E-Bike News Canada, Week of Nov. 7, 2026: Ontario Targets Modified Batteries

Ontario’s solicitor general said the province plans to make modified e-bike batteries illegal and keep e-bikes out of apartment hallways. Two teenage cyclists died after being hit in Montreal and Petawawa, Ont., and councils from Kerrobert, Sask., to Gatineau, Que., moved on e-scooters, e-bikes and bike lanes. 59 records, each read at its source.

AI-generated photo-illustration (Playcut.ai): a burnt e-bike battery pack and a firefighter's helmet on wet pavement outside the lit lobby of an apartment building at night, a fire truck's red lights behind them

AI-generated photo-illustration (Playcut.ai): a burnt e-bike battery and a firefighter’s helmet outside an apartment building at night. No real building, battery, fire or person is shown.

On November 5, Ontario’s Solicitor General Michael Kerzner told reporters at Queen’s Park that the province plans to amend the Fire Code to stop e-bikes and e-scooters being stored in the hallways of condos and apartments, and to make it illegal to modify their batteries. “What we want to do is we want to make sure that people do not modify batteries for an unintended purpose or juice them up. We want to make sure that a battery that has been certified is used for the purpose that it is,” he said (CTV News).

The next day, Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop told CTV News Toronto: “This is a good first step”. His city has logged 124 lithium-ion battery fires this year (CTV News).

If you ride an e-bike in Ontario and live in an apartment, the change reaches your front door: the proposal would end charging, parking and storing e-bikes in corridors, lobbies and exits. Comments on it close November 16. This edition sets out what was announced, what is still undecided, and the rest of the week across Canada, from two cyclists’ deaths to council votes and police campaigns from Saskatchewan to New Brunswick.

124 Toronto lithium-ion battery fires in 2026, as of Nov. 5
Nov. 16 Last day to comment on Ontario’s battery proposal
2 Cyclists killed by vehicles, Montreal and Petawawa
59 Records in this edition, each read at its source
Quick Answer

In the week of October 31 to November 7, 2026, Ontario said it plans to ban modified e-bike and e-scooter batteries and keep the devices out of residential hallways and exits, a Fire Code proposal open for comment until November 16. An 18-year-old cyclist was killed in Montreal and a 17-year-old in Petawawa, Ont., and drivers in both cases face criminal charges. Kerrobert, Sask., reported a newly adopted e-bike and e-scooter bylaw, and Grande Prairie, Alta., voted down an e-scooter plan.

Health Canada recalled no e-bike or e-scooter this week. To check what applies where you ride, see the e-bike rules of every province and territory.

How We Verified This Edition

This is a weekly record of Canadian news about people on e-bikes, bicycles and e-scooters, and the rules they ride under. We ran 798 searches of Google News in English and French, read the sitemaps of 289 Canadian newsrooms, police services and governments, and read 1,130 of 1,230 leads in full. Each record below was read in its own report or official record and is dated by the event, not by the search. We do not print the names of people killed, hurt or charged. The full method and its limits are under How We Built This Edition.

Written and verified by Milad Ghobadibeygvand, BScN (Western University, 2014), Zeus eBikes Canada, from sources read November 7, 2026. News tips and corrections: milad@zeusebikes.ca.


The Week in 12 Records

Two things in this week’s news ask something of riders. In Ontario, the battery proposal is open for comment until November 16; in Kerrobert, Sask., riders under 14 are now off e-bikes and riders under 16 off e-scooters. These 12 records are the week’s essentials, each linked to its source.

