More and more coyotes are being seen as the weather gets warmer and a local councillor is appealing to City council to find humane ways to deal with them.

Ward 2 Councillor Stephen Holyday said the coyotes are not only a concern for Liberty Village, Fort York and Cityplace residents and there has to be a Coyote Response Strategy and staff should examine best practices of other municipalities in dealing with the animals.

Some of the coyotes suspected of being ill are now shot dead or killed by City animal services officers.

“I see a coyote at least once a month in my area,” Holyday said. “We saw a family of them looking through our window at home.”

He said the coyotes can kill or injure pets, like dogs, cats or even attack people.

“Most encounters with coyotes occur when people leave out food and garbage intentionally or by accident,” according to a motion before Council by Holyday. “Coyotes and dogs may have negative encounters if people have their dogs off leash, causing a coyote to defend itself and its young.”

Council has agreed to explore the use of technology or other tools for coyote diversion; study the benefits and drawbacks to different approaches to manage the issue and seek input from wildlife experts.

The City said wildlife management should be examined before allowing construction on City-led projects and the Ontario government should conduct an environmental assessment of wildlife, including coyotes, in the redevelopment of Ontario Place.

Other incidents involving coyotes are also voiced by Councilor Ausma Malik and is under consideration by City Council in relation to having animal or bylaw officers patrolling areas of her ward daily and hours will focus at dawn and dusk when most reports of incidents/sightings are received.

“Daily evaluation for the necessity, at City staff’s discretion, of further escalation to lethal removal if significant,” she said.

A  report on coyote management is slated the Economic and Community Development Committee on May 6.

Etobicoke residents may recall last Canada Day, on July 1, 2024, a number of residents and media reported three or four physical attacks by a group of coyotes on dogs which were being walked by local dog owners in Princes Margaret Park.

Holyday’s motion called for more City monitoring and data collected on coyote attacks injuring pets or people.

Residents are urged to blow whistles; upcycle an aluminum can filled with coins or rocks to startle a coyote when shaken for personal safety.

People can also open and close an umbrella pointed in the direction of the coyote while walking towards the coyote to assist with deterring a coyote.

And green garbage bags– fill with air and snapped down will make you look bigger and the noise will scare the coyote

 

City of Toronto officials seems to be listening to pressure from the community and back-peddling on some plans for a proposed Third Street homeless shelter.

New Toronto area residents in an e-mail from City staff on April 17 said the planned 80-bed homeless shelter will now be reduced to 50 beds catering to homeless seniors.

“The shelter capacity has also been reduced to 50 beds, to ensure there is space to accommodate accessibility needs that senior residents may have,” Ward 3 Councillor Amber Morley said.
She said there’s ‘many senior residents living in encampments across Etobicoke-Lakeshore over the last year.’

Morley said the 66 Third Street shelter site is next to a Toronto Seniors Housing building which means it may be possible for some of the homeless elderly to obtain permanent housing, services and programming.

A bombshell  announcement by the City calling for an 80-bed municipal homeless shelter last December divided the community as some residents support the facility and others claim it is close to two schools and the seniors residence.

There has been a number of protests, angry feelings and meetings between irate residents and City staff in regards to the location of the facility. Five years ago the City tried to open a similar shelter at 2950-2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W., but backed down due to protests from the community.

This shelter will not open for three to five years, the City said. It is among 20 planned for different areas of the City.

It will be operated by the Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre (CONC),  an organization with more than 30 years of experience serving the vulnerable community.
CONC operates a 68-bed mens’ shelter on Lansdowne Avenue and a 30-bed shelter for men at 850 Bloor Street W.

City staff said there will be opportunities for residents to share in the building’s design and there will be a safety walk of the neighbourhood in the fall.

Toronto Police at a town hall meeting say they believe a fugitive accused of slaying two Alderwood women nine-months ago is still alive and hiding in the community.

“We are still getting tips on his possible whereabouts,” said 22 Division Unit Commander Jeff Bangild. “Our homicide officers are working hard on the case.”

Joseph Ayala, 33, of Toronto, is wanted for the high-profile second-degree murders after police received a call in August 2024 to conduct a well-being check at a house near Sheldon and Silvercrest Avenues.

Inside the home they found the bodies of 82-year-old woman and a 60-year-old woman, who were relatives of the suspect.  They had been brutally killed.

Bangild told the community the case is not closed and officers are investigating full time.

“We believe that he is still alive and  hiding somewhere,” he said. “There is nothing to indicate that he is not alive.”

The senior officer was among 22 Division officers speaking at a Community Police Liaison Committee Town Hall on April 16 at the Toronto Police College, on Birmingham Street. Also present were Community Neighbourhood officiers and members of the Hold Up Squad.

The meeting was attended by about 100 concerned residents who were given an opportunity to ask questions in regards to events in the community.

Asked about the proposed and controversial homeless shelter on Third Street, Bangild said the City that decides the location of shelters,  not the police.

“We will be involved in the security issues afterwards,” he said. “We work for the City and it is their decision.”

Police said serious crimes as assaults, auto thefts, home invasions have decreased compared to last year.

Residents were told auto thefts are still a problem and there has been 142 vehicles stolen in the Division so far this year, the fourth highest amount in the City.

“Etobicoke has good escape route with highways to take vehicles to cool down,” said Inspector Joseph Matys, of the Hold Up Squad.

He said there has been a 57 per cent decrease in break and enter crimes targeting vehicles. In addition, pharmacy robberies dipped by 80 per cent and bank robberies plunged by 70 per cent in the last six months.

An area man who was on his way home after a hard day’s work is today fighting for his life after being hit by a vehicle at a bus stop in the Horner and Kipling Avenues area.

Police said the man was on his way home from work when he was hit by a vehicle that was involved in a personal injury collision on April 14 around 5:20 a.m.

Traffic Services in a release allege a 21-year-old man was operating a Jeep Cherokee  northbound on Kipling Avenue and apparently ran a red light and struck a vehicle travelling westbound on Horner that was making a left turn on Kipling.

“As a result of the collision, the Jeep continued off the roadway and struck the male pedestrian,” according to police. A 42-year-old man was ‘rushed to a local trauma centre in life-threatening condition.’

The left-turning driver of a Nissan was also hospitalized with minor injuries.

Police are asking local residents, businesses, and drivers, who may have security or dash camera footage of the area or incident, to contact investigators at 416-808-1900, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

 

The upcoming federal election is about two weeks away and here are our candidates for two South Etobicoke ridings.

An all candidates meeting for the riding of Etobicoke Lakeshore is taking place on April 16 at the Daily Bread Food Bank, at 191 New Toronto Street.

The debate runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and doors are open at 6. Registration is required for the free event that is being moderated by TVO’s Kat Eschner.

Running for the Etobicoke Lakeshore riding are incumbent Liberal MP James Maloney; former riding MP Bernard Trottier, running for the Conservative Party; Cory Wagar for the NDP; Thomas Fanjoy for the People’s Party of Canada; and Janice Murray for the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada.

In Etobicoke Centre Liberal incumbent Yvan Baker is running against Ted Opitz, of the Conservative Party, and NDP Ji Won Jung.

This election is an opportunity to have your say in choosing Canada’s next Prime Minister, and to vote for your Member of Parliament (MP).

Some of the major issues include affordable housing, income supports, healthcare and lengthy waiting times, food insecurity, the cost of living and traffic congestion.

Election Day is on Monday April 28.

You can vote early until April 22 at your nearest Elections Canada office. There is one at 4195 Dundas Street W., Suite 7.

You can also visit their website at elections.ca or call 1-866-238-7134.

Another shopping plaza in South Etobicoke may soon be making way for more high-rise condos.

Plans are underway to redevelop the plaza at 125 The Queensway, just east of Park Lawn Road, to make it a community of seven mixed use towers ranging in height up to 50 storeys.

The plaza with large parking lot is now home to a LCBO, a Sobey’s supermarket, Dollarama, Shoppers Drug Mart, TD Bank, Pizza Pizza and some other smaller retail stores.

