Maple Express | October 20, 2026 — Alberta Referendum: 76.4% Choose to Stay in Canada

1. Alberta Referendum: 76.4% Choose to Stay in Canada

Source: CP24

CTV News projects that a majority of Albertans have chosen to keep the province in Canada rather than pursue separation, in a historic referendum that put the question directly to voters. With ballots counted so far, 76.4 per cent said Alberta should stay in Canada, while 23.6 per cent voted to pursue a binding referendum on separation.

The result caps a year-long campaign by pro-Canada and separatist groups in the oil-rich province. As of the early Tuesday update, about 30 per cent of polls had not yet reported, and Elections Alberta had been expected to announce the result for Question 10 by 4 a.m. MT.

Premier Danielle Smith, who campaigned for yes votes on the first nine questions while also advocating that Alberta remain in Canada, will address Albertans at 6:45 p.m. MT on Tuesday. Results for the other nine questions, focused largely on immigration and constitutional changes, will be announced Wednesday morning. Source

2. Poll: Chow and Bradford in Statistical Tie One Week Before Toronto Election

Source: CP24

With Toronto's mayoral election less than a week away, an exclusive Nanos Research poll conducted for CP24 and CTV News Toronto puts Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford in a statistical tie. Among decided voters, 49.8 per cent support Chow and 46.6 per cent support Bradford, while another four per cent said they would back another candidate.

Nanos surveyed 762 adult Toronto residents between Oct. 15 and Oct. 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Chow's support is down one point from a Nanos poll released last week, while Bradford is up nearly a point.

Chow leads in Scarborough (50.9 per cent) and downtown (58.2 per cent), while Bradford leads in North York (54.1 per cent) and Etobicoke (52.9 per cent). CTV News Chief Data Scientist Nik Nanos said debate performance and "organizational muscle to deliver supporters" will be the deciding factors, with a CP24 municipal debate set for 7 p.m. on Oct. 22 and the vote on Oct. 26. Source

3. Ontario Education Minister Asks Schools to Lower Flags to Half-Mast

Source: CP24

Ontario's Minister of Education is asking all schools and board offices in the province to lower their flags to half-mast indefinitely in support of the victims of the CFB Wainwright tragedy. In a post on X, Calandra said the request came at the direction of Premier Ford and called the incident "a national tragedy."

On Saturday, a grass fire swiftly overcame a military training exercise in the Alberta town, killing four soldiers and wounding 39 others. Calandra said lowering the flags is "an important sign of respect and solidarity as we stand together as a country in mourning."

The CN Tower was also dimmed for five minutes at the bottom of each hour on Monday night to honour the victims. Flags have also been lowered at Ontario buildings and at city buildings in Hamilton and Vaughan. Source

4. Albertans Voted to Stay. What Does It Mean for the Country?

Source: CP24

Preliminary results show about 76 per cent of voters backed keeping Alberta in Canada, while about 24 per cent supported pursuing a binding referendum on separation. Of the more than 1.6 million ballots cast, more than 1.2 million were in favour of remaining.

The ballot asked whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada, or whether the provincial government should begin the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding referendum on separation. Elections Alberta is set to announce the final tally for the 10th question by 4 a.m. MT.

The result does not end the debate. Keith Wilson, co-chair of Let Alberta Decide, said the discussion "is going to keep going forward" regardless of the outcome, while Jeffrey Rath, legal counsel for the Alberta Prosperity Project, said a "political movement" has been created. Under the province's citizen-initiated referendum laws, a future petition could spark a similar exercise. Source

5. Polymarket Is Banned in Ontario, But US$400K+ Wagered on Toronto's Mayoral Race

Source: CP24

Betting on election outcomes is illegal in Canada, yet more than US$400,000 has been wagered on who will become Toronto's mayor on Polymarket, a prediction platform currently banned in Ontario. As of late Monday afternoon, about US$426,000 had been wagered on the Toronto mayoral election there.

