Maple Express | Sept 3, 2026: Severe thunderstorms wreak havoc in Toronto, GTA

1. Severe thunderstorms wreak havoc in Toronto, GTA

Source: CP24

Powerful thunderstorms described by Environment Canada as "extremely dangerous" swept through Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area on Wednesday night, bringing heavy rain, golf ball-sized hail and destructive winds that caused widespread flooding, power outages and downed trees and wires.

The storm quickly flooded major roadways, leaving drivers stranded and forcing several to be rescued from submerged vehicles. Winds downed power lines and trees and tore roofs off buildings, while emergency alerts were sent to phones, televisions and radios urging residents to seek shelter indoors.

Toronto Hydro said about 65,000 customers lost power at the peak of the outage and that it had since restored service to 20,000 of them. The Canadian National Exhibition closed early due to the severe weather and cancelled evening performances, while the DVP, Gardiner Expressway, Allen Road, Bayview Extension and Lake Shore Boulevard West were among the roads shut down by flooding, and the TTC suspended service at several stations.

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2. Rogers Stadium suffers 'significant damage' after powerful Toronto storm

Source: CP24

Toronto's Rogers Stadium confirmed Thursday that it sustained "significant damage" during Wednesday night's powerful thunderstorms, with aerial footage showing rows of bleacher seats tangled and destroyed and debris scattered across the venue.

In an email to CTV News, the venue said no employees or on-site contractors were injured during the storm but that staff are "assessing the extent of the damage." Several nearby tents and temporary structures also appeared destroyed, and the venue did not provide details on the specific structures damaged or an estimated repair cost.

The wreckage comes less than two weeks before AC/DC is scheduled to perform at the 50,000-capacity venue on Sept. 16, and it remains unclear whether the concert will be affected. Wednesday night's storms brought heavy rain, golf ball-sized hail and wind gusts in excess of 110 km/h.

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3. Widespread power outages remain after damaging storms slam southern Ontario

Source: CP24

Thousands of customers across the Greater Toronto Area and parts of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe remained without power Thursday after a severe storm flooded streets and knocked down trees and utility lines.

Toronto Hydro reported roughly 8,300 homes and businesses were still in the dark early Thursday, while the province's Crown-owned supplier Hydro One said more than 47,000 customers remained offline. Flooding forced the closure of parts of Yonge Street and the Don Valley Parkway and suspended subway service during Wednesday's afternoon rush hour.

Toronto officials said they received roughly 1,000 requests for service and deployed crews to deal with storm-related issues. The storm also caused flight delays and cancellations at Pearson airport and left serious damage to Rogers Stadium, a 50,000-capacity music venue.

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4. GTA home sales down 2% in August, prices dip below $1M

Source: CP24

Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area fell in August compared with a year ago, while prices continued to decline, according to data released Thursday by the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.

The board says 5,057 homes changed hands last month, down 2.1 per cent year-over-year and down 1.3 per cent from July on a seasonally adjusted basis. The average selling price stood at $993,410, down 2.7 per cent, while the composite benchmark price fell 4.5 per cent.

It is the second time this year the average price has dipped below $1 million, following January's first such dip in five years. There were 12,075 new listings in August, down 14.1 per cent from last year. TRREB president Daniel Steinfeld said some buyers could face a trade-off between waiting for economic certainty and purchasing before prices rise.

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5. Transport truck stuck in sink hole following collision in Vaughan

Source: CP24

Two transport trucks collided in Vaughan on Thursday, with one truck becoming stuck in a sink hole following the collision.

The crash caused a road closure between Rutherford Road and Trade Valley Road, disrupting traffic in the area.

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6. Durham Region police charge 41-year-old suspect in $1M romance scam

Source: CP24

Durham Region police revealed the results of "Project Maroon" on Thursday, charging a 41-year-old man in connection with what they called a "sophisticated" romance scam that saw five victims lose more than $1 million.

Det. Sgt. Brad Chapman said at a news conference that although police were first tipped off by one victim in November 2025, the suspect's alleged deception began in 2020. Salvatore Malandrino of Marmora, Ont., was arrested Monday and charged with five counts of fraud over $5,000, laundering proceeds of crime, possession of proceeds of crime, two counts of failing to comply with a release order, and uttering a forged document.

Police said Malandrino did not meet his alleged victims online but befriended the women through his dog training business, Friendly K9, and a local gym, convincing them to hand over large sums under the guise of investments, loans and business opportunities while promising marriage or long-term commitments. He remains in police custody, and investigators believe there may be additional victims.

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7. Voters head to polls today in three Ontario byelections

Source: CP24

Voters headed to the polls Thursday in three Ontario provincial byelections, with at least one race expected to be tight.

Candidates said long-standing provincial concerns such as health care, education and affordability came up often as they knocked on doors, but the trade war with the United States is also a worry for voters. Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives are hoping to hold on to two seats while the New Democrats want to hold onto the third.

A close race is expected in Hamilton-Stoney Creek after Conservative Neil Lumsden retired in August. Polls opened at 9 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

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8. Potential tornado reported near Kitchener, Ont.

Source: CP24

A tornado may have been spotted in the Wellesley area as a powerful storm swept through southern Ontario on Wednesday evening, with Environment Canada issuing red tornado warnings from Stratford to Waterloo Region between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Environment Canada meteorologist Rob Kuhn said the storms produced large hail, torrential downpours and strong winds, causing widespread power outages from the western part of Waterloo Region to the Goderich/Grand Bend area. Reports included hail up to 5 cm in size, and a "radar confirmed tornado" was reported at one point.

The Northern Tornadoes Project out of Western University will investigate and typically sends crews to affected areas for damage surveys. Wellesley Fire Chief Paul Redman said crews were knocking on doors and assessing damage, while Kitchener's forestry crews received more than 60 calls about downed trees and debris.

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9. Canada July trade surplus shrinks, U.S. exports drop

Source: CP24

Canada's trade surplus narrowed sharply in July as exports of energy and metal products shrank while imports rose, Statistics Canada reported Thursday, just weeks before Washington's new 50 per cent tariffs begin to show up in statistics.

The trade surplus was $769 million, compared with a four-year high of $4.2 billion a month earlier. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a $3.57 billion surplus. Exports dropped 2.3 per cent while imports increased 2.2 per cent.

The U.S. accounted for 66.35 per cent of Canada's total exports in July, down from 69.39 per cent in June and 72.64 per cent a year ago. Exports to the U.S. dropped 6.6 per cent while imports rose 1.8 per cent, shrinking the surplus with its main trading partner by more than 40 per cent to $5.9 billion. This was Canada's fifth consecutive monthly trade surplus.

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10. Eastern Ontario business owner says tariffs could force him to move to U.S.

Source: CP24

A small business owner in eastern Ontario says the 50 per cent tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump is placing on Canadian goods have him seriously considering moving south of the border, even though he does not want to go.

DFC Woodworks, based in Kemptville, Ont., just south of Ottawa, has been in business since 1955 and sells Muskoka chairs. Owner François Bruneau said about 70 per cent of his client base is in the U.S., and the latest tariffs are putting a serious strain on his ability to remain competitive.

Bruneau said he is looking at about $75,000 in duties over the next eight weeks, calling it "a killer for a small company like ours." He has looked into places like High Point, North Carolina, which offer incentives, but says the company has been in business for 71 years and wants to stay in Canada, adding it could survive tariffs of 10 to 15 per cent but not 50 per cent.

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