Meet the Canadians going to fight in Ukraine

Plus, Ontario scrapped diversity hiring targets and the Star investigates an infamous dog rescue charity [The Star] First Up [By Lex Harvey] By Lex Harvey Good morning. Here’s the latest on Canadians travelling to fight for Ukraine, scrapped diversity hiring targets for transit projects and an alleged culture of fear and mistreatment at an infamous dog rescue charity. DON’T MISS Darryl Dyck/The Star foreign fighters [As Ukrainians flee their country, some Canadians are travelling there to help fight Russia]( Two weeks ago, going back to Ukraine to fight off an invasion was not in the plans for Oleh Hlyniailiuk. Now, events and a sense of duty have drawn the 26-year-old from Vancouver back to his homeland to battle Russia. Hlyniailiuk is among a group of people in Canada — be they Ukrainians, Canadians with Ukrainian roots or others moved by the European nation’s cause — gathering money and gear, and flying to join the resistance. A defence expert said they should expect “carnage.” Jeremy Nuttall and Omar Mosleh report on [the Canadians joining the fight in Ukraine](. - Context: On Sunday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a request for foreigners to take up arms in a newly formed “international brigade.” - Go deeper: While the Canadian fighters’ courage has been lauded, some experts are warning of the danger of sending untrained people into war who do not know the rules of armed conflict. - ICYMI: Here’s why Russia seems to be pivoting its Ukraine strategy — [toward killing more civilians](. Canadian Press/Chris Young diversity & inclusion [Ford scrapped diversity hiring targets for transit projects]( In a move that advocates warn will undo years of progress toward bringing women and racialized residents into the workforce, the Ontario government is reversing a groundbreaking policy intended to employ marginalized communities, Ben Spurr reports. Hiring targets for disadvantaged groups were first included in a so-called community benefits agreement Ontario’s previous Liberal government reached for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in 2016, but the targets are being left out of plans already underway for the province’s $28.5-billion subway program. [Here’s what we know](. - Why it matters: The executive director of the Toronto Community Benefits Network said the province’s change of heart will undermine a program that helped ensure people employed through public infrastructure investment “come from and reflect the diversity of local communities.” - Word from Queen’s Park: A spokesperson for Ontario’s transportation minister said the province “will continue to facilitate a pathway for local communities to develop the skills and qualifications needed to find good-paying jobs in the sector.” - Another angle: Scrapping diversity hiring targets could nullify Ottawa’s pledge of more than $10 billion for Ford’s subway program, since that money is conditional on the province “meeting employment thresholds for under-represented communities.” Susan Kao Photo Illustration/The Star star investigation [How a Toronto dog rescue’s quest to save animals has led to painful consequences for dogs and the people who love them]( Redemption Paws describes itself as one of the largest foster-based dog rescues worldwide, pulling in more than $1 million in revenue last year, and finding homes for nearly 3,000 dogs rescued from American kill shelters. But its fixation on volume — and the scramble to accommodate it — causes collateral damage to people and animals, according to interviews Jennifer Yang conducted with more than two dozen sources, including ex-volunteers and staff. [Read Yang’s full investigation into the alleged culture of fear at the infamous “rescue mill.”]( - Context: Rescue animals have never been more in demand, and Redemption Paws prides itself on saving more dogs than other organizations. But some adopters have paid hundreds of dollars for dogs with painful or life-threatening diseases that were missed, untreated or undisclosed. - Word from the CEO: “We are pioneers in what we do and the scale we do it, especially in Canada,” CEO Nicole Simone wrote in an email to the Star. “Dogs are not an extension of our ego at Redemption Paws, but our hearts.” - More: “This is not right.” [Behind the bitter fight for one of Toronto’s most high-profile rescue dogs](. WHAT ELSE [Is Putin sanction-proof?]( Why hurting “Fortress Russia” is much harder than it seems. The [controversy over Chrystia Freeland and the red Ukrainian scarf]( explained. For some Russians, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is not in its eighth day, [it’s in it’s eighth year](. The mood is shifting in a Polish border town as [alt-right supporters go after dark-skinned refugees]( from Ukraine. More than one-quarter of speeders caught by Toronto’s photo radar last year [never got a ticket](. “Freedom Convoy” organizer Tamara Lich [raised concerns about a judge who denied her bail](. The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is about to decide if unionized employees have the right to file claims. [Here’s why lawyers and advocates are worried](. [Jean Charest is mulling a foray]( into the Tory leadership race, set to [take place Sept. 10](. ICYMI R.J. Johnston/The Star [Many kids are being denied the “right to read.” The Ontario Human Rights Commission issued 157 calls to action to tackle the problem.]( PREVIOUSLY... Doug Griffin/The Star MARCH 3, 1977: High-jumper Robert Forget cleared the bar with a record leap. The Montrealer’s jump of 7 feet, 5 inches at Maple Leaf Gardens set a Canadian open record for indoor meets. Thanks 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_109616). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. [The Star]( 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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