Toronto’s heritage jewel the 126-year-old Old City Hall should be converted to a homeless shelter as its courthouse occupants are bailing out.

City Council is seeking suggestions for the use of the national heritage building at Queen and Bay Streets as its long-time tenants are moving.

The provincial and municipal courthouses that have been tenants of the building will be moving to new quarters in April. It has been leased to the courts since 1972.

The Provincial Courts have relocated to the new courthouse next to Toronto City Hall and municipal courts to St. Lawrence Market North.

“Old City Hall will be vacant with no further active uses planned,” according to a City report.

The historic building was built between 1889 and 1899 and is an example of civic architecture. It is a city landmark deemed a Heritage and National Historic Site.

Almost 1,000 people responded to an online survey and consultation in which they suggested possible uses including the iconic building be converted into a shelter for the hundreds of homeless in a Toronto housing crisis.

Other suggestions included use for food sales, event rentals, cultural programming and opportunities for local artists or businesses.

The most popular were calls for a Museum of Toronto, a TTC museum, a library or for use by Metropolitan Toronto University.

But City staff said the building is more than a century old and requires expensive restoration and maintenance.

In 2019 it was estimated that a full restoration and upgrade of the building would require approximately $225 million in 2020 dollars.

The report said given the historic and complex nature of the building, including an inefficient floor plan and heritage status, any future use will need to consider opportunities to improve, conserve and protect the heritage character.

The building was designed by local architect E.J. Lennox and took ten years to construct, from 1889 to 1899. Toronto itself was incorporated as a city in 1834.

About 100 concerned residents attended a meeting on the proposed 80-bed homeless shelter on Third Street.

A large room at the Maple Leaf House was packed with residents who wanted to know more about a planned shelter for the homeless on the site of a City parking lot on Third Street.

As usual there were many against the shelter and those who support the project, one of 19 proposed citywide to help the homeless population.

City shelters have to turn away hundreds of the homeless nightly in this freezing weather due to a lack of beds.

Many of those at the meeting were asking why there wasn’t public consultation on the upcoming shelter, which is expected to be completed by 2030.

“… everyone is honestly blown away there wasn’t a public consultation on it, and if there was, nobody knew,” one person asked on social media.

Others noted the silence on the issue by Councillor Amber Morley noting “that she has disappeared.”

City crews have already started to conduct surveys and pre-construction work on the project.

There have been hundreds of postings against and for the shelter on social media. There are more than 1,300 people who signed an online petition against the facility, citing it was close to schools and on a residential street. Less than 50 had signed a second petition in support of the project.

“ a mountain of arguments and opinions were presented to the people gathered there to garner support to reject the City’s well-intentioned and sorely needed plan to deal with the growing crisis of homelessness,” one resident said on social media. “… fear-mongering – “no” before we know. “

“it is unlikely that this site will remain parking long-term,” another person wrote. ” There is a serious risk that something deeply destructive to the community will wind up being proposed for this site if the shelter proposal falls through.”

No further meetings or public consultations are planned.

By TANYA VIVIDLY

New Toronto residents Kemish and Annie Martinez were tired of travelling out of the community for delicious Mexican tacos, so they decided to start one of the first taco eateries in the area.

The couple started We the Tacos, at 2765 Lake Shore Blvd. W., and food fans seem to be liking the many mouth-watering tacos and other meals.

“We specialize in traditional tacos,” Kemish said. “Our tacos are affordable, tasty and are a nice size.”

This month they are celebrating the first year anniversary of their business and were recently presented with a GEM Award by MP James Maloney for favourite new business.

On this day there were a steady stream of taco lovers who were arriving for lunch and enjoying the food, which range from spicy to lesser hot.

Kemish said area residents love his tacos because they are made daily with fresh vegetables.  They serve a variety of marinated and salsa-filled meat or veggie filled tortillas.

“We always wanted to have good food,” Kemish said. “We found that we had to go further from the community for good Mexican food.”

The pair did their homework and determined there were no taco eateries in the area and worked to open We the Taco.

“We have a loyal customer base,” he said. “At first it was very challenging and now it is getting a little better.”

Most of the tacos are under $8 and some of the popular flavours include: steak, Baja fish, chicken tinga, rajas poblanas, combos and the favourite guacamole dip. There are also vegan and gluten free tacos.

Tacos are one of the most popular dishes in Mexico and the Martinezs’ plan to “introduce the food to the community.”

The restaurant is catching which is not bad for a couple who only arrived in Canada from Mexico about six years ago.

Their food can be ordered online at wethetacos.ca and they can be followed on Instagram.

