There were many complaints from residents of Humber Bay Shores and other areas of South Etobicoke last year due to noisy fireworks being set alit at all time of the night.

Now, a city report into the use of fireworks agree there was  a ‘noticeable increase’ in the unpermitted use of fireworks and emergency incidents from fireworks since more people are at home due to COVID.

A staff review of fireworks was undertaken earlier this year and the results was released on April 19. It found what we all suspected, people have time on their hands.

“Staff believe this is due to factors related to the pandemic, including more residents staying home in the city, cancellation of other events and City and community fireworks display,” according to the report that was presented to an Economic and Community Development Committee.

“Staff anticipate similar conditions during the 2021 warm-weather season.”

They said it also had to do with the “redeployment of enforcement resources to enforce public health measures and provincial emergency orders.”

The report found a large number people in a survey were concerned about fireworks noise, and impacts of fireworks use on pets, wildlife, the environment and those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Many of those who took part in a survey supported enhanced education and enforcement to ensure individuals follow existing regulations.

An action plan has been created to support compliant fireworks use and sale and reduce nuisance impacts of unpermitted fireworks use. It will include public education and outreach initiatives, including data-driven enforcement in some areas.

City staff will review current fireworks-related set fines and apply to the Province of Ontario to increase fine amounts, as needed.

“Incidents and service requests related to fireworks appear localized in a small number of wards bordering Lake Ontario,” according to the report, which was prepared by Municipal Licensing and Standards Committee (MLS) and Toronto Fire Service (TFS). “Based on these findings, staff do not recommend bylaw changes at this time.”

Both groups will continue to monitor fireworks incidents and complaints during the warm-weather season and the COVID-19 recovery period.

A review of the incident reports found that the vast majority of the calls were for unpermitted discharge in parks, open spaces, or schools, indicating that further education around where and how fireworks can be discharged on the designated dates is needed.

The report stems from an October 2020 City Council directive, requesting MLS and Toronto Fire undertake a review of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 466, Fireworks.

Fireworks on private property may only be used without a permit on Victoria Day and Canada Day. To use fireworks on private property any other day of the year, residents must have a permit from TFS. Discharging or igniting fireworks in a city park by members of the public is also prohibited. The sale of fireworks in Toronto requires a vendor permit issued by MLS.

 

A dedicated team of officers from 22 Division and across the city are stepping up efforts to crack down on those attending large gatherings to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said teams from all 16 Divisions are working with Toronto Public Health and the City’s Bylaw enforcement officers at the Municipal Licensing and Standards Unit.

“We are at a critical stage of this pandemic,” Ramer said in a release. “I again urge all Torontonians to please comply with the stay-at-home order.”

The Ontario government on April 16 announced additional restrictions and a two-week extension of the provincial lockdown and stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the virus.

The order requires everyone to remain at home except for specified purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services, for outdoor exercise, or for work that cannot be done remotely.
The force will enforce the order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and the Reopening Ontario Act.

“COVID-19 is now a matter of public health and public safety,” according to the Chief. “Let’s work together to stop the rapid growth in cases and relieve the pressure on our health care system.”

Ramer said officers may exercise their discretion in every situation and where there is evidence of non-compliance, they will issue tickets and summonses for individuals and businesses.

He warned there is no change to police powers and Toronto Police will not be conducting random stops of people or cars.
In addition, individuals are not compelled to explain why they are out of their residence, nor is being outside evidence of a failure to comply with the emergency order.
Workers are also not required to have proof from their employer that they are traveling to or from their workplace.
“When an officer has reason to suspect that an individual may be participating in a prohibited gathering, they are permitted to ask the person to identify themselves in order to issue a ticket or summons,” he said.

If a person refuses to identify themselves for this purpose, they can be arrested and in some cases can be charged with obstructing a police officer.

“The teams will be coordinated from a central command allowing them to be deployed across divisional boundaries if required,” according to the release.
Staff Supt. Randy Carter said his teams will focus on large gatherings that fail to comply with the emergency orders, with a particular focus on indoor gatherings such as parties at short-term rentals or at bars and restaurants.

“Everyone must do their part to protect our health and safety, and for police that means continuing to enforce equitably and effectively,” Carter said.
The enforcement strategy comes days after Premier Doug Ford faced intense criticism for shutting parks and granting police services temporary powers to randomly stop people who were driving and require them to produce identification, similar to the now-ended practice of carding in the Black community.

 

A co-accused in a fraud case involving a former Mississauga-Streetsville Conservative MP has been found guilty of three counts of fraud.

Nadeem Imtiaz Ahmed, 51, and former MP Wajid Ali Khan, 71, were arrested by the RCMP in March 2018 in what was described as a ‘$1.1 million international investment fraud.’

