Will the new Alto line end at Union Station?

Plus, Ford’s about-face on solar power  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up By Sima Shakeri Good morning.  Some of the biggest questions surrounding Canada’s proposed high-speed passenger rail line remain unanswered — including how disruptive the constuction will be in Toronto's downtown core. As well, Premier Doug Ford’s government is doing an about-face on renewable energy as solar power goes from providing the most expensive form of electricity to one of the cheapest. Here are more top stories.  DON'T MISS Sophie Bouquillon/Toronto Star PROJECT SOUTH He faced misconduct allegations. Then he represented a Project South accused Jon Hood had been a paralegal for under two months when he appeared in the Project South case. Like retired Toronto Const. John Madeley Sr., an accused officer in the probe, Hood had spent nearly 30 years as a cop — but his January retirement meant the disciplinary proceedings against him died on the vine. His appearance has renewed focus on the allegations that expedited the end of his policing career. ICYMI: New, heavily redacted records on the Ontario murder behind Ryan Wedding's downfall have been released. Alto PUBLIC TRANSIT Why Union Station may not be a stop on Canada’s new high-speed rail line The $90 billion high-speed rail line promises to take travellers from Toronto to Quebec City in three hours. But the megaproject is still in the planning stages, and many of the details are still up in the air. Here are some of the biggest unanswered questions – including, how many stops will Toronto get, and where will they be located? Go deeper: Pierre Poilievre hates Mark Carney’s high-speed rail plan. Is his attack a "political loser"? Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press analysis Solar will soon be one of Ontario’s cheapest power options Last week’s announcement of 14 new renewable energy projects represents not only an about-face for the government of Premier Doug Ford, which was elected on a platform hostile to renewables, but also a coming-of-age for the solar power industry, which has gone from providing the most expensive form of electricity to one of the cheapest. Marco Chown Oved investigates what the future holds for renewable energy. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press health Hospitalization rates for COVID and other vaccine-preventable illnesses have soared, worrying researchers Hospitalization rates for vaccine-preventable respiratory illnesses doubled last year, compared to pre-pandemic 2019-20, according to new Canadian data. According to the study, COVID-19 cases are tied to 40 per cent of hospitalizations for vaccine-preventable respiratory illnesses. Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) combined accounted for 51 per cent. Almost half of those hospitalizations for all of these illnesses were people 75 and older. Twenty per cent were children under five. A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR WHAT ELSE Raptors vs. Cavaliers Game 1: Coach Darko’s game plan leaves Brandon Ingram cold in last night's one-sided playoff opener. Peel police apologized after a presentation to the school board featuring Black gangs sparked racism accusations. Canada is cutting 53 jobs from the board that oversees asylum claims —  raising fears of further delays and backlogs. The Toronto Tempo plans to build a $100-million practice facility at Exhibition Place. Here’s what you need to know. POV Bruce Arthur: LIV Golf might be remembered as the multibillion-dollar mirage, when all is paid and done Before you go, Joe Bowen hung up his headset after 44 seasons on radio and television last week. Here’s how Star readers have been celebrating the legendary Leafs broadcaster. Thanks for reading today’s 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 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.   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