JUNE 26, 2026
A Towering Achievement
The CN Tower turns 50 this week, and while the 533-metre landmark no longer holds the title of the world’s tallest freestanding structure, the star of the Toronto skyline still looms large in Canadian hearts. Conceived by the Canadian National Railway Company, it was originally erected in 1976 as a telecommunications and broadcasting hub to remedy interference from the city’s skyscrapers, while also showcasing Canuck innovation. Meanwhile, its emergence as a longstanding tourist trap has been well earned over the years – from the addition of 360, its panoramic rotating restaurant, to the immersive Spaceship Experience of the late ’80s conceived by Zoomer founder and CEO Moses Znaimer, to today’s adrenaline-inducing EdgeWalk. The tower also continues to inspire pop culture moments. Drake, for instance, photoshopped himself sitting on its edge for his 2016 Views album cover and returned to his muse again this past May, projecting a 3D light show onto its exterior to announce his surprise triple album. Want to mark the occasion? Look for the glow-in-the-dark Toonie commemorating the milestone, stream the documentary The Tower That Built a City, or, when you’re next in the 6ix, snap a selfie with Canada’s most recognizable landmark.
JUNE 25, 2026
Our Adopted Son
As Canadian men’s soccer coach Jesse Marsch walked off the pitch following Thursday’s dispiriting loss to Switzerland, a thin smile softened his otherwise worried expression. The defeat stung, but the 52-year-old took solace from his larger accomplishment: he had guided Canada to its first-ever appearance in the World Cup’s round of 32 and was already planning for Sunday’s win-or-go-home showdown against South Africa. Marsch has done a masterful job steering the team through adversity, including injuries to key midfielders Ismaël Koné (sidelined by a broken leg) and Stephen Eustáquio (muscle tightness). Plus, his most dynamic player, Alphonso Davies, has yet to play a minute because of lingering hamstring issues. He has also had to navigate the unusual challenge of being an American coaching Canada at a time when relations between the two countries are strained. “Of course I’m American, but every day I feel more Canadian,” Marsch proclaimed before the tournament and has repeatedly denounced the 51st-state rhetoric emanating from his homeland, saying he was “ashamed of the arrogance and disregard.” With Canada advancing into uncharted territory on soccer’s world stage, Marsch, the outsider, has become our unlikely leader.
JUNE 24, 2026
Vive la Nature
Nearly 400 years after the first cannon blasts echoed across the St. Lawrence to mark Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Quebec is still finding new reasons to celebrate. While the holiday has evolved from a religious feast into a full-throttle celebration of Québécois identity, this year comes with an extra bragging right: Québec City has been named a UNESCO Biosphere Region, which recognizes the area’s rare ability to balance urban life with a rich natural environment. Anchored by the St. Lawrence River, the region encompasses forests, wetlands, agricultural lands, islands and shorelines that support a remarkable diversity of plant and animal life. It also acknowledges conservation initiatives to protect biodiversity through habitat restoration, sustainable development and climate resilience projects. Rather than celebrating untouched wilderness, UNESCO’s biosphere program highlights places where people and nature thrive together, making Québec City a compelling example of how a major urban centre can safeguard its natural heritage while continuing to grow and evolve. This latest accolade joins two other prestigious UNESCO titles already under the city’s belt – World Heritage Site and Creative City of Literature – making Québec City the only city in the world to hold all three distinctions.
JUNE 23, 2026
The Golden Generation
One of the most compelling subplots at this year’s FIFA World Cup is watching the game’s aging superstars refuse to pass the torch to the younger generation. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, 38, drawing on all the skill and guile acquired over his incomparable career, now leads this year’s Golden Boot race with five goals. And, after scoring twice against Austria on Monday, he has also become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 18 goals. Messi is joined by fellow legend, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who, at 41, still strikes fear into opposing goalkeepers. But the next gen is hot on their heels. France’s Kylian Mbappé, 27, netted twice against Iraq to raise his tournament total to four and his career World Cup tally to 16, and Norway’s Erling Haaland, 25, is matching him goal for goal. Though Mbappé is poised to inherit the mantle of the game’s greatest scorer, the striker paid tribute to the old guard, saying that Messi and Ronaldo remain the “best in the world.” For fans, the battle between soccer’s enduring icons and its emerging stars is proving every bit as captivating as the matches themselves.
JUNE 22, 2026
RIP James Burrows, a Friend Til the End
Jennifer Aniston called him “Papa Burrows” and he called her and her fellow friends, “the kids,” – and she wrote he taught them to ”take care of each other.” That’s just one memory that was shared over the weekend when news broke that veteran television director James Burrows had died on June 19 at 85. The L.A. native was at the heart of sitcom history, starting behind the camera in the 1970s on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi, before co-creating the iconic ’80s hit Cheers and directing its spinoff Frasier. He was a key ingredient in the Friends’ magic and executive-produced and directed every episode of Will & Grace. “We lost a giant,” says the latter’s Canadian co-star Eric McCormack, “a mentor to me and a dear friend.” Burrows’s last great contribution to television came this past May when he guest-starred on The Comeback as “Jimmy the Director,” and gave an impassioned monologue arguing for human creativity over AI. “Surprising only comes from a group of writers,” he tells Lisa Kudrow’s character Val, “huddled in a corner beating themselves up to beat out a better joke.”
