A Midsummer's Night in Toronto

Downtown Toronto is an interesting place, especially late at night. A few weeks ago, Nathan and I took a walk from Dundas Square to Queen’s Park and back, after midnight. There were three amusing (and potentially dangerous) events.

The first incident occurred as we were walking north on Spadina Avenue, through Chinatown. We saw a middle-aged white woman in a suit standing outside a restaurant, screaming at a group of six Asian men. She was primarily yelling racial insults. She threatened to call Immigration Canada and have them deported, and also insulted them because they were (allegedly) born outside of Toronto. Nathan and I stood nearby and “read” the menu in the window so that we could hear more of the argument. Apparently, the men had “ripped her off” in some way. Since they were standing outside a restaurant, perhaps she thought that her meal was too expensive. Of course, the woman was so angry and incoherent that we couldn’t ascertain if she had any legitimate complaints. We noticed a lot of garbage on the sidewalk immediately in front of the store; perhaps she had overturned a trash can in frustration. Then again, the streets of Toronto are always full of trash, shouting match or not.

Ironically, the woman screamed “I believe in multiculturalism”. I think she was trying to appear politically correct in the midst of her rant. It’s amazing how many racial slurs an allegedly liberal, accepting person can utter.

The second incident occurred as we approached the northeastern entrance to Kensington Market. The Market is a small, eclectic neighborhood famous for its numerous countercultural elements. As we approached the hippie commune, a seedy, unkempt man skidded in front of us on a bicycle. He started talking but was only partially coherent. He told a long, rambling story and concluded by offering to sell us “his” bike for $10. Nathan and I assumed that the bike was stolen and quickly walked away. The man angrily mumbled to himself, and rode onwards, into the night.

The third incident occurred as we were walking down the dark, lifeless streets of Kensington Market. Nathan and I glanced down a side street and saw a group of people shouting at each other; not wanting to watch or join a fight, we quickly walked away. A few minutes later, we saw at least a half dozen police cars and ambulances enter the Market. All of the vehicles converged on the block we passed by earlier. The presence of police cars indicated potential danger; the presence of ambulances indicated potential casualties.

Hoping to avoid any potential trouble, Nathan and I started walking quickly out of Kensington Market. On our way out, two police officers stopped us and ask us if we’ve seen a man running. We told them no, and realized that there must be a violent criminal on the run! Why else would there be a large police force in the area, and why else would they ask for help in looking for a suspect? Unfortunately, this event wasn’t reported on the news, so we don’t know exactly what happened. I'm pretty sure we were near a crime scene, though.

These three incidents occurred within twenty minutes. Indeed, Toronto is an interesting place.