Inside our school washrooms, education’s war zone

Plus, why boomers aren’t downsizing fast enough for millennials and the risks of borrowing against your life insurance policy [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. We’re off tomorrow for Labour Day — but the CFL is in full swing. Despite challenges, Damien Cox thinks [the league’s on-field product is great right now](. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Toronto Star illustration/Dreamstime Education [School washrooms are a battleground. Here’s how some are reclaiming the space]( Between vaping, vandalism and fear of being harassed over gender identity, school bathrooms have become a place where culture wars rage and many students fear to go, Janet Hurley writes. Students and faculty agree that for the sake of happier, healthier learning environments, something has to give. [One Ontario school board thinks it’s found a simple solution that even cash-strapped schools can deploy](. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star Housing [Toronto’s seniors aren’t downsizing. That spells trouble for millennials having kids]( Many baby boomers are choosing to age in place rather than downsize, exacerbating the issue of limited family-ready units in Toronto, Manuela Vega reports. Inventory won’t be available to meet the needs of millennials looking to start families of their own. [Worryingly, experts say these conditions will create even more financial challenges for young Canadians down the line](. Len Redkoles SPORTS [The Gaudreau tragedy hits home on many levels]( When New Jersey-raised hockey star Johnny Gaudreau left the Calgary Flames after nine seasons in 2022, he just wanted to be closer to his family, Dave Feschuk writes. Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew were fatally struck by a suspected drunk driver on Thursday, the night before their sister’s wedding, showing [what’s at stake when people make reckless, selfish decisions](. Dreamstime Personal Finance [Beware the risks before borrowing against your life insurance policy]( Most Canadian adults have some form of life insurance. With whole and universal life plans guaranteeing an eventual payout, it’s certainly possible to borrow against your future post-mortem windfall. However, experts tell Srivindhya Kolluru that manoeuvre isn’t without pitfalls, including the obvious: borrowing against your life insurance begins to strip away your beneficiaries’ eventual sum. [Here’s what else you need to know](. House of Anansi Press Excerpt [For years, her grandma was the villain. Reality was always more complicated]( As a journalist, Sadiya Ansari spent years debunking stereotypes around immigrant and Muslim communities. Then she realized she’d placed her own grandmother in the same box. Her Daadi wasn’t just the woman who abandoned her children to start a new life. [Read an excerpt from Ansari’s bestseller, “In Exile: Rupture, Reunion, and my Grandmother’s Secret Life.”]( UP CLOSE Chris Young/The Canadian Press With his employer’s blessing and strict parameters set by the Guinness World Records, one Canadian will boldly go where no cinephile has ever gone before: watching 80 movies over the 11 days of the Toronto International Film Festival. [It appears his pursuit is the reel deal](. READ THIS Scribner So many books, so little time. Doug Brod has sorted through all the new releases hitting shelves in the months ahead. [Here are 25 books to read this autumn, including the memoir of a Hollywood legend](. [Thanks for reading. You can reach 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_1388). We will see you again on Tuesday. 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](