Maple Express | September 10, 2026 Ontario Science Centre lays off entire science department

1. Ontario Science Centre lays off entire science department

Source: CP24

The Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 workers, including its entire science department, according to The Canadian Press. CEO Paul Kortenaar told employees at a meeting today that the organization is being restructured.

The centre is eliminating its live exhibits and science department, its business development department, and its security staff. Kortenaar said he expects new roles to open up in the future.

The province abruptly closed the east Toronto science centre in the summer of 2024, citing an engineering report that found roof deficiencies. Critics have questioned that decision, noting the roof has survived record snowfall and rainfall over the past two years. The government is now building a new $1-billion science centre at Ontario Place.

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2. Olivia Chow launches re-election campaign for Toronto mayor

Source: CP24

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has officially launched her re-election campaign, seeking a second term in office. She kicked off her campaign at the Danforth Music Hall.

Blue Rodeo singer Jim Cuddy introduced Chow as she opened her election campaign.

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3. Confidential and sealed files may have been accessed in cybersecurity incident at Ontario courts

Source: CP24

Some confidential and sealed court information may have been accessed during a cybersecurity incident that targeted a case management platform used by Ontario's top courts. The platform, C-Track Canada, is owned by Thomson Reuters Canada, which first discovered unauthorized activity by a third party on June 30.

A subsequent investigation found that in March, an unauthorized party obtained files associated with the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the Ontario Court of Justice. The company said a subset of court records were affected, some of which could contain people's names and personal information.

C-Track said the breach was not caused by the courts' networks, systems, or data security, and there is no evidence that systems processing financial transactions were impacted. The Ontario Ministry of Attorney General was advised of the breach on July 23, and the province's three chief justices said last week that the courts are working with the government's Cyber Security Division. The breach also affected several court systems in the United States.

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4. Woman in her 80s struck by vehicle in Etobicoke

Source: CP24

A woman in her 80s was rushed to hospital after being struck by a vehicle in Etobicoke on Thursday afternoon. Toronto police say a call came in at 1:15 p.m. for a collision in the area of Bloor Street West and Kipling Avenue.

According to Toronto paramedics, the woman sustained serious injuries. Police said the driver remained at the scene, and the circumstances that led to the collision are under investigation.

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5. Toronto man sentenced in New York for pump-and-dump stock scheme

Source: CP24

A 71-year-old Toronto man has been sentenced to 27 months in a New York prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar pump-and-dump scheme involving more than a dozen penny stocks.

The man, Julius Csurgo, orchestrated the schemes with co-conspirators, pleaded guilty on May 27, and was sentenced on Sept. 4. In addition to jail time, he was ordered to forfeit about US$9.6 million and sentenced to one year of supervised release. The Canadian-Hungarian citizen admitted to securities fraud involving 19 different stocks.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Csurgo hid his ownership by distributing shares to nominee entities through a Swiss corporation called Blacklight, S.A., and funded promotional campaigns without disclosing his controlling interest or intent to sell. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said the sentence sends a clear message that those who manipulate markets and defraud investors will not escape justice.

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6. Scarborough business fined for selling snakehead fish imported from Vietnam

Source: CP24

A Scarborough food business has been fined for importing and selling frozen snakehead fish from Vietnam. The snakehead fish is listed as a prohibited invasive species in Ontario.

In a court bulletin Thursday, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources said conservation officers were conducting commercial fisheries inspections in Scarborough in January 2025. During an inspection at CK Frozen Fish and Food Inc., officers discovered five cases of frozen snakehead fish imported from Vietnam, which were subsequently seized.

The business and its directors, Rakin Niloy of Scarborough and Mohammed Rahman of New York, were charged and later found guilty of importing and selling a prohibited invasive species. The business was fined $6,000, while the directors were handed a $15,000 fine. The government said the snakehead, native to southern and eastern Asia, could seriously threaten native fish and invertebrate populations in Ontario and could thrive in the Great Lakes.

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7. Family of Toronto teen sues over removed speed cameras after crash

Source: CP24

The removal of speed cameras was a factor when a 15-year-old Toronto boy was struck and suffered a brain injury, multiple fractures, vision loss, and other life-altering injuries, his family is alleging in a lawsuit.

The teen was hit at a crosswalk near St. Oscar Romero Catholic Secondary School on March 25, at the intersection of Humber Boulevard and Louvain Street, just metres from where an automated speed camera had been taken offline months earlier. The lawsuit, filed by his mother Adebola Adebayo, alleges the provincial government knew the dangers of speeding would increase without the cameras and did not disburse an announced Road Safety Initiatives Fund in time.

The lawsuit also names the City of Toronto and the driver. The teen's parents are seeking $3 million in special damages, $12 million in general damages, and $1 million in punitive damages. Nothing has yet been proven in court.

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8. Doug Ford open to involuntary addiction treatment

Source: CP24

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is open to the idea of involuntary addiction treatment. Ontario's Big City Mayors group recently repeated a request for the province to review existing mental health laws with the idea of expanding involuntary treatment.

The province is currently studying involuntary mental health and addiction treatment in jails but has not yet proceeded with any legislation. Homelessness and addictions have spiked across the province since the COVID-19 pandemic, and municipalities are bearing the brunt of the costs.

Ford said he would be open to the controversial idea so long as it helps people and communities. Health Minister Sylvia Jones has not ruled out the idea but has said on several occasions she prefers voluntary treatment and is consulting with experts.

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9. Federal government to give one-time $150 payment to disability benefit recipients

Source: CP24

Canadians eligible for the Canada Disability Benefit program will receive a one-time payment of $150 to offset the cost of applying for the Disability Tax Credit. The payments will begin on Sept. 17, according to a federal announcement Thursday.

"We are breaking down barriers so more Canadians can get the help they need, building a Canada where no one is left behind," Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement. Recipients will be eligible for a supplemental payment for each approved DTC certificate, and they do not need to apply.

Those who became eligible between July 2025 and July 2026 will receive the payment on Sept. 17, while those who become eligible after July 2027 and those approved for a new DTC certificate will receive their payment in early 2027. The program, launched last year, has been criticized by advocates and applicants for tardy payment schedules and lengthy application times.

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10. Distilleries to bear brunt of U.S. ban on Canadian booze

Source: CP24

Distilleries and spirit makers are likely to be the hardest hit among Canadian alcohol producers as the United States proposes a broad ban on Canadian booze starting later this month. Craig Johnston, chief economist at Farm Credit Canada, said distilleries ship more than half of their overall product to the U.S.

Canada's retaliatory duties earlier this week prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to ban most imports of Canadian alcohol starting Sept. 29. Canadian whiskey and liqueur in bottles larger than four litres will be exempt, but Cal Bricker of Spirits Canada said there are not many four-litre bottles sold anyway, calling it "more or less a ban on Canadian whiskey." He added that Canadian whiskey can only be made in Canada, so producers cannot simply move production south.

Andrew Oland, chief executive of Moosehead Breweries, said he was "very disappointed." The Saint John, N.B.-based brewery ships 15 per cent of its beverages to the U.S. and is absorbing 50 per cent tariffs. By contrast, Canada's brewing industry is far less dependent on the U.S. market, with more than 90 per cent of beer bought in Canada last year brewed domestically.

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