Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Deputy PM Freeland weighs in on Air Canada CEO’s French language comments
Learning to speak French should become part of Air Canada chief executive officer Michael Rousseau’s performance review, says Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, commenting on the uproar over the CEO’s remarks about his inability to speak one of Canada’s two official languages.
In a letter to Air Canada’s chairman, Vagn Sorensen, Freeland also said the airline should make the ability to communicate in French one of the qualifications of anyone holding a senior position at the carrier.
Rousseau, who has headed the airline since February, ignited the controversy this past Wednesday by giving a speech to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce almost entirely in English.
Rousseau apologized last week and said he planned to improve his French language skills. His speech and comments spurred about 1,000 people to complain to Canada’s Commissioner of Official languages, Raymond Théberge, who said he might investigate the matter. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec political leaders also criticized Rousseau.
Opinion: Sure, it would be nice if Air Canada’s CEO spoke French, but it’s not essential - Ashley Nunes
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Trudeau criticizes Conservatives on COVID-19 vaccinations while calling for parliamentary co-operation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has assailed the federal Conservatives today for their stand on COVID-19 vaccinations even as he urged Liberal MPs to work with other progressive parties to deliver concrete results on climate change, housing and Indigenous reconciliation.
The first Liberal caucus meeting since the federal election seven weeks ago took place today, as the NDP held a separate gathering to discuss whether to form a co-operative agreement to prop up the Liberal government.
After Trudeau spoke, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole held a news conference during which he warned that any co-operative agreement between the Liberals and NDP would result in runaway spending, higher inflation and serious damage to the economy.
Opinion:
- On Erin O’Toole’s HMCS Conservative, who’s the captain now? - Globe Editorial
- For the Liberals and NDP, the hard part about a parliamentary deal is how they will deal with Parliament itself- Campbell Clark
Obama calls out China and Russia at UN climate summit
Former U.S. president Barack Obama has singled out Russia and China for showing a “dangerous lack of urgency” on climate change, admonishing the leaders of those countries for their no-shows at COP26 in Glasgow.
He said it was up to the United States and Europe to lead the fight against climate change, but called on countries such as India, South Africa and Brazil to step up their efforts as well. “We can’t afford anybody on the sidelines,” he said.
Obama also took aim at environmental activists, urging them to listen closely to people who have legitimate concerns about the cost of fighting climate change.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Names of Astroworld tragedy victims released: Authorities today released the names of the eight people who died at Houston’s Astroworld music festival, as investigators watched video, interviewed witnesses and reviewed procedures to try to determine what went wrong when the crowd rushed the stage during a performance by the rapper Travis Scott.
Restrictions eased at U.S. border Fully vaccinated Canadians were once again paying long-awaited visits to loved ones, vacation properties and tourist destinations in the United States today as southbound travel restrictions finally began to ease along the world’s longest unmilitarized land border. Watch: Travel restrictions ease at Canada-U.S. land border but testing requirement is a frustration.
Ford touts Bradford Bypass project: Ontario Premier Doug Ford has committed to fully funding the controversial Greater Toronto Area highway project that’s been in the planning stages for decades, though it hasn’t yet been fully costed by his Progressive Conservative government.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index closed at a record high for the third straight day, with cannabis stocks leading the charge on a report of a U.S. Republican-led marijuana legalization bill, and the Congressional passage of a US$1-trillion infrastructure bill also lifting sentiment. Wall Street stocks ended slightly higher, rising early after passage of the infrastructure spending bill, but paring gains late as sliding Tesla shares weighed the indexes down.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 104.27 points or 0.29 per cent to 36,432.22, the S&P 500 added 4.17 points or 0.09 per cent to end at 4,701.70, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 10.77 points or 0.07 per cent to 15,982.36.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index climbed 100.72 points or 0.47 per cent to 21,556.54.
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TALKING POINTS
As a doctor promoting vaccination, I live in fear
“What does this say about our society? What does it say about our political leaders who stoke the flames of divisiveness and gaslight those same health care professionals who they once said were heroes?” - Nili Kaplan-Myrth, family doctor
Aaron Rodgers scorns NFL COVID-19 protocols because he can – with no consequences
“Rodgers just bit his thumb at the league, teammates, fans and the generally agreed-upon direction of the American state. The result? A lot of hand waving, a little name calling and nothing else.” - Cathal Kelly
LIVING BETTER
If you’re hitting the gym regularly but still aren’t seeing results, you may be falling prey to these subtle ways of sabotaging your workouts. They include treating weekends like holidays: If you’re heading out for a beers with friends on a Friday night, you could unintentionally consume a few days worth of calories in a single evening.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Gord Downie’s widow Kaya Usher releases debut music with her Family Band
Kaya Usher, widow of Gord Downie, has released Heart Clicks, the first single from the forthcoming album All This Is.The Globe and Mail
More than 15 years after Gord Downie wrote the lyrics to the song Family Band, the dream has finally happened. Kaya Usher, Downie’s widow, just released the single Heart Clicks, credited to Kaya Usher and the Family Band. The new song and the forthcoming album All This Is also feature two of the couple’s four children.
“When the kids were younger, we always talked about the day there would be time to throw a drum set in a station wagon and have some fun as a family band,” Usher, 54, tells The Globe and Mail. “It’s been four years now since Gord crossed over. There’s been a lot of healing since that time, and a lot of healing actually that happened in the making of the record.”
Moreover, there’s a lot of healing in the record, according to Usher, a meditation enthusiast and self-discovery proponent. She says the album is “infused with high levels of frequency,” or sonic vibrations, aimed at inducing tranquillity and promoting emotional resetting. Read Brad Wheeler’s full story here.
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