Toronto Daily Digest — Feb. 24, 2026

Big win for OKC: Cason Wallace scored a team-high 27 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Toronto Raptors 116-107 on Feb. 24, 2026, helping OKC (45-14) win its third straight game; RJ Barrett led Toronto with 21 points and the game tightened late after a Raptors rally before a decisive 9-0 run. This means the Thunder’s defence held up even without MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (out with an abdominal strain), while the Raptors must fix turnovers and possessions before hosting the Spurs Wednesday.

Four years on, memories stay raw: As Ukraine marks four years since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukrainian-Canadians from Winnipeg to Toronto and Saskatoon held vigils and school assemblies on Feb. 24, 2026, with roughly 300,000 Ukrainians arriving under Canada’s emergency travel program. Families are still separated, many worry support is fading, and communities are pushing for continued aid, permanent residency and attention to abducted children and wartime trauma.

Calls for action after deadly crashes: Indigenous leaders say five serious collisions over five days in northern Ontario — including a crash that killed three people from Constance Lake and Naotkamegwanning First Nations — show highways are unsafe in winter and demand better infrastructure, stricter truck licensing and stronger winter maintenance. Federal and provincial officials offered condolences and said ministers agreed Feb. 20, 2026 to coordinated action on enforcement, training and trucking compliance.

Turkey troubles downtown: A viral video shows two wild turkeys chasing an Ottawa man near Prince of Wales Dr. and Heron Rd., with the man escaping into a passing vehicle while the birds pecked at the car. It’s a lighthearted reminder that urban wildlife can cause surprising moments — and traffic slowdowns — around the city.

Three battery fires in 24 hours: Toronto Fire Service responded to three lithium‑ion battery fires in one day, part of 18 incidents between Jan. 1 and Feb. 23, 2026 (up from six in the same period in 2025); chiefs warn micromobility devices, incompatible chargers and tampering (to boost speed/range) are big risks. Advice: buy certified batteries, use approved chargers, never leave charging batteries unattended and dispose of them at approved sites to avoid “thermal runaway.”

Fast-moving snowstorm shuts northern roads: A quick snow system on Feb. 24, 2026 closed more than 500 km of highway northeast of Thunder Bay, with 15–25 cm expected along Lake Superior’s north shore and 5–10 cm forecast tonight for the GTA; Environment Canada issued special weather statements for areas including Sault Ste. Marie and Barrie. Commuters should expect messy travel and possible further squalls near Lake Huron.

Ring of Fire mine clears review step: The federal government decided not to designate Wyloo’s Eagle’s Nest project for a full impact assessment, saying other laws can address concerns — a move that angers Neskantaga First Nation and divides nearby communities. The project sits in a remote mineral-rich area more than 500 km north of Thunder Bay and raises worries about water, Indigenous rights, climate impacts and the province’s Bill 5 special economic zone powers.

More dementia support in homes: Ontario announced $9 million to fund specialized behaviour units and emotion‑based dementia care in 17 long‑term care homes (including two in Toronto) as the program begins and aims for 50 homes by 2027–28; about 60% of Ontario long‑term care residents have dementia. Advocates called the move welcome, noting dementia numbers are projected to triple by 2050 and emotional support improves daily life.

St. Catharines to consider renaming Prince Andrew Court: Council voted Feb. 23, 2026 to start public consultations on removing Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor’s name after his Feb. 19 arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and long‑standing controversy over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The review will examine options, costs and a renaming policy — part of wider moves by Canadian municipalities to disassociate public landmarks from the former prince.

Speeding fan in penalty box: In Greater Sudbury, a driver was caught Feb. 23, 2026 going 148 km/h in an 80 km/h zone (68 km/h over) an hour before the Canada–U.S. gold‑medal hockey game; charges include stunt driving, careless driving and multiple licence possession, with a 14‑day impoundment and 30‑day licence suspension. Police joked the driver was over‑excited for the game; court appearance is expected in May.

Fake Bell rep scam leads to U.S. wire transfers: Ontario Provincial Police say an Oxford Mills resident was scammed after being told to install remote access software and then instructed to wire purported “overpayments” to a U.S. bank on Feb. 19, 2026; the OPP involved the U.S. Secret Service and some funds may be recovered. No arrest reported yet — reminder to never give remote access to callers and to verify calls with your provider.

New‑home sales slump in GTA: Only 269 new homes sold in the Toronto region in January 2026 — down 36% year‑over‑year and 80% below the 10‑year average — while inventory hit a record 20,557 units for January (26 months of supply). Builders say governments must provide market certainty and reduce development costs to revive buyer confidence; Ontario also saw a 12% rise in housing starts that month, mainly multi‑unit projects.

Toronto Zoo welcomes endangered giraffe calf: A female Masai giraffe calf was born around 1:30 a.m. on the weekend (checked Monday), measuring about 6'4"; mom and baby are doing well and the zoo called it a conservation win for a species with fewer than 35,000 left. The calf’s father, Kiko, died unexpectedly last month; public viewing and naming details are pending.

Family health teams plea for funding to keep staff: Ontario family health teams warn primary care is fragile because funding for nurses, social workers and other professionals lags behind hospitals, with NPs able to earn ~$20,000 more in other settings and PAs up to ~$30,000 more. They asked for $430 million over five years to close the wage gap and $115 million in committed workforce funds, saying patient access, programs and timely care suffer when staff leave.

Defence attacks complainant’s credibility at Stronach trial: At the sexual‑assault trial of Frank Stronach (93), defence lawyer Leora Shemesh accused a fifth complainant of a “tendency to lie” after she added details about bleeding and other memories during testimony recounting an alleged rape decades ago; Stronach pleads not guilty to 12 charges spanning the 1970s–1990s. The complainant said memories came back over time and the trial continues with more witnesses expected.

Canada seeks to revoke citizenship of alleged Mumbai‑attack facilitator: Immigration officials told Tahawwur Rana Hussain (65) they intend to strip his Canadian citizenship (acquired 2001) for allegedly lying about residence on his application as he faces charges in India over the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. The move follows RCMP findings that he spent much of the claimed time in Chicago; the case is before Federal Court while Hussain remains in Indian custody.

Company sued by Ontario says bankruptcy risk, wants faster court process: Keel Digital Solutions, accused by the Ford government of submitting fraudulent counselling data and at the centre of a $29.5‑million lawsuit, asked to move the case to the Superior Court’s Commercial List to speed resolution and protect its reputation after laying off at least 30 staff. The province resists, calling it a compliance and fraud matter; OPP and a forensic audit prompted the dispute and the motion will be heard in early March.

Ford still ‘discussing’ fate of elected school trustees: Premier Doug Ford said Feb. 24, 2026 he’s still debating whether to abolish elected trustees amid Education Minister Paul Calandra’s school‑board overhaul — some boards (Toronto public, Toronto Catholic, Peel, Ottawa‑Carleton) are already under supervision. Critics warn removing trustees would cut Indigenous and student representation; Calandra hasn’t finalized his plan and says he wants to reduce waste and fix poorly run boards.

Primary‑care access varies by province: A Our Care survey of 16,876 adults finds about 5.8 million Canadian adults lack a primary care clinician and access rates differ widely — Ontario (88.5%), Manitoba (88.8%) and Alberta (87.4%) rank high while New Brunswick is low (65.9%). Only 37% nationally could get same‑ or next‑day urgent care, and just 27.8% are satisfied with how primary care is working, so experts call for more investment in team‑based care to improve timely access and continuity.