Maple Express | September 20, 2026 Man charged with second-degree murder after Toronto shooting victim dies

1. Man charged with second-degree murder after North York shooting victim dies

Source: CP24

Toronto police say a 27-year-old man has died after he was shot in North York earlier this month, and a 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Officers were called to the Lawrence Avenue East and Underhill Drive area at about 4 a.m. on Sept. 13.

Police allege the victim and the suspect were in separate vehicles when the suspect fired a gun at the victim, striking him. After life-saving measures were performed at the scene, the victim was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries; police say he died of his injuries on Thursday. He has been identified as Raghav Sharma, 27, of Caledon, Ont.

On Saturday, Sept. 19, Tahir Mian, 23, of Stouffville, turned himself in to police and was charged with second-degree murder. The charges have not been tested in court; police say Mian is scheduled to appear at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Sunday. The shooting marks Toronto's 25th homicide of 2026.

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2. B.C. Conservatives lose another MLA as Linda Hepner resigns from caucus

Source: CP24

The B.C. Conservatives lost another member of caucus on Sunday, with the resignation of Surrey-Serpentine River MLA Linda Hepner. She shared with CTV News the messages she sent Sunday to embattled leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, citing the ouster of three MLAs — including former leader John Rustad — as the trigger for her decision.

"To me, it is beyond the pale of common sense to remove experienced voices rather than find a way to listen to them," Hepner wrote to Findlay, noting that Rustad "built this party from a single elected member." Rustad was removed from caucus late last week along with Surrey-White Rock MLA and former interim leader Trevor Halford and Skeena MLA Claire Rattée.

In her resignation statement, Hepner explicitly criticized the party's leadership, saying she had "lost confidence" in Findlay's willingness to "listen, to seek experienced advice, and to consider perspectives beyond (her) immediate circle." She said the recent turmoil — including the revelation that a private investigator had been hired to look into Findlay's critics — had become a distraction from representing her constituents. "My tolerance of the current upheaval has been exhausted," she wrote. The Conservatives won 44 seats to the B.C. NDP's 47 in the last election, but ousters and defections have now left the party with 24. Her resignation comes as speculation grows that Premier David Eby will call a snap election. Findlay, who was not in office when she won the leadership, is seeking a seat in the legislature in a Sept. 26 byelection in the Abbotsford-Mission riding, where she will face candidates from the NDP, CentreBC, the Greens and the Libertarian party.

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3. MPs return to Parliament Hill as fall sitting begins Monday

Source: CP24

Members of Parliament are heading back to Ottawa for the fall sitting of the House of Commons, which gets underway Monday. It promises to be a busy season, with the federal budget, legislative debates and looming byelections all on the agenda.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's government broke with tradition last year by moving the release of its annual spending plan to the fall instead of the spring, and splitting it into an operating budget and a capital budget. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne spent the summer consulting a wide range of stakeholders but has not yet set a date for the next fiscal plan. Carney told investors at last week's investment summit that his government plans to balance the operating budget next year, 12 months ahead of schedule. The government projected a $65.3-billion deficit for the current fiscal year in April's spring economic update, though many economists expect high global oil prices to boost Ottawa's bottom line in the fall budget.

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said Friday that "very significant economic legislation" will be the centrepiece of the sitting. Carney said Friday the government will introduce legislation, to be called the Building Canada Strong Act, to speed up approval of new federal projects — "One project, one review, one year," he told reporters. There will also be legislation to enact the fuel excise tax extension Carney announced on Sept. 2, formalizing a break on gas and diesel introduced in response to higher oil prices caused by the conflict in Iran. The federal government also consulted employers and unions over the summer on labour relations following contract disputes at railways, ports and airlines in recent years. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu would not say Friday whether the Liberals plan to change the Labour Code this fall, though MacKinnon hinted that "improvements" are on the agenda.

Debate will continue on some controversial government legislation. Bill C-22, the lawful access bill, is before the Senate, while the digital safety bill — which seeks to regulate AI chatbots and restrict social media access for kids under 16 — is before the House. A First Nations water bill was reintroduced in the spring, though critics call it a weaker version of a previous bill that recognized First Nations' right to clean water on their territories. Trade talks with the U.S. are off, at least for now, but the issue isn't going away: Conservatives have been pressing the government to release the deal struck with the Americans before Canada walked away from the table. Carney has said Canada's new alliance, or associate membership, with the European Union will come to Parliament for debate; Conservatives want a Commons debate on the EU deal and insist Canada should not import what they call bad European policies on immigration and taxes.

