Toronto's new mayor is 🥁

Plus, a Toronto cop charged with fraud and skyrocketing amortization periods [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on Toronto’s historic mayoral election, the Toronto cop convicted of fraud, and soaring amortization periods. DON’T MISS Steve Russell//The Star Toronto mayoral byelection [Olivia Chow is Toronto’s new mayor]( A historic election — and surprisingly tight race against former city councillor Ana Bailão — has brought Toronto its first-ever racialized mayor and its first progressive leader since 2010, David Rider reports. Former NDP MP Olivia Chow is replacing John Tory — after a campaign that saw Tory, Premier Doug Ford and her rivals try to stop her at all costs — with a promise of a progressive mandate and a government that invests in the city. [Here’s more on Chow’s path to victory and her vision for Toronto](. - By the numbers: Nearly 725,000 people cast their ballot. [Here’s the breakdown of votes for Chow, Bailão and every other candidate](. - Good news for: Strategic voting, city hall progressives and Chloe Brown. [Here’s more on the winners and losers of this election cycle, and everything in between](. - Bad news for: Xiao Hua Gong and other [long-shot candidates who were left in the dust](. - Edward Keenan’s take: Chow has been elected. [Now comes the hard part](. - Go deeper: [These are some of the many crises Toronto’s new mayor will have to face]( Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star courts [A Toronto cop was about to get away with an $834,000 fraud — then his ex opened his mail]( On Friday, a jury convicted Toronto police Const. Robert Konashewych and his public servant mistress, Adellene Balgobin, of fraud for fabricating a will to claim the $834,000 estate of a man with Alzheimer’s who died in 2017, Betsy Powell reports. If it weren’t for Konashewych’s ex-girlfriend opening his mail and contacting police, they would have gotten away with it, the prosecution said. [Here’s how they argued that she shouldn’t be reprimanded for doing so and why a judge ultimately sided with them in a pretrial ruling](. - More: Balgobin, an employee of the provincial public guardian and trustee office gave the Toronto cop confidential information on the man’s file. She was convicted of breach of trust. - Watch for: Konashewych has been suspended from Toronto police with pay since 2020. If he is sentenced to incarceration, he will be suspended without pay and the police service will move to dismiss him, a police spokesperson told the Star. If he appeals, he will receive pay until the case is settled. - Go deeper: [Here’s why it’s so hard to fire a cop — even when they’re convicted](. Dreamstime Photo housing [With rising mortgage rates and fixed-payment woes, amortization periods are skyrocketing for some]( Most homeowners expect to pay off a mortgage in 25 years, but with interest rates soaring, some have seen their amortization period stretch to 60, 70 or, in rare circumstances, even 90 years, Clarrie Feinstein reports. “The majority of mortgages at some of the major banks are being extended and homeowners are getting concerned,” one mortgage broker said. [Here’s what else to know about the risks of homeownership and trigger rates](. - Wait, what? There are two types of mortgages. Experts say homeowners with a variable-rate fixed-payment face more risks during a high-interest-rate period because a greater percentage of their monthly payment goes toward interest and not principal. - Why it matters: “Even if (homeowners) like having their mortgage payment stay the same it’s still being adjusted because now they’re paying much less principal and are more in debt,” said another mortgage broker. WHAT ELSE Doug Ford trashed Olivia Chow in Toronto’s mayoral race. [Here’s what we know about their relationship and what could come next](. Why this real estate brokerage is pushing for “15-minute neighbourhoods” and [why an expert says it could be a gamechanger](. Why Justin Trudeau and western leaders are [painting the mutiny in Russia as an “internal” issue](. Who killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar? [Those close to the Sikh leader accuse the Indian government of involvement](. The Competition Bureau will [release a report this morning on a study of rising food prices and grocery competition](. Toronto police are investigating after a driver approached a teen girl and [tried to get her in his car](. A Star reporter recounts his transformative experience at music camp, arriving alone with his violin — [and leaving with a best friend for life](. Here’s why influencers are facing backlash for [calling Shein factory conditions “pleasantly surprising” during a PR trip to China](. [Here’s why the new Raptor Gradey Dick is an instant fan favourite]( and why he’s confident he can handle the NBA. Fireworks can feel like “the end of the world” for terrified animals. [Here’s how to protect your pets this Canada Day](. Planning for a BBQ? Toronto’s Canada Day long weekend is [forecast to have rain and thunderstorms](. As air quality worsens due to climate change, [is now the time to buy a respirator?]( ICYMI Ian Georgeson Photo [A city “synonymous with violence” turned itself around. Here’s what Toronto can learn from the Glasgow model.]( CLOSE-UP Canadian Pres/Chris Young THE GREAT HALL: Toronto's newly elected mayor Olivia Chow gestures to supporters as she celebrates her win at an election night event in Toronto on Monday. 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_188635). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. BEST OFFER OF THE YEAR Canada Day sale: $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. 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