Editorials - June 5, 2026
Dancing in the street
What if the world was throwing a party in your backyard and you couldn’t go? CBC News reported this week on the disparity between FIFA ticket prices in host cities and the average annual income of its residents. Not surprisingly, Mexican cities showed the greatest unaffordability of tickets to games for its citizens. The average ticket price for a World Cup game in Guadalajara is $1,139 while the average annual income is $4,540. Imagine paying your entire year’s pay for a family of four to attend a soccer game.
Of course, demand sets the prices. There will be Mexican residents who can pay, and the country is banking on a whole lot of tourism to offset the costs that the host country incurs for the privilege of bringing the World Cup to their community. But still, any of these big spectacles highlights the difference between the haves and the have-nots.
Toronto comes in fourth in affordability, but a quick scan of tickets available shows that the average price is not what you’re likely to pay. Prices, as with almost every ticketed event, are subject to dynamic pricing and dependent on demand. In order for residents to get involved, host cities organizing free FIFA celebrations for the masses, providing watch parties on screens for people who can’t otherwise participate.
Dynamic pricing allows the wealthy access to all the entertainment and sports they want, while the rest of us watch from the sidelines. – DS
Watch that man
Just over a year ago, as the cast of Saturday Night Live bid farewell to another show, Scarborough-born actor Mike Myers urged Canadians to keep their elbows up in the face of Donald Trump’s rhetoric. At the time, it was seen as a bipartisan act of patriotism that all of us could get behind. That was until Myers helped Mark Carney get elected Prime Minister with an “Elbows Up” commercial, set at a hockey rink. Then it was socialist hogwash to elect another crooked Liberal government. The politicization of what Myers did is unfortunate and why that is bared its soul on the weekend when the Canadian Screen Awards honoured Myers with its Icon Award. Myers tearfully professed his love for this country, its people and its support of the arts. He became - probably - the first person to ever thank the Canadian taxpayer for an award, relaying an anecdote about telling his American colleagues that he had a huge ally in the 40 million Canadians supporting the arts.
Myers choked up as he ended his acceptance speech, saying that, in Scarborough, he learned the three Fs (when to fight, when to be funny and when to flee) and that he would truly be nothing without Canada.
We are lucky to have, especially in the last year and a half, so many native sons and daughters sing the praises of this great nation. They wear their uniquely Canadian sensibilities, sensitivities, senses of humour and deep foundations of empathy with them everywhere they go and do not need to be coerced into professing their Canadian pride.
Myers’ speech might not shift incredibly divisive opinions from where they sit, but they should. While some western friends may disagree, we, as Canadians, are a family. Families are never perfect. There are squabbles, mistakes and sadness, but also joy, triumph and collective accomplishment. No degree of political affiliation or ideo-logical differences should distract us from who are together. – SL
Lady Stardust
On May 27, the City of Nevada City, California, declared its first Joanna Newsom Day, recognizing one of its most remarkable native daughters. It is difficult to imagine a more deserving recipient.
For more than two decades, Newsom has stood apart in contemporary music. Her work combines dazzling musicianship, literary ambition, emotional depth and a singular artistic vision. Genius is a word that is too often handed out casually. In Newsom’s case, it is simply accurate.
Yet what made the occasion especially meaningful was not merely the proclamation itself, but Newsom’s acceptance speech at the Nevada City Council meeting. Speaking with characteristic wit, charm and intelligence, she reflected on the community that actively nurtured her artistic development. Rather than presenting her talent as a solitary achievement, she described a town where creativity was encouraged, where teachers, friends, family members and neighbours created the conditions in which a young artist could grow.
That message feels particularly important today. Across North America, arts programs often find themselves treated as luxuries rather than necessities. Communities eager to attract artists frequently focus on economic development, tourism or branding. Newsom’s reflections pointed toward something deeper: a community becomes artistically vibrant when it invests in curiosity, education and the freedom to create.
Joanna Newsom Day is more than a tribute to an individual. It is a celebration of what can happen when a community truly believes that art matters. Nevada City can be proud of Newsom. Just as importantly, Newsom’s story suggests that Nevada City can be proud of itself. – SBS