“Some of Trudeau’s [semen] is sticking to your chin,” was one email received by John Ivison from those who objected to a National Post column about the “crackpot fringe.” But this new wave is focused on what they see as an affront to freedom in a time of COVID-19. Encrypted chat tips are evidently helping the enraged stay on the PM’s trail.
New hopes on Sunshine Coast
Avi Lewis is running for the NDP in a West Vancouver riding where the party came in fourth last time. But now he’s brandishing B.C. poll numbers that show a fighting chance. Jagmeet Singh’s signs of momentum include anticipating a comeback in Quebec, where 2011 paper candidate Ruth Ellen Brosseau now wants her seat back.
Ontario will be getting a vaccine passport one of these days. But the announcement has been delayed, as sources say cabinet didn’t approve of the certificate system presented to them. Live music venues are cautiously optimistic that passports will help them survive this winter, as the province awaits a classic flip-flop from Doug Ford.
A long way from 1331 Yonge
The shift to centralized music programming continues at Bell Media, which now means five Virgin Radio stations have the same midday host in Shannon Burns, who’s already perfected the art of broadcaster TikTok. The new evening DJ across the country took the leap from England two years ago, landing under this neon sign:
Vice Media will now pursue profit rather than going public. Shane Smith has given up voting control of the company he co-founded, as it raised $85 million from existing investors after abandoning plans to merge with a blank-cheque company. Vice recently laid off 17 writers and editors as part of the latest pivot to prioritizing the visual.
Finally, this sniffing sensation
Storm the Weather Dog has become familiar to longtime viewers of chief Global News Toronto meteorologist Anthony Farnell, but a posting on TikTok advanced the celebrity status of the Goldendoodle. Looking for treats around the green screen on Friday night put Storm in the picture, and now the incident is preserved on YouTube: