Maple Express | October 8, 2026 — Toronto parents scramble as five child-care centres close

Source: CP24

1. Five Toronto child-care centres close suddenly, leaving parents scrambling

CUPE Local 2484, which represents more than 700 child-care workers in Toronto, says its members at Ideal Child Services Group (ICSG) were locked out Monday morning, closing five child-care centres across the city. The centres are located at 50 Ameer Ave., 295 Dufferin St., 272 Codsell Ave., 110 Pineway Blvd. and 48 Tumpane St.

The union says ICSG “refused to respond to the latest proposals” presented in September, and that workers are fighting for fair wages, protections when they become sick or injured, and consistent staffing. ICSG's labour counsel, Madeleine Loewenberg, said the organization is confident it will reach a deal and resume services, adding that its sole priority is the care of the children and families it supports.

Clarisa Gallegos, an X-ray technician who works long hospital shifts, said she has been “stressed” since hearing the news because she has no other child-care options. Parent Subodh Prabhu said his 13-month-old son had attended BonAventure for only a week; an alternative centre will now cost him $1,300 for two weeks.

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2. New poll: traffic is Toronto voters' “single biggest” problem

Exclusive polling by Nanos Research for CP24 and CTV News Toronto finds that about a quarter of Toronto residents see traffic congestion as the “single biggest problem” affecting their quality of life, topping voters' concerns ahead of the municipal election. The survey randomly sampled 755 Toronto residents from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.

Traffic was chosen by 26 per cent of respondents, followed by housing costs (18 per cent), public safety/crime (16 per cent), property taxes (12 per cent) and the cost of groceries (9 per cent). The margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

At a Wednesday debate hosted by the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization, Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford sparred over traffic. Chow pointed to her promise to cap TTC fares and improve transit to cut the number of cars, while Bradford vowed to remove 12 kilometres of Scarborough bus lanes. The mayoral election is set for Oct. 26, with advance voting open until Oct. 11.

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3. Police search for Scarborough stabbing suspect who cut off ankle bracelet

Toronto police are searching for 22-year-old Ricardo Romero Gonzales, wanted over a Jan. 22 stabbing and home invasion in the Kennedy and Ellesmere Roads area of Scarborough. Police say he tampered with his court-ordered ankle monitor and failed to appear in court.

Police were told on Sept. 16 that Gonzales may have cut off the device; he did not attend court on Sept. 22 and is now wanted for failure to comply with a release order. He is described as five-foot-seven with black hair, brown eyes and a medium build, and is known to frequent Jane Street and Wilson Avenue.

A second suspect, 32-year-old Francisco Garcia Arroyo, was arrested on May 4; both face two counts of robbery with a weapon and aggravated assault. Police are asking anyone with information to come forward or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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4. Two suspects sought in North York distraction theft targeting a senior

Toronto police have released images of two suspects accused of stealing an elderly victim's gold jewellery in a distraction theft in North York on May 29, in the area of Dufferin Street and Finch Avenue West.

Police say a female suspect seated in the back seat of a white car waved the victim over, then allegedly placed fake jewellery around the victim's neck before removing their gold necklace and charm. She and a male suspect driving the car then fled.

On Wednesday, investigators identified the suspects as 20-year-old Elena Costantin and 26-year-old Ion Miclescu. Both are wanted for theft under $5,000. Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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5. Toronto man charged in child sexual abuse and exploitation probe

A Toronto man has been charged in an investigation led by the Ontario Provincial Police's Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, with help from Toronto police. Police say a search warrant was executed at a Toronto home on May 28 and a number of electronic devices were seized.

On Oct. 1, 26-year-old Shawn Thompson of Toronto was arrested and charged with possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material and making it available. The charges have not been tested in court, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and ask anyone with information to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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6. Man dead after industrial accident involving a tow truck in Brampton

Peel Regional Police say one person has died after an industrial accident involving a tow truck in Brampton, on Auction Lane near Queen Street and Goreway Drive. Police were called to the area at 4:15 p.m.

Emergency services found a man without vital signs. Life-saving measures were performed, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is being led by Ontario's Ministry of Labour, with help from Peel police's 21 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau.

Investigators say they have no further details to share at this time.

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7. Ontario man denied $22,000 refund after cruise itinerary changed last minute

An Ontario couple who planned a riverboat cruise had their itinerary changed at the last minute and say the company did not offer a refund for their $22,000 vacation when the new trip no longer fit their plans. Brian Lobaskie told CTV News: “We had all our bags packed, and we were ready to go.”

He and his partner had planned their 11-day European river cruise with AmaWaterways for more than a year before the itinerary changed 24 hours in advance. The original trip ran from Amsterdam to Switzerland, and he had also purchased shore excursions and a rail pass; the company then offered a different route through the Netherlands and Belgium. A company spokesperson said the cruise was not cancelled and did operate, though “extraordinary river conditions” required adjustments.

The company said guests who took the changed itinerary were offered a credit of 50 per cent of their cruise fare for future trips, while those who opted out were offered the chance to postpone for a credit equal to 100 per cent. Lobaskie received a $22,000 travel credit but believes he should have been entitled to a refund when the full itinerary was cancelled.

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8. OSAP freeze leaves Ontario career college students anxious

Students at CTS Canadian Career College in North Bay and Modern College of Hairstyling and Esthetics say they are deeply affected by a freeze on the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). The province paused payments over concerns about possible criminal activity at some schools.

Office administration student Hope Beaulieu was approved for OSAP when the school year began Sept. 21 but has yet to receive the money. She has a 13-year-old daughter and a son living with autism and ADHD. Gladys Rutland, who is studying to become a medical secretary, said: “It's like a domino ripple effect… Rent is already past due.”

The government says the pause is part of a career colleges audit, and the Ontario Provincial Police is investigating after auditors identified “serious concerns.” Data obtained through a freedom-of-information request showed that just seven career colleges had the same amount of OSAP as all publicly funded colleges. Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn called it a “necessary right-sizing of the sector.”

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9. Jewish Canadians highlight antisemitic attacks on Oct. 7 anniversary

Several Israeli flags were set on fire outside a Christian centre in Toronto early Wednesday, an incident now being investigated as hate-motivated — the latest in a string of incidents targeting Canada's Jewish community.

Rabbi Daniel Korobkin, senior rabbi at Toronto's Beth Avraham Yoseph synagogue, which was struck by gunfire in March, said: “What we're seeing is a progression… It heightens, and then it gets to violence.” On Yom Kippur, a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., was shot at, leaving two police officers injured and the suspect dead.

Statistics Canada says there were 788 police-reported hate crimes targeting Jewish people last year, making up 71 per cent of all religiously motivated hate crimes, and nearly 50 per cent higher than in 2022. Sara Lefton of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto warned that what begins with the Jewish community does not end there — “it is our shared way of life that is under attack.”

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10. Hockey N.S. pilot teaches young players about consent and hazing

Hockey Nova Scotia has teamed up with a local non-profit that serves survivors of sexual assault to create a program teaching 13- and 14-year-old players about healthy team bonding and how to avoid crossing the line. More than 2,000 minor hockey players of all genders will take part in the mandatory program.

Executive director Michael Field said: “There's been several incidents in hockey over the years and it's been an area of need.” The program emerged after news reports last February about a hazing incident and sexual assault involving a junior hockey team in Nova Scotia. Two under-15 players in Colchester County were charged with sexual assault, and one changed his plea to guilty last month.

The program includes two sessions: the first on bodily autonomy, respecting boundaries and consent; the second on how to respond to situations that may harm teammates. Dee Dooley of Dalhousie University is helping facilitate, stressing that peer influence cannot be overstated.

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