Top stories of the week: more condo concerns, residential school finds new purpose, and hitting the stage with Alice Cooper

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Guelph high school students rock out with Alice Cooper

Kitchener bus company changes hands after more than 40 years

Kitchener puppy in need of physical therapy

Condo buyers in Kitchener, Ont. say they were misled about contract termination

Some people who bought a condo at a development in Kitchener, Ont. are at odds with the building’s new developer over contacts and deposits.

The development at 1333 Weber Street East was originally known as the Elevate building when construction began in 2020. However, the initial developer declared bankruptcy and the project’s future was in jeopardy until a new group of investors came onboard in the fall of 2024.

The project is now known as The Weber Yards.

Ajay Louis bought one of the units from the original builder, and he said when the project changed hands he was told he would be able to terminate his contract.

Louis told CTV News that in October 2024, buyers received an email from KSV Advisory, the company facilitating the change of ownership. The email said when the transaction between the previous developer and the new owners of the project closed on Oct. 29, anyone who had bought a condo would be approached with an offer to keep their unit at an additional 24 per cent cost increase. Louis said they were told they could either accept or decline that offer.

The email stated, “If you decline, your agreement will be terminated and you will then receive an email from the deposit insurer with the instructions to have your deposit returned to you.”

Louis said the idea that contracts could be terminated was reinforced during conversations with Captain Real Estate Group, who had been hired to act as the liaison between the builders and the buyers.

Louis provided CTV News with a recording of a conversation between himself and a Captain Real Estate Group representative Louis identified as Sunny Aujla. Louis said the conversation happened in March 2025.

“The first normal option is always give you your deposits back. That’s the number one option I usually give,” the voice Louis identified as Aujla said.

A recording from December 2024 provided to CTV News by a different purchaser featured the same person, identified as Aujla, giving similar instructions.

“[The] option is you say, ‘Okay, you know what. I don’t want the unit, and I would just prefer to retain my deposit back,” the agent said.

The purchaser said that was the route they wished to pursue.

CTV News spoke with several condo buyers who all said they spoke with a representative from Captain Real Estate Group in March 2025 who said they could terminate their contracts and retain their deposits.

However, Louis said in August 2025 he learned his contract was not going to be terminated and he either had to close the deal or go into default.

“I received a phone call from my lawyer, and they were telling me that I have to take occupancy of this unit, which was totally a blindside,” Louis said. “The lawyers were also confused,” he added.

ELM Development told CTV News the option to terminate the contact never existed.

“I’m not here to argue with any purchasers for what they understood or who they spoke to. We don’t know and I for sure don’t know,” Elliot Steiner, president of ELM Developments, said.

“I can tell you that the developer never had, nor does it have, any policy to return refunds or to refund the deposits to the purchasers. Out of the question. It was never an option,” Steiner said.

Steiner said he spoke with Captain Real Estate Group, and he was told no one was offered a termination.

“We have spoken to the real estate people over the course of time. They’ve said no, they’ve never done this. I’m not going to speculate why people understood or misunderstood,” he said.

CTV News reached out to Captain Real Estate Group and Sunny Aujla. They did not respond directly to the allegations.

In a statement Captain Real Estate Group said, “Captain Real Estate’s role is to act as a liaison between the builder and the purchasers of 1333 Weber St. Our agents do not have the authority or decision-making power to influence or make changes to contracts.”

Louis said recordings clearly show that someone is not telling the truth and believes ultimately the developer is responsible.

“If there was an option to get our deposit back and terminate the contract, I’m sure the receiver spoke about that with the builder,” Louis said.

Louis said because of the misunderstanding, he was unable to respond to the developer in time and he is now in default.

That means he could lose his $70,000 deposit and the developer could sue for damages.

Louis said he has reached out to ELM Developments to try to close and fulfil the contract, but ELM has declined that offer.

“We honored the terms of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS). Purchasers who chose not to, did so at their own peril. We are under no obligation to reinstate. Purchasers who claimed entitlement to reinstatement complete with their own terms and timelines, were respectfully declined,” an email from Steiner said.

