If a murder happens at St. George and Bloor, who responds to the crime, Toronto Police Services or University of Toronto’s security?
Imagine how the Toronto Star would cover such a story. Most Torontonians know that intersection and don’t need any landmarks for reference. They don’t need to be told that it’s just north of the Rotman School of Management or Robarts Library. The article would simply mention the intersection of the crime scene.
Yet when the Star reports that a 22-year old man is stabbed to death outside Randy’s Sports Bar and Restaurant on Keele just south of Steeles, it can’t be without mention of York University, even though the bar is a good 20-minute walk from the outskirts of the Keele campus.
I would understand if the crime occurred in the Village because the housing district, home to many York students, is a grey area, and anything that happens in the Village is of relevance to York students.
But when a crime, no less the city’s first homicide of the new year, happens off and away from the Keele campus but is associated with York regardless, I begin to wonder if we’ve earned our abysmal reputation through the amount of crimes that happen here or through the media’s portrayal of the university.
If you want more proof, check out the Sun’s and Metro’s coverage. In both stories, the second or third paragraph puts the crime scene on the map by saying it’s across from York.
To be fair, North York, while technically Toronto, is fairly isolated from the downtown core. Other than intersections, York is one of the few reference points for many people in the area. In the downtown core, there is no need for references other than the intersection because it is densely populated, and it’s easy to get from point A to point B on foot.
But when a man the age of the average undergrad student dies somewhat close to York, reporters make the connection to extend the narrative of an unsafe, deadly campus.
Ryerson and the University of Toronto’s St. George campus could be just as unsafe, if not less safe, than York’s Keele campus, and we wouldn’t know, but all we’ve ever heard about the Keele campus is bad news.
I never thought this was a bad thing. In all honestly, I used to think our bad reputation was healthy for the campus, making us strive for better security. But when the first homicide of the year takes place with no real connection to York and falls into our lap, I begin to question what I’ve constantly been told.
By Leslie Armstrong, Editor in Chief
