Maple Express | September 22, 2026 Bodies found in burning vehicles at opposite ends of Toronto

1. Bodies found in burning vehicles at opposite ends of Toronto

Toronto police are investigating two separate vehicle fires after bodies were found inside the vehicles at opposite ends of the city. Police said the first incident happened at around 11:24 p.m. on Reesor Road, between Steeles Avenue and Old Finch Road in Scarborough. Officers responded to a report of a vehicle fire and later located a body inside the vehicle.

About an hour and a half later, another vehicle fire was reported at James Garden Park on Edenbridge Drive in Etobicoke, near Royal York Road and Dundas Street. In an email to CP24, police said: "It was reported that there was smoke seen coming from the park, and what sounded like an explosion. Police and fire arrived, and located a body inside the vehicle."

The cause of death of both victims has not yet been determined, but police said the homicide unit has been notified. "It's too early to determine if both incidents are related, but it will be considered," the email continued, adding that police are in the "very early" stages of the investigation.

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2. Peel police seize 23 guns, more than half traced to the U.S.

Peel Regional Police say more than half of the nearly two dozen guns seized in the bust of an alleged firearm trafficking network originated in the U.S., including one used in a deadly double shooting in Mississauga, Ont. Investigators revealed the results of Project Red Zone on Tuesday, a 10-month undercover operation that began in October 2025 after police received information that illegal firearms were being trafficked into and throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Police determined that 15 of the firearms came from south of the border, several of which are currently prohibited in Canada. Forensic analysis also linked 14 of the guns to shootings across the GTA. One of those was a double shooting in Mississauga on March 21, 2024 that left 37-year-old Toronto resident Alastair Robinson dead; one other man was injured. One of the guns used by a suspect in the murder was made in Texas, according to Insp. Mike Mavity, who said it was "approximately 4,000 days from time to purchase to time to crime."

The investigation was supported by the United States Department of Homeland Security and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario. At least 950 rounds of ammunition and 824.75 grams of cocaine were also seized following search warrants in Mississauga, Ajax and Scarborough. Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said: "These are not just illegal firearms; they are tools of violence. They are used to carry out extortions, home invasions, carjackings, gun and gang violence."

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3. Belleville synagogue shooting suspect has died

A former Canadian Armed Forces soldier who allegedly opened fire on a police officer outside a Belleville, Ont., synagogue over the weekend has died. Sean Ward, a 29-year-old Quinte West resident, was shot during an exchange of gunfire with police outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue on Sunday night as congregants inside prepared to mark Yom Kippur.

Ward was initially without vital signs at the scene but was revived and rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition. He died in hospital on Monday night, and an autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday in Kingston, Ont., the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) confirmed to CP24.

Investigators have said Ward was armed with a shotgun and opened fire on an officer stationed outside, shortly after arriving in a truck. A 13-year veteran of the Belleville Police Service, Const. Jeff Smith, was critically injured. Sources told CP24 that Smith was shot multiple times, including in the neck, and remained in stable condition as of Tuesday. The SIU estimated 20 to 30 shots were fired at the scene.

Premier Doug Ford called Smith a "hero" and said he "stopped a tragedy in its footsteps." Richard Marceau, Senior Vice President of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, told CP24 on Tuesday that the incident underscores the need for resources to protect synagogues and other Jewish institutions amid an increase in violent acts targeting the community.

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4. York police dismantle 'icy white north' dark web drug network

York Regional Police say five people allegedly linked to a dark web drug trafficking network called "icy white north" are facing more than 80 charges following a months-long investigation. Police said $3 million worth of drugs was seized along with luxury goods and a "significant amount of cryptocurrency."

The investigation was launched in January 2026 after police identified an online drug trafficking operation known as "icy white north." Det.-Sgt. Stephen Beale said at a news conference Tuesday morning: "This platform operated primarily through the dark web and through other encrypted communication platforms. The digital marketplace appeared to cater exclusively to Canadian customers and was linked to individuals residing in the GTA."

Beale said online sources indicated "icy white north" had accumulated more than 9,000 positive reviews and had been operating since approximately 2022, generating more than $100,000 in monthly revenue and millions of dollars in cumulative proceeds over four years. Unlike traditional street-level trafficking, the operation used a commercial-style model: drugs were advertised through digital marketplaces, orders were processed through encrypted communications, and shipments were delivered through Canada's legitimate parcel and postal infrastructure.

Transactions involved fentanyl, cocaine, meth, heroin, MDMA, LSD and illicit prescription pills, and police said one product advertised as "purple heroin" turned out to be fentanyl. A luxury penthouse condo in Mississauga was believed to be the central operating location. Officers also seized a prohibited firearm and more than a million dollars worth of luxury goods — including three vehicles, purses and high-end watches — plus digital devices containing $200,000 in cryptocurrency, the first seizure of its kind in York Regional Police history.

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5. Four arrested, $65K worth of drugs seized in Mississauga

Four people have been arrested after police seized tens of thousands of dollars worth of suspected cocaine and fentanyl as well as an illegal firearm in Mississauga earlier this month. According to Peel Regional Police, on Sept. 7, officers were called to the area of Hurontario Street and Dundas Street West after reports of a man who was armed while inside a vehicle.

Officers located the first suspect, who was found in possession of an illegal firearm as well as a "separate magazine with multiple rounds of ammunition." Police also located a quantity of substances believed to be cocaine and fentanyl, worth an estimated $65,000.

During the investigation, police executed a search warrant at a Mississauga residence, where three additional suspects were arrested. Olamilekan Jimoh, 26, of Mississauga, faces multiple charges including careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition; failure to comply with an undertaking; and possession of a firearm with attempts to conceal, plus four counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Modupe Abijo, 52, and Omobodunrin Jimoh, 28, both of Mississauga, were charged with four counts each of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Cleo Romi Reynods, 45, of Toronto, was charged with failure to comply with a release order. The charges have not been proven in court.

