Dream big

Markets: Canada’s main stock index netted a new record closing high, surpassing 32,000 points, as mining shares rode the wave of higher gold prices. No word on prices of frankincense and myrrh.

We could finally be done with the stale Hollywood marketing cycle of Jimmy Kimmel appearances, sleepy podcast circuits, and forced red carpet smiles. 

What happened: The highly anticipated ping-pong dramedy Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, cracked the top 10 box office list after a limited release in just six theatres. The screenings brought in US$875,000, which marked the highest sales per theatre of any flick this year. 

Why it’s happening: For anyone who has followed the Marty Supreme marketing tour, this probably isn’t a surprise. Since October, Chalamet has teased the movie with viral posts of celebrities (including Bill Nye) wearing the official Marty Supreme windbreaker, which one GQ writer dubbed the “definitive garment of 2025.”

Why it matters: These internet-first tactics have created an unimaginable amount of hype for an Indie ping pong biopic that, on paper, shouldn’t be a box-office draw. For an industry still struggling to get people into theatres for anything that’s not a Marvel movie, the Marty Supreme marketing playbook should become required reading.—LA

Canada Post reaches new deal with workers. The Crown postal service has come to an agreement with the union representing its 55,000 workers to avoid another work stoppage. The new contract includes wage increases for the next five years, increased benefits, and a new model for weekend parcel delivery. It was this time last year that the postal workers first hit the picket line over the contract dispute, throwing the holiday shipping season into disarray. (CBC)

Fewer asylum seekers are coming from the U.S. to Canada. After initially seeing a surge in migrants at the New York-Quebec border, just over 500 people sought asylum at the crossing in November, down from 637 in 2024. (Bloomberg)

Carney names Mark Wiseman as U.S. ambassador. The former investment banker will replace Kirsten Hillman, who resigned from the post last month. Wiseman was previously the president and CEO of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and a manager at investment giant BlackRock. (Global News)

Instacart ends dynamic pricing program. The company faced backlash for charging some customers up to 23% more than others for the same product. (Axios) 

Trump appoints Greenland envoy with goal of making it “part of the U.S.” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry will assume the role, which both Denmark and Greenland say they were not made aware of. (Associated Press)

TikTok shop is launching its own gift cards. This could be the go-to last-minute gift for any Gen-Z relative. (TechCrunch)

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Bombardier is heading into 2026 flying higher than a tricked-out private jet. 

Driving the news: U.S. aviation authorities certified Bombardier's Global 8000, meaning the world’s fastest civilian plane can now legally fly across American skies. The business jet was approved by Canadian authorities last month and officially went into service two weeks ago.

Zoom out: After navigating tariff turbulence to start the year, the Montreal aerospace firm achieved cruising altitude, and has gone on a hot streak this month. In addition to the Global 8000 launch, Bombardier also bagged a $753 million deal with the Royal Canadian Air Force to provide six all-purpose jets and announced it would pay off US$500 million in debt early. 

Why it matters: More billionaires are being minted at a rapid pace thanks to mushrooming tech valuations and the dynamics of the K-shaped economy. That trend may not fill you with warm feelings, but it’s good news for Bombardier, which transformed itself over the past decade mainly into a purveyor of private jets — still a must-have for the well-to-do.—QH

🤝 Meet Nathaniel Erskine-Smith. He’s represented the riding of Beaches-East York in Toronto for 10 years and previously served in cabinet as the housing minister. We sat down with him to talk about the political theatre of parliament, his baseball career at Oxford, and his ambitions for Ontario Liberal leadership. 

If there was one cabinet post you could step into tomorrow, what would it be?

I was the housing minister for a minute, but apart from that, I think industry minister would be interesting. I've been on the industry committee for a number of years, and I think it's especially important in this environment where you've got an overwhelming focus on economic growth. 

I think [Mélanie Joly] is doing a great job right now, and if I'm thinking about making the biggest impact on my end, the question I'm starting to turn over in my head is if I should run for the Ontario Liberal Leadership.  

What would you peg the odds of you running for Ontario Liberal leadership right now? 

Some days I wake up, and I'm 90% sure I'm doing it. Other days, I wake up, and I'm going to a swimming class or coaching baseball, and I think it's more like 40%. But I would put it at a healthy 75% right now.

Politics is worth it, for sure. I'm convinced it's the most important way that one can make a difference. At the same time, it is a real sacrifice for my family.

You were a pitcher on the Queens University baseball team, but also played at Oxford. What was the baseball scene like there? 

It's funny, actually. I played my whole life and then played through university, but I was probably at my best in high school. When I went to Oxford, I hadn't played in a number of years. It really wasn't all that serious. I played for the senior men's team, which was pretty fun because it was a collection of expats. Our shortstop was from Japan, our second baseman was from the Dominican Republic, and I was the starting pitcher from Canada. So it was really fun.

Clips of Question Period in Parliament can often look like a reality TV show. Can you pull back the curtain a little bit and talk about what goes on behind the scenes?

Question Period gets so much of the oxygen and attention. I actually think it's the least interesting part of the job and least interesting part of our politics. It's designed to be theatre. It’s designed to generate clips, whether it's on the attack, or in some cases, generate clips on the defensive. Unfortunately, what does that turn into? It turns into condensing every possible nuance into a single unnuanced talking point. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Read the full Q&A here.

✈️ 9.65. Average number of disruptive passenger reports in December per 1,000 aviation occurrences, the highest of any month of the year. The data suggests that there are actually more unruly passengers during the holidays on average, even after adjusting for the increased number of flights.

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