Latest news with #Caza
Toronto Star
27-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Two wanted in Riverdale double homicide arrested in Barrie
Two additional suspects have been charged in connection with a late night shooting that left two dead in Riverdale last month. The April 15 shooting, on Bain Avenue in Riverdale, left 20-year-old Jeremy McNeil and 18-year-old Quentin Caza dead. In a news release issued Tuesday, investigators with Toronto police said that a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and 18-year-old Abdulrahman Zein, both from Toronto, had been charged with two counts each of first-degree murder. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW One person, a 17-year-old youth who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has already been arrested in connection with McNeil and Caza's deaths. Gta 'Really shocking': Two dead in Riverdale shooting were ambushed, witnesses say as police search for suspects Witnesses described for the Star the moments leading up to the deadly incident, which took place Det. Paul Shanly said the shooting has caused great sadness and concern in the community during a media availability at Toronto police headquarters Tuesday afternoon. 'Two young lives have been lost to violence, and many lives have been changed forever,' he said. 'We hope that these arrests offer some reassurance that those responsible are being held accountable.' Shanly said he could not disclose why the suspects were in Barrie at the time of their arrests. What happened that night? Gunfire erupted in the Bain Housing Co-Op just after 11 p.m. Witnesses said McNeil and Caza were parked on Bain Avenue, just west of Logan Avenue, when two masked suspects fired off multiple shots towards the vehicle. Witnesses and residents of the co-op rushed to help the two young men. One bystander said he grabbed a first-aid kit and ran to help McNeil, who had opened the door of the vehicle and fallen out. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW First responders found Caza dead at the scene. McNeil was rushed to hospital, but did not survive the night. The car remained at the scene the next morning, riddled with bullet holes and surrounded by evidence markers. Police later told reporters that a firearm had been located inside. Gta 'Really shocking': Two dead in Riverdale shooting were ambushed, witnesses say as police search for suspects Witnesses described for the Star the moments leading up to the deadly incident, which took place At a community safety meeting held that week, police said they believed the shooting had been targeted and that the two young men were 'lured' to the area, but stopped short of elaborating on why or how. Speaking to the Star in late April, Siobhan Boyle, Caza's aunt, said the pair had met about a month prior to the shooting. The family said they have no idea how the two young men were introduced, what brought them to Riverdale on April 15 or why they would have been targeted. 'We're just in the dark right now, we don't know what happened,' Boyle said at the time. No outstanding suspects: police About two weeks after the shooting, investigators made their first arrest. A 17-year-old was arrested on May 3 and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW That same day, investigators said they'd identified two additional suspects. On May 15, the service issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the two outstanding suspects: 18-year-old Abdulrahman Zein and another 17-year-old youth. In an effort to locate the suspects, the service obtained judicial authorization to briefly identify and release the image of the 17-year-old youth. That authorization expired on May 19. On Monday, Zein and the youth were located in Barrie and arrested. Both accused made their first court appearance in Toronto on Tuesday. Toronto police said that all suspects identified as part of their investigation have now been arrested, but that the probe is ongoing. 'More arrests could be made in the future based on how the investigation continues to unfold,' said spokesperson Stephanie Miceli. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400.
