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c. Outside Rideau Cottage. It was a familiar sight for the many Canadians who had watched Trudeau address the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. The former prime minister and his family lived in Rideau Cottage during his time in office because the usual PM residence, 24 Sussex Drive, had fallen into disrepair.

a. Less than 1 per cent. Citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, the White House asserted that 43 pounds of fentanyl were intercepted at the northern border in the 2024 financial year, marking a “massive 2,050 per cent increase” compared with the year prior. But according to data released by The Globe in April, only 0.74 pounds – or 0.13 per cent – of fentanyl seized near the border has been positively attributed to Canada by the U.S. border agency. Virtually all the fentanyl recovered – 99.87 per cent – was linked to either Mexico or the U.S., or had unknown origins. The data exclude seizures still under investigation, including at least one case U.S. authorities have connected to Canada.

b. Mike Myers. The hockey term “elbows up” describes an effective way to protect yourself from an opposing player. Coined by Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, who was famously called Mr. Elbows for how he kept opponents at a distance on the ice, the phrase gained traction after Myers made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live in March. As the credits began to roll, the Canadian actor repeatedly pointed at his “Canada is not for sale” T-shirt and then his bent arm while saying “elbows up.”

b. Treason. Hogue’s final report said some parliamentarians showed poor judgment and troubling conduct in dealings with foreign powers, but she concluded their actions did not amount to treason. She told reporters she had not seen “any evidence of traitors in Parliament plotting with foreign states to act against Canada.”

a. The em dash (—). Beloved by writers for dramatic flair and lively interruption, the em dash has become a telltale sign that an artificial intelligence platform such as ChatGPT may have written an e-mail, book or LinkedIn post. Generative AI, which is trained on professional writing, relies on it so much that self-identified lovers of the punctuation mark have felt the need to “reclaim the em dash” lest they be accused of letting AI hold the pen. The fight is perhaps the most visible example of how AI is reshaping the discourse around writing – and maybe even writing itself.

b. Chicago. Before he was Pope Leo, Robert Prevost grew up in the Windy City. After his ordination as a priest in 1982, he worked in Chicago and Peru, and later under Pope Francis in the Vatican. He is also a lifelong fan of the Chicago White Sox.

b. 1670. The 355-year-old parchment charter, which carries the wax seal of King Charles II, launched the Hudson’s Bay Company and granted its traders a monopoly over a vast territory comprising nearly one-third of what is now Canada. In doing so, it set the stage for colonization of the land. The charter carries deep and complicated significance for Indigenous people because it used the doctrine of terra nullius, or “nobody’s land,” to claim ownership without the knowledge or consent of its inhabitants.

The Thomsons and Westons, two of Canada’s most prominent families, succeeded with an $18-million joint bid to purchase the charter in December. They plan to donate it to four cultural institutions to keep it in Canada and accessible to the public.

d. All of the above. While a second Oval Office meeting between the leaders in August was much more civil, the tense February exchange stoked fears about what ceasefire terms – including land concessions – Trump would push Ukraine to accept in order to end the war with Russia (now entering its fourth winter). Before Trump took office, the U.S. had been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, providing billions of dollars’ worth of military aid, which the country has used to fend off Russian advances. Mr. Trump repeatedly said during the election campaign that he would end the war in a day, but never said how.

d. 172. The Liberals are now just one seat away from forming a majority government. The party holds 171 of 343 seats, after MPs Chris d’Entremont of Nova Scotia and Michael Ma of Ontario crossed the floor from the Conservatives.

d. Battle River–Crowfoot. Poilievre won with 80.9 per cent of the vote, where he ran against 213 other candidates because of an electoral reform protest by the Longest Ballot Committee. The new year will bring further challenges for the politician. In January, Conservative Party members are scheduled to vote in a review of his leadership, prompted by the party’s defeat in the federal election.

c. He cozied up to Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off final against Canada. The date of the final game for the NHL’s exhibition tournament was set for February months in advance, but the matchup of old rivals couldn’t have fallen at a more politically charged time for Canada-U.S. tensions. The issue was more what Gretzky didn’t do. As he acted as Canada’s honorary captain in Boston, Gretzky was dressed in a cool blue suit – no Team Canada sweater, or any red and white, in sight. He stuck close to the American bench as he approached centre ice, giving multiple American players a thumbs-up while almost completely ignoring Canada’s roster. By comparison, Team USA’s honorary leader, Mike Eruzione, was enthusiastic in an American hockey sweater. And just like that, the boos in bars began and a great many Canadians decided they’d had enough of Wayne Gretzky.

d. 32 years. Yep. The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. At least the 4 Nations Face-Off went our way.

