Four people, ranging in age from 15 to 19 years old, killed in Puslinch, Ont. crash Investigators are trying to determine if speed, seatbelts or any other factors played a role in a crash that killed four young people in Puslinch, Ont. Ontario Provincial Police said the vehicle was travelling along Watson Road South when it smashed through a guard rail, crashing into a ravine below. It happened just before a bend in the road, between Maltby Road East and Wellington Road 34, around 1:35 a.m. on Saturday. There were six occupants in the vehicle at that time. Four of them were pronounced dead at the scene. At a press conference on Sunday morning, Ontario Provincial Police said a 19-year-old man from Mississauga, 19-year-old man from Brampton, 17-year-old girl from Mississauga and 15-year-old girl from Milton were killed. Another 17-year-old girl remains in hospital with life-altering injuries, while a 16-year-old girl has non-life-threatening injuries. Police said both are from Mississauga. Inspector Karen Medeiros with Wellington County OPP called it an “unimaginable loss.” “Four young people have lost their lives, in a matter of moments,” she said. “Families have been forever changed, and an entire community is searching for answers. Our responsibility is to ensure those answers are based on evidence, facts and a thorough investigation. That work will continue in the days and weeks ahead.” One factor they have to consider is the number of passengers inside the vehicle. “I don’t believe that this vehicle had enough seatbelts for the amount of occupants who were in the vehicle at that time,” said Insp. Medeiros. “At this stage of the investigation, it’s too early to determine exactly what caused the collision,” she told reporters. “Investigators continue to gather information and carefully assess all the available evidence, including information related to speed and seat belt use as they work to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.” OPP also want to learn more about where the group was headed at that time of night. OPP asked anyone who was in the area around 1:30 a.m., especially those with security or dash cam video, to contact the Wellington County detachment at 1-888-310-1122. “Even information that might seem insignificant could prove valuable to investigators as they piece together the events that led up to this tragedy,” Insp. Medeiros said. Maltby Road East remained closed on Sunday. OPP said that was due to the damaged guard rail at the crash site. “We want to ensure the safety of other motorists on the roadway,” Insp. Medeiros explained. According to data from OPP’s West Region, there have been 70 fatal collisions on provincially-patrolled roads since the start of the year. Kitchener man wins share of $100K Lotto Max prize A man who recently moved to Canada will be sharing a $100,000 Lotto Max prize. Renante I., who now lives in Kitchener, claimed half of a MaxPlus prize in the Sept. 25 draw. The other half will go to another winning ticket holder somewhere else in Canada. Renante recently moved to Canada from the Philippines and has been playing the lottery on and off for about a year. “I was on my way to pick up my wife from work when I decided to stop at the store to check my tickets. When the clerk scanned this one, the screen froze and the ‘Big Winner’ message appeared. As I waited for the call from OLG, I was in shock and disbelief. My heart was beating so fast,” he said. He also said he was late picking up his wife. “As soon as I arrived, she asked if I was okay. My eyes filled with happy tears as I handed her the validation slip showing I had won $50,000. She asked me if it was real because she couldn’t believe it either. We were both so excited,” he explained. Renante plans to use his windfall to help his family. He and his wife are also planning a McDonald’s date to celebrate. Guelph man loses $20K to lotto scam A Guelph man thought he won the lottery but ended up losing $20,000. Guelph Police said it started with a phone call informing the victim he had won $850,000 from Lotto 6/49. But first, he had to pay for taxes and insurance, as well as a “police escort fee” to deliver his winning cheque. The man was instructed to put the money on pre-paid credit cards, then share those card numbers with the caller. Police said the victim lost $20,000 before realizing it was a scam. “Residents are encouraged to be wary of any telephone call, email or text which requires you to take immediate action,” they wrote in a media release. “It is always best to independently contact the supposed sender and confirm the legitimacy of the correspondence before taking action.” All scams should be reported the local police service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, whether or not any money has been lost. Norfolk County council seat decided by draw from a hat An election race in Ontario that became too close to call ended with a literal draw from a hat. During the municipal election in October, Norfolk County’s Ward 4 ended in a tie between Jeni Lambert and incumbent candidate Chris Van Paassen. Under the Municipal Elections Act, a draw automatically triggers a recount. The recount was conducted by Norfolk County’s Clerk William Tigert on Thursday, but the results gave no further clarity, as both Lambert and Van Paassen still had 858 votes apiece. When candidates remain deadlocked after a recount, the Municipal Elections Act requires the clerk to choose the winner by lot, or, in simpler terms, through a random draw. Lambert and Van Paassen’s names were put into a hat. Van Paassen’s name was ultimately pulled, allowing him to reclaim his council seat and continue representing the area west of Simcoe that includes Charlotteville, Turkey Point, Vittoria, and Lynnville. Calls for change Once the recount was triggered, the idea that the final decision could be made by drawing a name out of a hat didn’t sit well with a provincial politician. “This is 2026, at a time when technology has transformed how we conduct elections,” Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady said during member’s statements at Queen’s Park following election day. “I find it difficult to accept that the outcome of a democratic election could ultimately come down to a lottery. Voter apathy is already a real concern; we should be doing everything we can do to strengthen public confidence in our democratic constitutions. Not introduce another reason for people to question the process.” Brady tabled a motion to try to change the practice. Instead, she would like to see a runoff election. “Surely in 2026 we can come up with a better way to resolve a tie than leaving the outcome to chance,” she said. Even if the motion passes, the proposed change is unlikely to take effect before the next municipal election in 2030. Waterloo Region recounts Although Norfolk County’s tie has now been settled, it was not the only area facing scrutiny. In neighbouring Waterloo Region, there will be two recounts. A recount was unanimously approved by Waterloo Regional Council after initial results for regional council seats showed a candidate won by just three votes. Chris Moser, who finished third in the race for one of two positions to represent the City of Waterloo, requested the recount. He received 8,602 votes, just shy of incumbent Chantal Huinink, who garnered 8,605 votes. Incumbent Jim Erb finished first with 13,994 votes. Huinink also supported the request, and said she would have sought a recount herself if she were in Moser’s position. Meanwhile, ballots in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board trustee race will also be re-examined after there was a tie between two candidates vying to represent Waterloo, Woolwich and Wellesley. Both of those recounts are set for Nov. 9 With reporting from Alexandra Holyk Man airlifted to hospital with critical injuries at University of Waterloo A man has been airlifted to an out-of-region hospital with critical injuries following an incident involving his own vehicle on the University of Waterloo campus Thursday afternoon. Emergency services were called to a campus parking lot shortly after 4 p.m., according to Waterloo Regional Police. Images posted to social media showed an ORNGE air ambulance in the middle of the parking lot. A spokesperson from ORNGE said their team transported a man in his 50s to Hamilton General Hospital.
