World Headlines: Ontario's new recycling plan is going to cost you

First Up

By Manuela Vega

Good morning. Here’s the latest on Ontario’s new recycling system, the Sherman murders and GTA rent prices.

DON’T MISS

Steve Russell/The Star

star exclusive

Ontario consumers will pay a new recycling fee on certain beverages starting April 1

According to documents obtained by the Star, an organization backed by the largest food and beverage companies in Canada (such as Tim Hortons and Coca-Cola) will impose a recycling fee on non-alcoholic beverages as of April. The levy of between one to three cents is made possible by the new recycling system introduced by the Doug Ford government, Richard Warnica reports. One expert says the fee will likely be applied at checkout, appearing on receipts as a separate charge. Here’s why critics say it undermines the point of the new recycling plan — and how they say the system can improve.

Context: Previously, municipalities were largely responsible for running their own recycling systems, which split costs evenly with producers. Under the new plan, producers of recyclable materials take on the responsibility for the production and the associated costs.
More: The fee comes eight years after the provincial Liberals ditched a much-maligned plan to charge consumers similar “eco fees” on a broader range of products.

Supplied Photo

star investigation

Large amount of cash found in Honey and Barry Sherman’s wallets ruled out a break-in

Following the gruesome deaths of Toronto billionaires Honey and Barry Sherman, police rushed to quell fears in the neighbourhood. But why? Sources tell the Star that cash and valuables discovered at the crime scene made a robbery seem unlikely. That’s when police formed the theory that the Shermans had died in a murder-suicide, Kevin Donovan reports. Here’s what we know about the police investigation into the deaths and what the Star has uncovered along the way.

Context: In 2017, the Shermans’ bodies were found on the deck of their basement swimming pool room. Today, the case remains unsolved and Toronto police are searching for evidence in three countries.
More: The murder-suicide theory lasted until the Star published the results of second autopsies that described the deaths as a double homicide.
Listen: The Star’s new podcast, “The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman,” launches today. Listen to episode one here.

Paige Taylor White/The Star

real estate

Hoping to see GTA rents drop with home prices? You’re out of luck

As real estate prices decrease, rents are going in a whole other direction. Across the GTA and in other parts of Southern Ontario, listing prices have increased by double-digit percentages in the last year, Victoria Gibson reports. And analysts are predicting that they’ll only continue to rise in 2023. Take a look at the sticker shock across Greater Toronto.

More: In Toronto, about 14,200 condo units have been built in the same time that only 2,100 rental units were built, one housing expert noted. Here’s why the city needs a huge influx of rental buildings to prevent rents from going up and to keep people from leaving.
By the numbers: The average rent for a condo apartment in the GTA last year was more than 50 per cent higher than average rents in the purpose-built rental market.
Interactive: How much have home sale prices changed in your GTA neighbourhood? Find comparisons by the month, year and decade here.

WHAT ELSE

Doug Ford says a health-care funding deal with Justin Trudeau is “very, very close.”

Conservatives will help Liberals delay the expansion of medical assistance in dying.

An inquest has been called into the death of Keira Kagan, 4, who was found with her father at the bottom of a cliff.

Syrian and Turkish Canadians are ramping up relief efforts as the earthquake’s death toll soars.

This new poll has a bunch of good news for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

While charities struggle, private foundations are sitting on billions of dollars.

Worried about identity theft in home sales? This is how real estate agents verify the identity of buyers and sellers.

Looking to buy a car? Experts say some prices are heading down and the selection will improve in the coming months.

Under Taliban rule, singing and instruments are prohibited. Here’s how some artists are keeping the music alive.

Top chef Edward Lee is sharing his foodie guide to Louisville, including lobster hushpuppies and a killer banh mi.

Here’s how the “Valentine’s Day is cancelled” panic really got started at Waterloo Region District School Board.

Toronto health inspectors found major infractions at these restaurants over the past week.

POV

Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo

The unspoken message of Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech was hard to miss.

CLOSE-UP

Ghaith Alsayed/AP Photo

SYRIA: Collapsed buildings are seen Thursday through the windows of a damaged house in Jinderis, Aleppo province following Monday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake. The quake, which hit Syria and Turkey, has killed more than 20,000 people.

Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. Ashley will see you back here tomorrow.

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