The Mississauga men were accused in Project Alcazar of borrowing large sums of money from ‘personal contacts’ in Canada, according to an RCMP release.

Ahmed was found guilty of three charges under the Criminal Code, following a three-year investigation into foreign real estate investment fraud.

The Ontario Supreme Court of Justice in a decision on April 21 found Ahmed guilty of two counts of fraud and one count of uttering a forged document.

He is slated to return to court on June 4 to set a date for sentencing.

Khan faces seven charges, including three counts of fraud, three counts of false pretense and one of uttering a forged document.

His case is still before the courts.

The RCMP National Division Sensitive and International Investigative Section received complaints in January 2015 and began a probe.  The Section focuses on “criminal activity that poses a threat to Canada’s government institutions, public officials, the integrity of the Crown, or that imperils Canada’s political, economic and social integrity,” according to the RCMP.

Khan made headlines in 2007 when he left the Liberal Party and crossed the floor to join the Conservatives, then left politics for good in 2009. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 and again in 2006 as a Liberal.

He crossed the floor so he could continue acting as a special adviser to then-prime minister Stephen Harper on the Middle East and Central Asia.

Khan was at one time a prominent voice in the GTA’s Pakistani and Muslim communities. He was one of the first MPs of Muslim descent elected to the House.

Khan served as an officer and a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force from 1966 to 1973. He took part in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 as a Shenyang J-6 fighter pilot.

He moved to Canada in 1974.

 

A new digital immigration platform to process cases more efficiently and speedier to reunite families and bring in workers is being proposed as part of the federal government’s Budget 2021.

The new computerized system, if approved, may help to process the 400,000 immigrants Canada is accepting this year. It is the second time since 1913 that the country has accepted this many newcomers.

The Immigration Levels Plan will welcome 411,000 immigrants in 2022 and 411,000 in 2023.

Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland tabled Budget 2021 on April 20, which proposes to invest $428.9 million over five years to develop and deliver a digital platform to gradually replace the old Global Case Management System.

“This will enable improved application processing and support for applicants, beginning in 2023,” Freeland said.

“A new digital system will enable Canada’s immigration system to function more efficiently behind the scenes and to deliver digital services that meet heightened client expectations,” she said.

“With this platform, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be able to leverage digital to better achieve Canada’s immigration objectives,” according to the Budget.

She said the system “will support an immigration system that is easier to navigate and more efficient in welcoming the dynamic new Canadians who add to Canada’s strength.”

The Budget will provide $15 million over two years, from 2021 to 2022, to extend the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot Initiative, to support employment-related services for newcomer women in areas as networking, employment counselling and paid work placements.

Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $2 million over five years to increase access to information and support for new Canadians facing family and gender-based violence, including enhancing the availability of anti-violence resources.

To support Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the budget is proposing $49.5 million over three years to support migrant worker-centric programs and services; $54.9 million over three years to increase inspections of employers and ensure temporary foreign workers have appropriate working conditions and wages.

And $6.3 million will be doled out over three years to improve service delivery of open work permits for vulnerable workers, helping migrant workers in situations of abuse find a new job.

The government intends to propose amendments to the Immigration Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) that would help them select candidates who best meet Canada’s labour market needs among the growing pool of Express Entry candidates who wish to become permanent residents.

Budget 2021 proposes to provide $26.8 million in 2021–2022 to enable participating provinces to maintain immigration and refugee legal aid support for asylum seekers, while protecting the efficiency and integrity of the asylum system.

It also proposes to provide $80.3 million over two years to Global Affairs Canada and IRCC to respond to the Venezuelan migrant and refugee crisis.

“This investment would enable Canada to help reduce human suffering, irregular migration and security threats in the region,” according to the Budget. While “improving the integration of migrants and refugees into host communities.”

 

An online petition has been launched by Toronto Police to seek public support for a pilot project to install at least five CCTV cameras in the Garnett Janes Road neighbourhood of New Toronto.

A proposal for the cameras came to the forefront following the April 17 shooting of a 14-year-old in the Garnett Janes neighbourhood.

Police were called to a park near Garnett Janes Road, near Islington Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. W., just before 6 p.m. following reports of multiple gunshots.

When they arrived, they discovered a teenager suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

Paramedics transported the boy to a trauma centre with serious but non-life threatening injuries. His condition has been upgraded to stable.

Officers from 22 Division continue to frequently patrol the neighbourhood in cars, on bikes and on foot, police noted in the petition.

“They (police) actively engage with the community on an ongoing basis, however the violence continues,” according to 22 Division. “The residents are fearful of their safety.”

“Unfortunately the neighbourhood has also been affected by gang activity for some time,” police wrote. “These gang members hang out in the buildings, on the streets, and in Lakeshore Village Park as well as Eighth Street Skate Park. “

Officers said drug dealing in the area is not uncommon.

