Hard Lessons for Canada's international students, plus the Ontario NDP's $1.15B mental health plan and Kyle Lowry's return. [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. Justin Bieber is up for eight awards at tonight's Grammys, [top among Canadian artists]( — but the “Peaches” crooner is already a winner for having a remarkably uncontroversial 2021. Here’s the latest. MUST READS
Supplied Photo HARD LESSONS [What Canada's international students wish they'd known]( Students come to Canada from all over the world — not just to study but potentially start a new life. Many of their experiences have failed to earn a passing grade as they navigate life alone in the Great White North. From working multiple jobs to getting scammed, Nicholas Keung explores the trials and tribulations of international students in the Star's new series, Hard Lessons. Here's [what they wish they'd known before coming to Canada in the first place](.
Barry Gray / The Hamilton Spectator File Photo STAR EXCLUSIVE [Ontario NDP will pledge $1.15-billion mental health program if elected]( Provincial NDP Leader Andrea Horwath will unveil her party's pitch for an ambitious universal mental health benefits program on Sunday, Robert Benzie reports. The proposed plan will expand access to counselling and therapy services across the province and cost $1.15 billion annually. However, the NDP plan suggests the program could actually save the Ontario economy $10 billion over the next five years. [Here’s the inside scoop on today’s announcement.](
AP HOMECOMING HERO [What made Kyle Lowry the greatest Raptor of all time?]( For the first time in a decade, former longtime Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry will take the floor in Toronto as a member of the visiting team. Though Lowry returns in a Miami Heat jersey, his impact on basketball culture in the city — and frankly, Canada overall — is undeniable, Doug Smith argues. From his on-court legacy to everything he accomplished off the hardwood, [here are seven major ways the "GROAT" left his mark](.
The Canadian Press REVIEW [The upside of feeling down: Turning your pain into a superpower]( A wave of general blueness has overtaken those early-pandemic days when we optimistically told each other it would all be okay, writes Mireille Silcoff. That's why the new book "Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make us Whole" by Susan Cain should soon find itself at the top of your to-read list. Mireille explains how this weird, gorgeous, compassionate work can serve as a road map for navigating melancholia and [making your pain work for you](.
AFP via Getty Images FAST TIMES [Answering your frequently asked questions about Ramadan]( Most Muslims catch themselves answering the same questions over and over (and over) again from non-Muslim peers every Ramadan. A lot of the curiosity is about how the tradition of fasting from dawn until dusk works. Is it OK to eat in front of your Muslim friends during their fast? Can you drink water during your fast? Are any goats sacrificed? [Zeahaa Rehman answers those questions and more in this insightful FAQ](. UP CLOSE
Andrew Francis Wallace / Toronto Star Sarah Hindy is doing what any biomedical engineering graduate might be expected to do — open for Chelsea Handler on the Canadian dates of her Vaccinated and Horny Tour. The Mississauga-born comedian grew up in a strict Muslim household and she's mining her experiences for comedy gold. Right on the heels of her debut comedy album release, Hindy tells Celeste Percy-Beauregard [what sparked her astonishing career move](. SOLVE THIS Abigail Conners loves puzzles — so much so that a pandemic shortage compelled her to assemble the Great Indoors Puzzle Co. piece by piece. Intentionality is the name of the game, she tells Briony Smith; the company's three designs so far are by different Toronto artists, and the entire product is carbon-neutral thanks to eco-friendly packaging and carbon offsets. [Here's how Conners came, jigsawed and conquered](. Thanks for reading. Should I quit my day job to take up standup comedy, too? If that sounds less like an inspired life change than an unwanted public nuisance, please voice your displeasure to 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_116050). Lex, who strikes me as more of a sketch comedy kind of person, will see you back here Monday. [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.
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