Community advocates are alarmed that a Toronto hotel housing hundreds of asylum seekers appears to have become the target of anti-refugee sentiment after a fire was deliberately set in a hallway.
The Radisson Hotel in the city’s north-east, which is the temporary home to 570-plus so-called irregular migrants from the United States, was the scene of a blaze that sent all guests out onto the streets at around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 2.
Toronto police say the fire was started in the third-floor hallway after a gasoline container was allegedly set alight. Police released a photograph Friday of a woman they are seeking in connection to the blaze, which is being investigated as arson. No injuries were reported.
The fire follows an online anti-refugee campaign involving postings on right-wing websites and included a video taken by trespassers showing what they claimed was vandalism by refugees staying at the hotel.
“It hits me as a Canadian how sad and disturbing it is. It’s not what we had expected of each other,” said Mario Calla, executive director of COSTI, an agency responsible for the irregular migrants. “Political leaders have a great influence on public opinions. The last thing we want is to see these far-rights nationalists be emboldened by virtue of our elected officials being silent and not dealing with these kinds of issues.”
Ten days after the incident, elected officials responded to requests for comment from the Star, offering the first public condemnation of the attack that has rattled refugees and their advocates.
“I can’t imagine how cruel and evil a person has to be to knowingly light a fire inside a hotel while people are sleeping. It is deeply concerning to even contemplate the possibility of this being a hate-motivated, targeted act aimed at innocent refugees,” Mayor John Tory said Friday.
“I know the vast majority of Toronto residents and Canadians wish them absolutely no harm. Every person in Canada has a right to feel safe and should not fear for their safety.”
Border Security Minister Bill Blair told the Star Ottawa has remained committed to orderly migration while protecting the safety and security of Canadians.
“Our government firmly believes that there is no place in Canada for intolerance and hatred and … we will continue to speak out against these cowardly acts,” he said.
There are currently 2,600 irregular migrants staying in Toronto’s shelter system and four hotels in the GTA are contracted to accommodate the overflow. The hotels will still be needed in the new year if the arrival of migrants continues at the same rate. The city is also planning to add 1,000 new shelter beds by the end of 2019.
Between January and August, 14,125 asylum seekers arrived in Canada through unguarded border crossings. After a brief dip in arrivals in May and June, the number rose again in July and August. Although almost all irregular migrants come in through Quebec, many are destined for English-speaking Ontario.
“The xenophobic and racist discourse that has been amplified over the past months must stop,” said Debbie Douglas of OCASI, an umbrella group that represents 200 immigrant settlement agencies in Ontario. “There must be a clear and unequivocal condemnation of these sentiments and actions from our political and civic leaders.”
Officials had refused to disclose the location of the refugee shelters, but in June online comments began appearing on TripAdvisor, a hotel review website, with people outing the Radisson and trashing it as a “refugee holding centre.” The website suspended commenting on the hotel after it found some posts were unsubstantiated and not based on first-person experiences. The hotel management declined to comment when contacted by the Star.
“We’re living in a different dark world now,” said Bernie Farber, chair of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. “We have a premier who posed with a far-right mayoral candidate and wants people to believe that this (irregular migration) is a big problem and calls it illegal migration. It stokes the fire among people who are already leaning towards hating refugees and immigrants.”
According to COSTI’s Calla, three trespassers filmed refugees at the hotel in September and posted a degrading video showing the words “free money” and what they claimed was human excrement in the hallways.
Three other trespassing attempts by camera-wielding strangers were reported since then, after COSTI boosted security at the hotel with around-the-clock guards at all entrances.
“Now our clients are frightened and anxious. They are afraid to even go to the bus stop fearing people will seek them out,” said Calla, adding that refugees at the hotel have done nothing to vandalize the building as described in the video.
“These racist white nationalists intend to destroy our social cohesion. Canadians need to be aware of them and not tolerate these kinds of attitudes and ideology that are rooted in racism.”
Nicholas Keung is a Toronto-based reporter covering immigration. Follow him on Twitter: @nkeung
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.
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.”
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.