3 Comments October 19, 2015 at 4:15 pm

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Extra, Extra: Andrew Coyne Resigns from the National Post (Sort of), Woman Creates Democracy Lawn Collage, John Oliver Calls for No More Harper

By Sarah Niedoba

Photo by Chad Cooper from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

Every weekday’s end, we collect just about everything you ought to care about or ought not to miss.

Andrew Coyne announced on Twitter today that he will be resigning as editor of editorials and comment for the National Post. He will, however, continue to be a columnist for the paper. The announcement comes on the heels of Canadaland’s October 16 post alleging that the Post scrapped a column by Coyne that endorsed a party other than the Post-backed Conservatives. Coyne clarified the situation this morning, tweeting, “So anyway… I have resigned as editor of Editorials and Comment for the National Post, effective immediately. I will remain a columnist,” followed by a series of tweets acknowledging that the paper had not wanted him to voice his differing opinion (in case you’re curious, he’ll be voting NDP). The whole ordeal prompted Canadaland‘s Jesse Brown to respond with the tweet, “Must be nice to resign on principle but keep a six-figure salary!”

In case you hadn’t heard, there are two events of national importance happening today—and one of them you actually get to have a say in. While only prayers to the 6ix god and the donning of rally caps have the potential power to affect the Jays-Royals ALCS game tonight, voters have all day to cast their ballots in the federal election. With this in mind, Etobicoke resident Barbara Kraus has covered her entire front lawn in campaign signs for the Conservative, Liberal, NDP, and Green candidates in her riding. She hopes to encourage last-minute voters in her area to make their way out to the polls today (cough, they close at 9:30 p.m., cough).
Mike Myers doesn’t want you to vote for Stephen Harper. And neither does John Oliver, who brought the Canadian star on his Sunday-evening HBO show to tell Canadians who they should vote for in today’s election. Or rather who they shouldn’t—Oliver stood with a piano-playing mascot beaver, a colonoscopy-receiving mascot moose (under our excellent health-care system), and Mike Meyers dressed as a mountie on a Zamboni, to declare: “Please, do not vote for Stephen Harper!”
From today’s edition of 12:36: @TorontoRobFord pulls back ahead of @norm. While it looked all but certain on Friday morning that Norm Kelly (Ward 40, Scarborough-Agincourt) would reach 200,000 followers before Rob Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North), the former’s numbers slowed after he announced that he would be “stepping back from the Twitterverse for a short while.” Meanwhile, the ex-mayor’s following continues to grow. A petition sought to coax Kelly back—if only to ask his rapper pal Lil B to bless the Blue Jays again, since they won the three consecutive games the last time that happened. Kelly’s account obliged this morning. (Want more 12:36? Subscribe to it now.)