Man arrested, accused of driving through busy Ajax park

A 23-year-old Aurora man is facing dangerous operation charges after allegedly driving through a busy park in Ajax.

Just before 6:30 p.m. on July 18, Durham Regional Police responded to reports of a white Toyota sedan driving dangerously through Rotary Park. Police say the motorist drove through the playground, splash pad and walking paths.

The park was reportedly busy at the time, with young children playing, according to DRPS.

Officers were able to track down the vehicle near Westney Road South and Bayly Street West. The driver fled, then allegedly returned to the park and drove across a pedestrian bridge before fleeing again.

Officers then located the vehicle again a short distance away at Harwood Avenue South and Bayly Street East.

They tried to block the vehicle from fleeing, but the suspect reportedly attempted to flee again before colliding with another vehicle. He was then taken into custody.

Ismail Abrahimzada has been charged with dangerous operation and failure to stop for police. He was held for a bail hearing.

No injuries were reported.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Teen arrested in shooting at Seattle food festival that killed 3: police

Three people were killed and four others, including a toddler, were wounded on Sunday in a shooting at a downtown Seattle food festival, police said - adding that a suspect had been taken into custody. The police believe there was a second suspect involved and officers are looking for that person, Seattle Police Department Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis said in a media briefing late on Sunday. "We believe that there were two people shooting at each other," Davis said.

Police say there were at least three suspects involved in a food festival shooting near Seattle’s Space Needle over the weekend, and that one of them was among those killed in the violence.

In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle, where a 15-year-old arrested in the case was making an initial appearance Monday, police said they believe there were at least three shooters: the 15-year-old; an acquaintance who died at the scene; and “at least one other unknown suspect.”

“Based on the evidence at the scene, investigators believe” the 15-year-old “and one of the deceased engaged in a gunfight with at least one other unknown suspect,” the document said.

The teen was being held in juvenile detention for investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault ahead of the afternoon court appearance, Mayor Katie Wilson said at a news conference.

Authorities said earlier Monday they are still looking for an additional suspect, but could not rule out whether that individual was among those killed.

“We are trying to identify who that person is,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes.

Investigators had said they believed the two suspects were shooting at each other. Police said late Sunday night it was not clear whether any of the victims had been involved in the confrontation between the two shooters.

Two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital. They were described as two men, ages 19 and 44, and a woman, 56.

The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, who was in satisfactory condition Monday. The others — two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39 — were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

Vendors were allowed to return to the sprawling campus Monday morning to clean up and collect their equipment and merchandise. Skewered squid on grills, roasted ducks in ovens and plates full of food were among the items left behind as people fled the gunfire.

Near the spot of the shooting, a stain of what appeared to be blood was still visible in the morning. A candlelight vigil was planned Monday night at the center’s International Fountain.

The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. Sunday in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle. The annual three-day festival draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers to Seattle Center, a sprawling park and event space in the shadow of the Space Needle. Many attendees rushed into campus buildings or ran from the park at the sound of the shots.

Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and some saw one of the suspects firing, authorities said. A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area. Police then searched an IMAX theater on the grounds where they initially believed a second shooter had fled.

Adam Lombardo, who had a Burmese food stand at the festival with his spouse, described the panic of fleeing people as a “stampede.” As he gathered his equipment Monday, he described how police escorted them into the crime scene to turn off their ovens and stoves.

“It’s really sad because you think that three innocent people aren’t getting up with their families,” he said. “They just came to enjoy a food festival with people, with friends, with new friends, and they lost their lives in just what sounds like meaningless bloodshed.”

Festival attendee Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just gotten food from a crepe vendor when gunfire broke out nearby. In the scramble to find safety, she and others ran into the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum.

“We were about to start eating, then heard someone yell something, then we saw people start to run,” Hunter said. “So we took off running, too.”

Roberto Ramirez, a vendor at the event, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers before people began yelling “shooter” and frantically running.

“Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.”

After the initial panic, new guests continued to arrive, unaware of what had happened. Police told them to leave, he said.

Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and turned to see a rush of people fleeing.

“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said, adding that was when he heard gunshots.

“Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he said.

After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene to take photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo said.

The festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees, according to its website.

Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in Seattle, Annika Wolters in Bangkok and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Musicians say ECMA payments delayed after May awards, some still unpaid

A handful of artists showcased at the annual ECMA awards claim they have had to wait months for payment, received less than their agreed amount and in some cases, nothing at all. Johnny James reports.

Some artists who performed as part of the East Coast Music Association’s annual awards in Sydney, N.S., this year are speaking out over payment issues.

Global News has heard from artists who say they had to wait more than two months for payment — with some receiving less than their agreed amount and in some cases, nothing at all.

Newfoundland musician Jordan Coaker says he’s owed $155 for his ECMA showcase on May 23. As an artist and booker, he says waiting that long for payment can be challenging.

“You have to kind of plan accordingly, and there are points where it gets pretty detrimental,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia musician Jake Ballard says his band’s $575 payment only came after he made a social media post about it. He says he has no desire to participate in future ECMA conferences.

“It’s really frustrating as an artist to have to wait that long for something that’s government funded, and I know a lot of artists are in the same boat,” said Ballard.

In response, ECMA executive director Bob Hallett says the association was aware there could be a problem when it came to payment.

“We were aware that it was going to be challenging to pay everybody immediately after the event, and we didn’t communicate that fact as much as we could,” he said.

Many artists were told the issues stemmed from delays in receiving funding.

Hallett says that a quarter of the association’s $1.5 million annual budget is currently outstanding.

“I don’t think it’s true that (the artists weren’t prioritized), but in order to pay it out fully, I guess we would have needed a significant amount of funds available the day the event was over, which was just not the case,” said Hallett.

He tells Global News the current financial status of the association is stable and all outstanding artist payments should be paid by the end of August.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Trump defends auto tariffs, economy in Michigan as U.S. midterms loom

In a visit to Michigan on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump argued that his economic policies have revived the auto industry and American manufacturing even as many businesses contend that the sweeping tariffs he’s imposed against Canada and the rest of the world have hurt the state.

Trump defended his policies while visiting a General Motors facility in the Detroit suburb of Milford that is a testing ground for its vehicles. He pumped a fist after watching Corvette, Cadillac and Hummer vehicles compete in a series of drag races.

In a speech, Trump cheered GM’s plans to expand production domestically in coming years and declared himself a president who was standing up for auto workers “at long last.”

“I’ve done more for you than your parents, OK?” he joked.

After being led on a tour of vehicles from different eras of GM, some of which he sat in, Trump claimed the tariffs have helped the automaker.

“They’ve come a long way,” he said to reporters about the Detroit-based automaker. “It’s amazing what tariffs are doing for GM.”

Trump said he’s been good to the company but he declined to say more.

“The rest of the world doesn’t love me, but that’s OK,” he said, alluding to tariffs. “It’s called ‘America first.’”

Trump called out several Republican candidates and invited them onstage during his remarks Monday.

Republican Mike Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits Trump-backed Rep. John James against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who has launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024.

Johnson is now trying to style himself in the president’s mold — despite missing out on his endorsement.

James took his moment at the microphone to claim Trump won Michigan “three times,” despite the fact Trump narrowly lost the state to former president Joe Biden in 2020.

The Democratic Senate primary between Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed has drawn national attention for the right to face Rogers, who was narrowly defeated by Democrat Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024.

Early voting is underway.

Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has seen parts of its economy affected by the president’s tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts.

A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. But Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars.

The GM facility is in Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit’s northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later.

GM says its facility is the oldest dedicated vehicle testing operation in the United States, where 4,200 employees work to refine nearly every vehicle the company makes before they reach consumers.

Michigan’s economy relies heavily on Canada, however, meaning the new tariffs — coupled with inflation still running high and gas prices rising again as the already unpopular war in Iran escalates — have created additional economic concerns statewide.

Those come at a time when voters across the country were already increasingly dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy.

Jason Roe, a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party who tried unsuccessfully to distance it from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in 2021, said that more than coinciding with his new round of tariffs, Trump’s visit is a function of Michigan’s relatively late primary and is meant to ensure that James secures the nomination.

