Ottawa Daily Digest — 2026-01-07

Ontario police officer charged after personal gun discharged inside home

• Where: Peterborough, Ont.; area of Ireland Drive and Ravenwood Drive.
• When: Self-reported about 6:40 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2025; neighbour discovered bullet hole shortly after.
• Facts: Single round discharged from a legally owned personal firearm recently purchased by the off‑duty officer. No injuries reported. Officer now facing a weapons charge; investigation ongoing.

Woodstock to add online voting for municipal election

• Where: Woodstock, Ont.; joins more than 200 Ontario municipalities offering online voting.
• Why: 2022 turnout was about 27%, prompting a change to increase inclusivity.
• What: City will implement a hybrid voting system — in‑person paper ballots plus online and phone options — to boost participation.

Ford government approves underwater transmission line under Lake Ontario

• Where: From Darlington Nuclear Generating Station under Lake Ontario to Toronto area.
• Capacity: Approved IESO recommendation to add 900 megawatts.
• Expected impact: Province says line will enable power for about 285,000 new homes, support businesses and create thousands of jobs; announcement includes first IESO‑led competitive transmission procurement to limit costs.

Kawartha Craft Beer Festival cancelled permanently

• Location: Peterborough, Ont.; festival began in 2015.
• Reason: Organizers say post‑COVID rebuilding has been run by a tiny team of just two people in their spare time, creating an unsustainable workload.
• Status: Organizers confirmed permanent cancellation after the June 2025 edition; they thanked breweries, vendors and attendees.

Kazuma Okamoto signs with Toronto Blue Jays

• Player: 29‑year‑old Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto.
• Contract: Four‑year deal worth US$60 million.
• Background: 11 seasons in Japan; led Nippon Professional Baseball in home runs three times. Okamoto says family — daughter’s choice of the Blue Jays logo — helped his decision; GM Ross Atkins called the signing an upgrade.