This fatal single vehicle crash was heard overnight by residents from blocks away in the Bloor Street and Islington Avenue area.

Police were early today cleaning up acrash site in which one person was killed after a vehicle hit a pole at a high rate of speed.

Officers were called shortly before 3 a.m. on August 14 to reports of a horrific collision at Bloor Street and Lothian Ave., just east of Islington Ave.

Police said a vehicle was travelling at a high rate of speed westbound on Bloor Street when it lost control and hit a light post.

One person was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.

Another occupant was transferred to hospital in critical condition with unknown injuries.

The cause of the collision is unknown but speed is believed to be a factor.

Police believe the vehicle was travelling at a high rate of speed.

“I would say that the vehicle was exceeding 100 kilometres an hour if not more,” an officer at the scene said.

Eastbound lanes on Bloor Street were closed in the area as police investigate.

Anyone with information or dash camera footage of the area is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

The investigation is continuing into the cause of the crash but police say speed was a factor.

 

 

Running the Village Vinyl Music Emporium & Cafe has been a labour of love for Keith Pope for the last nine years.

As a lifelong avid record collector, he just celebrated his store’s ninth anniversary on August 8 at the corner of Lake Shore Blvd. West and Islington Ave.

He writes on social media that when he emigrated from England to Canada “all he brought with him were his records.”

This award-winning store at 2925 Lake Shore Blvd. West is packed with rare and memorable vinyl records both vintage and new, CD’s, music DVD’s, music art, books and memorabilia.

“The sight, the touch, the smell of vinyl records for those who know their classic appeal is a deeply appreciated shopping experience,’ he says.

“Everything was well and we were doing fine until the pandemic,” Pope says. “The pandemic came along and we had to be very creative to stay alive.”

The store was forced to shut for more than six months throughout the pandemic closures.

Studio 54 is now under construction at the rear of the store. It is a state-of-the-art recording studio that will soon be available for rent to musical bands or groups on an hourly basis or through a membership fee. The studio should be open by late fall. To his knowledge this will be the only record store in Canada with a recording studio on site.

The store also features live music performances every Sunday afternoon called “Sunday Sessions’. They had to cease as did all live music due to pandemic restrictions. They will return once they are allowed.

Pope is working hard to lure live music lovers back to the store “because people are still not going out as they did pre-Covid.”

“There is still a lot of anxiety by local people as far as what they can or cannot do to stay healthy,” he explains. “It will take time before things get back to normal.”

Pope supports many talented local artists by carrying their records as well as featuring their live performances at the weekly ‘Sunday Sessions’. One local artist he is currently promoting is James Clark Institute who has just released his newest album, The Colour Of Happy which is receiving great industry reviews.

You can visit the store online at villagevinyl.ca or phone 416-809-6625 to purchase or pick up records.

 

 

 

 

Stunned shoppers escaping the heat by visiting a cool Sherway Gardens were evacuated and the mall placed in a rare lockdown after gunshots were fired inside near stores.

Patrons and staff were evacuated from the sprawling mall around 2:30 p.m. Friday  after an alleged gunfight between two groups near an exit door of the mall.

Authorities evacuated the facility and placed it on lockdown. There are no confirmed reports of casualties associated with the incident.

“Disruptions to transport and business are likely in the vicinity of the mall over the coming hours,” police said. “This is a developing situation; additional information will be issued as warranted.”

Shoppers and motorists were told to avoid the area until police give the all-clear.

They were warned to ‘prepare for localized transport and business disruptions near the incident site and consider taking alternative routes to circumvent the scene.’

Toronto police and paramedics say they were called to the mall for a reported shooting.

Police say two groups of people – one group of four and another group of six –  were shooting at one another and fled the scene.

Witnesses said they heard a loud bang and were told to evacuate the mall immediately.

Video from the scene showed people running into the parking lot as police and fire crews arrived.

One woman said she was in a clothing store in the mall before 3 p.m. when she heard a “loud bang.”

Security staff ordered everyone out of the mall and many were left waiting in the parking lot.

Social media sites were flooded with shopping victims and families who were ordered to leave Sherway.

“Just got evacuated with my daughter! What an overwhelming thing to experience!” one woman wrote on Facebook.

“Please keep us posted,” wrote another in need of help. “We’re at the back of a store in lockdown.”

“Hoping everyone makes it out safely,” another person said.

Officials said there more shoppers in the mall than normal to escape the evening’s heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rush is on by political candidates vying for the upcoming federal election to recruit volunteers, recite policy and print signs as they get ready for an upcoming vote.

It is widely being reported on most media that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit Rideau Hall on Sunday August 15 to ask that Parliament be dissolved and that an election be called.

The pollsters predict a 36-day campaign, with election-day falling on Monday September 20, which is being reported by media from coast to coast.

There has been mounting speculation for months that Trudeau would force Canadians back to the polls to seek a majority mandate as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on. First elected with a majority in 2015, Trudeau lost that hold on power and was reduced to a minority in the 2019 federal election.

He has relied on the support of at least one other federal party, often the NDP, to pass legislation during the pandemic.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, has said she’s confident voting can be done safely due to a combination of health protocols and Canada’s high rate of vaccination.

Here at home, candidates and campaign workers are being installed by the federal Conservatives and New Democrats to campaign for the tough riding of Etobicoke Lakeshore, which has been held by Liberal MP James Maloney, for six years.

The federal Conservative Party have nominated party worker Indira Bains to carry the torch in Etobicoke Lakeshore.

Bains emigrated to Canada with her parents at a young age and has held a number of positions in the party.

She lives in South Etobicoke and is familiar with some of the many social agencies and groups in the community.

Sasha Kane is the newly acclaimed NDP candidate seeking to represent the area.

“I’m so excited to run to support our communities and to further a vision of housing as a human right, climate justice and an equitable recovery from COVID-19,” Kane wrote.

She grew up in Etobicoke and has roots in the community. She has obtained a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Western University.

“As a young member of the 2SLGBTQ community, I’m excited to use my platform to uplift young folks across our riding & get out the vote,” Kane urged.

She is looking forward to the “opportunity to represent all of us with a bold, leftist vision in Ottawa.”

“I want to be your Federal NDP Candidate for Etobicoke-Lakeshore,” Kane said. “We will be fighting for our communities, together.”

 

 

 

 

 

Look in the sky. It’s a bird, bee or a jet.

It’s a second year without the Canadian National Exhibition — but aviation fans will be thrilled to know the Canadian International Air Show will return on Labour Day weekend.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds and several other aircraft, including a P-51 Mustang, CF-18 Hornet and a F-35 stealth warplane) will take to the air on Saturday, September 4 and Sunday, September 5 between noon and 3:00 p.m.

There will be no separate airshow zone for spectators, but there will be two ways to see the aerial display: you can find your way to a spot anywhere along the 14kms of viewing space along Lake Ontario shoreline between the Humber Bridge and Billy Bishop island airport, maintaining social distancing, of course.

Or you can watch at home.

For those who go in-person, parking will be available at Ontario Place and Exhibition Place and public transit is available as always.

The 2021 show will also celebrate the Snowbirds’ 50th anniversary and commemorate Captain Jennifer Casey, who was killed in a Snowbirds crash in Kamloops, B.C., in May 2020.

Some Humber Bay residents are already complaining about the impending traffic delays and congestions by those attending the air show.

 

South Etobicoke resident Indira Bains is running as a candidate for the federal Conservative Party to represent  the Etobicoke Lakeshore riding whenever an election is called by the Prime Minister.

Rumors are rampant that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to drop a writ and call a federal election soon.

The federal Conservatives and New Democrats are jockeying for power and are lining up their candidates to compete against the Liberals whenever there’s a vote.

Bains’ workers have established a website to feature news and updates from her campaign.

“Indira is involved in a number of community causes, including Habitat for Women, Haven on the Queensway, and Toronto Little Free Pantries Project,” according to her campaign material. “She is a strong advocate for public safety, elimination of human trafficking and supporting victims of abuse.”

She plans to be the next MP for Etobicoke Lakeshore “because this election will shape our children’s future. It’s too important to sit on the sidelines.”

Bains was two-years-old when her father emigrated to Canada from India to start a new life. She accompanied her mother and sister to Canada two years later.

She gained solid political experience as Past-President of the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Conservative Association and as a board member on the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Ontario PC Association.

“Indira’s political experience also included working on both provincial and federal campaigns,” according to her literature. “Indira’s political expertise grew as a member of several board committees including fundraising and events-management in the community.”

She will be running against long time Liberal MP James Maloney who was elected in 2015 and sits on more than 10 standing committees and is generally well-known in the area.

The name of the NDP candidate for Etobicoke Lakeshore has not been announced.

You can reach Indira or volunteer for her campaign by phoning 647-483-3778 or you can visit her website at voteindirabains.ca or on Facebook at IndiraBains.EtobicokeLakeshore or Twitter@VoteIndiraBains.

 

 

By IAN ROBERTSON

The beloved founder of the iconic San Remo Bakery is being brought back to life in a beautiful mural that shows his love for South Etobicoke, native Italy and baked treats.

Work has begun on a massive art mural of bakery founder Natale Bozzo on the south side, on Simpson Ave., of the famous bakery with Royal York Road in the background.

The images include the ancient Coliseum in Rome, a modern building there, SkyDome and the arch bridge over Humber River, plus people and with Bozzo on the right holding a large tray of doughnuts, one of his favourites.

Bozzo loved both his homeland Italy, and Canada, the country that took him and his family in.

Art team leader Christiano De Araujo pays attention to the minute details. On this day he is using a portable machine to spray paint onto wall as an assistant works with a brush.

De Araujo is aware that his masterpiece will be viewed by many area residents and San Remo fans, who loved Bozzo. There are still daily lineups by residents as they wait to get inside the bakery.

