Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Heat wave over Western Canada now linked to sudden deaths in Burnaby, B.C., the RCMP say
The sweltering heat wave that has settled over Western Canada for several days is believed to be a contributing factor in the majority of 25 sudden-death calls the Mounties have responded to since Monday in Burnaby, B.C. The calls relate to a single 24-hour period and the deaths are still under investigation.
The heat wave has shattered weather records, including for the hottest temperature recorded in the country, and prompted health warnings, pushed schools to close and increased the risk of floods and wildfires.
It could ease over parts of British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories by tomorrow, but any reprieve for the Prairie provinces is further off.
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Navy commander who golfed with Jonathan Vance amid sexual misconduct probe to keep his job
Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice-Admiral Craig Baines will not lose his job after playing golf with former chief of the defence staff Jonathan Vance, who is under military police investigation for sexual misconduct allegations.
Acting chief of the defence staff Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre says he will give Baines a chance to redeem himself and would consider next steps for the naval commander.
Baines and then-defence vice-chief Lieutenant-General Mike Rouleau drew outrage this month when they hit the links with the retired general.
Rouleau apologized and resigned from his position soon after, though he didn’t leave the military entirely, while Baines also offered an apology.
Stanley Cup final: Hockey fever in Montreal, Trudeau-Biden bet and more
While last night’s decisive loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 wasn’t the outcome Montreal Canadiens fans had hoped for, Eric Andrew-Gee finds their Stanley Cup fever matches the stifling summer heat.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has challenged U.S. President Joe Biden to a “friendly wager” on the series, to which Biden replied: “You’re on pal.” The stakes of the bet are unclear.
Opinion: For me, the Stanley Cup Final has become a matter of heart, home, and the Habs – David Shribman
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
The latest COVID-19 developments: This afternoon in B.C., Premier John Horgan is announcing the next phase of reopening, set to start Thursday. Ontario enters Stage 2 of reopening tomorrow, permitting personal care appointments and increased patio seating limits at restaurants. And Prince Edward Island will reopen its border to travellers from outside the Atlantic region three weeks earlier than planned, starting July 18.
On today’s The Decibel podcast: Globe and Mail health columnist André Picard explains what the new COVID-19 guidelines for fully vaccinated people from the Public Health Agency of Canada mean, why they’re different from the provincial guidelines, and how to navigate them as the country reopens.
Canada delays new drug-pricing regulations: Health Minister Patty Hajdu is delaying the first big overhaul of Canada’s patented-medicines pricing system for a third time, until next January, to give pharmaceutical companies more time to prepare.
Ottawa speeds up electric vehicle target: The federal government has announced that by 2035 all new cars and light-duty trucks sold in the country will be zero-emission vehicles, five years earlier than its previous target of 2040.
Canada’s Olympic tennis team announced: Former U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu and Felix Auger-Aliassime are among the athletes on the roster for the Tokyo Games, while Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov will not be joining them. Subscribe to our Olympics newsletter: Tokyo Olympics Update features original stories from Globe reporters in Canada and Tokyo, will track Team Canada’s medal wins, and looks at past Olympic moments from iconic performances.
Cav takes Tour’s Stage 4: Veteran sprinter Mark Cavendish sat on the road and cried today after posting a 31st stage win in the Tour de France on his return to cycling’s biggest race following a three-year absence.
MARKET WATCH
On Wall Street, the Nasdaq closed at a record high today, lifted by Apple and other technology stocks after an upbeat consumer confidence report.
The Dow Jones industrial average added 9.02 points or 0.03 per cent to end at 34,292.29, the S&P 500 index gained 1.19 points or 0.03 per cent to 4,291.80, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 27.82 points or 0.19 per cent to 14,528.33.
The S&P/TSX composite index rose 25.77 points or 0.13 per cent to 20,171.02.
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TALKING POINTS
Catherine McKenna, and half of Trudeau’s first cabinet, are now going or gone
“A lot of [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau’s symbolic stars have been ground out of the game in the past six years. As has the symbolism of a cabinet team driving an agenda.” – Campbell Clark
The end of coal in Canada is near – and it’s about time
“In Canada and around the world, ending the use of coal for steel making is not technologically feasible. But the much more widespread use of coal for electric power is a different story: It’s a carbon-intensive activity that must be wound down, and can be.” – Globe Editorial
LIVING BETTER
Many Canadians aren’t getting enough of several essential vitamins and minerals, according to new University of Toronto data. Here is a breakdown of nutrients that should be on your radar, what they do, how much you need and where to find them. They include:
- Calcium: Help your bone strength and maintain healthy blood pressure with food sources including dairy or fortified non-dairy milk.
- Fibre: Protect yourself against Type 2 diabetes, heart attack and stroke with whole grains, lentils and beans.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Move over, tennis players: Pickleball people are taking over the courts
Mike Smith plays pickleball at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver on June 17, 2021.DARRYL DYCK
It turns out a lot of Canadians kept out of gyms were also turning to pickleball as a new pandemic-era pastime. There are an estimated 350,000 pickleball players in Canada, based on an Ipsos survey in late 2019. Those numbers don’t include the hundreds of Canadians who have since picked up the sport as a way to keep fit outdoors during the pandemic while abiding by small-group guidelines.
“If you try it, you just love it,” says Mike Smith, a retired Vancouver firefighter who discovered the game along with his wife while vacationing six years ago in Arizona and then again in Mexico.
An avid racquetball player most of his life, Smith now plays pickleball almost daily. He’s noticed huge growth even just over the past year, with snowbirds grounded in Canada and many others also looking for ways to get outside and get some exercise.
“It’s a great sport and so much better for older people because it’s not as strenuous and hard on the joints, compared to tennis, and it’s more social. It’s just more fun,” he says.
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