A large swath of prime lakefront at the wildlife-sensitive Colonel Samuel Smith Park has been taped off to allow large trucks carrying boulders as part of a three-year erosion control project.

Park users will not be able to access Lake Ontario near the foot of Kipling Avenue due to the heavy work.

Officials said the erosion measures have become necessary ‘due to severe weather events and wave action that poses a potential hazard to parklands and trails.’

The Toronto and Region Conservation Area (TRCA) said their 36-month task accommodates migratory bird movement and wildlife communities.

“The area is a prominent migration stopover point and nesting location for birds and is part of the City of Toronto’s Spring Bird Festivall,” according to the TRCA.

They said in a report the park provides habitat for many plant and animal species, including bird, insect and reptile species. It is a popular spot for dog walkers, photographers and nature enthusiasts.

Whimbrel Point is a popular spot in the park, where for three to five days a year, the birds use this area as a resting point on their migration to their breeding grounds in the Arctic.

The rocky headland is favoured by the Whimbrels, and the park hosts a “Whimbrel Watch” every year to celebrate their return to Whimbrel Point.

“While repairs to shoreline protection structures on Whimbrel Point are not anticipated to negatively impact habitat used by Whimbrels and other birds,” the TRCA said, adding they are ‘taking measures to ensure that work on the headland is scheduled around migration periods.’

Part of the project includes trucks driving along a trail that crosses through the wetland area.

To protect species in the wetland, fencing on either side of the trail will also include turtle fencing, which will prevent threatened turtles and other animals from entering the access route.

The TRCA will conduct visual inspections of the access route in the wetland area to ensure no species are harmed during work.

reas affected by construction will undergo restoration plantings and any areas where construction activities could impact sensitive habitat or wildlife will be considered.

The rock-carrying trucks will access the park through the Gatehouse Laneway, connecting to the southernmost trail via the paved pedestrian trail.

They said access to all or part of the project area and access route will be open outside work hours, which is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on weekends.

Toronto Police senior officers say they are seizing a crime gun every day from criminals up to no good.

Police said since January 1 officers have seized 16 crime guns from those out to possibly shoot or maim people in violent confrontations.

Deputy Chief Robert Johnson told the Toronto Police Service Board on January 14 that in 2024 there  were 85 homicides, of which 44 were from guns.

Chief Myron Demkiw and top staff were before the board seeking $46 million more for the force’s budget of roughly $1.2 billion to recruit and train new officers and improve emergency response times.

Johnson said 717 crime guns were seized by police last year and almost 5,000 firearms charges laid. Most of the illegal firearms come from the U.S.

The Deputy Chief told the board there were a total of 461 shootings and firearm discharges last year.

“We are taking a whole-of-service approach that includes our specialized units working with divisions to get the guns and the criminals who use them off our streets,” he said.

The 35-year officer said the force has kicked off Project Dodger to target gun-slinging tow truck drivers. The new initiative will address the rise in criminality and violence linked to the tow truck industry.

Police said last year there were 63 firearm discharge and shooting incidents linked to tow truck-related disputes, accounting for almost 13 per cent of all shootings in Toronto.

So far this year the tow truck gunplay incidents have escalated further, representing 70 per cent of the city’s shooting incidents to date.

Officers are breathing easier now that an impending ceasefire has been announced in the Middle East.

Johnson said the war led to ongoing concerns about the rise in reported hate crimes.

Since the attack began in October 2023 there have been 197 arrests and 523 charges in relation to hate crimes by police during protests and other events.

One incident occurred on New Year’s Eve when a smoke canister was discharged by two protestors at Union Station that caused concerns.

More than 600 area residents have signed an online petition calling for a halt of construction of an 80-room homeless shelter in New Toronto.

Work is underway for the shelter that will be located on the site of a City parking lot at 66 Third Street. It is one of 19 shelters being built in the City that are slated for completion in 2030.

A petition was started by a resident identified as Karin K. on January 9 that has attracted a lot of attention, as expected.

More than 550 concerned residents have signed the petition in six days.

“This proposed facility will not only house those who are homeless but also accommodate refugees, asylum seekers, and individuals recently discharged from the local jail,” the petition states.

“…  the fact that such a large-scale operation was passed without consulting the very people this decision affects, the residents as well as local businesses,” it noted, adding the planned facility is located close to a seniors residence and junior middle school.

It called for a pause in the project and public consultations with the community. This is the second attempt by City officials to build a large shelter in New Toronto. A 2020 attempt to install a 95-bed shelter at 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. failed due to community backlash against the plan.

Community reaction to the shelter has been mostly mixed by residents.

