Amid fire and rain, the Games begin

Recapping Paris 2024’s epic opening ceremony — and checking the mood at Canada House [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. We’ll start with updates out of Alberta, where [overnight rain and cooler temperatures helped quell Jasper’s devastating wildfires]( on Friday. Here’s the latest on everything else. MUST READS Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images Paris 2024 [Against a backdrop of fire and rain, the Olympics open with a French feast for the senses]( Despite cloudy skies and drenched dignitaries, the show went on at the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony. Unlike the stadium-bound ceremonies of yesteryear, the event was largely staged upon the Seine, with athletes shuttling through the French capital by boat. Rosie DiManno and Allan Woods recap the entire affair, [from the Canadian contingent’s arrival to a certain Quebec songstress’ epic closing number from atop the Eiffel Tower](. Bernard Brault/Canadian Olympic Committee Paris 2024 [Inside Canada House, where, despite scandal, all are eager for medal-worthy performances to renew Canada’s shine]( Last night’s celebratory atmosphere only went so far in quieting whispers about Canada’s soccer spying scandal, Allan Woods reports. For fans and officials hanging around at Canada House, the corporately sponsored party zone in the city’s “Park of Nations,” [many are looking to Saturday’s events — like those in which swimming phenom Summer McIntosh will compete — to brighten Canada’s mood](. Chris Young/The Canadian Press Federal politics [Peeved with internal leadership criticism, Liberal MPs tell their anonymous colleagues to zip it]( After the Star reported Thursday that four unnamed Liberal MPs were hopeful that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would shuffle his cabinet, others have pushed back against their colleagues’ anonymous grumbling — and they’re willing to put their name behind it, Alex Ballingall reports. [Here’s which MPs have recently backed party leadership and why they still maintain there are no internal fractures](. Toronto Star illustration/YouTube/Dreamstime MUSIC [Drake championed Toronto like no artist before him. Why did the city turn its back?]( It was the most prominent hip-hop feud in decades: Compton’s socially conscious Kendrick Lamar against Drake, a pop hitmaker with an occasional faux-patois lilt. But when Lamar landed the knockout blow with his chart-topping diss “Not Like Us,” Vernon Ayiku notes Toronto failed to back its longtime cultural ambassador and many joined in the mockery. [Industry insiders say there’s far more risk than reward in aligning with Drake right now](. Supplied City Life [At Toronto’s top hotel pools, even non-guests can lounge and splash in style]( There’s nothing quite like Toronto during the dog days of summer, when going outside often feels like walking into a warm glass of root beer, Isabel Slone writes. If you can’t escape the city entirely, consider the virtues of a mini staycation — even if only for the afternoon. [Here are Toronto’s five best hotel pools that non-guests can access with the purchase of a day pass](. [Medal Alerts] Find out fast whenever Canada makes it to the podium. The Star has you covered as athletes go for gold in Paris. Get up-to-the minute email alerts whenever Canada medals, plus other news from the games, with the Star's free Medal Alerts, [brought to you by Havelock Metal Co](. If you're interested, please [sign up here today](. Support THIS Supplied The Knip family tells Megan Ogilvie that their annual visit to CNIB Lake Joe is a hallowed time; there, even the three family members with low vision feel safe and supported. With your help, [more children will get to experience that deeply deserved sense of freedom](. Thanks for reading. To locate Toronto’s worst pools, try driving on the DVP during the next “once-in-a-century” storm. 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_217297), 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](