News

October 13, 2022

Charges Laid After Multiple Break and Enters in Brampton

Region of Peel – Investigators from the 21 and 22 Division Break and Enter Unit have charged a 41-year-old man from Brampton with numerous break and enter offences.

Between August 11, 2021 and October 12, 2022, multiple businesses in downtown Brampton area were broken into by smashing doors and windows. During these incidents, the suspect stole an amount of Canadian currency along with other miscellaneous property. After an investigation by officers from the 21 and 22 Division Break and Enter Unit, the suspect was identified.

On October 12, 2022, Shane Elliott, a 41-year-old man from Brampton, was charged with the following offences.

• Break and Enter x18

Shane Elliott appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton on October 12, 2022.

Investigators are encouraging anyone that may have been the victim of a break and enter in the downtown Brampton area, to contact investigators if they have not yet reported the incident.

Anyone with information regarding this matter is asked to contact the 22 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at 905-453-3311, extension 2233. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477) or by visiting peelcrimestoppers.ca.

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For media inquiries, please contact the on-duty Public and Media Relations Officer at 905-453-2121, extension 4027.

N/R: 22-286
Inc: PR220266127

Vivian Lane transformed through Activate Downtown Brampton program

 

This laneway has received a bold makeover – turning an underutilized space into a place for socializing, public performances and art!

 

BRAMPTON, ON (September 13, 2022) – The City of Brampton, together with its partners the Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area (BIA) and 8 80 Cities, has transformed Vivian Lane into a vibrant destination for people of all ages as part of the broader Activate Downtown Brampton program supported by the My Main Street Community Activator Program.

 

Vivian Lane has been transformed with a colourful new ground mural designed and produced by local artist Abiola Idowu. He was assisted by over 40 community volunteers, creating a public space that fosters connection and social exchange. The laneway also features new pop-up trees, flexible seating, sandboxes, lighting, and decorative yarn bombing. Through Activate Downtown Brampton, Vivian Lane has been programmed with a variety of activities for all ages including musical performances, art workshops, dementia-friendly community experiences, chess lessons, a pop-up night market, and a wellness market. Much more is planned for September!

 

About Activate Downtown Brampton

Activate Downtown Brampton aims to increase opportunities for social connection, civic engagement and to stimulate local economic activity. The program, started in May 2022, has included free weekly musical activations every Saturday in various gathering spaces across the downtown. Activations have been ongoing during the summer and the Vivian Lane programming will continue through to the end of September.

 

The Activate Downtown Brampton programs will be running until October 11. For more information on upcoming free activities for all ages and how to get involved visit https://downtownbramptonbia.ca/activatedowntownbrampton/.

 

My Main Street is a two-year, $23.25-million investment by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), that is being delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO). Through Activate Downtown Brampton, this series will help build a more vibrant downtown that draws visitors and increases foot traffic to shops, restaurants, and exciting new public spaces, supporting local businesses in their recovery from COVID-19.

 

About the Integrated Downtown Plan

The City’s Integrated Downtown Plan (IDP) is a roadmap for action coordinating Downtown Brampton’s many ongoing initiatives and infrastructure projects while guiding future growth and strategic investment. The IDP team also helps deliver meanwhile strategies – stimulating and leveraging the short-term, cultural value of “place”.

 

Downtown Brampton is undergoing a transformation, beginning with construction by the Region of Peel to replace watermain and sanitary sewers in the area, followed by the City’s work to replace and widen sidewalks, and repair and resurface roads.

 

Activations, such as Vivian Lane, play an important role in bringing energy and vitality to Downtown Brampton.

For more information on the IDP, visit www.brampton.ca/IDP

For more information on Downtown Brampton, visit www.brampton.ca/downtownbrampton.

 

Quotes

 

“Together with our partners, we’re working to revitalize and unlock the potential of Downtown Brampton by creating quality urban spaces and an enhanced pedestrian realm. Thank you to the residents who have taken part in Activate Downtown Brampton events this summer and I encourage those who have not had the chance to join in on the fun see how we are improving our public spaces.”

• Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton

 

“The City of Brampton continues to take steps to transform our downtown and create lively public spaces for residents and visitors of Brampton to enjoy. We thank FedDev Ontario for this key investment, and I appreciate the ongoing collaboration with our partners to build a more vibrant downtown and support our local businesses as they continue to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

• Martin Medeiros, Regional Councillor, Wards 3&4; Chair, Economic Development, City of Brampton

“At the City of Brampton, we are dedicated to improving quality of life for our residents and supporting local businesses through local investments and partnerships. We’ve been excited about the positive response we’ve had to Activate Downtown Brampton and will continue to work to understand the impact of this pilot project and use the lessons learned to inform our longer term Integrated Downtown Plan.”

• Paul Morrison, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, City of Brampton

 

“We are so excited to be working in collaboration with the City of Brampton and 8 80 Cities to activate our downtown this summer and fall and support our amazing local businesses through community placemaking efforts.”

      –     Carrie Leigh Percival, Chair, Downtown Brampton BIA

 

“The Vivian Lane transformation and musical activations have been part of a broader strategy to bring more people into the downtown and to visit local businesses. We are keen to build more of these types of beautification and activation programs well beyond the lifespan of the My Main Street funding. Vivian Lane is a showcase for what is possible for the downtown and our commitment to supporting businesses through creativity and new collaborations.”

• Suzy Godefroy, Executive Director, Downtown Brampton BIA 

 

“We’re really pleased with how the community has come together to help us transform Vivian Lane into a vibrant destination in the downtown.”

• Jiya Benni, 8 80 Cities Project Manager

 

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As one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, Brampton is home to more than 700,000 people and 75,000 businesses. People are at the heart of everything we do. We are energized by our diverse communities, we attract investment, and we are embarking on a journey to lead technological and environmental innovation. We partner for progress to build a healthy city that is safe, sustainable, and successful. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  Learn more at www.brampton.ca.

8 80 Cities is a non-profit organization with a mission to ignite action and challenge the status quo to create healthier, more equitable, and sustainable cities for all people. We are guided by a simple but power question- what if everything we did in our cities was great for an 8 year old and an 80 year old? We believe starting with this question can help create great cities for all people. Our team has worked in over 350 cities around the world leading transformative public space projects.

 

The Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area promotes the commercial area as a vibrant business and shopping district. Through special events, advertising, and beautification programs, we aim to keep the area foremost in the public’s mind as an attractive, pleasant place to shop, to be entertained, to work, and to live.

 

The Canadian Urban Institute is the national platform that houses the best in Canadian city building — where policymakers, urban professionals, civic and business leaders, community activists and academics can learn, share and collaborate with one another from coast to coast to coast. Through research, engagement and storytelling, our mission is to ensure Canada builds vibrant, equitable, liveable and resilient cities. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

For 13 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS

 

City of Brampton Media Relations

mediarelations@brampton.ca

 

Jiya Benni

Project Manager, 8 80 Cities

jbenni@880cities.org

647 800 5590

 

Suzy Godefroy

Executive Director, Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area

Suzy.Godefroy@brampton.ca

 

The World of Jazz Festival celebrates its 6th annual festival with a triumphant return to 2 days of live, outdoor performances in Downtown Brampton

September 10th & 11th, 2022 to feature community, restaurant, and mainstage acts

(Brampton, ON – Aug 30, 2022) After navigating two long years of COVID restrictions on festivals and events, the World of Jazz Festival, hosted by B-Jazzed, returns to its original footprint in Downtown Brampton, a two-day festival featuring restaurant and community performance on September 10th and closing out on September 11th with two stages hosting non-stop, FREE music, a family fun zone, sponsor tents and food vendors from 1pm-8pm in Gage Park. The two-day festival will play host to more than 100 musicians, 17 ensembles, and 8 venues, featuring some of Canada’s finest jazz musicians, as well as local Brampton students and emerging artists.

Festival History

From 2017 to 2019, thanks to an enthusiastic local audience and growing appetite for jazz music, the World of Jazz Festival attracted large crowds to Brampton by presenting live music, cultural diversity, and family activities in Garden Square and at the Rose Theatre. In 2020 & 2021, due to the everchanging pandemic, its constant uncertainties, and the festival and entertainment industry being plagued with cancellations, the festival adopted a hybrid approach, encompassing both live and virtual performances, including a livestream concert from Koerner Hall, Canada’s finest concert hall. With the reopening of Ontario in Spring, 2022, it offered B-Jazzed ample time to consider planning a return to its original festival footprint featuring performances throughout Downtown Brampton across multiple stages.

