Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Canadians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter the country this summer without quarantining for two weeks, as long as they test negative for the disease. Only vaccines approved in Canada will be recognized to determine whether a traveller is vaccinated.
The government didn’t announce a start date for these new rules, though they said the rules would likely come into effect in early July, as long as vaccination rates keep increasing and case counts continue to drop.
Canada is also set to receive more vaccines, with the government announcing today that Moderna will supply seven million doses this month. The country should receive at least 55 million doses by the end of July, according to Procurement Minister Anita Anand, which is enough to fully vaccinate 80 per cent of eligible Canadians.
Explainer: Canada’s quarantine hotels, provinces’ border rules: What you need to know about travel
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Accused in London, Ont., mass killing bought pickup truck three weeks before attack
The 20-year-old suspect in Sunday’s killings bought a Dodge Ram just three weeks earlier, and the truck had a collision bar at the front of the vehicle, according to an eyewitness. The driver was wearing a helmet and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest, the eyewitness said.
On Tuesday evening, community members and politicians attended a vigil held in London, Ont., to honour the people killed in the attack.
Four members of the same family were killed when out for a walk on Sunday evening, and a nine-year-old boy who survived the attack is still in hospital. People in the community are remembering the family for their hard work, patience and selflessness.
Opinion: Islamophobia begins with ideas. It always ends in violence – Omer Aziz
China lags on innovation - can it catch up?
Nathan VanderKlippe, The Globe’s Asia correspondent, has watched China change since he moved to Beijing in 2013. In the latest in his series on China, he looks at innovation, and how the country’s government is spending billions to try and catch up in making the building blocks of industry.
Other new pieces in this series include China prizes education, so why are some children still left behind? and, Why do so many Chinese international students in Canada end up back home?
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Keystone XL pipeline project cancelled: TC Energy Corporation says it has cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline project after a comprehensive review of its options. Construction on the pipeline was suspended earlier this year after U.S. President Joe Biden revoked its presidential permit.
Bank of Canada holds steady on rates and bond buying: Monetary policy levers were left unchanged today, and despite recent COVID-related lockdowns, the pace of vaccinations has set the stage for a strong economic rebound over the coming months.
Former top Bombardier executive charged in Swedish corruption probe: Thomas Bimer, who was vice-president of Bombardier’s Stockholm-headquartered Rail Control Solutions division, has been charged with aggravated bribery over his alleged role helping the company win a lucrative contract in Azerbaijan. The charges follow a five-year investigation, making it one of Sweden’s biggest corruption cases.
Will the Pope apologize for residential schools?: Pope Francis prayed for Indigenous families this weekend after a First Nation announced the remains of 215 children at the site of a former Kamloops, B.C., residential school, but he hasn’t apologized. Globe reporter Tavia Grant is on the latest episode of The Decibel to discuss the struggle to hold the church accountable.
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MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index stayed in negative territory after the Bank of Canada held its key lending rate steady. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was down 63.65 points at 20,002.27.
World stocks hovered near record highs and U.S. bond yields fell on Wednesday as some of U.S. President Joe Biden’s stimulus efforts appeared to be on the rocks, boosting the appeal of technology stocks as inflation pressures ease. Unofficially, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 152.15 points to 34,447.67, the S&P 500 lost 7.65 points to 4,219.61 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 13.16 points to 13,911.75.
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TALKING POINTS
For Indigenous writers, the trauma of residential schools looms large
“The past 40 odd years of Indigenous literary output focuses largely on the horrors of colonization, with the residential school system being the lighthouse burning brightly.” – Drew Hayden Taylor, special to The Globe and Mail
How Canadians turned a bronze medal COVID-19 vaccine supply into a gold medal vaccination rate
“Canada’s vaccine supply is middle of the pack and in the same league as Germany and Italy. But two things turned a middling vaccine supply into a stellar first-shot vaccination rate: a smart public-health decision and the eagerness of Canadians to take advantage of it.” – The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
LIVING BETTER
Kelowna Pride March, 2019.Brandon Dodds/Courtesy of tourismkelowna.com / Kelowna Pride
As Canadian destinations reopen, many are looking to LGBTQ travellers as the first group they welcome
Destinations across the country are beginning to think about the postpandemic tourist season, and when things begin to open, many are expecting to welcome members from the LGBTQ community.
In general, as travellers, they tend to be more resilient (as was noticed after 9/11 and SARS), eager tourists, often with high disposable income – ideal for businesses looking to bounce back after the pandemic.
“We know that members of the LGBTQ2S community are avid travellers,” says Éric Lauzon, senior community partnerships manager with Air Canada. “We feel this market will be one of first to book travel to destinations where they feel safe, not only safe from a COVID-19 perspective but also to places where LGBTQ2S travellers are welcome.”
TODAY’S LONG READ
A crow stands on a roof as a partial solar eclipse is observed in Nairobi, Kenya, June 21, 2020.BAZ RATNER
Sunrise solar eclipse to sweep across Arctic and central Canada
Tomorrow’s sunrise in southern Canada will feature the rare sight of a crescent sun rising, with the moon blocking out the rest of the sun. If you’re further north, however, anywhere from Northern Ontario to Canada’s high Arctic, there’s a chance to see the round shadow of the moon passing right in front of the sun.
Sometimes this alignment can create a true astronomical spectacle – an annular eclipse of the sun. Observers watching from the right place may be able to see the moon’s silhouette briefly surrounded by an unbroken circle of light.
This event is rare enough that most people never get the chance to see it. The last one widely observed in Canada occurred nearly 30 years ago.
Evening Update is written by Menaka Raman-Wilms. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.