How much further could your dollar go in Calgary?

Plus, demanding action against Iran and the uphill battle to unseat an incumbent GTA mayor [The Star] First Up [By Ashley Okwuosa] By Ashley Okwuosa Good morning. Here’s the latest on Jason Kenney’s “Alberta is Calling” ads, international responses to Mahsa Amini’s death, and the three candidates trying to unseat GTA mayors who have been in power for a total of 74 years. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh housing [Jason Kenney is calling — and housing-weary Torontonians are listening]( You’ve probably seen the ads on the TTC, the ones trying to lure Torontonians to Alberta with promises of more affordable housing and jobs. Well, they seem to be working as one Calgary realtor says there’s been a “massive uptick” of people moving to the province from the GTA and Vancouver markets since the pandemic started and people started working remotely. [Former Torontonians share how much further their dollar is going in Calgary](. - By the numbers: From July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 Ontario experienced a net loss of 14,000 people to Alberta, according to Statistics Canada. - Good news for: The ads list the price of a detached home in Calgary as $700,000 — but that’s actually underselling the market in Alberta. In August 2022 the average price of a detached home in Calgary was $633,000, according to the Calgary Real Estate Board. - Word from City Hall: Asked about Alberta’s campaign, the City of Toronto said in a statement that it “invests in infrastructure, community development, events, industry support and more, all of which make Toronto an attractive place to live and work.” It also cited ongoing efforts to create “additional housing options.” Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images Mahsa Amini [Activists are calling on international governments to sanction Iran]( In the wake of Mahsa Amini’s death in Iran, her name has been mentioned more than 100 million times on Twitter to express solidarity with protesters. But activists say they want more than online support, and are calling for those in positions of power to sanction Iran for meaningful change to take place. “We don’t want tweets and social media stories; we want action from the world,” says Canadian-Iranian writer Hamed Esmaeilion. [Here’s how activists say the international community can do more](. - Word from Ottawa: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada will sanction Iranian politicians, including a number of figures related to the country’s “morality police.” “We will stop at nothing to ensure this regime is held to account and we will support the families until justice is served.” - Why it matters: Kamran Matin, a specialist in Iranian and Kurdish politics and history, believes the more protesters feel they’re supported by international public opinion and democratic governments, the less alone they feel in their struggle for basic rights and dignity. - On the home front: Thousands of protesters have gathered in Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, and Toronto in [protest of Amini’s death and to call on the Canadian government for support](. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star municipal elections [Meet the candidates trying to unseat longstanding GTA mayors ]( Across the GTA, mayoral races are shaping up to be David vs. Goliath match ups as new candidates hope to unseat incumbents by promising change and a fresh vision after decades of the same old. But prying votes away from longstanding incumbents is no easy feat. [Here’s how three rivals hope to unseat the GTA mayors who have been in power for a combined 74 years](. - Wait, what? Yep, Milton’s Gord Krantz, Oakville’s Rob Burton and Markham’s Frank Scarpitti have been mayor for 74 years collectively. And they are all up for re-election this year. Mayor since 1980, Krantz won 81 per cent of the vote in the 2018 municipal election. - Bad news for: New candidates. As if beating out incumbents isn’t hard enough, it’s even harder when coupled with high voter apathy and low election day turnout. According to one recent Canadian study, incumbency increases the probability of re-election by 41 per cent. - Why it matters: Regardless of who wins, experts say competitive municipal races are good for politics and democracy. “It’s good for democracy when incumbents know that their actions in office are being watched,” says Jack Lucas, a University of Calgary political science professor. WHAT ELSE Far-right group leader Jeremy Mackenzie was [arrested yesterday on weapons charges](. A union victory against Bill 124 could [cost the province as much as $8.4 billion]( “An exceptionally serious offence.” [A GTA single mom was handed a 10-year sentence for smuggling handguns over the U.S.-Canada border](. “We didn’t have such a dangerous storm in Afghanistan.” [Fiona offers resettled Afghans a glimpse of extreme weather in Canada](. Federal Liberals and Conservatives formed an unlikely alliance to [defeat a private member’s bill to lower Canada’s voting age to 16](. Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S. swamped Florida Wednesday, [knocking out power to 1.8 million people](. Calls grow in B.C. for safer supply distribution [as the illicit drug death toll reaches nearly 1,500 this year](. [Who are the Try Guys and why is the internet talking about them? ]( [Why is there a 300-pound shark on King Street West?]( [90s rap icon Coolio has died at 59.]( POV Antonio Masiello/TNS [There are warnings for Ontario in Italy’s election results.]( CLOSE-UP Jerome Delay/AP Photo SOMALIA: Mohamed Kheir Issack, 80, right, and Issack Farow Hassan, 75, are part of a growing number of people who are now living in camps because the [most alarming drought in more than half a century in Somalia has stripped them of their animals and homes](. 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_147236). Manuela 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. [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](