Where have all the restaurant workers gone?

Plus, the high cost of going unvaccinated, Putin’s fortress, and the client/customer conundrum [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning — and unlike the [late, great Meat Loaf]( titular bat out of hell, we will be here when the morning comes. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Darryl Dyck for The Star the rollout [The rising price of being unvaccinated]( Regardless of their reasoning, the cost of refusing the jab is only growing for the 21 per cent of Canadians who are not fully vaccinated, Alex McKeen reports. For instance, long-haul truckers can no longer access lucrative cross-border routes into the United States without proof of vaccination. While increased restrictions have incentivized some vaccine uptake, public health [experts say Canada could stand to use fewer sticks and more carrots]( — especially when it comes to already marginalized communities. Shruti Bhatnagar Illustration/The Star the big quit [Where 200,000 Canadian restaurant workers went — and why many aren’t looking back]( The pandemic has had a seismic effect on the country’s food service and accommodation sector, but it’s more a large-scale realignment than a “Great Resignation.” So far, 205,800 Canadians have left the industry in search of stability, better compensation or simply a change of pace, while professional services jobs — like secretaries, office administrators and clerks — have seen the largest influx of workers. Jacob Lorinc breaks down the latest labour trends, including [why some say they’ll likely never flip burgers or pour drinks again](. Andrew Wallace/The Star driving [What could be lost by pulling the plug on parallel parking tests]( In an effort to clear a massive backlog, Ontario will temporarily ditch parallel parking as part of its standard G license road test. Also gone — until March, at least — are the three-point turn and the roadside emergency stop. But, Steve McKinley writes, it’s reversing into cramped streetside parking that evokes the greatest dread — and sense of accomplishment when a young driver finally nails it. Steve spoke with “parallelophobics” and ace stunt drivers alike to find out [what we stand to lose if the short-term changes become permanent](. Sergei Ilyin/Kremlin Pool via AP russia [How Putin built a fortress capable of withstanding the West’s sanctions]( Russia has spent years readying itself to withstand an economic siege. For instance, when the import of European agricultural products was halted following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia developed its own domestic cheese industry. Changing the country’s financial messaging system and reducing exposure to the U.S. dollar are other examples of how Russia has inoculated itself against external pressure. Allan Woods breaks down [how Russia spent years sanction-proofing itself and what it could mean with the country’s troops amassed at the Ukraine border](. Cris Toala Olivares/Anne Frank House history [The second betrayal of Anne Frank]( The question of who outed the Frank family to the Gestapo after years of hiding is the central mystery of “The Betrayal of Anne Frank.” The “cold case” investigative team profiled in Canadian biographer Rosemary Sullivan’s book come to a conclusion — already disputed — about what happened, but as Sarah Weinman argues, the takeaway “remains unsatisfactory, circumstantial, and all the sadder as a result.” [Here’s what continues to be written out of Anne Frank’s story](. POV Bruce Arthur: The Beijing Olympics are nearly upon us — and they’re [shaping up to be the Intimidation Games](. Susan Delacourt: Canadians are burned out on sloganeering. [Should Trudeau drop the obvious branding efforts?]( Emma Teitel: There are now a few big signs (literally) that [women’s shinny players deserve ice time in Toronto, too](. Shawn Micallef: A winter storm can be a blessing. Here’s what Toronto looks like [while strapped into a pair of “dirtbag” skis](. Navneet Alang: How Microsoft’s recent $68-billion acquisition positions it to be [the Netflix of video games](. Vinay Menon: Bono says he’s embarrassed whenever U2’s music comes on the radio. [He’s being too hard on himself](. LIST THIS Richard Lautens/The Star When it comes to buying or selling property, there is a big distinction between being a real estate brokerage’s “client” or  “customer,” writes Joe Richer from the Real Estate Council of Ontario. While brokerages are required to act with honesty and integrity in either case, they have a fiduciary duty toward clients. But customers? Not so much. [Here’s what you need to know about the seemingly interchangeable words](. Thanks for reading. I, too, was born “Paul Hewson” and changed my name for showbiz reasons. It remains unclear whether Apple was treating me like a client or customer when they forced “Songs of Innocence” onto my iPod in 2014. 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_101237), and I will see you back here Sunday, early Sunday. [The Star]( 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]( [Become a Star Subscriber]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](