Daily Digest — Ottawa — 2026-04-02

Tough words after a public gag: Conservative MP Billy Morin and Indigenous leaders are demanding Prime Minister Mark Carney apologize after he joked “I can outlast her” about Chrissy Isaacs, a Grassy Narrows woman protesting mercury contamination in Toronto; the community still suffers from 9,000 kg of mercury dumped by the Dryden Paper Mill in the 1960s–70s and studies show methylmercury levels remain dangerously high. This has drawn sharp criticism from Chief Sherry Ackabee, NDP MP Leah Gazan and Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, who say an apology and real action — like promised health, housing and a mercury care home — are overdue.

Warning bells over fare rules: The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 says Ontario’s plan to expand fare integration around Toronto could give the province sweeping powers to set fares and redistribute TTC revenue, possibly even changing transfers for riders; the move is linked to the new Hurontario LRT and the government says the claims are inaccurate. TTC officials and union leaders say collective agreements and worker buy-in are big hurdles if services are to run across city borders.

Jobs at risk if plant becomes an assembly site: Unifor is alarmed that Stellantis may use its idle Brampton plant to do only basic assembly of Chinese EV kits from Leapmotor, arguing there would be few parts jobs and little Canadian supply-chain benefit; Stellantis owns about a 21% stake in Leapmotor and the Brampton plant left roughly 3,000 workers furloughed after production moved south. The federal cut to tariffs on 49,000 Chinese EVs to 6.1% has raised hopes of new investment, but unions and Ontario’s government warn about the impact on local manufacturing.

Province to appoint regional chairs with strong powers: The Better Regional Governance Act would let the province appoint chairs in eight big regions with "strong chair" powers similar to strong-mayor tools, and shrink Niagara council from 32 to 12 members and Simcoe County from 32 to 17. Minister Rob Flack says it will speed up decisions, but critics including NDP Leader Marit Stiles and others worry about provincial control and partisan appointments.

World Cup fans likely to leave Toronto for day trips: A Destination Ontario report (web interviews Feb. 14–20) found 9 in 10 potential visitors to the FIFA World Cup plan to explore regions beyond Toronto and 54% are likely to travel outside the city after the tournament; Toronto hosts six matches between June 11 and July 19, including Canada’s opener on June 12. Niagara and Ottawa top the list of likely side trips, and organizers say clear, practical travel info will matter — the event could generate up to $940 million in economic output for the GTA.

Shirtless fans break rink glass in Muskoka — OPP investigating: On March 26 between about 9:30 and 10 p.m., Ontario Provincial Police say a group of youths and young adults climbed the boards at the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre in Bracebridge, rocked and broke the glass while some removed their shirts and filmed the stunt. Police are asking for help identifying the multiple people involved as videos circulate online.

Attorney general stays quiet on Ford’s call for judge to apologize: After Premier Doug Ford and the police union said a judge should apologize for comments about three Toronto police detectives in the Umar Zameer trial, Attorney General Doug Downey declined to comment; Zameer was acquitted of first-degree murder and an OPP probe later cleared the officers. The chief justice and legal groups warned that public pressure on judges threatens judicial independence.

Raptors stunned by lowly Kings in a costly loss: The Toronto Raptors fell 123–115 to the Sacramento Kings on April 2, 2026, with RJ Barrett scoring a team-high 20 while former Raptor Precious Achiuwa exploded for 28 points and 19 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 28. The defeat dropped Toronto from sixth to seventh in the East with six regular-season games left, and coach Darko Rajakovic pointed to rebounding (48–32) and effort as the key issues.