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The transfer of TDSB's longest serving principal sparked protests + Ontario line is costing Metrolinx a pretty penny

The transfer of TDSB's longest serving principal sparked protests + Ontario line is costing Metrolinx a pretty penny

Toronto Star12-06-2025

Good morning. This is the Thursday, June 12 edition of First Up, the Star's daily morning digest. Sign up to get it earlier each day, in your inbox.
Here's the latest on the TDSB transferring its longest-serving principal, Metrolinx's massive land payou t and growing surgery wait times.
Also, we're following developments on an Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport this morning with 242 people on board. Here's what we know.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
DON'T MISS
The TDSB's decision to transfer its longest serving principal is sparking protests
Here's what the rumour mill is saying about Barrie Sketchley's departure from Rosedale Heights.
TDSB seeks public feedback as it reviews controversial policy on specialized program admissions
This Ontario Line property is going to cost Metrolinx big money
A tribunal ruling sided with the land owners' appraisal. Here's how much Metrolinx has to pay.
Metrolinx forced him out of his $1,400-a-month home to make way for a new Ontario Line station. Now his rent has almost doubled — and he won't be the only one, the city warns
Canadians are facing growing wait times for 'priority' surgeries
Despite clearing the COVID backlog, wait times have spiked. Take a look at the data.
I paid $1,500 for an MRI and got an appointment in days. But such scans aren't always good for patients — or our health care system
WHAT ELSE
On Tuesday, federal industry minister Melanie Joly pointed to the domestic auto industry as a potential key part of Ottawa's commitment to reach its exanded defence spending goals.
Spencer Colby/ The Canadian Press file photo
Could Mark Carney's military plans save Canada's auto industry? Here's what you need to know.
Here's how Carney hopes to smooth over his differences with Trump at the G7 summit.
Canada set a record for the number of refugee claims received last year. This is what the UN report said.
Don't believe players' cooked-up story, the Crown said in their closing arguments at the Hockey Canada trial.
Vaughan stopped photo radar after a deluge of speeding tickets. These are the next steps.
Over 80 per cent of Toronto-area condos are now selling for under asking. Here's why.
Edward Keenan: Are police officers in our schools part of the solution? Here's how they could be.
A proposed class action alleges Uber eats customers faced hidden service fees. Here's more.
Kendrick Lamar is performing in Toronto for the first time since his feud with Drake ignited. Here's everything you need to know.
Canadian authors and fans say these 18 summer reads should top your TBR pile. Check out the list here.
POV
As climate induced hell-fires rage across the country, Canada looks to build pipelines.
CLOSE UP
Workers have put a protective coating on the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald along with a plaque acknowledging his controversial role in creating residential schools.
Richard Lautens/ Toronto Star
QUEEN'S PARK: Sir John A. Macdonald is out in public once again. The likeness of Canada's first prime minister, which gazes south down University Avenue, was boarded up five years ago following repeated acts of vandalism over his role in creating residential schools. Take a closer look at the controversy around the statue.
Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. I will see you back here tomorrow.
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"PM Modi always likes to come to Odisha": CM Majhi on PM's declining invitation of Trump, citing prior commitment in Odisha
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"PM Modi always likes to come to Odisha": CM Majhi on PM's declining invitation of Trump, citing prior commitment in Odisha

