Maple Express | September 18, 2026 Ontario elementary teachers' union to hold strike vote in November

Source: CP24

1. Ontario elementary teachers' union to hold strike vote in November

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) told members this week that its central strike voting window will run from Nov. 9 to 18, making it the second of the province's four major teachers' unions to set strike vote dates. ETFO represents approximately 84,000 public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, education support personnel, professional support personnel and designated early childhood educators.

The move comes after the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) confirmed it will hold a strike vote on Nov. 12 and 13. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) has not yet announced strike vote plans, and L'Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) said next steps are "still being considered" as it holds strategic discussions.

Earlier this month, unions representing education workers issued a joint statement saying teachers remain without contracts despite the education minister's assurances of a deal before Labour Day. They criticized the Ford Conservatives' push to move long-standing local bargaining items — including staffing timelines related to transfer, surplus and redundancy, and local professional development funding — to the central table. A spokesperson for Education Minister Paul Calandra said the province stands "ready to begin" negotiations, and that most unions have gone to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to determine which issues should be negotiated centrally or locally, a process that has delayed bargaining. The spokesperson added that premature strike threats do not serve students' interests.

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2. Man convicted of murdering his sisters has parole hearing today

A man convicted of murdering his three sisters and another woman more than 17 years ago is set to have a parole hearing today. It was not immediately clear what type of release Hamed Shafia is seeking from the Parole Board of Canada.

Shafia and his parents were found guilty in January 2012 of four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his teenage sisters and his father's first wife in a polygamous marriage. The four bodies were found in a car at the bottom of the Rideau Canal in Kingston, Ont., in June 2009.

The trial judge described the killings as being motivated by the Shafia family's "twisted concept of honour." The family had immigrated to Canada from Afghanistan and settled in Montreal, where the father was a successful businessman. After his conviction, the younger Shafia argued that he was too young to be tried as an adult, but Ontario's top court rejected his appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the case in 2017.

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3. Man, 81, charged with murder of his 58-year-old son in Ontario's cottage country

Provincial police say they have charged an 81-year-old man with murder more than two years after his son went missing. Police say officers started investigating on Jan. 7, 2024, after a family member reported they were unable to reach a 58-year-old man from Norland, Ont., and were concerned for his well-being.

Police say the man remained missing despite an extensive search and investigation, and that they eventually gathered information that led them to suspect foul play.

Police say the 81-year-old father of the missing man, who lives in Peterborough, Ont., was charged on Wednesday with second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body. The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court next week.

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4. Three teenage girls charged after alleged drinking and harassment on a GO train

Three teenage girls are facing charges after police say they behaved in a "disorderly manner" on a GO train, drinking alcohol, vaping and harassing a group of passengers. According to Durham police, three victims travelling on an eastbound GO train from Toronto on Saturday reported being harassed by a group of five teenage girls.

In a news release issued Friday, police said the confrontation escalated after one passenger asked the group to be respectful of others, and the youths responded with verbal threats and harassment. During the incident, one youth allegedly physically assaulted a female victim. Police said the teens exited the train at the Whitby GO Station, where they reportedly threw an alcohol bottle in the direction of the victims before leaving.

Police said video evidence and witness statements helped investigators identify the suspects, and three females from Oshawa have all been charged. A 13-year-old was charged with causing a disturbance and disobeying a court order; a 15-year-old was charged with failing to comply with a probation order; and a 16-year-old was charged with causing a disturbance, assault, three counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of failing to comply with a probation order. Police said the 15- and 16-year-old were on conditions not to communicate with each other at the time. All three were released on an undertaking.

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5. Dump truck and car collide in Caledon

Police are on the scene of a collision involving a dump truck and a passenger vehicle in Caledon on Friday morning. The two-vehicle crash occurred near Dixie and King streets.

Ontario Provincial Police say the intersection is currently closed for the investigation. Motorists are advised to find alternate routes.

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6. Mississauga furniture store customers worry orders will never arrive

Several GTA residents who bought furniture from a Mississauga furniture store through financing plans are concerned they may never receive their orders. Three customers say they spent a combined total of $21,800 on furniture from My Furniture by Mattress to Door.

Reena Girkar of Kitchener, Ont., said her family ordered a dining set and a two-piece bedroom set totaling $13,000 in May and opted for a financing plan through Flexiti. She said she was told to continue making payments despite not receiving her purchases. Clarah Migwi of Toronto said she ordered a $3,500 sectional sofa and is still waiting for it, adding: "My concern is I will never see that couch ever again."

