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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Neighbours accuse Toronto builder of gaming system to uproot beloved tree for parking pad
A tree stump and chopped up branches are shown after a tree was removed from a property in Toronto, in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout TORONTO — The big, backyard honey locust had a seating area set up under its canopy and a swing hanging from a sturdy branch. It was one of many trees in Leaside, a residential neighborhood northeast of downtown Toronto that is famous for its old growth and green space, but it was special, says Karen Hwang. It was nothing short of an 'oasis' for her neighbour, who liked to entertain in the backyard. It also benefited Hwang's family next door from the time they moved in 34 years ago, supplying fresh air and blocking noise pollution. 'That tree provided, you know, the wonderful shade, the beautiful esthetic,' she recalled in a recent interview. 'It just had so many positive environmental impacts.' Without the city's permission, the beloved giant was recently brought down, in a case that has sparked neighbourhood outrage and calls for change at city hall. On the morning of June 26, Hwang said she and her husband were eating breakfast while watching the news when they heard a 'big bang' and their television screen went dark. The couple rushed outside to check what happened, and they saw the tree was being cut down, and a big branch had hit their satellite dish. At the time, developer Modcity was preparing to build a fourplex and garden suite on the property after Hwang's neighbour sold her house. The city confirmed there was no permit to remove the tree before construction began. It said it has launched an investigation. The Canadian Press made several unsuccessful attempts to reach Modcity for comment, including email inquiries and a visit to a location listed on its website as the company's address. Privately owned trees with a diameter of 30 centimetres or more are protected under the city's tree protection bylaw. The diameter of the one removed was closer to 80 centimetres, according to neighbors. Kim Statham, the city's director of urban forestry, said there was an application to remove a privately owned tree in October, and city staff worked with the builder for five months to revise the multiplex's design to protect the tree. 'The revised tree-friendly multiplex design created a minor variance that was approved by the Committee of Adjustment,' Statham said. 'The honey locust tree was to remain and not be removed.' Rachel Chernos Lin, the councillor representing the area, said the intent was to protect the tree by moving the building's footprint onto the front yard closer to the street. The developer removed the tree anyway without the city's support. And to add insult to injury, Lin said, the developer applied to place a parking pad where the tree had stood. For community members, the idea of paving a little piece of paradise to put in a parking spot was a bridge too far. 'People feel like (the developer) has really taken advantage of the system and disregarded the rules, and people really care and are very angry about that,' Lin said. Currently, the offence of removing a tree without a permit can carry a fine between $500 and $100,000. It has no impact on permits issued under Ontario's Building Code. The current fine structure is not enough to disincentivize the practice, Lin said. On Thursday, city council adopted a motion Lin proposed that would make tree removal more difficult and add 'additional tools' to protect the city's tree canopy. The motion requests that the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing add the tree bylaw as an applicable law for the purposes of issuing building permits. It also suggests repeat offenders be named and shamed publicly. City staff are expected to report back about progress towards achieving these goals by the end of the year. 'I want to make sure this doesn't happen again,' said Lin. Geoff Kettel, co-president of the Leaside Residents Association, said the builder should not be able to use the revised footprint after taking out the tree that the new design was meant to protect. The supposed compromise allowed the builder to put the multiplex more than two metres closer to the sidewalk, and Kettel said neighbours' bungalows and two-storey homes are now at greater risk of being overshadowed. 'If they destroyed the reason for moving it forward in the first place, there's now no reason to move it forward,' he said. 'People should be obeying the law. They should be doing it right, following the best practices,' he added. 'It's very, very disappointing.' Last week, The Canadian Press visited the construction site, where a concrete foundation had been laid and tree roots were still visible under a pile of soil. Elizabeth Marsden and her friend Ann Aveling walked by the area and stopped to comment on the tree's unfortunate fate. 'It was a beautiful, big red locust and there are not many red locusts,' said Marsden who has lived in the neighborhood for four decades. 'It was just a lovely tree,' she said. 'I was angry. How dare they?' She said she thinks the fines given to builders for such violations are 'peanuts,' and there needs to be better enforcement. Aveling said the uprooting was 'totally unnecessary' and it made her feel sad, especially as the life cycle of many other trees in the neighbourhood is coming to a natural end. 'What drew us to Leaside 40 years ago was the trees, the tree canopy, and you'd have these beautiful shaded streets,' she said. 'Which of course we're now losing.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2025.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Trashy Lady' cleans up Montreal to support local animal shelter
