1. Senators beat the Maple Leafs 5-2 on March 21 — Ottawa scored the first three goals, Joseph Woll started for Toronto after Anthony Stolarz was hurt in warm-ups, and John Tavares reached his 519th career goal.
2. Family pleads for answers in disappearance of Toronto father Taron Stepanyan, last seen Dec. 23, 2023, as police now investigate his case as a homicide.
3. Toronto man Sheng Long Wang, 60, charged with second-degree murder after Xian Wei Shao, 60, was found dead March 11 — that’s the city’s 4th homicide of the year.
4. Ontario plans retroactive changes to freedom-of-information rules to exclude the premier, cabinet and staff from records — the province’s information watchdog warns this will make government more secretive and less secure.
5. Poll shows Doug Ford’s PCs leading with 42% support (Liberals 35%, NDP 18%), even as 60% of Ontarians say it’s time for a change and 69% don’t expect him to step down before the next election.
6. Ontario won’t meet the federal April 1 deadline to publicly fund all nurse-practitioner services; penalties don’t start until April 2027 and advocates warn patients may keep paying out of pocket.
7. Winter hangs on across Ontario: prolonged lake-effect snow, record single-day totals in Toronto (up to ~61 cm downtown) and heavy Great Lakes ice (Lake Erie ~97%), with more big storms and a true spring warm-up unlikely until May.
8. Ontario is starting talks to build a voluntary, provincewide digital medical-record system and is seeking vendors; the budget will add $325 million for primary care.
9. The province is cutting funding for seven supervised drug consumption sites (two in Toronto) and will start 90‑day wind-downs, worrying harm-reduction workers who say closures could raise overdoses and street drug use.
10. RCMP arrested an Ontario border officer in January over an alleged border-smuggling of millions in opium, cannabis products and tobacco after CBSA tipped police to the Queenston‑Lewiston entry.
11. A child (about 12–13) was fatally struck by a GO train in Mississauga on March 18 after reportedly riding a motorized bike around a barrier; rail and road closures followed while Metrolinx investigates.
12. New provincial offence for public drug use lets officers issue non‑criminal tickets instead of immediate arrests — police say it gives more options, but advocates worry about enforcement on transit and vulnerable people.
13. OPP offers a $50,000 reward for information in the 52‑year cold case of 14‑year‑old Karen Caughlin, who disappeared March 16, 1974; investigators believe her body was struck and moved.
14. Ontario will introduce a law to ban reselling event tickets above their original price — aimed at stopping price gouging for sports, concerts and big events.
15. The New York Islanders plan to move their AHL affiliate to Hamilton’s renovated TD Coliseum next season (pending AHL approval), bringing pro hockey to the city.
16. Amherstburg’s mayor says Diageo slowed efforts to sell the closed Crown Royal bottling plant after Premier Ford backed down from banning the whisky; about 160 jobs were affected and the plant sits idle.
17. Waterloo police defended deploying tactical officers, including a sniper in an elevated position, to monitor an unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day street party and say similar measures may be used at future large gatherings.
18. Jennifer Pan pleaded guilty to manslaughter in her mother’s 2010 death and received a life sentence with parole eligibility after the Supreme Court ordered a new trial on first‑degree murder charges.
19. Daniel Tomassetti, wanted in the 2017 murders of Angelo Musitano and Mila Barberi, was arrested in Mexico in August 2025 and is contesting extradition back to Canada.
20. Raptors rookie centre Collin Murray‑Boyles practiced fully and is day‑to‑day before a five‑game road trip, potentially returning after missing three weeks; he’s averaging 7.8 points and five rebounds this season.
21. After pharmacists were given power to prescribe for minor ailments, Health Minister Sylvia Jones met the then‑Shoppers president; Ontario says over 2 million people have used pharmacy care since the 2023 expansion.
22. OPP warns scammers are spoofing police phone numbers, telling victims their SINs were compromised and directing them to send money via Bitcoin ATMs — police say they will never ask for money or gift cards.
23. A CBSA detector dog at Pearson sniffed out 22.5 kg of raw duck, pigeon, chicken and rabbit in luggage arriving from Egypt on March 8; the meat was refused entry under CFIA rules.
24. Premier Doug Ford publicly praised a Vaughan homeowner who shot an intruder — saying “should have shot him a couple more times” — while York police said a resident who shot an alleged intruder later faced no charges after investigation.
25. Premier Ford criticized the Parole Board after it authorized unescorted temporary absences (72 hours) for Darren Scott Ray, a 65‑year‑old serving life for a 1986 child murder, prompting local police to issue community safety alerts.
26. Hospitals and shelters warn preventable cold‑related deaths among people experiencing homelessness are rising; Ontario recorded 90 hypothermia-related deaths in 2022 and hospitals are expanding shelter partnerships.
27. Project South anti‑corruption probe led to arrests of seven serving Toronto police officers; Ontario’s solicitor general says multiple investigations — including an inspector general review — are ongoing.