Maple Express | September 23, 2026: Sentencing hearing begins for Kenneth Law in Ontario assisted-suicide case

1. Sentencing hearing begins for Kenneth Law, who sold substances used for suicide

Source: CP24

The sentencing hearing for Ontario man Kenneth Law began today (Sept. 23). The former chef from Mississauga pleaded guilty in late May to 14 counts of aiding suicide in the deaths of 14 people in the province, including some who were minors. He had also faced another 14 counts of first-degree murder related to the same victims; prosecutors said they plan to withdraw the murder charges after he is sentenced.

According to an agreed statement of facts read in court, Law ran several websites that sold sodium nitrite and other products that can be used for self-harm. He sent some 1,200 packages to people in more than 40 countries, including close to 160 packages shipped to addresses within Canada. Between January 2020 and mid-May 2023, nearly $290,000 in sales from his companies were deposited into his accounts. Court also heard he occasionally commented under a pseudonym on a forum where people discussed using certain substances for suicide, and some replies referred people to his websites.

The hearing also offers loved ones of those who died an opportunity to tell Law and the court how his actions affected them, and they are expected to describe their loss in the coming days. Those found guilty of aiding suicide can face up to 14 years in prison. Crown and defence lawyers are expected to present what they believe would be an appropriate sentence and to argue about what Law's words suggest about his motivation. Britain's National Crime Agency said it initially planned to request his extradition but agreed to have his offences there addressed through the Canadian court process.

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2. 'We have to act urgently': Canada missing key pieces in strongest sectors, report finds

Source: CP24

A new report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and PwC Canada says Canada has lots of what the United States and the world needs, but to turn its advantages into growth and global success it must build infrastructure and improve access to funding and capital. The report looked at five critical sectors where Canada is strongest and found they all suffered from the same problems: missing pieces when it comes to taking a raw material and turning it into a higher-value product, and a slowness to act.

The five sectors were artificial intelligence and quantum computing, mining and critical minerals, energy, defence and agri-food. Canada was an early global leader in AI research, but Canadian companies struggle to compete globally and often can't get the funding to grow past the startup stage, the report says; in mining, significant new production can take 10 to 15 years, and refining minerals into usable industrial materials largely happens outside Canada, often in China. About 85 per cent of Canada's energy exports go to one customer: the United States.

Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said the longstanding issues are more urgent in the current economic environment. "There's a door open and it won't stay open. We have to act urgently to move through it," she said. The report says government and businesses need to treat what's missing as a checklist: faster permitting, better access to capital, more infrastructure, specialized skills, stronger commercialization and better co-ordination across governments and industry.

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3. 2026 Michelin Guide Toronto & Region released, with no new stars

Source: CP24

The Michelin Guide Toronto & Region unveiled its 2026 restaurant selection on Tuesday, and no new restaurants received a Michelin star. Restaurant Pearl Morissette, located at 3953 Jordan Rd. in Lincoln, Ont., kept the two Michelin stars it received last year and remains the region's only two-star establishment. According to the guide, the venue, which is a restaurant, winery, orchard, farm and bakery, is "a powerhouse."

The guide says chefs Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson, with great pride for Canadian ingredients and respect for the seasons, make the most of their surroundings to enhance their spontaneous tasting menu's dishes. Fourteen restaurants maintained their one-star rating, and all but one are located in Toronto. The guide says a one-star restaurant "uses top-quality ingredients and prepares dishes with distinct flavours to a consistently high standard" and is worth a stop, while two-star restaurants are worth a detour.

No restaurant in the region has received the highest rating of three Michelin stars since the guide was launched in 2022. This is the fifth edition of the Michelin Guide Toronto & Region.

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4. Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation receives $100-million donation from an anonymous donor

Source: CP24

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation announced Tuesday that an anonymous donor has gifted it $100 million, the largest donation it has ever received. The foundation said the donor was compelled by their personal connection to cancer and the charity's mission to create a world free from the fear of cancer. Foundation CEO Miyo Yamashita called the largest single gift to cancer research in Canadian history "transformative."

