As summer arrives in Toronto, police and city officials are launching a parking enforcement blitz across the city’s downtown core, targeting vehicles pulled up in no-stopping zones during rush hour.

On Monday, the City of Toronto and Toronto police jointly announced the two-week enforcement action, which will be concentrated on major arterial roads during rush hour.

“Stopping in a No Stopping Zone slows everyone down,” Mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement.

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“A single vehicle can be a big contributor to traffic congestion, especially on our busy downtown corridors. It’s important that everyone obeys the No Stopping signs in these clearly marked areas because we all have a role to play in keeping Toronto moving.”

Toronto is grappling with some of the worst traffic in North America, exacerbated by years-long lane closures on the Gardiner Expressway for rehabilitation work. Reports from local business groups put the cost of congestion at almost $45 billion.

The new enforcement blitz is designed to stop vehicles from blocking key routes, even to complete short deliveries or drop-offs. It will run for two weeks, with another one scheduled for September.

Vehicles found to be stopping those areas face a $190 ticket and the prospect of their car being towed, the city said.

The stepped-up enforcement will run until June 27 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. around Toronto’s downtown core.

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Jagmeet Singh has issued an apology on social media for attending a Kendrick Lamar concert in Toronto over the weekend after receiving sharp criticism from fans and rapper Drake.

Singh, the former federal NDP leader, was spotted inside the Rogers Centre during one of Lamar’s back-to-back Toronto shows, part of the Grand National Tour with SZA. It’s not clear what show he attended, but photos of Singh at the event quickly began circulating online, drawing attention to his controversial attendance.

Drake publicly weighed in on Singh’s decision by posting a screenshot of an Instagram message he sent to Singh, saying, “You’re a goof.”

Singh responded publicly just hours later, explaining himself in an Instagram story. “I went for SZA, not Kendrick,” Singh wrote. “I was born in this city. I love this city. But real talk, I get it. I shouldn’t have gone at all.”

The apology comes amid heightened tensions in the hip-hop world.

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Lamar’s Toronto shows were his first in the city since a highly publicized feud between the two rappers.

One of the most viral moments from the concerts came during Lamar’s performance of Not Like Us, a diss track aimed at Drake. The song earned a standing ovation and chants of “one more time” from the crowd.

Despite the response, the track has sparked legal action from Drake, who is suing Universal Music Group, which represents both Lamar and SZA, claiming the song falsely portrays him as a pedophile and has endangered his safety.

None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been tested in court.

In his statement, Singh made it clear he didn’t intend to take sides but acknowledged his stance over social media.

“OVO and Drake have lifted this city and Canada,” Singh said. “For me, it’ll always be Drake over Kendrick.”

– With files from the Canadian Press

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