SEPTEMBER 4, 2026
Cash is King
For the first time in 70 years, Canada’s $20 bill is getting a new face. His Majesty King Charles III will replace his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose portrait has graced the currency since 1954. The Bank of Canada unveiled the new note Thursday, with the King’s visage framed by a tapestry of flowers and foliage – a nod to his “lifetime dedication to the environment” – alongside plants that are “culturally significant” to Indigenous peoples. The reverse side will retain the Vimy Ridge Memorial. The new Royal tender will be only the second vertical banknote issued by the Bank of Canada, following the $10 bill featuring civil rights crusader Viola Desmond. Its polymer construction, combined with security features that “spin, transform and pulse” when the note is tilted, is designed to make it difficult to counterfeit. But it wasn’t security features that had social media buzzing. It was the King himself – or, more specifically, his hair and jawline. Critics zeroed in on Charles’s remarkably coiffed locks and chiselled profile, with many suggesting an uncanny resemblance to actor Dominic West, who played the Royal in the Netflix series, The Crown. West, who has acknowledged the resemblance in the past, once quipped: “The only time I really look like Charles is from behind, because the hair is just perfect.” | iStock
SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
Plumbing New Depths
The rage-baiting of Canada by key members of President Donald Trump’s administration hit a new low yesterday when U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a ham-fisted attempt to demean our military, posted a photo on social media of two young women at the Summer Cadet Training Centre in Vernon, B.C., with the snide caption: “this is real.” The backlash was swift and furious. The Daily Beast criticized it as “a vile social media post apparently mocking a Canadian youth cadet instructor for being overweight.” Hegseth, the former Fox News broadcaster who has two million followers, was widely condemned not only for the cruelty of the post, but for singling out a young woman who may have been a minor. B.C. Premier David Eby felt the trolling was “embarrassing,” and that it “tells you everything you need to know about the amateur-hour, distracted, bizarre leadership that Americans are being subjected to.” Hegseth was also taken to task by politicians south of the border. Arizona senator and Marine Corps veteran Ruben Gallego called it “really deeply disrespectful to the men and women of Canada that have died fighting with us.” Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, offered a succinct rebuke to U.S. officials: “Stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious.” | Getty Images
SEPTEMBER 1, 2026
Election Hat Trick
Despite being embroiled on the wrong end of a punishing trade war with the U.S., Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government is riding a remarkable wave of support from voters, winning crucial by-elections yesterday and strengthening the party’s slim majority in Parliament. The Liberals swept all three federal by-elections Monday, capturing seats in North Vancouver-Capilano, B.C., Beaches-East York, Ont., and Chicoutimi-LeFjord, Que, nudging their seat count to 173 – one more than is needed for a majority. The Liberals are also surging at the polls, outpacing Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives by 10 points. In fact, the Toronto Star’s Vox Pop Labs project that if an election were held today, the Liberals would have a 99 percent chance of securing a majority. “At this consequential time for Canada, voters have placed their trust in the government’s plan,” said Carney, celebrating the political hat trick on social media. Not only do the results suggest that Canadians are giving Carney a strong vote of confidence in how he’s handling the fraught trade battle with the U.S., but they also send shockwaves across the aisle. Poilievre will likely have to face uncomfortable questions from his own caucus about the future of his leadership, and why he has all but disappeared from the public discussion. | Getty Images
AUGUST 31, 2026
Magical Max
With the season moving into its crucial final month of play, the Toronto Blue Jays will need stellar pitching if they want to qualify for playoffs. Yesterday, help came from an unlikely source as 42-year-old Max Scherzer, who has had his struggles this season, turned back the clock and delivered a vintage performance, shutting down the Seattle Mariners and keeping the playoff hopes alive. Tossing seven scoreless innings and striking out 10, Mad Max became just the third player aged 42 or older in Major League Baseball history to achieve those marks. And with 10 punchouts, he moved into 9th place on the all-time strikeout list. “It was like hopping in a time machine,” said Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “This is what you play for … I love these moments,” noted Scherzer, who thanked the fans for the standing ovation that greeted him as he walked off the field after his final inning. Following the game, a reporter asked him whether he needed a strong outing to prove he can still pitch in the big leagues. “No,” replied the ever-confident Scherzer brusquely. “Because I always knew.” As the Jays embark on a series against the Cleveland Guardians – the team they’re chasing for the final playoff berth – they can only hope that Max’s magical moment rubs off on the rest of the team. | Getty Images
