Maple Express | November 6, 2026: Toronto freezes hiring amid $1.1B shortfall

1. Toronto imposes hiring freeze as it stares down $1.1B budget shortfall

Source: CP24

Toronto is implementing a hiring freeze as it faces a $1.1 billion shortfall in its 2027 budget. Mayor Olivia Chow confirmed the measure to reporters on Friday, stressing that essential roles such as front-line paramedics and firefighters will not be affected.

Chow noted the city brought in a similar freeze at this time last year, which she said generated millions of dollars in savings. "I want to assure the public there is no change to frontline services. We are continuing to hire all frontline folks, whether it is fire, ambulance, paramedics, community crisis workers," she said. "However, anything that is not frontline we have a freeze in place so, like last year, we can do the line-by-line review to find the savings."

City spokesperson Russell Baker said in a statement to CTV News Toronto that the pause applies to most positions, including recruitments already underway where an offer has not been made, and that the city began pausing most recruitments earlier this week. Vacant front-line paramedic and firefighter jobs will keep being filled, along with roles with legislative, operational or service needs, he said, describing the freeze as a response to the city's "financial pressures."

The move comes days after Premier Doug Ford ruled out a so-called "New Deal 2.0" to help the city with its finances. The original deal, signed in November 2023, uploaded responsibility for the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway back to the province and provided $1.2 billion in operating support over three years, support that came to an end in 2026. Chow said the earlier deal was always interim and that the city still needs a path to a structural financial solution, with negotiations set to continue.

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2. Woman dead, man arrested after North York stabbing

Source: CP24

A woman is dead and a man has been arrested following a stabbing in North York early Friday morning. In a post on social media, Toronto police said officers responded to a report of a person with a knife at about 8 a.m. in the area of Wilson Avenue and Jane Street.

When officers arrived, they found a female victim suffering from stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. One man was arrested in connection with the incident, and the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit has taken over the investigation.

Police have not released the victim's identity or details about the circumstances surrounding the stabbing. They described it as a breaking news story with more details to come.

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3. Three charged after 'clandestine' drug lab found in Markham home

Source: CP24

Three people have been arrested after a "clandestine" drug lab was discovered inside a Markham home last month, with drugs worth nearly $640,000 seized, York Regional Police said in a release on Friday.

Police said officers attended a residence in the area of Jeremy and Fred Varley drives on Oct. 23 for a welfare call. Shortly after arriving, they found "evidence consistent with production and distribution of controlled substances in a lab setting." As officers and fire officials dismantled the lab, police seized 12,962 packages of cannabis edibles, 209 grams of THC vaping cartridges, 26 kilograms of loose cannabis edibles, eight kilograms of dried cannabis and 18 kilograms of psylocibin powder.

Investigators learned the drugs produced at the home were sold primarily online under the name "Buddha Boys," through illegitimate websites that mailed or delivered orders, police said, putting the street value of the seized drugs at $639,000. Officers also recovered ammunition, a conducted energy weapon and $100,000 in cash. Joseph Li, 41, Yuan Lin, 39, and Michelle Li, 39, all from Markham, face several drug-related offences, including possession of a prohibited device knowing its possession is unauthorized and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

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4. Police stop Toronto resident from losing nearly $3M to a scammer

Source: CP24

Toronto police say they disrupted a scammer pretending to be from a telecom company who was about to steal nearly $3 million from an unsuspecting victim on Thursday.

After being alerted by Edmonton Police Service about a fraud in progress, officers were dispatched to the victim's home to intervene. A suspect contacted the victim and identified himself as a representative of a major telecoms company, claiming it was improving services in the area and needed access to the victim's computer to check internet speed. The victim was told to install UltraViewer, an application that allows someone to access and control a computer remotely.

The suspect then told the victim the computer had viruses and other problems, which he offered to remove, and instructed the victim to access online banking, supposedly to check that no money had been withdrawn without authorization. That's when officers arrived and found the victim on a video call with the suspect, who was in the process of accessing online banking. Officers explained the call was a scam and directed the victim not to transfer money or authorize any transactions, and the suspects disconnected when officers tried to speak with them.

Police said the victim almost lost $2.9 million. They reminded the public not to install remote-access software at the direction of an unexpected caller and never to access online banking while someone they do not trust has remote access. "You do not need to be certain a call is fraudulent before ending it. Pause and verify before giving anyone access to your computer or your money," police said.

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5. Blue Jays: Santander's anti-Muslim posts don't reflect team values

Source: CP24

The Toronto Blue Jays say a series of anti-Muslim videos posted by Anthony Santander on the right-fielder's social media account do not represent the team's values and beliefs. The team issued the statement after Santander posted the videos in the aftermath of the U.S. midterm elections; he deleted them on Thursday.

The videos included a Christian preacher saying, "There is no such thing as kind Muslims," with another suggesting Sharia law would be imposed on the U.S. after Abdul El-Sayed was elected to the senate in Michigan. El-Sayed is the son of Egyptian immigrants and will become the first Muslim American U.S. senator; he was a target of Islamophobic rhetoric on the campaign trail.

"Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark," the team said. "Individual comments do not represent our organization's values and beliefs." The 32-year-old Santander is from Venezuela and missed the entire year after shoulder surgery following his first season in Toronto. He spent his first eight major league seasons with Baltimore before signing a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto.

It's not the first time the club has faced controversy over a player's social media activity. In May 2023, reliever Anthony Bass drew criticism after sharing a video supporting boycotts of companies that backed the LGBTQ+ community. He apologized and met with Pride Toronto representatives but later said he stood by his personal beliefs. The Blue Jays designated him for assignment on June 9 and released him six days later; general manager Ross Atkins cited performance as the main reason but acknowledged the controversy was a factor.

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6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. surprises his mom with a luxury SUV

Source: CP24

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is jumpstarting the gift-giving season. On Thursday he shared two posts to his Instagram story of his mother, Riquelma Ramos, seated in the driver's seat of a shiny new SUV, complete with a big red bow on the hood.

The vehicle appears to be a brand-new Lexus LX with caramel sunset leather interior. That interior is only available for Executive VIP models for both 2026 and 2027, roughly an additional $42,000 on top of its existing $150,000-ish price tag. Guerrero posted a photo of his mom flashing a peace sign with a toothy grin, holding the steering wheel with her free hand, captioned "Te amo te mereces eso y más" — "I love you, you deserve that and more."

In a YouTube video posted to his Team Guerrero 27 account on the same "unforgettable day," Guerrero visits his mother at her home in Gurabo, a suburb in the northeast section of Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic; the vlog also documented him attending an Eladio Carrion concert with family and friends on Halloween night. Guerrero is coming off a rough season in which the Blue Jays struggled offensively and he hit only nine home runs, and he came under fire for comments about the 14-year, $500-million extension he signed in 2025, though he later walked it back and apologized.

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7. Four Calgary friends split historic $90M Lotto Max jackpot

Source: CP24

Four Calgary friends linked through a lottery group chat are manifesting their dreams for real now that they've won $90 million in the largest Lotto Max jackpot the country has ever seen.

Eidelson Elchico, Lovelyn Malvar, Hazeline Ong and Velna Ramirez are sharing the money, won in the historic Oct. 20 draw. Split four ways, each winner takes home $22,500,000. Officials say the players, all from Calgary, bought the ticket online and communicated through a group chat they titled "Manifesting Millions."

Elchico said he was checking his email when he found out about the win, then went into the group to alert his friends. "Our group chat is exploding and I thought, 'What the heck, it's too early in the morning.' They were like, 'Pick up, pick up, it's an emergency!'" Malvar said in a news release. Ong said the others called her husband as he was about to go to work, and he came and woke her up to join a group video chat. "I couldn't believe we won on the first time."

The group says they plan to handle some mortgages, contribute to some worthy causes and "enjoy life some more."

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8. 'The clock is ticking': Ontario woman says she was denied coverage for a rare cancer drug

Source: CP24

Sabrina Apitz-Grossman, a 31-year-old Toronto woman battling a rare cancer, says she was "devastated" to learn that while medical professionals at Ontario's Ministry of Health agreed she needed a potentially life-saving out-of-country treatment, bureaucrats would not sign off and never told her the application had been recommended for approval by the ministry's doctors.

She was diagnosed at 28 with a synovial sarcoma in her upper calf, near her knee, and received radiotherapy and surgery in Ontario, relearning how to walk after losing a lot of calf muscle. In September 2025 the cancer came back and spread to her lungs; doctors diagnosed unresectable metastatic synovial sarcoma. Standard treatments available in the province could stretch her life out 12 to 18 months from the metastatic diagnosis, but the only promising option was Tecelra, unavailable in Canada due to commercial decisions. Specialists in Toronto and at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York determined she was an ideal candidate; according to the FDA, tumors shrank or disappeared in almost half of patients who received the infusion in clinical studies. A full course costs around US$787,000.

She applied to Ontario's Prior Approval Out of Country Program but was asked to apply to Canada's Special Access Program instead. US WorldMeds declined to provide the drug free on compassionate grounds but agreed to a discounted price of US$575,000, with Princess Margaret Cancer Centre agreeing to cover hospital fees for administering it there. Ontario did not agree to cover the discounted cost and she received a denial letter in April. Only through a Freedom of Information request answered on Nov. 3 did she learn that ministry medical professionals had repeatedly recommended approval, and that Ontario Health recommended funding when her application was reevaluated in June — something she was never told.

Her case came to the Ontario legislature on Thursday, when NDP MPP Robin Lennox raised it. Health Minister Sylvia Jones replied that "these decisions are made based on evidence, not through the political process," and Lennox was subsequently kicked out for violating parliamentary rules when she responded that Jones "is lying." Liberal health critic Adil Shamji, who has been advising Apitz-Grossman, said the Ford government has spent plenty of money exploring a tunnel under Highway 401 and getting alcohol into convenience stores earlier but is "playing games" with a woman's life. Apitz-Grossman has now taken the fight to court, saying "the clock is ticking."

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9. Report alleges China linked to at least 18 overseas police stations in Canada

Source: CP24

China has exponentially expanded its network of illegal overseas police stations, using a web of new community associations to "extend its tentacles," according to a report released Friday by international human rights group Safeguard Defenders. The Spanish NGO identifies nearly 1,250 overseas Chinese associations that it says are fronts for suspected police centres in 91 countries — a 12-fold increase from its findings four years earlier.

The report, "A Formula for Repression," asserts that the Chinese Communist Party is exporting "its domestic system of surveillance and control to Chinese diaspora communities around the world." "That network is being used to watch the diaspora. To watch what they do, what they say and to essentially police them," Laura Harth, Safeguard Defenders' China director, told CTV News. Michael Kovrig, senior advisor for the International Crisis Group and a former Canadian diplomat arbitrarily detained by China in 2018, said the report reveals "an early stage" of the CCP's efforts and could lead to the "slow erosion of the rights of Canadian citizens to express their own views and vote as they wish."

Safeguard Defenders says at least 18 Chinese overseas associations are participating as police monitoring stations in Canada; in 2022 the NGO revealed five illegal police locations in Canada. Research by the American think tank Jamestown cited in the report uncovered 575 organizations linked to the United Front Work Department in Canada. NDP MP Jenny Kwan, in an open letter to Canada's public safety minister, called the allegations troubling and said Canada must close legal gaps and investigate. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree cautioned against jumping to conclusions, saying "these specific allegations... are allegations and have not been investigated" and that investigations must be conducted with nuance. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa said it "firmly opposed" the allegations, saying "there is simply no such thing as so-called 'Chinese overseas police stations.'"

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10. Former PM Justin Trudeau takes on role at Oxford University

Source: CP24

Former prime minister Justin Trudeau has a new role at Oxford University in England. The university announced on Friday that Trudeau has joined its Blavatnik School of Government as a Distinguished Fellow and member of the World Leaders Circle, an "international network" of former heads of government "whose experience and insight shape the Blavatnik School's work to improve governance around the world."

Trudeau served 10 years as prime minister before stepping down in 2025. "In the decade that I was Prime Minister, the world went through profound change both geopolitically and technologically, which fundamentally reshaped our world," he said in a statement released by Oxford. "From an evolving global order to the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the challenges faced by governments across the globe demand thoughtful leadership, international cooperation, and a renewed commitment to public trust in our democratic institutions." He added that he looks forward to contributing his experience, exchanging perspectives with fellow leaders and engaging with the next generation of government and policy leaders.

Other members of the World Leaders Circle include former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak. The university says the World Leaders Fellow will mentor and engage with students and alumni, convene other global leaders and explore innovative approaches to government. Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. In September, Trudeau launched a production company with former chief of staff Katie Telford called "Hope & Hard Work," which will create both scripted and unscripted content.

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