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These are the top stories:
B.C. proposes toughest set of vaping restrictions in the country
British Columbia is set to implement the toughest restrictions on vaping products in the country, targeting youth vaping rates by hiking taxes, capping nicotine content and reducing access to flavoured items. The proposed legislation in British Columbia would increase the provincial sales tax on vaping products to 20 per cent, from 7 per cent – making B.C. the first province to have a specific tax rate for vaping products. In the U.S., there have been more than 2,000 confirmed and probable cases of severe lung illness related to vaping. In Canada, there are three confirmed cases in Quebec, three probable cases in B.C., and two probable cases in New Brunswick.
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Canopy Growth, Aurora post steep losses, revenue declines as legal cannabis sector falters
The earning results from Canada’s two largest cannabis producers are also a bad sign for the entire sector, which is suffering amid a months-long sell-off in pot stocks and weak financials. Cannabis growers are already having to downsize operations and rethink expansion, as access to capital has dried up and consumers are proving reluctant to switch over from the black market. Canopy Growth Corp., the long-time industry bellwether, saw sales drop 15 per cent in its latest quarter compared with the preceding three months, while rival Aurora Cannabis Inc. reported a 24-per-cent fall in revenue. The results led to a sharp drop in the price of both company’s shares, wiping out more than $2-billion worth of combined market value.
Bombardier layoffs usher in another boom-bust chapter in life of storied Thunder Bay factory
For more than a century, workers in this plant have made planes and ships that helped win two world wars, heavy machinery for the logging industry and trains and streetcars used by millions today across Ontario. But starting last Friday, the company had 550 layoffs and will eventually cut the plant’s work force by about half. For people in Thunder Bay, the idea that the plant might shut its doors altogether is close to unthinkable. But contracts are running out, jobs are disappearing and the factory once again faces an uncertain future.
Pelosi says Trump’s actions amount to bribery as impeachment inquiry intensifies
"The bribe is to grant or withhold military assistance in return for a public statement of a fake investigation into the elections. That’s bribery,” said House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Ukraine scandal inquiry threatens Mr. Trump’s presidency even as he seeks re-election in November, 2020 – he has denied any wrongdoing. Another central figure – former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch – is due to testify today in the second public hearing in the inquiry.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
NDP’s Singh says Liberals must demonstrate willingness to work together in Throne Speech: The commitments he’s looking for include a single-payer universal pharmacare system, national dental care, fighting the climate crisis and a pledge to drop an appeal of a human-rights tribunal decision on Indigenous children.
At least two people dead after shooting at high school in Santa Clarita, Calif.: A student opened fire at Saugus High School around 7:30 a.m., killing two students and wounding three others before shooting himself in the head on his 16th birthday.
Supreme Court clears naturopath of criminal responsibility in death of patient: Quebec Court Justice Louise Villemure said that in spite of Quebec’s law, the naturopath was not at fault under the Criminal Code because she followed procedure and took safety precautions throughout.
Toronto Police report shows one instance of carding in 2018: That’s a precipitous decline from a decade ago, when officers were carding hundreds of thousands of people every year, an act of mass intelligence gathering that targeted racialized communities and eroded public trust in the force.
MORNING MARKETS
U.S.-China trade hopes revive stocks, protests leave scars: Hopes of a trade deal between Washington and Beijing turned world stock markets and other risk assets higher on Friday, though an escalating wave of global protests from Hong Kong to Chile left some deep scars. In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.39 per cent around 5 a.m. ET. France’s CAC 40 gained 0.70 per cent. Germany’s DAX was up 0.27 per cent. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.7 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended flat.The Shanghai Composite Index slid 0.64 per cent. New York futures were higher. The Canadian dollar was trading at 75.51 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Winnipeg needs new partnerships to combat its violent crime crisis
Ross Holden: “Given the scope and complexity of the crisis, only a co-ordinated, long-term and multipartner strategy to address the real root causes has any hope.” Holden is vice-president of Indigenous Governance and Self-Determination at the Institute on Governance.
Our Prime Minister’s dilapidated official residence is emblematic of Canada’s neglected infrastructure
Goldy Hyder: “Repairing, restoring, renovating or rebuilding our country’s critical infrastructure will come at a cost – both financial and political.” Hyder is president and chief executive officer of Business Council of Canada.
Don Cherry, Colin Kaepernick and why ‘stick to sports’ doesn’t work
Denise Balkissoon: “Sure, it’s a downer that such revelations encroach on the thrill of watching elite athletes in action, but ignoring concussions, unequal pay and the rest of it was a pretty distasteful way to be entertained.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Good things, small packages: Tiny holiday gifts for food, fashion, travel and design lovers. Whether you’re shopping for someone with a small space or the perfect finishing touch for grand decor, look for housewares that pack big personality but take up minimal square footage. Here are a few ideas for small but stylish presents that will make a big impact this holiday season
MOMENT IN TIME
Paul Pritchard/Handout via Reuters
Nov. 15, 2007
At first, there were only words about the fate of Robert Dziekanski. Then came the video, with images and sounds that resonate years after he died minutes following a confrontation with four Mounties at Vancouver International Airport. Victoria resident Paul Pritchard shot the 10 minutes of footage when Mr. Dziekanski was at his wits end after 10 hours lost in the airport. He had arrived from Poland to start a new life with his mother, and was approached by police. A taser was deployed, Mr. Dziekanski was tackled and handcuffed. He died within minutes of cardiac arrest. The video was released a month after Mr. Pritchard had provided it to police and it disputed the police account. It made an impression on the public and became important in the writing of a provincial commission of inquiry that released a report, titled Why? The Robert Dziekanski Tragedy, in 2010. RCMP spokesman Corporal Dale Carr was sanguine about the effects of the footage: “They are going to make their conclusions and I, unfortunately, don’t expect I can control that.” And it did have an impact on Thomas Braidwood, who led the commission review and referenced the video throughout his 470-page report. — Ian Bailey
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