The dangers facing Toronto's unhoused population this winter

Plus, Israel's continued offensive and border rules for Indigenous communities [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on homelessness this winter, Israel’s plans to continue its offensive and possible changes to border rules for Indigenous communities. DON’T MISS Nick Lachance/The Star housing [He fell asleep and lost all his fingers to frostbite. As homelessness soars, more people are forced to risk a similar fate]( Dennis Chantiloupe is layering jackets to protect against the winter wind, but on his feet, he only has a pair of lime green socks and loosely worn Crocs, Victoria Gibson reports. It’s not so much a choice as a necessity. The 49-year-old Mississauga man explains that he can’t lace up boots because this is his first winter since he lost all of his fingers to frostbite. As demand for emergency shelter space rises across the region — and officials acknowledge there aren’t enough beds for everyone who needs one — [people left on the street face similar risks and difficult choices](. - By the numbers: In October, Toronto’s shelter system turned away an average 291 people per day. Officials in Peel Region say they have been forced to do the same to hundreds of people per week. - Go deeper: Just weeks ago, a man in his 40s was found dead in the Mississauga camp where Chantiloupe sleeps. Police told the Star the presumed cause of death was carbon monoxide exposure while trying to keep his tent warm. Belal Khaled/AFP via Getty Images israel-hamas war [Israel says it’s prepared to fight for months to defeat Hamas]( As Israel faces international outrage over its military offensive that has killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced 90 per cent of Gaza’s population, the government is ramping up its offensive and says it’s prepared to fight for months or longer to defeat Hamas. The statement comes after the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution for a ceasefire and as mediator Qatar says willingness for a ceasefire is fading. [Here’s the latest](. - Shree Paradkar’s take: Too often, Gazan civilians are treated as interchangeable with “Hamas.” [Here’s why Israel’s denial of innocence to civilians is so deadly for Gaza](. - Across the globe: [A British Palestinian surgeon gave testimony to a UK war crimes unit after returning from Gaza](. - On the home front: At a pro-Palestinian rally in Toronto, an altercation broke out between a protester and police. [Here’s what we know about the ensuing arrest](. Toronto Star Illustration immigration [Ottawa is eyeing changes to border rules for Indigenous communities]( Tim Argetsinger’s ancestors once moved freely throughout 2.5 million square kilometres of land in the Arctic — land that now has borders for Canada, Greenland, the U.S. and Russia. So when the Inuk man travels from Alaska to his Ottawa employer or his wife’s Greenland hometown, he must follow the same immigration laws and border rules as an American. “It is an injustice that continues to divide our people,” he says. Now, the federal government is making it a priority to ease Indigenous people’s mobility and migration rights, Nicholas Keung reports. [Here’s how future changes could mark a step in the reconciliation process for Indigenous peoples in and outside of Canada](. - Context: “The imposition of the Canada-U.S. border has been, in the eyes of First Nations, destructive of family, cultural, governance and other connections with U.S. Tribes which are of great importance to their identity as well as to their cultural survival,” said an independent report released by the Canadian government in 2017. - Go deeper: “We identify as Haudenosaunee. We are not Canadian. We’re not American. That’s part of the self-determination and sovereign protocols that we’ve always had,” said law professor Beverley Jacobs. WHAT ELSE The new federal dental insurance program will be phased in over 2024. [Here’s what we know](. [The removal of trees at Ontario Place has begun]( as the controversial spa development moves forward. Negative ads against Pierre Poilievre are [a high stakes gamble for the Liberals](. [Stephen Harper is seeking closer ties with Hungary’s far-right leader Viktor Orbán](. Why is a COVID drug that can cure a fatal cat disease [not available to Canadian pet owners?]( Ontario’s top doctor is sounding the alarm over COVID rates. [This is his call to action](. Israel’s targeted assault hits the very heart of Palestinian society — mothers, daughters, and sisters. [The silence of global feminism is a betrayal](. At least two former ServiceOntario employees linked to a car theft ring [worked at the same privatized Scarborough outlet](. Calgary is the birthplace of Canada’s now borderline-ridiculous national cocktail. [Here’s why it’s the best place to try a Caesar](. Rosedale Diner’s owners met in a kitchen 48 years ago and never left. [What will life be like for them after it closes?]( If you have a culture lover in your life, [here are six ways to thrill them this holiday season](. Been a while since you got a raise? [Here’s how to make sure you get paid what you're worth](. POV Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick [MPs are weaponizing social media to create outrage — and it’s putting their colleagues in danger.]( CLOSE-UP Supplied Photo THE INTERNET: These people do not exist — but they’re making someone some very real money. [Take a look inside the rapidly growing world of AI-generated Instagram influencers](. 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_205239). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. HOLIDAY SALE Now only $39.99 for 1 year [Get This Offer]( 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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