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Police investigating 3rd suspected arson in Toronto in less than a week
Police investigating 3rd suspected arson in Toronto in less than a week

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • General
  • Yahoo

Police investigating 3rd suspected arson in Toronto in less than a week

Toronto police are investigating a suspected arson after a fire at a business in Scarborough early Tuesday — the third fire being investigated as an arson in the city in less than a week. The incident happened in a plaza near Birchmount Road and Vauxhall Drive around 3:15 a.m., Toronto police said in a post on X. Fire crews extinguished the fire, which did not spread, Toronto Fire said. There were no injuries, they said. Crews remain on scene, and fire investigators have been notified. Police said the investigation is ongoing. There is no suspect information available at this time. Spokesperson Stephanie Miceli said she does not have information on the type of business in an email Tuesday. A reserved parking sign on the side of the building refers to it as a "Greek coffee shop." Images from the scene Tuesday show the building's front windows were broken. This fire follows a suspected arson at a Scarborough restaurant on Friday near Kennedy Road and Lawrence Avenue E. Three male suspects wearing dark clothes and masks were seen leaving the area, police said at the time. No injuries were reported, and Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal is not investigating the incident. Police investigators will work to determine whether the two fires are connected, Miceli said. Another fire happened at a restaurant in Scarborough early Saturday morning near Kennedy Road and Lawrence Avenue E. Police didn't label the incident a suspected arson at the time and said they are investigating the cause. Mayor Olivia Chow said she received a full briefing from Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop on Saturday and Tuesday, speaking at an unrelated city announcement Tuesday. She declined to comment further on the incidents, saying the Ontario Fire Marshal and police are told CBC Radio's Metro Morning earlier Tuesday she doesn't think people should be concerned about going to restaurants in Scarborough as the fires have happened during early hours "when the customers were not there." "We'll keep people safe," she said. Police are also investigating a suspected arson at a two-storey building in East York on Wednesday that sent three people to hospital for minor smoke inhalation. The incident happened at 834 Pape Avenue at a building with a business on the main level and a residential space above, police said at the time. Investigators are looking for three suspects who allegedly broke into the building, set fire to it and then fled. They wore dark clothing and masks, and were carrying red gas cans, police said.

Toronto festival organizer calls on city to fund safety upgrades after Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy
Toronto festival organizer calls on city to fund safety upgrades after Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy

CBC

time01-05-2025

  • CBC

Toronto festival organizer calls on city to fund safety upgrades after Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy

A Toronto festival organizer is calling on the city to help fund new local safety measures after a car ramming at the Lapu-Lapu Day Filipino block party in Vancouver killed 11 people last weekend. The city is set to meet with festival organizers — including Kristyn Gelfand, producer of Do West Fest in Toronto's Little Portugal neighbourhood — on Thursday to discuss enhancing event security. Gelfand said she'll be asking the city to fund hostile mitigation measures, such as concrete planters and barriers designed to resist vehicles, if those become mandatory. "We already have a finite amount of funds that we're working with for 2025," she said in an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Thursday. "It would definitely be an issue if we were told by the city today that we need to have those without having additional support from the city to provide it." Gelfand said the city evaluates festivals individually and has not previously required hostile vehicle mitigation at Do West Fest. But if that changes, the additional cost could range between $40,000 to $80,000, she said. Without city support, she said the festival may need to seek emergency funding from the Little Portugal BIA, which presents the festival. Crowd barrier fencing not effective, organizer says In an email to CBC Toronto, city spokesperson Imane Boussa said Thursday's meeting will "gather insights on potential risks and discuss available city supports." It is not open to the media. Discussions will inform a Festival Safety Summit on May 26 "where the city, partners and organizers will further explore safety measures and potential enhancements," she said. Do West Fest has used crowd barrier fencing in past years, but Gelfand said that measure isn't effective against vehicles. In 2023, an intoxicated driver broke through the fencing before the event started, injuring a pedestrian and hitting a hydro pole. "We've seen that they actually do nothing to stop a car," she said. Do West Fest involves 200 brick and mortar businesses, as well as 200 additional small artisan and food vendors, Gelfand said. She estimated the festival generates millions of dollars in economic impact. "The city needs to step in and act as a true partner for these festivals and understand that Toronto is a thriving and vibrant and economically diverse city because of events like this." Do West Fest is happening from June 6 and June 8 along Dundas Street W., from Ossington Avenue to Lansdowne Avenue.

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