Morning Update: Doctors fielding assisted-dying questions from parents; Quebec politician arrested

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These are the top stories:

Doctors are fielding assisted dying questions from children, teens and parents

The 1,050 pediatricians surveyed across the country said they had assisted dying discussions with a total of 419 parents. Most of the minors were children under 13. When it came it assisted dying requests, 45 doctors said they dealt with a total of 91 parents and most of the requests were related to infants. Some of the health reasons that may be prompting those discussions include brain-damaged babies, children with neuro-degenerative diseases and teenagers with advanced cancer. The Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program survey will likely raise questions about individual rights and the need to protect the most vulnerable, possibly informing federal legislation.

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Quebec's anti-corruption unit arrested Liberal MNA Guy Ouellette

Ouellette, who earned the nickname "Mr. Integrity" as one of the province's most prominent crime-fighters, played a key role in going after Quebec's Hells Angels in the 1990s. He was reportedly arrested on suspicion of leaking the crime squad's internal documents on corruption investigations involving former premier Jean Charest and fundraising by the Quebec Liberal Party. Ouellette was recruited by Charest. He hasn't been formally charged with a crime. Quebec's political community expressed shock at the news. "We are dumbfounded by the arrest of Guy Ouellette," Parti Québécois public security critic Pascal Bérubé said. "We need to know more."

Census 2016: Highlights from the latest release

Indigenous peoples now make up 4.9 per cent of the population. That's up from 3.8 per cent in 2006 and 2.8 per cent in 1996. Some of the factors: Improved life expectancies, high fertility rates and more people self-identifying as Indigenous. At the same time, the number of Indigenous children in care has risen and many are still living in substandard housing.

Canada's immigrant population continues to grow, with racialized residents representing 22.3 per cent of the population. Filipinos and Arabs are the fastest-growing groups, increasing by 89.5 per cent and 97.5 per cent, respectively, between 2006 and 2016. More immigrants are heading to the prairies instead of traditional destinations like Toronto and Vancouver.

Toronto has passed Vancouver as the least affordable city for housing. In Toronto, 33.4 per cent of households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing costs. That number sits at 32 per cent in Vancouver. The national average is 24.1 per cent. Some experts say the Toronto and Vancouver numbers can be attributed to a higher proportion of renters in the B.C. city; renters typically have lower costs than owners.

A new front in the battle over Catalonia's independence: freedom of the press

As part of the Spanish government's plan to impose a form of direct rule on Catalonia, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy wants to take control of the region's public broadcaster. Rajoy says the measure is needed to insure information being relayed to citizens is "truthful, objective and balanced." But journalists at the broadcaster, which employs about 2,000 people, say it's an attack on press freedom. Spanish politicians have complained that media coverage of the Oct. 1 referendum vote has been too sympathetic to sovereigntists. The disputed vote amid a police crackdown had a 43 per cent turnout with 90 per cent backing Catalonia's independence.

Here's Konrad Yakabuski's take on the political crisis: "If Spanish democracy looks messy now, the world may have seen nothing yet. While warnings of a second Spanish civil war are far-fetched, no one can rule out increasingly violent clashes between police and independence supporters."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Roots shares flopped in their stock market debut

Shares in the Canadian clothing company lost as much as one-fifth of their value in the first day of trading yesterday. It was one of the worst initial public offerings for a major Canadian company in years. "A failed IPO – just like nobody wants it," said 5i Research founder Peter Hodson. Experts pinned one reason for its poor performance on the state of retail stocks. Sears Canada recently announced plans to liquidate and shutter its remaining stores.

MORNING MARKETS

The euro climbed for a third day and stocks slipped to a month low on Thursday, as traders waited for formal confirmation from the European Central Bank that it will take its biggest step yet in unwinding years of loose monetary policy. Tokyo's Nikkei gained 0.2 per cent, and the Shanghai composite 0.3 per cent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.4 per cent. In Europe, London's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and the Paris CAC 40 were down by between 0.2 and 0.4 per cent by about 5:30 a.m. ET. New York futures were down slightly. The Canadian dollar was just above the 78-cent mark, having tumbled Wednesday after the Bank of Canada signalled a pause in its rate-hiking cycle.

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WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT

Three cheers for the system: Predators have lost their power

"For years, many companies paid lip service to "zero tolerance" harassment policies and legal statutes meant to curtail abuse, all the while looking the other way while it happened all around. So long as the bottom line was never affected, and women (and sometimes men) were shamed into silence or ordered to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of their settlements, then a calm complicity reigned. Those days may finally be coming to an end. In the wake of the sexual-abuse claims against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, and the subsequent #MeToo movement in which women shared their stories of harassment and assault, it has finally dawned on the corporate world that harbouring such corrosive behaviour is not just morally indefensible, but a kick in the profit margin, too." – Elizabeth Renzetti

Quebec's veil law has egg on its face

"...politicians can read polls, and they know that the idea of banning or limiting the niqab in public has appeal. So the Liberals decided to pass a law that signals to voters that the government is willing to ban the niqab, while, in the justice minister's latest telling, doing as little as possible to actually ban the niqab. It's a weird campaign of dog whistle politics, except that everyone can hear it. Even if this law never ends up unveiling many or any veiled women, it sets a terrible precedent. Bill 62 is officially called the "act to foster adherence to state religious neutrality and, in particular, to provide a framework for requests for accommodations on religious grounds in certain bodies." It's a lovely label. Too bad it doesn't reflect what's in the box." – Globe editorial

HEALTH PRIMER

How to reduce injuries from excessive smartphone use

Hand, wrist, forearm, arm and neck problems have been on the rise thanks to smartphone use. When texting, try using other fingers in lieu of your thumbs whenever possible. You'll also want to keep your wrists relaxed and straight. Keeping your phone at your chest, chin or eye level will help prevent neck strain.

MOMENT IN TIME

The completion of the Erie Canal

Oct. 26, 1825: It took about eight years for men and horses to dig the 584-kilometre canal between Albany, N.Y., and Lake Erie. When the Erie Canal opened on this day, it let loose a flood of settlers heading west and allowed grain and other products to move between the Great Lakes, New York and global ports. The canal was – and is – heralded as an American achievement. It helped spur a canal-building boom that slashed the costs of moving goods and people at a time when roads were rutted paths and railways were non-existent. It fostered a generation of homegrown engineers. It gave settlers safe and fast passage through the Appalachian Mountains. And the flow of trade transformed New York into a centre of commerce. – Eric Atkins

Morning Update is written by Arik Ligeti.

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