After Gunfire at a Toronto Bakery: A Security and Funding Guide for Targeted Businesses and Community Organizations

What This Means for You

When a small business is hit by gunfire twice in one morning, the immediate story is frightening, but the useful question for anyone running a similarly visible business or community space is a practical one: what can actually be done about it? Toronto police are investigating gunfire and vandalism at two locations of Kiva's Bagel Bar, a Jewish-owned bakery chain, as suspected hate-motivated incidents, according to CTV News and CP24. No one was injured. Based on our review of the federal and Ontario security-funding programs available to at-risk organizations, and of how police recommend reporting hate incidents, here is what to do if you run an organization that could be targeted, if you witness or experience a hate incident yourself, or if you simply want to help.

If You Run a Business, Place of Worship, or Community Organization That Could Be a Target:

Immediate action:

If an incident happens, call 911 immediately if there is any ongoing danger or injury; otherwise contact your local police service's non-emergency line and ask specifically to be connected with the hate crime unit. In Toronto, that is 416-808-2222 for non-emergency reporting or 416-808-3500 to reach the Hate Crime Unit directly. Documenting an incident as hate-motivated from the outset matters for both the police investigation and any later funding application, since several security grants ask whether an incident report exists.
Preserve evidence before cleaning up. Photograph damage, save security camera footage before it is overwritten, and avoid moving physical evidence such as shell casings or broken glass until police have attended, even if the instinct is to reopen quickly.
Contact your business insurance provider promptly to begin a claim for property damage; most commercial policies cover vandalism and property damage from criminal acts, though coverage for lost business income varies by policy, so ask specifically what your policy covers.

What to prepare:

Apply to the federal Canada Community Security Program (CCSP), which funds security upgrades — cameras, lighting, reinforced doors and windows, alarm systems, security assessments, and even short-term security personnel — for organizations linked to communities at risk of hate-motivated crime, including places of worship, schools, community centres, and other vulnerable spaces. The program covers up to 70 per cent of eligible costs, to a maximum of $1,500,000 per project, and applications are accepted on a continuous, first-come, first-served basis rather than a fixed deadline, according to Public Safety Canada.
If you're in Ontario, check eligibility for the provincial Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant, which provides one-time grants of $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 to registered charities and not-for-profits — including faith-based, cultural, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations — that hold regular gatherings of religious, spiritual, or cultural significance in a non-residential facility. Funds can cover cameras, locks, lighting, and professional security. A commercial bakery would not itself qualify, but affiliated community organizations, synagogues, or cultural centres in the same neighbourhood often do.
Commission a basic security assessment even before applying for funding. Many police services, including Toronto's Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design consultants, will review a storefront or facility's lighting, sightlines, and entry points at no cost, and a written assessment strengthens most grant applications.

Resources:

Example scenario: A community centre facing an estimated $60,000 in camera, lighting, and reinforced-door upgrades could apply to the CCSP for 70 per cent of eligible costs — up to $42,000 — leaving $18,000 to cover through the organization's own budget, fundraising, or a complementary provincial grant if the organization also qualifies under Ontario's program. Applying well before any renovation begins matters, since CCSP funding is generally approved before, not after, the work is completed.

If You Witness or Experience a Hate Incident:

Report it even if you're unsure whether it meets the legal threshold for a hate crime. Police services record hate-motivated incidents separately from confirmed hate crimes, and pattern data from incident reports — even ones that don't result in charges — informs both policing resources and funding priorities for programs like the CCSP.
Anonymous reporting is available through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 if you have information but don't want to be identified.
If the experience affects your mental health or sense of safety, call 211 to be connected with local social services and mental health supports, available in most provinces 24/7.

For All Canadians:

Supporting an affected business by shopping there once it reopens is a concrete, low-cost way to respond, and one that community leaders, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, have specifically encouraged in the wake of this incident.
Avoid speculating about suspects or motives on social media before police confirm details. Toronto Police's Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force and Hate Crime Unit are still investigating as of this writing, and unverified claims can complicate an active investigation and unfairly harm uninvolved people.

