The last G7 country standing with a mask
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Chrystia Freeland was caught putting her mask on only for a group shot at a U.K. meeting of G7 finance ministers. Justin Trudeau will also appear at the leaders’ summit, followed by his hotel quarantine in Ottawa. But restrictions have been lifted for the NHL playoffs, with teams coming in from the U.S. entrusted with a modified bubble.
Which way to the funeral?
Continued pandemic rules limiting funerals to 10 attendees are looking increasingly ludicrous to the same Toronto politicians promoting outdoor activities, even though the city can’t seem to manage water fountains. Over in Ottawa, the mayor just wants the province to set a date for Step 1 of reopening, which will likely happen on Friday.
The last day of the statue of Egerton Ryerson. Mohamed Lachemi, the president of the university that bears Ryerson’s name, said the effigy pulled down during a Sunday protest “will not be restored or replaced.” Meanwhile, the pope called for reconciliation and healing in regard to the Kamloops burial site, which isn’t technically a “mass grave.”
A sitcom turns into a drama
Netflix streaming the final season of Kim’s Convenience was accompanied by star Simu Liu spilling the tea about its abrupt conclusion, which led to a John Doyle column calling it “bitterness.” Then another star, Jean Yoon, tweeted about her issues, like scripts that were “overtly racist.” Anita Kapila, a Kim’s writer, begged to differ:
A booker for Just for Laughs resigned with apologies for a racial slur. Jeff Singer spent 20 years scouting for the Canadian festival, but his interactions with comics faced criticism from one, which brought on more from others. JFL found new owners after sexual misconduct accusations against Gilbert Rozon, who was acquitted in court.
Finally, the good life is lurking
The Juno Awards had its major categories swept for a second time by the Weeknd, who failed to join Justin Bieber in making an appearance in the virtual production. But the show closed with a little more longing for live audience events to return, as Gordon Lightfoot visited familiar turf to introduce the Tragically Hip featuring Leslie Feist: