Maple Express | September 28, 2026 — Stelco to Lay Off 350 Steelworkers at Hamilton Plant

1. Stelco to lay off 350 steelworkers at Hamilton plant

Source: CP24

The union representing steelworkers at Stelco's Hamilton plant has confirmed to CTV News that 350 employees at the facility in Hamilton, Ont., will be laid off. United Steelworkers Local 1005 confirmed the planned layoffs on Monday afternoon but did not provide further details.

Stelco declined an interview, but in a statement to BNN a spokesperson said the Hamilton plant is currently idling its finishing operations while continuing to concentrate steel production at Lake Erie. The spokesperson said job opportunities at Lake Erie Works will be offered to Hamilton employees, and that a significant number of those affected by the indefinite idle are expected to be absorbed at Lake Erie Works. Stelco also said its steel production will not be affected, though there will be a change in product mix with a higher concentration of hot rolled steel products.

U.S. steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs acquired Stelco Holdings in a $3.4-billion deal in 2024. Ontario Premier Doug Ford slammed the owners last August, accusing the chairman of "signing away" Canadian steel to the United States. Cleveland-Cliffs chairman and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said in July that without further trade protections "the future competitiveness of our galvanizing lines in Hamilton is at risk." The U.S. imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian steel imports on Aug. 22.

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2. FBI offers US$1M reward in Nijjar killing

Source: CP24

The FBI is offering a US$1-million reward for information leading to the arrest of Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, who was charged in July for the 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C. "Singh should be considered armed and dangerous," Patrick Grandy, the assistant director in charge with the FBI in Los Angeles, said at a joint press conference with the RCMP on Monday. He said Singh is being added to the FBI's list of 10 most wanted fugitives.

Monday's announcement follows the FBI and RCMP's July announcement of "Operation Hard Ball," a joint crackdown on India-based organized crime networks across North America in which 37 people were charged and 24 arrested. That announcement included charges against Singh and Bishnoi gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, who was charged with ordering Nijjar's killing and is imprisoned in India. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland, speaking at Monday's press conference, described Singh as a man who "holds no loyalty, nor should others feel any loyalty towards him." The FBI believes Singh could be in the Los Angeles area but says he has also been known to reside in other parts of California and in Canada over the years.

The reward comes as Canada and India seek to recalibrate their relationship after years of tension. In 2023, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons there were "credible allegations" that agents of the Indian government were involved in Nijjar's assassination. A year later, the RCMP and the federal government accused Indian diplomats in Canada of clandestine activities linked to serious criminal activity, including homicides and extortions; Canada expelled six diplomats and India retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats. India has denied involvement. Since Prime Minister Mark Carney took office last year, the tone has shifted: Canada designated the Bishnoi enterprise as a terrorist entity in September 2025, Carney called India "a reliable trading partner" last November, and last week he confirmed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Canada in December. The FBI said anyone with information on Singh should call its toll-free tip line at 1-800-225-5324.

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3. Video appears to show stolen TTC bus taken for a joyride

Source: CP24

The TTC says it is investigating a video that appears to show one of its buses being taken for a joyride at a TTC storage facility. The incident took place at the North Queen Yard in Etobicoke, according to the TTC. The video shows the bus being driven around the lot at a high rate of speed, at one point striking and knocking over a sign post; it includes shots from inside and outside the bus, and at one point the person behind the wheel appears to give a thumbs up to the camera.

The TTC confirmed it is "aware of an incident" of trespassing earlier this month and that it is being investigated, with those involved subject to prosecution. "Needless to say, in addition to being criminal, this is incredibly irresponsible and dangerous behaviour that puts the individuals involved and potentially others at risk," the TTC said in a statement. The agency did not say whether anyone has been identified or charges laid, or whether the bus was damaged or how it was accessed.

