Ontario + Canada news in brief

Canada generated more electricity in 2025 as exports to the U.S. fell

Canada generated 639.5 million megawatt-hours of electricity in 2025, up 2.9% from 2024, according to preliminary figures released October 16. Renewable sources supplied 64.1% of production. Yet electricity exports to the United States fell 11.7%, while imports rose 8.6%. Statistics Canada links the trade shifts to continuing dry conditions and increased demand.

Source dated October 16, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, Electricity supply and disposition, 2025 (preliminary), October 16, 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Canada records $41.2-billion net outflow from securities trades in August

Statistics Canada’s October 16 release shows a $41.2-billion net outflow from international securities transactions in August 2026. Canadian investors bought a net $23.9 billion in foreign securities, largely U.S. shares, while foreign investors reduced Canadian holdings by $17.3 billion. The monthly reversal followed $123.8 billion in net inflows from January through July, so August alone does not describe the year’s investment direction.

Source dated October 16, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, Canada’s international transactions in securities, August 2026, October 16, 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Pickering’s online municipal voting opens October 19; paper ballots available October 26

Pickering’s online municipal voting window opens October 19 at 10 a.m. and closes October 26 at 8 p.m., according to the city’s October 16 notice. Paper-ballot voting is available only on October 26, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Online voters need their Voter Information Package and full birth date. Voter assistance centres can help with credentials and provide devices for internet voting.

Source dated October 16, 2026

Pickering lines up partners for proposed Frenchman’s Bay acquisition

Pickering said on October 16 that federal and conservation partners are in place to develop funding and management arrangements for acquiring privately held parts of Frenchman’s Bay. The Lake Ontario coastal wetland includes property held by the Pickering Harbour Company since 1853. Agreements and discussions with Indigenous community partners are still being worked through. The city has not announced a completed purchase.

Source dated October 16, 2026

Canadian higher-education research spending reaches $20.3 billion in 2024/25

Canadian higher-education institutions spent $20.3 billion on research and development in 2024/25, up 7.2% from the previous year, Statistics Canada reported October 16. The sector includes universities, colleges and research facilities under their control. A classification adjustment beginning in 2023/24 complicates comparisons between natural and social sciences with earlier years, although overall sector totals remain unchanged by that adjustment. The release measures spending, not research outcomes.

Source dated October 16, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, Higher Education Expenditures on Research and Development, 2024/2025, October 16, 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski reaches Wuhan doubles final with Luisa Stefani

Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani advanced to the Wuhan Open women’s doubles final on October 17, Tennis Canada reported. The top-seeded pair arrived after winning the China Open in Beijing. The report scheduled their next final for October 18 against Katerina Siniakova and Storm Hunter, with a sixth title of the season at stake. It does not establish the Wuhan final’s result.

Source dated October 17, 2026

Canada reviews proposed changes to Air Canada–United joint venture

Transport Canada announced on October 16 that it is assessing a proposed update to Air Canada and United Airlines’ joint venture on some Canada–U.S. flights. The arrangement, in place since 2022, allows coordination of schedules, prices, marketing and revenue. The public-interest review will examine competition and economic effects, with public comments accepted until November 15. No approval decision has been announced.

Source dated October 16, 2026

Percy Lake Dam repairs begin in Ontario’s Haliburton area

Structural repairs have started at Percy Lake Dam in Dysart et al, Ontario, according to an October 15 Parks Canada bulletin. Work is expected to continue through February 2027 and includes concrete-pier repairs, repairs to the channels holding stop logs, and a new timber deck. Parks Canada says the dam poses no immediate danger and the project requires no changes to current water-management practices.

Source dated October 15, 2026

Canadian juniors win eight titles in Montréal, Québec City and Richmond roundup

In its October 15 junior roundup, Tennis Canada reported that Canadians won eight of 12 titles across recent World Tennis Tour Juniors events in Montréal, Québec City and Richmond, B.C. Clémence Mercier won Montréal’s girls’ singles and doubles titles. Deniz Karabulut and Renee Huang took the Richmond singles titles. The publication is a roundup of earlier tournaments, rather than a same-day match report.

Source dated October 15, 2026

Express Entry scoring changes start November 3 for high-wage occupations

IRCC announced in Kitchener on October 16 that Express Entry will award additional ranking points for eligible Canadian work experience or qualifying job offers in high-wage occupations, starting November 3. Candidates seeking job-offer points must update their profiles before that date. Existing pool scores will be recalculated, with invitation rounds paused during processing for up to two weeks. Extra points do not guarantee an invitation.

Source dated October 16, 2026

Study finds higher custody rates for Indigenous youth in Canadian courts

Indigenous youth found guilty were about twice as likely as White youth to receive custody after adjusting for offence severity, a Statistics Canada study released October 15 found. It examines completed youth-court cases from 2016/2017 to 2022/2023. Quebec data are missing for the final two years, and the analysis does not account for all broader causes of the disparity.

