📈 Canadian newsmaker

Good morning. Who made the biggest buzz on home soil this year? We answer that question by handing out our award for Canadian Newsmaker. But first, a quick review of what went down in May and June.

—Quinn Henderson

New bill sparks separatism talk in Alberta. Premier Danielle Smith’s government proposed a bill lowering the threshold to trigger referendums in Alberta. The move was widely seen as a way to cater to the separatists who make up a small but vocal portion of her base. The bill came into effect in July but has undergone amendments. Separatist leaders plan to start canvassing next month to get their initiative on a ballot. (May 1 Edition)

Canadian anointed as Warren Buffett’s heir. The Oracle of Omaha picked Edmonton’s Greg Abel as the new CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett had been in charge since 1965, turning a textile company into an investment behemoth that regularly outperformed the S&P 500. Abel, who worked jobs like fire extinguisher filler before rising at Berkshire as an energy exec, caught Buffett’s eye with managerial skills and a dedication to culture. (May 5 Edition) 

Young people couldn’t find summer jobs. Young Canadians looking for work were left in the lurch, as a sluggish economy, years of population growth, and tariffs created a dearth of openings. In early May, Indeed reported that job postings were down 22% from 2024. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for returning students aged 15 to 24 between May and August was 17.9%, the highest since the summer of 2009 (excluding 2020). (May 21 Edition) 

India sees the world’s deadliest aviation disaster in a decade. Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all but one of the 242 people on board, as well as 19 on the ground. The tragedy was all the more alarming as the aircraft involved was the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the world’s most popular jets, which hadn't crashed since taking off in 2011. The cause of the crash remains unclear. (June 13 Edition) 

Trump tries to shut out Harvard international students. The White House barred foreign students and scholars from entering the country to study at Harvard after the school refused to reform screening practices. While the ban was quickly repealed, Trump has continued to target Harvard and, generally, create an environment many academics find troubling. Canada’s institutions are now stepping up their game to lure top professors. (May 25 Edition)

Winner: The Toronto Blue Jays. At the start of the MLB season, the Jays were an afterthought in a loaded AL East. Instead, they shook off a slow start to deliver a season for the history books. It was fuelled by stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., great management, and crucially, the power of friendship. Along the way, all of Canada got swept up in Jays fever, with the team’s popularity reaching new heights. Though they fell agonizingly short in Game Seven versus the mighty LA Dodgers (IKF, why didn’t you take a bigger lead!?!?), George Springer's homer, Trey Yesavage's heroics, and all the other memories will live on forever.  

Runner-up: Mark Carney. The central banker turned political powerhouse brought the Liberal party back from the brink and, once in charge, completely reoriented the party’s policies to focus on matters like nation-building infrastructure and defence spending. However, he didn’t hit a single dinger this year, so he’ll have to settle for second.

Runner-up: The TSX. We lost track of how many times we wrote “Canada’s main stock index hit a new record high” in the Markets section this year. Boosted mainly by the surging price of gold — but also strong performances in energy and financials — the TSX surpassed 30,000 for the first and outperformed both the U.S.’s S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

That horrific effigy is of Jeff Bezos. It was just one part of the weeks of protests against his and Lauren Sánchez’s obscenely ritzy wedding in Venice. Scores of locals and activists rallied against the Amazon founder and his pals treating the city like their personal playground, ultimately succeeding in getting the reception moved to outside the city centre. 

⛽️ US$9.1 billion. Size of the takeover bid that Calgary energy firm Parkland accepted from Sunoco just one day before a shareholder vote that likely would have upended the board of directors. Instead, everybody saw a nice payday as the merger was approved in November. 

💁 62%. Share of Canadians that leave a larger tip than planned because of the options on the pay terminal, according to one survey. To combat this phenomenon, Quebec enacted a new law forcing businesses to calculate all gratuities based on the final bill before tax.

🏀 .565. Winning percentage of the Toronto Raptors under Masai Ujiri’s 13 years as team president before he was suddenly let go in June. That was the fifth-highest mark in the league over that span. He, of course, also built the squad that won a championship in 2019.

Clear the cobwebs with the Sunday Sudoku!