Maple Express | September 19, 2026 — York police investigate shots fired at a Markham home

Source: CP24

1. York police investigate shots fired at Markham home

York Regional Police are investigating after multiple shots were fired at a Markham home early Saturday morning. Officers responded to the Warden Avenue and Highway 7 area at around 2 a.m., police said.

In a social media post, police said two males wearing all black got out of a white Honda Civic, walked up the driveway and fired multiple rounds at the residence. Police are asking people to avoid the area while a large police presence remains at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-895-1221 ext. 7500.

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2. Map shows how tariffs are hitting Canadian cities, with about 66,000 Toronto workers affected

At the onset of the trade war with the U.S. last year, researchers at the University of Toronto set out to understand the impact on workers in different cities. Nearly a year and several rounds of tariffs later, their answer for Toronto is roughly 66,000 workers and 3,000 businesses — and counting.

“Mapping Tariffs” was launched right after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an initial round of tariffs in March 2025, which hit the automobile and steel sectors hardest. Researchers at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities examined resources from government agencies in both Canada and the U.S. to gauge how vulnerable each province, region, municipality and community was to each round of tariffs. The project was most recently revised on Sept. 1, with the team moving quickly to add data on Section 338 tariffs, which targeted alcohol and dairy products.

A map highlighting potential direct exposure shows 3,027 businesses (3.2 per cent) in Toronto are affected by the latest round of levies imposed in late August, with roughly 66,000 employees (four per cent) exposed. In Vaughan, about 1,000 businesses (5.7 per cent) are estimated to be directly exposed, impacting 32,555 employees who work there (12 per cent) and just shy of 12,000 workers who live in the area (6.7 per cent). In Windsor, Ont., 4.5 per cent of businesses are impacted, along with around 12,100 employees who work there (11.6 per cent). Across the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area, an estimated 7.3 per cent of businesses are potentially impacted, with more than 200,000 employees who work in Toronto (around 13.5 per cent) likely feeling the effects. Researcher and University of Toronto professor Tara Vinodrai said Toronto’s diverse industrial base acts as a buffer, protecting it more than some specialized, smaller cities in southern Ontario.

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3. Danforth businesses say construction could force them to close

Nearly 100 businesses along a stretch of Danforth Avenue say they are seeing “dramatic declines” in customer traffic and revenue, with nearly 70 per cent saying construction could force them to close.

Construction is currently taking place along Danforth Avenue between Victoria Park Avenue and Main Street. Work began in late February to improve watermain and sewer infrastructure, as well as catch basins and bike-lane infrastructure. A survey by the Danforth Village Business Improvement Area found that, among 96 businesses surveyed, 95.8 per cent reported a decrease in foot traffic and revenue, while 33.3 per cent reported revenue losses of more than 60 per cent.

“Some of the watermains have been over 100 years old,” said Louie Dapergolas of the Danforth Village BIA. “The point now is that businesses have been basically shut down. Businesses are hurting really, really bad.” According to City of Toronto documents, the construction is scheduled to wrap up in November, though the documents state timelines could change. The BIA is calling on the city to complete the project by December 2026 and to address customer access immediately, provide meaningful financial assistance, improve communication with businesses and minimize additional disruption.

In a statement to CTV News, City of Toronto media relations manager Kayla Lewis said the city “recognizes that major construction projects can be challenging for businesses, residents and visitors,” appreciates hearing directly from local businesses, will review the BIA’s findings and continues to work closely with the BIA to help mitigate the impacts, including proactive business outreach, regular communications, dedicated on-site support and signage, and phased construction. In total, 69.8 per cent of businesses surveyed said they were concerned or potentially concerned that construction-related disruptions could result in their business closing. “This is the worst year ever,” said local business owner Don Cipioni. “No sales at all, just a little bit of service, and the rent is very expensive here.”

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4. Motorcyclist, 74, dead after crash on Hwy. 407 in Vaughan

A 74-year-old motorcyclist has died following a crash on Highway 407 in Vaughan Friday night.

Ontario Provincial Police said the crash happened on the eastbound off-ramp to Highway 400 around 7:15 p.m. The motorcyclist lost control and struck a guide rail, police said. The rider was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead. The off-ramp was closed for several hours for the investigation.

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5. Toronto police chief warns of 'zero tolerance for corruption' after new Project South revelations

Toronto’s police chief is issuing a stern warning against any officer who might be getting ideas from explosive new revelations about the behaviour of officers accused in the Project South corruption case. New details revealed that officers were recorded in wiretaps selling cocaine and police uniforms and setting up a network of illicit businesses.

“Let me be absolutely clear: I have zero tolerance for corruption in the Toronto Police Service. Wearing this uniform is a privilege,” Chief Myron Demkiw said. He added that the overwhelming majority of members serve the city every day with honour, integrity and professionalism, and that they deserve to work in a service where those standards are upheld. “If anyone chooses to engage in corruption, my message is simple: we will find you, investigate you, and hold you accountable,” he said.