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 21 (ANI): Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that he politely declined an invitation from US President Donald Trump, citing prior commitment in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has said that the PM always likes to come to his state. 'He always likes to come to Odisha. He spoke to Donald Trump during the G7, and he invited the PM for a visit to America. PM Modi had already given us the program and told us he would come on June 20... He likes to come to Odisha, and he starts his programs with the chant of 'Jai Jagannath, '' Majhi told ANI. Speaking at an event in Bhubaneswar on Friday, PM Modi said that he had politely declined an invitation from US President Donald Trump to visit the United States on his way back from Canada after the G7 Summit, choosing instead to travel to Odisha -- the 'land of Lord Jagannath,' which he called more important. 'At a time when Odisha's BJP government is completing one year, the people of Odisha are preparing for the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra. He is our 'prerna' inspiration and 'aaradhya' worship,' PM Modi said. 'Just two days ago, I was in Canada for the G7 summit. During that time, US President Donald Trump called me and invited me with great insistence. I told the President of America, Thank you for the invitation, but I need to go to the land of the Lord. So I politely declined his invitation. Your love has drawn me to the land of the Lord,' he said. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has said that his government aims to make the State a USD 500 billion economy by 2036, adding that the government would cooperate with the Centre to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat. 'We will cooperate with the centre to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat... Our GDP is more than the national average... We have prepared a vision document for 2036... We aim to make Odisha a USD 500 billion economy by 2036. A double-digit growth rate is required for this,' Majhi told ANI. Majhi commended Prime Minister Modi's leadership and highlighted contributions to the state's development. 'In January, PM Modi urged the investors to participate in the Utkarsh Odisha 2025 conclave. We received proposals worth Rs 17 lakh crores in just two days, which is a record. This happened because the investors trusted you. We are working to make Odisha the industrial hub of eastern India...,' he said. On Operation Sindoor, Majhi lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, stating, 'Under your leadership, the terrorist has been eliminated. Operation Sindoor was not just an operation; it was a symbol of the trust of mothers and sisters. With Operation Sindoor, India rises to a new role, one that does not bow. Earlier, people said, 'Modi hai toh mumkin hai'; now they say, 'Modi hai toh desh surakshit hai.' Under your leadership, development is touching new heights. In 11 years, all sectors have made progress, and India has become the world's fourth-largest economy.' PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over Rs 18,600 crore in Bhubaneswar. These projects will cover critical sectors, including drinking water, irrigation, agricultural infrastructure, health infrastructure, rural roads and bridges, sections of national highways, and a new railway line. (ANI)

Wildfires: climate change cause and effect
Wildfires: climate change cause and effect

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Wildfires: climate change cause and effect

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But if 'seeing is believing', then the G7 did see something alarming about our changing climate: wildfires. They issued the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter, stating: 'These increasingly extreme wildfires are endangering lives, affecting human health, destroying homes and ecosystems, and costing governments and taxpayers billions of dollars each year.' Wildfires are Canada's most public of dirty climate secrets. When we think of our biggest greenhouse gas (GHG) polluters, we tend to focus on the oil and gas sector. Think again. Canada's record wildfires in 2023 burned more than 16 million hectares of land, an area as large as 30 Winnipegs put together. It generated an estimated 647 megatonnes of carbon according to the authoritative scientific journal Nature. That is almost as much as all of Canada emitted the year before (709 megatonnes), and three times as much as the oil and gas sector itself. Trees and forests are natural carbon sinks. They absorb carbon dioxide when they are alive and healthy. But they release CO2 when they burn. Hot and dry weather caused by a changing climate is causing earlier starts to the fire season. It is making our forests more combustible when fires start. Forest fires become larger in area and of longer duration with more carbon emissions released. But Canada, like most countries, does not count most carbon emissions from wildfires in its GHG inventory. This is for two reasons. First, because the United Nations' climate rules focus on what's called 'anthropogenic' or human-caused emissions and second, it is hard to distinguish between carbon released from planned or managed land use changes such as timber practices and urban sprawl, versus unplanned wildfires. The atmosphere begs to differ. It doesn't care about carbon rules or even sources. It cares about carbon accumulation. Climate impacts today are caused from yesterday's carbon emissions, not tomorrow's. And it's caused by everyone's emissions, not just ours. Canada is more exposed to this vicious circle than any other country, due to our northern latitude and higher rates of warming being experienced. There's a reason we are on track for our second-worst wildfire season ever with 3.9 million hectares already burning and over 120 fires officially 'out of control', according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. What's the solution? Sadly, nothing easy, fast, or cheap. The federal government is spending $3.2 billion to plant two billion new trees over the next ten years. So far, 160 million trees have been planted. When finished, though, it would absorb only about 12 megatonnes of carbon per year in 2050. Not nearly enough or soon enough. Could those or other 'climate dollars' be more usefully invested elsewhere? Just as the G7 signalled combatting wildfires is now a global concern, Canada's governments need to make it a truly national priority. 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Fading into the background
Fading into the background

