Ottawa Daily Digest — Feb. 3, 2026

Maccelli steals the show — Matias Maccelli scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Edmonton on Feb. 3, 2026; John Tavares added his 20th and Anthony Stolarz made 34 saves on 36 shots. Toronto went 2-for-2 on the power play and heads into the Olympic break on a three-game win streak; the Leafs return Feb. 25 at Tampa Bay while Edmonton visits Calgary next.

Police uncover a chop shop north of Peterborough — OPP investigators acting on a tip from Jan. 29 searched a leased unit near Buckhorn and found parts from at least 13 stolen newer-model vehicles, licence plates, a forklift and tools. A 41-year-old Toronto resident was arrested and charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and held for a bail hearing in Peterborough.

Public-health data reportedly safe after cyberattack — Lakelands Public Health, which serves Peterborough, Northumberland, Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes and nearby First Nations, says systems that hold infectious-disease and sensitive data are secure after a late-January cyberattack. The unit is working with a cybersecurity firm to restore services, warns some programs may be temporarily disrupted, and says it will contact anyone if personal health information is affected.

Paramedic critically injured in Madoc crash — Around 3 p.m. Monday at Highway 7 and Highway 62 in Madoc (about 75 km east of Peterborough), an ambulance collided with a transport truck; one paramedic was airlifted to Kingston with life‑threatening injuries and another was taken to hospital. OPP say the highway remained closed for cleanup and repairs while investigators appeal for witnesses and dashcam footage.

Tiny stowaway gecko rescued after trip from Mexico — Jean Parker of Colborne found a three‑inch gecko in her suitcase after a late-night flight and drove about 60 km to Canada’s Dinosaur Park near Peterborough, where the reptile named “Carlito” will be quarantined. Sanctuary staff say the gecko was a bit dehydrated but healthy and will be monitored before possibly joining other reptiles.

Ontario NDP deputy leader resigns to run for federal Liberals — Doly Begum resigned her Scarborough Southwest MPP seat on Tuesday to run for the federal Liberals in the byelection to replace Bill Blair, a move that surprised the Ontario NDP and will trigger a provincial byelection. High-profile names like MP Nate Erskine‑Smith have already signalled interest in running provincially, and Scarborough residents could end up voting three times this year (federal byelection, provincial byelection, municipal election).

Raptors coach to lead NBA World team at All‑Star — Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic will coach the World Team at the 2026 NBA All‑Star tournament on Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome; he’s the third Raptors coach to take part and the club is 30-21 this season. The format this year is two U.S. teams and one international team competing in a round‑robin of four 12‑minute games.

Frank Stronach trial delayed for defence to review evidence — The judge agreed Tuesday to a short delay after defence lawyers said they need more time to review “voluminous” new disclosure in the sexual‑assault trial of 93‑year‑old Frank Stronach. The Toronto judge‑only trial (dozen charges, seven complainants) will now stretch into March; Stronach denies the allegations and faces another jury trial in Newmarket later this spring.

Bomb‑making chemicals probe expands to Ottawa and Gatineau — A Jan. 24 trespassing incident at Western University led police to a London residence where hazardous chemicals capable of making explosives and a loaded handgun were found; search warrants were later executed in Ottawa and Gatineau. Four men — including a 27‑year‑old from Ottawa and three London men (26, 25 and 21) — face multiple firearms and related charges while police secure the scene and seek tips.

Watchdog pushes back on government use of personal devices — Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim says she’s using “firmer enforcement powers” to force disclosure of government business conducted on personal phones and emails, issuing a summons to Ryan Amato and ordering Premier Doug Ford to hand over call logs. The government has launched judicial reviews, and the cases will test transparency rules and set precedents for how officials use personal devices.

Nylander’s return lifts the Leafs in Calgary — William Nylander returned from injury and had a goal and two assists Monday, helping Toronto to a 4-2 win in Calgary; Joseph Woll made 28 saves and Nylander leads the team with 51 points (18 goals, 33 assists). The win is part of a back‑to‑back bounce for Toronto ahead of a final pre‑Olympic break game in Edmonton.

Nylander posts three points as Leafs outlast Flames 4-2 — In the same Calgary game (reported Feb. 2, 2026), Nylander scored and added two assists, Matias Maccelli and Troy Stecher also scored and Bobby McMann added an empty‑netter as Toronto moved within seven points of the Eastern wild‑card spot. Joseph Woll saved 28 shots while Flames’ Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee both had a goal and an assist.