Maple Express | October 24, 2026: White House Shuffles Tariff List on Canadian Goods

1. White House Reshuffles Tariff List on Canadian Goods

Source: CP24

The White House made another wide-ranging shuffle to its tariff regime on Canadian goods on Friday, Oct. 23. Seaweed, packing boxes and some plywood sheets came off the list, while cocoa powder, vinyl flooring and shampoos were added. Goods on the list continue to face 50 per cent tariffs, with the changes taking effect at the end of the month.

Earlier Friday, Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins said she had secured tariff exemptions on products important to her state's agricultural industries, including blueberries, potatoes, apples and seaweed. She said she raised the relief in talks with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Treasury Secretary Howard Lutnick and senior administration officials, and pushed for a broader trade agreement with Canada.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc's office said the government will assess the latest measures and that Canada stands ready to work constructively and in good faith toward a more mutually beneficial trading relationship. International trade lawyer Barry Appleton told CTV that Washington did not lower the tariff wall, but "kind of moved some bricks around."

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2. U.S. Ambassador Offers Help After CFB Wainwright Fire

Source: CP24

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said Friday that Washington has formally offered assistance and resources to Canada's federal government following the deadly fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. Four soldiers were killed and 39 injured on Oct. 17, when a fire that began during a training exercise on an anti-grenade launching range was picked up by fierce winds.

The military has said the fire took less than a minute to race about a kilometre, reaching an area where a different training exercise was underway at the base, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. Twenty-seven soldiers remain in hospital, including 13 in critical condition, many with severe burns.

In a social media post, Hoekstra said the offer was made "should it be deemed necessary" to support the recovery of soldiers affected by traumatic burns. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, the MP for the riding that includes the base, thanked Hoekstra and said his office has informed the defence minister and the Alberta government of the offer. The military says three separate investigations are underway and could not say when more answers will be available.

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3. No Train Service on Parts of TTC Line 2 and Lakeshore West GO This Weekend

Source: CP24

Several TTC and GO Transit disruptions will affect riders in Toronto this weekend. The TTC says there will be no subway service on Line 2 between Kipling and Jane stations on Saturday for planned infrastructure work, with shuttle buses running instead.

On Sunday, Line 2 will be closed between Kipling and Keele stations, with shuttle buses replacing trains. Runnymede and High Park stations will also be closed that day, while all other stations remain open for customers to buy fares. Regular subway service resumes Monday at 6 a.m.

On GO Transit, there is no train service on the Lakeshore West line between Aldershot GO and Union Station this weekend due to planned construction. GO buses will run between West Harbour GO and Union Station Bus Terminal but will not stop at Appleby, Bronte, Port Credit, Long Branch, Mimico or Exhibition GO. Trains will run between Niagara Falls and Aldershot GO, with regular service resuming Monday.

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4. U of T Study Finds Humans Wake Before Their Dogs When Co-Sleeping

Source: CP24

Researchers at the University of Toronto Mississauga have published a paper in PLOS One examining the evening activity patterns of humans and their pet dogs. The authors, anthropology students Ming Fei Li and Lavania Nagendran, say the work is part of a larger study on evolutionary activity in dogs.

They found that interrupted human sleep affected dogs more than the other way around. "We found that humans woke up first, followed by dogs, more frequently than the other way around," Nagendran said. The data did not examine what specifically disrupted sleep.

The study did not find evidence that people slept better with a dog, but Li said the findings suggest psychological benefits such as feeling secure. "We found that just having dogs on the bed did not affect sleep at all," she said. "However, survey respondents said they felt safer with their dogs." The researchers tracked 25 humans and 38 dogs using research-grade activity monitors worn on wrists and collars over one month. Only husky and malamute owners were accepted.

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5. Olivia Chow Runs for Re-Election on Affordability

Source: CP24

Toronto votes for mayor on Oct. 26. Olivia Chow, seeking re-election, stood in front of a podium on Thursday outside a restaurant in Chinatown with the words "More Affordable" spelled out in giant letters. "My mom was a hotel maid. She worked hard to build a life here. It wasn't easy. But our city worked for us and I won't stop fighting until it works for you too," she told supporters.

Chow, 69, came to power three years ago in a special byelection to replace former mayor John Tory after his resignation over an affair with a staffer, eking out a win over Tory-backed candidate Ana Bailao. She is the first woman of Asian descent to lead the city. An immigrant who came to Toronto at 13 from Hong Kong with her parents, she studied sculpting, religion and philosophy before becoming an activist and politician. She was first elected as a TDSB trustee in 1985, served four terms as a city councillor and four terms as an NDP MP for Trinity-Spadina. She was married to former federal NDP leader Jack Layton, who died in 2011.

In her first term she secured a new deal with Ontario that uploads the cost of maintaining the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway, saving the city billions, and introduced a fare cap for frequent TTC riders, a renoviction bylaw and a school nutrition program. She has promised to cut property taxes for independent grocery stores and ban surveillance pricing if re-elected. Property taxes rose 18.6 per cent over three years, about $643 more for an average property owner than in 2023; Chow defends the increases as necessary given the post-pandemic deficit and says future hikes would be around the rate of inflation.

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6. Raptors Beat Wizards 112-102 With Stingy Defence

Source: CP24

Scottie Barnes had 28 points and 14 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors continued their stellar defensive start to the season with a 112-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. RJ Barrett added 23 points and Kawhi Leonard scored 16 for Toronto, which forced 23 Washington turnovers after Chicago committed 27 in the Raptors' season-opening win on Wednesday.

Trae Young had 22 points and 12 assists for the Wizards, while Tre Johnson added 20. Anthony Davis finished with only nine points on 3-for-12 shooting in his second career game for Washington, after scoring 34 on Wednesday. Toronto led 18-6 on the offensive glass and 52-32 in points in the paint.

Washington closed within a possession on Bilal Coulibaly's layup to make it 64-61 early in the third and got within one with a 9-0 run. Jamison Battle's three-pointer made it 81-77 at the end of the third, and Toronto maintained a multiple-possession lead throughout the fourth. The Raptors visit Minnesota on Sunday.

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7. Canadian Filmmaker Nathan Fielder's New Film Draws Praise

Source: CP24

"You Can See Everything," co-directed by B.C.-born and raised Nathan Fielder, is a box-office and critical hit. "Nathan Fielder is a special guy," moviegoer Nick Trudel said outside a Montreal cinema. "His career arc has really been an art piece in itself."

Fielder was born and raised in Vancouver and got his start in sketch comedy, working on CBC's "This Hour has 22 Minutes" before landing the Comedy Central series "Nathan For You" and later HBO's "The Rehearsal." Globe and Mail film editor Barry Hertz describes the projects as experiments in non-fiction filmmaking that explore the porous line between what is real, manufactured, organic and recreated.

The three-hour documentary, distributed by A24 and made with Lance Oppeheim, follows disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, with the crew moving in with Holmes, her husband Billy Evans and their two children for the 34 days leading to her prison sentence. Some have speculated about its Oscar chances, including a shot at Best Picture. "This is quite exceptional. I have never seen a documentary as a thriller before," said moviegoer Claudia Pharand.

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8. SIU Investigates Death of Break-In Suspect in Lindsay, Ont.

Source: CP24

Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after a break-and-enter suspect fleeing police died in Lindsay, Ont., on Friday morning. The Special Investigations Unit said Kawartha Lakes Police officers were investigating a break-and-enter when they located the 57-year-old male suspect.

He fled and officers chased him to the Lindsay Street Bridge, the SIU said. After the suspect entered the water, officers tried to assist him, but he later went under. His body was recovered and he was pronounced dead at hospital.

Two investigators and a forensic investigator have been assigned to the case. The SIU is called to investigate whenever police actions result in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person.

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9. Ahead of Halloween, 59% of Canadians Prioritize Buying Local

Source: CP24

Suzie Wisniewski looks for Canadian products every time she grocery shops, and Halloween treats are no different. "I always like to try to buy Canadian where I can," she said while shopping for candy at Winnipeg's Food Fare. "It's important for me to support the country."

An online survey conducted by Angus Reid for NextDoor Canada found 59 per cent of Canadians say supporting local or Canadian businesses is a priority when shopping for or celebrating Halloween. That rises to 68 per cent in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and 69 per cent in Atlantic Canada.

Food Fare owner Ramsey Zeid has placed "Made in Canada" stickers along his shelves, but says Halloween candy is tricky. "I haven't seen any Canadian-made Halloween candies but certainly see a lot of candies that say prepared in Canada," he said. Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, says many familiar treats are manufactured in Canada but may have foreign ingredients and ownership. The same survey found 88 per cent of Canadians plan to spend less than $100 on Halloween, and about 65 per cent have a budget under $50.

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10. Thousands of Local Politicians Win Without a Single Vote

Source: CP24

In Charlottetown, Norman Beck is still knocking on doors in Brighton even after returning unopposed for a second term on city council. It is part of a pattern across Prince Edward Island, where nominations were extended in 18 municipalities after too few people came forward to fill all the mayoral and council positions.

Three of the capital city's 10 wards have just one candidate, and six of Summerside's eight wards have only one. Beck says the job is "much more public facing than maybe it's ever been," and while social media helps him connect with residents, it has also brought increased scrutiny and criticism. "I think people may not be ready to accept that or to live with that," he said.

Uncontested races remain common elsewhere in Canada. In Ontario, 400 candidates have been acclaimed this year, compared with 548 in 2022. In Quebec last year, 4,607 mayors and councillors were elected unopposed, more than half of the 7,835 people elected. In Charlottetown's Ward 4, Rima Rashed is one of five candidates in the Nov. 2 municipal election; she believes distrust of politicians, the workload and the time commitment may discourage some from running.

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