A North York neighbourhood is reeling after a toddler fell to her death from a high‑rise apartment building, a tragedy that has left residents shaken and demanding clarity on how such a devastating incident could occur.
The fall happened Sunday at 50 Graydon Hall Drive, a 19‑storey rental tower in the Don Mills Road area. Residents say they heard the sound of shattering glass just moments before realizing a young child — believed to be a girl around two years old — had plunged from a window high above and landed in a grassy area below.
Several neighbours described hearing a mother’s anguished screams.
“I couldn’t work [Sunday], it was very bad, we had to take some time off,” one man said.
The same building resident, who heard the crash, said the woman cried out in Hindi for her child as neighbours rushed to help and called 911. The toddler could not be saved.
“She was down there, they lifted her, and I saw another person from the apartment and asked if she had called 911.”
Inside one unit, resident Lorraine showed how the building’s original windows are configured. She said the glass is thin and the fixed panes are decades old, though safety restrictors have been added to prevent windows from opening fully. The building, constructed in 1970, was once adults‑only but has since become home to many families.
“The windows are not very good in this building, but they installed stuff so that we can’t open the window fully,” she said.
The North York property is registered with RentSafeTO, the city’s building‑maintenance oversight program. Its most recent inspection, in August 2025, gave the building a score of 93 per cent, with windows listed as being in good condition. But residents say they have long been concerned about aging infrastructure.
Lorraine, who has lived in the building for 14 years, said she is not aware of any window replacements during her time there.
“Not replaced to my knowledge.”
This is the second fatal fall involving a child in Toronto in just two weeks. In late April, a six‑year‑old girl died after falling from the 28th floor of a Rexdale apartment, a case that also raised questions about window safety in older high‑rises.
Residents at Graydon Hall say they are heartbroken, with many telling CityNews they constantly warn their children to stay away from windows and balconies, even with safety locks in place.
One mother said she never opens her balcony door at all, calling the thought of a fall her “worst nightmare.”
“I am constantly telling my boys away from the windows, away from the balcony,” she explained.
Property management and the City of Toronto declined to comment Monday, citing the ongoing police investigation. Toronto police have not confirmed how the child fell, and the circumstances remain under investigation.