How Toronto's air quality hit home for a Star climate reporter

Plus, homeless encampments and a grandma postering poles for a home [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on wildfire smoke, Toronto’s homeless encampments, and the lengths to which one woman is going to afford a home. DON’T MISS Richard Lautens/The Star climate crisis [Kids forced to play indoors? This Star reporter has covered climate change and disaster — but something about this hit her]( Last week, parents at a west-end Toronto daycare were told to send their children with a bathing suit and water shoes. But on Thursday, Toronto’s air quality index was forecast as “high risk,” forcing the one and two-year-olds and their educators to make-do inside. As a climate change reporter, Kate Allen is familiar with the numerous climate-linked catastrophes. [But as the parent of a toddler, she writes about grappling with the emotional toll of the crisis — and reimagining her children’s future.]( - Context: Children breathe in more air in proportion to their body weight than adults do, putting them at higher risk while their organs are still developing. - Do it yourself: This DIY air purifier could improve your home’s air quality and protect you from wildfire smoke. [Here’s how to make it](. - More: Bad air quality is dangerous for pets. [Here’s how to protect them from wildfire smoke](. Richard Lautens/The Star homelessness [Homeless encampments are growing again in Toronto, as the city faces a surging crisis]( This May, Toronto had twice as many encampments as it did one year prior, after the numbers dipped last year. The figure comes as more people in Toronto are homeless and an increasing number of them are turned away from shelters. All the while, the city is expecting to shut down two of its pandemic-era shelters by late summer and funding for new housing subsidies has run out, Victoria Gibson reports. [These graphics illustrate the change in encampments in recent years](. - More: Toronto physician Andrew Boozary says he has seen people make the “impossible choice” to stay outside due to safety concerns and difficulty accessing beds. He worries that people surviving outdoors will face long-term health effects if they don’t have more housing options. - More: Outreach worker Lorraine Lam is urging the city to focus on creating affordable housing to give people a way out of homelessness. - Go deeper: “Housing Now” or “Housing, eventually”? [Why Toronto’s rapid homebuilding program has yet to build a single home](. Toronto Star housing [This grandmother is so desperate for an apartment she’s postering hydro poles]( Ingrid Burke, 59, would like a home that’s private and comfortable. The harm-reduction worker has been renting a room, but says friction with two male tenants has made staying unsustainable. “I just feel like I’m walking around on eggshells where it’s supposed to be my home,” she said. Her budget for a studio or junior one-bedroom is $1,500 — more than half of what she earns monthly — and she’s willing to caretake, paint, make small repairs and do yard work for a landlord who is willing to work with her budget. [Tess Kalinowski reports on yet another sign of the housing crisis and the challenges this Torontonian has faced in finding a suitable home](. - Go deeper: “I’m willing to go into a shelter if that raises my chances of getting an affordable living space because I have applied for community housing with the rent geared to income. But the waiting list is like 10 years unless you’re in precarious circumstances.” - Meanwhile: Despite the mortgage squeeze, [rising rates likely won’t slow Toronto home prices](. [Next Up] There’s a new way to end your day with the Star. Our new nightly newsletter, Next Up, is your can’t-miss way to keep up with all of the latest developments everywhere from city hall to the Greenbelt. Every evening, it’ll give you the newest updates on the day’s top stories — plus what to expect tomorrow. [Sign up for free here](. WHAT ELSE Pierre Poilievre is quick to attack Justin Trudeau’s climate proposals — [but his own plan remains hazy](. Danielle Smith is “concerned” about arsonists? [Experts are more worried about climate change — and misinformation](. When wildfires destroy their homes, [where do the wild things go?]( “Blame Canada!” [Wildfire smoke from Canada has Americans seeing red](. Student protests are targeting big banks over their climate policies. [Take a closer look at how young people are working to fight climate change](. Donald Trump has been indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents. [Here’s what you need to know](. A Toronto police officer facing a string of criminal charges has been [arrested again for breaching bail conditions](. Here’s why the Conservative [obsession with David Johnston is a silver lining for the Liberals](. May’s job numbers are out today. [Here’s why analysts say they could tempt Bank of Canada to raise rates again](. A third of Canadian professionals are reporting being more burned out than a year ago. [Here’s why](. The Star’s list of the best summer movies is here — [our critic picks the top 10 you can’t miss](. A referee body-cam project is underway for youth soccer. [Can it change the culture of the sport?]( ICYMI Ramon Ferreira/Toronto Star Illustration [2023 is set to be a banner year for fraud — these are the biggest scams to look out for and how else to protect yourself.]( CLOSE-UP Toronto Star THE BEACHES: Smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Ontario — engulfing much of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada — didn't stop some young people from hitting the skate park at Lake Shore Blvd and Ashbridges Bay. 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_185825). Ashley will see you back here tomorrow. 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