Summer in the city with face masks everywhere
Toronto city council is expected to approve a bylaw making face masks mandatory in all public spaces, starting July 7. Masks will be mandatory on public transit five days earlier—a policy that Quebec will also enact. But despite a recent COVID-19 outbreak linked to Brandi’s Exotic Show Lounge, strip clubs are staying open for business in Vancouver.
Just waiting for the sun to rise
Cirque du Soleil’s creditor protection and 3,480-employee layoff is being played as a way to keep it alive for a new buyer: a group of existing investors hope to keep it headquartered in Montreal, with provincial support. Meanwhile, in Quebec, clothing brand Frank and Oak filed for creditor protection with hopes of a restructuring.
Sole-source contracts are a fixture of the Trudeau friends at We. Further research into the federal Liberals granting funds to We Charity comes with the PM continuing to defend its administration of a student volunteer program. New criticism of the We ways quickly met with attention from its lawyer, stating the allegations are false.
Timbits fall into rabbit hole
Canada’s privacy commissioner and three provincial counterparts announced their investigation into whether or not the Tim Hortons app is legally using customer data. Due to his earlier reporting on its surveillance capabilities, Financial Post reporter James McLeod noted the tracking now only happens when the app is open:
Torstar Corporation is readying a handover. Documents filed with security regulators fed a Globe and Mail report on incoming owner NordStar Capital’s plan to sell off Torstar’s minority stakes in other businesses, with hopes of raising more than $100 million for its newspapers. The Toronto Star has also started testing new promotional slogans.
Finally, boohoo for Hollywood
Quibi became the rare streaming service to launch in Canada at the same time as the U.S., with 90-day free trial offers that are about to expire. The short-video app is now trying to stem its burn rate by recruiting Jason Reitman to round up stars for a remote reading of The Princess Bride. If nothing else, it will leave a legacy of amusing articles:
