Photo by Ali Tawfiq on Unsplash

In weather news, heat alerts and warnings have been issued across Canada this week, with temperatures expected to reach 35 in Toronto over the next two days and 40 degrees in parts of BC. There is also concern that Canada’s longest river, the Mackenzie, has reached its lowest level ever due to drought and high temperatures. An even worse heat wave is baking much of the United States right now, though, and a high of about 53 degrees (128 Fahrenheit) was reached in Death Valley National Park in eastern California.

In sports news, Canada defeated Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the Copa America soccer tournament and advanced to the semifinals for the first time, where they will face Argentina and Lionel Messi. This amazing performance has given soccer a big boost in popularity in Canada.

In political news, Canada’s current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has been losing popularity, and polls show that he would lose to Pierre Poilievre of the Conservative Party if an election was held today. However, Canada’s next election won’t take place until the fall of 2025, so the Liberal party has some time to decide whether to keep Trudeau or find a new leader before then.

In economic news, interest rate cuts have begun in Canada, giving some hope to mortgage holders who have seen their monthly payments increase significantly. However, inflation increased slightly again, so the Bank of Canada remains cautious about further rate cuts for now.

In local news, here in Ontario (where I live), the LCBO (the government operated store which sells alcohol) workers have gone on strike, so all LCBO stores are closed. The LCBO has historically had a lot of control over the sale of alcohol, but recently the government of Ontario has introduced plans to allow grocery stores and convenience stores to sell alcohol, too, and the LCBO is opposed to this plan. Although the LCBO stores are closed, Ontarians can still buy beer from The Beer Store and also buy alcohol directly from breweries, wineries, and distilleries.