Some residents claim the area has a number of agencies for the needy, an upcoming home for the deaf and blind and the major South Etobicoke Detention Centre, on Horner Avenue.

“These sites will help respond to demand and stabilize the shelter system,” according to City officials. “The City is committed to working with the local community to support the success of the shelter”

The new facility will be less institutional and ‘more home-like,’ according to the City, and will feature natural materials and amenity spaces.

The suites will be smaller containing each about 80 single beds, will be better designed, help offset capacity as temporary shelter sites close and provide shelter in areas of significant of Black and Indigenous focused spaces.

The shelters will be decorated with art and symbols so people of different backgrounds feel welcome.

Pets will be allowed in the shelters, which will have spaces for counselling, harm reduction and other health care services, according to a report.

Similar shelters are planned for 1615 Dufferin Street, 2535 Gerrard Street E., 2024-2212 Eglinton Ave. W., 68 Sheppard Ave. and 1220 Wilson Avenue.

The petition can be found at change.org

The Kipling and Evans Avenues area is so hot with development activity these days that the neighbourhood is steaming.

The area, which is already home of many large warehouses, may soon be home sweet home for almost 5,000 new residents as nine towers ranging up to 42 storeys are proposed.

A proposal is in the early stages to build mixed-use towers in a six-block area ranging from 12 to 42 storeys at 350, 360, and 364 Evans Avenue, and 14-16 Arnold Street, a huge lot at the northeast corner of Evans and Kipling, that now houses a brewery and commercial businesses.

The mega-project, which is going through the application process, promises to deliver 4,623 residential units and include green spaces, retail areas, a daycare and public park.

It will take a while for the plan to go through the application process as the development has to be approved by Community and City councils.

Some residents are already complaining of a lack of health care services for the new residents and traffic congestion to travel on local roads and the Gardiner Expressway.

An Official Plan Amendment (OPA) application has been filed to transform a commercial site from Core Employment Areas to Mixed Use Areas.

The proposal includes outdoor space in the podiums and rooftop spaces. Also planned is a 4,300 square metre public park at Kipling and Evans. Connecting the blocks would be a new public road and two private roads.

There would be 2,053 parking spaces and 240 for visitors in two underground levels and in two floors of a building.

TTC buses connect the site to Bloor Line 2, GO trains, and MiWay buses at Kipling station, to Royal York station and Sherway Gardens. Bus stops are also located along Evans and Kipling avenues.

The area will become busier with more traffic congestion as at least 12 major development proposals or projects are underway and includes: 1156 The Queensway at 9 storeys, Joya Condos at 12 storeys and 1230 The Queensway at 13 floors, according to Urban Toronto reports.

Larger projects near Kipling include 1306 The Queensway with three towers from 13 to 41 storeys, and 1325 The Queensway with two towers at 35 and 46 storeys, according to Urban Toronto.

North of the Gardiner, proposals include 2 St. Lawrence with three towers up to 20 storeys, 10 Zorra at 28 storeys, IQ Condos Phase 3 with three towers from 18 to 42 storeys, and 40-60 St. Lawrence featuring three towers from 26 to 43 storeys.

Then there is 1025 The Queensway that proposes a large-scale replacement of Cineplex Queensway Cinemas with 12 towers ranging from 7 to 46 storeys.

There is also a 43-storey high-rise planned to go directly across from the Long Branch GO Station that is at the hearing stage.

There is also a 43-storey high-rise planned to go directly opposite Long Branch GO Station on the site of small open mall that will be demolished.

Officers and staff of the Toronto Police Service are mourning the senseless death of Sgt. Ryan Russell who was killed 14-years-ago by a crazed snowplow driver who was later set free.

Russell, 35, an 11-year police veteran based at downtown’s 52 Division, was killed on January 12, 2011, as he was attempting to stop the barefooted driver of a stolen snowplow when he was struck on Avenue Road, just north of Davenport Road.

The father and husband had been promoted to the rank of sergeant just six months before he succumbed to his injuries at St. Michael’s Hospital. His son Nolan, then 2, is now 16-years-old and friends said he is ‘a twin of his father.’

A full honours police funeral service was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre that was attended by hundreds of officers from across North America. Some 10,000 mourners showed up to pay their respects to the valiant officer.

“Ryan was a wonderful dad. He loved spending time with his son Nolan,” his wife Christine said then. “When you work so many crazy shifts, you really cherish your family time. He was a super hands-on dad.”

“Young fellows and the older ones on his platoon just gravitated towards him,” according to a former officer and friend. “He had that infectious personality.”

