Maple Express | Oct. 25, 2026: Chow and Bradford make final pitch on eve of Toronto mayoral vote

1. Chow and Bradford make final pitch on eve of Toronto mayoral vote

Source: CP24

Toronto voters head to the polls Monday, and the two frontrunners, Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford, spent Sunday making their final pitches at separate news conferences. At Polson Street, Chow restated her commitments: building more affordable homes, a weekly fare cap on the TTC, free school lunches, property tax breaks for local grocers and a crackdown on bad landlords through an expanded RentSafe Enforcement program.

"The race is neck and neck. Your vote will decide it," Chow told reporters, urging Torontonians who believe the city takes care of its people to vote for the city she believes in. Bradford ended a seven-day tour of 25 wards in Toronto-St.Paul's, appearing with his family and MPP Stephanie Smyth, and renewed pledges to freeze property taxes in his first year, cut water bills by 25 per cent, improve transit reliability, end slow zones and make the city feel safer.

A poll conducted exclusively for CP24 and CTV News Toronto put Chow at 49.8 per cent among decided voters and Bradford at 46.6 per cent — roughly three percentage points apart, within a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, making it an effective statistical tie. Voting opens at 10 a.m. on Oct. 26 and closes at 8 p.m.

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2. Top Trump adviser says a trade deal with Canada is 'very close'

Source: CP24

Canada and the United States are "very close" to a trade deal, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Sunday on Fox News Sunday. He said U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had been speaking with his Canadian counterparts through last week and that negotiations have "picked up" and are "gathering steam."

Asked why Trump's tariff policy had not yet produced a deal, Hassett blamed "the Canadian election that just happened, including Alberta separating." Earlier this week, Albertans voted against holding a binding referendum on leaving Canada, which Hassett said made it "essentially impossible to negotiate with the Canadians." His remarks echoed Trump, who told reporters in Washington on Friday that he felt a deal was close and that his team holds "all the cards."

Later that day, the White House laid out a new slate of 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. Seaweed, packing boxes and some plywood sheets received exemptions, while cocoa powder, vinyl flooring and shampoos, among other goods, were added. The changes take effect at the end of the month alongside existing tariffs on metals, lumber and autos, while goods such as beer, liquors and motorcycles are banned outright. A statement from the office of Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the government will assess the latest measures and that Canada stands ready to work "constructively and in good faith towards a more mutually beneficial trading relationship."

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3. New tariffs threaten thousands of flooring jobs, industry warns

Source: CP24

Jean-François Dufresne, president and CEO of major Canadian hardwood flooring producer Preverco, says the new U.S. tariffs announced Friday by the Trump administration threaten to devastate the sector. "Overnight, we're losing 25 per cent of our business," he said, adding that the duties can neither be passed on nor absorbed. "So essentially, that business is gone overnight."

The products now affected include shampoos, soaps, certain paints, cocoa products, carpets and wood products that include flooring. Dufresne said jobs could be lost within weeks because producers like him have limited markets without the United States. He warned the damage would spread down the supply chain — from flooring to sawmills to the lumber workers harvesting timber — and that grocery stores, pharmacies and other businesses in the towns where those workers live would start to shut down because entire regions depend on the lumber industry.

William Pellerin, an international trade lawyer and former deputy director for North America trade with Global Affairs Canada, noted that $3.4 billion of products were added to the list and $3.4 billion removed, which "all comes out in the wash" economically, and said much of the change is being driven by Maine Sen. Susan Collins's re-election fight. Dufresne has written to federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne requesting a meeting and is urging Ottawa to impose a 100 per cent surtax on hardwood flooring imported from countries such as China, to take effect no later than Oct. 30, when the new U.S. tariffs kick in.