Carolina Yanez didn't set out to become a local icon with a trash picker in hand and a pink donation bin by her side. She just needed to go outside. After long hours working a desk job and managing depression, she found herself craving fresh air — and purpose. What started as quiet walks through the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough quickly turned into something bigger: a mission to clean up the streets and raise thousands of dollars for the Montreal SPCA. She's given herself the nickname 'Trashy Lady,' which she uses on social media to promote her initiative and raise awareness. Yanez isn't a city worker and she's not being paid to do this — she's just a one-woman clean-up effort, three to four times a week, rain or shine. 'I believe this is the easiest way for anyone looking to get involved in their community,' Yanez said. 'There's no schedule, no one in charge to report to, and, while unfortunate, there's always going to be trash to pick up.' A mission born from struggle Yanez launched her current 50-day fundraising challenge at the beginning of July. The goal is to raise $8,000 for the Montreal SPCA by the end of it. She's already halfway there, having raised over $4,000 on her Go Fund Me campaign, while simultaneously having collected nearly 4,000 pieces of garbage in the process. 'My goal is $8,000 right now, but I do have in the back of my mind that maybe I could become the Greta [Thunberg] of trash,' she jokingly said, with a hint of seriousness and determination. Carolina Yanez Carolina Yanez and her cat April, who she says "simply fill [her] life." (Laurence Brisson Dubreuil/CTV) But her connection to the animal shelter runs deeper than those donations. Earlier this year, Yanez visited the shelter and asked for the cat the Montreal SPCA staff deemed would be hardest to adopt. She was introduced to April, a shy feline who had been rescued from a hoarding case involving more than 20 cats. April spent her first few months in Yanez's home hiding in a closet, only emerging to eat or use the litter box. Wanting to help her new family member come out of her shell, Yanez adopted a second pet: a kitten named Eclipse. The two cats, though wary of each other at first, eventually bonded. Now, they're inseparable and central to Yanez's life. 'They simply fill my life,' she said. A new home with a new purpose Originally from Ecuador, Yanez moved to Montreal with her older brother at age 17 to attend university. She was determined to succeed, but the transition was anything but easy. 'The worst time I found myself in mentally was during university,' she said. 'There was never a thought in my mind to return to Ecuador or abandon school — that simply wasn't a possibility to me. But the pressure to succeed, to not let anyone down, it was a lot.' Being far from home made it harder. Her family wasn't around to celebrate achievements or ease the stress of major deadlines, and she didn't want to worry them from afar. Adjusting to the various cultural differences in Canada made things even harder. From navigating a different language and new customs, to adapting to the cold climate, particularly the long winters and shorter daylight hours, Yanez found herself stretched thin. 'Not everyone realizes this, but seasonal depression can be pretty hard,' she said. 'For me, it was so crazy to finish class at 3 p.m. and realize it was pitch black outside.' During that time, she and her brother adopted a black cat named Helita. When they moved into separate apartments, they fought over who would keep her. Yanez let her brother win but soon came to terms with how she couldn't live without a cat. That's when she adopted Skady from another shelter — a 'rough-looking' but irresistibly sweet cat who helped her navigate young adulthood. They were together for four years until Skady died of cancer. After an overwhelming amount of grief, and with enough time, Yanez felt ready to adopt again in the spring. That's when she turned to the SPCA and met April. 'I know firsthand how seriously everyone [at the shelter] takes the care of these animals,' she said. 'Not just the staff, the volunteers, too. It's a beautiful organization where they really care.' Plus, she added, 'they're the reason why I have my cat today.' Trash, social media and community Yanez first started picking up garbage casually in March. At the time, it wasn't part of any campaign — just something that felt right during her walks. 'I have struggled a lot with depression,' she said. 'So sometimes, even something small like going outside or taking a walk feels like climbing a mountain. But I wanted to do something positive that let me connect to my community.' It quickly became a habit and a bit of a thrill. 'You pick up trash, and then you feel good about yourself. That dopamine hit you get from scrolling online? That's what I get when I do this,' explained Yanez. gofundme (Source: Gofundme) So, when she decided to embark on her mission to raise funds, she started filming short videos of her outings, documenting her mission, and sharing them on social media. Her Instagram page now feature montages of trash-picking, humorous captions, and the occasional cameo from her cats. Yanez found that people are not only supportive, but curious. Some stop her on the street, donate, and some even offer to help her collect trash. 'I think humans are simply good,' she said. 'But we live in a society that pushes us to chase material things, instead of community. I believe people want to be involved — they just need a way in.' When her 50-day fundraising effort wraps up, Yanez plans to hand over the total amount raised to the Montreal SPCA. However, she points out that this doesn't mean her cleanup mission will end there. 'At the end of the day, I want to know that I'm making a little bit of a difference in the world and maybe that's just knowing the park is a little cleaner,' she said. 'That, and having my cats by my side.'
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
7 Nunavut bird sanctuaries have Inuktitut place names restored
Seven Nunavut wildlife bird sanctuaries have had their Inuktitut place names restored, something one man says is important for people in the area. Philip Manik is chair of a co-management committee in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, for the Sulukvaut area. The committee was involved in renaming the sanctuaries. "It's very important for our culture to have the names changed to Inuktitut," he said. The move comes as the federal government continues to work to meet its obligations under the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement for Nunavut. Lisa Pirie, a manager in conservation and protected areas with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the Inuktitut names are already how Inuit have been referring to the areas. "We feel it's an important part of reconciliation to recognize these names," he said. Place names were chosen by different co-management committees representing the protected areas. Those committees are made up of community members and one representative from the Canadian Wildlife Service. The renamed sites include: Isulijarniq, formerly Dewey Soper. Qaqsauqtuuq, formerly East Bay. Ikkattuaq, formerly Harry Gibbons. Kuugaarjuk, formerly McConnell River. Akpaqarvik, formerly Prince Leopold Island. Ahiak, formerly Queen Maud Gulf. Naujavaat, formerly Seymour Island. Pirie said her department is in the process of updating the site names on its websites. She said that updating signage at the sites themselves will take a bit longer but that it's something the department is working on.
