How Toronto's developers choose their targets

Plus, an arrested in the "Woodland Rapist" case and the carbon price increase [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on Toronto real estate, a string of child sex assaults in the ‘90s and the Liberals’ carbon tax. DON’T MISS Nick Lachance/The Star real estate [A Toronto bungalow was bought and razed. Now the empty lot is for sale — for more]( When a brick bungalow in East York went up for sale in the fall of 2022, it offered a screened-in porch, cosy fireplace and finished basement in-law suite. Now, the property is on sale again, featuring a fenced-off hole of dirt and rubble — and listed for $29,000 more, Emily Fagan reports. How could a home be worth less than the ground it was built on? Real estate observers point to a growing desire for newer, bigger, more modern properties, while opportunities for people struggling to find an affordable home shrink. [Take a closer look at how developers choose their targets](. - More: One neighbour said she cut the grass of the bungalow some time last summer. “Having this here (abandoned) for over a year now is ridiculous. So like come on, do something with it!” - Go deeper: Although bungalows may be appealing to potential buyers who would otherwise be priced out of a home, one observer said builders and more affluent buyers are the group determining the land value because they can likely outbid any buyers who would have lived in the home as-is. Star File Photo crime [Police have arrested a man over a string of brutal 1990s child sex assaults]( In the mid-1990s, officers used DNA to link three assaults of children in Kitchener, Brampton and Oakville to one suspect — a man dubbed the “Woodland Rapist.” After decades of searching, and amid technological advancements, police have finally arrested the man they believe is responsible. Although police services did not respond to a request for comment, a source confirmed a statement is being prepared, Jennifer Pagliaro and Wendy Gillis report. [Here’s what we know about the case and the long-awaited arrest](. - Go deeper: Police have not revealed what tactics they used to make the arrest, but recent years have seen advancements in genetic genealogy that allow investigators to compare DNA evidence with DNA voluntarily submitted to databanks, like 23andMe. - Word from the suspect: “He has no knowledge of these crimes and he’s innocent,” said Toronto criminal defence lawyer Kevin Gray, with Leo Adler Law. Steve Russell/The Star federal politics [A Trudeau ally has joined Poilievre to demand a stop to the carbon levy increase set for April 1]( Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives are launching a full-court political press against the governing Liberals’ upcoming carbon price increase, Stephanie Levitz reports. They’ve already received support from conservative premiers in Ontario, P.E.I. and New Brunswick, but now Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberal Premier Andrew Furey — an ally of Justin Trudeau — is adding his voice to the calls to “Spike the Hike.” [Take a look at Poilievre’s campaign against the carbon levy so far — and what’s to come](. - Context: The Liberals say the levies are meant to encourage Canadians to limit fossil fuel use and save money, in turn helping reduce emissions. - By the numbers: On April 1, the federal levy on gasoline and natural gas will rise by $15 per tonne, adding 3.3 cents to a litre of gasoline and 2.9 cents to a cubic metre of natural gas.  - Word from Furey: “In Newfoundland and Labrador, for the most vulnerable, it has been a particularly difficult time,” the premier wrote in a letter to Trudeau released Tuesday. [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 A federal program is opening the door for international students in the job market. [Here’s how it helps bridge the gap between school and work](. Ottawa has pledged $1 million to [investigate reports of sexual violence against Palestinian women in Gaza and the West Bank](. Two men are dead and a woman is injured after a shooting in Regent Park. [Police suspect a family member](. “Easy ways to kill and get away with it” — [and what else the jury didn’t hear in Melissa Merritt’s murder trial](. The people who kidnapped a U of T student for a 500 bitcoin ransom [have received long prison sentences](. [For shady landlords in Ontario, the punishment must fit the crime]( the Star Editorial Board writes. The federal minimum wage is set to rise in April. [Here’s what Canadians need to know](. Scammers are posing as the CRA during tax season. [Here's what to look out for](. Kate Middleton's Photoshop flop can’t be retouched. [We asked the Star’s expert photo team to weigh in](. Why does India’s new citizenship law exclude Muslims? [Here’s what you need to know](. ICYMI Ramon Ferreira/The Star [Do you have brain fog? Here’s how experts say you can fight it.]( CLOSE-UP Sunday Alamba/AP Photo NIGERIA: Children stand outside LEA Primary and Secondary School in the remote town of Kuriga on Saturday. Nearly 300 children were abducted from the school and activists and analysts are [blaming the failure of intelligence and the slow security response](. 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_210420). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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