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6. Rent has fallen faster in the most tariff-exposed areas, report finds

Average rent prices in Oshawa, Ont., have decreased by nearly 11 per cent over the last year, and a new report suggests the trade war with the U.S. might be behind the fall. Rentals.ca and Urbanation published their findings on Tuesday, revealing average asking rents across the country dropped by 4.8 per cent over the past year. Analysts say the effects of tariffs are still trickling down into construction and labour costs.

The report suggests some of the communities most impacted by the tariffs are already seeing more substantial downward pressure on rents. According to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Windsor, Hamilton, Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo and Brantford have higher exposure through the auto and steel sectors; Saguenay and Trois-Rivieres are hit through aluminum, while Prince George, Nanaimo and Kamloops feel the impacts through lumber. Calgary, ranked highest on the tariff exposure index, sees it through employment and business revenue because of its energy exports.

"While there has already been an observable correlation between rents and tariff exposure, with rents in the 10 most tariff-exposed CMAs falling faster than the 10 least-exposed, as of August, 2026, local market effects have remained the dominant factor," the report reads. Rent in Oshawa has dropped by 10.8 per cent on average over the past year, but in Windsor it fell only 2.4 per cent due to its thinner rental supply. The least-exposed cities include Vancouver, St. John's, Saskatoon, Halifax, Victoria, Regina, Winnipeg, Nanaimo, Kamloops and Greater Sudbury.

Steel has been hit with a punishing 50 per cent U.S. tariff, with Canada retaliating with an equal counter-tariff. Statistics Canada data shows 27,200 manufacturing jobs were lost in Ontario alone, with primary metals manufacturing in the province down 18.4 per cent in a single year. Across Canada, there were 40,600 fewer manufacturing jobs in 2025 because of tariffs on exports across the border.

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7. Family of slain Toronto officer calls for parole system reform

"We're talking about a guy who walked over, put the gun to my brother's head, and pulled the goddamn trigger," said Cory Baylis, his hand mimicking the gun that killed his brother.

It was June 1994. Baylis was in Florida when he learned that his big brother, Toronto Police Constable Todd Baylis, had been shot and killed on the job. Todd was just 25 years old and had been chasing a suspected drug dealer who pulled out a gun and shot him in the head. Clinton Gayle was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance at parole for 25 years.

The Baylis family must now appear at a parole hearing every two years, and they have already had to attend four separate parole reviews. Speaking to CTV News from his home in Brampton, Ont., Baylis expressed mounting frustration after having to attend yet another hearing this past July. "2019, 2021, 2024, 2026. We'll have to go back in 2027 or 2028, it's ridiculous," he said.

CTV News obtained a letter from the Toronto Police Association asking the federal government to increase the time between parole hearings from "five to seven years" and to allow judges to impose "parole ineligibility periods for up to 35 years" for those convicted of first-degree murder. This coming January, serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo will have his fourth parole hearing. Trial lawyer Tim Danson, who represents the families of victims Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, said he still sees a "sadistic, sexual psychopath" in Bernardo. The Department of Justice has not responded to a request for comment.

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8. Two kidnapping suspects arrested at Canada-U.S. border

A wrong turn saved a 15-year-old who was being held against their will last week in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., according to police. The youth was saved when the alleged kidnappers headed to a hotel but took a wrong turn and ended up on the International Bridge with the United States. Both men were arrested by Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) officials.

The incident took place on Sept. 19 and involved Sahan Alam, a 40-year-old Sault Ste. Marie man, and Hasan Al-Mamun, a 29-year-old Sudbury, Ont., man, who both have been charged with kidnapping, police said in a news release Tuesday. None of the allegations have been proven in a court of law.

"Shortly after 10:15 p.m., 911 Communicators were informed the two accused were detained by CBSA officers for suspected kidnapping when they observed a 15-year-old inside the vehicle," police said. Neither accused knew the victim well, police said, and they had picked the teen up earlier in the day and "would not allow (the teen) to leave the vehicle." Both men were charged with kidnapping and held in custody pending a bail hearing. Police spokesperson Lincoln Louttit declined to say whether the victim was male or female, citing the need not to release information that could identify them.

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9. Seniors arrested at Parliament Hill climate protest

Several seniors were arrested for trespassing on Parliament Hill today as they called for stronger government action to address climate change. Members of a self-described "climate caravan" tried to deliver hundreds of photos and stories about the effects of wildfires and flooding to MPs' desks in the House of Commons.

Caravan members wearing bright yellow shirts with anti-pipeline slogans sang in protest outside Parliament's West Block, where the House is temporarily located during renovations. They were denied entry to the building.

A Parliamentary Protective Service officer asked the protesters to move away from the doors, but they refused. Protective Service officers and the Ottawa police then arrested several members, escorted them away from West Block and charged them with trespassing. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2026.

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10. Trump says U.S. will keep buying Canadian potash but wants lower price

U.S. President Donald Trump says his country will continue buying Canadian potash after all. Trump made the comments to reporters during a bilateral meeting at the United Nations General Assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It comes a day after Trump had said he was working on a deal to buy cheaper potash from Belarus in a bid to lessen the United States' dependence on Canada. Trump says the eastern European country would still like to sell its potash for a lower price.

Saskatchewan is the world's largest producer of potash, a key component of fertilizers, and the United States is its biggest customer. The president's initial comments were condemned by Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who said Belarusian potash is unethical due to the country's involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We'll continue to go with Canada, but Belarus would like to sell it for a much lower price," Trump told reporters Tuesday. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said his country can't supply the United States with large volumes of potash.

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