SHOOTING HANGS OVER FOOD FEST

Annual event in Toronto forges ahead

TORONTO •Onthefaceofit, Sunday afternoon looked almost exactly the same as any other year at the Taste of the Danforth in this city’s Greektown neighbourhood, with families strolling down the street in the August sunshine and long lineups for souvlaki wraps and honey balls.

But look a bit closer, and there are little reminders everywhere on Danforth Avenue of the shooting rampage less than a month ago that left two people dead and 13 people injured. Up and down the street, vendors display “#DanforthStrong” messages, and kiosks sell T-shirts and buttons to raise funds for the victims and their families.

Mercedes Tripkovic, owner of Mocha Mocha right near where the shooting spree began, said she was initially worried that people would stay away.

“We didn’t expect anything this year because of the shooting going on so close to the festival, and it was just awful,” she said. “I think most people feel it’s a random thing, but then also you have to be aware that it can happen here or anywhere else.”

The opening of the street festival Friday night included a minute of silence and acknowledged the efforts of first responders, as well as the many others who rushed to help the victims. Tripkovic said she attended the ceremony in Alexander the Great Parkette where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke.

“Tonight we also remember two extraordinary young women, Reese and Julianna who were out for ice cream … and got taken from us,” said Trudeau.

“It was a terrible tragedy that effected us all deeply, we all hugged our loved ones a little closer that night and for the following days.”

On Saturday night, one of the victims injured in the mass shooting attended a #DanforthStrong benefit concert organized by Canadian rock band Billy Talent.

Samantha Price, a recent high school grad, said she was on Danforth eating ice cream with 18-year-old Reese Fallon and some other friends on the night of July 22 when a gunman fired into crowded restaurants and patios.

A bullet pieced Price’s upper thigh, she said, and her friend Fallon was killed. Tenyear-old Julianna Kozis was also killed and 12 others were injured before the gunman ended his own life.

Price was still on crutches at the concert.

Merchants such as Tripkovic said that the weekend started with smaller crowds than usual, but throughout the day things picked up a bit.

Former Toronto residents Russell and Lilly Marshall said they made a special point of visiting the Taste of the Danforth this year, making the two-hour drive from their home in Port Dover, Ont.

“Hey, this is our city and it’s not going to push us away. We’re still going to come, but I think more came just to pay their respects,” Russell Marshall said.

“You know, moving away from the city, knowing how the city has changed and all the violence that’s going on, it really hit home with us. … Our kids are young and still in the city, and it’s like, oh my god.”

Sunday morning started with a little local tradition, families bringing their kids to the street to ride bikes and skateboards in the car-free space before the festivalgoers showed up.

Especially early in the day, before most people showed up, it was difficult to ignore the heavy police presence, with officers on foot, on bikes and in cruisers on side streets.

Big City of Toronto trucks also blocked off major intersections, presumably as a precaution after the Yonge Street van attack in April that killed 10 people and injured 15 more.

“Toronto Police are present at the event and monitoring all aspects for success and safety,” said Toronto Police Service spokesman Gary Long, who noted police don’t comment on their security preparations.

But local merchants could tell a difference this year. Vito Marinuzzi, owner of 7Numbers restaurant close to where police shot and killed the gunman in July, said he was comforted by the extra police officers around.

“They may have always been here, and we’re just now noticing them because we want to notice them, but it feels like there’s definitely a strong police presence, and there are things like the trucks and the cameras that are in place,” he said. “You see what the police are doing, and their presence, and there are trucks parked, and there’s ETF walking, and there’s cameras, and you feel like no, no, we’re totally safe.”