Financial stress has hit "national emergency" levels

Plus, a Mexican migrant in need of a heart and Toronto's cormorant conundrum [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on Canadians facing financial stress, a campaign to save a Mexican migrant’s life and how a species brought back from near-extinction became a disaster for the Toronto Islands. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick cost of living [Canadians reporting financial stress have hit “national emergency” levels]( A spike in Canadians no longer able to meet their financial demands means the nation is now staring down a “national emergency” — at least, that’s according to a new survey by the National Payroll Institute. The poll of 1,500 respondents saw a 20 per cent year-over-year increase in those experiencing financial stress, with key drivers being interest rates, inflation and the cost of living, the Institute’s president told Jeremy Nuttall. Of those in a tight spot, 63 per cent report spending all their net pay each month, while 30 per cent say they spend more than they earn. [Get a handle on the situation here](. - Context: At least in Ontario, much of the financial crisis was driven by skyrocketing home and rental prices, while wages remained relatively stagnant. [Take a look at how Toronto housing today compares to the market in 1990](. - Go deeper: Feeling the sting of rising costs and inflation, many retirees are forced to return to work just to make ends meet — for many, [a fixed income can’t keep up with the cost of living](. Supplied Photo/Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre health [This Mexican migrant has been working in Canada for 19 years — will Canadians help save his life?]( For nearly two decades, Jose Gilberto May Cauich has fought for the survival of himself and his family. He toiled as a seasonal farm worker in Ontario, with what money he made going toward his diabetic wife and teenage son, who was born with a bone disease, Nicholas Keung reports. Now, May Cauich’s own life is in peril. A parasitic infection has rendered his heart so damaged, doctors expect he only has a year to live unless he receives a transplant. With the clock ticking, May Cauich and his community are asking Canadians to help — [this is his story](. - More: Although May Cauich is covered under OHIP, as a non-permanent resident and non-citizen, he’s not entitled to a heart transplant in Canada. He’d have to travel to Mexico for his surgery, shouldering the costs of both the operation and relocating his family. [A fundraiser for $150,000 has since been set up in his name](. - Meanwhile: A new project spanning Ontario aims to improve migrant workers’ health, safety and quality of life in Canada, [supplying warm meals and community interaction, as well as legal and faith-based supports](. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star toronto [Cormorants were brought back from the edge of extinction. Now they’re wreaking havoc on the Toronto Islands]( After humans brought the species to the edge of extinction and back — twice — you’d think more people would be thrilled by the thriving population of double-breasted cormorants in Tommy Thompson Park. But while the aquatic birds’ return is certainly a success story, it’s also a cautionary tale, Francine Kopun writes. Due to the lack of tree-nesting space at the park, the birds have begun to spread elsewhere — including the Toronto Islands, where experts worry they could disrupt the fragile ecosystem. Meanwhile, their diet and habit of roosting together results in nearby trees and boats being plastered in acidic poop and a pungent odor. [How did we get into this situation and can it be remedied?]( - More: Cormorant populations have soared exponentially since the 1990s and it’s got Hamilton officials puzzling over what to do with them. [One biologist says as nature takes its course, the population will stabilize on its own](. - Wait, what? Ontario has no shortage of invasive species, although cormorants are not considered one in the province. A report from the auditor general found invasives cost Ontario $3.6 billion every year. [Despite this, the province spends just $4 million annually to fight the problem](. WHAT ELSE [MPs are set to elect a new House Speaker today]( following the Nazi controversy. Big brands are taking over your blue box recycling. [What does that mean for you?]( [A court has overturned a GTA judge’s COVID-19 vaccine ruling]( filled with “inflammatory rhetoric.” Ontario pharmacists say they should be able to [prescribe birth control and emergency contraceptives](. Toronto’s rental market is out of reach for many. [Here’s how five cities around the globe have made it affordable](. [The burden of home ownership is “near all-time worst levels”]( across Canada as mortgage rates climb. With allies like Elon Musk — and U.S. Congress — [Ukraine knows it may increasingly need to rely on itself](. [U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has filed a motion to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy]( throwing the House into new turmoil. Here are the priciest property listings in Canada — [one of the most expensive is in Ontario](. Bear sightings and attacks have been on the rise. [Here’s what to do if you see one](. “I don’t have any selfishness in me.” [Masai Ujiri, Pascal Siakam and the question of selfish play hangs over the Raptors](. Drake’s new album “For All the Dogs” drops this Friday. [Here’s everything you need to know](. ICYMI Richard Lautens/The Star [Ontario gas plants were supposed to run only during peak periods. Instead they’re running most of the time, polluting the air you breathe.]( CLOSE-UP Toronto Star TORONTO: Tenants of 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Avenue West are joining a rent strike, claiming rents were consistently raised against rent controls and that serious repairs to the buildings are necessary. 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_200771). 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. 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