Samwise GTA Newsletter
Monday, April 13, 2026
Toronto Votes Today in Two Federal Byelections That Could Tip Carney to a Majority
Toronto voters today head to the polls in two federal byelections — University-Rosedale and Scarborough Southwest — that could hand Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals a coveted majority government. The University-Rosedale seat opened when Chrystia Freeland resigned in January to advise Ukrainian President Zelenskyy; physician Danielle Martin is the Liberal standard-bearer. In Scarborough Southwest, Ontario NDP deputy leader Doly Begum crossed the floor to run for the Liberals, filling the void left by former cabinet minister Bill Blair. A third byelection runs simultaneously in Terrebonne, Quebec. With all three seats expected to lean Liberal, today’s results could reshape the federal balance of power.
Raptors Clinch First Playoff Berth Since 2022, Earn No. 5 Seed vs. Cleveland
The Toronto Raptors secured their first playoff berth since 2022 on Sunday, routing the Brooklyn Nets 136-101 in the regular-season finale at Scotiabank Arena. Scottie Barnes recorded his third triple-double of the season — 18 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists — while RJ Barrett led all scorers with 26 points and Brandon Ingram added 25. The victory, combined with Atlanta’s loss to Miami and Orlando’s loss to Boston, locked Toronto into the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors open their first-round playoff series against the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers with Game 1 on Saturday, April 18, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
Chow and Bradford Unveil Duelling Plans for Long-Delayed Scarborough LRT
A long-delayed Scarborough transit project has become a flashpoint at Toronto City Hall, with Mayor Olivia Chow and Councillor Brad Bradford unveiling competing motions for the proposed Eglinton East LRT. The 18.6-kilometre line would stretch from Kennedy Station to Malvern Town Centre, serving 27 stops including the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. Chow’s motion calls for designating the project as the city’s top transit priority and rebranding it the Scarborough Eglinton East LRT. Bradford counters that the project remains at 10 per cent design with no committed funding, accusing the mayor of breaking a council promise to advance the design to 30 per cent by March 2026.
Pearson Gold Heist Ringleader Gets Four Years, Must Repay $22 Million
The mastermind of Canada’s largest gold heist has been sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to repay $22 million. Arsalan Chaudhary, who pleaded guilty in March, led a crew that walked out of Pearson International Airport in April 2023 with 6,600 gold bars worth $20 million and $2.5 million in cash from logistics company Brinks. Ontario Court Justice Shannon McPherson delivered the sentence at a Brampton courthouse on April 9, with 174 days deducted for time already served. The restitution order will remain in force for 40 years if unpaid. The Crown had argued for a seven-year term, calling the scheme audaciously simple in its execution.
Project South: Six Toronto Officers Suspended Without Pay as Bail Battle Continues
Six Toronto police officers charged in the sweeping Project South corruption probe are now suspended without pay, with Police Chief Myron Demkiw having initiated the process under Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act. Seven active officers and one retired constable face charges including conspiracy to commit murder, drug trafficking, firearms offences, and extortion — the product of a wide-ranging investigation into organized crime networks with alleged ties to the force. Lawyers for Constable Timothy Barnhardt, who faces 17 charges — the most of any accused officer — are asking a court to reconsider denying him bail. Alleged drug trafficker Brian Da Costa was separately granted $1.5-million bail on house arrest.
GTA Home Sales Rise for First Time in Six Months, but Prices Keep Falling
Greater Toronto Area home sales climbed 1.7 per cent year-over-year in March, marking the first sales increase in six months, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board. A total of 5,039 transactions were recorded, but buyers continued to benefit from falling prices — the average selling price dropped 6.7 per cent from a year ago to $1,017,796, while the benchmark price slid 7.4 per cent to $941,800. The condo segment showed a 30.7 per cent monthly sales surge but prices averaged $620,479, down 9 per cent year-over-year. Analysts attribute the sluggish recovery to elevated interest rates and a continuing wave of new condo completions flooding the market.
TDSB Set to Cut Hundreds of Teaching Positions Amid Enrolment Drop and Funding Loss
Toronto District School Board faces a growing dispute over the scale of teacher job cuts heading into the next school year. The board says it will eliminate approximately 289 teaching positions, citing a projected enrolment decline of nearly 5,000 students and the end of one-time pandemic-era funding. But teachers unions put the figure far higher, warning that 607 positions are at risk, including 484 elementary teachers, 123 secondary teachers, and specialists serving students in low-income areas and English-language learners. Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Toronto president Helen Victoros called the cuts “breathtaking in their depth,” warning they will drive up class sizes and harm the board’s most vulnerable students this September.
Line 5 Eglinton Now Running Until 1:20 AM Following Service Expansion
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT reached a new operational milestone as extended evening hours took effect on Line 5, starting April 5. Trains now run until 1:20 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and until 12:30 a.m. on Saturdays — eliminating late-night bus replacements that had long frustrated riders. Peak-period service operates every four minutes, with off-peak frequency ranging from six to ten minutes. Mayor Olivia Chow hailed the expansion as a sign of the line’s continued rollout after years of delays. Future phases will bring additional trains, improved trip-time reliability, and completion of signal-priority upgrades across the 19-kilometre corridor from Mount Dennis to Kennedy Station.
Toronto Gas Prices Fall 13 Cents After U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Reopens Strait of Hormuz
Toronto drivers found relief at the pumps last Thursday when gas prices tumbled 13 cents a litre overnight to 173.9 cents. The drop followed a 14-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane for roughly 20 per cent of global oil supply before the joint U.S.-Israel military operation in Iran began in late February. Diesel fell a steeper 28 cents per litre to 206.9. Energy analyst Roger McKnight of En-Pro International cautioned that full stability at the pumps is unlikely before June, warning the conflict remains unresolved and any escalation could quickly reverse the gains seen at the pump.
City Pulse
Blue Jays: Next: at Milwaukee Brewers — Tue Apr 14 at 6:40 PM ET, American Family Field
Maple Leafs: Season ends Thu Apr 16; Maple Leafs missed the 2026 playoffs, eliminated April 2.
Raptors: Clinched No. 5 seed — vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Game 1: Sat Apr 18 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland
Curated by JD · samwise.agency