A win in a bid to end the "second generation cut-off"

Plus, renaming Yonge-Dundas Square and the "girl swarm" case [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on a court victory for foreign-born Canadians, the renaming of Yonge-Dundas Square and the “girl swarm” case, a year later. DON’T MISS Supplied Photo star exclusive [“Lost Canadians” win the court battle to reclaim their citizenship rights]( A Canadian court has ruled that it is unconstitutional for Canada to deny automatic citizenship to children born abroad because their parents also happened to be born overseas, Nicholas Keung reports. Now, the federal government has six months to amend the Citizenship Act and repeal the “second-generation cut-off” rule. [Take a look at the 2009 policy that introduced the “lost Canadian” controversy and how the law will change](. - Good news for: First-generation foreign-born Canadians who obtained citizenship by descent, who will have the freedom to explore opportunities abroad without having their decision to become parents compromised by the citizenship restriction, said the lawyers representing the seven families who sued the government. - More: “It was an overwhelming victory for us,” said Sujit Choudhry, a co-counsel for the families, in an interview. “It affects lots of people who will now have their second-class status removed by a new legislation that has to be adopted within six months.” R.J. Johnston/The Star gta [The chair of Yonge-Dundas Square has resigned over the landmark’s renaming]( Mike Fenton, the man in charge of managing Yonge-Dundas Square, says he’s resigning over city council’s vote last week to rename the downtown landmark. In a letter to the head of council’s civic appointments committee, Fenton said he supports the effort to find a new name, but felt the decision for “Sankofa Square,” which came soon after an advisory committee chose the name, gave the public and the board no opportunity to weigh in on the “critical decision for city residents,” Ben Spurr and Alyshah Hasham report. [Here’s what we know about the decision-making process and the new name](. - Context: In 2021, council voted to find alternative names for Dundas St. and other city properties with the name after thousands of residents signed petitions blaming Henry Dundas for delaying abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. - More: Over time, the plan came under increased scrutiny, even from supportive councillors who questioned the idea of spending millions of dollars on the plan. Last week, Coun. Chris Moise proposed a motion to compromise — shelving the idea of renaming the entire street and proposing the new name for Yonge-Dundas Square. Richardf Lautens/The Star courts [What a Star reporter learned in one year covering the Toronto “girl swarm” case]( On Dec. 18, 2022, a few minutes after midnight, bystanders in downtown Toronto flagged down an ambulance — a man was assaulted and the “assailant” fled the scene, says a paramedic note obtained with a freedom of information request. Days later, police revealed they arrested eight girls and charged them with second-degree murder. Kenneth Lee, a 59-year-old man who was homeless at the time, had died. Since then, reporter Jennifer Pagliaro has sat in on nearly 40 court hearings related to the girls’ bail requests and the media’s legal challenges to access court records. But with sweeping publication bans, there’s a lot she can’t say. [Here’s what has happened, what she can’t share and what lies ahead](. - Wait, what? One publication ban applies to all bail hearings to prevent evidence being shared before trial and prejudicing a future jury. Another, under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is meant to uphold the principle that young offenders can be rehabilitated. - More: Not everyone agrees with the publication bans. Kenneth Lee’s family, for instance, has voiced concerns about the youth criminal justice system and questioned the ban on the girls’ identities and details of their bail. WHAT ELSE Justin Trudeau fears Pierre Poilievre is bringing Trump-style politics to Canada — [here’s what else he had to say](. A court has certified a class action suit alleging [decades of “systemic” anti-Black racism inside Canadian prisons](. Bonnie Crombie says Doug Ford’s [ad campaign targeting her is the “government driving in reverse.”]( If affording a home is a key part of being middle class, [where does that leave most Torontonians?]( [The Israeli military says it has uncovered a major Hamas command center]( as ceasefire talks gain momentum. After calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, [this is what Canada should do next](. Police made a dramatic arrest of a [man they say abducted a person at gunpoint and drove a stolen U-Haul truck](. Toronto will open a 240-bed respite centre at Exhibition Place [as hundreds of people are turned away from shelters](. There's a missing link in the Colorado court ruling [blocking Donald Trump’s path back to the White House](. If you can’t find work despite the so-called labour shortage, [you might be applying for “ghost jobs.”]( Providing respite from the daily grind while addressing hot button-issues, [these are the five best crime fiction and thriller books of 2023](. Want to see Taylor Swift in Toronto next November? [Here’s how you can enter the Star’s contest](. POV Canadian Press/Chris Young [How Olivia Chow manages to confound both critics and supporters — and get things done.]( CLOSE-UP John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: A voter gets ready to cast her ballot in Kinshasa on Wednesday. Millions of Congolese headed to the polls in a high-stakes general election in which President Felix Tshisekedi is seeking a new term against a fragmented opposition. 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_205840). Andrew will see you back here tomorrow. LAST CHANCE Only $39.99 for 1 Year [Get This Offer]( 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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