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4. Dump truck stuck in east-end Toronto sinkhole, no injuries

Source: CP24

A dump truck became stuck in a "significant" sinkhole in Toronto's Upper Beach neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon, and no injuries were reported. Toronto fire said crews were called at around 2:20 p.m. to the area of 193 Eastwood Rd., west of Woodbine Avenue between Gerrard Street East and Kingston Road.

Toronto fire said any risk to the public has been mitigated, with gas shut off at four homes and water at 10, and that water bottles and enough water to flush toilets were offered to each house. The service said "substantive" work is needed to cut through the concrete so the truck can be removed safely without damaging gas or water lines. Toronto Police, Toronto Works - Water and Enbridge Gas were also on scene.

Eastwood Road is closed from Bowmore to Bellhaven roads, and police are urging drivers to find alternate routes.

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5. Obama mocks Trump's trade war with Canada, says tariffs raise prices

Source: CP24

Former U.S. president Barack Obama turned Canada into the punchline of an attack on President Donald Trump's trade policies at a Democratic campaign rally in Detroit on Saturday, mocking tariffs against one of America's closest allies and warning they are pushing consumer prices higher. He sarcastically described Canada as a "well-known evil empire" before pointing out how unusual it is for Washington to be at odds with its northern neighbour.

Obama argued the tariffs work against Trump's promises to bring down prices, particularly in an auto industry that depends on parts moving across the Canada-U.S. border. Building a vehicle involves components sourced from multiple locations in both countries, he said, so tariffs raise costs throughout production rather than simply making imported goods more expensive. "He was warned," Obama said. "This will drive prices up. This does not lower prices."

Obama also mocked the deterioration in relations, citing Canada's proximity and cultural contributions: "These are the people who gave us Martin Short ... and maple syrup," he said, describing Canadians as among the nicest people. He suggested Trump's repeated threats to annex Canada as the 51st state, along with his trade measures, had fuelled Canadian anger toward Washington. The comments come as the dispute has hit steel, aluminum, lumber and automotive manufacturing, with Canada responding through counter-tariffs.

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6. Funeral held in Edmonton for Sgt. Morgan Wong

Source: CP24

A funeral service was held in Edmonton on Sunday for Sgt. Morgan Wong, one of four soldiers killed in a deadly fire at CFB Wainwright last weekend. Wong joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2017 and was deployed to Latvia from October 2024 to June 2025. According to his obituary, he was training in Wainwright in preparation for a second deployment in Europe.

"He was extremely proud and truly loved serving his country," the obituary reads. "It brought him so much joy and ultimately led to him meeting his beloved wife, Laura." Wong held a commerce degree as well as certificates in real estate and civil-military leadership. He worked at the Government of Alberta as a financial analyst and manager from 2023 to 2026, and was also a first responder with St. John Ambulance.

The 26-year-old is survived by his wife Laura, father Chek Ming, sister Megan, grandparents, aunts, uncles, extended family and friends. He is predeceased by his mother, Hong Kiaw Tan.

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7. B.C. NDP regrouping after defeat, Dix vows 'we'll be back'

Source: CP24

After nine years in power, the B.C. NDP lost this year's snap election to the B.C. Conservatives. Longtime MLA Adrian Dix told CTV News on election night, "We'll be back, you bet we'll be back," saying the party must reflect on the result and form a very strong opposition. The interview was published Sunday.

Dix led the party as official Opposition leader from 2011 to 2014, a tenure highlighted by the 2013 election loss, when the NDP won 34 seats to 49 for Christy Clark's B.C. Liberals. First elected as MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway in 2005, he has held the seat for seven straight terms and served as health minister from 2017 to 2024, becoming familiar to British Columbians during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was re-elected alongside former cabinet colleagues including Mike Farnworth, Jennifer Whiteside and Niki Sharma.

