The Canadian Institute for Health Information says e-scooter injuries are on the rise across the country.

It released data Thursday saying that hospitalizations involving e-scooters for kids between five and 17 years old increased by 61 per cent from 2022-23 to 2023-24.

The agency said hospitalizations for men between 18 and 64 went up by 22 per cent in that time period and went up by 60 per cent for women.

The data shows the majority of e-scooter hospitalizations happened in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia.

Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, said the number of kids and teens arriving in the emergency department with e-scooter injuries has been increasing over the last five years and some have been “catastrophic,” including one 13-year-old boy’s death in 2023.

“We see anything from minor scrapes and cuts and little lacerations that need a couple of stitches to … traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding in the chest and abdomen, open fractures that need to go to the operating room to be fixed,” he said.

Some children between four and six years old have been hurt while riding with their parents on an e-scooter, Rosenfield said, but injuries among teens riding on their own is more common.

2:08
Youth injuries on e-bikes and scooters climb more than 200% in Toronto

Among cases where the information is available, 80 per cent of the riders who end up in the ER aren’t wearing helmets, he said.

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Rosenfield said he thinks the rise in injuries correlates to an increase in the popularity and affordability of e-scooters in recent years — together with a lack of understanding about how dangerous they can be.

“These scooters, much like everything electrified these days, have come down in price and have increased in power,” he said.

“Their acceleration and torque is tremendous. And most parents, when they’re buying these things for their kids, are completely unaware of that.”

2:06
Experts urge caution as number of e-scooter and e-bike injuries jumps

Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of Parachute Canada — a charity focused on injury prevention — said the laws around e-scooters vary between provinces and even municipalities.

In Ontario, riders must be at least 16 years old. But in Toronto, e-scooters are not allowed on public roads or paths. And just east of the city in Oshawa, they’re permitted under a pilot program.

But people are clearly using them even where they’re not allowed, Fuselli said.

“Even while a city may have a bylaw about this, they can regulate what’s operated in public spaces, but then that has to be enforced. They can’t really regulate what’s sold,” she said.

5:55
Riding effortlessly into summer on e-scooters and e-bikes in Edmonton

Fuselli said kids under 16 should not be riding e-scooters — and parents shouldn’t be buying them for children younger than that.

“They look like toys, but they really are motor vehicles,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

&copy 2025 The Canadian Press

Federal prosecutors have withdrawn terrorism allegations against a Yemeni man arrested in the Toronto area three months ago.

The case against Husam Taha Ali Al-Sewaiee was dropped at a court appearance on Thursday, his lawyer said in a statement.

The move came after the RCMP received new information that satisfied initial fears about the 33-year-old.

He still faces a threatening charge.

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Al-Sewaiee was initially arrested in Mississauga, Ont., on April 15 for uttering threats. Four days later, he was arrested again.

This time, the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team alleged he had attempted to leave Canada to join a terrorist organization.

He was not charged with terrorism. Instead, prosecutors asked the court for a terrorism peace bond that would restrict his movements in the name of public safety.

“Mr. Al-Sewaiee has always maintained this peace bond application was baseless and the allegations against him were entirely without merit,” his lawyer Rebecca Amoah said.

“Mr. Al-Sewaiee has been wrongly prosecuted, arrested, and detained. He has spent almost two months in custody, without being charged with any related criminal offence, pending the determination of a baseless peace bond application that the Crown has now withdrawn.”

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca

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Service has resumed on the majority of Toronto’s downtown subway system after it was abruptly shut down on Thursday evening while commuters poured out of work to head home.

Around 5:05 p.m., the Toronto Transit Commission announced there would be no service on Line 1: Yonge-University between College and St George stations because of a fire.

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That section covers the entire downtown loop of Line 1, which serves University Avenue and Yonge Street south of Bloor Street and connects the rest of the network to Union Station and the GO train network.

The TTC said the fire was at track level between Union and St. Andrew stations.

“Service is suspended between College and St George to allow fire crews to investigate,” the agency said. “Customers in the U are encouraged to consider surface routes and take Line 1 North at College, St George, or Spadina.”

Toronto Fire told Global News the fire was “not serious.” They said they were clearing smoke and hotspots.

By 5:50 p.m., trains were running again.