Toronto Daily Digest — March 13, 2026

Big night for RJ Barrett — The Toronto Raptors rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns 122-115 on March 13, 2026, as Mississauga native RJ Barrett scored 22 points (nine in the fourth), grabbed six rebounds and had five assists; Toronto improved to 37-29. Brandon Ingram led all scorers with 36 for Phoenix, while Jalen Green had 34 and hit eight threes; Barrett’s 23-foot go-ahead three with 3:35 left sealed the win.

Shocking injury sidelines Auston Matthews — Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will miss the rest of the season after suffering a Grade 3 tear of the medial collateral ligament and a bruised quadriceps following a hit by Anaheim’s Radko Gudas on March 12; Matthews has 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) this season and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. The club called the hit dirty, Gudas received a major penalty and public debate over the play is underway.

Disturbing harassment case in midtown Toronto — A 27-year-old man is charged after allegedly banging on a complainant’s door, making racist and antisemitic remarks between Feb. 28 and Mar. 6 and playing an Adolf Hitler speech outside the home near Eglinton Ave E. and Mount Pleasant Rd.; he faces multiple counts including criminal harassment and is due in Ontario Court on June 1 at 2 p.m., and the hate-crime unit is investigating.

Raptors vow to protect each other — After a March 11 loss to the Pelicans in which Dejounte Murray stood over Jamal Shead, coach Darko Rajakovic said the team held a meeting and agreed they won’t let opponents disrespect a teammate again. Immanuel Quickley was the only player who immediately confronted Murray on the court, and the team says it will handle such moments differently going forward.

School bus driver jailed after deadly crosswalk crash — Anthony Phillips, 61, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of 22-year-old Rachel Turner and was sentenced to 60 days in jail (served intermittently) plus a two-year licence suspension for the Oct. 8, 2024 collision on Kingston Road. The bus was travelling about 14 km/h; Turner died four days later and the judge noted Phillips’ long driving record (47 prior HTA convictions) and his remorse in handing down the sentence.

Ontario moves to stop Al-Quds Day protest — Premier Doug Ford has instructed the attorney general to seek an injunction to block the Al-Quds Day demonstration planned outside the U.S. consulate around noon on Saturday, calling it a "breeding ground for hate." Toronto police have restricted airspace and will deploy special officers, while civil liberties groups warn a ban is a sweeping attack on free expression.

Starlink payout to SpaceX will stay secret — Ontario and SpaceX reached a confidential settlement over the cancelled $100-million Starlink (ONSAT) contract, with the province saying the kill fee was "significantly less than the contract value." The program would have served about 15,000 households in northern and rural Ontario; critics including opposition leaders say taxpayers deserve to know the exact amount.

Sudden snow blast sparks crashes across southern Ontario — A weather system that dumped 5–8 cm (hourly rates making roads quicky slippery) caused multiple collisions and road closures on March 13, including an eastbound Highway 401 closure near Guelph and a multi-vehicle school-bus crash in King City (no injuries). NAV Canada also reported delays at Pearson Airport; police warned drivers to slow down and use headlights.

Conservatives pick Scarborough byelection candidate — The Tories nominated middle-school teacher Diana Filipova to run in Scarborough Southwest, one of three byelections set for April 13 (also University—Rosedale and Terrebonne). The seat opened after Liberal Bill Blair resigned to become Canada’s high commissioner to the U.K.

Wrong turn at Peace Bridge uncovers fake passports — Border officers at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie seized six forged Canadian passports, equipment to make documents, about $24,000 in cash and 84 payment cards after three travellers were flagged during a wrong turn; three people (ages 51, 40 and 33) face charges including possession of forged documents and fraud over $5,000. The RCMP says the seizure underlines inter-agency work to protect border integrity.

Brantford drivers fined — Brantford police charged 26 drivers who drove the wrong way on a one-way on-ramp to bypass traffic after a Highway 403 collision; 24 were charged with wrong-way driving ($110 fine and three demerit points), two for backing up on an on-ramp and one for driving without a licence. Officers wrote so many tickets they ran out of printer paper in the cruiser — a blunt reminder to wait your turn.

Province plans to shield ministers’ records from public view — The Ford government will table a law to exempt all records held by the premier, cabinet ministers and political staff from freedom-of-information requests, potentially keeping Doug Ford’s cellphone records secret. Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim called the move "shocking," while the government argues the rules need updating for the modern digital era.

Ducks’ Radko Gudas suspended five games — The NHL handed Anaheim defenceman Radko Gudas a five-game suspension (maximum for a phone hearing) and a salary forfeiture of US$104,166.65 for a knee-on-knee hit that injured Auston Matthews on March 12. The hit led to Matthews’ season-ending Grade 3 MCL tear and a bruised quadriceps.

Spike of 39 overdoses in London under investigation — London police responded to 39 overdose calls in 24 hours (8 a.m. Wed to 8 a.m. Thu) after a suspect reportedly drove through the downtown core handing out a free substance that led to multiple non-fatal overdoses. Investigators are tracing the origin, asking for dashcam footage and urging people not to ingest unknown substances, to carry naloxone and to call 911.

Melting salt piles pose risks to waterways — Researchers warn that large snow piles from heavy snowfall (50–60 cm in parts of the GTA in January) concentrated with road salt can drain into streams, rivers and groundwater, harming aquatic life and possibly affecting drinking water; Toronto typically uses 130,000–150,000 tonnes of salt a year. Experts say removing salt is costly and that reducing use — and smarter management — is the best long-term fix.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breaks Wilt’s 20-point streak — The Oklahoma City guard extended his streak to 127 straight games with 20+ points on March 12, scoring 35 with nine assists as the Thunder beat the Celtics 104-102, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 126-game mark from 1961–63. SGA emphasized team success — the Thunder are 103-24 during the run — and the streak has not come at the expense of teammates.

Brampton looks to LED road lights to slow drivers — Councillor Rowena Santos is exploring embedded LED lights in asphalt to warn speeding drivers near school zones (green for safe, flashing amber when over the limit), after speed-camera removals doubled speeding in some areas; installation costs are estimated at $60,000–$160,000 per location. The city hopes the province will use the fund set up after speed-camera removal to pay for a pilot, possibly in time for fall school reopening.

Fast timeline for conservation authority shake-up questioned — Minister Todd McCarthy wants to cut Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities down to nine by early 2027, but local CA leaders say details are still missing and the schedule is ambitious. Critics warn the change could reduce local representation and hurt watershed-specific programs, while the province says there won’t be net job losses and it aims to fix fragmentation.