This Canada Day, just say 'no' to shenanigans

Plus, cutting the gas tax and prepping for a fall booster campaign [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Toronto will see sunshine and warm weather this long weekend — [but rain on Canada Day](. Here’s the latest on the anticipated return of the convoy, a gas tax cut and the increasing possibility of fall vaccine campaign. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick canada day in the capital [Doug Ford warns Ottawa “freedom convoy” protesters: “No shenanigans this weekend”]( Ontario’s premier, who backed the federal government’s use of emergency powers to end the illegal blockade around Parliament Hill last winter, is calling on convoy demonstrators to be considerate of fellow residents and police this Canada Day. “I’m all for peaceful protest and you can demonstrate, but … no shenanigans this weekend,” Ford said Thursday. [Here’s what he hopes to avoid this time around](. - Meanwhile: Conservative MP and presumptive leadership race front-runner Pierre Poilievre is marching into Ottawa with high-profile convoy demonstrators. [Here’s what we know](. - Bad news for: Prominent convoy leader Tamara Lich will spend Canada Day weekend in jail. [Here are the details of her charges](. - ICYMI: How many Canadians believe in racist conspiracy theories? [Way more than you may have thought](. - The aftermath: “When I see the Canada flag now, it hurts my heart.” [As the convoy returns, there’s a tug-of-war over the Maple Leaf](. - On the home front: Toronto police plan to be a “visible presence” at demonstrations across the city — and at the beach. [Here’s what you can expect](. Chris So/The Star charge! [As gas prices soar, electric vehicles remain cheap to charge — some people want that to change]( Ontario’s gas tax is dropping 5.7 cents a litre today to help soften the blow of unrelenting inflation — but while most drivers have been facing soaring fuel prices, those behind the wheel of electric vehicles can charge at home for a fraction of the cost. But gas taxes help pay for road upkeep, public transit and more — and there’s increasing pressure for changes that ensure green drivers are also paying up. [Here’s what politicians are saying](. - Wait, what? Changes are likely years away, but governments will have to be mindful of moving too soon and discouraging sales of EVs. - More: [Here’s how Ontario’s gas tax cut will affect what you’re paying at the pump](. - Another angle: The car era is ending. [Here’s what should come next]( Canadian Press/Nathan Denette the rollout [We may see a fall COVID booster campaign]( With renewed urgency for another round of immunization, Canada’s national advisory body on vaccines has released guidelines that could lay the foundation for a fall booster campaign. The new advice hones in on people over 65, living in group settings or with underlying health conditions — but concludes that anyone over 12 can be offered another shot. It will ultimately be up to the provinces to make the final call. [Here are answers to 13 questions about getting a boost](. - Context: The pandemic’s not quite over. New Omicron sub-variants are spreading in Ontario — fast! [Here’s what we know about them](. - Have your say: [Are you worried about a summer COVID-19 wave?]( WHAT ELSE “They could have given people a lot more notice.” [Here’s how travellers are faring after Air Canada cancelled flights](. A missing Edmonton girl’s father is pleading for help across the country: [“She is in danger, and she needs help.”]( The Supreme Court of Canada is [upholding key rape shield law protections](. [The fight against the climate crisis has taken a blow from the U.S. Supreme Court](. Here’s how Ketanji Brown Jackson is [shattering the glass ceiling as]( first Black woman of SCOTUS](. An Amazon Alexa that sounds like dead loved ones is [not just creepy — it’s potentially dangerous](. Workers are returning to the office — [but formal wear isn’t following suit](. Need a lot of money, fast? [Here’s why you shouldn’t rob a bank](. Food festivals and markets are back. [Here’s where and what to eat this summer](. [What’s open, what’s closed and what to do on Canada Day.]( POV Anthony Hare Illustration [“Oh the flag! Before its birth, there was horror!” Canadian writers opine on what the red-and-white maple-leaf flag symbolizes today.]( CLOSE-UP Odd Andersen/AFP Photo GREENLAND: Turquoise water pools in a large melt hole atop an iceberg in Disko Bay, Ilulissat on Thursday. The icebergs originate from Jakobshavn glacier (Sermeq Kujalleq, in Greenlandic), the most productive glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. 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_132261). Ashley will 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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