Mysterious mountain of dirt appears in Toronto neighbourhood
Residents of a Toronto neighbourhood want answers after a massive pile of dirt appeared and no one seems to know where it came from.
“It's an eyesore. Look at it. It's a mountain. A three-storey mountain of dirt,” Francesca Pivetta told CTV News Toronto at the site near Old Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue West.
“We can't open up the windows. The house is full of dirt. It's difficult to breathe,” she said.
Those who live in the area said they first noticed the dirt piling up about two months ago at the parking lot of the former Toronto Weston Flea Market, which closed down in 2019.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Gord Autterson rents a plot of land at the Silverthorne Allotment Garden next door and said the residual dust rolling off the mountain is a problem.
“We don't know where that dirt, that soil, is coming from all the dust is blowing over onto stuff that we need,” Autterson said.
A massive dirt pile has been growing in Toronto's Stockyards District for two months and no one seems to know where it came from.
Contractors working in the area who spoke to CTV News Toronto said the dirt did not come from nearby construction projects.
Toronto City Councillor Ana Bailão, who represents Ward 9 – Davenport where the pile is located, could not be reached for comment.
At the same time, a spokesperson for the City of Toronto said in an email that staff are investigating the accumulation of dirt and its origins.
"The City is investigating the activity taking place at 404 Old Weston Road and a referral has been made to the Ministry of Environment for their investigation into this issue," the spokesperson said, adding that a site foreman has "assured" the city that they are working to remove the soil as quickly as possible.
With files from Sean Leathong
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.