Evening Update: Payette resigns as Governor-General; COVID-19’s retreat owing to vaccinations could take months

Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:

It wasn’t long after an independent review of workplace harassment allegations at the Governor-General’s office was completed that the Queen’s representative drew her own conclusion: It was time to vacate the position.

Julie Payette, who has served as Governor-General since her appointment by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2017, resigned today along with her deputy, Assunta Di Lorenzo.

The federal government commissioned the review of Payette’s office, which has been delivered to the Privy Council Office, after allegations surfaced in July about a toxic workplace culture including bullying behaviour by the Governor-General and Di Lorenzo.

Elusive population immunity made more elusive by people moving about

Researchers in Britain, where vaccines are being administered at a world-leading rate, have released modelling that suggests population immunity to the novel coronavirus could remain elusive if not enough people get the vaccine. In any case, it will take months for inoculation programs to allow for responsible lifting of restrictions.

They also warn that new, more contagious variants of the virus mean that natural herd immunity may never be achieved.

In more immediate struggles, measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Canada are under fresh scrutiny. A report by Ontario’s pediatric hospitals raises concerns about the physical, mental and developmental harm students experience when schools are closed. But while the report says “school closures should be a last resort,” it also cautions against sending children back to classrooms without proper COVID-19 testing and infection-control measures.

And while a new data analysis shows that more than a million Canadians were away from home for overnight trips during the holiday season, visitors to Florida will no longer be able to get a vaccine there.

• Vincent Lam: Family doctors are key to Canada’s vaccine rollout. We must include them in this vital process

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Power gap revealed: An investigation into pay disparity turns up much more

In an unprecedented analysis of hundreds of public-sector salary records, The Globe has found that women continue to be out-earned, outnumbered and outranked by men not just at the very top, but on the way to the top and in the middle. Equity experts and economists who reviewed The Globe’s findings say the patterns are almost certainly replicated in the private sector.

In a series examining the role of women in the workplace, reporters Robyn Doolittle and Chen Wang spent 2½ years examining records, analyzing data and speaking with women experiencing this inequality. Their findings will be published over the next several days and can be found in one place on our website.

• Why don’t women advance through the corporate world like men do? Seven reasons why, and three women’s stories
• How we did it: A look at how The Globe collected and analyzed salary data for the Power Gap
• The story behind Power Gap: We set out to expose pay disparity, but found it went deeper than money
• This is the Power Gap: Explore the investigative series and data

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ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Biden at work: In Joe Biden’s first full day as U.S. President, he planned to revoke a Trump policy that prevented foreign groups that discussed abortion from getting U.S. funding, signalled his intention to keep Christopher Wray in the role of FBI director, and sought a five-year extension of the nuclear arms treaty with Russia.

Property ‘wolf’ slapped: An unlicensed property manager who calls himself the Wolf of Burrard Street has ceased operating after B.C.’s regulator opened an investigation into his alleged scheme of collecting security deposits from prospective renters then cancelling agreements and keeping the money.

737 flies again: A Calgary-to-Vancouver flight operated by WestJet this morning marked the first time Boeing 737 Max aircraft took to Canadian skies since being grounded almost two years ago.

Flint settlement approved: A U.S. District judge has given preliminary approval to a US$641-million deal to compensate Flint, Mich., residents whose drinking water was contaminated by lead more than five years ago. The approval leaves open the possibility of residents pursuing their own legal claims.

MARKET WATCH

Signs of strength from the U.S. manufacturing and housing sectors helped the S&P 500 and Nasdaq achieve record highs today, showing how high unemployment is not enough to bring down the stock market.

In Canada, declines in financials and energy dragged down the S&P/TSX Composite Index, which closed down 98.71 points, or 0.55%, at 17,916.20.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 12.37 points, or 0.04%, to 31,176.01, the S&P 500 gained 1.23 points, or 0.03%, to 3,853.08 and the Nasdaq Composite added 73.66 points, or 0.55%, to 13,530.92.

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TALKING POINTS

Trump could have left the White House with power and influence – but ruined it

Robyn Urback: “By the time he left the White House Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump had lost practically all of the mechanisms that would allow him to parlay his substantial grassroots following into enduring political power in Washington and beyond. His former aides, GOP leaders and even his vice-president all skipped his farewell sendoff in favour of attending Mr. Biden’s inauguration.”

Why health care institutions need to build trust with the Black community in the fight against the pandemic

Bria Hamilton: “Stories of medical racism are commonly shared within and across Black communities, many of whose members do not trust medical institutions to care for us. This mistrust is certainly not unfounded: The histories of Canada and the United States are riddled with enslavement, institutionalized racism and overpolicing of Black bodies.”

Golden years, golden boards: Mike Harris’s post-politics career

David Milstead: “Ontario’s deregulation of the long-term care sector occurred during Mike Harris’s “common sense revolution” of the late 1990s. And about a year after his premiership ended, he joined Chartwell’s board as its chairman. To focus too much on Chartwell [Retirement Residences], however, would overlook how Mr. Harris turned corporate-board work into a highly lucrative full-time career.”

LIVING BETTER

Loved Bridgerton? You’ll fall for this crop of new escapist historical fiction

If you’ve sampled (or binged upon) the many pleasures of Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton, you may now have a gaping hole in your life, just begging to be filled with something as transportive as this steamy attempt to rewrite English history. Turn, then, to escapes on the page, specifically these six works of historical fiction.

An ETF fan asks: ‘Is there still any role for mutual funds in a portfolio?’

Don’t count out mutual funds even as ETFs steal most of the attention, writes personal finance columnist Rob Carrick. For investors seeking simplicity and a vehicle for their portfolios that can be managed strategically by a professional, mutual funds are still a good option. Just avoid needlessly high fees – reasonably priced options do exist.

TODAY’S LONG READ

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Champion rower Kathleen Heddle was one of Canada’s greatest Olympians

An unlikely champion given her introduction to rowing at the advanced age of 19, Vancouver’s Kathleen Heddle became one of Canada’s most decorated athletes and, along with partner Marnie McBean, the flag-bearer at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

She had no need for the spotlight, but her quiet wisdom and determination were the perfect characteristics to pair with the more gregarious McBean. Physically gifted and naturally athletic, Heddle was discovered by a rowing coach at the University of British Columbia, and despite a learning curve she went on to win three Olympic gold medals and three world championship golds with her teammates.

After living with cancer for six years, Heddle died on Jan. 11 at age 55.

Read the obituary by Tom Hawthorn here.

Evening Update is compiled and written weekdays by an editor in The Globe’s live news department. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.