Speaking at a separate press conference, TTC CEO Mandeep Lali said he "absolutely" condemns the incident and that security measures have been improved. "The authorities are involved, I absolutely condemn that despicable criminal act, and we will be ensuring that the full force of the law is applied here to anyone or perpetrators involved in that," he said. "The security has been improved and we're monitoring that location, other locations, just as a precautionary measure as well, above and beyond what we normally do." Toronto police confirmed they "have a report on file" but did not provide additional details.

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4. Toronto officer pleads guilty in Project South probe

Source: CP24

A Toronto police officer charged as part of "Project South," a sweeping organized crime and police corruption probe, has pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of a computer. A lawyer for Const. Elias Mouawad confirmed the plea was entered in court on Monday.

Lawyer Peter Brauti also confirmed the Crown withdrew a breach of trust charge against his client. Mouawad was among eight current and retired Toronto police officers charged in the Project South investigation led by York regional police.

The officers were among 27 suspects charged earlier this year in the probe, which uncovered allegations of bribery, conspiracy to commit murder and drug trafficking, among other offences. The case unfolded after police in York Region started investigating an alleged plot to kill a corrections facility officer, leading to accusations that some Toronto officers had leaked personal information to members of an organized crime group.

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5. One critically injured in Scarborough two-vehicle collision

Source: CP24

Three people were injured, one critically, after a two-vehicle crash in Scarborough on Monday. It happened just before 12:10 p.m. in the area of Lawrence Avenue East and Victoria Park Avenue.

Paramedics told CTV News that one young adult was sent to a trauma centre with serious, life-threatening injuries. Police told CTV News that a 16-year-old male pedestrian was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver and a passenger in one vehicle were also sent to hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the other vehicle involved was parked at the time, all drivers remained at the scene, and the circumstances surrounding the collision are unknown. Aerial footage showed one silver sedan crashed into a pole with its front bumper hanging off and a damaged windshield. Police had urged drivers to take alternate routes, but the roads have since reopened.

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6. Toronto mayoral candidate vows to cut water bills by 25 per cent

Source: CP24

Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford says that if elected, he plans to cut residential water bills by an average of about $300 a year. Speaking at a news conference in Scarborough on Monday, he vowed to cut water bills by 25 per cent on the first $1,500 by reducing the amount collected for city reserves. "In your water bill right now, 67 per cent of that is not actually paying for the water, it is putting money into a reserve account. So we are over-collecting, we're over-taxing, we're over-billing," he said. "This is your money and I'm giving it back because we didn't need to take it from you in the first place."

Bradford added that he will work with the province to make sure the savings are passed on to renters. He also plans to set up Toronto Water as a public utility similar to Toronto Hydro, saying it would be "100 per cent owned by Toronto taxpayers" with bylaws that would "permanently ban private investment." He noted cities including Edmonton, Windsor and Kingston have adopted a similar model. His announcement comes with four weeks left in the municipal election campaign.

Mayoral rival Olivia Chow responded that Bradford's move would in fact open the door to "privatizing" drinking water, noting the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act would give the province the power to set water rates. Another candidate, Chris Alexander, said the plan essentially drains the reserve that fixes Toronto's pipes — the other 33 per cent of the water bill that pays for an $18.9-billion, ten-year plan to fix pipes and treatment plants. The pipes still need fixing, he warned, and Torontonians will just pay for them later with huge interest.

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7. 'Chaos' breaks out at University of Guelph Homecoming

Source: CP24

Homecoming weekend at the University of Guelph put people's safety at "serious risk," leading to "several" criminal charges and a strain on the city's emergency department, according to officials. One student said the "chaos" broke out on Saturday as thousands turned out for an unsanctioned street party on Chancellors Way. "People throwing cans at each other, yelling, causing fights," recalled Erik Rutledge, a second-year economics and finance student. Videos on social media showed police in tactical gear trying to quell the crowd while several students tossed red smoke bombs into the street.

