Canada Letter: Soccer’s World Cup Inches Closer

While no new stadiums will be built in Vancouver or Toronto, renovations face a tight deadline. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP4QtAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS9keW5hbWljL3JlbmRlcj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbmRhXzIwMjQwMjEwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExNDgzMCZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJnByb2R1Y3RDb2RlPUNOREEmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NzgzMCZ0ZT0xJnVyaT1ueXQlM0ElMkYlMkZuZXdzbGV0dGVyJTJGNWIyNWM4N2QtODQzZC01ZTRkLWE5MTMtZDFlYmNkNWM2OGI3JnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0SzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTUwJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTE0ODMwJm5sPWNhbmFkYS1sZXR0ZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NzgzMCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD)[Continue reading the main story](#) [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0SeaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NjE5JmxpPUNOREEmbT1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZwPUNOREFfMjAyNDAyMTAmdGU9MSZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTBXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) [Canada Letter](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0S5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY2FuYWRhP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTUwJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTE0ODMwJm5sPWNhbmFkYS1sZXR0ZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NzgzMCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) February 10, 2024 Canada Prepares for Soccer’s 2026 World Cup [Author Headshot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvaWFuLWF1c3Rlbj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbmRhXzIwMjQwMjEwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExNDgzMCZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTc4MzAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmXBgVfHZXv_FSRSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) By [Ian Austen](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvaWFuLWF1c3Rlbj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbmRhXzIwMjQwMjEwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExNDgzMCZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTc4MzAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmXBgVfHZXv_FSRSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) This week we learned how many World Cup games will take place in Vancouver and Toronto, which will co-host the men’s soccer tournament with cities in the United States and Mexico in 2026. [An empty soccer stadium] BMO Field in Toronto will get additional seats. Chris Helgren/Reuters As has been known from the beginning, Canada and Mexico will be sitting at the children’s table, hosting just 13 games each. The United States will have 78 games, including the final, which will take place at an 87,000-seat stadium in New Jersey — which the organizers describe as being in New York, presumably because the stadium normally hosts the New York Giants and the New York Jets. The tournament will begin in Mexico City on June 11. [Read all the details from The Athletic: [World Cup 2026: The biggest tournament yet and a New York final](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly90aGVhdGhsZXRpYy5jb20vNTI0OTk4OC8yMDI0LzAyLzA0L3dvcmxkLWN1cC0yMDI2LXNjaGVkdWxlLWV4cGxhaW5lZC8_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTAmZW1jPWVkaXRfY25kYV8yMDI0MDIxMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTQ4MzAmbmw9Y2FuYWRhLWxldHRlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU3ODMwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgplwYFXx2V7_xUkUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~)] Vancouver will host seven matches, and Toronto will get six, including the first game involving Canada’s national team. The cost to both cities and the state of their stadium preparation are less clear. Qatar, which hosted the 2022 tournament, [built seven new stadiums](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8wOC9zcG9ydHMvc29jY2VyL3dvcmxkLWN1cC1zdGFkaXVtcy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTUwJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTE0ODMwJm5sPWNhbmFkYS1sZXR0ZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NzgzMCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD). Canada’s efforts will be far more modest. Vancouver will renovate B.C. Place for the second time since it replaced the facility’s failing inflatable roof with a retractable one in 2011 — a sprucing up that ran 149 million Canadian dollars over its 365 million-dollar budget. And Toronto is adding an unusually precise 15,736 temporary seats to the 30,000 seats now in place at BMO Field. (In 2021, Montreal dropped out of the bidding to be a host city after the provincial government declined to provide funding out of [concern about potential cost overruns](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP4R1AWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNiYy5jYS9uZXdzL2NhbmFkYS9tb250cmVhbC9tb250cmVhbC1maWZhLWJpZC0yMDI2LTEuNjA5MTYyMz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbmRhXzIwMjQwMjEwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExNDgzMCZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTc4MzAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3Izp-OnRleHQ9TW9udHJlYWwtLE1vbnRyZWFsJTIwd2l0aGRyYXdzJTIwZnJvbSUyMEZJRkElMjBXb3JsZCUyMEN1cCUyMDIwMjYlMjBob3N0JTIwYmlkZGluZyUyQyUyMGNpdGluZyxkaWZmaWN1bHQlMjB0byUyMGp1c3RpZnklMjB0byUyMHRheHBheWVycy5XA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD).) British