Plans were filed last March with City officials to demolish and redevelop the prime site that will eventually bring about 4,000 residential units that will include apartments and townhomes.

It will be the second Sobey’s grocery store to soon disappear from the community. The store at Kipling Avenue and The Queensway Mall will also be razed at some point for more condos.

The development at 125 The Queensway will be built in three stages with two roads connecting the community. A public park is also planned as part of the complex, which will be located next to the Ontario Food Terminal.

The site is near the TTC 501 Queen streetcar, upcoming Park Lawn GO station, and is part of higher density housing zone.

The proposal from developers call for the five shopping plaza buildings and surface parking to be demolished and replaced with towers rising between 42 and 50 storeys, along with a 12-storey mid-rise component.

The towers would reach heights of 50, 50, 47, 45, 45, and 42 storeys. It is estimated that more than 10,000 people will move to the area when completed.

The park is planned at almost 2,800 square metres at the south end of the lands, which would connect with a future connection to Humber Bay Shores and Lake Ontario across the Gardiner Expressway.

It will be a congested area when completed as 15 other condo towers are also planned for the Mr. Cookie factory site, at 2150 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Some 16 soldiers of the Toronto Scottish Regiment are travelling to the Netherlands and France as part of a ceremony to lay a headstone for a soldier who has been unknown for more than 100 years.

The team, with residents from South Etobicoke, includes a Pipe Major and historian, will visit Meppel, The Netherlands, to mark the 80^th anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands, to a large measure by First Canadian Army.

Regiment historian and author Timothy Stewart said the citizens of Meppel, were ‘honoured,” the Canadians were attending the anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands.

In France, for more than 100 years the unknown soldier of the 75th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was buried in a grave in the Somme, with an ‘unknown’ headstone, like countless others.

The soldier was recently identified as Company Sergeant-Major Alexander McVean, 27, of Toronto, and the team will help place a headstone on his grave on April 16.

“These are historical moments that happen infrequently, especially the identification of a soldier from the Great War over 100 years later and the dedication of a new headstone with his name,” said Stewart.

McVean had been promoted to Company Sergeant-Major in October, a month before he died.

“The successful identification of his final resting place is a reminder of the enormity of the sacrifice that some have made in service to Canada,” said Bill Blair, the Minister of National Defence. “Your loved one will always be honoured and remembered.”

McVean was born in Shettleston, Scotland, and was one of nine children. The family emigrated to Canada in 1911.

Before enlisting in the CEF, he served in the 9th Mississauga Horse, a regiment of the Active Militia, and worked as a civilian chauffeur and streetcar operator.

The 75th Battalion fought as part of the 11th Infantry Brigade of the 4th Canadian Division. In October 1916, the Division was tasked with capturing the Regina and Desire Trenches, the last of a series of trenches between Thiepval and Courcelette, France.

The Battle of the Ancre, ended on November 18, 1916, marking the conclusion of the five months of the larger Battle of the Somme. The Canadian Division suffered 1,250 casualties but managed to take many German prisoners, including  17 officers and 608 from other ranks.

Some 248 of the casualties were from the 75th Battalion, where 104 men died, of which 71 had no graves. McVean was reported wounded and then later declared killed in action. He is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Built in memory of Canadian soldiers killed in France during the First World War, the memorial honours those who have no known grave.

Alexander’s brother, Bombardier Malcolm McVean, also lost in life in the war. He served with the British Royal Field Artillery and is buried in Étaples Military Cemetery near Boulogne, France.

Centennial Park may soon be getting a new all-season six-court tennis dome as the City works with Tennis Canada to cater to the demands of tennis lovers.

City officials have been searching for a location in a City park to install the massive tennis dome.

Staff from Parks and Recreations in a March 27 report said Centennial Park has been found to be the best for the all-year-round tennis dome.

Tennis Canada is working with the City to provide access to year-round tennis by contributing up to $ 2 million towards the installation of the dome, if a location can be found.

City Council has to approve the location.

Millions of dollars are being spent to upgrade the park, the City’s second largest, as it will also be a FIFA World Cup of Soccer practice facility for teams competing for the cup next year in Toronto.

