Toronto police lay charges after busting 150-person party

Toronto police over the weekend broke up what may have been the largest gathering they've encountered yet during the emergency shutdown and stay-at-home order that have been in place provincewide for more than a month now.

Officers were responding to an altercation in an alleyway near Dundas and Spadina early Sunday morning, but heard loud music and the din of people coming from a nearby commercial property when they arrived around 1:30 a.m.

Some of the force's new special COVID-19 enforcement units were called in and found a staggering 150 people or so — none of whom appeared to be wearing masks — packed into a space for a party.

Though some attendees fled the scene, a total of 24 were formally charged under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA).

0510 11:45 $13,000 Worth Of Alcohol Szd. & 24 Emcpa Chgs Laid At Lar...Invst. Launched https://t.co/QRDGVmd8JY

— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) May 10, 2021

A whopping $13,000 of alcohol was also discovered on the premises, giving an idea of just how big this shindig was, as well as how much its organizers blatantly flouted the provincewide stay-at-home order and other public health restrictions currently in place.

Unfortunately, it's not the only large get-together that has been busted lately. Private indoor gatherings have long been banned and outdoor gatherings are limited to only those who live in the same household.

It's been rumoured that the current order, which was already extended once in mid-April, will be extended at least another two weeks from its current expiry date on May 20, into June, depending on how far we can drive daily new case counts down by then.