The housing crisis has people living in hospitals

Plus, the need to monitor foreign interference and the furor over a teacher dress code in Halton [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Toronto is set to get more snow this week. [Here’s when it’s expected to arrive](. Here’s the latest on the city’s housing crisis, foreign interference in the federal election and the Halton school facing threats over dress code controversy. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Cole Burston housing [Where a hospital stay can last for years due to a lack of housing]( Dozens of in-patients battling serious mental illnesses reside at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health because they simply have no place else to go, Victoria Gibson reports. The wait list for the kind of housing they often need can take years; as of September, the city’s overall wait-list for mental health and addictions supportive housing has grown to more than 24,000, according to data from The Access Point. [Take a closer look at the financial cost — and the human toll — of Toronto’s housing crisis spilling over into its health care system](. - Go deeper: “When we get housing — whether it be supportive housing, (housing for people with developmental disabilities), long-term care — that’s what gets people in the community, living their lives… that’s what makes our health systems function better because now someone who is acutely ill can access a bed at CAMH,” the hospital’s transition manager said. - ICYMI: At St. Michael’s Hospital, health workers cared for more than 4,500 homeless patients in 2022 — [some turning up not for medical need, but simply for lack of emergency shelter](. Richard Lautens/The Star federal politics [Ottawa must improve its monitoring of foreign interference in elections, a report says]( Ahead of a parliamentary hearing today into the extent of foreign interference in the 2021 election, an independent review has concluded that the system to monitor foreign interference needs improvement to determine how much election meddling is too much. The report found the federal government “did not detect foreign interference that threatened Canada’s ability to have free and fair elections.” Tonda MacCharles, Stephanie Levitz and Alex Ballingall [report on the findings and why Conservatives are calling the assessment into question](. - More: Conservative party sources have told the Star that security agencies flagged the possibility of six specific countries potentially engaging in influence activities: China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel. - Another angle: Here’s why some Chinese community leaders are calling on the government to take political interference claims seriously — [and the problem with conflating Chinese people with the CCP](. Richard Lautens/The Star education [Inside the Halton school reeling amid furor over a teacher dress code]( Amid controversy over one teacher’s attire, students, staff and trustees at Oakville Trafalgar High School have become targets — subjected to bomb threats and death threats, vile voice-mails, protests and police presence. International headlines have ignited debate over how the school has handled the matter and some students are blaming the school for the situation in light of its refusal to implement a staff dress code. [Isabel Teotonio and Kristin Rushowy report on the fears and the divisiveness of the topic](. - Meanwhile: Officials told the Star that educator Kayla Lemieux remains an employee of the Halton District School Board but is now on home assignment. - Watch for: Trustees will question the director of education tonight at a meeting about [the board’s new “professionalism policy.”]( - Word from the school board: “We’re protective of everyone, whether they be racialized, marginalized members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, anyone who has been underserved or anyone who has been marginalized in any way ... The message from the board is that we stand on our principles of human rights, equity and inclusion.” WHAT ELSE Justin Trudeau’s former health minister is [criticizing his government for the delay in lowering drug prices](. [The TTC plans to resume ticketing for fare evasion]( this month as many rides are estimated to go unpaid. Could Mississauga’s mayor be the [leader Ontario’s Liberals need to defeat Doug Ford?]( Like John Tory but “faster?” [Councillor Brad Bradford is mulling on running for mayor](. Ottawa Hospital is opening operating rooms to a private corporation — [raising questions about the private growth in public healthcare](. A judge is slamming the costs and delays associated with [“essential” anti-Black racism reports intended to remedy historical inequities](. Toronto’s Pearson airport says it’s [imposing new limits on flights to reduce delays](. A tax increase on alcohol is set for April 1. [Here’s how it will impact Ontario.]( [A man has been charged with manslaughter]( in the death of longtime CBC Radio producer Michael Finlay. This century-old Mirvish theatre is slated for demolition. [Toronto’s arts community says the loss is significant](. Broccoli meatballs, shrimp tacos and [more quick, easy recipes to try this week](. Mike Bullard has returned after four months in Ukraine. [Here’s what the comedian was doing](. ICYMI Lance McMillan/The Star [Environmental impact studies on Highway 413 have cost more than $35 million — but remaining gaps mean the Ford government will likely spend millions more.]( CLOSE-UP Loren Holmes/Anchorage Daily News via AP ALASKA: Defending champion Brent Sass heads down the Yukon River on March 13, 2020, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The lineup is the smallest ever this year, [raising concerns about the longevity of the iconic race amid the pandemic, climate crisis and inflation](. 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_169307). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](