Maple Express | October 28, 2026: Canada-U.S. talks hit a 'now or maybe never' window

1. Canada-U.S. talks hit a 'now or maybe never' window as cabinet ministers doubt Trump will budge

Several cabinet ministers briefed on the accelerated pace of Canada-U.S. talks remain skeptical that U.S. President Donald Trump will make the concessions needed for a deal, according to CP24. Many of them, however, are convinced he wants one because of the political pressure he faces ahead of the midterms. One minister, not authorized to speak publicly, told CTV News that the window for Trump to move on issues such as auto tariffs is "now or maybe never."

Auto tariffs are dominating Senate races in states such as Michigan and have been identified as a red line by the prime minister, the report says. The other red lines are French language and culture, and Canada's ability to trade with other countries. Two sources expect Trump could move on the latter two, but autos remain the hardest file. Two ministers said the message from "the centre" is that "there's a window" and that the team should stay disciplined, while two others were unsure Canada should hand Trump any kind of win before the midterms.

One minister said there are "too many free radicals" on the American negotiating team compared with Trump's first term, and another said flatly that "the trust is gone." That view is tied to the abrupt collapse of negotiations in August. After the U.S. imposed more tariffs on Aug. 22, Prime Minister Mark Carney accused the White House of launching a trade "war" on Canada and said America sometimes signs in pencil. Asked on Monday how he knows Trump would sign in pen this time, Carney said he did not, and would not say whether he trusts him.

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2. $40M Lotto Max ticket validated hours before midnight expiry

A $40-million Lotto Max ticket sold in Grey County, Ont., has been validated just hours before it was set to expire, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) said Wednesday. The ticket was purchased for the Oct. 28, 2025, draw and was due to expire at midnight Wednesday when it was validated at an authorized lottery retailer.

OLG said it has since contacted the person who validated the ticket and will meet with them to determine whether they are its rightful owners. If ownership is confirmed, OLG will hold a winner celebration and share the story with media and the public as part of its winner disclosure process. Until then, the corporation said it will take the time needed to determine the rightful ownership of the $40-million ticket.

The winning numbers for that Lotto Max draw were 06, 14, 17, 19, 26, 43 and 45, with bonus number 27. Anyone who believes they bought the winning ticket can fill in their information on the Unclaimed Tickets page at OLG.ca to start a claim, or call OLG at 1-800-387-0098.

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3. Six Canadians injured, one unaccounted for in Spanish high-speed rail crash

Six Canadians were injured and one is unaccounted for after a high-speed rail crash in Spain on Wednesday, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement. In an email shared with CTVNews.ca, the department said it was aware of seven individuals impacted, and that Canadian officials are providing consular assistance and are in contact with local authorities to gather more information.

The crash happened just before 9 a.m. local time in the province of Toledo. A train operated by state-owned RENFE ran into the tail of another train owned by private company IRYO that had stopped on the tracks, shredding cars. The regional government for Castilla La Mancha confirmed at least 68 people were killed and another 58 needed medical treatment in hospital.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier that at least two Canadians were hurt and that Ottawa would help as needed. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand later said in a social media post that, to her department's knowledge, five Canadians were affected. It is Spain's second deadly high-speed rail accident this year. Rail service was suspended between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia.

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4. 'I thought I was hallucinating': North York man wins $2-million Ontario 49 jackpot

A man from North York says he still can't believe his luck after winning a $2-million Ontario 49 jackpot. Javier M., a 44-year-old roofer, recalled in a news release that he was grabbing snacks at a convenience store on St. Clair Avenue West in Toronto's Corso Italia neighbourhood when he decided to check the tickets in his pocket.

A regular player of Ontario 49, Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max, he scanned the ticket and said, "When I saw all the zeros, my mind started spinning. I thought I was hallucinating." He added, "I kept thinking, 'There's no way this is actually happening!'"

His first instinct was to call his wife, but he decided to deliver the news in person. "I waited until I got home, and let me tell you, that felt like the longest shift of my life," he said with a laugh, describing how he could barely contain his excitement. His wife's eyes widened when he finally told her, and both were stunned and overjoyed. He plans to "pay some bills" with the winnings.

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5. Suspicious New Brunswick fire now a homicide; victim identified as Brampton man

RCMP say a suspicious fire in western New Brunswick earlier this month is now being investigated as a homicide. Emergency crews responded to a fire at a home on Route 560 in Deerville around 5 a.m. on Oct. 1, and officers found a body inside after the blaze was extinguished.

The RCMP's Major Crime Unit took over and initially treated both the death and the fire as suspicious. In an update Wednesday, police said the fire is now being investigated as a homicide and identified the victim as 44-year-old Ross Schoenfeld from Brampton, Ont.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to call 1-888-506-RCMP (7267) or email jdiv.mcu@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

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6. Halton police sergeant charged over 2025 pursuit that left stolen Hummer driver seriously hurt

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) announced Wednesday that a Halton Regional Police officer has been charged in connection with a 2025 pursuit of a stolen Hummer that left the driver seriously injured. SIU director Joseph Martino said in a release that there are "reasonable grounds" to believe the officer committed a criminal offence in the March 12, 2025, incident.

