With kids in crisis, parents weigh the unthinkable

Plus, why CTV’s Poilievre flub is even worse than it seems, planning an Icelandic adventure and Malcolm Gladwell's latest book [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. Bo Bichette’s 2024 season was a complete failure. [The Blue Jays shortstop hopes it will ultimately unlock the best version of himself](. Here’s the latest on everything else. MUST READS Geoff Robins/for the Toronto Star Kids in Crisis [Parents weigh the unthinkable: giving up their ailing children]( Jill is haunted by the fear that she and her husband will have to relinquish their adopted son to a child welfare agency. John, who has fetal alcohol syndrome disorder among other neurodevelopmental disorders, is prone to violent outbursts, Megan Ogilvie and Amy Dempsey Raven report. For the hundreds of parents facing similar scenarios, [the lack of support and long-term treatment options have become an untenable crisis](. Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star opinion [CTV wasn’t out to smear Pierre Poilievre. The truth is worse]( The Conservative Party leader was right to complain when last Sunday’s CTV National News mischaracterized his recent comments about the carbon tax. However, the ugly fallout isn’t because the network is out to get Poilievre and his colleagues, Stephen Maher writes. Rather, the deteriorating editorial standards are [a symptom of a journalistic ecosystem on the brink]( Amanda Provan CITY LIFE [Blind hockey player says hotel denied her service dog accommodation]( When para-athlete Amanda Provan arrived in Toronto for an appointment earlier this month, she says a west-end hotel violated the Blind Persons’ Rights act by refusing to allow her service dog to stay on the premises, Mark Colley reports. While hotel staff denies that version of events, [Provan says the experience has unlocked a new fear within her](. R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star OPINION [It’s time to say goodbye to Toronto’s Eastern Avenue Bridge]( Despite being closed since 1964, the bridge and its steel girders have long been a reminder of the city’s industrial history. Now, Shawn Micallef writes it will all soon be dismantled; it’s a potential impediment to floodwaters during major storms, apparently. [The result is partly owed to Toronto’s heritage purgatory, where local design history is often simply noted but left unprotected](. Marc Doucette Courtesy/CBC TELEVISION [How TV can be a tool of truth and reconciliation]( There’s a growing appetite in Canada for Indigenous stories, Monika Ille, CEO of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, tells Debra Yeo. Filmmakers like Tanya Talaga and Jennifer Podemski recognize that television has become one of the best ways to reach a wide audience. [The small screen can be an important — if often imperfect — tool in the journey toward truth and reconciliation](. [Toronto Star Archives] Look through the past with the Star Archives. Search your family name to trace your roots, find your birthdate to see what was making headlines or dive into true-crime stories to unravel gripping mysteries. Subscribers get access to 100+ years of the Star. Interested? [Start exploring here](. UP CLOSE Shannon Greer A quarter century after his breakout book, “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell is back with a vengeance. Corey Atad caught up with the Canadian journalist about his latest book, “The Revenge of the Tipping Point,” [a closer, often more skeptical look at how social changes spread](. VISIT THIS Nicole MacIntyre Nicole MacIntyre enjoys planning her family’s next trip just as much as actually embarking on the adventure. When she began mapping out a week in Iceland with her two sons, she quickly learned how to stretch her dollar. [Step one: remember to pack your Costco membership card](. Thanks for reading. One final budgeting tip: find a closer Costco than Reykjavik for your weekly grocery run. You can reach 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_2948), and we will see you back here Monday. Get [thestar.com]( + ePaper edition. Only $1 for 6 months! Save over $100. [Get This Offer]( 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](