POLICE AND EMERGENCY services outside Lake Promenade home where suspicious package arrived in mailbox. Courtesy CTV News.

Police have fanned out their investigation to other jurisdictions after more extortion letters that first popped up in South Etobicoke mailboxes have shown up in Burlington.

The letters, along with a plastic bag containing a white powder, were delivered to a number of expensive homes in the Lake Promenade area, near Col. Samuel Smith Park.

One resident said “there had been a number of suspicious packages delivered to homes in the area recently.”

Officers of 22 Division were at some of the homes last night and are back today to take photos for evidence and talk to homeowners who received the letters.

Residents said the envelopes were formally addressed to them and were delivered by Canada Post.

Detectives said the small bag did not contain fentanyl, but powdered sugar, when tested by police.

The letters included threats to life and demanded that recipients send funds or harm would come to them or their families. Some fear through fentanyl poisoning.

Police said the letter directs the homeowner to deposit an unspecified amount of Bitcoin in exchange for their family’s safety.

Officers are warning the public to be vigilant when opening their mail boxes especially at this time of the year when people receive Christmas cards from friends and family.

“If you receive the letter and substance, try not to handle it as much as possible,” police stressed in a release. “Place the envelope outside, preferably in a covered area, and cover it with an upside down garbage can or something similar to protect it.”

You are urged to contact police immediately. It appears the letters were all delivered in the morning hours of December 18.

Area residents reported a lot of police activity in the community that day as emergency vehicles rushed to the homes of panicked residents as the letters were found.

Residents are being warned this is an extortion scheme and they should not sent money or respond to the letter.

Halton Regional Police said some residents in Burlington also received  letters from the unknown sender. The force is investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Toronto police at 416-808-2200, 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).

MIMICO STORE OWNER Chirag Patel says he has had to lay off staff and cut hours to survive due to slow sales from the virus. Photo by Tom Godfrey.

Just when we thought our lockdown was being lifted.

Small family-owned and micro businesses in the community are bracing for a second hit as the COVID-19 lockdown now in place in Toronto and Peel Region will be extended for more days of hardship and suffering by some.

A similar lockdown will also start in Hamilton on Monday to avert a spread of the pandemic.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the extended lockdown in Toronto and Peel Region will continue. It was set to expire on December 21.

The government said the lockdown in Toronto will be re-assessed on January 4.

“In the areas that are locked down right now that are expiring on Monday, I can tell you they won’t be expiring,” he told reporters at Queen’s Park on December 18. “We are going to continue on with the lockdowns within those regions and will have additional information on Monday for the balance of the province.”

Most non-essential businesses are forced to close when an area goes into lockdown.

Merchants in Alderwood, Long Branch, New Toronto and Mimico say they have been hit hard and are struggling to survive.

Many bars and restaurants are down to the last of their savings or living on credit as they try to survive on pick-up and take out only orders.

Also closed for most of the money-earning Christmas and New Year’s Day festive season are salons, spas, barber shops, hairdressers, massage and many other clubs.

Upset Mimico store owner Chirag Patel, of A-1 Discount, at 2412 Lake Shore Blvd. W., says he has had to lay off staff and reduce hours of others at his store to survive.

“Business has gone right down,” Patel laments. “It is Christmas and usually we have to bring in more staff to help with the customers. There are usually line ups, but there are none this year.”

He says this is the worst that he has experienced in his more than 20-years of operating the family-owned business.

Patel has tacked up a sign on the outside of his store to show city leaders the struggles that he and other small businesses are facing to survive.

The news of more lockdowns comes a day after Ontario recorded the most cases of COVID-19 in a single day, with more than 2,400 infections logged and hospitalizations for the disease continue to climb.

There are now 877 patients in hospital with COVID-19, with 261 patients being treated in intensive care. This sparked a call from the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) for “immediate action” to curb the spread of infection.

Further restrictions by Ford to deal with the virus are slated for Monday

      SOME OF THE TWEETS that got Councillor Grimes in hot             water from social media and community residents.

Where is Councillor Mark Grimes these days?

Many community residents and almost 400 social media fans are searching for the politician for an apology or explanation due to a tweet he allegedly wrote last week.

An online petition with dozens of names is also circulating calling for the long-time Toronto City councillor to immediately resign.

