Top stories of the week: Five children killed in crash, dog saves family from fire and new hope for Guelph boy

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Five children killed in Mapleton Township crash

Kitchener family says dog saved them from devastating fire

Living in a short-term parking lot

Ont. engineering firm asks former employee to return home-buying perk

Guelph boy finally receives robotic exoskeleton to help him walk

Children killed in Mapleton Township crash

The community is coming to grips with a tragedy after five children were killed in a Mapleton Township collision.

The crash between a van and an SUV happened on Friday night at the intersection of 4^th Line and Wellington Road 12 near Conestogo Lake, north of Kitchener, Ont.

On Saturday, police confirmed five children between the ages of 4 and 12 were killed in the crash and four adults were taken to hospital with injuries.

CTV News learned the children’s grandmother, both parents and a 15-month old sibling were in the van at the time of the collision.

The driver of the SUV was also hurt.

The identity of the fourth injured adult was not given.

Dog saves family from Kitchener fire

A dog is being called a hero after his owner said he saved her life during a house fire in Kitchener, Ont.

The fire on Ahrens Street West destroyed the home and three vehicles on May 31, but Nancy Ellis was able to get out thanks to her dog, Duke.

This week, Ellis told CTV News she was asleep when Duke began barking in her face and pulling her hair.

“He knew something was wrong,” she said.

When she looked out the window, she saw her front porch was on fire.

“I just yelled for my husband. I said, ‘The porch is on fire!’” she remembered. “I grabbed my cellphone and then we went out and called 911. I didn’t realize how big of a fire it was. So, it was just minutes that the whole porch was engulfed.”

Five people, four dogs and two cats all made it out of the house alive, but nearly everything inside the house was lost in the blaze.

Looking back, Ellis believes Duke’s actions made all the difference.

“If it wasn’t for him waking me up, we would not be here today,” she insisted. “This is a nightmare that I want to wake up from. Never in my wildest dreams that I thought this would ever happen.”

More people living in carpool lots

Another consequence of the rising cost of living was highlighted this week as a CTV News reporter spoke to people who are living out of short-term parking lots to make ends meet.

An increasing number of RVs, trailers and other vehicles have been spotted parked for months at a time in carpool lots along Highway 401 near Cambridge, Ont.

“We came here because the rent got boosted up so high since COVID. My spouse still works, but we got evicted from where we were because of the high cost,” a person called Debbie told CTV News. Debbie has been living in a trailer with her husband since last August.

Other people living in the lot said they also work full-time jobs, but they have not been able to find a suitable rental option.

Although the situation may not be ideal, Debbie said she is grateful for the space they have found.

“I’m a lot luckier than other people,” Debbie said. “They’re in their tents. I got security cameras here, the lights, I got my generator for electricity. We can bathe, we can shower here.”

Another person who lives in the lot, Jorge, said he started living there after he lost work and couldn’t afford rent.

Erin Dej, an associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University who studies homelessness said this is a kind of “hidden homelessness.” Dej said the isolated location of the carpool lots can offer stability when people feel like they have nowhere else to go.

The Ministry of Transportation and the Ontario Provincial Police said they are aware of the situation.

Former employee asked to repay home-buying perk

A man who bought a home in Acton says he is being asked to repay thousands of dollars he received through a home-buying assistance program.

Jayesh Boily bought the home in 2024 with help from engineering firm Crozier’s First-Time Home Buyers’ Assistance Program, which offers eligible employees up to $20,000 for a down payment. Employees who stay with the company for at least three years do not have the repay the money.

Boily said he bought the property in Acton because it was close to the company’s Milton office. However, in 2025, the company relocated that facility to Burlington.

He said the longer commute more than doubled his travel time and increased his transportation costs, leading him to resign before completing the three-year commitment required under the program.

Boily argued the relocation went against the spirit of the retention incentive.

“If I had known, or if they would’ve informed me, I would have changed my decision to move to Acton,” he said.

After leaving the company, Boily said he was informed that Crozier was seeking repayment of the nearly $20,000 he received through the program, along with interest.

In a statement to CTV News, Crozier said participants agree to the terms of the program before receiving the benefit.

“The move contradicts the program that they have established,” Boily said. “I signed this agreement under the idea that they’ll be staying in Milton. Never in anybody’s head, or at least my head, that they’ll be moving this far away.”

Guelph, Ont. family buys robotic exoskeleton with donations

A 7-year-old boy from Guelph, Ont. is one step closer to getting back on his feet thanks to the generosity of the community.

Mateo VanderMeer was born with a severe heart condition. In 2022, at just 4-years-old, he was paralyzed following a medical complication during an emergency surgery.

Earlier this year, Mateo’s parents Anita Diaz-Vandermeer and Kyle VanderMeer discovered Trexo Robotics, a Mississauga based company founded by two University of Waterloo graduates. The family wanted to purchase one of the company’s exoskeletons, but it came with a hefty price tag.

At the end of March, the family launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $45,000. One month later, CTV News shared Mateo’s story when the family was still $7,000 short of its target. Within 24 hours of the broadcast, the campaign hit its goal.

“We can’t believe that we reached our goal overnight and now it’s here. It really seems like a dream,” Diaz-VanderMeer said.

More than $52,000 was raised and the surplus funds will be used for specialized physiotherapy appointments.

“Every cent, every action that people take to help us, it’s really meaningful and we really appreciate it,” Kyle VanderMeer said. “And it makes a big difference for Mateo.”

Having the device at home is also helping Mateo build his confidence.

“This is just the beginning for him,” his father said. “He’s taken a couple hundred steps now, but eventually he’ll take a thousand steps and then 10,000 steps, and who knows what that will do for his brain and for his muscle connections.”