Date What happened Record
Oct. 30 An 18-year-old cyclist was killed on a protected bike path in Montreal’s Ahuntsic-Cartierville by a driver police say fled in a stolen vehicle; a 17-year-old was charged on Nov. 4 SPVM
Nov. 2 OPP: a 17-year-old cyclist struck in Petawawa, Ont., on Oct. 29 died; a 19-year-old driver faces four charges, including impaired operation by drug CityNews Ottawa
Nov. 2 Waterloo regional police: a 60-year-old e-scooter rider hurt in an Oct. 14 collision with a pedestrian in Kitchener died four days later CBC
Nov. 2 Grande Prairie council voted down a motion to plan for a shared e-scooter service, pending provincial legislation EverythingGP
Nov. 3 Kerrobert, Sask., reported its new Electric Mobility Bylaw: e-bike riders 14 and up, e-scooter riders 16 and up, helmets, roads of 40 km/h or less WestCentralOnline
Nov. 4 A 14-year-old cyclist, on an e-bike according to CTV News, was struck by a vehicle in Essex, Ont., and taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries CKXS
Nov. 4 St. Thomas police reported 16 charges and seven warnings to e-bike and e-scooter riders since September CBC
Nov. 4 The Canada Gazette published a federal order remitting the 25% steel-derivative surtax on listed goods, steel bicycle chains among them Canada Gazette
Nov. 4 Essex County’s OPP detachment board asked three towns to consider bylaws keeping motorized traffic off sidewalks and trails AM800
Nov. 5 Ontario’s solicitor general said the province plans to ban modified e-bike and e-scooter batteries and their storage in residential hallways CBC
Nov. 5 Montreal’s mayor asked Quebec to review high-speed police chases in residential areas after the Ahuntsic death Montreal Gazette
Nov. 6 Toronto’s fire chief called the battery rules “a good first step” as the city’s 2026 count of lithium-ion fires reached 124 CTV News

Ontario’s Battery Rules: What Was Announced

Ontario plans to amend its Fire Code so that e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries can no longer be charged, parked or stored in the public corridors, lobbies and exits of residential buildings, and so that modifying a lithium-ion battery becomes an offence. Solicitor General Michael Kerzner set this out on November 5; the text has been on the Ontario Regulatory Registry since October 21, and comments close November 16.

Kerzner said the changes grew out of feedback from Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop, the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs and the Ontario Provincial Firefighters Association. Asked how the rules would be enforced and what the fines would be, he said the details were still being worked out and suggested enforcement would fall to each fire service (CTV News). On November 6 his spokesperson told CTV News Toronto: “We are working to finalize changes to the Ontario Fire Code that would prohibit charging, parking, and storing of lithium-ion battery-powered mobility devices and their batteries in public corridors or exits in residential buildings.” (CTV News).

“This is part of our lives now using e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric cars. We have to use it the way it was intended”

Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner at Queen’s Park, Nov. 5, 2026, as reported by CTV News Toronto

The proposal itself goes further than hallways. As we read it on the registry, it would require batteries to be used and charged according to the maker’s instructions and set rules for their safe disposal.

The proposal lists “Requirements to prohibit the unauthorized modification of lithium-ion batteries.” And it would ban commercial charging, display, storage, parking, sale, service, recycling and disposal of these devices or their batteries inside residential buildings. It defines a powered micromobility device as “a motorized bicycle, scooter, or other compact personal transportation device that is powered by a lithium-ion battery, but does not include a motorized wheelchair, a motorized medical scooter, a motorized shopping cart or a golf cart” (Ontario Regulatory Registry, 26-SOLGEN021).

What is not settled: no in-force date appears in the registry text we read. CTV News reported the changes are set to take effect January 1, 2027, and CBC reported Kerzner said his ministry would finalize them early next year. Fines have not been published, and the proposal does not deal with uncertified or knock-off batteries sold into Canada, which Kerzner said he is pressing Ottawa on with Toronto MP Judy Sgro. “The federal government has a role to play,” he said.

The fire chiefs who asked for the rules welcomed them. “This is a good first step,” Jessop said, adding that Toronto has more than 3,000 high-rises and that more than half of its lithium-ion battery fires happen in multi-residential buildings (CTV News). He told CBC News: “Since 2023, we have had well north of a 200 per cent increase in the number of lithium-ion battery fires”. The city’s count reached 124 by November 5, against a previous record of 91 for all of 2025 (CBC). Jessop also asked the federal government to move faster: “We need the federal government to expedite its federal review process.” (CTV News).

In Hamilton, Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe said the city had seen about 14 lithium-ion battery fires this year, and that a battery in thermal runaway burns at more than 1,800 degrees, against 800 to 1,000 for an ordinary fire (CHCH). His advice for charging at home: “Make sure, at home, somebody is with it when the devices are being charged in case something happens.”