But Roe also said it was a risk for the president to tie himself too closely to top Republicans before the general election, calling it “kryptonite to November voters.”

Trump, who won back the White House on a promise to lower the cost of living, also has seen his approval ratings sag, meaning kitchen table issues could be a liability for Republicans trying to hold control of Congress in the Nov. 3 elections.

“We’re happy to have the president here, campaigning with Republicans. We think it highlights the fact that the only thing they care about is Donald Trump and refuse to stand up to him,” said Curtis Hertel, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. “It’s good for us every time the president is here because he’s incredibly unpopular.”

The Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, but his administration has tried to find ways around that, including by arguing that he can impose them on Canada because that country is discriminating against American exports of products including automobiles.

But Trump’s latest round of tariffs came after he voiced frustration with Canada for having retaliated and imposed its own levies on U.S. imports in response to Trump’s initial tariffs last year. Trump launched the first round after alleging Canada should do more to stop fentanyl smuggling.

It is Trump’s third trip to Michigan in his second term.

In January, he visited a Ford plant in Dearborn and addressed the Detroit Economic Club, offering a defense of tariffs even as auto industry leaders blamed them for increasing the cost of doing business.

The president marked his second term’s first 100 days with a rally in Warren, where he mostly mentioned grievances left over from the 2024 campaign,

His latest visit coincides with tensions between his administration and Canada that have marred the opening of a new bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

Canada on Friday held its own event hailing the opening of the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge instead of a planned celebration with officials in the U.S. after Trump announced the new Canadian tariffs.

An earlier, joint ceremony had been set for June but was scrapped after Trump suggested the U.S. wanted a “better” deal on the bridge it co-owns with Canada.

That eventually led to an agreement on splitting tolls that was supposed to allow for the rescheduled joint U.S.-Canada celebration — until the new tariffs derailed that, too.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Calgary police scaling back physical search for missing 11-year-old boy

Calgary police have announced they are “refocusing” their efforts to locate an 11-year-old boy who has been missing since July 16 and has been the subject of a massive ground search by police, the Calgary Fire Department, Alberta Sheriffs, search and rescue workers and members of the community.

“Given the amount of time that has passed and the information available to investigators,” Calgary police Chief Katie McLellan announced Monday that police will be reducing the resources committed to the “physical” search for the boy, known only to searchers and the community as Parker.

“Physical search efforts in his last known whereabouts and in Nose Hill Park, including nearby waterways, have been completed,” said McLellan.

“However, we are not giving up,” she added, insisting that the search “remains ongoing” and that investigators will continue to assess new information and leads.

Posters of the missing 11-year-old boy, who has been the subject of a massive ground search, since he disappeared on July 16, line a fence in Calgary.

Posters of the missing 11-year-old boy, who has been the subject of a massive ground search since he disappeared on July 16, line a fence in Calgary.

Global News

Parker, who is neurodivergent and non-verbal, was last seen in person at his dayhome in the 0 to 100 block of Connaught Drive near Northmount Drive Northwest sometime between 11:08 a.m. and 11:41 a.m. on July 16.

He was then captured on video from a home security camera in the 5000 to 6000 block of Travis Crescent N.E. at around 12:52 p.m. the same day.

Two days later, Calgary police received special permission from the province to issue an Amber Alert, even though they maintain there’s no evidence he was abducted.

Police said over 12 days, searchers had walked more than 8,600 kilometres —roughly the distance from Calgary to Rome, Italy — and dedicated more than 5,500 hours to the operation and searched hundreds of homes and businesses.

They have also investigated more than 600 tips and reviewed more than 100,000 individual CCTV clips from over 650 individual cameras, residential security cameras and dashcams.

On Saturday and Sunday, search and rescue experts from across Alberta, joined Calgary police to search Nose Hill Park, in the city's northwest.

On Saturday and Sunday, search and rescue experts from across Alberta joined Calgary police to search Nose Hill Park in the city's northwest.

Global News

On July 24, after more than a week of searching, Calgary police moved its command post from Thorncliffe School, where it had been since the search began, to Nose Hill, about a kilometre to the west.

Police shut down public access to a parking lot and pathway entrance to aid in search efforts, but on Sunday afternoon the area was reopened and the command post was relocated again to the nearby Calgary Police Service District 3 office.

