Maple Express | September 12, 2026 | Trump says trade deal with Canada could come 'fairly soon'

Source: CP24

1. Trump says trade deal with Canada could come 'fairly soon,' claims U.S. has been 'ripped off' for 50 years

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that his administration could reach a trade deal with Canada "fairly soon," while repeating his claim that the United States has been "ripped off" by its northern neighbour. He made the remarks while taking questions from reporters in Ireland alongside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Asked whether he was considering withdrawing from the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Trump said, "The United States has been ripped off for 50 years by Canada."

"We don't need their product, and they need our product. They do all of their business almost with us and we do very little with them," he said. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Canada exported US$382 billion in goods to the U.S. in 2025 and imported US$334 billion. A TD report found that in 2024 Canada was the United States' second-largest trading partner behind Mexico, and that 34 states sell more goods to Canada than to any other foreign economy.

Negotiations between the two countries have continued behind the scenes since formal talks broke down on Aug. 21, when Prime Minister Mark Carney called his delegation home, saying the U.S. introduced new and unacceptable requirements at the 11th hour; the Americans blamed Canada for the impasse. Trump then imposed 50 per cent tariffs on nearly $28 billion in Canadian goods, and Canada's retaliatory tariffs took effect Tuesday. On Saturday Trump also claimed Canada charges U.S. farmers "400 per cent tariffs," referencing Canada's supply-management system; trade adviser Ralphe Goodale called the claim "factually wrong" and part of a "PR game."

2. Stellantis signs MOU to sell Brampton plant; mayor urges Ottawa to take legal action

Stellantis has signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian armoured-vehicle maker Roshel on a potential sale of its idled Brampton, Ont., assembly plant. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown spoke out Saturday, urging Ottawa to take legal action against the company. The union Unifor, meanwhile, said it has paused contract talks, citing an impasse over the future of the plant.

Trevor Longley, chairman, president and CEO of Stellantis Canada, said the company considered multiple options for the facility. "Stellantis believes that Roshel represents a strong path to restoring sustainable operations at Brampton Assembly, preserving the site's strategic role in Canada's advanced manufacturing sector and helping to avoid a prolonged period of inactivity," he said. Unifor said it is "actively considering next steps" and will provide more details in the days ahead.

The current collective agreement is set to expire Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m. Talks began Sept. 1 in Toronto after Unifor ratified new deals with Ford and General Motors. After the union's Sept. 11 deadline passed, it said Friday that talks had broken down after 10 days. Unifor spokesperson Kathleen O'Keefe said the company's insistence on closing and selling the Brampton plant hindered bargaining, and that the move threatens members' wages, pensions and benefits and is a "devastating blow" to Canada's industrial sector, especially in Brampton. More than 2,000 workers were laid off when the plant halted operations in 2023.

3. Woman wanted after dog attack in midtown Toronto

Toronto police are looking for a 40-year-old woman after her two dogs allegedly attacked a person and their dog in midtown Toronto on Thursday. Police said they were notified on Saturday about the attack, which occurred at a park near Avenue Road and Roxborough Street.

The victim was walking their dog near an off-leash, fenced area of the park when the suspect's two dogs escaped the enclosure, police said. The dogs, believed to be large pit bull or bull terrier breeds, then charged and attacked the victim and their dog. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while their dog sustained life-threatening injuries. In a news release Saturday, police identified the suspect as Tanychia Black of Toronto.

Black is wanted for criminal negligence causing bodily harm, along with two counts of failing to prevent a dog from biting or attacking and two counts of dog biting a person or domestic animal under the Dog Owners' Liability Act. She is described as five-foot-ten with a heavy build and was last seen wearing a navy-blue hair bonnet, a mustard-coloured hoodie, light-coloured pants and dark shoes with white soles.

4. Mississauga man arrested after police allege he sold fake auto insurance for over two years

A Mississauga man has been arrested after police alleged he sold numerous fraudulent auto insurance policies to victims across the Greater Toronto Area for more than two years. Investigators said the suspect sold the policies between April 2024 and August 2026, providing falsified proof-of-insurance documents that appeared legitimate.

Police said they identified 15 incidents in which victims lost a combined total of more than $10,000. Police said the suspect had previously been licensed to sell insurance and had been employed by several insurance brokerages. Muhammad Raahim, 25, was arrested Aug. 26 and charged with one count of fraud against the public. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Raahim was released with conditions and is awaiting a future court appearance, police said. Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone with information to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

5. TIFF embraces a 'Watch Canadian' mood as 'Buy Canadian' spills onto the big screen

Against the backdrop of the U.S. trade war and a widening cultural rift, some Canadian movie-goers and stars are speaking out more loudly in support of Canadian content at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, turning the momentum of the "Buy Canadian" movement into a "Watch Canadian" campaign. On the red carpet Friday night to promote his new film "The Stunt Driver," Montreal's Jay Baruchel was asked why most Canadians are more likely to know American daredevil Evil Knievel than Ken Carter, the Canadian daredevil his film is based on. "This is what happens when we grow up in a country where a foreign culture is given priority of real estate on our TV screens," he told CTV News.

Director Michael Dowse said, "I think we should completely support Canadian film... I support it whole-heartedly," adding that he expects a "bumper year." Several Canadian films are screening at TIFF, including biopics on Canadian legends Rick Hansen and Terry Fox, and "Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend," about Quebec Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve.

Other titles include the Indigenous stories "Smudge the Blades" and "In the Heart of the South." TIFF also created a meeting space called "TIFF: The Market" to help Canadian creators strike deals to produce more content in Canada. Film critic Richard Crouse said that at a time of surging patriotism in Canada, that feeling is spilling over into support for Canadian films, with "The Stunt Driver" sold out. U.S. President Donald Trump posted in late August that he would push for more tax incentives to keep film and TV production in the United States.

6. Railroad worker killed after being struck by train in Montreal

A railroad worker has been killed after being struck by a train overnight in Montreal, police say. Montreal police (SPVM) said the incident happened Saturday at around 3 a.m. near De Lorimier Avenue and Notre-Dame Street in the city's Ville-Marie borough, near the Jacques-Cartier bridge. "According to initial reports, the victim was a railroad employee who was working on the tracks when a train began moving," said police spokesperson Manuel Couture. Police said the victim was a 30-year-old man.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), a Calgary-based railway connecting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, identified the victim as one of its employees who was working at the Port of Montreal when he died. "We extend our deepest sympathies to the employee's family, loved ones and co-workers during this difficult time," CPKC spokesperson André Hannoush said in an email to CTV News, adding that the circumstances remain under investigation. Teamsters Canada said the union is in contact with members and will press both the government and the rail companies for answers as the investigation unfolds.

The SPVM's south division is leading the investigation into the circumstances of the fatality, with crime scene technicians also involved. The federal Transportation Safety Board said Saturday morning it had deployed a team of investigators to the scene to "gather information and assess the occurrence."

7. P.E.I. solar farm fire keeps smouldering as residents warned of more smoke

A battery fire at a solar farm in western P.E.I. continued to smoulder on Saturday, almost a week after the stubborn blaze began. Officials in Summerside issued a statement advising residents that they may see more smoke around the Sunbank solar farm in the days ahead, saying the smoke would come from battery cells that continue to burn off. "Flare-ups such as this may continue until the fire is officially deemed out," the statement said, adding that the emergency response team continues to monitor the site around the clock.

Residents sensitive to smoke or with underlying respiratory conditions were advised to consider reducing outdoor activities, citing advice from the province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Heather Morrison, on Thursday. On Monday, the fire prompted an immediate shelter-in-place order, a voluntary evacuation notice and road closures, with two schools closed the following day; the order was later downgraded and lifted, and the schools reopened. On Thursday, Morrison said air-quality monitoring confirmed that gases from the burning batteries did not pose a threat to residents and were dissipating quickly, and that battery fires can smoulder for a long time.

A 2023 report from the U.S.-based Fire Protection Research Foundation says lithium-ion batteries used to store solar power can catch fire when damaged by impacts or exposed to water, and that under certain conditions such damage can lead to "thermal runaway," when cells heat up uncontrollably. The report says the chemical reaction inside a damaged battery creates flammable, self-sustaining gases resistant to traditional firefighting; "water and clean agents often cannot reach or cool the internal reaction," and the risk of reignition, toxic gas release and explosion remains high even after apparent extinguishment. The $69-million solar farm, energized in January 2024, raised Summerside's reliance on renewable energy to 62 per cent.

8. Man dead after fleeing police in 3-wheeled vehicle in downtown Vancouver

A man is dead and B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating after a crash involving a three-wheeled vehicle near Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver. Vancouver police said in a statement late Friday that officers were on foot in the 1000 block of Canada Place to investigate a fraud. "They attempted to speak with a male suspect in a vehicle, but he drove away," the statement reads. "Less than a block from the scene, the vehicle was involved in a collision and the driver died. No one else was injured."

Photos from the scene show a Polaris Slingshot, a roofless hybrid between a sports car and a motorcycle, on its side next to a damaged SUV. Witness Shirin Shahbazi said that as she drove up to the Fairmont Hotel, two officers stood in front of her car blocking access to Canada Place, then the Slingshot sped past and officers gave chase. "He tried to flee from the cops, and then he got stuck... it happened very, very quick," she said, explaining that the driver tried to pass between two vehicles but got stuck between them. "The car flipped over completely, and the guy passed out. It was so loud, everyone was screaming." B.C. Emergency Health Services said it dispatched ambulances and paramedics at 3:18 p.m., transporting one patient to hospital in critical condition.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) has been notified and is investigating. In its own statement, the IIO confirmed that the driver was taken to hospital before being pronounced dead, and is working to determine whether there is a connection between police action or inaction and the man's death. CTV News has reached out to Vancity Slingshot, a rental company whose branding is stencilled on the side of the vehicle.

9. Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas 'unlikely'

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Saturday that it is "unlikely" her government will launch a new Crown corporation to build out natural gas pipelines in the province. Speaking on her provincewide radio call-in program "Your Province Your Premier" on QR Calgary and 880 CHED, Smith said the government has heard from dozens of companies struggling to access natural gas and is looking at solutions, though for now those conversations are sticking to the private sector. Her comments came after a leaked report to Smith's cabinet recommended moving forward with legislation and creating two Crown corporations to spur new natural gas transmission lines to meet demand for oil production and AI data centres.

The report says Alberta risks data centre builders going elsewhere if a quick solution for natural gas supply isn't secured. It estimates the Crown corporations would cost between $53.9 million and $162.6 million, while building a new major natural gas pipeline could have a price tag in the billions. Smith and the report point to Calgary-based TC Energy, which owns and operates much of Alberta's natural gas transmission infrastructure; the premier called it a "monopoly." The report says the company's Nova Gas Transmission Ltd., the biggest natural gas pipeline system in Alberta, is expected to be at full capacity until 2029 with limited plans to expand after 2030, and that TC Energy doesn't want to invest in further capacity unless it receives returns on investment at rates similar to its U.S. projects.

Smith said it's an "active conversation" and that she has met with TC Energy leadership and other private-sector companies. "What we're looking at is how do we get more competition, more choice, so that we can get more gas to more people so that it can be used," she said, adding that she believes there is enough private-sector interest that "we would very unlikely have to create a Crown Corporation to do it." Smith also brushed off concerns from Opposition NDP leader Naheed Nenshi, who noted Friday that the cabinet report warns government intervention could lead to higher energy prices for Albertans. Smith argued that boosting the supply of natural gas is what's needed to avoid higher bills, and did not rule out moving forward with legislation to spur new natural gas infrastructure, which the report says could land the province in court with TC Energy.

10. New study suggests a good reason why kids can be 'annoying and destructive'

Children's "annoying and destructive" behaviour may actually — sometimes — have benefits, a new study suggests. A review paper published in August in Trends in Cognitive Sciences looked into the factors behind "exploratory behaviour" in children between ages three and eight and noted an evolutionary purpose for their lack of focus. Researchers noted that young children's brains appear to be built for distraction and that their lack of focus may ensure they take in as much information as possible.

Vladimir Sloutsky, the study's lead author and a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University, said kids can be "annoying and destructive for a reason." "They need to acquire a lot of knowledge in a relatively short period of time," he said. "We need to provide them with things that are OK to break, because exploring and breaking things is how they learn about the world." Researchers noted that "what might look and feel like pure chaos" shows how children learn through exploration.

According to the study, people of all ages face the "exploration-exploitation dilemma" when choosing between trying something new (exploration) or repeating actions proven to be successful (exploitation). Adults are usually more exploitative and may view the first option as a waste of time, while children aren't as choosy about where to focus their attention and tend to opt for exploration, which can help them obtain new skills or knowledge. Researchers said adults have a "mature working memory" that helps them plan and deal with distractions, while children's attention tends to be divided.