When young workers flee, what happens to Toronto?

Plus, the monsters under your pillow, terrifying “ghost hotels” data and rewatching a chilling Stephen King classic [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning and happy long weekend to those observing. We’ll be continuing with our regularly scheduled programming through Monday. Thanks for giving me a great reason to be up bright and early! Here’s the latest. MUST READS Toronto Star photo illustration JOBS [Young people are fleeing Toronto — and the city will pay the price]( Toronto may offer superior job prospects in many fields but younger Canadians are increasingly prioritizing affordability, Clarrie Feinstein reports. With everything from rental prices to grocery bills soaring, more than 40 per cent of Ontario’s post-secondary grads are considering moving out of the province altogether, per one recent survey. [Here’s why experts fear the exodus will derail Toronto’s economic future](. Michael Probst/AP Technology [Google’s threat to block Canadian news is approaching its boiling point]( Google has formally rebuffed Ottawa’s draft plan to implement the Online News Act, which forces web platforms to pay up for sharing Canadian news, calling the legislation “fundamentally flawed.” The move seemingly suggests the tech giant could make good on its vow to cut off links to Canadian news articles on its industry-leading search engine, Raisa Patel reports. [Here’s why Google believes Canada’s method is “the worst of both worlds.”]( Lance McMillan/Toronto Star housing [Toronto is haunted by “ghost hotels,” including some condos with hundreds of listings]( With the city battling an affordability crisis, housing advocates are calling for more help to combat an obvious glut of Airbnb-style units at a number of prominent condos. Toronto’s online database, which totals nearly 8,000 short-term rentals, includes 10 downtown buildings boasting at least 50 such units apiece — none of which are likely zoned (or taxed) as hotels, May Warren reports. [This map shows where you’ll find Toronto’s rash of short-term rentals](. Orkin LLC/The Canadian Press BEDBUGS [France is under siege from bedbugs; what to know before packing your suitcase]( France is experiencing a gnawing sensation it can hardly put its finger on: a bedbug outbreak so bad that its ministers are scrambling to tackle the crisis ahead of next summer’s Paris Olympics. Of course, the urban pests aren’t just a concern for future Olympians and Euro-trippers; you can find bedbugs right here in Canada, Joshua Chong notes — perhaps even lurking under your pillow. [Here’s how to spot the diabolical pests, both at home and abroad](. Giovanni Capriotti/Special to the Star SPORTS [What a sport like squash must overcome to get to the 2028 LA Olympics]( Hollie Naughton trains in England, where there’s enough infrastructure to support her as Canada’s top squash player. However, if the 28-year-old Mississauga resident and the World Squash Federation have their way, the sport’s potential inclusion in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will dramatically strengthen its North American foothold, Kerry Gillespie writes. But to get to California, [squash will have to conquer some unlikely opponents: cricket and flag football](. WATCH THIS Supplied Movie critics had a chilly response to 1989’s “Pet Sematary,” slamming the terrifying Stephen King adaptation upon its initial release. Briony Smith says it’s the perfect season to revisit the cult classic, [where the real horror is the depth of our grief](. Thanks for reading. One quick correction: the September 24 edition misspelled the last name of the Star’s incomparable Karon Liu, a food reporter for whom there are no substitutions. You can reach 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_201170), and I will 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]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](