Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
A strike by 7,400 B.C. port workers will be ending after the union and employers agreed to a four-year collective agreement drafted by a federal mediator.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan e-mailed the contract proposal at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, setting a 24-hour deadline for responses in hopes of ending the walkout that started nearly two weeks ago.
More than $9.6-billion of cargo had been affected by the strike as of Thursday morning, according to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.
Benefits provider GreenShield to offer drug plans for people with no coverage
The GreenShield Cares Essential Medicines Program, announced today, will offer medication to low-income Canadians who do not have public or private prescription drug coverage – a gap that the company says accounts for more than one million Canadians.
People belonging to vulnerable communities – such as immigrants and racialized and low-income people – are more likely to bear the brunt of prescription costs, GreenShield executives say.
The pilot project will offer individuals in the Niagara and Windsor regions in Ontario up to $1,000 a year in drug coverage for an approved list of medications, including antibiotics, blood pressure and diabetes medications.
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Ashraf alTahir, president of the Sudanese Canadian Communities Association, poses for a photograph at his home in Markham, Ont., on Thursday, July 6, 2023.Tijana Martin/The Globe and Mail
Sudanese Canadians feel abandoned by Ottawa as relatives await travel documents
Months after fighting began raging in Sudan, Sudanese Canadians say their loved ones remain trapped inside the country or are stuck in limbo in neighbouring countries, waiting for Ottawa’s promised help.
Globe reporter Janice Dickson spoke with five Sudanese Canadians who described a confusing program mired in bureaucracy and complicated forms.
This is despite the federal government implementing temporary measures they said would make immigration easier for Sudanese family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Hollywood actors join screenwriters in historic industry-stopping strike: Leaders of Hollywood’s actors union voted Thursday to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades, shutting down production across the entertainment industry.
Elizabeth May says a stroke led to recent hospital stay: The headache and fatigue that sent the Green Party of Canada leader to hospital last week turned out to be a hemorrhagic stroke, May told The Globe Thursday, adding she isn’t experiencing any lingering neurological effects.
Suspect arrested after death of Toronto woman: Damian Hudson, 32, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old Karolina Huebner-Makurat, who was hit by a stray bullet in a daytime shooting in Toronto’s east end last week.
The latest Bank of Canada rate hike is bad news for renters: Yesterday’s hike will boost demand for rentals, force some landlords to sell and put a further damper on the construction of new rental and condo units, experts say.
U.S. officials approve over-the-counter birth control: Perrigo’s once-a-day Opill medication, which wouldn’t require a prescription, is slated to roll out early next year and would improve contraception access.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index gained more than 200 points Thursday, led by strength in tech, metals, financials and utilities, while U.S. markets also rose.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 206.87 points at 20,277.64.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 47.71 points at 34,395.14.
The S&P 500 index was up 37.88 points at 4,510.04, while the Nasdaq composite was up 219.61 points at 14,138.57.
The Canadian dollar traded for 76.17 cents US compared with 75.83 cents US on Wednesday.
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TALKING POINTS
How Sweden can collaborate with Canada as part of NATO
“Sweden is set to finally join Canada as a member of NATO. But our co-operation shouldn’t end there. In a newly released report, the Stockholm Free World Forum made recommendations about how Sweden should develop its total defence capabilities after joining NATO, and several of our recommendations have a direct or indirect Canadian connection.” – Gunnar Hökmark and Patrik Oksanen
Canada’s wildfire approach needs to shift from reactive to pro-active
“Wildfires truly know no borders. They are everyone’s problem. To match the scale of these fires, we need everyone to help implement solutions. By increasing funds for pro-active fire management, we can employ a diverse range of people ... to help make our forests and communities more resilient.” – Kira Hoffman
LIVING BETTER
Looking for excitement? Antarctica is ready to deliver
Have you ever wanted to try sea kayaking, snorkelling, or alpine trekking among icebergs, penguins and seals? As Globe editor Domini Clark recent found out, an unforgiving landscape and unpredictable climate makes Antarctica a thrilling cruise destination.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Beyoncé and me: How I ended up on stage with Queen Bey herself
Beyoncé at Rogers Centre in the first of two shows marking the opening of the North American leg of her RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR, July 8, 2023.Kevin Mazur/Supplied
When Globe technology reporter Temur Durrani made the last-minute decision to buy a resold ticket for Beyoncé's concert at Toronto’s Rogers Centre Sunday, he expected to watch the superstar perform from the nosebleeds.
Instead, an arena staffer pulled him aside and handed him a VIP ticket worth more than $4,000.
Up on the VIP platform directly next to the stage, Durrani started to wonder where his incredible luck had come from. Why was he chosen out of thousands of diehard Beyoncé fans? Was it his outfit, his good looks, his general vibe? Like any good journalist, Durrani knew he had to investigate.
Evening Update is written by Tegwyn Hughes. 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.