Ontario’s separate plan to sort e-bikes into two classes is also still a proposal. Its notice on the Environmental Registry still reads “Proposal posted,” with a comment period that closed June 7, 2026 (Environmental Registry, 026-0422, read November 7). On November 4, Essex County’s OPP detachment board passed a motion backing those coming changes; OPP Inspector Jamie Smith said police support such rules because “we can’t be out there all the time, so if we’re able to get certain laws in place, we support anything that helps us prevent injuries and tragedies.” (AM800).

What this means for Ontario riders

Nothing is in force yet, but the direction is set: keep e-bikes and batteries out of corridors, lobbies and exits, charge them as the maker instructs, and do not alter a battery. You can comment on the proposal until November 16 on the Ontario Regulatory Registry.

Two Cyclists and an E-Scooter Rider Killed

This week’s reports covered the deaths of two young cyclists, both struck by vehicles. Drivers in both cases face criminal charges, and the allegations have not been tested in court. A third death, of an e-scooter rider hurt in October, was made public on November 2. We do not print the names of the people who died or of the people charged.

Montreal: 18-year-old killed on a protected bike path

At about noon on October 30, a vehicle struck an 18-year-old cyclist in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough and the driver fled, Montreal police said (SPVM). The cyclist was crossing at Jeanne-Mance Street and Henri-Bourassa Boulevard West (CBC), on a protected bike path along the boulevard (CTV News). Police later confirmed the vehicle had been stolen (La Presse), and CTV News and the Montreal Gazette reported that an unmarked Sûreté du Québec car was chasing it (CTV News, Montreal Gazette).

Montreal police arrested a 17-year-old in the same borough on November 3. The prosecutors’ youth office authorized five charges: manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death, dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop at an accident causing death, and fleeing a peace officer (SPVM). The teen, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared in youth court on November 4, and the Crown said it will seek an adult sentence if he is convicted (CBC).

On November 5, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada wrote to Quebec’s Domestic Security Minister, Guy Lapointe Jr., asking the province to review whether high-speed police chases should be allowed in residential neighbourhoods (Montreal Gazette). The city is also studying a redesign of the intersection (La Presse).

Petawawa, Ont.: 17-year-old cyclist dies

At about 9:10 p.m. on October 29, a vehicle struck a 17-year-old cyclist on Industrial Avenue in Petawawa. The cyclist was airlifted to an Ottawa trauma centre and later died; the OPP announced the death on November 2. The 19-year-old driver, who was not hurt, is charged with operation while impaired by a drug, operation causing death, driving with cannabis readily available, and driving a motor vehicle with a speed-measuring warning device (CityNews Ottawa, CBC).

Kitchener, Ont.: e-scooter rider dies after October collision

Waterloo regional police said on November 2 that a 60-year-old e-scooter rider hurt in a collision with a pedestrian near Homer Watson Boulevard and Pioneer Drive at about 8 p.m. on October 14 died four days later (CBC). The death falls before this week but was first reported in it.

Our census and a targeted search in both languages, which did find the Kitchener e-scooter death, found no report of an e-bike rider killed in Canada between October 31 and November 7. Regina police counted 14 collisions between drivers and pedestrians, cyclists or e-scooter riders from September 18 to October 8, two of them fatal, figures Radio-Canada reported on November 2 (Radio-Canada).

Injuries Reported This Week

Six injury reports dated October 31 to November 7 involved someone on a bicycle, e-bike, e-scooter or electric dirt bike. Three involved teenagers on electric devices, in Vancouver, Kitchener and Essex, Ont. Seven more reports published this week describe events from earlier weeks; they are listed separately so no event is dated by when a search found it.

