Maple Express Noon | September 21, 2026: Carney and Ford condemn Belleville synagogue shooting

1. Carney, Ford condemn shooting outside Belleville synagogue; officer critically hurt

Source: CP24

Today (Sept. 21), Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke out to strongly condemn a shooting outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ont. The incident happened Sunday night on Yom Kippur, the holiest night of the Jewish calendar, and left two people critically injured, including a police officer.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said a Belleville police officer was outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue near Victoria and Bleecker avenues at about 7 p.m. when there was an "exchange of gunfire" with a man carrying a rifle. Both the 29-year-old suspect and the officer were shot and taken to hospital; the officer is in critical but stable condition, while the suspect is in life-threatening condition. The SIU is expected to provide an update on its investigation today.

Synagogue president Norm Weddum told CP24 that about 25 people were just sitting down for the Yom Kippur service when the first volley of shots rang out. After the suspect was confronted by an officer already stationed outside in an unmarked vehicle, "all hell broke loose," he said, with bullets coming through the sanctuary windows and about 20 bullet holes left in one stained-glass window. Ford called the wounded officer a "hero" who "stopped a tragedy in its footsteps," while Carney stressed that Jewish people must be able to worship safely and that Canada's government will do everything in its power to hold the perpetrator accountable.

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2. Suspicious fire at Mississauga apartment building sends 11 to hospital

Source: CP24

A suspicious fire at a Mississauga apartment building early Monday morning (Sept. 21) sent 11 people to hospital. Police say the incident is being treated as suspicious, and the cause has not yet been released.

The fire broke out in the hallway of a building near Iverhouse Drive and Lakeshore Road West at around 3:30 a.m. Most of the victims suffered smoke inhalation, and two people sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. One of the injured was an officer, but paramedics say that injury is unrelated to the fire itself.

The flames are now out and some residents have been allowed to return to their units, though road closures remain in place in the area. Police say the scene remains secured pending a determination by fire investigators, and there is no confirmed information at this time on how many people have been displaced.

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3. Pickering nuclear reactors start coming off-line for massive refurbishment

Source: CP24

Starting today (Sept. 21), Ontario's Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is beginning a massive refurbishment project, with four reactors starting to come off-line. Premier Doug Ford's government is looking to lean heavily on nuclear energy to serve the province's growing electricity needs.

The refurbishment is estimated to cost $26.8 billion, with the actual work set to start in January, according to The Canadian Press. The project is expected to take the units out of service for about a decade and would extend the plant's life by up to 38 years, producing enough electricity to power 2.2 million homes. The work includes replacing 1,520 fuel channels and 48 boilers, and building a 1.5-kilometre deep-water intake.

Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says the project will support 30,500 jobs, with the vast majority of the costs staying in Ontario. Environmental Defence, however, has expressed concerns that taking Pickering's reactors off-line for most of the next decade will increase the province's already-growing reliance on natural gas to generate electricity, driving up greenhouse gas emissions.

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4. Report: EF0 downburst caused damage to Rogers Stadium, other areas in North York

Source: CP24

The Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), which tracks powerful storms across Canada, says an EF0 storm was responsible for the significant damage at Rogers Stadium when a powerful system hit Toronto earlier this month. The findings were released today (Sept. 21).

The NTP said a ground survey was completed on Sept. 11 following a violent storm on Sept. 2 that brought intense periods of heavy rain, destructive winds and hail. Damage to homes, apartment buildings, trees and temporary structures at an outdoor concert venue was reported in the Downsview area of North York. The EF0 downburst saw a maximum wind speed of about 125 km/h, damaging an area roughly 7.1 kilometres long and up to 2.8 kilometres wide. Rogers Stadium, where the "worst" of the damage was found, was forced to cancel a Sept. 16 AC/DC concert because of damage to the temporary outdoor venue.

The report noted isolated damage reports in Brampton and Woodbridge, but not enough evidence was found to confirm events there. The NTP says the storm appears to have been a large hail-generating high-precipitation supercell dominated by outflow at the surface, which went on to generate two weak supercell tornadoes in New York state within the next two hours. The so-called "100-year storm" knocked out power and flooded major highways across Toronto, including the Don Valley Parkway.

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5. Ontario education workers set to vote on strike mandate in November

Source: CP24

A third Ontario education union has set a strike vote for November. About 57,000 education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees' Ontario School Board Council of Unions branch will vote between Nov. 4 and 18 on whether to give their union a strike mandate.