Canada’s longest-running residential school finds a new purpose

A former residential school in Brantford, Ont., has been transformed into a place of learning, reflection and reconciliation.

The Mohawk Institute Residential School was Canada’s longest continuously running residential school. It was once known colloquially as ‘The Mush Hole’ and operated from 1828 until 1970.

For decades, the site served as a painful part of Canadian history.

“When children died, we were never told what happened to them,” survivor Dawn Hill once said. “We believe some of them died as a result of the actions of the staff and these deaths are highly suspicious.”

A special task force was formed in 2021, and its members were trained to use ground-penetrating radar technology to search for any potential unmarked graves on the grounds.

The Survivors Secretariat, the group leading the investigation, said they used records to confirm dozens of deaths tied to the former Mohawk Institute.

Although the investigation initially focused on potential criminal implications, that changed in 2023 when the Survivors Secretariat said a coroner-led investigation had been launched to create opportunities for closure.

“Our role as the coroner is to answer questions about who died, where they died, when they might have died, the medical cause and then where they might be buried,” Ontario’s Chief Coroner, Dirk Huyer, said at the time.

Now, as the search continues to uncover the truth, the former residential school has a new purpose.

The facility was unveiled as an Interpretive Historic Site and Educational Resource on Sept. 30, coinciding with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Representatives for the Woodland Cultural Centre, an Indigenous organization that operates out of the former school, said the site will share the authentic history of the residential school system, honour the lives and legacies of those affected by the Mohawk Institute and other residential schools throughout the country, foster understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and teach visitors about Indigenous history, culture and perspectives.

Work to transform the building has taken years. In 2016, the Woodland Cultural Centre began restoring the structure. The initial estimated cost came in at $23 million.

Since then, a campaign called ‘Save the Evidence’ has raised more than $26 million through federal, provincial and municipal sources as well as private donations and community-led initiatives.

Guelph, Ont. students get ‘School of Rock’ lesson, hit the stage with Alice Cooper

The Godfather of Shock Rock had some special guests from Guelph, Ont. when he hit the stage in Toronto, Ont.

Heavy metal fans flocked to Budweiser Stage on Oct. 29 to watch Judas Priest and Alice Cooper deliver an incredible night of rock.

As energy enveloped the concert hall, there was an unexpected group from Guelph, Ont. eagerly waiting in the wings for their time in the spotlight.

The students from Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute’s (GCVI) chamber choir hadn’t even been born when Cooper’s hit ‘School’s Out’ was released in 1972, but they were ready for a real lesson in rock and roll from the music legend.

“I watched The Muppet Show. I was three-years-old and I remember seeing him,” Jane Wood, Grade 12 student, explained. “He’s so huge and even just walking into this dressing room and seeing him sitting there, it just felt like a fever dream.”

Clad in white shirts, black pants, and Cooper’s characteristically dark eye makeup, the high school students provided backing vocals for a mash up of ‘School’s Out’ and ‘Another Brick In the Wall Pt. 2.’

Cooper’s team gave the students makeup kits for the occasion.

For fellow student, Quinn Louge Barei, it was a moment he won’t forget.

“To have that opportunity, it’s not something any of us in the choir took lightly at all,” Louge Barei said. “We know that we’re incredibly lucky and we appreciate it so much.”

The performance was the result of dedication, determination and a good deal of collaboration.

“[Cooper’s team] was so supportive of our kids from the get-go,” Lane Osbourne, GCVI’s choir director, said. “We were sending them rehearsal videos. They would give us feedback on things. The kids were learning how to adapt, sometimes at the last minute in terms of what’s actually needed to put on a show of this magnitude.”

This isn’t the first time GVCI students have been invited to share the stage with huge artists.

Earlier this year they sang with Grammy and Oscar winner Melissa Etheride in Niagara Falls.

Before that,in June 2024, they performed with Foreigner while the band was in Toronto.