Montreal Gazette
26-05-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
‘They're attacking culture': Quebec's new French packaging rules spark backlash
By Sébastien Caza should be a poster child for Quebec's efforts to safeguard the French language. Instead, he's an outspoken critic of new language rules taking effect June 1 — measures that could put his employer, the Ontario-based Long & McQuade music store chain, on the wrong side of the law. The culprit: all-English packaging on guitar strings and other products. 'English is the universal language in the music world and our little nation of Quebec is not going to change that,' said Caza, a district manager at Long & McQuade, which employs about 300 people at 18 Quebec stores. A manufacturer might sell only a few hundred guitar strings a month in Quebec — barely a blip compared to the tens of thousands sold globally, he said. Translating into French or other languages 'isn't worth it for them, it's too complex. They will choose to no longer sell the product,' Caza said. 'Quebec is so small — it represents between 0.3 and 0.4 of the world market.' As of June 1, the OQLF says, 'the generic or descriptive elements of a trademark (such as ingredients, colour, scent, or other characteristics of the product) must also appear in French.' Failure to follow the rules could result in fines of $3,000 to $30,000 per day for organizations. Fines are doubled or tripled for subsequent offences. Last month, the U.S. government said requiring generic terms and product descriptions in Quebec to be translated into French is a 'technical barrier to trade.' The change is among several language measures coming into force June 1, including tougher restrictions on commercial signs. A francophone who has spent years helping Long & McQuade comply with Quebec language rules, Caza said the packaging requirements could devastate his industry. 'If products are removed from stores, well, you'll log in to Amazon, you'll order the guitar strings, and you'll receive the box. Jeff Bezos will make money. Meanwhile, music stores will close or become smaller.' The government has said the rules apply to websites. 'Technically, yes, but don't tell me the billions of products Amazon sells are all in French,' said Michel Rochette, Quebec president of the Retail Council of Canada. Amazon 'tries to comply, but they cannot, and it's not possible.' Some websites, such as Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu, 'are not regulated at all,' he added. 'You can find anything online, with or without any kind of respect for Quebec regulations.' Caza said the Coalition Avenir Québec government's actions could lead to job cuts and revenue losses not only at music stores, but also at shops that sell hunting, fishing and hobby equipment. All sell imported, specialized products. The OQLF has said it will investigate potential rule violations if a citizen files a complaint. The CAQ government permitted anonymous complaints starting in 2022, leading to a surge in denunciations. Caza is steeling himself for the government to come calling. 'If someone files a complaint on the OQLF site, I will receive an email: 'Mr. Caza, you have 10 days to remove this product. Have a nice day.'' Until June 1, 2027, companies are allowed to sell non-compliant products manufactured before June 1, 2025. Caza said he's not sure how he'll prove a product was made before the deadline. 'We don't sell milk — there's no date on guitar strings,' he said, adding that he may have to dig up invoices to determine when each package was ordered. Caza said he understands the need to protect French. As head of Long & McQuade's francization committee, he oversees compliance with Quebec language laws, including requirements for French-language software and internal communications. He said the company has spent millions over five years to meet those obligations. 'We are here for the protection of French,' Caza said. Rochette said the government initially seemed open to discussing the packaging requirements, 'but there are no exceptions at all, so there is a major problem for some stores because they can't change the labelling themselves. 'We asked for flexibility, but nothing is on the table. So on June 1, a lot of stores will find it difficult keeping many products on their shelves.' Caza said about 85 per cent of products in Long & McQuade stores have English-only packaging, including microphones, wireless systems and amplifiers. The company can't create French stickers for every product because that would cost millions. Graphic artists, translators and printing technicians would be required. 'We're not a printing company — we sell joy, we sell music,' he said. Caza said he told the government stores could simply add small QR code stickers to every product that would take customers to Long & McQuade's website, where French descriptions are available. However, the province appears to have rejected that suggestion, he said. The rules also target instruction manuals and warranty cards. Long & McQuade is working with manufacturers to provide French alternatives. Most manuals are already multilingual, Caza said. As for warranty cards, non-French ones are being replaced with a QR code that sends customers to a website where they can fill them out in any language. The rules technically also apply to words on products — words like 'input,' 'treble,' and 'reverb' on guitar amplifiers, for example. But Caza said the government has indicated it will make an exception for those words, as it did with appliances such as washing machines, stoves and coffee makers. Caza, a professional bassist for 35 years, said the government is doing real damage to the cultural industry. 