Date Where What police or the report said Injuries Source
Oct. 31 Kerrisdale, Vancouver Families reported a group of about 25 riders in similar costumes driving dangerously and nearly hitting pedestrians. Police say a 15-year-old on an electric dirt bike evaded an officer at up to 60 km/h, allegedly ran several stop signs, and crashed into another vehicle. The rider had minor injuries; no charges recommended so far The Canadian Press, Vancouver Sun
Nov. 2 Kitchener, Ont. A cyclist and an SUV collided on Monday morning. Serious injuries; taken to a hospital outside the region CBC
Nov. 3 Kitchener, Ont. A 15-year-old riding an e-scooter without a helmet was hurt in a collision on Tuesday afternoon. Seriously injured CBC
Nov. 4 Essex, Ont. A vehicle struck a 14-year-old cyclist, on an e-bike according to CTV News, at Maidstone Avenue East and Cameron Avenue at about 9 p.m. The OPP is asking for dashcam video. Life-threatening injuries; driver unhurt CKXS, CTV News
Nov. 4 Commercial Drive, Vancouver A man was stabbed when he tried to get his bicycle back during a robbery at about 11:20 p.m. A youth was arrested. Stabbed Vancouver Police
Nov. 7 Belleville, Ont. A vehicle hit a woman on a bicycle on Herchimer Avenue near Bridge Street East at about 1 a.m. Taken to hospital; no other details released Quinte News

Reported this week, dated earlier

Date Where What was reported Source
Aug. 28 Oakville, Ont. Halton police asked on Nov. 5 for help finding a man who tried to pull a cyclist off his bike on Kerr Street to steal it. insauga
Sept. 18 to Oct. 8 Regina Regina police counted 14 collisions between drivers and pedestrians, cyclists or e-scooter riders in three weeks; two people died. Radio-Canada reported the figures on Nov. 2. Radio-Canada
Sept. 23 Fort Erie, Ont. A wire hanging across a Garrison Road sidewalk caught a cyclist riding home; the town, Niagara Region and Bell each say it is not theirs. Fort Erie Radio
Oct. 28 Burlington, Ont. A teenager selling an e-bike through Facebook Marketplace was robbed at knifepoint at LaSalle Park; Halton police are looking for three suspects. BurlingtonToday
Oct. 28 Collingwood, Ont. OPP charged a cyclist who, police say, did not stop at the stop sign at Sixth and Spruce streets before colliding with a vehicle; the cyclist had minor injuries. CollingwoodToday
Oct. 30 Mississauga, Ont. A young person on a bicycle was struck by a car near a school in the city’s north end; Ward 9 Coun. Martin Reid said his office is reviewing safety measures with city staff. insauga
May Laval, Que. A 13-year-old hit by a pickup while cycling to school took his concerns about the route to city hall; CityNews reported his campaign on Nov. 6. CityNews Montreal
What the injury reports have in common

Three of this week’s six injury reports involved riders aged 14 or 15 on electric devices: an e-bike in Essex, an e-scooter in Kitchener and an electric dirt bike in Vancouver, and police noted the Kitchener rider wore no helmet. Age and helmet rules differ by province, so check the ones where you ride.

Riding into the darker months? Ontario’s helmet, light and age rules for e-bikes are set out section by section in our Ontario e-bike laws guide, and Quebec’s in our Quebec guide. Questions? Call 1-866-938-7580.

Courts and Police Watchdogs

This week two police watchdogs cleared officers whose cruisers hit cyclists, a driver pleaded guilty in a fatal Saanich crash, and lawyers for four people arrested at Toronto’s bike-lane protests went public. Each item gives the stage the case has reached.

  • Winnipeg (Nov. 6). Manitoba’s Independent Investigation Unit will not charge a Winnipeg officer whose cruiser hit a cyclist in August; she was treated for a fractured collarbone and told investigators she misjudged the light and entered the intersection on a red (CBC).
  • Guelph, Ont. (Nov. 5). Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit cleared a Guelph officer after a July collision between a cruiser and a cyclist who, the SIU said, was trying to flee police (GuelphToday).
  • Saanich, B.C. (Nov. 3). A driver who ran a red light on Quadra Street at the Lochside Trail crossing on July 28, 2025, killing a 68-year-old woman cycling to work, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention (Times Colonist, CHEK News).
  • Cumberland, B.C. (sentencing hearing, reported Nov. 1). A man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing a stranger on a bicycle with his vehicle on February 8, 2024, told his sentencing hearing he will spend his life trying to understand what he did (Times Colonist).
  • Nanaimo, B.C. (Nov. 6). A 50-year-old motorcyclist on trial for allegedly shoving a 78-year-old man off his e-bike on Departure Bay Road in August 2025 denies shoving him; the judge has not ruled (NanaimoNewsNOW).
  • Toronto (Nov. 3). Four people arrested during protests against the Bloor Street West bike-lane removal and their lawyers said police laid heavy-handed criminal charges to deter protest; Toronto police say the charges reflect individual actions (CBC).

