A GTA mall is a U.S. ‘trade barrier’

Plus: ‘Abusive’ use of isolation in hospital  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up By Sima Shakeri Good morning. 🌳 There’s a bit of everything at Little Norway Park at the foot of Bathurst Street, including a playground, wading pool, softball diamond and Second World War memorial. The Billy Bishop airport expansion could be the reason why part of this beloved park disappears. Mayor Olivia Chow firmly opposes the province’s move to expropriate part of the park. Here’s what locals worry would be lost if the province wins the fight. Now, more top stories. DON'T MISS Susan Kao/Toronto Star illustration with photos from Sophie Bouquillon and Cannon Design Star Investigation The ‘abusive’ use of isolation at Ontario’s Waypoint hospital At Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care patients have some of the most complex mental health needs in Ontario. However, one patient, Camelott Hamblett, has spent the past 20 years locked in isolation in a sparsely furnished room. His story has highlighted the hospital’s practices, which have been described as “grossly in excess” of other North American facilities. We dug deeper to examine how Waypoint is an outlier in its continued reliance on seclusion for prolonged periods. Part 1: Why Camelott Hamblett has spent two decades locked in a hospital room alone. Johnny Guatto/University of Toronto HEALTH In a Canadian first, a Toronto man’s HIV is in sustained remission The man was able to discontinue use of antiviral medications used to treat HIV in July 2025, following a bone marrow transplant to treat cancer -- with donor cells that have a rare natural resistance to the disease. As of this month, HIV remained undetectable in the patient, and no HIV-specific immune responses could be detected, a finding consistent with cases considered cured internationally. Here’s what the research could mean for others. Steve Russell/Toronto Star GTA Markham’s Pacific Mall is a ‘trade barrier,’ says the U.S. Here’s why Pacific Mall is famous for a lot: it’s a glass-box maze where you can buy everything from clothes to tools to tattoos, see performances and chow down on amazing food. But the “largest indoor Asian mall in North America” has a longstanding reputation for knock-offs and counterfeits, landing it on the list of American grievances that could affect tense trade talks. Here’s what’s changed, and what remains gloriously the same. Nick Lachance/Toronto Star file photo REAL ESTATE Will the HST cut on new homes save buyers money? Not quite The majority of GTA developers haven’t changed their prices since the expanded HST rebate announcement, according to new data provided exclusively to the Star. An early look found that 78 per cent of prices are the same or higher. While the data shows few builders raising prices, one legal expert warns many buyers historically have not received the benefits of the existing HST rebate. Clarrie Feinstein digs into the numbers. Michael Kiproff Justice This cop is being disciplined for ‘doing the right thing,’ his lawyer said Cost. Michael Kiproff is accused of initiating a criminal investigation in retaliation for an off-duty “road rage incident.” Kiproff was using his discretion to offer a young motorist — and his parents — a shot at a lesser driving offence in connection with an incident the officer had with the motorist in 2023 while off-duty in a personal vehicle, Kiproff’s lawyer told a tribunal. Here’s why the prosecutor disagreed with that assessment. A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR WHAT ELSE Shots were fired just outside the White House correspondents’ dinner. Donald Trump was unharmed. The U.S. said its navy is clearing Iranian mines in a bid to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Here’s what to expect from Mark Carney’s fiscal update amid high deficits and rising risks. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rebutted Mark Carney’s famed Davos speech. Toronto’s shelters saw 12 days when they didn’t turn anyone away in the cold. How can we make that the norm? “It was chaos”: Blue Jays fans took hours to reach the ballpark on Saturday due to the Gardiner gridlock. POV Nida Mehboob for the Toronto Star Sadiya Ansari: It was once for royalty. Now it’s in your pantry. How this staple tells the story of how the world feeds itself UP CLOSE Nick Lachance/Toronto Star Karim Bardeesy believes he has the best job in the world. Once a bookish, introverted policy adviser to Premiers Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne, he won Taiaiaco’n-Parkdale-High Park by a whopping 21,000 votes — and now says being on the front lines of what constituents need is more fulfilling than anything he’s done before. Despite widespread cynicism in and around politics these days, he somehow manages to maintain his belief that politics is important and can be an uplifting experience. Watch THIS Matt Crockett Toronto’s 2026-27 theatre season is heavy on new Canadian works and revivals of modern Canadian classics, all while shying away from many shows out of the U.S. — a logical reaction to recent events. As theatre companies continue to announce their upcoming seasons, here’s a breakdown of the biggest takeaways and major surprises from these lineups. ⚾ Before you go, did you know that 28 major league baseball teams and many more around the world lease the Trajekt Arc, a pitching machine? This robot, which recreates a pitcher’s delivery, has been a “game changer” for the Blue Jays and its inventors. It all started in a Toronto classroom. Thank you for reading First Up. The Star’s Paige Oldfield and Nikhil Kanekal contributed to today’s newsletter. 📩 You can reach the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. Ed Keenan will greet you tomorrow morning.   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