Yamashita said the rise of artificial intelligence means cancer research is in a "golden age." The historic donation has prompted the foundation to launch a $2.5-billion fundraising campaign called "Carry the Fire," focused on three priorities: catching cancer at its earliest stages, advancing new approaches to cancer treatment, and transforming the cancer experience for patients and loved ones. She noted cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada and that the World Health Organization predicts a 77-per-cent rise in new cancer cases by 2050; the centre sees 21,000 new patients every year.

Cancer survivor Beth Johnston said the donation will help more people become survivors like her. She was diagnosed with an aggressive acute lymphoblastic leukemia three years ago and is doing well 18 months after a stem cell transplant. She said a $100-million donation will only elevate the cancer centre's already incredible inpatient experience as well as survivor support.

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5. Scarborough residents raise concerns over 'dangerous' driving after major street redesign

Source: CP24

Residents in a Scarborough community are raising concerns after a stretch of roadway was reconfigured in large part to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The work on Scarborough Golf Club Road between Ellesmere Road and Lawrence Avenue East reduced four lanes of traffic to two to install new bike lanes and wider sidewalks. The redevelopment began in 2021 and cost approximately $13 million.

Coun. Paul Ainslie, who represents the area, said he is also unhappy with the project and has received hundreds of complaints from residents. He said that, although the city sent out more than 12,000 flyers to residents for consultation, the project was created based on the voices of 80 people. Nearby resident and retired schoolteacher Karen Izumi said she wants somebody to come and take a look and see how dangerous the driving is now, and wants the raised concrete sections removed and the road restored to four lanes.

City data shows that between 2010 and 2021, along the same stretch, eight people were seriously injured and one person was killed, and nine cyclists were injured, including three school-aged children. City of Toronto media relations manager Kayla Lewis said in a statement that construction on the road is largely complete and that the redesigned street maintains access for residents, emergency services and larger vehicles, adding that the city will continue listening to community feedback and monitoring traffic and safety and making adjustments where possible.

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6. SIU not laying charges against Toronto police officer in arrest that left cyclist seriously injured

Source: CP24

Ontario's police watchdog said Tuesday it will not lay any charges against a Toronto police officer involved in a downtown arrest in May that left a cyclist seriously injured. Special Investigations Unit director Joseph Martino concluded his investigation into the May 31 incident and said he did not find any reasonable grounds to charge the officer.

According to the SIU's report released Tuesday, on May 31 a 21-year-old man was riding along Queens Quay West near Little Norway Crescent when he disobeyed a stop sign, and as he biked through he turned his head toward several Toronto police officers who were in the area conducting targeted bicycle enforcement and said a vulgarity directed at police. Officers signalled others to stop the cyclist; the cyclist tried to evade the arrest by biking around an officer, who chased him and extended his left arm to make contact with the cyclist's backpack, and the cyclist then lost control and toppled over on the grass and the sidewalk.

The SIU said the officer fell on top of the cyclist and forced him flat on the ground, and two other officers came and pinned him to the ground as he was being handcuffed. The arrest was caught on camera and later posted online. The cyclist, who was ticketed and released from custody, was later diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury. David Shellnut, The Biking Lawyer who represented the cyclist, said in June after the video was posted that he was concerned about the police's "aggressive" response. Martino said in his report that he was satisfied with the force used by the officer and that it "fell within the range of what was lawful in the circumstances."

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7. Fall has arrived. Here's what Toronto residents can expect

Source: CP24

Fall officially arrived just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, and Environment Canada climatologist David Phillips says the Greater Toronto Area is in for a "comfortable" season. The temperature in Toronto dropped below eight degrees Tuesday morning, the coolest it has been since the long weekend in May, four months ago. He called it "sweater weather, and not muscle shirts and tank top weather."