a. Astronomer. Byron was the chief executive officer and Cabot was the company’s chief people officer (a.k.a. the head of human resources). The day after the Coldplay kiss-cam video was posted, Astronomer said it was launching a formal investigation into the matter. By the next day, the company announced Byron had resigned as CEO; Cabot stepped down shortly after.

c. 1998. Canada was stripped of the measles elimination status it held for more than 27 years after failing to interrupt transmission within one year of an outbreak that continues to spread in parts of the country. The domestic return of of the disease has largely been attributed to lower childhood vaccination rates, and doctors and public health officials say that while transmission has slowed significantly, there is a long road ahead to eliminate measles once again.

d. US$15-million. FBI officials recently upped the reward from US$10-million after alleging Wedding, who is from Thunder Bay and competed for Canada as a snowboarder at the 2002 Winter Olympics, conspired to murder a key witness against him. The drug boss has allegedly trafficked tonnes of cocaine and fentanyl across the continent. Law-enforcement describe him as a man who enforces drug debts and loyalty through murder and is sheltered by the Sinaloa Cartel, which was recently designated a terrorist group by the Canadian and U.S. governments. Wedding’s lawyer, Deepak Balwant Paradkar, is among several Canadians charged and facing extradition to the U.S. in the case.

d. Around 550,000. According to a Toronto-based aviation tech firm, approximately 551,697 passengers had their flights either cancelled or delayed because of Air Canada’s contract dispute. The carrier started pre-emptively cancelling flights on Aug. 15, after a strike notice by the union representing its flight attendants. The strike officially ended on Aug. 19, and most services resumed on Aug. 22. Passengers are owed more than $66-million in compensation for lost time and inconvenience from the airline, airfairness calculated.

c. Jagmeet Singh. The then-NDP leader had been at the Lapu Lapu Day festival prior to the moment a man drove an SUV through the crowd. The next day, Singh broke down in tears as he told reporters that he couldn’t get the images of the joyful children he’d seen out of his head. A Globe investigation found that the man accused, Adam Lo, should have been hospitalized by his mental health team in the days before the attack, according to experts. He is charged with 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder.

b. Home delivery. In a bid to stem record financial losses, Ottawa instructed Canada Post to end door-to-door delivery of mail across the country and shut down post offices in areas that were formerly considered rural but are now suburban. Roughly three-quarters of Canadians already get their mail through community, apartment and rural mailboxes, while four million addresses still receive mail directly at the door. The end of the delivery service is predicted to save the postal service almost $400-million annually, the government estimates.

a. The Vegas Golden Knights signed Hart to a two-year, $4-million goaltending contract in October, and the four other men have signed to play with other leagues. As the men’s hockey careers resume, many sexual-assault advocates say the sport must continue confronting its culture around consent.

b. Edmonton was the top city for renters on our overall ranking. Median income is high in Alberta capital, while its average rents are relatively low, making it one of the most affordable cities in Canada. Our data also showed it ranked among the top five for rental availability. As well, it had a relatively high rating for livability – including factors such as how easy it is to get around, run errands and participate in the community. See the full 100-city ranking here.

c. About 40 per cent. According to Statistics Canada, 41.7 per cent of Canadian university students were male in 2022-23. This size of a gap has existed for more than two decades, but universities haven’t done much to address it. That’s likely because out in the working world, men are doing just fine, getting higher salaries than women and tending to hold more positions of power. But The Globe story looked at the effects of the gender gap beyond money, including that post-secondary graduates report better overall health and tend to vote more.

d. Qatar. The majority of the talks were held in Doha. The Oct. 10 ceasefire has enabled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza City’s ruins, while Israel has pulled troops back and the flow of aid has increased. But violence has not completely halted. Palestinian health authorities say Israeli forces have killed at least 386 people in strikes on Gaza since the truce, and Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed during the ceasefire.

c. 11. Under the leadership of Dawn Farrell, Canada’s new Major Projects Office is considering helping fast-track a number of priority projects through existing regulatory frameworks. They include new or expanded developments in energy, port infrastructure, critical minerals mining and public infrastructure, and represent billions of dollars’ worth of investment. Here’s a full list of all 11, and a closer look at what they entail.

b. 18. Game 3 stretched for six hours and 39 minutes and tied Game 3 in 2018 – also at Dodger Stadium – for the most innings in Fall Classic history. However, it did not claim the record for the longest World Series game, which the 2018 matchup (between the Dodgers and the Red Sox) still holds at seven hours and 20 minutes.

b. The number of teams has expanded. The 2026 World Cup will be the largest yet, with 48 teams competing instead of the usual 32, and an additional knockout Round of 32. The larger pool means more opportunities for Canada and other teams to advance out of the group stage, but also more games to be played on the road to victory. Canada will play at least three games on home soil, with the first match kicking off on June 12 in Toronto.