What Fiera Foods' court win means for temp workers

Plus, India's legal battle against wanted Sikhs and the closure of Roxham Road [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on a notorious North York factory’s win in court, the closure of Roxham Road, and India’s escalating fight against wanted Sikhs in Canada. DON’T MISS Toronto Star File Photo star investigation [Fiera Foods won its multimillion dollar tax battle against the CRA — here’s what it could mean for temp workers]( A notorious North York industrial bakery has won its high-stakes legal battle with the Canada Revenue Agency, after it sought to claim $5.7 million in sales tax credits off its prolific use of tax-delinquent temporary help agencies, Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports. The temp agencies not only failed to pay sales tax to the government, but also had no real addresses and only a handful of workers on the book, raising red flags for auditors. However, a federal tax court found Fiera had ample documentation to prove it legitimately used the staffing services. The ruling sets a precedent that Fiera can’t be held accountable for “the failures of their subcontractors,” to the relief of companies in the same situation, an expert says. [Dig deeper into the case and who it impacts](. - Why it matters: [Mojtehedzadeh went undercover to work at Fiera Foods in 2017]( during which she witnessed minimal safety training and a “crushing” pace of work. She was paid minimum wage in cash through a payday lender. - Go deeper: Fiera Foods has a history of worker deaths, with [five temp agency workers having died at the factory in the last two decades](. Cole Burston/AFP via Getty Images international [India is escalating its legal efforts against wanted Sikhs in Canada]( Against the backdrop of Canada’s “credible allegations” that New Delhi ordered the killing of a Canadian Sikh Leader, India’s law enforcement has accelerated its battle against people it considers terrorists, gangsters and fugitives from justice in the country. According to an Indian charge sheet shared with the Star (containing allegations not yet tested in court), Sikh separatists living abroad are allegedly using the services of a gang to “carry out assassinations and attacks on security establishments” in India. The document from India’s National Investigation Agency also claims that separatists are laundering criminally-obtained money in Canada to fund the fight for Sikh independence. [Take a closer look at India’s allegations](. - More: Indian officials recently confiscated the property of an outspoken “Canada-based” Sikh activist and are offering a cash reward for an Edmonton-based man alleged to lead designated terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International, amidst other allegations. - Context: What is the Khalistan movement? Here’s the background on the fight for an independent Sikh state that’s been debated for at least 300 years — [and how Canada got caught in the crossfire](. Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz STAR EXCLUSIVE [Here’s what really happened when Canada shut down Roxham Road]( New rules made to stem the influx of migrants at spots like Quebec’s Roxham Road have resulted in some of the most vulnerable refugees now being excluded from Canadian asylum protection, Nicholas Keung reports. Since the rules took effect in March, foot traffic of migrants at Roxham Road has dwindled to a trickle — yet Canada’s tide of asylum seekers hasn’t shown any major drop-off. Instead, a Star analysis shows more people are arriving by air — a change critics say makes the presence of refugees less visible and their arrival less dramatic. Because flights require passports or electronic travel authorizations to board, it also seemingly limits who can access Canada. [Here’s what you need to know](. - Context: Canada clamped down on Roxham Road after the number of irregular migrants to Quebec surged in the wake of relaxing border restrictions. [The move seeks to close a “loophole” used to move between Canada and the United States](. - Meanwhile: Demolition has begun on the RCMP’s most famous outpost at Roxham Road this week, [a building many migrants once saw as a “symbol of hope.”]( WHAT ELSE Here’s how a Ukrainian veteran who fought for the Nazis got [honoured in the House of Commons](. “Why would anyone trust this government?” [Doug Ford slammed as he unwinds Greenbelt plans](. House Speaker Anthony Rota is [defying calls to resign after honouring a man who fought for the Nazis](. [Here’s what you need to know about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation]( on Saturday.  Ford workers reached the richest contract in Canadian automaking history. [It still might not be good enough for GM and Stellantis staff](. “Headaches and nightmares.” [A 12-year-old recounts being stuck upside down for 30 minutes on a ride at Canada’s Wonderland](. It’s cheaper to get a ticket than paying to park in some Toronto lots. [The city wants to change that](. The Gardiner is “divisive, derided, ugly.” [A new plan for what’s under it aims to change all that](. Businesses are scrambling for financing as the [pandemic loan payback deadline looms](. LEGO had a plan to go green — [but something’s gone wrong](. Peel police have shared a 911 call in which a [man called to complain about his Tim Hortons coffee](. Here’s what Seattle’s loss on Monday [means for the Blue Jays’ magic number to clinch a wild-card berth](. POV Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle [Canada embarrassed itself when it honoured a man who fought for the Nazis. But that’s hardly the worst part.]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/The Star TORONTO: Health care workers, union members and supporters came out to protest at Queen’s Park Monday. The rally, organized by The Ontario Health Coalition, was to show solidarity against the privatization of public hospitals’ core services. 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_200136). 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. 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