Shooting Incident Reported at Canadian Businessman’s Toronto Residence

An early morning shooting occurred at the Toronto residence of Canadian businessman Patrick Dovigi on Monday, reportedly in a failed robbery attempt. Dovigi, the founder of Green For Life Environmental Inc. (GFL), was not in Toronto at the time of the incident, which took place around 1 a.m. He currently resides in New York City.

“We had a guy run up to the house trying to break in,” Dovigi stated in a phone interview. He emphasized that he did not believe he was the intended target of the shooting.

The altercation reportedly began when a security guard at the Rosedale home confronted the intruder. “The security guard yelled, ‘What are you doing?’ and the guy turned around and then fired a shot towards the security guard, and then fired four shots at the door as he was running away,” Dovigi explained.

Dovigi noted that the first shot appeared to be aimed at the ground. The incident was captured on video, which he described, “As he was running away, the security guard was kind of chasing him. He turned back and shot four times at the front door.”

Dovigi suggested the intruder may have been attempting to scare off the security guard to reach a waiting getaway car. “There was a car on the street with another guy in it,” he remarked. Fortunately, the security guard was unharmed, but was understandably shaken by the encounter.

According to Dovigi, the house is under full-time security due to a recent uptick in break-ins in the neighborhood. He speculated that the gunman might have been targeting a pair of Range Rovers parked in his basement.

“This has been an ongoing topic in Toronto for a while,” Dovigi commented. “It’s pretty scary that it’s happening. We’re Canadian because it’s supposed to be safe. But, I don’t know, between these carjackings and break-ins, it’s pretty crazy.”

Following the incident, Dovigi reached out to his neighbors via email to share details and seek assistance with any available surveillance footage. He confirmed that no arrests had been made, but authorities are collecting video evidence from the area.

“I told them exactly what happened, and if you can cooperate with the police to get the photos, that would be very helpful,” he said.

He also indicated that a high-profile sports figure lives at the end of the street, suggesting the possibility that cameras from that residence could have captured useful images. Dovigi remarked, “The police said the problem with these guys is they probably stole the car to come or they’re using a car with stolen plates.”

Residents in the area have reportedly been vigilant following a series of break-ins. Dovigi mentioned a recent incident where another resident, a prominent former business executive, experienced a break-in. “Something has gone wrong in Toronto with all these carjackings and car thefts and break-ins. It’s been widely publicized, but clearly something needs to be done,” Dovigi asserted.

Patrick Dovigi, a former hockey player drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, founded his waste-management business in 2007. GFL expanded rapidly through acquisitions, culminating in its March 2020 initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange, which resulted in a market valuation of $6.1 billion. Canadian Business magazine estimates Dovigi’s net worth at $1.1 billion.