The nerve-wracking scenes from Yellowknife's evacuation

Plus, MPs losing faith in Trudeau and a fight over "unconscious bias" [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on evacuation efforts in the Northwest Territories, frustrations within Justin Trudeau’s government and the unconscious bias alleged in a human rights hearing. DON’T MISS Samantha Stuart/Supplied Photo climate crisis [The Yellowknife evacuation is creating anxiety and huge logistical challenges]( The evacuation of 22,000 residents from Yellowknife and two nearby First Nations began Thursday, Alex Boyd and Kieran Leavitt report, meaning roughly half the population of the subarctic region is being urged out due to wildfires. Evacuating a town is always complicated, one expert said, but additional challenges are posed by Yellowknife’s remote location, the sheer size of the community and the fact that there’s only one major road south. [Take a look at the nerve-wracking scenes](. - Now what? Most evacuees are heading across the Alberta border. The province has a handful of evacuation centres and is offering free camping in provincial parks. Saskatchewan has said it will provide temporary accommodation and assistance fighting fires. - Silver lining: On social media, some Albertans have opened their homes and yards to people in need of food and space, while others have offered money. Hotels have posted offers for discounted rooms in evacuee Facebook groups. - Word from Ottawa: Trudeau convened an urgent meeting during his vacation in Tofino, B.C., the Canadian Press reported. He asked ministers to work with telecom partners to ensure essential services remain available and stressed there would be no tolerance for price escalation of airfare and essential goods. Canadian Press/Tijana Martin federal politics [Privately, some Liberal MPs say they’re frustrated with Justin Trudeau’s government]( As national polls show support for the governing Liberals lagging behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, some Liberals say spirits have dropped in their parliamentary caucus, Alex Ballingall reports. The prime minister’s recent cabinet shuffle also rattled some, who expressed disappointment and confusion about the moves. [Here’s how the MPs are describing the mood in their own words and what it could mean for Trudeau’s broader support](. - More: “People are starting to question … ‘Do I want to keep taking the beating I’m taking?’” said one Liberal MP, who agreed to speak frankly on the condition they not be named. - By the numbers: The Conservatives would likely win between 135 and 201 seats in the House of Commons if an election were held now, according to a website that aggregates federal polling data. Meanwhile the Liberals could expect between 77 and 140. A party needs 170 seats to govern with a majority. Supplied Photo canada [A human rights hearing is sparking a fight over “unconscious bias”]( In one of his last decisions, the former chair of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal opened a rare window into the private thinking of an adjudicator, observers say. In July, David Thomas dismissed a complaint against the Immigration Department and took the unconventional step of addressing the fact that he had been accused of unconscious bias during the hearing. In explaining his own thought process, Thomas created the possibility for an appeal, Nicholas Keung reports. [Take a look at the case and how the former tribunal chair defended himself](. - Context: The case centred on a human rights complaint filed by Amir Attaran, a University of Ottawa law professor and an American-born Iranian. - The decision: “Some of my closest friends are from Iran, including my college roommate who has remained a lifelong friend and participated as a groomsman at my wedding,” Thomas wrote in his decision. “In the absence of a motion for my recusal, I did not view the allegation as being serious. I perceived it more as an attempt to intimidate me, which it did not.” WHAT ELSE Insiders say Doug Ford saved the staffer blamed in the Greenbelt scandal — [despite advice to let him go](. If it looks like a conspiracy and walks and talks like one, what do we call it? [At the least, the Greenbelt is conspiracy-ish](. Will the U.S. take a far-right, authoritarian shift? [Canada’s foreign affairs minister says Ottawa is mulling a “game plan” in case it does](. Evacuation orders and alerts have been issued in Kelowna. [These could be the most challenging days of B.C.’s wildfire season](. An Ontario teachers strike is a “last resort,” [but the union says they need to send a message to the Ford government](. A major new city report says [higher parking fees and a luxury home levy could ease Toronto’s budget woes](. Are airlines determined “to shortchange the public”? [The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear an appeal from airlines on passenger rights](. Does the rise of euthanasia undermine the belief that all lives deserve protection? [Contributor Luqman Ahmed makes that case](. A new survey says Ontario has the rudest city in Canada. [Here’s where Toronto ranks on the list](. Toronto’s Michelin Guide added a few new spots. [Here are four meals under $50 to enjoy from some of them](. Rob Moose helped transform the sound of indie rock with his string arrangements. [Now he’s charting his own path](. The CNE is how Toronto’s summer ends — [and it may just be the best place to spend it](. POV Janelle Cumming/Supplied Photo [As the forests burn and oceans warm, Canada is running out of options.]( CLOSE-UP Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty images HAWAII: A man looks at burned buildings in the aftermath of the Maui fires in Lahaina on Wednesday. Authorities said the death toll reached 106 Tuesday, but Governor Josh Green has repeatedly warned that the final count from last week’s wildfire — already the deadliest the U.S. has seen in over a century — would grow significantly. 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_195458). I’ll see you back here Monday. 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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