Inside one woman's gruelling fight for justice

Plus, Ontario's school cellphone ban and a bike bus initiative to get kids moving [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the case of three family members killed in one home, Ontario’s school cellphone ban and a grassroots climate initiative in Scarborough. DON’T MISS R.J. Johnston/The Star courts [After years of gruelling court hearings, this woman won’t give up]( Over the past decade, Elizabeth Gallant has shown up to the Brampton Courthouse more than 100 times to face the people accused of killing her family. She arrives no later than 9:30 a.m. and pushes her walker across the parking lot, Amy Dempsey Raven writes. The case is well known. Her 63-year-old brother, Bill Harrison, was found dead in his Mississauga home in 2009. His wife, Bridget, 63, died there in 2010. When their son, Caleb, 40, was found strangled in the same home in 2013, police finally determined all three had been victims of homicide. [Here’s why, despite everything, she says “I have to represent my family.”]( - Watch for: After years of gruelling court hearings, Gallant may have to do it all over again, [since the last case ended in a mistrial](. - Go deeper: In the case, Gallant has found most disturbing how authorities failed her family. One coroner wrote her brother’s death off as “natural” even though a pathologist had documented evidence of major injuries, including a fractured sternum. A cop concluded “no evidence of foul play” in Bridget’s death even though there was reason to believe she’d been strangled. Steve Russell/The Star provincial politics [Ontario has unveiled details of its school cellphone ban]( Aiming to refocus students on academics and to combat bullying, the provincial government will, as of September, ban cellphones all day for elementary students, and during class time for middle and high school students. Limited exceptions can be made, including with the “explicit” permission from an educator for learning purposes. The changes will also make Ontario the first province to ban social media from school networks, Kristin Rushowy reports. [This is the plan being touted as the toughest in Canada](. - More: The province is also cracking down on vaping and smoking, with plans for vape detectors in washrooms and mandatory reporting to parents if kids are caught using them on school property. - Go deeper: The decision by Doug Ford’s government is supported by internal polling that shows a majority of Ontarians support bans on phones during the school day. Nick Lachance/The Star climate action [Most students are driven to school — the bike bus aims to get kids moving]( More than two-thirds of students in the GTHA are driven to school — creating more traffic, pollution and sedentary children — and getting kids to walk or bike to school has proven difficult. But in car-centric Scarborough, a small cycling convoy provides safety in numbers and encourages students to ride, Marco Chown Oved reports. The bike bus, a grassroots initiative, received funding from the city of Toronto last year as one of the recipients of the Neighbourhood Climate Action Grants. [Take a closer look at what they’re doing for the community](. - Wait, what? The grants provide up to $7,500 to neighbourhood groups to increase awareness and engagement on climate action at the local level. - ICYMI: Got something that’s broken? These volunteers will turn your trash into treasure at the St. Lawrence market, [preventing thousands of pounds of unwanted goods from going to landfill](. WHAT ELSE New federal ridings will create big changes in the GTA. [Here’s where the drama is expected to unfold](. Canadians may have heard enough from Justin Trudeau, [but Americans are a different story](. Toronto refused to sell this couple the land that makes up their backyard. [Now they’re going to the Supreme Court to claim squatter’s rights](. Halton’s school board is investigating a video that showed a [staff member using “harmful” language toward a student wearing a kaffiyeh](. Donald Trump is running against Joe Biden. [But he keeps bringing up another Democrat: Jimmy Carter](. Black youth face unique barriers to mental health care. [Some doctors are trying to do something about it.]( Time to sell your investment property? Claim your cottage as a principal residence? [Here’s how to navigate the capital gains tax changes](. At age 71, you may convert your RRSP into a RRIF. [Here’s what you need to know](. This food program delivers affordable meals to more than 20,000 clients in Toronto. [Here’s why it’s in jeopardy](. These three beloved restaurants are Scarborough staples. [Now, they’re being immortalized in an unexpected way](. POV Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick [Canada is holding businesses back — and failing to live up to its potential.]( CLOSE-UP Canadian Press/Graham Hughes MONTREAL: Student activists set up camp on McGill University grounds on Saturday. The encampment follows a wave of similar protests at campuses across the United States. [Here’s what they’re saying](. 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_212971). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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