Bylaws and Council Votes

One town reported a new e-bike and e-scooter bylaw this week, one council voted down an e-scooter plan, two police boards asked their councils for bylaws, and bike-lane spending divided Gatineau’s council. Most of the movement came from smaller towns, where the rules for e-scooters are being written street by street.

Where What was decided or proposed Stage Source
Kerrobert, Sask. Electric Mobility Bylaw No. 1109-26 (public notice Oct. 29): e-scooter riders 16 and up, e-bike riders 14 and up, helmets for both, town roads with limits of 40 km/h or less, no sidewalks, and no e-scooters on provincial highways, Pacific Avenue included. Adopted WestCentralOnline
Grande Prairie, Alta. Council defeated a motion to have staff plan public engagement on a shared e-scooter service. Mayor Jackie Clayton preferred to wait until the new year because the province is working on legislation. Defeated, Nov. 2 EverythingGP
Essex County, Ont. The OPP Detachment Board North backed coming changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act on e-bike classes and asked Essex, Lakeshore and Tecumseh to consider bylaws restricting motorized traffic on sidewalks and trails. Motion passed, Nov. 4 AM800
Dryden, Ont. The OPP Detachment Board urged city council to adopt an e-scooter bylaw. Recommendation, Nov. 2 Your Sunset Country
Smiths Falls, Ont. Committee of the whole received Chatham-Kent’s call for provincial guidance on e-bikes and e-scooters and left it for the incoming council. Deferred, Nov. 2 Hometown News
Gatineau, Que. During budget study, council split over a $77.5-million, five-year plan for 70 km of new bike routes and 59 km of rebuilt ones; the executive committee recommended $7.2 million for 2027 and $7.7 million for 2028. Debated, Nov. 5 Le Droit
Saanich, B.C. Newly elected Mayor Rishi Sharma told the Martlet he plans to call for a moratorium on new bike lanes and does not intend to remove existing ones. Plan, no vote yet The Martlet
Edmonton City staff estimated $150 million to $170 million to remove bike lanes if an expected Alberta bill gives the province that power; the bill had not been tabled on Nov. 2. Estimate Moneywise
Alma, Que. The city is spending more than $200,000 on a 2.5 km mountain-bike trail at Pointe-des-Américains park, due by June 2027 (council meeting Oct. 26). Approved Radio-Canada

Dryden’s detachment commander, Karl Duewel, told the board a bylaw would help his officers: “Having a bylaw will provide some clarity to officers, because right now we technically have to pull over everybody that we see on them,” he said (Your Sunset Country). In Smiths Falls, Mayor Shawn Pankow raised modified scooters crossing between roads and sidewalks without helmets: “It’s just a matter of time before something happens,” he said (Hometown News).

What the councils mean for riders

Where you can ride an e-scooter or e-bike is increasingly set street by street. Before riding in a new town, check its bylaw as well as the provincial rules; in Kerrobert, for example, e-scooters are barred from Pacific Avenue.

Police Campaigns and Rule Reminders

Four police services reminded riders of the rules this week, and a fifth reported the results of its campaign. The reminders matter because the rules differ: Sudbury allows no e-scooters on public property at all, while Quebec’s provincial police set out age, helmet and speed conditions for riding them.

