Maple Express Evening | Sept. 9, 2026: Poilievre heads to U.S. as Trump escalates retaliation against Canada

1. Poilievre heads to U.S. with PMO's blessing as Trump escalates retaliation against Canada

Source: CP24

Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne told reporters Wednesday that Canada has a "golden opportunity in front of us" as the trade war with the United States continues to escalate, adding that while Ottawa does not want a back-and-forth with Washington, it will "do what's right for Canada."

The executive orders signed by U.S. President Donald Trump will completely block the import of some Canadian goods, including motorcycles, certain dairy products and a wide range of alcoholic beverages, while adding new 50 per cent tariffs on items such as golf carts, desks and mattresses.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will head to New York Wednesday night to take part in ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Friday, a trip carried out with the blessing of the Prime Minister's Office. Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union, says Ottawa must be prepared to use "every economic lever at its disposal" to defend Canadian jobs.

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2. Canadian pump prices creep higher as Mideast fighting escalates

Source: CP24

International crude oil prices have surged above US$100 a barrel as fighting escalates again in the Strait of Hormuz, meaning Canadian drivers are unlikely to get their usual relief at the pump this time of year. Gas prices tend to ease after Labour Day, when refineries switch to cheaper winter fuels, but not this season.

Price-tracking website Gasbuddy.com says the national average for a litre of regular unleaded gasoline is almost $1.80, a jump of more than three cents from a day earlier. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Gasbuddy, says pump prices could creep as high as $1.85 a litre over the next week or two.

De Haan adds that diesel prices are also surging at a particularly bad time for farmers, who are in the middle of their fall harvest.

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3. Unions, employers split on government intervention in labour disputes

Source: CP24

The federal government says employers and unions are divided over how much power Ottawa should have to intervene in labour disputes. Employment and Social Development Canada released a report Wednesday summarizing what it heard from stakeholders over the spring and summer, which will inform future changes to the Canada Labour Code ahead of the fall session of Parliament.

The report said both employers and labour groups felt the existing collective bargaining system works well in the vast majority of cases, and that reforms should be targeted rather than sweeping. But participants said the framework is not well suited to highly complex disputes that can cause widespread economic disruption.

Most employers asked for stronger government powers to intervene when disputes in federally regulated industries threaten the national interest, arguing that work stoppages at major railways and ports can hurt Canada's reliability as a trading partner. Unions, meanwhile, opposed any measures that would curtail workers' right to strike, with both sides diverging sharply over the use of Section 107 of the labour code.

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4. Toronto could see heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 40 km/h today

Source: CP24

Toronto could see up to 20 millimetres of rain on Wednesday, exactly one week after a major storm caused widespread flooding across the city. Environment Canada says showers will begin later Wednesday morning, with between 10 and 20 millimetres of rainfall expected by the evening.

The weather agency says the system will bring winds of 20 km/h, with gusts up to 40 km/h. It won't pack the same punch as last week's storm, which brought more than 100 millimetres of rain to some parts of the GTA and caused an extended closure of the Don Valley Parkway.

CP24 meteorologist Bill Coulter said the Sept. 2 storm arrived "in waves from north to south," whereas this system is moving in from the west. Toronto won't surpass 24 C today but will feel closer to 32 with the humidity, with conditions clearing by Thursday and a high of 23 C.

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5. TIFF starts Thursday. Here's how it will impact TTC service

Source: CP24

Streetcar service will be disrupted as the Toronto International Film Festival returns to the city this week. The festival will close a portion of King Street West from Spadina to University avenues beginning at 5 a.m. Thursday, reopening by 5 a.m. Monday but closing again from 3 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14 and 15.

The TTC says streetcars on the 504A/304 King and 508 Lake Shore routes will be diverted, and 504B King streetcars will not run west of York Street. The affected lines will divert south on Church Street, west on Wellington Street, and north on York Street before heading back east to Broadview Station.

Streetcar services will not stop on King Street West between Spadina Avenue and York Street. TTC officials say staff will be positioned at key locations to help customers, and commuters may experience delays from Sept. 16 through 19 due to red carpet events.

