In My Opinion: Past summer in the Beach highlighted growing safety concerns

By MATTHEW STEPHENS

Between all the festivals, celebrations, bustling local shops, and increase in pedestrian traffic – our beloved Beach neighbourhood transforms into a popular place of interest during the summer, drawing attention from across the city.

With a vast selection of events to attend and things to do, it’s a stark contrast to what the Beaches is like most of the year.

During the fall and winter months, our tranquil neighbourhood gives me the kind of small-town vibe I hear people talk about when mentioning the Beach. Sidewalks are quiet, foot traffic is lower, and the lakefront is usually reserved for dog walkers and local residents braving the brisk weather and icy walkways to stretch their legs.

However, during the summer, this area (particularly Queen Street East closer to Woodbine Avenue/Woodbine Beach) resembles a postcard from Santa Monica more than a small town. Congestion in the Beach during summer can be quite overwhelming for residents (like me) who prefer their neighbourhood to be a little less “energetic.”

As a person who isn’t a fan of large crowds, it’s one of the many reasons I choose not to walk along the Boardwalk during peak hours of the summer. For me, it often seems like wherever large crowds go, reckless behaviour often follows – and the Beach is no exception.

To emphasize this point, consider Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford’s recent motion at Toronto Council to implement a Motorized Watercraft Exclusion Zone bylaw 100 metres off the local shoreline, in light of reckless jet ski operators running rampant this summer.

Even road traffic in the area seems to be more dangerous during the summer. At a press conference by Mayor Olivia Chow in April, the city unveiled two new speed cameras just north of Woodbine Beach along Lake Shore Boulevard East – due to risks associated with higher volumes of vehicular traffic and speeding during the summer.

This year alone, the mayor and local councillor both implemented strategies to mitigate safety concerns during the high-traffic summer months in the Beach. Am I wrong for sharing their concerns?

As much as I enjoy the livelihood and vibrancy associated with big events, thriving businesses, and exuberant beachgoers – I can’t help but feel a little worried every time I see or hear about large crowds gathering in our small neighbourhood.

During the bright, sunny, high-traffic months – public safety and criminal activity are at the core of my anxiety

And based on the most recently accessible Toronto Police Service (TPS) Major Crime Indicator data from 2024, it turns out criminal activity is actually more frequent during summers in the Beach.

Heightened criminal activity during summers in the Beach is nothing new to me. In my younger years, we were taught to be cautious during the Canada/Victoria Day firework shows at Woodbine Beach, as it was well-known people from other neighbourhoods would visit the area to rob and assault unsuspecting locals.

In recent years, police have implemented stronger enforcement during fireworks celebrations, after the chaotic events of Victoria Day back in 2022, which included two shootings, a stabbing, two gunpoint robberies, widespread fireworks being fired at crowds and police, and seven officers injured; resulting in a total of 19 arrests.

I remember driving through the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Queen Street during the Victoria Day weekend of 2021, thinking a riot had occurred as I watched police shooing away animated young adults, garbage littered everywhere, and firefighters tending to the remains of a smouldering garbage bin next to the HISTORY concert venue.

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like spaces where large groups of people gather should be accompanied by stronger police presence and security.

No shade to Toronto police. I get it, they’re trying their best (I’d hope). And with the last two years of relatively successful firework celebrations, I can rest easy knowing the community is safer during those particular events.

However, it’s not just the Canada Day and Victoria Day weekends that need to be monitored effectively.

During this year’s Afrofest weekend (July 4 to 6) at Woodbine Park, police responded to multiple incidents, including fireworks being discharged, leading to panic and several injuries – as well as isolated altercations and an arrest related to a firearm possession. In an incident nearby at the McDonald’s at Woodward and Eastern avenues on Saturday, July 5 around 10 p.m. (the same time as Afrofest), 14-year-old Abdoul Aziz Sarr was fatally stabbed.

According to reports from the Afrofest event, the situation on July 5, was so bad that the festival was shut down before its scheduled time and cancelled the following day.

What transpired at Afrofest made me feel like Toronto police need to be more active in the community during all summer events in the Beach. Police must do their part to address this proactively, considering they are literally paid to plan ahead for the sake of public safety.

In a statement I received from TPS, this year’s Afrofest crowd exceeded what was expected, which led to the event getting out of hand.

“For all major events, we work closely with event organizers and the City to ensure appropriate security measures are in place,” said the police statement from a media officer. “While I can’t tell you the specific number of officers assigned to Afrofest, Toronto police were present to support the public safety efforts of event organizers. Despite those preparations, the crowd – estimated at over 30,000 people – was larger than in previous years.”

At the end of the day, people are going to want to come to the Beach during the summer. Events will continue to be held in our community spaces during this time of year – and so they should be.

However, based on the available information, police presence in the community needs to be stronger during the summer.

All events need to be monitored with the same attention to detail that the Canada Day/Victoria Day celebrations have seen in the last three years. And more work needs to be done to ensure residents in the area can feel safe and comfortable, despite higher pedestrian traffic.

The TPS maintains a Special Events budget line as part of its operating expenses. And with a proposed operating budget of $1.22 billion, (a $46.2 million increase from 2024) I refuse to believe this is a funding issue.

The responsibility to keep people safe doesn’t just fall on the police, however. Event organizers are also responsible for informing and coordinating with the TPS if they feel their event requires increased police presence, or if they feel it may impact public safety, traffic, or city operations.

Whether responsibility falls on the police or event organizers – collectively, more work needs to be done to ensure safety for the people who live in this community 365 days of the year.