Editorials - Feb. 6, 2026
Just trying to entertain you
Over the weekend, our social media feeds erupted in messages of grief and disbelief over the untimely passing of Canadian comedy legend Catherine O’Hara. With a career spanning five decades, she was loved by generations. Whether you watched her cut her teeth on SCTV or as the harried mom who lost Kevin (twice) at Christmas in the beloved 1990s franchise Home Alone or more recently discovered her comedic brilliance as the unapologetically absurd Moira Rose in the hit comedy Schitt’s Creek, her loss will likely have affected you.
Her career of playing strong women spanned theatre, television and film, but her brilliance may have been best showcased through her improv, including roles in unscripted movies such as Best In Show, Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind. O’Hara had a special gift to create these oddball characters, and bring them down-to-earth just enough for them to be relatable. Who doesn’t want to be like Moira, and sometimes be able to say exactly what you want, when you want, and instead of coming off rude, it is just brushed off as delightfully quirky?
We will miss her, but thankfully she has left us a canon of work to sustain us. – DS
Meet the new boss...
You may lob plenty of criticisms the way of the Conservative Party of Canada, but an accusation of disloyalty should not be one of them.
“Dance with the One That Brought You” isn’t just a Shania Twain song from 1993 - with a music video directed by Sean Penn! - it’s the mantra by which the aforementioned Conservatives live their lives and, over the weekend, Pierre Poilievre charmed the pants off of his cohorts to the tune of over 87 per cent of those voting on his leadership review. No doubt there were tales of the good times of late 2024/early 2025 when the Conservatives boasted polling numbers that suggested, were an election held that day, Poilievre would have delivered a historic majority for the Conservatives, while eliding his equally-historic red zone fumble that led to him losing not just the election for the Conservatives, but his own seat in Ontario.
The Conservatives have decided that it’s Poilievre’s way or the highway. This, in the face of consistent polling that shows the contrary. While voters of all stripes may have space in their hearts for some Conservative talking points, they do not see Poilievre as effective. A recent study released just days before the leadership review shows that Prime Minister Mark Carney is Canadians’ preferred choice for leader for 60 per cent of the population to the 36 per cent who like Poilievre. Carney also leads every age demographic, including the ever-important 18-34 bracket by one of the study’s widest margins. And yet, over the weekend, Conservatives decided that they know better.
Some pundits saw this leadership review as a true fork in the road. Would Conservatives stop throwing good money after bad or would they return Poilievre to the lectern, sure this time would be different?
If Poilievre bungles the next election, whenever it may be, Conservative MPs can’t say they haven’t seen this movie before. – SL
It came from... London
As the Artemis II mission draws nearer, Canadians should pause and appreciate just how rare this moment is. This will be the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972, and Canada is not watching from the sidelines. That alone says something important about who we are and how the world sees us.
Jeremy Hansen’s selection is no accident and no courtesy. Born in London and raised near Ailsa Craig, he represents a familiar Canadian path that leads, improbably and impressively, to the edge of deep space. From Air Cadets to flying CF-18s with the Royal Canadian Air Force, and from there into advanced studies in physics and space science, Hansen’s career is defined by competence, steadiness and intellectual seriousness. His presence on Artemis II also tells a larger story about how international co-operation works when it is taken seriously. Canada has spent decades proving itself a reliable partner in space, contributing essential technology and expertise rather than flashy rhetoric. This matters, particularly at a time when political noise sometimes suggests Canada is unwanted or expendable. The spacefaring world offers a clearer verdict. Our allies want us involved. They rely on our systems, our engineers and our people.
There is also something quietly powerful about where Hansen comes from. Southwestern Ontario is not known for rockets or launchpads. It is known for farms, small towns and steady work. That someone from this place will soon circle the moon is not a novelty, but a reminder of what broad access to education and opportunity can produce.
When Artemis II launches, it will mark a return to lunar exploration and a step toward deeper space. For Canada, it will also mark a moment of affirmation. We belong in these conversations. We belong in these partnerships. And sometimes, we belong on the moon. – SBS