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6. Randolph College ordered to 'cease operating as a career college' immediately

Source: CP24

The province has issued a restraining order against a performing arts school in Toronto, ordering it to "cease operating as a career college" immediately. According to the province, Randolph College offered an "unapproved vocational program" between Feb. 1, 2026 and Aug. 28, 2026, collecting tuition fees during that time. The 101-week program was offered at a cost of $13,710.

The order requires the institution to immediately stop all activities that constitute operating a career college, including recruiting or enrolling students, delivering programs and collecting fees. It must also provide the ministry with a complete list of students who paid for vocational training after Feb. 1, 2026.

The institution is responsible for refunding all students who paid for vocational training in whole or in part after Jan. 31, 2026, and must remove all advertising and promotional materials related to unapproved programs. At the time of publication, Randolph College's website was not operational.

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7. AC/DC show in jeopardy as Rogers Stadium damage report sent to city

Source: CP24

Toronto officials say the city has received an engineering report from the owners of Rogers Stadium assessing damage to the venue after last week's storm. The city did not share the report's findings but says it will continue working with the stadium owner throughout the process.

An unsafe building order was issued after major thunderstorms collapsed parts of the stadium's north grandstands. The order required Live Nation to submit an engineering report by Tuesday identifying the damage, remedial measures and a schedule for the required work.

The damage has put in jeopardy the venue's final show of the season next week, when rockers AC/DC are expected to play a sold-out concert. Live Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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8. OPP appeals for info, offers reward in 2001 death of woman in central Ontario

Source: CP24

Ontario Provincial Police are renewing their request for information on the death of Kathleen MacVicar, who disappeared 25 years ago in Trenton, Ont. MacVicar was 19 years old when she moved from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia in 2001, and was last seen leaving a friend's house on June 13, 2001 at about 10 p.m., walking toward CFB Trenton.

Police say her body was discovered two days later in a wooded area on the base near Curtis Road, with multiple stab wounds. The OPP Criminal Investigation Branch says it continues to actively pursue all leads, and on Wednesday released a new "Unsolved" video retracing MacVicar's last steps.

MacVicar's mother, Colleen, said in a statement that she has missed her daughter for 25 years. A $75,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction, and anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

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9. Bank CEOs maintain positive credit outlook despite Canada-U.S. trade war escalations

Source: CP24

Canadian bank CEOs say their credit outlooks are still generally positive despite escalating Canada-U.S. trade tensions, though they are taking some precautions. RBC president and CEO Dave McKay said Wednesday at the Scotiabank Financials Summit in Toronto that he is "a little cautious" due to the trade war escalation, but credit in the consumer and commercial segments is improving.

McKay said tariff-impacted sectors face significant uncertainty and the bank is maintaining a robust capital buffer. Scotiabank president and CEO Scott Thomson said he doesn't think tariffs will have a large effect on the lender's credit performance.

TD chief executive Raymond Chun said he sees resiliency on the credit front in both Canada and the U.S., though the bank has set aside $500 million in reserves for tariff-related uncertainties. BMO InvestorLine also announced Wednesday it is offering commission-free trading on all stocks and ETFs, becoming the first direct investing brokerage owned by one of Canada's big banks to do so.

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10. Canadian anthem to be performed at Buffalo Bills home opener amid trade war tensions

Source: CP24

The Buffalo Bills have announced that the Canadian anthem will be performed before the team's home opener later this month. The Bills revealed the decision in an Instagram post Wednesday, noting it will be the first time in franchise history that both the Canadian and American anthems are performed before a home game.

The move comes amid a trade war with the U.S. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders effectively banning the import of a number of Canadian products, including alcoholic beverages, motorcycles and dairy products.

The Bills' home opener at the newly constructed Highmark Stadium is scheduled for Sept. 17. The Barenaked Ladies will perform O Canada, while Auli'i Cravalho, the voice actress of Moana, will perform The Star-Spangled Banner.

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