“This gang activity leads to violence in the neighbourhood,” the petition state. “Historically the Garnett Janes neighbourhood has seen a disproportionately amount of violent crimes occurring within its’ borders as compared to other neighbourhoods in south Etobicoke.”

Police said the CCTV camera project ‘is not intended to be a replacement for police officers, only a tool to aid law enforcement and enhancing public safety.”

Cameras or more than one in some locations are being considered by police for installation in the Garnet James neighbourhood.

The cameras are proposed to be located at the corners of Birmingham St. and Ninth Street; Garnett Janes Road and Ninth Street; Coin Street and Tenth Streets; Etta Wylie and Garnett Janes Roads and Ninth Street and Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Police said they are seeking the support of the community with the implementation of the pilot project.

“By signing the petition you will be supporting the partnership that the Toronto Police has with the community in improving the safety of the Garnett Janes neighbourhood,” they wrote.

The petition can be found at change.org or 22 Division Twitter feed.

 

Former Toronto Police Services Board member Ken Jeffers, ex Raptors star Jamaal Magloire, entrepreneur Taylor Lindsay-Noel and nine others have been honoured for their leadership roles in the Black community.

The awardees were presented with the 39^th Annual Harry Jerome Awards in a virtual celebration on April 17 held by the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA).

Jeffers was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his four years on the Police Services Board in which the practice of carding was ended and his more than 30 years as an activist in the Black community.

Magloire, who was honoured with an Athletics Award, played 12 seasons with the National Basketball Association, including two years with the Raptors, for whom he is as a community outreach ambassador.

Bishop Ransford C. Jones received a Leadership Award for his role as Chairman of the Canadian Black Clergies and Allies (CBCA) and lead Pastor of Markham’s Destiny Gospel Centre.

Entrepreneur Lindsay-Noel was an elite gymnast looking to join the Canadian Olympic team in 2008 when she broke her back in practice and that dream went up in smoke. She owns an organic loose leaf tea company that has been endorsed by TV star Oprah Winfrey.

“We have adapted to continue this inspiring tradition and historic awards gala,” said BBPA president Nadine Spencer. “The Harry Jerome Awards Gala is a fundraising event and we are grateful for the support from donors, corporate sponsors and our many volunteers.”

Banker Al Ramsay received a Professional Excellence Award for helping the LGBT community. He holds the position of national manager of LGBTQ2+ business development at TD Bank. It’s the only role of its kind in North America.

Louis-Edgar Jean-Francois copped a Business Award for securing federal government investments to support black communities in Quebec. He helps entrepreneurs deal with the pandemic situation by working with certain partners to obtain financing for projects.

Velma Morgan received a Community Service Award for her work as a teacher and advocate for gender and cultural diversity. She is the Chair of Operation Black Vote Canada and was the architect of the first Black community provincial leaders debate. She has worked for four Cabinet ministers.

Patricia Bebia Mawa received a Media Award for directing and producing more than 15 TV programs. She has published multiple editions of three magazines and now hosts Planet Africa on OMNI TV. She and her husband launched Afroglobal Television, a 24-hour television channe, in 2016.

Dennis Mitchell was awarded a President’s Award for his 20 years of experience in the investment industry. He is a co-founder of the Black Opportunity Fund, a partnership between businesses, philanthropists, foundations, and the Black community

Kathy McDonald was recognized with a Diversity Award for her work. Claudette McGowan received a Technology Award and Dr. Joseph Smith a Decade Leader Award.

Named after a famous Canadian sprinter, the annual BBPA Harry Jerome Awards was established in 1983 to celebrate outstanding and inspirational individuals in the Black community.

Canadian police are monitoring U.S. fishing boats which they say are blatantly violating quarantine laws on international waters.

There was short police chase on April 15 on the Detroit River in which Canadian police and Customs officers intercepted two boats on the Canadian side of the river as two other boats fled back to U.S. waters, the RCMP say.

“The marine operation was in response to public concerns about American fishing boats violating the Quarantine Act, the Customs Act and the Reopening of Ontario Act,” RCMP Cpl. Dmitri Malakhov said in a release. “Four charter fishing boats registered in the U.S., were observed operating on the Canadian side of the Detroit River.”

A joint operation, including the marine units of Windsor RCMP, Windsor Police, and the Canada Border Services agency (CBSA) gave chase and were able to intercept two of the fishing boats, as two others sped into U.S. waters.

“The fishing bots were escorted to a nearby port-of-entry and were subject to examination by CBSA officers,” the RCMP said.

Tickets were issued to ten people by Windsor Police under the Reopening of Ontario Act for a total of $8,800.

All ten were identified as U.S. citizens and were served with a notice of Direction to Return to the USA by the CBSA under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Quarantine Act.