Guelph police shut down Chancellors Way around 4 p.m. and later extended the closure to nearby streets. In a statement Monday, police said additional resources, including members of the Guelph Police Service Tactics and Rescue Unit, were deployed as the situation escalated to restore order and prevent further injuries. Police laid "several" charges related to Homecoming, including causing a disturbance and alcohol-related offences, and said investigators are still reviewing photos and videos that may lead to more charges. Guelph General Hospital said about 60 people were hurt, with "head injuries caused by thrown bottles, lacerations and intoxication"; Dr. Alex Folkl, chief of emergency medicine, said the emergency department was stretched beyond capacity.

Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie said in a video posted to social media that he was "beyond upset" at what he saw and heard, particularly responders getting bottles thrown at them, along with smashed store windows, garbage and fires. He said he had previously raised the problem with other mayors and the university, but those discussions have gone nowhere. University president and vice-chancellor Rene Van Acker said in a statement Monday that the celebration "posed a serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of our students, neighbours and broader community," adding "this cannot happen again." He pointed to "a concerning trend" of people who are not students travelling to take part in these large parties.

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8. Health ministers to hold emergency meeting on federal funding

Source: CP24

Ontario's health minister says she and her counterparts across the country are set to hold an emergency meeting to talk about federal funding. Sylvia Jones told a provincial committee meeting that health ministers are trying to impress upon the federal government that they are heading for a "fiscal cliff."

Provinces and territories are concerned the federal budget forecasts an end to some targeted health care funding after March 2027, and a reduction in the growth of the federal Canada Health Transfer after March 2028. The health transfer is guaranteed to grow by at least five per cent per year until 2028, and by at least three per cent a year after that.

That additional money was promised to help expand access to primary care, reduce surgery backlogs, improve mental health and addiction services and modernize the health system. Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is set to release its budget later this fall.

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9. Canada extends Ebola-related travel restrictions for 60 days

Source: CP24

Canada has extended its travel and immigration restrictions related to the Ebola outbreak for another 60 days, as the health ministry in the Democratic Republic of Congo released new data showing more than 8,000 cases. People from Uganda, South Sudan and the DRC have been barred from travelling to Canada since May; the measures were set to expire Monday at midnight but have been extended to Nov. 27.

Immigration documents, including valid visas and travel authorizations, remain suspended for people from all three countries, leaving tens of thousands in limbo, including people who have been granted residency but are not in Canada. Foreign nationals who are not from the three affected countries but who have been in the DRC in the last 21 days cannot board a flight to Canada or transit through Canada, while those coming from South Sudan and Uganda must quarantine for 21 days. Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have been in an affected country must also quarantine for 21 days.

More than 3,900 people have died in the DRC outbreak since May, and the country has struggled to contain the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no known treatment or vaccine. The World Health Organization has criticized the measures, saying they are based on fear rather than science and noting the risk of transmission during air travel is low because the virus is not airborne. The WHO said last week that the DRC is running out of health workers and called this the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history, with a fatality rate of 48 per cent.

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10. No damage after earthquakes strike off B.C. coast

Source: CP24

Emergency officials say there was no damage or injuries and no threat of a tsunami after a series of earthquakes shook off the coast of British Columbia. Three earthquakes were recorded west of Vancouver Island overnight Sunday and early Monday morning.

The first was a magnitude 4.9 quake about 195 kilometres west of Port McNeill, B.C., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. EmergencyInfoBC issued a brief statement urging anyone who felt shaking to "drop, cover and hold on." The second quake struck about two hours later in the same area at magnitude 5.4; the third shook the same region in the early hours of Monday at magnitude 5.2. All three were recorded at a depth of about 10 kilometres, the USGS said.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no danger of a tsunami. According to Earthquakes Canada, quakes between magnitudes 3.5 and 5.4 are "often felt, but rarely cause damage"; those at 6.1 and above can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings up to 100 kilometres away, while quakes above magnitude 7.0 are considered major and can cause significant damage over large areas.

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