Ottawa Daily Digest — March 24, 2026

Big fight over transparency: Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province’s information watchdog is "politicizing" his plan to shield the premier, cabinet and political staff from freedom-of-information (FOI) requests — he insists he has "nothing to hide" and cites about 75,000 FOI requests a year. Critics and Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim (appointed 2025) say she wasn’t consulted and the changes would void a recent court order forcing Ford to hand over his cellphone records.

Priest charged in Oakville: Halton police arrested Rev. Ranjan D’Sa after a February probe into an alleged sexual assault of a woman volunteering at an Oakville church; he faces one count of sexual assault, has been released on an undertaking with a future Milton court date, and police urge other possible victims to call 905-825-4777 ext. 8970.

Friends demand reform after offender absences: Friends of 14-year-old murder victim Darren Pepin (killed in 1986) are upset that convicted killer Darren Scott Ray was given three unescorted 72-hour absences this year — one used in March — and want federal and Correctional Service policies changed so municipalities are warned when high-risk offenders come into communities.

Toronto stadium readies for World Cup: Officials unveiled upgrades to BMO Field (renamed Toronto Stadium for the tournament), including 17,000 temporary seats to reach FIFA’s 45,000 minimum, a new pitch, 32 new suites and hospitality for 4,000 seats; the city will hand the venue to FIFA on May 13, with Canada’s opener here on June 12 and a final match for Toronto on July 2. The project sits inside a $380-million budget (including $146 million for stadium renovation) and a May 9 sold-out Lionel Messi test match will double as a rehearsal.

Arrest after crossing guard killed in Ottawa: Ottawa police say a man in his 50s, identified as crossing guard Peter Clark, was struck near Cedarview Rd. and Kennevale Dr. on Monday and later died; a 19-year-old has been arrested and police ask witnesses or dashcam holders to call 613-236-1222 ext. 2345 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Pride festivals ask Ottawa for $9M to stay afloat: Pride Toronto, Fierté Montréal and Vancouver Pride jointly asked the federal government for $9 million over three years ($3M/year) to help cover rising infrastructure and artist costs beyond the roughly $1.5M they currently get for security. Organizers warn sponsor pullbacks and rising expenses have left some festivals with big shortfalls (Pride Toronto cited a $900,000 gap in 2025) and say stable funding helps local businesses and small community Prides.

Thousands expected to protest OSAP changes at Queen’s Park: Students are planning a large demonstration against Ford government OSAP changes that move the program from up-to-85% grant support to students now having to repay about 75% of loans, with the province saying OSAP could cost $4.1 billion a year if unchanged. Speaker Donna Skelly warned against vandalism after a February protest that caused about $5,000 damage to a George Brown statue and said extra security will be in place.

Watchdog pleads with Ontario to rethink FOI overhaul: Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim urged the province to pause its plan to take politicians and their staff out of FOI rules "before the ink is dry," saying her office wasn’t consulted and warning the move could weaken oversight and void court decisions; opposition leaders including John Fraser and NDP’s Marit Stiles say the change undermines transparency.