Maple Express | August 20, 2026 - Trump Claims Tentative Canada-U.S. Deal Reached

Source: CP24

1. Trump Claims Tentative Canada-U.S. Deal Has Been Reached

U.S. President Donald Trump says Canada and the United States have reached a tentative agreement on a new trade deal, describing it as "hopefully a wonderful deal for everybody." He also said he has "a very nice relationship with leadership" on the Canadian side. The remarks were featured in a CP24 video report published Thursday morning.

The same report noted that Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked provincial premiers to put U.S. liquor back on store shelves. The deal has not yet been finalized, and discussions continue.

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2. PM Asks Premiers to Put U.S. Booze Back on Shelves

Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked provincial premiers to restock American liquor ahead of the finalization of the tentative Canada-U.S. deal. CTV News reporter Scott Hurst examined the move in a report Thursday morning.

The report explored whether Canadians would still purchase American liquor if premiers decide to bring U.S. booze back on the shelf. No final decision has been made by the provinces, and details of the agreement are still being worked out.

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3. Trade Minister LeBlanc Heads Back to Washington for Talks

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is heading back to Washington on Thursday for more talks, after U.S. President Donald Trump decided to delay his new tariffs until later this week. A statement from LeBlanc's office says the minister and Chief Negotiator Janice Charette will meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at 12:15 p.m. ET at the United States Trade Representative's offices.

Canada and the U.S. now have until Saturday to reach a deal before Trump imposes 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. In a Truth Social post Tuesday night, Trump said he would delay the tariffs for three days, announced that the two countries have reached a tentative deal, and added that the Keystone XL pipeline "may be awoken from the grave."

Prime Minister Mark Carney's statement released Wednesday did not mention a deal or a pipeline, but said "substantial progress has been made." Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer said Thursday he is "cautiously optimistic" but "worried" about what Carney may be giving up to avoid the 50 per cent tariffs, adding "it sounds like Canada has given up."

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4. Vaughan Soccer Coach Charged with Sexually Assaulting Youth Student

York Regional Police said Thursday that a 23-year-old soccer coach has been charged with sexually assaulting one of his students during a private coaching session, and investigators believe there may be additional victims.

Police said a youth student was receiving a one-on-one soccer lesson on Aug. 18 from a coach in the area of Milano Avenue and Martin Grove Road, east of Highway 427, when the victim — whose age was not released — was sexually assaulted. Toronto resident Zachary Weinstein was taken into custody the next day and charged with sexual assault and sexual interference.

Investigators said Weinstein runs his coaching businesses out of the Greater Toronto Area and also conducts private sessions near Milano Avenue and Martin Grove Road, and Coronation Street and Morning Star Drive. Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 1-866-876-5423 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

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5. Scarborough Busway Set to Open Six Months Ahead of Schedule

The TTC said Thursday that its new Scarborough Busway is on track to open Sept. 30, more than six months earlier than originally projected. Speaking to reporters, TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali said the project is expected to save riders up to seven minutes on their commute.

The four-kilometre busway will provide a dedicated transit connection between Kennedy Station and Scarborough Centre Station, replacing part of the former Line 3 corridor. The TTC expects trips between the two stations to take about 15 minutes once the busway opens.

The route will include stops at Tara Avenue and Mooregate Avenue, Lawrence East Station and Ellesmere Station, before buses continue along Ellesmere's priority lanes towards Scarborough Town Centre. Multiple TTC bus routes will use the busway with "frequent express service" to accommodate demand previously served by Line 3 trains. Full testing is expected to begin in early September.

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6. Overnight Shooting in Etobicoke Neighbourhood

Investigators discovered shell casings on a residential driveway in Etobicoke early Thursday morning, after reports of shots being fired on Upper Humber Drive. CP24's Courtney Heels reported on the incident.

Police have not released further details, and the investigation is ongoing.

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7. Man Accused of Sexually Assaulting Six-Year-Old at Roundhouse Park

Toronto police are searching for a man accused of sexually assaulting a six-year-old child at Roundhouse Park. The case was reported by CP24 on Thursday morning.

No further information about the suspect has been released, and the investigation is ongoing.

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8. Ontario School Year Will Start 'As Usual,' Education Minister Promises

Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra said Thursday he remains "very optimistic" that the province can strike deals with all of its teachers and education workers unions, pledging that schools will open "as usual" after Labour Day.

Teachers and education workers will start the school year in a few weeks without new collective agreements after negotiations between most unions and the province stalled. Earlier this week, union heads said strike action is not off the table if new contracts are not reached. Bargaining was paused for every union but the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) over a dispute regarding which issues are negotiated at a centralized versus local level.

Some unions have brought the matter before the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Calandra said he respects that decision, calling the impasse "not unexpected." Asked whether parents should plan for a strike at the start of the school year, he said: "Nope." OSSTF President Martha Hradowy, meanwhile, said bargaining has been stalled by a "broken process," and that "optimism alone will not get us there."

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9. Video of Woman Dumping Garbage into B.C. Lake Sparks Police Investigation

Videos circulating online showing a woman dumping garbage into a lake in Abbotsford, B.C., have prompted a police investigation. The Abbotsford Police Department said it has contacted people who posted the videos to obtain more information, stressing that "incidents of this nature are unacceptable and can have a significant impact on our parks, waterways, and community spaces."

Police said the first incident occurred at Mill Lake Park in late July, and the second "more recently" near Bluejay Elementary School. In one video, the person filming confronts the woman, alleging she dumped the contents of a Dollarama bag into Mill Lake, calling the behaviour "inappropriate" and "disgusting" because "there's wildlife in this water." The woman denies responsibility and asks to be left alone. Photos show ducks swimming amid lily pads and scattered trash.

Police are reminding witnesses to report such incidents directly to police as soon as possible, and are asking anyone with information to contact them at communications@abbypd.ca.

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10. Calgary Officer Shot in the Line of Duty Recovering at Home

A Calgary police officer shot in the line of duty is back at home, Chief Katie McLellan said Thursday morning. "He's recovering physically," she said, "but as you can imagine, there are lots of things to process as a result of that incident."

The incident happened Aug. 10, when officers were conducting a traffic stop in the community of Spruce Cliff around 11:45 a.m. Police said "an occupant of the vehicle fired shots," striking one officer. The male suspect then fled into Edworthy Park, and officers followed on foot as well as by air with a HAWCS helicopter.

McLellan said "more than a hundred officers" attended the scene that day, calling it a "frightening" incident: "A known criminal went and shot at our officers, shot at other individuals, shot at our HAWCS helicopter." Police found the suspect dead in the river, "subject to a self-inflicted gunshot wound." The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating the circumstances of the man's death.

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