Ford's cutting fees and municipalities could take the hit

Plus, calls for Canada to step up against Iran and why a King Street transit project went off the rails [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. More than 30 people have been killed in a childcare centre attack in Thailand today. [Here’s what we know so far](. Here’s the latest on the premier’s plans for affordable housing that could cost municipalities, why insiders say Canada won’t designate Iran’s regime as a terrorist entity and what has gone wrong with the King Street transit project. DON’T MISS Bob Tymczyszyn/St. Catharines Standard star exclusive [Doug Ford will cut development fees on affordable housing — and municipalities could take a financial hit]( Premier Doug Ford’s government is planning to scrap fees on “inclusionary zoning” projects immediately after the Oct. 24 municipal election in order to expedite housing construction, the Star has learned. But those charges are meant to fund civic infrastructure like transit, shelters and parks — and removing them could end up costing municipalities. [Robert Benzie lays out what we know about the upcoming changes](. - Wait, what? Inclusionary zoning allows cities to mandate lower-cost housing units in new developments. Many housing projects, however, have been thwarted by “exclusionary zoning” rules by opponents of development. Because the changes are contentious, the government has been seeking a compromise. - Context: As of Aug. 15, residential development fees in Toronto ranged from $25,470 to $93,978 per unit depending on the size of the home. - Go deeper: “That’s going to be a problem. Where are we going to find that money?” said a GTA municipality official with knowledge of the proposal. Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld star exclusive [Why Canada won’t brand Iran’s revolutionary guard terrorists]( Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will hold the “bloodthirsty regime to account.” But doing so won’t include designating the Iranian military group as terrorists, insiders tell Tonda MacCharles, due to concerns that the move would be overbroad, difficult to enforce, and that it could unfairly target possibly thousands of Iranians in Canada who may have been conscripted by the country’s military. [Take a closer look at what would result from a terrorist designation](. - Context: Amid global uproar surrounding Mahsa Amini’s death, the Liberals are facing growing calls from the Conservatives and families of victims killed when Iran shot down flight PS752 to designate the regime a terrorist group. - Watch for: The Liberal government says it plans to “do more” to sanction human rights abuses by the Iranian regime. This week, it levied new sanctions against 25 individuals and nine entities. To date, it has levied sanctions on 66 total individuals and 170 entities. - More: Activists say Canada must go further to sanction Iran. [Here’s what they’re calling for in the wake of Amini’s death](. Toronto Star Photo Illustration can't we do better? [Once praised, the King Street transit project seems to have gone off the rails]( Designed in 2017 to clear up traffic by restricting vehicles and giving way to streetcars, the King Street project was meant to help commuters move quickly between downtown and Liberty Village. The pilot was then made permanent and even emulated in New York City, Lex Harvey reports. But today, bollards are missing along the 2.6-km stretch, yellow strips meant to protect pedestrians are detached and enforcement is poor. It was once hailed as visionary. [Why has the city let its infrastructure collapse?]( - More: Toronto City council voted to make the $1.5-million project permanent in 2019 after finding it significantly reduced travel times, and boosted cycling and pedestrian traffic, as well as transit use. - Go deeper: “It’s disappointing to me to go down King Street now as a person who worked on it,” said David Cooper, a former city of Toronto transportation planner who helped design the King Street pilot. “It’s actually kind of embarrassing.” WHAT ELSE Buying a house is more expensive now than it was during the February market peak. [Check out these numbers](. Canada’s wealthiest households are seeing their net worth drop $200,000. [Here’s how they lost their previous gains](. The woman Jacob Hoggard sexually assaulted is suing for $2.8 million. [Here’s what we know about his conviction and today’s sentencing](. Unionized workers in Ontario can continue to file claims with the human rights tribunal. [Here’s why that’s a win for advocates](. Prepare for turbulence, Canada. [Alberta’s Danielle Smith is about to start causing trouble](. Pandemic rage destroyed one premier — [but left two others stronger than ever](. SickKids says its ER is experiencing “extremely high patient volumes.” [Here’s what that means for wait times](. [This is the real reason for the Children’s Tylenol shortage](. Workers fighting for better wages are being made out to be villains. [Don’t fall for it](. [Why is the Toronto Public Library facing service cuts?]( Ask John Tory. Hockey Canada has lost its Tim Hortons and Scotiabank sponsorships for the year. [Here’s the latest in the controversy of its handling of alleged sex assaults](. The OLG says Lotto Max players should check their tickets — [there are over $3M in unclaimed prizes](. POV Canadian Press/John Woods [Refugee advocates say the Safe Third Country Agreement is a breach of the Charter. So, why is Ottawa prepared to defend it?]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/The Star HUMBER RIVER: It’s that time of year when salmon start heading up river. Fish were seen Wednesday trying to make the leap up and over a small waterfall near the old mill. 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_148162). 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. [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](