Inside the chaos at Pickering city council

Plus, a second Science Centre report and Toronto's troubled condo market [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on a city council under siege by alt-right activists, Doug Ford previewing a second Science Centre report and a troubling trend in the condo market. DON’T MISS R.J. Johnston/The Star star investigation [When alt-right activists targeted Pickering, the city was unprepared for the chaos that ensued]( The “Freedom Convoy” of 2022 was just a proof of concept for what has become a contentious battle in city councils, school boards and public libraries across Canada. Local institutions have become battlegrounds for alt-right activists villainizing school-based sex education, equity initiatives, 15-minute cities and other policies. It’s been an ongoing problem in Pickering, where city councillor Lisa Robinson has opposed Pride events, denounced Black History Month and repeatedly sidelined council business. Her defenders, meanwhile, have suggested the mayor should be publicly hanged and two councillors say they’ve been followed home. [Rachel Mendleson and R.J. Johnston paint the picture of the growing alt-right movements in local communities](. - Context: In April, the Pickering council sought help from the Ontario Human Rights Council, [asking the provincial body for tools to address Robinson’s conduct after she denounced Black History Month](. - Word from a city councillor: “The democratic process I believe in … is being hijacked,” said Dave Pickles, who has been a councillor for more than two decades. - Word from the mayor: “We’re trying to run a city,” Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe told the Star. “We really don’t have the time, energy or resources to deal with conspiracy theorists. And I think that’s what this is.” Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star provincial politics [Doug Ford says a second report confirms problems with Ontario Science Centre]( A second report on the now-closed Ontario Science Centre shows just how unsafe the building is, Premier Doug Ford said at a press conference Wednesday. “It just doesn’t make sense to throw good money into an old decrepit building,” he said, adding that “you’ll fall off your chair” after seeing the contents of the report. The premier is sticking by his sudden shuttering of the Science Centre last month, citing a crumbling roof with aerated concrete that posed a risk to visitors. Opponents have argued that repairing the roof would not be as costly as the Ford government has claimed. [Here’s what else Ford is saying about the Ontario Science Centre](. - Look out for: [The second engineering report is set to be released today]( with Ford foreshadowing that it’s “not just the roof” that prompted the decision to shut the Science Centre down. - ICYMI: The Ontario Science Centre’s closure didn’t come as a surprise to many who had worked there before — [the museum had been underfunded for years, lacking money for repairs and new exhibits.]( - Edward Keenan’s take: [The Ford government wasn’t forced to close the iconic Toronto museum, it chose to](. Meanwhile, the same provincial government has shied away from spending on booze in corner stores or the Ontario Line (which, ironically, includes a Science Centre stop). Canadian Press/Chris Young real estate [Toronto condo sales are tanking, but prices aren’t budging — here’s why]( If you’re looking to buy a condo in Toronto, news that condo sales are on the decline might sound like a good thing. Think again. Prices have barely budged, thanks to sellers that are over-leveraged and unwilling to take the financial hit of listing low. That just feeds into a vicious loop in Toronto’s downtown, where small, investor-owned units aren’t being rented out, nor are they appealing to buyers. So, how does the condo market move on from this stalemate? [Clarrie Feinstein explains why condo prices have remained stubbornly high](. - By the numbers: Condo sales fell by an enormous 29 per cent year-over-year in June, while prices only fell by 0.9 per cent, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board. - Timing is everything: “If you haven’t sold in the first 35 to 40 days, the market is telling you they don’t agree with where you’ve priced your property,” one realty sales representative said. WHAT ELSE [Canada has promised $500 million in military aid]( to Ukraine as part of a NATO package. [The U of T gave pro-Palestinian protesters amnesty]( before the encampment was packed up. [Doug Ford slammed the union over the LCBO strike]( saying workers “want a deal.” A dedicated bus lane is being eyed as a fix to [ease Spadina traffic congestion for riders](. The head of the AFN told chiefs that a draft [child-welfare reform deal with Ottawa is worth $47.8 billion](. After one year in power, Mayor Olivia Chow rides high in the latest opinion polling — [except in these two areas](. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will make [first in-person speech at Assembly of First Nations](. “If the apples can get sunburn, what about us?” [Migrant farm workers are demanding protection from dangerous heat](. The good, the bad and the ugly from [Canada’s exhibition loss to the Americans](. Maple Leafs players are excited about having Craig Berube as their coach. [Here’s why](. An iconic painting of the nuclear destruction of Hamilton [now has a haunting soundtrack](. Toronto’s having a food hall moment. [Here’s what they’re serving up](. POV Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito [The second death of Alice Munro — after her daughter’s devastating revelations, I can never read her the same way again.]( CLOSE-UP R.J. Johnston/The Star MUSEUM OF TORONTO: Nine years after Conrad the raccoon drew his last breath, a memorial was held in his honour. Candles laid out, a eulogy and a moment of silence show just how much the city’s history is intertwined with the adorable, if not frustrating, backyard trash pandas. [Here’s what Conrad’s memorial says about Toronto’s love-hate relationship with the critters that roam our alleyways](. 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_216397). 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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