Maple Express | October 22, 2026 — Final Toronto mayoral debate tonight on CP24

1. Final Toronto mayoral debate airs tonight at 7 p.m. on CP24

Toronto's mayoral race is entering its final stretch. CP24 hosts "Toronto Decides: The Municipal Debate" tonight at 7 p.m., with front-runners Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford meeting for the last time before voters go to the polls in four days.

The 90-minute, commercial-free debate airs on CP24, CP24.com, CTVNewsToronto.ca, the CP24 app, the CTV News app, CP24's YouTube channel, X and TikTok, and can also be watched on Crave. Both candidates will speak with CP24 after the debate.

Exclusive polling by Nanos Research for CP24 and CTV News Toronto found that 13 per cent of voters surveyed are open to changing the candidate they plan to support based on what they hear tonight, while another 16 per cent said they are somewhat open to changing their vote. Polling released earlier this week showed Chow's lead over Bradford down to three points.

Source

2. Crime Stoppers chair calls pause 'right decision' after 176,000 tips stolen

The chair of Toronto Crime Stoppers says the data breach that stole more than 176,000 tips has been "devastating" for the program, the public and the police partners who relied on the anonymous tip line for decades. The breach prompted the organization to temporarily stop accepting tips on Wednesday night.

Nearly 15,000 names contained in those tips were also stolen when its tip software, P3, was hacked in March. Navigate360, which owns P3, did not confirm until June that tips submitted between January 2022 and November 2025 were taken in the March hack, and in July it confirmed the total number of tips and the potential theft of personal information. According to Toronto Crime Stoppers, the hackers used a stolen customer account login to access the software.

In an interview with CP24 on Thursday afternoon, chair Sean Sportun said pausing the tip line was the right move. He said the organization has asked Navigate360 "many times" for metadata but received only tip numbers. After CBC News published a story on the breach Wednesday, Toronto Crime Stoppers halted operations and retained its own legal counsel. Toronto police have suspended their use of the program, and several services in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area followed. Sportun said the organization is "very close" to finding a new platform; founded in 1984, the Toronto chapter has seen nearly 12,000 arrests result from tips.

Source

3. Three-alarm fire at Leaside antique shop blankets east Toronto in smoke

A three-alarm fire broke out at an antique shop in Toronto's Leaside neighbourhood Wednesday night, blanketing parts of the east end in acrid smoke. Toronto Fire Services said crews were called to the area just after 7:40 p.m. to 10 Canvarco Rd., near Laird Drive and Eglinton Avenue East.

Multiple units attended and knocked down an "intense fire generating extreme smoke," the service said. A command post was set up and firefighters remained on scene to check for hot spots.

Paramedics said they did not transport any patients to hospital. CP24 reported on the fire Thursday afternoon.

Source

4. Ontario to allow over-the-counter hearing aids, but audiologists urge caution

Ontario will soon let people buy over-the-counter hearing aids without a prescription. The Ford government announced the change on Tuesday, and the legislative amendment will be included in the fall economic update. For people with mild to moderate hearing loss, it means a cheaper, more convenient option — but audiology experts worry some will misdiagnose their own hearing problems.

"We have no problem with getting accessible help for people; we just want to make sure it's done safely and efficiently for the right people," said Sanj Sukumaran, president of the Ontario Association of Professional Audiology. He noted that hearing loss can range from simple wax buildup to a tumour, and that clinics advise anyone with hearing loss to speak with a professional first. "We want to make sure you're not covering up something with a hearing aid that should be medically treated," he said.

The College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario said it welcomes the government's steps to enable the sale and use of Health Canada-approved over-the-counter hearing aids, calling them a more affordable and accessible option for some adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, provided appropriate safeguards are in place. The college stressed the devices are not appropriate for everyone, including children and people with symptoms or underlying conditions requiring assessment by a regulated professional.

The Ministry of Health said removing outdated barriers gives patients more choice and access to new technology, does not affect pricing, and does not change funding through the Assistive Devices Program. The changes complement — rather than replace — prescription hearing aids and professional care. In 2025, Health Canada approved Apple's Hearing Aid and Hearing Test features for AirPods Pro 2 and 3, but those features remain switched off in Ontario until provincial legislation takes effect.

Source

5. Two people taken to hospital after Scarborough house fire

Two people were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a house fire in Scarborough on Thursday morning, Toronto police say. The fire broke out around 9 a.m. at 29 Horizon Cres., near Sheppard Avenue East and Birchmount Road.

Toronto Fire Services said two occupants of the home self-evacuated and were assessed by paramedics before being transported. The fire is out, but crews remain on scene using thermal imaging to check for hot spots and are expected to be there for some time.

Horizon Crescent is currently closed.

Source

6. Four men charged after allegedly breaking into downtown building for rooftop photos

Four men have been arrested and charged after allegedly breaking into a downtown Toronto building and going to the roof to take photographs for social media on Sunday. Police say officers responded to a break-and-enter call in the area of Bremner Boulevard and Lower Simcoe Street shortly before 6 p.m. on Oct. 18.

According to police, the suspects forced entry into a restricted area of the building and gained access to the rooftop, then assaulted a security guard and the building manager while fleeing. Officers located and arrested the group a short distance away.

Amirsalar Lotifiof, 20, of Newmarket; Alejandro Gonzalez, 20, of Toronto; Liam Shannon, 18, of Welland; and Zane Archambault, 20, of St. Catharines face numerous charges, including break and enter, two counts of assault, assault with intent to resist arrest and possession of break-and-enter instruments. Archambault faces an additional charge of breach of probation. Police believe the suspects are responsible for other break-ins across the city and are asking anyone with information to contact investigators.

Source

7. Toronto man accused of recording 11-year-old girl faces additional charges

Toronto police announced additional charges Thursday against a man accused of secretly recording an 11-year-old girl in an east-end washroom this summer. The incident occurred on Aug. 25 at 4 p.m. inside Kew Gardens, near Queen Street East and Lee Avenue.

Police said the girl entered the washroom and the suspect, 36-year-old Toronto resident Hans Martins-Gonzalez, was already inside. As the child went into a stall, the suspect took photos of her through the gaps, police said, and he fled when she sought help. He was arrested six days later and charged with secretly observing or recording a person expecting privacy.

The new charges announced Thursday include four counts of possession of property obtained by crime, two counts of mischief under $5,000 and one count of criminal harassment. Investigators did not provide specifics about the events that led to those charges. Anyone with information is asked to call 416-808-5500.

Source

8. Joly gives Stelco's U.S. owner 15 days to honour commitments or face legal action

Industry Minister Melanie Joly has given Stelco's U.S. owner 15 days to make good on commitments it made when buying the steelmaker in 2024 or face legal action. In a letter to Stelco's general counsel on Thursday, Joly said the undertakings given by Cleveland-Cliffs were legally binding and were key to allowing the transaction to proceed.

"As we stand right now, the business is still taking steps to lay off 500 workers. Despite being given multiple opportunities, Cleveland-Cliffs has repeatedly failed to demonstrate that they are compliant with their undertakings. That is unacceptable," Joly wrote on X. Cleveland-Cliffs declined to comment to CTV News. Last month the company announced it would shut down part of its Ontario operations at its Hamilton and Lake Erie facilities, cutting up to 500 jobs, citing low steel prices and tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Joly's letter says Cleveland-Cliffs made formal undertakings under the Investment Canada Act, including a pledge to be a "strong advocate for policies that benefit both the U.S. and Canadian steel industries." But she argues CEO Lourenco Goncalves has advocated for U.S. tariffs affecting Canadian steel and publicly asserted that he influenced them. The letter cites his Jan. 14, 2026 testimony before the Congressional Steel Caucus, where he repeatedly endorsed Section 232 tariffs against Canada, took credit for blocking Stelco from selling steel into the U.S., called the increase to 50 per cent "absolutely necessary," and described Canada as a "bad player" and a "steel dumping machine" alongside Brazil.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Thursday at Queen's Park that Stelco workers fear "this becoming a very long legal battle," and that near-term relief for laid-off workers must be part of the response. Conservative MP Michael Guglielmin, the party's senior advisor on steel policy, criticized what he called shifting timelines, saying workers need concrete action. Joly said the letter is an important part of a legal process to present and detail evidence ahead of a potential court challenge.

Source

9. Nordspace signs $20-million deal with National Defence for N.L. launch pad

A company hoping to launch rockets from southern Newfoundland says it has signed a $20-million contract with the Department of National Defence. In a news release, Nordspace said the 10-year agreement gives the federal department priority access to a dedicated launch pad at its Atlantic Spaceport Complex.

The facility is under construction on Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula. Nordspace said the money covers the cost of maintaining the facility and keeping it ready for launches, while individual missions will be carried out through separate contracts. Last week the company announced it was entering the second phase of construction at its spaceport in St. Lawrence, N.L., a town of about 1,115 people on the peninsula's southeastern edge.

Earlier this month, a Nordspace satellite called Terra Nova was launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket that lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. "A sovereign spacefaring Canada must be able to launch payloads into orbit from its own soil, on its own rocket," CEO Rahul Goel said in the release. The federal government said the contract is part of $3 billion in National Defence investments this year to strengthen Canada's sovereign space capabilities. Nordspace attempted several launches from St. Lawrence last year; they were delayed or cancelled for reasons including fires on the launch pad and fishing boats entering an exclusion zone.

Source

10. Alberta First Nations chiefs tell premier referendum caused 'real and lasting division'

The chiefs of several Alberta First Nations say the recent referendum has caused "real and lasting division." On Thursday, the chiefs of the Bearspaw, Chiniki, Goodstoney and Tsuut'ina Nations sent an open letter to Premier Danielle Smith.

They said the solid vote to remain in Canada is welcome, but the process "strained relationships, consumed public attention and resources and created uncertainty that has affected communities across the province, including our own." They added that "treaty rights and the nation-to-nation relationship with the Crown were never open to renegotiation through a provincial referendum."

The chiefs said trust has been damaged and rebuilding it will require "deliberate and sustained action." They want discussions with the premier and relevant ministers on honouring treaty obligations, improving collaboration on shared priorities and restoring confidence in the province's commitment to treaty rights. They also called on the government to take clear and lasting measures to ensure Alberta does not again pursue a path that puts treaty rights and the province's stability at risk.

The Oct. 19 referendum asked Albertans 10 questions. The 10th asked whether the province should remain part of Canada or pursue a binding referendum on leaving. Roughly 75 per cent of voters thought Alberta should stay in Canada. Official results are expected on Oct. 29.

Source