SEPTEMBER 16, 2026
Atlantic Alliance
At the two-day Canadian Investment Summit, which wrapped up yesterday in Toronto, Prime Minister Mark Carney – in his ongoing efforts to find new trading partners to replace the U.S. – courted international investors by offering them access to our considerable assets, including natural resources and private ownership of our four major airports. The PM received a huge boost in this campaign from across the ocean when EU President Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, in a post-Summit speech to the European Parliament – with Carney seated in the chamber – stunned everyone by floating the possibility of Canada becoming the first-ever “associate member” of the trading bloc. This development would open up new markets as the U.S. closes theirs. “We share one ocean, one set of values, one way of seeing the world. And we will now build our shared future as well,” said von der Leyen. Although details are sketchy, the plan could include the EU gaining access to our critical minerals, artificial intelligence and green energy. The announcement was met with applause in Europe as well as at home, with two former prime ministers from both sides of the House – Jean Chrétien and Stephen Harper – hailing this new trade-diversification strategy. A readout on the PMO’s website hinted at what Carney will say in his highly anticipated address to the EU on Thursday: “Canada is forging stronger relationships with trusted partners to build greater strategic autonomy, resilience and sovereignty.” | Getty Images
SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
The Champ
We couldn’t let the week go by without paying our respects to boxing legend George Chuvalo, the heroic fighter who died on Sept. 12 at age 89, after surviving extraordinary punishment both in the ring and in life. Born to Croatian parents in 1937, this tough Toronto kid – nicknamed “Boom Boom” – rose through the Canadian boxing ranks, winning the national heavyweight title five times while taking on all comers. Although he was never crowned heavyweight champion of the world, in his 90 professional bouts from the 1950s to the ’70s, he fought all the legends, including Muhammad Ali (twice), Joe Frazier and George Foreman. A colourful character whose iron chin and unbreakable spirit earned him folk-hero status, Chuvalo absorbed brutal poundings but famously never hit the canvas, earning Ali’s respect as “the toughest man I ever fought.” After hanging up his gloves, he took bit parts playing tough-guy roles in TV and film, but struggled with dementia and personal calamity: his wife, Lynne, and three of their five children committed suicide. “If you added up every punch I took and multiplied the total by 10,000, it wouldn’t begin to equal the pain,” was how he described the tragedy that engulfed his family. He channelled his grief into advocacy, speaking to children about the dangers of drugs and the importance of resilience. “I fought the best, and I never went down. That’s my title,” he once said. Taking punches in life that would have felled most men, George Chuvalo kept standing. | Getty Images
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
Celine Dion’s Note-Perfect Fashion
This weekend, the ultimate diva, Celine Dion, returned to the stage, performing in Paris for the first time in six years due to her neurological disorder, stiff person syndrome, which causes severe muscle stiffness and painful spasms that impair movement and, crucially, affect speech and singing. Rather than shy away from the powerful ballads, the 58-year-old went full force into them, even taking on the hauntingly beautiful and technically challenging aria from Alfredo Caltani’s La Wally, “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana”, famously sung by Maria Callas. Dion added a layer of poignancy to the song, which is about leaving the world behind because of unbearable pain, but also finding the strength to keep going. Her fashion choices – created with long-time collaborator, stylist and fellow Quebecer Annie Horth – were as spectacular as her voice. All custom haute couture, they had an eternal, almost goddess-like quality. She opened her Paris residency singing On ne change pas, wearing a black sculptural Dior by Jonathan Anderson gown with a peplum silhouette that featured layers and layers of sheer pleated fabric. The opposite of bedazzled Vegas showgirl, this was a serious fashion piece, projecting strength, maturity, confidence and provenance – the look referenced Christian Dior’s “Francis Poulenc” dress from 1950 haute couture collection. Throughout the night, her homage to Parisien couturiers continued with a black leather bustier and column skirt by Alaia for All by Myself, and a dazzlingly beaded custom Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry for My Heart Will Go On. For her aria, Dion adorned herself in a theatrical pink shredded-organza faux-feather Givenchy cape by Sarah Burton, worn over an ethereal cut-out dress. The only detour from French couture? A custom Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann crystal-covered column gown with a thigh-high slit and draped cape worn for I’m Alive – a life-affirming, daringly revealing dress that was as triumphant as her return. | Getty Images
