Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Quebec Premier François Legault hinted Thursday that a vote for the Conservatives or the Bloc Québécois would be preferable to supporting the federal Liberals or NDP in the Sept. 20 federal election.
Legault gave low marks to the Liberals, NDP and Greens after Wednesday’s French-language leaders debate, saying that the three parties hold “dangerous” views and are not supportive of the province’s key requests in areas such as health transfers and immigration. He offered a mixed review of Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, praising several of his positions while objecting to the party’s new platform costing that shows a Conservative government would not honour a federal agreement to give Quebec $6-billion for child care.
“It’s up to Quebeckers to decide [who to vote for]. But what I’m saying is I’m nationalist. I want Quebec to have more autonomy and more power. And there are three parties – the Liberal Party, the NDP and the Green Party – that want to give us less autonomy. I find that dangerous.”
Quebec sends 78 MPs to Ottawa, which makes the province a key battleground. In 2019, the Liberals won 35 seats in the province, followed by 32 for the Bloc, 10 for the Conservatives and one for the NDP. Party standings in the province have fluctuated significantly from one election to the next.
Also:
- Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says party won’t take part in a coalition federal government
- People’s Party expels official for throwing gravel at Justin Trudeau during campaign stop
- Robyn Urback: If you don’t like Erin O’Toole’s position on something, just wait a few minutes
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43 Canadians aboard commercial flight out of Kabul
Forty-three Canadians were among dozens of foreigners who left Afghanistan on an international commercial flight out of Kabul on Thursday, the first such large-scale departure since U.S. forces completed a withdrawal more than a week ago.
The Thursday flight, operated by state-owned Qatar Airways, later landed at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, Al Jazeera news channel reported. The flight was organized by the government of Qatar.
About 113 passengers were on board, including U.S., Canadian, Ukrainian, German and British citizens, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Globe. The source said the passengers were taken to Kabul airport in a Qatari convoy after safe passage was agreed.
Alberta cancels elective surgeries in Calgary region as COVID-19 hospital admissions soar
Rapidly increasing cases of COVID-19 in Alberta have forced the province’s health authority to cancel all elective surgeries and many outpatient procedures for the rest of the week in the Calgary region. Alberta Health Services said it made the decision to ensure there were enough resources as infections fill up intensive care units. The agency had previously cancelled between 30 and 60 per cent of non-urgent surgeries across its five health zones.
The province’s ICUs were 87 per cent full on Wednesday, with 147 patients with COVID-19 in intensive care – a number that has more than doubled in the past two weeks.
Premier Jason Kenney cited the deteriorating situation in Alberta’s hospitals last Friday as he announced the return of a provincewide mask mandate. He also announced a program to pay people $100 to get the first or second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, blaming the unvaccinated for clogging up the province’s hospitals. Alberta has the lowest vaccination rates in the country.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
N.L. premier urges residents to prepare as hurricane Larry heads for province: Andrew Furey said residents in eastern Newfoundland should get prepared by tying down loose items and stocking up on water and other supplies ahead of Larry’s expected landfall, which will most likely be Friday night. The storm is on track to sweep across the Avalon Peninsula, bringing high waves, torrential rain and possible coastal flooding, Environment Canada says. A hurricane warning was in effect late Thursday for the region, including St. John’s.
Macklem says Bank of Canada plans to raise interest rate: The BoC Governor said in a speech Thursday that the bank expects to start raising interest rates before it entirely winds down its quantitative easing program. The speech comes a day after a rate decision where the bank decided to leave monetary policy unchanged.
Biden administration to announce civil rights case in response to Texas abortion ban: Attorney-General Merrick Garland earlier this week foreshadowed that the Justice Department could intervene after Texas passed a bill banning most abortions, saying the department would “protect those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services” through a 1994 law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
MARKET WATCH
North American stock markets were weaker for at least a third-straight day over concerns about the Delta variant and the potential scaling back of monetary stimulus in Canada and the U.S. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 36.52 points to 20,705.27.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 151.69 points at 34,879.38. The S&P 500 index was down 20.79 points at 4,493.28, while the Nasdaq composite was down 38.39 points at 15,248.25.
The Canadian dollar traded for 79.03 cents US compared with 78.89 cents US on Wednesday.
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TALKING POINTS
Health care was dangerous even before the anti-vaxxers arrived
“Health care workers are hurting, too. We know this. What is less well known is that they were hurting before the pandemic began. Not just through burnout or stress, but because they work in professions that have unacceptably high levels of physical and verbal violence. The pandemic has exposed all kinds of cracks we were papering over; this is another.” - Elizabeth Renzetti
Bureaucratic barriers are making life even harder for Canada’s allies in Afghanistan
“For vulnerable Afghans, the Canadian government needs to allow visa applications from inside Afghanistan. We must not force people to needlessly risk their lives any further on unnecessary and illegal border crossings in the hope that a Canadian embassy or high commission will process their applications in another country.” - Rona Ambrose and Irwin Cotler
LIVING BETTER
Best to check your insurance coverage before your big tree comes down
A fallen tree struck struck two neighbouring houses in the High Park neighbourhood of Toronto on Aug. 20, 2021. While most homeowners love the idea of a grand old tree on their property, it can be costly in the event that one comes down.Jody White/The Canadian Press
While most homeowners cherish having an old tree on their property, it can be costly in the event that one comes down. Insurance experts are advising people to check their insurance policies and think about preventive maintenance if they have concerns.
Most home insurance policies will cover the cost of wind storm damage, and that includes damage to property caused by trees as well as tree debris removal.
“We had a situation a couple months ago where a big black locust fell on a house in Toronto. And that job, with the crane, came in at over $25,000,” said Glen Gordon, a certified arborist with Tree Doctors in Toronto.
It’s rare, but there are also situations where a tree owner could be found liable for damages, such as if a neighbour repeatedly expressed concerns about a rotten or damaged tree and the tree owner chose to do nothing about it.
TODAY’S LONG READ
A new documentary – Oscar Peterson: Black + White – will premier Sept. 12 at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In the film, Canadian documentarian Barry Avrich addresses the relative lack of recognition for the jazz pianist generally considered to be the greatest of his generation, while simultaneously cementing his legacy as such.
As Brad Wheeler writes, the Montreal-born Peterson, who died in 2007 at the age of 82, is having something of a moment. In February, Historica Canada devoted one of its Heritage Minutes to him. Last week, Toronto’s JAZZ.FM91 launched a new specialty stream dedicated to Peterson’s music. And, on Thursday, the Royal Conservatory of Music announced that its community school in Toronto – formerly known as the Royal Conservatory School – has been renamed the Oscar Peterson School of Music.
To further understand the renewed interest in the jazz great, read Brad Wheeler’s full story here.
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