Illustration: Christina Zhang
90
23 year old Cardinal Licorish was shot to death this Sunday, marking the 90th homicide this year. This grim total is a record, surpassing the crime wave of 1991. Please stay safe out there.
2%
In 2014, Canada made a commitment, along with the rest of NATO to devote 2% of its budget annually to defence. According to a NATO report released in July, Canada is only on track to reach 1.23%. The Liberal government, in a recent Halifax summit defended its choice by pointing to Canadian overseas missions in Latvia, air policing in Romania, and training missions in Iraq.
12812 Hectares
Last year, BC sprayed 12812 Hectares of forest with pesticide to eradicate broadleaf trees like Aspen and Birch. The province mandates this mass culling in order to make room for more valuable species like Pine and Fir. They may be regretting that decision now, as the same broadleaf trees they’ve been culling are also extremely fire resistant, a strange irony in a province wracked by massive forest fires.
80%
The provincial government’s Bill 47, if passed, would allow employers to require a doctor’s note, even for minor illnesses. According to a recent Ipsos poll, 80% of Canadians would come to work, even when ill, if they had to bring in a doctor’s note. Doctors have expressed serious reservations, claiming that they would be overwhelmed by all the note seekers.
$9380
According to the Writer’s Union of Canada, their members made $9380 a year, on average, from their writing. These numbers are down 27% from 2015, and 78% from 1998. Rest assured future writers, that’s still far more than The Reckoner is paying me.
