Maple Express | October 21, 2026 — Five children and a daycare worker struck in Oshawa; toddler critical

1. Daycare worker and five children struck by driver in Oshawa; two-year-old critically injured

Source: CP24

A woman and five children from a nearby daycare were rushed to hospital Wednesday morning after being struck by a turning vehicle in Oshawa, police say. The collision happened at about 9:25 a.m. at the intersection of Ryerson Crescent and Sheridan Street while the group was on its daily walk.

Acting Sgt. Nicholas Gluckstein said the adult and children, aged seven months to three years, were walking northbound when the vehicle made a left turn and hit all of them. A two-year-old girl suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to a Toronto-area trauma centre. The other four children were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, while the daycare worker suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the intersection has a two-way stop and the turning vehicle did not face a stop sign. The driver, who suffered minor injuries, remained on scene and is cooperating with what police call a complex investigation. No charges have been laid. Investigators will look at speed, distraction and impairment, and are seeking witnesses and video. The intersection remains closed.

Source

2. White cargo van sought in deadly Vaughan hit-and-run has been located: police

Source: CP24

York Regional Police said Wednesday that a white cargo van sought in connection with a hit-and-run in Vaughan earlier this month that killed a live-in caregiver has been recovered. Police identified the vehicle as a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

On Oct. 4 at about 8:30 p.m., a 60-year-old woman from Richmond Hill was walking northbound on Pine Valley Drive from Major Mackenzie Drive when she was fatally struck by a northbound vehicle whose driver fled. The victim, who has not been named, was found days later by a passerby at the side of the road.

Police announced the arrest of 41-year-old Kamel Hazime of Vaughan on Monday. He is charged with failure to stop after an accident resulting in death. Investigators said Tuesday they had found the suspect vehicle. Debris at the scene had already been confirmed as belonging to a 2020-to-2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The investigation continues.

Source

3. Three Ontario soldiers in 'dire' condition after CFB Wainwright fire: Smith

Source: CP24

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says 27 of the 39 soldiers taken to hospital after a deadly fire at the Wainwright military base on Saturday are still being treated, with 13 in critical condition. The number hospitalized is down from 33 on Tuesday.

Three of the soldiers are from Ontario and are in dire health condition, Smith said, adding that Ontario is sending 19 burn nurses and five operating room nurses to assist Alberta medics. She said some burns cover 30 to 80 per cent of a patient's body, and changing dressings can take up to two hours per patient.

The Canadian Armed Forces said Sunday that four people were killed in the fire, which began the day before. At the time, 39 people were injured, 19 of them critically. Smith spoke to reporters at an unrelated news conference on Wednesday.

Source

4. Chow and Bradford clash over the future of Toronto's water

Source: CP24

With less than five days until election day, the future of Toronto's water has become a focal point of the mayoral race. Brad Bradford pitched last month to turn Toronto Water into a publicly owned utility, saying it could save the average homeowner about $300 a year by reducing money collected for city reserves, modelled on Toronto Hydro, which became a corporation in 1999.

On Wednesday, Local 416 of the Toronto Civic Employees Union warned in a letter that the city should not give up control of Toronto Water to an unelected, unaccountable board. The letter listed 15 councillors who oppose the idea, along with Olivia Chow, whom the union endorsed earlier this month. Citing a legal opinion it commissioned, the union said the move risks giving up significant control over how water and wastewater services are governed.

At a campaign event outside the RC Harris Water Treatment Plant on Wednesday, Chow said her opponent wants to hand control of Toronto's water to Premier Doug Ford's government, opening the door to privatization. Environmentalist David Suzuki joined her. Bradford accused Chow of gutter politics and fear mongering, saying provincial law prevents anyone other than the city, province or federal government from holding shares in such a corporation. A Nanos poll conducted for CTV News Toronto and CP24 found Chow's lead has shrunk to 3.2 per cent.

Source

5. Four teens charged in attempted robbery at Downsview business

Source: CP24

Four teens have been charged after an attempted robbery at a business in Toronto's Downsview neighbourhood on Tuesday. Police say officers were called shortly before 2 p.m. to the area of Wilson Avenue and Keele Street.

The four suspects allegedly tried to break into the business, failed and fled in a vehicle. Responding officers located and stopped the vehicle; the suspects then fled on foot before being arrested.

Police say four male youths, aged 14, 16, 16 and 17, face charges including robbery with an offensive weapon, disguise with intent, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. The charges have not been proven in court, and the identities cannot be released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Source

6. Impaired 17-year-old nearly hit pedestrian while driving on rims: Toronto police

Source: CP24

A 17-year-old boy is facing charges after Toronto police allege he nearly hit a pedestrian while driving impaired in the city's east end. Police say that around 8:55 p.m. on Oct. 9 they responded to multiple calls about an impaired driver in the area of Danforth Road and Eglinton Avenue East.

