Pierre Poilievre's speech to Assembly of First Nations falls flat

Plus, new details about the Alice Munro revelations, what Ford’s zealous desire to privatize alcohol sales means for Ontario taxpayers and more. [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on paused work at Ontario Place, criticisms of Pierre Poilievre at the Assembly of First Nations and new details about the Alice Munro revelations. DON’T MISS Nick Lachance/Toronto Star Ontario place [Work at Ontario Place has been stopped pending a court hearing]( Construction work on the controversial redevelopment of Ontario Place has been paused until July 19. Ontario Place Protectors, a group hoping to preserve the site, won a legal hearing to challenge the project on constitutional grounds. The group hopes for a declaration that legislation to expedite the project breaches the doctrine of public trust. “Ontario Place doesn’t belong to the current government, it belongs to the people of Ontario and future generations,” said the lawyer representing Ontario Place Protectors. [Here’s what they’ll be arguing in court](. - ICYMI: Austria-based company Therme was awarded a 95-year lease from the province to develop a $350-million private water park and spa on the West Island at Ontario Place. Earlier this year, [the Ford government approved an enhanced zoning order to fast-track its development](. - If at first you don’t succeed… An Ontario court rejected another legal challenge last month. Ontario Place for All had requested an environmental assessment of the West Island, [but the Ford government passed legislation to exempt it from one](. - Meanwhile: [The province released the second engineering report meant to support the decision to shutter the Ontario Science Centre]( which is set to relocate to the redeveloped Ontario Place. However, the report, critics say, doesn’t recommend that the iconic Toronto museum be closed. Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press Federal Politics [Pierre Poilievre sharply criticized after speech to the Assembly of First Nations]( Speaking to more than 300 First Nation chiefs and representatives gathered at Montreal, Pierre Poilievre was met with anger and disappointment by some leaders. At his first speech to the Assembly of First Nations, some said the Conservative leader failed to mention policies around missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, inherent Indigenous rights, the climate crisis, residential school survivors and the proposed $47.8-billion child welfare settlement. [Here’s what those chiefs and representatives had to say about the man who could be prime minister one day](. - History lesson: There are some long-standing grievances held against Poilievre and his time as a cabinet minister in the government of Stephen Harper. That government oversaw spending cuts and resource extraction on Indigenous lands. In 2008, Poilievre said that Indigenous people needed to learn “the values of hard work and independence and self-reliance.” - Across the aisle: At the same time, [Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was putting out fires after a Globe story from Thursday]( that alleged the PM’s senior advisers were questioning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s effectiveness. He said he has “full confidence” in Freeland. Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press ALICE MUNRO [Alice Munro told an OPP detective that her daughter was lying about being molested by her stepdad]( A former OPP detective described to the Star the moment that famed author Alice Munro was told her husband, Gerry Fremlin, was being charged with sexually abusing her youngest daughter. Munro went into a rage, went “sideways, totally against her daughter, and all pro for him,” Sam Lazarevich told reporters Betsy Powell and Deborah Dundas. He used statements from Andrea Skinner, Munro’s daughter, and self-incriminating letters written by Fremlin, to charge Fremlin with the equivalent of a modern sexual assault charge. [Here’s how Lazarevich remembers the confrontation](. - Context: Last week, [the Star published Skinner’s account of her stepfather’s sexual abuse towards her]( which began when she was nine years old. After she disclosed her abuse to her mother, Fremlin responded with letters admitting to sexual touching but claiming Skinner had initiated it. - Timeline: The revelations that Munro, a Nobel Prize-winning author and Canadian icon, knew about her daughter’s sexual abuse and did not act, came just months after she died in May. [Here’s what you need to know about her life and career](. - Julie S. Lalonde’s take: Can’t understand how Alice Munro took her husband’s side over the daughter he abused? [It’s more common than you think](. WHAT ELSE [Biden forcefully declares he’s staying in his reelection race]( in a major news conference. Witnesses, other victims sought by police in [two violent Oshawa swarmings](. Under pressure, Justin Trudeau announces [when Canada expects to hit its military spending commitments to NATO](. A fight over leadership and a party in turmoil: [Behind scenes of Jonathan Pedneault’s resignation from the Green Party](. LCBO urges its workers’ union to [return to the bargaining table, ASAP](. [Some grocery beer and wine shelves are almost empty]( as “panic buying” ramps up. [Toronto rents reached new lows in June]( as Canada saw its slowest annual growth in price hikes. This Toronto neighbourhood was named [one of Canada’s best places to live]( in a new report. A temporary café on Ward’s Island plans to open this summer. [Some islanders aren’t happy about it](. Torontonians face huge water charges [as the city scrambles to fix faulty water meters](. Raptors Insider: In the evolution of Scottie Barnes, [this is what he must do to be the face of the franchise](. 2024 Polaris Prize shortlist: [The 10 artists in the running for best Canadian album of the year](. POV Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star [Ford’s zealous desire to privatize alcohol sales will be costly for Ontario taxpayers.]( Close-up Richard Lautens/Toronto Star 37 BERTMOUNT AVENUE: Shirley Sumaisar’s iconic “doll house” home is up for sale for $999,000. Sumaisar, now 83, needs more care and her son hopes to move her closer to himself. The neighbourhood could lose the iconic house, which has been featured in international publications and as a spot on Tripadvisor’s “Things to Do in Toronto” list. [Here’s what prompted Sumaisar’s eclectic collection](. 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_216454). 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. 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](