Phillips said the first couple of weeks of the new season will be drenched in sunshine with nary a cloud in the sky, with temperatures around 20 or 22, pleasant but not summer-like. He expects October to be warmer and drier than normal, with November and December also warmer, though "maybe a little wetter than normal." He explained that warmer water temperatures, more Pacific air and less Arctic air mean we will enjoy a great fall.

He also predicted that the first frost may not come until early November, similar to 2025. Because of an unusually rainy summer, the leaves have not begun changing colour in earnest, and Phillips expects the peak season to come a little later this year, maybe up to two weeks, probably sometime after Thanksgiving but before Remembrance Day.

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8. Driver pleads guilty in deadly six-vehicle road rage crash on Hwy. 400

Source: CP24

An Orangeville woman charged with dangerous driving causing death has taken a plea deal ahead of trial. Alicia Beerdat, 40, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death for her role in what police described as a road rage incident that turned deadly on April 26, 2024, along Highway 400 through Innisfil.

The court heard, as part of an Agreed Statement of Facts, that at about 5:30 p.m. that day, Beerdat, driving a Tesla Model S, and a 21-year-old Mississauga man behind the wheel of a Chevy Equinox had been road raging down Highway 400 south of Barrie. The vehicles were seen weaving through traffic between lanes, tailgating one another and making sudden lane changes. When Beerdat prevented the other driver from overtaking her in the fast lane, both vehicles reached top speeds of 140 kilometres an hour; the Equinox tried to pass the Tesla using the left shoulder, struck the barrier and crossed into oncoming traffic, leading to a crash involving a total of six vehicles. The man died of his injuries on the scene.

Beerdat, who is from Orangeville and is a long-time correctional officer, accepted responsibility ahead of what was supposed to be a five-day trial. The defence sought a pre-sentence report, which typically takes between six and eight weeks to complete and present to the court. Beerdat's sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin in late November.

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9. Exclusive: Canada at a 'critical part of its history,' Governor General says

Source: CP24

Less than four weeks before Albertans head to the polls in a referendum that could set in motion a future vote on the province's independence from Canada, the Governor General says she believes the case for a "unified, strong country" is "self evident." Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour made the comments in a one-on-one interview with CTV News during her first official visit to Ontario.

Arbour said she thinks an overwhelming majority of Canadians still believe "we're much, much better together than apart," and that it's not just a question of polls. She said Canada is "really at a critical part of its history," and that she has been struck by "how Canada is really coming together with a real sense of purpose and confidence" at a time of "the economic uncertainties, created in part by the tariff initiatives from our neighbour." She acknowledged an increase in global armed conflict and a world that has become "very unglued," but said she believes Canada "will come out of it better nationally" and in a better position in the world.

Arbour previously served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and as chief prosecutor for the international tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and was the first to secure the indictment of then-Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milošević. She said she is placing a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence in her mandate and holds a balanced view on the future of AI.

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10. Oshawa: man arrested for sexual assault after allegedly drugging victim, police say

Source: CP24

Durham Regional Police say a 23-year-old man was arrested over the weekend in Oshawa after he allegedly met a woman through social media, drugged her and sexually assaulted her. Officers were called to a residence near Bond Street East and Wilson Road North on Saturday evening following reports of unknown trouble.

Police say the woman agreed to meet the suspect at his residence after the two connected through Snapchat. During the interaction, police allege the woman was drugged, and she called police after regaining consciousness during the sexual assault. Officers located the woman outside the residence, and she was taken to a local hospital, where tests confirmed she had a quantity of "noxious substances" in her system. Police say the suspect was arrested later without incident.

Nicholas Paul Lafrance, 23, of Oshawa, is charged with sexual assault, administering a noxious substance and forcible confinement. The allegations have not been proven in court. He was held for a bail hearing. Police say they are concerned there may be additional victims, and anyone with information is asked to contact Durham Regional Police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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