Toronto Daily Digest — Feb. 8, 2026

Big praise from the coach: Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic declared Scottie Barnes the future — calling him a defensive player of the year, an all-star and predicting he’ll be a Finals MVP and an MVP one day (Rajakovic’s quote came Feb. 8, 2026). Barnes backed it up in Sunday’s 122-104 win over Indiana with 25 points, 14 rebounds and key third-quarter work as he reached 103 double-doubles in Toronto history; the Raptors are 32-22 and host Detroit on Wednesday.

Barnes leads the rout: Scottie Barnes recorded 25 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in a 122-104 win over the Pacers (Toronto now 32-22), as RJ Barrett added 20 points and Immanuel Quickley 13. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles left with a sprained left thumb, Trayce Jackson-Davis debuted with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes, and Toronto outscored Indiana 44-26 in the third quarter with 34 fast-break points to Indiana’s nine.

Bitter cold grips Ontario: Environment Canada warned of wind chill values between −30 C and −40 C across much of Ontario on Feb. 8, 2026, with yellow alert cold warnings from Windsor and the GTA to Ottawa and Kapuskasing. Ottawa hit −34 C and the GTA −33 C on Saturday; the agency says southern areas will see dangerous −30 C wind chills through Sunday evening into Monday morning, so people should dress warmly and watch for cold-related risks.

Crowds celebrate the Crosstown opening: Even without an official ribbon-cutting, Torontonians queued up and held impromptu celebrations on Feb. 8, 2026, as the Eglinton Crosstown LRT began phased service after about 15 years of planning and construction (first pitched in 2007, construction began Nov. 2011 and Metrolinx accepted the project in Dec. 2025). The TTC says there’s no grand ceremony and service will run roughly 5:30 a.m. weekdays (7:30 a.m. weekends) until 11 p.m.; Mayor Olivia Chow, Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria and Premier Doug Ford all made appearances while volunteers and local businesses handed out freebies.