A Toronto father is warning parents to carefully inspect their children’s Halloween candy after discovering sewing needles and pins concealed inside five different treats collected while trick-or-treating. The incident, happened over the weekend in city’s Upper Beaches area when the family went trick-or-treating at about 6 p.m. Saturday evening. Speaking to CP24 Sunday afternoon, Barry Horn explained that he initially discovered the objects inside a KitKat bar and a Tunnock’s caramel wafer biscuit while checking his children’s candy in the morning. By late evening, he says he later found three more affected treats including Cadbury and Snickers products. Toronto police say officers are investigating one report of needles in candy but have not confirmed a broader public safety concern. “If someone has concern about candy that was collected, they can call police to investigate,” a spokesperson wrote. “If this becomes a concern, a news release will be issued to inform the public.” Horn, 53, told CP24 that his family visited several streets in the surrounding area, including Enderby Road, Norwood Road, Kimberley Avenue, Benlamond Avenue and Osborne Avenue. “My son opened up a Kit Kat and broke it open and found a needle inside it like a sewing needle,” Horn said. A second object was discovered inside a Tunnock’s caramel wafer biscuit after his daughter noticed a magnet sticking to the treat. “She had the magnet, and it was kind of sticking… and then when I opened it up, that’s when we saw a pin,” he said. Horn said the family then went through the candy one piece at a time, checking each treat. Three more candies discovered After speaking with CP24, Horn followed up to report finding three additional candies containing pins. Those affected products included a Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo bar, a Cadbury Mini Toffee Crunch and a Snickers bar. CP24 has also received video showing Horn using a magnet to identify one of the additional affected treats before opening it on camera and revealing a pin concealed inside the chocolate. Horn said the sharp objects were hidden within the candy and were not visible from the outside of the packaging. He believes someone deliberately placed them inside the treats, although it remains unclear where the affected candies were collected, as the children visited several homes throughout the area. “This is clearly from somebody putting it in. This isn’t a manufacturing thing because it’s a sewing needle,” he said. Horn said his children had already eaten some of their Halloween candy Saturday night, but none had eaten or handled the affected treats. No injuries were reported. Similar cases in Durham and Quebec Elsewhere outside of the city, Durham regional police have said they were investigating a similar incident in Oshawa. In a statement posted to social media, officials said they are investigating the area of Ritson Road North and Taunton Road. “Officers are currently canvassing the area,” a statement read. “Please check all Halloween candy carefully before eating it and report anything suspicious to police.” Meanwhile in Quebec, provincial police are investigating two reports of needles and metal pins found in chocolate. The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) told CTV News the two incidents occured in Drummondville, in the Centre-du-Québec region, and Saint-Marcel, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. No injuries have been reported in both regions. ‘Don’t be nonchalant’ Horn said his biggest concern is that other children who went trick-or-treating in the same neighbourhood could have similarly affected candy at home without their parents knowing. “What are people doing sitting around their dining room table thinking, let’s just injure some children tonight?” he said. He worries about what could happen if a younger child unknowingly bites into one of the affected treats. “What if it’s a three- or four-year-old that just throws this candy in their mouth, and all of a sudden they bite down on a needle?” he said. Horn wants parents who collected Halloween candy in the surrounding area to be particularly vigilant and hopes police or public health officials will issue guidance identifying the affected neighbourhood. “I think they (residents) should just be aware that this has happened, and… don’t be nonchalant about checking your children’s candy,” he said. The family has no intention of giving up trick-or-treating, but Horn said the discovery has changed how they will approach Halloween in the future. “Of course, it’s not going to ruin it for us, and it’s not going to stop us from doing it. But we’re definitely going to be more aware,” he said. More to come...
