Maple Express | November 13, 2026 | Stellantis Brampton plant sale: Ontario hopes CEO meeting buys time

Source: CP24

1. Stellantis Brampton plant up for sale as Ontario hopes CEO meeting can 'buy some time'

Ontario Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister Vic Fedeli told reporters Friday during a tour of the Martinrea auto parts plant in Vaughan that federal and provincial officials will soon meet Stellantis global CEO Antonio Filosa, with the goal of buying time to keep auto manufacturing jobs at the Brampton assembly plant. He said Unifor's request from the outset was simple: "Don't close the plant; keep it warm."

Stellantis announced on Nov. 9 that it would sell the Brampton assembly plant, which used to build Chrysler vehicles. The plant was shut down in 2023 to be retooled for electric Jeep production, but the company paused the plan and it never reopened; more than 2,200 workers have been on lay-off pay since then. The company plans to sell the facility to armoured vehicle manufacturer Roshel.

Federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said Friday the government's position is clear: "They cannot close the plant." She said a letter of notice has been sent, and that the company would owe hundreds of millions of dollars in federal subsidies if it closes, while Stellantis has offered to repay just $24 million. She has given the company 30 days to "correct" the situation. Joly also explained that Ottawa cannot block the sale under the Investment Canada Act because Stellantis operates through a Canadian subsidiary, and that the government's real leverage lies in the funding it provided. Fedeli stressed that the province has put zero dollars into the Brampton site, while it has advanced $55 million under its Windsor contract, where the company has honoured all of its commitments.

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2. Two groups sickened after dining at Hamilton hotel; kitchen temporarily closed

Hamilton Public Health said in a news release Friday that it is investigating reports of a potential foodborne illness at the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel. Two groups who dined in a banquet setting at the hotel, located at 116 King St. W., between Nov. 5 and 7 became ill, and the investigation began on Nov. 9 after the agency was notified of the cases.

No one has been hospitalized so far. Hamilton Public Health said there is currently no specific food item or confirmed source of the reported illnesses. Inspectors are closely monitoring the situation, remain in consistent contact with the operator to review food handling and sanitation practices, and are collecting samples for laboratory testing.

As a precaution, the hotel's kitchen has been temporarily closed. Events at the hotel can continue, with food preparation done at another location under public health oversight. Anyone who dined there between Nov. 5 and 10 is asked to watch for symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever, nausea and abdominal cramps. People whose symptoms worsen should seek medical attention immediately, stay home until at least 48 hours after symptoms resolve, and report the illness to public health. Those without symptoms should keep monitoring, practise good hand hygiene and follow safe food-handling practices.

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3. Ford tours Alliston Honda plant, says Ontario products make him proud

Premier Doug Ford visited the Honda Canada manufacturing plant in Alliston on Friday. Speaking with CTV News during the tour, he called the workers great, hard-working and quality people producing quality products, thanked Honda for its $867-million investment, and said Ontario is putting in $156 million because "we're building the best vehicles in the world."

Honda Canada announced on Monday a $166-million investment to upgrade and retool its Alliston plant, part of a broader $867-million commitment to bolster its North American manufacturing network and meet growing demand for hybrid vehicles. The company says the investment will secure more than 4,000 jobs and expand production of future hybrid-electric vehicles and engines. The federal government is contributing $313 million and Ontario $156 million.

Asked about the trade war with the United States, Ford said he wants zero tariffs from the U.S. He said Canada buys 400 per cent more cars from the U.S. than anyone else in the world, and that the vast majority of vehicles built here head south. He invoked the 1965 Canada-U.S. Auto Pact: "You can't unscramble an egg, you have to make the omelet larger." Honda Canada President and CEO Dave Jamieson said the investment reinforces the company's long-standing commitment to Canadian manufacturing. The Alliston plant employs 4,200 associates, is the region's biggest employer, produced its first vehicle — a Honda Accord — in 1986, and has built more than 11.5 million vehicles.

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4. UP Express, Barrie Line and part of TTC Line 2 closed this weekend

There are several transit disruptions across Toronto this weekend. The TTC says there will be no subway service on Line 2 between Victoria Park and Kennedy stations all weekend for planned track work, with shuttle buses running. All stations except Warden will remain open so customers can buy fares. Regular service resumes Monday.

