Maple Express | October 26, 2026: Ford says trade war is hurting both countries

1. Ford says trade war is 'hurting both countries,' hopes Canada and U.S. return to table soon

Source: CP24

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday morning that he hopes Canada and the United States get back to the negotiating table soon, because the ongoing trade war is "hurting" both countries. Speaking to reporters on his way to a meeting with First Nation leaders and the country's premiers in Ottawa, Ford said: "I really hope so because it's just hurting both countries. It doesn't make sense." He repeated his long-standing argument that a U.S. tariff on Canada is "nothing more than a tax on the American people," adding that he thinks President Trump is feeling it.

The meeting is being described as historic, because it has been 20 years since a gathering of this kind has been held between the two camps. Diplomacy has wavered since Ottawa walked away from formal trade talks in late August over last-minute U.S. demands; Washington then imposed tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian goods and Ottawa swiftly followed suit. Ford openly supported that move at the time, calling the Trump administration's offer "an absolutely terrible deal that would have destroyed our economy from top to bottom."

On Sunday, Trump told a rally in Port Huron, Michigan that he expects the trade war with Canada to end "pretty soon," saying Canada "has been ripping off the United States for years" and that "they're willing to give us anything at this moment." U.S. midterm elections are less than two weeks away, on Nov. 3. Last Friday Trump announced he will lift some of the 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods at the end of the month, while adding levies to dozens of new products at the same time. Ford could not say whether a deal would be reached before the midterms: "That's going to be up to the Prime Minister and his team. I'm there to support."

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1. Trump adviser says Alberta referendum made a trade deal 'essentially impossible'

Source: CP24

Canada and the U.S. are "very close" to a trade deal, a key adviser to President Donald Trump said in an interview on Fox News Sunday. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had been speaking with his Canadian counterparts through last week, and that the two sides are nearing an accord. "The negotiations have picked up. They're gathering steam," he said.

Asked why Trump's tariff policy had not yet produced a deal, Hassett blamed "the Canadian election that just happened, including Alberta separating." Earlier this week, Albertans voted against holding a binding referendum on leaving Canada. Hassett said that had made it "essentially impossible to negotiate with the Canadians." His comments echo Trump, who told reporters in Washington on Friday that he felt a deal was close and that his team holds "all the cards."

Later that day, the White House laid out a new slate of 50 per cent tariffs against Canadian goods. Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who is running for re-election in November, took credit for the removal of tariffs on Canadian goods critical to her state's agriculture sector — seaweed, packing boxes and some plywood sheets — while the White House added tariffs on cocoa powder, vinyl flooring and shampoos, among others. The changes take effect at the end of the month. Jean-François Dufresne, CEO of Canadian hardwood flooring producer Preverco, said the new 50 per cent tariff could devastate the sector: "Overnight, we're losing 25 per cent of our business." 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 towards a more mutually beneficial trading relationship."

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1. Ontario has attached more than 511,000 people to primary care

Source: CP24

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones says more than 511,000 people have been connected to primary care since her government set a goal of attaching everyone in the province, putting the province on track to meet its target of ensuring every Ontarian has a primary care provider by 2029.

Jones made the announcement Monday alongside Dr. Jane Philpott, the former federal health minister appointed by the Ontario government in 2024 to lead a primary care action team. The new figures mean 88.7 per cent of Ontarians are connected to primary care — only up 0.2 percentage points from two years ago — but Philpott says the old number was based on a different and less accurate methodology, so the two are hard to compare.

The province says many of the 511,000 people were attached by moving off the Health Care Connect wait list. A call for proposals is currently open, with the province looking to see 78 primary care teams created or expanded, which officials say should connect another 600,000 people.

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1. OSAP and affordability set to dominate as Queen's Park resumes sitting

Source: CP24

Ontario politicians return to the legislature Tuesday for the first time in 21 weeks, with new faces from three byelections, a rejigged cabinet and a new cloud of scandal hanging over the government. Question period is expected to focus largely on Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn, who is under fire over his government's handling of Ontario Student Assistance Program payments to career colleges.

