Is Canada really ready for Trump 2.0?

Plus, Toronto council's "bubble zones" and very expensive affordable housing [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Apologies for today’s edition of First Up landing in your inbox so late in the day. We were hindered by technical difficulties this morning. Here’s the latest on the prospect of another Trump administration, the war in Gaza reaching Toronto city council and the ballooning costs of a long-delayed affordable housing project. DON’T MISS Getty Images anlaysis [If you thought Trump 1.0 was crazy, brace yourself for Trump 2.0.]( If Canadians thought Donald Trump 1.0 was crazily chaotic, they can expect Trump 2.0 to be crazily methodic — about all the things, Tonda MacCharles writes. For starters, that includes his vow to impose broad 10 per cent tariffs on all imports, his insistence that allies pony up billions more in defence and his promise to secure U.S. borders and deport illegal immigrants. All that became clear during a Toronto conference that drew more than 200 influential players to discuss the Canadian-U.S. relationship. The other clear message? Canadian leaders must brace for the very real prospect of another Trump win come November. [Here’s what was discussed](. - More: Top diplomats from both countries downplayed the impact of another Trump administration on bilateral trade, defence, security and migration. And yet, Doug Ford admitted “American protectionism” keeps him up at night. - Even more: But it was Steve Verheul, the lead Canadian negotiator during the previous NAFTA talks, that said the quiet part out loud: we’re not ready for the prospect of a Trump presidency or the likelihood his trade advisers will want to reopen the trade pact. - Martin Regg Cohn’s take: On stage at the conference, Ford preached on love between the two nations. [But unrequited love only goes one way at any time](. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star israel-Hamas war [A careful détente kept the war in Gaza from fracturing Toronto council. A move to create “bubble zones” threatened that peace]( For months, fierce clashes raged between some city councils, Queen’s Park and Parliament over how to respond to the Israel-Hamas war and the climbing death toll in Gaza. Insiders tell the Star’s Alyshah Hasham and David Rider that Toronto has mostly stuck to private conversations and behind-the-scenes advocacy to avoid a blowout that may further divide an already tense city — but a motion to have the province introduce protest-free “bubble zones” around places of worship and faith-based schools at the last council session threatened to shatter the careful détente. The emotional discussion pit Torontonians’ fears over a failure to respond to rising antisemitism against people’s right to protest; [take a look at the outcome](. - What we know: Although the motion ultimately failed by a narrow margin, Toronto’s city manager has been tasked with creating an “action plan” that allows people to access places of worship without intimidation while protecting the right to protest. - Go deeper: Throughout the war, Mayor Olivia Chow and her council have walked a tightrope between both sides, sticking to motions that garner majority support instead of provoking dissent. “The first rule of debating the Middle East is not to debate the Middle East,” Coun. James Pasternak told the Star.  David Rider/The Star STAR EXCLUSIVE [“A real tragedy.” The cost of the delayed Willowdale housing project has hit $36 million]( After years of delays and challenges, the budget for a Willowdale development intended to provide quick and low-cost housing for low-income Torontonians has more than doubled, the Star has learned. A new report about the city-led project at 175 Cummer Ave., to be debated at the city’s planning committee today, recommends councillors approve the new cost — expected to shoot up from an earlier estimate of $14.6 million to $36.3 million, according to a confidential attachment confirmed by the Star. “It’s just a real tragedy,” said a former councillor who championed the project. “This was completely unnecessary, that it would cost this much money, that it would take this long.” [Here’s why](. - Wait, what? The higher costs were attributed to a combination of escalating charges for already planned work as a result of the extensive delays, on top of additional work needed due to holdups to zoning approvals. But the city hasn’t publicly stated what that extra work is. - Background: Announced in 2021 as part of a modular housing initiative, the 59-unit project was meant to be built quickly and cheaply; but while four of the program’s five projects have since welcomed tenants, [Cummer has been beset with opposition from politicians and residents](. WHAT ELSE “Our democracy is on the line.” [The focus on bad-actor MPs misses the bigger problem with foreign meddling, the security committee chair warns](. Subject officers won’t submit notes or interviews in SIU [probe of highway 401 wrong-way crash that killed four](. It’s more expensive to buy a Toronto home now than in January — [even after the Bank of Canada’s rate cut](. Pearson airport screening officers vote to strike, [adding to looming travel headaches this summer](. Canada’s plan to [overhaul its temporary foreign worker program has employers concerned](. Canada moves into the [top five countries for refugee claims](. The Beer Store is now allowed to sell lottery tickets. [Can that save it?]( This busy Spadina streetcar route will be [replaced by buses until the end of the year](. Pierre Poilievre is giving “rich dad,” Doug Ford needs suspenders. [What “Menswear guy” has to say about Canadian politicians’ fashion sense](. “Canada, the NBA title is yours.” Five years ago today, the Raptors won the championship. [Why the road back could be shorter](. Canadian Opera Company’s top leader abruptly departs in [surprising mid-season shakeup](. Kensington Palace [shut down a Kate Middleton cancer treatment rumour](. POV Canadian Press/Justin Tang [Pierre Poilievre’s vision for Canada: Heaven for the very rich and squat for everyone else.]( CLOSE-UP Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images MECCA: Thousands of Muslim worshippers gathered to pray around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca before the annual hajj pilgrimage. [Over 1.5 million pilgrims arrived in Mecca as of Tuesday, with officials expecting the number of people this year to exceed the more than 1.8 million worshippers in 2023](. 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_215088). 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. 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