Why all the secrecy about the Crosstown LRT?

Plus, Summer McIntosh's gold streak and Ontario's unclaimed dead bodies [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on Doug Ford’s secrecy directive to Metrolinx, Summer McIntosh’s Olympic gold rush and the growing number of unclaimed bodies in Ontario. DON’T MISS Nick Lachance/The Star star exclusive [Doug Ford’s office ordered Metrolinx to keep quiet on the Crosstown LRT]( The transit agency was on the verge of revealing the expected opening date of its long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT last year when the premier’s office abruptly ordered it kept secret, the Star has learned. Ford’s office tells Ben Spurr it didn’t want the schedule released because it had doubts it would be met. [But critics say Ford’s response highlights an alarming lack of transparency around the $13 billion, problem-plagued project]( - The fallout: [Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster was forced to hold a now-infamous press conference]( where he told perplexed reporters that despite his promise to reveal a potential opening date by the end of summer, he had changed his mind — of his own volition. - Word from Mike Schreiner: “We’ve spent a lot of money to build this and we as people of this province, as the citizens, as the taxpayers, deserve to know when we can use it,” the Green Party Leader said. - Background: The 19-kilometre LRT has been under construction since 2011, originally slated to open by 2020. But it’s since been derailed by a parade of delays and legal disputes. Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images paris olympics [Summer McIntosh wins her second gold and makes Olympic history]( The teenaged Toronto swimming phenom is making so much history you’ll need to start keeping a list. After dominating the 200-metre butterfly yesterday — scoring the second-fastest time ever and setting an Olympic record — McIntosh became the first Canadian woman to win two individual golds at a Summer Olympics. And she’s still hungry for more. “It’s been a pretty amazing Olympics for me,” she tells Bruce Arthur. [“But, yeah, I’m not done yet.”]( - Family ties: The McIntosh family has been dominating competitive swimming for decades. Summer’s mom, Jill, was an Olympian herself, finishing ninth in the 200-metre butterfly. [Four decades later, her daughter would beat her time by more than 10 seconds](. - Gold rush: Canada continues to rake in the hardware. [Take a look at Team Canada’s growing medal count](. David Kawai for The Star unclaimed [What happens to the dead if no one claims them? It’s a growing problem]( The remains of thousands lie waiting in Ontario’s cemeteries, in meagre graves identified not by name but by number. Their ranks are growing by the day, Maria Iqbal reports, and we’re running out of places to bury them. Industry insiders say public funds for burying the unclaimed aren’t keeping up with the soaring cost of land and operations, leading to hiked-up burial prices. [Here’s why so many go unclaimed](. - By the numbers: From 2021 to 2023, 2,908 bodies went unclaimed in Ontario. The majority, about 2,500, were aged 50 and older. - What’s happening? In more than half the cases, the family of the deceased were located — but they refused to claim the body, usually citing financial restrictions, Ontario’s chief coroner said. - Price of death: It’s little wonder — the cost of dying is skyrocketing across Canada, with the average price of a burial ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. [Here’s why it’s so expensive to die in Canada — and what you can do about it](. WHAT ELSE “I didn’t do any of it.” [The father and son accused of a Toronto terror plot both deny the younger man’s guilt](. Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard will be sentenced today on four counts of sexual assault. [Follow along here](. Doug Ford is breaking tradition by [refusing Ottawa’s electoral boundary changes for the next election](. Ford also promised to “to fix the process” around the King’s Counsel controversy. [Now he says no one cares](. Would tax breaks for Ontario developers really make housing more affordable? [Look at what experts have to say](. The U.S. and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history. [Here’s who was released](. Police recovered the remains of a woman abducted in Markham. [Her alleged kidnapper now faces second-degree murder charges](. This college professor was refused permanent residence because [Canadian officials didn’t consider her “employed” between semesters](. Nearly half of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed, a new landmark study suggests. [Here’s what you can do right now](. Two big blows from controversial Olympics boxer Imane Khelif and the bout was over. [Here’s an eyewitness account of the 46-second fight](. Watch this “well-behaved” raccoon [catch a ride on the subway during rush hour](. One of the Toronto Zoo’s two red panda cubs has [died in its incubator](. POV Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune [Donald Trump’s embarrassing appearance at an event for Black journalists revealed a candidate who appears to be coming unglued.]( CLOSE-UP Steve Russell/The Star TORONTO WATERFRONT: The Italian Air Force painted Toronto’s skyline in the hues of il Tricolore yesterday afternoon, [marking its return to the city for the first time in over 30 years](. 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_217667). Andrew will see you back here tomorrow. 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