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Mikhail Gorbachev, who presided over the peaceful collapse of the Soviet empire, only to see that legacy succumb to Vladimir Putin’s revanchist Russia, died Tuesday at the age of 91, after a prolonged illness. The last leader of the Soviet Union, he irrevocably shaped its political and economic future in ways that have both earned him a Nobel Peace Prize and drawn criticism for ending his rule in “failure.”
Perhaps his greatest contribution was to tell the Red Army to stand down as the Berlin Wall fell and other pro-democracy uprisings erupted across Eastern Europe in 1989, when his predecessors would have ordered bloodshed. Gorbachev also brought forth perestroika (“reform”) and glasnost (“opening”), policies that left behind a mixed legacy as the USSR went through wrenching economic and political changes that brought about the collapse of its totalitarianism system.
In an early 2000s conversation with The Globe and Mail, Gorbachev said the ideas that grew into perestroika and glasnost were born during an early 1980s visit to Canada. He was hosted at a farm outside Windsor, Ont., along with Alexander Yakovlev, the Soviet ambassador to Ottawa. Gorbachev said he and Yakovlev realized there that they shared a belief the USSR was in desperate need of reform. In the quiet fields of Ontario, Gorbachev went on a walk that changed the world.
Read more:
- Opinion: The West’s reverence for Gorbachev was based on a crucial miscalculation
- Opinion: Gorbachev was raised under totalitarian rule, but he himself was anything but
- World leaders react to Mikhail Gorbachev’s death with tributes on social media
- In Photos: Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet Union leader, through the years
Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev arrives to deliver a luncheon speech accompanied by former prime minister Brian Mulroney in Montreal on October 21, 2011.Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press
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Trudeau to announce small cabinet shuffle today to accommodate personal health matters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a small cabinet shuffle Wednesday, sources say. Three sources with knowledge of the plan say the government will announce a change involving two ministers in order to accommodate family health matters. One source said the adjustment does not necessarily mean that someone is leaving cabinet. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources because they were not authorized to comment on the record about the announcement.
The Canadian Press, citing sources, said the change involves Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi. Tassi was first elected in 2015 in the Ontario riding of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas and has previously held the roles of labour minister and minister of seniors.
Elizabeth May wants to lead the Green Party again, but not alone
Elizabeth May wants to run to be the leader of the Green Party of Canada again, but with a twist that would see her work with a co-leader. Enter Jonathan Pedneault, a 32-year-old human-rights activist from Quebec who once worked on a documentary film with the Prime Minister’s brother.
Both are officially applicants for the leadership of the party. May and Pedneault will announce their candidacy together in British Columbia, as they will be running separately. But if either wins, they would appoint the other as deputy leader and lead as a team.
During the campaign, they will share a platform and ask members to vote for Pedneault as first choice and May as second. Under their plan, May would focus on advancing the Green Party case in Parliament, while Pedneault, new to elected politics, would be on the road preparing the party for the next election.
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Also on our radar
Canadian philanthropist gives $250-million for pandemic research centre – in Australia: Geoffrey Cumming, a Canadian billionaire businessman and philanthropist, is donating 250 million Australian dollars ($224.4-million) to create the world’s first centre to develop therapeutic drugs for new pandemic threats. The catch is that the groundbreaking institution will be located in Melbourne, Australia, not Canada. “Let’s just say Australia is working better than Canada. I’ll leave it at that,” Cumming said in an interview.
Couple accused of plotting to blow up the B.C. Legislature launches lawsuit: A couple accused of plotting to blow up the B.C. Legislature with pressure cookers has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, province and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, arguing their Charter rights were violated and they were subjected to malicious prosecution and unlawful action.
UN seeks $160-million in emergency aid for Pakistan floods: The United Nations and Pakistan issued an appeal Tuesday for US$160-million in emergency funding to help millions affected by record-breaking floods that have killed more than 1,160 people since mid-June. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Pakistan’s flooding were a signal to the world to step up action against climate change.
