Twitter spats, Poilievre barbs and the CBC

Plus, the Humboldt Broncos truck driver and Ontario's plans for school boards [The Star] First Up [By Ashley Okwuosa] By Ashley Okwuosa Good morning. Here’s the latest on the future of the CBC, the truck driver in the Humboldt Broncos crash, and the Ford government’s plans to force school boards to share space. DON’T MISS Susan Kao Photo Illustration media [Is the CBC at a crossroads? Or are Twitter spats and Poilievre barbs just more of the same?]( The fury over the CBC’s labelling on Elon Musk’s social media platform came to an anticlimactic conclusion Friday when the “government funded” tags vanished from its account and those of other international public broadcasters. However, experts say that as democracies around the world become more polarized, the ostensibly unifying role of public broadcasters is in peril, reflecting the frustration and distrust that’s permeated a wide swath of society. Joanna Chiu and Steve McKinley explain why the [recent trouble with Twitter is just the latest flashpoint in a battle the CBC has been fighting since its inception](. - Wait, what? A national survey of 1,200 people conducted this week by Abacus Data suggested that 40 per cent of adult Canadians agreed the CBC was federal government propaganda. Forty-five per cent of respondents said they thought the CBC should be shut down to save taxpayer money, while the rest agreed with the statement: “I value the CBC and want it maintained.” - Why it matters: Trust in mainstream media is declining worldwide, while incidents of physical violence and online abuse against journalists are on the rise. Some CBC journalists said they try to not pay attention to things like Twitter, but broader trends of distrust and attacks on media are a source of anxiety. Todd Korol for The Star canada [Five years later, the truck driver in the Humboldt Broncos crash is fighting to stay in Canada ]( This month, family members of those killed in the Humboldt Broncos crash marked five years since the Saskatchewan tragedy became part of the national consciousness. Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the driver of the truck that struck the team bus, pleaded guilty to dangerous-driving charges and was sentenced to eight years, the longest sentence handed out for a case of its kind in Canada. Now out of prison and facing deportation, Sidhu tells the Star’s Alex Boyd [why he is fighting to remain in Canada and how he holds the memories of those who passed close to him](. - More: According to court documents, Sidhu had taken his eyes off the road long enough to blow through multiple warning signs plus an oversized stop sign. His tractor-trailer slammed into the Broncos’ bus, killing 10 players, two coaches, an athletic therapist, a radio announcer, a statistician and the driver. - Context: If Sidhu were a Canadian citizen, his incarceration would have been the end of the story; he’d have paid his debt, as far as society was concerned. But for those who are permanent residents — a status he was granted just a month before the crash — a stint in prison automatically triggered a process setting him on a course for deportation. Richard Lautens/The Star provincial politics [The Ford government wants the power to force school boards to share spaces — how would that work?]( The province’s newly proposed Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act would give the education minister the power to “direct two or more boards to enter into an arrangement … for the joint construction, ownership, control, management, maintenance, operation, location or use of a school site, part of a school site or other property of a board,” reports Kristin Rushowy. While boards say they aren’t opposed to such projects, the way the government is going about it raises concerns. [Here’s how the government is looking to use Bill 98 to order boards to share space, while also encouraging better coordination and partnerships with municipalities](. - What we know: There are about 40 shared space arrangements across the province — including Renfrew County District School Board’s Whitney Public School that for the past six years has operated under the same roof as the Catholic elementary school St. Martin’s of Tours. That partnership allows Whitney students to attend classes close to home and not have to be bussed more than half an hour away to Barry’s Bay, as was under consideration at one point. - Watch for: The province is holding consultations on Bill 98, which would also give the province expanded powers over school board matters in everything from surplus property sell-offs to student achievement targets. [Food Crawl newsletter] Where should you eat next? If you’re wondering where to eat as the city heats up, you need Food Crawl, the Star’s free food newsletter. Whether it’s a strip mall standout or a downtown gem, Food Crawl will make you an insider on the best eats in Toronto and beyond. [Sign up for free here](. WHAT ELSE PSAC is stepping up picketing efforts starting today. [Here’s what you need to know](. Here’s how much you’ll owe the CRA [if you don’t pay your taxes on time](. Family members of the Yonge Street van attack victims [remember that terrible day five years later](. [Canada has temporarily suspended operations in Sudan]( and evacuated diplomats amid civil unrest. Toronto mayoral candidate Ana Bailão got some early backing from unions. [Does that spell trouble for Olivia Chow?]( Mary earns $166,000 a year in the tech industry and wants to buy a home for herself and her parents. [What’s the plan?]( Will new gas plants [deprive Ontario businesses of billions in tax credits?]( Your credit is maxed and you can’t repay the debt. [What are you options?]( The back-roads of Ontario’s cottage country are littered with ghost towns. [What happened to them?]( “This is so Toronto.” [A raccoon, the city’s unofficial mascot, paid a visit to Loblaws shoppers](. Investigative reporter Kevin Donovan — host of The Billionaire Murders podcast — [will answer reader questions about Honey and Barry Sherman today at 1 p.m.]( Toronto health inspectors found [major infractions at 10 restaurants last week](. ICYMI Lance McMillan/The Star [“Something really stinks here.” Why you still don’t know when the Eglinton LRT will start running.]( CLOSE-UP Steve Russell/The Star TORONTO: Where did all of Toronto’s gargoyles go? Instead of decorative stone archways, intricate stained glass or the occasional gargoyle, new buildings in Toronto fail to elicit much feeling, writes Jay Cockburn. [Here’s why what’s coming to Ontario Place may only add to the city’s “disposable architecture.”]( 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_178145). 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](