A witness account of the Regent Park shooting

Plus, Toronto's troubled festivals and shaky pension plan investments [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the daylight shootings in Regent Park, challenges for Toronto’s biggest festivals and shaky pension plan investments. DON’T MISS Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star crime [An alleged gunman has been identified in the Regent Park shootings as a witness describes the chaos]( It had been two years without gun-related deaths in the community, but that ended this week with a daylight shooting that killed two people, Mahdis Habibinia and Jennifer Pagliaro report. As Regent Park resident Hani Afrah recalled the scene, a mother of a neighbouring family emerged from her home, the back of her head bloodied, and chased after her sons screaming for help. Catching up to her neighbour towards Dundas Street, Afrah heard more gunshots and saw a man she recognized as the woman’s son laying on the ground, “blood everywhere.” [Here’s what we know — and what we don’t](. - Word from police: Police announced the arrest of 23-year-old Benedict Johnson Kongolo on Wednesday, saying he was responsible for killing two family members and injuring another. - More: According to court records, the victims of the shooting are Ngoyi Kongolo and Didier Kongolo. Steve Russell/The Star culture [Why Toronto’s biggest festivals are struggling to survive]( Two years after pandemic restrictions were lifted, the city’s major festivals are having a hard time attracting audiences, paying off debt and meeting rising production costs, Francine Kopun reports. Among them are the Just for Laughs comedy festival, which recently sought creditor protection, and Taste of the Danforth, which pulled the plug on its 2024 event. Has COVID made us homebodies, or are we just being priced out? [Take a closer look at the issues affecting festivals — and the efforts to find a solution](. - The good news: Not all festivals are struggling. The CEO of the CNE said the annual event came out of 2022 and 2023 with a $26-million surplus. “We’ve never had that in our history.” - By the numbers: Nearly nine million people visited Toronto in 2023, according to the tourism agency Destination Toronto — about 93 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Toronto Star investment [Canada’s largest pensions bet big on commercial real estate — now offices are empty and valuations are crashing]( Commercial real estate was once a safe, stable investment. But the category is now on shaky ground thanks to a combination of hybrid work, expanding online retail and high interest rates, finance and real estate experts say. As a result, some major pension plans are taking a hit, Josh Rubin reports. The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, for instance, reported a return of -5.9 per cent on its real estate portfolio this week. [Should the plans change course?]( - Context: Pension funds began investing in commercial real estate in a major way after the 2008-09 financial crisis. “For the last decade and a half, it was a no-brainer. Valuations just kept going up and up,” one expert said. - Watch for: “For a long-term investor, real estate can deliver stable cash-flows, while also offering a hedge against inflation,” said an OTPP spokesperson. “Continuing to strengthen and diversify our real estate portfolio will help ensure we can deliver pension security to members over the long term.” [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 Privately and publicly, Doug Ford told Trudeau’s Liberals [they’ll be “annihilated” if they raise the carbon price](. Ford is also accusing a union leader of [“lying” about the government planning to sell the LCBO to private interests](. These disabled Canadians waited years for help to improve their lives. [Where is the money Ottawa promised?]( Do new animal slaughter rules violate the Charter rights of Canadian Jews? [This lawsuit is making the case](. A delivery driver whose speed caused a deadly crash was already facing other charges. [He was sentenced to four years](. A pedestrian who was killed on a North York sidewalk was an [electrician who “was always trying to make people smile.”]( [Delaying medically assisted death for mental illness will give us time to find an acceptable place for MAID]( Dr. Harvey Schipper writes. Israel wants 1.4 million civilians sheltering in Rafah to [go to Gaza’s centre ahead of a southern offensive](. The future of post-secondary education cannot be left to politicians. [International students deserve better](. This Toronto thrift store bucked the trend and kept prices low — [but the beloved shop might not last for much longer](. POV Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images [Maybe something’s wrong with Kate Middleton — but something’s definitely wrong with us.]( CLOSE-UP Nick Lachance/The Star HUMBER RIVER: Ricardo Rodriguez travelled from Woodbridge to fly fish on the river during Wednesday’s unseasonably warm weather.  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_210485). 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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