Good morning. Russian dissidents fighting deportation in the United States by ICE are holding out hope that Canada will come to their rescue. More on that below, plus the next big trade story and some ideas to ease out of summer. Let’s get to it.
A man looks at his apartment building which was heavily damaged by a Russian strike in Kyiv, on Sept. 7.Evgeniy Maloletka/The Associated Press
TOP STORY
Russian dissidents in the U.S. fear deportation to Putin’s prisons
The latest: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is said to be preparing to deport more Russian asylum seekers back to an uncertain future in their home country. Meanwhile, reception from Ottawa has been lukewarm as the Canadian government drags its feet on a request to open its doors. ICE has already sent at least 80 people back to Russia this summer.
Context: Vladislav Krasnov helped organize protests in 2018 headed by opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who was found dead in his prison colony in the Russian Arctic last year. Krasnov thinks he’ll either be deported and serve a lengthy jail term, or Canada will listen to a plea from leading Russian opposition figures – including Navalny’s widow – and open its doors to dissidents expelled from the U.S.
What’s next: Activists say a third mass-deportation flight is expected in the coming weeks.
On the ground: Russia hit Ukraine’s capital with drone and missiles Sunday in the largest aerial attack since the war began, killing four people across the country and damaging a key government building.
Talk about the future of USMCA will soon be underway.Photo illustration by the Globe and Mail/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
Trade
The fight to preserve North American trade
The latest: In the coming weeks, consultations are expected to kick off over the renewal of the continental free-trade pact, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Automobiles, dairy supply management, digital regulation and relationships with China are all expected to be on the table. After months of wrangling over tariffs, the real discussion about the future of North American trade is only just beginning. We have a guide for that.
What’s next: Soon, the clock will officially start on one of the most consequential trade negotiations in Canada’s history. The USMCA was scheduled to be reviewed after six years, with July 1, 2026, as the formal renewal date.
Opinion: Carney was elected on a wave of tariff panic. Now, he has other problems.
Uplifting shows, eats, drinks and shopping to ease you into the fall season.Illustration by Hayden Maynard
How We Live
Help ease the end-of-summer doldrums
Summer in Canada is a glorious, short-lived thing. So, as the season comes to a close, we have stories to help make the real world easier – and distract from the dropping temperatures.
Watch: If you’re looking for a mood-boosting show that offers an escape from the shortening days, here are five picks.
Eat: September means a return to work, school, extracurriculars, and added pressure on the daily question of what to eat. Here are three easy, healthy work lunches to make now that schedules aren’t quite so lax.
Drink: Whether you’re rushing into fall or soaking up the sun, this week’s wine recommendations are well-suited to ending the season on a high note.
Shop: After a long summer outdoors, give your feet a thorough inspection before breaking out fall footwear. Here’s how to soothe them.
Health
The latest rallying cry for minimum nurse-to-patient ratios
The latest: In a recent round of collective bargaining, the top priority at the Ontario Nurses’ Association was mandating minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, a strategy of retaining burned-out health workers and maintaining safety. An arbitration panel in Ontario sided with the hospitals and rejected the idea, saying ONA failed to demonstrate they were necessary.
Context: British Columbia broke new ground in 2024 when it announced that it would become the first province to implement nurse-to-patient ratios around the clock. Planned ratios include one nurse for every four patients on medical and surgical units, one nurse for every two patients in high-acuity units, and a one-to-one ratio in intensive-care units.
Opinion: Health Columnist André Picard on the summer (and fall) of our COVID discontent.
Sports
Remembering Ken Dryden
The latest: The death of Montreal Canadiens legend Ken Dryden resonated in political circles and the hockey world alike. The former NHL great left his mark as a long-standing member of Parliament and former Liberal cabinet minister. Dryden played nine seasons for Montreal during the 1970s. The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup on six occasions. He was revered as the game’s greatest goalie.
What’s next: Every sport needs its athlete-poet. Without Ken Dryden, where is hockey’s? He was a national hero, writes Cathal Kelly. Now that he’s gone, he has no replacement.
Bookmarked
- Middle East: In Gaza, teachers find a way to educate even without classrooms.
- Labour: Air Canada flight attendants reject tentative agreement that ended strike – although this won’t result in another work stoppage.
- Ready, set, register: Tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup go on sale starting Sept. 10 (sort of). Here’s how to score them.
- For your finances: Could a wildfire trigger the next market crash?
- Conversation starter: Canadian campuses are largely female. What are men doing instead?
The Quote
The post-9/11 geopolitical roller coaster continues, bringing with it a strange onslaught of dysphoria with no end in sight.
The century began with a day of terror on Sept. 11, 2001. Decades later, the events of that morning continue to affect our world, writes Nina L. Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs.
The Shot
Angelina Jolie poses during the red carpet for the film "Couture" at the Toronto International Film Festival. September 7, 2025.Mark Blinch/Reuters
A French-speaking Angelina Jolie, Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Elizabeth Olsen in the afterlife were just some of the A-list premieres on Day 4 of the Toronto International Film Festival. Check out the highlights from the opening weekend.