Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Calls for action after the discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former residential schools site in Kamloops, B.C.
Indigenous leaders are calling for an examination of every former residential school site after the discovery of 215 children’s remains in a mass gravesite at the former Kamloops residential school in B.C.. Confirming their identities and returning their remains to family are integral parts of truth and reconciliation, they say.
The grim discovery last week has elicited a profound reaction across the country. Memorials sprang up in cities across Canada, with displays of children’s shoes and teddy bears to mark the young lives lost.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today he plans to meet with three cabinet ministers who oversee Indigenous policy and funding on what steps must be done to support survivors, families and Indigenous Peoples. Federal New Democrats are calling for an emergency debate in the House of Commons.
In photos: Vigils held across Canada to honour the 215 victims of Kamloops residential school
Background: Here’s what we know so far about the children’s remains, the site and Canada’s reaction.
Opinion: The discovery of a mass gravesite at a former residential school in Kamloops is just the tip of the iceberg - Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, director of the Residential School History and Dialogue Centre and professor of law at the University of British Columbia
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The latest COVID-19 developments: Ontario and Quebec report fewest numbers of new cases in months and more
Ontario is reporting 916 new cases of COVID-19 today, which is its lowest daily total since February. Quebec is reporting fewer than 300 new cases today for the first time since mid-September.
Meanwhile, Canada is set to receive 2.9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses this week in large part owing to an increase in planned deliveries from Pfizer and BioNTech. Read more on COVID-19 news today here.
On the latest episode of The Decibel podcast, host Tamara Khandaker talks with Globe health reporter Kelly Grant about why COVID-19 is hitting pregnant women harder and why doctors recommend getting vaccinated if you’re expecting.
Opinion: When you encourage vaccination, everyone is a winner - André Picard
Read more:
- A fourth COVID-19 wave in Canada vs. no wave: New modelling points the way
- Who in Canada hasn’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 yet, and what’s the plan?
- Some kids may experience separation anxiety due to COVID-19, psychologists say
- Meet Ontario’s incoming top doctor Kieran Moore, a disease-surveillance guru
Down to the wire tonight in Leafs-Habs Game 7
After squandering a 3-1 series lead, the Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Montreal Canadiens tonight in Game 7 to determine which team advances to a second-round matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. They will have a live audience as 550 fully vaccinated frontline healthcare and long-term care workers will be allowed to attend the game, after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reversed his government’s position. Check back later tonight for the score, highlights and analysis at GlobeSports.com.
Opinion: Leafs are choking their way out of this series, one weak link at a time - Cathal Kelly
Netanyahu at risk of losing power in Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political options are narrowing as his opponents move quickly to form a coalition government that would end his reign as that country’s longest-serving leader – and one of its most polarizing politicians.
While down, Netanyahu was not quite out, even though his efforts to forge a new power-sharing deal over the weekend failed. Political observers say he will try to blow a hole in the opposition agreement to oust him, triggering yet another election.
China permits parents to have three children - but will they?
China will allow its people to have three children, yet another relaxation of its family planning policies as the country’s population growth slows.
Not only will Beijing now allow larger families, China’s ruling Politburo has endorsed a raft of changes to make having children more attractive to young people, many of whom worry about the cost of additional children.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Court to sentence van attacker: The man who deliberately killed 10 people by driving a van down a Toronto sidewalk will be sentenced in 2022, as the court waits for a Supreme Court decision about serving murder sentences consecutively before proceeding.
Canada’s Andreescu out of French Open: The 2019 U.S. Open tennis champion lost today in the first round to Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia in a three-hour, 20-minute match at the clay-court Grand Slam.
Osaka exits competition: No. 2 seed Naomi Osaka of Japan announced on Twitter she was withdrawing from the French Open in the wake of her decision to boycott post-match media duties.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index hit a fresh record high in early trading today before falling lower on declines in consumer sectors. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index closed down 121.19 points or 0.61 per cent at 19,730.99.
U.S. markets were closed today for the Memorial Day holiday.
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TALKING POINT
François Legault wants to dig a tunnel to the 1950s. And it’ll only cost $10-billion
“Legault has etched his name on the kind of politically motivated project that could one day be remembered as his grand folly. It’s the 1976 Olympic Stadium, but for SUVs.” - Globe editorial
TODAY’S LONG READ
Vancouver deals with its invasive Canada goose problem one egg at a time
City of Vancouver wildlife technician Ziggy Jones collects eggs from a Canada goose nest while another city worker holds the mother goose at bay.Jesse Winter/The Globe and Mail
The mama goose beat her wings and hissed desperately at the woman stealing her eggs. The papa goose was nowhere to be seen, which for Ziggy Jones was a good thing. “Oh, they usually attack me,” she said casually, as if discussing the weather. “I’ve had several concussions from geese.”
Jones is a wildlife technician with the City of Vancouver, and its only egg hunter extraordinaire. From late February to June every year, it’s her job to search the city for nonmigratory Canada geese nests, armed with binoculars and a metal clipboard heavily dented from almost 30 years of fending off angry waterfowl.
What she does with the eggs is called “addling” – rendering them infertile through various means such as shaking or freezing, but leaving the shells intact. It’s essentially a form of birth control for an invasive species that numbers somewhere above the official estimate of 3,500 across Vancouver. Egg addling is the city’s attempt to control the population without resorting to a cull. Read Jesse Winter’s full story here.
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