Three new Liberal MPs will take their seats for the first time this fall after winning byelections in late August. Six more byelections are expected in the coming months in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. In Yorkton-Melville, voters will replace longtime Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall; her caucus colleague Larry Brock resigned Friday as MP for Brantford-Brant South. Two Liberals also stepped down: Shaun Chen left his Scarborough North seat, while former minister Steven Guilbeault made a high-profile decision to leave Carney's caucus, opening a vacancy in Laurier-Sainte-Marie. Two other Quebec ridings will replace MPs who left federal politics to run provincially: Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie will replace New Democrat Alexandre Boulerice, and Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot-Acton will choose a new representative after Bloc Québécois MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay departed. Carney has six months after a seat becomes vacant to set a byelection date, though the Quebec races are unlikely before the Oct. 5 provincial election. Fresh off a trip to France to address the European Parliament, Carney is expected to travel to New York this week for the UN General Assembly, where he will host world leaders interested in his pledge to diversify trade beyond the U.S. Vietnamese President To Lam will make a state visit to Ottawa next week, and Indian media report Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit in December. Carney typically attends several major international summits held in November: ASEAN, hosted by the Philippines this year; APEC, in China; and the Francophonie summit in Cambodia. The U.S. hosts the G20 in December.

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4. Mayor's office responds to Bradford's claims of excessive spending

Source: CP24

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is in New York for a summit. The mayor's office has responded to mayoral candidate Brad Bradford's criticism of the city's budget and tax hikes.

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5. Ontario man fined $4,500, banned from fishing for 5 years

Source: CP24

A Thunder Bay man has been fined $4,500 and suspended from fishing in Ontario for five years after being convicted of illegal fishing. Paul Hirtle was convicted of unlawfully fishing within 23 metres downstream of a dam, unlawfully fishing for rainbow trout by means other than angling, and making false statements to a conservation officer.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the court heard that on May 1, 2025, conservation officers responded to a public complaint about unlawful rainbow trout fishing in Ishkibbible Creek, in the Municipality of Shuniah. During the investigation, officers stopped Hirtle on Highway 11/17 near Thunder Bay. Conservation officers determined Hirtle had used a dip net to catch rainbow trout within 23 metres downstream of a dam. "Throughout the investigation, Hirtle made false statements to the officers regarding his fishing activities," the ministry wrote.

Justice of the Peace J. A. Bernard Caron heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay on June 10, 2026. In a social media video, Conservation Officer Ron Arnold said the case is a reminder to anglers as the fall salmon migration approaches. "As we move into the fall salmon migration around the Great Lakes region, conservation officers want to remind you not to fish within 23 meters downstream of any leap, dam or obstruction impeding fish movement," he said. "This includes standing downstream, for example, and casting up into that prohibited area. It is unsportsmanlike and illegal." Arnold added that fish are afforded federal protection during peak migrations.

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6. N.S. seafood processor wants accuser to name names in $10-million lobster lawsuit

Source: CP24

HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia seafood processor is arguing that a commercial fishing group suing it over claims it bought illegal lobster must name names and provide more detailed allegations before the case can proceed.

Independent Fisheries Ltd. and its president, Xiaoming (Mark) Mao, say in court papers that they are being asked to prepare a defence to the $10-million lawsuit "with no understanding of the (alleged) facts." The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance, which represents thousands of independent, multi-species commercial fishers and associations across the Maritimes, filed the lawsuit against Mao and Independent Fisheries in November 2024. It also names the owners and operators of Fisher Direct Ltd. and Seawell Holdings Ltd., both based in Shag Harbour, N.S., as defendants. The alliance alleges its investigation found the defendants took part in a conspiracy to transport, process and sell illegally caught lobster, a scheme it says diminished lobster stocks in St. Mary's Bay — a rich fishing ground in southwestern Nova Scotia — and caused its members $10 million in damages.

Independent Fisheries and Mao argued the claims were too vague and asked the court to compel the alliance to disclose the identities of all allegedly harmed lobster harvesters, the names of all alleged conspirators, the dates and times of their alleged acts, and the facts supporting Mao's liability. A judge dismissed the motion in January, saying Mao and his company would have opportunities for disclosure and discovery as the case moved ahead, and that it would be unreasonable to "straitjacket" the alliance by demanding material facts likely known only to the defendants. Mao and Independent Fisheries are now appealing that decision, saying the judge erred in law and principle and "inflicted a patent injustice." A hearing was held last week, but no ruling has been issued yet.

