We’re still feeling the impact of the "Freedom Convoy"

Plus, sexual assaults at a Toronto university and Ontario’s health line referring patients to services not covered by OHIP  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up   By Manuela Vega   Good morning. Here’s the latest on sexual assaults at Toronto Metropolitan University, a public health line referring patients to services not covered by OHIP, and the so-called “Freedom Convoy,” one year later.       DON’T MISS Steve Russell/The Star   star investigation “This campus isn’t safe.” A Toronto university’s response to a string of sexual assaults is coming under fire A pair of on-campus sexual assaults between March and October 2022 have stirred fear among many Toronto Metropolitan University staff and students. While police have made arrests — the suspects are not students or staff and should not have been in the building — the campus remains unsettled. A Star analysis shows Kerr Hall, the building where both assaults took place, has seen a sharp increase in reported security incidents since campus reopened. Brendan Kennedy and Morgan Bocknek report on the university’s response — and why students and faculty have described it as self-interested and inadequate. The aftermath: TMU officials say the university acted quickly and has done everything possible to address safety concerns, while students and faculty believe the school didn’t properly warn them about dangers on campus, were slow to implement safety measures and didn’t properly communicate what steps had been taken. Go deeper: Three unions representing workers on campus filed co-ordinated labour grievances accusing the university of not doing enough to ensure campus was safe. Thousands of people signed a petition calling for more security. More: Kerr Hall is one of the university’s oldest buildings, known for its dimly lit, labyrinthian corridors.   Dreamstime Photo   health care The Ontario government health line is referring patients to virtual-only doctors not covered by OHIP Last month, the Ontario government reduced the fees paid to doctors for virtual-only appointments, saying it wanted to encourage family physicians to also see patients in person. But now, the government’s own helpline staff are referring people to virtual services. When the Star used Health Connect Ontario, it was told to seek help with Rocket Doctor, a chat-based medical service that charges $55 per live chat — which isn’t covered by OHIP. Patty Winsa reports on the virtual-only services and the ways many other companies are using loopholes to get around OHIP rules. More: “It is deeply disturbing, and in contradiction to what (Premier) Doug Ford and (Health Minister) Sylvia Jones are saying, if our publicly funded services like Health Connect Ontario are referring people to pay to access services like corporatized for-profit virtual care providers,” said Liberal health critic Dr. Adil Shamji. Go deeper: The concern over virtual-only medicine is not just about the quality of care, but a fear that virtual-only doctors are referring too many patients to already clogged emergency departments because they can’t see a patient in person. Meanwhile: Ford says he’ll fast-track approvals for doctors and nurses from other provinces to work in Ontario. Here’s what you need to know.   Grant LaFleche/Hamilton Spectator   federal politics What’s left of the “Freedom Convoy” one year later? The movement that called on some Canadians to protest in Ottawa last winter is now struggling, sprawling and divided, Grant LaFleche and Raisa Patel report. Some of the key organizers of the three-week occupation are facing criminal charges or are named in civil suits related to demonstrations. Others are pushing forward with their anti-vaccine, anti-mandate messaging, while some prominent figures feel they’ve outgrown the movement. While organizers disagree and diverge, their anti-government sentiments, mistrust of the media and conspiratorial beliefs have left a lasting impact. More: The movement has been “very effective” at creating a “revisionist history” of the pandemic, public health measures and vaccines, one conspiracy and disinformation expert said, which provides fuel for other grievances. Go deeper: Climate change mitigation, gun control, the belief that the federal government is trying to censor the internet, storytime for children by drag performers, Jordan Peterson’s ongoing fight with the College of Psychologists of Ontario over his social media posts, and false claims about vaccination fatalities — all have become rallying cries for “freedom,” and all are linked back to the original cause of the convoy.       WHAT ELSE   Insiders share just how close Justin Trudeau and premiers are to deals that will tackle the health-care crisis.   An advisory group and once key Greenbelt defender now supports its development, with Hazel McCallion at the helm. Amazon and Microsoft are cutting thousands of positions. Here’s the latest on the Canadian tech industry.   From road tolls to a municipal sales tax, experts share five long-term fixes for Toronto’s budget disaster. How did Alberta Premier Danielle Smith outmaneuvered Justin Trudeau and Rachel Notley on the “just transition” controversy?   A tax on parking could raise more than $500 million for Toronto. The city’s unprecedented money crunch has given the idea new traction. Is New Zealand’s Ardern the only politician who will admit they’re tired?   Using AI, U of T researchers found a potential new cancer drug — in less than a month. From Honest Ed’s to the El Mocambo: In an evolving Toronto, change is the only constant.   A judge has granted media access to some documents in the alleged teen “swarming” murder. Alec Baldwin and a weapon specialist will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal movie set shooting.   A man allegedly killed his mother in the first homicide of 2023.       POV Karon Lui/The Star This Lunar New Year, food writer Karon Liu is finally able to read and write Chinese. Take a look at where the moving journey has brought him.       YOU'RE UP Courtesy of Louise Ripley   SCARBOROUGH: When we asked First Up readers to tell us about their big plans for the new year, Louise Ripley, 76, sent us this photo of herself playing the harp. She started learning at 13 years old — years after she first saw the instrument in a production of The Nutcracker — but PhD studies, a teaching job and then a baby kept her from playing it regularly. Her husband died recently, though, leaving her with more time to fill than she was used to, so she plans to play more in 2023. Here are more stories of ambition, travel and sobriety from the Star’s “This is the year I…” series.     Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. Ashley will see you back here tomorrow.   Get digital access and ePaper $0.35/day: Save 54% on an annual subscription 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