Toronto Daily Digest — Jan 21, 2026

Overtime sting: Dylan Larkin scored at 3:08 of OT to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 21, 2026, with John Gibson making 30 saves and Simon Edvinsson adding Detroit’s other goal. The Red Wings improved to 31-16-4 (7-1-0 in their last eight), while Toronto fell to 24-17-9; Joseph Woll stopped 39 shots and Toronto dealt with injuries to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and William Nylander.

Raw family testimony in murder trial: Laura Hatcher told a Toronto court her brother Colin Hatcher openly spoke of a pact to kill their parents and was involuntarily hospitalized years earlier; their mother Kathleen Hatcher was found stabbed in King’s Mill Park on Feb. 26, 2021. Colin, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, faces questions about his mental state and criminal responsibility as the trial continues.

Colleges and universities plead for billions: Ontario post-secondary schools told MPPs during pre-budget consultations they need billions more after tuition freezes and federal caps on international students left gaps — universities say funding is about 55% of the rest of Canada per student. Universities seek an extra $1.2 billion this year (rising to $1.6 billion by 2028-29) and colleges asked for about $1.5 billion as sector deficits hit $265 million this year and could grow to $1.3 billion by 2028-29.

Bo Bichette signs with Mets for US$126M: The New York Mets finalized a $126 million, three-year deal with former Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who will move to third base and receive a $40 million signing bonus and $42 million player options for 2027–28. Bichette, a two-time All-Star (.294 career average), was introduced Jan. 21, 2026, as the Mets also acquired Luis Robert Jr. in a separate trade.

Ford admits HST break ‘didn’t move the needle’: Premier Doug Ford said the province’s $470 million HST discount for first-time buyers (up to about $80,000 on homes under $1M) hasn’t restarted housing, and he’s floated widening the break to all buyers — though that could cost about $2 billion. Housing starts in Ontario plunged to 62,561 in 2025, far below the 150,000 target tied to the government’s promise to build 1.5 million homes by 2031.

Why goalies choose the net: NHL netminders from Connor Hellebuyck to Joseph Woll shared warm, often funny stories about how they gravitated to goaltending — from bruising roller-hockey days to being the kid who always raised their hand to play goalie. The piece also notes an Atlantic Division surge since Dec. 23 (Tampa Bay, Toronto, Buffalo, Montreal and Detroit among the best records) and offers a human look at the unique goalie mindset.

Look up: six-planet lineup visible this week: Starting Wednesday evenings, Canadians can spot Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune lined up in the western sky about an hour after sunset, with the best views in darker northern or rural spots. NASA and U of T astronomer Raymond Carlberg say Venus/Mars/Jupiter/Saturn are naked-eye bright while Uranus and Neptune need binoculars; Mercury joins on Feb. 8 and a similar multi-planet alignment won’t happen again until 2040.

Ford urges boycott of Chinese-made EVs: Premier Doug Ford told Canadians to avoid the 49,000 Chinese-made electric vehicles a year that a new Canada-China trade deal would let in, saying cheaper imports threaten Ontario auto jobs. The move followed criticism that the federal deal traded lower tariffs on Chinese EVs for agriculture concessions and could cost local shifts — roughly one shift per 49,000 cars — in parts and assembly jobs.

Man arrested for posing as a pilot for free flights: Toronto’s Dallas Pokornik, 33, was arrested after U.S. prosecutors say he posed as a pilot with fake ID to get hundreds of free flights over four years; he was indicted Oct. 2, 2025 and extradited from Panama. If convicted of wire fraud in the U.S., he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, authorities say.

Truck driver charged after missing tires spotted on QEW: OPP and Burlington police stopped a bobtail commercial truck missing several tires on the QEW near Grimsby around 3:30 a.m.; the driver, a 36-year-old man from Brampton, faces charges for operating an unsafe commercial vehicle and failing to complete daily inspection reports. Officers say the truck was easy to see and hear approaching before it was stopped.

GTA new condo sales hit 1991 low: New condo sales in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area plunged 60% in 2025 to 1,599 units — the lowest since 1991 — while 28 active projects were cancelled and 7,243 units scrapped. Condo starts fell 63% to 3,272 units and launches were tiny (1,425 units launched and 22% sold), raising concerns about future supply and affordability into the 2030s.

WW2 Camp 30 spared demolition for now: Clarington council unanimously allowed the Jury Lands Foundation to take over restoring the Camp 30 cafeteria in Bowmanville, the WWII prisoner-of-war site where a 1942 revolt occurred. The group has raised about $1 million so far and must still raise roughly $1.6 million by December to complete the first stabilization phase (estimated total stabilization was $4.5 million in a 2024 report).

$15M Lotto Max winning ticket sold in Brant County: Ontario Lottery (OLG) confirmed a Lotto Max $15 million jackpot ticket for Tuesday night’s draw was sold in Brant County; winning numbers were 03, 09, 15, 17, 22, 31, 33 + 50 Bonus. Other Ontario winners included a $141,315.10 second-prize ticket in Lanark County and Encore $100,000 tickets in Nepean and online.

Ontario housing starts fell double-digits in 2025: CMHC data show housing starts in Ontario dropped 13% in 2025 to 62,561 — the worst rate in Canada and well below provincial goals — prompting Housing Minister Rob Flack to promise more measures. The government plans further development-charge reductions and support for modular, factory-built homes to try to get shovels in the ground.

VR brings the world to Peterborough seniors: Residents at Extendicare Peterborough are using Rendever virtual reality headsets to ‘travel’ to places like Thailand and the Great Barrier Reef, helping those with mobility or cognitive issues reconnect and relax. Staff say the program runs multiple times a month, lets seniors revisit childhood places, and left participants eager to try Egypt next.

GFL moves HQ to Florida but Ontario jobs said safe: Waste giant GFL is relocating its executive headquarters from Vaughan to Miami Beach to access U.S. equity markets, but CEO Patrick Dovigi and Premier Doug Ford say Ontario operations and jobs will remain. GFL still keeps TSX listing and Canadian incorporation, and the move aims to broaden investor visibility while retaining a major Ontario footprint.

Snowfall warning for Toronto area: Environment Canada issued a yellow-level snowfall warning for Jan. 21, 2026, expecting nearly 10 cm in Toronto and 15–20 cm east toward Durham Region as an Alberta clipper moves through. Officials warned travel will be challenging, visibility may be reduced, and this comes after areas got up to 35 cm last week amid a persistent polar vortex.

Lawyer says accused money launderer isn’t a flight risk: Defence lawyers told court Rolan Sokolovski, 37, accused of laundering huge sums for an alleged drug ring tied to fugitive Ryan Wedding, had chances to flee but didn’t — detained and released in Chicago and turned away in the Bahamas — and would live with four sureties if bailed. Prosecutors warn he may control “tens if not hundreds of millions” in crypto and assets; Sokolovski is fighting extradition and bail conditions are being contested.

Ex-staffer fights order to testify under oath about Greenbelt emails: Former Ford-era staffer Ryan Amato asked a court to review an IPC summons forcing him to give sworn testimony and turn over personal Greenbelt-related emails as part of probes into the 7,400-acre Greenbelt land removal. The order follows findings that political staff sometimes used personal accounts during the 2022 decision; a judicial-review date has not yet been set.