Do cars belong in High Park? These people think so

Plus, Olympic triathletes' Pepto protocol and a mother suing Toronto police [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on High Park’s ban on cars, how Olympic triathletes are preparing for a dip in the polluted Seine and a mom suing Toronto police. DON’T MISS R.J. Johnston/The Star park life [Some park goers are unhappy with High Park’s car ban — and they’re fighting to bring vehicles back]( Diane Buckell was on her honeymoon the first time she saw High Park — back when the Grenadier Restaurant still served lunch on linen tablecloths. Sixty years later, she keeps a desk at the same restaurant, collecting signatures on a petition calling for an end to the park’s weekend ban on cars and its planned full closure to vehicles by 2027. Despite garnering more than 14,000 signatures, council isn’t budging: “If it made sense, people wouldn’t be so furious,” she tells Francine Kopun. [Do cars belong in Toronto’s green spaces?]( - Go deeper: Critics charge the ban on vehicles has closed the park off to people with mobility challenges, who can’t walk in from the perimeter, access the shuttle from High Park subway station or use the park’s trackless train, which is not wheelchair accessible. - The flipside: While they acknowledge the faults in accessibility, supporters of the ban say fewer cars create a better experience for pedestrians. “That road gets re-purposed for people walking, people jogging, pushing strollers, families, people on bikes,” one said. - Word from the city: In response to the feedback, Toronto is tweaking its plans to make High Park more accessible — from increasing the number of weekday parking spaces for those with disabilities to changing the route of the TTC bus that runs through the facility. Dar Yasin/AP Photo olympic fever [Probiotics and Pepto Bismol: How Canada’s triathletes are preparing for a dip in the Seine as bacteria levels rise]( Canada’s Olympic triathletes are employing the “Pepto Bismol Protocol” in their training for the gruelling competition that kicks off tomorrow, Allan Woods reports, after a near-biblical downpour caused bacteria levels to spike to unsafe levels in Paris’ iconic river. Despite the Olympic host city taking extraordinary measures and spending 1.4 billion Euros to clean up the long-polluted Seine for the triathlon, the river has been designated a no-swim zone — and no one knows how long the prohibition will last. [If bacteria levels aren’t curbed in time, the swimming portion of the triathlon could be scrapped entirely](. - Just in: Officials cancelled swim training in the Seine for the second straight day today — [although they’re optimistic it’ll be safe enough to swim in by tomorrow](. - Wait, what? Some triathletes are taking bizarre measures to prepare — like American Seth Rider, who said he’s trying to “increase my E. coli threshold” by exposing himself to bits of fecal bacteria every day. - Meanwhile: Team Canada is making more medically-sound preparations, like switching to a tailor-made, yogurt-heavy meal plan — supplemented by probiotics, vaccinations and regular doses of Pepto Bismol. R.J.Johnston/The Star policing [Did police fail Bobby Ramroop? The Toronto man’s family has been left with anguish — and hauntingly familiar questions]( Taresh “Bobby” Ramroop smiles in the framed photos and poster boards lining Debbie Indal’s apartment. But her son is not there. His bedroom, the one with the window he climbed out of and fell 16 stories two years ago, is now home to piles of orange bottles, Jennifer Pagliaro reports — medications that help Indal cope with PTSD. “My son’s death was senseless,” Indal says. “The police failed him.” Indal and Ramroop’s sister, Vanessa Persaud, are now suing Toronto police, alleging they failed to adequately respond to Ramroop’s mental health crisis that fateful day. [Here’s what happened and what the family is hoping for now](. - Context: Police were called to Indal’s apartment following reports of someone throwing items from the top floor of the building. They confronted Ramroop through his closed bedroom door as onlookers harassed the 32-year-old, calling for him to jump. - More: Ramroop repeatedly asked to speak to his mom “one last time,” but was refused. Hours after he fell, police informed his mother and family, waiting downstairs, of what happened.  - The aftermath: The police officers involved in the case were later cleared of any wrongdoing by the Special Investigations Unit. [Medal Alerts] Find out fast whenever Canada makes it to the podium. The Star has you covered as athletes go for gold in Paris. Get up-to-the minute email alerts whenever Canada medals, plus other news from the games, with the Star's free Medal Alerts, [brought to you by Havelock Metal Co](. If you're interested, please [sign up here today](. WHAT ELSE The Canadian women’s soccer team is still alive at the Paris Olympics, [beating France in a stunning 2-1 comeback](. Simone Biles was brilliant in her Paris Olympics debut. [But there’ll be doubt until the gymnast competes again](. Milder weather is giving fire crews a chance to [make progress in fighting the Jasper wildfires](. Should there be a pedestrian bridge to the Toronto Islands? [Here’s what residents really think of the idea](. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have entered [the final sprint to decide the fate of the transformed U.S. election](. July was a crazy month for U.S. politics. [But did the Democrats or Republicans come out ahead?]( For sale: Gangrenous toe, “like new.” [This Toronto man made props for your favourite TV shows — now, everything must go](. “Go out there and discover who you are.” [Meet the intrepid women travellers in their 60s, 70s and 80s exploring the globe solo](. What’s love got to do with it? [Here’s why every couple needs a prenup before saying “I do.”]( [Decoding the enduring genius of Neil Young]( and the depth of his connection to Toronto. Two meteor showers will flash across the sky around the same time this week. [Here’s how you can spot them](. What’s it like to date a content creator? [Brynta Ponn talks about meeting men and getting out there after divorce](. GET THIS Cameron Tulk/The Star [Don’t like Justin Trudeau? You’re not alone. Here’s why Canadians say the prime minister is so unpopular.]( CLOSE-UP Al Bello/Getty Images PARIS: Hamilton’s own Eleanor Harvey celebrates after winning bronze in women’s foil individual yesterday — the very first Olympic medal for Canada’s fencing program. [Harvey told the Star’s Allan Woods about how she went from swinging sticks in her backyard to making fencing history](. 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_217386). 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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