Maple Express | October 7, 2026 — Israeli Flags Set on Fire Near North York Church, Police Probe Hate-Motivated Offence

1. Israeli Flags Set on Fire Near North York Church, Police Investigate as Hate-Motivated Offence

Source: CP24

Toronto police are investigating a hate-motivated offence after several Israeli flags were set on fire near a church in North York early Wednesday morning. Officers were called to the area near the Word of Faith International Christian Centre, close to Sunrise Avenue and O'Connor Drive, for reports that multiple Israeli flags were on fire, and launched an investigation.

Toronto Fire confirmed to CP24 that the flames were extinguished and no injuries were reported. Police said they are treating the incident as a hate-motivated offence.

As of Wednesday morning, no arrests had been made and police had not released any information about possible suspects. The investigation is ongoing.

2. Canada Rolls Out Groceries Benefit, but Some Families Say It Falls Short

Source: CP24

Eligible Canadians have begun receiving their second payment under the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, but some say the extra money does little to ease the pressure of rising food and household costs. Formerly known as the GST/HST credit, the benefit provides quarterly payments to lower-income Canadians based on factors such as income, marital status and the number of children in a household.

A single person without children can receive up to $679 a year, while households with four or more children can receive up to $1,826. CTVNews.ca asked readers whether the benefit helped their families make ends meet — some said it was not enough to make a meaningful difference, while others said they do not qualify despite facing financial pressure.

Allen Mayes, 73, of Armstrong, B.C., said the benefit "barely helps me at all." He lives on CPP and OAS and spends about $150 every two weeks on basic food, saying the payment is less than 20 per cent of his annual basic food costs. Guy Helwig of Southampton, Ont., said it helps "somewhat" but noted that rent, property taxes, water and phone bills are also rising. Arlene Campbell, from the northern Saskatchewan community of Patuanak, said residents there have no access to large grocery chains — a jug of milk can cost nearly $14 and a box of diapers $64.

3. FBI Filing Details Tumbler Ridge Shooter's Guns, Including a Rifle Once Seized by RCMP

Source: CP24

An FBI complaint against a Washington state suspect accused of conspiring with the Tumbler Ridge mass shooter provides extensive new details about the guns that may have been used in the attack and how the teenage killer may have obtained them.

The complaint sworn by an FBI agent in Seattle says James Bryant, who is charged with conspiracy to murder in a foreign country, told officers that 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar stole firearms and ammunition from her family's gun safe and hid them in her room "in preparation for a mass shooting." It also says Van Rootselaar told Bryant in online chats that she had convinced another person to buy ammunition on her behalf, and that one of the weapons she intended to use had previously been confiscated by the RCMP and returned.

Van Rootselaar killed eight victims on Feb. 10, including her mother and brother at their home and five students and an educational assistant at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Assistant RCMP Commissioner Elija Rain, acting commanding officer in B.C., said investigators "have made substantial progress in the criminal investigation," but that the release of information has been limited so that investigative theories were not compromised. The FBI complaint says Van Rootselaar told Bryant on Discord that she possessed a 3D-printed foregrip, firearm magazines and a "switch" device for an SKS rifle.

4. Markham Company's First Satellite Exceeds Expectations, a First for a Canadian Rocket Firm

Source: CP24

An Ontario-based company building its own rockets says its first satellite in orbit is working well after hitching a ride on an American rocket. NordSpace says it is now the first aspiring Canadian rocket company to operate its own hardware in space.

"It's operating successfully. Everything's looking great," CEO Rahul Goel told CTV News. "It's a huge milestone for us." Video from NordSpace's mission control in Markham, Ont., shows staff cheering and hugging earlier this month as the satellite separated from its rocket.

According to the company, its Terra Nova satellite has completed its early orbit phase, with all mission goals met so far. NordSpace calls Terra Nova a pathfinder satellite — a test satellite — saying it was designed, built and tested in-house, going from concept to launch-ready in nine months, with an electric thruster and AI-powered cameras. In the coming weeks the company plans to test whether it could help monitor wildfires and keep watch on the Arctic. Founded in 2022, NordSpace has 55 employees at its Markham headquarters.

5. Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M for Friday's Draw

Source: CP24

The jackpot for Friday's Lotto Max draw has hit $80 million, one of the "most exciting draws of the season," the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says. Along with the grand prize, 14 Maxmillions prizes worth $1 million each and 80 Maxplus prizes valued at $100,000 each are up for grabs.

The last time OLG handed over a cheque for $80 million was in April, when two friends from London, Ont., took home the massive jackpot. OLG says Lotto Max players in Ontario have won more than $10 billion since 2009, including 125 jackpot wins and 1,008 Maxmillions prizes.

6. Leader of Canada-U.S. Drug-Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 10 Years

Source: CP24

A 60-year-old California man who orchestrated a cross-border drug-trafficking ring will spend the next 10 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. Parampreet Singh, a resident of Davis, Calif., was sentenced Tuesday for his leadership role in the Sacramento-based operation, which authorities said dealt in cocaine, heroin, opium and ketamine in Canada.