Routine vaccination rates for children, teens in Canada dropped dramatically since start of COVID-19 pandemic: Pandemic-related disruptions, including school closings and reduced access to physicians’ offices, resulted in a substantial drop in vaccine uptake among children and adolescents. That, combined with the widespread return to in-person learning, an increase in travel to areas where viruses like measles are still spreading and the rise of misinformation, could set the stage for an increase in outbreaks in schools.
Michele Romanow’s Clearco exiting foreign markets, hires adviser to explore strategic options: One of Canada’s high-profile unicorns, Michele Romanow’s financial technology startup Clearco is retreating from foreign markets and shedding more staff after cutting a quarter of its workforce last month. The Toronto company has also hired a leading U.S. fintech investment bank to explore strategic options, including the possible sale of the company or fresh financing, confirmed Romanow.
Morning markets
Stocks eased on Wednesday after Russia switched off a key gas tap to Europe, compounding fears of recession just as central banks on both sides of the Atlantic prepare to raise borrowing costs again next month. Just after 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 dropped 1.06 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 lost 0.89 per cent and 1.19 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei finished down 0.37 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.03 per cent. New York futures were lower. The Canadian dollar was trading at 76.26 US cents.
What everyone’s talking about
The Editorial Board: “Growth in the size of the House is severely restricted, so fast-growing provinces barely gain seats. That’s why Ontario, after adding nearly two million people since 2011, will get only one additional MP in the next parliament, whereas the 1.9 million people of the Maritimes are represented by 25 MPs.”
André Picard: “Depending on who you believe, the independent panel – which consists of a group of scientific experts who have been offering advice on how to navigate the pandemic – will: A) be dissolved on Sept. 6, or b) given a permanent home within Public Health Ontario. Regardless of which of these versions is true, this a blow for good science communication, and a victory for bureaucracy, political spin, and the let’s-pretend-COVID-is-over mindset.”
Yusuf Faqiri: “For over five years, my family has been fighting for justice and instead has faced a two-tier system: One for law enforcement and one for the rest of us. This double standard will continue to erode and undermine public confidence in police to protect the public, including from colleagues who break the law.”
Today’s editorial cartoon
David Parkins/The Globe and Mail
Living better
An expert traveller’s guide to adventuring in Nunavut
The drum dancers of Mittimatalik prance, stoop and leap their way across the wooden stage outside the Nattinnak Centre in knee-high sealskin boots. They joyously swinging and beating oversized hand drums as locals excitedly whisper that beluga whales have been spotted just offshore. This is how the Inuit of Mittimatalik welcome visitors to the Nunavut hamlet, also known as Pond Inlet, on the northeastern shore of Baffin Island.
With no roads linking Nunavut to southern Canada, the territory is a mystery to most. To visit, you must travel by only air or cruise ship. Although it is a land of rich history, culture and nature, many don’t know what to expect when they visit. Read more about the extraordinary experiences awaiting travellers to Nunavut.
Moment in time: Aug. 31, 2008
In the heart Toronto's trendy fashion district at the corner of Queen and John streets, City Television's "Speakers Corner" is shown in the early morning hours on September 14, 1998.Andrew Wallace/Reuters
Speakers Corner goes off the air
Before Twitter, if you wanted strangers to hear your random thoughts, one option was to make your way to the corner of Queen Street West and John Street in downtown Toronto. There, starting in 1990, anyone could record up to two minutes of video for the price of a loonie in the Speakers Corner booth (the money went to charity). A lucky few would see their musings broadcast on CITY-TV, with the most entertaining clips being aired during a weekly half-hour show. “It was one of the pioneers of user-generated content,” Jamie Haggarty, an executive vice-president at Rogers Media told the CBC. The gimmick attracted all types: giggly schoolgirls and inebriated late-night partiers, chronic complainers and hopeless romantics (proposals were popular). Speakers Corner – named after the famous site in London’s Hyde Park – is credited with helping launch the careers of the band Barenaked Ladies and actor Scott Speedman. But the already famous partook as well: Harrison Ford, Mike Myers, Timothy Leary and Madonna all made appearances. But by 2008, the likes of Facebook, YouTube, Myspace and Twitter meant people could get their voice heard from pretty much anywhere, and Speakers Corner lost its allure. Domini Clark
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