“Our approach is changing, but our resolve to find answers for Parker and his family is not,” McLellan said.

“We will continue to follow up on tips, re-examine evidence and pursue any new leads that emerge. If new information identifies an area requiring additional search activity, we are prepared and ready to respond. Amongst other things, we currently have hundreds of hours of videos to review.”

“Parker’s family has shown immense courage and strength while facing circumstances that no family should ever have to endure,” McLellan said, adding, “my thoughts remain with them.”

The chief also expressed her “sincere gratitude” to the thousands of community members, volunteers, numerous partner agencies and members of the media who assisted in the search effort.

“The level of compassion in this community that has been shown over the last 12 days has been remarkable,” said McLellan.

“I walked down to the area where he was last seen just yesterday and I saw little bags of goldfish taped to a bridge. I saw dozens of posters. I saw little cards in the weeds that urged Parker with pictures and with signs that we would hope he would understand. These are not things that we did. These are things that the community decided to do. I can’t speak to how happy I am with the community response and how impressed I am by the amount of heart the Calgarians have put into this investigation and trying to find Parker to bring him home. Unfortunately, we still have work to do.”

Police continue to ask anyone who has information that may assist them in locating Parker to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 IPS), online at Calgary Crime Stoppers or by downloading the Crime Stoppers app (P3 Tips) from the app store.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Chow asks for Toronto island land back after feds block Billy Bishop expansion

RELATED: Hundreds of advocates, residents, gather at Toronto's Waterfront to celebrate 'grounding' of Ford's Billy Bishop Airport expansion

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow wants the land from the city’s islands back.

The mayor said Monday the Ontario government should return lands it recently expropriated through new legislation, which was part a push from Premier Doug Ford to expand the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to allow jets to land and take off from it.

Her demands came after federal Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon rejected Ford’s island airport expansion plan last week after receiving feedback through a public consultation.

“Return our waterfront to us,” Chow said Monday on social media.

The mayor said she and Coun. Ausma Malik filed an urgent motion to city council, demanding land in and around the island back. The motion is considered urgent because it is the last time city council will sit this term before the provincial legislature resumes in the fall, the document said.

Chow wants the province to repeal Bill 110, which became law in early June. That law gave the province the ability to take over the entirety of the Toronto Islands, though the province said it would only take what’s necessary despite the language in the legislation.

The province also booted the city from a long-standing tripartite agreement that governs Billy Bishop airport. Ontario took over the city’s spot in that agreement, joining the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority, an arm’s-length federal agency.

Ford called his vision of an expanded airport a “crown jewel” and his government has been saying an expanded airport would add billions to the economy every year.

Port Authority CEO RJ Steenstra, who was bullish on the expansion, said at a committee hearing on the bill that the airport expansion would cost between $4 and $5 billion over 25 years, and would be paid for by passengers and airlines.

Steenstra said at that hearing that he had shared preliminary plans with the federal and provincial governments, but not the city, which he said was due to scheduling issues.

The airport’s passenger terminal is owned by Nieuport Aviation, which is controlled by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, a U.S.-based firm.

Chow said she has still not seen those plans.

“We have been demanding to see the plans, despite the Toronto Port Authority actively hiding them,” Chow said in her post Monday.

“We have researched the impacts on housing, the environment, congestion, and more. We have discovered who would benefit — like the Wall Street bankers at JP Morgan. Council has formally opposed the unacceptable overreach. We still do.”

On Friday, MacKinnon said the federal government is focused on safety upgrades currently taking place at the airport “at this stage.”

“We will not pursue any plans that infringe on treasured public spaces like Little Norway Park or Hanlan’s Point Beach, result in elevated noise, have significant environmental impacts or hinder Toronto’s ability to build much-needed housing,” he said in a statement.

At the time, Sarkaria said the province will continue to push for an expanded airport — a statement his office said still stands Monday.

“As this work continues, we look forward to seeing and anticipate a plan that ensures the project protects public spaces, including the Toronto Islands, addresses potential noise and environmental impacts, expands and improves Little Norway Park, supports new housing opportunities in the area, and delivers lasting benefits for local communities,” the minister said Friday.