According to court documents, Singh and his co-defendants — Ranvir Singh, 43, of Sacramento, and Amandeep Multani, 38, of Roseville — arranged deals using encrypted apps. Between October 2020 and April 2021, they coordinated sales to undercover officers totaling about 10 kilograms of cocaine, 1.5 kilograms of opium, two kilograms of ketamine and multiple samples of heroin, generating $637,600 in Canadian currency and $75,190 in U.S. currency in deals in Canada and Sacramento.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation, assisted by York Regional Police (YRP) and the RCMP. Singh pleaded guilty on Sept. 9, 2025, and was ordered to forfeit US$2 million. Multani pleaded guilty in 2022 and agreed to cooperate, and was sentenced to time served on Dec. 10, 2025. Ranvir Singh was found guilty by a jury on Oct. 15, 2025, with sentencing set for Dec. 1, 2026.

7. Ontario Pauses OSAP Payments for Career College Students; Association Urges Targeted Action

Source: CP24

Career Colleges Ontario is urging the provincial government to reinstate student financial aid for career college students who were already approved for funds and are actively attending in-person classes. Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn announced Tuesday that the government has paused Ontario Student Assistance Program payments for all career college students while an audit probes what he calls possible criminal activity at some schools.

Quinn also says the government will introduce legislation to make online-only programs at private career colleges ineligible for OSAP. Premier Doug Ford's government first temporarily made online-only programs eligible for OSAP during the COVID-19 pandemic and later made it permanent; Quinn now says a lot of the concerns centre on those programs.

Data obtained by The Canadian Press through a freedom-of-information request shows that not long after those programs became eligible, OSAP usage at a small number of schools skyrocketed — to the point that just seven career colleges had the same amount of OSAP as all publicly funded colleges. Career Colleges Ontario, which had warned the government about possible misuse since 2023, says the government should take targeted action rather than disrupt students who have followed the rules.

8. Re/Max Survey: Canadians Willing to Make Trade-Offs to Afford a Home

Source: CP24

Canadians are willing to make compromises to afford a home that better meets their needs, a new survey from Re/Max finds. The survey, released Wednesday, says 65 per cent of respondents would compromise in at least one way to afford a larger or more suitable place to live — such as living further from city centres or choosing an older home that may need renovations.

The survey found 63 per cent would relocate for a home that better fits their needs, including 47 per cent who would move up to an hour from their current community. Re/Max says the report comes amid a housing slowdown: data from its own brokers and agents shows home sales saw annual declines in 81 per cent of markets analyzed over the first half of the year, while average home prices increased across 56 per cent of markets.

Re/Max Canada president Don Kottick says buyers are identifying what matters most and where they have room to be flexible. The survey also found 41 per cent would reduce discretionary spending like travel and dining out, 24 per cent would extend their amortization period, and 17 per cent each would take a second job or delay retirement or other long-term savings. The online survey was conducted by Leger between July 17 and 19, with responses from 1,532 Canadian adults.

9. Quebec's Only Nuclear Reactor Turns 50 as Polytechnique Looks to Revive Nuclear Studies

Source: CP24

Quebec's only working nuclear reactor is turning 50 this year. Named Slowpoke (Safe Low-Power Kritical Experiment), it produces only about 20 kilowatts of thermal energy — enough to power six or seven toasters — yet carries the hopes of Polytechnique Montréal to revive nuclear science research in the province.

Slowpoke is a "sealed-container in-pool type research reactor," sitting in a deep pool with no cooling towers. Over the years it has been used both for research and to train generations of aspiring scientists. "I think that our biggest legacy is the hundreds of highly qualified personnel that have been formed, the expertise," said Nicolas Godbout, director of engineering physics at Polytechnique Montréal. "And we see a real need to redevelop and ensure that this expertise continues."

Foutse Khomh, the school's vice-president of research and innovation, says Polytechnique is taking steps to reinvigorate its nuclear studies, receiving a $1-million donation over five years from engineering company AtkinsRéalis to create a new nuclear engineering research chair. Reactor manager Darren Hall says the reactor still has about 25 years of fuel left, and is currently used to provide quality assurance for companies through neutron activation analysis.

10. Author Steven Galloway Testifies That Split Was 'Amicable' With Former Student

Source: CP24

Author and former UBC professor Steven Galloway says he was "shocked" to learn he was being accused of sexual assault, and believed he had split amicably after an affair with the former student making the allegation. Testifying Tuesday in his defamation lawsuit at B.C. Supreme Court, Galloway called the relationship "inappropriate, ill-advised and stupid," but said the two maintained a friendship and regular contact after they split in 2013.

His legal action alleges the woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, and others repeated the allegations online and defamed him, setting off the loss of his job as a professor and chair of the creative writing department. Galloway testified he had a two-year consensual relationship with the woman known only as A.B.; in November 2015, while in Ohio for an event, he learned of the sexual assault allegation and was later handcuffed and committed to a psychiatric hospital for 72 hours on a report that he was a danger to himself and others.

Galloway also recounted that in 2013, when the department was interviewing candidates for a tenured position, A.B. alleged one candidate "pulled her into an elevator, groped and choked her"; she did not want to make a formal complaint, but he and two other faculty members "shamefully" lowered the candidate's interview scores, and the person dropped out of contention. Galloway was questioned by his lawyer and has yet to be cross-examined by counsel for the defendants. His wife, Katie Wagner, testified Tuesday that her husband was "gutted" after being accused of rape. Justice Neena Sharma granted continued anonymity to the defendant in the case, which was first filed in 2018.

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