Ottawa Daily Digest — Feb 18, 2026

Big health warning: A new study of more than 12 million Ontarians' records finds people without a family doctor are at higher risk of death — especially those with multiple chronic conditions, who had 12‑fold higher odds of death after being unattached for two or more years and nearly 16‑fold higher odds of premature death. This affects about 1.2 million Ontarians without a family doctor (roughly 10%); the study also found many went without care for five years or more and that long gaps raised health costs (median about $8,100 a year).

Recall effort falters: A third recall petition in Alberta failed to reach its target — Casey Klein gathered just over 1,000 signatures (about 10% of what's needed) against UCP MLA Nolan Dyck before the deadline. The push was one of 24 recall campaigns against members of Premier Danielle Smith’s caucus, and one petition was withdrawn after confusion over privacy by campaigner Mona O’Neill; petitioners need signatures equal to 60% of votes cast in the last election to force a constituency vote.

Questions over bridge lobbying: U.S. House Democrats are probing whether billionaire bridge owner Matthew Moroun influenced President Trump’s threat to stall the Gordie Howe International Bridge after a reported Feb. 9 meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Reps. Robert Garcia and Rashida Tlaib have asked Moroun and Lutnick for documents (deadlines Feb. 25 for Lutnick, March 4 for Moroun); Moroun has donated over US$600,000 to Trump-related campaigns since 2019 and his company has spent millions on lobbying.

Ontario Line timeline slips: Ground was broken this week on four stations and an elevated guideway, but Metrolinx now says civil work will likely finish in the early 2030s — testing could push the opening later. The line was promised for 2027 at a $10.9 billion price tag in 2019, but costs have swelled to roughly $27 billion and the project is part of a larger $70 billion transit plan.

School bus crash in Norwich Township: A bus carrying 40 elementary students left the road and ended in a ditch on Old Stage Road at about 8:55 a.m.; four children were taken to hospital with minor injuries and the road was closed for hours. Emergency crews attended and police say the cause is under investigation — it’s a reminder to expect winter road dangers during bad weather.

Viral video leads to charges: Sudbury police say a small black dog seen being kicked in a disturbing video has been removed from its owner and is in a shelter, and a 51‑year‑old man has been charged with animal cruelty. Animal Welfare Services are following up and the accused is banned from having animals while the case moves to court.

High‑profile sexual‑assault trial hears a survivor: A woman in her 70s testified that Frank Stronach tried to rape her in the fall of 1977 after a dinner outing; Stronach, 93, pleads not guilty to 12 charges from seven complainants and the trial is underway in Toronto. The witness described feeling betrayed and later contacted police in June 2024 — the case is painful for those who trusted him and raises difficult memories for the community.

Housing sales down after big storm: CREA reports January home sales fell 16.2% year‑over‑year and 5.8% from December (seasonally adjusted), with the Greater Golden Horseshoe and southwestern Ontario hit hardest by a massive winter storm. There were 140,680 listings at month’s end (up 4.5% y/y) and the national average sale price was $652,941 (down 2.6% y/y).

Winter’s mixed punch across Canada: Freezing rain coated southern Ontario, knocking out about 30 outages affecting roughly 1,600 Hydro One customers and causing about 80 crashes across the GTA and Hamilton area; heavy snow and extreme cold hit the Prairies, North and East Coast (e.g., 25–45 cm in parts of Newfoundland, 20–40 cm near Thunder Bay, 25–35 cm in some Prairie areas with winds up to 80 km/h). Schools and flights were disrupted and officials warned of possible flooding after recent thawing — stay safe if you must travel.

Student cap dents transit ridership: A federal cap on international students (introduced Jan. 2024 and later tightened) is linked to big drops in suburban transit use — Mississauga saw student ridership fall 24% and total ridership down 10%; Grand River Transit recorded four million fewer rides in 2025. Cities like Brampton and Mississauga are rethinking routes and service plans, which could change commutes near campuses but officials say they won’t make sudden system‑wide cuts.