Who will be Toronto’s next mayor?

Plus, a look at the housing crisis you didn’t see coming  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up   By Ashley Okwuosa   Good morning. Recovery operations are underway in Yukon after Canadian and U.S. fighter jets shot down an unidentified and unmanned object yesterday. Here’s the latest.       MUST READS Toronto Star file photo   GTA Here are the potential candidates mulling a Toronto mayoral run after John Tory resigns Less than four months after the last one, Toronto is headed for its second mayoral election. With a wide-open field, candidates who have expressed interest range from the recently defeated Gil Penalosa to high-profile politicians at the federal or provincial level, and even past Toronto politics faces. Alyshah Hasham and Ben Spurr list the contenders vying for Tory’s seat, and what comes next following his resignation.   Richard Lautens/Toronto Star   HOUSING A pent-up demand for housing is growing, and it could lead to a “bigger than ever” crisis Are you waiting out the Bank of Canada’s rate climb regimen before buying a home? If so, you’re likely to be part of a large wave of eager buyers who will step off the sidelines to find a chronic housing shortage, says Tess Kalinowski. Experts argue a medium-term crisis is brewing as the central bank’s interest rate policy appears to be delaying housing starts when the government is desperate to speed up construction. Here’s what this could mean for newcomers, millennials, and anyone waiting to enter the market.   Svitlana Kuzminskaya/Supplied   WAR IN UKRAINE A narrow escape, a double tragedy, and a child’s kidnapping — one family’s year of war The war caught Svitlana Kuzminskaya by surprise. On the morning of Feb. 24, she learned that the war had begun just after a cup of coffee and reading the news on the internet. What followed was a year-long ordeal that would see her family scattered across the world as they fled Mariupol, Ukraine. In a heartfelt story translated and condensed by Katharine Lake Berz, Svitlana shares her family’s narrow escape and their desire to return to a Mariupol that no longer exists.   Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press   OPINION Did Justin Trudeau boost health-care funding enough? There’s someone whose opinion matters more than any premier’s The most vocal critic of Justin Trudeau’s health-care proposal to the provinces has turned out to be his partner in the current Parliament, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. While disappointed, the premiers sounded remarkably at peace with the situation, but Singh was left with very little to show for the influence that is supposed to attend his caucus’s non-aggression pact with the minority Liberals. Is the Liberal-NDP alliance, designed to keep Trudeau in office until 2025, headed for rocky times? Chantal Hébert breaks down what could put the partnership to its biggest test to date.   Realtor.ca   #GTAHOMEHUNT This $700K Toronto townhome is back on the market for over $50K less than it was purchased for last year The colourful three-bedroom, one-bathroom condo townhome features a renovated kitchen with new appliances, a private balcony, a fenced backyard, and an unfinished basement with a separate entrance that leads to an underground parking spot. So, what’s the catch? Janiece Campbell speaks with realtor Othneil Litchmore about why the home is priced the way it is and who the right buyer could be. Here’s everything you need to know.       UP CLOSE Richard Lautens/Toronto Star “I Am Still Here: Black Joy is Resistance,” a new exhibition currently on display at Union Station features six Black GTA artists and special guest artist Gloria C. Swain. The collection can be seen in the station’s west wing until May 31 and it questions the meaning of “Black Joy is Resistance.” In an interview with Madison Wong, the artists share their answers.       VISIT THIS Neoscape Keen to soak up more culture in 2023? From African American history to Tutankhamun treasures and interactive 3-D light shows, Kate Dingwall lists some amazing new museums and cultural hubs to add to your travel list.     Thanks for reading. You can reach the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca, and Manuela will see you back here Monday.     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