Rajinder Paul of Mississauga said he purchased $5,300 worth of furniture, including a sofa set, two mattresses and two small tables, but the items were never delivered. When CTV News visited the company's Mississauga location, the sign had been taken down and a notice on the door said the lease had been terminated due to non-payment of rent; its North York location appeared open, but an employee locked the door after CTV News arrived. Doug Hoyes, a licensed insolvency trustee with Hoyes, Michalos & Associates, said customers may lose their deposits when a business closes, but should not have to pay for items they never received.

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7. Third Marineland beluga dies after moves, this time in Spain

A third beluga that was part of a massive move of whales from Marineland has died. Oceanografic Valencia says Jelly Bean died suddenly on Friday. The Spanish aquarium took in Jelly Bean and another beluga named Cleopatra in late August.

Two Marineland belugas and a resident beluga at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium died within weeks of their move.

Marineland said it was running out of money and needed the whales gone, otherwise they would be euthanized. The closed Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction moved all 30 of its belugas and four dolphins to five aquariums in Chicago, San Antonio, San Diego, Atlanta and Valencia in Spain.

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8. Ford clarifies his praise for Olivia Chow was not an endorsement

Premier Doug Ford is insisting that he has no plans to formally back any Toronto mayoral candidates after some took his praise for Olivia Chow earlier this week as an endorsement.

Ford was at a press conference alongside Chow and other officials on Wednesday when he was asked about his feelings regarding Toronto's mayoral election. The premier responded that Chow was "doing an incredible job" and that he has a "phenomenal" relationship with her, then told reporters to "read between the lines," prompting some to suggest he was offering an endorsement of sorts.

In an appearance on NewsTalk 1010 on Friday morning, Ford said that wasn't the case. He said the intention of his remarks was just to affirm that he is on the same page as Chow following earlier questions about a dispute between the city and the province over automated speed cameras. "I just said the truth: I get along very, very well with the mayor," Ford said. "But let's be very, very clear — when I endorse someone, which I am not, you come out and you fully endorse them." Ford said he isn't endorsing anyone and will work with whoever is mayor. Torontonians head to the polls on Oct. 26.

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9. Odds of a Bank of Canada rate hike this year have jumped

Traders are increasingly betting that the Bank of Canada could end its string of interest rate holds and deliver a hike as early as next month. While many economists remain unconvinced that the central bank will raise the cost of borrowing this year, concerns that inflation could become more persistent than first thought have some pencilling in a tightening cycle to start in early 2027.

The U.S. Federal Reserve broke its own stand-pat stance and delivered the United States' first rate hike in more than three years on Wednesday, in an effort to rein in inflationary pressures bubbling up south of the border. The Bank of Canada has sat on the sidelines for nearly a year, leaving its policy rate unchanged at 2.25 per cent as it waits to see how the economy and inflation adjust to a series of shocks.

In the days leading up to each of the Bank of Canada's six meetings so far in 2026, market odds were overwhelmingly in favour of rate holds; before its Sept. 2 decision to leave the policy rate unchanged, odds of a hold were pegged at 94 per cent, according to LSEG Data & Analytics. With over a month to go until the next decision on Oct. 28, markets now see that meeting as a coin flip. Claire Fan, senior economist at RBC, said the shift in odds toward a possible October hike likely reflects persistently high global energy prices tied to the war in Iran.

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10. Manitoba teen to donate part of his liver to his grandfather in Toronto surgery

A Manitoba teenager's next gift to his grandfather isn't a new coffee mug or sweater — it's part of his liver. Dawson Penner, 19, of Carman, Man., will travel to Toronto next month to donate a portion of his liver to his grandfather.

"I think it really speaks to the relationship that the two of them have," said Kerri Penner, Dawson's mother. "I think it's something really special that not a lot of grandparents actually have with their grandkids." Ray Wieler, 69, of Winkler, has been battling liver disease and declining health since his diagnosis in 2023. Because of his age, Kerri said her father was not a strong candidate for the traditional donor list.

As Dawson got older, the family started looking at living donation, in which a portion of a healthy donor's liver is transplanted and both the donor's and recipient's livers regenerate over time. After roughly two years of testing, Dawson learned he was a suitable match for his grandfather. "As close as you can get to a perfect match," he said. "So, blood type, liver size and shape." The surgery is scheduled for Oct. 26. The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help offset the cost of travel, accommodations and lost wages.

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