Good evening, this newsletter will pause for Thanksgiving, and will resume next Tuesday.
Ontario decides to shutter businesses in Toronto, Ottawa, Peel
Patrons eat lunch at a Toronto restaurant on Friday, at about the same time that the provincial government was announcing new closures for indoor dining and other service industries in the Toronto, Peel and Ottawa areas due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
The country’s largest metropolitan area, along with the country’s capital, will be hit with sweeping new temporary restrictions starting tomorrow in an attempt to slow the second wave of novel coronavirus. COVID-19 cases rose to 939 in Ontario on Friday, the highest numbers recorded during the pandemic.
Toronto, neighbouring Peel region and Ottawa will see closings that include indoor restaurants, bars, gyms and casinos, limiting team sports and asking residents not to travel. The new measures take effect Saturday at 12:01 a.m. and will last for at least 28 days.
The new procedures, passed by Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet on Friday based on recommendations from medical officials, target the province’s three hot-spot areas. They are being characterized as a “modified stage 2” approach, with schools and places of worship allowed to stay open.
Residents in the hot spots are being urged to stay at home except for essential purposes, such as work and physical activity. Travel from regions with high cases to areas with few cases is also advised against.
Businesses in the hot spots will feel most of the pain, with sweeping shutdowns hitting entertainment, attractions and physical health centres.
Long-term care homes see resurgence of cases: A surge of COVID-19 infections in Ontario is spreading to elderly residents of nursing homes, with the number of facilities declaring an outbreak tripling over the past month. Half of the homes with an outbreak are in Toronto, Ottawa and Peel Region. Older homes with multibed ward rooms have been hit the hardest, a Globe and Mail analysis shows. While the vast majority of Ontario’s 630 long-term care homes remain free of the virus, the spike in the number with outbreaks – to 57 from just 19 in early September – is alarming, medical experts say.
Report recommends keeping schools open: A new Royal Society of Canada report urges governments to prioritize keeping schools open and be prepared with more mental-health support for Canadians if a spike in COVID-19 cases leads to another lockdown.
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Ottawa announces new small-business rent relief program
The federal government announced Friday it will allow entrepreneurs hit by the COVID-19 pandemic to apply directly for relief on the cost of rent until June, 2021.
The federal Liberals said a revamped commercial rent-relief program will cover up to 65 per cent of eligible expenses for companies, and up to 90 per cent for those subject to localized lockdowns.
The government will also cover up to 65 per cent of eligible wages through its subsidy program, but only until the end of December, and expand a well-used loan program by providing an added $10,000 that could be forgivable.
UN food agency wins Nobel Peace Prize as global hunger crisis deepens
“Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos.”
Those are the words of the United Nations' World Food Program, which on Friday was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for calling attention to a worsening hunger crisis that could see a doubling of the number of acutely hungry people across the world by next year, largely because of COVID-19.
The UN agency has warned that 270 million people could suffer from acute food insecurity by the end of next year, compared to 135 million last year. Last year’s number was already the worst in many years, primarily due to escalating wars and climate change.
Evidence from a range of aid agencies has revealed the extent of the hunger crisis this year. Mark Lowcock, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, recently warned that the current food crisis is the biggest the world has endured for 50 years.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Front-line retail workers call for return of COVID-19 pay bump as cases spike: When the first wave of COVID-19 hit last spring, companies offered so-called hero pay to essential workers. But as the pandemic ebbed, most wage premiums ended. Now, calls are growing for the return of hazard pay amid rising COVID-19 cases.
Walmart going on hiring spree, adding 10,000 people across the country: Walmart Canada is hiring 10,000 people after announcing a $3.5-billion investment to drive growth. The company says the investment over the next five years will lead to the use of advanced technologies working alongside employees to move products as quickly as possible.
Former premier Jean Charest files lawsuit against Quebec government: Former Quebec premier Jean Charest is suing the Quebec government for violation of his privacy in connection with a police anti-corruption investigation. Charest says in a statement that in recent years, confidential information about him and his family has been leaked to the media.
Canadian jobs growth accelerates in September but risks from second wave of COVID-19 loom: The economy added 378,000 jobs in September, greatly exceeding economists’ expectations. The unemployment rate fell to 9 per cent from August’s 10.2 per cent. About 76 per cent of three million positions lost during the COVID-19 pandemic have been recovered, leaving a hole of about 720,000 positions.
MARKET WATCH
Stocks closed higher in North America on Friday, with Canadian stocks being outperformed by climbing U.S. equities and a surge in the price of gold.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 28.27 points at 16,562.81.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 161.39 points at 28,586.90.
The S&P 500 index was up 30.30 points at 3,477.13 , while the Nasdaq composite was up 158.96 points at 11,579.94.
The Canadian dollar traded for 76.13 cents U.S. compared with 75.64 cents U.S. on Thursday.
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TALKING POINTS
Basic income: If Big Business supports it, be skeptical
“Beware what you wish for. A basic income would reduce the incentive to craft a fairer society and economy. It would be an opiate for the masses and a gift for Big Business.” – Eric Reguly
If we hope to achieve a more just society, Canadians must stop mythologizing our unequal past
“As a Canadian born to Black and white parents, I have a unique perspective on both the Black and white experience in Canada. I grew up in a white family, in white neighbourhoods, and attended schools with only a handful of Black students and people of colour. But even though I was immersed in all aspects of white society, the colour of my skin has defined my racial identity. I am a Black man.” – Stephen Dorsey
Rallies are the fuel that drive Donald Trump. They are his lifeblood
“The rallies are everything to a populist demagogue and narcissist like Mr. Trump. Beginning days before showtime, the fans, camping out in their MAGA gear, begin the chain reaction. Tension. Momentum. As it builds, the crowd hints at something, suggests something to us watching from afar and those within it: raw power.” – Carl Hoffman
LIVING BETTER
Even if you can’t gather in person with family and friends, you can still make the Thanksgiving holiday special. Our guide to food, wine and how to host safely – and virtually – has recipes for everything from veggie sides and desserts to spins on cranberry sauce, along with wine recommendations from critic Christopher Waters. You’ll also find inspiration in Canada’s Kitchen, our third-annual roundup of the country’s next star chefs. We asked each of these rising talents to share a recipe that showcases their home province or territory, and the results speak to the country’s culinary diversity – wild venison kebab, maple citrus pan-fried arctic char and cloudberry pie are just a few of their creations.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The tale of a Vatican financial scandal and two cardinals – one fired, one acquitted
Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who has been caught up in a real estate scandal, speaks to the media a day after he resigned suddenly and gave up his right to take part in an eventual conclave to elect a pope, near the Vatican, Sept. 25, 2020.GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters
Throughout history, palace intrigue has been a recurring feature at the Vatican.
The latest scandal involves Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican’s former financial comptroller and conservative heavyweight, and Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu.
Cardinal Pell is back in Rome, five months after his sexual abuse conviction in Australia was overturned and, if it appears that he’s gloating, it’s not just because he was acquitted on the charges that he always maintained were spurious, but because his nemesis, Cardinal Becciu, had made an inglorious exit from the Vatican on Sept. 24, just six days before he flew back to Rome.
The Pope demanded the resignation of Cardinal Becciu, 72, amid financial scandals that centre on the Sardinian-born prelate. The reversal was stunning. Within a week, one disgraced cardinal had returned to the Vatican with his head held high while another hung up his red cap in shame. The lives of the two cardinals were intertwined and it appears that Cardinal Pell had the last laugh. Read Eric Reguly’s full story here.
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