CBLT - Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - 06:00 p.m. (ET) - Segment #2

help to build these things in the next number of years. We have to watch that as it unfolds. >> Kelda: council is set to meet for three days. What else are you keeping an eye on? >> There are a couple of other files that I will be watching as well. There's a debate that's scheduled to come up tomorrow on the zoning change that would allow small apartments and townhouses to built on major avenues in the city previously. They were not allowed. We'll have to see if council decides to do that and try to use it as a tool to alleviate the housing crisis. There's also what I expect to be reasonably active debate or maybe fiery debate, who knows, when it comes to the gardiner expressway. Obviously there's a project that just launched to refurbish and rebuild the eastern leg causing a lot of headaches for commuters. And there's a motion on the floor to speed up some of that work. Mayor olivia chow says planning has already been taking place. We might see a bit of tension on the floor whether this motion is actually required. Councillor brad bradford says we have to get on with this 24/7 work and prefabricating of these lanes to bring them in to lower this time and really help commuters cope with this. >> Kelda: thanks so much, shawn. Municipal affairs reporter shawn jeffords reporter from city hall. >> Reporter: despite doing everything required in advance to let the airline know she would need an accessible option to get on and off the plane there weren't any accommodations made when the plane landed. Greg ross has her story. >> This video posted on tori lacey's social media. >> It's a lot of anxiety to have people touching your body that they don't know you. They don't understand. >> Reporter: lacey has a neuromuscular disease and confined to a wheelchair. She says the air canada staff were helpful. She says she did make arrangements with the airline before embarking on a trip to costa rica earlier this month. >> This trip was booked for month and month. I have a file at the air canada medical desk. I have the paperwork filled out by my doctor. We talked with them many times to book caregivers tickets. I have a disability and needed help getting on and off the plane. I could not navigate stairs at all. >> Reporter: she says the situation wasn't necessary. The airport has jet bridges to get passengers on and off planes. >> Several of the other aircraft around us were pulled up too. This wasn't a lack of the airport not having jet bridges. Our particular airport was not pulled up to one. >> Reporter: in a statement to cbc news a representative for air canada says the costa rica airport was not able to make an aircraft bridge available requiring an alternative method of having customers getting on and off the plane using air stairs. We have procedures for customers with disabilities to embark and disembark in such cases. In this instance, all protocols were followed. >> Air travel today is vastly inaccessible to people with disabilities. >> Reporter: the founder and ceo of access now is a platform that shares accessibility information about places all over the world. Air canada does bear some responsibility here. >> Just like any other passenger who books a ticket with an airline, you expect that airline to take care of you to treat you respectfully, to have a good experience, and to not have to sacrifice your dignity. If you're a passenger with a disability, the experience is often de-humanizing. >> She has her own issues with air canada. Her electric wheelchair was destroyed on a flight to tel aviv. She went to take part in a conference about accessible travel and tourism. >> The way that I received it was so damaged that the backrest which was made out of a really strong metal was folded in half. >> Reporter: the airline did reimburse her for her wheelchair. Lacey doesn't want anything from air canada. She hopes her video raises awareness about the difficulty of air travel for people with accessibility needs. >> I did not create this video to attack air canada. I think that this is really a systemic issue of, like, the lack of accessibility and air travel across all airlines.

