Maple Express | September 30, 2026 Canadians mark sixth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

1. Canadians mark sixth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Source: CP24

Canadians across the country marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday (Sept. 30) for the sixth consecutive year, honouring the survivors of residential schools and those who never made it home. The day was among the recommendations in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) report.

Beginning in the 19th century, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were separated from their families and communities and sent to church-run residential schools, where abuse, malnutrition and inadequate health care were rampant. The TRC concluded in its 2015 final report that the school system was a central element of a state-backed policy of cultural genocide. Between 1857 and 1996, 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend the church-run, government-funded schools; the TRC initially documented the deaths of 3,200 children, but experts at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation say the actual number could be much higher.

CBC/Radio-Canada, APTN and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation hosted their annual Remembering the Children event on Parliament Hill, a 90-minute ceremony featuring speeches from residential school survivors, elders and Indigenous leaders as well as performances; guests were encouraged to bring a pair of children's shoes to place at the front of the stage. Events were also held in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Iqaluit. Prime Minister Mark Carney was scheduled to speak at an event in Edmonton and issued a statement beforehand in English, French and nine Indigenous languages, saying the federal government "bears responsibility" for the "profound and enduring harm" caused by the residential schools system. "We owe Survivors more than remembrance," he said. "We owe them action."

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2. Peel police report 266 distraction thefts this year after $19K Brampton jewellery theft

Source: CP24

Peel Regional Police said Wednesday (Sept. 30) they have received 266 reports of distraction thefts so far this year, a sharp increase from just 25 reported across the region in 2024. Police said 77 per cent of this year's cases involved gold jewellery and nearly 85 per cent happened between noon and 4 p.m.

The new figures come just days after CTV News first reported the case of a 78-year-old Brampton woman who police say had about $19,000 worth of gold jewellery stolen. On July 28, at about 6 p.m., she was walking near Chinguacousy Road and Sandalwood Parkway West when two women in a white SUV approached. One woman got out, touched the victim's feet and hugged her; during the interaction, the suspect allegedly switched the woman's gold necklace for a metal one and removed three gold bangles from her wrists.

"These incidents can happen in a matter of seconds, and suspects may often rely on appearing friendly or helpful to gain the victim's trust," Peel Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said, urging residents to recognize the tactics, trust their instincts and create distance when something does not feel right. The woman's son, Raghavendra Kumar, said his mother was left shaken and has stopped taking her regular walks, and that some of the jewellery had been made by his late father, who was a goldsmith. Police said investigators reviewed CCTV footage and identified a white Chevrolet Equinox as a vehicle of interest, although its licence plate has not been identified, and were expected to provide a more detailed update at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

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3. TD Bank to buy back up to $10 billion of its shares

Source: CP24

TD Bank Group said Wednesday (Sept. 30) it plans to buy back up to $10 billion worth of its shares. The bank says it intends to repurchase up to 61 million of its shares under a program it expects to complete by July next year, subject to approval by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada.

The new buyback will represent up to 3.74 per cent of the bank's issued and outstanding shares as of Aug. 31. TD says it plans to cancel all of the purchased shares. The move comes after TD spent $7 billion to buy back 47.2 million of its shares as of Sept. 25 in a program that began on Jan. 20.

By buying back its shares, the bank reduces its equity base, spreading profits over fewer shares and increasing its return on equity and earnings per share, two key ratios used to assess financial health. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2026.

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4. Shots fired at a business in a Scarborough plaza: police

Source: CP24

Toronto police are investigating after shots were fired at a business in Scarborough early Wednesday morning (Sept. 30). Shots rang out in the area of Steeles Avenue East and Markham Road at around 2:24 a.m.

Police said evidence of gunfire was located at a commercial plaza in the area, and damage was done to the windows of a business at the plaza. Police have not released any information on possible suspects, and the investigation continues.

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5. Halton police warn homes near green spaces are being targeted for break-and-enters

Source: CP24

Homes backing onto trail systems or green spaces are being increasingly targeted for break-and-enters by organized crime groups, Halton Regional Police said in a news release Wednesday (Sept. 30). Police said investigators are "beginning to see" a pattern in break-and-enter investigations and have "noted that homes backing onto, or located near, trail systems and green spaces are being specifically targeted."

Thieves are taking advantage of reduced daylight hours, with most break-ins occurring between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., and unlit and unoccupied homes are particularly vulnerable, police said. According to police, thieves gain entry by smashing rear doors or windows using tools, "exploiting the darkness to conceal their movements."

Police believe organized crime groups responsible for similar offences across the region are behind the increase. Before committing the crimes, suspects often conduct surveillance on neighbourhoods—waiting for residents to return home from work and then leave again for evening errands such as grocery shopping or children's sports—and typically enter once they believe the home is empty. They quickly ransack areas of the home, searching for cash, jewellery, luxury items and government identification, then flee the area undetected within minutes. The suspects are typically dressed in dark clothing, gloves, facial coverings and carry backpacks, attire that lets them blend in with pedestrian traffic along residential streets and trail systems. Police are urging residents to remain vigilant and to immediately report any suspicious persons, activity or vehicles.

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6. Motorcyclist dead after two-vehicle crash in Oakville

Source: CP24

A two-vehicle collision in Oakville on Tuesday night has left one motorcyclist dead, Halton Regional Police say. The crash happened at around 6:40 p.m. in the area of Dundas Street and Eighth Line.

Police said a motorcycle and a silver sedan collided in the area, and the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The collision reconstruction unit has taken over the investigation.

