Is the grass greener anywhere but Ontario?

Plus, the OPP officer shot on duty and baggage woes at Pearson  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up   By Manuela Vega   Good morning. Here’s the latest on an OPP officer killed on the job, the mass exodus from Ontario for a better life and Pearson passenger frustration.       DON’T MISS Sebastian Bron/Hamilton Spectator   policing An Ontario Provincial Police officer was killed while on duty near Hagersville After only a year on the force, 28-year-old Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala was shot dead Tuesday afternoon in a small community southeast of Brantford, Ben Mussett and Isaac Phan Nay report. Pierzchala is being remembered by his colleagues as a heroic, bubbly officer with a “huge heart” who was working his dream job, despite knowing the dangers tied to it. Two people are in custody, police say. Here’s what else we know about the circumstances of Pierzchala’s death. Context: Pierzchala is the fourth officer to be shot dead in Ontario since September.   Steve Russell/The Star   housing People are leaving Ontario in record numbers for affordable homes and a better life After struggling with affordability and the instability of renting in the GTA, a couple who this summer moved to Calgary — a city with no familiar faces on the other side of the country — feel “for the first time … (they) have an opportunity to save money” and “enjoy life.” And they’re far from alone, May Warren reports. More Ontarians have made the big move to other provinces in the past two years than ever, according to figures from Statistics Canada, a trend the agency says may be due to an increase in remote work and housing prices. Take a look at how people are starting a new life from thousands of miles away, and how the departures are affecting Toronto. By the numbers: Statistics Canada numbers show a net loss of 11,581 people to other provinces in the third quarter of 2022 — the largest in a third quarter since 1980. The figures are a warning sign that Toronto’s gravitational pull promising jobs, prosperity and big-city lights, has faded.   Paige Taylor White/The Star   travel Passengers at Pearson airport are angry after facing lengthy delays in recovering their luggage In the aftermath of a winter storm that saw widespread travel delays and cancellations just before Christmas, passengers at Toronto’s Pearson airport reported going for several hours or even days without seeing their luggage. One man told the Star that although his flight never took off, his family hadn’t seen their luggage for three days. Another woman got ahold of her son’s luggage only by chance — spotting it at a check-in kiosk before meeting with him in Cuba. Lex Harvey reports on passenger frustrations after about one-third of departures were delayed Tuesday and a handful were cancelled, according to the airport. More: A spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said a significant amount of the luggage backlog has been reunited with passengers and more was expected to be reunited by Tuesday night.       WHAT ELSE   Where will interest rates go in 2023? Experts say not much higher — but they’ll stay high for a while.   Brace for a big melt and possible basement flooding across southern Ontario this week. A new hospital program aims to help homeless people intoxicated by alcohol — cutting ambulance offload time and freeing up beds.   It’s time for Canada to reckon with its modern-day eugenics. These policies are a death sentence for the country’s disabled people. Bell is facing a human rights complaint over alleged inaccessibility for blind customers.   Grass and weed bylaws are being weaponized against biodiversity — but the “messy” natural processes are crucial. This is what you learn when you’re strolling (with a stroller) through downtown Toronto.   From Soulpepper to Stratford, here are the Star’s top theatre picks for 2022. A Toronto basement loft for nearly $4,000 per month? Take a look inside.   Move over, charcuterie — the “seacuterie” board is making waves. Here’s how to make it.       POV Steve Russell/The Star For a brief shining moment, Canada met its poverty goals — and then we backtracked.       CLOSE-UP Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo   KABUL: A Taliban fighter stands guard as a woman walks past in Afghanistan on Monday. The UN on Tuesday decried increasing restrictions on women’s rights in the country — including limitations on education and participation in NGOs — urging the Taliban to reverse them immediately.     Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.   Become a Star subscriber and save! Boxing week offer: $1/week for 52 weeks Get This Offer   If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below.   Unsubscribe From This Newsletter Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts View in Browser Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 PRIVACY POLICY