Sgt. David Joseph is facing a charge of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm. The SIU said Halton officers that morning were investigating the theft of a Kia Sedona from an Oakville home, which involved a stolen GMC Hummer. The drivers of both vehicles fled and officers tried to stop them.

The pursuit led by Joseph ended in Mississauga, where the Hummer collided with a tractor-trailer in the area of Winston Churchill Boulevard and Lakeshore Road East. The 26-year-old driver was arrested and taken to hospital with a serious injury. The SIU said it will not comment further because the matter is before the courts, and that Joseph is required to appear in a Milton court on Nov. 23.

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7. September fire that injured four at Toronto home now investigated as suspicious: police

A fire at a home in Toronto's west end that sent four people to hospital last month is now being investigated as suspicious, Toronto police said Wednesday. The blaze broke out just after 3 a.m. on Sept. 8 at 36 Boustead Ave. in the High Park-Swansea neighbourhood, near Dundas Street West and Bloor Street West.

Paramedics said at the time that a youth was rushed to a burn centre with unspecified injuries, while an adult and two children were taken to a local hospital with minor smoke inhalation. Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop later told CP24 the fire involved a lithium-ion battery.

For at least three days this week, several Toronto Police Service vehicles, including those from Forensic Identification Services, were spotted outside the residence, along with the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM). Const. Viktor Sarudi told CP24 on Wednesday that the fire is being investigated as suspicious alongside the OFM. Firefighters also responded to the address around 1:15 p.m. Wednesday for a medical call; police said there was a "chemical incident" that was not serious, and that an OFM member suffered minor, accidental injuries.

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8. Ontario environment minister wants to burn more garbage for energy and build more landfills

Ontario's environment minister hopes to burn more garbage for energy and build more landfills as the province runs out of space to dump its trash, framing it as a way to fight U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff on Canadian trash. Environment Minister Todd McCarthy said the province's landfills will be full within 10 years and that Ontario needs to act quickly.

On Tuesday the province tabled an omnibus bill, the Building Ontario Faster Act, that seeks to speed up permitting and approvals across ministries, including for new landfill sites or incinerators. McCarthy said Wednesday he wants proponents to come forward with proposals and willing municipalities that would be able, supportive host communities. Municipalities "will hold the pen" on whether they want a site, he said, while noting the economic benefits such facilities can bring.

Trump signed an executive order last week that lifted some tariffs but added a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian trash, set to take effect in a few days. McCarthy said that could mean Ontario's landfills fill up within five years, but he did not say how many landfills or incinerators the province needs, and acknowledged the province may have to force cities to host them. He pointed to two waste-to-energy incinerators as success stories: Emerald Energy from Waste in Brampton and the Durham-York Energy Centre in Clarington. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner objected, saying incineration leads to toxic air emissions and that the ash is toxic as well and still has to go to landfill.

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9. Senior B.C. Mountie David Teboul pleads guilty to assault

RCMP Assistant Commissioner David Teboul pleaded guilty Wednesday in an Abbotsford, B.C., court to one count of assault. The charge stemmed from an attack on a 16-year-old after a lacrosse game at the Abbotsford Recreation Centre on July 2, 2025, in which Teboul's son played.

An agreed statement of facts read in court says Teboul held the teen by the neck with enough force to lift him off the floor against a low wall. A second grab by the neck lasted 15 seconds and bent the victim over the wall. The statement says Teboul declared he was a police officer during the assault, which may have led the youth not to fight back, and that he later gave Abbotsford police an account inconsistent with video shown in court.

He had originally been charged with two counts of assault and one count of assault causing bodily harm by choking, suffocating or strangling; the plea was on a single count. His lawyer is asking for a conditional discharge, while the Crown is seeking a suspended sentence with 18 months of probation. Special prosecutor Andi MacKay told the court there was "zero provocation" in the case. According to the RCMP website, Teboul has been a Mountie since 1997 and was appointed federal policing regional commander for the Pacific region in March 2024.

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10. Three arrested in kidnapping and killing of 12-year-old Edmonton boy

RCMP said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that they have arrested three people accused of kidnapping and killing a 12-year-old boy whose remains were found in rural Alberta nearly three months ago. Shortly before 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 6, Mounties in Athabasca received a call from an unknown male who said he had been kidnapped and was injured.

Officers arrived near Calling Lake and found a stolen vehicle from Edmonton showing signs of an attack. At around 9 a.m., they located the remains of a young boy. An autopsy the following day identified him as 12-year-old Fiasal Hussein and deemed his death a homicide.

Search warrants were executed at residences in Edmonton on Oct. 24 and three people were arrested. Cole Morin, 34, and Curtis Brown, 36, are charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder, while Rachel Stuart, 36, is charged with second-degree murder. All three have been remanded into custody and are to appear in court on Nov. 9. Sgt. James McConnell of the RCMP major crimes unit said Hussein and the suspects were known to each other and involved in criminal activity, that Brown and Stuart were in a common-law relationship, and that Stuart and Morin had familial ties. All three were known to Edmonton police.

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