In the news today: Ontario byelections, storm cleanup, AI policies, remembering 9/11

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Progressive Conservatives, NDP hold on to their seats in Ontario byelections

It’s status quo in the Ontario legislature after the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP held onto their respective seats in three provincial byelections on Thursday. 

Progressive Conservative Jeff Beattie won the riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, while his fellow party member Susan Lahey took the riding of York—Simcoe.

Meanwhile, New Democrat Fatima Shaban won the race in Scarborough Southwest.

The byelections were held amid fresh worries over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs that are hurting Ontario’s manufacturing and automotive industries. 

Ford says byelection results in the two PC ridings show that voters are backing a party they trust to fight for Ontario in tough economic times, while the NDP says their win in Scarborough shows they are the party people trust on affordability measures.

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People prepare to tow a car out from a flooded underpass during a storm in Toronto on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keito Newman

Cleanup continues after destructive Ontario thunderstorms, hail

The number of southern Ontario homes and businesses still in the dark is much lower today as crews work to restore power after destructive thunderstorms this week.

Dangerous thunderstorms and high winds ripped out trees, tore down power lines and flooded major streets as more than 100 millimetres of rain fell in some areas Wednesday. 

Toronto fire officials reported just shy of 1,500 calls over a 24-hour period, which they said was their second-highest call volume in a day, after the 2013 ice storm.

City manager Paul Johnson called it a “100-year storm” that caused widespread destruction in Toronto and the surrounding areas. 

Among the most damaged structures was the 50,000-capacity Rogers Stadium in Toronto’s north end, where bleachers were ripped out by high winds that also left behind partially collapsed grandstands.

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Teachers and technology experts say the rapid pace that artificial intelligence is developing and the federal government’s aim to make the technology available for all Canadians requires the creation of a framework so grade-level students don’t fall behind. People in opposition to AI data centres demonstrate outside city hall in Hamilton, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn

‘Wild West’: Teachers, experts call for unified policies to address AI in classrooms

Teachers and technology experts say the rapid pace that artificial intelligence is developing requires a framework so students don’t fall behind.

Teachers across the country are grappling with how best to incorporate AI in the classroom while still fostering critical thinking.

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, says policies at the school board and provincial levels are lacking. 

Michelle Carlos with the Pembina Trails School Division in Winnipeg says there’s less consistency across the education system when schools do their own thing, and she supports national or provincial frameworks.

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Jann Arden poses in Toronto on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Jann Arden to appear at pro-Canada concert ahead of Alberta separation vote

Jann Arden is set to join a cohort of Alberta performers for a free concert promoting national unity ahead of the province’s fall referendum on quitting Canada.

The Forever Canadian campaign says its “Calgary Concert for Unity” is to be held Sept. 20 at The Confluence Historic Site, also known as Fort Calgary.

Folk musicians Celeigh Cardinal, Reuben Bullock and John Wort Hannam, and jazz singer Caity Gyorgy are also set to perform.

The referendum on Oct. 19 is to ask Albertans, among other things, whether they wish to remain part of Canada or hold a second, binding vote on separating.

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A man is silhouetted as he watches a television on Sept. 11, 2001 in Edmonton, showing smoke covering the downtown area of New York City after two separate planes crashed into the World Trade Center. (CP PHOTO/Adrian Wyld)

Inside Canadian newsrooms’ triumphs — and regrets — while covering the 9/11 attacks

Canadian journalist Michelle Shephard remembers rushing to New York City to cover the devastating World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Arriving late that night, she bore witness to a traumatized city and remembers haunting sights like posters of missing persons and the metallic smell in the air.

Shephard, like many journalists, endured physical and emotional challenges as they brought stories to their audiences — all while living in the chaos.

Former CBC journalist Peter Mansbridge anchored 44 hours of coverage, focusing on facts amid swirling rumours. 

Twenty-five years later, journalists reflect on how 9/11 changed global reporting, highlighted journalism’s emotional toll and exposed gaps in covering issues like post-attack Islamophobia.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2026.

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