Latest news with #Sarkaria
Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Epoch Times
Ontario Seeks to Crack Down on Auto Theft by Allowing Police to Seize Fob Hacking Tools
Ontario is introducing legislation that would give law enforcement the authority to stop and search vehicles for auto theft devices, including fob hacking tools. The provincial government made the In 2024, The new legislation will amend the Highway Traffic Act to give police authority to search for and seize keyless entry devices used for auto theft, according to the province. Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria said Ontario residents deserve 'peace of mind' in knowing their homes and vehicles are safe. 'By cracking down on these illegal devices, we're disrupting criminal activity and giving police the tools they need to stop thefts before they happen, helping keep our communities safe for everyone,' Sarkaria said. Related Stories 10/16/2024 6/26/2024 The legislation would let police search for and seize devices suspected of being used to steal vehicles, the Ontario government said. It includes key fob programming devices, fob scanners, and some smartphone applications. The province said it is also permanently establishing a dedicated Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team to focus on specific communities, including Ottawa, Toronto, Brampton, Newmarket, Durham, London and Windsor, according to the government announcement. The team will provide legal advice and support to police, something the government said will help dismantle organized crime networks and reducing carjackings and home invasions. The legislation will allow the lawful use of devices by auto dealers, repair services, and roadside assistance personnel, the government said. Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said the legislation is welcome. 'Through targeted enforcement and strong partnerships, we've made significant progress in Peel — recovering nearly half of all stolen vehicles in 2025 alone, laying hundreds of charges, and seeing a 45 per cent reduction in auto theft compared to the same time last year,' he said. Luxury Vehicles Stolen, Exported The government announcement comes just days after Peel Regional Police Police say on Nov. 2, 2023, two men broke into a Brampton area business where luxury vehicles wee rented out. The pair is accused of taking several vehicle keys and two luxury vehicles: a 2022 GMC SUV and a 2022 Rolls Royce. 'Following a lengthy and complex investigation, it has been determined that the stolen vehicles were exported to foreign markets,' Peel Regional Police said in an April 26 Police said they arrested a 29-year-old Brampton man and charged him with break and enter with intent and two charges of theft of a motor vehicle. They are still looking for the second suspect, Nikhil Sidhu, 26. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
CBC
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Ontario government wants to give police authority to search for, seize electronic tools used by car thieves
In its fight against auto theft, the Ontario government is proposing new legislation that would allow police to search for and seize keyless electronic devices used to steal cars. At a news conference in Brampton Tuesday, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters the province would soon table a bill to amend the Highway Traffic Act so police can crack down on items like key fob programming devices, fob scanners and smartphone apps. "This will give police the strong tools they need to keep these devices off the streets," Sarkaria said. "Let me be clear, anyone using these devices to steal a vehicle will face the full consequences of their actions." Lawful use of these devices by auto dealers, repair services and roadside assistance would be exempt, he said. Auto thefts in Ontario have been trending down over the past year, Sarkaria said, with a 16 per cent drop in 2024 compared to 2023. But he said the new bill would address a growing trend of thieves using keyless technology to steal cars. Car thefts in Canada are down. Have initiatives to combat the problem actually worked? 3 months ago Duration 2:09 Though the amplitude of the problem is still significant, it appears efforts to curb car thefts in the country have begun to pay off. Canada's insurance crime watchdog says thefts dropped about 18 per cent in 2024 across the country and almost 33 per cent in Quebec. Peel police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich told reporters that law enforcement welcomes the support. "It is another step forward in supporting our community and our service in the critical work that they do every day to dismantle organized crime and hold offenders accountable," he said. Peel Region was dubbed the "auto theft capital of Canada" at a national summit on auto theft last year. The region had the most cars stolen per capita in the country in 2023, according to police data. The province will also establish a new team dedicated to supporting police in auto theft hot spots around Ontario, Sarkaria said, including Toronto, Ottawa, London, Brampton, Newmarket, Durham and Windsor. It would provide legal advice, support prosecutors and help dismantle organized crime in those areas, Sarkaria said. That's in addition to a provincial carjacking task force created in the fall of 2023.
Global News
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Global News
Ontario touts success of 24/7 construction, says Gardiner ahead of schedule
The Ford government is touting the success of its push to make Toronto implement 24/7 construction on the Gardiner Expressway, saying the project is now 15 months ahead of schedule. Last spring, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria floated the idea of 24-hour construction to speed up rehabilitation work on the Toronto route, which Ontario is in the midst of taking over. The idea sparked a back-and-forth between Queen's Park and City Hall, with the city suggesting round-the-clock work could already take place. The province eventually offered Toronto $73 million toward the cost of rehabilitating the road, on condition that it greenlit construction on the Gardiner Expressway 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Now, the Ford government says the move has significantly sped up construction, which it predicts is 15 months ahead of its original schedule. Story continues below advertisement 'We're getting drivers out of gridlock by investing in infrastructure and accelerating construction on priority highways, allowing 24-hour-a-day construction, seven days a week,' Sarkaria said in a statement. When Sarkaria announced the additional funding for 24/7 construction last year, his office said it would move the project's completion date by at least a year from April 2027 to April 2026. According to the province, crews have now finished rehabilitation on two southern and two central lanes of the Gardiner between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. Work is now set to begin on the northern lanes. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow praised the 'collaboration' with Queen's Park for speeding up the project. 'Thanks to our collaboration to accelerate this critical rehabilitation work, we are tracking well ahead of schedule, which means less disruption for our residents, visitors and businesses,' she said in a statement. At the end of 2023, Ontario agreed to take control of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway from the City of Toronto as part of a new agreement between the two governments. The deal will see Ontario take on the costs associated with maintaining the two key routes, along with other funding commitments for subways, housing and an agreement over the future of Ontario Place.
