American politicians are scheduled to visit Markham, Ontario, next week to share advice on winning electoral seats at a convention aimed at increasing religious political representation.

The session, “From the Masjid to City Hall,” is part of the Universal Muslim Association of America’s annual convention. This year’s event speaks directly to prospective candidates, promising a discussion of campaigning, door-knocking, and the hostility candidates may face.

“The wave is not coming. It is already here,” UMAA says, referring to their hopes to see 100 Shia candidates among those expected to run in the 2028 U.S. elections.

The visit comes at an uneasy moment in Canada’s relationship with the United States. In a Léger survey conducted in late August, 41 per cent of Canadians described the U.S. as an enemy country. Nearly two-thirds said their impression would change if Donald Trump were no longer president.

Not only that, but cross-border religious candidate training has attracted the ire of Canada’s public broadcaster in the past — at least when they’re Christian.

During Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, CBC reported on a Liberty Coalition Canada, a Christian group that partnered with Virginia-based Leadership Institute, calling them “U.S. political operatives.” Those operatives helped train Canadian Christians to run for city council and school board trustee positions.

Later in 2023, the CBC investigated Liberty Coalition’s ambition to recruit more Christian candidates and bring biblical principles into Canadian law.

“This movement is now increasingly involved in electoral politics, advocating for conservative social and political policies based on literal interpretations of the Bible,” the article said.

However, a search of CBC’s published coverage found no reporting on the upcoming UMAA panel.

Despite the lack of coverage, many of the speakers at the UMAA convention are considered controversial in the U.S. for engaging in religiously motivated politics.

Most notable is Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who called a Christian minister Ted Barham an Islamophobe for objecting to honouring a jihadi terrorism supporter with a street sign.

Many of the speakers are involved with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), members of which, quite famously, were named as unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial over their roots in U.S. Muslim Brotherhood networks, which is a fundamentalist Islamic movement that advocates for a global caliphate.

Three of its four advertised panellists have received endorsements from CAIR Action, the political affiliate of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The fourth works for CAIR Action in New Jersey.

Michigan state representative Alabas Farhat and Georgia state representative Akbar Ali are also on the panel. CAIR Action endorsed both men, as well as Hammoud, in their respective election campaigns.

Ali Aljarrah, the fourth panellist, is a senior adviser to CAIR Action who has been vocal about building “political power” through his work with CAIR Action New Jersey.

Rahat Husain, executive director of the U.S.-based Shia Muslim Foundation and a former UMAA policy director, will moderate.

Juno News has not received responses to our requests for comment.

UMAA’s convention runs from October 9th to 11th at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre.

A BYD Sealion 7 has been spotted in Markham, Ontario, Canada, adding another model to the automaker’s growing Canadian test fleet.

Photos shared on Reddit show the Sealion 7 in an underground parking garage in Markham, not far from BYD Canada’s headquaters at 60 Travail Road. It is believed to be the first sighting of the electric crossover in the area.

The Sealion 7 joins at least two other BYD-family vehicles recently seen in Canada. A Sealion 6 was previously photographed near BYD’s Markham operations with its badges covered, while a Fangchengbao Ti7 was spotted at a Montreal-area hotel alongside another Sealion 7.

What makes the sightings particularly interesting is that none of those models match the vehicles BYD has already been cleared to import into Canada.

Transport Canada’s Appendix G pre-clearance registry includes BYD plants in Shenzhen and Xi’an, covering vehicles such as the Dolphin, Seal, Atto 3 and Seagull. Despite those approvals, none of those models have surfaced in the recent Canadian sightings.

Instead, the Sealion 7, Sealion 6 and Ti7 appear to be smaller-volume evaluation vehicles, potentially entering Canada through case-by-case approvals. Their presence suggests BYD is evaluating a broader range of products than its existing pre-clearance entries would suggest, but does not confirm which models could eventually be offered to Canadian buyers.

The timing also comes as Canada enters the second period of its Chinese EV import quota. Based on unused capacity from the first period, as many as roughly 33,397 vehicles could be available for import between September 2026 and February 2027.

