Maple Express | October 29, 2026 — Father and two daughters shot in Toronto home invasion

1. Father and two daughters shot during home invasion in Toronto's Bridle Path

Source: CP24

Toronto police say three masked suspects armed with handguns and a hammer broke into a home on Hyde Park Circle, near Bayview and Lawrence avenues, at around 3:45 a.m. Thursday. Once inside through a rear door, they confronted a husband and wife and their two adult daughters, and a struggle ensued in which the father and both daughters were shot. One person was also struck with a hammer.

Insp. Kristy Smith of the Toronto Police Service's Hold Up squad told reporters at the scene that all four victims were rushed to hospital, while the suspects fled in an SUV before first responders arrived. Police initially said two victims had life-threatening injuries, but Smith later confirmed those injuries are now believed to be life-altering; two victims remain in hospital.

Smith said the suspects made a demand for valuables but it is not clear whether they escaped with any belongings. She said police have no information suggesting the home was specifically targeted, describing the neighbourhood as "an affluent area where people would have things that are sought after." She also confirmed investigators are looking into whether a gunshot victim who walked into a local hospital shortly afterwards is connected. Neighbour Cecil Hawkins called it "a terrible shock and tragedy."

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2. University Health Network receives landmark $35-million donation for transplant work

Source: CP24

The University Health Network in Toronto announced Thursday that it has received a landmark $35-million donation to build a new transplant institute. The gift comes from the Ajmeras, a Toronto family who created FGF Group of Companies, described by UHN as Canada's largest industrial baker.

UHN said the $35 million brings the family's total donations to the network to $62 million and makes them the largest known single-family philanthropic donors to transplant medicine globally. "This gift will create the environment necessary to launch ambitious new research programs, increase commercialization, and drive meaningful change in the lives of patients around the world," UHN Foundation CEO Julie Quenneville said in a statement.

According to UHN, demand for organ transplantation is growing rapidly as rates of chronic disease rise and more patients progress to end-stage organ failure, with many dying while waiting for a life-saving organ. The network said it performed a record-breaking 820 transplants in 2025 and 2026, including the most lung transplants anywhere in the world. Ontario Premier Doug Ford attended Wednesday night's presentation of the donation and called the gift "incredibly generous."

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3. Cancer patient says 911 operator told her she wasn't 'sick enough' for an ambulance

Source: CP24

Felicia Giordanella, a 63-year-old cancer patient from East York, says that this past May she had been sick for five or six days with post-chemo side effects and what she believes was a gastro virus. Dehydrated and barely able to walk, she called 911 to request an ambulance — and says she was told her symptoms were not serious enough and no ambulance would be dispatched.

"I was just in shock," Giordanella said. She recalled the struggle of calling an Uber to get to hospital and worrying during the ride that she would get sick in the vehicle. She was hospitalized for three days after reaching the emergency room, where she said the triage nurse was appalled that she had been denied an ambulance. After being discharged she filed a complaint with the City of Toronto, but four months passed without a response.

In a statement to CTV News, a Toronto Paramedic Services spokesperson said a review found the 911 call "was handled correctly and in line with our established procedures," noting the service uses an accredited system that prioritizes calls based on patient severity and the information provided by callers, and that some callers may be referred to Health811. The spokesperson also acknowledged the time between receiving the complaint and communicating the outcome was lengthy and apologized for the frustration. The service responded to about 390,000 emergency calls in 2025.

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4. Pedestrian killed after being struck by truck driver in Toronto's east end

Source: CP24

Toronto police say officers responded to the area of Millwood Road and Overlea Boulevard at approximately 9 a.m. Thursday for reports of a pedestrian-involved collision. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, and police say the driver remained at the scene.

Several road closures are in effect as a result of the crash, including Overlea Boulevard between Leaside Park Drive and Millwood Road, and Millwood Road between Redway Road and Pape/Donlands Avenues. Drivers are being advised to use alternate routes.

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5. Fog causes Pearson delays as Toronto eyes a possible temperature record

Source: CP24

NAV Canada says flight delays were reported at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Thursday morning due to exceptionally foggy conditions, though the exact number of flights affected is not clear. Toronto is under a fog advisory, with Environment Canada warning of near-zero visibility in some areas.

The fog is expected to clear later in the morning and set the stage for potentially record-breaking warmth in the afternoon. Environment Canada is calling for a high of 22 C; the warmest Oct. 29 on record was in 1946, when the temperature hit 22.2 C. CP24 meteorologist Bill Coulter said "Mother Nature is dealing us a very gentle hand," noting most days in the long-range forecast look to be at or above the norm with more dry days than not.

There is a chance of showers Thursday afternoon, with temperatures dropping to a low of 8 C overnight. Friday is expected to reach 14 C, about four degrees warmer than normal for this time of year. Halloween on Saturday should cooperate with trick-or-treaters — mainly sunny skies, light winds and a high of 14 C — while Sunday and Monday are forecast to hit 16 C and 15 C respectively.

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6. Eastbound Hwy. 401 express lanes reopen in Scarborough after incident

Source: CP24

The eastbound express lanes of Highway 401 in Scarborough, just east of Markham Road, have fully reopened following an incident.

CP24 traffic specialist Lisa Morales confirmed Thursday morning that traffic was blocked in the eastbound express lanes through Morningside Avenue, with a large number of emergency crews on scene. She advised drivers that the collector lanes would come in handy.

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7. Belleville police officer shot in synagogue attack released from hospital

Source: CP24

Const. Jeff Smith, the Belleville, Ont., police officer who was shot while confronting a gunman outside a local synagogue, has been released from hospital. Belleville police said Smith continues to make positive progress and is recovering well at home, and that he and his family remain "incredibly grateful" for the support shown by the community and beyond over the past several weeks.

Smith was injured on Sept. 20, 2026, when a man identified as Sean Ward, a former Canadian Armed Forces soldier, opened fire on the Sons of Jacob Synagogue during Yom Kippur observances.

Belleville Police Chief Murray Rodd said Smith was stationed outside the synagogue and was hit by gunfire while inside his cruiser. Despite being shot, Smith returned fire before another officer, Const. Mike McCurdy, arrived and joined the gunfight. Ward died of his injuries in hospital. Rodd said Smith suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was expected to undergo several surgeries on his road to recovery.

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8. Joly says she will meet Stelco's owners only if laid-off workers are recalled

Source: CP24

Industry Minister Melanie Joly says she is open to meeting the top executives at Stelco's parent company, but only if it recalls laid off workers. In a letter to Stelco's president and general counsel, Paul Simon, she wrote that workers who have been laid off or received layoff notices "must be recalled immediately," and that she expects Stelco and Cleveland-Cliffs to provide "a concrete and credible plan for the re-engagement of those workers."

Cleveland-Cliffs, which owns Stelco, announced last month that it would eliminate 500 jobs and close part of its plant in Hamilton, Ont., pointing to U.S. tariffs, weak demand for Canadian steel and competition from imports. United Steelworkers Local 1005 president Ron Wells confirmed the layoffs have been contained to the Hamilton plant, though Stelco's Lake Erie Works site could also come into play.

When Cleveland-Cliffs acquired Stelco for $3.4 billion in 2024, it signed a five-year undertaking with the federal government to maintain the same number of unionized employees. Joly last week demanded the company address alleged violations of those commitments under the Investment Canada Act or face potential legal action, and on Thursday said Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves — who previously voiced support for U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel — must now "face the consequences," pointing to a potential forced divestiture option. Goncalves said Wednesday he hopes to bring laid-off workers back before Christmas if a plan to boost domestic sales succeeds.

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9. Montreal's 'raccoon guy' collects more than $110,000 in crypto fees

Source: CP24

A Montreal man known as the "raccoon guy" says he has made over $110,000 in transaction fees from an obscure cryptocurrency named after his adopted pet. The "Pepper" coin was launched on Oct. 10 by an online trader using the name "Hiruzen," who said he named it after Louka Berman's raccoon.

Berman said Hiruzen contacted him and offered to partner with him so he could collect the transaction fees. He acknowledged he "didn't know how it worked" and said he doesn't want to be "on the side of someone profiting from something that, in the end, will mean there are some people suffering." He confirmed he has used about $20,000 for personal expenses and to pay off debt, and plans to use the rest to build an animal sanctuary — a project he estimates will cost $400,000 and for which he has started applying for permits.

The coin trades on a platform called Pump.fun, which Quebec's financial market regulator added to its investor warnings list on Sept. 25 because it is not registered and is not allowed to solicit investors in the province. Regulator spokesperson Sylvain Théberge said investors who lose money on such platforms have no recourse. The Pepper coin peaked at around $2.8 million in value between Oct. 14 and 15 and had fallen to about $240,000 on Wednesday; McGill University professor Katrin Tinn said it is "very similar to other cryptocurrencies which don't have something backing them."

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10. London police hate crimes unit investigating video of alleged racist incident at Western

Source: CP24

The London Police Service has confirmed its Hate Crime Unit is investigating an alleged hate-related incident on the Western University campus, much of which was captured on cell phone video. The video, lasting two minutes and 45 seconds, appears to show a verbal altercation between a man in a car marked with business logos and a group of women; the sender says children were present.

In the video, a woman wearing a hijab says the man told her to take it off and that "Muslims don't belong here." When another woman says she was born in Canada, the man replies, "You weren't born here. You're Pakistani," and tells the group, "It's not Christian values. This is my country." CTV News tracked the man down; he identified himself only as Tom, said the incident began when the woman flipped him the middle finger, and described himself as "a nationalist."

Abd Alfatah Twakkal, chair of the Council of London Imams, called the contents "quite vile, racist, Islamophobic." The National Council of Canadian Muslims said provincial and federal governments need to sit down with the community to build a strategy against Islamophobia. Western said it "does not tolerate hate or discrimination" and is working with all levels of government and London police. After learning of the police investigation, Tom apologized, saying "I did do a nasty thing," and said he would contact police.

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