Toronto police are renewing warnings about dangerous ice conditions along the city’s waterfront after a man fell into the icy waters of Lake Ontario.

A video circulating on social media shows the individual walking on harbour ice before suddenly breaking through and falling into the freezing water, struggling to get out.

The individual finally self-rescued. Police confirm he was not injured and was “very lucky.”

However, police say this is just one of many “dangerous incidents” that have occurred in recent weeks.

Authorities say the video is part of a growing number of calls involving people venturing onto unstable ice despite repeated public safety warnings.

“No ice is safe ice,” the Toronto Police Service Marine Unit cautioned in a statement.

Despite the pleas, many people have continued to tread on thin ice.

Another image shared by TPS showed a child unsupervised walking toward the edge of ice, next to an open body of water, while they took photos several feet away.

Police say officers have been responding regularly to incidents involving individuals, families and large groups walking on Toronto Harbour ice, often untrained, without safety equipment or lifejackets.

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TPS shared the video along with other images this week to underscore the risks posed by unpredictable winter conditions.

The Marine Unit of Toronto also stressed that ice inside Toronto Harbour is especially hazardous due to constant marine traffic and active ice-breaking operations.

The service noted that ferry routes to and from the Toronto Islands operate year-round, requiring ice to be regularly broken, while police and partner agencies also conduct training exercises that intentionally disrupt ice surfaces.

Recent fluctuating temperatures below and above freezing have also made ice thickness and conditions unpredictable.

Officials warn that what appears frozen from shore may conceal thin ice or open water nearby.

Toronto police say Marine Unit patrols and public education have also ramped up their supervision near bodies of water, to ensure the public remains safe and warn people of the dangers of stepping on ice.

Police also reminded residents that Lake Ontario and Toronto Harbour are part of a federal port where specific regulations apply, including restrictions on swimming outside designated areas.

If someone falls through the ice, the Marine Unit advises bystanders to avoid stepping onto the ice and instead attempt to assist from shore, using nearby objects such as branches, ring buoys or rescue equipment.

Residents are urged to keep a safe distance from the water’s edge and remain mindful of rapidly changing winter conditions.

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Ontario’s inspector general of policing is launching a review of the province’s police services and boards amid accusations of corruption within Toronto police.

Ryan Teschner announced the probe at a news conference Monday, days after York Regional Police charged seven active Toronto police officers and one retired Toronto officer in their investigation, dubbed Project South, which looked into organized crime and corruption.

The allegations against those officers include bribery, obstruction of justice, drug trafficking, theft of personal property, breach of trust and the unauthorized access and distribution of confidential information.

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A day after those accusations sent shockwaves through the region, Peel Regional Police suspended three officers pending further investigation by York Regional Police.

“If there are vulnerabilities within the systems currently in place in Ontario’s policing sector, or in the standards that it must adhere to, it is essential that they are identified so meaningful, system-wide improvements can be made,” Teschner said.

“This provincewide inspection will be conducted under the authority of Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act, the province’s policing legislation, and it will focus on five defined areas with the ability to examine additional ones as the inspection unfolds.”

Teschner said those five areas are officer supervision and span of control, screening and vetting of officers, access to police databases and information systems, evidence and property management, and substance abuse and fitness for duty.

More to come.

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Ontario’s solicitor general — the minister responsible for policing in the province — is declining to speak about the arrest of multiple officers during an organized crime investigation that is rocking law enforcement in and around Toronto.

A York Regional Police investigation into organized crime led to the arrest of seven Toronto police officers and has now spread to neighbouring Peel Regional Police, where three officers have been suspended.

Claims against the Toronto cops related to alleged corruption, leaking information to an organized crime group and bribery. The charges have not been proven in court.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said Friday if the officers are guilty, they “deserve to be thrown in jail.” Premier Doug Ford said “bad actors” would be “held accountable.”

The man responsible for Ontario’s policing, however, has declined to comment on the scandal.

Global News approached Solicitor General Michael Kerzner’s office for a statement on Thursday and an interview on Friday. On both occasions, his staff declined, offering no comment on the police scandal.

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“Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate this interview. The Premier was asked a number of questions about the matter this morning, and yesterday. Those comments stand as response from our government,” a spokesperson said in a brief statement.

They said questions should be directed to local police.

2:07
Ford, Chow weigh in on shocking Toronto police corruption investigation

As solicitor general, Kerzner is responsible for public security, law enforcement and policing in Ontario. His ministry enacted a major overhaul of police rules last year, including allowing for some officers to be suspended without pay.

Ontario Liberal MPP Karen McCrimmon said that Kerzner should come out and take questions on the arrests, addressing the organized crime investigation to reinforce public confidence.

