The RCMP’s Greenbelt interviews have begun

Plus, more Canadian gold, Toronto’s largest homeless encampment and revisiting “Ishtar” [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. Bad news if you’ve been borrowing your friend’s Costco membership to fill up on $1.50 hotdogs and/or open-faced kayaks: [the wholesale giant is cracking down on card sharing](. Here’s the latest on everything else. MUST READS Toronto Star File Photo greenbelt scandal [‘We have nothing to hide,’ Doug Ford says as RCMP interviews begin]( Ontario’s premier confirmed Friday that the Mounties’ Sensitive and International Investigations unit has begun interviewing aides and former staffers about the 2022 decision to open up 7,400 acres of the Greenbelt for housing development. Ford told reporters he expects full co-operation from his current and former colleagues. Officials close to the premier say he has not been approached yet, Robert Benzie reports. [Here’s what else we know](. Ashley Landis/AP Photo paris olympics [Canada’s men shocked with a poetic 4x100 gold medal victory]( Ironically, it’s been a long, twisting road for Canada’s men’s relay team — one that saw the favoured Americans botch a baton handoff while the vaunted Jamaicans failed to make the final race entirely, Allan Woods writes. When the dust settled, Andre De Grasse had propelled Canada and his teammates, Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake and Brendon Rodney, to gold. [In Canada’s record books, De Grasse’s name has reached rarified air](. Canadian Press/Jason Franson business [Increased investment from Indigenous Peoples is a win for Canada]( The country is riding a wave of high-profile acquisitions by Indigenous investors, especially in critical sectors like energy and financial services. As David Olive writes, such deals can help mitigate land-claim conflicts, reduce regulatory risks and create knock-on economic benefits throughout Indigenous-owned supply chains. The land and its opportunities are starting to return to Indigenous ownership — [and that’s good for everyone](. R.J. Johnston/The Star housing crisis [Inside Dufferin Grove Park’s uphill battle against homelessness]( With Toronto’s shelters overstretched, one west-end park has quickly become an epicentre of the city’s homelessness crisis. Despite having zero known tents as recently as this spring, it’s now the single largest encampment in the city, Victoria Gibson reports. Elsewhere, high-profile encampments have been prioritized with concentrated support. [However, in Dufferin Grove, even empathetic locals struggle to see more than a downward spiral](. Film Still movies [‘Ishtar’ was a disaster. It’s time to revisit the Elaine May bomb]( It’s long been regarded as one of cinema’s greatest flops — the film that effectively ushered its renowned director from the spotlight. Now, thanks to a month-long retrospective series at the Revue Cinema, Elaine May’s notorious 1987 Cold War adventure-comedy “Ishtar,” starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, is back on the marquee. [Adam Nayman explains why the “intermittently genius” political satire is well worth revisiting](. support THIS Supplied Photo/Jays Care Foundation Through a partnership between the Jays Care Foundation and Toronto District School Board, kids are able to get a slice of camp life right in the city this summer. For Rosie DiManno, [helping support the life-altering program through the Star’s Fresh Air Fund is nothing short of a home run](. Thanks for reading. It takes a relay team of reporters, columnists and editors to get this newsletter across the finish line. How’d we do? You can let the First Up team know at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_218108), 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](