World Headlines: What’s happening with Toronto’s youth?

First Up

By Ashley Okwuosa

Good morning. Expect snow flurries late Sunday afternoon that will last into early Monday morning. There’s also a high chance the GTA could be in for a white Christmas next weekend. Here’s the latest.

MUST READS

Toronto Police Service

Crime

What’s behind Toronto’s “staggering” rise in youth carjackings and pharmacy robberies?

Carjackings are up more than 100 per cent in Toronto this year in a string of cases often involving armed youth, reports Jennifer Pagliaro. Experts on youth violence worry ongoing inequalities are contributing to the allure of violent crimes, like stealing a luxury car at gunpoint. The offense can net a teenager as much as $10,000. Young people are also increasingly engaging in hybrid crimes — using stolen cars as getaway vehicles in other crimes, like shootings and pharmacy robberies. Here’s why experts say systemic racism in schools, poor living conditions, and a lack of resources for at-risk youth are factors in the rising number of armed youth in Toronto.

Paige Taylor White/Toronto Star

EDUCATIOn

The COVID learning gap even hit Canadian medical schools

The final two years of medical school in Canada take students out of lecture halls and into ORs and examination rooms, writes Adam Pyle. But when COVID-19 brought an increased reliance on telemedicine, clinical cancellations, and travel restrictions, students missed out on fully building physical examination skills and bedside training. The first cohort of students affected by COVID restrictions graduated this summer, and some educators fear the new doctors may not be properly equipped. Here’s how COVID-19 impacted medical education and its potential impact on the future supply of family doctors in Canada.

Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

health

Canada’s health-care system is in shambles. So why will 2023 be any better?

Wait times for everything from referrals and routine procedures to emergency room care are high. Health workers are suffering from burnout. Hospitals are postponing surgeries and closing services due to staffing shortages. Influenza and other respiratory illnesses have surged. Plus, COVID-19 is still not over. But Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s health minister, described the upcoming year as “a good year of transformation.” With everything going on, it’s a wonder that the person tasked with overseeing the country’s way forward can possess such optimism, writes Raisa Patel. Here’s what Duclos had to say about what we can expect from Canada’s health-care system in the new year.

Toronto Star file photo

opinion

Highway 401 is the beast running through the heart of Ontario. It’s time to stop feeding it

Last week, Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney announced that work had been completed on an 18-kilometre expansion of Highway 401 between Milton and Mississauga. But there’s only temporary relief for those who travel this busy stretch, writes Shawn Micallef. Even with expansions, superhighways make traffic worse because they encourage more drivers, which clogs the highways back up to pre-expansion levels. Here’s why the government should invest in better transit to quell congestion and stop feeding the beast of superhighways.

Andrea Feltrin

music

Here’s how a concert in Toronto may have broken up the Beatles

In September 1969, tickets for the Toronto Rock ‘N Roll Revival at Varsity Stadium weren’t selling. The promoter asked John Lennon to emcee (and save) the concert. Lennon agreed, but only if he could perform with Yoko Ono and other musicians as the Plastic Ono Band. Then, it happened — within a week of returning from the concert, Lennon informed the Beatles he was leaving the group, writes Nick Krewen. A new film titled “Revival 69” documents the show and its notorious musical incidents, like Alice Cooper and that chicken. Read more about the fantastic rock history moments of the Revival here.

UP CLOSE

Trevor Hopkin

Rik McWhinney spent almost 35 years in prison, with 16 in solitary confinement. During that time, he kept writing: poetry, letters, and grievance forms, which became a book titled “The Life Sentences of Rik McWhinney.” While Rik died before the book was published, an interview between him and editor Jason Demers has helped flesh out his story and showcase an intimate perspective of the prison system. Read the interview between Rik and Jason here.

HEAR THIS

Toronto Star

2022 was a monster year for new music, with spectacular evolutions from mainstream artists and exciting new sounds from the underground. From The Weeknd to Rosalía to Beyoncé and PUP, the Star has narrowed down some of the most amazing albums of the year.

Thanks for reading. You can reach the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca, and Manuela will see you back here Monday.

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