Maple Express | October 25, 2026: B.C. Conservatives win majority government, Eby steps down

1. B.C. Conservatives win majority government as David Eby steps down

Source: CP24

CTV News declared Saturday night that the B.C. Conservative Party has won a majority government, ending nine years of NDP rule in the province. At the time interim leader Lorne Doerkson delivered his victory speech, his party was leading or elected in 62 of British Columbia's 93 ridings.

Doerkson promised that "our best days are still ahead of us" and vowed to represent rural and urban communities as well as the province's First Nations. He repeated pledges to triple B.C.'s liquefied natural gas production by 2035 and deliver a $1,000 tax cut for nearly every worker while maintaining and improving the strained public health system. He did not directly reference his campaign promise to repeal B.C.'s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

NDP Leader David Eby announced he was resigning as party leader, telling supporters it was "obviously something I do with a very heavy heart, but it is time for new leadership within our party." Eby was re-elected in his Vancouver-Point Grey riding. Doerkson has been the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin since 2020 and became interim leader only 34 days ago, after predecessor Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned.

2. One dead after stabbing at Mississauga party: police

Source: CP24

Peel Regional Police say a man has died after a stabbing in Mississauga early Sunday morning. It happened at around 4:55 a.m. in the area of Tomken and Kamato roads.

"Police responded to reports of a man that had been stabbed in the industrial buildings behind us while in attendance at a party," Acting Insp. Ian Plummer told reporters. He said the suspect was also at the party. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but the man died at the scene.

Plummer said the incident is isolated and the private party was in its late stages. The suspect fled on foot and police have no information on the suspect at this time. "This investigation is in its infancy and that information is unfolding," he said. Police are asking anyone who attended the party to contact them.

3. 61-year-old dead after two-vehicle collision on Highway 404

Source: CP24

Ontario Provincial Police say a 61-year-old from Toronto has died after a two-vehicle collision on Highway 404. It happened shortly after 6:50 a.m. Saturday in the southbound lanes, south of Steeles Avenue.

The 61-year-old was the sole occupant of one of the vehicles and died after being taken to hospital, OPP said. The driver of the other vehicle, also a sole occupant, was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Police are asking witnesses, or anyone with dash cam footage of the area at the time, to contact them.

4. Four sent to hospital after East York apartment fire

Source: CP24

Toronto Fire told CP24 it responded to a second-alarm fire at 95 Thorncliffe Park Dr., near Overlea Boulevard, at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Fire services said a lithium-ion battery caused the blaze and a unit on the 40th floor sustained severe damage.

Police said four people were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. In a social media post shortly after midnight, police said the fire had been put out.

5. 14-year-old seriously injured in stabbing at Whitby movie theatre

Source: CP24

Durham Regional Police say a 14-year-old boy is seriously injured after a stabbing at a movie theatre in Whitby early Sunday. It happened at around 12:35 a.m. at the Landmark Theatre on Consumers Drive.

When officers arrived, they found the teen suffering from a stab wound. He was sent to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The circumstances surrounding the stabbing are unclear, and police believe it was an isolated incident.

6. Convicted murderer who attended McGill classes back in custody

Source: CP24

Jeffrey Ewert, the convicted killer at the centre of a controversy at McGill University, is back in custody. He had been taking law classes at McGill since the beginning of the semester while Correctional Service Canada conducted an assessment of his case. His presence on campus divided students, with one petition calling for him to be banned and another demanding he be allowed back.

Ewert was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted murder for attacks committed in British Columbia in 1984, when he was in his 20s. According to court records, he strangled and sexually assaulted a young woman after offering her a ride home from a bar; she died. He also severely beat a 15-year-old girl, strangled her and threw her in a ditch. She was found the next day and suffered significant brain damage; she is now blind and a quadriplegic.

CSC spokesperson Kevin Antonucci said a suspension warrant for Ewert's conditional release was issued and "the offender has returned to custody while a more thorough assessment of the situation is being conducted." He said CSC may suspend a release when there are reasonable grounds to believe conditions were breached or the risk can no longer be safely managed in the community, after which the case is reviewed and may go to the Parole Board of Canada. Ewert's lawyer did not offer any comment to CTV News.

7. Americans in Canada urge fellow expats to vote in midterms

Source: CP24

Americans head to the polls on Nov. 3 for midterm elections that could see Democrats seize control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Federal Voting Assistance Program estimates there were more than 430,000 eligible U.S. voters in Canada as of 2024, but estimates turnout among Americans in Canada was about 10 per cent in the 2024 general election, compared with a domestic rate of about 76 per cent.

Tammy Wilsker Mermelstein, a Texas voter who moved to the Greater Toronto Area last year, will be voting in a U.S. election from Canada for the first time. A former Republican who voted that way until 2016, she said she has never voted for Donald Trump and that voting this year is crucial because "Texas is in play."

Georganne Burke, chapter lead for Republicans Overseas in Canada, estimates the Democrat-to-Republican ratio among American expats in Canada is roughly three to one. "Most Republicans are very motivated to vote. They're very quiet about it. They don't talk because they're not received in a very friendly way in Canada," she said. Jessica Matwick, a dual citizen in Ottawa involved with Democrats Abroad and Indivisible Ottawa, said "the attacks on Canadian sovereignty and destructive tariff war are actions I cannot remain silent about."

8. Surging Leafs scorch Oilers 7-2 for fourth straight win

Source: CP24

William Nylander had two goals, including the 300th of his career, as the Toronto Maple Leafs scorched the Edmonton Oilers 7-2 on Saturday. Jack Roslovic, Auston Matthews, Troy Stecher, Zack MacEwen and Vinni Lettieri also scored for the Maple Leafs (7-4-2), who have won four straight.

Anthony Stolarz made 30 stops for Toronto. Leon Draisaitl scored twice for the Oilers (8-2-1), recording his third consecutive two-goal game and extending his goal-scoring streak to six games with a league-leading 12th goal. Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for Edmonton.

Matthews now needs just one point to reach 800 for his career, which would make him the fastest player in franchise history to hit the milestone. Connor McDavid had two assists to extend his season-opening point streak to 11 games, giving him 33 points in 11 games. The Leafs visit Calgary on Monday; the Oilers host Detroit the same day.

9. Alexander brothers to be sentenced for sex trafficking

Source: CP24

Three brothers who once lived at the height of wealth and society in New York and Miami could face life in prison when they are sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. Earlier this year a jury convicted Tal, Alon and Oren Alexander on all counts, including sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

Prosecutors presented evidence of a yearslong pattern of using wealth and social status to lure women to lavish parties or vacation destinations, drug them, then violently rape and sexually assault victims, many of whom were unconscious or severely incapacitated. More than 70 women came forward to investigators, and 11 testified during the five-week trial. Several are expected to address the court at sentencing.

Prosecutors want the men to spend the rest of their lives in federal prison; defence lawyers are seeking the lowest possible sentence of 15 years and deny the men ever drugged or raped anyone. The convictions are tied to crimes from 2008 to 2021, but prosecutors say the pattern traces back to 2001 or 2002, when the brothers were still in high school.

10. Bus crash in Kenya kills 22

Source: CP24

A bus collided with a truck on Kenya's main highway on Sunday, killing at least 22 people, police said. The crash came three weeks after 17 people died in another accident along the same highway linking Nairobi with Mombasa.

Some 24 others were injured and were receiving treatment, according to Paul Kisienya, the medical superintendent at Mtito Andei hospital, which received most of the injured. The passengers were returning to Mombasa after attending the funeral of their church pastor in western Kenya.

Violet Mwandonyi, a mother of two, said the bus had just left Mtito Andei town, where passengers had eaten breakfast, when the crash happened. "I cannot recall what exactly happened. The last thing I remember is that we were all wailing and calling on motorists to come to our rescue," she said. A passenger said a truck hit the bus from behind, causing it to roll. The National Transport Safety Authority suspected "improper overtaking" based on information that the vehicles collided head-on.

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Sources

1. B.C. Conservatives win majority government
2. Mississauga stabbing
3. Highway 404 collision
4. East York apartment fire
5. Whitby theatre stabbing
6. McGill murderer back in custody
7. American expats urged to vote
8. Leafs 7-2 over Oilers
9. Alexander brothers sentencing
10. Kenya bus crash