BYD’s Canadian website continues to say “Coming Soon,” with no official pricing, launch date or Canadian retail lineup announced.

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Ontario Construction News staff writer

A new four-lane road crossing over Highway 404 and the Rouge River has been completed, connecting Richmond Hill and Markham and providing a new east-west route for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

Officials from York Region, the City of Markham and the City of Richmond Hill gathered to mark the completion of the project, which began construction in 2023 in cooperation with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

The $110-million project connects Orlando Avenue in Richmond Hill with Markland Street in Markham. The crossing also connects Leslie Street to Woodbine Avenue, providing another route between communities and employment areas on either side of Highway 404.

Sidewalks and multi-use pathways were also built along the roadway, along with landscaping and environmental work. The project included planting thousands of native trees and plants, stabilizing and naturalizing sections of the Rouge River and improving stormwater quality.

York Region Chairman and CEO Eric Jolliffe said the project was completed through collaboration among the municipal and provincial partners.

“This $110 million total investment improves connectivity between communities and employment areas, making it easier for residents and businesses to move throughout the Region,” Jolliffe said.

The project is expected to provide an alternative route for traffic and help reduce volumes on existing arterial and local roads. The new sidewalks and multi-use pathways also provide additional options for walking, cycling and other forms of micromobility.

Richmond Hill Mayor David West said the project also includes environmental improvements and new transportation options for residents.

The new Rouge River bridge was designed to improve protection of the river’s floodplain while accommodating the new roadway connection.

The crossing is intended to improve access between Richmond Hill and Markham as development and employment areas in the surrounding communities continue to grow.

T&T Supermarket, Canada’s largest Asian grocery retailer, is growing its footprint in the province of Ontario with a new 68,000-square-foot store at the CF Markville shopping mall, located at 5000 Highway 7 in Markham. Situated on the lower level of the former Hudson’s Bay space, it will be the largest Asian grocery store in Markham, according to the company, which referred to the planned new location as “massive.”

The Markham store will also be a relocation and expansion of T&T’s current Unionville store in the city, with the transition slated to take place in 2028. The move will allow T&T to grow from its current 50,000-square-foot space at Unionville. Customers will be able to find all of T&T’s signature offerings at Markham, including fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared foods, an in-store bakery and an Asian beauty section.

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“Markham has been a key part of T&T’s story, and we see tremendous opportunity to continue investing in this community,” noted Tina Lee, CEO of Richmond, British Columbia-based T&T. “Unionville has been a wonderful home for us for the past 14 years, and we are proud of everything we have built together with our colleagues and customers. As our customers’ needs continue to grow, this bigger store at CF Markville will strengthen our presence in the market, create an even better experience for our customers, and bring more jobs to the local community.”

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“We’re incredibly proud to continue our partnership with T&T as they expand their presence in Canada,” added Sal Iacono, president and CEO of Toronto-based Cadillac Fairview (CF), an owner, operator, investor and developer of office, retail, multi-family residential, industrial and mixed-use properties. “Welcoming the largest Asian grocery store in Markham to CF Markville is a major milestone for our center, and we’re so excited to see the energy this new destination will bring to our guests and community.”

CF Markville will be T&T’s 18th location in Ontario, and it also marks the grocer’s fourth venture with Cadillac Fairview, following CF Fairview Mall, in North York, Ontario; CF Sherway Gardens, in Etobicoke, Ontario; and CF Polo Park, in Winnipeg, its first in the province of Manitoba.

This year, T&T plans further expansion across Canada, with a new store at RioCan Empress in North York, Ontario, and another location in Gilmore, British Columbia. In the United States, the grocer recently opened its first California store, in San Jose, with three more on tap in the Golden State. T&T’s other U.S. stores are in Bellevue and Lynnwood, Wash.

T&T currently operates 40 locations across North America: 37 in Canada and three in the United States. T&T is owned by Brampton, Ontario-based Loblaw Cos., No. 19 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2026 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.