Anglais

Hang Vo died a ‘senseless death’ in a Toronto alleyway. Many wish they could have helped her

Published

6 années ago

janvier 27, 2019

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George Szabo has had some sleepless nights since Jan. 15, the morning when Hang Vo was struck and killed by a garbage truck driver in a downtown alleyway.

He thinks he might have been the last person to speak to Vo before the tragic incident. And he can’t quite shake off the idea that maybe he could have done more to save her life.

Szabo, a retired photographer who has been manning the security desk at the building near Adelaide St. and University Ave. for more than 15 years, remembers the quiet woman. Prior to that fateful morning, she had been seen sleeping over a grate at the entrance of an alleyway for the past two weeks. Szabo, as well as building operator Daniel Gareau, had repeatedly tried to warn her of potential dangers.

“I said, ‘do you hear me ma’am?’” recalled Szabo of their interaction that last evening. “She nodded. Then I said, ‘do you understand me?’ and she said, ‘yes.’ That is the only word I ever heard from her.”

Several hours later, on a dark and chilly Tuesday morning, a truck driver from Green For Life (GFL) Environmental backed into the tight alleyway to collect garbage. He struck Vo, 58, who was pronounced dead at the scene a few minutes later.

He doesn’t see many homeless people on the corner, and certainly had never seen anyone sleeping either on the sidewalk or in the alleyway until Vo showed up — which is why he kept trying to warn her.

Still, Szabo says he was saddened by this “senseless death” and continues to wonder if he could have changed anything about what happened.

“The only way for me to save her would have been to physically drag her inside the building. But I can’t do that,” he said, recalling that he specifically told her she could get killed if she kept sleeping at that corner. “How terribly ironic.”

Vo was the second woman to die on Toronto’s streets this year, and her death sparked more conversation about the issue of homelessness and how the city is responding to it.

Much of her identity and the circumstances that may have led to her ending up on the streets of Toronto have remained mysterious. Advocates believe she may have a brother who lives in Toronto. Toronto police, who initially appealed to the public for any information about Vo, confirmed Thursday they had found and notified her next of kin.

A spokesperson from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said they cannot share any details about specific cases due to privacy considerations.

But some available information reveal Vo had a complicated past that includes the loss of her immigration status.

According to documents tracked by various social workers and copies of which the Star has seen, Vo (full name Bich Hang Thi Vo) was born in Vietnam on Oct. 10, 1960. She immigrated to Canada and landed at Vancouver International Airport as a permanent resident on April 20, 1977. She was using a travel document issued in the Philippines, according to official documents.

What happened after that is unclear. So unclear, in fact, there’s a void of more than 30 years until Vo’s name surfaces again, this time in Hamilton, Ont.

A document signed by Hamilton CBSA on Oct. 27, 2009, indicates that Vo, until then a permanent resident, was convicted of two counts of fraud. The convictions took place on June 4, 2009, and the sentence details included 208 days of pre-sentence custody plus one day in jail, with a free-standing restitution of $45,068.65, according to the document.

Anna Pape, a spokesperson from the Immigration and Refugee Board, confirmed they have a record showing that Vo filed an appeal of a removal order issued against her on May 10, 2010.

“However, she failed to appear for her hearing and then again failed to attend at a date scheduled for her to explain why she did not appear for her hearing,” wrote Pape in an email to the Star. “Consequently, the Immigration Appeal Division determined that her appeal was abandoned.”

Multiple fraud-related criminal convictions would have been enough for Vo’s permanent resident status to be stripped, said Macdonald Scott, a Toronto immigration consultant and advocate with No One Is Illegal — a Toronto group advocating for the rights of migrants regardless of their status.

Some countries, including Vietnam in the past, do not want to take back their deportees, he said, adding this includes particularly people who fled Vietnam in the 1970s or those who have criminal convictions and/or mental health issues.

“So she was caught between a rock and a hard place with that,” he said.

Scott said Vo wouldn’t have been eligible to stay in subsidized housing after that, as the Ontario Housing Services Act requires an immigration status.

He said “sometimes people fall into bad and criminal behaviour,” but he doesn’t think that should mean we take away their rights and put their life in jeopardy.

Longtime activist with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty Gaetan Heroux agreed that Vo’s loss of her permanent residency might have been a turning point.

“It would have caused her havoc,” he said, noting he has come across many cases of people whose lives are turned upside down after going through such experiences.

“So she winds up in Toronto,” he said, noting she may have been trying to apply for housing or welfare, and becoming frustrated. “There’s a lot of pressure for someone who doesn’t have papers.”

But Vo did receive some help. One document shows she stayed at the Salvation Army’s Evangeline Residence in Toronto’s west end, starting Oct. 19, 2016. There’s no information as to when she left. No one at the Evangeline Residence responded to the Star’s repeated requests for a comment.

Nasrin Safary, an outreach worker with Neighbourhood Link Support Services, said she met with Vo in early 2017. Vo was looking for help filling out an application for status verification or replacement of an immigration document.

“She was really quiet,” she said, describing Vo as someone who wanted to just talk about her case and nothing else. “Her accent was heavy but I could understand her very well.”

She said Vo only had a copy of her landing document, and there was no record of working anywhere, even though original documents show she came to Canada on a work visa. She said Vo may have dealt with mental health issues during her time in Canada, and appeared confused about the loss of her immigration status.

When a response for her application came back three months later, it indicated that Citizenship and Immigration Canada listed Vo’s status as a foreign national. Her permanent resident status had been relinquished on May 12, 2010, according to the document.

“She was in shock when she found out. She got very upset and very angry,” said Safary, noting that people dealing with homelessness and/or mental health problems are often living on the streets or going from shelter to shelter without realizing their immigration status has changed.

As a social worker often helping homeless people who sometimes don’t have immigration status, Safary said Vo’s death has increased her worry about their fate.

“It’s very sad. It makes you wonder when it’s going to happen to the next person,” she said.

Gilbert Ngabo is a breaking news reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @dugilbo

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

Published

3 années ago

août 10, 2021

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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

Published

3 années ago

juillet 23, 2021

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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

Published

3 années ago

juillet 23, 2021

admin

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.