Change could be coming to Ontario's safe consumption sites

Plus, surging homelessness and the start of the Democratic National Convention [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on changes to supervised drug consumption sites, an unofficial count of homeless Ontarians and the start of the Democratic National Convention. DON’T MISS R.J. Johnston/The Star drug crisis [The Ford government is expected to unveil restrictions to safe consumption sites]( New rules expected to come down from Premier Doug Ford’s government could affect supervised drug consumption sites in Toronto. Ford has spoken in the past about the need for more detox beds, telling aides in private that sites should face stricter zoning restrictions. Ford’s health minister is set to speak to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario this afternoon — [here’s what you need to know before then](. - A deadly epidemic: 523 people — more than one person per day — died from opioid toxicity in the city in 2023, preliminary figures from Toronto Public Health showed. - Word from Ford: “I’ll be very frank, I’m not sold on these safe injection sites that are in neighbourhoods and needles are all flowing around — it’s a haven for drug dealers,” the premier said earlier this month. - The Star’s take: Safe consumption sites are a [small but vital part of the response to problematic drug use](. R.J. Johnston/The Star homelessness [What the Ford government gets wrong about Ontario’s homelessness crisis]( There are 234,000 homeless Ontarians, according to an “unofficial” provincial figure that sparked outrage last week. If true, it would suggest more than 95 per cent of Ontario’s homeless population either lives outside of Toronto or off the radar. Whether the number is accurate or not, opposition politicians and experts tell the Star’s Victoria Gibson the provincial government needs to know the full scope of the housing crisis in order to tackle it. [Here’s what they have to say](. - By the numbers: An estimated 21,000 Ontarians were homeless in 2018, according to an auditor general’s report. Toronto’s own count sat at 10,627 people in June of this year — up from 8,037 in June 2021. - In their defence: A government spokesperson said the more official count of those receiving social assistance payments while facing homelessness was 31,816 people as of June. Win McNamee/Getty Images u.s. politics [Joe Biden took the stage to lay bare the reason he held on so long]( Why did it take Biden so long to bow out? That’s the question the president faced as he opened the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Maybe it was for the chance to beat Donald Trump one more time. Headlining what will be the official ascension party for Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, Biden made his feelings for Trump crystal clear, [the Star’s Richard Warnica reports from the scene in Chicago](. - For the Con-heads: After setting the stage Monday, the big hitters — Barack and Michelle Obama –— will take the stage on Tuesday evening. [Here’s what to look out for as the convention plays out](. - Broken fences: Protestors advocating for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War [broke through security fences near the site of the convention](. WHAT ELSE [A Canadian is among the missing from a capsized luxury superyacht,]( off the coast of Sicily. Former U.S. Rep George Santos [pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft in his federal case](. [Doug Ford touts his Tory government’s achievements]( to municipal leaders in Ottawa. Where does the money go when you buy a new Toronto condo? [Check this breakdown](. Staring down death, he started the battle of his life. [How Thomas Hartle helped change Canada’s approach to psychedelics](. “I’ve spent my entire summer living in floodwater.” [Residents in Etobicoke and Mississauga are struggling after record rainfall](. [A 2022 Toronto ferry crash was due to speed and safety failures]( a new report found. [Torontonians can expect cooler temperatures this week]( — and no rain. The Stratford Festival will [bring “Annie” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” to the stage in its 2025 season](. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre, [has died](. The Blue Bombers’ Brady Oliveira [finds his off-field passion in rescuing dogs](. The 2024 Paralympic Games begin next week. [Here’s what you need to know](. POV Richard Lautens/The Star [King Street woes show that Toronto’s failure to follow through is no joke.]( CLOSE-UP Brenda Joy Lem Photo LILLIAN H. SMITH LIBRARY: Posters meant to detail Canada’s history of anti-Chinese discrimination, displayed at the Toronto Public Library branch near Chinatown, have been defaced. [Here’s Kevin Jiang reports on how the community is reacting and why the posters were put up in the first place](. 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_712). 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. 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