Longtime owners sell Kitchener bus company after more than 40 years

Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches has changed ownership after founders and longtime owners Lorna and Larry Hundt decided to sell the business.

For over 40 years the Hundts have grown the bus company into a thriving business serving customers across the province.

“We’re not 29 anymore. And, while we’re still invigorated and love the industry and are never short of ambition and ideas and goals, time is of the essence. And it’s time that we stepped back,” said Lorna Hundt, Former owner of Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches.

Now, with three grandkids and other endeavours to enjoy, the two decided to sell the company to a group of investors that include KCM Holdings, WeShall Investments and Second Bite Capital.

“It’s in great hands. Combined with Ankit, his partner Reza. Our daughter Michelle is looking after the tour company. Our present coach manager, Caroline, is looking after the coach company. Nothing’s changing,” Lorna said.

The Hundt’s started Travel Ventures in Kitchener in 1984, offering group travel to North American destinations. Eventually, becoming the Great Canadian brand and expanding to over 50 coach buses, three garages and offering trips of all kinds.

The purchasers also bought Tisdale Bus Lines in Northern Ontario, saying it was the perfect opportunity to bring both best-in-class operators together.

“We think this is the right time, to work with both Great Canadian and Tisdale to grow across the province and even beyond over time. But our focus is Ontario today,” said Ankit Kamboj, Founder and Principal of KCM Holdings.

There are not any plans to change the logos or locations of either service. All staff are expected to remain. Great Canadian and Tisdale will keep their name but are consolidated under the legal name Fortress Coach Partners.

“We feel very relieved because it has been a long process. Certainly, COVID was one of the most difficult challenges we ever had in our business life,” Larry said.

The Hundts said while the business has now recovered from the pandemic, recently Canada’s ongoing trade war with the United States caused trips to the USA to plumet, which forced the business to pivot again.

“We loaded up the late spring, summer and fall with Canadian product like you wouldn’t believe. And it’s been phenomenal. It’s been well received. The load factors are great. Financially, we’re going to come out the same. Which is astounding when you consider that most of our overnight tours are into the US,” Lorna said.

The Hundt’s said trips south can easily be brought back.

“I still read all the comment forms from the passengers and it’s ‘what are your next plans in Canada until things change? Until Canada, until the next administration?’ So, it will come back and it will come back hard and fast,” Lorna said.

The Hundts will remain as partners with the business going forward and have high hopes for the future.

Two-month-old puppy looks for leg up after losing partial mobility

At nearly two months old, a little puppy named Valor is making big strides in his road to recovery.

The mini poodle-golden retriever mix was surrendered to a rescue in St. Jacobs, Ont. after losing part of his mobility.

“He had his vaccination at five weeks and within hours he lost all use of his back legs,” said Hobo Haven Rescue founder and president Chris Schaefer.

Schaefer said she was contacted by a commercial breeder who had a puppy that wouldn’t sell.

“They decided it would be in his best interest to surrender him to a rescue,” she said.

While it’s not clear what caused Valor’s condition, Schaefer said his genetic makeup may have played a role in hindering his hind legs.

“You cannot guarantee a definitive answer,” she said. “The fact that both stopped versus one, indicates it was either in a spinal nerve or a genetic reaction to the vaccine itself.”

For now, Valor lives in a foster home in Kitchener, Ont. His foster parent, Samantha Mills, said he’s working on regaining full mobility.

“It does involve physiotherapy – quite extensive and lengthy physiotherapy,” said Mills. “So that’s most likely what’s in store for him.”

However, rehabilitation comes at a cost – one that’s currently unknown to the rescue.

“It depends how long he has to be in physio,” said Schaefer. “It’s not inexpensive.”

Hobo Haven Rescue is collecting donations online and will be holding an in-person fundraiser at Creature Comfort Pet Emporium on Sunday. https://www.facebook.com/hobohavenrescue

Once Valor has regained his strength, Schaefer said she expects him to be up for adoption.