Maple Express | November 5, 2026 — Canadian astronaut heads outside ISS again to finish solar array work

1. Canadian astronaut Kutryk set for second spacewalk today

Source: CP24

Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk is set to venture outside the International Space Station today, Nov. 5, for his second spacewalk in two weeks. On Oct. 29 he and NASA astronaut Anil Menon installed seven of eight new solar arrays, making him the fifth Canadian to perform a spacewalk.

Today the pair will install the eighth and final array on the starboard side of the station's truss, the structure that serves as the station's backbone. The arrays are needed to upgrade the station's power capacity. The Canadian Space Agency says spacewalks are among the most difficult and dangerous tasks for astronauts, but they are needed to repair or install equipment and to carry out manual work.

Before Kutryk, the last Canadian to perform a spacewalk was David Saint-Jacques in 2019. Kutryk and his SpaceX Crew-13 crewmates launched to the station on Oct. 1 for a mission expected to last six months.

Source

2. W5: Alleged cult leader told followers they had been sexually abused

Source: CP24

CTV's W5 released the third instalment of its five-part investigation today, focusing on a self-described spiritual teacher, Liana Shanti, whose real name is Liane Wilson. She is based in Hawaii and built an online presence that attracted followers around the world. Several former students told W5 that Shanti confirmed childhood sexual abuse that never happened.

Riley Lawson, from Saskatchewan, asked Shanti on Instagram whether her father had sexually assaulted her as a child after listening to a guided meditation titled Journey to the Chamber of Wounds. W5 has seen the screenshot of the exchange, in which Shanti replied: Yes, I'm so sorry. He did. The fallout led to her parents' divorce, and her father was forced to move into a basement apartment. Lawson now says the memory was false.

Kacey Baker, host of the podcast The Cult Vault, has interviewed more than 30 former followers, their families and other cult experts. Shanti refused W5's interview requests, writing in emails that she campaigns for people who have been abused. In August she sued three Canadians for defamation in a Honolulu court; a jury rejected her claim and awarded the Canadians C$56 million.

Source

3. Tractor-trailer rolls on top of man in Scarborough, killing him

Source: CP24

A 54-year-old man died after a tractor-trailer rolled on top of him at an industrial site in Scarborough, Toronto police say. It happened just before noon on Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the area of McNicoll Avenue and Tapscott Road.

Police initially responded to reports of a person injured by construction equipment, then said in a later update that the man was making repairs on the tractor-trailer at the time. Paramedics said there were no other injuries.

The Ministry of Labour confirmed to CP24 that it has been notified of the workplace incident and that an inspector has been assigned to investigate. The investigation is ongoing and no further details were available, the ministry said.

Source

4. Pedestrian dead after being hit by vehicle in Newmarket

Source: CP24

A pedestrian has died after being hit by a vehicle in Newmarket on Wednesday evening. Police say it happened shortly after 6 p.m. in the area of Davis Drive and Bathurst Street.

The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later pronounced deceased. Police say the driver remained at the scene, and the circumstances behind the incident are currently unclear. Motorists are advised to expect delays and avoid the area as police investigate.

Source

5. Man in his 50s seriously injured after being struck in Etobicoke

Source: CP24

A man in his 50s was seriously injured when he was struck by a vehicle in north Etobicoke on Wednesday night, Toronto police said. Emergency crews were called at 7:12 p.m. to the area of Humberline Drive and Finch Avenue West for a pedestrian who had been struck.

The pedestrian was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Police said the driver remained at the scene, and an investigation is underway into what led up to the collision.

Source

6. Court certifies class action over COVID-19 deaths at Toronto long-term care home

Source: CP24

A lawsuit alleging gross negligence at a Toronto long-term care home led to hundreds of COVID-19 deaths has been certified as a class action. An Ontario Superior Court judge granted certification last week with the consent of the defendants, Downsview Long-Term Care Centre Limited and its owner, Gem Healthcare Group Limited.

The claim alleges the two were grossly negligent in their response to the pandemic, resulting in multiple outbreaks at the home between late January 2020 and early May 2023. It alleges those outbreaks caused at least 1,966 residents to get COVID-19 and at least 244 to die from it. The plaintiffs include residents, people receiving care and visitors who contracted the virus at the home, or their estates, as well as family members.

Billy Powell, whose mother Zellora Graham lived at Downsview until she died from COVID-19 in May 2020, is a representative plaintiff. The statement of claim says he last visited his mother in early March 2020 and afterwards received little to no information about her, learning of the risk only when his wife saw a news article in late April. The allegations have not been tested at trial, and the defendants have said they intend to defend themselves.

Source

7. Toronto man faces dozens of charges in trafficking investigation

Source: CP24

A Toronto man accused of trafficking two victims over a combined 17 years is facing dozens of charges. Toronto police say the Human Trafficking Unit launched an investigation in September into suspected trafficking in the city.

Police allege Justin Ferguson, 35, of Toronto, trafficked a 28-year-old victim over a six-year period through deception, coercion and control, and that the money the victim earned was turned over to him. He was arrested on Oct. 13 and charged with offences including trafficking in persons, obtaining a material benefit from sexual services and possessing a firearm without a licence.

Police allege he also trafficked a second 28-year-old victim over an 11-year period using similar methods, and that he first met her and sexually exploited her when she was under 18. On Oct. 27 he was arrested again and charged with 15 additional offences, including trafficking in persons under 18, sexual exploitation of a young person and uttering threats of death or bodily harm. The charges have not been tested in court, and police believe there may be additional victims.

Source

8. Ontario Liberal leadership hopefuls meet in final debate

Source: CP24

Ontario Liberal leadership hopefuls pitched themselves as the antidote to Premier Doug Ford in the final debate before voting begins, with little disagreement between them but different tacks on taxes. Navdeep Bains, Stephanie Bowman, Lee Fairclough and Dylan Marando each presented themselves as serious politicians at a serious time, in contrast with Ford's folksy yet bombastic demeanour.

The four agreed on much of what TVO Today Live host Steve Paikin put to them, from economic and health-care reforms to rebuilding the third-place party from the ground up. They differed on whether they would raise taxes: Fairclough has committed to tax reforms including ways to increase the tax base for municipalities, while Marando would eliminate personal income taxes for young workers earning less than $50,000 and mused about taxing big businesses more. Bowman and Bains both say they would not raise taxes given the province's affordability crisis.

Source

9. GTA gas prices set to fall another nine cents Friday

Source: CP24

Drivers in the Greater Toronto Area could see more relief at the pumps later this week. Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, said that after Wednesday's 11-cent decrease, gas is set to drop nine cents a litre on Friday to 159.9, while diesel will fall 14 cents to 234.9.

McTeague said the last time gas was below $1.60 was in early August, and that Friday's drop is due in part to markets reacting to the U.S. midterm results, in which the Democrats took back control of the House and Senate. He said there could be more decreases later this month, with gasoline dropping below $1.50.

Source

10. Two more soldiers injured in Alberta base fire out of hospital

Source: CP24

Two more soldiers injured in a deadly fire at an Alberta military base have been discharged from hospital. The Department of National Defence says four of the 25 soldiers who remain hospitalized have been relocated to centres in British Columbia and Ontario so they can receive treatment closer to their families.

The update comes a little more than two weeks after a fierce wind whipped a grass fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright onto troops in a training exercise. The Oct. 17 blaze killed four and left 39 wounded, many with serious burns. Officials previously said 13 were in critical condition. A total of 14 have now been released from hospital.

Recovery will look different for each injured person and their family, and some may face a long journey ahead, but they will not face it alone, DND said in a news release. Three separate investigations are looking into the fire.

Source