Maple Express | August 24, 2026: Trump threatens 50% tariffs on cars and trucks

Source: CP24

1. Trump threatens 50% tariffs on all cars and trucks

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will raise tariffs on "all Cars, Trucks, both large and small, Automotive Parts, and Steel" to 50 per cent on New Year's Day. The announcement came after trade talks with Canada collapsed. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "Build in the U.S. and there are ZERO TARIFFS. Canada will be treated like a State no longer!"

Trump added that Canada is "among the worst Nations in the World to deal with" on trade and other matters. He wrote: "They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON'T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US! They do 95% of their business with the U.S." Trump also accused Canada over the weekend of wanting "the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!"

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, meanwhile, is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to reconvene Parliament, while a recent report suggests around 87,000 Canadian jobs could be at risk from the trade war.

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2. Ontario Premier Ford hits back at Trump tariff threat

Ontario Premier Doug Ford reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to raise tariffs on cars and trucks, saying he can "kiss my ass." Speaking with Newstalk 580 CFRA host Bill Carroll on Monday morning, Ford said: "We're going to go at him full steam, and we buy 400 per cent more cars than anyone in the world."

Ford also suggested getting Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on board, "so the cars that they're manufacturing won't be able to fill up because we'll be controlling the oil and gas going down there." He added: "Maybe what we should be doing is charging him triple on the oil, triple on the potash, on the uranium, on our metals and our rare earth metals."

Ford noted that Prime Minister Mark Carney announced over the weekend that Canada would impose "dollar for dollar" tariffs, with retaliatory tariffs taking effect on Sept. 8. He called the previous deal "a terrible deal."

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3. Conservatives call on PM to reconvene Parliament over failed trade deal

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday evening, calling for Parliament to be reconvened. "We must put the national interest first," Poilievre wrote. "The failure to secure a durable trade agreement, together with escalating tariffs, now threatens deeper economic pain on top of a decade of rising costs and zero economic growth."

Late Friday night, Carney walked away from trade talks with Washington, citing unfair last-minute demands. New 50 per cent tariffs took effect at midnight Saturday, affecting $28 billion worth of Canadian goods. Carney has pledged dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs that will take effect on Sept. 8.

Poilievre argues Parliament should confront three key issues: transparency on the abandoned deal, the "true cost" to Canadians, and the impact on Canadian jobs and industry.

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4. Toronto mayor says Ford should focus on Trump, not bike lanes

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says Doug Ford's "first job" amid a renewed trade war is to "fight Trump," not move forward with removing bike lanes along three city arteries. A Court of Appeal for Ontario decision released Aug. 14 cleared the way for the Ford government to remove bike lanes along Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue.

Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria called the decision a "victory for common sense." A lower court had earlier ruled the government's plan violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms because it would "put people at increased risk of harm and death." The government has not said when it might move forward.

On tariffs, Chow said they are "going to hurt," but she is confident Toronto's economy can withstand the impact. "In 2026 we are on track to create 16,000 jobs, new jobs," she said.

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5. Downed tree topples power lines, streetcar wires in downtown Toronto

Two streetcar routes were diverted Monday morning after a downed tree blocked a busy downtown intersection. The downed tree was first reported at around 6:40 a.m. on Dundas Street, near Sherbourne Street.

Toronto Fire said the tree brought down both streetcar wires and power lines. The area was closed to traffic and both the 505 Dundas and 506 Carlton streetcar routes were placed on diversion. Toronto Hydro was called in to investigate and repair the issue.

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6. Ajax house fire deemed suspicious

A large fire that tore through a home in Ajax on Monday morning has been deemed suspicious, police told CP24. The fire broke out at around 5 a.m. in the area of Rossland Road and Harkins Drive.

Police said no injuries have been reported but the fire remains active. It is unclear whether the units were occupied at the time. Rossland Road is currently closed between Church Street and Ravenscroft Road. Police have confirmed the fire is being investigated as suspicious.

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7. Endangered monarch butterflies appear to be booming in the Prairies

Monarch butterflies are not common in the Canadian Prairies, but a Saskatoon ecologist is noticing an increase in the endangered species this summer. Tyler Flockhart, who researches monarch butterflies, said there seem to be more than usual fluttering across Saskatchewan. "It is not entirely unexpected," he said, since insect populations fluctuate year to year based on weather and temperature.

Flockhart said growing public interest in monarchs means more people are reporting sightings. However, he cautioned that a butterfly boom does not necessarily mean the population is improving. Canadian Wildlife Federation's James Pagé said monarch populations remain considerably low and are a fraction of historical highs, with declines of more than 50 per cent over previous decades.

Flockhart is part of an international team tagging butterflies before they migrate, attaching tiny tags so scientists can track their flight paths in real time. He hopes to tag 30 butterflies in the province before the season ends.

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8. Survey: Ontario youth mental distress back to pre-COVID level

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health says psychological distress among Ontario youth appears to have decreased since the pandemic, but remains high. The centre's latest Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey found 46 per cent of students in grades 7 to 12 reported a "moderate to serious level" of psychological distress in 2025, down from 51 per cent in 2023.

Lead investigator Hayley Hamilton called the decrease "encouraging," but said the percentage is still significantly higher than more than a decade ago. She said the rise could be due to factors such as social media, or reflect decreased stigma and more willingness to talk about distress.

The 2025 survey, released Monday, shows fewer students using alcohol and drugs, and waiting longer before trying them. But it revealed a dramatic rise in online gambling: one in 10 students placed sports bets in 2025, compared to one in 100 in 2017.

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9. Report: These provinces could see the most job losses from new U.S. tariffs

Roughly 87,000 Canadian jobs could be at risk because of the United States' new 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, according to an analysis by University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe. His analysis estimates approximately 52,000 jobs are directly at risk, while indirect effects could put another 35,000 at risk.

The hardest-hit provinces for job losses are Ontario (36,100), Quebec (18,300) and B.C. (11,200), while the industries set to see the highest job losses are machinery, electronics, plastics and rubber. Economist Colin Mang said a domino effect will impact Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Maritimes as broader economic activity slows.

Canadian Labour Congress's Bea Bruske said the government should shore up support for workers, including extending and increasing employment insurance, expanding work-sharing, and providing wage subsidies.

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10. Evacuation alert issued for wildfire near Lions Bay, B.C.

Residents of more than two dozen properties in Lions Bay, along B.C.'s Sea to Sky Highway, have been told to be ready to evacuate due to a small wildfire that sparked Sunday. The cause of the Lone Tree Creek fire is under investigation, and B.C. Wildfire Service says it is monitoring several new blazes caused by a weekend lightning storm.

As of Sunday evening, officials estimated the fire's size at 0.009 hectares. The Village of Lions Bay issued an evacuation alert for roughly 30 properties on Oceanview Road and Kevin Grove Way. Search and rescue volunteers said they were evacuating hikers and asked people to avoid Mount Unnecessary and the Erin Moore trails.

Firefighters and aircraft are responding to the blaze, now one of 184 active wildfires in B.C. More than 60 fires sparked in the last 24 hours after more than 7,000 lightning strikes were recorded in the province's south.

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