Ottawa Daily Digest — March 15, 2026

Raptors finding their stride — Brandon Ingram scored a game-high 34 points as Toronto upset the Detroit Pistons, giving the Raptors back-to-back wins (they scored 70 points across the two games) and moving Toronto to 38-29 and sixth in the Eastern Conference on March 15, 2026. This resurgence follows injuries to RJ Barrett (27 points vs Detroit; missed 15 games) and Jakob Poeltl (21 points, season-high 18 rebounds; missed 35 games), and coach Darko Rajakovic says improved communication and physicality are helping the team click.

Tragic high-rise fire in central Ottawa — Ottawa Fire Services got a call at about 9:36 p.m. on March 14 about a blaze in the 300 block of Somerset St. W.; crews rescued four people from a 19th-floor unit but two later died from their injuries. Firefighters contained the blaze to that apartment (fire under control by 10:03 p.m.), a fire watch remains and an investigation is ongoing — neighbours should expect continued emergency presence and updates.

Ingram powers another upset — In the same March 15 report, Brandon Ingram poured in 34 points while RJ Barrett added 27 as the Raptors beat the Pistons 119-108; Toronto outrebounded Detroit 48-39 and earned 30 second-chance points. Key stat: Scottie Barnes reached his 100th block of the season; Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 33 points as the Pistons fell to 48-19, and Toronto visits Chicago next.

Big pitch to revive auto jobs — Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre proposed a tariff-free Canada–U.S. auto pact on March 15 to double Canadian vehicle production to two million a year over the next decade (production is about 1.2 million now). His plan would remove GST on Canadian-made cars, tie duty-free sales to domestic production, and keep a 75% North American content rule under CUSMA; he also criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney and noted a recent Abacus poll (Mar. 4–11) showing Liberals 46% vs Conservatives 35% among decided voters.

Winter still holding much of Canada — Environment Canada warns special weather statements or warnings are in effect for every province except Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with heavy snow or rain depending on region. Highlights: central/western BC may see 10–15 cm (inland Central Coast 30–40 cm) and 100–150 mm rain for coastal areas; parts of Alberta face wind chills near −40°C; central Ontario 10–20 cm or mixed freezing rain; Quebec communities like Val-d'Or could get 20–40 cm plus up to 5 mm of ice; Maritimes expect heavy rain (20–50 mm) and strong gusts.

Fight over transparency in Ontario — The Ford government’s Friday announcement (March 13–15 period) to shield the premier, cabinet ministers and political staff from access-to-information laws drew sharp criticism from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Ontario director Noah Jarvis and Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim. The change—unveiled by Minister Stephen Crawford—is billed as modernizing the law so ministers can speak candidly, but critics say it removes oversight and Jarvis is calling for the government to immediately backtrack.