This Leafs superfan is suing MLSE

Plus, a winter road trip in a Tesla and carbon rebates for rural Canadians [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on a lawsuit against MLSE, Ontario’s burgeoning EV supply chain and Ottawa’s carbon rebates. DON’T MISS Giovanni Capriotti/The Star sports [Mark Fera is the ultimate Leafs superfan — and he’s suing MLSE over the darkest chapter in team history]( A 3,000-piece collection of Maple Leafs memorabilia adorns Mark Fera’s basement. There are game-worn jerseys from team legends, original seats from Maple Leaf Gardens, hockey cards and more. But the fervent fan says he’s also a victim of the darkest chapter in team history, Calvi Leon reports. Fera is one of two people suing MLSE, alleging the Leafs’ parent company failed to protect him from one of Canadian history’s most notorious sex predators: former Maple Leaf Gardens usher John Paul Roby. The collection is “almost like a F--- you to John Paul Roby,” he told the Star. “I didn’t need you, or all the stuff you promised me. You promised me the world and (gave me) nothing.” [Here’s how Fera describes his story](. - More: Neither of the men suing MLSE were among the victims in Roby’s 1999 criminal prosecution, where he was found guilty of sexually assaulting 26 boys and one girl. - Word from MLSE: In a statement to the Star, MLSE said it has “long acknowledged” the abuse many young boys suffered at the former arena and has “managed and addressed many claims with sensitivity, discretion and compassion” over the last two decades. “We intend to approach these claims in the same manner.” Steve Russell/The Star THE GREAT ONTARIO EV ROAD TRIP [Star journalists rented a Tesla to explore Ontario’s EV supply chain — here’s what they found]( Marco Chown Oved and Steve Russell drove a Tesla 2,300 kilometres around northern Ontario during the coldest week of the winter, exploring the emerging EV supply chain. They saw mines, refineries and battery plants, and caught a glimpse of the dirty, the clean and everything in between. [Here’s an inside look at the work — and the products — that go into making an EV](. - More: North America’s first and only battery-grade cobalt refinery is up and running in Cobalt, Ont. Due to Ontario’s 90 per cent non-emitting electricity grid, it is positioning itself as a low-carbon alternative to the cobalt sulfate refined in China. - Another angle: In Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma steelworks doesn’t want the Star to take pictures of the steam. The company worries people will think it’s a toxic pollutant, a long-time PR problem. Although the steel industry is one of the biggest emitters of carbon in the world, we’ll need more of it to transition the economy from fossil fuels. Nick Kozak for The Star federal politics [The Trudeau government promised rural residents a carbon rebate top up — so why aren’t these people getting it? ]( Mono, Ont., is 278 square kilometres of rivers, hills and agricultural land. To Mayor John Creelman, the constant debate over whether to pave the roads or keep them gravel is the biggest indicator of just how rural the town is. Still, residents aren’t eligible for cash Ottawa has set aside to help rural Canadians with the costs of the carbon levy since, being a one hour drive from Toronto (on a good day), Mono gets lumped in with the Toronto area. [Mark Ramzy digs into the details of the carbon levy and where some Canadians say it goes wrong](. - More: Facing scrutiny over their carbon pricing program, the federal Liberals have been putting more emphasis on the quarterly rebates the program gives Canadians and the extra cash for those in rural areas. - By the numbers: Six million Canadians living outside of census metropolitan areas (CMAs) qualify for the rural top-up, including some 2.5 million in Ontario. But about 500,000 Ontarians live in rural areas within CMAs and are denied the extra cash. [Feedback] We want to hear from you. If you like First Up but aren't a Toronto Star subscriber and are open to telling us more, please email us at newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. WHAT ELSE The time Doug Ford tried to get out of jury duty — [and earned himself a lecture on the rule of law](. Ottawa is committing $1 million in funding to [help survivors of sexually-based attacks in Israel](. His riding is expected to be a fight between Liberals and Conservatives. [But this Liberal MP says he’s not running again](. Weeks after former Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie resigned, her office staff were let go. [Here’s what we know](. [A pedestrian was killed on a North York sidewalk]( and a novice driver has been charged with impaired driving. Why is Toronto set to spend less on making streets safer? [Pedestrian and cyclist injuries and deaths are up](. “They are immoral and they are dangerous.” [Naheed Nenshi has come out swinging at Danielle Smith and UCP in a bid for Alberta NDP leadership](. [When a police background check derails a career, it’s time people knew the reasons why]( the Star Editorial Board writes. High Park will carry out controlled burns as part of a [long-term plan to help preserve and restore a rare ecosystem](. Asking rents are soaring nationally, [but Toronto tenants are seeing “a window of opportunity.”]( After their big Oscars snubs, Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig had the last laugh — [with a little help from their “Barbie” friends](. Haven’t caught up with Kate Gate? [These are the controversies and conspiracies surrounding the Princess of Wales](. GET THIS Cameron Tulk/The Star [Newmarket homes over $1 million used to be rare. This interactive graph shows how the price point is taking over across the GTA.]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/The Star LAWRENCE AVENUE EAST: With the start of Ramadan, some Middle Eastern bakeries are ramping up the production of sweets. Alara Aldabbajh, the daytime supervisor at Kunafa’s bakery, is pictured Monday selling qatayef — pastries stuffed with walnuts or a mix of cheese and kishta. 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_210360). 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. [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](