ICYMI this week ...

Reflections on a country designed to turn the screws to itself

Oct 21, 2023

As I compile the stories that I mentioned on the Daily News podcast this week, the one thing that stands out is that Canada is a haven for profiteering. From mark-ups to passing plastic waste costs onto consumers, from the Irving family to rental increases — everything about the last twenty years has been oriented towards giving corporations bigger and bigger pieces of the people. They take our money, they control our food prices, the destroy our job security and our governments gleefully make it even easier for them to take even more.

It’s hard not to be consumed by rage, grief and hopelessness right now. This week, I was talking to the dad of a friend of my kid and he said to me, “wow, the news is so depressing.” It is depressing and it turned out that he was talking about a depressing local issue that I hadn’t really thought much about. “Oh, THAT, I said … uhh in French … right … that. Yes That’s depressing too.” Even public transit has the ability to break our hearts.

But of course, the big news is happening in Palestine. Or, let’s be specific, to Palestine. Hamas’ attack was tragedy enough. But the collective punishment of more than 6000 bombs dropped on an area the size of Montreal in a week, in an area that’s home to 2 million people, more than half of who are children — it’s all too much. Add to that tht legislatures across Canada have stood firm with Israel in their terrifying and murderous violence, it’s even more than too much. How do we not go crazy?

If you listen to the Daily News podcast, I’ve been doing my best to make sure that we still hear other news, while Palestine and Israel’s horrific campaign to wipe it off the map, dominate international and national news.

You can catch up on any episodes that you might have missed here. And while it doesn’t look like anything, yet, is going to stop Israel’s campaign against Gaza, here’s hoping that there is less violence, destruction and fewer bombs next week.

Newfoundland and Labrador

He was detained by police after sending a tweet. 8 years later, he's fighting for a public hearing

New Brunswick

Arthur Irving steps down as chairman of Irving Oil

More than 50 Indigenous fish harvesters in the Maritimes charged or on trial, says Ottawa

Ontario

Family mourns death of couple in fiery QEW crash: ‘Our hearts are just shattered’

Co-accused in $47.4M COVID-19 fraud was secret police informant, court documents reveal

MPP Sarah Jama threatens to sue Premier Doug Ford over Israel-Hamas comments

Saskatchewan

Regina students walk out of class in protest of Saskatchewan pronoun legislation

Sask. asks court to penalize Anishinabe man over published jail videos experts say show torture