Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Thousands pay respects to Queen on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile as coffin taken to service of thanksgiving
Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was taken along the Royal Mile in the Scottish capital Edinburgh today in a silent and solemn procession watched by thousands of people paying their respects to Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
The oak coffin, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland and with a wreath of white flowers placed on top, was then carried into St. Giles Cathedral.
King Charles and other members of the royal family walked slowly behind the hearse, while the Royal Company of Archers provided the guard of honour before attending a service of thanksgiving. The coffin will lie in the cathedral for an overnight vigil before being flown to London on Tuesday.
But despite an outpouring of grief and widespread praise for the Queen’s 70 years of service as sovereign, a few dissenting voices have begun to emerge from those who believe the monarchy is outdated and anti-democratic.
In photos: King Charles arrives in Edinburgh for the Queen’s coffin procession
Opinion:
- Canada is stuck with the monarchy. We should thank our lucky stars for that - Globe editorial
- King Charles can re-envision the Crown-Indigenous relationship - Darrel J. McLeod, award-winning author
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From his hospital bed, Ukrainian commander details troops’ stealthy recapture of Kharkiv region
Captain Andriy Malakhov, commander of the Wild Steppe battalion, stands near an abandoned Russian vehicle on Sept. 8, when he and his forces took part in the liberation of Russian-held cities in the Kharkiv region.Andriy Malakhov/Supplied
For Captain Andriy Malakhov and his Wild Steppe special-forces unit, the mission was to distract Russian troops while their comrades retook Balakliya, a city Russian invaders had held since March. He explains to senior international correspondent Mark Mackinnon how it worked.
With the Ukrainian military barring media from the newly liberated areas, Capt. Malakhov’s eyewitness account is one of the first to emerge of a counteroffensive that has seen Ukraine retake more than 3,000 square kilometres of territory, reshaping the six-month-old war here.
Meanwhile Ukrainian forces swept deeper into territory seized from fleeing Russian troops today and joyful residents returned to former frontline villages, while Moscow’s leaders dodged any discussion of their troops’ retreat in northeast Ukraine.
Poilievre calls for tax-hike freeze in caucus speech; Trudeau attacks new Tory leader as irresponsible
Pierre Poilievre made his first speech today to Conservative caucus members since winning the federal party’s leadership race over the weekend in a landslide victory, calling for a freeze on tax hikes affecting workers and seniors.
He said Conservatives will work with any party on advancing the interests of Canadians, but the Official Opposition would not support any new tax increases. “And we will fight tooth and nail to stop the coalition from introducing any,” he said, referring to the New Democratic Party DP and Liberals.
Meanwhile, in his first public comments since Poilievre’s win, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched a forceful attack in a speech to the Liberal caucus, describing the new Conservative Leader as an irresponsible politician who promotes reckless economic ideas.
Read more: Pierre Poilievre’s win unlikely to alter Quebec’s political landscape, province’s Liberal MPs, ministers say
Opinion:
- Four things from Pierre Poilievre’s first night as Conservative leader - Campbell Clark
- Pierre Poilievre’s dominant win is the death knell of moderate conservatism in Canada - Jen Gerson
Canadians’ wealth suffers biggest drop on record as markets, real estate swoon
Canadians saw their collective net worth fall by the most on record in the second quarter as financial markets and residential real estate hit a rough patch, ending a streak of massive wealth generation during the previous two years of the pandemic.
Household net worth fell by $990-billion in the second quarter to $15.2-trillion, a decline of 6.1 per cent from the first quarter, Statistics Canada says. That was the largest decrease since at least 1990 and eclipsed a 5-per-cent fall during the Great Recession of 2008.
At the same time, Canadians packed on loads of debt, adding a near record $56.3-billion, taking total borrowing to $2.8-trillion, mostly in mortgages. Canadians now owe $1.82 for every dollar of disposable income.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Ontario rolls out bivalent boosters: Residents can begin booking appointments today for the Omicron-targeted COVID-19 vaccines, starting with those considered the most vulnerable, including those aged 70 and older, long-term care residents and health-care workers. People can receive the bivalent booster if at least six months have passed since their last dose, regardless of how many shots they have received.
Habs name captain: Nick Suzuki is the new captain of the Montreal Canadiens. He replaces Shea Weber, who was traded in June, and at 23 becomes the youngest captain in team history.
Emmy Awards tonight: The best in TV will be honoured tonight at the Emmy Awards ceremony starting at 8 p.m. ET, with corporate family drama Succession battling South Korean sensation Squid Game as the best drama series. Here’s TV critic John Doyle’s take on the snubs and surprises in this year’s nomination list. And check back later at tgam.ca/arts to find out who took home the hardware.
MARKET WATCH
North American stocks extended their winning streak, rallying to a sharply higher close as investors awaited crucial inflation data tomorrow that could provide clues about the duration and severity of the Federal Reserve’s tightening policy. Canada’s main stock market also saw its fourth consecutive positive trading day.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 229.63 points or 0.71 per cent to 32,381.34, the S&P 500 gained 43.05 points or 1.06 per cent to 4,110.41, and the Nasdaq Composite added 154.10 points or 1.27 per cent to end at 12,266.41.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed higher by 213.89 points or 1.08 per cent at 19,987.23. The loonie traded at 77 U.S. cents.
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TALKING POINTS
Is paying for plasma unprincipled?
“Is buying blood products made with the plasma of paid American donors somehow more principled than paying Canadians for their plasma and manufacturing drugs domestically? Of course not.” - André Picard
Now more than ever, Statscan needs to re-examine how it measures inflation
“We’re in the midst of the most-critical period for inflation in more than a generation. To say it would be helpful to have a richer analysis of CPI – and more timely indicators of turning points in the inflation trend – would be an understatement.” - David Parkinson
LIVING BETTER
A new study has linked the heavy consumption of highly processed foods to increased risk of colorectal cancer in men. No link was found between ultraprocessed foods and cancer risk in women. Ultraprocessed foods include soft drinks, salty and sweet snacks, instant noodles, mass-produced breads, hot dogs and ready-to-heat meals. To lower the amount in your diet, try making homemade versions of granola, salad dressings, soups and pasta sauces.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Sidewalk Labs project gained support from Trudeau in 2017 call ahead of bid process
Google parent Alphabet gained support from Justin Trudeau for its plan to build a technology-driven community in Toronto after a private, undisclosed call between the Prime Minister and the company’s chairman before the project was ever made public.
The conversation took place in January, 2017, two months before the project was open for bidders, and was not pro-actively disclosed by the Prime Minister’s Office, Alphabet, Google or its city-building affiliate Sidewalk Labs – nor was it documented in federal lobbying records. Yet the call set into motion events that created significant public skepticism toward a project with global consequences.
The project ended up being cancelled in the early months of the pandemic. Read Josh O’Kane’s full story here.
Book excerpt: Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy reveals the collapse and failure of Sidewalk Labs
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