AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
There is some talk of it being associated with the ongoing tow truck war.
AoD
AoD
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Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto
- Thread starter DSCToronto
- Start date
christiesplits
Senior Member
Here's a great deep dive into the tow truck war from 2022:
Inside the Tow Truck Mafia: How Organized Crime Took Over Canada’s Towing Industry
Back alley deals, fake crashes, arson, and even murder—nothing is off limits in the ruthless world of Canada's towing companies.
www.thedrive.com
AlbertC
Superstar
Timing is nearly one year to the killing of this guy in March 2024 who was also linked to the tow truck business underground:
evandyk
Senior Member
Since it was the opening night of the pub, I imagine it is owned by someone aligned with one group in the mob wars, and another group was sending them a message. It's possible a lot of the patrons were also aligned with the owners. I heard the exact number on the radio this morning, which I've forgotten, but about half were injured by bullets, and half by things like breaking glass, falling, etc. Which suggests indiscriminate firing to trash the place and scare people rather than an attempted murder.
But as pointed out by NL, it's not a great way to send a message because now the police need a major response.
Edit to specify: Even if the perps did this without intending to kill anyone, which we do not know, it's still murder.
But as pointed out by NL, it's not a great way to send a message because now the police need a major response.
Edit to specify: Even if the perps did this without intending to kill anyone, which we do not know, it's still murder.
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zang
Senior Member
Just to note, firing guns at human beings should always be considered attempted murder. Let's not normalize gun violence.
evandyk
Senior Member
The Criminal Code has ways of dealing with that issue, but your intent matters *a lot* when it comes to criminal law.
DSCToronto
Superstar
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The City of Toronto is releasing recommendations from an expert wildlife panel to continue addressing the challenges posed by unusually bold coyote encounters in Fort York and Liberty Village.
This independent, third-party panel – with decades of combined experience in coyote management, biology and animal behaviour – conducted a comprehensive review (https://can01.safelinks.protection....NPG+GihbgmXSEaalNP7XM00jCiQ7NWqZY=&reserved=0) of the City’s response to coyotes in the area between November 2024 and March 2025 to research the situation and provide the City with options for potential next steps.
The findings show the City’s approach aligns with best practices on coyote management in other North American cities while also identifying the issues are consistent with food-conditioned behaviour.
Up to four coyotes in the area have learned to associate humans with food because of direct and indirect feeding. The aggressive behaviour towards dogs was also found to be typical and timed with the reproductive season.
Panel recommendations
Due to these observations, the panel recommends that hazing (such as employing loud voices or noises) continues and that the City take measures to add resources to successfully recondition the animals in line with proven, long-term intervention strategies. These suggestions will enable the City to step up its efforts to address the coyotes in an efficient way.
The recommendations will be used to inform upcoming updates to the City’s Coyote Response Strategy (https://can01.safelinks.protection....l+/hMHyEkpu+z+dTBJsCAq8XTlJsLIom4=&reserved=0), which are expected to go to the Economic and Community Development Committee later this year (https://can01.safelinks.protection....Fa+Kz+IvXxAbXlepbS1qpOsWiYM2opjoQ=&reserved=0).
The wildlife expert panel recommended the City immediately:
Procure a specialized team to assess these coyotes, apply adapted aversion techniques, monitor results and report back to City staff;
Continue aversion techniques that utilize bodies, voices and handheld objects (rather than projectiles, bullets or dogs, all of which could increase the defensive reactivity of the coyotes);
Remove human food sources by continuing to enforce no dumping and no wildlife feeding bylaws;
Repair fences and improve lighting and sightlines;
Increase community education for the public about how dumping, wildlife feeding and dogs off leash impact coyote activity.
The City understands the urgency of this matter and is committed to completing all recommendations during this process. This work requires the participation of City staff and residents so the neighbourhood can be restored to co-existing safely with wildlife. The City thanks those who live, work and play in Fort York and Liberty Village for their patience and cooperation.
If animal behaviour changes in a way that affects public safety, the City will consider a range of further actions.
Coyote response action in Fort York and Liberty Village to date
For the last four months, City staff have responded to coyotes in the community to address resident concerns.
Patrols in the area occur daily and staff are conducting aversion to retrain the coyotes. The City has and will continue to improve outdoor lighting, repair fences, increase signage and enforce proper garbage disposal.
This is in addition to resident education sessions, flyer distribution and multiple community meetings to equip residents with coyote tips and listen to their feedback.
Staff will continue to assess additional techniques as needed.
This independent, third-party panel – with decades of combined experience in coyote management, biology and animal behaviour – conducted a comprehensive review (https://can01.safelinks.protection....NPG+GihbgmXSEaalNP7XM00jCiQ7NWqZY=&reserved=0) of the City’s response to coyotes in the area between November 2024 and March 2025 to research the situation and provide the City with options for potential next steps.
The findings show the City’s approach aligns with best practices on coyote management in other North American cities while also identifying the issues are consistent with food-conditioned behaviour.
Up to four coyotes in the area have learned to associate humans with food because of direct and indirect feeding. The aggressive behaviour towards dogs was also found to be typical and timed with the reproductive season.
Panel recommendations
Due to these observations, the panel recommends that hazing (such as employing loud voices or noises) continues and that the City take measures to add resources to successfully recondition the animals in line with proven, long-term intervention strategies. These suggestions will enable the City to step up its efforts to address the coyotes in an efficient way.
