Maple Express | October 14, 2026 — Key Figure to Resume Testimony in Pearson Gold Heist Trial

1. Key Figure to Resume Testimony in Pearson Gold Heist Trial

Source: CP24

The trial in the Toronto Pearson airport gold heist continues today. A key figure who has already been sentenced for his role is expected to resume his testimony at the trial of another man accused in the case. Arsalan Chaudhary pleaded guilty this spring to theft over $5,000, was sentenced to four years in prison, and was given 40 years to pay back $22 million in restitution.

He took the stand Tuesday in the Brampton, Ont., trial of Parmpal Sidhu, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence in the 2023 heist. Chaudhary said he planned the heist with another man still wanted by authorities, and ended up taking 30 per cent of boxes full of one-ounce gold bars.

Prosecutors allege that Sidhu, an Air Canada employee at the time, provided a doctored waybill that allowed another man to pick up more than $22 million in gold and currency from a Pearson airport cargo bay. Peel regional police have said 6,600 gold bars weighing more than 400 kilograms were stolen from the airport on April 17, 2023, after the shipment arrived from Switzerland.

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2. Ontario Bars Three Career Colleges from OSAP Until at Least 2030

Source: CP24

Ontario's colleges and universities minister has barred three career colleges from offering publicly funded student financial assistance until at least 2030, after previously blocking them from the program just for this year. An order issued in May by Nolan Quinn meant six schools, including four Academy of Learning locations, could not access the Ontario Student Assistance Program for the 2026-27 academic year, with most of them fighting it in court.

Quinn's decision followed government inspections that found evidence suggesting third parties were completing the coursework — sometimes entire courses in one day — and a few students who couldn't name their school or program, officials allege in court documents. Three Academy of Learning locations sharing a parent company updated their court complaint this month to say Quinn has now blocked them from OSAP for three more years following a "final" decision by his ministry.

The schools argue the decision was unreasonable and procedurally unfair, saying the ministry imposed new approval criteria and evidentiary standards without adequate prior notice and relied on adverse information that was not adequately disclosed. Data obtained by The Canadian Press through a freedom-of-information request shows the Academy of Learning's Bay Street location went from 996 students on OSAP in 2021-22 to 7,435 in 2024-25, when students qualified for more than $108 million in provincial OSAP grants. Last week Quinn said the government called in auditors KPMG in August and, based on "serious concerns" in their preliminary findings, referred the matter to the Ontario Provincial Police.

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3. Toronto Parents Decry Triple-Grade Class at Alternative School

Source: CP24

Parents at an alternative school in Toronto's west end say it feels like their school is being penalized for its smaller size, after students from three grades were moved into the same classroom following the annual reorganization at the Toronto District School Board. The Grove Community School on Gladstone Avenue is an alternative public school serving students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 6, built around community activism, equity and environmental justice.

Earlier this month the TDSB reorganized staffing at the school, resulting in the loss of one of its five teachers and the introduction of a split class for Grades 4, 5 and 6. The 27 students in the class range in age from eight to 11. Rebecca Singh, a Grade 6 parent and co-chair of the school's accessibility and neuro-inclusivity committee, says 40 per cent of the students in the split class have an Individual Education Plan and need individual attention.

In an email to parents on Sept. 28, superintendent Jhonel Morvan said triple-grade classes can and often do occur at smaller schools when there are too many students for one classroom but not enough money to fund other single-grade classes with a dedicated teacher, adding the changes cannot be reconsidered. The TDSB says there are 85 students at The Grove, with 27 of them in the triple split class. Parents want their classes restored, enrolment caps raised and the intake cutoff extended.

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4. Brampton Woman Charged in Mercedes Identity Fraud in Durham Region

Source: CP24

Police in Durham Region have arrested and charged a woman from Brampton in connection with an auto-financing fraud scam. Durham Regional Police say that on Sept. 30, a woman submitted an online application to purchase a 2027 Mercedes SUV at a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Durham, using another person's identification.

The application included images of ID documents, including a Canadian passport displaying the suspect's photograph but identifying the victim as the holder. The application was ultimately approved, and financing was arranged through a financial institution. Before the vehicle was released, the victim was notified of the purchase and reported it to both police and the dealership as a case of identity fraud.

On Oct. 8, the suspect was taken into custody without incident when she attended the dealership to complete the transaction and take possession of the vehicle. Skylar Porter, 39, of Brampton, has been charged with one count each of fraud over $5,000, utter forged document, personation, possession of identity document, and possession of cocaine. The charges have not been tested in court. The accused was released on a promise to appear at a later date. Police ask anyone with information to contact Det. Stuart of the Financial Crimes Unit.

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5. Toronto Police Hunt Self-Styled 'Spiritual Healer' in Sexual Assault

Source: CP24

Toronto police are searching for a man who claimed to be a "spiritual holistic healer" and allegedly sexually assaulted a victim during a service late last week in midtown Toronto. The incident happened on Oct. 9 near Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue East.

Police say the man approached another person on a public roadway and asked for help finding an address. During that interaction, he reportedly engaged the individual in conversation and represented himself as a spiritual holistic healer before arranging to perform a reading. During that service, he allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, investigators said.