“The Centennial Park Master Plan envisions the park as a premier destination for sports and recreation in Toronto,” according to the report.

The non-profit Tennis Canada was formed in 1890 and is trying to get more people to play the sport. The report said there is a need for 20 new courts over the next 20 years to address the growing demand for the sport.

The group has a vision to make Canada a world-leading tennis nation and ‘grow the game and participation in tennis for all Canadians.’

The City currently has arrangements in place for six winter tennis bubbles, some to be located at Eglinton Flats, Tam Heather, L’Amoreaux, and North York Winter Tennis Club.

Toronto has more than 600 outdoor tennis courts located in 185 parks; 339 of those courts are operated as public facilities, while 263 courts are operated by 61 not-for-profit community tennis clubs. Many of these clubs have extensive waitlists and are not equipped to offer year-round play.

As the weather warms up, a majority of City residents are smiling happy with a controversial Alcohol in Parks Program.

The drink-in-the-park program has had few issues, complaints and not a single ticket has been issued by Toronto Police. It was approved in August 2023 and is now allowed at 45 City parks, including a few in Etobicoke.

“The Alcohol in Parks program continues with a high level of satisfaction among park visitors,” according to a program update that was presented to a City committee on April 8.

It said there has been a “few issues arising and minimal operational impacts across all parks in the program.”

A City survey of almost 700 park users last March showed that more than 80 per cent of visitors were ‘satisfied with their visit and felt safe and welcomed.’

It said 85 per cent of visitors felt safe in the alcohol use parks and 82 per cent felt welcomed and 73 per cent said the booze drinkers were considerate.

Some 560 of those surveyed said they visited a park for personal alcohol consumption.

“The majority of park visitors said people drinking in parks were considerate, and there were no significant increases in service requests for amplified noise, disruptive behavior,” according to the update.

There was no increase in calls to Toronto Police Services, nor complaints to 311 of overflowing garbage bins or unruly behaviour.

The update said City workers are installing signs at park entrances to show that alcohol use is allowed on the grounds.

City crews are monitoring the parks for behaviour, park cleanliness, safety and other considerations.

Police said no tickets were issued to park goers in relation to alcohol use.

 

It was a life-and-death high-speed hit-and-run that sent three people to hospital and had area residents running for their lives.
Some 11 vehicles were hit as a fleeing white Jaguar SUV, believed to be stolen, left a trail of carnage as it sped east on Lake Shore Blvd. W., from Brown’s Line to Islington Ave., at speeds reported to be about 140 kilometres an hour.

Police said luckily no one was killed as the getaway occurred April 7 around 3 p.m. as students were leaving schools and walking home or to streetcar stops.

Officers said the SUV hit two vehicles at the traffic light at Kipling Avenue and sped off.  It then smashed into a number of vehicles near Islington Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets.

Local barber Andy Dinner witnessed the Jaguar flying through the air after hitting a vehicle near Sixth Street.

“It (Jaguar) went flying in the air and would have hit me if it did not hit another car,” Dinner recalled.

Police said the 31-year-old SUV driver was extricated from the vehicle and charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. More charges are pending.

The driver and two other people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Dozens of witnesses gathered to watch as crews cleaned pieces of debris strewn across the roadway.

Tires from the SUV and another vehicle were laying on the road and the hood of a sedan was nearly ripped off.

Streetcar and vehicle traffic were rerouted as Lake Shore Blvd. W. was closed for hours due to the police investigation and cleanup.

Guy Jay said on social media that he was almost hit by the speeding SUN.

”That white car was zooming down Lakeshore at like 200km/hr,” he wrote. “He almost hit me and a bunch of kids crossing the street on Tenth Street.”

Jay said a crossing guard saw the speeding SUV and had to ensure no children were in danger.

“This could have been really awful,” he said. “The crossing guard saw it and acted quickly.”

Sraboni Shoeb Sonia said she saw the SUV fly through the air after hitting a vehicle.

“I saw it hit a black car and fly on the air and crash land,” Sonia said. “I think this was the most craziest thing I witnessed.”