JUNE 19, 2026
Our Beautiful Game
“Today was a very special day,” declared captain Stephen Eustáquio amid the bedlam following Team Canada’s 6-0 victory over Qatar in World Cup play on Thursday. Indeed it was, especially for soccer fans who watched the men’s team claw its way from laughingstock to genuine contender in a sport that, until now, never quite felt like our own. Thursday’s triumph, though dampened by Ismaël Koné’s tournament-ending broken leg, changed everything. Canada walked off a World Cup pitch as a winner for the first time, led by a dazzling hat trick by striker Jonathan David. More importantly, the win all but guarantees Canada a spot in the Round of 32 – an accomplishment few players or supporters ever dared dream possible. Sensing the significance of the moment, the crowd at BC Place grew louder after every goal: “It gave us more hunger to get the next one and the next one,” said David. And, as the celebrations from Vancouver to St. John’s went on late into the night, Eustáquio’s post-match declaration “Today, I feel that we’re a soccer country” suddenly seemed undeniably real.
JUNE 18, 2026
Discord to Détente
A welcome spirit of bonhomie prevailed at this year’s G7 summit, which wrapped up Wednesday in Évian-les-Bains, France. “We found a great deal of unity here,” said U.S. President Donald Trump, as the leaders agreed to the U.S. peace deal with Iran, tougher sanctions against Russia, and a coordinated response to Chinese economic coercion. This conviviality was a far cry from the rancour that marred past conferences, including the chaotic 2018 meeting in Malbaie, Que., when Trump stormed off in a huff, branding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “dishonest and weak.” Even this year’s hot-mic moments seemed tame: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni revealing she had quit smoking, Prime Minister Mark Carney seeking Trump’s approval on Canada’s “hard-line cap” on Chinese EV imports and, later, offering to switch seats after the U.S. leader complained about having the smallest chair. Carney is no doubt hoping that some of the goodwill generated in Évian – and perhaps a little of the magic of Trump’s opulent state dinner at the Palace of Versailles hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron – carries over into the upcoming trade talks between Ottawa and Washington.
JUNE 17, 2026
Hockey Night in Canada Signs Off
Fans who have loyally tuned into Hockey Night in Canada on CBC since it started in 1952 were dismayed to learn Tuesday that starting next year their beloved weekly hockey tradition will no longer be available over public airwaves. Sportsnet, which acquired the NHL rights in 2013, says it will not renew its sub-licensing deal with the public broadcaster, which means, of course, we’ll have to start paying to watch the game on cable or streaming services. CBC still owns the HNIC brand, and it’s unclear whether they’ll sell it to Sportsnet. Viewers who still get their hockey fix on CBC alone might prove unwilling to make the switch. Instead, they’ll have to cling to happier memories of the days when the broadcast, one of the country’s few cultural institutions, used our national game to transform home-grown players like Rocket Richard, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby into magical stars, and personalities like Foster Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Howie Meeker and Bob Cole into household names. That’s all gone now – and Saturday nights will never be the same.
JUNE 16, 2026
Fuel for Optimism
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived Monday in Évian-les-Bains, France, for the G7 meetings, ready to contribute to the forum’s ambitious agenda: resolve international conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, de-escalate trade tensions and address global economic imbalances. Carney had a positive bi-lateral sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reaffirming our commitment to maintaining pressure on Russia to end its war. Fresh off his gladiator games birthday spectacle on the White House lawn, U.S. President Donald Trump barged into the G7 touting his new peace deal with Iran – which lifts the naval blockade and reopens the Strait of Hormuz – claiming that it will bring down gas prices, up 40 percent in Canada since the conflict began. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” the president posted on Truth Social. Analysts, however, say it’s not as simple as just turning on the tap. It could take over a year to rebuild Iran’s damaged oil facilities and restore ruptured supply chains, meaning pump prices will likely remain in the $1.50 per-litre price range until 2027 at the earliest.
JUNE 15, 2026
Game Changers
With the Stanley Cup, NBA championship and World Cup dominating the weekend’s sports calendar, let’s relive some of the most dramatic moments, by the numbers.
37: The age of Carolina Hurricanes captain, Thunder Bay, Ont.-native Jordan Stall, who not only led his team to a Stanley Cup victory on Sunday, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights, but also became the oldest player to ever win the Conn Smythe (playoff MVP).
53: Years that had passed since the New York Knicks last won the NBA championship, a drought that ended on Saturday when they defeated the San Antonio Spurs, touching off wild celebrations in The Big Apple.
1: The first point Canada has ever recorded in World Cup play, earned by its draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday. Our boys will try to top that with a win against Qatar on Thursday in Vancouver.
158,000: The population of Curaçao, the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup. Although the tiny Caribbean country was trounced 7-1 by Germany in its opener, that they managed to tally against this soccer powerhouse was the feel-good moment of the tournament so far.
