Justin Trudeau visited the Netherlands for a day en route to the G20 Summit in Rome—a trip with apparent inconsistencies when it came to wearing masks. The PM also had Brian Mulroney saying it’s time to talk tough with Joe Biden over Buy American policies in the auto sector. Mulroney is now less enthused by the style of Erin O’Toole.
Back to old-school Halloween
Gorian Surlan made Halloween news as photos of the Toronto teacher in blackface circulated upon reports that he was placed on home assignment from Parkdale Collegiate, pending an investigation. Meanwhile, the B.C. public safety ministry warned about cannabis edibles, to counter it being widely seen as a trick-or-treat myth.
B.C. Supreme Court will be hearing the case of Rogers Communications. Edward Rogers is looking for permission to replace five independent directors with his own candidates and presumably finish the job of sending CEO Joe Natale off with a $200-million severance package. Martha Rogers stopped fighting her brother via Twitter.
The little paper that’s shrunk
A half-century of the Toronto Sun is marked with an editorial from the tabloid stating that its principles have remained intact since it launched November 1, 1971. But the format also faded from influence as ownership shuffled from Quebecor to Postmedia. At least those who read for the sports section still have Steve Simmons to kick around:
A fully vaxxed Bryan Adams was forced to skip the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony because he tested positive for COVID-19. The induction of Tina Turner as a solo performer was set to have him sing the “It’s Only Love,” as a duet with H.E.R. Keith Urban took his place. (Adams has yet to be nominated for a spot in said Rock Hall.)
Finally, trap-style roots music
Grandson is the professional name of Jordan Benjamin, who grew up in Toronto, where a video of some rooftop rapping drew the kind of attention that led him to drop out of McGill University and move to L.A. A year after his debut album, Grandson got top-40 punk elders Kesha and Travis Barker added to a track well-timed for videos on TikTok: