What looked at first glance like a Globe and Mail scoop was actually the Ontario Liberals spreading the word that it obtained emails confirming Doug Ford’s office knew in advance that the finance minister escaped for a month to St. Bart’s. Rod Phillips hastily returned with resignation on New Year’s Eve.
Prog rock will bring salvation
The first group to chance 2021 arena concerts in Toronto and Montreal is Genesis, whose latest reunion is steered by a new partnership involving Canadian promoter Michael Cohl. Country singer Eric Church also recently set indoor October dates in Western Canada, but the announcement came with doubt about their likelihood.
Justin Bieber gave up on trying to be the first big touring act back. While dates rescheduled from last year in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal remained on the calendar for July, if perhaps out of delusion, surviving Beliebers will now have to wait for 2022. Concern over his dreadlocked hair will need to proceed from a safe distance.
The pitches come in six parts
Podcasts becoming part of Hollywood’s intellectual property pipeline looks to be working out for Toronto company Antica Productions, whose latest launch, Do You Know Mordechai?, tells a tale about an area catfisher. Also joining this derby is Canadaland, with a deal to develop adaptations like the story about cocaine smuggling that was tied to Vice Media:
The drummer who sat behind his own kit at his own funeral. Brentnol McPherson performed as Bonny Brent, the name that was emblazoned on his bass drum at which he was posed before his body was moved to the coffin. Videos of the unusual service were originally shared as a marketing tool by Covenant Funeral Home in Scarborough.
Finally, the rapper of Substack
Cadence Weapon has an email newsletter that suits the profile he’s established in recent years, from time as Edmonton’s poet laureate to getting a McClelland & Stewart book deal for the upcoming Bedroom Rapper. And now Rollie Pemberton has a new 26-minute album consisting of 10 tracks amounting to a dispatch from the lockdown:
