Maple Express | September 2, 2026 Toronto storms trigger flooding, close Hwy 404 ramp in Markham

1. Toronto storms trigger flooding, close Hwy 404 ramp in Markham

Source: CP24

Environment Canada warned Wednesday afternoon that dangerous thunderstorms rolling through southern Ontario could produce multiple tornadoes. The federal agency issued an orange-level severe thunderstorm watch, forecasting damaging wind gusts over 110 km/h, up to 50 millimetres of rain, and quarter- to ping-pong-sized hail.

Heavy rain caused flooding on the Highway 404 southbound on-ramp near Steeles Avenue in Markham, where a vehicle became stuck and the ramp was closed. Ontario Provincial Police urged drivers to slow down and use caution, while Toronto Pearson advised passengers to check their flight status.

The City of Toronto activated its emergency operations centre, with Mayor Olivia Chow saying city divisions and agencies were working together to keep residents safe. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority issued a flood watch, noting some watersheds had already seen as much as 59 mm of rain.

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2. Bank of Canada holds key rate at 2.25% for seventh straight time

Source: CP24

The Bank of Canada held its key interest rate steady at 2.25 per cent on Wednesday for a seventh consecutive decision, a move widely expected by economists. Governor Tiff Macklem said the re-escalating trade war with the United States is not the only risk policymakers are watching.

Macklem noted that inflation hit three per cent in July, a full percentage point above the bank's two per cent target. New U.S. tariffs took effect on Aug. 22, with Canada planning retaliatory tariffs on Sept. 8, and global oil prices remain high amid the Middle East conflict.

Macklem said the new duties would weigh on fourth-quarter growth and hit targeted sectors hard, but he does not foresee a "large direct impact" on the wider economy. The next rate announcement is set for Oct. 28. RBC chief economist Frances Donald said Macklem was prioritizing multiple risks, with five-year bond yields hitting a two-year high.

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3. Peel and York regions confirm first human West Nile cases of the year

Source: CP24

Health officials in Peel and York regions confirmed Wednesday the first human cases of West Nile virus in 2026. York Region said its case was recorded in Vaughan, adding that a few human cases each year around this time are not unusual.

Peel did not say where the virus was contracted but reminded residents to guard against mosquito bites even into the fall. Peel reported its first West Nile-positive mosquitoes on July 27 and has been monitoring activity across Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon. Toronto Public Health also reported a positive human case in July; last year the city had 26 cases, and 14 in 2024.

Symptoms usually appear two to 14 days after a bite and include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, body aches, rash, swollen lymph glands and a stiff neck. Officials advise using repellents containing DEET or icaridin outdoors, and mosquito nets for infants under six months.

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4. 74-year-old man charged in attempted child abduction in Caledon

Source: CP24

Ontario Provincial Police said Wednesday that a 74-year-old man has been arrested and charged with abduction of a person under 14 in connection with an attempted child abduction in Caledon.

Police said officers responded to the area of Dotchson Avenue and Sparrowbrook Street at 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, where a man approached a group of children and tried to persuade them to get into his vehicle. The children refused and the man drove away.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are urging parents and guardians to speak with their children. The accused was not named; police describe him as South Asian and driving a white Honda Civic with extensive front-end damage.

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5. Pedestrian seriously injured after being struck by cyclist in Toronto's west end

Source: CP24

A pedestrian was struck by a cyclist in Toronto's west end Wednesday afternoon, shortly after 2:30 p.m., at Bloor Street West and Montrose Avenue.

Toronto paramedics said the female pedestrian was taken to a trauma centre with serious, possibly life-threatening injuries. Police said all parties remained at the scene and the incident is under investigation.

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6. Downtown Toronto Chinese restaurant serves $8,888 goose during TIFF

Source: CP24

Lai Wah Heen, a Chinese restaurant in downtown Toronto, is serving a luxurious dish called "The Treasure of Fortune" during the Toronto International Film Festival, priced at $8,888.

The five-course meal centres on a Supreme Eight-Treasure Gourd-Shaped Goose on a bed of Italian white truffle, stuffed with eight rare ingredients including wild Yunnan black tiger paw mushroom, Tianshan snow lotus seed, Tibetan cordyceps, Japanese Yoshiama dried abalone, aged fish maw, Galapagos sea cucumber and imperial scallop, plus a 500-gram tin of caviar.

The meal requires three days' notice and can be paired with a 1989 Chateau Margaux for an additional $3,888 a bottle, with only two bottles available. Executive chef Heyden Sin said the dish draws inspiration from Guangdong pigeon, Eight-Treasure Duck and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. The restaurant is located in the Double Tree hotel on Chestnut Street.

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7. Suspect arrested in Burlington hit-and-run that left woman dead

Source: CP24

Police announced Wednesday that a driver who allegedly fled after striking and killing a pedestrian in Burlington last week has been arrested. William McArthur, a 61-year-old Hamilton resident, is charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident involving death.

Emergency crews were called to an area near Richmond Road and Maple Avenue, north of the Burlington Bay Skyway, at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. A woman was pronounced deceased and has not been identified.

Police had released images of the vehicle to locate the driver. McArthur was released from custody pending his next court appearance on Nov. 25.

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8. Ontario teachers return to class without new contracts

Source: CP24

Ontario teachers and education workers are heading into the new school year without new contracts, raising the possibility of labour action if bargaining fails. The collective agreements covering the province's major education unions expired on Aug. 31.

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association launched a campaign Wednesday at Union Station, with president René Jansen in de Wal highlighting concerns about education funding, classroom conditions and government policy.

The impasse centres on the scope of bargaining, with some unions taking the issue to the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Jansen in de Wal stressed that an expired contract does not mean an automatic strike, noting 98 per cent of disputes are settled without one. The province says it is providing $30.6 billion in core education funding for 2026-27 and a $750 Classroom Supplies Fund, while Education Minister Paul Calandra said he remains "very optimistic" about reaching deals.

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9. Federal government extends gas tax holiday into the new year

Source: CP24

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced Wednesday in Ottawa that the federal government is extending its temporary pause on the federal fuel excise tax on gas and diesel into the new year, calling it "real relief right now."

The pause will run until Jan. 31, 2027, with 50 per cent of the tax returning on Feb. 1, 2027, and the full tax by April 1. First announced in April, the suspension reduces regular gas by about 10 cents a litre and diesel by four cents. According to CAA, the average cost of regular gas was 172.9 cents a litre Wednesday morning.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the extension "modest" and repeated calls to remove the GST on fuel, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford wants the suspension made permanent. NDP Leader Avi Lewis instead urged a windfall tax on oil companies. The government estimates the extension will cost another $2.9 billion in lost revenue.

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10. U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick targets Ontario in '51st state' remarks

Source: CP24

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick again accused Canada's prime minister of trying to "blow up" a deal with the United States for political leverage in a CNBC interview Wednesday.

Lutnick called Canada the worst-performing OECD nation and said Ontario, "with the great city of Toronto, would be last out of our 51st states." He also referenced a Quebec "sovereign party vote" on Oct. 5, which is in fact the province's general election with no sovereignty question on the ballot. On the Alberta referendum, Premier Danielle Smith has said she plans to vote to stay in Canada.

Lutnick's remarks came a day after Prime Minister Mark Carney urged the Trump administration to "start being serious" about negotiations. Experts say the provocative posts are part of the president's plan to distract voters, with former Harper communications director Andrew MacDougall saying Canada has become an easy target.

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