The patriarch of the family-run bakery died from COVID-19 complications last February following a six week battle with the virus.

Born in 1945, Bozzo immigrated to Canada from Italy at the age of 15.

He started working in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood at Sicilia Bakery on College Street before opening SanRemo Bakery with his brothers in Etobicoke in 1969.

“He was larger than life and we will miss him dearly and will work very hard to keep his memory alive and to honour him,” the family mourned on Facebook.

Within just an hour of being posted, the statement had already garnered some 800 comments of condolences.

He was mourned by thousands of Etobicoke residents, and politicians of all stripes, who loved his treats.

The mural is expected to be completed in a couple weeks.

 

 

 

 

Area motorists are being warned of a new automated traffic camera system being installed on a slow strip of Royal York Road, near Norseman Street.

Signs have been installed in the area warning both north and southbound motorists of the upcoming traffic camera installations, which is close to two schools.

The area was a popular spot for Toronto Police radar cops due to the many lead-footed motorists who were ticketed for speeding in a school zone.

The city’s red light camera program, which initially started as a pilot project in 1998, entered into a new five-year plan in 2017. The city now employs more than 70 of the cameras in school and other zones.

The city on its website state that Automated Enforcement is a tool that uses technology to alter driver behaviour by enforcing the applicable traffic law.

“Automated Enforcement is used to reduce the prevalence of excessive speeding and the running of red lights to improve roadway safety for all road users, especially our most vulnerable,” according to city officials.

More than 53,000 tickets have been issued to drivers caught speeding by Toronto’s newly installed speed cameras during the first round of enforcement, according to police.

The city generates millions of dollars in revenues from the issuing of tickets. Some cameras generate more than 30,000 tickets monthly.

The fines that accompany the tickets are steeper in proportion to the speed. They start at $5 per kph over the speed limit, with the fine reaching up to $12 per KPH between 30 and 49 kph over.

The top-earning speed cameras in Etobicoke includes one at Renforth Drive, near Lafferty Street, in Etobicoke Centre, that issued the most tickets with more than 5,400.

The camera at Trehorne Drive, near Duffield Road, was second with 1,677, according to city figures, while another at Horner Avenue, near Orianna Drive, was third with 1,358 tickets.

Other camera locations in this area includes Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Twentieth Street, Algoma Street, east of Royal York Road;  La Rose Avenue, east of Griggsden Avenue; The East Mall, south of Capri Road and two locations in Etobicoke North.

 

 

 

Residents in the Alderwood area are being warned not to be suckered by fake Canada Census scammers out to get your personal information or money.

Most households across the country have already received a letter in the mail in regards to completion of their 2021 census questionnaire online as required by law. The deadline was May 11 but data collection still continues.

Bright yellow ‘Notice of Visit’ cards are left in the mail boxes or residents who have not complied with census requirements.

The cards warn residents that is a legal obligation to complete the questionnaire and Statistic Canada officials will return until the census is completed.

Scammers follow the large yellow cards and approach the homeowners by claiming to be Statistics Canada officials. They try to extort payments from residents, mostly immigrants or new Canadians, for having a late or uncompleted census questionnaire.

The homeowners are also conned into sharing their personal information, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

“Do not get tricked into making payments or sharing personal information,” the BBB warned last May. “It could be a goldmine for fraudsters if they connect with a census taker who is unaware of the signs of a scam.”

Individuals are at risk of identity theft if they unknowingly share information with the wrong person or on an unofficial website, said the BBB’s Karla Laird.

In one case on August 6 in Alderwood, a homeowner was given ‘the finger’ by a fake census worker who was asked for her government of Canada identification card and couldn’t produce it. The woman, according to the homeowner, was not wearing a uniform or badge, refused to give her name or employee number and gave the resident ‘a finger’ as she took off.

A complaint was filed and Census officials said they are investigating.

The BBB said those who have not filled out the census questionnaires can expect a warning letter, phone call, home visit or an email.

“Census staff will not contact you by text message, on instant messaging aps like WhatsApp or direct messages on social media,” the bureau said in its warning.

They said census workers will share their name, employee number and reason for calling.

“Statistics Canada will send someone to your home as a laser resort,” according to their website. “Staff will not be entering your homes, but will be wearing personal protective equipment and branded clothing so you can readily identify them.”

“Threats of arrest and payment demands are clear signs of a scam,” according to the BBB. “Statistics Canada and Census staff will never threaten you with jail time or demand that you make immediate payment using credit cards, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or any other payment method to complete the questionnaire.”

They said anyone who refuses to complete a census questionnaire can be fined up to $500 by a court, but Census staff do not have the authority to issue this penalty.

Failure to complete the census will not impact your tax file or other benefits, Laird said.  People should not respond to emails or any other communications that say otherwise.

The census will collect information like your name, address, age, sex at birth, gender, marital status, military experience and languages spoken. It will never ask for your banking, credit card information or Social Insurance Number (SIN)”

If you are having issues you can phone Statistics Canada at 1-877-949-9492 (toll-free).