Ottawa Daily Digest — March 4, 2026

Stranded and stressed: As of March 4, 2026, more than 106,000 Canadians are registered in the Gulf region while travel chaos tied to the Iran war has grounded thousands of flights and left tourists scrambling to get home. Families and students report cancelled flights and closed airspace in places like Doha and Qatar, Ottawa has secured limited seats from Beirut but Global Affairs Canada isn’t offering assisted departures right now.

A costly political move: After Doug Ford ordered U.S. alcohol off LCBO shelves on March 4, 2025, the Ontario government says about $2 million worth of American booze has expired or will soon expire. Ontario reports local alcohol sales rose (VQA up 52%, craft up 35%), but documents show government and LCBO officials were closely tracking expiring stock through 2025.

From grocery run to millions: Francois Masse of Hawkesbury, Ontario, says winning a $55-million Lotto Max prize (Jan. 9 draw) felt like an “out-of-body experience.” He collected his prize in early March, plans family trips and long-term security measures, and says his windfall is for his family’s legacy.

Big fentanyl bust across provinces: Project OLLIE, launched May 2025 by OPP’s Border Drug Interdiction Task Force, led to seizures including 18 kg of suspected fentanyl (about 180,000 lethal doses) from a Feb. 10 Brampton search. Three people were arrested and charged with trafficking-related offences, a fourth suspect is wanted, and police say the haul removed a significant public-safety threat.

Drama at Stronach trial continues: Defence for Frank Stronach (93) will seek directed verdicts on two counts, arguing key elements or timing (one alleged 1977 incident and another that may predate a 1983 law) aren’t met. The Crown finished evidence March 4, 2026, and a friend of a complainant testified about conversations and going to police — the defence begins next week.

Experts named to probe low math scores: Ontario’s education minister tapped Bill Robson (C.D. Howe Institute) and David R. Johnson (Wilfrid Laurier University) to review EQAO testing after results showed 51% of Grade 6 and 58% of Grade 9 students met the provincial math standard in 2024–25. The two-person panel will look for root causes and recommend actions to support teachers, parents and students.

Abandoned carts will cost retailers $100 in Brampton: Starting with the 2026 budget rollout, Brampton will charge $100 whenever identifiable store shopping carts are left on city property and create hazards or pollution. The fee aims to recover staff time and could lead the city to require cart-locking GPS tech after a first-quarter 2026 report back.

Family seeks answers after woman’s disappearance ruled homicide: Peel police now consider the disappearance of Mississauga woman Mezhgan Aini (also called Sara/Sarah), reported missing in June 2025, a homicide; investigators have identified a suspect. Her family say they lost contact in 2022, are worried for her children, and want justice while the husband (a former U.N. diplomat) cooperates with police.

Toronto sells $75M Lotto Max jackpot ticket: The March 3, 2026 draw produced one jackpot winner — a ticket sold somewhere in Toronto — plus two $1-million Maxmillion prizes (one online, one in Toronto). OLG notes Ontario players have won more than $9.7 billion since 2009.

Toronto pauses student vaccine suspensions for the school year: Toronto Public Health says it will stop suspending students over missing vaccine records for the rest of the 2025–26 school year to ease burdens on families and schools, while vaccine requirements remain in force. More than 50,000 records were out of date at the year’s start and about 30,000 still needed updating; the city is offering clinics and multilingual help.

High-speed rail faces rural backlash: A proposed Toronto–Quebec City high-speed rail line (1,000 km, 72 trains/day, up to 300 km/h) has stirred protests from rural residents and farmers worried about expropriations, severed land and ecological impacts. Alto estimates the project could cost $60–$90 billion and aims to start construction on the Montreal–Ottawa leg in 2029–2030, but local opposition and consultations are heating up.

Two arrested after OSAP protest at Queen’s Park: Hundreds of students protested Ontario’s OSAP overhaul March 4, 2026, chanting against cuts and changes that shift funding from grants toward loans; police later charged two people with mischief, assaulting an officer and obstructing police. Protesters say the move will leave 350,000 students worse off; the government argues changes are needed to protect program sustainability.

Raptors learning the hard way: The Toronto Raptors (35–26) lost 111–95 to the New York Knicks on March 4, 2026, dropping to 4–16 against teams ranked above them and highlighting fourth-quarter execution problems. Brandon Ingram scored 31, Immanuel Quickley had a double-double, and coach Darko Rajakovic says the team is focused on learning how to finish games.

Oilers’ late comeback but cautionary message: On March 4 (report first published March 4, 2024), Edmonton rallied to beat Ottawa 5–4 in overtime as Leon Draisaitl had two goals and three assists and Evan Bouchard scored the winner. The Oilers celebrated a comeback but warned they can’t rely on late heroics — Draisaitl also passed several franchise milestones in the win.