Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Today, the former chair of WE Charity’s Canadian board of directors, Michelle Douglas, as well as the founders of the organization, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger, testified to the House finance committee. The Globe was following the testimonies all day, and keeping up with the highlights happening live from the House.
Douglas spoke about her resignation saying, “I resigned because I could not do my job. I could not discharge my governance duties.” She also said she had no knowledge of the now-cancelled Canada Student Service Grant, and was under the understanding that no WE Day speakers got paid. Read the transcript of her opening remarks here.
The Kielburgers spoke about why they were given the contract saying, “We were not chosen for this work because of our relationship with politicians.” In terms of WE’s financial status, Craig said it “simply isn’t true” that WE was in “dire financial straits” before getting the student grant contract or that this motivated their actions in accepting it. Read the transcript of their opening remarks here.
Up next: On Thursday, Justin Trudeau will testify to the committee, which sitting prime ministers have rarely done, and never before in a controversy of this kind. His chief of staff, Katie Telford,will also speak.
How WE got here: A timeline of the charity, the contract and the controversy
A translator works as WE Charity founders Marc Kielburger, screen left, and Craig Kielburger, screen right, appear as witnesses via videoconference during a House of Commons finance committee in the Wellington Building in Ottawa on Tuesday, July 28, 2020.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
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Nova Scotia inquiry
Bowing to public pressure, the federal and Nova Scotia governments agreed to scuttle their plans for a joint review into the April mass shooting that claimed 22 lives and instead establish a more rigorous public inquiry.
Scores of academics, women’s groups, opposition politicians and more than 30 senators came forward to complain about a lack of transparency and legal clout, despite terms of reference that were lauded for being comprehensive. Two other protests were held Monday in Nova Scotia and a third was planned for Wednesday in Halifax.
COVID-19 news today
Hutterites across the Prairies face stigma
A surge of COVID-19 cases in Hutterite colonies has led to people from those communities in Western Canada, that stretch across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, to report harsh discrimination from nearby towns.
An inconsistent approach about how much to say about the outbreaks has left some communities feeling exposed. Hutterite leaders said when authorities announce cases at colonies, it causes unnecessary fear in nearby communities, leading to discrimination.
Yesterday, Saskatchewan identified nearly two dozen new cases in Hutterite colonies and warned of potentially hundreds more among people who are awaiting test results.
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister makes his way to his seat during question period at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg, Wednesday, May 6, 2020. A Manitoba Hutterite minister is telling the province to stop identifying colonies where members have tested positive for COVID-19 because it is leading to stigmatization.JOHN WOODS/The Canadian Press
Also read:
- Health Canada approves remdesivir to treat patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms
- PEI health officials say there are no active COVID-19 cases in the province
- Dr. Tam says Ottawa, experts discussing COVID-19 vaccine orders amid concerns of delay
Systemic racism in Canada
Provinces and territories are facing calls from Indigenous experts to take British Columbia’s lead and to launch investigations to look into the presence of systemic racism in health care institutions across Canada.
How did this start? Earlier this year there were allegations that doctors and nurses at one hospital were playing a game to guess blood-alcohol levels among Indigenous patients in an emergency room.
What do we know so far? Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, the lead of B.C.‘s independent investigation, said she is still collecting evidence for the probe but that there are early indications that suggest there are systemic concerns.
Also read:
- Sexism, racism at heart of female roofer’s $100,000 victory in federal tax court
- Racism pushed me to become a lawyer, so I wouldn’t be victimized again
B.C. Representative for Children and Youth Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond speaks to a reporter in Vancouver on November 13, 2015.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
U.S. Attorney-General William Barr defends himself, testifies at House panel hearing: He denies accusations that he abused his power to help President Donald Trump’s associates and boost Trump’s re-election hopes. He spoke as the Justice Department faces criticism for sending federal officers to forcibly disperse protesters in Portland and Washington, D.C.
Kingston youth pleads guilty to terrorism-related charges: He was charged with knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity, counselling someone to use an explosive or other lethal device to cause death or serious bodily injury, possessing explosive materials and intent to cause an explosion.
Memorial University establishes its first academic unit in Labrador: Students at the campus will be able to earn degrees while staying in Labrador and Indigenous groups will have voting seats on the school’s academic council.
Emmys 2020 - Schitt’s Creek earns 15 nominations, including best comedy: The quirky little show, which went without Emmy recognition until last year, received 15 nominations for its final season, including lead acting nods for Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara.
- Opinion: John Doyle says that the Emmy nominations list is not the guide to the best TV
MARKET WATCH
Resource stocks weigh on TSX
An impasse in U.S. economic stimulus negotiations and mixed corporate earnings reports in Europe pushed global equities lower and sent investors into safe-haven assets like government bonds and gold, which hovered near record highs.
Materials and Energy were the biggest percentage decliners of the S&P’s 11 major sectors. Defensive real estate and utilities sectors were the biggest gainers.
In Toronto, S&P/TSX composite index closed unofficially down 40 points at 16,121.32. Unofficially, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 205.21 points to 26,379.56, the S&P 500 lost 20.87 points to 3,218.54 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 134.18 points to 10,402.09.
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TALKING POINTS
The U.S. is burning – and Donald Trump is the gleeful arsonist-in-chief
Gary Mason: “While it seems inconceivable that Mr. Trump can survive the chaos he has sown in the time he has held the White House, there is a school of thought that the riots we have recently witnessed play right into his hands.”
With bars open, is it any surprise some people think house parties are okay?
Editorial board: “It’s perfectly fair for governments to call out irresponsible behaviour. But it goes down better when governments, while rightly asking much of citizens, can demonstrate their own diligence and good sense.”
LIVING BETTER
Rosewood Remote Office package specific images hotels are the new office spaceSupplied
Tired of working from home? Try a hotel room
“I had to get away,” Erin Pepler says. “At no point did I think I’d be finishing this book during a global pandemic with my kids who had been home for over 100 days.”
Her deadline was approaching and she needed a new work environment. Parents across the country can likely relate. And now, as the hospitality industry explores new ways to bring in desperately needed revenue, hotels are hoping to ease this family fatigue.
To entice guests back to spaces that have been empty for weeks, Intercontinental Hotel Group launched the “Work from Hotel” package. Hotels across North America are hoping for similarly rave reviews as they roll out new initiatives.
TODAY’S LONG READ
It’s premature to recalibrate your finances back to pre-COVID days
We need people to spend if we want the economy to grow and the job market to improve. In a way, making a big purchase right now is a patriotic act.
But keep half – or even three-quarters – of your pandemic savings as a hedge against any setbacks ahead that lead to lost jobs and reduced incomes. Store the money in smart accounts, or invest it.
Buying things for ourselves represents a much-craved return to normalcy. Enjoy the buzz, but in moderation.
Evening Update is written by Sierra Bein 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.