Richard Kachkar, now 60, of St. Catharines, was charged with the first-degree murder, but after a lengthy trial the defence successfully argued that Kachkar was not criminally responsible.

Kachkar was granted a full discharge by the Ontario Review Board in April 2017.

He was banned from consuming alcohol, carrying any weapons or using non-medical drugs.

“A violation of any of these conditions would mean that he’d be arrested anywhere in Canada, with or without a warrant,” police said.

Two weeks after Kachkar was freed, the Russell family received more bad news: the police horse named in honour Russell had died suddenly in his stall from eating a poisonous plant.

Sgt. Russell is among the more than 280 Toronto Police officers who have died in the line of duty, who are remembered on an Honour Wall. The force was created in 1834 and today has more than 5,500 officers and about 2,000 support staff. It has a budget of more than $1 billion yearly.

It is Canada’s largest municipal police service and the fourth largest in North America.

Lace up Toronto Maple Leafs fans as your favourite team is set to hold a multi-day practice at an iconic lakeside arena later this month.

The Maple Leafs are slated to hold an outdoor practice at the Prince of Wales Rink, located in the Third Street park, as a street event planned from January 23 to 28.

The event attracts hundreds of Leafs’ lovers from across the region, some who travel hours to see their favourite players and obtain photographs.

Join us for a weekend full of outdoor and on-ice activities, states a club website.

“Cheer on your Toronto Maple Leafs as they take to the ice at one of Toronto’s most iconic outdoor rinks and spend the weekend celebrating the game of hockey at all levels,” according to the promotion.

The park and open air rink are steps away from Lake Ontario on Third Street. It has a beautiful view of downtown Toronto and is a favourite for locals to watch the annual CNE Air Show.

Etobicoke Community Council has approved the six-day event and is seeking permission from Transportation Services to temporarily shut six area streets for the practice, which is always a fan favourite.

City officials said the Maple Leaf’s host an outdoor open practice every year for the fans to come out and enjoy.

“This year, the outdoor Leaf’s practice is set to take place in Etobicoke-Lakeshore at the Prince of Wales Park,” according to City staff. “As part of the set-up and staging of the event, the event organizers have requested a few road closures.”

The streets to be closed includes: Third Street from Lake Shore Drive to the dead end, Lake Shore Drive from Third Street to the dead end of the street and Second Street from Morrison Street to the end.

The Leafs’ annual outdoor practice is a free, public event that usually takes place at Nathan Phillips Square at City Hall. The event features a number of activities that last year included a Toronto Professional Women Hockey League (PWHL) skills competition and a Leafs alumni signing session.

Further details on the event are pending. Being considered is a Blue versus White alumni game, and viewing parties for a Toronto Sceptres vs. New York Sirens PWHL game and the Maple Leafs as they take on Ottawa Senators.

The beloved rink was built in 1967 and rebuilt in 2017. Area residents claim it is a ‘well-kept secret’ in the community.

One alleged South Etobicoke double killer is in custody and another is hiding deep underground.

It has been almost five months and an Alderwood man sought for killing two women has completely disappeared from a police dragnet.

There has been many reported sightings of 33-year-old Joseph Ayala, of Toronto, who has been on the lam since August 23 for the alleged slaying of two female family members.

Ayala is wanted for second-degree murder after an 82-year-old woman and a 60-year-old woman were found dead in an Etobicoke home.

“We continue to search for Mr. Ayala,” said Toronto Police spokesperson Cindy Chung. “There have been many sightings of Ayala reported, none of the recent sightings have been confirmed to be him.”

Officers have searched for the accused in area parks, shorelines, railway tracks and remote areas without luck.

Some claim the suspect is living off the grid and hiding out in a homeless encampment.

There has been alleged sightings of the suspect walking along Evans Avenue, Royal York Road and other areas of the community. Some place him as far as Mississauga.

Unfounded posts on social media claim the killings occurred after the women reportedly wanted to sell their home, and the suspect did not want to move.

Police are asking the public to continue reporting any possible sightings so they can investigate.

The incident has left area residents not going out at nights and locking their doors.

Luckily, the other fugitive killer who was one of Canada’s most wanted was arrested by a heavily-armed police SWAT team on January 8 in Mississauga.

An armed and dangerous Philip Grant, 34, had managed to evade capture for just over two years.

He was allegedly behind the January 3, 2022 killings of Minyali Wur, 24, and Chudier Reat, 20, of Mississauga, in a high-profile gun battle at an office building on Thirtieth Street.

The men were gunned down in cold blood in a facility used by many people.

A woman was also found at the scene with injuries, but she survived.

Grant appeared for a bail hearing on January 8.