Is Toronto turning into Condo City?

Plus, here’s everything you need to know about the Toronto spring real estate market [Get access now!]( [The Star] First Up [By Ashley Okwuosa] By Ashley Okwuosa Good morning. The City of Toronto [announced it is removing and banning TikTok from roughly 350 city-issued devices]( following federal and provincial government bans. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press HOUSING [Toronto’s condo explosion is just getting started: A record 100 towers could go up every year]( Toronto residents are beginning to feel like their neighbourhoods are disappearing. The city is erecting new condos at warp speed, with a record 25,000 new condominium unit completions slated for 2023 and an additional 100,000 units to be completed between 2024 and 2028, according to research firm Urbanation. Critics say condos will make communities less livable and are often too small to accommodate families or seniors looking to downsize, reports Clarrie Feinstein. But more condos may mean new homes for residents in search of housing. [Here’s the argument for what we’re gaining — and what we’re losing — if Toronto becomes “Condo City]( Todd Korol/For the Toronto Star ENVIRONMENT [These oilsands companies raked in $35B last year. Now, they’re asking for public money to help fight climate change]( With record profits that make them “more money than God,” why are six Canadian oilsands companies asking for public funding for over half of their $16.5-billion climate change mitigation project? The proposed project will install carbon capture technology at a dozen sites in the Alberta oilsands and connect them to a “storage hub” near Cold Lake, where the captured carbon would be injected into geological formations underground. Marco Chown Oved reports on [what these companies are looking to the government to contribute, and why some say there’s a disconnect between what they are saying and what they’re doing](. James Park/For the Toronto Star CROSSROADS [He crossed a jungle and nearly drowned. His remarkable 12-country odyssey is the new road to Canada for many Afghans]( After the Taliban seized power in August 2021, Canada promised to resettle 40,000 at-risk Afghans. So far, an estimated 29,000 have arrived, some taking a long, winding path to reach a country where they have been told they might be welcomed. As part of the Star’s Crossroads series, Ehsanullah Amiri looks at Mohammad Azimi’s odyssey from Pakistan, where he had gone for a visa interview, through Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Mexico before arriving in Canada. [From smugglers to snakes and crocodiles, here’s what he encountered on the way](. Toronto Star photo illustration STAR INVESTIGATION [Here’s why Indigenous leaders say an official probe of alleged RCMP misconduct in Prince George is flawed]( B.C. First Nations leaders are demanding Indigenous representation in a probe of longstanding allegations that RCMP officers sexually harassed and abused Indigenous teenagers and then covered it up. The external investigation comes after the Star revealed the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission found police had repeatedly failed to investigate allegations that members were suppressing potential evidence that may have incriminated officers. [Jessica McDiarmid explains why many say First Nations representation in the probe is a “must]( Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star REAL ESTATE [Here's what you need to know about the Toronto spring real estate market]( There are signs the GTA’s spring real estate market is sparking to life. But realtors say a short supply of listings will influence every decision that buyers and sellers make this year. Want to buy? Expect competition. Want to sell? Make sure you will be able to find your next home. Wherever you find yourself, Tess Kalinowski and May Warren have listed [five essential things you need to know before you enter the real estate market this spring](. POV Martin Regg Cohn: No matter what Doug Ford thinks, [some of your rights can’t be trampled](. Donovan Vincent: Trauma-informed reporting is critical to covering crime. [Here’s what it looks like](. Rick Salutin: When it comes to spies — [catch them if you can and punish them if it’s illegal](. Thomas Walkom: NATO countries talk about unity, but it’s not that simple. [Here’s how the Ukraine War is complicating things](. Peter Howell: [Here’s “Everything” that will probably happen at the Oscars on Sunday](. David Olive: As electric vehicles take over, Ontario will have to double its power output — while decarbonizing. [Can we do it]( EAT THIS Nigel Desouza Sandwiches are the mainstay meal of the everyday, and Mahdis Habibinia has gotten [five experts to share recipes of the sandwiches they make at home again and again]( and their top sandwich picks in the city. Thanks for reading. You can reach 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_171000), and I will see you back here tomorrow. Get Star digital and ePaper access Sale: Limited-time offer of $0.50/week [Get This Offer]( 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. 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