Chrystia Freeland plays hot potato with Toronto’s finances

Plus, a group of researchers want to investigate Canada’s COVID-19 response and a dad builds his daughters a real-life princess castle [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Five people were sent to the hospital after the [Scarborough RT derailed Monday night](. Here’s the latest on the refugee housing tug-of-war, COVID-19 in Canada and a dad’s love letter to his daughters. DON’T MISS Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press file photo FEDERAL POLITICS [Chrystia Freeland is rejecting Olivia Chow’s demand for more money for refugee housing]( The federal Liberals have given the Toronto and Ontario governments billions since 2015 and throughout the pandemic; now, it’s up to the two to deliver for the city, Chrystia Freeland wrote in a letter to Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford. Her response came after Chow and Ford called on Ottawa to resolve the crisis that saw dozens of refugees sleeping on a Toronto sidewalk for weeks, Tonda MacCharles, Robert Benzie and May Warren report. [Here’s more on what the deputy prime minister and finance minister had to say](. - Word from City Hall: Chow said in a statement Monday that she is “hopeful” the federal government will join the city and province in working together, “despite today’s finger-pointing.” - ICYMI: Last week, Ottawa sent Toronto an additional $97 million to help house asylum seekers. [Here’s what you need to know](. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press file photo CANADA [Researchers are calling on Canada to hold a national COVID-19 inquiry]( Although Canada had one of the lowest death rates among G10 nations, people with the lowest incomes died of COVID-19 three times as often as those with the highest incomes. The illness also ravaged long-term care homes, Megan Ogilvie reports. All in all, national data shows over 53,000 Canadians have died. A group of researchers, with a series of papers in the British Medical Journal, want an independent inquiry to investigate why. [Here’s a closer look at their reasoning](. - By the numbers: As of June, Canada’s cumulative COVID death rate of 1,372 per million exceeded the global average of 855 per million and Australia’s rate of 814 deaths per million people, according to new figures. - More: “We are calling for an inquiry that will hold our governments and our public health systems accountable,” said co-author Dr. Sharmistha Mishra. “We can’t have 50,000 deaths and not ask why.” Nick Kozak/For the Toronto Star GTA [A family listed their DIY backyard castle on Facebook Marketplace for $5,000, expecting backlash. The replies stunned them]( When everything shut down during the pandemic, Rizwan Tarmohamed built his daughters, Layan, 6, and Layla, 3, a castle in the backyard with turrets, towers and spires. He wasn’t a builder, but he was detail-oriented, artsy and motivated — and he wanted to show his daughters how much he loved them, Katie Daubs writes. When they finally decided to move, they chose to part ways with the castle. [Here’s what happened when they posted it on Facebook Marketplace for $5,000](. - Context: Rizwan calculated that the structure cost a conservative $4,500, not including his labour or the work it would take to disassemble and reassemble the castle elsewhere. - More: Rizwan built a Cinderella tower for Layan and painted it to match the castle in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. He also made a Rapunzel tower for Layla. WHAT ELSE The Trudeau government is being slammed for [keeping oil company tax breaks in the midst of a “climate emergency]( [Here’s what we know about the terrorism charge against a Canadian in the U.K](. The RCMP say they have found the body of [a missing man in the N.S. floods and that of another person swept away by the downpour](. A report has found Canada’s standard of living is lagging behind its peers. [How can we prepare for the future]( Here’s how, by quitting on the eve of the provincial election, [a Toronto councillor will collect $120,000](. Air Canada ranks last for on-time performance in June, data shows. [Here’s what that could mean for upcoming flights](. Worried about your mortgage? [Here’s why Canadians are well positioned to withstand interest rate storms](. This Scarborough couple own a home and rent-out other properties, but desperately needs help budgeting. [Here’s how they could start](. If you’re desperate for a career change, [take these 12 specific tips from people who have done it successfully](. Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is a box-office smash. [One writer explains how — and why — the movie gave her hope](. Maggie Mac Neil has won silver at the world aquatic championships. [Here’s how taking time for her mental health helped her get there](. Canada’s next World Cup opponent looks awfully familiar — [and will have the crowd on its side](. POV Lance McMillan/Toronto Star [Homeless Torontonians face constant challenges to keep their belongings. These are the items they’re careful to protect](. CLOSE-UP Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press HALIFAX: People stand on a hill surveying cars abandoned in floodwater in a mall parking lot following a major rain event on Saturday. Take a look at the [impact of the torrential downpour on Nova Scotia and how the natural disaster could be a warning of things to come](. 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_192638). 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. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](