What we saw while walking the Ontario Line

Plus, an innovative solution to surgery waitlists, planning your last will and testament and the case for visiting Armenia [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. The Boston Bruins drew first blood in their first-round fight with the Toronto Maple Leafs — and as Kevin McGran writes, [Game 1 wasn't even particularly close](. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Nick Lachance/Toronto Star TRANSIT [The Ontario Line is already remaking Toronto. The Star travelled its entire 15.6-kilometre length to find out how]( Years out from its 2031 target completion date, construction for Metrolinx’s 15-station Ontario Line is already altering Toronto’s streetscapes and parkland. Mahdis Habibinia and photographer Nick Lachance walked the entire length of the multibillion-dollar infrastructure overhaul, from the western edge of downtown to the Science Centre in northern East York. [Here’s what the pair saw — and just as importantly, what they didn’t see](. R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star HEALTH CARE [Through a creative collaboration, Toronto doctors are working for the weekend, helping clear long surgical waitlists]( Instead of a year-long wait for hip replacement surgery, Margo Mingay only had to wait four weeks for a new left hip, thanks to a collaboration between two east-end hospitals. As Megan Ogilvie and Kenyon Wallace report, while private companies are part of Ontario’s plan to clear its COVID-19 surgery backlog, [some doctors are taking a different approach — all while staying within the public system](. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press Federal budget [Changes to the capital gains tax have infuriated some Canadians. Here’s who will be impacted the most]( Chrystia Freeland expected backlash to the Liberals increasing capital gains taxes to fund $60 billion in new spending in its latest budget. “No one likes paying more tax,” the finance minister said Tuesday, “even, or perhaps, particularly, those who can afford it the most.” So what exactly is changing — and will Canada’s wealthiest be the only ones impacted in the long run? [Alex Ballingall found answers to the most burning questions about the new capital gains rules](. Nick Lachance/Toronto Star Community [With demand for the east end’s beach volleyball courts spiking, locals say they’re no longer having a ball]( With 115 courts altogether, Woodbine Beach and Ashbridge’s Bay are the centre of Toronto’s beach volleyball universe. The courts’ popularity has also led to accusations that the city is improperly allowing businesses to profit off their use, Francine Kopun reports. Only 12 courts are available to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. [Critics say it’s time to re-evaluate who is prioritized at these public-funded courts](. Dreamstime Personal finance [Where there’s no will, there’s a surefire way to saddle your heirs with hardships]( According to a 2023 Angus Reid Institute survey, half of Canadian adults don’t have a will. Experts tell Srivindhya Kolluru that it’s a great recipe for burdening your heirs with expensive headaches down the line. “The real danger of not having a will is leaving it up to the government to decide who gets your assets,” says Erin Bury, co-founder of the estate planning startup Willful. [Here’s how to get started](. UP CLOSE Lance McMillan/Toronto Star At Allison Beula’s beloved weekly classes, middle-aged students with varying degrees of vision impairment have learned the life-changing power of dance. [I spoke with Beula and her students about how the classes bring them confidence and joy](. VISIT THIS Tourism Committee of Armenia Before travelling to Armenia, Kate Dingwall’s perception of the Eurasian nation was painted by biblical legends. Yes, there were indeed primordial caves and millennia-old streets aplenty on her visit — but there were also contemporary art galleries and chic restaurants. [The country is a study in stark contrasts](. Thanks for reading. Please consider willing your free First Up newsletter subscription to your next of kin. You can reach the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_212592), and we will see you back here Monday. Get full digital and ePaper access Limited time sale: Only 17¢/day — save 50% your first year [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. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](