The Ward 3 politician is in hot water for allegedly tweeting U.S. Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris on December 12 telling her to “Stop Talking!!”

Hundreds of Twitter users have left mostly-unfavourable comments for the politician in what they say is an insult against a woman.

Another person was told to “go to bed and don’t forget to brush your sheep.”

The first tweet was in reply to one from the V-P Elect about the Biden-Harris administration’s intent to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate.

Harris’ tweet read: “the Biden-Harris administration will rejoin the Paris Agreement and once again be global leaders in the fight against the climate crisis.”

At first many constituents thought Grimes’ account had been hacked, as he has remained silent on the tweets.

Grimes has refused to comment.  Mayor John Tory, when asked about the incident, said he ‘is not accountable for what politicians do on social media.’

It not take long before Twitter and social media blew up.

A majority of the 400 tweets blasted Grimes, describing him as a ‘woman hater,’ ‘privileged’ and that ‘he feels accomplished women don’t have a voice.’

“This behaviour is nothing new for him,” says Cher Gavel Gingras. “Here’s hoping his reign of embarrassment ends soon.”

“I thought our politicians were more civil than that,” says Mike La June. ”I’m very disappointed to see this kind of behaviour from our councillor.”

“Kamala Harris is V-P Elect of the U.S. and former Senator and California A-G, honestly, he (Grimes) is the one who should know to stay in his lane and keep his mouth shut,” notes Rajesh Kutty.

Abbey Dee insists that Grimes is out of his league.

“Your opinion and not the point,” Dee warns. “This is about showing respect to others which he obviously has difficulty with.”

“I hope everyone remembers this when the next election comes round,” Adrian Mizzi reminds residents.

A number of residents wrote that they have filed complaints against Grimes to an Ombudsman and city officials.

“This is embarrassing to us as a country,” says Christine Boeck Wallace. “His comments are disgusting, rude.”

Grimes, and his staff, have refused to respond to emails.

PHILLIP WAS well-known for his sale of delicious fruit cakes to raise funds for his many projects. Courtesy photo.

Long-time treasurer and co-founder of the Long Branch BIA, Phillip Barker, is remembered as a kind and generous man who was passionate about his community.

A virtual tribute organized by Jay Llave was held on December 16 as about 40 of Barker’s friends, family and business acquaintances celebrated his life, and his many accomplishments, namely in helping to equip two schools for poor students in the Philippines.

The well-known owner of Lakeshore Accounting, at 3421 Lake Shore Blvd. W., passed away on May 6. He was 74.

“He helped many people over the years,” recalled his daughter, Katy. “I was fortunate to have him and to see all that he accomplished in his life is amazing.”

She said her father “touched and helped to change the lives of many over the years.”

“Phillip was a man of integrity,” Carl Porritt, of Royal LePage Porritt Real Estate, told the group. “We will miss him.”

His wife, Liz Porritt, pointed out that she and Phillip were co-founders of the Long Branch Business Improvement Association (BIA), and he served as treasurer for 33 years.

“He was very passionate about the Lake Shore,” Liz noted. “He was very passionate about keeping angled parking at a time when the city wanted straight parking spots.”

Virginia Lyons, who knew Phillip since Grade 4, described him as a “great guy who was a very funny human being and was very proud of the community.”

Long-time friend Leslie Nurse recalled that Phillip helped him land one of his first jobs working alongside him as a ‘fountain boy’ for the then Chicken Picken restaurant chain decades ago.

“It was in the 60s and we would make the sodas, sundaes and cut the pies for the customers,” Nurse said. “We had a lot of fun and he was quite a guy.”

Barker was born and raised in Mimico, where, he attended Mimico High School and then Humber College to study accounting.

He was a founder and director of the Lakeshore Charitable Foundation, which sponsored two schools in the Philippines. He visited that country about a dozen times and was responsible of collecting and shipping dozens of containers filled with books, clothes, food, computers, printers and other gear to help the children.

The foundation had sponsored the Rizal Public National High School and BayBay Central School for more than 12-years. He was in the process of travelling there for an awards celebration before COVID-19 halted the trip.

He is missed by hundreds of children at the schools and the families there who loved him.

Phillip is survived by brother, Bill, four nieces and daughter, Katy; described as the love of his life.