The News: What Happened

According to CP24 and CTV News, Toronto police are investigating two incidents at separate Kiva's Bagel Bar locations on Sunday, July 26, 2026, as suspected hate-motivated offences. Police received a report at approximately 8:12 a.m. of gunfire striking a window at the bakery's Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue West location; investigators located evidence of a firearm discharge at the scene, though no injuries were reported, according to CP24. A second call came in around 8:30 a.m. reporting a broken window at the chain's Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West location, where CP24 reported no evidence of a firearm was found.

Toronto police said the investigations are being led by the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force with support from the Hate Crime Unit, and have released an image of a vehicle believed to be connected to the incidents, according to CTV News. As of this writing, no arrests have been announced and police have not confirmed a motive, though both incidents are being treated as suspected hate-motivated offences given the pattern of two locations of the same Jewish-owned business being hit within roughly 20 minutes of each other.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called the incidents "vile and unacceptable" and said the city would "continue to invest in community safety and the necessary work of confronting hate wherever it exists," according to coverage of her statement. Adam Minsky, president and CEO of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, said the community was "shaken" and "angry" in response to the attacks. The bakery's owner declined to speak with media at length, telling reporters at the scene that customers should come back another day, according to reporting from the scene.

Analysis: Why This Matters

Based on our analysis of how these incidents fit into the broader landscape of hate-motivated crime against Canadian institutions, two locations of the same identifiably Jewish-owned business being targeted within the same morning is the kind of pattern that typically accelerates a hate-crime classification, even before a suspect is identified, because investigators weigh the selection of targets as heavily as any evidence found at the scene. Toronto Police's own hate crime statistics have shown antisemitic incidents as a leading category of reported hate crime in the city in recent annual reports, a trend that has driven the expansion of both federal and Ontario security-funding programs in recent years.

Historical Context:

Federal security funding for at-risk communities predates this incident by several years — the Security Infrastructure Program, the CCSP's predecessor, was first introduced in the early 2010s and has been expanded and renamed multiple times as reported hate crimes against places of worship, schools, and community institutions increased. Ottawa added $75 million in additional CCSP funding over five years starting in 2026-27, on top of an earlier $10 million commitment specifically to strengthen security at Jewish community institutions, according to federal program documentation.

What Happens Next:

Expect the Toronto Police Service to provide updates as the investigation progresses, and expect calls from community organizations, including B'nai Brith Canada and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, for expanded security funding and faster processing of existing grant applications. Businesses and organizations that have been considering a security-funding application but have not yet submitted one should treat incidents like this as a reminder that approval timelines can take weeks, so applying before an incident occurs remains the more reliable path to having upgrades in place.

Your Action Plan

Immediate (This Week):

If your organization has experienced a hate-motivated incident, file a police report and request hate crime unit follow-up
Photograph and preserve any damage or evidence before cleanup, and contact your insurer

Short-term (This Month):

Request a no-cost security assessment from your local police service's crime prevention unit
Begin a Canada Community Security Program application if your organization is linked to a community at risk of hate-motivated crime

Long-term (This Year):

If you're an Ontario-based charity or not-for-profit with regular religious, spiritual, or cultural gatherings, check eligibility for the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant
Build a documented security plan (lighting, cameras, entry points) even if you have not yet experienced an incident, since most funding programs favour organizations with an existing assessment on file

Other Perspectives

Municipal Government View:

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the incidents as "vile and unacceptable" and pledged continued municipal investment in community safety and anti-hate work, according to statements reported by CP24 and CTV News.

Federal Political Response:

Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said that "when a Jewish-owned business gets hit twice, it's not coincidence. It's a targeted campaign of intimidation on one community," reflecting a view shared by several federal parliamentarians who issued statements following the incidents.

Jewish Community Organizations:

B'nai Brith Canada said "Jewish Canadians cannot continue to be left to secure their own schools, synagogues, community institutions and businesses against escalating threats," calling the pattern of incidents "an emergency," while the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said every Canadian should be concerned about attacks on "places where families gather."

Toronto Police Service:

Investigators from the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force and Hate Crime Unit have not yet confirmed a suspect or motive and are asking the public for information about a vehicle linked to the incidents, underscoring that the investigation remains active and preliminary.

Note: Including multiple perspectives doesn't imply all views are equally valid, but ensures readers can make informed judgments.

Corrections Policy

We strive for accuracy. If you find an error in this analysis, please email us at [email protected]. We will promptly investigate and correct any factual inaccuracies.

Updates:

No corrections to date (as of July 27, 2026).