Premier David Eby was re-elected in Vancouver-Point Grey but stepped down as leader after the resounding loss. Asked whether he would consider taking the role on an interim basis, Dix said colleagues will make those decisions in the coming days and that he is in one sense uniquely qualified, having been a leader who lost a general election and knowing the burden of responsibility for candidates, people and issues. He said calling the snap election "was a mistake" because it overwhelmed the campaign and did not allow other issues to break through, adding that the premier took responsibility on election night and that the Conservatives, with 48 per cent of the vote, have a mandate to govern while the NDP has a mandate to hold them to account.

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8. Machado returns to Venezuela after months in exile

Source: CP24

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado reappeared in Venezuela on Sunday for the first time since December, returning from exile at a time when doubts about the country's democratic future — and the role of the U.S. — are growing. She announced her arrival on social media, writing, "I am here. With you." Fellow opposition figure Edmundo González confirmed on X that she had arrived and said he would be at her side "very soon."

On Sunday afternoon, Machado strode into a church in Lara state, west of Caracas, to applause from dozens gathered there as they shook her hand, hugged her and held cellphones aloft. "María! María!" one person cried, while another shouted, "Welcome to Venezuela!" and a man yelled, "Long live freedom, damn it!" One woman wiped away tears and called it "a miracle," and the crowd chanted "Freedom!"

Her return comes as questions deepen over Venezuela's democratic future: the U.S. military deposed then-president Nicolás Maduro in January, replacing him with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro ally who received the Trump administration's blessing. Rodríguez was initially supposed to serve only 90 days but has remained in office with no election scheduled. Machado had repeatedly vowed to return, and her party says she made seven unsuccessful attempts. Asked about her return on Sunday, Trump said, "I don't know anything about it, but I think she's a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize. So how can I say anything else? And I hope she's safe."

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9. Brazil votes in Lula vs. Flávio Bolsonaro runoff

Source: CP24

Brazilians voted Sunday in a polarizing presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, a contest that will determine whether the U.S. significantly expands its influence in Latin America. Polls showed the two candidates, who need more than 50 per cent of the vote to become Brazil's next leader in January, in a neck-and-neck race.

Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and the son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round earlier this month, though more than 33 million of nearly 160 million voters did not turn out. Lula, who first governed from 2003 to 2010, has faced a tough re-election battle over the cost of living and security, while Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs. Bolsonaro's admission that he accepted about US$12 million from disgraced former banker Daniel Vorcaro to produce a film on his father's life has cast a shadow over his campaign, and he is under investigation for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

In Bahia state, at least 75 public buses were prevented from leaving municipal garages during the vote, and a state electoral judge ordered the arrest of the mobility secretary of the capital, Salvador, Pablo Souza. "We will not be robbed by mayors, governors or businessmen," Lula told press. "These people need to respect democracy." Trump said Sunday that he is watching the election but declined to endorse a candidate. Voting is electronic and results are usually available within hours after polls close at 5 p.m. (2000 GMT) in Brasilia.

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10. 'Clayface' tops box office as 'You Can See Everything' surges

Source: CP24

DC Studios scored a modest, R-rated win with "Clayface," which landed a US$24 million opening weekend and first place, according to studio estimates Sunday. But the biggest success story in theatres remained A24's Elizabeth Holmes documentary "You Can See Everything," which pulled in US$19.5 million in its first weekend of wide release.

Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, "You Can See Everything" expanded from 855 locations to 2,655 and continued to blow away expectations, with US$45.1 million in two weeks, already ranking among the highest-grossing documentaries ever. The film has drawn waves of Gen Z moviegoers, and its awards season prospects are growing: if nominated for best picture at the Oscars, it would be the first documentary nominated for Hollywood's top prize.

"Clayface" narrowly edged the A24 release for first place in 3,458 theatres, a solid start given its US$44 million budget, and added US$19 million internationally. Last weekend's top film, the video game adaptation "Street Fighter," dropped 72 per cent to US$8.6 million in its second weekend. Laika's stop-motion "Wildwood" debuted third with US$11.8 million, while "Wicker," starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, launched with US$5.8 million in 1,471 theatres.

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