Maple Express | August 27, 2026 Hit-and-run in Toronto's west end leaves woman seriously injured

1. Woman in her 20s seriously injured in hit-and-run in Toronto's west end

Source: CP24

A woman in her 20s was seriously injured in a hit-and-run in Toronto's west end on Wednesday night. Toronto police said they were called shortly after 8:36 p.m. after a woman was struck by a vehicle near Lansdowne and Brandon Avenues, north of Dupont Street.

Paramedics told CP24 the woman was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver fled the scene.

Police say the vehicle, believed to be small and grey, may have a broken windshield. There is no word on its last known direction of travel.

2. Another sinkhole forms in Toronto's east end, road closures in effect

Source: CP24

Road crews are dealing with a large sinkhole that formed in Toronto's east end on Wednesday morning. Police received reports of the sinkhole in the area of Boultbee and Jones Avenues at 7:30 a.m.

Toronto Water's director of distribution and collection, Bill Shea, said a preliminary investigation found the sinkhole was caused by a watermain break, and city crews are now identifying the repairs required.

Jones Avenue is closed in both directions between Boultbee and Myrtle Avenues. This is the second large sinkhole in East York in two days — on Tuesday a vehicle became stuck in one in the Parkview Hills neighbourhood, also caused by a watermain break.

3. Family marks 10 years since Toronto woman's unsolved murder

Source: CP24

It has been exactly 10 years since a much-loved woman was fatally shot in broad daylight in east Toronto's Rivertowne neighbourhood. On Aug. 27, 2016, Peggy Ann Smith, 61, was struck by a stray bullet while sitting on the back porch of her daughter's home on Munro Street, and died at the scene.

Toronto police say the mother of three and grandmother of 13 was the innocent victim of a gang war between the former Don Mount Court and Regent Park communities. Her murder remains unsolved.

Her family is urging anyone with information to come forward. Det. Sgt. Steve Smith of the cold case unit says the case is among roughly 800 unsolved homicides in the city.

4. Ontario man receives towing bill for SUV he sold 15 years ago

Source: CP24

A Toronto man was shocked to receive a towing and storage bill of more than $1,000 for an SUV he sold 15 years ago, after the vehicle was never registered to the new owner. Mario Iamundo sold his 2002 Honda CRV in 2011 and received a $1,130 bill from Classic Towing and Storage in Etobicoke this summer.

The towing company's general manager, Kevin Araya, said it is more common than people realize for buyers not to transfer registration, and the company goes by the registered owner. Ontario's Ministry of Transportation says buyers must register within six days, and sellers can update a vehicle's status to "sold" at Service Ontario.

Under the Repair and Storage Liens Act, tow operators can seek payment from the registered owner. Iamundo reluctantly paid but believes more safeguards are needed.

5. Buy Canadian campaign may see resurgence amid trade war

Source: CP24

The escalation of the Canada-U.S. trade dispute has reignited interest in buying local. Retail analyst Bruce Winder told CP24 that Canadians will soon feel the impact of Canada's counter-tariffs, which take effect Sept. 8, 2026.

Tariffs will apply to $27.6 billion worth of U.S. imports, from cosmetics to kitchen appliances, ranging from 15 to 50 per cent. Winder says retailers cannot absorb a 50 per cent tariff and will have to raise some prices.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said Canadians will keep supporting local businesses. "We, as Canadians, are having a buy local, love local campaign," she said.

6. New York religious leader charged with sexual assault in Oshawa

Source: CP24

A Hindu priest from New York has been charged after police allege he sexually assaulted a woman during a religious ceremony in Oshawa. Durham Regional Police say officers were called Tuesday to the area of Harmony Road North and Conlin Road East.

Police allege the victim's family hired a priest, known as a pandit, who told the woman she was possessed by "evil spirits" and needed a private ceremony. She was allegedly assaulted during the ceremony.

Rajendranauth Doodnauth Maraj, 50, of Richmond Hill, N.Y., has been charged with sexual assault and was held for a bail hearing. Police believe there may be additional victims.

7. Police release image of vehicle in Thorncliffe Park shootings

Source: CP24

Shots were fired at a Thorncliffe Park apartment building early Wednesday morning, and investigators say the incident is linked to two other shootings in the area over the weekend. Police say a suspect or suspects fired at 43 Thorncliffe Park Dr. around 2:35 a.m., and no one was injured.

Hours later, police released an image of a vehicle described as a 2016 to 2020 Honda Civic with tinted windows and no front licence plate. It is also believed to be involved in two incidents early Sunday at 47 and 49 Thorncliffe Park Dr.

Coun. Rachel Chernos Lin, whose area is home to more than 25,000 people, says there will be increased police presence as the investigation continues.

8. Ontario youth mental health providers brace for return to school

Source: CP24

Ontario's youth mental health providers are bracing for September's typical spike in demand as students return to school. Dr. Katherine Matheson, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at CHEO, says increased time online and economic pressures are worsening mental health concerns for young people.

Demand for services co-ordinated by 1Call1Click has risen 69 per cent over four years, and the number of children under six seeking help doubled to more than 1,000 last year from 502 in 2024.

Kids Help Phone president Rebecca Shields expects a 10 per cent bump in demand when school starts and a recent 27 per cent overnight spike. She urges families to understand youth without judgment and connect them to resources.

9. Prairie provinces divided on U.S. tariff response

Source: CP24

Prairie premiers are divided over how to respond to U.S. tariffs. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his province will impose a 50 per cent tax on U.S. alcohol starting Sept. 8.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is urging federal officials to de-escalate tensions, calling the new U.S. tariffs "tragic, unjustified, and wholly unnecessary," and opposing export tariffs on oil and gas.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday it is "time to teach Canada you can't do this anymore," adding that the U.S. does not need anything from Canada.

10. Canadian warship to cross Arctic on historic sovereignty voyage

Source: CP24

A Canadian warship is heading to Greenland before making a historic journey across the Arctic through the Northwest Passage to its new home in British Columbia. HMCS Robert Hampton Gray left Halifax earlier this month and is expected to arrive in Esquimalt, B.C., in November.

The voyage marks only the third time a Royal Canadian Navy warship has completed a full transit of the Arctic, and the first undertaken specifically to relocate a ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific fleet. It is also the first navy ship to operate with a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter on board.

Commanding officer Cmdr. Brian Henwood says the patrols will focus on surveillance and sovereignty as the Arctic becomes increasingly accessible.