These are the victims of the Vaughan shooting

Plus, teen girls charged with murder of unhoused man and the province's drug plan switch-up  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up   By Manuela Vega   Good morning. Environment Canada is urging Ontarians to reconsider their holiday travel plans ahead of a “high impact storm.” Here’s what you need to know. Here’s the latest on the shocking murder of an unhoused man, the victims of the Vaughan shooting and an upcoming change to the largest public drug plan in the country.       DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov   crime Eight teenage girls are facing charges in the fatal stabbing of a 59-year-old man experiencing homelessness Police say a group of teenage girls who met on social media “swarmed” and stabbed a Toronto man who went on to die in hospital over the weekend. Police haven’t released the man’s identity, but a source in the shelter system told the Star their records show the man had spent nights in shelters dating back at least two years. Three 13 year-olds, three 14-year-olds and two 16-year-olds have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Their identities are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Jennifer Pagliaro and Victoria Gibson report on what we know about the attack, the victim and the alleged perpetrators. Wait, what? Although it’s extremely rare for young girls to be behind armed violence — which typically occurs between boys and men — they’re not immune from conflict. It’s even more rare for them to be accused of murder. Go deeper: Earlier this month, a 21-year-old man was arrested for two “unprovoked” stabbing attacks, including on a man sleeping outside.   Paige Taylor White/The Star   vaughan shooting The victims of the Vaughan shooting have been identified as condo board members and their family The mass shooting in a Vaughan highrise on Sunday claimed the lives of three condo board members and two of their spouses, May Warren, Ben Mussett, Betsy Powell and Christine Dobby report. Additionally, the wife of a surviving board member is in hospital with serious injuries. Those who died included a “a happy-go-lucky” realtor with family in Pakistan, the grandfather of a Maple Leafs defenceman, and other residents who, according to a surviving board member, volunteered their time on the board out of a desire to serve their community. Here’s what friends and loved ones are saying about the victims. More: “Our home has been taken from us,” said John Di Nino, whose wife is in hospital. “Our life has changed, and we will never have any sense of normality where we go, where we walk, how we live.” Context: Inside the longstanding feud the killer waged against the condo board and building management. Go deeper: The gunman was a “controlling and abusive” husband and father, his family told the Star. “Words cannot begin to express how deeply heartbroken we are for the families affected.” Edward Keenan’s take: The Vaughan shooting puts the city, already vibrating with negative energy, on edge.   Canadian Press/File Photo   provincial politics Ontario will swap brand-name drugs with cheaper “biosimilar” drugs for seniors and people on social assistance The province is gearing up to begin swapping brand-name drugs for “biosimilar” drugs under the Ontario Drug Benefit — the largest public drug plan in the country — on March 31. But with recipients on the medications involved having chronic health conditions, some are already warning that the switch could throw patients off track, Rob Ferguson reports. Here’s what we know about the government’s plans and the emerging concerns. Context: Several provinces have already made the switch to biosimilars. The drugs are copies of the originals, but are not identical. More: The government said in a statement that exemptions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Representing people with inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada has been fighting the switch for years, arguing the change can cause “adverse effects” in previously stable patients.       WHAT ELSE   Justin Trudeau dishes over beers about haters, the “Freedom Convoy” and why he plans to stay on the job.   Canadians expect ministers to act with integrity and accountability. Trade Minister Mary Ng should resign. The GTA rampage killer “staked out” Tim Hortons, tried to kill eight, wore ballistic armour and had a “generous supply” of ammo, according to the SIU.   Deaths in Ontario jails have nearly doubled in one year, a report shows. Here’s more on the people who are dying — and what little is released about their deaths. Michael Tulloch is the first Black Chief Justice of Ontario. This is his story.   Community-wide investment and efforts are needed to address safety on the TTC. John Tory didn’t break conflict of interest rules over his ties to Rogers, Toronto’s integrity commissioner has determined.   Although job vacancies are high, economists are warning that unemployment will slam some job sectors next year. Desperation drove an Afghan father to sell his child. Here’s how the Taliban’s return spurred unprecedented poverty.   TIFF is joining celebrities and filmmakers in calling for the release of Iranian movie star Taraneh Alidoosti. The slumping Raptors don’t want to tank — but it might be the smart call.   What’s open and closed this Christmas in Toronto.       ICYMI Ian Thompson/Photo From MAID to $10-a-day child care and the Greenbelt: Here are the Star’s top news stories of 2022.       CLOSE-UP Darryl Dyck/The Star   VANCOUVER: Ruth Hasman works on repairing Ernie, a teddy bear that was badly damaged in a Toronto house fire. When reporter Katie Daubs’ teddy bear’s head was falling off, she too sent him away for surgery. This is the story of why she did it — and a closer look at the people who repair the “little teds.”     Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.     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