Toronto Police Busted A Secret Bar Operating Illegally In Downtown Toronto

The people inside tried to stop the police from entering the party.
Staff Writer

Two business owners have had charges laid against them after police broke up a secret Toronto bar operating right downtown. 

In a statement released on Sunday, police say they responded to a call about a noisy party and found a large group of people hanging out inside a building.

The building's doors were locked, the windows were shut, and music was playing inside — and when officers tried to enter the building, they say people inside refused to let them in.

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Once they eventually did get inside, Toronto Police say the business was "operating as a bar."

And they say that nobody was social distancing or wearing any kind of face coverings.

The business in question is located near Queen St. and Portland St., though police declined to name the business in their media release.

Two business owners held responsible for the speakeasy have been issued court summons under the Reopening Ontario Act.

Toronto is currently in the middle of a lockdown, which means that all non-essential businesses cannot allow people inside. 

According to Toronto city bylaws, individuals who break social gathering rules can face a fine of up to $100,000 with a year in jail.

  • Cormac O'Brien was an Associate Editor at Narcity Canada, covering all things exciting and trending about Canada. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Journalism from the University of Victoria, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and was awarded the BCYNA Community News Scholarship for his writing. He was also the producer and co-host of Now On Narcity, Narcity's flagship podcast.

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