A young Ukrainian's disturbing introduction to Canada

Plus, gender-neutral washrooms and identifying victims of the Manitoba bus crash [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on a Ukrainian teen’s nightmare in Canada, a new school with gender-neutral washrooms and the victims of the Manitoba bus crash. DON’T MISS Toronto Star immigration [In Ukraine, she dreamt of Canada, but her introduction here was a nightmare]( Liza Kravchenko, 19, had hoped her Canadian hosts would help her start a new life, Mahdis Habibinia writes. The London, Ont., couple promised to help her get a driver’s licence, attend English classes, apply for post-secondary school and more, she said. Instead, she said she faced pressure to do erotic webcam “modelling” over three weeks — enduring uncomfortable conversations, sleepless nights and what one expert calls “textbook” grooming and luring into sexual exploitation. [This is the story Kravchenko wants to share to help other women](. - Word from the hosts: There are “a lot of fabricated allegations,” Mary Ann Babiera and Juan Varela said when reached by the Star. They did not specify which weren’t true and refused further questions. - Context: Kravchenko connected with Babiera and Varela on a Facebook page. The Star could not independently confirm how many women interacted with the couple, but one page administrator said about “10 to 12 girls went through their home.” - Go deeper: People in vulnerable positions can face a spectrum of exploitation, experts say. It can be as severe as human trafficking or more subtle and coercive. Lance McMillan/The Star education [TDSB has introduced its first school without gender-specific washrooms — here’s how it’s playing out]( As part of a move to promote inclusivity and reduce bullying and discrimination based on gender, the Toronto public school board decided to bring its first all gender-neutral washrooms to the new Jean Lumb Public School. So far, parents are divided. One group of about 125 parents is speaking out against the facilities — concerned with safety, hygiene and comfort — while some are indifferent and others are supportive, Isabel Teotonio reports. [These are the conversations happening around the school and what we know about the future of gender-neutral washrooms](. - More: The group of opposed parents say they want a set of multi-stall washrooms transformed, so that one is available for anyone identifying as male, and the other for those who identify as female. - Meanwhile: Anyone uncomfortable using the multi-stall washrooms can access stand-alone single-user, accessible facilities, the school board says. - Another angle: Parent Scott MacMillan takes no issue with the washrooms. “We, as parents and educators, have to teach our kids how to behave in social situations. And part of that is about how to use these common facilities.” Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck canada [Why identifying the victims of the Manitoba bus crash may take time]( The identities of the 15 people killed in a fiery bus crash just outside of Carberry, Man. on Thursday — mostly seniors from the town of Dauphin out for an excursion to a casino — have still not been released and may not be for several more days. While the RCMP said families of the deceased were notified by Friday evening, the work to determine who is who is still underway, Allan Woods and Alex Boyd report. [Take a look at the emotionally taxing and grisly task](. - What we know: Among the victims are two men and 13 women who ranged in age from 58 to 88. - Go deeper: In Dauphin, there is a sense that the victims were town elders who, although not yet individually named, represented collective leadership. WHAT ELSE Pierre Poilievre’s Tories want to “destroy” this rival — [and what else you need to know about today’s federal byelections](. The Ford government wants to know when hospital CEOs leave. [Here’s why it raises concerns that it plans to interfere with local healthcare](. Who to vote for in the Toronto election? [Use our tool to see which candidate is right for you](. [Here’s how the top mayoral candidates would fix city finances]( — and what the experts say. They successfully protested for 16 days and nights. [But international students caught up in the college admission scam are worried about what’s next](. Millions of animals dead, hectares of soil contaminated. [Here’s why, despite the dangers in Ukraine, we are determined to save our animals and nature](. Why the new river valley on Toronto’s east waterfront [won’t open next year, after all](. [Trudeau is creating a war for Canada when one does not exist]( Thomas Walkom writes. [Here’s how throwing too much money at your kids (and parents) can hurt the whole family](. Summer spending can be as bad as Christmas. [These are six cash-burning temptations to watch out for](. Don’t be “gate lice” lurking near airport boarding zones — [and other flying etiquette tips for the summer](. Should you brush your teeth before or after breakfast? [We asked dentists to weigh in](. POV Richard Lautens/The Star [This election is giving us an extraordinary opportunity to fix our city, mayoral candidate Josh Matlow writes.]( CLOSE-UP Greg Van Reil Photo LAKE MUSKOKA: Jodi Cohen Bjorck and her husband wanted to replace the structure on their lakefront property with something sleek and modern, with a Swedish touch. [Take a look inside their 480-square-foot cabin](. 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_187335). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. BEST OFFER OF THE YEAR Get unlimited access to the Star: $3.33/month for 12 months [Get This Offer]( 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]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](