Where Ottawa's climate money is — and isn't — being spent

Plus, Anthony Furey's track record and undocumented children out of school [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the Trudeau government’s lagging climate pledges, mayoral candidate Anthony Furey and undocumented children out of school.  DON’T MISS Andres Planta Photo Illustration star exclusive [Justin Trudeau pledged billions to fight climate change. A Star reality check found much of that money hasn’t been spent]( Can federal bureaucracy meet the climate crisis with the urgency it demands? Since taking office in 2015, the Trudeau government has committed $200 billion to climate solutions. But a Star analysis has found that spending in recent years has fallen short by billions of dollars, Alex Ballingall reports. [Take a look at the charts breaking down the money allocated towards climate spending and what has actually been used](. - Why it matters: At stake is Canada’s ability to best avoid the worst of the crisis — including mass extinctions and natural disasters — and position itself well for the global shift away from fossil fuels. - Word from Ottawa: Responding separately to the Star, five Liberal cabinet ministers responsible for programs included in this story blamed slow progress on the pandemic and the fact that money to projects outside of government is distributed at the pace of those completing them. - Now what? Canada still has time to push a dramatic reduction in emissions by 2030 and prepare for the impact of climate change, said Rick Smith, the president of the Canadian Climate Institute. Susan Kao Photo Illustration can they lead? [Anthony Furey is a media pundit with deeply right-wing views. Why doesn’t he want to talk about that now?]( Furey, the editorial director of a right-wing charity and a long-time columnist and editor at the Toronto Sun, was largely ignored in Toronto’s mayoral race, so he wasn’t pushed on his record. But he’s seen a recent surge in the polls. While he has avoided talking about his columns, ignoring them would mean ignoring his entire professional life, Richard Warnica writes. [These are some of the most harmful things Furey has written about vulnerable communities and why one expert says they’re more important now than ever](. - Context: Speaking with the Star last week, Furey dodged or downplayed questions about his time as a pundit, including his years-long fixation with Islam and the Muslim community, his attacks on COVID-19 restrictions and science, and his close relationships with prominent anti-trans activists in Canada. - Go deeper: Furey long dreamed of being an actor. People who knew him then are mostly shocked by who he is now. “When he joined the Ottawa Sun and I started seeing the editorials that he was writing, I was so alarmed and dismayed by them,” said one writer and performer who was close to Furey when they were young. Supplied Photo immigration [Why aren’t these kids in school? TDSB says they need a document to prove they’re undocumented]( In Toronto, a five-year-old Mexican girl dreams of going to class. “When can I go to school like them?” she asks her mom in Spanish about the kids across the street. Her parents have been trying to enrol her with the Toronto District School Board since they arrived last summer, Nicholas Keung reports. But between her and an education is a document — to prove she’s undocumented — or a $16,000 international tuition fee far beyond their reach. [This is how their story reflects a growing problem in Toronto](. - Why it matters: Trying to obtain the correct documentation would require the family to contact the immigration department, putting them at risk of deportation, advocates say. - Go deeper: This year, Toronto’s FCJ Refugee Centre has seen about a dozen similar cases where children of undocumented parents were denied access to publicly funded schools. Ontario’s Education Act, however, says all children in the province can be enrolled in school regardless of immigration status. - Meanwhile: Immigration department complaints rose in 2022, [leading the government for a fifth straight year](. WHAT ELSE In one of Canada’s worst tragedies on the roads in recent years, [15 people are dead after a bus full of seniors collided with a semi-truck in Manitoba]( Canada’s first Black Canadian National Survey asked about racism in the justice system and experiences with police. [The results were “stunning.”]( [I owe my unlikely journey to the promise of our incredible city]( mayoral candidate Ana Bailão writes. Canada’s population will hit 40 million today. [Here’s how immigration is filling the “fastest-growing” G7 country](. [No more waiting. I will deliver the services to the people of Toronto]( mayoral candidate Brad Bradford writes. Two girls accused in the Toronto “swarming” murder are back in custody. [Here’s what we know](. Here’s why a new RBC report is warning that high food prices are the “new normal” — [and they will never return to pre-pandemic levels](. A federal report is urging a “windfall tax” on grocery giants caught price gouging. [Here’s what one expert says are the benefits and drawbacks](. A ruling has decided long-term Airbnb guests aren’t covered under Ontario tenant law. [Here’s how that creates a “no man’s land that is unregulated.”]( The Cure conquered Toronto Wednesday night. [These moments showed the crowd’s loyalty and the energy that could have kept them all night](. What drives Lance Stroll? [Montreal’s own Formula One star is chasing history at the Canadian Grand Prix](. The hot air balloons are back at Scarborough Town Centre. [And people are emotional](. POV Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot [Justin Trudeau’s government is in trouble and needs a major change. Here are four things he could do.]( CLOSE-UP Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star QUEEN WEST: Joanne Saul, who left a career as a University of Toronto professor, is the co-owner of Type Books. “We weren’t business people, but we loved books,” she said. As big bookstores like Indigo struggle, [here’s why independents are flourishing](. 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_186900). Ashley will see you back here tomorrow. BEST OFFER OF THE YEAR Get unlimited access to the Star: $3.33/month for 12 months [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. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](