Maple Express | July 30, 2026 Ontario's First Family Doctor Medical School Gets $55.8M in Funding

📰 EXCLUSIVE: Ontario's First Family Doctor Medical School Gets $55.8M from Ford Government, Set to Open in 2028

The Ontario government is committing $55.8 million to York University's School of Medicine, the province's first medical school dedicated entirely to training family doctors. The school is scheduled to welcome its first cohort of students in August 2028 on a site adjacent to Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

The Ontario Medical Association estimated in December that 2.5 million Ontarians lack access to primary care—a number expected to grow as many physicians approach retirement. The Ford government has committed $3.4 billion to connect every Ontarian to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029.

Nolan Quinn, Ontario's Minister of Colleges, Universities, and Research Excellence, said York University will play a major role in ensuring the province has enough family physicians. The school will start with 80 undergraduate and 102 postgraduate seats, eventually expanding to 240 undergrad and 293 postgrad positions. York Region has committed $25 million to the project, Vaughan has donated the land, and the province previously provided a $9 million planning grant.

— CP24

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📰 CBC Identifies Canadian Woman Accused of Spying at NATO Military HQ

A CBC News investigation has identified the Canadian woman recently arrested by Belgian authorities on espionage charges as Biwei Zhang, a systems engineer with a background in economics. Her online resume suggests she previously worked for the Canadian Space Agency and Statistics Canada before her internship at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.

Belgian federal prosecutors said the suspect's home and workplace at SHAPE were searched last Thursday, and she was arrested a day later on charges of espionage and participation in a criminal organization. Zhang uses the name Claire Zhang professionally and Catina Zhang on Facebook.

CBC matched Belgian authorities' description of the suspect—a Canadian national of Chinese origin—with identifying information on Zhang's LinkedIn, Facebook, and Threads profiles, as well as her graduate thesis and a federal court case. Belgian courts do not publicly name defendants before trial, and the prosecutor's office declined to confirm her identity, citing presumption of innocence protections.

— CBC News

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📰 She Thought She Did Everything Right for a Canadian Work Permit. Now She's One of Hundreds Being Denied

Hundreds of international graduates have been staging ongoing protests near Portage College's main campus in downtown Calgary after their post-graduate work permit applications were abruptly refused. The students graduated from three diploma programs under a joint CIOT-Portage partnership and had followed all rules in place at the time.

Immigration lawyer Amir Zarei said the students had a legitimate expectation of receiving work permits based on the department's guidelines at the time. In June, however, Immigration Canada quietly updated its website to clarify eligibility requirements related to non-credit programs—a move immigration consultant Mandeep Lidher described as an entirely new criterion.

Experts warn this could be the beginning of a wider crackdown. There's no reason why Portage is special, said Toronto immigration lawyer Zarei. There are other non-credit programs being offered through private-public partnerships in other provinces. This opens the door for Immigration to go after hundreds more. For many international students whose working-class families invested heavily in their Canadian education, the denials represent devastating losses.

— Toronto Star

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📰 E-Scooter Rider Dead Following Collision in Toronto's Port Lands

A male e-scooter rider has died following a collision with a minivan near Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto's Port Lands on Wednesday night. Police received the call at 7:41 p.m. for the collision at Leslie Street and Unwin Avenue.

Emergency crews found the victim suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was rushed to a trauma centre where he was later pronounced dead. His identity has not been released. The driver of the minivan remained at the scene.

Duty Inspector Dan Pravica confirmed this is Toronto's 30th traffic fatality of the year. The rider was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Police are collecting evidence including dashcam footage and witness statements. Anyone with information is asked to contact Traffic Services at 416-808-1900.

— CP24

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📰 Toronto City Council Votes 25-1 to Demand Repeal of Ford's Billy Bishop Airport Law

Toronto city council voted overwhelmingly 25-1 on Wednesday to pass Mayor Olivia Chow's motion demanding the Ford government repeal provincial legislation that gives it the power to seize city land for the now-stalled Billy Bishop airport expansion. The lone dissenting vote came from Councillor Stephen Holyday.

The federal government said last week it had decided not to pursue the airport expansion at this stage. During a heated council debate, Chow and mayoral candidate Councillor Brad Bradford clashed over when city officials knew about the expansion plans. Bradford pointed to lobbyist registry records showing Chow's staff were lobbied by Nieuport Aviation, owners of the island airport terminal, before Ford formally announced his jets vision in March.

Ontario's transportation minister has insisted the airport expansion isn't dead and the province has no intention of repealing the law, setting the stage for an ongoing battle between city hall and Queen's Park over the waterfront land.