Travellers heading to Toronto Pearson International Airport should note there will be no UP Express service all weekend. Metrolinx says the closure accommodates major track upgrades "to bring you better, faster and more frequent trips." GO shuttle buses will run directly between Union Station Bus Terminal and the airport, but will not pick up passengers at the Bloor, Mount Dennis or Weston UP stations.

Other routes are affected too. Kitchener Line trains will only operate between Mount Pleasant and Mount Dennis. Riders in Stratford and Kitchener can take the 30 GO bus to Bramalea and Highway 407 stations, while the 33 GO bus picks up passengers between Guelph Central and Mount Pleasant, where they can connect to trains or stay on the bus to York Mills station. GO buses replace trains on the Barrie Line, stopping at each station between Allandale Waterfront and Rutherford before running directly to Highway 407 Bus Terminal for TTC Line 1. Buses will not pick up at Newmarket Station; the stop moves to Prospect Street, south of Davis Drive, about 500 metres east of the station and roughly a seven-minute walk.

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5. Toronto hospitals, city services see email return after Microsoft outage

Toronto hospitals and other health institutions say their email services are returning to normal after a global Microsoft 365 outage caused delays and disruptions. Unity Health Toronto, which includes St. Michael's Hospital and St. Joseph's Health Centre, said staff had trouble sending and receiving emails on Thursday, but people could reach a clinic or department by calling the main hospital phone line.

The network said patient and resident care was not affected and its hospitals continue to operate. University Health Network, which includes Toronto General Hospital and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, also said the email outage did not impact patient care. Sunnybrook, the largest trauma centre, said it remains open for care while staff experience email difficulties, and that people can still call the main line about upcoming appointments.

The outage affected a wide range of Microsoft services, including Outlook, Teams and AI assistant Copilot. Microsoft said Outlook was up and running again for many users in North America as of Friday morning, but warned some users may still encounter "intermittent access issues or delayed email delivery." The City of Toronto said some services may be temporarily unavailable or delayed. Via Rail said its train operations continue normally and encouraged passengers to use its train tracker or subscribe to SMS notifications for the latest information.

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6. Inquest opens into 2020 fatal police shooting in Mississauga

The parents of a man shot in the head by Peel police in Mississauga nearly seven years ago told a coroner's inquest Friday that nothing can bring back their son, but they hope the proceedings will provide answers about what happened that day and what could have been done differently.

"He always was the glue to our family," Derek Francique said of his son Jamal. He said the family hopes to gain a fuller understanding of police tactics and the role anti-Black racism may have played in police decision-making. "Everything should be investigated ... I would like to know how many different non-violent ways this could have turned out." Ann-Marie White said she lives with the loss and pain every day and hopes the inquest will carefully examine the circumstances of her son's death. Jamal Francique's partner and the mother of his children, Isabel Meira, said in a statement read by her lawyer that he was taken from their lives too early and "did not deserve this ending."

The inquest heard that Francique, a 28-year-old Black man, was shot during an attempted arrest outside his home on Jan. 7, 2020, and died in hospital days later. Peel police had received a Crime Stoppers tip that he had a gun and was trafficking drugs and observed him secretly for three days without finding evidence, but still believed he was breaching bail conditions and held a briefing to plan his arrest. At 7:44 p.m. he left home and walked to his car about 200 metres away; an officer on foot fired four times, one bullet struck the left side of his head, and the car crashed into a nearby garage pillar. A tactical unit arrived at 8:05 p.m. Ontario's Special Investigations Unit later cleared the officers of wrongdoing, though it said aspects of the officer's behaviour raised questions.

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7. Ontario woman discovers her cottage sits on Crown land — and is told to remove it

A woman who bought a 20-year-old cottage in Magnetawan in 2022 later discovered it was on Crown land and was told by the Ministry of Natural Resources she had to remove it. Ingrid Posendorf bought a 50-acre property on Centre Road in Magnetawan in December 2022 for $320,000, including a winterized four-bedroom cottage, a covered porch, an outhouse, a driveway and other structures.

The MLS listing described a cabin built in 2004-2005 that bordered Crown land. The court decision says she asked for a survey before completing the purchase but was told none was available, and that when she visited the property the "620" marker and the physical layout reinforced her impression that the structures sat on the parcel being sold. When she decided to sell in April 2023, realtors questioned the legal boundaries. In April 2024 a Managed Forest Plan approver advised that the cabin appeared to lie west of the western boundary, and a subsequent sketch by Tulloch Geomatics confirmed the structures were on Crown land.