Provincial OSAP grants to career colleges nearly doubled from 2023-24 to the next year, when the amount hit almost $1 billion. Data obtained by The Canadian Press through a freedom-of-information request points to larger-than-usual increases at some schools, including seven whose roughly $385 million in OSAP grants in 2024-25 matched the amount that went to students at all publicly funded colleges in the province. Career Colleges Ontario began warning the government in 2023 about what it alleged were suspicious usage patterns at a small number of schools, but it was not until May of this year that the government banned six schools from OSAP eligibility.

Quinn's office says it regularly reviews complaints and monitors OSAP activity, and expanded its reviews in May 2025 after receiving warnings from the federal government. Quinn has since engaged KPMG to audit the sector and referred the matter to the Ontario Provincial Police, but critics say the ministry should have acted long ago. Critics also say part of Quinn's solution is making matters worse: he drastically reduced the grants available to students at universities and publicly funded colleges, and has now paused OSAP payments to all students at career colleges and other private post-secondary institutions until 2027, leaving many students scrambling to cover living expenses and tuition.

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said "it still shocks me what's happening to people out there because of the mess up with OSAP and this government's failure to act over three years." Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said "it should be those private colleges that pay the price for that, not the students," and called for the cuts to be reversed. NDP Leader Marit Stiles said life is "deeply unaffordable" for most Ontarians and that her party will focus on the cost of living. The sitting runs six weeks, and the Greens also plan a motion calling for a wealth tax on the ultra rich.

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1. Trustees at eight Ontario school boards have no powers — and candidates still want the job

Source: CP24

Eight Ontario school boards are being led by appointed supervisors amid allegations of financial mismanagement, budget deficits, infighting and governance failures: the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the Peel District School Board, the York Catholic District School Board, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, the Thames Valley District School Board and the Near North District School Board.

Trustees at these boards cannot receive board emails or calls or attend board meetings, and they are prohibited from officially engaging with parents and guardians. A new change to the Education Act means those elected on Oct. 26 for these eight boards will not be sworn in until the province ends its supervision, because only the Minister of Education or the appointed supervisor is permitted to call the first meeting of a newly elected school board. Normally, newly elected trustees are sworn in shortly after an election. There is still no timeline for any of the boards to come out of supervision.

CP24 reached out to TDSB and TCDSB trustee candidates whose email addresses are listed on the City of Toronto's 2026 municipal elections webpage. Saherla Osman said she is running because public education matters to her and "shouldn't be put on hold, even when trustees have limited authority," adding that letting the minister control when new trustees begin raises questions about democratic representation. Anu Sriskandarjah called running during supervision "an act of democratic preservation," saying the role must shift "from routine administrative oversight to becoming a fierce advocate for community transparency and equity." Andrew Waters said he recognizes he may not be sworn in until supervision ends, but "my commitment to public education does not begin or end with holding elected office."

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1. Peel police seek man after two sexual assaults on Brampton Züm buses

Source: CP24

Peel Regional Police are searching for a suspect wanted in connection with two alleged sexual assaults on Brampton Transit Züm buses this month. The incidents happened between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15, and police say they received reports involving two victims, including one youth.

In each incident, police said an unidentified male suspect boarded the 511C bus at Humber College Terminal sometime between 4:20 p.m. and 5:11 p.m., sat near the victim and engaged in unwanted sexual touching during the commute to Brampton Gateway Terminal at 501 Main St. S.

Police describe the suspect as being in his early 20s to 30s, about five-foot-10 to five-foot-11 with a thin build, a moustache and a black beard. He has long black hair, possibly worn in a bun, and was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, a sage-green hoodie, blue jeans and beige running shoes, carrying a blue Under Armour backpack. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

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1. Woman assaulted with weapon in North York, man arrested

Source: CP24

A female was taken to hospital after being assaulted with a weapon in North York early Monday morning, Toronto police say. The incident occurred at around 3:15 a.m. in the area of Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue.

