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Anti-racism group calls for investigation into OPP recruit evaluations
OPP recruits allege racial discrimination: group
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
An anti-racism organization is calling for an investigation into how Ontario's provincial police force assesses new recruits, as three Black recruits allege they faced racial discrimination during their year of probation.
The Black Class Action Secretariat says it wants the province's inspector general of policing to examine Ontario Provincial Police probationary evaluation and coaching practices as well as probationary outcome data across the force to look for racial disparities.
The group's director of advocacy says that while the OPP has an internal office that aims to ensure its policies and practices are inclusive, "the question is whether that commitment reaches the coach officer's notebook, the probation file, and the release decisions."
In a news conference today at the provincial legislature, Alain Babineau said there are people within police ranks quietly deciding "who belongs in uniform and who does not."
The call for an investigation comes as the non-profit says three Black recruits stationed in different regions faced a "strikingly similar pattern of discrimination." The OPP says it's looking into those concerns.
The secretariat says the recruits, who are sharing the allegations under pseudonyms under fear of reprisals, were mocked and penalized for their accents and communication styles and disciplined for behaviours common among white officers.
Two of the recruits were dismissed before the end of their probation period, while the other remains on medical leave, the group said.
A spokesperson for the OPP said the force acknowledges the concerns raised by the Black Class Action Secretariat on behalf of the three recruits.
"We take these matters seriously and are reviewing the various concerns brought forth," Staff Sgt. Joe Brisebois said in an email.
The force can't comment on specifics when it comes to employment-related matters, he said.
"What we can say is that the OPP is dedicated to ensuring open, accessible, equitable and respectful workplaces, and is committed to reflecting the diverse communities it serves," as well as ensuring a workplace that fosters a safe and inclusive environment, he said.
"We do not condone or tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind."
The Inspectorate of Policing, an independent oversight office that opened in 2024, acknowledged The Canadian Press's request for comment Wednesday but did not immediately provide one.
One of the recruits, who used the pseudonym Paul, said Wednesday he has two master's degrees and excelled at the police college, but found himself ridiculed and judged for the way he spoke after joining a detachment in the province's southeast.
"I caught my coach officer and my colleagues ridiculing me. A dispatcher joked on the record about my accent affecting a radio call," he said, phoning into the news conference.
"When I tried to discuss it, it was used against me," he said.
Paul said he was one of three Black officers in his detachment and was released from his position after 10 months. The experience changed his career, he said, adding he is "still trying to heal from the mistreatment and discrimination."
Another of the recruits going by the pseudonym Peter said he "immediately felt isolated" after reporting for duty at a detachment in central Ontario.
"My sergeant would make fun of how I pronounced some words, asking me to repeat things in front of my colleagues so everyone could laugh," he said in a call played at the news conference.
"I wasn't coached at all, it just felt like I was being watched to be documented."
Peter said he was reprimanded for using his phone's GPS to navigate the city when it was a "common practice" among his white colleagues.
The stress eventually caught up with him, and he went on medical leave in the spring, questioning whether to continue on this career path, he said.
Organizers also shared a statement on behalf of the third recruit, who went by the name John. John said he spent a decade in the human service field before becoming an officer, and was stationed at a detachment in southwestern Ontario — the only Black recruit in his platoon.
"I felt there was no trust or confidence in me from Day One," the statement said. "It felt like not only did they expect me to fail, they wanted me to fail."
He also faced reprimand for using his phone GPS when others were doing the same without issue, and at one point had his driving privileges taken away without explanation, he said.
John said he was let go two weeks before the end of his probation, on grounds that he was not a good fit. "What it really meant was that I didn't belong, that they didn't see me as one of them, that they didn't want me there," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Paola Loriggio | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Toddler critically injured after car hit five kids, daycare worker in Oshawa, Ont.
Five kids, daycare worker injured in Oshawa crash
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives
Durham regional police say a two-year-old girl was critically injured when a car struck a group of young children and a daycare worker in Oshawa.
Acting Sgt. Nicholas Gluckstein says the daycare worker was on her daily walk with five children through a residential neighbourhood this morning when they were all struck by a car while crossing the street.
He says the two-year-old girl suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital before being rushed by air ambulance to a Toronto-area trauma centre.
The officer says police are "hoping for the best" but the girl's injuries are "very serious."
The four other children who were hit, ranging in age from three years to just seven months, were hospitalized with minor injuries, Gluckstein said, while the adult daycare worker suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Gluckstein says the driver of the car was heading south and making a left turn through an intersection controlled by two stop signs when they struck the six pedestrians.
"The person driving southbound, there are no stop signs for them to potentially stop and take a look around there. But five children and an adult female crossing the road is a pretty large sight to see," the officer told reporters at the scene, noting investigators are looking into what speed the car was travelling and whether distracted driving played a role in the crash.
Gluckstein said there's no indication the driver, who remained at the scene and is co-operating with police, was impaired.
He said the driver was hospitalized with minor injuries after the crash.
Gluckstein said investigators are exploring possible charges as they continue to speak with witnesses and look to pull surveillance camera footage from residents in the area.
He urged drivers to slow down, obey the rules of the road and be aware of their surroundings.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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The number of people using food banks continues to rise in Quebec
Quebec food banks break record in 2026
A new report says the demand at Quebec food banks is continuing to break records.
The 2026 Hunger Count report was published by Food Banks of Quebec.
It says the food banks are now fulfilling 3.27 million requests each month.
But close to 14 per cent of the network's 1,400 community organizations say they had to turn people away because of food shortages.
The report adds that 70 per cent of organizations say they faced a shortage in the last year.
The report says the situation has been deteriorating since the pandemic.
“Needs remain at a historically high level,” Food Banks of Quebec Executive Director Alexandre Lebel told The Canadian Press. “There are far too many people who still have to rely on food assistance.”
Among the households assisted in 2026, nearly a quarter derive most of their income from a job, shows the report.
“Having a job doesn’t necessarily protect you from food insecurity,” says Lebel.
Chantal Vézina, executive director of Moisson Montréal, says that inflation is making it harder for households to get out of difficult financial situations.
“Unfortunately, food is a discretionary expense, and people will do whatever it takes, of course, to avoid ending up on the street," she says.
Children account for around one-third of recipients in food banks, says Lebel.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Stéphane Rolland | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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