Maple Express | October 9, 2026 — Food Experts Warn of a Tough Winter at the Grocery Store

1. Food experts warn of a tough winter at the grocery store

Source: CP24

Food experts and economists warn that a global run-up in diesel prices could make this winter tougher for shoppers at the grocery store. In a Canadian Press report published Oct. 9, they said the war in Iran has driven a global energy shock, pushing up gasoline and diesel prices, while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is disrupting oil shipments from the Gulf as well as other key inputs such as fertilizer. Statistics Canada's dashboard tracking food supply chain costs shows diesel prices were up 75 per cent year-over-year in August.

Mike von Massow, a food economist at the University of Guelph, said that "as diesel prices go up, food prices go up relatively across the board." The pressure is lighter in summer, when more staples are grown and shipped from Canadian farms, but that advantage fades as colder weather arrives and more food is imported from the United States and overseas. Fresh vegetables and other goods that travel far or need refrigeration will be most exposed to higher transport costs in the weeks ahead, he said, adding that Thanksgiving marks the seasonal harvest and could be a turning point for prices.

Randall Bartlett, deputy chief economist at Desjardins, noted that a stronger Canadian dollar early this year and Ottawa's removal of counter-tariffs in September 2025 had eased recent pressure, but the loonie has since weakened and a re-escalation of the trade dispute led Canada to impose retaliatory tariffs on some agricultural parts and machinery, potentially adding new pressure on farmers. "We think there is a confluence of forces that's likely to lead food inflation higher going forward," he said. StatCan said grocery inflation was 2.8 per cent in August, below the annual headline rate for the first time in more than two years. Amar Singh of Kantar said some shoppers may switch to cheaper options or avoid fresh produce, and grocery prices in August were up 29 per cent from five years ago, with beef and coffee among the biggest jumps.

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2. Man in his 70s critically injured after being struck by vehicle in east end

Source: CP24

Toronto's east end saw a vehicle strike a pedestrian late Thursday, leaving a man in his 70s with critical injuries. Toronto police said they received a call shortly before 8 p.m. for a collision in the area of Coxwell and Mortimer Avenues.

The man in his 70s was rushed to hospital with critical injuries, Toronto paramedics said. Police said the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene. The cause of the collision is under investigation.

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3. Federal government unveils $2B heat pump rebate program

Source: CP24

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Thursday that his government is investing $2 billion in a new national heat pump rebate program aimed at encouraging Canadians to retrofit more energy-efficient heating options. The government says the program aims to lower energy costs across the country, reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency.

Government officials said in a technical briefing that the plan could support up to one million home retrofits, with up to 820,000 households supported through the heat-pump rebate and another 280,000 multi-unit residential properties eligible for efficiency upgrades through existing programs. They said heat pumps are more efficient, cleaner and safer than oil and propane, use less than 50 per cent of the electricity of electric furnaces or baseboards, and save households still heating with oil or electric baseboards about $1,400 a year on average.

Grants depend on household income: low-to-median-income households could get up to $10,000, while those above the median could receive up to $2,000. Applicants can apply through an online portal and expect eligibility and grant confirmation within 24 hours; after installation they upload receipts and expect confirmation within five days, then reimbursement by direct deposit. Officials aim to launch the program in early 2027 and are exploring retroactive eligibility.

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4. Woman in her 70s taken to hospital after three-vehicle collision

Source: CP24

A three-vehicle collision near Kipling and Steeles Avenues in Toronto sent a woman in her 70s and a man to hospital Thursday evening. Toronto paramedics said it happened just after 6:15 p.m.

The woman suffered serious, non-life-threatening injuries, paramedics said, while a man was also taken to a local hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries. The cause of the collision is unclear, and the intersection was closed while police investigated.

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5. Motorcyclist taken to hospital after downtown Toronto collision

Source: CP24

A motorcyclist was rushed to hospital after a two-vehicle collision on Toronto's waterfront Thursday afternoon. Paramedics said it happened around 4:55 p.m. in the area of Lake Shore Boulevard West and Rees Street. The motorcyclist, a man in his 30s, was taken to a local trauma centre in serious, non-life-threatening condition.

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, police said. The cause of the collision is unclear, and one westbound lane of Lake Shore Boulevard West between Rees Street and Spadina Avenue remained open while police investigated.

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6. Toronto police chief on public safety: data improving, but feelings lag

Source: CP24

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw acknowledged Thursday that there is a disconnect between how residents feel and what police data shows on public safety. He spoke in an interview on CP24 Breakfast during the launch of a new monthly segment, "Ask the Chief." A new Nanos Research survey conducted exclusively for CP24 and CTV News Toronto found 15.9 per cent of Torontonians say public safety and crime are the biggest problems affecting their quality of life in the city.

Demkiw said the data tells another story: "as it relates to shootings, our data points tell us we're at some of the lowest rates we've had actually since before the summer of the gun in 2005." According to Toronto Police Services data, there have been 62 shootings so far this year, down 20 per cent year-over-year, and he noted the number of young people picking up firearms, which rose sharply in recent years, is also trending down. "So, the data tells us a story that we're going in the right direction downwards, but the sense of safety and security is not necessarily connecting with the data," he said.

Public safety concerns came to a head this summer when gunshots rang out at the crowded Salsa on St. Clair festival. Asked what police are doing to make people feel safe, the chief said the service is taking "a whole-of-service approach," using a real-time operations centre to move people and resources where they are needed most. He also reiterated that all officers must uphold the law on and off duty to maintain public trust, referring to a senior officer recently charged with impaired driving. "I've been very, very clear with everybody in our organization that we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour. It's a criminal offence, no matter the rank. You will be held to full account.

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7. Two arrested in Milton casino robbery, two guns seized

Source: CP24

Two men each face several charges and two guns were seized after a vehicle and a casino were broken into in Milton last month, Halton Regional Police said. On Sept. 2, two males broke into a parked vehicle in Milton and stole an unspecified amount of cash and other valuables, including a watch.

The next day, the same two suspects attended Elements Casino, near Guelph Line and Campbellville Road, and allegedly stole cash from a guest services till drawer, fleeing after being confronted by casino security. Following an investigation, a search warrant was executed at a residence in North York, leading to the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of two guns — a stolen Glock 17 handgun with three loaded magazines and a Norinco Type Rifle with two loaded magazines — plus a spring-assisted knife and items taken in the vehicle theft.

Iraklii Shariia, 38, and Davit Kukhilava, 47, both of North York, face numerous charges, including two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm and one count each of possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized, possession of a weapon obtained by a criminal offence, and theft over $5,000. The charges have not been proven in court, and both were held pending a bail hearing.

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8. OPP officer accused of accessing child pornography makes first appearance

Source: CP24

A longtime provincial police officer accused of accessing and possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials had his first court appearance addressed Thursday in Bradford. The court heard that Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Chris Weise has hired Barrie defence lawyer David Wilcox following his arrest in September. Weise, 54, is out on bail after being released from custody a day after his arrest; he lived in Alliston, where police confirmed he was charged after an investigation by the OPP's sexual exploitation and digital forensics units.

Police revealed last month that investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Alliston in June and seized several electronic devices; three months later Weise was charged with accessing and possessing the materials. Evidence heard during his bail hearing is protected by a publication ban, along with the identities of potential witnesses and complainants. Court documents obtained by CTV News show Weise is accused of accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials in November 2018 and is charged with possessing the materials in June of this year.

CTV News confirmed Weise was bailed out by a loved one who pledged $3,000. The OPP describes Weise as a team leader with the Underwater Search and Recovery Unit out of General Headquarters in Orillia; the service said he has been off work on a paid, unrelated leave. The matter is scheduled to return to a virtual Bradford courtroom early in the new year, and the allegations have not been tested in court.

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9. 'No excuse for this': B.C. Conservatives drop candidate over social media posts

Source: CP24

The B.C. Conservatives have dropped their candidate in a Vancouver Island riding over social media posts a B.C. NDP candidate called "horrific racism." Joachim Agou is running in the NDP stronghold of Victoria-Beacon Hill but has become the first candidate of the 2026 campaign to be disavowed by a party. CTV News caught up with Agou in the capital Thursday and asked about concerns raised over his presence on the X platform.

In a news release earlier in the day, the B.C. NDP alleged Agou's posts "attacked the Pakistani community as 'a s**thole,'" said a car that drove through a group of pro-Palestinian protesters "should have reversed" through them as well, and "celebrated white supremacist politicians." Agou's X account is no longer publicly accessible, so CTV News was unable to view the posts. NDP candidate Amna Shah shared screenshots of some of them while calling for his removal.

Asked about the posts at an unrelated news conference, interim B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson said he was unaware of their contents but would be "looking into these allegations" immediately, and he confirmed Agou had been expelled from the party shortly after. "There is no excuse for this. I will not tolerate it. The candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill is no longer a Conservative candidate. If elected, he will not serve in the caucus," Doerkson said. Hamish Telford, an associate professor of political science at the University of the Fraser Valley, said parting ways with Agou was wise, calling it "an expedient move" because the candidate "stood no chance of winning.

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10. How Hurricane Isaias could impact Canadian weather over Thanksgiving weekend

Source: CP24

Canadians should expect colder temperatures heading into Thanksgiving with Hurricane Isaias looming. The Category 2 hurricane formed in the Gulf of Mexico, which CTV Your Morning meteorologist Michelle Jobin said could affect weather patterns throughout Canada. With wind speeds of 130 km/h, Isaias will move north from the Gulf on Thursday and could become the first Atlantic hurricane of the season; Jobin said it may make landfall Friday night or Saturday morning at the Florida panhandle, with rain in some cases exceeding 177 millimetres and storm surges over two metres.

The Associated Press reported the storm is on track to be one of the biggest recorded in more than a century. It was centred about 410 kilometres northwest of Progresso, Mexico, on Wednesday morning with winds of about 80 km/h. As Isaias moves north from the U.S. Gulf Coast, Jobin said Newfoundland and Labrador and the Maritimes can expect temperatures to dip, with strong winds headed to the Atlantic region and rain on track for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and western Newfoundland; Labrador and eastern Newfoundland will likely see rain on Friday.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Fredericton has a 60 per cent chance of rain on Friday and Monday night, as does Halifax, while St. John's can expect rain and fog from Friday to Monday except Sunday, which will be dry. Jobin said southern Ontario could feel the impact as the Thanksgiving weekend starts, with rain and cloud cover possibly reaching areas around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and Ontario and Quebec can expect thunderstorms and cooler temperatures before Friday. Toronto has a 30 per cent chance of rain Sunday night. The Prairies and B.C. can expect a cold start, with temperatures plummeting Friday night into Saturday and potential snow that could affect travel; ECCC forecasts rain or snow and winds around 30 km/h Friday and Saturday near Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie and much of southern Alberta, while B.C. can expect temperatures between nine and 15 C on Saturday.

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