Busy day? Here are five stories popular with Globe readers to help you catch up.
Economists cut Canada’s growth projection, casting cloud on election pledges
A Statistics Canada report being released this week is widely expected to confirm that Canada slipped into recession earlier this year, causing economists to shave their growth forecasts for 2015, Bill Curry reports.
A new survey of 16 economists conducted this month by London-based research firm Consensus Economics shows the economy is only expected to grow by 1.1 per cent this year - down from the two-per-cent growth the federal government expected when it released its April budget.
Philip Hubbard, director of Consensus Economics, said the drop in growth should force political parties to explain what that means for their forecasts as they make political promises during the campaign.
“Ottawa will probably find a way to balance the budget if they really want to,” said BMO economist Robert Kavcic, who believes the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s July forecast of a $1-billion deficit for this year is a reasonable starting point for political parties to use.
The issue of whether Ottawa’s finances should be in deficit or surplus is now a major dividing line in the federal election campaign even though there is no agreement on the current state of the government’s bottom line.
Toronto boy, 14, killed while at a wake in Jamaica: police
A 14-year-old Toronto boy has been shot to death in Jamaica, according to police.
Ricardo Williams was shot around 2 a.m. Sunday morning near Kingston while attending a wake.
He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
In a statement, police said they are seeking a person of interest they believe can assist them in their investigations into the shooting death.
“Canadian consular officials in Kingston are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and are providing consular assistance to the family as required,” said Diana Khaddaj, a spokeswoman with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.
Blue Jays cap off awe-inspiring August with ironic sweep of Tigers
In what Cathal Kelly is calling"one of the greatest Augusts in the history of [baseball]", the Jays are 21-5 and still making waves.
There's no small irony in the fact that the Tigers gave up on the season by trading starter David Price to Toronto, who thanked the generous team with a relentless three-game beating.
During August, Toronto has outscored its opponents by 89 runs.
It's clear that what changed was everything. From the trades to the crowd, there is a virtuous circle of commitment coursing through this club, Kelly writes.
Some other important numbers from the Jays in their face-off against the Tigers:
29 - That's how many runs Toronto put past the Tigers
11 - Number of home runs
A bazillion - Estimated number of hats thrown on the field after Encarnacion’s home-run hat trick on Saturday
1 - Number of times Detroit pitchers lightly tossed the ball straight at Encarnacion, essentially walking him on one pitch
Cree woman from Alberta crowned Mrs. Universe 2015
Ashley Burnham, 25, was crowned Mrs. Universe - an international pageant for married women - in Minsk, Belarus on Saturday.
Burnham, from the Enoch Cree Nation west of Edmonton, is the first aboriginal woman to win the title. She is an actress, model and motivational speaker.
The Mrs. Universe 2015 Facebook page says the topic for this year’s event was “Domestic Violence and Reflection Over Children.”
“Things that occurred in my childhood were incredibly painful and it is very hard to discuss. It was difficult to grow up the way I did, but it made me appreciate everything I have and most importantly made me the strong woman I am today.”
Burnham graduated from the television program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree focusing on drama and acting/television.
What a dance critic thinks of So You Think You Can Dance
Ever since Martha Schabas began writing about dance for The Globe and Mail, she has been asked countless times to share her opinion on So You Think You Can Dance.
But she had never seen the show.
Her curious friends are usually disappointed by this answer, as they were hoping for some kind of indication that the show is worth watching.
According to Schabas, some people are hampered by critical uncertainty; they assume they need insider knowledge to enjoy dance or they are skeptical of their own enjoyment in general.
The show is still hugely popular and there are multiple blogs and fan sites dedicated to it, yet many people who belong to the dance world see SYTYCD as a commercialized diminishing of their art form.
So, Schabas watched the show.
"Did I like what I saw? In a word (or two): not really. Does that mean the dancing isn’t of high calibre? Not at all – it’s often very good," she says.
Schabas had a bone to pick with the choreography, however, as it tends to look like a music video or"interpretive dance."
Her attempt to binge-watch Season 12 saw her get through only half of its episodes - ultimately just leaving her a little bored.