That leaning building on Dundas was unsafe for years

Plus, Pierre Poilievre's housing plan and safe injection sites [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on the leaning Dundas West building, criticisms of Pierre Poilievre’s housing plan and new rules for safe injection sites. DON’T MISS R.J. Johnston/The Star gta [The Dundas West building that collapsed was deemed “unsafe” years ago]( The leaning tower of Kensington — the two storey building whose façade began leaning over the sidewalk on Dundas Street West over the weekend — was the subject of numerous public complaints and city inspections. The building was repeatedly deemed “unsafe” by the city, yet 22 tenants in seven households were living in the building when it was evacuated on Friday. How did it get that bad? [Here’s what it says about the effectiveness of city bylaws](. - Nothing to see here: One advocate flagged concerns about the building as recently as January of this year. The city said “no deficiencies were observed.” - The bright side? “It was a miracle no one was injured or killed,” said one advisor to the city council. “This (was) absolutely dreadful, and it could have been prevented.” Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi federal politics [Pierre Poilievre’s housing plan isn’t “grounded in reality,” federal analysts say]( The Tory leader’s marquee “Build Homes, Not Bureaucracy” housing plan might not do much of either, according to an analysis by federal civil servants. The bill is “flawed” and sets municipalities up for failure, according to the report from Infrastructure Canada obtained by the Star’s Stephanie Levitz. [Here’s what else federal analysts had to say about Poilievre’s problematic plan](. - On the flip side: Poilievre’s team is standing by its policy, accusing Infrastructure Canada of misreading the proposed bill and putting politics before policy. - Not the first time: In February, Canada’s mayors also took aim at Poilievre’s housing policy proposal for [tying federal funding for cities to the number of houses built](. Nick Lachance/The Star drug crisis [Doug Ford banned safe injection sites near schools and child-care centres]( New rules announced by the Ford government will shutter most of Toronto’s supervised consumption sites — a move criticized by some health advocates who say the closures will only lead to more overdose deaths. The changes, meant to allay safety concerns around the sites, includes $378 million on 19 new “Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment” hubs. [Here’s what you need to know about the new rules and the new hubs](. - Mixed feelings: New funding was “badly needed,” Mayor Olivia Chow said, but added that [the closure of Toronto’s safe injection sites could have “significant consequences,”]( including more deaths and greater strain on emergency rooms. - Edward Keenan’s take: The most galling part of the ban? [No one wants safe injection sites to exist, but they’re sorely needed](. - Manisha Krishnan’s take: Shutting down Ontario’s drug consumption sites is a [death sentence for those they’re meant to help](. WHAT ELSE Canada’s inflation rate fell to 2.5 per cent last month, [paving the way for another interest rate cut](. Behind on its housing target, [the Ford government is taking more steps to boost construction](. Toronto’s CNE is off to a rough start after [record-setting rainfall on opening weekend](. At the Evergreen Brick Works, record rains leave damage — [and an example for Toronto](. A tentative deal with York University’s faculty union may [avert a strike just in time for classes to begin](. A potential rail strike on Thursday could [rock the auto industry, close ports and lead to empty shelves, experts say](. I chose to rent my home instead of owning — and I’m much happier. [Here’s why](. [SkipTheDishes and Just Eat cut 800 jobs]( in Canada amid their restructuring. [A judge tossed a fentanyl case]( over “misleading” Toronto police notes and a groundless arrest. “I am sorry.” [Argos’ Chad Kelly speaks for the first time since his nine-game suspension](. Some Mirvish shows are smaller and cheaper than others. [Can audiences tell the difference?]( In a four-star Toronto show, [Missy Elliott shows why she is a visionary](. POV J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo [How Michelle Obama stole the show from Barack at Kamala Harris’ convention.]( CLOSE-UP Nick Lachance/The Star EAST YORK: Nostalgia Coffee Company owners Glenda Zember and Ronnie Jang have been losing an average of $100 a day since construction began outside their coffee shop. They’re just one example of the hundreds of thousands of small business owners that say [construction is getting in the way of their businesses, Ana Pereira reports](. 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_774). 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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