Columbia’s government estimated in 2022 that the cost of its preparations would be between 240 million and 260 million Canadian dollars, of which 40 million dollars was for facilities — a category that includes practice fields as well as B.C. Place. The province and the city of Vancouver have both refused to release their agreement with FIFA. the sport’s international governing body, citing confidentiality provisions, or to answer specific questions about it, although nearby Seattle, another host city, [apparently had no such restriction](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2NyaWJkLmNvbS9kb2N1bWVudC82Njc5MjQ5NDcvRklGQS1TZWF0dGxlLUFncmVlbWVudD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbmRhXzIwMjQwMjEwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExNDgzMCZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTc4MzAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmXBgVfHZXv_FSRSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~). [A view of a stadium in the distance and the skyline of Vancouver, British Columbia.] B.C. Place stadium gained a retractable roof in 2011. Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters Among other things, the Seattle agreement gives a tight timeline for all stadium construction to be completed: the middle of next year. In Toronto, a city where a major light rail project is now about two and a half years behind schedule, the stadium renovations are still in the hands of architects. Sharon Bollenbach, the city’s executive director for World Cup hosting, told me in a statement that the current plan is for work to begin this fall. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-universal-0) ADVERTISEMENT [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0SeaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NjE2JmxpPUNOREEmbT1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZwPUNOREFfMjAyNDAyMTAmdGU9MSZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTBXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) Toronto’s currently estimated cost for hosting is 300 million. But FIFA subsequently expanded the number of teams in the competition and, thus, the number of games. Toronto now will host one more game than it had anticipated; Vancouver will get two more. “The city is reviewing planning assumptions and will recalculate costs, revenue opportunities and benefits,” Ms. Bollenbach said by email. “Existing calculations were based on Toronto hosting five games. As with any major event, the city is working with partners to balance costs and benefits to ensure that any public investment in hosting the World Cup in Toronto yields significant benefits and legacies for Torontonians.” The idea that the economic and tourism benefits will eclipse the costs to host cities was also offered by Ken Sim, the mayor of Vancouver, a city that is forecasting that the tournament may create more than $1 billion a year in economic activity leading up to 2026 and for each of the following five years. “When you bring economic activity to the city, you uplift everyone,” [Mr. Sim told the CBC.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP4SXAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNiYy5jYS9uZXdzL2NhbmFkYS9icml0aXNoLWNvbHVtYmlhL2ZpZmEtd29ybGQtY3VwLTIwMjYtdmFuY291dmVyLWdhbWVzLTEuNzEwNTM0Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbmRhXzIwMjQwMjEwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExNDgzMCZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTc4MzAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3Izp-OnRleHQ9VmFuY291dmVyJTIwbWF5b3IlMjAnc3VwZXIlMjBwdW1wZWQnJTIwYXQsaG9zdCUyMDclMjBXb3JsZCUyMEN1cCUyMG1hdGNoZXMmdGV4dD1LZW4lMjBTaW0lMjBzYWlkJTIwVmFuY291dmVyJTIwaGFzLG9uZSUyMG1vcmUlMjBnYW1lJTIwdGhhbiUyMFRvcm9udG8uVwNueXRCCmXBgVfHZXv_FSRSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) “You create more opportunity for people.” [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-universal-0) ADVERTISEMENT [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0SeaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjAzNTA1JmxpPUNOREEmbT1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZwPUNOREFfMjAyNDAyMTAmdGU9MSZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTBXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) Money aside, with Canada guaranteed an entry into the World Cup as a host nation and many members of its national team, including Alphonso Davies, among the top ranks of international professional players, enthusiasm is likely to be high in 2026. But claims that the World Cup will bring in more economically than it costs to host its games should be viewed skeptically. For decades, [economists have gone back](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP4Q8AWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnJlc2VhcmNoZ2F0ZS5uZXQvcHJvZmlsZS9Ccmlhbi1TdHVyZ2Vzcy9wdWJsaWNhdGlvbi8yMzcyNTA3MV9Ib3N0aW5nX3RoZV9GSUZBX1dvcmxkX0N1cC9saW5rcy81Yzc2OWQ1OGE2ZmRjYzQ3MTVhMTFiNjMvSG9zdGluZy10aGUtRklGQS1Xb3JsZC1DdXAucGRmP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTUwJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTE0ODMwJm5sPWNhbmFkYS1sZXR0ZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NzgzMCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) and examined the pregame predictions of dramatic economic and tourism gains for host nations and cities. There is a broad consensus: The forecasts are, at best, exaggerated, and the economic effects are often minimal and short-lived. [A man in uniform speaks during a news conference.] Chief Thai Truong of the police service in London, Ontario, was unhappy about the delay in filing of charges. Geoff Robins/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press Trans Canada - After a six-year delay in filing of charges, the police chief in London, Ontario, apologized to a woman who said she was [sexually abused by players from the Canadian junior hockey team](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0T0aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMi8wNS93b3JsZC9jYW5hZGEvaG9ja2V5LWNhbmFkYS1zY2FuZGFsLXNleHVhbC1hc3NhdWx0Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTAmZW1jPWVkaXRfY25kYV8yMDI0MDIxMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTQ4MzAmbmw9Y2FuYWRhLWxldHRlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU3ODMwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgplwYFXx2V7_xUkUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~) that won the 2018 world championship. - Cameron Ortis, a former senior civilian intelligence official in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was sentenced to [14 years in prison](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMi8wNy93b3JsZC9jYW5hZGEvc2VudGVuY2Utc3RhdGUtc2VjcmV0cy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTUwJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTE0ODMwJm5sPWNhbmFkYS1sZXR0ZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NzgzMCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD). His motive for passing along secrets to people under police investigation remains a mystery. - Walter Shawlee chanced upon a slide rule from high school while looking through a drawer at his home in Kelowna, British Columbia. That set off a series of events that led him to [corner the world slide rule market.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMi8wOC9zY2llbmNlL3dhbHRlci1zaGF3bGVlLWRlYWQuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbmRhXzIwMjQwMjEwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExNDgzMCZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTc4MzAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmXBgVfHZXv_FSRSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) Mr. Shawlee died in September at the age of 73. - In What’s in Our Queue?, Alexandra Stevenson, the Shanghai bureau chief of The Times and a Toronto native, included [“Play De Record,” a documentary](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyNC8wMi8wNy9hcnRzL2VkaXRvcnMtcmVjb21tZW5kYXRpb25zLW1haGpvbmcuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbmRhXzIwMjQwMjEwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTExNDgzMCZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xNTc4MzAmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmXBgVfHZXv_FSRSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAw~~) about a vinyl store in her hometown that shows how it created some of Canada’s best known musical artists. - A fossilized tree that was unearthed near Valley Waters, New Brunswick, in an active private quarry, has revealed a different and previously unknown kind of plant one scientist compares to “[an upside-down toilet brush](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMi8wMi9zY2llbmNlL2Zvc3NpbGl6ZWQtdHJlZS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTUwJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTE0ODMwJm5sPWNhbmFkYS1sZXR0ZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE1NzgzMCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD).” - Dr. Sarah Smith, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University of Toronto, spoke with Matt Richtel about the increasing recognition that [eating disorders also affect boys](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyNC8wMi8wOC9oZWFsdGgvYWRvbGVzY2VudHMtYm95cy1lYXRpbmctZGlzb3JkZXJzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTAmZW1jPWVkaXRfY25kYV8yMDI0MDIxMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMTQ4MzAmbmw9Y2FuYWRhLWxldHRlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTU3ODMwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgplwYFXx2V7_xUkUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAM~) and men. - A native of Windsor, Ontario, Ian Austen was educated in Toronto, lives in Ottawa and has reported about Canada for The New York Times for two decades. Follow him on Bluesky: @ianausten.bsky.social [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-universal-0) ADVERTISEMENT [Ad](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnqdyBP0SeaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4OTY3JmxpPUNOREEmbT1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZwPUNOREFfMjAyNDAyMTAmdGU9MSZubD1jYW5hZGEtbGV0dGVyJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuZGFfMjAyNDAyMTBXA255dEIKZcGBV8dle_8VJFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAD) How are we doing? We’re eager to have your thoughts about this newsletter and events in Canada in general. Please send them to [nytcanada@nytimes.com](mailto:nytcanada@nytimes.com?%20subject=Canada%20Letter%20Newsletter%20Feedback). Like this email? 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