Evening Update: Economic news joins vaccines as top issues for campaigning party leaders

Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says party candidates who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will have to take daily rapid tests, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford is threatening two of his caucus members with expulsion for not getting their shots.

The two prominent conservatives made their stances on the third day of the federal election campaign, where mandatory vaccinations have becoming a dividing issue among the party leaders.

Late Tuesday, the Ontario government confirmed that the two MPPs have until Thursday at 5 p.m. ET to get a shot, or provide a legitimate medical exemption – otherwise they will be removed from the 71-member caucus.

When asked if he would be adopting a similar requirement, O’Toole said in French that he expects “my team to have a solid approach on all health measures across the country, including vaccines. But I will respect personal health decisions.”

O’Toole, meanwhile, also said Wednesday that the decade-high July inflation rate is a result of the Liberal government’s economic policies, which he said are being supported by the NDP.

Statistics Canada said Wednesday the consumer price index rose 3.7 per cent in July from a year earlier, driven by rising costs for shelter and continuing supply issues. The headline number was up from 3.1 per cent in June, and surpasses the previous high this year of 3.6 per cent in May. On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.6 per cent.

Read more:

• Buying on credit: Tories woo voters with targeted tax breaks
• Nova Scotia Premier-designate Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservatives begin transition to power

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Taliban violently disperse protest; three killed, dozen injured

In the Afghan city of Jalalabad, Taliban militants attacked protesters who tried to take down their banner and replace it with the country’s flag, killing at least one person and fuelling fears about how the group would govern the country. The attack was made as many Afghans are hiding at home or trying to flee the country as allegations of abuses by the loosely controlled militant organization grow.

Meanwhile, a senior member of the Taliban said Wednesday the country may be governed by a ruling council, with the group’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, mostly in charge.

The power structure that Waheedullah Hashimi outlined would be similar to how Afghanistan was run the last time the Taliban were in power from 1996 to 2001. Then, supreme leader Mullah Omar remained in the shadows and left the day-to-day running of the country to a council.

Opinion:

• I may never hear my cousin’s voice again. Will you speak for him and my family in Afghanistan?
• Canada and the U.S. must learn from the Afghanistan debacle

Proof of COVID-19 vaccinations gaining momentum across the business landscape

Discussions around vaccinations were not confined to the Canadian campaign trail on Wednesday, with Toronto-based Porter Airlines, which is planning to resume flights on Sept. 8, saying it will require employees to be fully vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test before the start of their shift. On Tuesday, Canadian insurance giant Sun Life became one of the first federally regulated financial institutions to mandate vaccinations for its staff.

Also Wednesday, Live Nation Canada said it will soon require ticket holders to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before attending one of their concerts. It made the announcement on the same day the Quebec government said it was cancelling two concerts that were intended to be experiments looking at the impact of COVID-19 on large gatherings. The concerts, which were expected to host up to 25,000 people, had been scheduled for the Quebec City area in September in collaboration with researchers at Université Laval.

Also:

• COVID-19 vaccines produced in Africa by J&J were secretly exported to Europe, reports say
• U.S. will offer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in September
• COVID-19 cases more than double in the Northwest Territories in one day

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Major-General Dany Fortin charged with one count of sexual assault: The military officer who led Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution campaign presented himself to police in Gatineau on Wednesday morning after a warrant for his arrest was issued Monday. He later told reporters that he does not know the details of the allegation against him, despite repeated requests from his legal team.

Final submissions to be made at Meng Wanzhou’s extradition hearing in B.C.: The hearing is expected to wrap up Wednesday, with lawyers for Canada’s Attorney-General making their final submissions in the case. B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes is expected to reserve her decision following the submissions as she considers whether the United States has presented enough evidence of fraud to support its case and have the Huawei executive extradited to face charges in the case that has soured relations between Canada and China.

Maritime farmers ship hay to drought-stricken Prairies as ranchers run out of feed: Months of extreme heat and little rain has left crops withering in fields across the Prairie provinces and into Western Ontario. In B.C., farmers have also been affected by wildfires and heavy smoke.

New Fraser River tunnel to replace aging George Massey link in Vancouver: The B.C. government said the new eight-lane tunnel connecting the cities of Delta and Richmond on Highway 99 will cost $4.15-billion, with a completion date of 2030. Two of the eight lanes will be dedicated to transit and there will be separated pathways for cyclists and pedestrians.

Richard Sackler denies responsibility for U.S. opioid crisis in Purdue bankruptcy hearing: The company’s former president and board chair of Purdue Pharma made the denial a day after another Sackler family member said the group wouldn’t accept a settlement without guarantees of immunity from further legal action.

MARKET WATCH

North American stock markets trended broadly lower Wednesday and oil prices declined for a fifth straight day against the backdrop of investor fears over the COVID-19 Delta variant.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 61.48 points at 20,302.11.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 382.59 points at 34,960.69. The S&P 500 index was down 47.81 points at 4,400.27, while the Nasdaq composite was down 130.27 points at 14,525.91.

The Canadian dollar traded for 79.18 cents US compared with 79.22 cents US on Tuesday.

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TALKING POINTS

After witnessing Asian financial crisis, former money manager running for Tories in Quebec will look to rein in debt

“Whoever wins power next month will likely face excruciating tax and spending choices, particularly as financial markets shift their focus to excessive debt levels accumulated during the pandemic. The federal debt-to-gross domestic product ratio has already risen 20 percentage points from its prepandemic level of about 30 per cent.” – Konrad Yakabuski

LIVING BETTER

What is the best glass for serving sparkling wine?

Open this photo in gallery:

Globe wine expert Christopher Waters revisits a common question: Are slender Champagne flutes better than the shallow and squat coupe glasses that were fashionable during the Roaring Twenties?

Champagne houses and sparkling wine producers originally embraced tall flutes in order to emphasize the bubbles and add an air of sophistication to their products. But as consumption of still wine increased in the 1980s, 1990s and beyond, sparkling and Champagne sales didn’t keep pace, most because it was typecast as a wine for special occasions. More recently, Champagne houses started to show their bubbly in white wine glasses to reveal more of their aroma and flavour compared to a flute glass’s narrow shape.

As restaurants reopen in the months ahead, Waters says it will be interesting to see what sommeliers and waiters will use for sparkling wine and Champagne.

TODAY’S LONG READ

Mental health must be part of curriculum as students cope with COVID-19, experts say

Recent research is revealing that rates of anxiety and depression among youth in Canada rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, spurring some experts to warn of an escalating mental-health crisis. They say mental-health literacy must be at the top of the agenda as students return to school, adding that emotional skills should be taught as a core part of curricula to help young people cope with the psychological toll of the pandemic.

But other experts have cautioned about fuelling an alarm over early data, noting that stress and sadness can be healthy responses to growing up during a pandemic.

Most experts, however, agree that the COVID-19 crisis has underscored the need for more mental-health supports for Canadian children and teenagers.

Read the full story here.

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