Where What police said or did Source
Greater Sudbury, Ont. Police said e-scooters are not allowed on any municipal road, shoulder, sidewalk, bike lane, multi-use path, park or trail, because the city has not joined Ontario’s e-scooter pilot; private property with the owner’s permission is the only legal place. Sudbury.com
St. Thomas, Ont. Police laid 16 charges and issued seven warnings to e-bike and e-scooter riders in a campaign that began in September. CBC
Beauce, Que. The Sûreté du Québec reminded riders of e-scooters and other motorized personal devices that they must be 14 or older and carry proof of age, wear a helmet, keep to 25 km/h and, as a general rule, ride only on roads posted at 50 km/h or less. Info-web
Longueuil, Que. Longueuil police warned that riding an e-bike or e-scooter while impaired by alcohol or drugs can bring criminal charges. FM 103,3
Kindersley, Sask. RCMP reminded riders and parents of the rules for e-scooters and e-bikes, citing a growing number of public concerns about reckless riding. WestCentralOnline

Toronto’s Bike Lanes After Bloor

With the Bloor Street West lanes gone, this week’s Toronto news turned to the protesters, the police and the people who ride for a living. On October 30, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the 1.2-kilometre stretch of Bloor Street West lanes in Etobicoke had been removed.

“We heard from communities, and that’s why we moved forward on this first part of removal on Bloor Street West,” he told CP24 Breakfast, citing low use, and said the rest would come in the next construction cycle (The Canadian Press).

  • Oct. 31. Dozens of cycling advocates spent Halloween protesting the removals at Queen’s Park (The Canadian Press).
  • Nov. 2. Hundreds of delivery workers on bikes, e-bikes and motorcycles rallied from Nathan Phillips Square for better pay and working conditions, organized by Delivery Drivers United (On the Record, Toronto Metropolitan University).
  • Nov. 3. Lawyers for four people arrested at the removal protests alleged heavy-handed charges; police said each charge reflects individual actions (see Courts).
  • Nov. 6. The bike counter on the Martin Goodman Trail along Queens Quay West near Lower Simcoe Street was out of service in what the Toronto Sun described as the second case of vandalism in a few weeks; the city says the counter was installed in May (Toronto Sun).

Paths, Trails and Winter Closures

As winter approaches, two Montreal boroughs are taking bike paths partly out of service, one of them to restore parking, and the Gordie Howe bridge path in Windsor gets new hours. Elsewhere, crews and councils are building, closing and counting paths.

Where What changes Source
Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Montreal From Nov. 16 to March 31 the borough closes the District Central bike path (Chabanel, Port-Royal, Meilleur, Tolhurst and avenue du Parc) and Legendre Street West between de l’Esplanade and du Parc, to restore parking. Both stayed open last winter. La Presse, CTV News
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal The Terrebonne Street bike path will be partly removed for the winter. CBC
Windsor, Ont. From Nov. 9 the Gordie Howe International Bridge path opens 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. Windsorite
Victoria Capital Regional District and city work extends detours on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. Victoria News
Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Que. Quebec’s transport ministry began preparatory work for a temporary crossing of the Calway River for bike-path users; it says the full project cannot be finished in 2026. EnBeauce.com
Thetford Mines, Que. The bike path between 9e Rue and rue Marchand was closed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 6 for city work. Mon Thetford
Memramcook, N.B. The Sentier de l’Étoile bridge used by pedestrians, cyclists and ATV riders will be renovated and reinstalled in early 2027. Acadie Nouvelle
Kamouraska, Que. The regional municipality installed a radar counter on the La Grande-Anse bike path to measure pedestrian and cyclist traffic. Info-web
Boucherville, Que. A permanent cycling-education course for families opened at Sabrevois Park. RIMQ
Halifax The Halifax Cycling Coalition handed out bike lights along busy bike routes ahead of I Light HFX, the night ride it has held since 2015. The Coast

Riding through winter? Our e-bike battery guide covers cold-weather charging and storage, and our province-by-province rules table shows where each kind of e-bike may ride.

Federal Records: No E-Bike Recall

Health Canada posted no recall of an e-bike, e-scooter or e-bike battery between October 31 and November 6, the last posting day before this edition. Its recall site, read November 7, lists two lithium battery products recalled on November 5 for fire hazards: Bose S1 Pro and S1 Pro+ System battery packs and NEWDERY power banks.

