Maple Express | September 11, 2026 Carney pays tribute to 9/11 victims

1. PM Carney pays tribute to 9/11 victims

Source: CP24

Prime Minister Mark Carney is paying tribute to the victims of 9/11, saying Canadians stand with their American neighbours in mourning, remembrance and solidarity.

Thousands are expected to fill an arena in central Newfoundland for a solemn ceremony remembering those killed in the terrorist attacks in the United States 25 years ago. Thirty-eight planes carrying more than 6,500 passengers were grounded in Gander, N.L. after hijackers took command of four aircraft and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Pennsylvania. People in Gander dropped everything to fill churches and community halls with cots, food and clothing, caring for the passengers for days, the town becoming a symbol of the kindness shown across Canada.

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2. Chow promises free TTC rides after 10 paid trips a week

Source: CP24

Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow is promising to make the TTC free after 10 paid rides in a week, an initiative she says could be paid for with money already set aside in the city's budget. It marks her first major campaign announcement since she formally launched her re-election campaign one day earlier. Chow is also promising to freeze TTC fares for a fourth consecutive year in 2027.

"If I am re-elected after you take 10 TTC trips in a week every ride for the rest of that week will be free," Chow said near a TTC bus garage in Scarborough on Friday morning, noting the change would take effect sometime in 2027. "If you take the TTC to work five days a week that means your evening and weekend trips are free." She said the weekly cap would mean riders who take just three additional trips a week save approximately $1,000 a year, and estimated the cost would likely be covered by the $12.2 million already set aside in the budget for fare capping, calling the plan "affordable and responsible."

Her announcement comes after a monthly fare cap of 47 paid trips took effect earlier this month; she has previously asked staff to report back on a plan to lower the monthly cap to 40 trips starting in 2027. It also comes a day after fellow candidate Brad Bradford promised a "permanent, visible police presence inside Union Station," while candidate Chris Alexander has focused his campaign on TTC management. Toronto's municipal election is set for Oct. 26.

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3. Two hospitalized after serious collision in Brampton

Source: CP24

Two people have been hospitalized after a collision in Brampton. Both vehicles sustained front-end damage, with one person suffering serious injuries.

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4. U.S. congressman wants to rename Lake Erie

Source: CP24

A U.S. congressman is pushing to rename another one of the Great Lakes, after President Donald Trump's decision to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America." Republican Rep. David Maloney says he is preparing a resolution urging Trump, Congress and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to begin the process of changing the name of Lake Erie to "Lake Pennsylvania."

"This is Pennsylvania's only Great Lake. Its modern economy and identity are increasingly tied to the boaters, anglers, families and tourists who come to enjoy it," Maloney said in a news release. "Ohio has plenty of shoreline. New York already has two Great Lakes. Canada has four others... Pennsylvania has one. Let's call it Lake Pennsylvania!"

Trump's move to rename the lake came after a war of words with Ontario Premier Doug Ford last month. Despite the president's executive order, multiple organizations and Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. have mocked the decision, saying they refuse to call the body of water anything but Lake Ontario. Canadian officials are also not recognizing the change, with Prime Minister Mark Carney previously pointing out that the Lake Ontario name predates both Canada and the United States. Google Maps in the U.S. has changed the name, while MapQuest refused to follow suit, even erecting a six-foot billboard in Chicago reading, "It's still Lake Ontario. And we're still here."

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5. 25 years after 9/11: Would Canada respond the same way now?

Source: CP24

Reflecting on the solemn anniversary ahead of a day of cabinet meetings, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that 25 years ago, an ordinary day became one of history's darkest. "Nearly 3,000 people, amongst them 24 Canadians lost their lives, killed in the worst terrorist attack in American history. Thousands more injured, countless more forever affected by what happened," he said. Carney cited the immediate response of first responders to ground zero, but also the Canadian government without hesitation welcoming 224 planes at 17 airports, including in Gander, N.L. where strangers were welcomed in and asked for nothing in return. "This dark moment also brought forth some of our best nature," Carney said. "The lesson I think of these events... is that the response to darkness is to reach out, is to support, to stand in solidarity, as Canadians did, with our neighbours, in this case our American neighbours."

Canada deployed troops to help fight the U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. "I can still remember the day of 9/11. I was presenting information to create new capabilities in the event of a terrorist attack," said Maj.-Gen. (Ret'd) David Fraser, a senior Canadian military official at the time, who later led NATO forces in Afghanistan. The war stretched between 2001 and 2014, making it both the longest war this country participated in and its largest military contingent ever deployed, more than 40,000 served, since the Second World War. And while then-U.S. president George W. Bush balked when Canada refused to help invade Iraq in 2003, a decision taken by then-prime minister Jean Chretien, Americans still recognize and honour the sacrifices Canadians made in the decades since.

Those reflecting on these inflection points believe that, despite current tensions, Canadians would likely still show their support the way they did 25 years ago if a similar attack happened again. "We are people that have strong values, and if this happened again, certainly we would open up our arms and put politics aside because it's for the better good," Fraser said. Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne said that while "there's been a fundamental change" in the relationship, she believes Canadians wouldn't be able to stand by and not react. Former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton noted that after Trump imposed tariffs on Canada in his second term and declared his intent not to renew CUSMA, the relationship has "deteriorated substantially," and that "we're in for a long, long haul before it gets back to any semblance of what we've seen before."

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6. Canadian workers keep flying south despite trade war: data

Source: CP24

The Canada-U.S. trade war hasn't deterred many Canadian workers from flying south of the border, according to new data from a major travel company. In 2026, the number of U.S. cross-border air bookings through August rose to 58,584, a six per cent increase compared to 2025, according to Corporate Traveller Canada data shared with CTVNews.ca on Thursday. Amra Durakovic, head of communications for Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, said that while the situation remains "fluid," the impact of the latest U.S. tariffs isn't yet known. "When we look at business travel, it did react, but it didn't stay down," she said. When tensions first picked up over tariffs in early 2025, some businesses pulled back, but by the end of 2025 U.S. cross-border business bookings were basically flat and are now growing again.

