Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Following the fatal shooting of Rodney Levi, the second Indigenous person to be killed by police in New Brunswick in little more than a week, calls for RCMP reform have intensified across the country.
Stephen MacGillivray/The Canadian Press
Mr. Levi, a 48-year-old father of three was tasered and shot by RCMP on Friday night in Miramichi, N.B., following a barbecue at his pastor’s house. The RCMP were called to remove him from the property after he was asked to leave, and say he was armed with a knife.
On June 4, Chantel Moore, a 26-year-old Indigenous woman living in Edmundston, N.B., was shot by police during a “wellness check”.
Activists and Indigenous leaders have demanded the RCMP face greater scrutiny for their use of force against Indigenous people. In a statement released to The Globe and Mail, First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde called for a full and independent investigation into Mr. Levi’s death.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Beijing doubles down on ‘political conspiracy’ accusation: The Chinese government is pointing to a recent report from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service as evidence that the arrest of Meng Wanzhou “is indeed a political conspiracy of the U.S. and Canada”, report Steven Chase and Andrea Woo.
CERB extended: The Prime Minister announced this morning that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which is set to expire for many Canadians at the end of this month, will be extended in some form for people who cannot return to work. Bill Curry reports.
LGBT workers protected from job discrimination: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court.
Quebec watchdog to investigate New Brunswick police shootings: The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) has been sent to New Brunswick, which lacks its own independent investigation unit, to investigate the police killings of Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi.
Double standards: After the Canadian government restricted the export of military goods to NATO-ally Turkey, arms-control advocates are questioning why restrictions have been eased for exports to Saudi Arabia. Steven Chase reports.
IN COVID-19 NEWS
Provinces move towards different stages of reopening
Quebec will allow indoor public gatherings of up to 50 people beginning June 22 and it is reducing to one metre the physical-distancing requirement for children 16 years and under. Indoor gatherings, however, will still be restricted to a minimum of 10 people.
In Ontario, most areas of the province entered the second stage of reopening this week, with the exception of Windsor, Peel, and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas. Ontario reported 181 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, with the majority in Toronto and Peel Region.
Devastating outbreaks in long-term care facilities across Canada have raised questions about the safety of institutional care, especially in comparison to home care, which has seen funding rapidly decline. Health columnist Andre Picard writes that allowing seniors to “age in place” could be crucial to stopping the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, parts of the U.S., including Arizona, California, and Florida, are experiencing record spikes in hospitalizations. Many state officials attribute the spread of the virus to Memorial Day holiday weekend gatherings that took place in late May.
In Europe, continental travel has opened up to most countries in an effort to salvage local businesses and the hospitality industry.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index rose Monday as gains in the materials sector offset losses in energy and financials stocks.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index climbed 0.68 per cent to 15,359.66.
On Wall Street, U.S. stocks reversed losses from earlier in the day as investor confidence was boosted after news from the Federal Reserve regarding its corporate bond purchasing program. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.66 per cent to 25,774.71, the S&P 500 gained 0.87 per cent to 3,067.68 and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.44 per cent to 9,727.07.
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TALKING POINTS
Breaking the law: How the state weaponizes an unjust criminal justice system
“Commentators frequently respond that more white men are killed by the police yearly than Black men. That claim is a complete distortion. A myriad of statistics demonstrate that both in Canada and in the U.S., a disproportionate percentage of the Black and Indigenous population is subjected to police violence. It is no answer to say more white people are killed or quote silly statistics about “white-on-white violence” compared to “Black-on-Black violence.” These are distracting, insidious talking points. They don’t tell you the one fact you need to know: If you are a Black or Indigenous man, you are more likely than a white man to be harassed by the police, stopped and searched by the police, arrested, held for bail and incarcerated. That is what matters. If you are Black or Indigenous, you do not drive, walk, live without the fear of state harassment or interference.” - Marie Henein is a lawyer and senior partner with Henein Hutchison.
Boris Johnson has made me ashamed of my country
“Until recently, I have identified myself as being from Britain (my passport), Scotland (my parentage, my heart), Europe (my geopolitics), Yorkshire (my birthplace) and London (where I live). Brexit tested that order of feeling. COVID-19, and the Johnson government’s handling of it, destroyed my sure sense of British identity. I have nothing in common with these people who run our country. They shame Britain and they make me feel sick.” - Alastair Campbell is an author and strategist. He was spokesperson and strategist for Tony Blair from 1994 to 2003.
In the Philippines, free speech is being smothered
“Mr. Duterte has weaponized the law against his critics, marshalled his supporters on social media to act as a mob against them, exploited his control of the legislature and tapped into his popularity to enforce policies that blatantly violate the rights and civil liberties of Filipinos. Justice will only come for his victims if rights-minded governments such as Canada, key member states of the European Union and others press for accountability, starting at the UN Human Rights Council that convenes this month.” - Carlos H. Conde is the Philippines researcher at Human Rights Watch.
LIVING BETTER
Minimalist training is perfect in the time of COVID-19
Amid the vast array of exercise options that have proliferated during quarantine, many are finding that getting back to the basics of fitness is effective enough. Paul Landini reports that even for those without at-home gym equipment, simple fitness routines that are “free of clutter” and with “deadline-driven goals” might be worth focusing your energy and time on.
TODAY’S LONG READ
JONATHAN HAYWARD/The Canadian Press
A day at the airport in June, 2020: quiet, monotonous and fearful
Prior to the emergence of coronavirus in North America, airports were booming with growth and activity. Now, they stand still, bringing in mere fractions of the passenger traffic that Canadian airports were designed to accommodate.
For some airport executives, the numbers point to a clear, devastating conclusion. According to Calgary Airport Authority CEO Bob Sartor, “It would be cheaper to close the airport now than to continue running it, but that would have a devastating impact on our community.”
As Kelly Cryderman reports, airports are looking to a “return to normal” as a matter of years, not months.
In the meantime, as provinces double down on airport health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of the virus from air travel, halting all non-essential air travel in provinces has proven difficult. While certain travel, such as for agricultural, infrastructure, and oil and gas work, is deemed essential, airport officials have noted a consistent trend in airport travellers returning from foreign family visits - “It is a pretty wide latitude in what people are saying is essential,” stated one health official.
Read the full article by Kelly Cryderman here.
Evening Update is written by Claire Porter Robbins. 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.