Maple Express | November 2, 2026 | Two-Alarm Fire at Scarborough Townhouse Sends Three to Hospital

1. Two-Alarm Fire at Scarborough Townhouse Sends Three to Hospital

Source: CP24

Toronto police say three people were taken to hospital after a house fire in Scarborough early Monday morning. The fire broke out at around 2 a.m. on Braymore Boulevard, near Meadowvale Road and Sheppard Avenue East.

Toronto Fire said crews arrived to find heavy black smoke coming from the front door of a townhouse in the area. The fire was subsequently extinguished, and three people were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.

Police say the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but it is not believed to be suspicious.

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2. Fiery Three-Vehicle Crash on Highway 401 in Whitby Kills One, Injures Two

Source: CP24

Ontario Provincial Police say one person was killed and two others were injured in a fiery, three-vehicle crash in Whitby Sunday night. In a news release published Monday morning, police said officers responded to the crash on Highway 401 near Thickson Road at approximately 7:10 p.m., and two of the vehicles caught fire after the collision.

A 43-year-old woman from Kingston was pronounced deceased at the scene. She has not been identified. Two other people were transported to hospital with minor injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. The highway's westbound lanes at Thickson Road were closed for several hours but reopened shortly after 4 a.m. Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the collision, or has dashcam or surveillance footage from the area at the time, to contact the Toronto OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

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3. The U.S. Official Who Derailed Trade Talks Is Now Pushing to Revive Them

Source: CP24

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose last-minute demands led trade talks to break down in August, has become the behind-the-scenes "driving force" pushing Canada and the U.S. to re-engage on a deal, multiple sources tell CTV News. Sources in both countries say Lutnick initiated the re-engagement just over 10 days ago after months of stasis, and has centred the talks on the Section 232 tariffs covering steel, aluminum, lumber and autos because that is his purview.

The duties currently in place are up to 50 per cent on steel, aluminum and copper, 25 per cent on vehicles, 10 per cent on softwood lumber and 25 per cent on certain furniture and cabinetry. Two sources say more formalized negotiations could pick back up later this week, which could bring U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer back into the fold and involve elements outside Section 232 — likely Keystone XL, diesel and energy exports. Sources say the August discussions remain indicative of what a deal could look like: reduced tariffs for Canadian steel below a certain quota, a reduction in aluminum tariffs, and provinces putting American booze back on the shelves. Autos remains the sticking point, with the U.S. offer of a reduction to 15 per cent applying only to cars and light trucks, while Canada wants that extended to larger trucks made in Canada.

In a post on X Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney characterized the last 10 days as "constructive discussions" and said he had a "good conversation" with President Donald Trump on the future of Canada-U.S. trade, with teams working in the coming weeks to deliver an outcome. Trump told reporters Sunday they had a "concept of a very good deal with Canada" and that "we are now very close to having a deal." Sources say Lutnick's outreach coincides by design with increased pressure on Trump ahead of Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections.

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4. Sewing Needles Reportedly Found in Halloween Candy; Toronto and Durham Police Investigating

Source: CP24

Police in Durham and Toronto say they are investigating after sewing needles were reportedly found in Halloween candy. In a public safety alert, Durham police said the candy was found in the area of Ritson Road North and Taunton Road, and officers were canvassing the area on Sunday.

Toronto police told CP24 they are investigating one report of Halloween candy that had been tampered with in the Upper Beaches but had not confirmed a broader public safety concern. Barry Horn said he first discovered objects inside a KitKat bar and a Tunnock's caramel wafer while checking his children's candy in the morning, and by late evening had found three more affected treats, including Cadbury and Snickers products. He said his son broke open a KitKat and found a sewing needle inside, while his daughter noticed a magnet sticking to the wafer biscuit.

Horn said the sharp objects were hidden within the candy and were not visible from outside the packaging. The family visited several streets in the surrounding area, including Enderby Road, Norwood Road, Kimberley Avenue, Benlamond Avenue and Osborne Avenue. In Quebec, provincial police are investigating two reports of needles and metal pins found in chocolate, in Drummondville and Saint-Marcel. No injuries have been reported.

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5. Cause Under Investigation After Two-Alarm Fire at Scarborough Restaurant

Source: CP24

The cause of a two-alarm fire at a restaurant in Scarborough early Monday morning is now under investigation. Crews were called to the area of Sheppard Avenue and Brimley Road after a TTC driver passing by spotted the fire.

In an update Monday morning, Toronto Fire confirmed crews began with an "aggressive" exterior attack of the flames, and the blaze was extinguished after battling "difficult conditions."

A fire inspector and police will attend the scene to investigate the cause, origin and circumstances surrounding the blaze. No casualties or damage figures have been released.

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6. Thousands of OSAP Applications Came From a Single IP Address, Ministry Alleges

Source: CP24

At two career colleges now under the Ontario government's microscope, more than half of the thousands of student financial aid applications last year came from a single IP address, officials allege in documents filed in court. The government has also received more than 200 tips about that network of schools, including allegations that certain recruiters were submitting students' Ontario Student Assistance Program applications at those schools — which is not allowed — and completing their coursework.

The Academy of Learning did not provide comment on the new court filings in response to a request from The Canadian Press, but has previously denied allegations of wrongdoing and says the schools have implemented a long list of corrective actions, including cutting ties with some recruiters and bolstering admissions practices. The ministry's allegations have not been proven in court.

The ministry alleges that 3,136 of 6,001 OSAP applications at the Brampton East campus for 2025-26 — 52 per cent — came from a single IP address, along with five other IP addresses responsible for 100 or more applications. At the North York campus, 3,460 of 6,070 applications — 57 per cent — came from a single IP, and at the Bay Street campus, 1,736 of 6,966 — 25 per cent. The filings show more than 220 tips, complaints, referrals and investigations relating to the three campuses since Jan. 1, 2024. Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn has tasked KPMG with an audit of OSAP payments to career colleges, referred the matter to the Ontario Provincial Police, and paused such payments to all private post-secondary institutions.

In May, the province made six schools — including the three at issue — ineligible for OSAP, citing an "inability to reliably determine bona fide studies," a decision the schools are challenging in court. Quinn earlier this year drastically reduced OSAP grants for students at universities and publicly funded colleges in the name of "sustainability," and The Canadian Press later revealed that costs were largely driven by a small number of career colleges: provincial OSAP grants to career colleges nearly doubled between 2023-24 and 2024-25, to about $1 billion, with the three campuses accounting for one-fifth of that spending.

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7. Syringe Found in Child's Halloween Treat Bag: N.S. RCMP

Source: CP24

A syringe was found in a child's Halloween treat bag over the weekend, according to the Nova Scotia RCMP. Police say the item was found by a parent after the child went trick-or-treating in Beaver Bank on Saturday night.

Police say the syringe appeared to have been used and did not have a cap. The item was seized and no injuries were reported, and officers recommended that no treats in the bag be eaten out of an abundance of caution.

Investigators believe the item came from O'Leary Drive and say they are following up in the neighbourhood. The RCMP are asking adults to be cautious in checking children's treats after trick-or-treating and to report any suspicious items or activity to police. Anyone with information is asked to call the RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment at 902-490-5020.

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8. Canadian Among the 69 Dead in Spain's Train Collision

Source: CP24

Four Americans and one Canadian were among the 69 people killed in last week's high-speed train collision in Spain, authorities said. So far, 66 of the dead have been identified, authorities said late Sunday.

Most of those killed — 54 of the 69 victims — were Spanish nationals. The crash took place last Wednesday when a high-speed train slammed into another that had stopped on the tracks.

Other foreigners among the identified fatalities include one person each from France, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, Tunisia and the Czech Republic. Authorities said three bodies remain to be identified and three people are reported missing — two Australians and one Japanese. The crash in the province of Toledo came just nine months after another collision farther south on the same Madrid-Seville line killed 46 people, shaking confidence in a rail network that carried some 45 million travellers last year. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged an investigation and improvements, one month before a Nov. 29 general election.

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9. With Fewer Canadian Tourists, Nevada Hotel Owner Urges Americans to Vote for Change

Source: CP24

With the number of international visitors on the decline, a hotel owner in Nevada is urging Americans to vote carefully in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. Elizabeth Woolsey, who owns the Stargazer Inn and Bristlecone General Store in Baker, Nev., a small community near the Utah border that serves as the gateway to Great Basin National Park, told CTV's Your Morning on Monday that there has been a noticeable decline in international travel, especially from Canada, due to the actions of the current administration. "For a small business, even a small decline of five per cent tourism is a huge impact," she said.

Woolsey said higher prices from tariffs and national park budget cuts also continue to strain her small business. "We have a town of 100 people, so we rely on tourism to keep our businesses and doors open, and a slight drop in tourism is monumental for a small business," she said, adding that she hopes people go to the polls and "vote appropriately."

Americans go to the polls Tuesday for midterm elections that include contests for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 governorships, including Nevada's. Woolsey said she hopes Canadians and other international visitors will continue to feel welcome: when people from Canada come in, staff ring a bell, give them a free coffee and a muffin, and say, "it's our administration, not us."

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10. McDavid Scores 50 Seconds In as Oilers Beat Rangers 4-1

Source: CP24

Connor McDavid scored on a coast-to-coast move in the opening minute and added an assist to extend a pair of personal streaks to 15 games as the Edmonton Oilers remained unbeaten on the road with a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday night.

McDavid scored his ninth goal 50 seconds into the contest, extending his season-opening point streak to 15 games for the second time in his career; he began the 2021-22 season with a 17-game streak. He extended his season-opening assists streak to 15 games with the secondary assist on Evan Bouchard's power-play goal 9:49 into the second period, and became the fastest player to reach 30 assists in an NHL season — Wayne Gretzky reached 30 assists in 16 games in 1984-85.

Colton Dach scored twice for the Oilers, who matched the 1983-84 team for the best road start in franchise history at 7-0, with Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl contributing two assists apiece. Pavel Dorofeyev scored for the Rangers, who dropped their fourth straight game. Goaltender Matt Tomkins made 27 saves in his Edmonton debut and was named the game's first star. McDavid's goal was his eighth career opening-minute goal, breaking a tie with Mark Messier for the most in Edmonton history.

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