Provincial opposition parties cheered the federal government’s decision and urged Ford to back down.

“Right now, Bill 110 is still law,” said NDP Leader Marit Stiles.

“Doug Ford has given himself the power to do whatever he wants with Little Norway Park and the Toronto Islands. It’s time to end this land grab, kill Bill 110, and return Toronto Island and Little Norway park back to Toronto.”

Provincial Liberal legislator Adil Shamji called Bill 110 a “terrible deal.”

“That legislation should be torn up,” he said. “This is yet another in a series of examples in which Doug Ford makes wild promises for pipe dreams and pet projects without ever doing his homework.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Veteran CFL receiver Mack has Randy Moss moment

Austin Mack had a Randy Moss moment Thursday night.

The veteran CFL receiver had a tidy four catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the Edmonton Elks’ 36-34 road win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Mack came close to mimicking Moss’s iconic ’98 rookie performance when he had just three catches for 163 yards and three TDs in the Minnesota Vikings’ 46-36 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

“Yeah, it was (dream game), it would be for any receiver,” Mack said in a telephone interview. “To have that type of production, definitely one of the best of my career so far up here.”

Mack’s first TD grab covered 57 yards in the third quarter before taking a Cody Fajardo pass 81 yards late in the fourth. Still, Edmonton (6-1) needed Vincent Blanchard’s 57-yard boot on the final play to earn a third straight victory and move four points ahead of Saskatchewan (4-2) atop the West Division.

The two teams meet again Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.

Mack was behind the secondary on both catches. He said the first went pretty much as schemed by offensive co-ordinator Jordan Maksymic, but the second, which opened an Edmonton possession, began with Fajardo motioning towards running back Justin Rankin before faking the handoff, then finding an open Mack.

“I motioned down the line of scrimmage; they’re thinking I’m out to block (Riders DB) Rolan Milligan Jr.,” Mack said. “He (Milligan) actually blitzed and we hit them with play action, so I think that was a blown coverage.

“The first one was definitely dialed up the way you want.”

Fajardo finished 25-of-32 passing for a career-best 510 yards with four TDs.

The six-foot-one, 208-pound Mack is in his first season with Edmonton and leads the team in receiving (34 catches, 579 yards, five TDs). The Elks are looking to earn their first CFL playoff berth since 2019.

The former Ohio State Buckeye signed with Edmonton in late January, just three days after being released by Montreal. Mack, 28, spent his first three CFL campaigns with the Alouettes but was let go ahead of a reported $45,000 bonus that was due Feb 1.

The move to Alberta reunited Mack with Fajardo — they helped Montreal win the ’23 Grey Cup. But it has also provided Mack, his wife, Joye, and their two young daughters with a comfortable landing spot.

“When I got to free agency, it was with my family in mind,” Mack said. “I wanted to go somewhere that cared about them.

“Now that I’ve made the decision, everything (Elks GM Ed Hervey) said has come true and been great. Not to mention, every other day I have Cody Fajardo calling my phone.”

Rankin was Edmonton’s offensive catalyst early this season, rushing for 100-or-more yards in four of its first five games while adding 26 catches for 297 yards. Rankin has cooled off (48 yards rushing on 19 carries, nine catches for 73 yards over the Elks’ last two games) but others have stepped up.

“It’s all about how a season develops,” Mack said. “Early on, you see honest boxes, and when we see that, Justin will take the ball to the house every single time, so we’re going to definitely try to exploit that.

“As we continue through the season, teams aren’t going to want to lose to that. So we’ve got to be able to maximize the game plan, and you’re seeing us start to do that.”

And for a receiver, it’s understanding there are more ways to contribute offensively than with catches.

“The first two games of the season (29-21 win in Ottawa on June 6, 32-29 home victory over Montreal on June 20), we knew we were going to run the ball; everybody in the stadium did,” Mack said. “I had two pancake blocks after those two games; I was out here trying to pancake guys.

“There are so many other ways how you can impose your will on an opponent, not just catching the ball. You just want to keep adding those wins because at the end of the season you want to have home-field advantage, I think that’s our biggest thing right now.”

