Michelle Rempel Garner logging on to Zoom parliament from Oklahoma, home to her husband and stepchildren, provided a feast for the Toronto Star. But the Conservative MP from Calgary says she travelled south before the border restrictions, due to an “urgent and private” personal matter and has been advised to keep working remotely.
CERB your enthusiasm
“Trudeau’s lavish handouts risk turning workers into welfare slackers,” the headline on a National Post column by John Ivison, sparked its share of contempt. The author noted that he didn’t personally use those words, but was reflecting concerns that a continued $2,000 a month emergency benefit will keep some workers at home.
Postmedia is permanently closing 15 more community newspapers. The decision was announced along with furloughs and salary cutbacks across the board. But the mayor of Winkler, Manitoba, noted its Postmedia publication wasn’t covering much local news anyhow. Torstar also had a comparable pandemic round of layoffs and closures.
Pot shop has lost two ex-cops
The opening of the One Plant cannabis store in Toronto’s Kensington Market came with an undercurrent of controversy: affiliated parent company Aleafia Health had a once vocal opponent of marijuana use at the helm. But former RCMP deputy commissioner Raf Souccar has now resigned from Aleafia’s board, along with its higher-profile chairman:
Lilly Singh is once again accused of cultural appropriation. A remake of dance hall reggae star Ding Dong’s “Bad Man Forward, Bad Man Pull Up” is being decried for reflecting South Asian disrespect of Caribbean culture. Singh has been criticized in the past for appropriating black style in her videos, which she dismissed early on.
Finally, a man needs a moose
Tom Green recently escaped from self-isolation to chat with Joe Rogan about a legacy of antics that inspired many comedic podcasters. Currently, the Ottawa native is trying to keep pace at home in Hollywood. But either Green got too old for how these games are played, or dozing off while on the internet is the greatest prank he’s now got:
