Good morning. Parliament resumes today, then tomorrow King Charles III makes his first visit to Canada as monarch. More on that below, plus the elephant in the telecommunication room and the end of the open-concept kitchen. Let’s get to it.
A bag with a portrait of King Charles III is pictured through a window of a local flag shop in Ottawa on May 25, 2025.Spencer Colby/The Globe and Mail
TOP STORY
Parliament resumes and Ottawa prepares for a royal visit
The latest: Liberal MPs voted against having the power to oust Prime Minister Mark Carney as leader despite months of internal frustrations last year that they couldn’t kick out Justin Trudeau. The Liberals and the Conservatives held caucus meetings on Sunday ahead of Parliament’s return, where Carney says his government will be guided by new fiscal discipline. Some worry, however, that with a Liberal minority, the government’s to-do list risks being paralyzed by the Conservative opposition.
- Opinion: Carney meets the House, where little things will matter, writes Campbell Clark.
What’s next: Tomorrow’s royal visit will feature pomp and pageantry, including the planting of a ceremonial tree at Rideau Hall, a 21-gun salute and an RCMP Musical Ride horse-drawn landau ride past Parliament Hill. But walking around Ottawa on Sunday, there is little evident excitement to be seen. Meanwhile, First Nations leaders are urging King Charles to stand up for treaty rights.
- In photos: Looking back at King Charles’s royal visits to Canada.
- From you: We asked Globe readers how they felt about the King’s visit.
- Opinion: The King’s visit is a Commonwealth flex with an audience of one, writes Shannon Proudfoot.
Emergency workers extinguish fire in the debris of a private house that was destroyed in a Russian rocket strike, in the Kyiv region. May 25, 2025.Thomas Peter/Reuters
World
Russia and Ukraine exchange more prisoners
The latest: In a move that reflected a rare moment of co-operation, Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisoners on Sunday. Hours earlier, the Ukrainian capital and other regions came under a massive Russian drone-and-missile attack.
Catch up: In peace talks held in Istanbul earlier this month, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees from each side. The exchange has been the only tangible outcome from the talks. The countries have failed to reach a ceasefire in more than three years of war.
Architects Deborah Wang and Will Elsworthy chose a separate kitchen design in their Toronto home, and won more storage space as a result.Jenna Marie Wakani/The Globe and Mail
How We Live
Is the open-concept kitchen dead?
The latest: Closed kitchens, often dismissed as outdated, are making a quiet comeback. After 50-plus years of open plans dominating residential design, architects and homeowners are rediscovering the practical and aesthetic advantages of defined cooking spaces. It’s not just to hide the noise, mess and smells of meal preparation but also to give each room its own creative identity.
What else: For those worried that a closed kitchen might feel too confined, a senior designer offers strategies to make sure things are functional and beautiful. Keep reading for her top five tips.
Business
Telecom’s debt elephant in the room
The latest: At the end of 2000, Canada’s largest four telecoms together had about $20-billion in long-term debt, when including the long-term portion of lease costs. Fast-forward to today, and that amount has quintupled to more than $100-billion, data from S&P Capital IQ show.
What’s next: The trend of rising debt is taking a turn, according to the companies, which say balancing the books is a top priority. For investors, there was a time when Canadian telecom stock was close to a sure thing. Those days are over, writes David Berman.
Drug crisis
How fentanyl transformed Victoria’s Pandora Avenue
The latest: Pandora Avenue was once a lush gateway to downtown Victoria from the east. But in the past decade, it has morphed into one of the largest open-air drug markets in Western Canada. Civic leaders warn the drug chaos will spiral outward without a plan.
What’s next: In the next couple of months, Central Baptist Church will decide whether to remain where it has stood for 98 years or sell the property. “Being among people at the margins of society is where churches thrive,” says lead pastor Shawn Barden. “But the needs of the people here have taxed our expertise, our ability to help.”
Bookmarked
- Israel-Gaza war: No violence broke out, but tensions were high at Toronto’s 56th annual Walk With Israel on Sunday, while Israeli strikes continued to pound Gaza.
- The new Canada: Twenty years later, the first Somali refugee doctor trained in Canada sets her sights on happier patients
- Profile: TD’s new CEO Raymond Chun faces the mountainous task of rebuilding trust.
- For your finances: Hydro One is a hot stock. Is it too hot?
- Conversation starter: Is this fossil a forgery? Answering that has polarized the paleontology world
The Quote
Most crucially (to me, at least) is the fact that, in striving for efficiency, we can also lose the joy and connection that comes from working with others.
Gabrielle Drolet is encouraging you to delete that e-mail and pick up the phone.
The Shot
Shannon Hilberman and Zac Beaudry share a love of Slurpees and matching tattoos, at a 7-Eleven in Winnipeg on Feb. 28, 2025.Shannon VanRaes/The Globe and Mail
Winnipeg has long been called the “Slurpee Capital of the World” by 7-Eleven. But where, really, does this love come from? Here’s how chilly Winnipeg turned the humble Slurpee into a local religion.