Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Windsor police not yet removing Ambassador Bridge protesters, with mayor citing concerns over violence
Police are not removing the protesters blocking Canada’s busiest border crossing because the action could lead to violence, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says.
The Ambassador Bridge, an economically vital link that carries about one-quarter of Canada’s trade with the United States, has been blocked by protesters. This has halted the flow of about $450-million in goods between the two countries.
Similar “occupations” by people protesting pandemic restrictions are gripping downtown Ottawa and the border crossing at Coutts, Alta. On Wednesday, demonstrators parked trucks and farm tractors near the Blue Water Bridge at Sarnia, Ont., causing a 4.5-hour delay to enter the United States, according to Canada Border Services Agency.
More coverage:
- Canadian-style convoy protests set to hit Paris and Brussels over the weekend
- Why the Ottawa trucker protest has turned to cryptocurrency for fundraising
- Children’s Aid to assess sanitation, safety of kids living in trucks involved in Ottawa protest
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Canada primed for flurry of investment that should boost economy without causing inflation, BoC’s Macklem says
Canada is primed for a flurry of business investment, which should drive productivity gains and help the economy grow without causing inflation, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem says.
In a speech Wednesday to a conference hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Macklem said that Canadian companies are well placed to boost investment in areas such as digital technology and employee education. They also have an incentive: Labour is in short supply, and there is strong demand for Canadian goods, both at home and in the United States.
A recent survey from the central bank suggested that business investment intentions are at an all-time high. Macklem urged companies to follow through on these plans – “or risk losing out to U.S. competitors.”
Beijing Olympic highlights: Canada’s Dubois takes silver in short-track speed skating
Charles Hamelin did not win a medal in his final individual Olympic race, but one of his Canadian teammates did, and in a most unlikely way.
Steven Dubois advanced into the final of the 1,500-metre speed skating race in Beijing on Wednesday, thanks to a penalty in the semi-final. Then the Olympic rookie made the most of his opportunity in an event that isn’t even his specialty, earning a silver medal in a highly unusual medal race.
Ten skaters qualified for the final – a rarity – but more skaters advanced because referees assessed some penalties during the semis.
More coverage:
- Developing: Medal ceremony for figure skating event on hold amid reports of positive drug test
- Beijing Winter Olympics: Canada’s Meryeta O’Dine races to bronze medal in women’s snowboard cross
- A craze over Olympic plush toy Bing Dwen Dwen has sparked long lines, pricey resales
- Cathal Kelly: U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin’s bad run in Beijing makes her even more compelling as an athlete
- Latest Decibel: The secrets behind a medal-contending ice dance performance
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Canada’s 2021 census reveals the Maritimes, downtown cores are where the country is growing: In a reversal of trends dating to the 1940s, populations in the Maritimes grew faster over the past five years than in the Prairie provinces, according to the latest census data from Statistics Canada. The growth in the East was largely due to prepandemic immigration.
Estonia warns population that Russian military action in Ukraine could bring refugees: The northernmost Baltic state is warning its citizens a Russian war in Ukraine could bring a flood of refugees and increased cyberattacks on infrastructure as it tries to prepare for the turbulence a conflict would fuel across Europe.
- Russia accuses West of ramping up pressure by supplying Ukraine arms
Ontario to distribute free COVID-19 rapid tests in pharmacies, grocery stores: Ontario health officials say they are starting to distribute millions of free rapid-antigen COVID-19 tests to the general public at participating pharmacies and grocery stores. The test kits will be will be limited to one per household, per retail visit.
Listen to Stress Test: Cryptocurrencies are booming. But should you invest?: Cryptocurrencies have grabbed headlines because of their dramatic swings. In the podcast’s season finale, Rob and Roma delve into whether they make smart investments.
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street jumped on Wednesday, closing sharply higher as megacap growth stocks powered up thanks to a pause in rising interest rates, and upbeat earnings reports also encouraged investors to buy.
Hit by worries about rising interest, the tech-heavy Nasdaq has fallen more than 7 per cent so far this year after gaining nearly 21 per cent in 2021. The S&P 500 is down about 4 per cent year to date. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.86 per cent to end at 35,768.06 points, while the S&P 500 gained 1.45 per cent to 4,587.18. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.08 per cent to 14,490.37.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 227.01 points to 21,604.19. The Canadian dollar traded for 78.86 cents US, compared with 78.68 cents US on Tuesday.
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TALKING POINTS
The Ottawa occupation is the October Crisis revisited. Justin Trudeau must be bold
“Justin need not be Pierre, who defied protesters at the St-Jean-Baptiste Day parade in Montreal in 1968, refusing to leave the reviewing stand under a volley of rocks and bottles while others fled. Nor need he be ‘the gunslinger’ – legs astride, fingers hooked in belt, defying everyone in his way. But Mr. Trudeau must show leadership amid civil authorities as feckless as Quebec premier Robert Bourassa was in 1970.” - Andrew Cohen
What’s blocking Canada’s exit from the pandemic? The unvaccinated
“Canada is never going to get to a 100-per-cent-vaccination level. The country is, nevertheless, about to wind back restrictions (some provinces irresponsibly, others steadily but cautiously) and try to find a way to live with COVID. But all of this would be so much easier if the unvaccinated minority was so much smaller.” - Editorial
LIVING BETTER
Quirky, curvy area rugs are emerging as the home decor trend of the moment
When the pandemic hit in 2020, and her freelance work dried up as much of the world went into lockdown, photographer Rashelle Campbell decided to spruce up her space. Campbell said she wanted to “put energy into filling my own space with joyful pieces so that I can at least surround myself with home decor that makes me happy.”
She first went online, searching for something colourful and asymmetrical that would add personality, but all Campbell could find were minimalist, contemporary square and circle pieces from the digital storefronts of West Elm and CB2. So, she bought a tufting gun, and designed her first “groovy, curvy” rug that better suited her vibrant aesthetic.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Afghan father evacuated to Canada faces potential deportation by CBSA
The Faizy family, who fled Afghanistan in the wake of the resurgence of the Taliban in 2021, have been stuck at the Hilton Garden Inn in Mississauga since they arrived in Canada about six months ago, pending an upcoming review of patriarch Fazal Mohammad Faizi by the Canadian Border Services Agency.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
Sarina Faizy breathed a massive sigh of relief when her family was evacuated from Afghanistan almost six months ago after urging the Canadian government to help. But now she’s confused and afraid because her father, who has been housed in a Toronto hotel since August, recently received a letter from the Canada Border Services Agency saying he may not be admissible to Canada.
Ms. Faizy was a human-rights advocate and elected provincial council member in Kandahar. She worked alongside Canada’s embassy in Kabul for about five years, promoting women’s rights and education. In August, The Globe and Mail reported that Ms. Faizy, who lives in Washington, had turned to Canada to save her family.
They had hidden in their basement in Kandahar for more than 20 days. After the Taliban took that city, her family went to Kabul, obtained documents and applied to go to Canada. They stood in filthy water at the airport for hours waiting to show their documents to Canadian officials and sat under the blistering sun for days. Read the full story by Janice Dickson.
Evening Update is written by Beatrice Paez. 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.