Police said they were initially called to the area for reports of a stabbing on the roadway. A female victim was transported to hospital with serious injuries after being assaulted with a weapon.

One man was arrested at the scene and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

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1. One dead, one critically injured after house fire in north-end Barrie

Source: CP24

Smoke streamed across the Barrie sky as a home burned at dinner time Sunday. Firefighters reached the house on Livia Herman Way around 6:30 p.m. to find flames shooting out of the back, with five people inside when the smoke alarms went off.

A 51-year-old man who re-entered the home to help someone believed to be in the basement suffered serious injuries and remains in critical condition in hospital. Police say firefighters found a person who had died inside the heavily damaged house; the person has not been identified. Three people escaped unharmed.

"The majority of the house was on fire, it was a large fire," said Rachel Chinchilla, Assistant Deputy Fire Chief with Barrie Fire & Emergency Service. Four firetrucks battled the well-involved blaze. "It's being investigated. The Ontario Fire Marshal's office will be there today," she said.

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1. Frost advisory issued for Toronto ahead of a chilly election night

Source: CP24

Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory for Toronto, saying patchy frost is expected to form Monday night into Tuesday morning, especially in the northern areas of the 401 corridor. The yellow advisory urges people to "take preventative measures to protect cold-sensitive plants, trees, and crops. Cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas."

Toronto is expected to see a high of 16 C and clouds on Monday before dipping to a low of 2 C by the evening. CP24 meteorologist Bill Coulter said late October weather can be a wild card, but "Mother Nature is dealing us a very gentle hand," with most days over the next couple of weeks at or above the norm and more dry days than not.

Tuesday is expected to see a high of 11 C and mainly sunny skies. A mix of sun and clouds is forecast for Wednesday with a high of 16 C. "Thursday will be unseasonably warm, with the high in the low 20s," Coulter said, though the jump in temperature comes with a slight risk of localized showers; Environment Canada forecasts a 30 per cent chance of showers Thursday night and a low of 10 C. Friday and Saturday are both expected to hit 16 C under cloudy skies, with showers arriving Sunday afternoon through Monday morning and temperatures remaining well above normal.

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1. Toronto-born voice actor Eric Bauza, the voice of Bugs Bunny, dies at 46

Source: CP24

Eric Bauza, the Toronto-born voice actor behind the modern-day Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, has died at age 46, according to his family and official health records. The Emmy Award-winner passed away Sunday from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. His family said in a statement on his social media pages that he died "suddenly."

During his career, Bauza tallied hundreds of voice acting credits with studios including Disney, DreamWorks and Cartoon Network. In the recently released movie "Coyote vs. Acme," he voiced Tweety, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Foghorn Leghorn, in addition to Bugs Bunny's New York accent and Daffy Duck's distinctive lisp. Just a day before his death, he shared a photo of himself with "The Simpsons" director David Silverman at the annual LightBox Expo in California.

Born in Toronto, Bauza moved from Canada to the United States to study animation, picking up voiceover work in his spare time, and began his career as a character designer for Hollywood production studios, according to SBV Talent, which represented him. He won an Emmy in 2022 for outstanding voice performance in an animated program for his Looney Tunes roles, and again in 2023 and 2025. Other characters he brought to life include Puss in Boots, Splinter from "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Fozzie Bear from "Muppet Babies," Woody Woodpecker, and Toad General in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."

Tributes poured in from fans and colleagues. Fellow voice actor Jim Cummings, behind Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and the Tasmanian Devil, described Bauza as "such a kind young man" and said he is "at a loss for words." Director Adam Rosette wrote on Instagram: "I'm absolutely devastated. Eric was my first friend when I moved to LA in 2010. We shared a desk at a small animation studio, drawing and laughing constantly. I'll never forget the day he left to pursue voice acting full-time, and watching him go on to become an absolute legend."

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