Is Ontario's retail future outsourced?

Plus, rising anti-Asian hate and the state of Ontario students' mental health [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on Canada’s wave of outsourcing and automated technology, an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes and the impact of the climate crisis on young people. DON’T MISS Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star Business [Would you like some outsourcing with that?]( Upon entering Freshii, you may find a video-calling device that lights up as you approach it. That’s Percy — the restaurant chain’s new “virtual cashier” — who works from Nicaragua for just $3.75 an hour, Jacob Lorinc reports. The program is in the early stages of testing at a few Ontario locations, but it’s part of a wave of outsourcing and automated technology that’s slowly transforming retail in Canada. Multiple lawyers told the Star the practice is entirely legal, and now many retail workers are wondering if they’ll end up being replaced. [Here’s why labour organizers are “disgusted.”]( - By the numbers: In North America, Freshii typically pays servers between $12 to $16 per hour. With Ontario’s $15 minimum wage, the outsourced cashiers could be saving the company more than $10 per hour. - More: Employees told the Star they’ve been aware of the program since November. The Star confirmed three locations — two in Toronto and one in Waterloo — are using the virtual cashiers. Steve Russell/The Star hate crimes [Toronto is seeing a dramatic spike in anti-Asian hate crimes]( Hate-motivated threats, assaults and vandalism have risen sharply in the past two years, Wendy Gillis reports, with Asian, Black or Jewish individuals (police categorize racial and religious hate separately) bearing the brunt of the attacks. The rise in anti-Asian incidents contributed to the highest ever number of hate crimes in which the victim was targeted based on their ethnic or national origin since Toronto police began collecting such data in 1993. Due to underreporting, the data likely only reveals a fraction of the true problem. [Here’s what we know](. - More: Toronto police said Asian people have been blamed for the COVID-19 pandemic. The city saw a “notable” spike in anti-Asian hate crimes in March 2021, coinciding with a mass shooting in Atlanta that targeted Asian women. - Another angle: Racism led to a rise in anti-Asian hate. [Here’s what communities have said they want elected officials to do](. Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward the kids are not alright [More than half of Ontario’s young students say they feel depressed about the future]( Among a generation of people who believe they will inherit worsening natural disasters, feelings of depression and anxiety are trending, Nadine Yousif reports. In a recent survey of Ontario students, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found half of all respondents expressed concern about climate change, saying it’s fuelling their anxiety and depression about the future. “As a person who is very committed to improving the well-being of young people, it’s a call to action for sure,” said a senior scientist at CAMH and the executive director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario. [Here’s what experts say can help](. - More: One-third of students reported that their mental health has taken a hit due to the uncertainty of COVID. An alarming one in five students said they had self-harmed in the past year, and 18 per cent said they seriously contemplated suicide. - What we know: The UN warns we have to cap greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, [or prepare for the worst](. - The Star’s take: [Canada must meet its new emissions targets](. WHAT ELSE Prosecutors seek 20 years in prison over the Brampton crash that [killed a mom and three daughters](. [Twitter’s going private]( after Elon Musk buys it in one of the largest leveraged takeovers ever. Here’s why we may never know [how much the convoy threatened Canada’s security](. Canada’s armed forces are struggling to [keep white supremacists out](. Liberals promise to [end for-profit long-term care in Ontario](. The U.S. wants a “weakened” Russia after the war. [Here’s what that might mean](. Canada has eased more COVID-19 travel rules. [Here’s what’s new](. The [Raptors shut down the Sixers]( with the season’s best defensive effort. Has Yorkville’s luxury shopping strip gone out of fashion? [Empty storefronts could be a sign of things to come](. An Amazon union’s success in New York sets the stage for a new [attempt at an Alberta warehouse](. ICYMI Toronto Star Illustration [Is Canada selling immigrants on an opportunity that no longer exists?]( CLOSE-UP Leo Correa/AP Photo POKROVSK, UKRAINE: An elderly woman sits on a train Monday before departing to flee from the war in Severodonetsk and nearby towns. Russia unleashed a string of attacks against Ukrainian rail and fuel installations Monday, striking crucial infrastructure far from the front line of its eastern offensive.  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_120084). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. [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. 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