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7. Carney's stand against Trump fuels Nobel Peace Prize and Time Person of the Year buzz

Source: CP24

Mark Carney built a global profile in 2026 by standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump. If some prediction-market traders and prominent admirers are right, the Canadian prime minister could end the year with the Nobel Peace Prize and Time magazine's Person of the Year.

Carney briefly became the favourite Monday for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Kalshi, a U.S.-based prediction market, when traders on the exchange put his chances at 14 per cent; his odds later fell, illustrating the highly speculative nature of the wagering. There is no public evidence Carney is on the Nobel Committee's secret shortlist for the prize, which will be announced Oct. 9 in Oslo, Norway.

The buzz about the Canadian leader reflects the message that has raised his profile: middle powers should band together to defend sovereignty as great powers increasingly use economic and military leverage. The Nobel and Time's annual award happen to be two honours Trump covets. Carney and Trump are locked in an escalating trade war, with 50 per cent U.S. tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian goods and Canadian retaliation; Trump has also told Canadian leaders to "fall in line" or face consequences "far WORSE" than existing tariffs.

Trump, who has twice been Time's Person of the Year, has repeatedly complained about not receiving the Nobel, saying in July that he "should have won that award more than anybody." "President Trump would be furious, of course," said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University. Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said Trump "will be unhappy whoever gets the Nobel," and that if Carney got it, relations with Canada would be rockier than they are. Time already named Carney one of its 100 most influential people of 2026 and noted his popularity increased as he stood up to Trump.

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8. Economic reconciliation with First Nations still elusive 11 years after TRC report

Source: CP24

The corporate sector in Canada has failed to make progress in its attempts to reconcile with First Nations, Métis and Inuit, according to the non-profit group Indigenous Watchdog. The group, which tracks the state of reconciliation in Canada, says corporations have not even started tackling Call to Action #92. It has been 11 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission led by the late Senator Murray Sinclair filed its report.

Number 92 calls for a commitment to "meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships and obtaining the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects," using the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) as a framework for economic reconciliation.

The findings come as Prime Minister Mark Carney is trying to rally support among Indigenous groups for major infrastructure and energy projects during a deepening trade war with the United States. "We are working in full partnership with First Nations, with the Métis and the Inuit. As allies from the start, not at the end," Carney said during a Liberal caucus planning meeting earlier in September, adding that Indigenous communities will be not just allies but also "owners in the initiatives that will save the country."

Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chief Na'Moks doesn't buy Carney's vision. "Look at my forehead. Do you see 'for sale,' or 'for lease' or 'for rent' on it?" he told CTV News, calling Carney's promise of economic benefits an attempt to "buy you off" and saying the purported benefits would be short-term construction jobs that disappear once pipelines are built. He is also angry about Carney's plans to pass Bill C-39, the "Build Canada Strong Act," and said on Tuesday—as new U.S. import bans on some Canadian goods took effect—that the federal and B.C. governments are using tariffs as an excuse to dismantle more than two decades of work on UNDRIP.

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9. More screen time is linked to poorer child development, study shows

Source: CP24

There is a link between the amount of time children spend on screens and their development, a new study shows, with poorer outcomes seen in learning, speech and emotional regulation among those who spend longer on them. Researchers reviewed decades of research on the impact of screen time on child development, covering nearly three million children aged 18 and under from 64 countries.

"We found that overall, greater screen time was associated with poorer outcomes for children across several areas of development, including how they think, learn, speak, behave, and regulate emotions," senior author Sheri Madigan, a professor of psychology at the University of Calgary, told CNN on Tuesday. She said most of the associations were relatively small, "but small does not mean meaningless," particularly for an exposure like screen time that is nearly universal in children's lives.

Madigan said newer studies presented evidence of stronger associations than older ones, and that one possible explanation is that screen time has changed. "Twenty years ago, a child might have spent an hour watching a television program. Today, devices are everywhere, carried in our hands, and they are also interactive, engaging, and responsive to the individual," she said. She said parents shouldn't conclude that "screens are inherently bad for children" but should pay attention to how they are used—starting, for example, with device-free dinners or a regular time when everyone puts devices aside. She added that governments also have a role to play, through screen-use guidance for families, education, research, and ensuring children are safeguarded from online harms.

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10. Trade tensions spur fresh wave of interest in community-supported farms and fisheries

Source: CP24

It started with one fisher who wanted to be paid a fair price for his catch. Now Skipper Otto—Canada's largest community-supported fishery—is connecting roughly 70 independent fish harvesters directly to Canadian consumers, a number that has grown as trade tensions with the United States send demand for local food soaring.

"We have our commitments before we even untie from the docks," said Skipper Otto chief executive Sonia Strobel, who co-founded the seafood business with her husband, Shaun, inspired by her father-in-law, Otto Strobel. She said members can pick and choose whatever seafood they want throughout the year from their pre-paid credit. "It's a model that supports local small-scale fisheries and we're seeing more and more interest as Canadians think hard about food security and supporting local."

As the United States further escalates trade tensions this week with a ban on imports of certain Canadian goods, concerns about Canada's reliance on the U.S. for imported food are fuelling a renewed push to buy Canadian. That shift is drawing fresh attention to community-supported food programs, a once-niche corner of the local-food movement in which consumers pay growers, fishers or livestock farmers directly for a share of their harvest—giving producers income before the season starts while members get access to farm-fresh vegetables, meat or seafood.

Karen Murchison, executive director of Canadian Organic Growers, said demand has increased and that it has largely come as a result of the buy-Canadian and buy-local movements. Frédéric Thériault, president and founding member of Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm in Les Cèdres, Que., now in its 22nd season, said the traditional model involved paying upfront in winter or early spring to receive a weekly box of vegetables, and that as competition has grown, the farm has adapted its offering.

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