The suspect is described as about 50 to 60 years old with a medium build, long black/grey hair in a black durag, and a full beard. He was last seen wearing a multi-colour long sleeve shirt, a brown jacket, blue jeans, and black dress shoes. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Toronto police at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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6. Stelco President Defends Layoffs in Letter to Minister Joly

Source: CP24

Stelco Inc.'s president is defending plans to lay off up to 500 workers across two Ontario plants, saying Canadian exports of cold-rolled and coated steel to the United States have plunged 58 per cent from pre-trade-war levels as foreign imports continue to undercut Canadian-made steel.

In a seven-page letter to Canada's industry minister obtained by The Canadian Press, Paul Simon described an industry upended by U.S. tariffs, weakening demand and continued foreign steel imports. "Stelco cannot continue to produce cold-rolled and coated steel products without incurring significant losses that are not sustainable," he wrote, adding the company will continue with the idling of Hamilton Works. The Oct. 9 letter says Canadian exports of those products to the U.S. fell by 226,000 tonnes in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the 2024 quarterly average before the trade war began, while imports accounted for 45 per cent of market share.

The letter came in response to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly's demand that Stelco explain how it will honour employment commitments made by its U.S.-based owner, Cleveland-Cliffs, when it acquired the company in 2024. In a statement posted to X on Oct. 10, Joly said Stelco's employment commitments remain in force, adding that all options remain on the table as government lawyers review the company's response. Simon said the layoffs, expected to impact both the Hamilton Works and Lake Erie Works plants, do not violate the company's binding employment commitments.

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7. Canadian Army Races to Adopt Drones as Warfare Changes

Source: CP24

As drone-fuelled warfare rages on half a world away in Ukraine, the Canadian Army's program for rapidly acquiring basic drones is just ramping up. And the pressure is on for the Canadian Armed Forces to speed up its adoption of drones as the technology changes the nature of modern warfare.

Lt.-Col. Jonathan Penney, a reservist who co-ordinates the forces' Minerva drone program, says that while the army feels pressure to pick up the pace, it's focused on finding the right mix of tech for its current needs and on building up the domestic drone industry. The Minerva program launched a batch of tenders in recent months for a range of new drones — from low-cost Arctic surveillance drones for the Canadian Rangers to ground and aerial drones that can conduct cargo supply runs. Another item the army is searching for is a low-cost targeting drone. Army personnel will be testing prototypes until roughly next summer or fall.

The army is expected to complete a new wish-list of drones for design and purchase over the next three to four months — including a breaching drone for dealing with ground-based obstacles such as mines. Army Commander Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright has said he wants to "flood" Canada's land forces with drones.

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8. U.S. Court Denies Bail to Alleged Tumbler Ridge Shooting Conspirator

Source: CP24

A U.S. resident charged with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country in connection with the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., will remain behind bars. James Cody Bryant, 30, was arrested last week in Washington state as part of the investigation into Jesse Van Rootselaar's murders of eight people.

Van Rootselaar killed her mother and sibling in the family home before opening fire at the local high school. On Tuesday, a Seattle judge denied Bryant's release. The criminal complaint filed by the FBI alleged Bryant regularly corresponded with Van Rootselaar online in the months leading up to the mass killing, providing advice, money and assistance, and was also accused of planning to help Van Rootselaar livestream the murders. The United States Attorney argued Bryant should be detained on the grounds of "risk of flight and danger to the community," saying he played an important role in the conspiracy.

Public defenders representing Bryant had argued in favour of release. Their response noted that Bryant "goes by the name Melody and uses she/her pronouns" and said she repeatedly tried to dissuade Van Rootselaar from committing mass murder. The document also noted Van Rootselaar's use of ChatGPT, which has spurred lawsuits against OpenAI filed by victims of the shooting and the B.C. government.

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9. 104-Year-Old Tortoise Gus 'Resting Comfortably' After Surgery

Source: CP24

Gus, a beloved 104-year-old gopher tortoise, is "resting comfortably" following a successful surgery in Halifax on Tuesday. The procedure was planned to remove a bladder stone that was pressing on nearby tissue.

The Museum of Natural History, where Gus lives, says he will stay under close observation before returning to the museum later this week. "Gus will be recovering behind the scenes for the next 8-10 weeks, but we will continue to share updates on his recovery," it said in a social media update. "Thank you to his vet team for their excellent care of our beloved Gus and to everyone for your support and well wishes."

Gus is believed to be the oldest gopher tortoise in the world and has been a part of the Museum of Natural History since 1942.

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10. More Than $4.6M in Illegal Cannabis Seized in Haldimand County

Source: CP24

Ontario Provincial Police say they found approximately 9,110 cannabis plants at a property along Highway 54 in Haldimand County, with a total value estimated at $4.5 million. Police said information they learned from another investigation led them to believe there was illegal activity at the property.

On Sept. 22, a search warrant was carried out by the OPP's Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team, Emergency Response Team, Contraband Tobacco Enforcement Team and Canine Unit, as well as the Haldimand County Fire Department. Besides the plants, they also found 60 kgs of cannabis shake with an estimated value of $20,000, 45 kgs of cannabis resin worth $70,700 and 2.5 kgs of dried cannabis priced at $5,600.

The property was also deemed a safety risk, and following an inspection the residence was ordered closed to occupancy and hydro service was disconnected. Police arrested two people at the property, while a third fled. A 45-year-old from North York and a 44-year-old from Maple were both charged with cultivating cannabis at a location that is not their dwelling-house and possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling. Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP or Crime Stoppers.

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