CBC
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Ontario transportation minister requests Toronto award subway car contract to Alstom Thunder Bay
Ontario's transportation minister is asking the City of Toronto to consider a sole-source contract with Alstom that would see 55 new subway cars built in Thunder Bay. Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria made the request in a letter to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow on Wednesday, stating it was prompted by economic uncertainty sparked by the Canada-U.S. trade war. "I am requesting that the City of Toronto recognize this historic opportunity and consider a sole-source procurement with Alstom, which would support Ontario workers in Thunder Bay and across our province," Sarkaria's letter states. "The Ontario government will work with the city and the federal government to ensure the successful delivery of the trains should this decision lead to any changes in the project scope." Ontario has contributed $758 million toward the building of the subway cars, which will be used on Line 2. The overall cost of the project is just over $2 billion, with the City of Toronto and federal government also pledging $758 million each. "We're in an unprecedented time right now," Sarkaria said in an interview with CBC News on Thursday. "President [Donald] Trump's tariffs and the uncertainty they have caused have really taken aim at Ontario's economy, and we've got to do everything in our power to support and protect Ontario workers and businesses." A request for proposals (RFP) for the construction of the cars was issued in December. A Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) spokesperson said Thursday the RFP has closed, and bids are being reviewed. The TTC is planning to award the contract early next year. When the federal funding was announced in November, Chrystia Freeland, then deputy prime minister, said the cars would be built in Thunder Bay. "Mayor Chow supports Buying Canadian whenever possible," Zeus Eden, spokesperson for Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's office, said in an email to CBC News. "With President Trump attacking Canada's economy, we need to support local workers, jobs and businesses. We are working in collaboration with the provincial and federal government to deliver public transit for Torontonians and to support Canadian jobs." Eden said the mayor speaks regularly with Minister Sarkaria and will work with the province to see if there request is feasible. Sarkaria said he expects to find support for his request in the mayor's office. "Premier [Doug] Ford a couple of weeks ago announced a procurement policy which said we were going to not only ban American companies, but also look to existing contracts with which we can source more from Ontario," Sarkaria said. "The City of Toronto also did such a motion through their council, led by Mayor Chow." Kristen Oliver, councillor for Thunder Bay's Westfort ward — the ward in which the Alstom plant is located — and chair of the city's Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, said she was happy to see the provincial support.
Global News
24-04-2025
- Business
- Global News
Toronto urged to hand contract for subway cars to Ontario company
The Ford government is pushing the province's largest city to consider handing a major subway contract to an Ontario company, bypassing the competitive bidding process, amid tariff threats from the United States. Toronto is currently in the midst of an urgent procurement process to buy 55 desperately needed new cars to run on its Bloor-Danforth subway line, an expense both the federal and provincial governments are helping to pay. The city had been planning to open up bidding for the contract to all qualified companies, but Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria has now written to the local government asking them to change course. 'I am requesting that the City of Toronto recognize this historic opportunity and consider a sole-source procurement with Alstom, which would support Ontario workers in Thunder Bay and across our province,' Sarkaria said in a letter. The letter is part of a broader push by the provincial government to cut U.S. companies out of the supply chain in response to tariffs and threats of further economic sanctions from President Donald Trump. Story continues below advertisement When the now months-long tariff battle with the United States began in the spring, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that his government would cancel a contract with Elon Musk's Starlink company, remove U.S. alcohol from the shelves of the LCBO and ban American companies from provincial government contracts. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy At the time, he urged cities to do the same. He repeated the request on Thursday after a speech in downtown Toronto. 'If we're gonna buy trains, to the best of our ability, let's buy here in Canada and preferably right here in Ontario,' he said. The provincial suggestion hasn't been welcomed with open arms by leaders at city hall, who pointed out the request for proposals had already closed. They said changing course could cost more. 'Of course, we'd love to keep the work in Ontario, but then we'd need the provincial government to step up and pay the extra,' Coun. Dianne Sax, who sits on the TTC board, said. 'The whole point about sole-sourcing is it tends to get you not the best deal. It's competition that gets the best deal.' Coun. Josh Matlow, who has been a fierce critic of the Ford government, said it was hypocritical for Ford to make the suggestion. 'He's always admonished (anyone) who might consider a sole-sourced contract,' he said. 'Now, when it comes to rails, he's demanding it.' Story continues below advertisement Long before the tariff threat, in 2022, the Ford government opted not to give the contract to build trains for its Ontario Line to Alstom in Thunder Bay, opting for Hitachi instead. Alstom confirmed to Global News that its bid to build Ontario Line trains was unsuccessful. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow offered little insight into what she thought of the idea of sole-sourcing subway cars as a tariff response. 'We will work collaboratively with the province and assess the feasibility of their request,' she said in a statement. — With files from Global News' Matthew Bingley