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association and the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario have also set strike votes for November. Current education contracts expired at the end of August, but negotiations for a new deal stalled before they really got started, with the parties unable to agree on which issues should be bargained centrally and which should be left to local unions and school boards. The major education unions are awaiting a ruling on that from the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

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6. Ontario to standardize truck driver training after scathing auditor general report

Source: CP24

Ontario is introducing standardized entry-level training for commercial truck drivers. The changes come after a scathing auditor general report that showed the province was not effectively monitoring commercial truck driver training and licensing regimes.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria says the province is meeting one of the auditor general's recommendations. He says the new curriculum, which will come into effect next year, will be mandatory for organizations that offer truck driver training, and the province is considering subjects including fatigue management, northern rural and remote driving, human trafficking awareness and mandatory air brake training. Auditor general Shelley Spence found some career colleges cut corners on training hours and skills, and found little oversight from two provincial ministries.

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7. StubHub Canada fined $20K under Ontario law capping tickets at face value

Source: CP24

The Ontario government has fined ticket reseller StubHub Canada Ltd. $20,000 under a recent law that caps the sale of seats at face value.

The province's consumer beware website shows a $10,000 fine for allegedly making a ticket available for sale above face value and another $10,000 for facilitating a transaction without having proof of the original price. Both fines were issued on Sept. 9, but the website does not say what events the penalties were linked to. StubHub Canada and the province did not immediately provide comment.

The company has been on notice since the spring, when the province sent 27 ticket resale websites, including StubHub, letters announcing the businesses would be inspected for non-compliance with the new law. StubHub and SeatGeek Canada were later added to the consumer beware list, with SeatGeek Canada fined $25,000 in August for flouting the price cap law.

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8. Health Canada warns counterfeit laser hair removal devices may pose health risks

Source: CP24

Health Canada is warning Canadians about counterfeit laser hair removal devices used in some clinics that may "pose serious health risks."

In a public advisory, Health Canada lists the Soprano diode laser hair removal systems and diode laser therapy systems as an "unauthorized product," telling people not to buy or use unauthorized medical devices and to immediately stop using and dispose of any they have purchased. The counterfeit machines are sold under the "Soprano" brand; authentic Soprano devices are made by Alma Lasers Ltd., whereas the label on the counterfeit version states it was manufactured by Beijing Perfectlaser Technology Co., Ltd. Health Canada says the counterfeit devices have been advertised and sold to clinics across the country, and that Beijing Perfectlaser provided a falsified medical device licence and falsely represented the products as authorized, which may mislead purchasers.

Health Canada warns that counterfeit devices, which are illegal in Canada, are not the same as the authentic product and may pose a serious health risk due to their unknown safety and effectiveness. It advises clinics that own or may be looking to buy a Soprano-branded machine to verify authenticity using the permanent label, which includes the manufacturer name, device name and model or catalogue identifier, also listed on the device licence in Health Canada's Medical Devices Active Licence Listing. Anyone with a counterfeit product should immediately stop using it and dispose of it safely, and consult the manufacturer if unsure. Patients who have received laser therapy and are experiencing health concerns such as immediate pain, reddening skin or swelling are advised to see a licensed health-care professional and to report any side effects to Health Canada.

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9. Trump working on deal to buy potash from Belarus for lower price than Canada

Source: CP24

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is working on a "massive deal" to purchase potash from Belarus. "The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada, very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers," he posted to Truth Social on Monday.

Canada is the leading exporter of potash, shipping about 22.9 million tonnes in 2024 and accounting for more than 39 per cent of global exports, according to the Government of Canada. The leading destination of Canadian potash exports is the United States, which imports nearly 85 per cent of its potash from Canada. Belarus ranks third in potash production behind Russia and Canada. In June, Trump told reporters there is nothing the U.S. needs from Canada, yet U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said America needs a "tremendous amount of things," including Canadian potash, since there are "not lots of other places that you can get it."

Canada's premiers have been at odds about whether to leverage the critical mineral against the U.S. amid trade-war tensions. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has previously pushed to retaliate against Trump's tariffs by cutting U.S. access to electricity, oil and other minerals, while Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe have said they are concerned about the long-term consequences for those industries.

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10. Irving Oil names Alfred Stern, former CEO of Austria's OMV, as next president and CEO

Source: CP24

New Brunswick-based energy company Irving Oil has announced the appointment of European energy executive Alfred Stern as its next president and chief executive.

The company says Stern will join Irving on Oct. 1 and assume the top job effective Nov. 1, following the retirement of Jeff Matthews. Stern most recently served as chairman and chief executive of Austrian oil and gas group OMV AG. In a statement, he said he is honoured to join the Irving Oil team at such an "important time in its history," and plans to build on the company's strong foundation by investing in safety, reliability and security of supply to support long-term, sustainable growth. Irving Oil, a privately owned company based in Saint John, N.B., operates the largest oil refinery in Canada, with capacity of more than 320,000 barrels per day.

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