The MP who kept her sister on the payroll
Yasmin Ratansi will sit as an independent Toronto MP while the Liberals “await guidance” from the ethics commissioner. A sister working in her constituency office assumed a fake first name after nepotism rules came in. After a report from CBC News, based on comments from former staffers, Ratansi acknowledged she “made an error.”
Biden time over the telephone
Joe Biden paid his last vice-presidential visit to Ottawa in December 2016, but he’ll probably be back soon for the first presidential trip his predecessor avoided. In the meantime, a congratulatory call from Justin Trudeau covered current concerns, including China’s 700 days of detainment of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
TikTok plans to keep ticking in Canada no matter what. While the app spent the past few months skirting an American executive order to ban access if it retains Chinese ownership, general manager Daniel Habashi says there was no such concern north of the border. TikTok is now doing more advertising to promote star Canadians.
The future faces of the fiver
Terry Fox is the sentimental front-runner among the eight icons shortlisted for the new $5 Canadian banknote, which will join Viola Desmond’s $10 in having vertical graphics. The prospect of a polymer bill incorporating this image will have to wait:
Nav keeps making tracks even if he can’t game the charts. Emergency Tsunami is the new album by the prolific Toronto rapper, who topped the Billboard sales chart twice by adding download codes to his merchandise. The tactic led to a change in rules that mean a blanket or lunch box won’t count for points, but autographed CDs will.
Finally, OK see you (in space)
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has been talking about his new role as a fighter pilot in The Mandalorian, something he kept under wraps until the Star Wars series premiered a new season on Disney Plus. The star of Kim’s Convenience got a call from his agent about a part written for him on the day he attended the 2019 climate strike rally at Queen’s Park:
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