— Toronto Star

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📰 Lithium-Ion Battery Fires on Track to Hit 100 in Toronto This Year, a 250% Spike Since 2022

Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop is sounding the alarm following a sharp increase in explosions caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries. On Sunday morning, a home in southeast Scarborough was fully engulfed in flames after a lithium-ion battery explosion triggered thermal runaway. Neighbouring video footage captured the e-bike catching fire and exploding multiple times, sending fragments scattering across the area.

No injuries were reported, but several residents have been displaced. Unfortunately, another e-bike fire in our city, which almost is becoming the norm as opposed to the exception, Jessop said.

Toronto Fire Services recorded 29 lithium-ion battery fires in 2022, rising to 71 in 2025. As of July 27, 2026, the department has already responded to 50 such calls. At this pace, the city is on track for at least 100 fires this year—a 250 per cent increase since 2022. Jessop noted that most fires involve uncertified batteries, overcharging, or modified devices.

— CP24

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📰 Toronto Hip-Hop Artist Running the Entire Length of Yonge Street to Raise Awareness for Homelessness

Canadian hip-hop artist DillanPonders, whose real name is Dillan King, is taking on an 86-kilometre run covering the full length of Yonge Street on Thursday to raise funds and awareness for homelessness. He will start at Green Lane in East Gwillimbury and head south to Lake Ontario.

King, who experienced homelessness himself about a decade ago, said one of the most painful aspects was this feeling of being invisible. He wants to spark conversations about the human beings experiencing homelessness rather than treating it as an unchangeable part of society. He also volunteers with Carol and Crew, a self-funded group that feeds people experiencing homelessness in downtown Toronto every weekend.

This isn't King's first extreme challenge—in the summer of 2024, he ran 100 marathons in 100 days to raise awareness about men's mental health. He sees mental health and homelessness as deeply intertwined, sharing that mental health issues were the reason he became unhoused. He is raising funds for the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

— CP24

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📰 Poll: More Than 7 in 10 Ontarians Disapprove of Doug Ford's Performance as Premier

A new poll from Liaison Strategies shows Ontario Premier Doug Ford's approval rating has dropped to just 24 per cent, with 72 per cent of respondents saying they disapprove of his performance—the lowest approval and highest disapproval ever recorded in this tracking poll. The Ontario Liberals now lead with 38 per cent support among decided and leaning voters, followed by the Progressive Conservatives at 33 per cent, the NDP at 24 per cent, and the Greens at 2 per cent.

Pollster David Valentin noted that while the survey did not directly ask voters about the ongoing hotel expense scandal, the controversy reinforces a bad frame when an incumbent premier is already at such low approval. The scandal involves multiple GTA-area MPPs claiming tens of thousands of dollars in Toronto hotel expenses.

Ford has called the expense claims unacceptable and directed MPPs to repay every single penny, but Liberal Leader John Fraser continues to criticize PC caucus members for living large at taxpayer expense.

— CP24

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📰 PM Carney Rejects Using Oil Exports as Leverage Against U.S. Amid Tariff Fight

Prime Minister Mark Carney is pouring cold water on the idea of throttling oil exports to the United States as the trade war with Donald Trump escalates and a new round of steep American tariffs looms on August 19. Speaking in Red Deer, Alberta, Carney said he doesn't see the benefit for Canada in restricting oil exports, emphasizing that being a reliable supplier is important.

Carney's position contrasts sharply with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has called for Canada to consider all options—including limiting oil, potash, and mineral exports—so that the U.S. feels the pain of the trade conflict. The White House announced last week it would impose 50 per cent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, citing provincial liquor boycotts and Canadian dairy protections.

Opposition parties have accused Carney of caving to the Trump administration on other fronts, including sharing Gordie Howe bridge revenues and removing Canadian content fund requirements for American streaming companies. Carney had previously said everything is on the table if Trump follows through with tariffs, but has now explicitly ruled out the energy weapon.

— Toronto Star

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📰 WestJet Flight Attendants' Union Serves 72-Hour Strike Notice

The union representing 4,400 WestJet flight attendants has issued a 72-hour strike notice, paving the way for a possible strike during the busy summer travel season. CUPE says the two sides remain far apart on key issues including wages and scheduling.

WestJet responded immediately by issuing its own 72-hour lockout notice, though CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the airline is still actively negotiating to reach a deal. If no agreement is reached, job action could begin as soon as Sunday at 12:01 a.m. MT, with some flights potentially starting to be grounded as early as Friday.

WestJet has been allowing passengers with flights scheduled between July 30 and August 4 to make a one-time change or cancel with no fee. WestJet Encore regional service and code-share flights operated by partner airlines such as Delta are not expected to be affected. The union has vowed to bargain around the clock until this is resolved.

— CP24

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