Has Canada lost its mojo?

Plus, Toronto's World Cup hosting deal and soaring measles cases [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. It’s leap day — [Vinay Menon makes the case for naming Feb. 29 a national holiday](. Here’s the latest on immigrants becoming Canadian citizens, the costs and benefits of Toronto hosting World Cup games, and rising measles cases. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Justin Tang immigration [Fewer immigrants are becoming citizens — is the “market value of becoming Canadian” dropping?]( Canada is accepting more immigrants than ever, but new data suggests fewer and fewer of them are becoming citizens, Nicholas Keung reports. This is particularly true for those with lower levels of education, lower family income and lower language skills. “But we saw just a few weeks ago from Statistics Canada that the (recent) immigrants who are most likely to leave the country are (the wealthiest and best educated). No matter which way you look at it, it’s clear that Canada’s appeal in the eyes of immigrants is fading,” said the CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Daniel Bernhard. [Is Canada losing its mojo?]( - By the numbers: The proportion of permanent residents who acquired Canadian citizenship after they met the residency requirement has decreased from 75 per cent in 1996 to just 46 per cent in 2021, according to a new Statistics Canada study. - Go deeper: “If our growth strategy continues to be dependent on immigrants, that’s a real problem for our future viability,” Bernhard said. Richard Lautens/The Star gta [Toronto will receive a fraction of tax revenue for the World Cup, despite being on hook for bulk of the costs]( It will cost an estimated $380 million to hold six World Cup games in Toronto, the city said this week, and Toronto is set to foot a disproportionate share of that bill, Ben Spurr reports. The province has conditionally agreed to contribute $97 million, while Ottawa has yet to make a firm commitment. To add insult to injury, the city is only expected to gain $3 million in taxes from the games — a small fraction of the direct revenue that will flow to the provincial and federal governments. [Here’s a closer look at how the money could be split](. - More: “Every other level of government is going to see a net benefit, whether or not they even invest in the games in the first place. And yet the City of Toronto’s left holding the bag. And I just don’t accept that as a good deal,” said Coun. Josh Matlow. - Watch for: A federal spokesperson said Wednesday that the government is continuing to work with “Canadian parties and FIFA” to finalize funding plans. BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images explainer [Measles cases are skyrocketing globally. How did we get here?]( It’s been decades since a life-saving vaccine eliminated measles in Canada and most high-income countries, but now outbreaks are erupting across the world. Europe has seen more than 42,000 infections across countries in recent weeks, while Canadian health officials are aware of six infections in the country as of last Friday. Could a big outbreak happen here? Experts are warning that we’re approaching a “tipping point” with vaccine hesitancy, leaving us vulnerable to diseases once believed to be eliminated, Kevin Jiang reports. [Here’s what you need to know about measles, the Canadian response and the toll of vaccine misinformation](. - More: “Measles is perhaps the single most transmissible infection that’s ever been identified,” Dr. Alon Vaisman, an infectious diseases and infection control physician at Toronto’s University Health Network, told the Star. - Why it matters: While measles itself can be mild, it can result in serious and sometimes-fatal complications that can pop up even years after an initial measles exposure, said Dr. Anna Banerji, an infectious and tropical diseases specialist at the University of Toronto. WHAT ELSE [The Ford government says a solar eclipse is no excuse for teachers to work at home]( after Toronto Catholic elementary teachers pushed for it. [NDP MP Daniel Blaikie will resign to work with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew]( as the party struggles to advance in polls. Security concerns led to two Winnipeg lab scientists being fired, explosive documents reveal. [Here’s what else we know](. [A Toronto cop has been sentenced to four years in prison]( for sexually assaulting a “vulnerable” woman while he was on duty. The former world junior hockey team members accused of sexual assault are requesting a jury trial. [That’s no surprise to a criminal defence lawyer](. Lynx Air is the latest in a long line of discount Canadian airlines to vanish. [Here’s why they struggle to survive](. A convicted terrorist has refused to sign a peace bond and [will instead be jailed for another six months](. [Police have identified the two men]( killed in the Weston double shooting on Tuesday. Parenting your parents can feel like a disorienting role reversal. [How caregiving for older parents takes an emotional toll for grownup kids](. Breast cancer in men is rare, but can be deadly. [Take a look at one man’s experience with the diagnosis](. The women’s hockey boom has given some the financial stability to play hockey full-time — [but many are stretching their salaries further with help from agents](. Tommy Orange’s second novel follows his Pulitzer-nominated debut and [traces the history of colonial violence on Native Americans](. POV Canadian Press/Cole Burston [Here’s why Doug Ford can get away with squeezing Ontario’s colleges and universities.]( CLOSE-UP Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images GAZA: A man is comforted by another man as people inspect the damage to their homes after Israeli air strikes on Feb. 18 in Rafah. The death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 30,000, the Health Ministry said today, [after a strike killed Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid](. 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_209689). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited access to the Star Sale: Starting at only $1 for a limited time [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]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](