Health Canada’s open-data export, current to November 5, holds 7 consumer-product records updated in the week and none names an e-bike; the same check finds three known e-bike recalls from 2024 and 2025, so it can see an e-bike recall when one exists.

In the Canada Gazette, we read all 36 item pages of Part I for October 31 and November 7 and Part II for November 4. One order touches cycling: SOR/2026-227, registered October 23 and published November 4, grants remission of the 25% surtax on certain imported steel derivative goods, including steel bicycle chains for single-speed to 12-speed drivetrains; importers must claim within two years of import (Canada Gazette Part II). Nothing else in those issues concerns e-bikes, e-scooters or their batteries.

In Victoria, the Lime shared e-bike service, launched August 21 with 400 bikes at 100 stations, hit 2,000 trips in one day, a city transportation planner told a conference, and complaints about lost parking have largely subsided (Times Colonist).

What We Could Not Confirm

Two items reached us only as headlines, and we do not report their details as fact. Both came from Quebec, and both are listed so a reader can follow them up. For each we tried the publisher’s site in a headless browser, then the Internet Archive or the city’s own records, before setting it aside.

TVA Nouvelles, Le Journal de Québec and Le Journal de Montréal published a report on November 5 headlined that eight men were arrested in Lévis, Que., over 50 thefts of bicycles and e-scooters this summer; all three sites refused our reader and the Internet Archive holds no copy.

The Sherbrooke radio station 107.7 Estrie aired a segment titled as saying the city’s bike paths will not be cleared of snow; it is audio only, and we found no written city record of the decision.

Dates to Watch

  • Nov. 9: new hours on the Gordie Howe International Bridge path, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends (Windsorite).
  • Nov. 10: Ottawa’s Lights on Bikes event, where police, Safer Roads Ottawa, paramedics, firefighters and the National Capital Commission hand out free bike lights (Ottawa Police Service).
  • Nov. 16: last day to comment on Ontario’s lithium-ion battery proposal (Ontario Regulatory Registry); the same day, Ahuntsic-Cartierville closes its District Central bike path until March 31 (La Presse).
  • Jan. 1, 2027: the date CTV News reported for Ontario’s battery rules to take effect; no date appears in the registry text (CTV News).
  • June 2027: Alma’s new mountain-bike trail at Pointe-des-Américains is due (Radio-Canada).

Before You Buy or Ride

This section is ours, and it is the only part of this edition about what we sell. If you are choosing an e-bike now, two of this week’s records apply. Ontario wants batteries charged as the maker instructs and never modified, and Toronto Fire advises using devices that have been safety-tested and certified (CBC). And where you may ride is set town by town as well as by the province, so check both.

If you are shopping, start with our 500 W e-bike collection or Zeus’s e-bike collection, then check any model against your province’s rules. Questions about a model, or about charging it safely in an apartment, go to a person at 1-866-938-7580.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the latest e-bike news in Canada?

In the week of Oct. 31 to Nov. 7, 2026, Ontario’s solicitor general said the province plans to ban modified e-bike and e-scooter batteries and their charging and storage in residential hallways, with comments open until Nov. 16. Two teenagers on bicycles died after being struck by vehicles, in Montreal and Petawawa, Ont. Towns from Kerrobert, Sask., to Grande Prairie, Alta., moved on e-scooters and e-bikes. This edition holds 59 records, each read at its source.

Is Ontario banning e-bikes in apartment hallways?

Ontario has proposed it. The Fire Code proposal posted Oct. 21 would prohibit charging, parking and storing e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries in the lobbies, public corridors and exits of residential buildings. On Nov. 6 the solicitor general’s office said it is working to finalize the changes, and comments are open until Nov. 16. It is not law yet.

Is it illegal to modify an e-bike battery in Ontario?

Not yet. Ontario’s proposal would prohibit the unauthorized modification of lithium-ion batteries, and on Nov. 5 Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said altering batteries for an unintended purpose would become illegal. He said fines and enforcement details were still being worked out and suggested each fire service would enforce the rules.

When do Ontario’s new battery rules take effect?