The chief was reacting after a search warrant application was ordered released by a judge following an application by CTV News and other media outlets this week. The main thrust of the charges in the sweeping case was that leaked information from officers accessing police databases resulted in a series of shootings, including an attempt on the life of a manager of the Toronto South Detention Centre. Eight current and former officers were charged, along with over a dozen civilians, after an investigation by York Regional Police. Toronto Police Association president Clayton Campbell said in a statement that the officers charged represent a small fraction of the roughly 9,000 uniformed officers, and that members should not be judged collectively because of allegations against a very small number of individuals. Former Toronto detective Mark Mendelson described the case as probably the worst corruption scandal in the history of the service, saying the story gets uglier with each new page the courts release.

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6. Toronto heads into the last summer weekend with cooler, calmer weather

It’s the final weekend of summer in Toronto. CP24 Meteorologist Bill Coulter said Friday the weather is “looking much better for festival goers and weekend warriors.”

Coulter said the high would reach a seasonably mild 22 C amid bright skies and a light breeze. High pressure over the central Great Lakes, he explained, will force much of the precipitation to the south, making the weekend much less unsettled than previous models had projected. Saturday will be partly cloudy with a gusty breeze and a high of 19 C, while Sunday will be mostly cloudy with the slight risk of an isolated morning shower and a high of 20 C.

Any threat of precipitation will be early morning and any shower activity should be isolated, Coulter added, noting both weekend days are still expected to be seasonable and breezy so a light extra layer may be required for activities in the early and late hours. Temperatures are expected to drop slightly into the work week, with showers in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday. The first day of autumn is Sept. 23.

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7. Documentary 'Nekai Walks' shines a light on Toronto gun violence

In a CP24 video segment, Rico King and Nekai Foster speak about the documentary “Nekai Walks,” which spreads awareness of gun violence in the city.

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8. Canadian experts back call for independent watchdogs at top AI companies

More than 100 leading artificial intelligence experts, including Toronto’s Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called “Godfather of AI,” have signed a public letter calling for more independent oversight of the world’s most advanced AI companies.

The letter says independent evaluators would review AI systems and any incidents of real-world harm, along with how the companies train, deploy and oversee their models, as well as how they run their safeguards. Several companies, including Anthropic and OpenAI, have already pledged to let third-party evaluators work inside them. The AI Evaluator Forum, a coalition of groups that test AI systems for safety, organized the letter and wants such experts in every frontier AI company.

David Duvenaud, a former alignment evaluations team lead at Anthropic and an associate professor at the University of Toronto, signed the letter. He said the companies should not be “grading their own homework” on catastrophic risks, and that evaluators must be independent auditors so there is no question of a conflict of interest. He added that they must be protected from retaliation, given deep access to what’s happening, and not politically captured. Asked about recent reports of AI agents escaping containment and breaking into computer systems, Duvenaud said he is moderately worried, noting OpenAI did not disclose all the loss-of-control incidents that have already happened.

Mark Daley, the chief AI officer at Western University, said bringing in third-party evaluators is common in industries where safety truly matters, just as people don’t trust a manufacturer to certify its own product. The letter comes as Anthropic reported that its AI chatbot, Claude, is playing a growing role in developing its own future models, now leading 26 per cent of its AI research and development work, up from under one per cent in February. Daley believes AI systems will be fully capable of creating new versions of themselves, without human intervention, sometime in 2027, and argued for a multilateral verification approach like the one that emerged around nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

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9. B.C. leaders call for province-wide e-scooter safety rules as injuries surge

They’re convenient and fun, but a surge in injuries involving electric scooters is becoming an issue on the campaign trail ahead of municipal elections in Metro Vancouver, with local leaders calling on the B.C. government to establish province-wide safety rules.

“They go from like 0 to 40 in like three seconds,” said Ian Tait of Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., adding that riders often have little chance to break their fall when they hit something like a car or a curb, sending them flying off. E-scooters are illegal in 36 B.C. communities as part of a pilot project that includes age restrictions, and anyone under 16 riding them is breaking the law. Recent data points to younger riders showing up in emergency rooms: figures from the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Surveillance Program show 13-year-old children made up the highest proportion of emergency room visits for e-scooter crashes at 22 per cent.

There were 81 visits to the B.C. Children’s Hospital emergency department between April 2025 and 2026 related to e-scooter use, more than double those of the previous year. Riders in Metro Vancouver are frequently spotted not wearing helmets, carrying a second rider or appearing to ride while intoxicated, and the scooters have even shown up on the highway. Langley City Mayor Nathan Pachal said he hears from parents who want their children on e-scooters but aren’t sure what is permitted and what is safe. New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone said he keeps hearing about the issue on the campaign trail, noting that when he talks to seniors, their number one concern right now isn’t affordable housing or crime — it’s fear of scooters on sidewalks. At the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention this week, the cities of Langley, New Westminster and Nanaimo introduced resolutions asking the province to modernize legislation, create consistent rules for mobility devices and provide municipalities with funding and data. In a statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit said it will continue to work with local governments and road safety partners to improve road safety.

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10. Streetsville butter tart festival showcases local bakers

In a CP24 video segment, Mark Winegarden of Grandma’s Beach Treats and Diane Rogers of Doo Doo’s Butter Tarts showcase their recipes that will be available at the Streetsville festival.

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