Maple Express | September 11, 2026 Gander, N.L. marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

1. Gander, N.L. hosts ceremony marking 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

Source: CP24

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and thousands are expected to fill an arena in Gander, in central Newfoundland, for a solemn ceremony at the local arena and community centre.

Twenty-five years ago, 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. Thirty-eight planes carrying more than 6,500 passengers were grounded in Gander, where residents filled churches and community halls with cots, food and clothing and cared for the passengers for days, making the town a symbol of Canadian kindness.

Dignitaries including Jean Chrétien, who was prime minister on 9/11, Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour and U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra are expected to address the crowd. Hoekstra said he is returning to offer a heartfelt thank you on behalf of those who were stranded and an entire nation moved by Gander's generosity. Mayor Percy Farwell said the humanity that emerged 25 years ago transcends politics.

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2. Ontario woman upset after U.S. blackberries labelled 'Product of Canada'

Source: CP24

As the Canada-U.S. trade war continues, more Canadian shoppers are carefully checking labels to make sure the goods they buy come from Canada. Joanne Irvine of Milton, Ont. recently spotted blackberries at Walmart whose shelf tag read "Product of Canada" while the packaging clearly stated "Product of USA."

Irvine said she saw the blackberries priced at $3.84 and assumed they were Canadian, only to later discover the shelf tag did not match the packaging. She complained to the store's produce manager, calling it deceitful and "not the truth."

Some labelling errors may be honest mistakes, but they could also be cases of "maple washing," where stores mislead consumers into thinking a product is Canadian. The Consumers Council of Canada (CCC) has received complaints and says shoppers should not have to do an investigation to know where products come from. Walmart said it strives to ensure country-of-origin details are accurate and works quickly to correct errors. Irvine said she will keep an even closer eye on labels going forward.

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3. Teens arrested in GTA smash-and-grab thefts targeting card retailers, pawn shops

Source: CP24

Durham Regional Police say four suspects have been arrested in a string of vehicle thefts and commercial break-ins across the GTA, stealing nearly $150,000 worth of merchandise from a trading card retailer in Ajax — including $148,000 taken in a June 14 smash-and-grab robbery.

Police say the four are believed to be members of an organized criminal network responsible for more than a dozen vehicle thefts and eight commercial break-ins across Durham Region and Toronto. At a news conference Thursday, police linked the group to 36 incidents between June and September, with total losses near $1 million and possibly higher. They allegedly crashed stolen vehicles through storefronts, then abandoned them for other stolen vehicles.

Two suspects — Mahith Sivananthan of Pickering and Mohammad Sakrak of Toronto — are 18, while the other two are minors aged 15 and 16. More than 200 charges have been laid. Durham Police Chief Peter Moreira said exploitation and coercion of young people is a serious, largely unaddressed problem, calling for a wholesale review of how youth crime is handled in this country.

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4. Fill up your gas tank before Saturday — here's why

Source: CP24

A gas analyst is predicting a slightly steeper drop in pump prices across the Greater Toronto Area on Friday. Dan McTeague of Canadians for Affordable Energy told CP24 on Thursday afternoon that gasoline is expected to hover around 178.9 cents per litre on Friday.

McTeague expects prices to spike Saturday to 184.9 cents a litre, so drivers should fill up Friday if possible. On Wednesday, he said gasoline is expected to fall sometime next week when refiners switch to the winter blend.

Diesel drivers are being hit hard, however. McTeague says diesel keeps breaking records, rising 20 cents by Saturday to 256.9 cents a litre — a price with no historical precedent but enormous ramifications for supply chains and the economy. At this time last year, diesel cost about 153.9 cents a litre.

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5. Peel police recover $15K in stolen goods, arrest four

Source: CP24

Peel police have recovered about $15,000 in stolen property and charged four people following an organized retail theft investigation. Officers began investigating on June 18 after a theft at a Mississauga business.

Two days later, investigators executed a search warrant at a Brampton residence and recovered property stolen from several retailers. Police say department stores, pharmacies and fitness stores were targeted, with stolen items including electronics, health and fitness products, household goods, supplements and cosmetics.

Four Brampton residents were arrested and face a combined 23 charges. Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said organized retail crime fuels violent activity including drug trafficking and robberies, and police will be relentless in holding those responsible to account. Peel police have made 611 retail-theft arrests and laid 1,276 criminal charges so far in 2026.

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6. Second arrest made in 2022 Scarborough fatal shooting

Source: CP24

Toronto police announced Thursday that a second suspect has been arrested in the 2022 fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man and a 2023 shooting that seriously injured another man. Christopher Atkins-Price, 30, of Toronto, was apprehended earlier that day.

He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ding Ping Wang, who was shot and killed while inside his vehicle in a Scarborough plaza parking lot near Midland and Passmore avenues on Nov. 12, 2022. Last month, 39-year-old Justin Longshaw of Toronto was also arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Investigators have said evidence suggests a suspect conducted reconnaissance of the area before the shooting, and they believe Wang was targeted, though the motive remains unclear. Police also revealed Atkins-Price faces an attempted murder charge stemming from a shooting in the same plaza parking lot on March 10, 2023.

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7. Woman found dead in Burlington apartment; suspect in custody

Source: CP24

Police in Halton Region are investigating a homicide after being called to a Burlington residence Thursday morning for a wellness check. Officers found a woman dead inside a high-rise apartment.

Police identified a male suspect in his 40s who had fled the residence before they arrived, and determined he went to the Niagara Falls area. Niagara Regional Police were contacted, and the suspect was located and arrested at about 7:45 a.m. Charges are pending.

Investigators say the suspect and the deceased were known to each other and that no additional suspects are being sought. The victim is a woman in her 40s, and the call came from a family member. Police say there is no threat to public safety and ask anyone with information to contact the Major Crime Bureau.

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8. Ontario Science Centre faces substantial layoffs

Source: CP24

The Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 employees.

The layoffs affect those in live exhibits, the business development department and the entire science department.

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9. Torrential rain pushes this year's harvest far behind average

Source: CP24

Torrential late-season rains are adding stress for farmers. The recent moisture has kept producers out of fields and further delayed harvest in parts of Saskatchewan. The latest government crop report shows only 27 per cent of Saskatchewan crops have been harvested, far behind the five-year average of 58 per cent.

Rob Stone, who farms south of Saskatoon, is usually ahead of the provincial average but now has only 18 per cent of his crops in the bin. His area received about 150 millimetres of rain over a week, forcing him to wait for fields to dry before getting equipment running again — "bluntly, it has been a bit brutal," he said.

Farther south near Montmartre, farmer Peter Kotylak called this "the worst canola I have ever seen" in 37 years. Bill Prybylski, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, said the rain burns time and hurts yields and profits, with some crops downgraded. Stone expects his wheat and lentils to drop in grade and yield, and with tariffs driving up input costs, he said this is "the most expensive crop we have ever grown."

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10. Community rallies behind Regina teen who lost three limbs

Source: CP24

A 16-year-old girl hit by a train in Regina over the Labour Day long weekend is receiving intensive care at the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon. Regina police say the incident happened Sunday around 10 p.m. on CN Rail tracks near Elphinstone Street and McKinley Avenue, describing her injuries as serious.

In a fundraiser update posted Wednesday, her family confirmed the girl, named Bailey, suffered life-changing injuries including the loss of three limbs, calling it an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time and saying the family is doing everything it can to support her.

Her family described Bailey as a loving, kind and free-spirited young lady who loves to laugh and brings positive energy wherever she goes. As of Thursday morning, the fundraiser had surpassed $7,000. Police say the incident is not considered criminal but remains under investigation by RPS and CN Rail Police.

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