The 2018 Toronto Van Attack

Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History

Curiouscast

True Crime, Society & Culture, History, Documentary

4.8 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 10 February 2025

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Episode 353: On April 23, 2018, a bright spring afternoon turned into a nightmare when a rented van plowed through pedestrians along Yonge Street in North York, a Toronto neighbourhood. In just minutes, 10 lives were tragically lost, and 16 others were injured; one of those later passed away from her injuries, bringing the death toll to 11. The community was left mourning, and the country grappled with questions of how and why such a senseless act could occur. The man behind the wheel was 25-year-old Alec Minassian, a self-proclaimed member of the so-called "incel" community—short for "involuntary celibate." This online subculture, rooted in misogyny and resentment, has been linked to acts of violence, often targeting women. Minassian’s actions that day were not random; they were a calculated act of terror fueled by a toxic ideology that glorifies hatred and violence against those perceived as rejecting or oppressing men like him. Sources: Backgrounder: Yonge Street Incident | Toronto.ca Alek Minassian Case: Agreed Statement of Facts | PDF Alek Minasssian Trial | PDF Alek Minassian Interview | PDF Diverting Hate - Bi-Annual Report September 2023 | PDF Victim Impact Statements | PDF | Justice criminelle | Crime et violence The Incel Rebellion | PDF Exhibit # 6 - Doc-Victim Impact Statement From R. FORSYTH | PDF CJEM-v1n1-Rozdilsky-Snowden.-Toronto-Van-Attack April 24, 2018 episode transcript | CBC Radio TPSNews.ca | Stories | Witnesses Sought to Yonge-Finch Investigation Toronto van attack: Eyewitness accounts Witnesses say they are still struggling nearly 1 year since the deadly Toronto van attack Alek Minassian booked by police after Toronto van attack - YouTube Alek Minassian confesses in police interview after Toronto van attack - YouTube Toronto police on Const. Ken Lam, officer who arrested van attack suspect - YouTube How this Toronto officer 'courageously' got the van attack suspect in custody without firing a shot | CBC News Toronto van attack suspect says he was 'radicalized' online by 'incels' Incels.co - Involuntary Celibate incel lingo.pdf | Human Sexuality Incels (v1.2) by Aleph | Human Sexual Activity Policybrief Violent Extremists Incels OPV - Extremism and Hate Motivated Violence in Alberta - 2 | Extremism | Violence Alek Minassian admits to planning, carrying out van attack | Watch News Videos Online Toronto van attack - Wikipedia Alek Minassian admits to planning, carrying out Toronto van attack | Globalnews.ca Toronto van attacker sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years | Globalnews.ca Toronto van attacker sentenced to life in prison, no parole for 25 years 2021 ONSC 1258 (CanLII) | R. v. Minassian | CanLII Why attackers use vehicles as weapons to kill innocent people in crowds Vehicle Ramming: The Evolution of a Terrorist Tactic Inside the US Democratization of terrorism: an analysis of vehicle-based terrorist events by Ryan Scott Houser Elliot Rodger meticulously planned Isla Vista rampage, report says Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Hey, Mike here. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to Dark Poutine early and ad-free on Amazon music, included with Prime.
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0:58.8	Welcome back to Dark Poutine. I am Mike Brown and I see our friend Matthew is here. My stepfather texted me the rugby results and I haven't watched the game yet. Oh no. Why would why do people do that?
1:06.8	He thought I was watching it at the same time. So he's like, oh, no. Oh, no.
1:12.6	Oops.
1:13.7	Oops.
1:14.4	Yeah, people just assume that, oh, you've got to be watching it live.
1:17.5	It's important to YouTube.
1:18.6	Well, maybe I'm recording it.
1:20.1	I was, but I had to put it on pause because I've been meeting me for this.
1:23.8	Yeah.
1:24.1	And I was like, ah, hey-ho.
1:25.8	How are you doing? It's your first episode back since the big choppy chop.
1:31.9	Yeah, it's uncomfortable.
1:34.5	I'm walking with a cane.
1:35.9	Okay, that's fun.
1:37.0	I'm wearing a diaper.
1:38.3	Oh, that's even more fun.
1:41.1	I'm doing kegles as we speak.
	...

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