.

He became the first Black person to be elected to Canada’s House of Commons where he represented Hamilton West for 12 year. He was so popular that he was re-elected four times.

Alexander in 1979 was appointed Minister of Labour by Prime Minister Joe Clark and became the first Black Canadian to serve as a federal Cabinet Minister.

He was sworn in as the 24^th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and served from 1985 to 1991. Alexander played an integral role in the fight for equity, diversity and inclusion in Canadian Society.

He was a passionate advocate for the advancement of education and served as Chancellor of the University of Guelph and Chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. He was also a Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Board.

Alexander died on October 19, 2012. Lincoln Alexander Day was launched in 2015.

In 2006, he was named the “Greatest Hamilitonian of All Time,”  and there are schools in Hamilton, Ajax and Mississauga that bear his name as well as the expressway in Hamilton.

 

Toronto Police are warning parents to be vigilant with their children as they return to school.

The warning stems from an arrest on January 18 of a man who tried to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl on a downtown TTC streetcar.

Police said the girl was on board a northbound streetcar in the Bathurst and Ulster Streets area about 5:25 p.m. when the incident occurred.

Officers allege the girl was approached by a stranger.

“He exposed himself to her,” police said in a release. “He motioned for her to touch him.”

Police said the quick-thinking teen activated the passenger assistance alarm.

Graydon Metcalfe, 38, of Toronto, was charged with invitation to sexual touching under 16 and indecent exposure to a person under 16.

He appeared by video at Old City Hall on January 19.
Police said this is an on-going investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).

 

 

This May will mark 41 years since global Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley passed away.

Marley passed away on May 6, 1981 and his music is still fresh and popular more than four decades later. His tunes are discovered by a new generation of listeners.

This year the 16^th Annual Bob Marley Birthday Celebration and Food Drive Livestream will take place on February 6 in support of the Parkdale Community Food Bank.
The free show, which is being staged by NuFunk Concerts in association Rasta Fest & Uma Noto, will be streamed on May 6 from BSMT 245 in Toronto from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

NuFunk in a release said the show is the longest-running Bob Marley tribute in Canada and ‘one of the hottest local reggae concerts of the year.’

“The event showcases the best of Canada’s reggae music scene while raising essential food donations for the Parkdale Food Bank,” organizers said.

The show will feature veteran soul-reggae singer Jay Douglas, who collaborates with up-and-coming reggae collective Reggaddiction to reinterpret Bob Marley & The Wailers material and perform original material.

The Livestream will feature pre-recorded live performances of reggae musicians from across Canada as well as DJs exploring Marley’s vast catalogue.

The Parkdale Community Food Bank is a grassroots organization, founded by volunteers in 2007 and serving 4,700 people each.

The much loved dreadlock musician died at the young age of 36.

He was diagnosed with acral lentinginous melanoma in 1977 and died as a result of the illness.

His fans around the world expressed their grief, and he received a state funeral in Jamaica. The greatest hits album Legend was released in 1984, and became the best selling reggae album of all time, with estimated sales of more than 75 million records worldwide.

He was posthumously honoured by Jamaica soon after his death with a designated Order of Merit.  In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock of Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked him No. 11 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

For more info contact jay@nufunk.ca

 

 

 

Etobicoke’s Taylor Lyons and a team of volunteers in these challenging times are working to help those who are hungry or needy in the community – one family at a time.

Taylor, 28, is the founder of a non-profit organization called Giving Back Canada, which works to promote unity and helping each other in our communities.

“We do this by providing food and basic necessities to families struggling with food insecurity in Etobicoke and the Greater Toronto Area,” she says.

They have a list of more than 50 families to whom they provide groceries and other necessities monthly for free. She said the needs are much higher though.

“We help feed more than 20 families alone in the South Etobicoke area,” Taylor explains. “We get their grocery list, buy the food and take it to them every month.”

She says the families, with children, are mostly newcomers, needy and require help with food, for which prices are rising and is one of the most expensive necessities.

Taylor said most of their funds for the programs are raised from supporters on social media.

The initiative began in 2017, when they raised $800 by Christmas Eve and were able to provide food and clothing for the homeless in downtown Toronto.

The next year, they raised another $7,000 online to continue to feed the needy and homeless.

“The families we help include those struggling with loss of income, no transportation, and isolation due to higher susceptibility to COVID-19,” Taylor notes.

In May 2020, Giving Back Canada raised $16,000 in just 10 days mostly again on social media to provide free groceries for those in dire need.

With these funds, they decided to partner with The Good Neighbour Project, a voluntary food delivery service that provided them with emergency case families.

Last December the charity hosted its first ever in-person fundraising event and raised $9,000 to help others. They also organized an online 12-days of giving campaign, which raised $17,000.

She said the charity is looking at extending its efforts to help others across Canada, and then internationally.

You can get in touch with Giving Back Canada by e-mail at givingbackcanada@gmail.com, on its website at www.givingbackcanada.net or phone 647-309-5889.