Toronto Daily Digest — Feb 18, 2026

Big picture you should know: a new study of more than 12 million Ontario health records finds being without a family doctor raises serious risks. The paper, led by Dr. Jonathan Fitzsimon and published in Health Affairs Scholar, found about 1.2 million Ontarians lack a family doctor and people with multiple chronic conditions who went 2+ years without one had 12‑fold higher odds of death and nearly 16‑fold higher odds of premature death; prolonged detachment also raised median annual health costs to about $8,100.

Heat in Washington: U.S. Democrats are probing whether a billionaire donor tried to influence President Trump’s threat to stall the Gordie Howe bridge opening. House Oversight members asked Matthew Moroun for records about a reported Feb. 9 meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, set deadlines of Feb. 25 (for Lutnick) and March 4 (for Moroun), and noted Moroun’s donations of more than US$600,000 to Trump-related causes and over US$2.5 million the Detroit International Bridge Co. spent lobbying earlier.

Why budgets are bleeding red: several provinces have unveiled record deficits as budget season begins, and economists point to broad and local causes. B.C. announced a $13.3‑billion deficit, New Brunswick $1.33 billion and Nova Scotia about $1.4 billion (Alberta forecasts $6.4B for 2025/26); experts like Jesse Hajer and Moshe Lander cite trade uncertainty, slower labour-force growth from immigration changes, lower tax revenue growth and aging populations as drivers.

A major traffic worry: Metrolinx says building an Ontario Line overpass could force temporary closures of Toronto’s Don Valley Parkway. CEO Michael Lindsay warned the DVP might need to close during massive works for the new overpass; critics including MPP John Fraser and NDP leader Marit Stiles urged careful planning to avoid gridlock.

A surprise offer for a summer staple: Premier Doug Ford promised provincial money to help revive Taste of the Danforth and asked Mayor Olivia Chow to chip in. The festival usually runs about 1.6 km with roughly 100 businesses; organisers said comeback efforts since 2023 have left losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Ford didn’t give a figure but said he’d fund it with a city partnership.

Long road ahead for Ontario Line: the Ford government broke ground on stations and an elevated guideway, but the subway won’t likely open until the early 2030s. Announced in 2019 with a hoped-for 2027 opening and a $10.9B tag, the project’s all‑in cost has grown to more than $27B; Metrolinx says civil work should be done in the early 2030s, with testing possibly adding more time.

Scary school‑bus crash in Oxford County: a bus carrying 40 elementary students left the road and crashed into a ditch at about 8:55 a.m. in Norwich Township. Four children were taken to hospital with minor injuries, Old Stage Road was closed for hours, and the cause is under OPP investigation.

Disturbing viral video leads to charges: Sudbury police removed a small black dog from its owner after a circulating clip showed a man kicking the animal. Police say a 51‑year‑old has been charged with cruelty to animals, the dog is in a shelter being cared for, and Animal Welfare Services are following up as the investigation continues.

Emotional testimony in a high‑profile trial: a woman in her 70s told court Frank Stronach tried to rape her after a 1977 dinner, calling the incident a betrayal. Stronach, 93, has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges involving seven complainants; all seven are expected to testify as the decades-old allegations are heard in Toronto.

Home sales dipped in January: CREA reports national MLS transactions fell 16.2% year‑over‑year and 5.8% from December 2025, with a national average price of $652,941 (down 2.6% year‑over‑year). CREA says the Greater Golden Horseshoe and southwestern Ontario were hit hardest—likely by a huge winter storm—and there were 140,680 listings at month end, up 4.5% from a year earlier.

Winter’s mixed punch across Canada: freezing rain hit southern Ontario, the Prairies saw blowing snow and the East Coast was hammered by heavy snow. Hydro One reported about 30 outages affecting roughly 1,600 customers, the GTA had about 80 crashes since early morning, school buses were cancelled, and snowfall warnings ranged from 10–45 cm in hard‑hit areas like Thunder Bay and St. John’s.

Transit ridership falls after international‑student cap: cities around Toronto say ridership dropped sharply after Ottawa capped international students in Jan. 2024. Mississauga’s student trips fell 24% and total ridership 10%, Grand River Transit lost about 4 million rides in 2025, and planners warn agencies will have to realign routes and revenue plans as numbers stay lower.