In an email, Mao said Independent Fisheries employs more than 80 people, is regularly inspected and is in full compliance with provincial and federal regulations. "In a province that has welcomed newcomers for generations, it is deeply disappointing that our Chinese Canadian ownership structure has been called into question," Mao told The Canadian Press. "We are optimistic that the Court of Appeal will agree that the claims made against us do not comply with legal requirements for lawsuits. We vehemently deny any allegations of wrongdoing and look forward to being vindicated through the legal process." The alliance argues in court submissions that Mao and Independent Fisheries are trying to delay the litigation with repeated demands for more information, noting no defence has been filed as the case nears its two-year anniversary. Its lawyer, Michel Samson, called on them to file a defence so the evidence could be put before the court. A representative for Fisher Direct and Seawell did not respond to a request for comment. It is not the only St. Mary's Bay lobster case the alliance is pursuing: in 2024 it asked the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to rule that members of the Sipekne'katik First Nation do not have a treaty right to fish lobster out of season without commercial licences. That case was dismissed last month, with the court ruling the alliance lacked standing; the group says it plans to appeal.

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7. 'La Bola Negra' wins TIFF's People's Choice Award, putting it on Oscar path

Source: CP24

"La Bola Negra," the Spanish queer epic about the intertwined lives of three gay men, won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, confirming its status as a major Oscar contender.

TIFF's top prize is voted on by festivalgoers and has become one of the most reliable Academy Awards predictors. Since 2012, all but one winner of the People's Choice Award have gone on to score a best-picture nomination; the lone exception was 2024, when Mike Flanagan's Stephen King adaptation "The Life of Chuck" won. Last year, "Hamnet" won and later landed eight Oscar nominations. "La Bola Negra" was directed by the duo known as Los Javis — Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo. It was already a hit at the Cannes Film Festival, where it split the best director award with Paweł Pawlikowski for "Fatherland." Netflix acquired the film out of Cannes and has launched a full awards campaign, giving it the streamer's longest theatrical release yet. It opens in theatres Oct. 16 and begins streaming Dec. 2.

"This is a deeply personal film but it also carries a message of the importance and necessity of expressing who you are," the Javis said in a statement Sunday. "Knowing that audiences connected with it and made it their own is the greatest gift we could receive." The first runner-up was "I Play Rocky," Peter Farrelly's comedy about the making of "Rocky"; the second runner-up was "Being Heumann," Siân Heder's drama about disability rights pioneer Judy Heumann. The festival's People's Choice Award for international films went to "Elsinore," starring Andrew Scott as Ian Charleson, the Scottish actor who performed "Hamlet" in London while suffering from AIDS. Its runners-up were Lee Chang-dong's Korean drama about the trauma of mass layoffs, "Possible Love," and Hur Jin-ho's Korean procedural "The Assassin(s)." The documentary award went to "Darlene Love: I Know Where I've Been," a portrait of the 85-year-old vocalist. The audience award for the Midnight Madness section went to "Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney," a so-called "gonzo documentary" by Matthew Rankin about the former Canadian prime minister. The 51st edition of TIFF closes Sunday.

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8. Trump and Mamdani to meet in New York during the president's UN visit

Source: CP24

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani when Trump travels to the city for the upcoming U.N. General Assembly.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday at Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, according to Anna Bahr, Mamdani's communications director. Bahr said the two will discuss issues affecting the city and New Yorkers. The White House confirmed the meeting will take place but offered no further details. Mamdani, a democratic socialist who upset former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary before winning the general election in November, has been a favorite and frequent political foil for Republicans.

Trump, however, has often been warm toward Mamdani and seemed charmed by the young mayor. Their first meeting after Mamdani's election was quite cordial, with Trump saying at the White House that the then-mayor-elect would "surprise some conservative people." The Republican president had called Mamdani a "100% Communist Lunatic" during the 2025 campaign. At a February meeting, Mamdani gave Trump a mock New York Daily News front page reading "Trump to City: Let's Build," a riff on the famous 1975 headline "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD," referring to President Gerald Ford's promise to veto financial assistance to the city. Mamdani's aides said at the time it was meant to show Trump the reaction and support that new federal investments in housing could generate in the city.

