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Toronto police brass insist guns and gangs unit is a ‘priority’

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After a morning of uncertainties about staffing levels of the Toronto police gun and gang unit, Mayor John Tory and police brass surfaced after lunch Friday to assure a city that has seen a rise in gun violence that there will be no reductions.

Following media reports of realignment and reductions — and a “very good discussion” with Chief Mark Saunders — Tory told reporters he didn’t order anybody to do anything but came away assured that staffing would remain the same.

While staffing in the guns and gangs unit will remain the same, the Toronto police are expanding a program that places dedicated officers in particular neighbourhoods for four-year terms.
While staffing in the guns and gangs unit will remain the same, the Toronto police are expanding a program that places dedicated officers in particular neighbourhoods for four-year terms.  (Toronto Star file photo)

Deputy Chief Barbara McLean, ahead of an afternoon Toronto Police Services Board meeting, also assured there would be no change in the numbers, but would not discuss any organizational changes.

“We are staffing our guns and gangs capability, our unit, the same today, that we will next week, next month,” said McLean. The unit is a “priority,” she said.

What is changing is the size of the Neighbourhood Officer Program, which stations dedicated officers in neighbourhoods for four-year terms. It is set to grow from neighbourhood officers in 33 neighbourhoods to 41, and, eventually 60 of the city’s 144 neighbourhoods — and perhaps beyond.

The eight new neighbourhoods, to which a total of 40 neighbourhood officers and four neighbourhood sergeants will be assigned, beginning in October, are Lambton Baby Point, Weston-Pelham Park, Islington City Centre West, Etobicoke West Mall, Oakridge, Kennedy Park, L’Amoreaux and Malvern.

The final phase of the expansion is expected in October 2019.

The program began in 2013, amid increasing controversy over carding, with a mandate to reduce crime, build relationships with residents, increase residents’ trust of police and learn more about the needs of the neighbourhoods. The early results are promising, Humber College criminal justice professor Doug Thomson told the police services board.

It is in many ways a throwback to a community policing model that saw officers walking a beat, and truly getting to know the people in the neighbourhoods they work in.

Board member Marie Molinor called it an “exciting” day for the program and the service. Mayor Tory put forward a motion, which was passed unanimously, to seek help from the province and Ottawa to fund the neighbourhood officer expansion for the next five years, which will cost around $17 million a year, he said.

Amid a municipal election campaign, the gun violence and what to do about it have become focal points, and intensified after this week’s death of 15-year-old Mackai Jackson in Regent Park. Police continue to investigate the shooting and a police spokesperson said Thursday investigators are looking for more information and could not confirm or rule out if the shooting was intentional.

Mayor John Tory says he is confident that staffing for the guns and gangs unit will not be reduced
Mayor John Tory says he is confident that staffing for the guns and gangs unit will not be reduced  (Jim Rankin / Toronto Star)

Shootings in Toronto are up over the past several years. As of Monday, there had been 310 reported shootings so far in 2018, with 137 people injured and 40 killed. At this time in 2017, 29 people had been killed in shootings and 126 injured.

In July, following the mass shooting on the Danforth, city council approved a five-year, $44 million plan to combat gun violence. In 2018, $7.4 million is earmarked for stepped-up enforcement and new CCTV cameras, while just over $1 million is to go to community initiatives.

Police also added 200 officers to the streets during the summer, achieved through overtime, and there are plans to hire more. On Thursday, the service welcomed 27 new recruits.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has promised Toronto $25 million over four years to fight “thugs” — $18 million of which is for the Toronto Police Service to use as it sees fit, and $7.5 million toward “legal SWAT teams” to ensure people facing violent gun charges don’t get bail.

The service’s current integrated gun and gang task force includes a guns and gangs unit, firearms enforcement unit, major project section and a biker enforcement unit. Detectives assigned to the task force support shooting-related investigations, conduct organized gang busts and investigate the smuggling, trafficking and possession of “crime guns,” according to the task force web page.

Media reports late this week suggested plans were afoot to reconfigure and shrink the number of teams in the unit. If that was the case, it no longer was by Friday.

Jim Rankin is a reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @Jleerankin

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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