Will Ford keep Peel whole after all?

Plus, a conviction for stealing a dead man's estate and Canada's loneliness problem [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Today marks the [National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women]( Here’s the latest on the Ontario government’s plans for Peel Region, a couple convicted of stealing a dead man’s estate and the impact of loneliness on older adults. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Mark Blinch provincial politics [Doug Ford is poised to reverse his decision to dissolve Peel Region, sources say]( Facing mounting alarm that taxes may rise and services could suffer if Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon become stand-alone municipalities, the premier is rethinking his deathbed promise to former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion to dissolve Peel, sources say. Called the Hazel McCallion Act, the legislation introduced by the Tories in May would legally dissolve Peel Region as of 2025. [Insiders and other signs are pointing to a reversal](. - By the numbers: Speaking confidentially, insiders said Ford was concerned when Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown recently released data suggesting property taxes there would have to jump by an additional $1.3 billion over a decade. - Watch for: Ford told the Star in a brief interview Tuesday afternoon that he would have more to disclose in the coming days. Ontario Superior Court Exhibit courts [A Toronto cop and public servant have been sentenced to seven years for stealing a dead man’s estate]( Over the summer, a Toronto jury convicted Const. Robert Konashewych, 40, and Adellene Balgobin, 36, of fraud over $5,000. On Tuesday, a judge handed them seven-year prison sentences for creating a bogus will that deprived a dead man’s estate of $834,000, Betsy Powell reports. The judge denounced the couple for using their positions of trust and undermining public confidence in two critically important public institutions. [Here’s how the fraud came together — and then unravelled](. - Context: Heinz Sommerfeld was living with Alzheimer’s in a long-term care facility. He died in June 2017 at 78 without leaving a will, but his estranged half-brother was the rightful heir. - Go deeper: The heir, Peter Stelter, was deprived of the inheritance at a time when he was undergoing severe financial stress that led to the loss of his home, the judge highlighted. - Watch for: Konashewych and Balgobin are seeking to be released on bail pending appeal of their convictions. Nick Lachance/The Star loneliness [Older Canadians are more likely to experience loneliness — and it has serious impacts on their health]( More than 40 per cent of people aged 50 and older are at risk of social isolation, according to an analysis by the National Institute on Ageing, and 58 per cent have experienced loneliness. Those findings pose a major health concern — the factors are linked to conditions such as dementia, cardiovascular disease, malnutrition, falls and premature mortality. Meanwhile, Canada is shifting to a super-aged status in the early 2030s, when a quarter of adults will be over the age of 65, Moira Welsh reports. [Here’s how Canadians are feeling the impact already](. - Go deeper: “Older adults are especially at risk of experiencing social isolation and loneliness because the ageing process is often characterized by transitional life events that shift one’s roles and circumstances, which can also make it more difficult to maintain or establish social ties,” said the report. - Around the globe: Some international governments have national strategies and offices devoted to tackling the issue. The United Kingdom and Japan, for instance, have a minister of loneliness and numerous nationwide programs. [Cookies] Need a new favourite holiday cookie? Every day till Christmas, Star journalists are taking turns baking recipes from our extensive archives for our new Cookie Calendar newsletter, [brought to you by SickKids Get Better Gifts](. Follow our holiday baking adventures — and get some inspiration for your own — by [signing up for free here](. WHAT ELSE [U.S. businessman Jonathan Lehrer has been detained]( in connection with the death of Daniel Langlois in Dominica. Cyber attacks on the Toronto Public Library have [left patrons reeling over the loss of the “social service network.”]( Parts of Ontario could see up to 10 centimetres of snow this week. [Here’s what Toronto can expect](. RBC is getting Canada’s biggest-ever fine for breaking money laundering laws. [Here’s what we know](. Here’s why it seems more companies are [making job cuts during the holidays and what to do if you’re laid off](. Outstanding loans in negative amortization have declined, [but that doesn’t mean financial relief is on the horizon](. #MeToo — unless you’re Israeli? [Marsha Barber writes on the silence of women’s groups about Oct. 7](. Generation after generation, Israeli prison marks a [rite of passage for Palestinian boys](. Right-wing social media group Canada Proud is [suing former radio personality Dean Blundell for $200,000, alleging defamation](. Four months after a Star investigation, [a self-styled “elite entrepreneur” has shut down his Cactus debt relief business](. [“Overwhelming” evidence is linking social media use to bad habits in children]( from gambling to drug use, a new study says. These three Canadian universities rank [among the top 10 in the world for sustainability](. POV Richard Lautens/The Star [Once upon a time, Yonge was one of the world’s great urban streets. What happened?]( CLOSE-UP Steve Russell/The Star QUEEN’S PARK: Children from Hillcrest Community School sing Christmas carols over the lunch hour on Tuesday. The annual concerts feature different schools singing each day until December 13th. 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_204954). Andrew will see you back here tomorrow. HOLIDAY SALE Now only $39.99 for 1 year [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. 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