World Headlines: Life after the fires and floods

First Up

By Andrew Joe Potter

Good morning. In retrospect, it probably wasn't a good omen that the oak tree was unveiled as an official symbol of Toronto yesterday — only the first of two big losses for the mighty maples on Saturday. Here’s the latest.

MUST READS

Alex McKeen/Toronto Star

EXTREME WEATHER

What next for British Columbia's climate-battered communities?

After fires and floods, Canadians displaced by climate disasters bear the financial and emotional toll of rebuilding what they've lost. As some experts tell Alex McKeen, adapting our infrastructure to anticipate dangerous events is as critical as reducing our carbon footprint. But is it even worth trying to rebuild these heavily damaged communities at all?

Staff Photographer/Toronto Star

SPORTS

Unbe-Leaf-able: How Toronto hockey fell short in Game 7 yet again

Today, you're either mourning or relishing the Toronto Maple Leafs' playoff-ending loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. A strong regular season, including a sensational 60-goal year from standout Auston Matthews, provides minimal consolation for a fanbase that hasn't experienced a playoff series victory since Paul Martin was prime minister. Kevin McGran has the full breakdown of the latest meltdown.

Paige Taylor White/Toronto Star

GOOD NEWS

Toronto’s COVID ambassador system offers a glimpse at a new future for public health

An unsung army of community health ambassadors helped battle vaccination misinformation and accessibility barriers in Toronto. Now, the city is asking Ontario for $6 million to keep their success going through the end of 2022, May Warren reports. And even more promisingly, there's reason to think this approach could help bridge the disparities in health-care services in non-COVID times.

Omar Mosleh/Toronto Star

CRIME

How Edmonton leaders are trying to tackle the city's numerous crises

As Edmonton Oilers fans frolic overhead, a different world emerges just below Edmonton's surface. Police were dispatched to the city’s transit centres nine times per day on average from January to March this year. The percentage of violent incidents involving a weapon below ground was about three times the surface-level rate, Omar Mosleh and Kieran Leavitt report. Amid a rash of violence and opioid-related deaths, what is the answer to Edmonton's woes?

Toronto Star File Photos

TORONTO UNSOLVED

DNA says one man killed both women in 1983. But does it say where he went?

Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour lived very different lives, but in death they were more than similar. Both women were stabbed to death in their respective homes in late 1983, and improved DNA testing in 2008 concluded that their killer was the same man. Peter Edwards explores what we know about the cold case — and what experts hypothesize might have happened to the killer.

Get a front-row seat this provincial election. As the Ontario election heats up, you need This Week in Politics, featuring exclusive analysis from Queen's Park bureau chief Robert Benzie and columnist Susan Delacourt. Sign up here, and you'll start receiving their insight on what just happened, what it means — and what's coming next.

UP CLOSE

Freelance

The Mandlsohns have held a special place in the hearts — and ears — of Torontonians since 1946 when the family first opened the doors of Bay Bloor Radio. Through years of upheaval, from recessions to the advent of the mp3 player, the hi-fi business has endured. Stuart Berman turns the volume up and explores what's next for the downtown staple.

VISIT THIS

Quinton Cruickshanks

If you're looking to beat the lines ahead of Pride next month, Toronto-based drag queen Lemon has you covered. The recent contestant on "RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World" tells Briony Smith about her five favourite local queer businesses.

Thanks for reading. If you think the week of yet another Leafs letdown was a poor time for city council to nix drinking in public parks, let the First Up team know at firstup@thestar.ca. Manuela will see you back here Monday.

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