The driver was impaired and driving erratically with no front driver's side tire, police said, and at one point almost struck a pedestrian. The force's Air Support Unit located the vehicle from the air and guided officers to stop it and arrest the driver.

The teen, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is charged with impaired operation of a conveyance, failing to comply with a YCJA sentence, novice driver with a blood alcohol level above zero, and a Class G1 licence holder driving without a qualified driver.

Source

7. High-risk offender in Durham Region arrested over alleged curfew breach

Source: CP24

A high-risk offender released in Durham Region on Oct. 11 has been arrested after allegedly breaching his court-imposed curfew conditions. Keith Theodore Constantin, 48, has a history of serious convictions including sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon, assault, robbery, possession of explosives, uttering threats and multiple probation violations.

On Oct. 10, Durham Regional Police issued a public safety alert about his release, saying he poses a significant risk to the community, especially children. He was bound by conditions including wearing a GPS monitoring device, obeying a curfew, and having no contact or involvement in activities with anyone under 16.

He was also barred from daycares, swimming areas, school grounds, playgrounds, community centres where children under 16 are present, and public places such as malls where people under 16 are present. Police say he breached his conditions on Monday and was taken into custody, where he remains pending a bail hearing.

Source

8. OSAP pause for Ontario career colleges extends into 2027, worrying students

Source: CP24

A provincewide pause on student financial assistance payments to Ontario career colleges will last for months, the government has confirmed. Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn announced late Tuesday that the pause will not be lifted until a new process for approving private post-secondary institutions under OSAP is in place, with that work not expected to finish until the new year. The province is also still working to secure third-party loans through banks.

Quinn imposed the pause after preliminary findings from an audit into OSAP use at career colleges raised serious concerns. Many students say they feel unfairly penalized for the alleged actions of others, and Career Colleges Ontario called Wednesday for a more targeted approach.

Jennifer Koster, a law clerk student at Trillium College who expected to finish in February, described the news as a bomb being dropped on her. The college suspended classes at its campuses late last week, and students say it sought payment plans of about $1,500 a month, which many cannot afford without OSAP. Scott Daley, a massage therapy student at CTS Canadian Career College in Barrie, said his household has had times when it was unsure how it would buy groceries. Deanna Hutten, a second-year master's student at McMaster Divinity College, is reducing her course load and working more hours to stay in school. Students have organized protests including in St. Catharines and North Bay.

Source

9. Federal union launches strike votes for 120,000 public servants

Source: CP24

Canada's largest federal public service union says 120,000 workers will take part in nationwide strike votes starting next month after contract talks with the federal government broke down. The Public Service Alliance of Canada says voting will run from Nov. 16 to Jan. 22.

PSAC and the Treasury Board have been negotiating for a year and a half, and in May the union called a government wage offer of less than one per cent a year insulting. The union says the government has refused to negotiate on key issues including wages, job security, remote work and protections against artificial intelligence.

Workers taking part include wildland firefighters, passport and benefit officers, fishery officers, federal teachers, librarians and administrative staff. In 2023, 155,000 federal public servants spent almost two weeks on picket lines and won wage increases totalling 12.6 per cent over an agreement covering 2021 to 2024.

Source

10. Ottawa and Ontario unveil nearly $9B plan for tariff-hit auto and steel

Source: CP24

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled nearly $9 billion in supports for the province's tariff-hit auto and steel sectors on Wednesday afternoon in Ottawa. The commitments include $5 billion to upgrade Ontario steel mills, $2.5 billion to help the auto industry pivot to electric vehicle production, and $1 billion to build roads to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region in Northern Ontario.

Ontario is contributing $2.67 billion. Carney said the investments would help create 70,000 jobs linked to the Ring of Fire and protect about 220,000 linked to the other industries. He said U.S. tariffs have upended a trade bargain that existed for decades, raising costs for American families while putting Ontario workers and businesses at a disadvantage.

The two governments are also launching a Joint Steel Action Fund and strengthening CBSA enforcement against foreign steel dumping. Carney noted Canada imports more than 6.5 million tonnes of steel a year, often because domestic mills do not make the products Canadian companies need. Ottawa also announced it will freeze the fleet average performance standard at 172 grams per mile for new light-duty vehicles through 2029, with annual increases resuming in the 2030 model year. Ford called it a historic agreement and said Canada's relationship with the United States has changed permanently.

Source