Daily Digest — Ottawa (March 9, 2026)

A frightening week for Toronto’s Jewish community: three synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area were shot at within five days, leaving bullet holes and broken glass but no injuries, officials say. Leaders including Sara Lefton, Rabbi Daniel Korobkin and Rabbi Debra Landsberg are calling for action as Ontario Premier Doug Ford condemned the attacks and Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw vowed a relentless investigation.

A Hamilton man, 25-year-old Lucas Bauer, is charged after an OPP probe into a threat made against Ontario Premier Doug Ford that started Feb. 22; he’s due in Toronto court April 13. The case follows another recent arrest (20-year-old Ramy Jamil Hanna) and comes amid other threat investigations, including RCMP charges announced March 2 over posts on X targeting — the story said — Mark Carney and Jewish and Muslim communities.

Tragic rural accident in Robillard Township: Ontario Provincial Police say a two-year-old died after sustaining fatal injuries when a vehicle was being moved on private property; officers responded about 5:45 p.m. on Sunday and the investigation is ongoing. No further details were released.

Metrolinx says building the Ontario Line bridge over the Don Valley Parkway won’t force a “multi-week, multi-month” full highway closure, CEO Michael Lindsay told Focus Ontario. Work will use overnight/weekend "white zones" to limit disruption, but the Ontario Line (now delayed to the early 2030s and estimated at about $27 billion) still faces testing and unknowns at key sites like Pape Station.

One arrest in a January Vaughan homicide: York Regional Police say a 19-year-old from Mississauga was arrested in Moosonee and charged with first-degree murder and arson after a man was found with multiple gunshot wounds on Jan. 26. Police are still searching for a second 19-year-old suspect from Edmonton, who is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant and linked to a Feb. 7 Toronto shooting.

Good news for downtown flyers: pre-clearance for U.S. flights opens at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport beginning Tuesday, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said, letting travellers do customs before they board. The move—used already at Pearson—affects Air Canada and Porter flights to cities like New York and Boston and comes as talk continues about the island airport’s future (lease extended to 2045).

A rough season for Sarnia’s junior B team: the Sarnia Legionnaires finished 0-50 after an 8-2 loss to the Elmira Sugar Kings, scoring 83 goals and allowing 341 for a −258 goal differential — the first winless season in GOHL history since the league formed in 2007. It’s a sharp fall from recent years when the team made the playoffs and won 17 games in 2024–25.

Stratford cancels its beloved swan parade to "reduce the stress" on the birds; the annual march (usually the first Sunday in April) won’t happen this year and officials said swans will be returned to Lake Victoria when conditions — like water levels and mating patterns — are right. The move follows concerns after several swans went missing last year, and city staff say they’ll share updates about any public viewing opportunities.

Crown narrows Frank Stronach charges as defence begins: prosecutors told court they will proceed on 7 of 12 original charges against the 93-year-old magnate in a Toronto sexual-assault trial that began mid-February, having already dropped or sought to withdraw several counts. The defence has started calling witnesses and the trial will continue; Stronach also faces a separate trial in Newmarket later this year.

A major ransomware attack hit a vendor for Ontario Health atHome in March–April 2025, internal records show, with the malware first seen March 17 and a payload triggered April 13; about 200,000 patients’ names, contacts and supply orders may have been affected. Critics including Liberal MPP Adil Shamji say the government should have been clearer sooner, while officials say no ransom was demanded and an investigation is ongoing.

Young point guard Ryan Nembhard is soaking up lessons from Hall of Famer coach Jason Kidd as he carves out a role with the Dallas Mavericks. The 22-year-old from Aurora is on a two-way deal, has appeared in 43 games this season and was averaging about 6.6 points and 4.7 assists before a March 9 matchup — he says veteran guidance (and brother Andrew’s NBA experience) is helping his growth.