Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre greets a busload of asylum seekers at Olympic Stadium.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
TOP STORIES
Quebec's resources wear thin as wave of asylum seekers swells
The asylum seekers arrive about a dozen by the hour at the end of a quiet country road in upstate New York, hopping out of taxis, extended passenger vans and private vehicles. The number of asylum claims in Quebec tripled in recent weeks from an average of 50 per day to 150, according to the province's Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil.
Many drag along heavy suitcases and are well dressed – right down to parkas and toques in the 30-degree heat, anticipating a life ahead. Twenty-eight of the 57 people who arrive between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday come from Burundi, Syria and the Palestinian territories. The other 29 are originally from Haiti and in several cases have been in the United States so long the younger people speak only English with an American accent.
The migrants have diverse backgrounds but are united in one way: They have found their way to Canada fearing the latest or next immigration crackdown of U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Critics question Canada's financing of a Bombardier jet that has ties to controversial tycoons in South Africa
A Canadian deal to finance a luxury Bombardier jet for a controversial South African business family has cast a fresh spotlight on secrecy policies at the federal government's export credit agency.
Critics are asking how the $41-million (U.S.) financing deal was authorized by Export Development Canada, since the borrowers – the politically powerful Gupta family of South Africa – have been surrounded by corruption allegations and investigations for the past seven years. But EDC says it cannot explain anything about the transaction.
The Guptas have been at the heart of corruption allegations swirling around South African President Jacob Zuma and his government since 2010. But when Bombardier Inc. wanted to sell a private jet to the Guptas, the federal agency agreed to finance 80 per cent of the $52-million purchase price.
The lost chance to beat Usain Bolt will 'haunt' Andre De Grasse, says his coach
Andre De Grasse is trying to put on a brave face about withdrawing from the world athletics championships because of an injury, but his coach says the 22-year-old will be haunted by the lost opportunity to beat Usain Bolt in his final 100-metre race. "If you ask him today he is probably sick of the whole Bolt story, I think that was wearing on him a little bit for the last few weeks," De Grasse's coach Stuart McMillan said Thursday.
De Grasse pulled out of the world championships on Wednesday after tearing his hamstring during a workout in London on Monday. De Grasse had been practising block starts at a local track and was set to finish his workout with a pair of light 60-metre runs. He pulled up after 40 metres on the first, grabbing his hamstring. McMillan said the injury didn't appear serious at first and De Grasse felt somewhat better. But an ultrasound the following morning revealed a small tear.
Toronto talks opioid deaths, and prevention strategies
Toronto Mayor John Tory called public-safety and health officials to his office Thursday for a meeting about a spate of deaths linked to tainted street drugs nearly a week after the city's police issued a public-safety alert about the deaths.
Six people have died from suspected overdoses and dozens more have had non-fatal incidents since last Thursday in one of Toronto's most significant clusters of drug fatalities since fentanyl and other illicit opioids appeared on the city's streets. After the meeting, Mr. Tory said he will now be taking more action to combat the potentially fatal drugs, including asking some officers to carry a life-saving antidote to fentanyl.
Public-health officials across the country have warned for months that authorities in Toronto should be prepared for the appearance of powerful illicit painkillers that have killed thousands of Canadians over the past two years. The deaths, starting in Alberta and British Columbia, have moved east across the prairies as potent opioids have been inexpertly mixed with street drugs, yielding lethal cocktails.
Stocks on hold ahead of key jobs data
Asian stocks inched up on Friday after a technology-led drop on Wall Street, with gains kept in check by investors' reluctance to stake out fresh positions ahead of U.S. jobs data later in the day. The U.S. dollar hovered near the 2-1/2-year-low against the euro touched earlier this week, pressured by signs that probes into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections are gathering pace. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 ended down 0.38 per cent at 19,952.33. Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged up 0.12 per cent. The Shanghai composite index was down 0.35 per cent. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was down 0.08 per cent at 7,468.45 just before 5 a.m. (ET). Germany's DAX was essentially flat and France's CAC 40 edged up 0.02 per cent. West Texas Intermediate crude was lower. The Canadian dollar was trading at 79.54 cents (U.S.). Wall Street futures were positive
HEALTH PRIMER
Why it pays to stretch before you get out of bed
Too many of us wake up feeling stiff and achy. When you think about it, stiffness makes sense. Perhaps you did not stretch appropriately postworkout. More likely, you went directly to bed after sitting all day (at the office, in the car, on the sofa, etc). Pre-bedtime stiffness is compounded by the negative effects of relative immobility all night; when the body is at rest, circulation decreases and synovial fluid (the joint-lubricating substance that is made when you move) is not produced. Plus, you are probably slightly dehydrated. The combined result: chronic sluggishness and aching. The solution? Stretch before you get out of bed. – Kathleen Trotter
WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT
Airline industry's 'calculated misery' shows an embrace of inequality
"The airline industry has gone from basket case to cash cow thanks to the twin strategies of consolidation and upcharging. Shareholders are having a blast. Passengers, not so much. Unless you pay extra to check your bags, choose your seats, cross your legs, exhale normally and otherwise not be made to feel like a lower life form, flying today is hell at 30,000 feet," – Konrad Yakabuski
The reeling house of Trump needs more Ivanka – and so does Canada
"In Washington's web of intrigue, who knows how many crises await the first daughter. The Russian election meddling controversy could engulf her as well as her husband. But she should not be intimidated by naysayers who write her off as a socialite, or by West Wing reactionaries who deride her balanced approach, or by critics who fret over her frocks. In an administration with few shining lights, Ms. Trump is one with star potential. This madcap White House could use more of her, not less. So, too, given her moderate ways, could the northern neighbour," – Lawrence Martin
Solo living is the new norm. Let's learn to deal with it
"The main reason people live alone today is because they can afford it. Generations ago, few people had the means to go solo. Families formed to pool resources, which they used to feed, shelter and protect each other. But two things – the welfare state and the market economy – combined to generate unprecedented levels of personal security. And how did people use their new-found affluence? They got places of their own," – Eric Klinenberg, Professor of Sociology at New York University
MOMENT IN TIME
Anne Frank is arrested August 4, 1944: Anne Frank's family had been hiding in the back of a warehouse in German-occupied Holland for two years before the German-born Jewish family was found by the Gestapo on this day. They originally found the refuge after being threatened with deportation to a labour camp in 1940. After the warehouse raid, suspicions arose that someone had betrayed the Franks. While there was never a conclusive answer, many thought it was one of the warehouse workers who weren't supposed to know about the family. Over the years, there has been multiple investigations into who leaked the information, but none were successful as many key witnesses had passed away. Decades later, people are still speculating over possible suspects, including a woman named Lena Hartog-Van Bladeren who supposedly knew about the family in hiding, and a man named Tonny Ahlers who had previously blackmailed Otto Frank, Anne's father. – Rosa Saba
Morning Update is written by Megan Marrelli
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