Recapping Olivia Chow's first year as mayor

Plus, new rules for international study permits and Ottawa's military spending [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on Olivia Chow’s first year as mayor, new study permit rules for Canada’s post-secondary schools and Canada getting called out for NATO spending. DON’T MISS Richard Lautens/The Star city hall [Critics warned she’d be an “unmitigated disaster” — here’s how Olivia Chow’s first year in power went]( Friday will mark Mayor Olivia Chow’s first full year in power. After inheriting a $1.8 billion budget shortfall and a housing crisis, the mayor that many opponents had once tagged as a radical leftist has mostly delivered slow, incremental change. From major deals with the province to give the city some financial breathing room, to botched policy rollouts, Chow has overseen a great deal of progress from the city’s seat of power. While some critics say she’s been too focussed on community events, Chow told the Star she could take them all on in a debate “on any issue.” [Ben Spurr and Mahdis Habibinia recap of the highs and lows of Chow’s time as mayor](. - A big deal: In November, Chow and Premier Doug Ford [reached a deal to upload the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway, opening up billions in capital for the city](. In return, Chow acquiesced to the Ford government’s controversial Ontario Place redevelopment. - Take a hike: [Chow also introduced a major hike to Toronto’s vacant home tax in October]( a move meant to boost the city’s housing supply and boost city coffers by $55 million. - Cap, or no cap? [The mayor stumbled her way through a cap on Uber licenses in December]( calling a surprise vote to limit the number of ride-share drivers before reversing her policy months later. Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi immigration [Ottawa will stop processing study permits for schools that fail to track international students]( Don’t know what your international students are up to? Then kiss your study permits goodbye. The federal government’s proposed new plan is to suspend processing of study permits for colleges and universities that fail to keep track of international students. The move is yet another policy meant to keep international student enrolment in check. Under the proposed new rules, schools will be required to report to the feds whether a student is attending school and complying with all study permit requirements. [Here’s what else you need to know about the new rules](. - By the numbers: Study permit holders in Canada have skyrocketed in recent years. In 2023, the country welcomed more than one million study permit holders, compared to just over 350,000 in 2015. - Context: [The federal government slammed the brakes on the country’s international program in January]( introducing a cap on study permits with the aim of reducing the number issued by 35 per cent of 2023 levels. Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld federal politics [Canada has been called out for failing to hit NATO spending target]( Canada is “riding America’s coattails” when it comes to NATO spending — at least that’s what U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly said when calling out Canada’s contribution to the military alliance. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was called out at a NATO summit in Washington for his lack of a plan to bump military spending up to NATO’s two-per-cent-of-GDP target. But Ottawa is trying to work within “fiscal guardrails” it has set for itself as the government tries to rein in spending. [Here’s what failure to meet NATO spending targets could mean for Canada](. - ICYMI: [A record number of NATO allies are hitting the alliance’s spending target]( — amidst the war in Ukraine and American pressure. Of NATO’s 32 member nations, 23 have reached the two-per-cent goal. - Bottom of the list: Canada remains one of the lowest spenders, doling out an equivalent to 1.37 per cent of the country’s GDP to the military. - Getting there: Since 2015, Ottawa has significantly increased its defence budget and is expected to hit defence spending of 1.76 per cent of GDP by 2029. WHAT ELSE [Western University is reconsidering its ties to Alice Munro]( following her daughter’s revelations. The mayor of the town where Alice Munro lived [will “consider” amending a  monument honouring her.]( How did what happened to Alice Munro’s daughter stay quiet so long? [Start with our uniquely Canadian devotion to silence](. “A sexually mature young woman.” [A Toronto lawyer has been reprimanded over his argument that a 14-year-old girl “not a child.”]( A plan to [“significantly” speed up Gardiner construction]( is in the works. [Knowing right from wrong will be the next challenge]( for the Leafs, Raptors and Blue Jays. Bars and restaurants are already [struggling to order their favourites as the LCBO strike continues](. [The LCBO won’t be left behind when booze sales are expanded]( the Ford government says. Ontario is reporting five people have been hospitalized with listeriosis, [as Silk and Great Value beverages are recalled across Canada](. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl could [bring heavy rain to Toronto starting Tuesday night](. The president of Hot Docs, Canada’s largest documentary film festival, [has stepped down](. The TTC will [close a major portion of the Line 2 subway this weekend](. POV R.J. Johnston/The Star [Olivia Chow proved she can work well with others. But can she work for Toronto?]( CLOSE-UP Canadian Press/Cole Burston TORONTO: It was a rough and frustrating night for Canadian soccer fans. With a chance to move onto the Copa America finals, it was none other than superstar Lionel Messi that put the nail into team Canada’s coffin. After their 2-0 defeat, Canada will go on to play one more game for the third-place title, [but all eyes are on 2026 to see just how far this Canadian team can go at the World Cup](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and 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_216330). I’ll 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. 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