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9. Converse apologizes and pulls sneaker ad criticized as racist imagery

Source: CP24

The sneaker company Converse has removed a social media ad that sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.

The Instagram ad photo showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. Critics lashed out online, saying a white triangular image created by lighting on the skirt resembled a KKK hood, and that the way she held the sneakers made them look like the dangling feet of a lynching victim. Converse, owned by Nike, issued a statement apologizing and saying it had removed the ad. "We're sorry," said the statement, first released on Friday. "We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong. We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared. This should not have happened and we will do better."

Based in Boston, Converse declined on Sunday to answer questions, including how it screens ads before they are posted and how the ad was approved. Karina and her management company, SM Entertainment Group, did not immediately respond to messages through their Instagram accounts. Retailers and top fashion brands have issued a string of apologies over the years for products criticized as racially insensitive. Last month, retailer Target pulled a children's Halloween costume from its shelves after social media backlash, apologizing for selling a garment that critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures. The Converse photo drew swift criticism, including calls for staff involved to be fired and for a boycott of the company. In many social media comments, posters questioned how the ad could have cleared the company's advertising vetting process; others defended Converse, saying they did not believe it was intentional. Lee Merritt, a civil rights attorney based in Texas, posted on Instagram that Converse's apology "doesn't undo what got past legal, marketing and leadership at every step." "We keep having this conversation because corporations keep failing the same test," he wrote. "Do better means catching this before it airs — not after we're offended." Converse was founded in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1908 and makes the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker. According to the company's website, the shoe was first released in 1917 as a non-skid basketball shoe, adding the signature of Taylor — a basketball player who promoted it — in 1934.

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10. Merz vows to press ahead with reforms after historic German state election defeat

Source: CP24

BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a bruising electoral setback in two state elections on Sunday, including a historic defeat for his party, but vowed to press ahead with potentially painful reforms to Europe's biggest economy.

Projections by public broadcaster ARD on Sunday night indicated that Merz's centre-right Christian Democratic Union came in with just 5 per cent in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania — the lowest result for the party in any state since the Second World War. The anti-migration, Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany made significant gains Sunday. The projections were based on exit polls and partial counting. Merz acknowledged his party's result as a "disaster" but struck a defiant note, rejecting any retreat from his government's reform agenda. He argued that Germany's economic and political problems made difficult and potentially unpopular reforms more urgent, not less, and pledged to press ahead. "What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness, and patience," Merz said in a statement shortly after the exit polls were announced on public television. "I will demonstrate these qualities as chairman of the CDU and, above all, as chancellor of our country."

In Berlin, the CDU was projected to come in second with 19.1 per cent, behind the Left party at 25.3 per cent, according to ARD's exit poll. Merz's authority was already damaged by the CDU's stinging defeat to the AfD in the Sept. 6 election in the small eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, a result that shocked many Germans who had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws outlawing persecution. On Sunday, the AfD was projected to make big gains in both states, taking 37.9 per cent in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and 16.2 per cent in Berlin, according to ARD — though far short of being able to form a regional government. AfD national co-leader Alice Weidel said on ZDF television that "we have displaced the CDU as the people's party," adding that "we have a great deal to offer our voters, namely political change in this country." Merz, in an apparent reference to the far-right party, said his government's reforms would be "the antidote to the poison of authoritarianism, which is penetrating ever deeper into our society as the fascination with authoritarianism grows."

The government's reforms include cuts to income tax for low- and middle-income families, an overhaul of the creaking pension system, and a reduction of Germany's stifling bureaucracy. Merz, 70, became Germany's leader 16 months ago with promises to turn around an economy that has barely grown in years, but he has failed to lift a sullen national mood and has become deeply unpopular. The AfD's strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt — where it has its best chance yet of forming the country's first far-right regional government since World War II — further weakened the chancellor's standing nationally. In the past two weeks there have been calls, even from within his own party, for him to be replaced as chancellor, though no top-level allies have publicly called for his departure and many warned against "personnel debates." Philipp Amthor, a prominent CDU figure from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania who now manages federal-state relations at the chancellery, said Sunday night that one problem in the campaign had been "the difficult personnel discussions" of recent weeks — an apparent reference to the speculation about Merz. "It is good and right for these personnel discussions not to be continued now," he said.

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