Meet the GTA city councillors on the naughty list

Plus, Ontario's failing mental health system and a millennial's hope of buying a second home [The Star] First Up [By Ashley Okwuosa] By Ashley Okwuosa Good morning. Welcome to August. Here’s the latest on Ontario’s fractured mental health system, the chaos ensuing in city councils across the GTA, and one millennial’s goal of purchasing a second home.  DON’T MISS Richard Lautens/The Star mental health [How Ontario’s mental health system failed Stephanie Coulter — and many others]( Long before dying of a Fentanyl overdose at 31, Stephanie Coulter struggled to access the mental health care she needed. She spent weeks in psychiatric wards at several hospitals, only to be discharged without follow-up care. With disability benefits as her main income, she couldn’t afford therapy sessions with a psychologist and had to rely on her family doctor. When Stephanie was in distress, she leaned on police for help, yet she was never connected to support beyond a short stay at the hospital. “Our daughter didn’t have to die,” Stephanie’s mother says. “She could’ve been helped.” [Here’s a closer look at Stephanie’s journey from seeking help to overdose death](. - By the numbers: More than 7,300 Canadians died from an opioid overdose during the first year of the pandemic — a period that saw overdose deaths nearly doubling nationwide. It is estimated that 20 people die from overdose every day in Canada. - Wait, what? At the height of her distress, Stephanie called police departments, often in a bid to be seen by a mental health professional at a hospital. Mental-health-related calls to police are common, with Toronto police responding to more than 33,000 in 2020 — up eight per cent from 2019. - Silver Lining: Groups like Kamaamwizme wii Naagidiwendiiying are launching alternatives for those experiencing mental health crises. [Here’s why the group wants you to call 211 instead of 911](. Steve Cornwell/Metroland councillors behaving badly [Councillors across the GTA are behaving outrageously – and getting away with it]( Vicious infighting, harassment and bullying of fellow councillors, staff and residents has become par for the course for some GTA city councillors. And similar situations are playing out in municipalities across the province. What can be done to address the uptick in bad behaviour? Under the Municipal Act, councils have to create and abide by codes of conduct and appoint integrity commissioners to adjudicate problems. But experts say enforcement mechanisms don’t exist and city councillors are simply getting away with it. [Here’s some of the “outrageous” behaviour GTA councillors are engaging in and how the province is responding](. - Wait, what? One Brampton city councillor had his pay suspended for 90 days and was asked to resign after the integrity commissioner found he allegedly sexually harassed a fellow delegate on a trade mission to Turkey. But the councillor and his legal team denied the allegations and he has remained steadfast that he won’t resign. He continues to serve on council. - Go Deeper: In response to several incidents of questionable councillor behaviour, the province launched a review of municipal codes of conduct in 2021. But the province never followed through with its promise of reform and with municipal elections in October, it’s unclear if it ever will. McKenna Deighton/The Star millennial MONEY [With a $90,000 salary and rental income, can this 27-year-old afford a second property?]( Ben is looking ahead to the future and thinking about how he could upgrade to a larger home when it comes time to start a family. His $90,000 salary is padded by an additional $21,600 in rental income he receives for renting out part of his house to tenants. But with a mortgage rate of 1.84 per cent, he’s worried what could happen in three years when his rate is up for renewal. In the latest edition of Millennial Money, Ben shares how he was able to afford his first home, details his current expenses, and [asks the experts for advice to reach his goal of saving $100,000 for a second property]( - Why it matters: According to Jason Heath, managing director at Objective Financial Partners Inc, Ben’s experience is that real estate values increase — but that has changed in recent months. Higher interest rates could continue to weigh on real estate prices into 2023. - More: [Economists are forecasting the largest real estate downturn in modern Canadian history]( with some predicting a decline of at least 10 per cent in home prices and even as much as a 20 per cent decline by mid-2023. WHAT ELSE Out-of-office reply: [Prime Minister Trudeau’s on a family holiday in Costa Rica](. Experts say the current global [response to Monkeypox isn’t enough](. He’s seen as Jason Kenney’s guy. [Can Travis Toews shake off the past to become Alberta’s next premier?]( Did Marshall Ross think a quadruple murder would clear a $3.2 million debt? [Read up on the “fantastic” plot.]( Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival is moving its closing event to the end of August. [Here’s why](. Safe in Canada, [a young Ukraine war widow now has time to grieve](. [Police in Thunder Bay seized an AR-15 and drugs worth $14,000]( during a traffic stop. A missing 5-year-old autistic boy has been [found dead in eastern Saskatchewan](. Myanmar’s leader announced an [extension to the country’s state of emergency](. A man has died after [falling from a tour boat on Lake Ontario](. A Saudi-born Canadian was [handed a life sentence in U.S. for terrorism and supporting ISIS](. Nichelle Nichols, who starred as [Lt. Uhura on “Star Trek,” has died at 89](. POV Spencer Platt/Getty Images [The U.S. is technically in a recession — so what does that mean for us?]( CLOSE-UP Steve McKinley/The Star NOVA SCOTIA: A century ago, Mabel Bell, wife to Alexander Graham Bell, was planting solutions to issues — food security and pollinator habitat — that scientists and farmers are still grappling with today. [Now, with the help of Mabel’s journals, researcher Alana Pindar is replanting the gardens at the Bell museum site in Nova Scotia]( 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_137430). Manuela will see you back here tomorrow. [The Star]( 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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