The Ontario retailers selling illegal — and dangerous — products

Plus, a Toronto cop who failed a murder victim and Ford's Greenbelt deals [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau are drawing [attention and sympathy after announcing their separation](. Here’s the latest on Ontario retailers selling illegal products, a Toronto cop who failed to protect a murder victim and investigations into Greenbelt deals. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick investigation [These dangerous products were supposed to be pulled from shelves — a popular Ontario retailer sold them anyway]( The eye drops for sale at Kiokii And… could cause iris cysts, retinal detachment and “glaucoma attack,” while several other types of an eyewash brand sold by the health and beauty chain of stores contained a prescription-only drug, Health Canada found. Though inspectors seized the illegal products and issued a public health advisory, they were being sold again three weeks later. A Star/Investigative Journalism Bureau investigation has found more than 100 products on shelves that Health Canada officials confirmed haven’t been approved for sale or assessed for safety. It’s not happening at just one store. [Take a look at the offending retailers](. - Word from Health Canada: “There are not many categories of issues higher from a risk perspective … than finding a prescription drug in a non-prescription product,” a Health Canada spokesperson said. - Why it matters: “If these (products) are being sold outside of a place where you can reach a pharmacist to give you advice, then it’s possible it’s a Wild West,” a Toronto physician and pharmaceutical policy expert said. - The aftermath: Four retailers pledged to address regulatory issues and pulled dozens of items from their stores and websites. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star policing [A Toronto cop who “took no action” to protect a murder victim days before her killing is keeping his job]( Daniella Mallia alerted police about domestic violence threats she received three days before she was killed. The Toronto officer who “took no action” to help her will keep his job, Wendy Gillis reports, despite the police’s own arguments that he be terminated. The decision to demote but not fire Const. Sang Youb Lee, however, aligns with a request from Mallia’s father. [Here’s how Lee failed to protect Mallia and why he and his partner were charged with “reckless disregard” for her safety](. - Go deeper: Marissa Kokkoros, the founder and executive director of a Toronto-based organization working to end violence against women commended the family for choosing forgiveness, but said there must be broader accountability measures to fix a system that failed Mallia, particularly after she showed the courage to go to police for help. - More: The officer’s conclusion at the time that there was mutual harassment demonstrates the all-too-common experience of victims being threatened with charges when they contact police, Kokkoros said. Barry Gray/Hamilton Spectator ontario politics [Doug Ford has gotten the auditor general’s report on his controversial Greenbelt land swap]( Sources say a draft of the auditor general’s Greenbelt report has been shared with Premier Doug Ford to give the government time to respond before publication (as is customary), but the findings aren’t expected to be released for another few weeks. Meanwhile, provincial NDP Leader Marit Stiles says “the walls are closing in” on the Progressive Conservative government as the integrity commissioner is also investigating the Greenbelt deals, Robert Benzie reports. [Take a look at the internal drama](. - Context: Ford opened up 7,400 acres of sensitive Greenbelt land for housing development and added 9,400 acres elsewhere. [The Star and the Narwhal previously revealed eight of the 15 parcels of land removed from the Greenbelt were purchased after Ford took office in 2018](. - The latest: A former top Conservative official suddenly left his post as chief executive officer of an influential lobby group for property developers. No reason has been provided for his departure. WHAT ELSE Mayor Olivia Chow is backing plans to rename Dundas Street, [even as a councillor in favour says “we can’t afford it.”]( Of five solid candidates in the Ontario Liberal leadership race, [here’s who is most likely to win](. The RCMP say [the body of a Nova Scotia teen who went missing in a flood has been found](. Canada’s summer of strikes is [shining a light on some much bigger dysfunction in the workplace](. Black community groups say a [TDSB principal’s suicide is being used to “villainize and undermine” anti-racism training](. A U.S. report is sparking investors’ concerns about old Canadian telephone wires being coated in toxic lead. [Here’s what we know](. A new report says Toronto home sales and prices are up from last July, but down from June. [Here’s how much prices are averaging](. A massive new Pickering development will include a mall, city hall — [and at least 10 new condo towers up to 55 storeys tall](. ChatGPT’s erroneous information undermines credibility and creates legal trouble. [The first defamation claim against it shows the dangers](. Jason Aldean’s “Try That” is breaking streaming records. [Here’s why — and why it’s a problem for country music](. Here’s how the loneliness crisis is affecting Canadians — [and how we can address it](. [It’s now legal to drink in these 27 Toronto parks]( until October. POV David Parry/AFP via Getty Images [Althia Raj: In the aftermath of Justin Trudeau’s marriage breakdown, Liberal strategists have their work cut out for them.]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/The Star GLADSTONE AND QUEEN ST.: Vicki Sharma, owner of Island Foods, puts hot sauce on a roti. After closing its Parkdale location in 2019, the long-standing, family-run Caribbean restaurant has returned to the city. [Here’s a look at its offerings and its plans for the future](. 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_193759). 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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