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These 5 Ontario school boards recorded the most violent incidents. Will police help?
The number of violent incidents reported in Ontario’s schools grew last year to a point that critics call a “crisis,” with a third of all recorded violence concentrated in just five school boards.
New data, obtained by Global News using freedom of information laws, shows the number of violent incidents in Ontario classrooms has shot up by almost 80 per cent over the past seven years.
In 2023-24, the most recent year available, a total of 4,424 incidents were reported, and 1,497 of those were reported in just five boards.
An analysis of the data by Global News show four of the boards with the most violent incidents reported were in or near Toronto, with the fifth located in Ottawa.
The school board with the highest number of violent incidents in the province was the Peel District School Board.
Last year, Peel recorded 431 violent incidents, a drop from the 717 it recorded the year before. At the beginning of the pandemic, in the 2019-20 year, the Peel District School Board recorded an even higher rate of violence, with 976 incidents.
The Toronto District School Board, which is the largest board in the entire country, reported the second-highest number of violent incidents in 2023-24, with 410. That held relatively steady from the year before, when it reported 407.
There were 237,679 students enrolled at the Toronto District School Board in 2023-24, according to ministry data. The Peel District School Board had 148,917 students.
Dividing the number of violent incidents by student population gives Toronto a rate of 1.7 violent incidents per 1,000 students. Peel is substantially higher at 4.8 per 1,000.
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Third and fifth place were occupied by the two Halton Region school boards. The Halton District School Board reported 237 violent incidents last year, while the Halton Catholic board reported 206.
While Toronto and Peel are the largest boards in the province, both Halton boards have substantially smaller student populations.
The Halton District board is the ninth largest in Ontario, with 67,186 students. The Catholic board is 18th with a student population of just 36,110.
At Halton District, the rate of violent incidents is 3.5 per 1,000 students, compared to 5.7 in the Catholic board.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board had the fourth most violent incidents last year, with 213. It has 77,325 students, the seventh most in the province, and a rate of 2.8 incidents per 1,000 students.
Province offers policing solution
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education acknowledged the growing violence — but suggested the return of police officers to classrooms could be part of the solution.
“The rise in school violence also coincides with the shortsighted decision of many school boards across the province, starting in 2017, to end School Resource Officer programs in schools,” they wrote in a statement.
“This is why our government has introduced measures that will require school boards to work with police services to develop School Resource Officer.”
Opposition politicians, however, fear police could make the situation worse — and mask the need for more funding.
“Police are not the answer to the violence crisis,” NDP MPP Chandra Pasma said.
“They’re not trained mental health professionals; they do not have training in special education, in re-regulating dysregulated children. They can’t provide academic support to a kid who is going unnoticed in a class of 34. So, there’s really no role for them to play in helping to prevent the violence occurring in the first place.”
Joe Tigani, president of the Ontario School Board Council of Union, said the mention of policing was a distraction.
“Throwing more police into schools won’t fix this,” he said in a statement. “(Recent legislation) is nothing more than a smoke-and-mirrors distraction. It centralizes control and brings back policies that have already been proven to harm marginalized students. What students need are more education workers in classes to create the conditions that will prevent violent incidents from happening”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
TORONTO – John Schneider has a plan with his starting rotation now that newcomer Shane Bieber is healthy and ready to make his Toronto Blue Jays debut.
But moments after his team was routed by the Texas Rangers 10-4 before 42,549 at Rogers Centre on Sunday, the Blue Jays manager was reticent about when exactly Bieber slots in this week.
“We got some plans in place,” is all Schneider said.
The Blue Jays announced Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt — in that order — have been scheduled to pitch Toronto’s outings in Pittsburgh against the Pirates on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Blue Jays have Thursday off before beginning a weekend series in Miami against the Marlins.
The 30-year-old Bieber had six days off between his three rehab starts with triple-A Buffalo. He made his last start with Buffalo on Saturday, which puts him on schedule to pitch again in Miami on Friday.
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But even though the Blue Jays’ existing starting rotation of Scherzer (41), Bassitt (36), Gausman (34), Jose Berrios (31) and Eric Lauer (30) are 30 or older, they’re each competitors and thrive on heavy workloads.
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Berrios hasn’t missed a start in his career. Even though he had won four decisions before his poor outing in the series finale against Texas, he appears ready for a rest.
Berrios has gone six innings in only one of his last seven starts.
“I think everyone can,” Schneider said when asked if Berrios could benefit from some extra rest.
“I think whenever you can get guys extra rest, it’s always important, especially this time of year. But at the same time, you’re trying to win every single game you can.”
The Blue Jays (73-52) continue to lead the American League East by five games over the Boston Red Sox with six weeks remaining.
