What you can do to help Ontario's swamped ERs

Plus, the "alarming" way Ontario is appointing judges, and plans for a big expansion to the Bradford Bypass [Get access now!]( [The Star] First Up [By Jordan Tamblyn] By Jordan Tamblyn Good morning. Hope everyone is staying safe and warm. Here’s the latest on Ford’s “alarming” new process to appoint the next chief justice, whether the Ontario government bypassed voters on the Bradford Bypass, and what we can all do to help swamped hospitals. DON’T MISS Chris Simon/Torstar provincial politics [“An aberration.” Ford government’s process to select next chief justice violates separation of powers, Ontario judges warn]( The Ford government is assuming complete control over the selection of the next chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice, the Star has learned. It’s a move judges say violates basic democratic principles and “will erode public confidence” in the courts. Rather than having outgoing chief justice Lise Maisonneuve choose her own replacement, Attorney General Doug Downey’s plan calls for judges to apply for the position — directly through him alone — and to provide feedback to him on candidates. [Jacques Gallant explains why critics are aghast at the move – and are already raising the possibility of political favouritism](. - Wait, what? Justice Julie Bourgeois, president of the Association of Ontario Judges, warns that this “alarming” new process invites members of the judiciary to “compromise their ethical obligations.” - Context: This latest discovery comes in the wake of [Downey’s controversial decision last year to change the process for appointing lawyers to the provincial court bench](. - Go deeper: In this Star exclusive, Martin Regg Cohn lays out [how Doug Ford shamelessly appointed unqualified party loyalists to fill key tribunal spots]( – and how Ontarians are paying the price as wait lists swell. Richard Lautens/The Star health care [Ontario’s emergency rooms are in crisis — backsliding on masks and vaccines is making it worse ]( The holiday season is fast approaching, but not all the tidings are good. Ontario’s chief medical officer says not enough people are masking up in public indoor spaces and getting their vaccines — putting us on track for a mid-January spike in new COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, the ongoing surge of flu, COVID and RSV is swamping local children’s hospitals, resulting in cancelled surgeries and long-distance patient transfers. The [Ornge air ambulance service transferred more than 544 patients under age 18 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 2]( a huge jump from previous years. And while Dr. Kieran Moore says higher vaccination rates could make the difference this winter, critics wonder where that public messaging has been the last several months. [Here’s where things stand](. - You don’t say: Health Minister Sylvia Jones admits [it is “not ideal” that young patients are being transferred to hospitals far from home to get treatment](. - Go deeper: Dr. Moore, [who was caught maskless at a large indoor party in November]( is being lambasted for failing to promote precautionary measures or reinstate the mask mandate. - Critics say: “Ambulances are on standby to shuttle sick children from overcrowded hospitals to somewhere with a vacant bed. And still the Ford government sticks to its message: nothing to see here, it’s all under control — when clearly it is not,” said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner in a blistering statement. - Listen: To mask or not to mask, that is (still) the question. The This Matters podcast talks to an epidemiologist about [whether it’s time to bring back the mask mandate]( Amanda Persico/Metroland the low road [Is Ontario secretly planning to double down on the controversial Bradford Bypass? ]( As recently as November, Ontario pitched the Bradford Bypass as a four-lane highway that would wind through York Region and Simcoe County, connecting Hwys. 400 and 404. But over the last year, the Ministry of Transportation has quietly been considering expanding the project to eight lanes by 2041, according to Freedom-of-Information documents obtained by the Toronto Star and the Narwhal. The proposal “doubles the amount of land taken out, it doubles the amount of impact to source water,” says Margaret Prophet, executive director of the Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition. “It’s gotten that much bigger in a really sensitive area, and people don’t really know.” Locals weren’t the only ones left in the dark – it’s possible that the federal government was lacking this key piece of information when it approved the Bradford Bypass in early 2022. [Here’s what we know](. - By the numbers: Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney previously said the Bradford Bypass will cost $800 million to build. In a new report this month, Ontario’s Auditor General revised that estimate to land between $2 billion and $4 billion. - Go deeper: In April 2021, the Ministry of Transportation revealed a slight route change for the Bradford Bypass to lessen the road’s impact to the Holland River. What they didn’t mention? [That a golf course co-owned by the father of MPP Stan Cho would be spared]( - Listen: In an abrupt reversal last month, the Ontario government announced it would open up swaths of the Greenbelt for development. This Matters asks: [Who owns these parcels of land that are now open to development, and who stands to benefit in their change of status? ]( WHAT ELSE Don’t let those fully stocked shelves fool you — [Canada’s supply-chain challenges are far from over, warns Heather Scoffield](. From Jeopardy! champ Mattea Roach to Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich, [here are Bob Hepburn’s top 10 winners and losers of 2022](. [Justin Trudeau is looking for a fight with a “reckless” Pierre Poilievre]( writes Althia Raj. Ontario’s new plan for a greener electricity grid is [on a “collision course” with Ottawa](. The Bank of Canada says ‘The Plan’ – raising interest rates to halt inflation – always works. [History says otherwise](. John Tory’s city council colleagues [slammed his new strong mayor powers as “an attack on democracy.”]( Danielle Smith stumbled into a fight with Treaty chiefs, writes Graham Thomson. [Then she did what she seems to do best: made things worse](. Canada’s MAiD regime will expand on March 17.[Here’s a look inside the last-minute effort to extend the looming deadline](. [The Toronto Police Association represented her abusers — but not her]( a veteran officer claims in $30 million complaint. [Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ cause of death has been revealed]( in a LA County coroner report. Mitch Marner’s point streak snapped in last night’s loss to the Rangers. [On the bright side, that means he’s shaving that questionable moustache](. As NBA trade season begins, [Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster keep an eye out for fractures in the Raptors’ team structure](. ICYMI Supplied Photo [From 1884 to 1976, the arrival of the Eaton’s Christmas catalogue was almost as highly anticipated in Canadian households as a visit from Santa himself.]( CLOSE-UP R.J. Johnston/The Star TORONTO: The Ontario Provincial Police say they investigated hundreds of collisions Thursday after the province was walloped by snow, freezing rain, and strong winds. [Here’s a roundup of the best reactions, photos and videos](. 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_158773). Ashley will see you back here tomorrow. Become a Star subscriber and save! Best offer of the year: 12 months for $12 [Get This Offer]( 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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