The recommendations will be used to inform upcoming updates to the City’s Coyote Response Strategy (https://can01.safelinks.protection....l+/hMHyEkpu+z+dTBJsCAq8XTlJsLIom4=&reserved=0), which are expected to go to the Economic and Community Development Committee later this year (https://can01.safelinks.protection....Fa+Kz+IvXxAbXlepbS1qpOsWiYM2opjoQ=&reserved=0).
The wildlife expert panel recommended the City immediately:
Procure a specialized team to assess these coyotes, apply adapted aversion techniques, monitor results and report back to City staff;
Continue aversion techniques that utilize bodies, voices and handheld objects (rather than projectiles, bullets or dogs, all of which could increase the defensive reactivity of the coyotes);
Remove human food sources by continuing to enforce no dumping and no wildlife feeding bylaws;
Repair fences and improve lighting and sightlines;
Increase community education for the public about how dumping, wildlife feeding and dogs off leash impact coyote activity.
The City understands the urgency of this matter and is committed to completing all recommendations during this process. This work requires the participation of City staff and residents so the neighbourhood can be restored to co-existing safely with wildlife. The City thanks those who live, work and play in Fort York and Liberty Village for their patience and cooperation.
If animal behaviour changes in a way that affects public safety, the City will consider a range of further actions.
Coyote response action in Fort York and Liberty Village to date
For the last four months, City staff have responded to coyotes in the community to address resident concerns.
Patrols in the area occur daily and staff are conducting aversion to retrain the coyotes. The City has and will continue to improve outdoor lighting, repair fences, increase signage and enforce proper garbage disposal.
This is in addition to resident education sessions, flyer distribution and multiple community meetings to equip residents with coyote tips and listen to their feedback.
Staff will continue to assess additional techniques as needed.
Northern Light
Superstar
A Member Motion by the Mayor at the next meeting of City Council suggests action on the washrooms from, both in Parks and in Subway Stations:
FWIW.........the washroom strategy is already supposed to be underway for Parks.........the TTC has been musing about adding more washrooms for some time now.
This is the Mayor offering.............ahem.....encouragement.............and a deadline.
FWIW.........the washroom strategy is already supposed to be underway for Parks.........the TTC has been musing about adding more washrooms for some time now.
This is the Mayor offering.............ahem.....encouragement.............and a deadline.
just east of the creek
Senior Member
Are we allowed to critique this ‘report’ or even ask who the illustrious panel members were and their credentials?
Richard White
Senior Member
Is that even possible?
Short of placing a trailer outside a station I don't see how this would work in most locations.
It's not like you can shoehorn a washroom into one of the Downtown stations or even somewhere like Greenwood.
Other stations like Lawrence West or the TYSSE stations have room for them.
Northern Light
Superstar
Sure.
Why? Every station has washrooms for staff. Most have more than one.........there's usually one for bus/streetcar operators on grade, one for collectors/csa in the concourse/mezzaine, and in many there's another for subway operators at platform level.
There's plumbing, there's, electrical, and ft2..........what else do you need?
Some stations are tighter than others.........not all are suited to mall-access, gender-segregated washrooms, some might be single-person use, as is the norm at most GO stations. That's tine too, based on demand.
See above............. every station has washrooms.
Not all stations are easily renovated to have open-access, gender-segregated washrooms..... although, its achievable in most, but in some cases at extra cost and effort.
There's room in all stations for some form of washroom; but not necessarily for all forms of washrooms.
At least, not cheaply.
Richard White
Senior Member
Fair points.
Anything is possible with enough money but there are better things to piss away money on.
Northern Light
Superstar
Disagree.
The need for washrooms is substantial, and the desire/amenity value is significant.
Its not that much money if you're not going universal.
I don't suggest washrooms at EVERY station in the near term, and i don't believe that is contemplated, however theoretically desirable.
I think we're looking at:
1) Fulfilling existing policy on subway line transfer stations. (St. George and Spadina)
2) Transfer Stations to GO (debatable, but likely, Main, Dundas West, York Mills and Yorkdale)
3) High volume stations, where there are sufficient staff to patrol washrooms. Llkely, Bathurst, Victoria Park, St Clair, St.Clair West and a smattering of others.
Richard White
Senior Member
Fair.
I'd still rather see the money used for fare enforcement.
Maybe I'm a bit jaded but I saw the issues each winter with Warden Station. I saw the homeless and mentally ill using it as a shelter.
Warden got to the point where people were using drugs in the washrooms.
At Yonge/Bloor I've witnessed people sleeping in the mens washroom.
More washrooms are a great idea but without proper fare enforcement and supervision it will go about as well at St Clair West's third exit.
Northern Light
Superstar
They just added another 100 F.E.
On top of the 100 they already had..
They've got lots.
They've been very visible this week.
I've taken 2 trips on the system this week and seen them at 3 stations. Main, Bathurst and Dufferin.
I've seen them nab people twice, and I wasn't standing around watching either.
Fare enforcement is not in the washrooms.
And booting people out will generally fall to Special Constables and/or Police.
St. Clair West's far side exit is an issue because its very isolated, well away from the rest of the station, from where station staff are based etc.
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