In June 2025 she submitted a formal proposal to buy the 1.5 acres of Crown land the structures sit on. It was refused in September 2025 by district manager Adam Wakefield, whose letter said the structures constituted an unauthorized occupation, "must be removed," and gave her 12 months. She sought an injunction and a new decision by the regional manager. Divisional Court Justice Graeme Mew ruled the decision was reasonable, noting that under Ontario policy Crown land is only sold when there is a clear public benefit and that this case involved private hardship but no public benefit. He also called the ministry's wording on removal "inappropriate and regrettable," saying it had no real legal force.

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8. Stelco to recall 175 laid-off Hamilton workers on Dec. 1

Stelco's American parent Cleveland-Cliffs said Friday it will restart finishing operations at the company's Hamilton plant after securing enough customer commitments, recalling all 175 temporarily laid-off steelworkers on Dec. 1. The move follows weeks of federal pressure, including threats of legal action and the prospect of an investigation into anticompetitive conduct.

Union leader Ron Wells said workers will be relieved to return, but the layoffs should never have happened. "We didn't need to get to this point," said Wells, president of United Steelworkers Local 1005. He said the recall eases uncertainty heading into the holiday season, though some workers may not get their next regular paycheque until mid-December. "It's still going to be a strain on them."

Cleveland-Cliffs announced the layoffs in September, citing U.S. tariffs, weak demand for Canadian steel and competition from imports. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said the layoffs violated commitments the company made when Ottawa approved its takeover of Stelco, and last week asked the Competition Bureau to examine its conduct. Stelco president Paul Simon thanked customers for their faith and workers for their patience. The company said restarting will take several weeks and that workers will receive back pay equivalent to their standard wages during the layoff period; it denies violating its commitments under the Investment Canada Act.

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9. Retired B.C. lawyer admits misconduct, agrees to 10-year ban

A retired lawyer has agreed to a 10-year ban on resuming the practice of law anywhere in Canada after admitting misconduct to the Law Society of B.C. According to the proposal he submitted to resolve the allegations, Ian Frank McTavish spent most of his career practising in Salmon Arm, retired at the end of 2024 and is now 79. The proposal was submitted in August and published on the law society's website this week.

The client was a woman he was hired to represent through Legal Aid B.C. in September 2023 in a family law matter involving her 13-year-old daughter and the provincial Ministry of Children and Family Development. The document reproduces or summarizes several text messages he sent in June and July 2024, including "The lawyer/client thing keeps us separate, but I can't lie: I wish it were different," "you are lovely," "I needed some attention," and "You are a very attractive woman and you make me wish I was a lot younger."

The proposal also describes unwanted and inappropriate touching, comments and requests, including hugging his client and holding her hand, and direct and indirect requests for massages. On at least three occasions he gifted or loaned her money. McTavish admitted he made sexual hints and references in his texts, which he characterized as "banter," and said his reference to "release" meant chronic neck and back pain, while agreeing the comments could be interpreted as sexual. Under the accepted proposal he cannot practise in B.C. or apply for readmission to any law society in Canada for 10 years; any application after November 2036 would require a mandatory credentials hearing, with the onus on him.

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10. CFL commissioner says Quebec City is leading contender for expansion

CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston says Quebec City has emerged as a leading candidate for an expansion franchise. He made the comments Friday at his second state of the league address in Calgary, saying the league has had substantive conversations with a prospective owner in the Quebec capital, but declining to identify the person.

Quebec real estate developer William Trudel has spoken to Quebec media about his interest in a CFL expansion club. Johnston would not say if, or when, a Quebec City franchise might be up and running. The CFL has long sought a 10th franchise, and Johnston said the league is also talking to other markets in Canada; he declined to comment when asked directly about Halifax, which previously emerged as a potential expansion city.

Johnston is completing his second season as commissioner after taking over in April 2025 following a lengthy broadcasting career that included serving as president of TSN. The CFL Players' Association also held its annual state of the union Friday ahead of Sunday's Grey Cup between the Edmonton Elks and Montreal Alouettes at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

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