'They're attacking culture, attacking musicians, attacking specialized stores,' he said. 'The culture industry is already difficult in Quebec. We don't need to add another problem for musicians.' The packaging rules are among several measures taking effect now under Bill 96, a major 2022 overhaul of the Charter of the French Language, commonly known as Bill 101. One change affects companies with 25 to 49 employees. They must now register with the OQLF and show they comply with language requirements. Until now, the cutoff was 50 employees. Commercial signage is also a major focus of the new rules. As of June 1, companies with names in English or another language must add enough French wording so French is 'markedly predominant.' That regulation is creating headaches for stores of all sizes, Rochette said, noting that overhauling signs is complicated by differing municipal bylaws and landlord restrictions. Companies have had less than a year to ensure their signs comply. That's because the government only revealed key details — including the fact that the space allotted to French must be twice as large as that of other languages — in June 2024. That did not give businesses enough time, Rochette said. 'Retailers have only had a few months to comply with a big scope of change.' Several major retail chains with English in their names appear not to be yet compliant with the new regulations. The Gazette contacted several of them, but did not get responses. Rochette said he had asked for an emergency meeting with French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge several months ago. It will take place on Monday with officials who work for the minister. Retailers still hope Quebec will allow some exceptions to the packaging rules and give an extension to the sign deadline. Rochette said he's concerned unless the rules are relaxed or the government signals a willingness to be flexible, companies could be publicly targeted for violating regulations through no fault of their own. It's not unheard of for the Premier François Legault government to reverse course on French rules. In April, after The Gazette revealed the OQLF had ordered Montreal's transit agency not to use the English word 'Go' in messages such as 'Go! Canadiens Go!' on buses, Roberge ordered the OQLF to back down.
Toronto Star
16-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Toronto boy, 17, among two wanted on Canada-wide warrant after double Riverdale homicide last month
A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for two Toronto teens after a late night shooting left two young men dead in Riverdale last month. In a news release issued Thursday, police said 17-year-old Jayllen Maxime-Marcelle and 18-year-old Abdulrahman Zein are each wanted on two counts of first-degree murder. Investigators said they have obtained judicial authorization to identify the youth suspect. The April 15 shooting took the lives of Jeremy McNeil, 20, and Quentin Caza, 18. Witnesses said the pair were sitting in a vehicle parked on Bain Avenue when two masked suspects ran across the street and fired off multiple shots. The suspects fled on foot, towards Withrow Park. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW McNeil managed to get out of the car, witnesses said. Bystanders rushed to help him until an ambulance arrived. He was taken to hospital, but did not survive the night. Caza died at the scene. Jeremy McNeil (left) and Quentin Caza, the two young men shot and killed in Riverdale on April 15. Toronto Police Services There's already been one arrest in connection with the killings. In early May, a 17-year-old youth, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. At the time, the families of McNeil and Caza said news of the arrests had not brought much in the way of closure — or helped them understand why their loved ones were gunned down. Gta 'We're just in the dark right now': Families of two men shot dead in Riverdale struggle to make sense of deaths Families of two men shot last month in Riverdale struggle to understand their seemingly In a community safety meeting held in April, police said the shooting was believed to be targeted and that the two young men had been 'lured' to the area. The family said they have no idea how Caza and McNeil met, what brought them to Riverdale that evening or why they would have been targeted. 'We're just in the dark right now, we don't know what happened,' Caza's aunt, Siobhan Boyle, told the Star in late April. 'What we do know is that we want justice.' 'This city — crime, youth violence — it's out of control. How can guns be so available?' she said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW News Release - Two Additional Suspects Sought in Homicide Investigation, Bain Avenue and Logan Avenue area, Judicial authorization obtained to identify Young Person, Image Released — Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) May 15, 2025 When reached for comment on Thursday, Boyle said she was thankful that investigators had obtained authorization to identify the wanted youth. 'Hopefully they just catch them soon.' Investigators have asked the public not to approach the suspects if located, but to call 911. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Toronto police. The authorization to identify the youth suspect expires on Monday at 12 p.m.
