Maple Express | August 15, 2026 Toronto taxi driver charged with sexual assault

1. Toronto taxi driver charged with sexual assault

Toronto police have charged a licensed taxi driver with sexual assault. Police received a report on Friday for an incident in the Market Street and The Esplanade area of downtown Toronto.

The accused has been identified as 44-year-old Ghulam Khan of Toronto. Police released his photo and believe there may be additional victims, urging anyone with information to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

2. First day of Markham Indy cancelled over incomplete track

The inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy in Markham hit a snag at the starting line, with the first day of practice and qualifying cancelled Friday because the track wasn't finished and officials couldn't complete a final safety check.

It's the first year Markham has hosted the event after it moved from Toronto's Exhibition Place, where it had run since 1986. Organizers plan to squeeze Friday's sessions into Saturday's schedule. The province invested $1.5 million, the federal government $3.5 million, and Markham's infrastructure spending topped $12 million.

3. OPP officer injured in Kawartha Lakes crash, SIU investigating

A three-vehicle crash involving an OPP cruiser in Kawartha Lakes sent an officer and two others to hospital with serious injuries on Friday. The collision happened on Highway 35 near Royal Cedar Road in Fenelon Falls shortly after 2 p.m.

The Special Investigations Unit has invoked its mandate, and the cause of the crash remains unknown. The highway was closed for several hours during the investigation.

4. Shots fired in Scarborough: 1 arrested, suspects sought

One person has been arrested after shots were fired in Scarborough on Friday evening. Toronto police responded to Gilder Drive near Midland Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East just before 7 p.m., where they found no victims but located evidence of gunfire.

Police said several suspects were reportedly shooting at each other before fleeing in different directions. One suspect was apprehended, and officers are still searching for others.

5. Mississauga man facing more human trafficking charges

Toronto police have laid additional charges against a Mississauga man accused of human trafficking after more victims were identified. Police allege 36-year-old Elijah Benjamin trafficked a 32-year-old woman through deception, coercion and control, forcing her into explicit photos that were distributed online.

Investigators allege he did the same to another 32-year-old woman. Benjamin, who was first arrested July 22 and re-arrested July 30, now faces charges including trafficking in persons, procuring and assault. Police believe there may be more victims, all met through dating apps.

6. Man hospitalized after e-bike crash in the Junction

A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a collision between an e-bike and a vehicle in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood on Friday evening. The crash happened near Annette and Keele streets.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

7. Flood risks driving up home insurance premiums in Ontario

Homeowners in parts of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area are paying higher insurance premiums as insurers factor in growing flood risks, a new analysis shows. Neighbourhoods in Toronto, Brampton and Hamilton have been flagged as high or extreme risk for sewer backup.

According to Rates.ca, the average annual home insurance in Toronto is $2,296, with lakefront communities averaging $2,574 — 15 per cent above the provincial average. Experts advise homeowners to consider optional water and sewer-backup coverage.

8. Hamilton hospital's new treatment relieves amputee pain

A first-of-its-kind Ontario program at Hamilton General Hospital is helping amputees find relief from long-lasting pain using a minimally invasive treatment called cryoablation.

Eighty-year-old Richard Weinf, an amputee for more than four decades, says he is now sleeping through the night for the first time in decades. The roughly 20-minute procedure freezes the nerves causing pain at the amputation site, and the hospital reports an 85 per cent success rate, with 35 patients treated so far.

9. Proof-of-citizenship wait times climb past two years

Canadians seeking official proof of citizenship are now being told they must wait more than two years for their applications to be processed. Experts blame a surge in applications tied to U.S. policies and the passage of Bill C-3, which removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent.

Immigration lawyers say processing times have climbed from nine to 10 months earlier this year to 25 months today, and could reach three years by year's end. About 121,800 people are currently waiting.

10. Small business owners warn they can't afford end of gas tax break

Small business owners across Canada are warning they can't afford the end of the federal fuel excise tax exemption, which is set to expire Sept. 7. The pause has saved drivers 10 cents a litre on gas and four cents on diesel.

Restaurant owners say fuel costs have already pushed up food and shipping prices. Analysts are urging Ottawa to consider extending the tax holiday beyond September.