Berrios lasted only 4 1/3 innings against the Rangers, allowing six runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts and homers to former Blue Jays infielder Marcus Semien and Corey Seager.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Berrios said when asked if he was OK with a six-man rotation.
“But (Bieber’s) healthy and ready. I’ll do whatever.”
Schneider, however, still has faith in Berrios.
“When I think of him, I think of consistency,” Schneider said. “There’s been some ups and downs for him and a lot of guys.
“We’re still winning a lot of games, and he’s finding a way to keep us in games, too. He’s the same guy every single day. I’m sure he’s frustrated today that he couldn’t go longer or give up less runs. That’s just kind of how he’s wired.”
SPRINGER DINGER
In his second outing since his 15-game absence, George Springer belted a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
“It was a good day for him,” Schneider said. “He was actually doing a lot when he wasn’t cleared to play. He was getting a lot of reps in.
“I think being able to fall back on what he has been doing so well this year has served him well.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit said Sunday it is probing an incident that saw two Ontario Provincial Police officers discharge anti-riot weapons at a Gananoque man, leaving him injured.
The SIU announced the investigation on its website, saying in a statement that three SIU investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to the case.
A 42-year-old Gananoque man was transported to hospital for treatment after OPP officers discharged their weapons at him inside his home, the SIU said, without disclosing his injuries.
The SIU is an independent Ontario government agency that investigates the conduct of municipal, regional and provincial police officers.
According to the SIU, “preliminary information” suggests officers with the Gananoque Police Service were dispatched to the area of Second Street and Victoria Avenue at around 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 15, for reports of “a disturbance in the neighborhood.”
Officers discovered that a man had allegedly barricaded himself inside a residence. OPP officers were dispatched to assist, the SIU said.
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Shortly before midnight, the SIU said, OPP officers entered the residence and were met by the man who was allegedly armed with “edged weapons.”
Two officers discharged their anti-riot weapons (ARWENs) and released their service dog. ARWENS are described as non-lethal weapons.
According to the statement, the man was transported to hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.
An SIU spokeswoman said the man remains in hospital Sunday afternoon.
“Investigators are awaiting confirmation as to the nature of his injuries,” the SIU spokeswoman said.
The SIU urges anyone in Gananoque who was near or at the scene who may have information about this investigation, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at: https://siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php
The SIU is called to investigate incidents involving the discharge of a firearm at a person by police in Ontario, as well as incidents that may have resulted in death, serious injury, or sexual assault.
All investigations are conducted by civilian SIU investigators. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, once a probe is finished, the SIU director must consider whether the officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident investigated.
Depending on the evidence, the SIU decides whether a criminal charge should be laid where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid.
The SIU must publicly report the results of all investigations.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
TORONTO – Solo homers from Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were the only blemishes in Nathan Eovaldi’s effective seven innings as the Texas Rangers managed a 10-4 win in the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
Former Blue Jays infielder Marcus Semien and Wyatt Langford smacked two-run homers in the second and sixth innings, respectively, to help the Rangers (62-63) end a four-game slide.
Eovaldi (11-3) allowed five hits, striking out six with no walks in his 97-pitch performance.
The Rangers enjoyed a 2-0 lead when Kirk hit his homer in the second inning and were ahead 8-1 when Guerrero belted his 439-foot monster to left field for his 21st with two out in the sixth inning.
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Jose Berrios (9-5) was not sharp as his four-game win streak came to an end, as did the Blue Jays’ (73-52) three-game run before 42,549 at Rogers Centre.
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He lasted only 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on 10 hits, including the two homers. He struck out two Rangers.
The Rangers enjoyed a 5-1 advantage after Jake Burger’s single scored Semien, and a two-out single from catcher Jonah Heim scored two more. All three runs came with two out in the fourth.
George Springer belted a two-run homer in the eighth inning off reliever Hoby Milner in Springer’s second game back after missing 15 outings with a concussion.
Evan Carter answered with a two-run blast in the ninth.
Takeaways
Rangers: After going hitless in his first eight at-bats in the series, two-time World Series champion and MVP Corey Seager knocked a one-out solo shot down the left-field line in the fifth inning.
Blue Jays: Named Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt as starters against the Pittsburgh Pirates, meaning newcomer Shane Bieber likely will make his debut against the Miami Marlins on Friday.
Key moment
Heim’s bouncer up the middle cashed in two runs in the fourth inning to increase Texas’s lead to 5-1. Like Semien, Heim enjoyed a three-hit outing.
Key stat
The Blue Jays missed a chance for their 10th series sweep, which would have matched them with the Milwaukee Brewers for the most in 2025.
Up next
Toronto begins a six-game road trip in Pittsburgh on Monday and concludes with a weekend series in Miami.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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