“As a not-for-profit organization, B-Jazzed dug its heels in to not only survive the pandemic, but to stand tall in the industry as one of the only organizations in the world that found pivots for its annual programming that included live and virtual performances, without cancelling”, says Carmen Spada, Artistic Director of B-Jazzed. “World of Jazz 2022 is more than a festival this year, it is truly a celebration of our organization’s focus, vision, and resilience that not only navigated the pandemic, but ensured that we would be prepared to deliver the events that the residents of Brampton love and come to expect of us.” The weekend schedule showcases the festival’s annual mission and commitment to highlighting multicultural influence in jazz music, while featuring award-winning artists, Brampton-based ensembles and emerging talent. More than 60% of the bands performing over the festival’s two-day schedule are ensembles and musicians based in Brampton. “Considering how many musicians and technicians were without employment throughout the pandemic, the World of Jazz Festival is a wonderful opportunity to ensure adequate compensation for these artists, including over 100 musicians, and over 20 audio/video technicians and graphic designers.

Live Community & Restaurant Performances

The admission-free World of Jazz Festival kicks off on Saturday, September 10th with 10 bands playing live at 7 different Brampton locations, including Gage Park from 10:00am-1:00pm and Long & McQuade Musical Instruments from 1pm-5pm. Acts include Brampton-based ensembles such as Enviro Drum, a group that strictly uses recyclable products as percussion instruments and The Sidemen, playing jazz standards and original music. In addition, there will be live restaurant performances for lunch from
11am-1pm at Segovia Coffee Co featuring Ricky Franco singing Salsa hits, as well as Dinner Jazz from 6pm-8pm, featuring Sharifa Headley singing Samba and Bossa Nova at Mt. Vesuvio’s Ristorante, Antonio Cocuzzo’s guitar duo project at Fanzorelli’s, and Irie Vibes playing Reggae and Jazz Fusion at Lot 25 from 7pm-9pm. Keenan’s Irish Pub hosts Joe’s Jazz Jam, an annual festival tradition featuring a house band and visiting jamming musicians, starting at 9pm.

FREE Outdoor Performances & Family Fun Zone, Sunday September 11th

Gage Park plays host to 2 stages, starting at 1pm on Sunday, September 11th, featuring free, outdoor performances until 8pm in the park. Highlights include 905 Mambo Train, an 18-piece Latin Jazz Orchestra performing arrangements of the music of the orchestras of Tito Puente, Machito, Mario Bauza, and more. Then catch Swing Toronto, a dance troupe dancing the Lindy Hop, Charleston, and other dances from the ’20’s & ’30’s, backed by the Savoy Band. At 5pm, the Dan Bodanis Big Band performs a tribute to Frank Sinatra featuring award-winning vocalist Carlo Berardinucci and the classic big band arrangements of the Count Basie Orchestra that launched the careers of both Sinatra and Basie. Closing out the festival is Oakland Stroke, a 10-piece band based out of Toronto that plays the hits of Tower of Power, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Gage Park will also host food vendors throughout the day, a Family Fun Zone presented by Algoma University, which will feature face painting, balloon twisting, costume characters, a video game truck, and even a LEGO building zone and to top it off, Medix College will be offering free back massages to festival goers at their tent in the park!
“The 2022 World of Jazz Festival clearly has something for everyone to enjoy,” says Joe Asensio, Executive Director of B-Jazzed. “To be able to offer all of these amenities, in addition to world-class, admission-free musical performances right here in Downtown Brampton is not only an honour for B-Jazzed, but a great privilege for the residents of Brampton.”

Community Support

Key to the festival celebrating its sixth anniversary has been the renewed support of the City of Brampton’s Marquee Festivals & Events Fund. This annual municipal investment has allowed the event to grow in capacity and has demonstrated the city’s commitment to the existence of an annual jazz festival. Along with federal grant support from Canadian Heritage, B-Jazzed was elated to receive a 2022 Reconnect Ontario Grant from the Government of Ontario and was recognized recently for this achievement by Brampton Centre MPP Charmaine Williams. New and returning local sponsors include the Downtown Brampton BIA, JN Realty, Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, DUCA Credit Union and Jazzamco, a local advocate for the arts in Brampton.

For the full lineup of musicians, performances, and locations, please visit www.worldofjazz.ca.
Subscribe to the B-Jazzed newsletter at worldofjazz.ca, and follow @worldofjazzfest on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on the latest Festival news.

For further information:
Victoria Miele | Media Relations | admin@b-jazzed.ca | 416-464-0329