Winnipeg Free Press

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Fading into the background

Opinion The number of people in Canada experiencing homelessness continues to climb despite increased government funding. This prompted dozens of experts from across the country to gather at a landmark forum convened by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) to look for answers to help the 34,000 Canadians who — on any given night — don't have a decent place of their own. The main outcome of this gathering, the new report Housing First: What's Next?, released this week, confirms what we've witnessed firsthand: there are proven and effective approaches to end chronic homelessness. The report asserts that Housing First — a Canadian-made strategy that addresses housing insecurity — is a proven method to effectively keep people stably housed over the long term. As a country, how do we stand by as our neighbours cycle through emergency rooms, shelters, and jails? Why do we settle for high-cost band-aid interventions when a permanent fix is already within reach? It's like searching for reading glasses perched on our head. We can't expect people to recover from mental illness or addiction without the dignity of a door that locks. Securing safe, affordable housing is the crucial first step. It's a moral imperative, and fiscally responsible. The principle is straightforward: offer permanent housing in regular units scattered throughout communities — no strings attached — then deliver tailored supports for mental health, substance misuse, employment, and community integration. Rather than requiring people to 'earn' housing through demonstrated 'good behaviour,' Housing First posits – correctly – that a safe place to live is foundational for recovery. Just as we wouldn't expect someone with pneumonia to get better in the rain, we can't expect someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia to recover while navigating shelter waitlists. We were both heavily involved in At Home/Chez Soi, a federally funded $110 million project launched by the MHCC, which ran from 2008 to 2013. It found that chronic homelessness could be ended permanently for most people by combining housing with portable support. With decades of experience under our belts, our conviction has not wavered. Like the dozens of experts who participated in the workshop that led to the report, we continue to believe Housing First should be adopted and scaled up as best practice. When people have stable housing and access to community supports, we see measurable results: fewer hospitalizations, reduced emergency room visits, and decreased police interactions. These outcomes help offset the cost of implementing Housing First programs. While other countries have embraced this Canadian best practice — Finland and Norway have nearly eliminated chronic homelessness using a Housing First approach — we're still working to fully realize what we ourselves have pioneered. Despite its proven success, implementing Housing First is hard work. It requires carefully coordinating health, housing, justice, and social services that typically operate in silos. It forces us to confront the uncomfortable reality that our housing market has become the privilege of the few, rather than a basic human right. But these challenges can be overcome. During our national forum, experts agreed that an ever-shifting landscape requires an equally nimble response. Our report serves as a call to action and a road map: we need Housing First programs to follow the At Home/Chez Soi model, while upping the ante by collecting better data, creating culturally appropriate supports, establishing improved workforce training, boosting leadership, and increasing public engagement. Creating more deeply affordable housing is also urgent, encouraging private market and not-for-profit landlords to support individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness — people who are deserving of equitable access to housing opportunities. Taken together, we know this will transform lives. Ironically, when Housing First works well, you don't see it. People integrate into communities as tenants and neighbours, a refreshing contrast to the increasing visibility of suffering on our streets. We can all contribute to meaningful change. By understanding evidence-based approaches and working within our communities to prioritize and implement them, we create pathways to housing stability. Each of us has a role in fostering communities where everyone has a place to call home. Above all, we must never turn away from suffering, especially knowing the proven remedy is in plain sight. Tim Aubry is Emeritus Professor at the University of Ottawa and Co-Chair of the Canadian Housing First Network, and Jino Distasio, is a professor at the University of Winnipeg.

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