Ontario’s growing role in apple innovation

Plus, a way out of Toronto’s condo crisis, what storm season reveals about Kamala Harris and remembering Mike Bullard [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Happy holiday Monday. We’re thankful you’re here. The countdown is on for Taylor Swift’s mini Toronto residency next month. [Here’s how to avoid disaster on concert day](. And here’s the latest on everything else. MUST READS Barry Gray/The Hamilton Spectator food [Why Ontario is at the forefront of creating new apple breeds]( Care for a bushel of “New Variety #26”? At Cricklewood Farm, you’ll find staples like Honeycrisp and Red Delicious next to apple varieties so new they don’t even have names yet. The Brighton orchard is part of a network of Ontario farms experimenting with their crops to meet changing consumer preferences and a warming climate, Kristin Rushowy reports. [Here’s what growers are expecting from future apple product launches](. Canadian Press/Chris Young housing [Condo investors have wreaked havoc on Toronto — but a better way exists]( Housing experts say the city needs to break free from the current system in which investors drive new condo projects. After all, that’s how we found ourselves with a glut of increasingly expensive studio and one-bedroom units. Unfortunately, slowing sales means less interest from investors — which equals less building, period, Clarrie Feinstein and Andres Plana report. [There is a way out of this deepening crisis but it won’t be easy](. Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo u.s. politics [What America’s natural disasters are revealing about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump]( The continued fallout from a calamitous storm season has proven the old adage that disasters are inherently political events. With Harris and Trump fast approaching election day, their respective responses to Hurricanes Helene and Milton are giving would-be voters a closer look at each candidates’ leadership style in a crisis, Alan Woods writes. [In a razor-thin race, the timing could serve as strategic gold](. Live Nation Canada tick tock [Toronto has just nine months to build a 50,000-person concert stadium]( With mega acts like Oasis and Coldplay adding Toronto tour dates for next summer, the pressure is on for Live Nation to deliver its recently announced Rogers Stadium at Downsview. For a city that has watched projects like the Eglinton Crosstown move like molasses, there’s skepticism that the huge open-air venue will arrive on time, Nathan Bawaan reports. [These past venue projects could foreshadow the stadium’s prospects](. Lance McMillan/The Star food [On the hunt for Ontario’s nearly-impossible-to-find fruit]( You’ve likely never tasted pawpaw, but those who have simply can’t get enough. The large, green, bean-shaped fruit is native to Ontario — a shock to locals first experiencing its tropical taste, Mark Colley reports. During a three-week growing season, connoisseurs guard their contacts in the underground pawpaw network like buried treasure. [If you’re lucky enough to locate the elusive fruit, here’s what to do](. UP CLOSE Vince Talotta/The Star Canadian late night talk show host Mike Bullard has died at age 67. At his show’s peak, he outdrew Letterman and Leno among Canadian viewers. The comedian’s more recent legacy was marked by controversy. [Take a look back at Bullard’s life](. EAT THIS Nick Lachance/The Star Had enough turkey and cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving weekend? [Karon Liu writes that the brisket and fixings at Benny’s Barbecue are well worth the pilgrimage to the two-year-old midtown joint](. Thanks for reading. If those farmers aren’t wearing black turtlenecks and rimless glasses to announce their latest apple innovations, they’re wasting an amazing opportunity. 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_3802), and Kevin will see you back here tomorrow. 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](