The AG's Greenbelt report is out — and it is scathing

Plus, Olivia Chow's new team and Metro's surging profits [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the Ford government’s Greenbelt land swap, Olivia Chow’s appointments and the strike at Metro stores. DON’T MISS Steve Russell/The Star Ontario Politics [Doug Ford’s government “favoured certain developers” in the controversial Greenbelt plan]( In a scathing report released Wednesday, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk found Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government “favoured certain developers” in the Greenbelt land swap through a process that “cannot be described as a standard or defensible.” The Progressive Conservatives did not include proper input from bureaucrats or land-use experts, she said. Despite Ford admitting they were “wrong,” with how they carried out the swap, he and the housing minister vowed to move forward with it, Rob Ferguson and Robert Benzie report. [Here’s what Lysyk revealed about the land swap and the issues she raised](. - By the numbers: Removing 15 parcels of the land from the Greenbelt has the potential to increase their value by $8.28 billion, Lysyk wrote. - Go deeper: Lysyk reported that about 76 per cent of 7,400 affected acres were active farmland last year. Under the land swap, they are at greater risk of being paved over, drained or polluted “(which) can increase flooding, impair water quality, contribute to climate change and reduce biodiversity.” - More: [These are 10 key take-aways from the Greenbelt report](. - Martin Regg Cohn’s take: Ford’s Greenbelt scheme betrayed the public — [and he should pay dearly for that](. Richard Lautens/The Star star exclusive [Olivia Chow has picked her team at city hall, sources say ]( Although Chow has been Toronto’s mayor for a month now, her byelection win meant joining city hall midterm and arriving to a government full of the former mayor’s appointees. Today, she gets to install her own team, Ben Spurr reports. Sources confirmed to the Star that she would be elevating a handful of left-leaning councillors, like veteran Gord Perks, and rookies Ausma Malik and Jamaal Myers. [Here’s an inside look at who could be appointed and the key roles they’ll play](. - Context: As Toronto’s first progressive mayor in more than a decade, Chow choosing her own team will be crucial to delivering on campaign promises. - More: The mayor’s office did not comment on who Chow would be choosing, but in an unrelated press conference Chow said she planned to choose councillors who were “valued for their expertise and experience, their energy, who they represent, and also in reflecting the diversity of the city.” Graham Paine/Metroland labour [Metro is reporting surging profits for its last quarter as the strike continues]( Nearly two weeks after Metro workers began striking at 27 locations across the GTA, the grocery giant said profits skyrocketed in its last quarter. By July 1, net earnings increased by 26 per cent over the previous year — rising from $275 million to $346.7 million. Meanwhile, employees are still struggling with high inflation and fighting for better wages, Ghada Alsharif reports. [Here’s what else we know about Metro’s profits and workers’ demands](. - More: “It’s insulting to frontline grocery workers who got us all through the pandemic, enabling their employer to continue to post record profits while they themselves are struggling to make ends meet,” said Unifor national president Lana Payne in an email. - By the numbers: While the annual inflation rate in Canada dropped to 2.8 per cent in June, food prices remained high. Grocery costs increased 9.1 per cent on an annual basis, nearly unchanged from May. WHAT ELSE [Ottawa has revealed that China likely targeted Tory MP Michael Chong]( with another disinformation campaign. Toronto’s east end is in for some new traffic restrictions next week. [Here’s everything you need to know](. The lawyer of a Canadian mother detained in Syria with her six children hopes to negotiate their return home. [Here’s what we know](. Dog attacks have increased in Toronto. [Will education fix the persistent problem of off-leash dogs and owners acting irresponsibly?]( Toronto police are warning about phone scammers stealing victims’ ID information. [This is what to look out for](. Canadian social media star Lil Tay has died at 14, according to her family. [Here’s what we know](. Michelin just added 12 restaurants to its Toronto guide. [These places made the list](. Forget the “best before” date — [here’s how long food actually lasts in the fridge](. Taylor Swift’s Toronto ticket sales began Wednesday and [they’re already being resold for up to $121,000](. In these four new graphic novels, [the characters will get under your skin and into your soul](. [Here’s how Taylor Swift’s Toronto concerts will impact the local economy](. An expert is warning against brushing your teeth [after eating and drinking these foods](. POV Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images [Star Editorial Board: Donald Trump has profoundly wounded American democracy. Canada must not follow that path.]( CLOSE-UP Cornelius Poppe/NTB/AFP NORWAY: Water flows over a dam at the Braskereidfoss Power plant after floodgates did not open properly on Wednesday. Norwegian authorities said thousands had been evacuated following massive floods and that they were considering blowing open a dam after the floodgates failed to open.  Before you go, we want to hear from you. It’s been nearly 20 years since the Toronto blackout — what do you remember most? Tell us about it at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca.?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_194517). Thank you for reading. 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. 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