Inside Toronto's growing dumpster diving community

Plus, predicting death to improve care and how the province is slowing the courts [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on dumpster diving in Toronto, a tool for predicting death sooner and justices of the peace taking the province to court. DON’T MISS Nick Kozak for The Star cost of living [Inside Toronto’s growing dumpster diving network]( On a bitter cold night, Michael McKinlay lingers outside a west-end grocery store to find expired packaged salads, prepared foods and loose but perfect-looking potatoes. He drops off the food at a table tucked under a church alcove, where passersby are welcome to help themselves. McKinlay is a food rescuer — a new term for someone who forages bins for food for themselves and others who can’t afford groceries. As grocery prices remain high, Toronto’s dumpster diving network is growing, Francine Kopun reports. [Here’s how they go about feeding themselves and each other](. - By the numbers: On Facebook, a group called Dumpster Diving Network of Toronto has nearly 8,000 members — up from about 4,000 only two months ago, the founder told the Star. And there are many more pages dedicated to the practice. - Meanwhile: Inflation has cooled, but many Torontonians still can’t afford to eat. [Here’s how many people now rely on food banks]( Supplied Photo the third act [A new tool could help predict death sooner and improve care for the dying]( According to a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, many older adults don’t receive palliative care at home, but identifying when someone is in their final six months of life can help provide them with the support they need, Moira Welsh reports. Most physicians can tell when someone is in their last four to six weeks of life, but the trouble is moving the timeline up further, one expert explained. [Here’s how researchers predicted the risk of dying within six months — and how their tool can make a difference for caregivers and people who are dying](. - Context: Palliative support can include different types of care, including pain management, psychological, spiritual and practical support, as well as help and grief counselling for caregivers. - Go deeper: By the early 2030s, Canada’s population will reach super-aged status. This study adds to a broader discussion on many older adults’ desire to die at home. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star provincial politics [Ontario justices of the peace are gearing up to take the Ford government to court]( Ontario’s justices of the peace are set to take the government to court over a wage freeze they say is affecting the public’s access to the courts, the Star has learned. A commission is regularly convened to make recommendations to the government about issues related to justices of the peace, including their salaries. But according to a letter obtained by the Star, the province still hasn’t set one up — even though its work was supposed to have been completed last April, Jacques Gallant reports. [Here’s what we know about the pay system and how it’s affecting the courts](. - Go deeper: “Even by government standards, this is glacial. Especially given that we have been in correspondence with the government about establishing the commission since February of 2022,” Justice of the Peace Brett Kelly wrote in the letter. - Word from the province: A spokesperson for Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney said they continue to have “active discussions” with the association about establishing the commission. WHAT ELSE Human Rights Watch is [accusing Israel of blocking aid to Gazans in violation of a UN court order](. Canadian scientists helped run the world's largest COVID-19 vaccine safety study. [Here’s what they found](. Some 3,000 academic workers at York University are preparing to strike today. [Here’s what we know](. It’s not me, it’s you. [According to a new poll on road rage, most Ontarians think they’re good drivers](. Toronto is set for unseasonably warm temperatures again this week. [Here’s when we’ll see double digits](. Yonge and Bloor’s retail strip has become big and boring. [Small-minded city rules are to blame](. “People assume it’s a horrible mess of jealousy and hatred.” [Is Toronto finally shaking off the stigma of polyamory?]( Just starting to invest in tech stocks? [Follow these four simple tips to avoid costly rookie mistakes](. Burna Boy brought his stadium spectacle to Toronto — [and it’s clear why he’s on Afrobeats’ main stage](. Margot Robbie, Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez were [among the SAG Awards best-dressed](. POV Dreamstime Photo [Susan Delacourt: I was hacked. It taught me who had my back — and who didn’t.]( CLOSE-UP Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star SCARBOROUGH: After 18 years, the McDonald’s inside Cedarbrae Mall will close at the end of February. On the surface it’s not sad news, Karon Liu writes, [but when a neighbourhood mall McDonald’s closes, more than food disappears](. 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_209531). 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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