No date is in force. CTV News reported the changes are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and CBC reported the solicitor general said his ministry would finalize them early next year. The proposal’s comment period runs until Nov. 16, 2026.

Can I charge my e-bike battery overnight?

Fire officials advise against it. Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe told CHCH to unplug a device once it is fully charged, not to leave it charging overnight or for long periods, and to have someone home while it charges. Toronto Fire advises using only safety-tested, certified devices and following the maker’s charging instructions.

Are e-scooters legal in Ontario?

Only in municipalities that allow them by bylaw under Ontario’s e-scooter pilot. Greater Sudbury has not joined the pilot, and its police said on Nov. 6 that e-scooters may not be ridden on any municipal road, sidewalk, bike lane, path, park or trail there. Dryden’s police board asked its council for an e-scooter bylaw this week.

What happened to the cyclist killed in Montreal?

On Oct. 30 an 18-year-old cyclist was struck and killed on a protected bike path at Henri-Bourassa Boulevard West and Jeanne-Mance Street in Ahuntsic-Cartierville. Police said the driver fled in a stolen vehicle. A 17-year-old was arrested on Nov. 3 and charged in youth court on Nov. 4 with manslaughter and four other offences; the allegations have not been tested in court.

What are the e-scooter rules in Quebec?

The Sûreté du Québec reminded riders on Nov. 5 that e-scooter users must be at least 14 and carry proof of age, wear a helmet, keep to 25 km/h and, as a general rule, ride only on roads posted at 50 km/h or less. Longueuil police added that riding impaired can bring criminal charges.

Is Alberta removing bike lanes?

Not yet. As of Nov. 2 Alberta’s government was preparing legislation that could let it approve new bike lanes and remove existing ones, but no bill had been tabled. Edmonton staff estimated removal at $150 million to $170 million, and Grande Prairie’s mayor cited the coming legislation when council voted down an e-scooter plan.

How We Built This Edition, and Its Limits

We searched Canadian news published October 31 to November 7, 2026, in Google News with 798 requests in English and French: daily searches for e-bikes, e-scooters, cyclists, bike lanes, bylaws and battery fires; week-long searches for every province, territory and 315 cities and towns; and splits of the 3 searches that hit Google’s 100-result cap.

Those searches gave 8,225 results and 4,112 distinct headlines, of which 517 named a Canadian place, institution or outlet. We also read the sitemaps of 289 newsrooms, police services and governments (200 answered; 89 refused or published none), which added 204 more leads.

A first pass that sorted headlines by place names missed two stories, a cyclist’s death in Petawawa and a Sûreté du Québec chase in Montreal, because neither town nor outlet was on our list. We rebuilt that step with a gazetteer of 2,857 Canadian place names and a check of each unfamiliar publisher, then confirmed location from the article text.

In all, 1,230 leads were opened: 1,130 were read in full and 100 could not be read, 26 of them from Québecor’s sites (Le Journal de Montréal, Le Journal de Québec, TVA Nouvelles and 24 heures), which refused our reader, and most of the rest from foreign sites. 558 of the reads were judged Canadian and mentioned riding at least twice. We reviewed each one’s headline and source, read the in-scope reports in full, merged copies of the same report and set aside stories outside this beat, which left 59 records. Health Canada’s recall file and three Gazette issues were read whole.

Five limits apply to this record.

  • The counts are a floor. They include only events that reached a report we could read. Police services record far more collisions than they announce.
  • Blocked sites. Québecor’s outlets refused our reader, so Quebec stories they alone carried may be missing; we found the major ones through La Presse, Radio-Canada, Le Devoir, CBC and CTV.
  • Search dates. Search indexes sometimes date old stories as new; we checked every date against the report itself and set aside 4 that were published before the week.
  • Radio and television. We read text. A broadcast item with no written version, such as the Sherbrooke segment above, is listed as unconfirmed.
  • One verifier. Each record was read and checked by the author named above, against saved copies of every source.

Corrections. None so far. If you see an error, write to milad@zeusebikes.ca and we will correct it here, dated.

Sources

Government and police records (read November 7, 2026, unless noted):

News reports, all 2026, by outlet and author where the report names one: