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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Victims of van attack came to Toronto from all around the world
Renuka Amarasingha immigrated to Canada from Sri Lanka and worked at a high school cafeteria. Chul Min (Eddie) Kang emigrated from South Korea and was a chef at a popular chain of Brazilian steakhouses. Betty Forsyth was a Scottish woman in her 90s who lived in a Toronto community housing complex. Munir Najjar, from Jordan, was visiting Toronto to see his family. All four died in Monday’s horrific van attack. Sohe Chung, the most recent victim to be identified, was studying at the University of Toronto and had previously worked in retail jobs, according to her LinkedIn profile. She was 23. Dorothy Sewell, 80, was known as an avid sports fan who never missed a Blue Jays game. Anne Marie D’Amico, the first victim to be identified, is remembered as “the definition of altruism” by her family. As Toronto continues to grieve, a portrait of victims diverse in age, occupation and origin is emerging. Among the injured are people who came to Canada from places such as Eritrea, Iran and Russia.
Authorities still have not released an official list of victims. On Tuesday, Ontario’s Chief Coroner Dirk Huyer said it will still be “ a number of days” before official information is given because of the scale of the attack. “When we have tragedies of such numbers and complexity, it is very challenging. It occurred in a busy pedestrian area and it occurred over a significant distance,” Dr. Huyer said. “And there were many who were injured as well as deceased.”
We’ll continue to update our primer on how the attack happened and what we know so far as we learn more information. The link also includes information on how you can help with donations or the investigation.
Michael Samoilov, a grade 11 student at Earl Haig Secondary School, writes in a column that the attack left a scar near his high school but he knows that it will heal with time: “Many are shaken by this event. Some Earl Haig students were unlucky enough to witness the carnage first-hand. Others have since recovered and moved on. I have heard students shame others for seeming like they have already forgotten the event that unfolded. Although everyone must grieve in their own way, this occurrence should remind us to cherish the loved ones we have, for they may not always be here.”
Live from Panmunjom: A summit show between two Koreas, with nuclear peace in the balance
In the coming hours, the leaders of North Korea and South Korea are expected to meet for the first time south of the demilitarized zone in a historic summit. The meeting between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in is the latest step in the path towards peaceful relations between the neighbours just months after tensions on the Korean peninsula were skyrocketing after successive missile tests by the North. Mr. Kim is expected to cross the border into South Korea around 8:30 p.m. ET. The high-stakes meeting is a carefully planned event and parts will be televised live. Everything from the furnishings and food to the attire of the leaders are expected to be scrutinized in real time. One expert says it’ll be “like the Oscars” in a way. More than three thousand journalists have signed up to cover the event and nearly a third are foreigners.
Korean business owners are watching the political talks eagerly to see if the rapprochement will lead to stronger economic links between the two countries.
B.C. asks court for power to limit oil shipments in fight over Trans Mountain pipeline
British Columbia’s provincial government asked the province’s Court of Appeal whether it has the jurisdiction to require any company to ship heavy oil through B.C. to obtain an extra permit. The court reference is the latest move in the ongoing tug-of-war between B.C., Alberta and Ottawa over Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. “We have asked the courts to confirm B.C.’s powers within our jurisdiction to defend B.C.’s interests, so that there is clarity for today and for the generations to come,” Premier John Horgan said in a statement Thursday morning. “Our government will continue to stand up for the right to protect B.C.’s environment, economy and coast.” B.C. is also asking the court whether permits could apply to hazardous materials that go between provinces and if federal laws have more weight than provincial laws.
If you need to get caught up on Trans Mountain, Ottawa’s role and the feud between B.C. and Alberta, we’ve created a guide to the story so far.
National Gallery preparing to cancel Chagall sale: sources
The National Gallery of Canada is preparing to cancel its sale of The Eiffel Tower, a 1929 Marc Chagall painting. They had planned to sell the painting through a Christie’s auction house in order to finance the purchase of Saint Jerome Hears the Trumpet of the Last Judgment by Jacques-Louis David. The sale would have brought in anywhere between US$6-million to US$9-million, which would have been the Gallery’s largest ever sale. Unless Christie’s chooses to waive the cancellation fee, the National Gallery could be on the hook for a fine of $1-million, according to an industry estimate. The decision to cancel the sale was made at a testy meeting of the Gallery’s board of directors yesterday. The decision was taken because they were worried about the impact of the controversial sale on the Gallery’s standing within the international community and reputation within the arts world. The David is currently being housed in Quebec but is at risk of leaving Canada. Two Quebec museums say it should remain with them.
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MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index rose to a five-week high as financial and technology shares led broad-based gains, while Husky Energy Inc. fell more than 8 per cent after an explosion at the company’s refinery in Superior, Wisc. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index unofficially closed up 127.84 points at 15,637.59. All of the index’s 10 main groups ended higher. U.S. stocks advanced with each of Wall Street’s major indexes ending the session up 1 per cent or higher, boosted by solid earnings results and a rebound in technology stocks as U.S. bond yields pulled back. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 238.44 points to 24,322.27, the S&P 500 gained 27.55 points to 2,666.95 and the Nasdaq Composite added 114.94 points to 7,118.68. Facebook jumped 9.1 per cent following its impressive earnings beat, which appeared to calm worries over the fallout of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal.
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WHAT’S TRENDING ON SOCIAL
Bill Cosby, the 80-year-old entertainer, has been found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault in a retrial. He could get up to 10 years in prison on each of the counts. The jury concluded that he sexually violated Andrea Constand, a Toronto native. More than 60 women have accused Mr. Crosby of drugging and molesting them, five of whom testified against him during the trial. His lawyer says that he’ll appeal the conviction.
TALKING POINTS
Canada’s new IP strategy wisely tackles abuse of patents and trademarks
“The inclusion of anti-IP abuse rules within a broader package of IP strategy reforms points to the realization that over-protection of IP can be just as problematic as under-protection. While policy debates around intellectual property typically involve pressure to escalate IP protections and safeguards, the government has rightly recognized that misuse of IP rights can also have a significant chilling effect on innovation, leaving consumers and smaller innovative businesses caught in the crossfire.” – Michael Geist
Ontario’s cities need a new approach to homelessness
“As spring begins in earnest, it’s essential for Ontario’s policy makers at the provincial and municipal level to develop a clear strategy to avoid the type of homelessness crisis that we witnessed this winter. We cannot govern by emergency. The province requires a long-term, evidence-based solution to expand access to affordable housing and ultimately to solve homelessness.” – Janet Mason
LIVING BETTER
After a brutal winter from coast to coast to coast, it finally looks like Spring is here to stay. Marjorie Harris answers four questions to help you get your garden ready: What the difference between organic matter and compost is; when you can take indoor plants outside; how you can attract good insects into your garden; and when you should fertilize your container plants.
LONG READ FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Meet the Top 1000 Megastars
Not sure which Top 1000 companies to buy? For more than three decades Report on Business Magazine has been identifying key information that investors need to know about Canada’s largest companies. This year, the magazine analyzed the data for you to arrive at a shortlist of 20 recommended stocks. Last year’s picks delivered a stunning 16.2% return. (for subscribers)
Evening Update was written by Mayaz Alam and S.R. Slobodian. 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.