“This is serious, this cuts right to the heart of the relationships between the people and the police,” she said.

“It’s his job to address these kinds of serious issues; otherwise, why bother having it? I think we need full transparency, full acouuntability and we need to start rebuilding that trust.”

McCrimmon is calling for a judicial inquiry to independently establish how seven Toronto police officers were allegedly corrupted.

Ford, however, suggested he didn’t believe there was a broader problem to investigate.

“I love our police,” he told reporters. “Do we have a few bad actors? Yeah, they’re bad actors, they’re going to be held accountable, sure as I’m standing here. It’s an ongoing police investigation.”

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Toronto police knew it had a trust issue before seven serving officers were charged as part of an organized crime investigation.

A study completed by the police services board last year found public trust in the force was “strained,” with many concerned about misconduct and the uneven application of standards.

“From the public, we heard similar concerns about mistrust, systemic bias, and a lack of visible accountability,” part of a lengthy study found.

“Repeated incidents of misconduct and social media narratives reinforce skepticism, especially among youth and newcomer communities.”

Those concerns spiralled into a crisis on Thursday, when York Regional Police announced they had charged seven serving Toronto cops in a massive corruption and organized crime investigation.

The charges included allegedly leaking police information to an organized crime group that then carried out shootings, exortions and robberies. Other charges relate to alleged bribery.

Those charges have left police leadership in the difficult position of trying to explain and investigate what happened.

Global News crime analyst Hank Idsinga said the force had a lot of work left to rebuild already fragile public trust.

“I think you’ve got a lot of questions, I think you’ve got a lot of questions that haven’t been answered yet,” he said.

“Toronto, what the heck is going on down there? Especially if you take into consideration everything that has happened over the last few years in this city.”

Idsinga pointed out that, if the charges against the officers are proven, it could cast doubt on testimony they’d provided in other cases, potentially opening up a stream of appeals.

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“Maybe they’re involved in an armed robbery investigation from five or six years ago. And if they were a key witness to that armed robbery investigation and somebody was convicted and is doing jail time,” he said.

“I guarantee the defence lawyer from that case is going to look at that list of officers here involved and say, ‘Hold on a second, the credibility of this officer who was a key witness when my client was convicted is absolutely in question. I’m filing an appeal.’”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow told reporters Thursday she would meet with Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw to resolve the issue.

During an event, the local police chief disavowed the accused officers, saying their alleged actions did not represent the service.

“The allegations against these individuals do not represent the Toronto Police Service,” Demkiw said. “They do not represent who you are. They do not represent what our organization is and stands for.”

Ian Scott, the former director of the Special Investigations Unit, said police had taken a “big step” in announcing the arrests and accepting there was a problem.

“But to some degree they are fighting a bit of a rear-guard action,” he explained. “The misconduct and alleged criminal offences have taken place, and they’re trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”

There are those who say neither Demkiw, nor the police services board, nor the mayor can lead any investigation into how seven Toronto police officers were allegedly corrupted.

Ontario Liberal MPP Karen McCrimmon said the charges had shattered confidence in Toronto police — leaving the force at a delicate crossroads.

“These are very, very serious charges and it really does strike at the heart of the relationship between the police and the constituents. That trust and that bond,” she told Global News.

“I think this is very, very dangerous.”

McCrimmon said the provincial government must order a judicial inquiry into Toronto police and the officers to rebuild trust. Any investigation that isn’t open to the public, she said, would fall short.

“It’s not as important for justice to be done if it’s not seen to be done; it has to be both. It has to be fully accountable to the people and they have to have trust in the process so it can’t be manipulated,” McCrimmon said.

“For a full judicial inquiry, you’re before a judge and lawyers, there are guardrails … you know that the outcome is real. It’s valid, it’s legitimate. Anything else done behind closed doors or done informally will not have that same credibility with people.”

A spokesperson for Ontario’s Solicitor General Michael Kerzner did not address questions and said only local police would answer them.

Premier Doug Ford appeared to brush off the suggestion, saying the investigation would be well-handled by local cops.

“The investigation is ongoing, so they’re going to continue their investigation,” he said on Wednesday. “I feel both chiefs are doing an incredible job, and they’re going to cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i.’”

Ford said the arrest of seven serving officers in a massive organized crime investigation should not shake public confidence.

“I don’t want to paint a broad brush or tarnish the police,” he said.

“We have phenomenal police officers … I don’t want the pubic to lose trust in our great trust, they are incredible. There’s always, (in) any organization, a few bad apples and the courts are going to decide.”

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