Hamilton Explosions, OSAP Freeze & Stelco Layoffs — Ottawa Thursday

🚑 Breaking & Incidents

1. Two suspected home explosions in Hamilton send three people to hospital. The first blast at 182 Springside Drive shortly after 7:30 a.m. caused a garage to explode, collapsed the house and left one person with serious burns; two neighbouring homes were significantly damaged, Fire Chief David Cunliffe said. A second explosion at 8 Lampton Place around 9 a.m. produced a large plume of smoke and two residents were rescued by neighbours; the Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating.
2. Belleville officer injured in synagogue shooting is 'improving each day', police say. Chief Murray Rodd reported Const. Jeff Smith has undergone multiple surgeries and is making steady progress after being shot during the Sept. 20 attack outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue; the shooter, Sean Ward, died in hospital the following day.

🏛️ Government & Politics

1. Ontario freezes OSAP eligibility for more than 500 private career colleges. The Ford government suspended loan and grant eligibility for over 500 institutions (737 campuses) after flagging red flags at six colleges and amid a possible OPP criminal probe, leaving students and colleges scrambling over access to funding, the ministry said.
2. Ontario narrows rules for out-of-country drug funding after court rebuke. After a Divisional Court ordered OHIP to reassess a Stage 4 melanoma patient’s US treatment request, Health Minister Sylvia Jones amended regulations to allow out-of-country drug funding only when the drug is already provincially funded but temporarily unavailable or delayed.
3. Alto delays decision on a Kingston stop for the Ottawa–Montreal corridor until spring 2027. Alto chair Robert Prichard said Kingston is “promising” but a feasibility assessment is needed; Alto has officially announced Peterborough only and will prioritise the Ottawa–Montreal corridor while weighing how each extra stop affects journey time and ridership.
4. Hamilton council backs a downtown pilot requiring landlords to keep at least one room under 26 C. Councillors approved a Ward 2 pilot making landlords responsible for maintaining a Health Canada-recognized 26 C threshold in one room per unit; staff will report back with recommendations, and the pilot aims to inform a citywide approach by early 2029.

💼 Economy & Business

1. Stelco begins issuing layoff notices as up to 500 job cuts loom. United Steelworkers local 1005 president Ron Wells said about 90 workers received notices this week and roughly 330 unionized workers at the Hamilton plant face layoffs starting Sunday as operations are winterized; the company calls them indefinite layoffs while the union treats them as temporary.
2. (Related provincial decision) Ontario clarifies out-of-country drug funding rules after high-cost treatment dispute. Following Alex Shved’s court challenge over a US tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy priced at about US$600,000, the province tightened regulations to limit out-of-country funding to drugs already funded in Ontario but temporarily unavailable.

📰 Also Today

• Senators beat Flyers 2-1 on Yakemchuk's first goal, Ottawa improves to 3-1-0.
• Students 'worried, devastated' after OSAP pause affects private career college enrolment, impact reported across campuses.
• (duplicate) Two Hamilton home explosions, three hospitalized and Office of the Fire Marshal investigating.
• (duplicate) Stelco layoff notices start this week, first layoffs set to take effect Sunday.
• Is it better to buy or rent?
• Quebec Anglo groups 'cautiously optimistic' about PQ government.
• College ward: who's running for Ottawa city councillor.
• What's open and closed in Ottawa this Thanksgiving.
• Profiles: the people behind the mayoral candidates.
• Ottawa Senators home opener to begin with tribute to former goalie.
• 45th annual Snowsuit Fund campaign aims to help Ottawans in cost-of-living crisis.
• (duplicate) Hamilton pilot bylaw to limit indoor heat above 26 C in downtown rentals.