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Vincent Neil Ho, the MP for the daycare’s riding of Richmond Hill South, offered his condolences to the families that were affected, saying聽in a post to social media that the entire community is grieving with them tonight.

“As a father of an infant, I cannot imagine the pain these families are facing,” he wrote. “No parent should ever fear for their child鈥檚 safety in a place meant to nurture and protect.”

“My heart goes out to the parents, children, and staff impacted by this heartbreaking tragedy,” Ho added.

Canadian senator Salma Ataullahjan also responded to the “unthinkable tragedy,” saying in a post to X that her “heart aches for the families, caregivers, and community shattered by this loss.”

Brandon Tito, 32, started to notice more and more traffic along Yonge Street around 3 p.m. while he worked at a dealership about an eight-minute walk away.

Helicopters began circling the skies, and he went to his phone to look up what the commotion was about.

“I ride my bike past (the daycare) every day, and it’s just so unfortunate to hear that something happens while you’re working just up the road,” Tito said.

“It’s very tragic to see,” he added.

Jalili Hakimi, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 13 years, first found out about the crash when he heard helicopters and sirens buzzing around his house, about half a kilometre away from the daycare.

The Richmond Hill resident said he was concerned about the placement of the daycare and wished there were more security measures in place along the glass window.

鈥淵ou can see there is no shield in front of the parking spot, just close to the big glass wall and (there are) kids under two and three,鈥� Hakimi said. 鈥淭here should be a big shield (to) protect as an extra safety measure.鈥�

Looking at the scene of how it happened, the city needs to learn a lesson about inspection, he added.

Education Minister Paul Calandra and Children, Community and Social Services Minister Michael Parsa have cancelled a press conference that was scheduled for Thursday morning in York Region.

The change was made out of respect for those affected by the tragic accident, a spokesperson said.

Both ministers oversee different aspects of early years care and education in the province.

The two also represent York Region ridings; Parsa is the MPP for Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill, and Calandra is the MPP for Markham-Stouffville.

Paul Calandra, Ontario鈥檚 minister of education and MPP for Markham-Stouffville, said in a post to social media that he was 鈥渄eeply concerned by the tragic incident,鈥� and he is “thinking of everyone affected during this very difficult time.”

Residents and employees in the area west of Yonge Street didn’t hear the crash and were surprised to see the sudden influx of police cars and other emergency vehicles arrive at the daycare, blocking some from turning onto their normally quiet streets.

鈥淲e were quite shocked to see all the police cars,” said one woman who answered her home phone after 5 p.m. but did not provide her name.

Broken glass surrounded the side of the daycare, where a gaping hole in the window revealed a classroom in disarray, with scattered chairs and other materials thrown on the floor.

Any parents who have not yet heard from their child can go to Thornbush Court, north of the daycare, Const. Kevin Nebrija told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday evening.

Paramedics told the Star they initially responded with five ambulances, three superintendents, two specialty teams and two buses.

A one-and-a-half-year-old child has died, and six other children are injured after a vehicle flew through the window of a Richmond Hill daycare on Wednesday afternoon.

An SUV crashed into the child care centre near Yonge Street and Nottingham Drive, where 96 kids were attending daycare around 3 p.m., York police said.

Seven children, between the ages of one and three, were sent to hospital in the incident as well as three adult staff members. The one-and-a-half year-old was pronounced dead, a second child is in serious condition and the rest suffered injuries that are not life-threatening, Const. Kevin Nebrija told reporters outside the daycare.

A male driver in his 70s was arrested at the scene though Nebrija says the crash was not 鈥渁 deliberate act,鈥� a distinction they made based on speaking with witnesses. The driver is not facing any charges at this time.

鈥淚nitial information suggests the vehicle was in the parking lot at the time, and for reasons unknown, drove through the front of the window,鈥� Nebrija said. 鈥淎s you can imagine, this was a very chaotic scene.鈥�

All children have been accounted聽for though not all were reunited with their parents at the time of the Wednesday鈥檚 6 p.m. press conference, according to Nebrija who implored anybody affected by the incident to contact police鈥檚 victim services.

鈥淲e can appreciate this is a very alarming call for parents to receive and to attend at the end of their day,鈥� Nebrija said.

Investigators are trying to determine how far the vehicle went into the daycare, with Nebrija saying that it may have gone through multiple rooms.

Parents and guardians going to the centre are being asked to access the building from the north side on Thornbush Court. Police have shut down Yonge Street between Gamble Road and Brookside Road.

Paul Calandra, Ontario鈥檚 minister of education and MPP for Markham-Stouffville, said in a post to social media that he was 鈥渄eeply concerned by the tragic incident.鈥�

鈥淕rateful to first responders for their swift action, and thinking of everyone affected during this very difficult time,鈥� Calandra said.