Toronto Daily Digest — March 10, 2026

Flip‑flop season sees Canadiens bite back — The Montreal Canadiens skated to a nervy 3‑1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, showing unusual depth as all three scoring lines dominated and Oliver Kapanen and Jake Evans played key roles. Key moments included a huge puck‑clear by Mike Matheson, strong goaltending from Jakub Dobes (18 shots faced), and questions about Cole Caufield sitting late with what the team called a bug; the writer says it’s time to give prospect David Reinbacher an NHL look.

Kapanen hits 20 as Canadiens hold on, Leafs slide — Oliver Kapanen scored his 20th and Montreal beat Toronto 3‑1 on March 10, 2026; Phillip Danault and an empty‑net goal from Jake Evans sealed it while Jakub Dobes made 17 saves. The Canadiens improved to 35‑18‑10, the Leafs fell to 27‑27‑11 and suffered their eighth straight loss; Auston Matthews extended a 12‑game goal drought and Cole Caufield was ruled sick after sitting out shifts.

New poll: Olivia Chow with a big lead if she runs — A Liaison Strategies poll after John Tory’s withdrawal puts Mayor Olivia Chow at 44%, with Councillor Brad Bradford at 26% and Michael Ford at 16%, and undecided voters rising to 17%. Pollster David Valentin says Tory’s exit reshaped the race; the municipal election is in October and Chow hasn’t yet said if she’ll run.

Brave rescue captured on body cam at Bowmanville pier — Durham Regional Police say officers pulled a 55‑year‑old man from frigid Lake Ontario at the Bowmanville pier after a Feb. 11 call, and body‑worn camera footage shows quick, coordinated action. EMS treated him and he was taken to hospital; police released the video March 10 to highlight the rescue.

New mpox variant shows up in Toronto — Toronto Public Health confirmed two travel‑related cases of mpox clade Ib this week, the first time that strain has been found in Ontario; most local mpox since 2022 was clade IIb. Officials urge eligible people to get the free vaccine (two doses recommended); Toronto recorded 155 mpox cases in 2025.

Ottawa pledges $228.8M to retrain tariff‑hit workers in Ontario — Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu announced a three‑year, $228.8‑million deal to help more than 27,000 Ontario workers retrain after U.S. tariffs hit sectors like autos, steel and softwood lumber. The funding is part of a wider federal response including a $5‑billion strategic fund and aims to top up nearly $1 billion Ottawa already provides annually for employment programs.

Georgian Bay ice shelf break forces frantic rescues — Kevin Fox and about 22 others ended up on a chunk of ice that broke away from Georgian Bay after they walked 4–5 km out; high winds (60–80 km/h) meant helicopters and emergency crews airlifted everyone back with mostly minor injuries. Many anglers lost costly gear left on the ice, and OPP say all were safely returned to shore.

Wiarton Willie, beloved groundhog, has died — The Town of South Bruce Peninsula announced the death of Wiarton Willie, the famous weather‑predicting groundhog, noting the Wiarton Willie Festival has been a 70‑year community tradition. The town will soon begin searching for a successor and thanked Willie for the memories.

Ford government sets budget date and promises no cuts — Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said Ontario’s budget will be tabled on March 26, 2026, and Premier Doug Ford pledged there will be no spending cuts despite rising health‑care costs. The government warns of a slowing economy but says it will continue investing in health care.

Ford says province will take over island airport and compensate the city — Premier Doug Ford announced he will use expropriation to take the province’s role in Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, compensate the city for value and lost revenue (he cited about $5 million a year). Ford wants runway expansion for smaller jets but says studies on noise and impact are still needed.

Ontario to cut conservation authorities from 36 to 9 — Environment Minister Todd McCarthy confirmed the provincial plan to consolidate 36 conservation authorities into nine (plus an Ontario‑wide body to oversee transition), citing fragmentation and inconsistency. The move follows about 14,000 pieces of feedback and raises concerns about environmental protections despite government assurances of no job losses.

Storm watch: rainfall, flash floods and freezing rain ahead — Environment Canada warned March 10 that southern Ontario (including Toronto) could see 20–40 mm of rain through Wednesday with flash‑flood risk, while parts of Quebec face a potentially critical freezing‑rain event (20–30 mm) beginning Wednesday. Officials urge avoiding non‑essential travel, preparing for power outages and monitoring forecasts.

Former assistant testifies at Frank Stronach trial — Jennifer Jackson, who worked for Frank Stronach from 1977–1981, testified at his Toronto sexual‑assault trial as the defence began calling witnesses; prosecutors are now pursuing seven charges tied to four complainants. Stronach, founder of Magna International, has pleaded not guilty to allegations dating back decades.

One dead after single‑vehicle crash in Lakeshore — A 60‑year‑old driver was killed around 9 p.m. Monday in a single‑vehicle collision on Mariner’s Drive in Lighthouse Cove, Lakeshore (about 35 km east of Windsor). OPP’s traffic unit is investigating and asks witnesses or dashcam owners to come forward.

Shots fired at U.S. consulate deemed national‑security incident — Police say multiple shots were fired at the U.S. consulate at 360 University Ave. at about 5:29 a.m.; witnesses reported a white Honda CR‑V from which two people fired before fleeing. No injuries were reported; the RCMP and federal teams are involved and authorities urge anyone with footage to contact police.

Ontario vendor paid ransom after home‑care servers were locked — An Ontario Health atHome contractor, Ontario Medical Supply, had servers locked by ransomware in April 2025 and internal documents show a ransom was paid to restore some systems, potentially affecting data for up to 200,000 patients. The incident was reported to the privacy commissioner in late May 2025 and has raised questions about whether taxpayer money was indirectly involved.