Toronto Daily Digest — April 1, 2026

Big game: Sacramento beat the Raptors 123-115 as Precious Achiuwa posted 28 points and a huge 19 rebounds while DeMar DeRozan also scored 28 for the Kings (now 20-57). Toronto, missing Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram, was outrebounded 48-32 despite shooting 54.5%; DeRozan passed Dominique Wilkins for 17th all-time with 26,670 points. Next: Raptors head to Memphis Friday; Kings host New Orleans Friday.

Job hunt headache: Hundreds of thousands of recent Canadian post-secondary grads are starting their search into a tough market, with youth unemployment at about 14% and many entry-level roles disappearing. Venture For Canada CEO Steven Wang warns of an "experience gap" as employers expect AI and interpersonal readiness; grads like Serina Woo (U of T, class of 2025) report competing with more-experienced applicants.

Minimum wage rises — but not enough, say workers: Provinces are increasing rates (Nova Scotia to $16.75 now, $17 in Oct.; Newfoundland $16.35; PEI $17; New Brunswick $15.90; Quebec $16.60 in May; B.C. $18.25 in June; territories higher) and federally regulated workers move to $18.15 on Wednesday. Advocates point out livable wages remain far higher (CCPA put Nova Scotia at $27.60), and Alberta stays at $15 since 2018.

Helmets off in warm-ups: Many NHL veterans still take helmets off before games despite a 2019-20 rule requiring new players to wear them; players like Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tyler Toffoli and Corey Perry describe the ritual and its risks. The story also notes playoff-race standings (Columbus 88 pts with 7 games left; Ottawa, Detroit, Philly 86 with 8) and coaching turnover across the league.

MPPs get a 4.2% raise: Ontario legislators received a 4.2% pay bump on April 1, lifting a backbench MPP’s pay from $157,350 to $163,959 after a 16-year freeze ended with a one-time 35% increase last year. Polling by Ipsos for Global News shows 60% of Ontarians oppose the raise.

Tourism minister backs Therme deal: Tourism Minister Stan Cho says Therme passed the province’s financial checks on a controversial 95-year Ontario Place lease, though he didn’t confirm whether Therme has taken control of the west island or secured financing. New NDP emails show civil servants urged digging "a bit deeper" into Therme’s finances days before the lease was signed.

Police up patrols for Passover: Toronto and York Region police increased patrols and set up rotating command posts at synagogues, Baycrest, the Ledbury Jewish Centre and Bathurst Street as Passover begins Wednesday evening through next Thursday. The move follows recent shots fired at three synagogues; Ottawa has pledged $10 million to help community security.

Screening age could drop to 45: Prince Edward Island (and Nunavut) will lower colorectal cancer screening to age 45, and BC Cancer is investigating the change after rising rates in younger adults. Survivor Barry Stein and experts note people under 50 are now 2–2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed than prior generations; current routine screening target is ages 50–75 with FIT tests.

Ontario won’t give NPs billing codes — yet: The Ford government says it won’t let nurse practitioners bill OHIP directly with codes but will try to bring them into the publicly funded system after missing an April 1 federal deadline. Health Minister Sylvia Jones says Ontario will comply overall but has not released a fiscal analysis or the funding model; negotiations with the OMA would be needed for fee-for-service billing.

Oilers sign William Nicholl: Edmonton signed 19-year-old Ottawa forward William Nicholl to a three-year entry-level contract starting next season after he scored 15 goals and 11 assists in 32 OHL games for the London Knights. Nicholl was a 7th-round pick (196th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft and helped London win the Memorial Cup last year.

Fifth arrest in Bolton murder case: OPP arrested Damion Ryan, 45, on March 12 and charged him with first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy in the 2021 Bolton home shooting that killed 65-year-old Giovanni Costa; Ryan is due in court April 13. Two suspects remain wanted — Filmon Fesshaghirgis (27) and Waheed Barakziye (48) — and police offer a $50,000 reward.

World Cup: full Toronto lineup locked in: Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Italy in penalties to take the last spot and will open Canada’s Toronto World Cup match on June 12 at 3 p.m.; Iraq and Senegal are also set to play in Toronto. Mayor Olivia Chow lamented Italy’s absence; Toronto will host six matches including a Round of 32 on July 2.

Police put up billboard to solve 2024 homicide: OPP installed a billboard near Orangeville ahead of the April 1 anniversary of David Robson’s death (found April 1, 2024) to ask for help locating his 2017 black Kia Sportage (plate DAMZ 252), which has never been found. Investigators hope motorists’ memories or camera footage will provide new leads.

Three dead after SUV-truck crash: Three occupants of an SUV — a 39-year-old driver from Cambridge and two passengers aged 13 and 17 from Tillsonburg — were killed in a collision with a transport truck around 3 p.m. Tuesday at Highway 59 and Quaker Street in Norwich Township. Two other people were flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries; the truck driver was uninjured.

Man charged after car fire at U of T: Toronto police arrested a 27-year-old man accused of setting a vehicle on fire just before 1 a.m. Tuesday at the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus; the car was badly damaged but no one was hurt. He faces arson with disregard for human life, probation breaches and mischief over $5,000.

Islanders’ AHL team moving to Hamilton: The AHL board unanimously approved relocating the New York Islanders’ affiliate from Bridgeport to Hamilton for the 2026-27 season; the team will play at the 18,000-seat TD Coliseum after a $300-million upgrade. Hamilton joins the AHL North Division with Laval, Toronto and Belleville.

Judge flags unreliable witness in Stronach trial: Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy said she "couldn't possibly convict" Frank Stronach on charges tied to one complainant because the judge found that woman’s testimony "fatally flawed." Stronach, founder of Magna, faces seven remaining charges after others were withdrawn; closing arguments and procedural motions continue.

Crown asks to undo Paradkar’s bail: Federal prosecutors are asking Ontario’s Court of Appeal to overturn bail for 62-year-old lawyer Deepak Paradkar — released on $5 million pledge and strict house-arrest conditions — in the extradition probe tied to alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding. Crown argues the original judge (Peter Bawden) erred in assessing flight risk, surety reliability and other factors.

Ontario minimum wage to hit $17.95 on Oct. 1: The province announced the minimum wage will rise from $17.60 to $17.95 per hour on Oct. 1, which the government says adds about $728 a year for a 40-hour week. The Ontario Living Wage Network says Greater Toronto Area workers need about $27.20 to cover living costs.

World Cup resale tickets are steep: After Bosnia beat Italy, resale tickets for Canada’s June 12 Toronto opener are scarce and pricey — StubHub showed about 388 tickets left with the cheapest at $1,961 and top listings up to $130,766. FIFA’s official resale market was closed, leaving secondary sites as the main option.

More VPs at Metrolinx as consultants go permanent: Metrolinx had 124 staff with "vice-president" in their title in 2025 (up 5%), with an average VP pay around $248,000; CEO Michael Lindsay says many former consultants were rehired full-time, saving about $100 million. NDP leader Marit Stiles criticized the growing senior ranks as costs rise.

Adviser warned to dig deeper on Therme finances in 2022: New emails show a senior civil servant on April 21, 2022 urged Infrastructure Ontario to"dig a bit deeper" into Therme’s liquidity and staff numbers, yet IO signed the lease on May 3; the auditor general later flagged due-diligence gaps. The province has committed more than $2 billion to help get the spa project started.