Edmonton is coming off consecutive 7-11 seasons and last posted a .500 regular-season mark in 2018 (9-9).

“There are guys here who want to play together, who want to work together,” Mack said. “I know culture and identity are a big part of what you try to build in a winning organization, and that’s something we have this year.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Vancouver council approves mega tower project

Vancouver city council has approved a mega tower project in the downtown core.

The project by the Holborn Group includes three towers on the old Hudson’s Bay parkade city block on West Georgia and Seymour streets and a social housing building on Abbott Street.

Since its unveiling last year, the proposal has drawn criticism from residents over the size of the towers, whether enough affordable housing will be included and the developer’s reputation.

Holborn has been under fire for a social housing development near Queen Elizabeth Park, which remains largely empty 17 years after hundreds of residents were forced out.

The application for the new project was approved in a seven-to-three vote.

More to come.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

WATCH: E-bike bursts into flames, fire chief issues warning

Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop shared this video on X, showing an e-bike bursting into flames outside a residence Sunday. In the post, Jessop said in his view, 'firefighters are facing these far too frequently and they present unique challenges,' including 'flying battery cells, toxic smoke, extreme smoke as examples.'

Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop is issuing a warning to e-bike owners after one of the ever-popular micro-mobility machines burst into flames.

The spontaneous combustion was caught on what appears to be a dashcam. Multiple secondary explosions then occur, sending molten chunks of lithium-ion battery into the air.

In a post on X, Jessop said the flying battery pieces and toxic smoke produced by these e-bike battery fires present a unique challenge for his crews.

https://x.com/ChiefJessopTFS/status/2081747972451139865

Toronto Fire: E-bike fires happening all too frequently 

From apartment balconies to onboard the TTC, e-bike fires have become a regular call for Toronto Fire crews to receive.

Earlier this month, an e-bike battery fire inside a Lawrence Avenue East highrise sent three people to hospital and caused serious damage inside the building.

Two years ago, an e-bike battery fire broke out on a TTC subway train at Sheppard-Yonge Station, filling a car with smoke and flames. The TTC eventually banned people from bringing lithium-ion battery-powered mobility devices onboard during the winter months.

According to Toronto Fire, a number of things can cause lithium-ion batteries to ignite, including users not buying compatible parts, using chargers not recommended by the manufacturer or overcharging devices.

Fire crews have found that some users are also tampering with the batteries to either lengthen their charge, boost their power or increase the speed of the device. Altering the battery’s intended state can cause it to become dangerous, according to Toronto Fire.

They say to look out for any unusual odours, smoke coming from the device or the battery heating up rapidly.

The batteries should also be disposed of at an approved site, not just tossed in the garbage.

— with files from Global News’ Sean Previl and Aaron D’Andrea 

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Police watchdog called in after shooting death, chase started in Abbotsford

Abbotsford police confirm that the Independent Investigations Office has been called in after a shooting, a short chase and a deadly discovery that started in the city on Sunday night.

Police said that at approximately 11:30 p.m., patrol officers went to the Petro-Pass Truck Stop at 30586 Matsqui Place as part of an active property crime investigation involving a prolific offender.

The officers found two men, one being the prolific offender, engaged in what they described as criminal activity.

As officers moved in, the suspects attempted to flee in a Dodge Ram pickup truck, but during the interaction one of the Abbotsford police officers discharged their firearm.

The officers started a pursuit, police said, travelling westbound on Highway 1 from Mt. Lehman Road. However, due to the manner in which the suspect was driving, police said they terminated the chase shortly thereafter.

The truck was seen heading into Langley.

At approximately 3:12 a.m. on Monday, a resident in the 27200 block of 30 Avenue came home and discovered a suspicious truck parked in their driveway with a man inside.

The man was pronounced deceased at the scene.

“Investigators have confirmed that both the deceased man and the truck were involved in the earlier incident at Matsqui Place in Abbotsford,” police said in a release.

“The second suspect remains outstanding.”

As an officer discharged their firearm, Abbotsford police have notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia, which investigates police-involved incidents.

Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incident at Matsqui Place, observed the suspect vehicle during the police pursuit, or has information regarding the outstanding suspect to contact the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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