Maple Express Noon | August 21, 2026 Canada-U.S. trade talks enter final stretch as tariff deadline looms

1. Canada-U.S. trade talks enter final stretch as Trump's 50% tariff deadline looms

Source: CP24

Canada's Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and his U.S. counterpart Jamieson Greer met in Washington on Friday morning, less than 24 hours before Trump's 50 per cent tariff deadline expires at midnight Saturday. On Thursday, LeBlanc told reporters in Washington the two sides are "very close" to an agreement, following a meeting with Greer that lasted more than three hours. Multiple sources say there will be reductions in aluminum, steel and auto tariffs, but questions linger on softwood lumber and agriculture. Prime Minister Mark Carney had asked all premiers to bring U.S. booze back to shelves, and all provinces have agreed.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a press conference in Kitchener, Ont. on Friday, calling on Carney not to "take a bad deal," saying "Mr. Carney, keep your promise. Fight for Canada." Asked whether Canada should agree to reduced steel and aluminum tariffs, Poilievre said "no, absolutely not," calling one-sided tariffs on Canadian industry "a bad deal." The same day, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss transnational fraudulent activity including scam centres, Arctic foreign policy and NATO investments.

The S&P/TSX composite was up 0.88 per cent in Friday morning trading. U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, in audio from a Wednesday fundraiser, mocked Carney for trying to "out-tough" Trump in negotiations, while former U.S. ambassador to Canada Gordon D. Giffen called Vance's comments "childish" and "flippant."

Original article

2. Highway 403 reopens after deadly crash in Oakville

Source: CP24

The Ontario Provincial Police say a section of Highway 403 has reopened in Oakville after a crash left one person dead. Emergency crews were called to the westbound lanes near Dundas Street East Thursday night for a two-vehicle collision. Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said police had received reports before the crash of a vehicle that had broken down in a live lane of traffic, and "before any emergency response could attend, the vehicle was struck by an approaching tractor trailer."

The 78-year-old female driver of the SUV was pronounced deceased at the scene. The 67-year-old passenger was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the driver of the tractor trailer was not injured. Schmidt said the highway was closed for several hours but reopened some time after 4 a.m. The investigation is ongoing.

Original article

3. Massive Russian cargo plane to remain grounded at Toronto's Pearson airport

Source: CP24

A federal judge has ruled that a Russian cargo jet — one of the biggest planes in the world — has not been cleared for takeoff and will remain parked at Toronto Pearson International Airport for the foreseeable future. In a federal court ruling issued earlier in August, Justice Ann Marie McDonald weighed an appeal by Volga Dnepr Airlines (VDA), the owner of the Antonov AN-124, to remove sanctions imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that led to its seizure 16 months later.

The plane arrived in Toronto in February of that year with a delivery of COVID-19 tests and had planned to leave shortly after, but that flight was cancelled when the federal government closed its airspace to Russian aircraft operators. Ottawa officially seized the plane in June 2023 over the owners' "complicity in President Putin's war of choice." VDA denied involvement in the invasion, claiming to be a "peaceful carrier," but Canada's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later determined the company "benefited" from contracts and subsidies from the Russian government. In dismissing the judicial review application, McDonald said VDA had not demonstrated the decision was unreasonable or lacked procedural fairness. Ottawa has previously said it plans to redistribute the aircraft to Ukraine.

Original article

4. Toronto police looking for suspect following alleged assault at downtown nightclub

Source: CP24

Toronto police are seeking a suspect who allegedly assaulted someone at a downtown nightclub in June. In a news release issued Friday, investigators said the suspect and victim were inside an unnamed establishment near King Street West and Spadina Avenue just before 1 a.m. on June 21, where a verbal altercation took place and the suspect assaulted the victim. The victim was left with non-life-threatening injuries, and the suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival.

Police described the suspect as a 20 to 25-year-old male, approximately five-foot-eight, with a thin build and brown hair, last seen wearing a polo shirt and a backwards baseball hat. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact police at 416-808-1400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

Original article

5. Former city councillor Fragedakis joins the race in Toronto-Danforth

Source: CP24

Former Toronto city councillor Mary Fragedakis has confirmed she will run in Toronto-Danforth, hours ahead of the deadline for municipal election candidates to submit their nomination papers. Fragedakis represented the ward for eight years but lost to Paula Fletcher in the 2018 election after the Ford government cut the number of council seats nearly in half, merging two smaller wards.

Fletcher had filed nomination papers to seek re-election on Monday but changed her mind two days later and announced her retirement, later endorsing TDSB trustee Sara Ehrhardt to succeed her. Fragedakis, who has served as executive director of the GreekTown on the Danforth BIA since 2019, filed her nomination papers at Toronto City Hall at around 11 a.m. She said she believes she is "in a better place eight years later" to bring "something different" to city hall. There are currently eight candidates registered in Toronto-Danforth, one of several wards without an incumbent. Candidates for mayor, city councillor or school trustee have until 2 p.m. to file their nomination papers.

