Ottawa Daily Digest — March 14, 2026

Big new home for development: Raptors 905 opened a 16,000-square-foot practice facility at Paramount Fine Foods Centre on March 14, 2026, with AJ Lawson trying out the rims and officials including Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, NBA G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Nick Eaves and Courtney Charles attending the ceremony. This full-size court — the first G League team court built to NBA regulation — has three baskets, upgraded locker rooms, training and rehab spaces, and will also be used for community camps and a clinic that welcomed 50 kids from Erin Mills Youth Centre, the Mississauga Monarchs and PDM Basketball.

Court lets Al-Quds Day rally go ahead: a judge dismissed Ontario’s bid to block the downtown Toronto Al-Quds Day protest, saying there wasn’t enough evidence it would spark major criminality (Justice Robert Centa ruled it should proceed). Premier Doug Ford called the decision disappointing and police deployed hundreds of officers as counter-protesters gathered, with officials stressing the right to assemble while promising to enforce the law.

Neighbourhood shock as woman identified in suspicious death: police named the woman found dead on Wednesday as 60-year-old Xian Wei Shao — Toronto’s fourth homicide victim this year — after her body was discovered around 1:30 p.m. at Threadneedle Crescent and Cresthaven Drive. Investigators treated the death as suspicious, released a photo of Shao and said the probe is ongoing.

Charges after zipline fall that sent child to SickKids: Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority laid charges against KVPM Realty Ltd., operator of Aerosports Trampoline Park in Scarborough, alleging it ran an unapproved zipline and gave false info to an inspector after an 11-year-old fell in January and was taken to SickKids. The regulator says no permit existed for the zipline, the device was shut down after inspection, and charges are now before Ontario’s Court of Justice.

Watchdog slams plan to shield premier’s phone records: Ontario’s information commissioner Patricia Kosseim criticized the Ford government’s announced move to retroactively block release of communications from the premier, ministers and staff, calling it a “shocking” attempt to hide records after losing legal fights over Doug Ford’s call logs (Global News has pursued the logs since 2022). If enacted, the change would remove those records from freedom-of-information requests and, critics warn, seriously weaken transparency.

Raptors rally past Suns 122-115: Toronto beat Phoenix 122-115 on March 14, 2026, sparked by RJ Barrett’s 22 points (nine in the fourth) and a game-saving Scottie Barnes block — Brandon Ingram led with 36 points — moving the Raptors to 37-29 as they push through the final 16 regular-season games. Coach Darko Rajakovic praised the team’s fight and Barnes’ effort despite illness, and the win ended a stretch without victories over teams with winning records.

Experts warn teens are being drawn into online sports betting: researchers and clinicians say smartphone apps and heavy advertising are pulling teens — especially boys aged about 12–16 — into betting, with online gambling revenues forecast to hit US$8.7 billion by 2030 (up from US$3.9B in 2024). Studies in Ontario show a >300% rise in young men contacting gambling helplines after privatization, and experts urge stronger regulations, awareness and treatment access to curb a growing public‑health problem.