Polymarket is serving out a two-year ban in Ontario after its former and current operators were found in April 2025 to have violated the province's securities law. On Kalshi, another prediction market, more than US$46,000 had been wagered on the Oct. 26 mayoral vote, and more than US$24,000 on the Mississauga election.

Both platforms let users buy and sell binary yes-or-no contracts on real-world events. The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization has imposed restrictions on prediction markets; in March it authorized only Wealthsimple and Interactive Brokers Canada to offer prediction trading, limited to economic, environmental and financial indicators. Andreas Park, a finance professor at Rotman, said anyone can theoretically use a VPN to access Polymarket and place a wager. Source

6. Air Canada Adds $30 Fee for Phone Bookings

Source: CP24

Air Canada is putting a price on phone calls: travellers who book a flight through its call centre now face an extra $30 per passenger, as the airline pushes customers toward its "digital tools." The fee took effect on Oct. 15 and does not apply to tickets bought on its website or app.

The charge is non-refundable, even if a ticket or booking is later cancelled, according to the airline. For a booking with two passengers, the fee would total $60, and it appears as its own charge rather than being included in the airfare or carrier-imposed charges.

Air Canada says its self-serve options reduce wait times and let contact centre agents focus on cases needing personalized support. Customers who require specialized care, including those with accessibility needs, are exempt, and no fee applies when a trip is affected by a delay, cancellation or other disruption. WestJet and Flair already charge a service fee for phone bookings. Source

7. Top General Says Wainwright Inquiry Findings Will Be Released Publicly

Source: CP24

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan says it is her "intention" to publicly release the findings of a board of inquiry into the deadly fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. Four Canadian Armed Forces members were killed and dozens more injured in the fire.

Prime Minister Mark Carney told the House of Commons on Monday morning that the RCMP is on the ground along with 50 investigators to determine the source of the fire. In an interview on CTV Power Play, Carignan said three "vehicles of investigation" are underway: one jointly by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, including military police, Alberta's chief medical examiner and the RCMP; one by the Canadian Forces Fire Marshal; and a board of inquiry.

She described the board of inquiry as the mechanism giving a broader range of visibility into what happened, and said "the findings will be released publicly." Carignan added that she will travel to CFB Wainwright before the end of the week, and that many details still need to be confirmed. Source

8. Man Arrested After Unprovoked Assault on TTC Bus

Source: CP24

A 45-year-old man is facing charges in connection with an unprovoked assault on a TTC bus in Toronto's west end last week. The incident happened on Oct. 14 shortly before noon near Dufferin Street and Eglinton Avenue West.

Toronto police said the victim was travelling west along Eglinton Avenue West when the suspect boarded the bus and sat behind them, then allegedly assaulted the victim, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect fled shortly after.

On Monday, police arrested Yetebarek Woldemichael, of no fixed address. He was charged with assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace, and breach of probation. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the accused is scheduled to appear in bail court at a later date. Source

9. Child Struck by Vehicle in Mississauga

Source: CP24

A child was sent to hospital after being struck by the driver of a vehicle in Mississauga late Monday afternoon, police say. The crash happened just before 4:15 p.m. in the Cooksville neighbourhood, on Hillcrest Avenue near Confederation Parkway, just north of Dundas Street East.

Peel Regional Police said the driver remained on scene. The child was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with further information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers. Source

10. RCMP Investigate After Man Flashes Knife at Youth in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

Source: CP24

Mounties in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., say a man is in custody after flashing a knife at youth over the weekend. The incident happened late Saturday evening at the 100-block of Kinuseo Avenue in the small town.

Police said officers responded to the knife report and apprehended the man under the Mental Health Act. He was brought to hospital by officers, released on Monday and then brought back to Tumbler Ridge, where he will remain in custody until he attends court.

Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said the Mounties want to assure the public they are taking the situation very seriously and that there is no further risk to the public, though the investigation continues. She thanked the public for information received and commended the youth for quickly reporting the incident. Earlier this year, the town drew international attention after a mass shooter killed eight victims, including six children, before turning the weapon on herself. Source