Original article

6. How far can $50 take you at the 2026 CNE in Toronto?

Source: CP24

The 147th annual Canadian National Exhibition is underway, and CP24 took a closer look at how far $50 can go. Admission varies by age and whether you buy in advance or at the park: a single pass costs between $22.12 and $26.55, while unlimited ride access ranges from $51.66 to $75.22 — automatically over budget. A family of four can save with the family pass at $84.07, and children four and under enter free. There are also $13 nights from Aug. 24 to 27 and Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, and children 13 and younger get in for a toonie on Aug. 24 and Aug. 31.

Rides cost coupons: $30 buys 58 coupons, good for at most about seven rides. For food, the budget-friendly classic is the $1.99 Primo Spaghetti in the food building, while adventurous eaters can try the Funnel Cake Fire and Mango Tango donuts at Marry Me Mochi for about $6 each, a dot cake push pop at Legend Dairy for about $8.60, an $8 sushi pop at HK Station, or a deep-fried slice of pizza at Pizza Pizza for $11.11 to $13.11. For drinks, a snack size KD Smoothie at Booster Juice costs $6.69 and a regular sweetcorn wasabi lemonade at Alijandro's Kitchen costs $7.50. But pricier new items — the popcorn falafel poutine ($22), Lobster on a Stick ($23.90) and Strawberry Toast Crunch Funnel Cake ($31) — may push solo visitors over budget.

Original article

7. Toronto Zoo reveals name of endangered pygmy hippo calf

Source: CP24

The Toronto Zoo revealed Friday that its newest addition — the only pygmy hippo calf in Canada — is named Maple, a little over two weeks after she was born at the east-end attraction. Maple arrived to parents Kindia and Harvey on Aug. 2 after 1.5 hours of active labour. The zoo says Maple's weight has tripled since birth, now roughly 23 pounds. "She may be tiny, but her personality is definitely starting to show," the zoo said in a news release, adding she loves staying close to mom, is still nursing exclusively while starting to grow teeth, and "is becoming more curious and adventurous by the day."

Maple is not currently viewable to zoo guests. Indigenous to West Africa, pygmy hippos are listed as endangered, with only about 2,000 to 3,000 believed to remain in the wild. The calf was conceived in January, when 31-year-old Harvey was introduced to 20-year-old Kindia. Maple is Kindia's third calf.

Original article

8. Port Hope's radioactive past fuels pushback against proposed nuclear reactor

Source: CP24

Earlier this year, the Ontario government announced plans to build what could become one of the world's largest nuclear power plants in a picturesque community of roughly 18,000 people. Energy Minister Stephen Lecce hailed the project as "another positive step" toward a secure energy future, and the local mayor said it would usher in a "stronger and more resilient future." But the news shocked a generation of residents old enough to have lived through the community's fraught history with the nuclear industry.

Faye More, a 75-year-old resident rallying opposition, said she was "outraged" by the announcement, with elected officials lined up "as if this was good news." Port Hope's nuclear history dates back to the 1930s, when the Eldorado mining company opened a radium refinery that later began refining uranium, supplying the U.S. military during the Second World War, including the Manhattan Project. Over decades, the plant dumped contaminated soil, rocks and building materials across the town, used mainly as backfill but also in parks, roads, schools and homes. In 2001, the federal government signed an agreement with Port Hope and nearby Clarington committing to clean up the historic low-level radioactive waste.

Ontario Power Generation, the provincially owned company behind the new project, says today's nuclear industry operates under one of the world's most rigorous regulatory frameworks. OPG says the plant would support more than 10,500 jobs and contribute about $235 billion to Ontario's GDP over its lifespan, with up to 10,000 megawatts of generating capacity — which would make it the world's largest nuclear power station, compared to Bruce Power's eight reactors at about 6,500 megawatts. OPG hopes to receive licences in the 2030s and begin operating in the 2040s. Mayor Olena Hankivsky stressed the ongoing cleanup and the proposed Wesleyville site are separate initiatives. But More says the community is being "treated like (it's) expendable": "The people here have been exploited and they have borne the price of this and we say no more."

Original article

9. Canadian retail sales up 0.6 per cent in June

Source: CP24

Statistics Canada reported Friday that retail sales rose 0.6 per cent to $74.3 billion in June, boosted by sales at general merchandise retailers. Sales were up in seven of nine subsectors, including a 2.7 per cent increase at general merchandise stores and a 3.1 per cent gain at clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, jewelry, luggage and leather goods retailers. Core retail sales, which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers, gained 1.2 per cent, and in volume terms retail sales increased 1.5 per cent in June.

However, the agency's preliminary estimate for July pointed to a drop of 0.8 per cent, though it cautioned the figure would be revised.

Original article

10. Montreal to provide police with body cameras and new powers

Source: CP24

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced Friday that police in the city will soon be equipped with body cameras as well as new powers to do their job. The city plans to adopt a rule banning insults toward city employees, including police; if adopted, the bylaw would give police new powers to issue fines to anyone who insults them or another municipal employee. Martinez Ferrada made the announcement alongside the city's police chief and the head of the police brotherhood.

The mayor said the goal of the bylaw is not to prevent criticism but to protect city employees from abuse. Jim Beis, responsible for public security at the city's executive committee, said the city will also review police stop practices. Martinez Ferrada's administration earmarked $40 million for police cameras in its first budget. The announcement comes a few months after a scandal erupted at a police station in a multicultural neighbourhood, where police dismantled a 16-member patrol unit following allegations of criminal behaviour and misconduct.

Original article