>> Reporter: air canada says it will be reviewing airport procedures including at smaller foreign stations to find ways to provide more consistent service. Greg ross, cbc news, toronto. >> Kelda: four of the eleven people charged in connection with an alleged hate-motivated vandalism incident at an indigo bookstore in toronto had their charges dropped. Pro-palestinian supporters want all remaining charges to be dropped as well. They held a protest on the steps to call for just that. Chris glover was there. >> Many of the pro palestinian demonstrators said that they were happy that these four people who faced charges had those charges withdrawn this past friday, they're still angry with the fact that 7 people continue to face charges stemming from this november incident. What happened last november is an indigo at bay and bloor was struck with red patient, slashed along the business and had signs and posters plastered on the side of independent goigo as well. Some of those things said stop funding genocide. The ceo is a jewish woman. Some of the charity work she's part of gives money to scholarships to get people into the israeli military. The toronto police hate crimes unit started to investigate that event shortly after it happened last november. This was all coming during a time of rising anti-semitism in the city of toronto. Also a dramatic rise right across the province and right around the world as well in relation to israel's ongoing war in gaza. And so eleven people stemming from that incident were charged with various charges and offences including mischief, exposures, and criminal harassment, and that last one could come with years of jail time. This is quite serious stuff. These protesters here today reacting to some of the charges being dropped against four of the people who were charged, they say that all of these charges are bogus and it is well within their right as canadians to be able to protest a major company like indigo and any support that it may be giving to the state of israel. It is funding that military campaign. They criticized the disproportionate police response to all of this. We learned today that there were raids, search warrants that were conducted on the eleven people who were charged. Some of those raids happening late at night. Some of them happening where doors were broken off hinges and there were other problems that happened for these people who were at home when these raids were executed by toronto police. In reaction, the police put out a statement today saying that those raids, those search warrants were judicially authorized and also pointed out that the fact that the charges today were withdrawn by the crown prosecution just this past friday does not show reflection on the validity of the policework in this response. The crown putting out a similar statement today backing the police up on that point and saying they would continue with the prosecution of the 7 remaining individuals. We spoke today with one of the people who had their charges withdrawn. Carl gardiner. I want you to listen to more from carl. >> I work in the university sector at multiple university sectors in the city. My employment was ended because of these allegations. That had severe impacts on my livelihood michaels reputation and my career beyond mental health and well-being spa gardiner is not relieved the charge has been withdrawn. He doesn't feel justice has been done. He will not stop until 7 remaining people charged have their charges dropped as well. As I was mentioning there were dozens of people here today taking part in this demonstration. I spoke with one of the organizers who said what's really happening here is toronto police putting a chill on the pro palestinian movement. Here's more from rachel small with world beyond war. >> As an activist and a jewish organizer, I am deeply committed to pushing back against anti-semitism. I spend a lot of time pushing back against anti-semitism that is happening and fighting against it. What I would say is they're completely undermining the idea of anti-semitism by saying that putting posters on a window calling out a ceo's investments in funding soldiers is an act of anti-semitism. One of the eleven accused is herself a jewish activist. >> The crown will not stop with the prosecution of those 7 individuals. The organizers and the

demonstrators who were here today outside of police headquarters say that they also will continue protesting until all of those charges are withdrawn. Chris glover, cbc news, toronto. >> Kelda: sun, rain, hail, lightning and even tornadoes here in toronto and across the province, we have seen quite the mix of weather today. ( ) At Enterprise Mobility, we never stop looking for new mobility solutions. Because sometimes the best road forward, is the one you didn't expect. ( ) To give your teeth a dentist clean feeling... start with a round brush head... add power... and you've got Oral-B. Round cleans better by surrounding each tooth... to remove 100% more plaque... for that just-left-the-dentist clean feeling. Oral-B Sometimes a sub comes along and hits just so right. And then we show it like this and you think: "That can't be $4.99." Guess what? The Subway 6 inch Turkey Breast sub is only $4.99. Not forever. Offer ends June 23rd. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Loving the uncommon is a wonderful thing we have in common. ( ) What keeps baby's skin healthy? A diaper that doesn't leave skin wet. That's why Pampers Swaddlers absorbs wetness better for up to 100%leakproof protection and 0% skin irritation. Pampers. For healthy baby skin. ( ) ( ) Stop dreaming. Start shopping. Red Tag Days are on at Toyota, with great offers on select models. Find yours today, at ShopToyota.ca Leon's Spring it on event ends Wednesday! Get incredible deals on furniture. Save up to 50% on select clearance mattresses. Save up to $1,000 on select Appliance and tv packages. Last chance to spring into savings. Food Basics' biggest savings event is back with prices so low, you'll be saying... Totally Wowza! — Super duper Wowza! — Super duper Wowza! ( ) [whoosh sounds] Mega Wowza! [warp sounds] Oh, my Wowza! Hot diddly Wowza! Save big in—store and online. Plus get new deals every Thursday. Only at Food Basics. Always More for Less. The next lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot is a massive $52 million! Imagine the possibilities Plus, the Classic $5 million jackpot. Two chances tofind your possible. Elevate your space. Discover the new Must in Toronto! Ram Power Days are here.The power to choose fromthe most awarded truck brand over the last five years. Like Ram Classic.As versatile as it is capable. Ram 1500, voted bestlarge pickup in Canada. Or Ram Heavy Dutywith a no-charge Cummins. And you don't pay for 90 days. The power is yours.The time is now. Get 20% off msrp on Ram Classic for up to $14,200 in discounts. Plus get 4.99% financing. >> Kelda: wish. Wicked weather is storming across the U.S. midwest from oklahoma to minnesota. More than 20 tornadoes have been reported across iowa, wisconsin and minnesota. Witnesses say a monster twister hit the town of greenfield iowa. There have been multiple deaths with at least a dozen people hurt. Baseball-sized hail has been reported in oklahoma. More than 30 centimetres of rain caused flash flooding in nebraska. Back here, it looks calm now. It's been a similar situation across parts of ontario today. A series of major storms prompted environment canada to issue warnings of wind, hail, thunderstorms and even tornadoes in some areas. Toronto seems to have missed the severe end of it. The city remains under a

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