Ford's Science Centre plans face growing resistance

Plus, the plight of "lost" Canadians and the Pearson gold heist [The Star] First Up [By Ashley Okwuosa] By Ashley Okwuosa Good morning. Here’s the latest on the growing resistance to Ford’s plans for the Science Centre, a legal battle to determine citizenship, and a $20-million heist at Pearson. DON’T MISS Lance McMillan/The Star provincial politics [Resistance is growing to Ford’s Science Centre plans]( City councillors fighting the Ford government’s plan to demolish the existing Ontario Science Centre and move its programming to the lakefront got some good news Thursday. City staff confirmed to the Star that, under the terms of the lease on the ravine land on which the Science Centre sits, the Ontario government can raze the building but it can only rebuild another science centre. In order to build housing on the plot “the lease would have to be renegotiated with the City and TRCA,” the city says. [Kelly Skjerven and David Rider report on the small steps councillors and architects are taking to hamper Premier Ford’s plan](. - Good news for: Those who want the Science Centre to stay put. The site is jointly leased by the city and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to the Science Centre for $1 per year until 2064. Under lease terms, the province can replace the landmark edifice with other buildings “provided they are constructed for purposes of operating as a science centre.” - More: The Toronto branch of the Architect Conservancy of Ontario and the Toronto Society of Architects have taken to social media to call on the Ford government to reconsider its plans and save the building. ACO Toronto is asking city council to designate the building under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. - Another angle: While Tories insist Ford was always going to move the Science Centre, [others say mayoral candidate Ana Bailão forced the government to rush its planned announcement]( when she proposed moving the interactive science museum from Don Mills to the lakeshore. Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick federal politics [The only path to citizenship for “lost” Canadians can take years]( At a hearing in Toronto on Thursday, federal government counsel argued there’s no charter right to citizenship and alternative pathways are available for children born overseas to foreign-born Canadians who can’t inherit citizenship under the second-generation cut-off rule. However, a judge noted that these alternative pathways could take years and are prone to mix-ups and mistakes. The litigants in the lawsuit are seeking an order to declare the second-generation citizenship cut-off unconstitutional and grant citizenship to the four children in the lawsuit whose citizenship is still pending. [Nicholas Keung reports on the case and why the government is arguing that there is no charter right to citizenship](. - Context: In 2009, [the Harper government enacted and imposed a second generation cut-off for Canadians born abroad]( after Ottawa's massive effort to evacuate 15,000 Lebanese Canadians stranded in Beirut during a month-long war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006. - Why it matters: The ongoing lawsuit was brought by 23 individuals from seven families that have been negatively affected by the cut-off rule, arguing the law discriminates against them based on their place of birth, violates their mobility and liberty rights, and disproportionately puts women at a disadvantage when they have to give birth outside of Canada due to circumstances beyond their control. Toronto Star File Photo crime [Peel police is investigating a heist of over $20 million in gold and high-value goods from Pearson airport]( Insp. Stephen Duivesteyn of the Peel Regional Police said a “high-value container” was stolen Monday after being off-loaded from a plane into a holding cargo facility at Pearson, Canada’s busiest airport. Duivesteyn also confirmed that police believe this is a “very rare” isolated incident. Mahdis Habibinia and Jim Rankin report on the theft and [what police have revealed about the cargo’s final destination and intended recipient](. - What we know: A statement from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) said the thieves accessed the public side of a warehouse leased to a third party, “outside of our primary security line.” The thieves did not have access to Toronto Pearson itself and did not pose a threat to passengers or GTAA staff. - Flashback: This is not the first gold to be lifted from Pearson. In 1952, about $215,000 in gold bars (valued at about $2.5 million today) were stolen from Malton airport — now Pearson. The culprits were never seen and no suspects were ever publicly named. The heist made headlines around the world, with the Star running the story under the headline, “Can’t tell yet how $214,000 gold stolen.” [Food Crawl newsletter] Where should you eat next? If you’re wondering where to eat as the city heats up, you need Food Crawl, the Star’s free food newsletter. Whether it’s a strip mall standout or a downtown gem, Food Crawl will make you an insider on the best eats in Toronto and beyond. [Sign up for free here](. WHAT ELSE Thousands of Canadian tax workers are on strike: [Here’s what to do if you have tax questions, need to file late or want a quick refund](. The shishalh Nation on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast says [40 unmarked graves have been found around former residential school](. A 12-year-old boy has been [charged with two counts of sexual assault](. Average GTA rents hit a record $3,000, [creating a “very alarming” situation](. Who’s to blame for the ethics commissioner quitting? [Pierre Poilievre’s MPs say it’s the Liberals](. [Mélanie Joly told Canadians in Sudan to shelter in place]( amid violence between the army and a rival paramilitary force. [Unions say school boards will struggle to cover all their costs in 2023-24]( following the Ford government’s 2.7 per cent funding increase. In episode 5 of “The Billionaire Murders” podcast, Kevin Donovan looks into [the wrong turns taken in the Sherman investigation](. The city will appeal the ruling in the case of a [bylaw officer accused of anti-Black racism](. The wave of Islamophobic incidents has [gotten out of hand this Ramadan](. Wondering why your allergies are especially bad lately? [You can blame the male trees](. Vehicles are restricted at High Park as the [cherry blossoms hit peak bloom](. CSIS warned COVID-19 would spark a [wave of conspiracy theories and extremism](. [Earl Cochrane is out]( as Canada Soccer general secretary. ICYMI Todd Korol/The Star [She found out she’d been breathing a cancer-causing gas for over a decade. So why won’t Canada’s health-care system let her get her lungs tested?]( CLOSE-UP Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo JERUSALEM: Palestinians attend Eid al-Fitr holiday celebrations by the Dome of the Rock shrine in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City. The holiday, which is celebrated today, marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when devout Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. 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_177734). I’ll 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. 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