Which housing solutions might actually work

Plus, Cameron Bailey, Toronto’s top 24 influencers of 2024 and how immigration tweaks have slashed the hopes of Japanese chefs [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning — and May the Fourth be with you. On this annual celebration of the galaxy far, far away, [Canadian “Star Wars” fans reflect on how the franchise has changed their lives](. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Ramon Ferreira/Toronto Star illustration Housing [Trudeau, Ford and Chow each have a plan for fixing the housing crisis; here’s which ones might actually work]( It’s easy to get lost in the whirlwind of measures intended to get Canada’s housing crisis under control, writes Victoria Gibson. The issues are wide-ranging, including would-be first-time homebuyers getting priced out, the “financialization” of the housing market and the short supply of skilled trade workers, to name a few. With help from six housing policy and city-planning experts, [here’s which key political promises are likely to be achieved](. Steve Russell/Toronto Star SOCIAL MEDIA [Meet the 24 influencers redefining what it means to run Toronto in 2024]( They have a combined online following that’s nearly double the entire population of Canada — and they call Toronto home. From fashion and personal finance to fine food and feline friends, these 24 influencers have carved out niches in the ultra-competitive world of social media, Richie Assaly writes. [Each has a story to tell and a reason why their content has resonated so deeply within the city and beyond](. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star IMMIGRATION [Why recent immigration changes could put a fork in Toronto’s efforts to recruit highly prized Japanese chefs]( Seiichi Kashiwabara is struggling to recruit skilled chefs from Japan to join his Markham restaurant. Despite the immense experience required to prepare authentic, high-end Japanese cuisine, recent changes to Canada’s immigration framework make it difficult for newcomers to eventually gain permanent resident status, Nicholas Keung reports. [Here’s why the country’s current points system could kneecap Toronto’s culinary scene](. Supplied Sports [With light feet and a heavy heart, an NHL prospect continues to rise despite two unfathomable losses]( A week after cheering him on in the stands on Hockey Fights Cancer night, elite NHL prospect Matthew Schaefer’s mom Jennifer succumbed to the disease herself. It was the hockey phenom’s second loss of a mother figure in just over two months; in December, Schaefer’s billet mom Emily was fatally struck by a train — officially ruled suicide. “Hockey is the easy part,” Schaefer tells Ken Campbell. [The adults in his life have marvelled at his poise](. TIFF Interview [Cameron Bailey grew up a bookish kid, but his path to running TIFF has unfolded like a movie]( Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey wasn’t really into movies as a kid growing up in England and Barbados. Then, while studying literature at Western University, the rich medium of cinema finally clicked. Jared Lindzon caught up with Bailey about the festival’s evolution and future, [particularly in light of former lead sponsor Bell’s decision to end its title support](. EAT THIS Supplied Remember the backyard bake shop that saw traffic skyrocket after U.S. TikTokker Keith Lee’s rave review last month? As Raju Mudhar and Manuela Vega report, Ajax’s Biscuits to Baskets has caused such a stir that [they’re being forced to adjust their operations in a major way](. Thanks for reading. 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_213270), and I will see you back here tomorrow. 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](