Review: Greta Van Fleet spread their wings gloriously

Essential workers ruling raises questions

Ever been to a Dynacare clinic? Most of us have been. It’s an amazing demographic and ethnic slice of the city we’ve become. Old patients. Young patients. New arrivals. Long-time Canadians. People who know the ropes — others who are startled by the crowds and the noise and the lockstep forward motion of professionals doing what they have been trained to do. It seems, all at the same time, both chaotic and diagnostic, as names of patients are steadily called out and thousands of tests are performed.

But Dynacare is at the centre of a new kind of test and this time, we’re all in the test tube together.

It’s the first real test for new labour law put in place by the government of Premier Wab Kinew in 2024 — a law that redefined what essential services are for provincially-regulated workplaces. Under this law, companies and their employee and unions must have an agreement of which employees are essential — which ones must stay on the job during a legal strike for the protection of the health and safety of the public.

Dynacare had that kind of essential employee agreement with its staff and union — the company and the union had agreed the employees were not essential.

Tokyo Olympic aftermath still being untangled a year later

TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics survived the COVID-19 postponement, soaring expenses and some public opposition. A year later, the costs and benefits remain as difficult to untangle as the Games were to pull off.

In his speech at the closing ceremony, IOC President Thomas Bach said a major accomplishment of the Games was simply reaching the end.

“We did it,” Bach said. “We did it together," he repeated, crediting the athletes, Japanese government officials, and deep-pocketed broadcasters for refashioning the Games despite no fans, disappointed sponsors, and no buzz around the city.

Organizers said the Games would drive tourism, showcase Japan's technological prowess, and create memories similar to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The pandemic erased that.

Review: Greta Van Fleet spread their wings gloriously

Greta Van Fleet, “The Battle at Garden’s Gate” (Lava/Republic)

Greta Van Fleet are back and they're doubling down. The young Michigan rockers whose sound and classic look is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin have returned with “The Battle at Garden’s Gate,” an album not just rooted in classic 1970s rock but gloriously pounded into it.

This sophomore full-length effort from the Grammy winners marks an evolution to a more expansive approach, with progressive, mystical and psychedelic elements. Many songs roar past the three-minute mark, as the band jams and doodles unrushed. There's a bit more Rush this time in with the Zeppelin.

The band has teamed up with super-producer Greg Kurstin and under his guidance this collection has more elaborate arrangements, layers and chord progressions, lots of instrumental sections and strings. It goes right to the edge of bombastic without falling over, with lyrics about nature, armies massing and weird medieval imagery.

The women’s 100 metres in Tokyo ended with Elaine Thompson-Herah’s celebration. It might have cost her a world record

Thompson-Herah beats compatriot Fraser-Pryce and leads a Jamaican sweep of the podium.