Friends and family members were on hand Saturday morning as an east-end parkette was formally renamed to honour a Leslieville mother of two killed last July by a stray bullet.
Caroline Huebner-Makurat was walking in the area of Queen Street East and Carlaw Avenue on July 7, 2023, on her way to pick up lunch when gunfire erupted at a nearby community health centre that also operates as a safe injection site. The 44-year-old was struck by a stray bullet and later pronounced dead in hospital. Three people have been arrested and charged in connection with her death while a fourth suspect has been identified but police believe he has fled the country.
Toronto City Council adopted a motion put forth by Coun. Paula Fletcher in April to rename Tiverton Avenue Parkette, located in the area of Logan Avenue and Dundas Street East, to Caroline Huebner Parkette. The park was a space frequented by Huebner-Makurat, her friends and neighbours, as well as a place for her two young daughters to play.
“Renaming Tiverton Parkette to commemorate Caroline’s memory is not just a fitting tribute but a testament to the unity and strength of the community,” read the motion which was supported by more than 570 signatures.