In January, U.S. cross-border air bookings were up 4.1 per cent year over year before declining in February and March. The spring and summer months saw increases, climbing to 16.5 per cent in August, the highest bump so far in 2026. "So, this really tells us that while many businesses may pause or rethink a trip, they still need to be in those key markets," Durakovic said.

Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president of advocacy for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said the findings are not a "big surprise." "Simply because you have new tariffs doesn't necessarily mean that everything ends overnight, in terms of relationships between companies," she said. Meanwhile, Flight Centre Canada data suggests U.S. leisure travel plummeted in 2025. Leisure travel is more sensitive to sentiment, Durakovic said. New U.S. leisure bookings were down 35 per cent in January and 29 per cent in February, plunged 27 per cent in June, then rose seven per cent in July and 17 per cent in August. Durakovic noted U.S. travel remains below 2024 levels, with new U.S. bookings down an average of 40 per cent in 2025. "At the same time, Canadian leisure travellers, they're still travelling. They're simply choosing other destinations," she added.

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7. Supreme Court rules no need to cap sentencing time

Source: CP24

The Supreme Court of Canada says a man is entitled to a reduction in his sentence for sexual assault because the post-verdict sentencing phase of the case took too long. But the top court also says there is no need to set a time limit for determining a sentence, because there is no persuasive evidence of a culture of complacency in sentencing proceedings in Canada.

The man, an Iranian citizen living in Ontario on a post-graduation work permit, was convicted in October 2021. Sentencing proceedings were ongoing in October 2022 when he applied for a stay of his case on the basis that his Charter right to timely justice had been infringed. The trial judge dismissed the application, saying post-verdict sentencing delay was subject to a five-month limit, and that the delay in the case was just under four months. In its 9-0 ruling today, the Supreme Court says the appropriate test is whether the time taken to impose the sentence was markedly longer than it reasonably should have been in all circumstances. (Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press)

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8. WhatsApp extortion: Calgary police charge three

Source: CP24

Calgary police say two adults and a youth are facing charges in an extortion scheme that targeted a victim through a popular mobile messenger. At 4:30 p.m. on March 25, a woman began receiving unsolicited messages from an unknown sender on WhatsApp, with the messages involving demands for money. "The suspects used detailed knowledge of the victim's personal and business affairs, including her full name, address, business information and information about her family members," the Calgary Police Service said in a Friday news release. "The caller repeatedly attempted to contact the victim and made explicit threats of violence." Approximately 12 hours later, an unknown suspect fired a gun at the victim's home before fleeing.

Following an investigation that included security footage from the area, police identified a suspect vehicle along with several suspects. On July 29, a 17-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of facilitating communications between the victim and those making the threats. He was charged with one count of extortion and has since been released. Kanureet Kaur, a 23-year-old Chestermere woman, is charged with one count of extortion and has also been released; she is expected to appear in court on Oct. 6. A third suspect is still being sought.

Tanveer Singh, 21, of Calgary, is wanted on a warrant for possession of stolen property over $5,000. "While these charges are an important step, this investigation is far from over," said Supt. Jeff Bell with the CPS criminal operations and intelligence division. Since April 2025, CPS says there have been 51 extortion-related incidents in Calgary, with 19 shootings linked to the series. Nineteen people have been charged with 59 offences in connection with Calgary extortion.

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9. Trudeau launches production company with former chief of staff

Source: CP24

Justin Trudeau is officially getting into showbiz. The former prime minister is launching a production company with his longtime chief of staff, Katie Telford, called Hope & Hard Work, announcing the new venture at the Toronto International Film Festival today. A press release from the company says it will create both scripted and unscripted content, with several projects already in development.

They include Perry Chafe's Newfoundland-set coming-of-age novel "Closer by Sea," and Uzma Jalaluddin's cozy mystery "Detective Aunty," with Trudeau and Telford set to serve as executive producers.

Trudeau stepped back from politics after announcing his resignation in January 2025 and has been on the speaking circuit, including at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he spoke about the importance of "soft power," an umbrella that includes popular culture. He was joined at Davos by his girlfriend, American pop star Katy Perry. With the production company, Trudeau follows in the footsteps of former U.S. president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, who founded Higher Ground Productions in 2018; Prince Harry and Meghan also launched Archewell Productions. (Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press)

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10. Thousands sign petition urging Oilers to reverse Formenton signing

Source: CP24

An online petition calling on the Edmonton Oilers to reverse the signing of Alex Formenton had collected more than 19,000 signatures as of Friday morning. The petition was started by longtime Oilers superfan Mary Loewen, known as "Mama Stanley," who said this week she would no longer support the team while Formenton remains on the roster. The Oilers signed Formenton to a one-year, US$850,000 contract Wednesday. He was one of five former Canadian world junior players acquitted last year of sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter with a woman after a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.

"We acknowledge clearly and without qualification that Alex Formenton was acquitted in court in 2025. This petition does not challenge that verdict, nor does it declare him guilty," the petition says. "A criminal trial determines whether the Crown proved criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt. It does not require fans, survivors, sponsors, or community members to support every employment and roster decision made afterward."

The Oilers have defended the signing, citing Formenton's acquittal and reinstatement by the NHL and Hockey Canada, along with what the team called a "lengthy due diligence process." An independent appeal board ruled last month that all five players breached Hockey Canada's code of conduct, recommending continued bans for Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod; Formenton was the only one eligible for immediate reinstatement from Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs.

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