1. [2427] PM Mark Carney drew criticism after joking he could “outlast” a Grassy Narrows protester on Mar. 30 — chiefs and MPs are demanding an apology as the community continues to live with mercury contamination (Dryden mill dumped ~9,000 kg) and campaigners seek compensation.
2. [2428] Ontario is pushing wider fare integration (OneFare) and eventual schedule alignment tied to the new Hurontario LRT, but TTC union ATU Local 113 warns the legislation could give sweeping ministerial powers and affect local fares and service.
3. [2430] Queen’s Park plans to let the province appoint regional chairs with “strong chair” powers for eight big regions and to cut council sizes — Simcoe council would fall from 32 to 17 members and Niagara from 32 to 12.
4. [2429] Stellantis is reportedly exploring bringing Chinese EV maker Leapmotor to its idled Brampton plant; Unifor warns this could mean few Canadian parts jobs after the automaker moved some production to the U.S. and ~3,000 Brampton workers were furloughed.
5. [2324] The federal and Ontario governments agreed on an $8.8-billion deal to cut municipal development charges by up to 50% over three years and to rebate HST on new homes for a year — officials hope it sparks new construction but gave no firm short-term home-build targets.
6. [2409] Ontario announced its minimum wage will rise to $17.95/hr on Oct. 1, 2026 (current $17.60), worth an estimated $728 more per year for a 40-hour worker.
7. [2380] Across Canada advocates say recent minimum-wage increases still fall short of a living wage — provinces continue staggered raises (e.g., Nova Scotia $16.75, Newfoundland $16.35) while federally regulated workers move to $18.15.
8. [2400] MPPs received a 4.2% pay raise on Apr. 1, lifting backbench pay from $157,350 to $163,959, a move polls show most Ontarians oppose.
9. [2413] New emails show a civil servant warned to “dig a bit deeper” into Therme’s finances days before Infrastructure Ontario signed a controversial 95-year Ontario Place lease; questions over Therme’s liquidity and ownership of cited spas remain.
10. [2402] Ontario says it will bring nurse practitioners into the publicly funded system but will not give them OHIP billing codes for now, missing a federal April 1 deadline and leaving funding models undecided.
11. [2412] Metrolinx now lists 124 vice‑presidents (up 5%) with an average VP salary of ~$248,000 in 2025 as some former consultants were hired full-time during an in‑house overhaul.
12. [2326] Top Ontario college presidents averaged roughly $507,000 in 2025 even as colleges continue layoffs and program cuts amid financial pressure.
13. [2328] The Premier’s Office payroll grew again in 2025: 50 staff on the sunshine list earned a combined $8.1 million (an 11% rise), drawing criticism during an affordability crunch.
14. [2352] One year after HART Hubs replaced some supervised consumption sites, advocates and researchers say the hubs aren’t clearly expanding access to treatment or drug checking, despite the province reporting 100,000+ client interactions.
15. [2403] OPP made a fifth arrest (Damion Ryan, 45, of Ottawa) in the 2020–21 Bolton home shooting; two suspects remain wanted and police offer a $50,000 reward for information.
16. [2404] Police installed a billboard near Orangeville to prompt tips in the April 1, 2024 homicide of David Robson — his 2017 black Kia Sportage (plate DAMZ 252) is still missing.
17. [2361] DNA and forensic work identified a 1979 Quebec homicide victim as Pamela Harvey, who went missing from Sudbury on Dec. 25, 1978; investigators say the presumed killer died in 1979.
18. [2405] Three people — including two minors aged 13 and 17 — died and two others were flown to hospital with life‑threatening injuries after a transport truck and SUV crashed in Norwich Township on Mar. 31.
19. [2432] OPP are seeking witnesses after a group of fans climbed the boards, removed shirts and broke glass at a Bracebridge rink on Mar. 26; multiple videos are circulating online.
20. [2408] Crown lawyers have asked the Ontario Appeal Court to overturn bail for Toronto lawyer Deepak Paradkar, accused of advising Ryan Wedding, after the original judge released him under strict house arrest and a $5-million surety pledge.
21. [2407] In the Frank Stronach sexual‑assault trial a judge said one complainant’s evidence was “fatally flawed,” so she can’t convict on that account — prosecutors continue with charges linked to other complainants.
22. [2398] The Toronto Raptors lost 123-115 to the Sacramento Kings (Apr. 1), a tough defeat that pushed Toronto into a play‑in spot; Precious Achiuwa had 28 points and 19 rebounds for the Kings.
23. [2389] The Edmonton Oilers signed Ottawa-born forward William Nicholl to a three‑year entry‑level deal after he scored 15 goals and 11 assists in 32 OHL games this season.
24. [2406] The AHL has approved relocation of the New York Islanders’ affiliate from Bridgeport to Hamilton for 2026–27; the team will play at the 18,000‑seat, recently upgraded TD Coliseum.
25. [2372] Masai Ujiri has joined the owner group of the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo alongside Serena Williams, Geoff Molson and others, marking his return to Toronto pro basketball ownership.
26. [2350] Canada’s Jeremy Hansen and Jenni Gibbons are part of NASA’s Artemis II mission team for a planned lunar flyby in early April (launch window Apr. 1–6); Hansen would be the first non‑American beyond low Earth orbit.
27. [2431] With Toronto hosting six World Cup matches (June 11–July 19), Destination Ontario research shows 9 in 10 visitors plan to explore beyond the city; at the same time ticket resales are pricey and authorities warn of World Cup‑related fraud — be cautious buying from unofficial sellers.