Officials say the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is one step closer to opening and remains on course to finally launch in September as Toronto’s transit agency takes over running trains on the line.

At an event on Tuesday, Metrolinx interim-CEO Michael Lindsay said the Toronto Transit Commission had taken over control of the 28 trains on the mid-town line as various tests continue.

“About a week ago, we moved control of the line from the backup operations command centre to the TTC’s command centre at Hillcrest, which means as of today or tomorrow, movement of trains on the line is actually governed by the TTC, as it will be when the line is in revenue service,” Lindsay said.

Giving the TTC control of the trains themselves takes the line closer to completion. Lindsay said civil infrastructure and driver training are both complete; a 14-day formal trial and a 30-day practice are still necessary before the whole project is officially finished.

The latter will mean “literally run(ning) the system as it will run when it is open to the public with no passengers on it.”

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A spokesperson for the TTC clarified that the transfer of control does not mean the complete transfer of the line.

“The good news, though, is that this week, train operations were transferred into our Transit Control Centre from a temporary control centre as testing, training and construction continue,” a spokesperson said.

“We leave it to the province to announce an opening date when we are confident the line is ready for safe and reliable operations.”

While control of the trains has been transferred from Metrolinx to the TTC, other parts of the line have not yet been given to the transit agency.

Crosslinx Transit Solutions, the consortium responsible for constructing the line, is currently counted as the project manager. When the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is ready to open, the TTC will take on the lead role and Crosslinx will be responsible only for its maintenance.

Empty retail spaces built into the stations will be given to the TTC to fill with businesses once the line is officially done, and control of ticketing and revenue collection needs to be passed to the agency as well.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said Tuesday he hoped the line would still open by September, as previously planned.

“As long as we ensure it’s a safe and reliable system, we’re on track for that date,” he said.

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A 16-month multi-jurisdictional investigation into street gang activity has led to the arrest of 22 people and the seizure of more than $1.9 million worth of drugs, firearms and cash in northeastern Ontario.

Dubbed Project Saturate, the probe targeted the trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine and other illicit substances in the Greater Sudbury area, allegedly orchestrated by two GTA-based street gangs.

In a news release, Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) said a total of 25 people, many from the GTA, were charged with 197 combined offences. Arrest warrants have been issued for three people who remain at large.

A total of 20 search warrants were executed in Sudbury, Mississauga, Hamilton, Richmond Hill, Pickering and Toronto over two days.

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The operations involved an extensive collaboration among several police units, including tactical, emergency response and organized crime teams from municipal, provincial and federal law enforcement agencies.

The first search took place on May 8, followed by a second one on May 29.

Among the items seized were large quantities of narcotics, including approximately 7.3 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and 12 kilograms of suspected cocaine.

GSPS Chief Sara Cunningham said the seizure highlights the broader social cost of organized crime and the urgency of targeted enforcement.

“Illicit drugs pose a serious threat to the safety, security and overall wellness of our community,” said Cunningham.

Police also recovered four firearms, thousands of pills believed to be oxycodone and methamphetamine, a significant amount of cannabis, over $260,000 in cash, digital devices and property alleged to be linked to criminal activity.

“This quantity of drugs seized in a community like Sudbury is significant,” said OPP acting Det. Supt. Andy Bradford with the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau. “We also seized four firearms, which supports the notion that the presence of street gangs brings the potential for gun violence.”

Authorities say they remain committed to identifying, investigating and disrupting criminal networks through intelligence-led policing and strong collaborative partnerships at the local, provincial, and national levels.

“This significant seizure is a clear example of the harm caused by organized crime and the importance of taking decisive action,” said Cunningham.

Anyone with information about illegal firearms or drug trafficking is encouraged to contact the OPP or reach out anonymously to Crime Stoppers.

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