Source dated October 15, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, Disparities in decision and sentencing outcomes between Indigenous accused and White accused in youth courts in Canada, 2016/2017 to 2022/2023, released October 15, 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Canadian wholesale sales fell in August in both dollars and volume

Canadian wholesale sales fell 1.6% from July to $91.6 billion in August 2026, Statistics Canada reported on October 15. After price changes are removed, sales declined 1.8%. Motor vehicles and parts, along with agricultural supplies, drove the drop. The seasonally adjusted headline measure excludes petroleum, petroleum products, other hydrocarbons, and oilseed and grain; it does not measure household retail spending.

Source dated October 15, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, The Daily: Wholesale trade, August 2026, released October 15, 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

IRCC schedules Express Entry announcement in Kitchener for October 16

IRCC says Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab is scheduled to announce Express Entry changes in Kitchener, Ontario, at 11 a.m. Eastern on October 16. The October 15 advisory does not describe the changes or give implementation dates. It announces a media event, so it does not establish new eligibility rules or show that any change is already in force.

Source dated October 15, 2026

Factory sales rise in dollars, with volumes unchanged

Canadian factories recorded $79.9 billion in sales in August 2026, a 1.5% increase from July, Statistics Canada reported on October 15. Once price changes are removed, sales were unchanged. Primary metals and chemicals contributed to the rise in dollar sales, while transportation equipment declined. The figures are seasonally adjusted.

Source dated October 15, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, Monthly Survey of Manufacturing, August 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Toronto records 222,550 advance votes before election day

Toronto reported that 222,550 people voted during six advance-voting days for its 2026 municipal election. Advance voting ended on October 11; the city released the total on October 13. The count exceeds the 115,911 advance votes recorded in the 2022 municipal election. Election day is October 26, with polling hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Source dated October 13, 2026

Joshua Kutryk scheduled for two station spacewalks

Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk is scheduled to work outside the International Space Station on October 29 and November 5, the Canadian Space Agency said on October 14. He and NASA astronaut Anil Menon are to install two solar arrays, with support from Canadarm2. Kutryk would become the fifth Canadian Space Agency astronaut to perform a spacewalk.

Source dated October 14, 2026

Ontario songwriting prize goes to Toronto’s Jonathan Nvita

Toronto musician Jonathan Nvita is the 2026 recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award. The council announced the selection on October 14 for his song Kaku ‘Grandma’, from his debut album Mosisa. The annual prize is worth $1,000 and supports emerging Ontario songwriters working in roots, traditional, folk and country music.

Source dated October 14, 2026

Study finds perceived barriers to minority-language health care

A Statistics Canada study released October 14 examines health care in minority official languages using a 2022 survey. Among adults who said such care mattered to them, 27% of English speakers in Quebec and 33% of French speakers elsewhere in Canada expected access in their community to be difficult, very difficult or impossible. These percentages describe respondents’ perceptions in 2022, rather than current service availability.

Source dated October 14, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, The Daily: Study: Access to health care and services among the official language minority population, 2022, released 14 October 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

September international arrivals reach 5.3 million

Preliminary figures released October 13 put international arrivals to Canada by air and automobile at 5.3 million in September 2026, up 9.5% from September 2025. The total includes Canadians returning home and visitors from the United States and overseas. Statistics Canada cautions that expanded NEXUS coverage affects comparisons across years. These are early travel counts, with complete figures still to come.

Source dated October 13, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, The Daily: Leading indicator of international arrivals to Canada, September 2026, released 13 October 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Fernandez moves into Wuhan’s last 16 after straight-sets win

A straight-sets win has put Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the Wuhan Open’s last 16. On October 14, the Laval player defeated Chinese qualifier Han Shi 6-3, 6-4, recovering from a 0-3 start in the second set. Tennis Canada’s report names Jelena Ostapenko as her third-round opponent on October 15. The tournament is being played in China.

Source dated October 14, 2026

Toronto opens nominations for its 2027 arts awards

Toronto’s next arts awards are taking public nominations, with a November 3, 2026 deadline. Toronto Arts Foundation announced the 2027 call on October 13. Categories cover emerging jazz artists, community arts, Indigenous artists, newcomer artists and cultural leadership. The awards are presented at the Mayor’s Arts Lunch; the foundation’s page has nomination links and category details.

Source dated October 13, 2026

Study highlights food insecurity and isolation among Canadians with disabilities

New Statistics Canada research, released October 14, examines Canadians with disabilities using the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability. It finds that 31% lived in households facing moderate or severe food insecurity and 64% reported loneliness. The report explores how material hardship and social isolation overlap. Its percentages describe survey findings from 2022, rather than a new measurement of conditions in 2026.

Source dated October 14, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, The Daily: Study: Understanding quality of life among persons with disabilities in Canada—material and social well-being, 14 October 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Housing projects lift Canada's building permits

Canada issued $13.6 billion in building permits in August, an 8.8% increase from July, Statistics Canada reported on October 14. The rise came mainly from buildings with multiple homes; Ontario recorded the largest increase in that segment. Across the country, permits authorized 25,800 homes. These figures describe planned construction approved by municipalities, so they should not be read as homes already completed.

Source dated October 14, 2026

Adapted from Statistics Canada, The Daily: Building permits, August 2026, released 14 October 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.