CUPE school workers will walk out today, legislation be damned

Plus, Ontario's missing the obvious about aging, and Freeland's mini-budget details [Get access now!]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Toronto health inspectors found [dozens of major infractions at these restaurants]( this past week. Here’s the latest on CUPE strikes that begin today, how Canadians can flourish into older age and the fall economic statement. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Nathan Denette provincial politics [CUPE school workers will walk out Friday, even as Ford government passes a law banning a strike]( Potentially thousands of schools across Ontario are set to close today as 55,000 unionized school support staff walk off the job. This comes after Premier Doug Ford’s government passed legislation that overrides Charter rights, making it illegal to strike, and imposed a new contract on the workers. After tense negotiations broke down, Education Minister Stephen Lecce maintained the government would “use every tool” it has to keep kids in class, warning of $500,000 daily fines for the union and $4,000 daily penalties for workers. [Here’s what we know about school operations as the union says the strike will continue into next week](. - Go deeper: Invoking the notwithstanding clause for just the second time in Ontario history — Ford last used it in June 2021 — has sparked harsh opposition from the NDP, Liberals and Greens, and disapproval from the prime minister. - Miss something? [Here’s everything you need to know about the strike](. - Linda McQuaig’s take: [Doug Ford is turning public education into a combat zone](. - Martin Regg Cohn’s take: [Ontario’s students are being caught in political crossfire](. - More: [Here are some activities around Toronto]( to do with your kids during the strike. Ramon Ferreira/Toronto Star Illustration the third act [They do aging better in New York — why is Ontario missing the obvious?]( Gert Hartmann wouldn’t erase the past two years of caring for her father, but the painful experience has taken as much as she could give. About a year in, she says she felt like she was “failing everything” — her job, her dad, herself and her partner — as she struggled to provide care and to feel like a daughter instead of a caretaker. Living in Ontario, her options were limited. But there’s much to learn from New York, Moira Welsh reports, with a plan that could [allow Canadians to reach an older adulthood of flourishing and contributing, rather than decline and dependency](. - Wait, what? The third act of life is the focus of a new, extended series the Star is producing with Toronto Metropolitan University and the National Institute on Ageing, exploring real-world solutions that could make a genuine difference to Canadians as they age. - More: A NORC-SSP, or Naturally Occurring Retirement Community with a “supportive service program,” co-ordinates health care, social, exercise and educational activities to ensure older adults age in place or, as some prefer, “flourish in place.” Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld economy [Chrystia Freeland details financial help for students, low-income Canadians and homeowners, with a projected $36.4-billion deficit]( Facing pressure to rein in spending and to support Canadians grappling with high inflation and interest rates, the finance minister exhibited restraint in her fall budget update, Raisa Patel reports, promising $30.6 billion over six years in new spending. The fall economic statement projects Canada’s deficit to be $36.5 billion for the current fiscal year — lower than the $52.8-billion shortfall projected last spring. [Take a look at charts breaking down the government’s financial outlook and what’s in store for students and low-income Canadians](. - Reaction: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the update failed to address “greedflation in a concrete way,” while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused the Liberals of introducing “$20 billion of inflationary spending.” - Heather Scoffield’s take: Freeland’s mini-budget proposes some short-term solutions. [But she’s betting a once-taboo strategy might save us all](. WHAT ELSE Critically ill teens are being moved to adult ICUs. [Here’s what the “unprecedented” move reveals about the hospital system](. A federal inquiry heard the first detailed glimpse into so-called “Freedom Convoy” financing. [Here’s how protestors raised $24 million](. This is what it would take to [get rid of the controversial notwithstanding clause](. Convoy leaders’ testimonies at the inquiry included [tears, outbursts and monologues](. What the fog is going on in Toronto? [Here’s how long this heavy fog is expected to last](. [Here’s when the clocks change in Toronto this weekend and how to prepare](. A woman is getting a new trial after a judge found her [lawyer sexually harassed her and compromised the trial’s fairness with“pervasive” incompetence](. Pakistan’s former Prime Minister is in a stable condition after being shot and wounded during a protest march. [Here’s what we know](. A woman kidnapped at gunpoint outside a Vaughan restaurant was found in Barrie. [Here’s what we know](. This Toronto bungalow near Eglinton West went for [under a million, and under asking, after weeks on the market](. Teachers at a Toronto high school are [refusing to work, citing these safety concerns](. Steve Nash felt [“heartbroken” over his dismissal from the Nets](. ICYMI Supplied Photo [A Roncesvalles family bought a 38-room Dresden mansion for $600,000. The catch? It’s a former funeral home.]( CLOSE-UP Omar Mosleh/The Star EDMONTON: Pearl Gambler wipes away tears at a press conference Thursday. The Indigenous woman says that mistreatment, racism and neglect led to her baby dying alone in hospital on June 12, 2020. [This is her heart-wrenching story](. 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_152367). Ashley will see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited access to all articles Only $0.50/week for a limited time [Subscribe Now!]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. 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