The short newsletter before a long weekend

Resist the many rabbit holes within

The Line @the_lineca

No one is ever, ever going to fix housing.

theline.substack.comJen Gerson: No one is going to fix housingHouses exist to juice the economy and keep the elderly afloat on paper gains well into their retirement years.

Real talk about the state of housing in Canada by Jen Gerson challenged the government refrain that the affordability crisis is a problem they’re eager to solve. Lately, it’s involved Chrystia Freeland calling the spiralling prices an “intergenerational injustice,” although Pierre Poilievre blames red tape he’s looking to break.

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Accentuating the positives

John Tory @JohnTory

This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19. I am thankful that I have been fully vaccinated and have the best protection possible against COVID-19. I know this also gives me the best chance at a quick recovery so I can be back to a busy in-person schedule as soon as possible.

A positive test for COVID-19 is still considered newsworthy when it’s the mayor of Toronto, as the emergence of Omicron XE is now moving into headlines. John Tory spent part of the prior day at the first in-person assembly at any public school amidst the pandemic, in honour of the Day of Pink, but the Toronto board won’t follow Ottawa by reviving mask mandates.

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“Let’s liberate the Canadian landscape from the Group of Seven and their nationalist mythmaking.” An opinion piece by Matteo Cimellaro on the CBC’s website didn’t receive much attention until it was linked to on Twitter by the Canada Council for the Arts. Failing to clarify that this wasn’t the council’s own policy may explain why the tweet is now deleted.

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Twitter is still a terrible editor

The appointment of a new CEO and president for the Toronto Star came with touting the experiences of Marina Glogovac. It also meant looking at what she’s had to say on social media, some of which clashed with a pandemic narrative furthered by outlets like the Star:

Marina Glogovac @MarinaGlogovac

@DFisman David - respectfully, don't want to feel persecuted by you for a personal opinion from a month ago, as a free and private citizen. Has nothing to do with my new role. I am fully vaccinated and support the current public health guidance. Should be able to dialogue in a democracy!

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The Kids in the Hall front the expansion of Cancon on Amazon. New trailers were released in green and red as the Toronto troupe returned to their Rivoli club origins to promote May 13 streaming of their new series via Prime Video. Amazon’s wider lineup launch at Massey Hall included announcing a documentary about the Tragically Hip.

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Finally, the Cannes of worms

Crimes of the Future is the next body horror film by David Cronenberg, which shares a title with a movie he made in 1970, though this isn’t a remake. Cronenberg mused about retirement in recent years, but now he’s headlining the Cannes Film Festival before a theatrical run. A teaser was unleashed to maximize exposure with the crowd drawn to trigger warnings: