War’s long, cruel shadow over Toronto

Plus how flipping changed our neighbourhoods, expert hotel tips and revisiting poet Rupi Kaur’s breakout work [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. On the day that Toronto FC’s playoff hopes were dashed, the main event was visiting Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi. [Did fans get their money’s worth?]( Now for the latest on everything else. MUST READS Nick Lachance/Toronto Star ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT [A year of war casts its long shadow on Toronto]( Monday marks one year since Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel, igniting 12 months of Israeli retaliation in Gaza and beyond. In Toronto, the scars of war are visible in the spiking hate crime data, in demonstrations and in the personal stories of those deeply affected. [Here’s how local residents are reckoning with their grief, anger and anguish](. R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star Housing [House flipping changed neighbourhoods and raised prices for everyone]( With 30 per cent of existing GTA homes built before 1960, no single-family dwelling is safe from the flipper’s gaze. In 2019, the average flip saw prices rise from $1.2 million to over $3 million, with only 397 days between permit application and resale, Victoria Gibson, Diana Zlomislic and Andrew Bailey report. [In search of a quick payday, renovators have reshaped our communities forever](. R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star file photo Opinion [A city built for cars is destroying our human bodies]( In Europe, bodies are essential for daily living — for walking, biking and riding the Metro. But the more Paris-based writer Julia Belluz relied on a car during her months-long stay in Toronto last year, the less she moved or wanted to go anywhere at all. [Our city must decide whether it will reclaim urban spaces for humans, not cars](. Toronto Star File Photo History [The quest to restore dignity to Ontario’s forgotten dead]( Potter’s Field in Ingersoll Rural Cemetery is the final resting place for about 400 souls too impoverished, shunned or forgotten to merit individual markers, Janet Hurley reports. Western University assistant professor Cody Groat hopes to give them a chance at peace by bringing their stories to back life. [Here’s how](. Sean Pavone/iStock Travel [Maximize your hotel stay with these tips]( Thanks to her career as a travel journalist, Amber Gibson spends about 340 nights a year in hotels. As you can imagine, she’s picked up some helpful tips for getting the most out of your booking. For starters, even if you travel rarely, [a hotel’s loyalty program can offer a lot of perks](. [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 Richie Assaly and Taran Sodhi Brampton’s own Rupi Kaur rewrote the rules of poetry, Emilie Hanskamp writes. A decade after publishing her breakthrough collection, “Milk and Honey,” a lot has changed for the 32-year-old — [even if some seemingly still love to hate her wildly successful and accessible work](. WATCH THIS Dahlia Katz/Mirvish “The Thanksgiving Play” has taken on new resonance in the wake of controversy at the TDSB after students attended an Indigenous rights rally that inadvertently featured controversial chants from pro-Palestinian protestors. [Read Joshua Chong’s three-star review of the provocative comedy here](. Thanks for reading. In this writer’s opinion, there’s a certain charm to a “Potter’s Field,” no? 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_3330), 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](