Ottawa Weekly Digest • Feb 9–15, 2026

Ottawa homicide: Police say a man was shot and killed in the city’s south end (Bankfield Rd / Prince of Wales area); two suspects are in custody and investigators have closed nearby roads while they process the scene.

Chairlift accident near Wakefield: A 13-year-old girl was seriously injured when clothing got caught on a chairlift during a school trip and was taken to CHEO; the resort and police are investigating.

Church youth director fled to Brazil: Peel police say 24-year-old Christopher Brito De Araujo faces multiple sexual‑assault and exploitation charges and left Canada for Brazil on Feb. 2.

Mississauga break‑ins: Peel police laid nearly 200 charges after 35+ commercial break‑ins between Nov. 2025 and Jan. 2026, arrested two young offenders and recovered over $50,000 in stolen goods.

Contraband tobacco bust on Six Nations: OPP seized more than 25,000 kg of contraband tobacco and 1,360+ lb of illicit cannabis; eight people were arrested Jan. 20–26, 2026 and face 48 offences.

Crown Royal deal after LCBO threat: Premier Doug Ford backed down on a Crown Royal ban after a $23‑million agreement with Diageo that promises provincial investments but does not replace roughly 200 Amherstburg plant jobs.

Tuition freeze ends in Ontario: Starting this September colleges and universities can raise tuition about 2% a year for three years; the province also announced $6.4 billion in core funding over four years and changed OSAP so grants will be capped at 25% of funding.

Fiscal watchdog warns on deficits: Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office says the province isn’t on a path to balance, projecting roughly an $11.1B deficit in 2025‑26 and ongoing deficits through 2029‑30.

"Protect Ontario" ad controversy: The Ford government aired a Super Bowl‑time ad promoting its agenda but hasn’t disclosed the cost, drawing criticism that it’s taxpayer-funded self‑promotion.

Big nuclear plan in Port Hope: Ontario Power Generation signed an agreement with Port Hope to pursue a large reactor project said to create about 1,700 local jobs and more than 10,000 jobs province‑wide and potentially power millions of homes.

Metrolinx vows change and offers refunds: Metrolinx CEO says the agency will work more collaboratively with contractors after the Eglinton Crosstown saga, and the agency will automatically refund GO fares for passengers hit by the Feb. 2–4 derailment disruption.

Milder Family Day weekend: Environment Canada expects an above‑seasonal Family Day weekend for Toronto with daytime highs around 2–5°C after one of the longest cold snaps in years.

Delta plane crash probe continues: The TSB says the investigation into the Feb. 17 crash at Toronto Pearson (Delta/Endeavor flight) is in the analysis phase; 80 people were on board and 21 were hospitalized.

Toronto Zoo giraffe Kiko’s cause of death: A postmortem found Kiko died of cardiac failure from exertional myopathy after his head became trapped in a door gap; the zoo is reviewing doors, training and habitat fixes and is monitoring the pregnant giraffe Mstari.

Gordie Howe Bridge dispute: After President Trump said he might block the bridge opening, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had a "positive" call with Trump and stressed the bridge is a joint Canada‑Michigan project and remains on track.

Provincewide police inspection ordered: Ontario’s inspector general launched a review of police services after corruption allegations tied to Project South, focusing on vetting, supervision, IT access, evidence management and fitness for duty.

SIU won’t charge officers in pre‑crash stop: The Special Investigations Unit found no criminal charges against two Halton officers who let an impaired driver go before a March 30, 2024 crash that later killed three, but referred possible misconduct to police leadership.

Courtroom shooting review: The SIU cleared an officer who fatally shot a man in a Wapekeka First Nation courtroom, saying the officer faced a threat with a knife but flagged a possible delay in first aid for referral to the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency.

Unregistered phone tied up 911 in Guelph: An old, unregistered cellphone dialed 911 at least 129 times in one evening; police remind people old phones can still call emergencies and warn against giving them to children unless disabled.

Parents push diabetes care standard in schools: Families want a provincewide standard so kids with Type 1 diabetes get consistent support (insulin help, glucose monitoring, field‑trip policies) instead of uneven board‑by‑board care.

Hilary Duff world tour stops in Ottawa: Duff’s "The Lucky Me" tour will play the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Feb. 4, 2027 as part of a nine‑city Canadian run.

Olympic hockey double win delights fans: Canada’s women’s and men’s teams both won 5‑0 in back‑to‑back Olympic games, fueling big crowds and early‑morning watching parties in Toronto.

Raptors and All‑Star notes: Jakob Poeltl returned from a 24‑game absence but the Raptors lost 113‑95 to Detroit; teammate Brandon Ingram was added to the NBA All‑Star game as an injury replacement.

Blue Jays spring camp and WBC: Pitchers and catchers reported to Jays camp and several players — including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Andres Giménez, Alejandro Kirk, Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto — are slated for March’s World Baseball Classic.

Tories ask tax help for laid‑off GM workers: Conservatives asked Ottawa to reduce withholding taxes on severance for GM CAMI layoffs, saying big lump‑sum taxes could cost workers tens of thousands as more than 1,000 jobs were affected.

Rent market eases: National average asking rent fell to $2,057 in January (a 31‑month low); Toronto averaged $2,495 and Vancouver $2,630 as rents decline for the 16th straight month.

Laurentian strike over: Faculty, librarians and counsellors at Laurentian University ratified a new collective agreement, ending a three‑week strike that had suspended classes since Jan. 19.

Concrete toboggan fun in London: Engineering students from ~20 universities raced homemade concrete sleds at Boler Mountain and UBC Okanagan won the King of the Hill — a nice community and campus story.

"Please shower" email apology: The Oshawa Generals apologized after a team executive emailed season‑ticket holders asking fans to practice better hygiene at games, a message that went viral and drew plenty of jokes.