Maple Express | September 4, 2026 Severe thunderstorms wreak havoc in Toronto, GTA

1. Severe thunderstorms wreak havoc in Toronto, GTA

Source: CP24

Severe thunderstorms battered Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area on Wednesday night, bringing heavy rain, golf ball-sized hail and destructive winds that caused widespread flooding, large power outages, and downed trees and wires.

The storm quickly flooded major roads, and several drivers had to be rescued from their submerged vehicles. Destructive winds downed power lines and trees and blew roofs off several buildings. Emergency alerts were sent to phones and broadcast on TV and radio, advising residents to seek shelter indoors.

Toronto police said the Don Valley Parkway was closed in both directions due to flooding, and the eastbound Gardiner Expressway was closed at Jarvis Street. According to Toronto Hydro, about 65,000 customers were without power at the peak, and crews are working to restore service.

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2. Progressive Conservatives, NDP hold on to their seats in Ontario byelections

Source: CP24

The Progressive Conservatives and the New Democrats held on to their seats in three Ontario byelections Thursday, leaving little changed at Queen's Park.

PC candidate Jeff Beattie, a longtime Hamilton city councillor, won Hamilton East–Stoney Creek with nearly 39 per cent of the vote over NDP candidate Monique Taylor's 33 per cent. Conservative Susan Lahey won York–Simcoe with 49.8 per cent, taking over the seat of former Treasury Board president Caroline Mulroney, who resigned in June.

In Scarborough Southwest, NDP candidate Fatima Shaban won with more than 40 per cent of the vote. According to Elections Ontario's unofficial results, voter turnout across all three races was just over 25 per cent.

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3. Bank of Canada unveils new $20 bill featuring King Charles

Source: CP24

The Bank of Canada has unveiled a new version of the $20 bill, set to enter circulation in February 2027. Unlike previous horizontal designs, the new bill is vertical.

It is the first banknote in Canada to feature King Charles III, replacing the portrait of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose face has graced 18 different banknotes since 1935. The other side of the bill features the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.

The updated polymer banknote has advanced security features and 3D design. It also features four plants with cultural significance to Indigenous peoples, including wild strawberries, western red cedar, braided sweetgrass and Arctic cotton.

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4. Rogers Stadium suffers 'significant damage' after powerful Toronto storm

Source: CP24

Toronto's Rogers Stadium sustained "significant damage" during Wednesday's powerful thunderstorms, with helicopter video showing rows of bleacher seats tangled and destroyed and debris scattered across the venue.

In an email Thursday, the venue said no employees or on-site contractors were injured, but staff are "assessing the extent of the damage." Officials wrote that the stadium sustained significant damage as a result of yesterday's extreme weather.

The wreckage comes less than two weeks before AC/DC is scheduled to perform there on Sept. 16, and it remains unclear whether the concert will be affected. The venue has a maximum capacity of 50,000 people.

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5. Cleanup underway in Toronto after storm led to thousands of calls for service

Source: CP24

Cleanup is underway across Toronto a day after severe thunderstorms caused widespread damage. Many residents woke up without power, with streets blocked by trees and power lines downed by high winds, and others dealing with flooded basements.

Toronto officials described the weather event as a "100-year storm" that saw emergency crews respond to thousands of calls for service. Toronto Fire Services performed elevator and high-angle rescues and evacuated people from partially collapsed buildings. Some parts of the city received 100 to 110 millimetres of rain.

The Don Valley Parkway fully reopened Thursday morning. As of 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Toronto Hydro said about 5,700 customers remained without power. The Toronto Wildlife Centre said one of its outdoor aviaries was destroyed and five recovering pigeons escaped.

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6. Ontario court denies Toronto woman's motion to apply for MAID for mental illness

Source: CP24

An Ontario judge has denied a motion that would have allowed a woman who suffers solely from mental illness to apply for a medically assisted death, while ordering the federal attorney general to respond to a constitutional challenge launched by the same plaintiff two years ago.

Claire Brosseau, a 49-year-old former actress and comedian who lives in Toronto, filed a motion in May seeking a constitutional exemption from a law that prevents people from applying for MAID on the basis of mental illness alone. Justice Carissima Mathen said that while Brosseau's evidence of decades of suffering is credible, the consequences of granting an exemption cannot be overlooked.

Brosseau said in a statement Thursday that the decision forces her to continue suffering. The judge ordered the federal attorney general and Brosseau to schedule next steps for the Charter challenge within 14 days.

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7. Ontario man buys World Cup tickets through promoter. He says he's one of dozens waiting for refunds

Source: CP24

Carlos Da Silva of Vaughan was already on his way to Toronto Stadium to watch a World Cup match with his son when he received a text telling him to turn around — his tickets would not be coming through.

Da Silva said he bought four tickets through Balance Promotions Inc. for the Canada v. Bosnia and Herzegovina game, paying $5,250 by e-transfer, roughly $1,310 per seat. Instead of watching the match in the stands, they watched from inside a restaurant.

The World Cup is long over, and Da Silva is still waiting for his money back. He says he is not alone, having joined a WhatsApp group of around 30 others in a similar situation, with losses totalling more than $100,000. Halton Regional Police confirmed a report was filed and its Financial Crimes Unit is investigating 11 complaints.

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8. Ontario fines SeatGeek $25,000 under ticket resale law

Source: CP24

Ontario has fined ticket resale platform SeatGeek Canada $25,000, potentially the first such fine against a reselling platform under the province's anti-scalping law.

The province's consumer-beware website states SeatGeek was fined $25,000 in late August, including $10,000 for allegedly selling a ticket above face value, $5,000 for failing to disclose the original purchase price, and another $10,000 for facilitating a transaction without proof of the original price.

A spokesperson for the minister of public and business service delivery said all ticket sellers in Ontario must comply with legislation prohibiting resale above face value, and violators could face fines of up to $250,000 and be posted publicly.

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9. Muskoka chair maker's tariff woes highlight challenges for mom-and-pop manufacturers

Source: CP24

A Canadian Muskoka chair maker hit hard by U.S. tariffs is considering moving the bulk of its manufacturing to the United States.

DFC Woodworks Inc. has been making outdoor wooden patio furniture, including Muskoka chairs, since 1955. The Kemptville, Ont., company exports about 70 per cent of its furniture to the United States, but those goods are now subject to a steep 50 per cent U.S. duty.

President François Bruneau says the family-run business is saddled with a hefty tariff bill and faces a decision over whether to keep absorbing the costs, raise prices and risk U.S. sales falling to zero, or move the majority of its manufacturing south of the border.

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10. Air Canada targets global growth with new routes, while U.S. travel demand still sags

Source: CP24

Air Canada has embarked on a major overseas expansion, announcing seven new routes in Europe and Asia for next summer.

Chief commercial officer Mark Galardo says the move signals a push to become a fully international carrier, drawing more on higher-margin globetrotters. The new routes include five foreign cities such as Guangzhou, Oslo and Dubrovnik.

The build-out comes as the airline navigates fuel costs, a prolonged plunge in Canadian demand for U.S. travel, and the closure of Russian airspace to Western airlines. Statistics Canada data shows Canadians' return trips by air from the United States were 27 per cent fewer in July than two years earlier.

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